Well this living girl is on a mission, like always, and this time around it is rolling with the force of a dozen raw food supporters. I honestly wasn’t sure if this was “worth” posting about and sharing my experience with others. These ideas may all seem simple, they are simple, and I prefer to do things this way because they actually stick with me. It is more likely to become a habit then “something I tried out this one time.” I believe others are more likely to try these out too because they will have most of these materials & ingredients around their house. Going on a website or ordering something from the other side of the world ends up defeating the purpose of “going green,” in whatever shape or form that may be for you.

After making a salad and transporting it in a mason jar so it is easier for me on my bike rides and also having a pudding with no added sweeteners on the cheap I had quiet a bit of attention in class when I took out my lunch box. I had a great response from friends when they stumbled upon my creations in class. So thank you classmates for cheering me on in your own way ❤

Let’s start off with the Mason Jar Salad!
I chopped up one whole head of red leaf lettuce, one shiitake mushroom, a handful of zesty sprouts, half a cup shredded green cabbage and one medium shredded carrot. I added the dressing to the bottom of the jar in hopes to shake the jar and spread the dressing. The pieces that were closest to the dressing were a little soggy but they even helped transfer the dressing throughout the salad once I transferred it to a plate and cut the salad up some more. My dressing was an Asian BBQ inspired concoction; sesame oil, flax oil, olive oil, mesquite powder, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, fresh squeezed lemon juice, cayenne and paprika. If you are looking to add some fat here, try a quarter of an avocado 😉

Besides being wonderful to transport salad this way I noticed that the greens looked much fresher. This may be because the jar was so packed tight that less air could get through and speed up the oxidation process. Note you, I did make both the salad and Blackberry Chai Chia Pudding the next before eating them! I am in school and it’s so much easier to make everything at night, this way I am less likely to spend money eating out, it is easier to pick the healthier cheaper option once it’s already done, and ready to travel too!

My friends were amazed (in a good way) at how much salad was actually in the jar once I emptied it out onto a dinner plate. Above is a photo of my massive salad 😀 and my quart sized mason jar.

I am about to move in three days, so I am trying to pack up my things and not buy too much of anything really. I have no idea where I am going to call home next! This is a very simple salad that is filling, and of course the dressing really makes it so wonderful.

For breakfast that day I had a Blackberry Chai Chia Pudding (like what I did there? 😉 ) I made before going to bed. I am positive any berry or fruit would be perfect for this but blackberries grow wild here all around my school and apartment, can’t beat free food that is high in antioxidants! Since I picked these berries when they were just right, they were not tart and the pudding did not need any dates or sweeteners.

Blackberry Chai Chia Pudding

1 Serving

Blender needed and a good knife to cut open a coconut

1 Cup Fresh Blackberries

Meat of one Young Thai Coconut, roughly half a cup

3 Tablespoons Coconut Water (less or more according to your blender)

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice (this depends on the tartness of your berries)

1 Tablespoon Chai Powder

1/2 Vanilla Bean

Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Blend until smooth! If you really can not stand the feeling of seeds use a cheese cloth or strain your mixture BEFORE adding in the chai and other spices.

Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to the mixture and let it sit for at least 6 hours to help thicken the pudding. This also forms a nice gel around the chia seeds giving a tapioca feel.

I really like the warmth and sweetness from the chai with blackberries. The color of the pudding is also amazing, I think every person who walked by me asked what I was eating. My previous post mentions chia seeds, the health benefits and so forth. Please refer there for any questions that may be popping up in your head 😉

I hope these ideas and recipes give you some ideas! Possibly inspire you to find other ways to transport your food and start eating more food that you have prepared yourself at home. These recipes were both amazingly affordable for me personally. One coconut costs around $3 depending where you live, I already had everything else for the pudding in my house. I used a bunch of random things in my fridge to make the salad, and it was absolutely amazing!

Thank you all for taking the time to stop by my website. I appreciate all of your eyes and thoughts, please feel free to drop me a comment! I’d love to know what other people do to help easily transport food around without killing their backs and pockets. Much love ❤ and raw power 😉

xoxo

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