My new paintings

Thought I would post my new flower paintings b4 I pack this up. I am not painting today.. out of herein less than an hour. Drinking my massive green smoothie.. how would I live without these?? Lots of great chocolate packed.. almonds and an avocado in my purse.. lots of mangos in my suitcase.. lol The rest of my family won't eat them. Listening to a great trip soundtrack.. thanks for making me these amazing cd's Em. Loving it!!! Boys r all still sleeping upstairs.. I'm probably out of here b4 they wake up... its a minute countdown now, better get this into my suitcase. & I've got the massive Urantia & Anastasias packed, of course - not many clothes - 1 pair of my fav shorts, which I am going to wear all week, 3 bathing suits & wrap skirts - Thats what I plan on doing!!! Thats it! Am off.. write you soon, from sunny (hopefully) NB. Ciaooo... xo

Color Theory, wheatgrass & cayenne, Urantia, Chocosol

Things going on in my life and changing my perception of the world around me:

The biggie: Conversations with Horace about color. hmm, how to explain this one. I had a hard time with it.. it's like I know what he was saying but couldn't really accept it because if I accept this thought it is going to change everything else I know and believe about reality. Every time you accept another truth it changes everything else.. because everything is connected.

(Like going raw.. I am the same person but I am completely different. Everything has changed)

& once you learn and accept something there is no going back.

but if someone is telling you something and you don't want to deal or accept it, your brain can somehow just shut off, tune it out.. this happens very often.. I know I must have done this a lot. I see people doing it all the time. Like the brain is saying "Can't handle, can't handle, change the channel"

ok, It started with him telling me how if you mix blue and yellow, you are not getting another color.. its still blue and yellow. It looks green but it is still the blue and yellow there.. they have not gone anywhere. Every color is contained in every other color.. and it is the light and how it reflects off the pigment which gives us the colors. and actually it is not even the (say paint) that has the color.. everything is grey really, colorless.. color is only formulated in our brains. That's why some people are colorblind, the brain is not perceiving color the same way as most people.. something in the brain is different and therefor their perception is different. In fact, I have no way of knowing what color you are seeing.. I only know what color I see.. we could all see a different color, we don't know exactly what is going on in someone elses head.. we know that we agree on red & blue.

Think about color on another level. can you describe the color red? or blue? you can't.. you can draw associations but that could be anything.. if I was blind you couldn't tell me what a color looks like. These things are not real.. not material. Like beauty.. you can't describe beauty either.. it's something in the head, its a thought, an essence.. it is not real. I mean no it is Real, but its not material. Sometimes its hard explaining concepts..

I struggled sometimes with the color one.. I had to let it go.. I felt myself losing my mind.. it was like thinking of infinity. Thats why sometimes scientists go crazy ..thinking on things too much.
and all in all it doesn't really matter. It's not going to change my perception of green or beauty.. it is just a way of entertaining my mind I guess..
& sometimes I feel like I have no choice.. its who I am, it's destiny, what i need to do. I need to et this & I need to come tell you for some reason.
Horace said that he often comes in & says to himself that he is not going to tell me things. Because he always comes in & tells me so much. I got called into the office by Zara (to save me) the other day. Everyone went, are you all right?? He can really get into it.. Simon says 'Horace comes in every day for wheat grass but its really to talk to you, he doesn't even like wheat grass." & burst out laughing.. Horace is the best, hes a great friend now. & he says he never talks like this to other people, tries not to me.. but for some reason when he comes in it just all comes out. And maybe there is someone out there who needs this information.
& go figure they would find it on a raw food blog???

oh yeah, and i should really be talking about food & health.
ok, heres a good one.. a few days ago this guy comes in & asks for 2 ounces of wheatgrass. Then when its sitting there he asks if i ave any cayenne. I bring over my big shaker of it. He asks for a spoon.. then he takes off the cover, puts a huge heaping teaspoon of cayenne on top of the wheatgrass ..it was actually last Friday, he said it had been a long week and he needed some energy. & then he downed it. he said if you can drink it in one gulp the cayenne can bypass the mouth and go right down & then its ok. I think he missed a bit.. but he didn't even have water after.. just glazed over & went & laid back for 15-20 min on the couch. Then he was gone..that was the most amazing thing I had seen in awhile. I wonder how he felt after.. I wonder if I am ever going to try it.

I am excited today.. yesterday someone said they had a Urantia book and asked if I would like it. & said they would bring it in today. I have been really wanting one of those!

& Chocosol party tonight, opening of the Cacao Loft on St Joseph st. Graham came in yesterday.. 1st time I have seen him since he left for Mexico - 1/2 a year ago. They made their 1st batch of chocolate in their new kitchen yesterday.. the Chocosol chocolate draught is over!!! Yay!
Wishing you all a perception altering day! Those are really good ones!

ptg - Boys in Blue and Yellow by Charo Diez
butterflies from butterflyutopia.com

N.B. brook and Mom's painting

I have so many things on my mind that I could write about.. but I have very limited time. Have to leave for work very soon. So, no time for those philosophical or websurfing thoughts which are circulating around in my head.

