Jicama Celery Cucumber Green Juice: A Light And Sweet Nutritious Libation

Treat yourself to a simple green juice with the added sweetness and body of jicama. This light Springtime green juice is a breath of fresh air, full of beneficial nutrients for your mind and body. Use your favorite glassware, and make everyday a special occasion to celebrate the healthier you! I love these seeded glass goblets... they make me feel like a Queen... if you know what I mean! So get out your beloved glassware, and rock your green juice today!

Purchase organic produce as much as possible, and remove the skin of items like cucumbers if they are not organic. Always peel the jicama regardless if it is organic or not, as the thick tough skin has low level toxins and must be discarded. It is actually the leaves, stems, and seed pods that are most toxic though, and the creamy flesh of the root is fine. Jicama is a wonderful addition to your produce basket especially if you are diabetic or sugar intolerant as it is very low glycemic for such a sweet tasting root.

Eaten raw or cooked, jicama is quite versatile and gives you the crisp snap and texture you may desire in many dishes. We often use the super crunchy water chestnut or apple like flavor of peeled and chopped jicama in salads. When jicama is added to your juice of choice it adds a wonderful mild earthy sweetness. You can read more about jicama in my post here.

Good organic whole food is a wonder and a blessing! Have you noticed that it just tastes better too? Without the dangers of pesticide and fungicide toxins, your veggies and fruits can provide you with clean healing goodness. Modern supermarket produce is generally grown on the poorest mineral depleted soils as well. If you buy from a local organic farmer who uses better soil practice you get even more nutrients. More reasons to buy organic and get those goodies inside of you!

Jicama Celery Cucumber Green Juice

1/3 - 1/2 jicama (depending on the size)

1 English cucumber peeled if not organic

4 stalks celery

1/2 lemon with some pith and peel left intact

1 - 2 organic only apples

1 inch peeled ginger root

 Chop and prepare veggies and fruit. Add to juicer. Pour into your glass and enjoy.

Have a bright inspiring day! Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!

Best Raw Superfoods And Snacks That Come In A Package! Recommendations From John Kohler At Natural Foods Expo West

Better healthy packaged snack foods???? Is this even possible? In the video below John Kohler showcases some of the least processed of the organic raw packaged foods that he spotted at the 'Natural Foods Expo West 2014.' Can you believe some of these food products could actually be good for you too!?! Many of you new to changing your eating lifestyle will appreciate that awesome news. 

We certainly promote eating whole foods over processed, and as always John also recommends eating whole organic live fruits and vegetables as the 'best' thing you can do for your health. When that is not possible, or you need a snack option on the road, he recommends that you look for packaged foods from the 'better' category. These products are especially useful for those people transitioning to a healthy whole foods lifestyle and currently used to purchasing packaged foods at the food market. In this video which I really recommend you watch, John chooses those food packages marked to be raw, organic, or freeze dried with the least amount of additives and processing. 




Concerned about cost? Most of these items are mainly snack foods, and not eaten that often. Price may not be that much of an issue compared to convenience. One of the main factors in having access to packaged shelf stable processed organic foods is to use them when we are busy, and do not enough time to prepare something fresh. For instance when we need to pack items for lunch, work, and in the car. It's good to have healthier options to grab than a waxy sugar bomb candy bar, a bag of chemicalized fake cheezy curls, or a bottle of toxic soda. Those items are not that cheap especially when you consider you are paying for no nutritional value whatsoever. That would be money for nothing as they sang in the original MTV days.



Some of the food items John shares are actually quite interesting and very useful. Imagine a fresh looking freeze-dried perfectly green avocado... all that is missing is the water! Crazy right? If you had one of those bags of avocados all you would have to do is just add water and instantly you can serve a bowl of guacamole! Craaaaazzzzyyyy! Now add a bit of water to fresh freeze-dried mango or blueberries and then add that fruit to your salad dressing. Mmmmm... that sounds crazy good to me. John Kohler also suggests we get the easy "Product Of Nature Micro-Greens Kits" for growing nutrient dense super-food baby greens in your home. Great idea for adding the freshest greens possible to your salads and smoothies! 

Since John Kohler from 'OKRaw', and 'Growing Your Greens' of 'You Tube' fame runs a juicer sales company called "discountjuicers.com,' he also does a short bit with a new juicer company too. A very busy and helpful guy, John is full of useful information! Check his links too!

I have done the investigative work finding these various food companies. I am providing links to the websites of the products that John speaks about at the Expo below. A few of these items are very new to the marketplace, and may be difficult to find in a store. I have put links to the same products I have found available through Amazon within this post as well. (I get a few cents if you purchase through my links.)  



Yes, eat your greens, veggies, and fruits, most of the time! When you do have a snack food, be sure to make that a "better" healthier choice too! After all we do not live on a tropical paradise with all our fruits and veggies within arm's reach. Realistically our pantry and kitchens will have convenience foods as well as fresh produce. Let's choose the packaged goods without chemicals, fats, sugars, salts, and without the high heat that has cooked any nutrients right out of the food. Keep processed and packaged foods simple and as real as possible. If you happen to see some of these healthier "better" snack options in your local natural food store don't be afraid to give them a try.

