Where to begin?

At the moment I seem to be experiencing a momentary loss for words, focus, even direction… as my mind has been reeling in awe of all that I have experienced over the past several weeks.

Skinny Scoop AwardBefore moving forward with anything else, I would first like to offer a massive wave of gratitude to all of my amazing readers and the fabulous divas over at Skinny Scoop for having kindly declared my blog to be one of the “Top 25 Vegan Blogs of 2013“. Thanks to all of you, The Raw Veganista blog placed third amongst 24 extraordinary vegan blogs! This is truly an honour, for which I am thankful to the point of being rendered somewhat speechless. So, in my momentary lack of eloquence I shall simply say: Yay! Thank you all so much.

Sharing and connecting with so many amazing, kind, creative, and astute souls is such an incredible pleasure for which I am indescribably grateful. I’m seriously blissed out over all of this, especially so soon after having been gifted with TWO Liebster awards! ^_^

It has also been brought to my attention that voting has commenced for VegNews Magazine’s coveted Veggie Awards, for which Lorax Community and my own blog have reportedly been written in as nominees for ‘Favourite Vegan Nonprofit Organisation’ and ‘Favourite Blog’, respectively. Although The Raw Veganista & Lorax Community do not appear as pre-printed tickable options, I am told that we are able to receive votes via selection of ‘other’ and write-in of “The Raw Veganista” (favourite blog) and “Lorax Community” (favourite vegan nonprofit) to blank spaces made available for additional suggestions. For those who would like to cast votes our way, please do so by visiting the Veggie Awards online poll & writing us in to categories listed on page 5. I just checked it out and realised that we’re now down to the very last minute in timing, so went ahead and cast my own votes for various personal favourites (so many amazing choices made this one quite difficult) – albeit rather hurriedly! The Veggie Awards are an exceptionally high honour which serve to provide winners with opportunity to share their work and ideas with an exceptionally vast array of readers worldwide, thus allowing them to expand their audiences exponentially. That having been said, even having been suggested as a worthy recipient is an incredible compliment for which I am incredibly thankful.

Between these aforementioned happenings (and other virtual events), reading, studying, juggling class schedules, strategically planning for upcoming trips/conferences/workshops, random life events, family stuff, ongoing physical therapy, sitting through lectures, concocting new formulations, and finding ways to say final goodbyes to friends passed on to other realms of consciousness, this has been a very full and eventful time in my life for which I am both grateful and also a bit dazed.

It has quite honestly been near-impossible to keep up with everything, and now I find myself wondering (as per usual around this time of year): “Where on Earth did Summer go?”

As such, I shall simply look to one (actually two, in this case) of my  favourite audio tracks by one of my all-time favourite artists to convey my bittersweet feelings toward this particular time of year. Please feel free to listen & continue to read, as I shall continue to write…

September’s here again

Days are winding down, the din of life at its pinnacle of vitality grows ever-so-slightly more faint, and my heart fills with a sense of melancholy as my favourite season of infinitely abundant growth slips yet again from my devoted grasp…

With merely three short weeks remaining before cool weather and Autumnal Equinox come creeping in for a long and lazy cuddle by the hearth, I am bound and determined to make the most of the sublime Sun and divine nourishment so generously provided for us during this magical cusping point between both seasons. I also feel a sense of eager excitement when pondering so many delicious treats imminently coming into season, amongst which are some of my absolute favourites: apples, persimmons, pomegranates,  squash, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potatoes, seeds, nuts, heavenly hot peppers, and delectable dates!

Ginger Peach Parfait

Ginger Peach Parfait

Amongst delicious Summer produce we may still find in fine form are peaches, plums, nectarines, and a few other stone fruits. Deliciously sweet and juicy organic peaches (along with a brilliantly abundant stash of delicious organic Thai coconut) recently inspired me construct a beautifully dreamy ginger peach parfait which consisted of a simplified variation of the ‘Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Porridge‘ recipe found in the Simple Snacks & Sundries section of this site. For further details on this variation, please check out related posts on Facebook and also Tumblr.

Also available via aforementioned “otherweb” presences are some useful infographics for keeping track of fruits and vegetables according to seasonal availability. These are some of my most loved go-to charts, so if you need some simple guidelines for planning cuisine through the seasons, you should definitely check them out!

This past week I was delighted to find the very first sweet potatoes I’ve seen encountered from this year, so it only seemed appropriate for me to share one of my favourite ways to enjoy them as a delightful (yet casual) snack to please all members of the family. =)

Spicy Sweet Potato Crisps

Spicy sweet potato crisps with living sunflower ranch dip & raw veggies

Ingredients:

  • 2-4 organic sweet potatoes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered chipotle
  • 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Raw, extra virgin olive oil (or other liquid to coat)

Necessary Equipment:

  • Measuring spoons
  • Mandoline slicer (I use Kyocera’s ceramic bladed mandoline) or sharp knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Food dehydrator (I use a Sedona from Tribest)

SliceSweetPotatoes

 

 

Preparation Instructions:

  1. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I use the 3.0 setting on Kyocera’s slicer); set aside.
  2. Combine olive oil, chipotle, Celtic salt, and ground cumin in mixing bowl.
  3. Add sweet potatoes; toss gently to coat.
  4. Cover a slotted dehydrator sheet with a single layer of potato slices.
  5. Dehydrate at 108ºF for 12-18 hours (depending upon humidity within your kitchen environment).
  6. Serve & enjoy with living sunflower ranch dip, raw ketchup/BBQ sauce, or savour the spicy sweetness on its own. =)
Spicy sweet potato crisps with living sunflower ranch dip & raw veggies

Spicy sweet potato crisps with living sunflower ranch dip & raw veggies

 

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