Business Trip in NYC in 2 days!!

Yes, it's true.. I am going on a business trip to NYC for 4 days, this Thurs-Sunday. And the mission of this trip? To eat raw foods at all the best places! How awesome is that!! Very.

I have to say the place i am most excited about is Pure Food and Wine. I have both of Sarma's books and read them both like a novel. I love everything i have made from their books and am soo excited to go and try all their food! We have reservations for 2 nights and plan on a couple meals in the day probably at their One Lucky Duck juice bar and store. exciting! ..and also very exciting is that we are going to be able to check out their kitchen and see how all this incredible food is made. & I will be posting lots of pictures of the food, the kitchen, and everything!!

Next up is Quintessence. We are planning on going here for dinner on Thurs eve. But there are so many options, I have been reading the menu and there is so much that looks great! Maybe we can get an extra time in here.. but we have been busy scouting out everything raw in NYC and there's a lot to get into these 4 days!

Raw Soul is another place I am really excited to try!

I read about this place and about Lillian Butler and Eddie Robinson years ago, they went raw and were starting their business around the time I went raw ..and of course, I was on the internet looking up everything raw!!! & now I am really excited to go check their place out and eat at Raw Soul. I will take pics and post everything!!

I havent decided if I am taking my laptop or not. I may not as I have limited time and need internet connection, etc. So, if not, next Monday - expect lots of pictures and me taking you with me on my adventure!!
Next on my list is Caravan of Dreams which is organic but not completely raw. However they have the cooked and the Live dishes separated on their menu and they have a long list of each. They hold lots of various classes, have live music and it looks like a very interesting place.

Bonobo's is, of course, also on our list. I have been hearing about Bonobo's for years. & now I get to check it out - Yay! Although it sounds liek this place is a lot more casual- like ahuge salad bar, and when you order you can taste things first. I read a lot of reviews, sounds liek a system thats a bit hard to get used to but many who do quickly become regulars. Lots if young coconut things - like soup served in a coconut - Cool! & I read 3 reviews abotu how amazing their coconut chai drink is.. have to try that!

ok theres a few more in the city, High Vibe - the health and lifestyle store, Raw health Cafe, Free Foods NYC - which is only delivery.

On Sunday we have the day planned for Brooklyn, which has 2 raw restaurants which I am really excited to check out!! Rawstar opened a year ago and looks great.
& then theres Rockin Raw!

Saving one of the most exciting ones for last : )
It's "live-vegan-raw-organic-peruvian-new-orleanian-creole-cuisine-with-soul-from-williamsburg-brooklyn-to-you"

Peruvian-New Orleanian Creole!! How exciting is that!! Sounds like Very!
Be back soon with lots of pictures of what is bound to be a wonderful raw culinary adventure!!

My Trip to NB

Finally, I am getting around to posting lots of pics of my trip to NB.. these are all taken close to my hometown, Moncton.. and are of where I spent much time growing up.





We were driving through Albert County to see the new wind turbines they have put up..lots of them, and it was so foggy.. we drove in & then all of a sudden we were under these huge things.. They almost scared me.. it felt a bit overwhelming how big they are!
I know they are good.. but they seem kind of eerie to me.. esp when you see a whole bunch of them together.

We were watching this cute groundhog. : )

This is a really cool little beach.

I found lots of rocks that reminded me of my Dad for some reason. & after that, Mom & I were talking about him & we kept seeing all these ominous (in a good way) signs. I was quite sure he was there with us!! So many things but the biggest one was when the guys went & got the car and we laid on the grass -I had just done some yoga and Mom did some QiGong stuff.. and we mentioned how it seemed like he was here cause of the things that were happening & as soon as we laid down on the grass she reached out & picked up a 5 leaf clover - neither one of us had ever even seen one of those in our lives ever!! It gives me a great feeling thinking about it - All is good with the world. Dad was incredibly spiritual.. he believed and experienced lots of unseen realities which were pretty amazing. He used to be a hypnotist (amongst many things) when he was young, he could put up invisible barriers.. o lots of things, amazing things.. He was a real eccentric and a really amazing man. ok, I just needed to talk about him for awhile. I Love you Dad!! (of course he knows that! : )


Amazing terrain!




My son, Nick (one of the most amazing people ever also! )


..and for some raw content in here.. when we got home, Mom had Pizzas for us. She was amazing at keeping the raw foods coming. What a Mom.. she is my biggest inspiraton ever! xo

Trip to NB - Randy and Carole's Wedding

I have only 1 sibling, and this is him: Randy, getting married to Carole, who was a good friend of mine in high school, and afterwards at art school, NSCAD.

