Raw On The Road: The Adventure Continues

As I like to say… “Life is so full of surprises!” and we've certainly been getting our share of those lately.

For example, as you probably know by now, after spending many years just the two of us living at a mountain retreat, during the past fourteen months we have not only moved four times but also shared our living space with some other people. Then this spring, would you believe that out of the blue we suddenly decided to give away most of our possessions and travel across Canada to Quebec. (You can read more about our journey in this post and this post.)

The big changes haven't been only in terms of location though. We recently, for the very first time, took on a catering contract, preparing 2 full course raw meals for 15 people (I just wrote about it here); something we never dreamed we'd ever do. (Talk about a major shift from the virtual to the 'real' raw world! lol)

Well, it now looks like Life isn't finished delivering the unexpected!

From Our Raw Kitchen To Yours
From time to time people write to me to express how much my blog has been helpful on their own path to health. Such letters always fill me with warmth and gratitude. I feel so blessed for the internet and the opportunity it affords to share my experiences and all the yummy raw creations that come out of our kitchen. (And all without even setting foot outside the door!) I’m still shaking my head in amazement at the wonders of technology.

A few weeks ago, one particular email caught my attention. It was sent by a lovely lady whose kind words made my heart sing. She was telling me how much she appreciates my blog and that she herself barely has time to prepare a smoothie or salad at home. "If only I could have you as my personal full-time raw food chef!," she wrote. Although I’ve received similar messages before, her words just wouldn't leave me, and I found myself pondering possibilities. We truly feel that Life keeps guiding us by the hand - nothing happening 'by chance', and that She constantly gives us hints, which we can only see if we are open and paying enough attention. In this light, the letter acted as a trigger for me to consider new avenues and directions. The strangest thing (and a real confirmation) is that right around the same time, even though he hadn’t even read the lady's email, thoughts along the exact same lines had come to Don.

Ding Dong, It's Carmi and Don!
I know, I know, I'm an awful teazer, but please bear with me just a wee bit longer. hehe

After careful consideration, Don and I feel it's unlikely that we’ll be able to stay here at my sister’s over the winter months. That, of course, raises the question: “Where to next?” At this point it's still unclear, but what we do know is that the recent trend has been to ‘lighten up’ and become more fluid and mobile. Therefore it seems that settling down and setting up our own house again might not be honoring this new phase. In other words, we feel that Life is trying to tell us that we need to keep on the move.

Soooooooooooooo, it looks like The Sunny Raw Kitchen is...

Going on Tour!!!

Yee- hah!

We figure that since some of you guys have been hanging around our Sunny Raw Kitchen for almost 3 years now, maybe it's about time we drop by yours! lol

Although it's very much early days and there's lots of details to be worked out, the tentative plan is that we and the furries would continue our travels around North America this fall/winter and slowly make our way back to BC. We have no itinerary yet as that will take shape according to the responses we get from youse. Our general idea would be to visit those of you who express an interest in us dropping by if we're in your area. There are so many possibilities we can play with; from uncooking blitzes and sharing insanely delicious raw foods, to things like raw demos or potlucks. Yummyness all around!

A Little Bit About Us
Between this blog and our forum, Raw Freedom Community, I'm sure you can get a pretty good sense of what we're about, but just for the sake of making things easier for those of you who aren't yet familiar with us...

Our names are Carmella and Don, and we've been dedicated to living a healthier, ever growing and more fulfilling life together for the past 9 years. This has included eating mostly raw and living foods. Besides being the author of this blog, I have released two raw recipe ebooks: The Best Of The Sunny Raw Kitchen and The Best of Raw Freedom Community.

In addition to our central passion for self-knowledge/personal growth, some of our specific interests and expertise include:

• Vipassana meditation
• the Five Tibetan Rites
• freeing/purifying our body/minds
  
• building harmonious relationships and community
• simple living in harmony with Nature
  
• raw food prep, from simple everyday meals to gourmet feasts
• kombucha tea brewing
  
• sauerkraut making
• sprouting
• organic gardening
• alternative building

How Do We Propose To Go About The Whole Thing?
In light of all this, for those of you who might be interested in participating in the next phase of our rawdventures, simply send us an email with the subject line “Sunny Raw Kitchen on Tour” at:

sunnyrawkitchen(at)gmail(dot)com

Please bear in mind that while you probably know heaps about us, we, on the other hand, haven't had a chance to 'meet' most of you (albeit in a virtual way) so a few words about you would be helpful and greatly appreciated. Also, you might let us know such details as your location and perhaps what you have in mind.

