all the locals up here in calaveras county are in shock and awe with all the snow! it’s been the biggest, stormiest and snowiest winter in over 30 years! we are still enjoying the wonderful beauty of being amongst the cedars, pines and majestic redwoods. we just took an amazing hike through dorrington along the river with the dogs.
until next time! hola!
Whether or not you believe in this, the religious collective psyche has believed in this for over thousands of years. What does this mean? What does that mean to you? We’ve seen billboards along the freeways in California for months. I think we all need to be prepared for everything that’s been happening in the world. Massive earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, and much more to come. Whether you are a believer or not, it’s time to awaken from the dream. The trance that large corporations have put us into. It’s time to unveil the fog and see what’s really going on. Be safe. Take care of your family and friends. Do you have enough water and food to survive for several months? I am urging you to be ready. For anything. It’s time to meet our maker and I bet she’s awesome! ;0)
We’ve been so busy with the holidays and heading down to Los Angeles and then back up to Santa Cruz to visit with friends and heading to Ecuador I just didn’t have the time to write a blog!
Ecuador was amazing! We met some really great people and it just seems like a great place to live! We hiked in Cajas National Park which is along the Andean Mountains at 12,000 – 14,000 elevation. Yes, I got a bit of altitude sickness, but using peppermint oil on my temples made the headache go away!
This is one of the views from our beautiful hike in the Cajas National Park, it was truly “breathtaking”!
This is the wonderful hotel we stayed at in Cuenca, Hostal Posada Del Angel which is in the colonial part of town and we walked to the markets and to all the restaurants.
We are in Manteca and heading over to snowboard in Bear Valley for a week and then up to Oregon and Washington to see family and friends!
Hasta Luego!
Wow! Can you believe it’s almost the holidays!?! Like the frog says, “times fun when you are having flies!!!”
I received my Gourmet Raw Food Chef Certification along with taking two additional classes at Living Light Culinary in Raw Pastry Arts I and II! Wow, I loved the classes! We made Key Lime Pie, Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, Cheesecakes and so much more! Amazing desserts that where not only beautiful, but raw and healthy! And not cooked! So the vitamins, minerals and nutrients where all alive! Come on guys, jump on this fantastic bandwagon!
I always loved SF’s Scala’s Restaurant and they are known for their famous dessert, the “Bostini” which is a fun twist on the Boston Creme Pie! I made a raw Tangerine version! The base “cake” like layer is young Thai coconut meat and almond flour and coconut oil and the creme middle layer is coconut creme, agave, tangerine essential oil and the wonderful chocolate top layer is cacao, maple syrup and coconut oil and keep in mind this is all raw and none of our desserts even get near an oven!
Now I am attending the science classes and I will be done with school on December 14th! Yay! I will have my Gourmet Certification along with being a Raw Food Educator!
It’s been an amazing and wonderful journey and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to come to the beautiful coastline of Mendocino and meet some really fabulous people from all over the world. The new friendships have been rejuvenating and the enthusiasm for all of us to go out into the world and help others is exciting.
I’ve also been very grateful to have Ken along my side with Nalu, Nyah and Chaos. It’s great to know when I’m done with a long day of school to come back to our great trailer and enjoy discussing what we’ve both learned. Ken is almost finished with his book and he’s been diligent in learning Spanish every single day with our new Fluenz program.
We just celebrated Ken’s 62nd birthday on Monday, December 6th! Here he is with his raw and yummy Key Lime Pie!
We both plan to live for many many many more years, being vibrant, healthy, loving and full of vitality!
I wish you all a fantastic time with your loved ones this holiday season, and let’s keep that spirit up every single day.
Sending you love, love to all creatures, past present and future,
Judy
I’m talking about the mineral IRON! We will let Ken talk about pumping iron for exercising! You can follow his blog at www.functional-fitness.com/blog and you will learn about functional movement and exercise, stretching and regeneration.
So let’s get down to basics and again uncover the brainwashing that we’ve been fed from the Meat and Diary Association!
Most of us think, OK, I’m having signs of fatigue, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, maybe increased susceptibility to colds and infections, depression, apathy or trouble concentrating — which could be a cause of iron deficiency — maybe I need to eat some beef? Even your doctor might say you need more meat. WRONG. I say you can obtain all the vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and nutrients from a whole plant based diet, save yourself and the world! No kidding. No bull.
