Please note this competition is now closed. Thank you so much to all who entered and thank you so SO so much to those who shared the link on their own Facebook pages and blogs!!!


Counting system: all Facebook entries first, followed by blog comments including legitimate links :)

=Sophia Maslowski                =Alisha Palin            =Mandy 'Roberts' James

Congratulations Sophia, you get a full Detox Your World hamper!
Congratulations Alisha, you get a Teapigs Matcha kit!
Congratulations Mandy, you get Tanya Alekseeva's eBook 'Purified'!

xxx

Guess who is turning 1 soon!... You are looking at it right now :)

On 16th April my little baby Better Raw Blog is going to be not so little any more. And to celebrate- two of my favourite companies ever, generously sent me some of their top products. Amazing! This is Christmas all over again!!

But I can't take the presents that don't belong to me (oh how I am going to regret saying this), as I did afterall set up this blog for you guys. So to all my beautiful and handsome people all around the world... keep reading to find out what these awesome incredible products are and how you can be one of three super lucky and super envied winners...


Some facts about Better Raw Blog that you may not have known:

1. I was extremely nervous posting my first recipe on 16th April 2010
2. I started it so I could share some recipes with my corporate wellness clients after I set up my own company Corporate Creme
3. First month, only 5 people read it: My mum, my dad, my sister, my boyfriend Elliot and Elliot's mum
4. Now it gets over 6,000 readers a month (and it's not even 1 old yet)
5. I changed the template 3 times over the year. Don't laugh, but this is what the blog looked like when first born...

Shazzie started Rawcreation Ltd in June 2000. She noticed a gap in the market for the natural health products that she recommends in her books, videos and lectures. Rawcreation Ltd, now known as Detox Your World has since blossomed into a company which publishes fine educational materials, retails over 800 genuine health products and wholesales to ethical companies worldwide. Include any or all of the above ingredients in smoothies, deserts, nut shakes, soups, muesli or just eat on their own. Delicious.


Teapigs organic matcha is the hottest new drink for staying trim and healthy . Described as the “superhero amongst teas”, matcha offers a higher nutritional value than other green teas because it can be completely dissolved in water. Add it to smoothies and hot drinks or sprinkle over your morning porridge. Until now matcha has remained the best kept secret amongst A list celebrities. Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lindsay Lohan and Dannii Minogue are all self-confessed fans. Super easy and adaptable, teapigs organic matcha is the perfect antioxidant boost on-the-go.



Silly dancing with mum and sister- Oct 2009, applying my own strategies during worst time of my life It worked!



Hey there everybody! I've lots of news to tell, so get comfy...


For some time now I have been working away on something that I am really REALLY excited to share with you today...

Friends and clients ask me all the time what the ultimate best and healthiest food is in the whole world: "If I had to choose just one ingredient to thrive on, what would it be?"

Great question and one I have been trying to find the perfect answer to since I first went Raw in 2007. Well, I couldn't get it down to just ONE, but I got it down to FIFTEEN! Sooo people...


is my brand new eBooklet, that I think is so important for everyone, I want you to have it for FREE!

Yep no cost, from me to you, as a thank you for your continuous support and a reward for being health conscious and curious. So keep spreading the word and get a copy delivered to your inbox when you pop your details in the box to your right ----->>


PS not only will you discover WHICH 15 Foods are the Healthiest ever, but WHY. I also give tips on what recipes to include them in and what other alternatives there are, that have similar nutritional values.



More news...

I just received the Funky Raw magazine in the mail and guess whose article is published! Pretty exciting stuff, as I absolutely love this sweet and cherry positive-living mag and this edition being the first for 2011 is an especially good read...

Not just because it has my TEN WAYS TO GET DETOXING TODAY article (hehe) but it contains many many inspirational stories, book and restaurant reviews, cartoons, helpful tips, news, upcoming events and recipes. It is a very enjoyable read and you can get your copy here



Now that we are on the topic of publications and reviews, there is another article I have been meaning to share with you since the day it came out!

Tacita Vero from BLUE TOMATO magazine attended one of my Raw Handmade Chocolate Workshops at Saf Restaurant and was so intrigued and excited about her latest discovery, she wanted everyone to know and made certain to write a review on the class.

