Millie the Witchy Dog

Okay people, here’s my grand Halloween round up post! To help you get in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve even bribed Millie with some liver treats… so she would stand still long enough to take witchy photos!

So here goes… in no particular order I’ve got some fun Halloween recipes, links to other goodies, and spookiness.

Spooky-fun Halloween Recipes

• The Watermelon Brain: I’ve seen this type of carving (on watermelons) before, but this is such a perfect way to add some fun to your halloween meals!
• Raw Pumpkin Pie by Yours Truly: An all time favorite recipe here at Raw Foods Witch. It’s been linked to a lot this year, so enjoy it with friends or family!
• Witchy raw cupcakes: I admit that these are a huge inspiration for me when it comes to making raw desserts… and they’re just so cute, you can’t turn away!
• Funny Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns: Edible, vegetable, and craftable. What more do you want in a Halloween activity that’s wholesome and fun for kids?
• The Raw Brownie Graveyard: One of my favorite desserts (raw brownies!) dressed up for Halloween. So simple, and so much fun to make and eat. Yum!
• Savory Raw Halloween Party Ideas: I just love the creativity in these raw crackers, and the non-sweet pumpkin dip. Oh so versatile too!

Over to you now…

What are you planning on making for Halloween? Any insider tips or tricks you’ve learned on keeping kids happy without the overdoing the candy?

It’s my favorite time of the year: autumn and the Halloween season! I love going apple picking, walking along the pumpkin patch, and using lots of cinnamon in my food. This is what autumn is all about, baby.

To help you celebrate this great harvest time and the changing of seasons, I’m putting together a series of fun Halloween themed recipes that are simple, yummy, and fun to make with kids in toe.

Here’s the first one!

Orange Bell Pepper Jack-o’-Lantern

What’s both fun and functional? Bell pepper jack-o-lanterns, that’s what! You can make them on short notice because it only takes a few minutes, and they serve as a great decoration too.

Bell peppers are high fiber, and contain a slew of goodies to combat all the not-so-healthy halloween candy circulating at this time of year. Notably: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid and Magnesium. All that, and a wicked smile!

The Simple How-to Instructions

• First, cut off the top of the bell pepper and remove any seeds from the inside.
• Next, use a small knife to cut the eyes, nose, and mouth like you would a pumpkin.
• You can use the jack-o-lantern pepper as a decoration until your guests are ready to bite into them.

My favorite use for these is to fill the peppers with dip. If you’re going to be putting out some dip for vegetable crudites, why not use an orange bell pepper dressed up like a jack-o’-lantern instead?

Stay tuned for the next 2 Halloween recipes!

I’ve got 2 more great healthy, raw Halloween recipes that both adults and kids will love coming up in the next week and a half. To make sure you don’t miss out, sign up to be notified by joining my free mailing list The Cue.

[Editor's Note: This is a crowd pleaser for both Thanksgiving and Halloween, and I'm republishing it because I added a new ingredient so read till the end to find out what makes this whole pie jive even better!]

This week-end it was Canadian Thanksgiving. Our thanksgiving happens earlier because our harvest season is shorter, and we want to enjoy it when it’s fresh!

As it happens I had two social gatherings to attend, one all raw and the other not so much. What’s a girl to bring to please such different groups?

Luckily I have been immersing myself in the wonderful world of raw desserts for the past few weeks so it was just a matter of choosing one recipe from my new book “28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day“.

I decided to go with the Raw Pumpkin Pie, using freshly cut pumpkin. Jack-o-lanterns are totally appropriate here at the Raw Foods Witch site.

How to Make a Raw Pumpkin Pie Video

Raw Pumpkin Pie Recipe

If itʼs not Autumn and you canʼt get your hands on a fresh pumpkin you can use a variety of replacements: from butternut squash to sweet potato.

Raw Pumpkin Pie Crust

• 2 cups pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup soaked dates
• Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, then evenly distribute in the bottom of a pie plate.

Raw Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 2 cups shredded pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato flesh
• 1 cup soaked dates
• 1/2 cup soaked, washed Irish Moss
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. freshly diced ginger
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• Dash of vanilla
• 1/4 cup almond milk or water to help blend

What is Irish Moss?

Don’t worry if you don’t have Irish Moss, just skip this ingredient and put your pie in the freezer before serving. Irish Moss helps the whole pie gel together better, because it is a fibery seaweed product that blends well. Irish Moss is full of super gentle fiber, it’s got great mineral content because it’s seaweed and it makes for great looking pies!

Make sure to wash the Irish Moss thoroughly to remove any sand or salt. Otherwise you’ll get a crunchy salty pumpkin pie, which is not exactly what we’re going for here!

