Julie Morris is a Los Angeles-based writer and graphic designer, established primarily within the natural food industry. Whether advertising organic nutrition, growing her own edibles, creating recipes for green companies, or simply enjoying the strength of beautiful food, she is dedicated to promoting the art and energy in everyday natural living.
Sweet beets combine with creamy avocados for this alluring, satisfying, and not to mention stunningly-colored soup.
Serves 4
For the Soup
4 Medium beets
1 Avocado, chopped
1 Lime, juiced
2 Cups water
3 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Tbsp ground coriander
¼ tsp sea salt
Fresh cilantro leaves & black pepper for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
1. Roast: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim the beets and remove stems and end. Individually wrap each beet in tin foil. Roast for 1 hour and allow to cool completely. Using a paper towel, rub off the beet skins. Chop coarsely.
2. Blend: Place the beets, avocado, lime juice, water, hemp seeds, coriander and sea salt in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Chill: Place soup into refrigerator, and allow to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Serve: Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and black pepper if desired.
The brownie universe isn’t exactly full of surprises. The combination of sugar, butter, flour, chocolate, eggs, a few extraneous ingredients, plus a little oven time, inevitably leads to some form of brownie action. Of course, the resulting degree of deliciousness is all in the details — just talk to the adamant nut-adders, the chocolate chip enthusiasts, or the “fudgy” versus “cakey” people that can seemingly never agree. Yet, by and large, the language of brownies is pretty much the same: delicious chocolate squares that just about everyone loves. Including me.
But I have a secret. With the exception of chocolate (which can be profoundly beneficial in its unprocessed form), I don’t use any of the “conventional” ingredients in my homemade brownies. In fact, I don’t even bake them. (I know — what a rebel.) Instead, by using exclusively natural, whole foods, the inherently gorgeous flavor of each healthy ingredient does all the sweet singing — without needing the crutch of sugar or butter. Undercover health benefits like antioxidants, good omega fats, potassium, magnesium (and more) nutritionally rank this dessert as more of an energy bar than an “extra 20 minutes on the treadmill indulgence.” Best of all, five ingredients plus five minutes is all it takes to go from zero to brownie.
The antioxidant powerhouses of blueberries and acai combine forces to produce a colorful, healthy, and refreshing frozen berry dessert. Serve in a wine glass with a sprig of mint for full aesthetic effect. (recipe after the jump) Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
This jam acts just like boysenberry preserves, yet is dense with nutrition, low in sugar, full of whole superfoods, and completely unprocessed. Featuring two all-star superfoods – acai and chia – it’s a fantastic way to sneak extra antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and vital micronutrients into any diet. Acai’s soft berry flavor results in a mild-tasting jam, which is as versatile as it is delicious. For a stronger fruity taste, mix in ¼ cup muddled fresh berries (like strawberries or blackberries) before serving. Use on bread, with muffins, on top of desserts, or enjoy a spoonful solo with zero guilt!
To the dude with the double-shot, extra-dry, vanilla soy cappuccino (V Blak and you other Bad Monkies!), your long-winded order doesn’t even stand a chance — in terms of taste (or lack of pretention, for that matter — to top my delicious, healthy Hempuccino.
Rich, creamy, and boasting a long list of nutritious attributes (including Omega-3), the Hempuccino is made by using steamed Living Harvest Hempmilk as a non-dairy “milk” choice, and combining it with espresso. Coffee shops are quickly catching on to using the hemp milk as an innovative new way to produce impressively frothy and full-flavored drinks and steamers that make an exceptional morning mug.
Especially in the indigenous coffee culture of Portland, OR, marrying steamed hemp milk with ol’ cuppa joe is all the latest buzz. The city — whose vibe infers that a progressive stance on health and environment might just be as important as a really good cup of coffee — is also home to popular hemp food company Living Harvest, who thinks you can indeed have both. To prove it, they’ve been spending plenty of energy as of late promoting their award-winning Hempmilk in the independent coffee shops that line Portland’s streets. Once aware of the new option, many latte lovers and conventional coffee gurus alike have wasted no time in making the switch.
