Back in the 208!

So it's been a while... And I'm going to make this short and sweet (literally sweet, with a yummy low fat raw vegan dessert recipe!).

1. I went to Norway, had a fabulous time. Okay, more than fabulous time. And then I came home.

2. So, I'm back in the beautiful beautiful 208 aka Boise, Idaho. And I must say that there's no place like home. Before I began my travels, I was on a "Boise is a Bubble" and "I'm ditching this town!" mentality. I never appreciated the beauty of having friends and family 10 minutes (or the next room) away. Or the simplicity of being able to sit with a friend that you've known for years and speak the same first language with each other. I am so.very.thankful for seeing the world. And I am extra.so.very.thankful that the world has shown me the beauty of home.

3. While in Norway, I became a student of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In March of 2012, I will be a certified holistic health counselor. Just call me "Health Coach" for short. My focus is (surprise!) raw vegan foods!!! I have started my own company: Rawtara and already have three health coaching clients!

And now for the good stuff... I held a raw foods potluck at mi casa on Saturday. Here are the results of this tasty event:

Tara's Cucumber Tomato Date Dill Sliders

Fred's Guacamole

Chris's Tomatoes with Crackers & Garlic from her garden!

Angela's Parsnips, Fruits, & Veggies

Tara's Smoothie Sampler Bar

Tara's Low Fat Raw Vegan Cherry Pie

The spread.

As you can see, raw foods are bright, tasty, and a snap to create!

And now for the grand sweet finale (as promised):

Tara's Low Fat Raw Vegan Cherry Pie

Super yummy & healthy... Easier to make and just as tasty as the real thing! Adapted from the low fat raw vegan Chef Megan Elizabeth (aka my idol!).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pitted chopped medjool dates

1/3 cup shredded raw coconut

2 cups frozen cherries (thawed)

4 to 6 extra cherries

Directions:

- Place 1 1/2 cups of chopped dates and only 1/4 cup of coconut in food processor.

- Mix until the dates and coconut are spread evenly throughout.

- Press into the bottom of a 6 to 8 inch wide bowl or pie pan, or into 4 to 6 molds from a cupcake pan, to make the piecrust.

- Blend the 2 cups of thawed cherries until creamy.

- Pour the filling into the crust.

- Freeze for 2-3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap if freezing overnight.

- When the filling is hard, garnish with a few cherries and the left over coconut.

- Serves 4-6 people.

Thank you so very much for reading and stay tuned for more on the always changing adventures of TBC and Tara's Rawvolution.

With Love,

Tara