WEBSITES:
R.A.W. Real and Wonderful Snacks
Tender Grown Kale Chips
Home Grown Organic Freeze Dried Blueberries
Veggie Evolution Kale Chips (Old website here)
Nud Fud Raw Snacks
Pickled Planet
Cultures For Health Kefirs
Freeze Dried Avocado and Superfoods etc. SioSi and Yumma
Go Raw Foods
Product Of Nature Micro Greens Kits
Living Intentions Gone Nuts
Nature's All Foods Freeze Dried

Mellow Moods Cafe And Juice Bar in Shepherdstown West Virginia!

Isn't that a great name for a restaurant? 'Mellow Moods'.... ahhh I feel contented already. 

We are starting a new series of posts called 'Rock Foodie On The Road!' Over the past couple of years while on our new food journey we have found some wonderful places to enjoy healthy foods. I would like to share those with the local readers of the Queen's Table blog. Living in the Mid Atlantic region of the country we are not in the mecca of organic produce, nor do we have hip juice bars and vegan restaurants in most towns as those who live in California. So when we find the rare restaurant gems that have food options that work for us, we would like to share the good news with you! My talented musician hubby and myself often find ourselves on the road after performing at a venue looking for a safe place to eat. We try to plan our trips from online information, menus, and word of mouth. We take chances, call restaurants, and sometimes ask chefs to prepare me something vegan. Personally I want to give kudos and support to those restaurants that care about the quality of their food, and send more people their way.

I have to warn you in advance of this series that my food photos in restaurants don't always come out so great. Please forgive that I may only have use of a phone camera, lighting may be dark, or I just don't want to annoy the other dining guests by constantly shooting with flash till it looks perfect. Can you imagine that some people are not as crazy about good food as me and do not want to take photos of their meals? Geesh! Then again most times I am so hungry that I forget to even take the photos before we plow into our delicious looking food and thus I mess up the beauty shot! Yikes! There I go again loving what I eat so much! Anyway folks I hope you enjoy the new series The Queen's Table 'Rock Foodie on the Road' posts! Hopefully they will entice you to check out these very worthy eating establishments that deserve some love. First up as promised: Mellow Moods! Cue some cool music.... of course!

We have been to 'Mellow Moods Cafe And Juice Bar' twice during visits to beautiful historic Shepherdstown West Virginia with Ben's sister Brande. She is an awesome nurse who spreads the good word about organic whole foods being a key ingredient to a healthier lifestyle in her workplace! Making big changes to her own wellness, she is an inspiration to others. I love having friends and relatives who become healthy foodies!!! We have such great times eating and enjoying life together!

Shepherdstown is a funky hip college town with delightful shops, nearby hiking, biking, and river activity. It is located at the state lines of Maryland and West Virginia along the Potomac River. On this particular day the weather was absolute perfection! A day to be outside in nature to be sure!

We had fun meandering into some shops before going to Mellow Moods. Many unique artistic items and crafts to be seen and admired. More importantly though we three needed sustenance for our long trail walk along the C&O Canal Path. Onward to Mellow Moods people! Wow! I am envious that Ben's sister has a place so fantastic to eat nearby to her abode! We are always stating we need a juice bar and wheat grass shots where we live! Sigh. Well the first thing we spied upon entering 'Mellow Moods' was the wheat grass growing trays! Yes!!! Thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

We ordered fresh wheat grass shots served with an apple slice, and toasted to our healthy day together! 

Then we each ordered a full out fresh made veggie juice! Two 'Garden Elixirs' (carrot, celery, tomato, cucumber, garlic, basil, & optional hots), and one 'Beet Red' juice (carrot, apple, beet, celery, ginger)! Yum to the tenth power! Great juice! I am so thankful when someone else makes my healing juice!

Looking over the Mellow Moods menu we then chose our greens and veggie lunches. I had a quinoa salad seen below of mixed greens, garden veggies, drizzled with balsamic glaze. Delish dish!

Hubby enjoyed his yummy powerhouse sandwich served on fresh bread with a spinach side salad.

Brande had a smaller version of the quinoa salad, which she joyfully explained was her favorite meal whenever she stopped by Mellow Moods. 

Brande also shared her sweet looking order of a quesadilla with dip, apple slices, and spinach with us. 

Mellow Moods does source their produce from local farms as well as have a strong commitment to the Earth. During both visits everything prepared was very fresh, and served with a smile. The atmosphere in the cafe is indeed mellow, and it seems to be a friendly hangout for locals as well as tourists. 

The decor is funky casual within the narrow indoor rooms. Besides tables there is a sofa, a counter area, as well as a relaxing outdoor patio cafe area in the rear. 

The story of how Mellow Moods came to be is a sweet one. During their barefoot honeymoon in Hawaii, Phillip and Shanna Mastrangelo visualized one day opening a juice and smoothie place with a laid back vibe. They wondered if anyone would ever come to such a cafe. They used every cent they had in the bank to open 'Mellow Moods' in April 2007... well they did have 79 cents leftover and some loans to pay back. 