In doing research online there is filtered information. Keep in mind, don’t read everything you believe in and don’t believe everything you read!
Here’s some great raw plant sources of iron: (there’s more!)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Kale
Oregano, dill, parsley, basil and thyme
Romaine Lettuce
Kelp
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Mustard Greens
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Bell Pepper
Peas
Tomatoes
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Beets
Sweet Potatoes
Strawberries
Apricots
Blueberries
Raspberries
Peaches
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Scientific studies show that plant based foods actually have a higher content than animal sources! Keep in mind if you can eat these plant based whole foods raw and try not to “cook” out the vitamins and nutrients!
Some factors that increase nonheme (found in plant foods) iron absorption:
Vitamin C – the ascorbic acid component of vitamin C changes Fe+3 to Fe+2
Fructose – fruit sugar
Blending and juicing – liberates the bio availability
Soaking and sprouting of grains, seeds and legumes
So it’s important to obtain iron since it carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, functions in enzymes involved in energy production and involved in the immune system function.
Get out that blender (I say keep it on your counter top! You will use it more!) and make some yummy and delicious smoothies! Don’t you love fruit smoothies? Now add some kale, a little broccoli and/or romaine lettuce! You won’t even know it’s there! Buy some great pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hulled-hemp seeds and sunflower seeds that are “raw” and sprinkle them on your salads and soups! Don’t forget flax seeds and chia seeds too! They will supply you with the great essential oils that EVERY CELL in your body needs!
I’m learning all this great stuff from my course with the Dina’s as I become a Raw Food Certified Educator along with my culinary classes here in Fort Bragg, CA. You can visit the Doctor’s at www.rawfooddoctors.com. They are an amazing couple that have taken all the proven scientific data and put it into “layman’s terms” for much easier “digestion”! Thank you Dinas!
So what do you say, let’s pump some iron!
I really hate that question! Where’s the protein!?! Did you know that we have been bamboozeled/snowballed/feed-a-bunch-of-bull/marketed/it’s all been propaganda nonsense? You can thank the Meat and Dairy Counsel!
Please please please read “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell. It will change your life forever! It’s the most extensive and comprehensive research ever done on health and nutrition by a very reputable scientist and doctor. When you have time, please visit www.thechinastudy.com and www.tcolincampbell.org I highly encourage you to please read his book, it could save your life and/or one of your family or friend’s lives.
The USRDA recommends Adults obtain an average of 37 percent daily protein intake.
Here’s a quick list of protein percentages from whole foods and plant based sources:
Vegetables:
Spinach 49%
Watercress 46%
Kale 45%
Broccoli 45%
Brussels Sprouts 44%
Turnip Greens 43%
Collards 43%
Cauliflower 40%
Mustard Greens 39%
Mushrooms 38%
Chinese Cabbage 34%
Parsley 34%
Lettuce 34%
Green Peas 30%
Fruits:
Lemons 16%
Honeydew Melon 10%
Cantaloupe 9%
Strawberry 8%
Orange 8%
Blackberries 8%
Nuts and Seeds:
Pumpkin Seeds 21%
Sunflower Seeds 17%
Walnuts 13%
Sesame Seeds 17%
Almonds 12%
Cashews 12%
This is just a short list! I wanted to help educate you of the misnomer on protein! That’s all we hear when we say we are Vegans from friends and new acquaintances “Where do you get your protein?”
Now on the flip side of this, let’s make sure you don’t cook the bejesus out of your food either! So the more raw, the better. Why? So that you don’t cook out the phytochemicals and amazing powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients!
Here’s to your health! Please jump online/youtube and educate yourself of how to make really easy, fast and incredibly delicious meals for you and your family to love!
Cheers!
Just graduated from the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute as a Certified Associate Raw Food Chef & Instructor! I have the month of October off which is great! Joined the local gym here in Fort Bragg and I’m back to taking indoor cycling/spin classes and yoga! Feels fantastic and boy do I feel blessed to have such a wonderful life! We are livin’ the dream! Really great to spend time with Ken, Nalu, Nyah and Chaos again! Going to the dog parks and the beach! And it’s been sunny!
