Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

9:00 . . . juice of 10 valencia oranges
11:00 . . juice of 8 valencia oranges
1:00 . . . lots of muscadine grapes
4:00 . . . 1 papaya (sublime!) + 1 huge organic mango
6:00 . . . 2 heirloom cantaloupes + a few heirloom tomatoes
8:00 . . . more muscadine grapes

Play: walking/running barefoot, dance, stretching

My love affair with the muscadines continues. Although the organic growers are all finished this season with the best grapes EVER, I am finding more elsewhere, even though they are of a lesser quality. I'm already dreaming of next year.

That is one cool thing with this lifestyle . . . you fall into a rhythm of the seasons. I know when my favorites will appear and I look forward to greeting them like an old friend. And then there are those nice little surprises that show up just in time. Like finding really nice papayas and mangoes, which rarely happens. But I found some the other day while urban foraging . . . you know, looking around in stores and at roadside stands and such.

I also found just last week honeydews AND heirloom cantaloupes from my favorite grower in Texas. (More on that next time.) This is the first time I've had heirloom 'loupes and they are seriously outstanding! VERY sweet and mineral-rich. I have a new love! ♥

We fruit lovers are so fickle!

And I have to give a shout out to whoever is growing these UNBELIEVABLE heirloom tomatoes that I have lucked into at a fruit stand minutes from my house. I am spoiled rotten now on their sweetness and richness and dark red soft interior that melts in your mouth. I am eating them like a fool as long as they last. They're called German Johnsons. I gave some to my mother-in-law and she called to tell me that they are the best tomatoes she's had in years. And she is a serious foodie. It's going to be a long winter without these sweeties. So I am giving them all my love and gratitude and attention every day. I'm about to eat some now!

Once you embark on this fruitarian path, the Universe will help you in so many ways. Like how I just came upon a really great papaya and some gigantic organic mangoes. Usually I steer clear of them because the quality of these picked-green and shipped tropical fruits is so bad, but on a day when I thought there wouldn't be much good to eat, these amazing beauties appear . . . just for me! Thank you, thank you, everyone. ♥

If I lived in the tropics, I would be all over the papayas and mangoes. Ripe on the tree is the only way. A really good papaya tastes like maple syrup, only better! Back in the day, I did love me some maple syrup, but I'm sure it would make me very nauseated now, like all of The Other. A lot of The Other is just trying to imitate really good fruit. Don't be fooled. Go for the real deal.

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

8:00 . . . 1/4 watermelon
11:00 . . .1/4 watermelon
1:00 . . . 3 bananas
3:00 . . . lots of organic muscadine grapes (in the car)
4:00 . . . more grapes + a few tomatoes + some pickling cukes
5:00 . . . ~ 2 quarts muscadine grapes
6:00 . . . ~ 2 quarts muscadine grapes
7:00 . . . a few more grapes! : )
8:00 . . . one last grape (or 2, or 3 . . . Ha!)

Play: walking, yoga, acrobatics

It is now major grape season and I am all about these grapes! I put my hand in the picture so you could see how gigantic these organic muscadines are. They are to LIVE for!!! I am so happy and grateful to give these lovely growers my money. They are the dearest peeps. In return they give me large bags of their precious grapes. One of their friends told me that they work very hard tending to their vines and that they put a lot of love into creating their vineyards. It is obvious! ♥

The season is so short that I just give myself over to it. There will be time later for more melons, for bananas and dates, for oranges and tangerines. Right now it is GRAPES! They should be around for about 3 more weeks. I'm sure I will be having some days of mono grapes.

Nothing is easier than this: popping one super sweet grape into my mouth after another. They are VERY FUN to eat . . . and no preparation, no utensils, no clean-up! Just sweet grapey goodness.

I have to say that all other grapes pale in comparison. They were a delightful new surprise this year at the huge Farmer's Market. So wherever you are, be open to looking around everywhere. I have fruit radar now. Plus, the Universe is helping me, now that it is known that I am on the fruit. ; )

Also, on the little mountain where I live there are now lots of muscadine grapevines growing all over the place, thanks to me, Julie Grapeseed, who has strewn seeds everywhere in past years. I ate a few this morning on my walk around. They are not quite fully ripe yet, but it is very cool to be walking in Nature and stop when hungry/thirsty to eat right out there off the vine!

