Raw Independence

Bonjour, Y’all!

This post is bulging with a sense of abundance, and covers both the subject of my mailbox, which as been ON FIRE, as well as today’s stunning and satisfying raw food meetup.

Along with five more postcards arriving through the magical land of postcrossing, two more blogger friends have blessed me with cards. Rick of One Big Love sent me this sun-drenched number from Nashville:

And Swoopin’ Along’s Lynda waved ‘allo avec le cowboy hat from Paris, Texas:
A few days later I arrived home to find a parcel waiting for me. Contained within was a t-shirt and pin badge to match Lynda’s card. Not only that but the local tourist office gave Lynda some postcards to share with me, so I now have four additional cards on my giveaway list. Add to this the two cards I found under my dresser yesterday while I was hunting for my sandals, and it looks like it may take me years to file down my card stack to zero. It is a strange, sweet kind of torture. (If you haven’t gotten a card yet and you want to help me out, here is my tale of woe and directions on how to get one).

What with this being Independence Day weekend in the USA, as well as my raw food gathering, I thought I would combine my new garment of shiny goodness with our decadent raw buffet. So thank you again Lynda and here I am expressing my Raw Independence:

Things have been changing so much for me since I started adding more raw foods into my diet. My eyes are bright and clear and the dark circles underneath (which I’ve had for years) are almost gone. Aside from the heavy bouts of detox, I have felt lighter, more alive, more in touch with my body and my senses. More than anything, I am a better conduit for pleasure, which is my body’s language of love, joy and gratitude. Oh - and I’ve now lost five whole pounds.

Today’s offerings were once again inspiring and delectable. I was so pleased with my first attempt at a raw lasagne, with zucchini “pasta”, huge tomatoes from the farmer’s market, sun-dried tomato sauce, pistachio pesto and pine nut ricotta.

Along with the beautiful variety of salads, sprouts and sauces, we had a walnut chocolate milk, a spicy raw soup, some incredible dehydrated cookies, thai wraps, a kelp noodle salad, some rich chocolate brownies and finally, a remarkable mango cream dessert that came wrapped in chewy, lightly spiced cones, topped with edible flowers. Feast your eyes on a few of my favourite photos:

JP and I are away down to Stratford for a few days to see the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Julius Caesar. We also plan to take in Warwick Castle, and I hope to return with some lovely photos. Have a lurvely week.