Millet & Raisin Breakfast w/ Raspberries & Fresh Mint-A Spring Juice Feast

by Julie on May 18, 2011

Oh how I love pretty!  I can’t resist pretty!  Playing with healthy food and making it look divine has become an obsession I can hardly control.  From style props to fancy cameras and gorgeous flowers, it’s certainly an addiction or better said, a passion.  No matter what I cook or which shop I may be browsing in from Target in Utah to Liberty in London all I can think about is food and props and the almighty shot I might take, could take or should take!  Am I crazy?  Does anyone else have this kind of obsession?

Sometimes I wonder…. how do I turn this thing off? -just for a while, so I can focus on other very important things like one on one time with my 5 year old making daisy chains or homework with my 9 year old.  Perhaps the novelty of an obsessed healthy food blogger will wear off-but then again, when it does, will I still want to be a blogger?  Will I still want to keep doing this thing I love right now?

Is it because I was born an Aries or is it just because I’m an all or none kinda gal? Whatever it is, I am grateful to have a meaningful passion that makes me lose my mind, how many people can say that? I just have to get creative in finding ways to tame the lion–balance my time and make darn sure that I get my priorities straight.  My precious younger kids are only little for so long.  I have a 19 year old son to know full well how fast time flies, thus the choices I make now will forever be engraved in my life and theirs.  Thankfully I have freed up time for this passion by closing my retail store and can give more time and attention to this blog and still find ways to balance family and personal life.  I am grateful for this time in my life where I can really make the choices that will bring me joy and build strong relationships and memories.  Are you crazy about something new in your life right now? How do you balance it all? Any hints or tips you can share?

Millet & Raisin Breakfast w/ Raspberries & Fresh Mint
Yield: approx 3 cups
1 cup millet
2 cups filtered water
1/3 cup organic raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp alcohol free vanilla
1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1/2 cup
3 drops stevia
1/2 tsp agave syrup-optional
sunflower seeds
chopped walnuts
raspberries
fresh mint
hemp seeds-optional
Method
Place millet and water in medium sized sauce pan and bring to boil.  Add raisins and reduce heat to low, place lid on pan and simmer for 10-15 mins until water is fully absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 mins.  Add 1 cup almond milk, cinnamon, stevia, agave and turn heat back on for 1 min until almond milk is absorbed and heated thru and mixture becomes a little creamier.  Place lid on pan once again while you prepare toppings.  Spoon portions into open bowls and sprinkle with nuts, seeds, raspberries and chopped mint.  Serve with almond milk.

Psst. this is great warmed up with a little extra almond milk for your next days breakky!

It’s a personal preference as to how much chew there is to your millet.  I like a little but not too much so I am not crunching my breakfast.  However the more water and the longer you cook the millet the softer and creamier it will become.  It’s your call.   Experiment a little and find your favourite way to enjoy this healthy seed.  Read my previous post here for the health benefits of millet.

The last week has been so great for me as I had an opportunity to facilitate a friend on her first ever juice feast!  She will be soon blogging about her experience and I can’t wait to direct you to her site when she’s ready.  Of course I had to join right in, since I was juicing for her, so I juiced for two.  It feels sooo good to do a spring body clean.  She said she couldn’t quite put her finger on exactly what she felt but it was much much better than when she started and in 3 days she lost 5 pounds!  You know what that is, don’t you? Well just in case you don’t, it’s your body giving up it’s baggage, your colon…. letting go of toxic storage.  Most of us are walking around with excess baggage that is weighing us down and also has the scary potential of developing into something dangerous like IBS or serious colon issues.  If you’ve never cleaned house I highly recommend it.  You’ll feel different and you’ll also find it easier to knock some bad habits like sodas, sugars, and too much caffeine.  Making super clean choices to keep your body clean will become a priority for you and that can only set you on a path to greater health, energy and longevity.

