Who says raw snacks can't be easy and fun?

I was in the mood for a little snack, but really didn't want to take the time to whip up anything too fancy like a cake or pie. I needed something NOW. So I made this plate of goodies to share. Very quick & easy. Most importantly, it was delicious!

First I made the banana sandwich cookies which are nothing but banana slices with raw almond butter sandwiched between the slices. That's easy enough and always a crowd pleaser.

Next I got creative with some leftovers and made pear "fries" and Strawberry Raspberry "Ketchup". To make the "ketchup" I blended one large handful of strawberries, about 1/3 cup raspberries, 1/3 cup young coconut meat, 4 brazil nuts and a squirt of agave nectar. It was delicious, but I imagine that you could get creative & make any kind of fruity sauce using some red berries and it would be wonderful. I was just using up leftovers and had no idea that it would turn out so delicious. Asian pear slices were used for the "fries."

I must warn you that this is a great snack and I have had to make it repeatedly upon request for several days now.

After months of watching videos and reading up on spring water,I finally had the opportunity to gather fresh spring water this past weekend! I found this spring located on findaspring.com. I was so excited to be in the area that I had to go at the first opportunity.

It seems that there was quite a following for Mt. Vernon Springs in the days before the Great Depression. At one point this healing spring hosted a hotel for individuals to come and use the spring waters for health benefits. I plan on doing further research on this spring and will be adding my findings here as soon as I can.

I found the spring to be very well maintained and easy to locate and the water was fantastic. I became obsessed at soon as I tasted it and believe it to be well worth the journey. There were papers posted with the findings of recent testing on that spring waters that deemed them as safe drinking waters so I did not worry about testing them myself as I have met other individuals that have gathered here previously. Also, I found out that many locals also regularly consume from this spring as well.



Health and Beauty are regular hot spots for avid spring water drinkers. Delicious!


This is a flyer posted from the old hotel. There is a bit of a glare, but you can still read it. I found this to be so fascinating!



This is the bridge that joined the hotel and the springs. It is the only thing remaining other than the springs themselves, which are in a shelter and have a couple of picnic tables close by.

More information on Mt Vernon Springs can be found at: http://www.fomvs.org/

I realize now that gathering spring water has become a new obsession for me. I spent the rest of the weekend researching more springs that I plan on visiting and sharing information about. It seems that my hometown is very close to several spings. A few of them were well known for their medicinal and healing waters and even shipped out bottled spring water from the springs back in their thriving days. The Great Depression really took its toll on these health destinations and now they are not very well known anymore. Hotels closed, burned down, etc. It seems that to only a few, all this information was lost. I seek to change that and I would like to thank Daniel Vitalis for his endless research and education on locating springs and the benefits of drinking pure water. Spending time with these glorious waters resonates deep within me and I know that I will be doing this for years to come.

Going Bananas

I read this post that was shared by my friend Lowanna. I would love to know who originally posted this information so that I can give credit for their information.
I love you. Now go eat a banana!

Professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his
class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas"
is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting..
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same
way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose, glucose
combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained &
substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a
strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one
fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It
can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses &
conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND
amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after
eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of
protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax,
improve your mood & generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production
of hemoglobin in the blood & so helps in cases of anemia..

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in
potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure.
So much so, the US Food & Drug Administration has just allowed the
banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability
to reduce the risk of blood pressure & stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school
(England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas
at breakfast, break, & lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.
Research has shown that the potassium-packed
fruit can assist learning
by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem
witout resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a
banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach
&, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar
levels, while the milk soothes & re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you
suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep
blood sugar levels up & avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing
the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find
it amazingly successful at reducing swelling & irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in
Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like
chocolate & chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers
found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The
report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to
control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods
every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture & smoothness. It is the only raw
fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It
also neutralizes over-acidity & reduces irritation by coating
the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a
"cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical & emotional temperature of
expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat
bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers
because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up
smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium
& magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the
effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the
heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain & regulates your body's
water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby
reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with
the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England
Journal of Medicine,
eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of
death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to
kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin & place it on the wart,
with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with
a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When
you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate,
three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A, iron, &
twice the other vitamins & minerals. It is also rich in potassium & is
one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that
well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!
I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE
of the banana skin, & rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.
Amazing fruit!!!

Thai themed dinner!

I had such fun preparing this Thai themed dinner for friends in October that I've just been waiting for a chance to share it. The recipe in the big bowl is Thai Curry Vegetable with Coconut Rice and it was fantastic! The picture does not do it justice as this is such a visually colorful dish. I prepared this for non-raw foodies and they loved it. I got the recipe from the Nuts about Coconuts video from Jackie and Gideon Graff http://www.sproutrawfood.org/ Every recipe that I have prepared from this video iw delicious and I highly recommend it. Tell them that Barefoot sent ya!



The curry flax crackers are my own recipe. I make tons of these. So portable and great with avocados for a quick meal or snack when traveling. Also I found some raw farmers cheese during an excursion to a winery that I topped with basil for my dairy eating friends. We had olives and fermented garlic (looking for that recipe) and grapes to compliment this meal. It was so filling that I had half of the Thai Curry Vegetables and Coconut Rice left over.



Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the amazing dessert that I prepared. So you will have to take my word that it was just so unbelievable and probably the very best raw dessert I have ever prepared. The recipe? From the Nuts about Coconuts video that I mentioned earlier. It was the Carob Mousse Cake. Hands down, best raw dessert ever. Your non-raw friends and family will never believe it. I topped it off with one last recipe from the same video, which was the Coconut Cream. This recipe deserves another post all it's own. It is so wonderful and I have used it for some many other things and have even been inspired to create my own version of this as well.