I went to NB recently for their wedding. It was so beautiful !!
That couple are going to have a lot of fun together! Both high intelligence, high fun, very crazy!

They created their own ceremony - they got handfasted.
"Handfasting" was the word used by the ancient Celts to describe their traditional trial-marriage ceremony, during which couples were literally bound together. The handfasting was a temporary agreement, that expired after a year and a day. However, it could be made permanent after at that time, if both spouses agreed.

In the tradition, couples who wished to get married were tied together by the wrists from May 1 for 6 weeks. If they could live that close together and still wished to get married they were on the summer solstice.

A ring was drawn in the sand and sticks of sage were burning around it (at the 4 cardinal points I think) All of the wedding party stood inside with them.. there were around 50 of us I think.

At one of the most beautiful moments (I thought) My Mom & Carole's Mom each poured sand from 2 containers into a bigger glass vase, the sands of each were 2 different colors, grey and brownish.. and the Justice of the Peace said something like May their love last for longer than it would take to separate the grains of sand. Wow, beautiful!


This is Emily, my niece, in the red jacket.. I loved this pic of her with her friend Olivia:

It was a very magical day!

& beautiful location. Our cottage was this close to the beach, just a few feet away.

It was cloudy during the wedding but right during the ending of the ceremony the clouds broke open and sun streamed down. I heard that a 5 minute drive up the road and in the surrounding areas there was so sun in sight all day, just cloud, rain and drizzle..but it was actually really quite nice well into the evening where we were.
Until night, and we were so close to the shore that you could hear waves crashing all night long, I couldn't imagine them being louder even if you were sleeping on a boat.

& it rained all day Sunday.. we still drove through Nova Scotia and took the ferry to PEI. And it was still fun even if it was a rainy PEI trip.

..and we had a beautiful sunset driving over the bridge back to New Brunswick. : )

Reality is Kind - Byron Katie

Our Innocence - The Work of Byron Katie


You Need More Money - Is This True?


Your Kind Nature

Coming Soon: new Raw Restaurant in Yorkville

Hi.
Oh, I just noticed it's been a few days. Sorry about that! ..I should never get too busy for my blog. Cause I really love writing here & keeping in touch with the raw community and friends ..and myself. : )
But I have some big news. I am working on a new raw restaurant which will be opening in the city - in Yorkville!
Yup! That's right. It's still in the planning, recipe testing-creating stages..but it's going to be great. & Hopefully we will be opening in September. That's a little dependent on the city strike and permits etc. ..but we are working away to create some amazing raw dishes. Fun!

We will be licensed - so that's going to be fun, coming up with cocktails!
~ Hmm .. a handful of blueberries, lime, agave, tequila & coconut water ice! I'm game for that once in awhile, not all the time, but once in awhile.. Wouldnt it be nice if you're going to drink alcohol to have fresh fruit juice with it. Yes. ; ) ..and Tom, visionary and researcher extraordinaire, is discovering lots about wines.. and esp. vegan wines. Yes, we are going to be totally vegan! It seems that most wines are cleared through a meat based straining process - I will have to find out more about this.. but good news is that there are vegan wines.
& organic.. and biodynamic ... but more on that later.

Also, this restaurant-project is going to be Not for Profit. seriously! I am particularly excited about this part.. and that there are so many people out there who really do want to make a difference. I can truly see that saving this planet and ourselves is possible. So many people are raising their vibrations and doing such amazing things. The world is getting lighter and lighter all the time.

And speaking of these great people I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who is raising consciousness about eating light-filled living foods and the difference it can make to people. There are so many people who are not aware of what a difference it can make.

& Finally the hugest thanks of all to everyone who is making this food accessible to others - those working in the kitchens and those running the businesses which support this lifestyle.

Angus & Tracy, I appreciate with my whole heart everything you have put into Rawlicious and making it the most amazing place there is.
Jennifer from Live and Deepika from Terra Tree and Micheal and Mathieu for making raw chocolate for us.. and Fred with his amazing raw truffles (which I am missing!) and everyone else - you too!
I have a friend who is opening a place I am so excited about in Port Credit. I cant wait to get the go-ahead to share her website!! : )
& I have heard rumors of others coming soon.

Toronto just may become the get-to place for Rawfooders everywhere! Lets make it happen.
Salud
with bursting love from the deepest wells of my heart! xo

Superfood Studies

Superfoods!!!

They make you feel better, stronger, clearer, happier, freer to make better decisions and more empowered! ..and more and more studies are supporting what we already know!