We'll then be contacting you in order to further explore the possibilities together, and once it starts shaping up, a tentative itinerary will be posted here and on RFC.

Like I was saying at the beginning... "Life is so full of surprises!"

Looking forward to spending some awesome rawesome time with you 'in the flesh'! ;-)

Pilgrims of The Raw Table

The day we arrived in Quebec, we were immediately presented with an opportunity to cater for a group of people. Since getting into raw and living foods in 2000, we had never felt moved to give workshops or food prep classes, sell our raw goodies or anything along those lines. People have suggested many times that I open a raw restaurant, but in my mind I’d be shaking my head “no way!” I know how much hard work and dedication would be required by such an endeavor, and while raw foods occupy an important part in my life, the number one priority has always been to do my inner work.

I came to the realization many years ago that the most effective way I can help others is to do whatever it takes in order to become a better person. So far, so good. Of course, the internet has provided an ideal means for me to reach out and share what I've been learning, in particular in terms of the raw diet.

When this catering opportunity arose, something had mysteriously changed, and we accepted the challenge with barely a blink. Perhaps one of the main reasons being that it would be supporting a good cause, as the event was a 6 day walking pilgrimage inspired by the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain.

We found out about the pilgrimage through my sister Josee who first participated 3 years ago. She couldn't join the others on their departure on the morning of August 4th, but Don later drove her to the community hall where the pilgrims spent their first evening.

Saying Goodbye to Ti-Nours.

The 15 some people who took part in the event walked on average 20 to 25 kms a day, for a total of 138 kms, hauling their various supplies and sleeping gear on their backs. Wow, what a feat! It felt really good to know that we'd be providing sustenance to these fellow pilgrims on this adventure, which challenged them deeply both at the physical and psychological levels.

Thursday's Asian Menu
Our food preparations went amazingly smooth, and we even found ourselves enjoying the process. With the help of my good friends on Raw Freedom Community, I came up with 2 menus which I felt would fit the bill. We arrived on location at Remigny about 1 1/2 hours ahead of time in order to finish assembling that evening's meal.

We started off with an exotic Creamy Thai Coconut Soup.

This recipe was developed by our friend, Manu, who was trained as a SAD chef in Germany. The preparation requires that you separate the pulp from the broth with the help of a sieve or a nut milk bag; no small task when done for a large crowd. We had to blend/strain the soup in 7 batches! Phfew! Although it turned out really delicious and went over well, Don and I agree that it is too labor intensive for catering purposes.

The main course: Spring Rolls with Ginger Marinade, served with a spinach and mung bean sprout salad.

I got the idea for the rolls when I recently visited a raw restaurant in Montreal, Crudessence, whose menu offered something similar. Rice paper not being raw, it had never occurred to me to use it, but since the crowd wasn't focused on raw foods per se, I thought it would be a nice transitional yet light dish. I filled the rolls with lettuce, daikon, carrot, cucumber, red and yellow pepper, green onion, snow peas, red cabbage, cilantro and home grown sprouts. I had never worked with rice paper before and was a bit clumsy at first, but by the time I finished rolling #16, I was getting the hang of it. lol

As the location was more than an hour's drive away, I had thought best to assemble the Spring Rolls on the spot, concerned that the rice paper might dry out. Due to the lack of working space and my unfamiliarity with the technique, it was a bit of a stressful process, but the end result was yummy, fresh and colorful. The Ginger Dipping Sauce with its spicy bite complemented the rolls perfectly.

Ginger Dipping Sauce or Marinade

Yields about 1/3 cup

1/4 cup sesame or cold pressed olive oil
2 tbs lemon or lime juice
2 tbs tamari
2 tbs grated ginger
1 soft date
1 garlic clove
3/4-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how hot you like your food)

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.


The marinated Asian Spinach Salad came from my mom's repertoire. Although Don and I have been enjoying it without rice, we decided to stick to the original recipe for the catering menu. Since it is recommended to assemble the salad an hour before serving, I decided to toss the marinade in once we arrived in Remigny. As we were driving towards the location, it occurred to me that I had forgotten to take cashews along! Ooopsie! Thankfully, the salad turned out to be a success regardless.

Dessert was Mango Parfait with Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream.

