raw food healing and life transformation...

Raw Vagabonding : Petroglyphs & The Born Again Indian

2009-03-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

We spent our final morning hours in Moab scrambling around the canyons looking for the Birthing Rock petroglyph. We stumbled upon the Moonflower Canyon petroglyphs as well. There's something really powerful about seeing the graffiti originators' sacred symbols etched on rock, communicating with visual art instead of words. A deep feeling of the past appears in the present and reverberates ancient truths that are relevant to what is at the core of all of us no matter the time or place. It's not something that photographs can communicate - you can only feel it by being in the sacred space.

As we drove towards Arizona, we were greeted by the grand structures in Monument Valley. It doesn't matter how many places I've been or how often I experience them - I am still always in awe of (and my soul feels such peace in the presence of) these natural wonders. There is something to be said about the marvelous feat of man that is my old stomping ground of NYC, but I don't think anything man has made can even come close to places like this. The very fact that is was not made by man is part of the magnificence.

In the middle of our drive, something in my gut told me I needed to stop at this one particular Native jewelry stand. I had no money to buy anything and no particular reason to stop there other than the fact that I knew I had to. Thankfully I was traveling with a wonderful creature who understands and respects the power of intuition so we were able to flow with the forces and meet the self-proclaimed Born Again Indian.

A little less than a decade ago, when I was studying photography in NYC, I took my first cross-country trip. It may not have been a long, sprawling adventure filled with spontaneity and exploration, but it was a wonderful introduction to the immense beauty of the changing landscape from one end of North America to the other. It also fed my lifelong road trip addiction. I will never forget the power the land held over me, the Southwest especially. When we reached New Mexico, I could feel the souls of all those who had come before me and was enraptured.

I felt a calling to come back to these lands and spend an extended amount of time living there and photographing the Native culture and that feeling never left me. Over the years, I wondered how (and when) I would find the opportunity to spend time there doing something good in the community and build a relationship of trust and respect that would allow me to remove any barriers that might keep me on the outside. Now on my third cross-country jaunt, those seeds that were planted back then began to sprout...

We walked into the Navajo Nation Shop and just began talking to the owner about life and how things came to be the way they are. Most reservations I'd been on at this point were full of fast food chains, casinos and seemed so far disconnected from the beliefs of the Native peoples that have drawn me to the culture and earth-based spiritual beliefs many times throughout my life. I needed to understand more about this disconnect.

Alfred told us about all the issues with reclaiming the land. The Native people who lived here long before any of us don't ever get to own any of the land. Because the government holds it in trust, they are not allowed to develop it however they want which leads to a lot of economic hardship. There is a Native American government of sorts, but it's essentially a puppet government of comprised of figureheads and because it's so difficult to get anything done, they are often referred to as 'The Longest Red Tape' by the people who try to make positive changes.

We also learned a lot about his plans for the art & culture center at Monument Valley that was in the middle of construction. They are trying to change tourism in the area into a more authentic experience, where people can learn more about the ancient ways and get to experience more than just shopping. Local artisans would be shifting from their roadside stands to an actual arts center where everyone could connect and build community.

As the conversation shifted to spirituality & Catholicism, we talked about 'In the Absence of the Sacred' and 'God is Red' for awhile. Alfred told us that he was a "Born Again Indian" because he realized that for so long, he was pushed to not like what he is and now he is seeing the truth.

I noticed a bluish ring around his eyes, similar to what you see in older diabetics so I asked him if he had diabetes. He said that his eyes had just always been like that, but the conversation shifted to talking about health & food so I told him about my intentions for this trip.

We talked about Hopi dry farming for a bit and then he told me about a man in town who I should connect with who shared my interests. He set up free organic meals at the community center in town every Tuesday at 5pm and was trying to create a sustainable food program in the area using dry farming & hydroponic gardens. He wasn't sure if the hydroponic gardens were a good idea or not, I think because it's not fully in harmony with nature.

Here the idea began to come together in my mind of doing some service work in the Native lands to help educate the people and bring back the Native diet. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems, alcoholism and domestic abuse are huge issues on every reservation I've been to so far and while I know it will take more than just food to remedy these issues, I can't help but think that helping the people empower themselves by returning to a healthier natural diet will help them start to regain their sense of self and clear their minds to live differently. I'm not sure what this will lead to, but something is definitely taking shape.

I got Alfred's contact information so I could keep in contact with him and help manifest this project, whatever it turns out to be. I also want to be able to spread the word about the art center he is creating, as the arts have been such a big part of my life.

The days make no sense anymore and don't matter. I am living pure bliss in every moment and love the freedom of living on my own time and how that allows everything to take shape right before my eyes.

Raw Vagabonding : More Adventures in Moab & My Favorite Playground

2009-03-05T08:32:00.001-08:00

In addition to the Love Muffin Cafe, there are a few other places in town anyone seeking healthy eats should know about.

One of them is The Good Place, a delicious juice bar & yoga studio that also offers massage & meditation. They custom made me my favorite green juices every morning, and also had a whole list of their own juice creations, smoothies, and several other raw items, as well as some healthy cooked eats. The owners and their baby are 3 of the happiest, glowing people I have ever seen. They were also extremely friendly and welcoming, and let us use their wifi for ages.

My favorite place in town was Moonflower Market, and it wasn't because of the food. Yes, they had a nice small selection of fresh, beautiful organic produce and other goods, and an amazing wall full of herbs to be purchased in as small or as large quantities as one's heart desires. Yes, they held educational events on food, nutrition, & healing, they petitioned to get the natural spring opened back up to the public, and they had an amazing selection of books (I kept eyeing Plant Spirit Medicine each time I walked in and finally caved and bought it on the last day!) but that wasn't why I loved it so much. The real treasure of Moonflower was hidden around a back corner of the store where it seems most people never even bother to venture. Lucky for me, I have always been overly curious (it's the gypsy explorer in me) and discovered the Moonflower Lending Library...rows and rows of books on health, nutrition, healing, food, fitness, gardening, permaculture, alternative building, environmental issues...some of them so old and rare, I bet they were out of print. Our time in Moab was chock full of activities so I didn't get to spend much time here, but it definitely added more fuel to my daydreams of coming back to live in the area for a few seasons and play in nature.

Another wonderful thing about Moab is the Youth Garden Project. I highly recommend volunteering some time there if you ever have the chance. They offer volunteer opportunities in teaching, garden maintenance, construction, and special events, and for each hour you volunteer, they give you $5 of fresh produce. The Youth Garden Project started in Sarah Heffron's backyard as a program offered to the Juvenile Court for youth to work off court-ordered community service hours. After an AmeriCorps Grant, the garden began to expand and offer more programs and apprenticeships, eventually moving to two acres of land next to Grand County High School so they could better serve the community. They offer sustainable agriculture workshops and even have a community kitchen where they teach kids how to cook nutritious & delicious meals. The YGP also organizes the Moab Farmers Market, which wasn't in season when we were there, but would be a great place to pick up organic goodies if you find yourself there in the summer.

I could seriously spend a few seasons in Moab and still never get to explore everywhere I want. We only had a few days and lots to see, so in addition to Negro Bill Canyon, we went on a gorgeous hike out to Corona Arch and then spent an entire day hiking around Arches National Park. This was by far one of my favorite playgrounds so far! We went on a few amazing hikes, and then went to watch the sunset over the rainbow-colored mineral-rich earth. It was divine. These pictures don't do it justice because they were taken with my old spy pocketcam, but when this journey is over, I'll develop all my film and post those photographs up on my Flickr page.

Raw Vagabonding: Falling in Love with Canyon Country

2009-03-03T09:29:00.001-08:00

(Spiritual fortune cookie in Cameron's car.)

I am really behind on blog posts, and writing this far after the fact definitely makes me skip over details and write with less enthusiasm, so I apologize. These next few posts are going to be less personal than normal, just for the sake of playing catch up. Lesson learned: do not try to blog while traveling unless you own a laptop or an iphone.

After our pit stop in Escalante, we drove until we arrived in Moab, Utah where we stayed for several days...

The first day, I needed some alone time to read and experience my own reality, so I went to the Love Muffin Cafe and ended up having a really great conversation about medicinal herbs. I've gotten really into picking my own herbs and making tinctures in the last year, and want to learn a bit more before I start my medicinal raw chocolate company. It's always a pleasure to meet other healers. I connected with this girl who had studied herbs in Colorado and had lived in SF for awhile before moving to Moab to work at the cafe. The Love Muffin is one of the few local, organic, seasonal spots in town, and while not a raw food place, they had an amazing "Greenie Salad" that totally kept me happy.

In the afternoon, Cameron and his dog Niko drove from Salt Lake City to meet us in person and hang out for a few days. I was already flirting with the idea of spending a few seasons in Southern Utah to do some canyoneering, but then we decided to go hiking in Negro Bill Canyon and I totally fell in love with Canyon Country and all its secrets. It just felt like coming home to a place I'd never been before...the colors were so soothing, the water so calming, the stones so energetic. After a few hours of hiking and great conversation, we got lost in the dark, and Venus dangled over the Moon in a miraculous display, seducing us with their near-copulation.

Most people in Moab are too busy going out canyoneering, rock climbing, hiking, and spending time on the river to check email, so we didn't have much luck with hosting and it was too cold at night to camp at that elevation, so we stayed in 'America's Cheapest Hostel' instead. At $9 a night (and with Evelyn's disclaimer that it's "not like other hostels"), I thankfully wasn't really expecting too much of the Lazy Lizard. It's one of those places where you get what you pay for and just give gratitude for having a place to stay. Something was energetically off from the moment we arrived and it took me some time to realize the depths of what Evelyn meant. There was a dark energy hanging over the place that wormed its way into all the details. For example, you can often notice the amount of self-love or positive energy a person has for themselves by observing how well they take care of their surroundings and how much love they put into tasks, which further reflects what they are open to receiving. This was a place where the bare minimum was done and the place was neglected, which seemed to not only appear in the physical appearance of the entire hostel, but also in the relationships of the people working and living there. It definitely had an effect that made us want to distance from it & spend as little time there as possible, but we learned a very important thing the second night and that was to dig deeper. Since everything is connected, you cannot separate yourself from others. The key is to find the common bond.