Gogi Berries - Lycium Barbarum, Traditionally, lycium berry has been used to treat inflammation, skin irritation, nose bleeds, aches, pains and as a sedative. It is also commonly used with other botanicals in Chinese medicine for poor vision, anemia, and cough. A polysaccharide isolated from lycium has been shown to have anti-tumorigenic, immune enhancing, and hepatoprotective properties in vitro. It also showed radiosensitizing effects in mice. Data from an observational study done in China in 1994 suggest that Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides have positive effects when used with certain cancer treatments (more & studies from here)

Maca - Maca has been used traditionally to enhance fertility and sexual performance in both men and women and to relieve menopausal symptoms. It has been purported to treat cancer and to improve stamina in cancer patients. Although animal studies show increased sexual function, few human trials have been performed. One human study showed increased libido, while another showed improved sperm production and sperm motility. Both studies showed that physiologic effects were not due to serum hormone levels. The hexanic extract of maca appears to be more effective at improving sexual performance in rats than methanolic and chloroformic extracts. Data also indicates that maca increases endurance in rats (More and studies from here)

Blue-Green Algae - The protein and vitamin content may contribute to any alleviation of fatigue. Calcium spirulan, a polysaccharide extract from Spirulina platensis, demonstrates inhibition of HIV-1 viral replication via possible binding and disruption of CD4-gp120 interaction in vitro, although the clinical significance of this is unknown. In vitro, calcium spirulan also inhibits replication of herpes simplex I, cytomegalovirus, and influenza. Studies performed in healthy humans suggest that AFA-algae increase the level of circulating natural killer cells. In vitro studies also suggest that AFA-algae has antiviral and antimutagenic activity. Other studies suggested spirulina has chemoprotective and radioprotective effects in animals through the stimulation of the hemopoietic system. (more here)

Cordyceps -( a fungus [mushroom] which grows on a caterpillar larvae) is used for a wide range of conditions including fatigue, sexual dysfunction, coughs, and as an adaptogen or immune stimulant. In addition to anecdotal data regarding efficacy, small clinical trials have been performed, but only review articles are available in English. No adverse effects have been reported.

Cordyceps stimulates the number of T helper cells, prolongs the survival of lymphocytes, enhances TNF-alpha and interleukin 1 production, and increases the activity of natural killer cells in cultured rat Kupffer cells. Enhanced proliferation of erythroid progenitor cell in the bone marrow of mice is also shown. One study suggests that cordyceps can stimulate progesterone production in animal cells. Another study shows that cordyceps may be effective against tumor celIs by down-regulating MHC class II antigen expression. (more and studies here)

Noni - in vitro and animal studies suggest that the plant extracts have antifungal, antitumor and immunomodulatory properties. Noni also inhibits low-density-lipoprotein oxidation and has been suggested for use in preventing arteriosclerosis. Glycosides and other constituents isolated from the fruits and leaves have demonstrated antioxidant effects. In addition, high concentration (>5%) of noni juice was shown to have anti-angiogenic properties in an ex vivo assay. (more here)


Zeolite is a mineral formed from the fusion of lava and ocean water, and combines all four elements.
The results of research on zeolite are very impressive:
1. Zeolite appears to prevent and may become an important treatment for cancer. In one study, 78 percent of the 65 participants with terminal cancer (all types) are now in complete remission for 12 months (LifeLink Pharmaceuticals, 2005).
2. It has a chelation-like effect in removing heavy metals (particularly lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic), pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, and other toxins from the body. These toxins are strongly correlated with the occurrence of a wide range of diseases, including cancers and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, and dementia.
3. Zeolite also improves liver function, indirectly improving elimination of pesticides, herbicides, and xeno-estrogens.
4. Zeolite appears to block viral replication, and may prove to be a potent anti-viral and general remedy for all viruses. To date, 40 anecdotal cases of herpes zoster have reportedly been healed. Preliminary anecdotal case studies suggest that it may help alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and hepatitis C as well as the common cold and flu.
5. Zeolite’s binding power was proven during the Chernobyl disaster, when tons of it were used to remove radioactive cesium and strontium-90 before they contaminated local water systems.
6. Zeolite creates a natural buffer in the system by establishing an optimal pH level (between 7.35 and 7.45), which in turn activates healthy brain function and a strong immune system.
7. It shows promise as an effective detoxifier for prospective mothers. Recently, at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, zeolite was added to the protocol for the 10-day detoxification program for prospective mothers. In two women who just completed the program, toxins in their breast tissue dropped significantly – from 12 in one and 13 in the other to only two – over the course of seven days. Although anecdotal evidence and centuries of use in Asia suggest that zeolite is safe to use even during pregnancy and breastfeeding, its safe use in pregnancy has not been proven in double-blind studies.
8. According to testimonials, zeolite promotes a sense of well-being, clarity, and happiness. It appears to do this as a consequence of eliminating toxins and also, according to preliminary research, by increasing serotonin production. One study suggests that zeolite also helps relieve depression.
9. Anecdotal reports suggest that zeolite increases energy, immune function, and general health.
10. Zeolite neutralizes the formation of nitrosamines in the stomach. Found in processed meats, nitrosamines are one cause of stomach cancer. Another positive effect on the stomach, according to many anecdotal reports, is relief of acid reflux.
11. Testimonials suggest that zeolite captures triggering antigens, which cause allergies, migraines, and asthma, decreasing the rate and severity of these symptoms.
12. Zeolite directly absorbs free radicals and thus decreases free radical activity and damage to the body. (more here)