I start school again November 1st until December 15th and it will be another fun, and I gotta admit, a bit grueling schedule! I am really looking forward to the 6 weeks of training in “Ethnic Cuisines”, “Raw Fusion Spa Cuisine”, “Catering”, “Pastry Arts Unbaked”, “Essential Oils Used In Gourmet” and getting certified as a “Raw Food Educator”.
I’ve told a few of you it was like being on “Iron Chef”! We had to come up with recipes using creative flair, flavor balancing and fun “plating”. I am really grateful to have met such wonderful people in my class! Normally there are at least 25 attendees, however our class had only 9.
Here’s one of my creations “Rawsome Dim Sum with Kung Fu Sauce”! I had a great team, Emily Caillon and Shandon Anderson.
I wanted to create a raw dim sum flavor that I’ve missed since going Vegan. As you know most dim sum is pork, beef, chicken, shrimp and a lot of other really not so good for your body ingredients.
On the same fun team, Emily created the following wonderful “Chocolate Macaroons & Raspberry Chia Pudding” for desert! Isn’t raw food beautiful and it’s so much more nutritious for you! We are “RAWKIN’ IT!
Bone up a tree!
Love to all creatures, past, present and future,
Chef Judy
It’s imperative to be thankful for everything. When you wake up in the morning, are you grateful for the wonderful place you live in, the comfy and cozy bed you just slept in and the super people in your life? It’s important to stop and really smell the roses and be amazingly grateful!
There is so much beauty! Ken and I visited the Fort Bragg Botanical Gardens last week and the dahlias and begonias where blooming and what a site!
With the law of attraction, it’s so easy to create what we want in our lives! We are creators, think about it. Right now you are sitting exactly where you created yourself to be. Think about all the actions and reactions that caused you to be who you are and all the situations that got you there…good and bad. Everything happens for a reason.
Do yourself a favor and be thankful for being stuck in traffic and or being late for work. You’ve read some of the 9/11 stories? How about the guy that had just bought new shoes and he was angry because he was getting a blister, so he stopped at the drug store after walking up the stairs from the subway and when he walked out of the drug store, saw the towers going up in flames and he could have been in one of those towers at his desk working?
I hope you are seeing the signs…I think we are definately living in interesting times! We are currently facing a position of “protecting one’s wealth” not so much as to making a profit these days. If you do during these times, good for you! That certainly is commendable!
Ken and I watched a youtube video with Tony Robbins, Motivational Speaker giving everyone a 15 minute warning on the economic collapse. Remember Rome?
I have been telling family and friends to please make sure you are ready in any case with enough food and water for any type of emergency. It’s good to have a plan.
Ken was an “Eagle Scout” and I tell him that’s why I married him!
Here’s Chaos our beautiful black cat and he just finished reading Jack LaLanne’s book “Revitalize Your Life”!
And I just love the feeling that you are in control of your destiny! What another great couple of days! I attended the Living Light Culinary Workshop presented by Denise Vivaldo, Chef/Food Stylist and author of “Food Styling”. Denise is amazing! She has worked in Hollywood for over 30 years as a successful food stylist making food look incredible!
Here’s a few of my “works” did you know that the food in magazines and cook books aren’t usually edible after they’ve been styled? My pasta has cotton balls underneath, sprayed with glycerin and glue! And you probably didn’t know that most “ice cream” isn’t ice cream, it’s usually lard?!
My salad was held by placing a big dollap of lard to hold the curly lettuce leaves in place along with the asparagus! Then sprayed with glycerin and tooth picks to hold tomatoes in place! A few pasta strands had to be carefully hand-dipped with pasta sauce! Then you carefully place each strand, each mushroom and each basil leave into the right place! It’s like working on art!
I love learning and the wonderful inspiration from others has been rejuvenating! I am so grateful to be here along the coastline and enjoying the beauty. I am riding my mountain bike from the RV campground to the school, which i plan to do daily when I start and I cannot believe how out of shape I am! I am motivated when I complete the schooling in the end of December to get back into shape!
My frustration here in Fort Bragg and in many off the beaten path is r-e-a-l-l-y ssssslllloooooowwwww internet connection and hardly any cell service. You might not be hearing much from me these days with the lack of technology and since I’m jumping into the culinary school next week, 8-6 every single day with homework I will be as busy as a bee!
Don’t forget: You are the Chief Executive Officer!!!