So we ate a delicious kale & dandelion green salad and some raw hazelnut cookies out in the freezing cold while talking to strangers Helena & Chad about raw food & bacon (I swear this is the most asked question I've gotten about raw foods on this trip so far - "So, what do you do about bacon?") until we were near frozen. Then we sauntered over to the fire in front of the trailers where we had been invited to join a group of people and let our perceptions dissolve in the flame and sought out the common bond in all of us - our humanity. These people weren't really any different from us at the core, it just seemed that from a distance, they had a few layers of hurt & trauma from hard lives that dulled their luster from years of no one showing them how to clean it off so they could shine brightly again. Had we not been able to make that connection and remove judgement and realize there is only "us" and no "them", we would have never met an amazing father with a soulful song named Aspen, a hilarious musician named EtherAshe who had lived in Romania and was full of crazy stories, another guy who loved his girlfriend so much it was breaking his heart, and several other interesting souls. It was one of those really strange evenings with strangers that stays with you when you recall your travels later.

Raw Vagabonding: Energy in Escalante

2009-03-03T09:26:00.001-08:00

Water is becoming a recurring (and dominant) theme on this trip. After loading up all our containers with fresh spring water naturally filtered through 2000 feet of Navajo Sandstone in Zion, we headed to Moab, Utah. Driving through The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument landscape, we had an opportunity to see some of the most breathtaking landscape in the country. One the way, we stopped in Escalante at Georgie's Corner Cafe for lunch because the creative eccentric touches (A waterwheel and pink flamingos? Yes, please!) on the outside seemed to tell us we'd encounter some colorful humanity.

I love places that have a sort of homey feel to them, where the essence of the owners is colorfully expressed everywhere. Georgie didn't disappoint. Everything in her place is freshly made to order and well worth the wait. She's got a fair amount of veggie options and a few salads, as well as some of the best iced tea I've ever had. She was even able to direct us to Keven Peterson, the maker of the waterwheel we were so entranced by. He came by and she persuaded him to show us his studio, so off we went.

Keven is a perfect example of how form & function can work together. Keven has a background in chemical engineering. When he was in his early 20s, his primary intention was to generate power by running a generator off the hub of the wheel, not to make art. He worked with copper because of its diamagnetic properties and begun creating hydrowheels. In time, he started thinking about the aesthetic issues, and his work evolved into the beautiful works of art you can see below. Half a dozen of the big hydrowheels (see top photo against side of wall) could use the torque of the water from the Escalante River to generate enough power to run the whole town, with the exception of the sawmill. I envision the hydrowheels being placed at intervals along the river someday, and transforming the waterfront area into an energetic sculpture garden that would not only generate power, but also provide a beautiful place for people to gather. I look forward to the day when my intentional community has moved past the early stages and we can afford to work on a healing garden and incorporate some of Keven's work in it. We plan to be full of the grid, so having an extra power source would be a plus and I bet he could figure out a way to create some genius device that incorporates irrigation somehow. I'd love to see his work in retreat centers and gardens across the globe. The sound of them is entrancing.

As the conversation moved towards art and sound, Keven told us his dream installation would combine the flexibility of buffalo bones, old-time cylinder records (the kind with nicks in them that rotate), and a wall of drums run by a hydrowheel. Once the drums were initially set to motion, they would automatically make music powered by the force of water. Keven makes beautiful handmade Native American drums too. After hearing about our encounters in Escalante, our friend Cameron decided to pass through and meet with Keven so he could learn how to make one. This is one of my favorite things about meeting people when you travel - the exchange of information creates immediate connections amongst people and strengthens the bonds of humanity. Here'a a few images of some work in progress pieces at Keven's studio on West Main Street in Escalante...

Raw Vagabonding : Zion, Bryce & The Power of Water

2009-02-23T18:12:00.001-08:00

After I finish up odds & ends and death & taxes in Vegas, we flee to Zion National Park to get away from city life and spend some time communing with nature and delighting in uncertainty. Last time I drove cross country with my darling illustrator friend Elliott in 2003, I got sick in the Big Horn Mountains and we had to cancel the Southern Utah portion of our trip so I could make it to SF in time for an interview, so I am super excited to finally get a chance to see such amazing beauty.

We arrive at nightfall, set up our tent and get ready for bed. I feel the earth cradle my body, support my spine, and realign me with its touch. This is exactly what I needed to release the stress from the last 2 days (terminating my lease, organizing friends to remove the rest of my stuff in SF and dealing with the imbalanced sublettor) and reconnect with what is really important. The earth is always so grounding, and sleeping outside in fresh air always feels best (yes, I was nodding with agreement while reading the section on sleeping outdoors in Victoria Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw Foods. In SF, I loved that the temperature was mild enough all year round to leave my windows cracked) to me, which is a major part of why I love camping so much.

The North Wind begins whispering and I think I'm in for a gentle song to lull me to sleep, but she has something on her mind, and her restlessness keeps me up most of the night. It's a small price to pay for being in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, a place that feels sacred and possesses strong healing energy, which I am very much in need of after LA & Vegas back to back. San Francisco, as a city, is more grounded in it's energy and nature is more accessible and abundant. There is lots of beauty near LA, but the traffic and need to get into a car to get everywhere can be a big deterrent, especially for a bicycle/public transport person like myself.

As I write this, I'm sitting on the edge of a cliff, inches away from the water curling it's fingers over the edge of Navajo sandstone, and the sound soothes me in a way that nothing else can. It doesn't matter that I only slept a few hours or that my hip is experiencing some technical difficulties - all that matters is that I am here, now. The vibrational power of water is astounding. Sound is vibration and the energy flows in all directions; the syncopation of the life force pulses with my own heartbeat, making my soul do a little dance with the molecules embedded in everything. I watch the water drop down into the Virgin River as the sky opens up above the canyon. I close my eyes and listen to the water reverberating around me and within me and drift naturally into meditation. I remember the last words I read last night before I turned off my headlamp:

Survival is in the rivers of your blood. So is death. Open to what you fear.
--Starhawk

Raw Vagabonding : More Vegas Connections & The Renewing of Energy

2009-02-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

These last few days have been mostly about connections - reconnecting with my cousin after 25 years, connecting with my sanity regarding the sublettor situation, connecting with my friend in Vegas who will join me on this trip for a bit, connecting with a super generous host who allowed me to use his extra laptop to catch up on blogging to connect you all you, and connecting with people at a few raw food meetups. I covered the first few in my previous Vegas posts, but would like to spend some time on the last two.

Michael Nelson, my CS host in Vegas, is an entrepreneur who owns numerous companies, including several with a philanthropic twist. The Nelson Foundation is an organization that focuses on promoting contributions to five specific areas: environment, education, social development, child welfare and animal welfare. It serves as a sort of charter organization that supports several other organizations, all of which are listed on their site. But it doesn't stop there - there's also CleanH2O, which is dedicated to bringing clean water to under-developed regions throughout the world; Feed Others, which believes the problem of world hunger (particularly chronic & persistent hunger) can be solved in our lifetime; and Humancha, a social website that supports charity fundraising petitions and ideas by building human chains and tribes of like-minded folks. Michael was kind enough to let me stay in one of the spare rooms in his loft for several days. He liked my Raw Autumn Granola so much he gave me $100 and told me to buy as many ingredients as that would cover so he could have a stockpile of it after I was gone. It felt nice to spend a morning making some delicious food, and it helped me reconnect with my need to be in the kitchen nourishing people through my creations. Michael was extremely generous with his space, offered me way more than I needed, and let me use his Macbook the entire time I was there so I could keep up on blog posts, event organizing and even e-file my taxes from the road. He was a huge help, and I am extremely grateful for having found such a generous host.

And on to the meetups, both of which were full of great energy and connections...
There weren't a lot of people at our raw potluck brunch but I kind of like that sometimes. It gave everyone a chance to have a group conversation where everyone could join in instead of multiple side conversations, making for a nice intimate afternoon. We ended up lingering for a few hours after the event was supposed to end because the conversation was so intense and spirited. The event took place in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, amongst the jagged red peaks and a desert spring.

Dennis Raatz was one of the people to attend. He is writing a book that's mainly about form, space & "the unseen" and will cover topics such as living in harmony with the earth, how we use energy, living machines, and our need to stop playing with fire to produce things and seek out alternatives. He hopes to teach people to step into their power to live in accordance with their will and life force & is stiving to create a culture without fire and find more sustainable ways to manufacture things. Dennis was a raw foodist back in the 70s when he was a truck driver, and used the diet to maintain his energy and alertness while driving long distances. He eventually stopped eating raw for a few decades, and ironically enough, was working for some time as a pasteurizer, where he acquired a lot of knowledge about killing and destroying life force in food. He rediscovered raw several years ago and has experienced many benefits since, and it seems to have helped strengthen his desire to live in harmony with the land and deepen his involvement in renewable energy. He was kind enough to share his wealth of knowledge with us.

He also blessed us with the most delicious Thai Nori Snacks and shared the recipe with me:

Thai Nori Snacks (from Chad Sarno’s book “Vital Creations”)

2c sunflower seeds soaked 10-12 hrs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp raisins soaked 2-4 hrs or 3 dates pitted
1 ½ Tbsp ginger chopped
1 Tbsp garlic
T lemon grass chopped (opt.)
T curry powder
T Celtic salt
½ t cayenne (opt.)
10 sheets raw nori

In a food processor, blend all ingredients, except the nori sheets, until smooth. Continue by laying out a sheet of nori, spreading an even ¼ inch layer of pate to the edges. Sandwich with another nori sheet, slice 6x6 and put on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 for 10-12 hrs. Will keep for several months in sealed container.

Then there was Robert Westhoff, who brought enough food to feed an army. ;) It was all amazing...cucumber salad, a delicious soup, and the corn salad pictured at the beginning of this post.

Robert is an accountant who previously worked for a chemical company. In addition to his delicious food, he also shared some wonderful stories. One was about his doctor friend who was studying disease instead of health. He was good at his craft, but knew nothing about health and the conversation reminded me of this great Macrus Buckingham quote about how studying depression tells you nothing about joy. It was also great for me to hear about methods for shading homegrown veggies in the hot Nevada desert, because living in Northern California, it's not a challenge I have had to face, and I'm trying to learn about growing conditions in different climates.