Making lists, Being my own boss, Green Smoothies and Orchids

Wow. Time has been going by quickly lately. & I'm enjoying working from home.
I'm being very organized about it.. writing my list of things to do each evening.. and completing them each day. I'm a bit of a tough boss, I've discovered and have been getting a lot done.. but going morning till night.. so I have decided to cut myself some slack & make the lists a bit easier for a couple days. : ) I had things like walking barefoot on the beach, going to the bookstore (research) and the gym on todays list. But really I am getting lots of other things done also.
I downloaded Photoshop Elements today and discovered how to do a few things on it. I worked on the main Photoshop in artschool a few years ago, hopefully this is not too different and comes back.. I will be experimenting tomorrow. & more raw recipe stuff, of course!
& everyday has Meditation time on it! (but more on that later)

oh, check this out: on my walkI stopped and sat in a pile of weeds growing rampant just off the beaten path. & I saw plantain, and dandelion, and lamb's quarters and red clover..
and I couldnt resist - I picked a bunch and put them all in my purse..
& then when I got home I dumped out my purse on the kitchen counter.. just weeds, wallet and camera in there (oh & socks I bought for the gym ; ) and a spider comes running out of my purse.

ok,, sometimes I think I am one of the weirdest (altho fun) people I know!!
I took a picture of them.. and now they are all squeaky shiny cean waiting to go into a big green smoothie for breakfast - with mangoes, pineapple and banana!

I cant even tell you the ecstaticness of green smoothies and how alive they make you feel - They really are quite experiential! Mmmm... oh yes, and they encourage you to stop and admire the orchids.. and see the beauty everywhere!

~Sometimes I feel like a butterfly but right now I feel like I am in a coccoon.. and about to spring forth one of these days into an even more bright and brilliant butterfly ..more free, more light.. more beautiful! ~

My PreWorkout Smoothie, Strawberries and Broccoli Sprouts

Happy Canada Day Strawberries!!!
: )
I hear fireworks going off outside.. I watched some last night, out on a late night walk with my son. But I am missing them tonight. I just got back from a long walk on the beach, barefoot, feet in sand - love that!! I had another great workout at the gym today.. getting so into the weights again, it feels so good. & lots of cardio with my new playlist. They have this incredible massage chair there, it is like Heaven after a workout - I indulged in a sauna after that also. : )

I am really into this new Pre-workout Smoothie I have been making the last few days.
It consists of:

1 Banana
2-3 T Cacao (I use raw cacao mass, but powdered or nibs would be good also)
3 T Hemp Protein Powder (or Hemp seeds)
2 T Honey
1 T Bee Pollen
1 T Maca
1 T MSM
1 T extra-virgin Coconut Oil
2 t Spirulina
1 t Reishi powder

The ingredients can change some, depending on what you have or like to take. Other mushrooms, Goji berries, herbs ..it's been really working for me at the gym lately.

oh, and before taking this - at least 1/2 an hour before - I drank, I'm taking a deep breath before even writing it - 4-5 ozs of pure broccoli sprout juice. Wow, now theres a powerful drink!
My friend owns a sprout farm and they happened to have an abundance of broccoli sprouts - so yesterday morning my bf got called down and came back with 8 kilos of broccoli sprouts!!!