I intend to live this way every day in a fruitarian paradise of my own making, eventually. But if I am living then somewhere tropical, I will REALLY miss these grapes.

Best to be grateful NOW for what is. And I am. ♥

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

9:00 . . . 1/4 watermelon
11:00 . . 1/4 watermelon
1:00 . . . 4 peaches + 4 medjool dates
3:00 . . . 6 peaches + 4 medjool dates
5:00 . . . a few tomatoes + pickling cukes
6:00 . . . 2 quarts muscadine grapes
7:00 . . . 2 quarts muscadine grapes

Play: barefoot walking/running, dance, stretching

Whoa. Where does the time go? This summer is FLYING!

But right now is really my favorite time of year. The local produce is at its' best and the days are warm and sunny.

I'm not usually much of a peach person, but they are SO good right now and with a few juicy dates, it is DESSERT all day! Chloe is checkin' 'em out . . . they smell good even to her!

And I am very excited and happy because my beloved muscadines are in. Not only that, but I found a new grower this year who is growing them certified organic! Man, they are super sweet. I am drunk with happiness on these grapes. ♥ The growers were surprised when I wanted to buy 8 quarts at once. Shucks. That's nothing! These are the best grapes I've ever had in my life. They taste like a Nehi soda, but much MUCH better. ; )

I'm eating some right now. Sigh. Blissfully legally drunk.

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

8:00 . . . several glasses valencia orange juice (hand pressed)
11:00 . . juice from 1/2 watermelon
4:00 . . . more orange juice
5:00 . . . handful of medjool dates
6:00 . . . 2 cantaloupes + a few tomatoes
8:00 . . . bit of watermelon juice

Play: walking/running, hiking in forest, acrobatics, stretching

This pic is what I have on hand right now: watermelons, cantaloupes, bananas, ataulfo mangoes, tomatoes, and valencia oranges. Plus I have a large bag of cherries and 3 lbs. of medjool dates. I try to keep a decent supply of food, enough for a day or two. I don't stock too much beyond that. I like to feel free to get whatever I want in the moment. I wouldn't want to commit in advance, for example, to a whole week of just mangoes, even if I got a great deal on them. Besides, it is possible that when you buy a lot of something, it may not all be of good quality. And THAT is a Big Bummer, to buy fruit that isn't good.

It's not really orange season, and I normally wouldn't buy oranges at this time of year, but I just had a hankerin' for them and they looked OK to me. They turned out to be surprisingly sweet so it has been a treat to have some fresh OJ.

The watermelons continue to be excellent! The other day I got 4 big ones (over 20 lbs. each) for $14. at the farmer's market. I have found one grower to have consistently sweet melons so I just keep going back to them. I feel spoiled with the abundance of great produce. There is so much to choose from I can hardly decide. And people think I am deprived because I am eating ONLY fruit. Ha!

What about horses, who eat only grass, or squirrels, who eat only nuts, or koalas, who eat only eucalyptus leaves?

We humans, natural frugivores that we are, have totally lucked out in the food department. ♥

I'm not so sure about the brain department, because from the looks of things we're not too bright. ; )

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

8:00 . . . watermelon juice from 1/4 watermelon
11:00 . . .watermelon juice from 1/4 watermelon
12:00 . . 16 oz. cucumber juice (from a juice stand)
2:00 . . . several medjool dates
4:00 . . . a few more dates
6:00 . . . 4 bananas
8:00 . . . 3 glasses orange juice + 3 tomatoes

Play: walking and stretching

This watermelon juice is FANTASTIC! With all the heat we're having, nothing hits the spot like this juice. It totally reminds me of my childhood when I drank lots of red Kool-Aid. Except this is WAY better than that fakey Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid WISHES it tasted this good! Ha.

I do not use an electric juicer or blender for anything. So the way I make this juice is simply by using a large spoon to gently scrape the inside of the melon. Little wells form, the juice fills the wells, and I ladle out the juice into a glass. I usually put a mesh strainer over the glass to catch seeds and fiber.

It is super fast and easy this way, and very little to rinse off. With fruit, you never need to "clean" glasses or plates. All you have to do is rinse them and they are squeaky clean. So just imagine what the fruit is doing to the inside of your body . . . yup, it is rinsing everything squeaky clean!