Success and years of learning followed, as winters can be slow, and summers filled with long lines. They very much appreciate the community that has supported and gathered around Mellow Moods. I feel this poster below created by Sami Sunchild which was hanging inside the cafe, tells the tale about the people behind Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar. Valuable to know who is preparing your food, and even better knowing when it is done with love. A fantastic way to start your day is with good vibes and good food!

Well now, the C&O Canal is calling, and this trio needs a bit of exercise. 

The C&O Canal Towpath that runs along the water is a popular destination for cyclists. (The Chesapeake and Ohio towpath runs for 83 miles.) The access area near Shepherdstown is Lock 38. I fondly remember hiking to the Paw Paw tunnel area of the towpath years ago which was on the way to Hancock. Some areas of this towpath in the Shepherdstown area have massive walls of natural stone cliffs on one side. A soothing visual of lazy flowing water while passing trees, wildflowers, bridges, open fields, or canal locks is lovely. Sounds of birds and animals delight the senses while an occasional canoe or person on a tube floats by.

This hike with friends and loved ones is good for your soul. If you are in the area make sure you take advantage of this natural and man made beauty even if you do it solo. So says the Queen! How fortunate are those who live nearby to this gorgeous serene place! Perfect to get your healthy exercise, quiet the mind, and zen out...

If you are near the Potomac River, C&O Canal, tubing, canoeing, biking, or hiking, and then find yourself near Shepherdstown, stop in 'Mellow Moods' for a healthy snack, drink, or meal. Look for the happy chalkboard greeting outside at 119 West German Street! You will be glad you did my friend!

You will see the Mellow Moods sign in the window, and the beautiful painted metal sign shown at the top of this post, hanging over the sidewalk. Now step up into a world of goodness and relax! Some one else is going to make you a healthy green juice! Oh how I love that part! Rock on Mellow Moods!

Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar serves breakfast sandwiches, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, fresh juice, smoothies, fresh pressed soda, coffees, tea, soups, salads, veggie burgers, baked goods, snacks, and they have a small children's menu. So stop in and have yourself a healthy shot of wheat grass and partake in some locally sourced food! We look forward to future visits and wish this cafe all good things! I see on their facebook page that they are opening a second location in Charles Town WV soon!

UPDATE: We were in 'Mellow Moods' recently and were disappointed to find out that they stop making any kind of juice an hour before closing in order to clean the equipment. We missed it by five minutes! After a long drive with a healthy juice in our sights we wished they had posted this notice on the website info so we could have planned our day differently.

I found this little video below about Mellow Moods! Cool. Now you can peek inside.

Feel good about your food on the road of life. Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be Peace!

Loaded Sweet Potato: A Fiesta Of Bliss!

Since it was just 'Cinco de Mayo' I thought I would entice you with a Mexican sweet potato taco of sorts. Filled with my most beloved foods... this dinner is divine! No dessert needed! I promise! This meal is my new favorite, and I think it might be yours too... just look at that fiesta of color. Plus it gets better when we add the glaze! How is that even possible?

Sweet potato, avocado, cashews, salsa, and blue corn chips all in one meal? Oh my!

Fiesta Sweet Potato

You will need these organic items:

Whole sweet potato

Salsa

Avocado chopped

Black beans - can be from a can, just be sure to rinse them.

Chopped onion

Chopped tomato - I used cherry tomatoes.

Sweet corn - can be frozen corn that you lightly steamed.

Optional chopped organic green, yellow, or red peppers

Raw cashews

Hemp Seed

Balsamic Vinegar glaze

Organic Blue corn chips

Bake a giant organic sweet potato for two, or bake a few smaller individual sweet potatoes to suit the number of people at your meal. Place your sweet potato on a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Slice an opening and bake 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size of your potato at 350 degrees. When done the flesh of the sweet potato should be soft enough to put a fork through easily.

Open the cut area of the sweet potato and fluff the interior meat. Place potato on a plate or wide bowl. I did not put amounts on this recipe since it's "to each his own" when it comes to toppings. Be generous!

Let's spoon on a heaping layer of organic salsa over the open area of potato. Add organic black beans, chopped organic onion, chopped organic avocado, chopped organic tomato, whole raw cashews, and sweet organic corn. Did I say organic enough times? If you have organic chopped sweet peppers add them in too! Just like a taco let everything spill over and be voluptuous. Tantalizing, yes?

Got a a giant sized sweet potato like we had for dinner? Just slice that baby down and place the other half on another serving plate. Add more fiesta toppings if needed for your sweet dining partner. Be nice and share. You get points and maybe some leftovers too!

A rainbow of delight. Sprinkle your taco-ish creation with hemp seeds.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze. Did I mention that stuff is a favorite too? Ha! It did get better!

I added a bunch more sweet corn on my plate! Oh did I do that? Oh yes, this is gonna be good!

Now put a bowl of organic 'Garden Of Eatin Sprouted Blue' chips, or organic 'Late July' brand corn chips on the table. Dig into this glorious sensual sweet potato taco with your chips, or a fork.

Close your eyes and say mmmm. Hear that? It's fiesta sweet potato bliss... your soul will be singing! 

Be happy, be healthy, be peace.