by Joanne Newell
Hello!
A couple of months ago, we created a competition for the release of our children’s recipe book – Monkey Mike’s Raw Food Kitchen: An Un-Cookbook for Kids – and now, we are announcing the winners!
Entrants were asked to draw a picture of them creating a banana, strawberry and mango smoothie with Monkey Mike. We also asked them to create a wacky name for the smoothie.
We had two age categories – one for children aged seven to nine, and the other for children aged 10 to 12. And our winners are (drum roll, please):
Xavier (age 7) and Catherine (age 10), both from Australia!
Kids, we love those names, and we love your pictures!
Xavier and Catherine both received a beautiful package in the mail, consisting of a “Kitchen Starter Pack” comprising a mixing bowl, a multi-size measuring cup, a tea towel, a citrus juicer, a mini whisk, a mini spatula and an orange peeler. They also received digital copies of the Monkey Mike book!
Congratulations to both of our winners, and we hope the Kitchen Starter Packs and book have seen you whipping up a storm in the kitchen!
Till next week
Love Jo
Upon going raw, many women feel that taking the pill is not only unnatural, it is also unhealthy. We try to eat organic as often as we can not only to avoid pesticides, but also to reduce our exposure to artificial hormones. Even those of us who eat dairy avoid Bovine Growth Hormones like the plague. It’s no surprise then that soon after we switch to a healthier lifestyle, we decide that the Pill has to go once and for all.
Lúcuma (Pouteria obovata) is a Peruvian sub–tropical fruit that is usually found in raw food stores as a powder, made from the dried fruits. This yellow–gold, rich powder is actually my FAVOURITE of the lower–glycemic sweet raw powders, as it has a unique, delicious taste – something similar to shortbread or caramel.
Lucuma is related to mamey, green sapote and canistel (egg fruit) and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, beta–carotene, B vitamins and iron.
Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a root vegetable, also native to Peru, in the Andes. Yacon can be found in many forms in raw food stores – syrup, powder, dried slices. It is often called the ‘apple of the earth’ and is related to the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke. The syrup is very thick, dark and sweet while the dried slices taste a bit like dried pineapple slices and make great snack food, or trail mix additions.
Mesquite powder is made by grinding the seed pods of the mesquite tree (Prosopis spp. – also known as algorroba) – a leguminous plant found in arid/desert areas worldwide. This golden powder has a distinctive, sweet, almost nutty taste.
Carob powder is also made by grinding seed pods – this time, the pods from the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). Carob is another leguminous tree, native to the Mediterranean – it also grows well in California and Florida.
The herb stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is part of the sunflower family, native to South and Central America. It is very popular with diabetics as it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and is almost calorie–free.
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) have become very popular in recent years as a healthy sweet ‘superfood’. They are part of the nightshade family. Dried whole goji berries are very widely available, along with goji berry powder. I LOVE the goji berry powder and feel it is best eaten straight from the packet 
Pomegranate fruits (Punica granatum) are native to the Middle East and are now grown all over the world. Pomegranates are a medium–glycemic, delicious fresh fruit and it is also possible to get dried, concentrated pomegranate powder and dried whole pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate powder is bright pink and tastes a bit like sherbet 
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a plant with many uses, from food to clothing,fuel, paper, cosmetics and more. Hemp powder 50% is a powdered hemp product made by Nutiva that contains less fibre and more protein – 50% protein. It is sweeter than most hemp powders because there is less fibre. While this powder is not super–sweet by itself, it is certainly a unique, nutrient–packed ingredient for sweet raw dishes. Hemp is rich in essential fats, protein, vitamin E and iron.
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an awe–inspiring plant with myriad uses. As a food it is available in many raw forms such as coconut flour, oil, butter, chips, shreds or simply fresh coconut water/meat. Coconut is naturally a little sweet.
Some nuts/seeds and their butters have a natural sweetness to them, which can make them ideal choices in recipes like cakes, cookies, grawnolas etc. I find almonds naturally a little sweet for example, along with macadamias, hemp seeds, pine nut butter and hazelnut butter.
While different bee pollens can differ vastly in their taste, colour and texture, they are usually naturally at least a little sweet. The best bee pollen I’ve ever tasted was from a little bee–keeper in New Orleans somewhere and the pollen actually tasted like chocolate ;O I don’t know what those bees had been picking up but it was a gorgeous concoction.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a spice made from the cinnamon tree. Cinnamon is naturally a little sweet, plus warming and pungent.
Vanilla (Vanilla spp.) is an exotic, pungent spice derived from the seed pods of orchids. Vanilla is available in different forms like whole vanilla pods, vanilla powder, liquid forms and so on. We have an incredible vanilla powder for sale, along with whole beans.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable native to the Peruvian Andes. Maca is not particularly sweet by itself, yet is quite often used in sweet raw dishes as a ‘superfood’ addition. Maca is most commonly found in powdered form and is usually a creamy colour, though red and black maca powders are also available (green and purple roots also grow 
As we will explore the timeless Wisdom of Ayurved, we’ll learn new ways to keep balanced throughout the year, restoring Harmony in our Lives by being more in tune with Mother Nature and Her Cycles.
I have been studying under the guidance of world reknowned teachers, although I consider Mother Maya (Swamini Mayatitananda of Wise Earth Ayurveda) the Warrior Goddess and most Beloved Guide.
I am Suki, your friendly colonic hydrotherapist & cleansing guru. In the last 12 years it’s been my delight & privilege to work with 9 mothers and 11 babies throughout their pregnancies [2 mothers with both of their children]. And each one has been different - there is no accounting for cravings & seasons! There is much misconception about when it is safe to cleanse during pregnancy & breast feeding. What you want to avoid is excess toxins entering your blood stream & that of your baby. Removing toxins from your body = a very good thing. I am happy to give colonics past 14 weeks* gestation: 1st trimester + 2 weeks for good measure [*a history of problems notwithstanding]. If I doubted for a minute that it wasn’t suitable [i.e. poor diet could create more stress than benefit] I would talk to my client about other cleansing options.
It can be very stressful to transition to Raw. As a mother of three and wife to one. . . None of whom are as enthusiastic as I am about going Raw, I can tell you that every day at meal time I get a headache. As the mom I want to lead by example, not force, and definitely not have to fight every step of the way. I want my kids to be healthy, and healthy. For my husband and I, we want to feel young and full of energy, weight loss and clear glowing skin would be the bonuses for us.
I am currently suffering really bad hayfever and I have been trying to find a solution. I have been on antihistamines and others to help dry up and heal the symptoms but they are losing their effect.
I host a raw vegan potluck at my home each month. To shake things up a bit, I’ve been trying to schedule speakers to come and give talks on subjects that are a bit on the outskirts of the raw vegan community. As my first speaker, I thought it would be appropriate to invite Daniel Vitalis to come and speak about elixirs. It was fitting, of course, given that he often gets touted as “the bad boy of the raw food world.” Outskirts seems to be his forte.
The idea of being able to help those who’ve had their conscious sparked, who know there must be a better way to live, who want a big improvement in their health, and who want inspiration for phenomenal living… the very thought of being able to do this for others is so exciting. How fulfilling to be able to serve in such a direct way!