We all had such a great time talking about a multitude of topics outside raw foods, and had a nice lively debate about energy and how fast the world was changing, that we decided to meet at the same place in 10 years to see if any of our predictions would come true. I know I'll be curious to see if I have a lightning farm to harvest natural glass to make my own bowls, plates and cups by then. So if anyone wants to join us in 2019, we'll be meeting at the picnic area in Red Rock Canyon on Saturday, February 23rd at 1pm. I'm looking forward to it. :)

The following night, we went to a potluck at Dixie & Ted Story's place in Vegas. Dixie and Ted are two of the sweetest people I have ever met. Dixie has been a home birth midwife for almost 30 years, and has helped bring over 500 babies into the world. She's worked with various forms of healing, and has almost a decade of experience with raw foods. Even though she and Ted have been on this journey for awhile, they've just begun facing some of the deeper-rooted emotional issues that can become tightly linked to eating, and it was great hearing them discuss their personal journeys of growth and discovery so openly. I think the ultimate goal of all of us is to have a healthy relationship with food, which can change for everyone throughout their lives. While 100% raw can feel great for some, it's not for everyone all the time, and I think being too strict and dogmatic about any one thing can be even more unhealthy than eating the occasional cooked meal. Even within raw, what one eats changes so often as your body shifts and progresses. For me, I'm currently at a place where I make fruit smoothies in the morning, and eat mostly greens throughout the rest of the day in juice, smoothie & salad form. I still eat the occasional nut-based raw restaurant dish, but it's nothing like how I ate when first transitioning. As your diet evolves, so does your body, and listening to it is the best thing you can do to achieve optimum wellness.

I also got the chance to spend some time talking to Poly Arcos, owner of Arcos Design, about art, sustainability, the challenge of obtaining healthy food in Vegas, thyroid issues, and having a relationship with someone who doesn't share the same dietary beliefs. It was great hearing her good humoured accounts of her boyfriend and how they support each other even though they think what the other is into is kind of crazy. They are able to accept it and be supportive and agree to disagree. I personally find healthy eating sexier, and find myself turned off by guys who eat tons of meat & junk, but am glad to see other people make it work and have a healthy relationship despite their differences. It makes me think maybe the dating pool hasn't shrunk as small as I'd thought.

A few other highlights were the amazing raw garlic bread Steve Pavlina made from Juliano's recipe, the positive Czech enthusiasm of George, the kind offer of Ashleigh to connect me with some folks in Oklahoma, a delightful Aussie, and the abundance of dishes Darlene brought after the photoshoot for her latest book. We feasted on Spicy Sweet Peppers, Mexican Pilaf, Au Lac Salad, Zucchini Pesto, Banana Cream Pie and a ton of salads, dips, crackers and good vibes. Thank you everyone, for sharing your creations and filling my evening with love.

Raw Vagabonding : Vegas, Baby! It's All About Connections

2009-02-20T22:56:00.001-08:00

I woke up to some crazy sublettor apartment drama. TOTALLY my fault for going against my gut and subletting to this girl in the first place, because she is super high maintenance and somewhat of an opportunist. My landlord, though not thrilled at me subletting without his permission, is being unbelievably cool with the situation and being nice to me. What was I thinking by letting someone live in my apartment who had asked me what would happen if she died in there and they found her body and thought it was me? That set off a giant red flag, which I ignored. Why did I go against my instincts? Well, perhaps I needed to be reminded to always listen to them, so I don't end up in situations with people like this who take their own personal trust issues out on me. I am not a victim - this is a place I put myself into, and now it's up to me to get myself out of it and make the best of everything that comes my way and embrace the challenges life presents us, or the nudges to remember all the answers are within. In that moment that I told her she could move in, I chose fear instead of love. I think I convinced myself that because she was the one who wanted the place and could give me a deposit, I should trust she was the one who was meant to be in there. Somehow I let that override the 20 other red flags and her overall behaviour. What I should have been trusting was that maybe, just maybe, the fact that none of the sane sublettors worked out and she was my last chance meant that I should just give up my apartment all together. I mean really, what was I holding onto? I love my neighborhood, and my place was cheap for Hayes Valley. Maybe I thought I might not find another deal like that, which was ridiculous considering that apartment fell into my lap just when I needed it most. I walked in, knew it was meant to be mine right away, and then it was mine. It was that simple. Had I learned nothing? :) Also, I had been having lots of feelings (as well as numerous conversations with people) that while living alone had been really wonderful when I had a stressful office job and needed to come home to a sanctuary to devote time to healing and things, that time has passed and I needed something new. Now that I was self-employed and trying to make a living by blogging, writing a recipe book, consulting and preparing raw food for people, I spent a lot of time at home in front of the computer or in the kitchen concocting. I truly love playing in the kitchen, but being the social creature that I am, all this time alone was making me feel the need to live with people again. Add to this my growing desire to live in an intentional community, and I realize holding onto my apartment was me just grasping at the last threads of my old lifestyle. So I am going to find a way out, and feel free so I can embrace every moment of the changes in my life.

But before I got back to that trusting, abundant mindset, I went to Red Rock Canyon with my friend Evelyn, who is going to be joining me on part of this trip. We had originally met via Twitter, but shared so many ideas, so we met in person shortly after when she was visiting the Bay Area. She had no idea I was going on this journey, and made mention of her need to just travel with no end date and feel free. I was thinking of inviting her to join me, and then she told me about how she wanted to do something to battle the scarcity mindset and get on the road and promote hospitality with a roving tea salon that would connect human beings in this time of perceived scarcity. We were totally in synch with our goals and intentions, and the slight difference in means would allow us to diversify the trip and allow it to grow, so I got this big grin on my face and said she should think about joining me. Then the next night, I (not-so) randomly ran into her at a GI2MR Raw Food Meetup with Steve Pavlina, whose blog has been really helpful in me acting in alignment with my soul purpose, and she said she had decided to come with me. Later we discovered that my original cross country trip had morphed into it's community building grandeur on January 10th at the Abundance Workshop, about the same time she had posted her wish list for her Hospitality Tour, looking for money for a car, and I was thinking my trip would be much more fun with a like-minded companion. The universe always delivers exactly what you really need, exactly when you need it. :)

So to release some of my sublettor stresses, we went for a hike and talked and plotted and planned and rejoiced, and by the end of 6 miles or so of beauty and kinship, I was totally feeling back to normal. Here's some of the beauty that helped me feel balanced again, though once again, my camera is old and rather shoddy...Oh, and to get an idea of scale, if you look at the first photo, on the bottom right in the grass, that little white speck is someone in a white t-shirt. Everything was so massive, and so gorgeous. Nature is so vital to me feeling balanced, and my soul is soaring again.

Raw Vagabonding: Vegas? I Prefer the Valley of Fire

2009-02-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

Mile 995. Las Vegas, Nevada. After wandering around the Mojave Desert and all its Joshua Trees for a bit, I arrive in this strange city. No matter how many times I come here, I still always find it to be odd. I guess it is what it is. When I arrive, I'm in the middle of Manhattan, but its located in Vegas and has a roller coaster winding through it. This shouldn't exist yet it does. My cousin Jovan, whom I have not seen in about 25 years, is here on business and has offered to let me crash in his hotel room here on the strip for a night, and to treat me to dinner at Il Fornaio. I am able to find an almost entirely raw salad of frisee, radicchio, endive, grapes, walnuts and pomegranate dressing that is super delicious and goes really well with the organic red wine he orders (yes, I still have wine on occasion, though less and less the cleaner my body gets, but we're reuniting after 25 years so it's definitely a special occassion.) and we sit for hours catching up and talking about our lives, our views of the world, our family, psychology, nature, traveling, hiking and I realize that we are more similar than we are different, and it's really great to be back in touch. It's even really nice to be called "Baby Cuz" and get taken care of for the night.

After dinner, we head across an aisle of slot machines to Nine Fine Irishmen to check out Ri Ra, the house band, which is amazing! The violinist steals the show with her fantastic fiddling, and there's even a traditional Irish dancer who jumps out every once in awhile to dance on a small side stage. Add to this a small asian leprechaun that knows the words to every song, and can't stop dancing, and you can say it was quite a night!

I crash in my cousin's hotel room for the night. It's super nice to sleep on a firm mattress and my back feels almost back to normal when I wake up. The position I slept on the futon my last night in LA did me in, and driving was a bit painful, but I seem almost back to normal in the morning.

My cousin goes to his morning seminar, but decides to play hooky during the afternoon session so we can go hiking together, since we're both such nature fiends and after spending time on the Vegas strip, we are in serious need of reconnecting with the earth. We decide to check out Go Raw Cafe, one of the only raw food restaurants in Vegas, to get some energy before heading to the mountains. My cousin has never had a raw food meal before and is quite the carnivore (we're Serbs - it's how we're raised!), but is into health & fitness, so he's totally open to trying it and orders the Mediterranean Wrap and a Blood Transfusion (coconut water with a shot of wheat grass) while I get the Purple Burrito and some amazing juice with 3 or 4 different greens and chlorella. Besides the amazing juice, I'm also wowed at their little nook of books. It's really impressive and they seem to carry a ton of hard to find, small edition books. My cousin is surprised at how full he gets. We can't even finish our meals.

After lunch, we head towards Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and see signs for the Valley of Fire and decide that's the place for us! The photos taken with my old digital camera don't even begin to do justice to this place, but I shoot some stuff with my real camera, though those won't get developed until this trip is over, so these will have to do for now...

Euphoria Loves RAWvolution : Raw Food Restaurant Review

2009-02-18T07:31:00.001-08:00

(I apologise for the poor quality of all these photos. My camera doesn't do well in low light regardless of the settings.)

While traveling, I'm looking to do some work-trade at raw food restaurants along the way so I can be of service in the kitchen, connect with the people putting all their love into nourishing others, try a few delicious meals, and write about the places I work-trade at here on my blog to help spread the word about all the delicious raw food out there.

While in LA, I wasn't able to work out a work-trade but decided to use my savings to spring for a bite at Euphoria Loves RAWvolution, Matt Amsden's Santa Monica restaurant. I had hosted a couchsurfer from Ithaca, NY who works for the RAWvolution delivery service and she had been raving about the onion bread, so I figured this was my chance to test it out.

While the place wasn't full of people chatting and laughing any of the times I walked by, and didn't have the vibrant community vibe of Cafe Gratitude, the atmosphere itself was very warm and welcoming, especially the lighting and amazing paintings on the walls. And the staff was extremely friendly and helpful in answering everyone's questions. Another plus is it's located directly across from the Santa Monica Community Gardens, where local residents can apply for their own plot of land to grow their own organic fruits & veggies, and practice a more sustainable way of life. It's a great place to walk around and feel inspired by people reconnecting with the earth in major cities. And here, they've been doing it since 1976. It's amazing.

