Real Raw

I’m up early again today — not to exercise, but to leave the house for work at Challenge Day in Concord. And before that, I want to get some writing time in.

Of course, the first thing I do is get online and find out the results of several close races in California. A few things went my way, and a few things didn’t, as is to be expected. I’m disappointed with the results of proposition 8 — an amendment to the California constitution that prohibits gay marriage. I really thought we were, as a whole, learning more acceptance and compassion. It’s true, we’ve made progress, but there’s a long way to go. I can only hope it’ll get thrown rejected by the courts. Again.

I write for a little while and then eat breakfast and get ready for work. I want a nice warm breakfast this morning, so I make oatmeal — always with a little twist of some kind. Today, it’s oats, a little almond pulp, raisins, 1/2 banana, and a tsp. of sunflower seeds, warmed with almond milk in a pan on the stove, just to wear it feels hot to my fingers. It’s so good, sometimes I wonder how I ever ate the more gluey-gloppy version of oatmeal that I used to love so much.

For lunch, I copy last night’s dinner; I make a smaller salad and open-faced sandwich, and pack these in my lunch bag with some grapes.

At the office, I am offered — and accept — a small piece of zucchini bread from a coworker. It’s like cake, it’s so sweet. Other than that, I don’t feel the need to snack in the afternoon.

Fatigue hits me at around 5:00. It’s not surprising, really. When I get home, I’m happy to see that everyone else is happy to forage for leftovers tonight. I want something a little different.

Over the last three days, I have been sprouting some lentils. I don’t know why. There is only one sprouted lentil recipe in one of my cookbooks, though all of them tout the benefits of sprouted lentils — high levels of protein, vitamin C, and anti-oxidants, for example. The recipe I find uses the 1 1/2 cups of the sprouts, processed until smooth, and then mixed (in a bowl) with minced red onion, 4 Tbs lemon juice, 2 Tbs minced sun-dried tomatoes, 3 Tbs minced basil, 3 tsp. nutritional yeast, 1 clove minced garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. It tastes a little like humus, but with more herb flavor and less garlic. Well, actually the recipe called for two cloves of garlic, but I only put in one.

I then wrap a sprouted wheat tortilla around a few leaves of romaine lettuce, a big scoop of the lentil paté, slivers of red bell pepper and zucchini. I add 1/2 sliced avocado on the side, and smile. For dessert, I have a ripe Asian pear.

Later, while watching a movie, I have a glass of wine and 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s cherry chocolate chip soy ice cream — awesome stuff.

Verdict: I’m into my third month of mostly eating raw, and it’s beginning to feel like second nature. The only thing I’m not sure I will ever get used to is all the constant cleaning of blenders, food processors, knives, cutting boards, and other preparation utensils. It’s true that I rarely have to wash a pan. On the other hand, preparing all these vegetables makes much more of a mess, and my hands are getting dry from being in dishwater so much of the time. That said, I’m moving forward and feel good about it.