I’m not saying it’s an easy 2 or 3 days that you endure to clean up years and years of debris (by which the entire job is no where near finished yet) but it is a very effective way to begin if you are determined to change your health journey.  Mild symptoms of caffeine withdrawal with headaches and some tummy upset can accompany this journey as can nausea but in comparison to potentially lethal brewing diseases in your system, that you can sidestep, it’s no contest.  Alkalizing your body is a sure fire way to minimize or eliminate disease and flush built up toxins that fester and weaken your bodies ability to maintain a healthy state.  A juice feast is 2-7 days of concentrated fresh veggie juices that alkalize, flush while nourishing your nutrient craving body.  If you are keen to give it a shot I’ve written an extensive post with recipes here for you to experience.  If you are not so keen to dive right into a juice feast, I recommend reading Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Diet as she has a 21 day cleanse that is a slow entry into a clean, healthy, alkalizing lifestyle that incorporates solid foods.

Either way you just can’t lose.  Nourishing your body has never been more important especially in our current world where it is  near impossible to escape toxins in our environment, chemicals in our food and impurities in our water.   Our toxic reservoirs are overflowing, showing us the signs with symptoms, if we are in tune enough with our bodies to notice.  Now is a good time to flush your system just before summer arrives, a plentiful time when eating clean fresh produce is easy and you will really feel the benefits of your efforts.  What do ya think…. could you commit to a juice feast in the next 4 weeks? or a 21 day feast with Kris Carr? Or how about just adding another huge salad to your daily routine and adding lots of extra water? Why not eliminate or reduce a toxin you shouldn’t really be having? Anything that you change will make a difference even if you don’t quite feel it right away.  Changing  your diet isn’t like taking a pill.  You need to give it some time and be patient.  But the rewards are gigantic! Things like a higher quality of life, more energy, longevity and a lifespan to enjoy your grand children.  How about the sheer satisfaction and peace of mind,  knowing that you are consciously aware of how to nourish your body in a manner so it can defend itself from disease.

It’s your choice.  Only you can change your journey.  I encourage you to love yourself enough to make the changes that you know you need to make and give your self the best chance for a healthier life, free from the fear of disease.

On a side note, I have one last thought, about traveling as a mom.  Have you ever been away from home when the inevitable accident happens to one of your children? Phew…. at least it wasn’t terribly serious this time but it was enough to make me think I shouldn’t leave home..ever!  Calling home is always necessary while away for peace of mind but god forbid there is a conversation over “what happened while mom was out of town”.  So,  it was my 9 year old son, and the long board.  Yup, the brand spanking new long board, with him innocently just sitting on it, not moving, no helmet as he hadn’t planned to ride, he was just sitting.  He lost his balance, tipped over, hands no where in sight to stop him (don’t know if they were temporarily removed from his body or what) from hitting the pavement face first, scraping is face and badly chipping his two front teeth-eeek!  I felt sooo bad for him.  I also just cringed at the instant thought of the number of times in his life now that we will be faced with fixing those two chipped teeth-ugh!  He’s terrified of needles and he was instantly fearful when he realized what had happened as he worried about what the dentist would have to do to fix them.  Until this was clarified he was a mess.  However, I was pleasantly surprised that the process was incredibly painless and simple.  Yesterday, in less than one hour, he marched out of the dentist’s office with perfect, brand new teeth, that you would never, ever know had been chipped.  Thank goodness for today’s dental technology.  He’s as good as new and no worse for wear.  He’s learned his lesson about the helmet and the long board, riding or not.  And apparently these new caps are incredibly strong with no likely hood of chipping any more so than your own teeth might.  What a relief.  But isn’t it Murphy’s law that these things happen when mom is NOT home? The good things are:, he’s fine, dad had an opportunity to manage a mayday-which he did extremely well I might add, and I survived another guilt trip for not being home!  How about you-have you had a near miss situation with your family while you were away? What I’ve learned is to Not beat myself up because I was away.  I’ve done everything I need to do to keep them safe and the rest is out of my hands.  I’d be a nervous wreck if I didn’t learn to let go and just have trust.

Thanks for listening, I’d love to hear and learn from your stories too!

Lets hope for fabulous weather for this long May Day weekend, that is if you live in Canada to enjoy this nice break.  I hope to get some veggies planted and some pretty container gardens. What are your plans for the weekend?

Julie

Style Props

Rose T-towel Cath Kidston, Marlylebone High Street, London, Uk

Ceramic Bird- Astier de Villatte, Paris, France

Cereal Bowl- Pottery Barn, past collection, no longer available

Vintage Metal Creamer- Personal collection

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{ 15 comments }

Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday May 18, 2011 at 6:33 pm

That dish looks fantastic! A nice change of pace from my standard oatmeal breakfast.

