I decided to experiment with avocado and mango in the Vitamix. I blended one avo and one Manila mango and added a little raw honey and a squeeze of lemon. It was very thick so I added a little vanilla soymilk. I would imagine you could add almond or cashew milk instead. It was amazing! I had half of it and my boyfriend had the other half (and asked for more!). I think the best way to do this is to get overripe mangos from the store (of course, non-fermented ones!) instead of those that are in perfect shape because overripe ones will be softer, not to mention sweeter.

This sounds delicious, and I like that it opens up some interesting new doors for manipulation. Obviously this version is going to need cinnamon, because everything needs cinnamon . But it will be interesting what could be done if you put whole cashews through the Vitamix too, to make it extremely creamy. Or make green pudding - like green smoothies, except thick and with a spoon!

Keeping it raw at [rawfoodhealthwatch.com]

If you have any recipes, do tell. I mean for green smoothies. I was just thinking today how much I would like to find different sorts of smoothie recipes rather than the same old, same old.

Pudding sounds really yum! For green smoothies I like this online app - has a alot of combinations. I often just use it for inspiration and invent my own green smoothies. So far the only bad combination I've had was orange, banana & celery greens, completely turned me off celery for ages! But Orange banana & spinach is really yum. And also I've found watermelon & banana don't go together.

Hi from Wales! (that's why I'm red dragon, check out the welsh flag!)

This is my first post, I thought I'd share the ice cream 'meal' I just had, it was lovely. first I put some almonds, lots of hemp hearts and raw coconut chips in my grinder to chop them up, then added two medjool dates and some raw virgin coconut oil to make a paste. Then I put this with frozen chopped bananas (about 1 1/2 bananas) and some frozen raspberries in the blender to make 'ice cream', oh and just a bit of water to help it blend. I don't have measurements because I don't measure anything, I just put in how much I fancy of everything! I am just experimenting with raw ice creams because I bought a magimix blender which has a setting specifically for making iced desserts. I don't know if you have magimix in the US because I've never seen it mentioned in any US-based forums, but I do recommend it (the one with the grinder with it). (No, I don't work for magimix!)

There are probably lots of variations on the above, I might start a thread on ice creams (I haven't checked if there is one already). And next time I make it I will definately add cinnamon on the advice of vegmichelle, yes that would be good!

As for green smoothies, I'm always trying to make different mixes. Pineapple is really nice in them, and peaches too. I haven't tried pineapple with banana, but I would like to try young coconut meat, pineapple and banana if I could get young coconut meat here!

Welcome, Red Dragon! Just out of curiosity, what sorts of fruits are produced in your country or in the UK in general?

Yes, red dragon, your ice cream meal sounds de-lish! I LOVE frozen bananas and use a food processor to blend them into an ice cream consistency. Sometimes I add other fruit, but often just have the one ingredient. It's great to find bananas when they have spots and are reduced price - - perfect for freezing and making your concoction.


My favorite raw vegan

Hi banana who! We have lots of apples and pears in the uk, however a lot of supermarket apples and pears seem to be shipped from overseas. Confession no. 1: organic british cider (occasional treat mmm!) Same for strawberries, raspberries - we have plenty of our own, in season, but often find they are shipped from far away! Supermarkets will advertise things being 'British' as if it's like exclusive or something! So really I can probably get most of what you get in US. I like to shop in farmers markets. We also have quite a few 'Pick your own' strawberries/raspberries which is usually a cute little wooden sign beside a field - 'PYO' strawberries. Do you have many of these in the US?

lovebritishfood.co.uk has a good list of what fruit and veg we have and in what season, if you want to have a look. I like the website as it is trying to promote eating mostly seasonal British produce (hmm, maybe someday, but I wouldn't get much fruit outside of summer!) The other day I found an abandoned shopping trolley (cart!) by my house, so I've smuggled it into my shed and I will be lining it with some sack material or something, and planting my own salad garden in it - perfect! I gotta get my skates on though or the season will be over!

Hi Trive. Cute donkey ;-) Yes it was pretty de-lish, thank you! The best thing was it was spontaneous, just home from work. That's what I love about raw eating, you can just chuck different concoctions together at any ratio, and really work with what you have in your fridge/cupboards. I find I waste very little food, because with some imagination you can usually make something interesting with what you have left!

I look forward to chatting to you all soon!

Red Dragon, it sounds like UK native produce is similar to what is grown in the Midwest. Yes, there are pick-your-own farms but I live near Chicago so it would be an exursion. Not more than an hour's drive but the gas factor has to be...factored in. And we do have farmers markets and blueberries come in at some point! I am not as certain about strawberries, though. I know in Wisconsin I remember picking wild strawberries as a kid at my grandma's cottage. They were teeny compared to the ginormous ones from California.

