I typically do my monthly all-day raw food cleanse on the first Tuesday of every month, but I had plans to eat dinner at a delicious vegan-friendly soul food restaurant that day. So I pushed my mini-detox back a few days.
I welcomed my raw day with this most delicious
Coconut Almond Butter Smoothie:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxQtOKa2HyKmhlDIcD8942AodEnPVpA9iMfRrr2FOaSyrnjEqM3SvxOEVZIWKA8f_3EFzVV8_Y7AVZpgzISvydZIJCAlAZn7rWI1DxeqrGTLsPhab51U0NV336ueKhe1-P2Ohyphenhyphen3im4gs/s400/Almond+Butter+Coconut+Smoothie.JPG)
Raw almond butter, a frozen banana, shredded coconut, flax seed, and water combined to make a super-creamy, coconut-ty breakfast drink. I love fruity smoothies, but I think I like the nutty, creamy ones even better.
Before lunch, I snacked on a crisp red pear and a few of these
Cashew Cinnamon Bun Babies:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI52rXt8AgMH8lmheDmsL2nMAgvpTX2YYZ7UwC2oZQJSWDwOjXgP73v7Ctv9OQzGRvz_Kt9g8rIz5mSMLx3s87jmo3aho96kRPQN1TNiNuqfEcFfLYs6uutsvRV1DlEJvq2BcweNW1TC4/s400/Cashew+Cinnabon+Babies.JPG)
The recipe came from the lovely
Chocolate-Covered Vegan (a.k.a. CCV). It's one of several in her line of fudge baby balls, a delicious homemade take on the classic Larabar. I used her recipe for
Cashew Cookie Larabar Babies and added cinnamon for cinnamon bun-like taste. I only allowed myself three of these all day since each ball was about 100 calories, but I could have eaten the entire batch in one sitting.
Lunch was a
Deconstructed Salad with Carrot-Miso Dressing:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOdYvxoPGLwUwg2_0UnVYxoOcu23FZMep402lh-ztN-Yp_aWlVnIefYzl0iZ_TeaMxxUOLqf1YEM8zJRcaidWvbRFIWqKYxDeutspE5IcRfWq5bWFmqC9kSqanOdTZAu-nQSe7u1EssU/s400/Ginger+Carrot+Miso.JPG)
The
dressing recipe came from Gena's
Choosing Raw blog. It's almost oil-free (with just a teensy drop of sesame oil), so I ate a ton of it. Instead of pouring it over my veggies, I used the dressing for dipping romaine leaves, red bell pepper, cucumber, celery, and cauliflower.
My mid-afternoon snack was the highlight of my day —
a square of raw chocolate!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUBWLzdgvNEUWsbsZ06mCADNsn4uAp9_tyDbVL-VE581HoSyy4zhcX3LUAuxE_RMKPNHwiBwzs-jUZ2-QNYlLjtAVk0JvgOrsSBE0WDQu_-pW6Tk_f0XRpwzQAb556g44bEhl2ArXwlE/s400/Make+Your+Own+Chocolate+Cacao+Nib.JPG)
And this wasn't just any raw chocolate. I made this stuff using a
Nativas Naturals Organic Superfood Chocolate Kit! They sell these kits for $10 at Whole Foods and each contains
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe_jFjB3O6qeo1R18jQTXr315S1tQ0GX1aNXCTkdEvR_NAW1cUheuPV7UsmGij609XDPzr9T1H4k_Ymwi9Fc138oJuiNZQYOSC5OX-h1_nBGpLFGvSJF_SXpHj7TcDKGpiXQS60qj2vk/s200/chocolate-kit-nibs.jpg)
a block of solid cacao butter, a packet of organic cacao powder, and an add-in (either cacao nibs, goji berries, or golden berries). I purchased the "cacao nib" kit (those little dark spots in the chocolates pictured above are the nibs). It's so easy to make, and the chocolates are melt-in-your-mouth amazing. But it is super-dark chocolate (80% cacao!), so it's not for the faint of heart.
I snacked on an orange and some more cashew cookie babies before hitting the gym. Dinner was a satisfying bowl of
Raw "Peanut" Noodles:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo-EXxkV3za1S0Y1EELmAaEg1wCJ2eARjcK6GkLWRrvzQFctGzKHDCyZV7a1KN8cnWsRjJmS8yygnrRYSoCZIBTCxkEfWTerW-KMETSi6MAh68lHIAFojboNT4PYi7kDJHFfZJLQunKw/s400/Raw+Thai+Peanut+Noodles.JPG)
Another
Gena recipe from Choosing Raw (her stuff is always so amazing!). This dish doesn't actually contain peanuts (since they're not raw), but it tastes just like peanut noodles. Granted, I added a couple tablespoons of raw almond butter to Gena's recipe, even though it wasn't called for in the recipe. That may have added to the nutty taste.
I also cut the oil down from one cup to a 1/4 cup and subbed water for the rest. The sauce was incorporated into "noodles" made from zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber. And I topped it with a little crushed red pepper flakes to add some spice!