& Hopefully Mom doesn't mind. I am posting the pics she sent me last night. She went to go sketch with her friend while her car was getting fixed yesterday. Mom is 100% raw, living in NB.. (and is one of my favorite people in the whole world!) I think I'm due for a NB visit soon, I am craving a dive in the ocean! ..but this is inland.
Isn't it beautiful here?





Mom is a true artist, she paints all the time. Sometimes she stays up all night painting. How cool is that!?
ps I just called, she's ok with me posting these.

ps. ps. her website is here

Have a great day, make for yourself a beautiful one and enjoy this great planet!

My current painting series 'Every Flower has a Right to Bloom' is on display now at Toronto Sprouts

Finally, I have some pics of myself to post here. My good friend and neighbour Dawn, also raw.. most of the time, took these of me and my flowers just before they got whisked downtown to work, Toronto Sprouts - 720 Bathurst - where they will be on display.

Store hours are Monday - Friday 10 - 6, Saturday 11 - 5. Come see them and you can visit me. I work most of the hours with the exception of Friday mornings and Mondays, my day off.


I am writing a bio to go with the show today. ..and I made a bubbleshare slideshow below to show the paintings (Thanks Valerie for the idea!). Maybe I will have my bio to post tomorrow. Things are getting done quickly around here.





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The Italian in Thailand who goes to Fruitopia for Paella and shares everything!

Sometimes I have a dilemma.
When I come up with a really good recipe and I want to share it ..and yet I plan on making part of my business with recipes. Should I give them all away now or save them for the upcoming book. Not that I've started a book yet.. other than in my thoughts.

..and yet I love the saying "Share everything with everyone"
and I am getting there..

and I have sooo many recipes. But this one is such a classic. This feels kind of like handing down your grandmother's secret recipe, which normally only gets shared with people close to you.
I last shared it with Amy (of Chocosol) and she made tons of it for their huge Valentines party. ..& I think she did a better job than me of making it. But its so easy to make.. just throw everything in the blender & blend, thats it.

My Favorite Tomato Sauce

3-4 tomatoes
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 jalapeno
1/2-1/3 red pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T honey (or agave)
1 T apple cider vinegar
Lots of basil & oregano

herb tip - of course fresh & from the garden is best. I grow lots & at the end of the season, pick it all & blend with some olive oil & freeze it to use during the winter.

Blend and then pour on top of spiralized zucchini. It's so much like the real thing it's incredible.. but honestly, it's even better!

Ok so I wanted to share that with you to share my dinner for the last couple nights.
I love this variation I just came up with.
I was calling it (to myself):

An Italian in Thailand

2 T coconut dream
2 T agave
2 T lime juice
1 T tamari (mine was oriental ginger flavor)
1 t curry
sambal oelek or chilis or hot peppers to taste (last night it was really hot, I was sweating!)
Celtic salt
and 4 heaping T's of Tomato Sauce

Mix all together. I spiralized & then chopped the zucchini pasta a bit and I would have added a bit of chopped cilantro also if I had it.


Tonight I am planning on making Paella. I watched a video on how to make it at Freshtopia.net
It looks so good! see the video here: http://www.freshtopia.net/vlog/
I love this website.. Love Tanja! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Here's her creation which she says is just as good & maybe even better the next day, as the saffron continues to infuse the dish with flavour for up to 24 hours.

Tanja's Fresh Paella Recipe

Saffron Dressing:
Whisk together,
Lg pinch saffron soaked in
2T lemon juice for 20 minutes or more
2T olive oil
1t agave syrup or honey
dash sea salt

Marinated Mushrooms:
1/2C oyster or other mushrooms marinated in
1/2C water
1/4C rice-wine vinegar (apple cider would work too)
2T nama shoyu or soy sauce
1T dulse flakes
1t paprika

Paella “Rice”:
1 1/2C turnip, chopped
1/3C pine nuts
1/4C bell pepper
2T onion
1t garlic
2 sm. tomatoes, chopped
1/2C fresh peas
1/4C parsley
1/4C sun-dried tomatoes soaked well, chopped

Pulse turnips, pine nuts, bell peppers, onion, and garlic in food processor until grainy rice-like consistency. Stir in tomatoes, peas, parsley and saffron dressing. Top with drained marinated mushrooms, sliced green olives, additional finely chopped parsley and a dusting of paprika.
Enjoy!

painting - emundi heirloom artscape yr 7 - from http://www.houseoftola.com/gallery/joes/emundi_heirloom_artscape_yr_7

The House of T.O.L.A. (Theater of Life Artistry)

The Galleries within hold the brushstokes of literally thousands of people, all composed live at the event under the hand of the artist Bob Gammage. He has his own gallery and his original artscapes all carry a Certificate of Authenticity.

Bob is a colourist, creating images you can step into. He is a painter, writer, philosopher and sculptor.......a bohemian who lives where his feet are, and he endevours to abide by one rule no harm.

photo from http://www.rcapub.com/Thailand_Full_Moon_Party.htm