I ordered the Cocophoria Sandwich, which was actually one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. I can't think of any other words to describe the curried coconut jerky besides heavenly...the taste and texture were perfect - just the right amount of moisture, chewiness, and spice, which was complimented by the onion bread which was, as I had been told, out of this world. I'll definitely be making a few batches of both the jerky and the bread at home when this trip is over. I had actually never tried any raw sandwiches before, probably because I didn't even like sandwiches for several years before I went raw (with the exception of apples & brie on baguette or mozzarella, tomato and basil) and because I try to limit my intake of heavy, dehydrated foods (they often make me feel heavy and dehydrated) but this was definitely worth it, and actually didn't sit too heavy.

For dessert, I had the Vanilla Maca Chocolate Chip Pie. Wow. It was so velvety and creamy that I slowly savored each bite just to make it last as long as I could. The flavor was rich, but not too rich - it flirted on the edge, with just enough depth to linger on my taste buds and make me want more. There was something deeply satisfying and almost refreshing about the flavors. Definitely another recipe I will have to experiment with at home.

I had ordered a Yerba Mate Latte that was a bit on the bland side before dinner, but the Chai Latte I got after more than made up for it - it was just the right combination of spice and sweetness to help me digest and put me in a good mood for the walk home in the rain.

Raw Vagabonding : Los Angeles in the Raw

2009-02-15T23:40:00.000-08:00

Started the next morning off right, by going to the Santa Monica Farmers Market and getting a bite to eat from the Juliano's Planet Raw stand. I got a fresh coconut and the pizza, which was covered in artichokes, olives and a ton of other delicious things and sat in the grass with my host, Raquel to enjoy it. It was pretty good, but to me, not too many things top fresh coconut, so I had them go back and chop the top off so I could munch on the meat inside. When I told them about my trip, they asked which city had the best raw food...I'm not sure, but even though I'm having a great time, I miss SF something fierce already.

Then Raquel and I picked up 3 huge bunches of green for only $5 and walked back to her house to make this delicious salad to bring to the CS potluck. It wasn't raw, but I figured we could try to be a good influence.

Tri-green Salad

1 bunch Kale, finely chopped
1 bunch Dandelion Greens, finely chopped
1 bunch Spinach, finely chopped
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Cold pressed olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl, toss with hands and let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

My old friends from Brooklyn, Sam and Daina, both came to the CS potluck to hang out for a bit before we went out to play. Sam is a painter and street artist who has been living in LA for a few years now. Daina still lives in NYC, but was in town because she had an exhibit at a gallery in LA. She paints in a photo-realist style, but often with spray paint, retaining some of her urban street style. Her work is pretty intricate, and if anyone is in New York, she's in the Queens International exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art. I knew she'd make it into a museum one day - she's been living, breathing and eating art as long as I've known her and has always hustled to make it. It was so great to see them both and run around town for the night. We had a lot of fun, and I think maybe Daina had a little too much fun in the sticker store:

Here's a few other random shots from my days in LA...

Raw Vagabonding: Coastal Drive to the City of Angels

2009-02-14T00:50:00.001-08:00

After hitting the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market to get some food for the day, I continued my drive south to Los Angeles.

I stopped in Ventura, California to sit by the ocean and have lunch and catch up on phone calls, and decided to finally listen to the voice telling me it was time to replace my broken windshield wiper blade, which is how I ended up meeting the sweetest man in all of Ventura. This old man working at Kragen Auto Parts on Main St wanted to replace the blade for me, but I told him I'd rather he teach me how to do it so I can be self-reliant next time. (I had lived in NYC for almost a decade, so know little about cars.) It was easy, but he kindly walked me through it and asked me where I was headed, so I told him about my community building trip across the country. His eyes lit up and we started talking about trust and the universe. I gave him a bar of Fearless Chocolate as a thank you, and he told me that he would ask God to watch over me on my travels because I was doing a good thing. I'm not much for God-speak (I prefer the term universe), but he was so sincere and the kindness in his eyes shone so brightly that it forced me to remember that whatever we choose to call it, it's all the same positive energy in the end. This same topic was to resurface later in the evening...

When I finally got to LA, I headed to Pasadena for a raw food potluck at Revvell's house. It was a really great evening. For starters, Revvell's got sass! She's got a knack for finding the truth in the abundance of information that exists these days, and getting straight to the point. There were a lot of newcomers, and she was able to cut through the BS and explain raw foods to the newcomers in such a simple and concise way that anyone could relate to.

She's a powerhouse of energy, as you'll notice by listening to her her radio show, Rawkin' Radio or checking out her membership site, Let's Talk Raw, where she allows members to come up with the questions for the interviews. She's a super connector and loves to share information, and she also knows when someone needs a little push to get where they're going, as she showed by giving me my first large public speaking experience. I love talking to people, but 'public speaking' is something that I have been thinking I need to work on a lot, especially on this trip because I want to be able to speak about my past health issues and my experiences with raw foods openly, easily and confidently. I had been thinking about joining a toastmasters group, but just didn't find the time before I left, so it was nice to have someone just throw me in with no warning to get me started. Thanks, Revvell! In reality, it's pretty simple and the fear is all mental hype. After the first few seconds of nerves, I sat down and put myself at the same level so I wasn't the center of attention, and from there talking to the group felt really easy. I know it may sound silly, but sitting down instead of standing in the center made me feel more comfortable and connected with everyone, which made a difference. It felt really good to talk about this trip, my intentions, how we are all connected and how the universe conspires to give us exactly what we need when we learn to trust our instincts and listen to our inner-voice. Afterwards a lot of people came up to talk to me about what I was doing, which really re-affirmed my purpose and gave me the opportunity to connect with people one on one.

One sweet woman even came over and slipped me some money for gas to help me to my next destination. She said what I was doing was like missionary work, which made me giggle a little since I consider myself spiritual but not religious, but I guess in a sense she was right - I am definitely on a mission, and am looking to be of service and help others. It's just a different way of looking at it than I would use. We talked about religion for awhile, about how the common message is love and light, how different people see things in different ways, and how beautiful it is that we are all so unique. I asked her about her own religious choice, and she told me that she used to be Buddhist, but was doing a ceremony at the altar one day and received a sign and from then on converted to Christianity. It made me think of the guy in Ventura asking God to look after me, and their unwavering belief in what they see as a higher power. It may be different than what I believe, but it's really amazing to see people from all walks of life embracing trust and seeking to be of service. Everyone brings something to the table, and we are all able to come together. I love that.

Right before that woman came over, I had been talking to Susanna Baxter about the use of the word God, so the synchronicity was pretty astounding. Susanna is new to raw foods, but has been working with health and healing for quite some time. We talked a little bit about her practice, and how she seeks to create the bridge for people between their physical health and their mental/emotional health. She is currently offering a free e-course entitled "5 Steps to Optimal Physical Wellness." I'm looking forward to hearing what shifts occur for her on a raw diet, and how much it helps her go deeper into her healing work.

I also got to chat with Karla Christine (also known as Kira) from The Healing Boutique about her work. Karla is deeply connected to the knowledge that our souls know exactly what we need to heal and feel whole, so she works with people to help them uncover the knowledge within and listen to their inner-healer. She is also a life coach and energy healer. She has a radiant energy and warmth about her that you can't help but be drawn to.

Another great person I got to connect with was Lucy. She was the first person I spoke to when I arrived because she was so friendly and inquisitive. She's another one who seems to absorb tons of information and remember little details. I was really impressed. She was very candid speaking to me about the health problems in her family and her own raw journey. She also wowed me with this amazing kale-blood orange salad, which she was kind enough to share the recipe for:

Lucy's Kale-Blood Orange Salad
1 bunch of Kale, deveined & finely chopped
1 large Tomato, cubed
3 Blood oranges, sliced
dressing:
3 gloves of Garlic, pressed or minced
2 tbsp of Almond Butter
2 tbsp of Lemon Juice
1 tbsp of Nama Shoyu (or Braggs if you use it. I personally don't.)
1 tbsp of minced Green Onion
1-2 tbsp of Raw honey (or 4 soft dates, mashed)

Mix dressing ingredients well with a fork or spoon and add kale, tomato, oranges and toss. Happy eating!

Another highlight was Tao Zheng's reality animation. Tao was observing everyone so intently, and transforming the events of the evening into these hilarious animations, like the one below:

I stayed a bit late to be of service & help clean up our potluck mess and then was off to a CS Anti-Valentine's party. I had posted a last minute couch request, and a guy named Alex called and told me to go, and that I'd be sure to find a host. I knew what he meant, because the spirit of couchsurfing is just as vibrant in SF - everyone wants to help each other and connect. So I completely trusted it, went to the party and as soon as I walked in felt at home. A circle of people drumming and playing guitar, people teaching others how to salsa, the familiar buzz of different languages co-mingling. I love that at CS events there are always a ton of different things happening in each room or each corner of a room, and everyone is from somewhere else but we all come together and it always feels like family.

I gave out tons of Love Street's Raw Chocolate Spread. While most people thought I was selling something at first, a few people actually heard the words "free" and "chocolate" and smiled and happily took it. The first person to actually ask questions was Ryan Ray. Once I found out what he did, I was not surprised that he was intrigued by what I was doing - it was in synch with his own purpose. Ryan has a show called "Wake UP! Explore your Passion" that is all about life transformation and inspiring others. Once my trip is over, I'm going to take some time to watch a few episodes and learn from all his inspiring guests.

I ended up find the most amazing host, Raquel, the amazing Brasilian. She is living in Venice Beach studying English in the middle of traveling the world. She generously opened her home up to me, and when my friend who I was going to stay with the next day got sick, she let me stay with her for a few more days. She's a lot of fun, and just a really kind hearted person looking to help people. She is what CS is all about. Since I might end up in Brasil studying permaculture after all this is done, it was great to have someone tell me about places to go and people to connect with.

Raw Vagabonding: Eat Life, San Luis Obispo

2009-02-13T22:00:00.001-08:00

Mile 293. San Luis Obispo. I officially no longer live in San Francisco, which saddened me for an hour or two as I mentally said goodbye to all the things I love about it (there are way too many to ever list!), but as soon as I smelled the campfires mixed with the coastal breeze down on the Peninsula, I remembered that I am always home. Memories of camping trips to Big Sur and drives down the PCH made me smile. So I'm living like a turtle, with my house on my back, creating home wherever I go on an almost daily basis. I have 2 giant bins stuffed in my car: one full of mason jars containing nuts, seeds, and other goodies; another one full of kitchen appliances so I can blend & mix on the go in parking lots or wherever the opportunity presents itself.

