Healthy Eating And My New Novel

What does healthy eating have to do with my new novel? I’m glad you asked.

In my new mystery, Once Upon a Crime, my protagonist’s Aunt Nettie has completely changed the way she looks at food. She’s now into eating healthy. While she made the change in her late fifties, I’ve been eating healthy most of my life.

I’m not a vegetarian. I also eat free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, wild Alaskan salmon, pastured eggs and elk meat. I do eat a lot of fruits and veggies, but only if they’re organic. I plant an organic garden every spring. And when the autumn weather approaches, I do a fall planting. I’m not a food snob. It’s just my preferred way of eating.

Aunt Nettie is also into herbal teas. I drink rosehips and hibiscus tea every morning. It’s a tasty way to help keep your blood pressure under control. But unlike Nettie, I also enjoy an occasional cup of decaf coffee with a good portion of almond milk added. It’s delicious. Just like having dessert. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I do make my own almond milk. I also make my own coconut cream from fresh, young coconuts. It’s decadently luscious on any dessert, like Raw Chocolate Mousse. (Recipes below.)

With her noon and evening meals, Aunt Nettie drinks lemon water, just as I do. It helps with digestion and alkalizes the body. And as Nettie so eloquently states, after dinner an occasional “cup of dandelion root tea is a great way to clear the toxins out of your liver.”

All the dishes Aunt Nettie serves in this novel are part of my diet. So if you’re of a like mind and you want any of the recipes, please feel free to contact me here on my website at. https://evelyncullet.com/contact-me/.

 But if you’d prefer to eat at your local steakhouse or grab a burger at a café, and have chocolate whipped cream cake for dessert, like my protagonist, Charlotte, and her friend Jane, that’s totally up to you.

Here are the recipes for Raw Chocolate Mousse and Raw Cashew Cream

Raw Chocolate Mousse 

Ingredients – serves 2 or 3

(please use organic/local/sustainable produce where possible)

• 1 large avocado

• 2 medium bananas – very ripe

• 6 drops vanilla cream liquid stevia (optional, if bananas are under-ripe)

• 2 heaping TBSP raw cocoa powder. (I use Navitas brand. It’s raw, vegan, non-GMO and fair trade.)

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 tblsps. coconut water (I use Vita Coco, it’s the closest to the real deal.) or 2 tblsps. almond milk. You can also use filtered water.

• A handful of frozen organic raspberries or six whole, fresh organic raspberries.

 Directions:

• Cut open the avocado and place the flesh, banana, vanilla, stevia (if using) and cocoa in the blender and blend.

• Slowly add the coconut water or almond milk until the mixture becomes creamy and easily moves around the blender, add a little extra if the mixture isn’t creamy enough. Test for sweetness and adjust.

• Place the moose into two or three porcelain ramekins or cocktail glasses (be sure to lick the spoon)

• Crumble the frozen raspberries in your hands and place them on top of each dessert, or place the fresh raspberries on top of the mousse. Top with coconut cream or raw cashew cream.

Raw Cashew Cream 

The night before or early in the morning, soak 1 cup of raw cashews (not roasted) in filtered water. Just before serving, empty water from container (I use a Mason jar). Rinse cashews several times and put in them in the blender with 3/4 cup filtered water. Blend until creamy. This may take a while. In any case let the blender run for at least three minutes. Add more water by the teaspoon, if necessary. Check periodically for creaminess. Add a sweetener if you like. Or top the raw chocolate mouse with the cream as is.

This can be made earlier in the day and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Also can be used as a creamer for soups or as a topping for berries or other desserts.

Hope you enjoyed reading my blog this week. Please feel free to leave a comment.