You mentioned not having access to young coconuts, which is why I wondered what sorts of things a raw fooder eats in Wales. In Chicago area there are young coconuts galore, as well as other tropical fruit. I have yet to see a cherimoya and mangosteen, though. Can't wait for those to appear!

(By the way, Dylan Thomas is one of my fave poets)

Ah Dylan Thomas, legend! He comes from a very lovely part of Wales on the west coast, Pembrokeshire. I am on the North Coast, we used to go on camping holidays to Pembrokeshire, really beautiful! I still haven't seen the film The Edge of Love about DT, have you?

I wouldn't know a mangosteen (different to mango?) or a cherimoya if one bit me on the nose! We get coconuts here, but the ones in hard brown shells with hard meat, I tend not to buy them (don't quite trust them, or more to the point I don't quite trust the supermarkets, the coconuts are probably innocent). Used to as kids though, was quite fun cracking them open! I have no idea what a young coconut is like :-( I love pineapples, but don't buy them that often for same reason as coconuts.

Are Fleet Foxes from Chicago? Love them.

Blueberries are yummy, although they can be a bit unpredictable can't they, sometimes you get a dodgy one. Strawberries are a little bit like that too, little devils!! I imagine most fruit are big and juicy in California mmmm!

Going for a walk on the beach now, take care, catch you later!

Dodgy blueberries? LOL! I had to Google Fleet Foxes--never heard of them. Apparently they're from Seattle, not Chicago.

I will look out for that movie--I have read a biography on D. Thomas so I would be interested in a movie, also.

You have got to try young coconuts! The water is a refreshing drink. Take care!

I've done some research, I could actually get young coconut here, either online, or if I drive about two hours to a global trading supermarket! I will continue to look into it, and find out how to open them, what tools I need etc. Any tips? If I get them online, I will have to buy about 4 or 6 together, so will need to know exactly what to do with them when I get them, and will have to eat about one every other day! Is this too much?

In the meantime, I'm dreaming of Thai markets...

A young coconut every other day isn't too much, IMO. First of all, there is not the fat content of the mature brown ones (although you could do a lot worse than fresh coconut oil!). The fluid is like a natural Gatorade in that it has electrolytes and so is great after exercise.

I open them with a paring knife I bought for under $2. And I am a woman, if that makes any difference. In other words, rather than get a very sharp knife (which I am leery of, because of any possible injury), I was able to make do with just a paring knife. You shave on the sides of the tip and then put it upright and begin piercing along the top and find the "sweet spots" that are soft and allow you to carve out a cap on top and drain the fluid.

I think I'll have to have some time off work to commit to my baby coconuts if I get them! Do you know if it's ok to freeze the meat? I'm never sure about freezing, because I think at some point, it will have same effect on nutrients/enzymes as cooking i.e. kill them.

Thanks for the advice, I'm a woman too. I'm guessing you're not a feminist banana who? ;-)

I consider myself a feminist--why do you ask? Is it because I mentioned being able to open a young coconut and yet am a woman? For some reason, I thought you were a guy and I just wanted to let you know that even with a duller knife, young coconuts can be opened pretty easily. I think I am quite strong, actually! I just know that most men tend to be stronger than most women. I have lived with one of those creatures for over a quarter of a century and although I have opened jars that he was unable to, I still admit that he has more physical strength than I. That doesn't make him superior. I guess I feel that equality doesn't have anything to do with outer qualities.

As for freezing the meat, I am not certain about that. I would imagine you could do so. Perhaps someone else will chime in. They tend not to yield so much flesh sometimes. The older young ones will have a thicker flesh. The youngest ones have a jelly-type of flesh--very nice. Do you have a dehydrator? One thing I would love to do is make coconut "bacon," which is a recipe by Ani Phyo and utilizes that thicker younger flesh combined with Braggs and liquid smoke and dehydrated.

Coconut bacon sounds fun! I don't have a dehydrator though, and not really thinking of buying one, quite happy getting by on green smoothies, veggie nori rolls and banana ice cream (amongst other things!)

Yes it was because you said you were female and could open a coconut easily! But I wasn't really being serious, was just a little observation that you'd said it, and a lot of (extreme) feminists might not say it! Sounds like you have a very good balanced view anyway.

I haven't decided on the coconut situation yet, I feel I may get sick of it if I eat too much in such short period of time. I did find some carton coconut water in my local health food shop, although not raw (doesn't say anything but I'm just guessing it would have to be pasteruised). It's really nice, and I just closed my eyes and imagined the straw was stuck in a coconut not a carton!