I'm staying with Brandie, who is pure love. Everything in her house exudes love, growth, and nourishment.

This morning I woke up to the sounds of Anthony & Jonathan O'Donnell, 2 of the most amazing kitchen angels I've ever met. They have such a passion for experimentation and testing out new things, which for me is vital to the experience of raw food, and life in general. Recipes are great for getting you started, teaching you, and providing you with inspiration, but if you really want to get into the flow and be present, working with whatever ingredients you've got to playfully whip up something from your imagination is where the real pleasure and freedom come in.

While I was making Coconut-Lime Cheesecake to add to today's dessert menu at Smiling Dog Café, Jonathan was busy stirring up today's lentil soup (one of the few cooked items offered, with the veggies thrown in at the end to maintain most of their nutrients) and Anthony was concocting the most delicious Lucuma-Hemp Bars, which he was kind enough to share his recipe for below. I'm so grateful to be around people creating such beautiful, nourishing recipes. Anthony & Jonathan are two super talented brothers and watching them play off each other and combine their unique perspectives to work together has been a blessing. I've urged them to set up a blog to share their culinary delights with the world, so if you like the following recipe, please sent them a message through Jonathan's flickr page (he's an aspiring photographer) and let them know you'd love them to share more of their magic with the world.

Lucuma-Hemp Bars
(courtesy of Anthony O'Donnell)

This makes a BIG batch spread out on a half-sheet pan, so you can always half everything to make less.

9 cups Coconut flakes
4 cups Hemp seeds
4 cups Cashew pieces
2 cups Lucuma powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup Coconut oil
zest of 4-5 Lemons
2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 Tbsp Vanilla bean powder
1 cup Raw local honey
Cashew Cream (2 cups of soaked cashews blended with 1/4 cup of water, juice or rejuvelac until super creamy)

Mix all ingredients together with your hands. Get nice and dirty. Form unto half-sheet bar pan, chill and serve.

In the afternoon, Luke, whom I also met last month at the Abounding River workshop, came back with the boys and we all made a very special order of Chocolate & Vanilla Strawberry-filled Valentine's Day Cupcakes for a client:

Raw Vagabonding & Community Building

2009-02-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am conducting an experiment in community building and trust. I believe that when we consciously choose to provide value to the world and be of service, the universe provides us with everything that we need. I also believe that we are the creators of our lives, and though we can't change what happens, we can change how we react to what happens and make what may seem like a disaster into a wonderful opportunity.

The next few sections are a bit about the events and choices that led to the Raw Vagabonding Tour coming to be, but if you're short on time or just want to skip straight to the point, you can scroll down to The Bigger Picture Comes Together and read from there.

The Back Story

In October of 2008, I got fired my job and considered it to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me, one in a series of blessings. Had it happened a year or maybe 2 earlier, I probably would have gotten upset, frustrated, and angry and sunk into an ugly depression plagued with anxiety attacks about my lack of money and stress about how to pay the bills. I would have wasted countless hours and tons of energy choosing to feel crappy about my situation and would have gone on dozens of demeaning, energy draining interviews searching for another meaningless job that did nothing to benefit humanity and served no higher purpose, but paid my rent. But something happened to me last year, and since then I have been choosing to create a life of my own decision by stepping into my power.

So instead, I said,"Thank you!" and walked out of that office with the biggest smile on my face. I had been wanting to quit for several months already...I had been slowly chiseling away at the pieces of my life that no longer fit who I wanted to be - places, people, things, habits - to clear the path for what I really wanted, and when I finally decided to switch to a raw foods lifestyle, everything just made so much sense on so many levels and it all clicked into place with a deeply inspiring passion. I felt called in a way I had never felt before. I devoured book after book, website after website, blog after blog pending endless hours educating myself, trying new recipes, watching videos, listening to podcasts. I was kind of obsessed with this fire burning inside, but was enjoying every single minute of it and found it all so fascinating and exciting. I was floating on a cloud of bliss. For years I had known I needed to find a way out of the trap, that there were more important things in life, that we are here to love and enjoy life, not to toil away behind desks in a constant state of stress never really achieving our true potential, and that we are all destined for greater things. When I was 19, I read Buckminster Fuller's Critical Path and his words about how he had chosen to devote the rest of his life to only doing things that were beneficial to all of humanity struck a chord, and he became a role model and radically shaped how I viewed the world and how I chose to live. At 19, I wasn't at a place where I was ready to make such a radical shift and I loved being in art school and creating, but I did hope I would someday have the dedication, drive and honor to live in such a harmonious way and find the courage to stop compromising for the sake of a pay check or a false sense of security. When I found raw foods, the path of illness that had led me to it all made sense, and I was able to see it too as a blessing. I knew I needed to work with people who had been put through the wringer with the health care system like I had and show them that if they simply chose to take their health into their own hands and take care of themselves they would find the answers. I knew I needed to work with people who really wanted to make changes, and serve to inspire and encourage them on their paths and provide them with the information they need to make their own educated choices, as I had already experienced what it was like to try and convince people who didn't want to change to take matters into their own hands, and knew that it was like leading a horse to water and watching it get more and more dehydrated. Slow, painful, draining and not good for either party in the long run. I placed my intentions very specifically on that "people who want to make changes" part of the plan, and 2 days later an email appeared to a raw food group I was on asking for someone to help them, and I got my first client, Emily. She was great to work with, had such a warm, positive energy to her and I got such a deeply satisfying feeling from helping her. She began to ask me to make some food for her to buy, and with that I began to shift into chef work as well. I was so excited about the direction my life was taking and saw this as an opportunity to spend some of my time being of service doing something I truly loved and earning enough to finally have the time I needed to work on my artwork. I signed up for a course at Living Light with the intention of learning more so I would be better able to help more people and expand my client base so that I could quit my job and escape the verbal abuse that was making each day more and more draining and full of anxiety. I guess the universe heard me, and knew I didn't have the strength to quit on the spot, so instead I got fired just a few days before the course started and knew it was a sign to devote my time and energy to this path of healing and nourishment, and oh, how amazing my life has been as a result.

A Few Short, Action-Packed Months Pass

My thoughts shifted more towards community and sustainable life as a whole, and I knew I needed to go even bigger than consulting - I decided I wanted to someday create an intentional permaculture community. I got a sponsorship to study permaculture and biodynamic farming in Europe for 6 months. I decided I would sublet my apartment and drive cross country once again (it's one of my favorite pastimes) to spend a few months with my parents doing some emotional healing before moving to Europe for the program. My dad has his first heart attack and got diagnosed with diabetes one day when I was only 12, and I remember fearing his death, a feeling that also shaped my life over the years as I watched him continue to smoke, have another heart attack, several surgeries, a stroke of the eye, foot ulcers and bypass surgery on his leg. I saw at an early age that there was a link to ill health and not taking care of ones self, even though it took me a long time to put that into action in my own life. Nothing could thrill me more than my dad deciding to go to the Tree of Life and work with Gabriel Cousens to reverse his diabetes and actually finding a way to afford the program, but I have no intention of trying to change my dad (who is a bit healthier now - he quit smoking shortly after I did), as it's his life and he would have to come to that sort of decision on his own, without my persuasion. But he did always want me to be a doctor instead of an artist, so I am hoping that I can at least be a positive influence through my own actions and he might pick up a few things on his own just by me being around and letting him be him, and loving and accepting him for that. My mom has been intrigued by the whole thing since day one and is always asking me to send her books and information, and she loves food and has noticed the changes in me from conversations on the phone, so I know she'll join me in the kitchen and that we'll have lots of fun together. There is a correlation in my family between stress and eating, so I am hoping to slowly unravel some of those issues and make better sense of them myself. So my brain is buzzing on the high of long-term community building, doing beneficial things for humanity, and putting some energy into healing some family issues just by being present.

The Bigger Picture Comes Together

I attended an amazing weekend workshop about abundance and community given by the owners of Cafe Gratitude, and met Brandie. I had been thinking about an image of a girl on a bike on Philip's blog, and how badly I want to cart around my raw food treats on my bicycle on this land I have yet to purchase in the intentional community I know will one day come together, which I had sent to my friend Adelaide, whose intentions for a permaculture community are so very in synch with mine. Adelaide is an amazing person with a great memory. She recognized Brandie's name and Smiling Dog Cafe from the blog post I had sent her, and we begin talking about my upcoming cross-country trip and I tell her about how that little photo of her on her bike made me so happy and excited, and within a few minutes, a plan to stop in San Luis Obispo and stay with her and help out in the Smiling Dog Cafe for a few days on my way across the country is made. But we're at a workshop on abundance with a wonderful, loving community, and that combined with all the synchronicities is so terribly inspiring so about 3 minutes later the seed that we planted sprouts and begins growing wildly...I decide to turn my entire trip into one huge community building experience. Everything fit in with my desire to be of service and build community, so I decide to give away my consulting services to people by donation (not just monetary - I believe in the gift economy a la Burning Man), help people with any garden projects they need help with, attend potlucks and connect with amazing people and make them all part of my journey (and yours) by blogging my experiences here. I had been doing a lot of work-trade since I lost my job in exchange for yoga classes, meals, and numerous things and it has been an amazing experience to step away from the trap of needing a job to have a quality-filled life, so I decided to see if I can work-trade at a few raw food restaurants, helping them in the kitchen and doing a write-up of their restaurants here on my blog in exchange for some lovingly prepared meals. Blogging about the entire experience here will bring exposure to the lovely people I meet on my journey, and connect them to other like-minded souls. I hope it will help foster deeper connections, and inspire people to be active in their communities and pool together to get things done. The power of community is a strong and beautiful force. Maybe someone will even one day use this treasure map I am creating when they travel to similar areas, similar to me seeing Brandie on Philip's blog.

I am confident that while being of service, whatever you need, the universe delivers. I believe we are all connected, we just sometimes forget, and I know we have an abundance of everything we need. Anything you could possibly need, someone else has too much of it. By working together, we can balance things out so every one's needs are met. We are all in this together - there is no them, only us. I believe we can foster community online, and I am glad that will be part of my journey, but I also believe in the power of direct action and going out there and doing things to be the change we want to see, which is why I am packing my blender, juicer, dehydrator and loads of goodies into my trunk and getting on the road to do this. I also believe in asking community for help. We each bring something to the table, and often doing small things together can bring the biggest changes. I know I can't do this trip alone, and I need to enlist the help of all of you.