Here's a snippet:

The two and a half hour workshop is an intense journey into raw chocolate: it appears a dichotomy at first since how on earth can chocolate (or at least a realistic and satisfactorily indulgent look-alike) be accepted in the ranks of over healthy, weird-looking, often unappetizing raw food? Tanya plods through questions and explanations with vigour, dispelling myth after myth related to raw foodism while the workshop itself works wonders in demonstrating how delicious raw chocolate is. >>>Read all about it


And since I just can't bring myself to leaving you with a foodless post, here is my famous curry recipe, that WILD FITNESS asked to share with their clients, after their CEO came to one of my workshops too...



This one has been a huge hit at my Raw Foods for Winter Classes and it is also included in my book 'Purified- Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program', because of the special cleansing properties contained in the cauliflower, ginger, onion, garlic and cayenne. Enjoy.

For the essentials
Food Processor
Blender

For the 'Rice'
1 Cauliflower
1 Carrot

For the Curry
1 Cup Cashews
2 Tomatoes
10 Sundried tomato halves (soaked in warm water 10 mins)
½ Cup Dried Shredded Coconut
½ Avocado
1/4 Red Onion
1 inch Ginger
1 Garlic clove
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cinnamon
Water as needed

For the Optional bites
Walnuts/ Flaked Almonds/ Sprouts, Fresh corriander to garnish

-Roughly chop carrots and cauliflower and transfer to a food processor
-Pulse, until finely diced and resembles rice.
-In a blender put 1 cup cashews and 1 cup water. Blend really well until creamy.
-Add all the remaining ingredients (apart from optional ingredients) and 1-1.5 cups water. Blend well.
-[Note, you may need to pulse to make it easier on your blender or add more water]
- Serve with either walnuts, sprouts or flaked almonds on cauliflower ‘rice’. Garnish with fresh coriander.





Don't forget to grab your copy of 'Thrive on this! 15 World's Healthiest Foods' and discover what it is they have that others don't, how to include them in your recipes and what alternatives there are for you. Oh did I mention that it's FREE? Enter your name ------>>

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!! That's right, you know it's coming, so whether you love it or love to hate it, there is no escaping 14th of February :)

With my Valentine in Machu Picchu

I just love this day! I love all the tacky decorations and chubby cupids and silly hearts and the commercial hype this day brings. So whether your Valentine is your significant other or a friend or a cat, there is always a reason to feel the looooove... especially with a brand new recipe that I have to share with you today!!!




For the essentials
Blender
Piping bag
8 Medium baking cases
Juicer (optional)

For the Cupcakes
1 x Cup Almond pulp/meal (what is left after making almond milk)
1/2 x Cup Hazelnuts (soaked overnight)
2 x heaped Tbsp Cacao Powder
10 x Pitted Dates (soaked 1 hr-overnight)
1 x Avocado, meat only
2 x heaped Tbsp Coconut butter/oil
2 x heaped Tbsp Raw Honey

- In a blender, put all ingredients apart from the first three
- Blend until creamy, use a tamper or just pulse if you have a standard blender
- Add cacao powder and pulse again
- Either add in the hazelnuts and almond meal to the blender or fold them in with the blended ingredients manually in a separate bowl
-[Tip: you should get a thick dry mousse type of mixture, roll it in your hands, pop into a baking case and gently press it down so it forms a flat surface and looks like a baked muffin]
-Transfer to the fridge while preparing the frosting

For the Red Frosting
1 x Cup Cashews (soaked 1hr- overnight)
10 x Pitted Dates (soaked 1hr- overnight)
2 x Tbsp Coconut butter/oil
1/4 x Cup Beetroot juice (see Tip below)

[Tip: to make the red colouring, juice 1 beetroot or if you either don't have a juicer or like me and want to avoid more cleaning up- just blend enough chopped beetroot (about 2-3) to cover the blade of the blender and then strain]
-Put all ingredients into a blender
-Blend until creamy, either using a tamper or pulsing if you have a standard blender
-If the mixture is too warm from the blade, let it sit to cool down, before piping
-Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a medium sized nozzle and pipe in a spiral motion inwards
-Transfer into the fridge while preparing the heart shape

For the Chocolate hearts
Use my Basic Dark Chocolate Recipe

[Tip: To achieve solid heart shapes like mine, so they don't run or break easily, add more Cacao Powder to the recipe]
- Prepare a board with tin foil or baking paper over it
- Transfer all the chocolate into a piping bag with the smallest nozzle
- Draw heat shapes with a long end, so you can easily stick it into the cupcake later
- Transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes, then firmly press the shapes into each ready cupcake


So how do you like them?

