Honey Lemon Blueberry Tarts with a Secret Ingredient

The most recent recipe contest I entered was for Carlson Labs. You had to create an original dish using at least two tablespoons of their fish oil. Luckily I had a bottle of their lemon flavor on hand. My first idea was to make a salsa for fish tacos. I thought that was too practical so I asked my mom for some advice. She poured herself a spoonful to taste. " You cant even taste the fish...you could make it into something sweet." The idea for Honey Lemon Blueberry Tarts were born. Cooking with heat will damage the oil so a raw dessert was a perfect idea. I did a nut and date crust, a lemon curd, and topped them with a mixture of blueberries and honey. Now that I am incorporating natural sugars into my diet I was able to taste. It was so yummy! You really could not taste the fishiness at all. What a great way to get your omega 3's! I took a tart over for some friends to try and they all loved it as well. Hopefully this is a winning recipe! The $500 grand prize would sit nicely in my savings account for school.

Spinach, Berries, and Lime

Spinach, Berries, and Lots of Lime Smoothie

Juice from 2-3 limes

6-8oz water

3/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 handfuls raw spinach

1 tbsp hemp seeds

a few drops of stevia

blend and enjoy

I really love the tartness from the limes but if you do not, I would suggest using 1 - 1 1/2 limes.

Living Green Pesto Pasta Salad

Because scholarships do not honor the type of school I am applying to, I need to find other ways to raise money. I started entering recipe contests in hope of winning prize money. The picture above is a recipe I entered today. The idea of the contest was to create a healthy recipe using any or all green vegetables. I came up with zucchini pesto pasta salad. I was inspired during my trip to the farmers market yesterday. Fresh basil, zucchini, green onion, green bell pepper, and sprouted pumpkin seeds make an awesome alternative to regular pasta. Especially for those who are who are on a low-carb or gluten free diet. There's a lot more money to raise to stay tuned for more dishes I will be creating for these contests.

California to Colorado

My friend Shane was moving to Boulder and since it’s favorite city and my future home in 8 months, I decided to make the drive with him. Our first stop was Las Vegas. Before heading to Arizona we stopped at Go Raw Cafe (the eastside location). The cafe/nutrition store was a great combination. They offer a large selection of raw foods, supplements, body care, and books. The food was delicious. Shane had the Mediterranean wrap and I had the salad bar. Sprouted mung beans and adzuki beans topped my salad as well as curried veggies in coconut oil. The cilantro dressing was amazing and they also offered homemade flax crackers.

www.gorawcafe.com

Driving into Sedona, Arizona was picturesque and the gigantic red rocks were really a sight to see. Back when I worked at the health food store in Santa Barbara we sold kale chips, onion bread, and other foods from a place called Chocola Tree. Their home happened to be in Sedona. I knew I could not miss stopping in while I was there. The restaurant has such a nice and peaceful atmosphere. You can sit inside, on the patio, or out back in their garden which is where we sat. I ordered the Hummus Sandwich which was delicious and Shane had the Sea Star Cilantro Salad, also really yummy. After dinner we went inside so I could purchase some kale chips and onion bread. Along with those items they sell all their homemade raw goodies and have a large case filled with raw chocolates and other treats.

www.chocolatreecafe.com

On my first trip to Boulder back in May, I was able to experience the farmers market on its first day reopening for the season. It was so nice to be back, I can't wait until I move to Boulder so can shop there on a weekly basis. Not only do they have a large selection of fresh foods but they also have an area where restaurants and other vendors sell their food. You can get fresh brick oven pizza, empanadas, potstickers, doughnuts, and more.

I met one of the guys from Cure Organic Farms and he was nice enough to let me take some photos of their stand. Check out their website www.cureorganicfarm.com