HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...AND TO ARNOLD!

Arnold Kauffman, my wonderful boss, at Arnold's Way and I share the same birthday, May 12th, but we are 20 years apart.  Arnold turned 65 today and i am 45!  We threw a fun monkey-banana themed party at Arnold's Way to celebrate. There is Karen Wilson on the left, then me, then Zack, Karen's son, then Megan (www.meganelizabeth.com) and Arnold!    We are so happy to have Megan back in town.  She just returned from many months away in Arizona and in Hawaii writing her raw cookbooks and doing her raw videos, yay!  She looks more radiant every time we see her!  [Megan suffered from Adrenal Fatique and completely healed herself.]  She follows the 8-1-1 diet (Fruitarian).  She is so beautiful and glowing.  Karen Wilson is 3 weeks raw.  Yay, Karen!  She is being married in July and I will be catering her wedding with some yummy raw foods and a strawberry cheezecake for her wedding cake.  Karen said, "I'm not going to have a cake there that I can't eat!"  Way to go, Karen!  I will also be singing at Karen's wedding!    

Our raw birthday party was potluck style and very informal.  I made Zucchini "Orzo" (It's just shredded zucchini!)  It makes a delicious bed for a yummy raw sauce.  Since we had alot of fruitarians attending the party, I really tried to reign in my raw gourmet tendencies and used almost no nuts/no seeds and very little fat in all of the dishes.  YAY! 

Karen made traditional raw "zucchini pasta" with a sprializer...and we had such nice raw sauces to go on top! 

I made a COCONUT CURRY TOMATO Sauce that was yummy  - a savory combination of tomato, red pepper, basil, cilantro, tumeric, garlic, coconut, lime, mmm, and lots of other exotic flavors...but very very very low fat!

Karen made a simple all fruit sauce that is so tasty! Talk about low fat...THIS is NO FAT!  Big chunks of mango in a tomato-ey  sauce sweetened with dates.  Simple, but so yummy!  And since mango is kind of slippery and dates are also slippery when they are soaked, the sauce has a velvety texture that 'reminds' you of a fatty sauce...without the fat!

Pam, Arnold's video buddy, whose videos with Arnold you can watch at www.youtube.com/arnoldway, is a former Pharmaceutical rep who now shuns all pharmaceutical drugs and eats High Raw, or as she calls it "Lowfat Whole Foods diet."  Pam created a delicious nut-free coleslaw for the event.  Karen said, "MMMMM, it was so yummy!"  Pam is a runner now and eats very low fat and avoids nuts and seeds.  She's lost a considerable amount of weight eating raw in this fashion.  When we first met Pam she used to be plump...and now she is a slender stunner.  I wish i had more pictures.  These were sent to me!  Watch her videos with Arnold!  

So simple and such a favorite!  Apple Pear Dessert is the easiest most delicious dessert.  It's just chopped apples and ripe pears sweetened with dates, vanilla, raisins, coconut and cinnamon.  The addition of the orange and lemon juice are what make it super yummo~!

Raw Blueberry Pie!  How do you get the blueberry filling to gelatinize?  You don't need to do a THING!  Blueberries are similar to cranberries in that they form like a jello when they are blended!  My pie consisted of a date coconut crust topped with a sweet and lemony blueberry puree, with mango chunks and coconut on top!  Mmmmm....  Delish, but talk about EZ!  You know how i made the crust?  I mashed down 3 containers of Arnold's Way date/coconut rolls, and blenderized the blueberries in the vitamix with dates and some lemon rind.  Delish!

Mmmm...My yummy Mango Salsa....cooling and refreshing...  Soft succulent mangoes, tomato, cucumber,  cilantro, lime, green onion...all chopped up and topped with soft ripe avocado chunks.  This is always a favorite!

The only nut/seed-based dish of the night!  I made a cashew sesame hummus and served assorted flax crackers with it.  Newbies love these kinds of dishes.  They made fantastic transition foods from cooked....to raw!  [And since we have several regulars like Shaie and Desiree who are allergic to nuts, we try to be careful what we serve at potlucks to take into consideration their special needs.  Notice all of the labels on the foods..."contains nuts" or "nut free."  Important for potlucks!  

My wonderful guy, Cliff, on Arnold's new sofa, stuffed after a delicious , nutritious and filling raw meal, and all talked out after a night of socializing!  "Happy Birthday, Michelle and Arnold," he says!  I love you, babe!


Hope you enjoyed this posting!

If you'd like me to cater a raw party for you, or come to your home and give you raw food prep classes, it would be my pleasure!

LASOPRANA@aol.com

xoxox, Michelle Joy