Potluck and Creamy Sweet Pea Soup Demo Video

When we arrived near Portland earlier this week we were greeted by our friend Gayle with a great big smile... and a copy of my new Delightfully Raw book. As you can imagine, to hold the fruit of our labor in our own hands was a special moment for both Don and I. And the best part is that it turned out even more beautiful than we could have hoped for! It only required that I make a few minor adjustments before giving the green light to the publisher. Yay!

This means that our pre-order special will be on for just a short while longer, so if you would like to take advantage of this offer and get a signed copy of Delightfully Raw at a reduced price, now is the time! (Find out all the details here.)

We've had a very busy last few days in Gayle's kitchen, making up for the last time we visited (we were then mostly focused on finding ourselves new wheels, as our Windstar had died on us.) One of the fun things we did this past week is have a Hallelujah Acres potluck (Gayle and Rick are Health Ministers). There was a good turn out and, as always at such gatherings, the spread was more than generous. In fact, I ate so much that I wasn't even hungry the next day!

The desserts were particularly scrumptious...

Berry Pie

Chocolate Cheesecake recipe by Cherie Soria

This was very good, but boy, was it ever rich!

Pomegranate Cheesecake from Sweet Gratitude

Gayle didn't have enough pomegranate juice so subbed part of the amount with orange juice instead. It was super creamy and very very yummy; everything a raw cheesecake should be!

Rick took the opportunity to do a little overview of all the topics they covered during the year.

Of course I couldn't resist sharing a couple of simple recipes. The tough part is always deciding which to choose as there are so many awesome no brainers that can be easily incorporated into one's diet. I settled for marinated veggies on quinoa (being the last potluck of the year, participants could bring both raw and cooked dishes), and a hearty Sweet Pea Soup; such a great winter warmer!

Creamy Sweet Pea Soup
Adapted from a recipe posted by Kelly here

This soup has become an instant hit in our kitchen. Delicious and very filling too!  

Serves 4-5 
 
3 cups sweet peas, thawed (if desired, save some of the peas for garnish)
1 avocado
2 cups roughly chopped cucumbers
2 cups roughly chopped celery
1/4 cup fresh dill
2 cloves of garlic
1 green onion
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp miso
Water until desired consistency is reached
Salt, to taste

Blend until smooth.

If you want a warm soup, heat up gently on the stove while stirring constantly or simply use boiling water for blending.

Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of peas in each bowl, pour the soup on top.

Serve with freshly chopped parsley.