I have been juicing broccoli sprouts yesterday & today like crazy .. I had a whole pitcherful juiced when James got back from buying ice cube trays to freeze it in. He said it was like liquid gold - that he thought that pitcher alone could pretty much cure cancer - lol , slight exaggeration - but it's pretty powerful medicine!! So, 8 trays yesterday and almost another 8 today.. I had my whole fridge yesterday pretty much stuffed with sprouts.. crazy - but, now its frozen in little cubes. I am thinking salt and a lime chaser might be a good idea. ; )

"JOHNS HOPKINS SCIENTISTS have found a new and highly concentrated source of sulforaphane, a compound they identified in 1992 that helps mobilize the body's natural cancer-fighting resources and reduces risk of developing cancer.

"Three-day-old broccoli sprouts consistently contain 20 to 50 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds found in mature broccoli heads, and may offer a simple, dietary means of chemically reducing cancer risk," says Paul Talalay, M.D., J.J. Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology." more here.

New Beginnings

It's Monday.
It feels like completely new start. I am not going into work today.. I am working for myself right now. & I'm getting ready for my motley pheonix program to start.. My Mom & I decided to start July1 (she's my accountability partner, although I am not sure how much I need one - I am generally pretty focused and good at working on my own, hard working, initiative, all that) But, I am getting ready for in 2 days..

I wrote out a list and already have everything done on it.. but I realized how much it feels like a new beginning right now.
~ Last night I lost everything on my IPod & also on ITunes - all gone!! I found few songs on my daughters computer and I downloaded a bunch more - especially gym music. I love world music and various eclectic stuff to listen to most the time, but at the gym I love hip-hop and contemporary up-beat stuff, really fun - so I got that all set up and a new playlist created.

~ I just set up banking with a new bank and just set up online banking this morning (hows that for a fresh start)

~ I have 2008 taxes still to do (tomorrow) but it will feel like a fresh start after that also.

~ My computer is completely messed.. and I have been struggling with getting files out of obscure places on it for the past couple weeks and it is going in to get fixed in an hour or soon.
My other laptop is where I had my Itunes and it went completely dead last night - Completely - No life at all!!! and it's old & I am not resuscitating it. Hows that for a new beginning!? Forget it - I'm moving on..

: ) LOving the new beginning and starting fresh!

btw, I went to the gym & had the best workout ever!!! 20 min cardio, weights, 50 more min cardio.. I was obviously enjoying my new gym music!! : ) Yay -Here's to moving forward!

Our Journeys - Creating and Flowing

Hey.. that's not a picture of my trip to NB. nope, cause I have something else on my mind.
I am in the middle of tearing the house apart, cleaning like crazy, inside & outside .. rearranging furniture in the office. I gave James a HUGE wall map 8x13' for his birthday + and we are making way for it.. and yard work, I have a huge blister on my finger!!
I am still in transition mode.. but just getting ready to start a new cycle ..about to start new projects, and start up some that got set aside.

I am just starting a success program and have been looking at goals.. thinking about what I want from life. ..and I think this is a really good exercise.

But I am thinking about the difference between manifesting our desires - consciously visualizing and creating.. and letting go -following the path of our highest potential as nature intends.
There is a big difference between the 2.
In one we are separate, we believe ourselves to be the best judge of our lives and of what we need to make us happy. In the other we surrender, we recognize ourselves as part of a greater whole, and realize that we don't always know what is best for us.

I am realizing that I don't really know whats best for me. We can want a million dollars and an abundance of material things.. but I think its more important to follow our highest destiny.. and maybe that doesn't include all these things.. maybe the $ wont make us happy.. maybe there is different path which we are not seeing which leads us to our highest destiny.
So, I am going into this with that realization.. (although I ultimately believe we are all meant to be and have abundance!)

I am going to still read every day my (very extensive) list of goals.. and watch my animated vision board.. Fun. The internet is an amazing thing.. it really assists us to shop from the catalogue of the World!!
&I really do believe that we can have anything we want.. if we open ourselves to it, clear any belief patterns which may be keeping us from it.. but I ultimately think that helping others, being happy is worth more than all the money and adventures in the world.
and that there is an ultimate path already laid out for our highest being.. and we need to be intune and ask for clear directions..
so that we can have the best, most fun, happy and adventurous journey ever!

Enjoying the ride! Peace!

