South Florida Raw Food Retreat: February 13th, 14th & 15th, 2015!

The dates are set for our next raw food retreat!!! This extensive event will change your life for the better; physically, emotionally and spiritually! Please pass this on to any friends and family who want to make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle but not sure how or what to do next. This raw food retreat will motivate and inspire you to be the healthiest that you can be!

For more information, visit: http://healthwatchman.com/florida-raw-retreat/.

Family of Four Moves to Iraq to Help Thousands of Displaced Refugees

Since May, I have been overwhelmed with the burden to pray and support my dear friends Jessica and Jordan Danchik who, last year, relocated their family to Iraq to minister and help the thousands of refugees displaced because of the ISIS Crisis. At times, I wanted to beg them to come home, but after fervent prayer, God has made clear to me that this is their calling and they are living completely in God's will, where they are safe and protected.

My heart is constantly with them, and the thousands of people who have been displaced. I admire their courage for standing for what is right and surrendering their lives to help these people in desperate need. At times, I have felt fearful for them and their situation, but I know they are in God's will, and the organization they work with is doing its best to keep them safe.

After overcoming the initial response of fear, I felt that God showed me how I can directly help them, and that is by raising awareness about their situation and sharing their story so others can directly help as well. They work with an amazing organization called Crisis Response International (Cri) based in Nashville, Tennessee. You can even train and join them if you feel led! They need help in numerous ways. You can start by praying for the Danchiks and the other responders and donating directly to them at www.danchiks.com or the Cri website: http://criout.com/event/crisis-in-iraq/. All donations will be directly used to help the thousands of people in need of food, medical supplies, clothes, blankets and many other necessary items to get them through the cold winter.

Please watch the interview below with my dear friend Jessica, and please pray and consider helping in any way.

Blessings,

Andrea

Banana Pudding Pie

Here is the recipe for the Banana Pudding Pie we make! It is super easy! This recipe was inspired by Jackie Graff from The Graff Academy.

Basic Pie Crust Recipe:

2 cups almonds (walnuts, pecans, etc.)
8 pitted medjool dates
pinch of sea salt (optional)

Process in food processor until crumbly.

Pudding:
1 cup pine nuts (cashews and macadamia nuts can also be used)
12 pitted medjool dates
6 bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Blend all ingredients in blender.

Slice 6 bananas for layering.

Then cover bottom of 9X12 pan with 1/3 of the pie crust. Layer bananas and 1/2 of the pudding. Then cover with another 1/3 of pie crust. Layer more bananas, then remaining pudding. Top with remaining pie crust. Eat and enjoy!

Time to buckle down!

We officially began our homeschooling journey this week with our 5 yo daughter. We have been doing our own version of "school" the past few years, and last year we joined a Classical Conversations community in our neighborhood and we loved it! So we are continuing with that this year, as well as joining our friends on multiple playdates throughout the week at the library, park and beach. We feel very blessed to have an amazing community of friends who are supportive in this journey. We aren't sure how it is going to look, but we are encouraging each other to find our own way.

I have always wanted to be a teacher, and I am so excited to be able to do this with my family. Even though we can have our own challenges, I feel so blessed that I live in a country that is allowing me to teach my own children, and I pray that this will continue for many more generations. I also feel very blessed that my husband is supportive of homeschooling and encourages us to do this together.

So as this homeschooling journey unfolds, I plan to share on here a little bit about what our day looks like homeschooling, and maybe other homeschooling moms can share their ideas and suggestions as well!

As we are beginning our year with Classical Conversations, we are also supplementing with a reading and math curriculum. We are currently using "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann. We are half way through the book, and my 5 yo is already reading! It is a fun and easy way to get them started and only takes about 15 minutes per lesson.

I hope to keep sharing posts and pictures of our journey with you all too!

I am enjoying this time of year as school is starting again, and hope to start making our own memories and traditions.

Raw Vegan Cheesecake Recipe

I made this recipe adding blueberries. But you can make it without, or add any type of fruit like strawberries, cherries, etc.

Crust:

2 cups pecans

8-12 pitted medjool dates

¼ cup dried coconut

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling:

3 cups cashews (soaked 2 hours)

¾ cup lemon juice

¾ cup honey

¾ cup coconut oil

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. sea salt (optional)

Directions

Crust:

Sprinkle coconut onto bottom of spring-form pan.

Process nuts in food processor, adding dates through the top, until mixed.

Press crust into the pan evenly.

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling:

Add cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, honey, blueberries, vanilla and salt into vita-mix container. Blend and add small amounts of water if needed.

Pour mixture into pan and shake it to make it even.

Put in freezer at least two hours.

When ready to eat, remove from freezer at least 2 hours before meal. Open spring form pan and slide cake off of bottom. This is best done immediately after taking out of freezer. Place cake on a serving dish, and allow it to thaw enough to cut.

Eat and enjoy!

How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor

I recently finished reading How to Raise a Healthy Child…In Spite of Your Doctor, by Robert Mendelsohn, M.D.. A friend recommended I read it after sharing with me an incident that happened with her son in the emergency room. She said that she could have prevented a bad experience from the hospital if she had followed the advice in this book. I immediately ordered a used copy from 1984, when it was written.

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to take an active role in determining the severity of health issues for themselves and their family, and taking back control of their health.

I often notice that people are quick to bring their children to the doctor, even for minor issues like a cold, flu or even a fever. This book will help you determine when a health issue is severe enough to involve a doctor. Most health issues can be remedied at home using natural methods like herbs, essential oils, whole foods and time. Learning how to recognize when symptoms are severe enough to involve a doctor is key to reclaiming control of your health.

This book may have been written in the 80’s, but it is completely relevant for today. It shows how far we have distanced ourselves from the natural healing methods used at the beginning of the 20th Century and given control to the mega system of doctors and pharmaceutical companies whose main concern is making money with little regard for your actual health and well-being.

I highly recommend this book to anyone whose is ready to have the confidence and knowledge to assess their own health and the health of their families.

How To Make Kombucha Tea at Home