Ackee in Hawaii

Yesterday I was blessed from a dear Bredrin with some fresh Ackee from a tree here in Hawaii. Although everyone from Jamaica knows what Ackee is, people from Hawaii may have only distantly heard of it, or not know about it at all.
Hidden on the UH campus, known to only a select few lies an infamous Ackee tree. Ackee is not cultivated or commercialized in the US because if picked or cooked improperly it is deadly.
When I would visit Jamaica, I learned quickly, you do not buy Ackee from anyone you do not know and trust because many people have died from it. In the photo above you can see the Ackee pods. There is a poison inside called Hypoglycin, it is released in toxicity when the pod is fully open. If you pick and harvest when pod is partially open and try to force it open then they will be deadly.

Once you have picked fully ripe Ackee, you must properly clean them as well, otherwise the posion remains and you will get sick. The black seed is easily removed and the inside (red-beige vein) must be completely removed and cleaned. Leave nothing inside and thoroughly wash.

Cleaned Ackee will look like this. Now you can bring your water to a boil and cook Ackee. I like to salt the water. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until Ackee is very soft, almost pudding like, but does not fall apart. In Jamaica their national dish is Ackee with Salt fish, cooked down with some onion, scallions, hot pepper, tomatoes and some thyme. But in this vegan kitchen we leave out the fish.

Many say Ackee looks and tastes like scrambled eggs. To me it just taste like Ackee. Very distinct and very delicious. I absolutely love it as one of my favorite foods.

I have not been able to find one market in Hawaii that sells Ackee =(, not one!!!

 So I am always making on-line orders or I am blessed by house guests from the mainland that know this is my favorite. Linstead Market is my favorite brand.

I hope you get and opportunity to taste Ackee. Just writing about it is making my mouth water! Unless you are in the Caribbean or Florida, or have a friend in JA who will bring you fresh Ackee, it is likely your best bet to taste is the can. Of course the can does not compare to the fresh, but still, it is delicious.

Would love to hear your story of trying Ackee and thoughts.

Have a beautiful day.

Love you all,
Mama T

Children Our Blessings

No matter how old my daughter gets (now 7), she has always makes me laugh with the way she thinks and what she says.
Lately she has been telling me she wants me to home-school her. She has said that she heard 3rd grade is so hard and she wants no part of it. I have been doing my best to tell her she will be just fine in 3rd grade.

So this morning she started her worry rant about 3rd grade again. She said, "Mom, I have to study all summer about eyeballs. I need to learn everything about them." I couldn't imagine why she was saying this. She told me that her friend in 3rd grade had to take an eyeball test and failed, and she cried and cried I still told her not to worry about it. Tears formed in her eyes as she told me what a loving kind girl her friend was, and that she would never lie to her. Then it dawned on me, "Honey, Jasmine probably cried because she didn't want to wear glasses. I'm pretty sure her 'Eye test', was to see if she needed glasses." Then immediately her expression changed, she got a big smile on her face and said, "Yea, MOM! She doesn't want to wear glasses! Oh I hope I fail mine next year". Then she asked me if she could wear her fake eye glasses to school. 

What a beautiful journey it is to be a mother. These little ones fill our lives with so much joy, making it so much more entertaining. I am so thankful for this blessing. Sending you all an abundance of love where ever you are.

Aloha Family! I pray you are happy and healthy. How do you like my raw friend, Mr. Cabbagehead? He's so cute, ya?
Today was the 1st day of another 30 day raw food challenge with a group I started 2 years ago on Facebook. It is a very nice support group with lots of recipe ides for the challenge. Here is a link to the group if you would like to join us. 30 Day Raw Food Challenge-
I came home from vacation last week and feel like a cleanse is in order. Raw foods help me to overcome junk food cravings, increase my energy and get that inner glow happening =).
When I have been sharing to people about needing to cleanse from my vacation and letting them know how horribly I have ate, their first question is if I wasn't eating vegan. No, I was eating vegan, but you can be vegan and eat horribly. Fried foods, sweets...etc.. I have to let you know that I loved every bite of it! We ate at some amazing vegan places....but still, it's no way to sustain a livet.  A vegan can eat french fries and soda as regular mainstays in their diet, and they will not be healthy- SURPRISE ;).
No matter how or what you eat, the focus should be to eat a "Livet". Clean eating: organic, unprocessed food as it comes from nature. So my goal for the next 30 days is to get back on track. Don't get down on yourself, just make it right, one step at a time. If soda is your vice...cut back. If you eat meat for every meal, everyday, try cutting it out once a week. Find ways to make small adjustments that will lead to greater health. Always drink lots of water. Increase fruits and veggies- they make you happy. Give thanks for the things we have control over, and pray about the things we don't. I love you family- we are one!