Civlilization by Marco Brambilla

Almost back from vacation..
until tomorrow, here is a video mural created by Marco Brambilla for the new Standard hotel in New York City. Civilization depicts a journey from hell to heaven interpreted through modern film language using computer-enhanced found footage. This epic video mural contains over 300 individual channels of looped video blended into a multi-layered seamless tableau of interconnecting images that illustrate a contemporary, satirical take on the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

Lung Lichen

Hi! ..just here briefly & wanted to drop in, say hi. I'm just steeping some lung lichen that I took off a tree today out in the wilderness.. and no one was going to let me make a tea out of it until I looked it up - but sure enough here it is, exactly like the one in my cup of hot water right now.
Wonder what it's going to taste like..
I saw so many green things growing that I wanted to try.. I am going to learn more about foraging one day soon. ..but one green thing at a time.
ok, back to my tea.. I have been out walking, climbing and going non-stop all day, so tea, and bed!
I will be back one day soon to post stories and pictures. 'Night

Green Smoothies and Road Trips

We are just heading out on another road trip.. since we've been back from the wedding we have been going on small day trips. Moncton, my hometown is great in that if you go 20 minutes in one direction you end up at the beach, the ocean coast.. and 20 minutes in the other direction will land you right in the middle of Albert county - very country! It's a very diverse and fun place.
Today we are going to Hopewell Rocks and to Fundy Park, lots of walking trails in there, maybe along one.. or to St Mary's, Cape Enrage.. and check out where my summer home was on the way & Randy's Inn.

Mom just packed us a picnic with a watermelon and green smoothies.. she makes the best, most intense and diverse green smoothies around!! Made with lots of greens from her garden! ..

..some Mint leaves and Cacao on top..

..and Maca
She reads the best books. I love coming here & going through her book shelves!!

ok, they are ushering me out.. Road trip!!

On Vacation in N.B.

I am on vacation in sunny New Brunswick! It's been great so far.. amazing sunny day for a road trip - it's a 15-16 hour drive aprox. We left Tues afternoon, and took our time, driving along the water.. we stopped into Port Hope (pic below) for lunch.. and then drove through & around Montreal and had dinner at a nice patio bistro-restaurant, salads for the 2 of us who are raw.. then to straight-thru driving until morning.. we pulled in around 10am. Mom skipped her Tai-Chi practise.. I was traveloguing her of our where abouts from my blackberry.
Ate a lot of bananas and strawberries on the trip - and tea, I made almond milk just before we left.. oh, and granola that I made for the trip.

Mom & I exchanged things we had gotten for each other - she needed chocolate, & I got LOts from ChocSol for her, himalayan salt, organic Cayenne - she does well staying raw here, not everything is as easy to find as it is for me in Toronto.. she orders these huge orders from Living Tree regularly! She had bought 2 beautiful blue glass bottles for me to make solar water in!! Yay.
I brought her my purple glass bottle. I will get another soon. & she got me diatomaceous earth, which I have been wanting to try.

Also pictured.. wild rose petals which I had picked from the rose bushes around her house and had been holding and smelling - incredible!!! maps - my HRM dvd's - going to watch them again soon - solar healing is one of the most powerful & wonderful things ever!! LOve that!

Mom had pizza crust ready straight from the dehydrator and made Pizza sauce, Cashew cheese, and Pine Nut Parmesan.. Last Night we had Pizza and a big beautiful salad and it was amazing!!!

Today we spent the day at the beach - we are all a bit red, oops. But it was so beautiful and sunny out!! absolutely excellent!!! .. and came home to dinner made by Mom again.. a Huge Salad, dip and crackers, cut up veggies and she had made cooked blueberry pies earlier for my son, Nick, his favorite.. but then she went and made a Berry Crumble for us which was served warm from the dehydrator. I can't even tell you how delicious it was - Incredible. She hand picked wild organic blueberries and black raspberries ..it also had strawberries.. Mmmm!!

Tomorrow we are leaving for the wedding. It's somewhere between Lunenburg and Liverpool, an hour from Halifax, NS, on the south shore, we have cottages rented for 2 nights. They are getting married on the beach. I am expecting a very untraditional, maybe unusual wedding, if I know my brother and his wife to be (who I went to high school & art school (NSCAD) with many years ago)
Afterwards we are taking the long way back.. we are going to go on the ferry to Prince Edward Island and then back over the bridge.. another road trip! Yay!!
See you in a few days!! xo

Rawlicious Patio

The Rawlicious patio is now open! It's got a beautiful comfy ambiance, great music and great food!!
and now I will be going there and be able to enjoy it from the other side. I had decided over a month ago to take a leave.. lots of personal projects to work on, and gave my notice.. it was a slow transition out.. and I may show up again to help out, you never know.
But it was kind of sad, kind of freeing, working my last day on Friday. Transitions are strange things - I am getting very good at the transition phases of my life!

I love the patio.. and love Cassandras paintings! They are found hanging all over Rawlicious. Here are a few pics I took of the garage mural in progress.

Cass can often be found in the kitchen or paintbrush in hand out in the patio.

