Rawfully Organic Co-Op founder Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram is looking for raw “cooks” to participate and submit photos of their best recipes using raw food ingredients.

After sharing their photos and videos, the best ones will be selected to participate in a live event.

Calling all foodies. Are you a raw food genius who creates a masterpiece or two every week with your CSA share? Now is your chance to put your brilliance on display. The Rawfully Organic Co-op is hosting an iron chef style competition on their Facebook page.

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram, founder of the Rawfully Organic Co-op, is asking fans to submit pictures and videos of their recipes on the Facebook page and then get others to “like” their creation. There will be four winners, one for each week. The recipes with the most “likes” will go on to compete in the live round. The best part? It’s not just about raw. It’s also about organic, healthy, seasonal and local.

The four winners will convene at the “Eat it Raw Iron Chef Challenge” in Houston, Texas on October 25th during the Tuesday pick-up. Working off of ingredients from that weeks share, and one mystery ingredient to be revealed on the day of the event, contestants will be forced to think on the fly and include it in their smoothie, salad, dressing, cold soup, and raw dessert. We hope you do well in front of a live audience because the event is expected to draw 500 people and a slew of media.

The “Eat it Raw Iron Chef” competition will raise money for the Rawfully Organic Co-op, a local foodie hotspot with over 4,000 members that has already raised over $2 million dollars for the Houston agricultural community.

The winner of the event will get an hour of raw food coaching from Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram as well as an assortment of other prizes sustainable minded folks will love.

For more info including a video of Carrillo-Bucaram describing the contest in detail, visit their facebook page.

I was happy to see this, as it invites the raw foodists and raw food chefs to get involved in an activity that has most often been reserved for traditional and non-vegetarian or vegan cooking.  Now the raw food lovers can get their chance to share unique and personal recipes in their field.

There are strong proponents of drinking raw milk and there are those who say to stay away and avoid it at all costs. She states that in some states it is illegal to sell raw milk. In many other states including New York, it is legal to sell raw milk if you obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture from that state.

Truxton, NY –Christine Kirkman drives from her home in Fayetteville to Truxton each week to buy her milk.

That’s 22 miles one way. She spends $18 for 3 gallons.

She doesn’t mind. Kirkman buys raw milk — milk that isn’t pasteurized or homogenized — from Twin Oaks Dairy, operated by Kathie Arnold and her family.

“When I became part of a CSA (community-supported agriculture farm), I heard about raw milk,” Kirkman said. “I researched it a little more, and I was given Kathie’s name by a friend. It contains good bacteria for good digestive health. I’ve been going there almost a year now, and my family really likes it.”

Kirkman and thousands of others in the United States have turned to raw milk instead of buying pasteurized and homogenized milk at the grocery or convenience store.

They believe raw milk is healthier and tastes better.

But the raw milk phenomenon is not without problems.

Last week, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets and state Health Department warned consumers in Tompkins County not to drink raw milk produced at Jerry Dell Farm in Freeville. The Health Department confirmed two cases of a disease called campylobacter enteritis from people who bought unpasteurized milk from Jerry Dell Farm.

On Aug. 3 in Venice, Calif. — a state where it is legal to sell raw milk in retail stores — federal officials raided a raw food store called Rawesome. The owner, James Stewart, was arrested and sent to jail. About $70,000 worth of raw produce and other foods, including gallons of milk, was destroyed.

On one side, proponents say the milk tastes better, is purer and more nutritious. On the other side, opponents say raw milk can be teeming with bacteria that can cause scores of illnesses.

But Central New York raw milk devotees wouldn’t buy anything else. The importance, they say, is knowing where the milk comes from.

“I would never purchase or consume raw milk from a dairy that did not care for its cows like Kathie and her family does (pasture, organic standards of nutrition, etc.),” said Ryan Chatfield, who has been buying milk at Twin Oaks for a couple of years. “Their cows are healthy and happy, and therefore I do not question the quality or safety of the milk.”

Kirkman agrees.

“The farm is clean and well-run,” she said of Twin Oaks. “When I went there for the first time, I looked at the farm and talked to her, and she gave me a booklet to read. I started right away. She (Kathie) was the icing on the cake.”

State permits

New York state is one of 15 states that allows sales of raw milk on the farm where it is produced. Ten states allow raw milk to be sold in retail stores, and four states allow raw milk to be used in pet foods.

The sale of raw milk is illegal in 10 states and Washington, D.C. Those states are Hawaii, Nevada, Montana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Iowa, Rhode Island and Delaware.

In New York, farmers must obtain a permit from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets to sell raw milk on their farm. There are 33 raw milk permits issued in the state.