Italkitchen808.com

Aloha,

Hope you are having a beautiful day. Just sharing this photo from Monday's shoot of Ital Kitchen. This is the series called, "Healthy 20 Minute Meals". I am really excited about this special episode because of all these precious little ones featured in this picture. I really am so blessed with be surrounded with such beautiful families raising their children to to be conscious, loving people. All of these bright faces make this episode of Ital Kitchen my favorite yet. I really want to do more shows that include the children. It will be airing soon, I can't wait for you to see it. Sending you an abundance of Love wherever you are. Love, Mama T 

Kale

Oh Kale how I love thee, let me count thy ways.

If you know me, you know that kale is a huge part of my life. I love all varieties, Lacinato (dinosaur), Curly, Red Russian, you name it, I love it. I am definitely not alone in this love. In 2011 Kale was named vegetable of the year. Here is a great article about all the nutritional benefits of kale, a great reason to start using it more.

Kale is amazingly easy to grow. From seed to full grown plants takes about 2 months. We have a few potted plants on our porch that continue to give and give. All you have to do is keep trimming the leaves and they keep growing back. It is so awesome! I use it to make:

• Kale Pesto- 3-4 cups of kale, 1 garlic clove, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
• Kale Smoothie- Throw it in you favorite smoothie and greenify it.
• Saute Dishes- As a base, I toss it with onion, garlic, tomatoes and garbanzo beans and serve over quinoa or rice. ( You can add any vegetable you want with this saute).

These are just a few ways that I use my little porch kale plants. I encourage you to grow a little kale plant for yourself. You can even place your plant in very small spaces. It is such a fun project to do with kids. They feel so proud watching their living plant grow from such a tiny seed. Hey, it will make you proud too =).

I would love to hear how you use your kale. Also if you decide to grow a little kale plant, I would love to hear about it.

Here is a recipe for Kale Chips that I created for my Raw foods class at Down to Earth.

Happy Kaling.

Love you,
Mama T

Health is Wealth

Aloha Family,

I pray that you are well and full of vibrant health.

As I increase in age I find that sustaining health means always fine tuning and listening to my body. Currently this journey has adjusted itself to define me as a "Gluten free vegan, who is GMO free". Yowza, that's a mouth full! I have also learned that making these adjustments, as challenging as they may be at times, is worth every sacrifice. When I am able to feel significant changes in my health it solidifies my discipline and there is no turning back.

I recently had some scary intestinal issues that were unexplainable. I know stress was a huge factor, but my "livet" (not diet) was pretty clean. Something inside me kept bringing gluten and wheat into my thoughts. I decided to be very strict and go gluten free and see if helped my critical state. This was not easy because gluten is a huge part of my vegan life. I LOVE IT!!! I make mock meats with vital wheat gluten and it is so amazingly delicious. BUT... It has been a little over a month that I gave up gluten and I have never felt better. Within 2 weeks, my tummy soreness disappeared. Some of my very critical symptoms disappeared after 3 weeks. I lost 8 pounds with out doing anything different (except giving up gluten-that is) But my appetite remained the same, and I still lost weight.

I also have started taking some supplements. I am by no means an expert, but this seems to be working for me. I take 1 Tablespoon of flax oil in the morning. In the evening after dinner I take spirulina, vitamin C, oregano oil ,  and psyllium husk. It is important to choose organic variates of these supplements.

Our bodies are amazing. They are naturally healing machines that are constantly evolving and showing us what they need. We just need to listen. I can not begin to tell you how happy I am to be feeling better. Being sick is scary and painful. Health is our wealth. Choose wisely my dear friends, listen to your bodies. Every day we are given a free will to nourish ourselves to optimum health. Eat clean and let food be your medicine. I love you family, I pray you have a beautiful day.

Love,
Mama T

2013- Cleansing Time

Aloha and Happy New Year.

2013- Wow! It's goal setting time. I actually love this time of year for this reason. Right at the top of my list this year is to cleanse and simplify. I want to cleanse on several different levels; Mental, Physical (body and environment), and Spiritual.

• Mental Cleansing: Will be a concerted effort to be positive and make no more room for negative thoughts or actions. Let love be the ruler of all thoughts and actions.
• Physical Body: Will involve, exercise, clean eating (Vegan & GMO Free), juicing, green smoothies, and fasts.
• Physical Environment: Will involve getting rid of clutter. My best friend since we were 8 years old has always told me that no house should have a junk drawer. I've always had several, even a junk room, but my goal is to go through everything and de-clutter and purge. I've been deep cleaning like a mad woman and the results always make me feel so great. Clearing out dust and spraying essential oils to purify the air. Ahhhh!
• Spiritual Cleansing: The greatest of all. This will include prayer, reading, meditating, singing. I will start each day in reverent prayer and let it set the tone for the day, through the day. 

This is just the beginning of a new era. I am focused and willing and wanting to grow in love. I am blessed with what I need and want to always show thanks for this.

I want to share this simple Green Smoothie recipe that is tasty and so good for you.

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 cups kale, de-stemed
• 2 cups ice
• 3-4 cups water

1. Place all ingredients in a blender in the order that they appear.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. 

Serves: 2-4 people

No added sweetener is needed for this smoothie. It is just delish as is =)

I love you family!

Mama T