Similar to the traditional Greek sesame candy “Pasteli,” which is made with honey and sesame seeds, these superfood candies take advantage of yacon syrup’s more complex flavor and healthy benefits. Crunchy and chewy at the same time, these all-natural candies are addictingly delicious. If you cannot find pre-roasted/toasted sesame seeds, use raw ones — just pop them in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees ahead of time.
In caveman days, I think I actually would have done pretty well. While my un-evolved cohorts were off worrying about getting stampeded by woolly mammoths in their quest for a meaty entree, I would have stayed at home feasting on berries and nuts and nutritious greens, and feeling – yes – totally fabulous. I probably would have looked hot in my cavelady dress too.
Ironically, it’s some of the modern social settings that can, at times, be a wee bit problematic. Like barbecues. Oh yeah – the smokey grills full of animal-bits, bowls of greasy chips, and ubiquitous offerings of “mystery ingredient” coleslaw have me basically locked into the one thing I can share with everyone: beer. And while beer is great and all it’s not exactly my idea of a well-rounded meal . . . which is why I always BYOB.
Crammed amongst a long but patient line outside of the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles, we stood and waited to view the new documentary FOOD, INC. I was excited to see a film chronicling the business-side of the food industry, and its relationship with the true benefit of what ends up on the fork.
My dear Food, Inc: you do not disappoint.
Tackling some familiar concerning concepts — the inhumanity of factory farming, the danger of pesticides, the fears about genetically modified seeds — Food, Inc. connects all the dots: composing a compelling narrative regarding the loss of Americana agronomics through the introduction of corrupt business, and its consequence of destroying our health for the sake of profit. But doom and gloom is not the only message here, and the film also does an excellent job in offering simple solutions, which can promote positive change in food safety, personal health, industry economics and environmental security.
Since its opening, the film has quickly become the darling of news outlets across the US — one after another praising the message as exceptionally relevant and compelling, while packaged in a well organized, researched, and grounded medium. Food, Inc. speaks our language: It’s pretty clear we want change. It’s pretty clear we want to feel good. And we obviously want to do the right thing. Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
I grew up on broccoli with cheese – my mother made it once a week. Such a delicious combo! Over the years I’ve turned her family classic into an even more eco-friendly and healthy modern dish . . . without sacrificing any of the flavor. This dairy-free and cholesterol-free version brims with calcium, iron and protein, while also complimented by all the wonderful antioxidants and polyphenols from the broccoli.
I like to serve this recipe “as is” (uncooked), enjoying the maximum nutritional potential of these great superfoods. If you’re craving a warm dish though, no worries — simply steam the florets lightly for a few minutes, then combine with the sauce. Either way, the delicious cheesy flavor and addictive broccoli crunch will have you coming back for a healthy second round every time.
G / Design It’s amazing how easy it is to now go completely leather free, with amazing leather like fabrics by Joseph Noble. They make a range of fabrics with feel better than leather and last longer
G / Food The Ultimate Sausage and Pepper Pizza – RAW It’s Rawfully Tempting!
G / Food Chocolate Fruit and Almond Bark – D E C A D E N T and H E A L T H Y! Sooo Rawfully Tempting!
G / Food The edible cups are made entirely out of agar agar (a gelatin substitute).
G / Design a solar-powered collapsible lamp lights up when unfolded.
G / Food The Ultimate Sausage & Pepper Pizza by Rawfully Tempting
G / Food Creamy Mocha Mousse Cake
G / Video A visual poem by Tanya Davis. How To Be Alone
G / Food Killer Chocolate Fudge Mousse & Banana Parfait.
This is one DECADENT dessert and not for the feint of heart.
G / Style Well, this o so stylish hat called Double Crown O’Thorns, is definitely a bold look, especially if you wear the entire black head to toe suggestive accompanying outfit.
Photographer: 
Photographer: 