There are things I will need from the community at large to make this work. I will be couchsurfing my way across the States (it's the best way a human can ever travel and I love my CS community) but will still occasionally need places to sleep, internet access to blog about this magical journey, people to come out to play and join the fun and share slivers of their lives on this planet, people to make music and dance and celebrate life. I will need information on: local raw events, lovely people I should connect with, people who would like to learn more about raw or who have something great to teach, local food co-ops, farmers markets, herb shops, people who make local products to be featured on this blog. Anything you have to offer to be of service in this journey is appreciated, and you can email rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com if you'd like to help. My friend who is joining me for a portion of the trip put word out that she needed a laptop, so someone donated one to us, and another friend donated his time to fix it. It's really amazing how everything just falls into place. :)

Here are the dates and locations for the first leg of the tour (the rest will be announced shortly):

February 12-13th - San Luis Obispo
February 14-15th - Los Angeles
event: February 14th - LA potluck - click here for details and to RSVP
February 16-17th - Death Valley
February 18-22nd - Las Vegas
event: February 21st - Raw Potluck Brunch in Vegas - details to be posted shortly
event: February 22nd - Raw Potluck Dinner in Vegas - click here for details and to RSVP
February 23-25th - Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park
February 26-28 - Moab/Arches

Then it's down to Arizona to do a week-long work trade at Grace Grove, a raw retreat center just outside Sedona and visit the Grand Canyon.

After that, we'll head to Santa Fe, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, and then who knows...maybe Tulsa? Memphis? Nashville? We will see where the universe takes me, what direction synchronicities point in...There is no specific end date, though I will eventually end up back east to spend time with my family.

Things you can do:

Spread the word! Add links to this post on your blog, twitter and facebook to help build and prove that if we all work together, we can accomplish truly amazing things.

You can follow the journey here, on twitter, on facebook, and on We Like It Raw. I strongly suggest using things like the facebook group to contribute as well - post photos and information and connect with others. I really want you all to be part of this journey.

Email us if you'd like to contribute or join in the fun along the way or have suggestions or information, comments or just want to say hi. Help us organize events in your local community.

And lastly, if you still want to do something to help, but aren't sure what to do, or don't have time, I will be accepting donations to help defray the costs of gas and food via paypal. These donations will help fuel the car, put food in people's bellies and allow us all to spread the message of community, trust and abundance out to more people. Even if you have no money, know that if each person who visited this site only contributed $1, they would be making a huge difference. It's not about the individual amount - it's about the collective power of community and every contribution counts.

Donations of any amount are gladly accepted.

I will be giving away my services on a donation basis - if you grow something, trade me produce, if you are a massage therapist, give me a massage, a hairstylist - i could use a cut!, if you know about car stereos, help me get the cd unstuck from my player. If you feel you have nothing to contribute, know that that is not true and that everyone has something to contribute. Tell me a story, share you life. If you provide the food, I will even prepare a delicious raw feast for you and your family. Or maybe enough people will donate funds to allow me to give away the meals for free to those who really need it most. I'd love to give talks at events about my journey through my medical hell and how raw food helped me heal and transform my life. If you know people who want to get healthy, but put off taking care of their health because of financial issues, or if you know of any events where I can speak about healing, send an email to rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com.

This is also a way for those of you in the community to have an opportunity to share your goods...Thanks to the lovely folks at Fearless Chocolate and Love Street Living Foods, we will be giving away lots of raw chocolate and other goodies along the way. If anyone has any other products they'd like us to share, or extra copies of books or anything else they have an abundance of, here is your chance to get the word out for free. We will give away anything you want to get in the hands of community. Drop an email to rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know how you'd like to contribute.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to connected with as many of you as possible in various different ways and working together to create the change we want to see in our world.

Electro Interstitial Scan

2009-01-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

So I went to my amazing, genius Naturopath in Marin today to work-trade to eliminate the remainder of my debt to him that has been lingering since I lost my job in October. I was really amazed and touched that he was open to the idea of a computer work exchange, and then to top it off, he goes and throws in an EIS body scan. When I first went to see him in January of 2008, I was impressed and grateful because he was the first health practitioner who actually treated me as a human being instead of a diagnosis, and listened to what I had to say and trusted my observations of my own body. He was a far cry from my old NYC practitioners who each in their own way told me it was all in my head, that I was bipolar and needed to be medicated, and that my issues were psychological even though I told them I could feel chemicals coursing through my entire body that would cause me to feel certain ways and just knew something was wrong internally. They shrugged off my sudden weight gain as being caused by "depression" and never listened to me when I said such a significant increase did not seem right based on what I ate. They told me my incredible fatigue was also a depression issue. Little did I know that all my symptoms combined were extremely common in people with hypothyroidism, which was what I discovered to be a large part of the puzzle. But I am grateful, because their inability to listen to me and treat me as a human is a large part of what prompted me to move to San Francisco so I could be immersed in a very in-your-face alternative health community and learn as much as possible in my search for truth and healing. And what a beautiful journey it has been. Everything happens for a reason, and I wouldn't change a thing about my life, as it has shaped me to be who I am today.

I haven't done tons of research on EIS scans, but what I have uncovered, like most medical research has been half positive and half skeptical, so I strongly recommend anyone looking in that direction do their own research and make an informed decision on their own. What I liked about my Naturopath was that he is aware of the flaws in things and not only did he do a second scan to see what was different between the 2, but he also takes everything with a grain of salt and uses it in conjunction with that he has already determined from a thorough intake, instead of as a replacement. So thorough! But on to my results..

They were overall much healthier than most people my age - yippee! There were a few things that showed up as not optimum, but they were all very minor and there was no major cause for concern.

My liver - half of it was over-active, and half was under-active. This could be attributed to detoxing, as well as my previous issues. When I first started going to my ND, his Chinese medicine diagnosis (which was echoed by the lovely folks at ACTCM, a great clinic in SF for affordable acupuncture and Chinese herbs) was that I had too much phlegm and stagnation in the liver, and the buildup was causing acne, which I had not experienced since I was about 12. I am sure all those years of drinking and experimenting, as well as some of the things in my diet were responsible for overtaxing my liver and the rest of my body.h

One scan highlighted the pancreas, but the other did not, and highlighted one section of my intestines instead. Not sure what that was about, but since it was different on both, I'm not going to invest any energy into it at this time.

Neurological status - all my brain chemistry was totally normal and in perfect balance. I'd love to show that to my old doctors in NY (and one in SF) who had diagnosed me as Bipolar. My amygdala showed up in the minor to mild range, which makes complete sense to me. For years, a big problem spot for me has been how I process and store trauma. My emotional memories have always appeared to be stronger than almost everyone else I have ever known and were a huge challenge for me. I did a bit of deep emotional release bodywork a few years ago, and my first session was intense and amazing, but the second one did nothing for me. I wonder what would happen if I were to explore that again with a focus on that area of my body. I am also curious to research what other things I can do to heal this part of my brain. Time do some more research on Bioenergetic Analysis.

My lungs - they were slightly under-active, which is very common in most people these days. We simply do not breathe deeply enough. I suspect part of that is related to how we live and the stress and disconnection that have resulted from our modern times. I thought my breathing had deepened through doing yoga more often, but I guess there is always room for improvement, and I definitely notice the stretching of my lungs when I am hiking steep inclines in the mountains.

My breasts - also slightly under-active, which is common in women these days also. It was great seeing this, as the day before I had just been reading a great post about breasts, bras and cancer on Courtney Pool's blog and talking to her about how I loathe wearing bras because they feel so restrictive and how I noticed the elasticity of my skin in that area improve since I went raw, and am hoping a day will come when I don't need to wear one at all. It's something I've pondered a lot when studying indigenous tribes, and thinking about our evolution and how things came to be how they are. My Naturopath told me about his wife's experiences with her breast problems and how they healed, which was pretty fascinating.

I wish I would have gotten one of these scans before I went raw, because initially I started seeing my ND in January of 2008 because I was a mess with hypothyroidism and a severely congested liver, and since then, I've done a lot of cleanses and went raw, so I can feel a huge difference from how I once was. My thyroid appeared fine in both scans, and my liver only mild. When I return to Northern California after my adventures, I will definitely be going back for another to see if my liver has completely healed.

Raw in Arcata

2009-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

I corralled 2 of my closest friends (Tanya and Caitanya - I love you guys!) into the car and headed up to Arcata for the holiday weekend to visit the glorious Artemisia Butterfly and her dazzling son, Bodhi Shine. I could not have asked the universe for kinder, more generous hosts. They opened up their home full of swinging chairs, hammocks and plants to us and treated us like family. Artemisia is partly-raw, so she let me use her Vitamix to whip up treats all weekend (I brought a bag stocked with nuts, maca and tons of produce so I could survive on deliciousness), and she even let me use some of her cacao nibs, vanilla and berries to add to everything. What a heavenly time we had in the kitchen all weekend!

Artemisia is a truly giving person who a mutual friend insisted I meet, and I am ever so glad I listened. We had so many great conversations about life, love, friends, health, music, art, nature and well, everything. She is a single mom raising her son to be completely open to life and all that it brings. It was amazing seeing how she teaches him to communicate, and act with love, and to be conscious of his actions at such a young age. I know who to turn to when I eventually am ready for kids, though that will be quite some time from now. :) She's a true inspiration, as is Bodhi, a beautiful result of love, patience, knowledge and fun.

While we were in town, we got to check out the local food co-op and soaked in the hot tubs one night at Cafe Mokka, which was beautiful to behold at night with everything enshrouded in the Pacific Mist. I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in Arcata.

Besides visiting the people up here, the other main reason for my visit was the ginourmous redwood trees that always make me so happy and full of love. We spent hours hiking amongst them, climbing inside them, crawling up the sides of them, walking through them, and delighting at the large varieties of fungi everywhere. Me in the redwoods is like a little kid in the candy store. I want to hug them all, touch every piece of moss, lick dewdrops, and never leave. I am going to miss this Northern California coast that has been my home for these last 3 years. I know I am not leaving for that long, and am going to enjoy my journey for the rest of 2009, but I am already starting to feel a bit homesick for this place that has been part of such amazing life transformations and growth, and provided me with so much love, happiness and connection to the source. My life here has been so beautiful, and there is nothing I would change about it, yet I know I need to explore another continent for a little while. Travel is in my blood, and the call never goes silent, so it's best to carry my life on my back like a turtle and follow it for awhile until it leads me back "home" again.