Making the Raw Pumpkin Pie

If you donʼt feel like shredding the pumpkin by hand, simply cube and place in a high speed blender or food processor until itʼs nicely chopped.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until nice and smooth. You might need to add more liquid to get it to blend well.

Pour into crust, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. This dessert might not seem overly sweet, but trust me when I say it can rival even the most traditional of pumpkin pies.

Get More Delicious Free Dessert Recipes

If you liked this raw pumpkin pie recipe, you’ll find it and more great desserts in my new book!

I’ve put together free a downloadable ebook called “28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day”. Yep, that’s right I’m giving it away for free!

Grab your free copy of the 28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day ebook now.

Feel free to share this ebook with all of your friends and family. I really want as many people as possible to experience these healthy desserts.

Investments. We all make them. We invest time, money, and attention every day.

That TV show you spent 20 hours of your life watching? That was an investment of your time and attention.

That new coat, those new boots, and your car. Those are monetary investments.

Every day we are called to make investments. But how many of these investments are for your health?

Photo by Michael

In an attempt to save money and stay on budget you might be scrimping on the one investment that could affect them all. Your health.

Investing in Yourself

I’ve noticed that every time my life started to “take off” and feel really magickal was when I invested in myself.

One of my earliest investments was in taking Tae Kwon Do lessons. My parents footed this investment, yet it is still repaying us today. In fact, it could save my life were I ever in a tough spot and needed to defend myself.

Another really life changing investment was attending University. I paid for all of my college education myself, save for the first year that my parents covered. College taught me so much about software, the working life, and what I wanted to do with my own life.

Other investments that have had a huge impact on me are getting a coach, attending raw food lectures, attending seminars, and buying books about raw food. I’ve also invested in kitchen tools like the vitamix, and a dehydrator.

None of these investments were necessary. I could have easily gone on living my life without any of these additions. But I am who I am today because of them.

Other important investments I make every day: eating high raw, exercising, sleeping enough, thinking good thoughts, and spending quality time with the people I love. These are all investments of time and attention too. (And sometimes willpower!)

Investing in Your Health Without Giving Up

One trap that I used to fall into when it came to “investing in myself” was giving up my power.

This happened mainly when I gave my power to authorities and “experts” like doctors, dermatologists, and pharmaceutical companies. (Who all seem to have their own vested interest in giving me certain types of advice. Funny, that.)

I was essentially accepting everything they told me as gospel, without doing my own research. Actually I started taking the birth control pill because I didn’t know about the alternatives to achieve clearer skin.

I definitely encourage you to do your research and take back that power of choice. You have choices, you have alternatives, you just need to learn more about them.

What have you done to invest in yourself lately?

I’m really curious to know what you have done or are doing to invest in yourself. It can be health investments in the form of education, training, exercise, what ever it is for you.

Leave a comment below!

I can’t believe it’s already the last week of October, and Halloween is just around the corner!

In case you missed some of the free Halloween treats I’ve been sending out, where is a quick summary:

• I released my free recipe book: 28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day
• I released a training video that helps you understand and eliminate cravings: What It Takes to Stop Cravings
• I shared the story of how and why I went raw, in this fun video interview.

My last Halloween treat for 2009 is the Hyper Halloween Party! If you signed up for the goodies list you should have already received your invitation.

To get on the Guest List, enter your name and email here:

I’m being interviewed on a Radio Show

I am being interviewed on Wellness with Rose Radio this week and I think you’d be interested in the topic: “How to Spook Your Raw Food Fears Away”

WellnessWithRoseRadio.com is a radio program all about natural health, nutrition, and living holistically.

It’s being hosted by Rose Cole, International speaker, author, Certified Nutrition Coach, and founder of WellnessWithRose.com.

I will be on the show Wednesday, October 28th at 12:00 PST/3:00 EST. If you’re a member of The Cue you’ll get a reminder email on the day of!

Raw Foods Witch at the Big Carrot in Toronto

I’m giving a lecture Thursday October 29th, 2009 at the Big Carrot food co-op in Toronto, Canada. The lecture starts at 7pm, and the topic is going to be very Halloween themed as well.

Be sure to say hi if you found me through my web site. I love getting to meet my people in person. :)

Counting Down to October 30th…

Get more info about the party here.

Hey!

The Halloween Party I’m inviting you to was scheduled for 2009… but if you want to stay in the loop for upcoming parties, events, and fun raw related celebrations… sign up for The Cue.

Click here to get on the list!

Warm pixiedust,
Nathalie