“New York state allows the sale of raw milk from the farm in which it is produced, so people can witness the conditions in which the product was produced,” Ag and Markets Department spokesman Michael Moran said in a statement. “We feel this program strikes a balance between consumer and producers knowing that raw milk has been proven through science to be a medium which can harbor organisms that are known to harm humans.”

Arnold, who runs an organic dairy farm in Truxton, has one of the state permits. She began selling raw milk 2 1/2 years ago “because of customer demands.”

“They asked for years for us to sell them raw milk,” she said. “I thought, if they are willing to buy it, we should offer it.”

She said the permitting process “takes a while,” and she has to pay $100 a year for her milk plant permit. She also had to pay for the initial round of testing of her milk by the state Ag and Markets Department.

She now has about 20 customers who come each week to buy milk. Her milk is tested, and her farm is inspected, once a month by the state. The state tests for pathogens, such as E. coli and salmonella, quarterly. The state checks for bacteria, somatic cell count (which indicates milk quality) and antibiotics once a month.

“(Customers) love it because it has everything in it that nature intended,” she said. “It has vitamins like vitamin C, enzymes and probiotics. I have had some people who said they have had allergic reactions to milk from the store, such as skin breaking out and problems with their abdominal systems. They don’t have that with the raw milk.”

She said heating milk — which is what is done during pasteurization — kills its vitamin C, some enzymes and the good bacteria bodies need.

“There are good bacteria in milk that make sure we don’t have any bad bacteria in us,” Arnold said.

Risks involved

But people don’t understand the risk of drinking raw milk, said Kathryn Boor, dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“The risk of illness is there,” she said. “On a daily basis, the risk is small, but there is a risk. And this is one you can control.”

In the early 1900s, Boor said, 25 percent of all illnesses and deaths tied to food and water were linked to contaminated milk.

“Children were dying,” she said.

A report from The Center for Science in the Public Interest covering 1998 to 2007 found most of the 76 million food-borne illnesses in that period came from seafood, produce, poultry, beef and pork.

But the report noted 4,565 illness during those 10 years were attributed to dairy products, and 34 percent of those were associated with unpasteurized dairy products.

Boor, an expert on food safety who spent her career teaching and researching food safety before becoming dean in 2010, said bad bacteria can get into milk a variety of ways. For example, if the suction from the milking machine falls off the cow onto the ground and is near manure, it can suck that into the machine and into the milk.

“And maybe the cows, especially in winter, lie in manure,” she said.

Boor grew up on a dairy farm in Chemung County and drank raw milk as a child. But she said she doesn’t let her own children drink it.

“There are some real negatives,” she said, noting raw milk can harbor E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter. “These diseases run the whole gamut. Most of them are likely to make you miserable but not cause death.”

She also said there is no scientific evidence that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk. But she agreed that the cleanliness of the farm is key, referring to the state Ag and Markets statement that consumers should know the farmer who is producing their raw milk.

The Centers for Disease Control also casts doubt on raw milk’s benefits.

A statement on the CDC website says: “Many studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk — pasteurized milk is rich in proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients. Heat slightly affects a few of the vitamins found in milk — thiamine, vitamin B12 and vitamin C — but milk is only a minor source of these vitamins.”

You can see the original story here

So you can see, there is quite a lot to say on both sides of the argument. It is a difficult issue but it is clear that there are many people who agree that raw milk is not only safe, but superior to milk that is pasteurized. Those who say that it is safe to drink raw milk are claiming that it all depends on how the cows are raised and if there are organic practices used on the dairy farm.

However, with making delicious raw green juice recipes, you can add a touch of ingredients like lemon, lime, ginger, pear, apple, kiwis or even simply some sweet carrots to your green vegetables to make the juice a little more palatable.

If you make green juice, you can certainly expect it to taste a little bitter. Bitterness is a characteristic of so many of the green leafy plants and vegetables. If you mix them with other veggies and juice things like cucumber, cabbage, celery, certain varieties of lettuce, and other vegetables, you lose some of the bitterness.

Here are two of favorite recipes for making a delicious green juice. I will be adding other recipes to my blog in the near future, so keep checking back.

Raw Green Juice Recipes

Green Juice Recipe #1

3 or 4 carrots
6 stalks of celery
bunch of parsley
one cucumber
a small apple
small piece of ginger
one lemon

Green Juice Recipe #2

bunch of spinach leaves
bunch of romaine lettuce leaves
4 – 6 stalks of celery
1 beet
a pear
a lime
a lemon
small piece of ginger

These recipes are pretty easy to follow and you can experiment a little with the amounts of each of the ingredients if you want a little more of this or that in the drink.