I love LOVE the warm hues of this parfait and think it fit right in with the theme! The Mango Pudding was a recipe from my first ebook, the Raspberry Sauce was actually more like a jam; fresh raspberries briefly blended with lime juice and agave nectar (no straining), and the Whipped Cream was this all time favorite. Although everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, the dessert particularly impressed them. We even got a toast and a round of applause. *blushing*

The following day was to be the most challenging for the pilgrims with some 32 kms through the woods. Amazingly, everyone made it in record time and were surprisingly in good shape afterward. A nice young lady told me that she suspected our meal had a lot to do with it. (Yay raw!)

On the drive back, we were blessed with the most beautiful and vivid rainbow! What a magical sight and a fit ending to such an energizing and successful day!

Saturday's Italian Menu
After we got back, we didn't really have time to rest much as we were catering again at Laverlochere on Saturday evening. We spent a good chunk of Friday and Saturday afternoon finalizing the food prep. This time, we had a real kitchen at our disposal at the location and it made a huge difference. The dinner schedule ended up being delayed by an hour or so which allowed us to relax and take our time.

Dinner started with a Tomato & Herb Soup made with freshly picked basil and oregano from my little garden. The veggies were all chopped and we had brought the Vitamix along so all we had to do was blend the soup and gently warm it up on the stove.


The entree was Zucchini Pasta with a slightly modified variation of Cherie Soria's tasty Arugula-Basil Pesto, Tuscan Pizza and a side mixed green salad with my House Dressing.


Basil Arugula Pesto

Yield: 1 cup sauce (Serves 4)

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup arugula leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons light miso
2 cloves (1 teaspoon, pureed) garlic
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt, or salt to taste
2 tbs almonds, ground
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs pine nuts

Combine all of the ingredients, except the pine nuts, in a food processor outfitted with the “S” blade, and pulse a few times to begin chopping the basil and arugula leaves. Add the pine nuts and process until the desired consistency is achieved. Do not over process the mixture, or the oil from the pine nuts will separate, and the mixture will become too oily. The texture should be creamy with tiny specks of pine nuts throughout.

Store the pesto in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for up to three months.


For the pizza, we opted for a simple but very tasty combination of ingredients. We spread a thick layer of fermented cashew cheeze on a sunflower buckwheat crust, followed by cherry tomatoes, black olives, thinly sliced red onion and nut parmesan.

Between the two of us, the process of assembling the pizzas went really well.

One challenge was to find enough room to fit everything on those relatively small plates...

Somehow we managed! ;-)

I had dehydrated these delicious new crusts a few days earlier. It's a sort of a cross between the Pizza Crust featured in Cafe Gratitude's I Am Grateful and my usual favorite Veggie Herb Crust. A winner and definite new favorite!

Herb Pizza Crusts

Yields about 33 square crusts

4 cups soaked buckwheat
2 2/3 cups sunflower seeds, soaked
4 cups zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 - 1 cup ground flax
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup + 1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs + 2 tsp Italian herbs
1 tbs + 1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbs sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Spread batter about 1/4 " thick on 3 3/4 dehydrator trays covered with teflex sheets. Score into 9 squares per tray.

Dehydrate at 125 for 2-3 hours, then flip onto mesh and turn the temperature down to 110.

Dehydrate until dry.

Carmella's Note: Alternatively, you could also form the batter into small or large round crusts.


I was considering topping the pizzas with thinly sliced fresh basil, but opted for a basil flavored cheeze instead. Have I told you how I'm in love with fermented cheeze? It all started here!

Basil & Garlic Cheeze
1 cup basic Cashew Cheeze (See recipe below)
1 generous teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced chives
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon packed fresh basil, chopped

Combine Cashew Cheeze, garlic, chives, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Stir until well mixed. Add basil and stir until well distributed. Taste and adjust salt, if desired.

Press firmly into a small container or bowl lined with plastic film. Sprinkle mixture of dried basil and garlic powder on top. Allow to chill for at least 12 hours or until it firms up.

When firm, de-mold, turn over and transfer onto a plate. Sprinkle more dried herbs on top and sides.

Variation: If you prefer, you can enjoy this Cheeze 'cream cheese style' by simply transferring the mixture into a container and using it as a spread. This is the texture I aimed for in the above cheeze.

Store in fridge in airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.


Basic Cashew Cheeze
3 cups Cashews, soaked 12-14 hours
3 capsules probiotics
2/3 cup fresh rejuvelac (see instructions in this post)

In high speed blender, blend the soaked cashews with probiotics and rejuvelac until smooth.

Line a sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Transfer the mixture to the sieve, drape the cheesecloth over the top, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place to ripen for anywhere from 14 to 24 hours, depending on how warm your house is.