Every day I am aware of the atrocities taking place all over the world, especially in regard to what humans are doing to animals and other beings. I see it everywhere. Yesterday I saw SO MUCH harm being done I could hardly stand it. My heart was breaking all over the place.

Our animal friends need us all to wake up, heal ourselves, come fully alive, and become emotionally mature. I'm working on this in my own self, an endless process it seems. A GIANT first step to to drop the eating of all animal "products" and start living on fruit. You can do it if you really want to. It will bring you more pleasure than you can imagine, FAR more than what you are currently experiencing.

Today I am dreaming of a world where all life is considered sacred, and all beings are loved and cherished. ♥

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

9:00 . . . 1/2 large watermelon
12:00 . . 1/2 large watermelon
2:00 . . . 1 lb. organic raspberries
3:00 . . . 4 bananas
5:00 . . . 4 bananas
6:00 . . . 1 large glass watermelon juice (to live for!)
7:00 . . . local tomatoes + pickling cukes

Play: barefoot walking, dance, acrobatics, stretching

It's been a long time (years) since I actually bought some raspberries. Usually, I sample some and find them sour, or they look old and moldy. Raspberries are so delicate. But these were unbelievable AND they were organic AND they were on sale! (magic words) They are such a perfect color and so soft and SWEET. I didn't know raspberries could be this sweet. I'm swooning! And I'm hoping there will be more tomorrow, 'cause I'm bringin' my money.

You may notice that I don't really eat "meals." It's true . . . I don't. I just eat when I want with no regard for schedules or customs. I feel so FREE. Sometimes I'll say I'm having a "snack." My cat Sophie loved the word "snack." ♥

And speaking of animals, one of the greatest benefits of the fruitarian lifestyle is knowing that you are not eating any of your animal friends. I cannot imagine looking at a beautiful animal and thinking, "I'd like to eat you." When I look at my cat Chloe, I only want to hold her and love her. It would seem like a crazy idea to want to eat her.

There are things going on in this mixed-up world that are unspeakable. Heaven help us. ♥

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

8:00 . . . 1/2 watermelon
12:00 . . 1/2 watermelon
2:00 . . . 3 black mission figs (divine)
3:00 . . . 3 bananas, as pudding
5:00 . . . bag of cherries
7:00 . . . 2 cantaloupes + a few heirloom tomatoes (SO good)

Play: barefoot walking/running, dance, stretching

It is summertime and I have been traveling, vacating, and, I confess, experiencing a bit of summer languidness. And by languid, I mean LAZY!

The figs I ate yesterday came off of my own little fig tree. This year it has had over 30 figs already, and is still growing more. Each year the tree gets bigger and I can imagine that one day it is going to be huge and a prolific fig producer. These figs are just unbelievable. To me, a fresh fig tastes like a soft sweet marshmallow with a rich strawberry preserve center. These are the best I've ever had. No surprise, because I get to wait until they are really super ripe, so ripe that the tree actually drops them into my hand. It is a heart-opening and awe-inspiring moment when this happens. Love and gratitude. ♥

The whole thing of fruit growing on trees . . . of watching the fruit form, taking in the sun and rain and earth and wind . . . slowly ripening . . . developing into a work of art . . . becoming sweet food . . . it is really a miracle, isn't it?

There are also some tomatoes growing, and there are muscadine grapevines EVERYWHERE. I can hardly wait for the grapes to be ready. I feel at the moment that I am living in a beautiful little orchard. It is really lovely. And there is little or no effort involved on my part. Nature is doing it all! I can only dream and imagine how fantastic it would be to live in a year-round orchard that could provide all of one's food needs.

I have been buying most of my food from a fruit stand near my house and from the large farmer's market. The local melons and tomatoes are just perfect right now. In my kitchen I currently have watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, pickling cukes, valencia oranges, cherries, and bananas. I have actually been eating some bananas every day lately. Having a few each day seems to work like a charm. I go heavier on the bananas in the winter. You can always count on them for a reliable sugar hit. For now, I am revelling in the summer produce. Back to the farmer's market today for more 'maters and melons!

P.S. As I look at my list of food, I realize that I technically eat more than what I list. I mean, I am snacking all the time, a bite of watermelon here, a few cherries there . . . just so you know. : )