Spring, Strawberries, and Why I Started Raw Rev

Alice's Notes is a series from Raw Rev founder Alice Benedetto — an RN who spent years in clinical practice before channeling that training into Raw Rev. Each edition is personal and straight from her kitchen.

This edition: Alice goes back to the grocery store moment that started all of this — plus Alice shares her arugula and strawberry salad that's been in heavy rotation on Alice's table all spring.

There's something about spring that resets me.

Not in a resolution way — that's January. Spring is quieter than that. It's more like the world just exhales. Things start coming back that you forgot were there. And I always find myself doing the same thing I do every year around this time: slowing down enough to ask why I'm still doing what I'm doing.

After 22 years, that question still matters to me. Maybe more now than it used to.

The Start

The answer, when I'm honest about it, hasn't really changed.

It was 2004. I was a nurse. I was a mom. I was standing in a grocery store with my two-year-old son, reading labels on every snack in the aisle, and I couldn't find a single thing I felt good about handing him. Every bar he reached for was loaded with added sugar I wouldn't recommend to a patient, let alone feed my own kid.

I walked out of that store empty-handed. Went home, pulled out a mixing bowl, and figured I'd just make something myself.

The first batch was nothing fancy. Nuts, seeds, dates, pressed together on my kitchen counter. No protein powder. No weird additives. It was food I actually knew and trusted.

It wasn't a business plan. It wasn't even really a recipe. It was just a mom who knew how to read an ingredient list and decided that if it didn't exist, she'd figure it out herself.

It Grew

That's when I knew I was onto something. My son and his friends started preferring those bars over anything you'd buy at the grocery store. Other parents started asking about them. Eventually asking if I'd make some for them to take home.

Twenty-plus years in, my process hasn't budged. Neither have the ingredients I use. Real nuts first. Protein over sugar. No shortcuts and no weird aftertaste.

This is the kind of food I feel good about eating, and feel good about letting my family eat.

Raw Rev isn't a brand. It's a standard. And it's still built on the belief that healthy and delicious were never supposed to be opposites.

What I'm Making Right Now

This time of year, the first thing I reach for is strawberries. Fresh ones, finally. After months of whatever January has to offer, there's something almost ridiculous about a good spring strawberry — how much flavor is actually in there when it's the right season.

And with Mother's Day right around the corner, I keep coming back to this salad. It's the kind of thing that looks like you put in way more effort than you did — which, honestly, is exactly what you want on a day like that. Bring this to the table and nobody needs to know it took you fifteen minutes.

I've been making it almost every week. Here's the recipe.

Alice's Arugula & Strawberry Salad

Serves 2–4 | 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh arugula, long stems removed
• 3/4 cup ripe strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, roasted or raw
• 1/3 cup vegan Parmesan or Pecorino, shaved or grated
• 1 shallot, small dice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp sweetener of choice
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, sweetener, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified.
2. Soften the shallots: Add the finely diced shallot directly into the vinaigrette and let sit for at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor.
3. Dress the arugula: Place arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette (with shallots) over the arugula and toss gently to coat.
4. Top and serve: Add sliced strawberries. Sprinkle almonds on top, then finish with shaved vegan Parmesan or Pecorino. Serve immediately.

Alice's Tip

Let the shallots sit in the vinaigrette while you prep everything else — it makes a big difference in flavor. For the cheese, Follow Your Heart vegan Parmesan works beautifully to keep it fully plant-based. Pecorino is ideal if you want a saltier kick. Don't overdress — start with half the vinaigrette and add more to taste.

About the Author

Alice Benedetto, RN founded Raw Rev in 2004 because she couldn't find a single honest snack for her son. She holds her RN and spent years in clinical practice before bringing that training into the kitchen. A trained vegan chef, runner, and mom of two, she's spent over two decades obsessively sourcing clean ingredients and proving that plant-based food can be extraordinary. Raw Rev isn't a brand. Raw Rev is Alice.