Lessons in Abundance and Community

2009-01-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Wow, what an amazing weekend of radiant, blissful energetic connections and being!

This weekend, Matthew and Terces Engleheart (of Cafe Gratitude) gave a very large gift to the community-at-large. They gave away one of their $200 workshops on abundance away to over 150 people in the community to combat the scarcity mentality many are embracing in this time of economic collapse and dismantling of the corporate world. The economic issues have not bothered me one bit. My opinion, however unpopular it may be, if that all of this happening right now is a great thing and is what needs to happen to make way for a more sustainable future. Of course I feel bad that people are losing their jobs. And it really bothers me that the banks are taking away peoples' homes and getting more money from our government, when that money should have been given to the people to bail themselves out of those irresponsible loans. But as tough as it is for people, I believe this is what needs to happen for us to shed the things that no longer fit us so we can make way for a new mode of living. We can take the benefits of all we have done this past century and combine it with all we have learned from our mistakes and create something beneficial for all of humanity. From pain comes tremendous growth, and I love America dearly, but it could really stand to do some growing up. The way we have been living is not sustainable, it does not provide freedom for everyone, it does not pave the way for greatness. With the dismantling of the corporate multinationals, we will see true greatness - the people of this nation coming together to create real, lasting change. People deciding to live differently, to set positive examples for others to bring us out of this huge mess we have created. It is fixable, and we are the solution. As a shirt I once saw said, "We are the people we have been waiting for."

Throughout the entire weekend, I connected with so many amazing, beautiful souls, experienced an even greater increase in synchronicity (can you say collective consciousness?), and listened to people bare their souls and speak openly and honestly about anything and everything. There was no judgment, everything was done out of love, people acknowledged each other for their positive contributions and strength, strangers fell in love if only for a few hours. It was really intense, and one of the most beautiful experiences I have had so far in this lovely city of mine. I got a glimpse of what life would be like if we all dropped our judgment of ourselves and each other, acknowledged are egos and kept them in check at the same time, and communicated with each other openly, honestly and with love and acceptance. It was looking at the truth, which is that we have an abundance for everything we need, and if we continue to be love and give, we will always be receiving all we need. I was running on such a communal high all weekend as a result of all the energy we were all projecting outwards to each other. I am so thankful for the new friends I made, and the lessons I was taught. Matthew and Terces, thank you so much for your love and wisdom, your generosity, and your willingness to share it all with us. It was truly a blessing.

Vegan Portobello Ceviche

2009-01-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

I used to love Peruvian ceviche, so when I went raw I came up with this vegan substitute. It quickly became one of my favorite quick and easy to make recipes.

Vegan Portobello Ceviche

2 medium-large portobello mushrooms, cubed
1 small to medium red onion, diced
2 stem tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, cubed
1 clove garlic, finely minced
juice of 3 limes
1 c. chopped cilantro
salt to taste

I generally like to make this one in a mason jar, let it sit, and then rotate it so it's had a few hours to marinate and acquire a ceviche-like texture, but you can make it in a bowl and eat it right away if you want.

Cilantro absorbs mercury, so if you're non-vegan and eat a lot of fish, this is a great dish for you! Lime juice not only tastes delicious - it also acts as a preservative and will prevent your avocado from turning brown, so this dish can last for a few days in the fridge. If you have problems with your teeth, be sure to brush after because the citric acid can make them feel very tender.

Red Beet Ravioli

2009-01-05T16:42:00.001-08:00

This recipe is based on the Red Beet Ravioli recipe in Raw Food Real World, though I have altered it a bit, as I usually do, to match my own taste buds. It may sound a bit complicated, but aside from the soaking, it only took me about 30-40 minutes to make and assemble a lovely, delicious, and beautifully presented gourmet dinner for my friends.

For the filling:

3 cups cashew nuts, soaked 1.5-2 hours
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 green onions, white part and 1 inch of green part, minced
4 Tbsp minced tarragon
3 Tbsp minced parsley

In a food processor, blend the nuts, lemon juice and zest, yeast, and salt until smooth. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and fold in the onions, tarragon, and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. The filling should have the consistency of ricotta cheese. Store it covered in the refrigerator if not using right away; it tastes best if you bring it back to room temperature before assembling and serving.

For the pepper puree:

2 yellow bell peppers, cored and cleaned
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 green onions, white part only
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked 30 minutes to 1 hour
1 pinch ground or fresh turmeric

In a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth. If the sauce is too liquid, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of soaked pine nuts. Place in a squeeze bottle or other cover container and refrigerate if not using right away.

For the assembly:

1 large bunch red beets (2 inches diameter or more)
2 to 3 Tbsp macadamia oil, other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Coarse sea salt
1 handful chopped pistachios
1 tsp pistachio, other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small handful fresh tarragon leaves, torn or left whole
Freshly ground black pepper
Pea shoots for garnish

Step 1
Using a mandolin, slice the beets very thin (about 1/16 inch or less). Make stacks and cut into 2-inch squares. The size doesn’t matter much, as long as they are all roughly the same. You should have at least fifty slices. In a medium bowl, add the beet slices, macadamia oil, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Toss to coat: there should be enough oil and lemon juice to coat all of the slices, but not so much that they are dripping liquid.

Step 2
Arrange half the beet slices flat on serving plates. Place a generous dollop of the filling on each slice. Sauce the plates with the pepper puree, using either a squeeze bottle or just spooning it over the beets and filling (this way some of the sauce will be inside each ravioli). Top each ravioli with a beet slice, pressing down gently.

Step 3
In a small bowl, toss the chopped pistachios with the oil and a pinch of sea salt. Sprinkle each ravioli with the pistachios and top with the tarragon. Grind a bit of black pepper over the plates and garnish with pea shoots.

Manifestation and a Sense of Renewal

2009-01-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Looking back on all that changed in 2008, I am truly amazed and grateful for what has become of my life and for all that I have created in it. It was truly the best year ever, and I know my life is only going to get better and better.

It was the year I finally stopped going to doctors (after years of conflicting assessments, incorrect diagnoses, people who wouldn't listen when I told them something physical was wrong with me) and took my health into my own hands and healed myself. Raw foods was the gift I was finally ready to receive and accept after it cropping up in my life numerous times throughout the years. It was the enabler that allowed my body to heal itself and regain balance. It was the year I let go of a false sense of dis-empowering self, and really learned that we each truly have an abundance of power to create our lives exactly how we want them.

It was the year that I stopped accepting jobs that were less than what I really, truly deserve. I let go of my fear of being broke and this false idea that I should "just accept any job that comes because you're lucky to be working at all" and turned down jobs that were not aligned with my soul's purpose. Some people thought I was crazy and judged my actions, but they were generally the ones who accepted any old job and were never happy with their work because they were limiting themselves. My first steps were to stop accepting jobs that paid less than what I was worth and fight for the salaries I deserved, but eventually this was not acceptable to my soul and I knew I needed to not worry about money, that it would come so long as I was following my soul's purpose. I felt the calling to work with raw food and nourish community and heal others, and slowly began to manifest this reality and make it mine. What an amazing journey it has been!

It was also the year that I began to make an effort to really change my long held views on money. I began to acknowledge that my thoughts are really powerful, and that my views that money was scarce, that I had to work super hard for it to have it, or that it was the cause of so many problems in the world were all false and were the reason why I experienced a scarcity of money in my life, the condition of working too hard, and problems relating to money. When I began to let go of those beliefs, I got fired from my job and was able to not stress as much about money as I would have a year ago. And the more I challenged it, the more I was able to create an inflow of money and opportunity into my life. It is slow right now, but it is growing larger and larger each day, and I no longer have a doubt in my mind that it will come to me because I am doing good things to build community and provide things of value. Value creation is the most important part of creating a sustainable income. Your soul does not know junk, so that path will eventually lead to...junk.

It was the year where I stopped putting energy into friendships that I felt held me back from achieving my true potential, and made room for the new loving, positive ones I have now that pushed me to be the best me. I didn't know what would come of it, I just knew that I would rather have fewer friends I loved and that loved me than a bunch of the unsatisfying relationships that left me frustrated and unsatisfied.

As I deepened on my healing path, it became harder and harder for me to have people in my life who who refused to deal with their own issues. I am not sure if it was the lack of support I felt in those friendships, or their inability to relate to me and me to them, or just me feeling like I did not have enough energy to be around people who were still stuck in that place because I knew no amount of me wishing they weren't stuck there was going to help. I think mostly it was this feeling deep in my gut that at this point in my life, those types of relationships were only holding me back, and I knew I could no longer surround myself with people who did not challenge me and push me to grow, and that I was no longer serving them because I did not know what else to give on my end. You can't make someone deal with something they are not ready to face themselves, so I am sure to them, my pointing out the obvious was just scary and echoed their fears and made them feel awful, and I didn't want anyone to feel that way. Everyone grows at a different pace, and sometimes that requires us to let go of some relationships and weed our gardens a bit. So I cut the ties and let go of fear, not knowing that doing so would create room for more beautiful, loving relationships that confronted me with challenges daily and pushed me to be the most positive, loving, compassionate person I could be. By trimming the fat, and cutting things out of my life, I was actually manifesting everything I needed and desired. I am deeply grateful for the changes that came into my life as soon as I was finally ready to let go to some things I had been holding onto too long, and all the new people this attracted into my life. You have all been a huge blessing, and if I had not let go of my fear to hold onto friendships just for the sake of history or loyalty, I would have not met the people I have met. It's only when we are ready to risk it all that we truly discover all that we are.

It was the year when I chose to look deep within myself and actively discover who I could really be if I tried. Over the past several years when my health was getting worse, I was gaining weight and my acne was beginning to resemble a chain of volcanic islands, I was growing more and more fatigued, experiencing brain fogs, and severe mood swings, I began to stop seeing myself because when I tried to look at myself, I did not like what I saw. I was an emotional roller coaster of a mess, my face was puffy, I was overweight and felt like there was a second person covering the real me, and the happy shining person I once was seemed gone. I tried to look deep into my own eyes in the mirror and frantically search for that spark inside that would allow me to recognize myself, but I rarely saw it anymore. The spark was gone, and had been replaced with a dull luster. I knew if I were ever to get it back, I would have to use my imagination to create an image of my mind of the me I wanted to be. Sort of like the me I was before my health went down the drain, except better - this was who I would be when I was able to heal myself of ill health, and work on repairing all the psychological damage my ill health had caused, and let go of all the negative habits, behaviours, and defenses I learned when I was hurting and felt like I was being sucked down a black hole. It was the me I would be when I was actually stepping up and creating my own life, instead of sitting back and victimizing myself and making excuses for why my life was how it was. Yes, my health played a huge role, but I was seeking out information from others, when my body knew the truth all along, better than anyone else. So I was still putting my health and well-being into someone else's hands instead of taking responsibility for it and making it my job to fix it. No wonder I was so disappointed with the results!