Enjoy the beautiful, warm, creative, fun energy at Rawlicious! & of course, great food!!!

Beauty, Healing, Bliss, Fantasy, Energy, Shamans and Overriding Overwhelmedness

I am finding Joy and Beauty everywhere lately.. things that used to bother me, rarely do now.
I am loving that. I do however, have an intensity of feelings.. and do experience some feelings of overwhelm-edness .. I am not sure if this is just from overworking, or from all of the transitions in my life right now (I think I am becoming a butterfly! ) , or if I am just tapping into the collective consciousness.

I am happy almost all the time, with moments of wow, I am feeling really overwhelmed; I have so much to do that I can't do anything. A few things I have found that help with this:

1. just stopping and meditating 10 minutes, removing myself from the outside world
2. writing a list of things I need to do & prioritizing, numbering them
3. getting myself into another environment: a trip to ChocoSol, Sprouts, even the grocery store.. yesterday it happened and I went to Rawlicious and got right out of it. The gym would be great also.

I have really enjoyed Jinjees last few e-mails:

On Healing the Planet:
"How arrogant to think that we can heal the planet, when it is the planet which can heal us, if we would only let it! If we would have the humility to believe that.

The planet will be here long after we are gone. But if we work with nature through this green revolution including a green diet, we can heal ourselves! And yes, the planet will be a little happier too! What's good for us is good for the planet; we are made of the same stuff."

on Fruit Fasting:
"If all you eat is fruit for a couple of days, you don't even want anything else! Suddenly nothing else will do! It is all you want! You have to have the good stuff! Not that I'm recommending eating only fruit as a permanent diet, but it is an absolutely awesome experience to eat just fruit for a few days. Try it sometime this summer! It is an inexpensive ticket to another and blissful reality!"

I have been remembering the wildest and most wonderful, wacky dreams.. fantasy all mixed up with reality lately. Really, really crazy and yet profound. I love it!!

My Mom sends me the most inspiring e-mails .. because she lives and breathes love, joy and happiness every moment, she is a most amazing ( and humble) woman!

"I am certainly gaining a lot from practicing Qigong ... it is amazing
how much better I do my Tai Chi forms now. The energy channels are
really opening  ... giving me lots more flexibility and a deep joy
that seems almost constant. It is very awesome."

Mom also sent me a link for The Shaman Shack, which I am quite intrigued with.

and I love this quote on his page of pictures of friends:
"Since starting Shamanshack 3 years ago, I have been blessed to come into the most fascinating group of people Ive ever known. These friends include true shamans, lightworkers of all types, my apprentices and shining examples of the new seed race of the spiritual human. These lightworkers are re-creating a pristine world. They're already at work rejuvenating our Mother through promotion of Permaculture food forestry and bio dynamic organic sustainable farming. We're showing the way of the light by bringing a new spiritual symbiotic consciousness. Eating Raw food, affirming loving thoughts of peace and interconnectedness of all beings. Pure high-frequency organic raw living foods and High vibrational Tonic herbs are premier among the great driving forces of our mind-body purification. As an old way of burning, division and consumption crumbles, we must be the light, the guides. Come on and be with us in the light of the NEW CONSCIOUSNESS."

Create for yourself the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, happy day yet! xo

May Poem in June

In the Month of May

In the month of May when all leaves open,
I see when I walk how well all things
lean on each other, how the bees work,
the fish make their living the first day.
Monarchs fly high; then I understand
I love you with what in me is unfinished.

I love you with what in me is still
changing, what has no head or arms
or legs, what has not found its body.
And why shouldn't the miraculous,
caught on this earth, visit
the old man alone in his hut?

And why shouldn't Gabriel, who loves honey,
be fed with our own radishes and walnuts?
And lovers, tough ones, how many there are
whose holy bodies are not yet born.
Along the roads, I see so many places
I would like us to spend the night.

- Robert Bly

Dragon Wings and Fairy Dust

I am creating magic today!!!
..even though my whole computer got seemingly wiped out (hours later the files got rediscovered hidden far, far away.. many thanks for a special computer wizard friend!)

Careful plans, long hard thoughts.. looking in and looking out.. gathering information.. & inspiration.. sowing love and blessings .. reaping the same.. and always having lots of Fun!

(I created dragon wings.. and a water dragon too!)

Some things are best left unsaid. Timings important.. and now off to bed.

