Share Your Passion: The SimplyRaw Potluck

Does the phrase, "I'll have the salad dressing on the side please" ever get a little tiring for you? Ever feel like your social life has become slightly more difficult because you've chosen to stop eating unhealthy or cooked foods, but don't know anyone else who has made those changes too? Look no further! If you're in the Ottawa area, and whether you are a die-hard 100% raw foodie or just at the beginning of your raw journey, check out the monthly SimplyRaw Potluck, hosted by Raw Food Coach, Natasha Kyssa, on the last friday evening of every month.

This friday, we ended our first month of 2011 by making it to SimplyRaw's January potluck, and did we ever come out with our bellies full! It was amazing to be able to go out for a night and actually know that if you wanted to, you could eat every dish laid out on the table. Our contribution? A 100% organic and raw apple crumble (yes, these will all be less than fantastic phone photos):

filling: dehydrated apples with lemon juice and tiny bit of raw agave

crumble: crushed walnuts and almonds, dates, sea salt, and agave

Raw potlucks (and potlucks in general) have always been a fabulous idea to me. What better way to both socialize, eat a variety of yummy homemade food, and not have to spend tons of money if you don't want to? Raw and/or vegan potlucks are an amazing way to connect with friends and your broader community while trying to promote a healthy lifestyle. If, like me, you like to talk about food all the time, raw potlucks also offer a great way to share tips and tricks on what has or hasn't worked on the diet for you. Given the wide ranges of experiences, you may be able to learn something from a seasoned raw foodist. Otherwise, you can just share your own story with the like-minded without getting all those weird looks or those "I could neeever do that" responses. Definitely look for potlucks in your area and if there isn't one, start the trend!

There was so much beautiful food, it was hard not to resist trying everything... so I didn't (and this is only a tiny sample of what there was to offer):

It was really fun to be able to showcase ones raw culinary talents and go out all at the same time. I have to say, I would have preferred knowing that all the ingredients were also organic, but it was still great to have such variety. It was really refreshing! Plus I got to ask all sorts of questions about fermentation to one guy about the amazing kimchi he made... I still need to work up the courage to try my own fermenting!

If you're in or visiting the Ottawa area, you should definitely check it out! Potlucks take place on the last friday of ever month, with doors opening at 6:30pm and dinner starting at 7pm. They are located at 174 First Avenue at Bank Street (make sure you go to the right building because they do change depending on the size of the event). The next SimplyRaw potluck will take place on Friday, February 25, and will feature a guest speaker on cellular nutrition.