I can’t wait to read about your friend’s juice feast. I don’t have a juicer but I’ve done cleanses where I drink just green smoothies (blended fruit & veg instead of juiced) for 3 days. It’s feels pretty great to, as you put it, “clean house”.

When I went to my naturopath to see what was causing my acne she put my on an elimination diet for 3 weeks which meant avoiding anything that can cause food sensitivites (dairy, eggs, gluten, processed/artificial foods, caffeine, etc) and I felt phenomenal when I finished that diet!

Julie May 18, 2011 at 9:13 pm

Samantha, the feast I did with my friend is here– I meant to link to it in the post. I’m thrilled you know the feeling and I bet your skin cleared up. Your toxic bucket must have been on overload. All those things you eliminated are not ideal foods. Perhaps occasionally as a cheat but not all the time. Green smoothies are sooo good for you too! Thanks for stopping in:)

Kimberley May 19, 2011 at 9:22 am

Hey Julie,
Thanks for the recipe – and the juice fast idea. Any suggestions where to get a good juicer in Victoria and how much we should be prepared to pay?

I can’t believe your story about your son and the long board and how it parallels my story about my son (19 yrs old) and a long board. Similar event – out of control, face plant in the pavement, knocked out one front tooth and two others knocked sideways. Oh yes, and me out of town! However, hours of dental surgery later he’s almost healed and the teeth look good again. Crazy! And not a darn thing we could have done, even if in town.

Julie May 19, 2011 at 9:29 am

Hi Kimberley
So sorry about your son, sounds like it was an even bigger ordeal. Thank goodness for modern dentistry hey! A juicer can range from $100 to $4-500. My sis has the juice man for around $125 and loves it and I have 2 Breville Models, one for our cottage at $299 and the top Breville for $399 at home-The Bay has the Breville and so does Capital Iron. I’ve used both for over 2 years with no problems at all. I also like and am demo-ing the Hurom Slow Juicer. Not sure of it’s price or if it is available in Canada yet. You’re a Victoria gal hey? Nice to meet you, maybe we’ll bump into each other sometime:)

Julie May 19, 2011 at 12:49 pm

This question was emailed to our site and I wanted to share this reply for other readers;
I’m new to alkaline living. Can you please clarify if the following variations are alkaline.
1. Almond BUTTER (from dry roasted almonds only)
2. APPLE CIDER vinegar (there is conflicting info)
3. Organic carrot JUICE (from supermarket)
4. Brown rice cakes
5. unsweetened DRIED coconut
Thanks!
Nancy

I answered with the following;
Hi Nancy
From my perspective see the following recommendations;

1. Almond BUTTER (from dry roasted almonds only)- Use raw almond butter, as this is alkaline living food and cooking ruins the good oils and can be carcinogenic- eating roasted almonds is rather an occasional treat but is a little better than most junk food.
2. APPLE CIDER vinegar – Dr. Robert O. Young does not believe in vinegar as it is fermented and contains fungus & molds and is acidic. Very moderate amounts of vinegar is okay but if you are ill or detoxing do avoid it at all costs. Disease thrives on yeast, fungus and mold. Replace vinegar with fresh lemon juice.
3. Organic carrot JUICE (from supermarket)- No bottled juice is worthy unless you have it shipped and drank within 24-48 hrs from a professional juicer. Carrots are one of the highest sugar content veggies next to beets. They are nutritious and they are alkaline but blend them with green veggies instead of just having them solo unless you are doing a juice feast as per my site.
4. Brown rice cakes- Brown rice is acidic and rice cakes are processed. Home cooked brown rice is fine with a nice big salad or gently stir fried veggies. Avoid processed foods when ever possible or use in moderation. Read labels for additives and preservatives. We do have rice crackers with less than 5 ingredients on occasion but try to minimize and have veggies instead for dips.
5. unsweetened DRIED coconut- This will be slightly acidic as it is from a more mature coconut that is sweeter. It is still a healthy food but do combine with a good balance of alkaline foods thru the day. A fresh young coconut tho is very, very good for you and is alkaline, both coconut meat and water.
Thanks for your questions Nancy:)
Julie

Maria @ Scandifoodie May 20, 2011 at 11:53 am

I can definitely relate to your obsession/passion! I can never stop thinking about food and I’m always on a hunt for props (well that’s part of my job too!). This breakkie sounds so perfect, I’m loving all the flavours!

