A Raw Food Feast on National T.V.

What a week! I’m glad it’s over. Today I head back to Montreal on a train. I love taking the train because it gives me those rare, undistracted moments to just get stuff done. It’s like an escape–my office on wheels with gorgeous scenery rolling out through the windows.

So, last night we prepared a multiple course meal for millions of people. At least, that’s how it felt knowing that The Food Network will be sharing it with so many people in October this year. Of course, the food preparation started the night before. I was up until a very unfriendly hour grinding and dehydrating all kinds of goodies.

I bought a dehydrator about 4 years ago, but didn’t actually use it until this May! And personally, I don’t like eating this way at all. But I have to admit, at last night’s dinner we had some long time meat eaters and they were MORE than impressed with the spread we had put out. Tim’s best friend, Dave, really enjoyed the meal and asked when he could do it again!

That’s a success. I don’t care how many food combining rules it broke, the people loved it and were inspired to consider a healthIER way of living.

So here’s a peak at the menu we put together:

Dinner started with Strawberry Agave Lemonade. YYummmm!!

The we had two kinds of crackers and 3 dips:

Corn, Pea and Cashew Crackers.

Green Bean Dilly Crackers (sooo good)

And a Guacamole, Bruschetta and Raw “Cheeze” Spread.

Then we followed these appetizers with a gorgeous green salad with fresh greens from the garden. The presentation was exceptional, if I do say so myself. I picked ferns, wild flowers, sliced starfruit and strawberries and made everything look AMAZING! We sprinkled hemp and different grated vegetables over the salads. It was so artfully presented, I gotta pat my back for this one.

After this, we pulled out the Portabello Mushroom Patties (rich, and very satisfying). Amazing flavor with sundried tomatoes and more ingredients than my weary brain can recall right now.

The next course was raw pizza.

Sensational. People loved it and it looked GORGEOUS. I think some days I could just eat the presentation. It’s definitely nourishing in a whole other way.

Dessert.

No meal for millions would be complete without dessert.

We made Oat Cream Cookies and they were a HUGE hit. Then, when we rolled out the fudge balls and a chorus of moaning sang out around the table. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Tim whipped it together in 5 minutes or less. I rolled it, coated it in cocoa powder and piled them in a bed of fresh strawberries from the garden.

WOW! I can’t say much more about it. It was a gorgeous meal, though I personally spent most of it washing a mountain of dishes so people wouldn’t be tempted to help out at the end of the meal. I also had been licking fingers and nibbling since VERY late the night before. I was STUFFED before the meal ever started. (Not too stuffed to sit down at the end and polish off a couple chocolate fudge balls, though! )

So, that is the food adventure with the Food Network, and the film crew left after a couple quick interviews at the end of the meal!

Now…

I know you’re all wondering how Tim did on the mountain.

Athletes, LISTEN UP! This is important!!

Tim started out VERY strong, a great pace head to head with the top finishers. At mile 3 he completely ran out of fuel. He had SERIOUSLY under-eaten for a race this tough, and had treated his meals leading up to this event as he would have the little races he does on the weekends. He was worried about stomach stress and having food in his system for the race, but the truth is, this is one of the most difficult races in the Ccountry, and he was terribly underfed to take it on.

I’ll keep the juicy details out of it, but when he came into the finish line, things were NOT looking good. Of course, when I saw he didn’t come in the top 20 (where he’d slotted himself to come in) my heart started pumping in my throat. I knew something was up. Then, he stumbled in 137th place and two first aid volunteers grabbed him on either side of his body and injected him with some sugar and water FAST! It wasn’t a pretty site.

All that having been said, some lessons we learn the hard way.

He finished. That’s amazing, and even given his condition, he finished in the top 10% of racers. Now he’s created an opportunity for a whole new level of performance to be reached. He’s really wondering what this will mean for his performance. The last big race at Whiteface, his heart rate was soooo much lower than the first and second place winners, but his legs gave out. Sooo, maybe this was another case of not eating enough? Guess we’ll find out.

There’s no question Tim throws the top off what’s possible for the human body and I’m excited to see where he’ll take this.

As for me, I throw the top of what a multitasking woman with a whole lot of love and passion for life and other people can do. I was, as many women are, a brilliant background worker to this whole affair.

We, the women, gracefully glide through the backdrop of life, lifting up the heros that take center stage. And we don’t ask more than to see our loved ones succeed. Every mother knows this. I got more pleasure washing dishes and serving and decorating the food than I could possibly have had seated at the table. It’s not the spotlight that excites me, is the quiet whispers in the ears of the star performers telling them, “You can do it!” that lights my spirit on fire!

So, that’s the show, folks. I’ll be riding a rickety train to my Montreal home and getting ready for the sweetest cuddles I’ve ever known…

I have a little ache in my tummy, because I miss them.

Love and gratitude,

Tera