What better way to spend a hot summer’s Sunday evening but over a delicious spread of raw food goodness cooked up by the members of Brighton’s raw food lovers meet up group? Meeting by the Clocktower in Preston Park with rugs and crockery it was a great opportunity to get inspired and to try new dishes:

Raw food potluck supper

Specific inspiration include giving the Rawtarian’s stuffed mushrooms a go, making a mushroom tart, getting more experimental in using seaweed in salads, and also a strawberry cheese cake. A big thank you to Justine for organising and for all of the lovely people who came and offered friendly chat and great food.

If you are interesting in coming along to future events you can sign up at: http://www.meetup.com/Brightons-raw-food-lovers and even offer to host your own.

Just came across this great video from Holstee. I am prone to being sentimental and especially susceptable when my favourite mode of transport and freedom is included:

This is your life

Even though their message is ultimately about eco and sustainable design, it feels like raw food and raw consumption is on the same money… Keeping it simple, good for you, creative and inspiring…

When I started looking into raw food it hadn’t really occurred to me that I already eat a lot of raw food. Specifically in the form of fruit and fruit salads. Summer is the perfect time to indulge and this year I have even better blessed with a small crop of raspberries from my garden.

As someone who was not born with green fingers and whose main gardening strategy is somewhat laissez-faire (otherwise known as neglect, interspersed with 2 days a year where I have a sudden burst of energy), this little bowl represents a miracle.

Although credit is also due to my  4 legged friend who has gallantly started to earn his keep by scaring off the birds who thieved the entire crop last year:

Admittedly he doesn’t look too scary in the above, but I assure you appearances can be deceptive and he is really a furry killing machine…

Sprouting seeds and beans are meant to be filled with nutrients. They are also fresh, crunchy and clean tasting, providing a great platform for a wide range of different salad dressings. My plan is to introduce a small bowl of these little angels into my diet each day. This could be as a side dish or as a small salad in their own right.

While I can buy them from my local organic grocer (the wonderful Taj in Brighton), friends have assured me that sprouting your own is the only way forward as it is both cheap and easy. Having read frustrated posts from people online who have tried doing this with muslin and jam jars, I decided to treat myself to a proper kit.

Having looked on Amazon and eBay I settled on the Biosnacky 3 Tier Large Germinator & seed starter pack from ebay seller swallowhealthydiet-UK for £23.95.

So what does it look like?

Lid, 3 tiers for sprouting and a bottom layer for collecting water.

With 3 little red widgets(?) which allow the water to run through but stop the seeds clogging up the drainage tubes.

To get started you rinse the seeds thoroughly and then thinly spread them over the channels in the tray. If you are using chickpeas or mung beans these need to be socked for 12 hours first.

Place the lid over the top and leave in a light place, although not in direct sunlight:

The only job is then to water the sprouts twice a day, throwing out the water that collects at the bottom (apparently it is good for plants).

After 3 – 4 days the sprouts will then be ready for munching…

Over the last few months I have been spending a small fortune on my latest foodie crush – Naked Bars. As someone with a penchant for chocolate buttons, Naked bars have replaced my Cadbury’s habit, offering a sweet hit at 3pm each day. Looking at the ingredients I started to wonder whether I could make similar treats at home, potentially saving myself a few pennies.

My interest was piqued further when a friend came back from a 5 day detox glowing and expounding the benefits of raw food.

So this blog is going to chart my forays into exploring Raw Food. I have no intention of going cold turkey on the cooked stuff, but am open to introducing more raw food into my diet, to see if the promises of more energy and better health manifest.

Anyway I also have more time on my hands now that I have finished the Fifty Shades trilogy….