Julie May 21, 2011 at 10:29 am

Maria, the prop hunt is sooo fun isn’t it? I was a buyer for my store for 19yrs but now it’s even more fun cuz I get to keep it all and use it creatively instead of selling it! Even the smallest thing for $5 like the vintage lemon juicer gadget I found yesterday makes me giddy! It IS work! but it’s FUN work-the way work should be! Thanx for stopping by:)

Leslie May 20, 2011 at 9:24 pm

Hi,
Oh geez, poor little E. I am sorry about that. Goodness. I am grateful nothing like that has occurred while I have been away. But as you say, it is out of your hands, these things happen.
Your photos are gorgeous and your passion is serving you and your family well. It will be wonderful for your daughter to see what beauty her mother gives the world and how important it is for mom’s to have creative passions.
Take care. Hugs to E.

Julie May 21, 2011 at 10:39 am

Leslie, I know, it was worry some but we survived and thank goodness he’s fine. I do believe it’s important to inspire our children and you are right, my daughter will see the passion even though right now she just wants time with me. Thanx for your kind comments.

Sherilyn May 22, 2011 at 1:01 pm

I can totally relate. I constantly think about food and am always on the look out for props and pictures that inspire me. I have a whole book of pullouts from magazines beside my bed that I regularly refer to -what is that? Anyway glad to know that i am not alone. I love this breakfast. It looks delightful and so are your pictures. Also – after reading your blog and whilst i have been toying with the idea for some time i think i am going to give the juice feast thing a go.

Julie May 22, 2011 at 8:34 pm

Sherilyn. you just made ME feel a lot better, knowing that I too am not alone in my craziness! What is that?-book of pull outs? I love that idea. I began tearing from magazines just recently-prior I couldn’t bring myself to do so but my collection was out of control. But they are in files not a look book which would be much better! Thanx! Keep me posted on your juice feast and hollar if you have any questions!

Emily May 23, 2011 at 3:35 pm

That looks amazing. I’ve actually never had/made millet, but I’d really like to give it a shot. My kids are huge oatmeal fans… do you think they’d go for this? How does the consistency/flavor compare? (My kids are thick-rather-than-soupy oatmeal eaters.) Of course, with berries on top they might overlook any differences they might otherwise turn their noses up at otherwise! 🙂

Oh, and I’m sorry about your son’s teeth. There’s never good timing for injuries, I’ve found. My niece chipped her two front (adult) teeth in a bike accident and they were able to be repaired so that they look like normal. My own son did a number on his top front 4 teeth last fall; he’ll be having one of the injured teeth extracted unfortunately. I’ve found this Mom’s Guide to be a helpful resource on kids’ teeth. In fact, that’s how I discovered the bump on my son’s gum was an infection! Yikes… scary to think what an untreated abscess could do if the infection spreads. But I’ve digressed… back to the recipe! It looks really yummy and I’d really like to try it. Fingers crossed that the kids will like it… or at least try it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

Julie May 23, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Emily, all you can do is try this on the kids, it can be thick and creamy or soft and milky if you add lots of almond milk. Depends how you want it so give it a few tries and maybe they will go for it! But better yet if you can convince them to drink a green veggie juice first, if they don’t already that would be amazing. As a family we make this one often. So glad you discovered the infection, mothers notice these things don’t they! Thanx for sharing the link and good luck to him with his teeth!

Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga) May 23, 2011 at 9:21 pm

found you via Tartlette’s post…wish I woulda booked the Santa Fe trip!

Juicing, your whole post…love it!

And traveling as a mom…have a few photography trips booked and i will be traveling for the 1st time away from my 4 yr old coming up…it does make me nervous, for sure!

Julie May 23, 2011 at 10:44 pm

Welcome Averie, yes Santa Fe was awesome with Helene. Learned sooo much! And juicing is amazing, I’m sure you know that, took a peek at your fab blog too! Tough to leave our kids isn’t it, but they grow from the experience too! Enjoy your courses:)

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