We are all blessed beings, full of love and light. We often forget that, and when we do, we end up causing a lot of hurt, putting up blocks, and start believing that we are less - that we are not good enough, that we are incapable, that there is someone to blame, that we don't deserve love or happiness or everything. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are all powerful, our thoughts are strong, our words, our actions, and our attitudes...they are all important and through them we create our realities. So here's to manifesting the lives we want and deserve. Here are the things that I am focusing on next in my life. I wouldn't call it a wish list, because they are not wishes - they are things I am focusing my energy on and creating:

I am starting a raw chocolate company.
I am expanding my raw chef base to do retreats and events.
I am buying land and creating an intentional permaculture community that nourishes connection, community and education.
I am having the best life ever, every day.
I am loving my family, friends, community, and every challenge that comes into my life and offers me an opportunity for growth.
I am giving more than I have ever given before, and then some.

Monday Night Live at Café Gratitude

2008-12-30T22:22:00.001-08:00

I got an email from the lovely folks who run the Petaluma potluck about Monday Night Live, a new program at Café Gratitude's Healdsburg location. If you can't make it up to Sonoma, don't worry - all events will be tapes and posted online later! Here's the email:

Hey! Shea here!

For those of you who don’t know yet, or for those of you who do know, but don’t know how it’s coming along, I am excited to write this email and let you know that beginning in January 2009, I’m going to be working with Café Gratitude in an effort to bring live, weekly, educational speaking events to their Healdsburg location. (How Cool Is That?)

The project is called “Monday Night LIVE! @ Café Gratitude” and, as the name implies, will take place live, on Monday nights, at Café Gratitude. The events will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This will allow people about an hour to arrive, order and eat, with the speaker / presenter going on at 7:30pm for 45 to 60 minutes.

I am PROUD to announce that Monday Night LIVE! @ Café Gratitude will kick off on Monday, January 12th, 2009, with the first speakers being Matthew and Terces Engelhart – the owners of Café Gratitude, and the authors of ‘The Abounding River’, and “Sacred Commerce.”

After Matthew and Terces we have quite an amazing line up of speakers manifesting!

Happy Oasis on January 19th,
Elaina Love on January 26th,
Cecilia Benjumea on February 2nd,
Lydia Kindheart on February 9th,
Dr.'s Rick and Karen Dina on February 16th,
Melissa Phillippe on February 23rd,
Laura Bruno March 9th,
Dina Knight on March 16th,
Don Allan Hardman on April 20th,
Kevin Gianni in June,
Bruce Horowitz on June 22nd,
Cherie Soria on June 29th,
and many more!

I am choosing speakers who are passionate about what they do, what they bring to the world, and how they live their lives – and they will primarily be pulled from the following communities: raw foods, alternative health, fitness, sustainable / green living, and spirituality / consciousness practices. Personally, my main interest in terms of topic is this:

Who Are They and Why? Who where they before they found what they do (their passion), and what was their life like then? How did they find what they do? How did they get into it? How has it affected their life? And, who are they now because of it? I am, however, always open to other ideas for topics, and I also trust your judgment,
so if you have any recommendations, suggestions or referrals for specific topics or speakers, please contact me at shea@shealynnbaird.com.

The events will all be filmed, and the videos will be posted on my blog, SheaShayShā,
as well as on my YouTube account.

The goals of the project are to create community, educate the public, have fun, and benefit all parties involved.

Please check the schedule often, as it is, and will be, updated regularly. And please consider making Monday Night LIVE! @ Café Gratitude what you do on a Monday night!

We ALL (Café Gratitude Healdsburg, the Presenters who will be traveling to be with us, and myself)need YOU to make this work!

Monday Night LIVE @ Café Gratitude
Located at Café Gratitude Healdsburg
206 Healdsburg Ave (inside the Olive Leaf)
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707-723-4461
Hours: 9 am to 9 pm

Thank you! See you there!
Shea

Blackberry & Feijoa Smoothie

2008-12-27T14:30:00.001-08:00

I try very hard to be a locavore and eat seasonally (with some exceptions like cacao, maca, coconuts, bananas and a few other things), and one of my favorite things about my raw food journey has been discovering more foods that I never even knew existed. Ever since I was little, I was always drawn towards unusual looking fruits and vegetables and wanted to try everything I saw. I would pick random flowers and take a bite to see if they taste good, or nibble on the edge of a plant while hiking. But this year, I took that to entirely new levels and actively sought out new kinds of fruits with a consuming passion I had apparently barely scratched the surface of. Instead of just trying them, I hunted for knowledge and tried to learn more about them then their names and flavors. I learned food origins, what kind of climates (Northern California has a gazillion micro-climates which means we can grow a diverse array of food) they grow best in, how to care for them, the duration of their growing seasons and a million other things you probably don't care to know. ;) There is an abundance of local, seasonal foods and trying to figure out what to do with all of them is so fun and exciting!

I already shopped at the farmers market almost every week, as well as at my favorite local co-op, Rainbow Grocery, but going raw has forced me to dig even deeper into that connection. It has made me want to reach out to more local farms and has helped put a face on the people who grow my food for me until I can buy some land to grow my own. It reminds me that we are all part of one system working together and that each delicate piece has its place and they all matter, which makes us and all our decisions so unbelievably powerful. Nothing is inconsequential.

So thanks to Swift Subtropicals for growing these gems just a few hours from my home, which allowed me to concoct this delicious smoothie this morning. Locally grown feijoas in December? Yes, please!

Blackberry & Feijoa Smoothie

2 cups walnut milk
4 Medjool dates
4 apricot kernels
1/2 pint blackberries
3 Feijoas (peeled)
1/2 a banana
2 Tablespoons cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
1 Madagascar vanilla pod

Put all ingredients in blender and blend well.

SF Life January Potluck

2008-12-21T23:35:00.001-08:00

I've been getting a lot of questions from people about how to survive winter on a raw food diet, and am composing a more detailed post on the topic, which includes common misconceptions and some things to add to your foods, but wanted to give all the SF locals a heads up that the next SF Life Potluck will address some of these issues.

From Dorleen:

At our January 4 potluck we will share ideas on how raw fooders survive winter. If you are new to Living Foods and this is your first winter, come and learn helpful ideas of how to survive winter. If you have survived one or more winters, please share survival strategies and winter recipes.
Our potlucks start at 1:00 and are held at 630 Valencia (near 17th Street) It's in the community room at the Mission Police Station. The cost is free to members and $3 for non-members who bring a raw vegan potluck enough for 10-12 servings. If you do not bring a potluck dish, you will need to pay an extra $5 whether you are a member or not. Also,
please bring your own plate, utensils and serving utensils for your potluck dish.

Mini-Juice Feast 2008

2008-12-18T22:49:00.001-08:00

I did a mini-juice feast for about 3 days. I initially was planning 10 days, but I had to cut it short and postpone doing it long-term until I have steady income again. It was pretty easy to stick to because I already juice almost daily, and I felt more alert, energetic and ultra connected. The only drawback was that it was really costly for me to juice enough to not be hungry all day, and even with shopping at the Farmers' Market, I just couldn't afford to do it longer.

Everything was absolutely delicious! My favorite juice combination that I was sure to make daily:

Spinach + Apple + Celery + Mint + Parsley + Ginger + Lime + Chlorella

It's delicious, and made me feel like I had just injected myself with serotonin. Colors became more vibrant, and I just felt so energetic and focused afterwards.

The Benefits of Radish Juice

2008-12-14T19:10:00.001-08:00

I've finally decided to embark on a short juice feast to speed up the detox and healing process a bit and step into the next phase of my raw food journey. In my research on healing thyroid imbalances with raw foods, radish juice has come up a fair amount, so I've decided to include about 1/2 cup of it daily to ensure I get all the benefits. It's good to juice the green tops, which contain calcium, riboflavin and carotene, as well so you don't miss any key nutrients.

I have only used red radishes and rainbow radishes so far, but am going to splurge on black radishes this week. Russian studies have proven them to be extremely effective for treating thyroid imbalances. The radish has an element called raphanin in it that balances thyroid hormones T3 and T4. Raphanin is what you might call an adaptogen, meaning that it will bring your thyroid into balance whether it is under- or over-active.

Radishes are very beneficial to our overall health - they are good sources of Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Iron, and amylase. The radish is also high in sulfur, which is a mineral that helps build and maintain youthful skin, and has proven to be good for treating acne. Radish juice has been used for treating skin conditions, asthma and sinus problems.

The power of the radish has been recognized in traditional oriental medicine for centuries. It has been used to help remove hardened accumulations in the intestines as well as reduce phlegm. It has also been found recently that radishes contain xylogen, which promotes phagocyte activity which helps in breaking down cancerous cells.

Radish-carrot has been the tastiest combination I have tried so far. The radish gives a nice fiery tang to the sweetness of the carrot juice, and as long as you are getting your radish fresh from the ground with a higher water content, they won't be bitter or too over-powering.

Raw Autumn Granola

2008-12-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

I just made another batch of my favorite raw Autumn granola today. I tried some existing recipes in the past and though they were good, I was not 100% satisfied with any of them so I created my own. Here it is:

Raw Autumn Granola

1 1/2 c. soaked almonds
3/4 c. soaked whole buckwheat
3/4 c. soaked sunflower seeds
4 grated red pears
4 grated apples (your choice)
1/2 c. fresh cranberries, chopped in food processor (if you don't chop them, they won't dehydrate well and your granola will require refrigeration)
3/4 c. coconut flakes
1/2 c. date paste (about 7-8 large dates pureed in food processor)
1/2 c. agave nectar (I have not yet made a firm decision on the agave debate, so I will keep using what I have, but will probably eventually substitute yacon syrup or maybe honey)
3 vanilla beans, ground
1 TBsp cinnamon
sprinkle of salt

Rinse and drain all the soaked grains and seeds and place in a large bowl. Grate the pears & apples and add to grain/seed mixture. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture onto dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 112 degrees until dry, usually about a day.