Season according to one of the following recipes (or come up with your own variation!)

Alternatively, shape the mixture into a round, place in a covered container, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or until it firms up.

Store in fridge in airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I've been using rejuvelac made with quinoa and it works beautifully. I soak 1/4 cup quinoa in about 1 1/2 cups water overnight, drain and rinse well the next morning. Then I add 1 cup fresh water to the mason jar, cover it with cheese cloth, followed by a clean towel, and let it sit in a warm place for 2 days. Then I decant the liquid; this is your rejuvelac!

~ I once forgot to soak the cashews ahead of time and did a little experiment; I ground them up finely in the Vitamix first and added a little more water. The mixture didn't blend as easily as with soaked cashews so I ended up using more liquid than in the original recipe. The texture of the resulting Cheeze was a touch softer and had more the consistency of Boursin. Out of this world!

All together now...

Tuscan Pizza

On a piece of Herb Pizza Crusts, spread a generous layer of Basil & Garlic Cheeze.

Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, slivers of kalamata olives and finely sliced red onion.

Finish with a sprinkle of Nut Parmesan*.

*I used a parmesan recipe from Cafe Gratitude's book made with Brazil nuts, garlic and salt, but I bet my Pine Nut Parmesan would have also worked nicely.

And last but not least, dessert was an avocado based Chocolate Mousse layered with fresh berries and topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream. I tried to find a piping bag but to no avail, so I used a Ziploc bag which I cut a small piece off the bottom corner. Not as pretty, but it did the trick.

Chocolate Mousse

Yields 2 cups

3 small avocados (or 2 medium)
3 tbs raw cacao powder
1/4 cup + 2 tbs raw carob powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbs raw honey or agave nectar
3/4 cup water, or until desired consistency is reached
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Generous pinch sea salt

Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth.

Pour mixture into small serving cups.

Chill for a couple of hours.

If desired, serve with fresh berries and Whipped Cream.

I was inspired to prepare various raw treats that people could purchase after the meal.

Here's a close-up of the dehydrated yummies: Heathy's wonderful Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, and two kinds of cookies.

The cookies came as an afterthought as I found myself with more soaked buckwheat than I needed. I decided to make the Raw Buckwheat Granola from Cafe Gratitude's outstanding Sweet Gratitude book which I slightly modified and shaped into cookies (shown on the left) as well as a more sturdy variation using oat flakes and oat groats.

I had wrapped them in packages of two for ease of travel.

Buckwheat Apple Cinnamon Cookies

1 1/2 cups soaked almonds
1 1 /2 cups soaked buckwheat
2 cups apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup dates, soaked
3/4 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup agave nectar (or to taste)
1/4 cup liquid vanilla
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup ground oats
1/4 cup ground flax
1 tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oat flakes
Mix all ingredients except oat flakes in a food processor until well incorporated. (You may need to do this in more than one batch!)

Transfer batter to a large bowl and mix in the oat flakes by hand.

Drop by the spoonful directly onto a dehydrator mesh and flatten with a spatula or a glass. (Mine were about 1/3" thick.)

Dehydrate overnight at 110.


We had also made 3 varieties of raw chocolate: Super Cacao Balls and Almond Coconut Joy from Sweet Gratitude, as well as a simple dark chocolate made with cacao paste, agave, almond extract and almond chunks.


We came back with lots of choccies, dehydrated bars and cookies, but that's totally fine by us; we always appreciate a snack to take along when going to town or a last minute dessert.

All and all, we both feel that it was a really positive and growth-full experience.

On that note, I'll leave you with an excellent recipe contributed by Shannsu that would have been perfect for our Asian theme. Unfortunately, with only one day to go, it was too late to incorporate it into the menu. It did provide us, though, with a delicious way to use up all those snow peas and julienned carrots we had left over.

Szechuan Snow Peas
Posted by Shannsu on Raw Freedom Community

Makes 2-4 servings.

This spicy dish featuring sweet snow peas can also be made with sugar snap peas.

4 cups fresh snow peas
1 cup thinly julienned carrots
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp raw sesame oil (or olive oil)
1 1/2 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp nama shoyu
2 tsp raw honey (or agave nectar)
1 tsp coarsely ground Szechuan pepper (or some black pepper)
Cayenne pepper, to taste

Snap off the ends of the peas, stringing them as you pull the ends off. Cut them into matchsticks, as thinly as possible.

