I’m not really one for new year’s resolutions, but I can’t deny that the new year has that Lover energy of new beginnings, a time for reflection, and a commitment to start a fresh in any area of your life.

For many people, perhaps you, I realise raw and living foods are going to be a major player in your renewed commitment to be the best version of your self that you can be.

I really see my part in helping you do that clearer than ever, so I’ve created some new videos that are going to help you create the most amazing raw food, to support you in your goals going into this new year.

This is a completely free series of raw food recipes and videos over the next week, so head over here to see the first one.

If you’ve been with me for a few months or more, you might remember the ‘worst video ever’ I did. Well, it actually turned out to be the most popular video I’ve ever done, so we did another one.

Click here to see me making raw food without a recipe (it’s part one, part 2 will follow).

Please do let me know what you think in the comments and Facebook comments below the video, and if you feel drawn to share with your friends via Facebook and Twitter there’s the ability to do that too. Thank you.

I need your questions!…

I’m going to be shooting a weekly Q&A video on my blog and on Youtube channel and I need to know your biggest raw food culinary questions.

Is there any ingredient you don’t know how to use? A technique you need to master? Any raw food culinary questions that you’d like and answer to.

Post your questions below and I may do a video response for you. Thanks!

PS. If you’re reading this in your email inbox you’ll need to click on the title to go to the blog post and put your comments in there.

How do you fancy bagging 12 gorgeous raw food gifts for FREE this Christmas?

I’m delighted to announce that I’m part of the very special “12 Days of Raw Christmas” Gorgeous Gifts Giveaway, sponsored by Karen Knowler – a 12-day online event where every day for 12 days in the run up to Christmas you will receive a special downloadable gift from an international raw food expert (including me), all for FREE!

The first gift will be released on Wednesday 14th December, so to make sure you’re on the recipient list I recommend that you hop over to the page (make sure you have your speakers turned up first!) and reserve your fantastic gifts today : )

Here’s where you need to go:

www.12DaysofRawChristmas.com I think this is one of the best things I’ve ever seen around Christmas on the internet, and I can tell you that the gifts that are going to be delivered are top-notch, including some very special recipes from me!

Merry Christmas!

R-Jam x

PS: Don’t forget to tell your friends (You don’t have to be a raw foodie to love these presents!)

I’ve so pleased to say I’ve been invited to be part of the leadership team in the next (and final) Raw Food Rehab 11 week initiative, entitled ‘Raw Balance’.

Myself and some other amazing individuals within the raw food community will be guiding you through an 11 week program to get some Raw Balance in every era of your life.

Watch the vid for the deets…

Click here to visit Raw Food Rehab

Juice from 1 young coconut
1 cucumber, juiced
2 celery stalks, juiced
2 apples, juiced
1 tablespoon spirulina
1 – 2 oz fresh wheatgrass juice
Juice of 2 limes
Pinch Himalyan salt
Small handful ice

- Blend all ingredients together in a blender.

- Optional: Blend with an avocado for a creamier and more filling smoothie.

I like to keep this drink in a mason jar in the fridge and drink it throughout the day. It’ll need shaking every time before you drink it too, which is why the mason jar is so perfect. If you find the wheatgrass taste too overpowering just start with 1/2oz of it in the juice first, then work up to it. Or when you drink this juice do it as a shot, so it’s gone quickly!

Are you one of the people that have signed up for my free eZine?

Enter your name and email and I’ll also send you my 5 Most Popular Recipes eBook for free too.

First Name *

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For more information take a look at the my Raw Food Recipes.

Great news! If you have access to Netflix streaming, which it seems most people do these days, you can head over there right now and watch Forks Over Knives; an engaging and highly informative documentary about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

The film primarily features the work of two doctors: T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.

These two men got to a point in their careers where they had to do some soul searching about what they were doing as doctors, and change their opinions on where their work would take them. They now prefer to work with plant foods as a preventative measure in dealing with disease.

This is just one of the most recent in a line of food documentaries focussing on the benefits of plant based foods, and how the food system we’ve all played a part in setting up for our convenience is wreaking havoc on our bodies, our planet and our connection to every other living thing.

I have some new heroes in my life after watching this film.

Related links:

Forks Over Knives Official Site

Forks Over Knives On Netflix

Hello! I’m writing from the beautiful Pacific Northwest US, where I’m doing some classes, meeting some friends and just generally taking in this beautiful part of the world.

It seems I get asked more and more where I’m doing classes in the US on my Facebook page, so I’ll definitely be doing more traveling in the coming months.

As it turns out the Seattle class we planned sold out even before I’d really told anyone I was doing it! I really had no idea that would happen, so Seattle is one of those places I’ll definitely be coming back to soon, I promise.