Here’s to your health and enjoy your raw green juice recipes!

Nurturing touch is essential for optimal health. A lack of sensitive and kind touch can contribute to an increase in feelings of disconnection and alienation from self and the world. Caring bodywork can help us to reconnect with the internal rhythms leading to increased health and well being. Being in the flow with the natural order of life ultimately creates a more harmonious and joyful participation in the world.

What To Expect

Thai yoga bodywork is like having yoga done to your body.  The muscle stretching which takes the form of yoga style asanas, frees up joint spaces and deepens the stretch in a way that is passive for the recipient, yet very active in its effects. It also offers similar benefits to yoga: flexibility, internal organ massage, oxygenation of the blood, mobilization, postural alignment, and quieting of the mind.  It is performed on a comfortable mat on the floor. The client wears loose, comfortable clothing. No oils are used. Thai yoga bodywork is a total body treatment, however, areas of discomfort, tightness, or blocked energy flow may be focused on throughout the session.

Catherine’s Thai Foot Reflexology sessions last a luxurious hour and a half, and are preceded by a soothing foot bath.

Catherine Moon is a Certified Thai Yoga Bodywork Practitioner.

For more information 
and to book an appointment, please call Catherine Moon at 201-247-0052.

Dear Catherine,
Thank you for making our anniversary so amazingly special.  ALL the food was fabulous and the cheesecake in particular was spectacular.  The room was perfect and the view was beautiful.  I’m not so amazed with Pure Food and Wine anymore.  You’re food was absolutely the BEST!!  You are so sweet and loving and it was fun to be a part of your new venture.  We wish you all the success and love life has to offer.
Debbie and Gary Gordon

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support@rawfoodhealthretreat.com

You can write us at:
Catherine Rubin
PO BOX 428
Nyack, NY 10960

Moon River Raw offers unique raw food health retreats in the picturesque area of southern Rockland County, NY.We invite you to join us for a rejuvenating vacation of peaceful relaxation, while eating gourmet raw food meals prepared especially for you.Experience the invigorating and cleansing benefits of delicious raw food while you relax, enjoying the natural beauty of the Hudson River in New York.

Our raw food health retreats offer a safe, comfortable and supportive place for you to reconnect with nature and with yourself.  Come for a relaxation retreat and get a healing retreat as well.

In partnership with Riverview Bed & Breakfast, at their quaint “Firehouse” location, Moon River Raw now offers group retreats for those interested in the Raw Food Lifestyle.

The retreats are suitable for those who have experience with raw food, as well as those who may be brand new to the raw food lifestyle, but want to learn more about the amazing health benefits of eating pure and delicious raw food. Come and learn about the raw food diet or experience a raw food detox. Find out why changing to raw or mostly raw diet will give you the best internal cleansing and body detoxification possible.

Raw vegan gourmet chef, Catherine “Moon” Rubin, will delight your taste buds with delicious healthful life-enhancing all organic raw food recipes, while catering to your special dietary needs.

Currently, we are only offering educational Raw Immersion and Detox Retreats for those who want to become more serious about raw foods but need some tools and guidance to get started.  If you’re looking for some good raw foods recipes and raw food classes, then this retreat is for you.  Learn all you need to know about going raw and how to maintain it.

Here is some of what you will learn:
*What the raw food diet consists of
*How to set up your raw-friendly kitchen
*Proper food combining
*How to grow you own sprouts
*Juicing & juice fasting
*How to satisfy cravings
*How to make the most delicious super food smoothies
*The practical use of medicinal herbs
*Raw food weight loss
*Raw food diet plan
*Raw foods for busy people

So come and join us.  Enjoy the tranquility of a retreat on the Hudson River while cleansing your body with delicious raw food meals that you will learn to prepare.

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Have a question? Just contact me at support@rawfoodhealthretreat.com

Thank you

Moon River Raw is currently only offering weekend retreats.
Minimum of 2 people for 2 days.
Retreats start Friday evening for dinner and end Sunday after lunch.
For 2 people, the retreat costs $375 per person (187.50 per day)
For 3 people, the retreat costs $360 per person (175.00 per day)
For 4 people, the retreat costs $340 per person (170.00 per day)
LODGING IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE RETREAT
All lodging is handled through RiverView Bed & Breakfast.

Please click on the following link for information on making a reservation

http://riverviewbnb.com/reservations.html

All other aspects for the retreat are handled by Moon River Raw LLC.  Please contact Catherine Moon for details at 201-247-0052.