In a large bowl, mix crushed garlic, raw sesame oil, umeboshi vinegar, raw honey, Szechuan pepper and cayenne. Add snow peas, carrots and green onions and mix well, (but gently) coating all the vegetables completely with the marinade.

Allow to stand at least 20 minutes to develop flavor and soften the snow peas, mixing occasionally (the longer the soak, the softer and more flavorful the snow peas). If you like, you can set the bowl in the dehydrator for an hour: this will both soften and warm the snow peas.

Serve on a generous bed of various greens, if you wish. Add a sprinkling of fresh sprouts, as garnish, if you feel so inclined.

Carmella's Note: The only mods I made to this recipe was to go with the apple cider vinegar, as suggested, and add a couple of tbs of sesame seeds. Delish!


P.S. I guess I should mention that the play on words in the title refers to how the pilgrims set the tables in a great big circle for the dinners. ;-)

Raw on the Road: The Journey East Part II

Here's the next part of my account of our recent trip across Canada. (You can read Part 1 here.)

The Journey East - Day 4
We left Ghost Lake, Alberta and continued traveling East while sipping on a green smoothie that I'd whipped up the night before in Sandy's RV. We all felt rested and energized from our time at Ghost Lake, and the day's drive went by super smoothly.

We stopped for the night at Cavan Lake Campground near Medicine Hat, Alberta. It's old farmland that was transformed into a recreational campsite. Once again, being the middle of the week, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Kylo went crazy running in the nearby fields, chasing who knows what little critters.

We decided there was no point in leaving Puss on the leash here either. She kept going back and forth between the car and the tent - her new 'home away from home' - and even ventured in the nearby bushes.

As you can see, she was turning into quite the adventuress!

*~*~*
Breakfast: That morning, I discovered a really delicious combination that became an instant favorite: Sweet Seed Crackers topped with a generous layer of raw almond butter and banana slices. Yummy!

Dinner: Green soup I'd made in the RV, tuna salad on crackers, asparagus, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari.
*~*~*

After dinner, Don and I and Kylo went for a walk along the lovely Cavan Lake. It had been a while since we'd seen so much sky! lol

We leisurely sat down in our camping chairs later that evening to watch our first real sunset in years. What a treat!

The Journey East - Day 5
Treeless and exposed as our camping spot was, the sun forced us out of our tent early the next morning. We took the time to sun worship a little and do the 5 Tibetan Rites before heading towards Saskatchewan. That's when the Prairies began in earnest.

As Don says: "That's what I call flat!"

That day's ride was uneventful, with the animals gradually (and thankfully!) relaxing more into our travels. We stayed the night at a small private campground, Creekside Gardens, in Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. It was almost deserted which was fine by us. Puss roamed around like she owned the place!

*~*~*
Breakfast: Chia pudding

Dinner: Cucumber Soup, Kristen Suzanne's Gourmet Italian Quiche Tarts, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari.
*~*~*

After dinner, we enjoyed a lovely walk in the gardens, admiring the gorgeous flowers, so carefully tended by the Lipp family.

The Journey East - Day 6
We managed to get a fairly good night's sleep in spite of the nearby train tracks, and by 9:45 AM we were ready to roll. That day, we covered the most mileage, making it all the way past Winnipeg, Manitoba. We had read about a new campsite that sounded interesting, but once we got there, we were told the tenting area wasn't completed yet. Actually, the place wasn't very appealing anyway; each site being so close to the next. I have difficulty understanding why people make the effort to escape from the crowded cities to stay in such places where they hardly have more privacy. *shrugs* Perhaps I've been living in the boonies for too long! lol

We ended up having to backtrack a few miles to Rockgarden - a family oriented campground. As a general rule, we tried to stay in small, quiet and park-like sites, but this was the weekend and we were too tired to keep going the extra hour to take us to a more suitable place. With all the noise and comings and goings around us, Puss was totally freaked out. She escaped and went hiding under a shed on a nearby site. We decided it would be best to keep her on leash overnight. As there's no way we could have gone to bed early with all that racket, we rented a DVD from the office and watched it on our laptop; no small feat given the techno music blasting from next door.

*~*~*
Breakfast: Sweet Seed Crackers topped with raw almond butter and banana slices.

Dinner: Zucchini Soup, fermented cashew cheeze and crackers, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari.
*~*~*

The Journey East - Day 7
Between the music and the loud talking around the fire until dawn, the bright street lights, and did I mention the skits?, let's just say we were surprised we managed to survive the night!