We have a larger venue down in Portland though and I’l be travelling down there next week for a class with the talented Chef Teri Vlaskamp; so the good news is that if you’d like to join us there we’ll be doing a 3 hour class with some recipes I’m personally very excited about.

Portland Class Details:

Saturday, August 20, 2011, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Friends Meeting House
4312 SE Stark, Portland, OR

Price: $45.00/per person

What I’ll be teaching:

Tempering chocolate

- How to get that nice glossy finish and ‘snap’ to your raw chocolate and how to make buttercups with even thickness all the way around.

Shortbread with Peaches & Ice-Cream

- I’ll also be showing you how to make a beautiful crumbly shortbread, which we’ll top with sous-vide peaches and ice-cream.

Garlic Bread

- Lastly I’m excited to be teaching you how to make my new garlic bread, that’s spongy and moist and will be sure to satisfy those bread cravings.

—————————————————-

Teri will also be demoing 2 recipes that will complement these 3 perfectly – cultured cheese for the bread and a raw lasagne.

Tasters will be served for each recipe, you also get full recipes and instructions to take away with you, plus we’ll try and fit a Q&A in at the end so you’ll get all your questions answered.

To book click here.

I hope to see you there!

Butter Lettuce is also called Bibb Lettuce or Boston Lettuce. You may be lucky enough to find it still as a whole head, or just as the leaves. Either works.

If you can’t find either then romaine works really nicely too.

This is a filling and simple salad that is easy to present beautifully and can be made smaller if desired for a first course of a larger meal.

Serves 2

2 heads butter lettuce
1 avocado
2 nori sheets
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup baby tomatoes

Dressing

1 cup cashews, soaked 20 minutes
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)

- Blend all ingredients together in a high-speed blender.

- Chill until ready to use.

Quick Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup macadamias
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt

- Use a Microplane to grate the macadamias into a bowl.

- Add the nutritional yeast and salt, and then mix thoroughly.

Assembly

- Cut the leaves from the stalk of the butter lettuce.

- Toss in the desired amount of dressing and then rearrange the leaves on the plate so they go from biggest to smallest, as they did when they were part of the original lettuce.

- Cut half of an avocado into a fan and place on the plate just to the side of the butter lettuce.

- Crush a dry nori sheet with your hands and sprinkle the lettuce with it.

- Quarter the baby tomatoes and sprinkle the salad with them, finishing up with a sprinkle of the quick parmesan cheese and the pine nuts.

Recipe to be featured in the Summer Edition of GetFresh! Magazine

Are you one of the people that have signed up for my free eZine?

Enter your name and email and I’ll also send you my 5 Most Popular Recipes eBook for free too.

First Name *

Best Email Address *

For more information take a look at the my Raw Food Recipes.

I finally got to see I Am – The Documentary this week and I was totally inspired.

This is a stunning look at the human species, how we must bring our gifts to the world for the sake of everyone, and how we are all one; that we’re hard-wired to be to help each other, especially in times of crisis.

I was most moved by some of the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu…

But God says, “I don’t have anyone else but you.”

http://youtu.be/PeqB8JwpdE4

Related: The official I Am site

What’s the point of a biodegradable bin bag (trash bag) if you fill it up with plastic?

Today I bought some biodegradable bin bags, and it’s really made me think about what I put in them.

I recycle everything possible anyway, but it’s made me extra vigilant about what else I can do. The fact that I know the bin bag is going to biodegrade and leave the contents for mother earth to deal with really brings a new awareness.

It’s the same as the human body.

If you start to become aware of what you put into your body, it starts to make you care about what else you do with it, like exercising.

It’s rare to find a drug addict that eats healthy.

It works both ways too. Eating junk leads to not really caring what you do with your body in other ways. It’s rare to find a drug addict that eats healthy.

If I were to ever use non-biodegradable bin bags again, it would give me an excuse to not care as much about what I put in them. That’s the challenge of being human, it seems.

I’ve watched a friend of mine go through her first 5 day juice fast very recently. It’s been beautiful to be around and see her start exercising for pretty much the first time in her adult life (by her own admission).

Rarely, if ever, do we stand still in life.

As the late and great Jim Rohn said, “Everything matters, it all matters.”

Rarely, if ever, do we stand still in life. We’re either moving towards or away from where we want to be.

Setting up more ‘bio-degradable bin bags’ in your life might help you move forwards in your awareness.

Have you seen this in your own life? What habits have you changed that made a difference in other (unexpected) areas. Let me know in the comments below.

Related: How one idea can change the most unlikely person’s life; why Steve-O went Vegan.