Raw Food Experiment

Back in the 70's my diet was vegan and primarily - raw food vegan. I have decided to try that again for a bit. It's summer, there are lots of great fresh fruits and vegetables readily available and I could stand to lose a few pounds. I recall feeling energetic, light and enlightened. Maybe I  just want to get back to my crazy hippie roots.
I have a couple of friends who are contemplating going raw and I thought maybe blogging some recipes might come in handy.
The main reason I started this blog was for 2 reasons. Firstly, to hold myself accountable. Heart disease is rampant in my family. I lost my father when he was just 55 (my current age) to a massive myocardial infarction. My mother lived to 69, having had a quadruple bypass. I had a heart attack at age 53 - partially hastened by a raging case of sepsis - and I have 2 stents.My younger brother, Joe, has also had a heart attack when he was still in his 40's.
The second reason I started this blog was to share recipes with my older brother, Mike. Mike struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle even after suffering a heart attack in 1990. He always had an interest in my cooking and loved to write down my recipes. This blog was an easy way for me to share recipes with him in an attempt to keep him healthy. Mike passed away in March of this year.
Initially, I really didn't want to work on this blog anymore. My main focus, I realized, was impressing my brother with my crazy concoctions.
Now - I want to inspire my kids, my siblings, friends and myself to do the best we can to stay healthy.
So - for now the goal is 80 - 90% raw food vegan..... for a while. I intend to leave that other 10-20% for times when I just want to have some kale chips or popcorn or maybe even (gasp!) bread -or- more importantly for potlucks, birthday parties, picnics...... social eating.
There you have it. That is my new initiative. I plan to post recipes that are raw and tasty or.... maybe, cooked and not too horrible for you, but helped me not fall off the wagon too badly.