Now is probably a good time to let you know that I am working on my next book, that will be all about chocolate and full of my best and favourite recipes, that I have been compiling over the last couple of years!

What chocolate flavour/recipe/type do you absolutely love?

Let me know in the comments below and if I haven't already got it on my list, but choose to include in the book, I will email you the book as soon as its ready in April!

Go on, tell me below...





UPDATE: The eBook I mentioned above is now out! Check out 'Seduced- Raw Chocolate Recipes to get very excited for'>>

I'm BaAaAaaCK!

Not only am I back to blogging (I know I know I haven't posted anything since LAST year :)), but I am back in London from what now seems like a a very distant dream of a holiday away...


Elliot and I spent six blissful days skiing in Andorra with friends over New Year's and then got back only to simultaneously swap ski gear luggage for bikinis and head to New Zealand.


"$#*t New Zealand is beautiful!!!" Please excuse my french, I too surprised myself with what came out of my own mouth, as I looked out the window, landing at Auckland airport. Wow Kiwi land, you have really outdone yourself this time or perhaps it is I who has been away for far too long. You really truly are the most gorgeous, breath-taking, awe-inspiring 'land of the white cloud". Double Wow.

The much too familiar Arrivals Hall brought mixed emotions however. This was the place that could make me miss a heart beat in anticipation to see my jumping parents each time I returned from travelling. I knew mum and dad are living in Ecuador now, but still couldn't hold myself from eagerly searching the crowd for those two happy crazy dearest beings.

"Am I really home? Can I still call it home if my entire family consisting of mum, dad and sister are no longer living in New Zealand?"


Luckily I had no time to dwell on such questions, as we spent amazing days with Elliot's family, explored new places on both North and South islands, caught up with close friends and met some of their beautiful babies, watched Matt (Elliot's brother) and Jen say 'I do', ate plum sized cherries, picked ripe apricots, sunbathed, jet skied and swam in a summer heated ocean.

All that in the shortest nine days of my life.


What a dream that was. And its not over yet, as I plan to be tasting that dream until all the honey runs out! Yep, there was no way I was to leave New Zealand without its infamous Active, raw, unpasteurised, heavenly, nutritious Manuka Honey. Yum.


A little bit about Honey: Raw unpasteurised honey has been used therapeutically for centuries to treat sore throats, coughs, high blood pressure, stomach issues and provide a calming effect. But Honey has also been used externally on wounds and burns. When looking for the best honey, go for Manuka and watch for the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor)rating. The higher it is (e.g. UMF 10+) the more anti viral and anti bacterial properties it contains. It is also known as ‘active’ honey, because of its special enzymatic healing qualities.

I've had alot of fun making up new recipes over the last two weeks and there is one in particular I really want to share here, because I think I may have just come up with something rather genius. Genius, mainly because I finally came up with something super delicious made from left over pulp after making almond milk and also because it tasted so much like a baked cake, but fresher lighter and juicier-




Essentials
Blender
Cake tin (I used a 20cm round, but you can use a larger one to make a thinner cake)

Ingredients
4 x Ripe Conference Pears (all cored and deseeded)
2 x Ripe Avocados
2 x Cups Almond Pulp (what's left after making milk with about 3,5 Cups Almonds)
1 x Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup x Coconut Butter/Oil (about 4 heaped Tbsps)
3 x heaped Tbsp Manuka Honey (or any raw honey)

Instructions
-If your cake tin doesn't have an adjustable bottom, line it with foil so you can pull it out later
-Chop 2 pears into small cubes, chop 1 pear roughly to be blended up and slice the last pear from the top of the core to the bottom into eight equal slices)
-In a large bowl, mix the Almond pulp with walnuts and 2 cubed pears
-In a blender, scoop out all the avocado flesh, add one roughly chopped pear, honey and melted Coconut Butter. Blend
-Carefully fold in the blended ingredients with the mix in a bowl.
-Spoon the mixture into prepared cake tin and press down firmly with your hands to even it out
-Place the sliced pears around the top of the cake with the skin facing up and thinnest part of pear towards the middle.
-To set, place in the fridge for a few hours/overnight or for 2 hours in the freezer if in a hurry (just remember to take it out). Use a thin knife to loosen cake from tin. Store in the fridge at all times.