Sweet and Sparkly Fairy dust Dreams!! xo

The Best Errands Ever! : ChocoSol, Kensington Market and Toronto Sprouts

My afternoon of errands.. I stopped by one of my favorite places - ChocoSol - to pick up lots of cacao for me & to bring home (NB) to my Mom!! Lots of flavours and freshly made nibs. Mmm!!! the bestest highest vibe chocolate ever!!! I love their chocolate.. and I love that they make raw flavours also!! : )
This room that Michael is in has just been built this year ..and Now there is a plan, a vision for...- see drawing below..
..for the rooftop gathering and meditation space, herb garden and above bike energy technology to power a sound system below.. amazing visions and growth going on here..
& it was amazing to see Rosie back!! : ) She was in Halifax for awhile.. where I am going soon! Looking so forward to that!


The ChocoSol kitchen, lots of action!

Next up, Kensington Market.. supplies for raw experimenting creations..

Every time I come here it just keeps getting better!

Toronto Sprouts! I love the green drink on the desk.. a sign of a truly high-vibe place.. wheatgrass powered!

Rachel! : )

It's emptying out.. getting barer & barer all the time.. what will happen to Toronto Sprouts?

Production is still going on..

I love this scene! Wish I could provide scent and oxygen enhanced pictures for you!!

& now I am home.. have special crackers in the dehydrator (dragon wings!), downloading new music to my ipod and about to create my animated vision board. I have been dreaming and envisioning beautiful things and images to put on it. Fun! xo, Love & peace!!

My Strawberry Lacuma Cookies

One of the really fun things about eating raw foods is creating with raw foods!! While there are lots of raw food prep books out there.. the realm of raw foods is still mainly wild uncharted territory.. so many new inventions and ways of preparing foods are still yet to be explored.

& I love turning up the music, opening the windows, letting the sunshine in and creating..
Last week I made these incredible Strawberry Lacuma Cookies.. they were amazing. I was apprehensive about how they would turn out.. they had an almost smoky mesquitey flavour to them ..and turned out to be almost addictive!

But.. I didn't write down what I put in them.. and I tried to recreate them yesterday, sort of..I got carried away putting different things together in the bowl.. even some of Chocosol's chili chocolate! and they are very, very good ..
but not the same.. I think I put black sesame seeds in last time.. hmm, I wonder if I actually put mesquite in? maybe just a tablespoon..

I will just have to try again once this batch is done. I just ate 3.. it won't take long!!

note - added later, in response to Caleb's comment for ingredients.

Hey Caleb,
have been thinking of your request for ingredients and I couldn't remember them all, except for my crazy idea of putting chili chocolate in there! : )

I actually just found the piece of paper that had the ingredients on it. I have a thing with experimentation and also of spinning around my kitchen and putting everything I can find into a bowl and seeing what happens.
: )
Usually I am in the habit of writing it down somewhere (ideally in the notebook I have in the kitchen), but often just on a piece of paper.


Here is the recipe of what I made, the 2nd batch. & I think I remember putting black sesame seeds in the 1st batch, which is probably what gave it the smoky flavour (I recognize it now, just made black sesame bread yesterday! Here you go, Enjoy! :

1 1/2 c Walnuts
3/4 c Raisins
process until chunky

2 c Strawberries - processed until chopped up well

3 Bananas - mashed
1 c Almond Pulp (from making almond milk)
1/4 c 5 Chili Chocolate - chopped ( 5 chili chocolate is a ChocoSol product, you can substitute other chocolate pieces)
1/4 c Lacuma powder
3/4 c Sesame seeds
1 c Pecan meal
2 T Vanilla
1/2 t Cinnamon
dash of salt - if I know me. : )

Have fun experimenting with this!

Collecting pictures

Here are a few of the pictures I am collecting to make an animated vision board. : )

I'm not sure if I am going to keep this egg bed one, it's over $66k!! .. it is beautiful and funky, love it.. but not sure if I am into collecting things in my life right yet. ; )

"Always aim higher than you believe you can reach. So often, you’ll discover that when your talents are set free by your imagination, you can achieve any goal.

If people offer their help or wisdom as you go through life, accept it gratefully. You can learn much from those who have gone before you. But never be afraid or hesitant to step off the accepted path and head off in your own direction if your heart tells you that it’s the right way for you.

Always believe that you will ultimately succeed at whatever you do, and never forget the value of persistence, discipline, and determination.

You are meant to be whatever you dream of becoming." ~Edmund O’Neill

"Write it on your heart that every day is the Best day of the year" Ralph Waldo Emerson

k, need hearts for my kids, etc.. will collect more pics tomorrow, have to leave for Rawlicious in 30 mins. xo, Have the Best Day Ever!!