Lisa Montgomery - Raw Garden: Over 100 Healthy and Fresh Raw Recipes

Raw Garden
Text Copyright 2011 Lisa Montgomery

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
eISBN: 978-1-57826-416-2

Cover design by DCDesign
Interior design by DCDesign

v3.1

This book is dedicated in memory of my Mom, Carol Jane Hecht Montgomery. My Mom died so I could live. She is my hero.
A PRIL 19, 1924M AY 16, 2010

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
E LEANOR R OOSEVELT

I want to thank everyone who made Raw Garden possible.
Thank you for blessing my life.

When I first changed my diet and started this healthy food journey sixteen years ago, I never could have guessed that I would also end up with a full-fledged heirloom organic garden, berry plants, fruit trees, bees, and chickens. Who knew that changing my diet and lifestyle could lead me to such a huge shift?

My first book, Raw Inspiration, was the beginner book to a healthy, living dynamically lifestyle, whereas Raw Garden is a bit more advanced, since it takes you to the next level of a raw lifestyle. In Raw Inspiration, I showed you how to begin living dynamically in all areas of your life. In Raw Garden, I will give you the tools to live your healthiest lifestyle by growing your own food.

As always, I will give you the uncomplicated straight facts on how to grow your food. Just like you, I am juggling many balls and have more demands on my time than hours in the day. So I, too, understand that any lifestyle change must be quick and easy, which is what you will find in the following pages.

By creating your own raw garden, you not only have the opportunity to enjoy fresh, home-grown meals every day, but you are also empowered as you learn to take control of your health, your life, and your food. There is a unique excitement in planning your own garden and picking what you are going to grow each year. Personally, I prefer to grow my favorites, but I also love trying new varieties as well.

In todays world, most of us are struggling with limited time and resources, making it seem even more challenging to make healthy changes in our lives. Many people are without work, and those who are lucky enough to have jobs are working longer hours than ever before, which can put a strain on your family life. By the time you get home from work, you are already exhausted and still have to put food on the table, help the kids with their homework, and clean the house. With all of these responsibilities, how can I possibly be asking you to grow your own food? I know it may seem impossible now, but with my easy tips, you will soon discover that keeping a raw garden is not only possible, but it is also healthy and fun. Rather than opening up a package of chemical-laden food, you will be preparing fresh, organic meals to nourish you and your family. Plus, having a raw garden is something that you can do together as a family. Working in the soil is very grounding and stress-releasing. Heck, I dont know about you, but we used to play in the dirt pile as kids, and, now, with a garden, you get to play in the dirt pile together as a family.

Keeping a garden together will also encourage your family to share quality time during meals. Unfortunately, a lot of families no longer have family dinners, because the parents work late hours, and the kids are involved in many different activities. Yet by planning, planting, maintaining, and harvesting your garden together, your family can communicate with each other and remain bonded. Not only will your family be healthier emotionally, but you will also be healthier physically, because you will be eating better. Growing your own food may also inspire your family to create new recipes to use what you harvest, and Raw Garden will provide lots of healthy recipes for you to try as well.

In the years since I have started raw gardening, I have discovered a stronger connection with the land and the nourishment that it provides through my harvest. Once the weather breaks in the spring and the days grow longer, I am so content with being in my garden that you just cannot keep me indoors. Having chickens even keeps me out in the yard year-round. During the cold winter months, I still walk out to my garden and enjoy viewing it, even when it is covered in snow. I take a daily stroll to visit my bees, snuggled down in their hives for the winter. They hate the cold, but, luckily, it will stay nice and warm in the center of their hives. The chickens are always out in their yard, wondering what tasty treat I will be bringing them, while my dogs Charlie and Riley follow me as I pick up wood to be used as kindling for the fireplace. I cannot think of a happier, more peaceful place on the face of the earth than my home and my backyard. So, if for no other reason, having a raw garden will fill your heart with peace and joy, making it worth every penny that you spend and every moment of time that you enjoy planning it, tending to it, or harvesting it.

Until you begin your own raw garden, you will not believe how much fulfillment that you can gain from such a lifestyle. You owe it to yourself to throw away the excuses and make some positive changes for you and your family. I, too, understand how difficult it can be to maintain healthy living. I have two full-time jobs: one as a packaging sales representative, and another promoting healthy living through raw potlucks, speaking, demoing, and book writing. I recently faced a personal tragedy when my beloved Mom passed away after almost dying eleven times in the last two-and-a-half years, which required me to continuously travel to my parents house and the hospital. After my Moms passing, there have also been challenges with my eighty-seven-year-old dad and all that that encompasses. Despite all of this, I still fit in my exercise and my own well-being. If I can do all of this and live this lifestyle, so can you. To be honest, I firmly believe that if I did not live such a healthy lifestyle, I would have cracked under the pressure. If I did not take care of myself emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I would never have survived all of the turmoil that this year has presented. Although it may seem like a lot of work, I am worth it, and you are, too. Please take back control of the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of you and your family. Start today by planting the seeds of your raw garden, so you can live dynamically.