February is the month when the cold, bleak winter gives way to romance, flowers, cheery red hearts and decadent desserts that will, unfortunately, send your blood sugar soaring-along with your dental bills. If you have read my new e-book, The Raw Food Diet and Your Compromised Teeth, you probably know how singularly impressed I am with the results of eating a low sugar diet. The following colorful recipes provide not only superior raw food nutrition, but are delicious to boot. Do yourself a flavor and share them with your sweetheart for Valentine's Day.

Cherry Custard Smoothie This one could double as either a meal....or a dessert. Either way, it's all good. Ingredients: Meat and water from one young Thai coconut 2 cups fresh Bing cherries 1 Tbs. soaked chia seeds 2 medium collard leaves, stems removed 1 Tbs. crushed or chopped stevia leaves pinch of fresh ground nutmeg 1 tsp. vanilla (or 1 inch vanilla bean) Blend in your Vita-Mix or other blender until smooth and creamy. Pour into two frosty mugs. Garnish with a cherry on top. Serves 2 Can't Beet It Soup Beautiful and flavorful Ingredients: 1 medium red beet, peeled handful of fresh whole strawberries 1 sweet red bell pepper 2 cups fresh-squeezed tomato juice Blend until smooth in a Vita-Mix or other blender and top with the following sweet cream: Juice of 2 oranges 1 cup macadamia nuts or cashews 2-3 Tbs. of crushed or chopped stevia leaves 1 inch vanilla bean Blend until smooth in Vita-Mix or other blender and swirl on top of the beet soup. Store remainder in refrigerator. Serves 2 Nori Saves the Day Dress up your leftovers and exercise your jaws at the same time. Ingredients: 4 sheets of untoasted nori 4 medium Romaine leaves 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced thin (or substitute raw tahini) 2 strips of soaked dulse (seaweed) 4 scallions leftover salad or vegetable entree (or both) 1-2 Tbs. lemon juice Lay nori out flat and beginning with the side nearest you, spread a strip of leftovers along the edge. Follow with avocado (or tahini) next to it, then dulse strips, then lay one whole scallion alongside that. Be creative! Add herbs or anything that you think will make your taste buds dance. Do you have fresh saurkraut or sprouts on hand? All the better! Sprinkle with lemon juice and place a Romaine leaf flat on top. Roll nori sheets up tightly, beginning with the side nearest you. Wet the seam before pressing together. You can slice into sections or enjoy whole. Makes 4 wraps. Serves 2. Mock Lemon Meringue Let the flavors blend for a few hours before serving this simple yet romantic dessert. Ingredients: 2 small, ripe avocados juice of 1 large lemon 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 2-3 Tbs. of crushed or chopped stevia leaves 1 Tbs. coconut oil (optional) 1 tsp. vanilla (or 1 inch vanilla bean, scraped) 2 leaves Romaine lettuce fresh strawberries cut in half vertically for garnish 1 mint leaf Whip until very smooth and creamy in a food processor. Place in a heart shaped bowl, if available, and surround the edges of the heart with sliced strawberries. (These should look heart-shaped if you cut them right!) Garnish with a fresh mint leaf in the middle. Serves 2

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