October 10, 2010

1/2 cup buckwheat ($1.00) 

1/2 cup brazil nuts ($2.00)

2 bananas ($.30)

1 apple, coarsely chopped ($.60)

1/2 cup raisins ($1.00)

3 tablespoons olive oil ($.30)

3 tablespoons agave ($.30)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

These are every bit as good as a regular cookie. I found my buckwheat and brazil nuts at NutsOnline.com. They have an amazing selection of all sorts of goodies, including lots of raw nuts and seeds and their service is excellent.

The buckwheat has to be soaked for at least a half hour, but can be soaked overnight, so plan to start that ahead of time. Once soaked, rinse the buckwheat extremely well. 

In a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the bananas until pureed. Add the buckwheat and pureed until mostly smooth. Add the brazil nuts and process until well chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the apples and raisins are chopped up a bit and all ingredients are incorporated.

Put heaping tablespoon sized mounds of batter on a lined dehydrator sheet. Press some additional raisins into the tops of the cookies, if desired. Dry for about an hour, until the tops are dry enough to flip. Flip and gently pry the cookies from the sheet. Also, a spatula can be used to turn the cookies. Dry for another few hours until dry but just slightly pliable.

Use the cookies to make n’ice cream sandwiches. Just make a small batch of banana ice cream and pour into a freezer proof container to a depth of about 1/2 to 1 inch. Freeze until very firm, then cut into circles that fit inside the cookies.

1 beet ($.69)

1/2 cucumber ($.30)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

stevia to taste

I vant to drink your … beet juice. Especially if it’s lemony and sweet. My granddaughter loved this, and has requested it ever since.

Juice the beet and cucumber. Add lemon juice and sweeten with a bit of stevia, or your favorite sweetener.

1 cup walnuts ($3.00)

1 cup raisins ($1.00)

5 apples ($3.00)

1/2 cup raisins ($.50)

4 tablespoons agave ($.40)

4 tablespoons lemon juice ($.40)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ($.10)

4 tablespoons almond butter ($.80)

2 tablespoons agave ($.40)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

4 tablespoons water

This may possibly be the best apple pie I’ve ever had. 

Peel and slice the apples into pieces about 1/8 in thick. In a lidded container (I used a zip lock box), toss the apples and 1/2 cup raisins with the agave, lemon juice, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well coated. Spread out on a lined dehydrator sheet and dry for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice. This isn’t meant to dry the apples, but to soften them and let the flavor intensify.

In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process the walnuts and 1 cup raisins until the mix starts to stick together. This takes a couple minutes. Press the mix into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan. Put in the freezer for a half hour to firm. 

In a bullet type blender, puree the almond butter, agave, olive oil, and water until very smooth.

Spoon the apple mixture from the dehydrator into the chilled pie crust and pour the caramel evenly on top. Chill for another half hour, if desired. For extra creamy goodness, serve with a scoop of vanilla banana ice cream.

Witches Brew Smoothie
serves 4 ~$1.43 per serving

1 head romaine ($2.29)
3 ripe bananas ($.45)
1 lb frozen mango ($2.69)
water for blending

1/4 cup beet juice ($.30)

A basic green smoothie can easily become witched brew. Add a beet hand for creepy effect.

In a blender, with about a half cup water (or more, if needed), blend the romaine until very smooth. Even a small blender will do this well if the greens are blended first. Add the banana and frozen mango and blend until smooth. Serve in a punch bowl or your favorite cauldron, if desired.

For the hand you;ll need a latex glove. Rinse the inside of the glove well and fill with water and the beet juice. Make a knot in the top of the glove, or tie shut with a rubber band. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until frozen solid. Run under hot water for a second or two and then peel the glove from the hand. Put in the center of your witches brew. This serves four, so there are plenty of chilly fingers to go around.

 

Pumpkin Butter
one batch, size will vary ~$7.00

2 medium pumpkin ($6.00)
2 cups sugar ($.80)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ($.20)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pumpkin butter isn’t raw, not by a long shot, but it’s a wonderful treat on a fall day … and I’ve been thinking about it ever since Heidi mentioned it on her blog. A dab goes great on toast or favorite raw cookies or crackers. I like it with a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

To make the pumpkin butter, first you need a pumpkin or two. Pie pumpkins are a bit fleshier, but any pumpkins will work. Wipe clean and put in the center rack of the oven on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. Let cool. Cut in half and scrape out seeds. Cut the pumpkin pieces into strips and remove the skin with a sharp knife. Puree in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Add the sugar and spices and blend until well incorporated. Process in batches if necessary. Taste test and adjust the sugar and spice as needed. If starting with pumpkins is more than you want to do, just use a couple cans of pumpkin puree.

There are two ways to cook the pumpkin down. The usual way is to put it in a heave saucepan on the stove. Simmer for about an hour until reduced and thickened, stirring every so often.

An even easier way is to put the puree into a crock pot on medium heat and let it simmer for several hours or even overnight. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This week, we’re participating in the Halloween blog party hosted by A Fanciful Twist …and we’ve got some Halloween goodies, too.

TAROT Reading!
I’ll be giving a tarot reading to one of my readers (I used to work for Miss Cleo, ya know … seriously, I did). Just leave a comment asking to be entered in the drawing. The tarot reading is genuine and in-depth. I’ll do your reading by email and up to three questions can be asked. A reading can sometimes be more productive if the winner supplies a birth date, even more so with a time and place.

and …

I’m also giving away a copy of my ebook.

To enter:  leave a comment below.

• Sign up for my email list (use the form below)
• Tweet these giveaways
• Mention the giveaways on your blog

For each additional entry, leave a comment below letting me know.

Deadline is next Sunday, October 17, at 10 pm