Peach, I’ll have to search the WWW and see if I can find some. If I ordered from RP, they wouldn’t be fresh by the time they got here! You kinda missed the deadline, anyway, but you can contribute a recipe any time!

I get fresh vanilla beans from the raw pleasure site but that wouldn’t work for you. There is probably somewhere you could order them on line in the US, you will just have to google them and see what you can find. Sometimes health food shops have them but not often, here anyway.

They are so much nicer than the extracts and don’t have any added nasties.

Good luck, hope you find some, the vanilla water is great to drink and I did hear it was good for you but can’t remember why.

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 orange bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 yellow bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
2 ears of corn (removed from cob)
1-2 handfuls micro herbs
dash sea salt
dash garlic powder
favorite salad dressing (my choice, Bragg’s Organic Ginger & Sesame Salad Dressing)

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients and toss well. Place on a plate and drizzle your favorite dressing on top. Garnish with nuts or seeds if desired.

Pumpkin Pie Soup

2 pounds fresh carrot juice
1 cup raw sweet potato, peeled and cubed
4 dates, pitted
1/2 avocado, pitted
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (Vitamix) and blend until smooth. ENJOY!

Here’s my last concoction for this contest!………………

SHARI’S SOUR CREAMY ONION DIP

IN BLENDER (preferably Vitamix or K-Tek Champ)

1 cup water
1 ¾ cup raw sunflower seeds (pre-soaked)
1 whole lemon (cut off yellow peel)
2 or 3 T raw apple cider vinegar
1 t garlic granules
2 T onion bits or granules
1 ¾ t celtic sea salt
1 clove raw garlic
2 green onions
2 T chopped Portebello mushrooms

Puree until smooth.

Combine in bowl with ½ cup chopped onion.

Chill and serve.

Quick Mild Salsa

2-3 plum tomatoes peeled (seed them if you want)
1/4 large green pepper
1 green onion
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
pinch sea salt (optional)

Blend quickly by pulsing til the right chunkiness or chop everything by hand.

For a spicier salsa, add some type of hot pepper to your own taste.

Here’s my Saturday entry :

CLEMENTINES IN GINGER SYRUP
Serves 4

¼ cup agave
¼ cup thinly sliced, peeled ginger
4 green cardamom pods
3 whole star anise
6 clementines or mandarin oranges
½ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

• Place ginger, cardamom pods and anise in a bowl with the agave. Place in dehydrator set on 110 degrees F for about 1 hour or until it appears very thin (it is going to thicken out of the heat).

• Remove from dehydrator and let steep, covered, 15 minutes. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.

• Cut peel from clementines, including all white pith, with a sharp knife, then cut fruit into ¼” thick rounds and put in a serving bowl. Add syrup and chill, covered, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (if using).