We were on the road for less than an hour when Puss started complaining. This was not good, so we decided that we could all use a good rest after such a traumatic experience and stopped at the beautiful Falcon Lake Beach campground, located in Whiteshell Provincial Park, just before the Ontario border. What a radical difference! When we first got there, several campers were still around, but most of them were gone by mid-afternoon to head back to work in the city. The whole family went into recovery mode...

Puss got comfy in the car and didn't move all day. (Literally! We even had to take her in our arms and bring her to the tent for the night!)

Kyky took his fave spot under the car.

After having a small lunch, Don and I went to the beach to soak up a bit of sun and go for a refreshing dip in the lake. Then we came back to our site and prepped our evening meal. We weren't alone for dinner (read: LOTS of skits), but we weren't complaining; at least it was peaceful and quiet! ;-)

*~*~*
Lunch: Corn on the cob, coconut wrappers with fermented cashew cheeze, avocado and tomato.

Dinner: Quinoa with marinated veggies, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari.
*~*~*

I discovered a yummy dessert treat: Sweet Seed Crackers with Artisana's Cacao Bliss. Need I say more?

Don relaxing after dinner.

The Journey East - Day 8
The next morning we packed the car in record time under a light drizzle. I had sent Heathy an email just before leaving the Okanagan to let her know we were going to be in her neck of the woods, but unfortunately, the timing wasn't good for us to connect. It felt strange to shop at the big supermarket in Dryden where I know she goes all the time. On the bright side, I bought a couple of young coconuts - probably the last ones I was likely to see for a while. Don and I sent Heathy a big raw wave as we passed the turn off for Sioux Lookout.

That night we stayed at Rousseau's Landing, a fishing hot spot, in Ignace, Ontario. There were so many skits that we prepped dinner and ate inside the tent. I saw a fox cross the road when we first arrived, so we felt it would be safer to keep our pussycat inside with us.

*~*~*
Dinner: Fermented cashew cheeze on crackers with avocado and tomato, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari. Mango and papaya for dessert.
*~*~*

The Journey East - Day 9
This was another smooth day in the car; although by now we were all becoming weary of being on the road and were looking forward to reaching our destination. Still, the animals were super chilled, making the going so much easier.

Kylo being a good boy, as always.

Puss usually liked to hide between the black sleeping bag and the mattress, but that day she decided that the mattress was more comfy after all. ;-)


Driving by one of Ontario's many beautiful lakes.

We spent the night at Wild Goose Lake Campground near Geraldton where we were given an awesome site right on the lakeside. We were expecting a thunder storm that night, but it passed right over us. Yay!


*~*~*
Lunch: Chia pudding with mashed bananas.

Dinner: Quinoa with marinated veggies, and salad with my House Dressing. Dessert: Sweet Seed Crackers with Artisana's Cacao Bliss.

*~*~*

The Journey East - Day 10
Getting there, getting there...

We slowly made our way to Moonbeam in spite of the many construction zones and stayed at Twin Lakes Camping - another pretty crowded, family oriented place. Their tenting area wasn't finished either so they gave us a spot on a green patch next to the toilet/shower building. We were just happy to enjoy the luxury of using our Vitamix to make fresh soup and doing our dishes under running water.

We whipped up a lovely feast for our last supper on the road.

*~*~*
Breakfast: Fruit Salad with chia seeds.

Dinner: Tomato Soup, corn on the cob, zucchini pasta & veggies tossed in my House Dressing, and salad drizzled with a little oil and tamari.
*~*~*

Yummy!

The Journey East - Day 11
We woke up early to yet another lovely sunny day and packed up the tent for the last time. Yay!

We drove through forest devastated by some kind a disease;
not a pleasant sight.

Don cruising along!

Can you tell I'm ready to get there? My poor bum was getting sore! lol

What a name for a town, eh?

Just a little ways to go now!

Yippee! We made it at last!

My sister wasn't home when we finally arrived at her place. It gave us a chance to set up the tent, wash up and relax in the sun for a while. We had seen each other when she came to Vancouver in the Spring, but back then we had no idea we were to get together again so soon. (Let alone live under the same roof!)

We all contributed something to dinner that evening: Zucchini Soup, veggie sticks with Cheddar Cheeze, raw and cooked crackers, salad with House Dressing, and artichokes dipped in butter (olive oil for us).

I think Josee's liking the soup! ;-)

And you know the rest...

Phfew! What a journey!

Now let's see what new adventures Life has in store for us! *wink wink*