I don’t know about you but for some reason I’m enjoying the festive season even more than ever this year.

Maybe it’s got something to do with this Xmas being the last one of this decade!

Maybe it’s got something to do with having little children (that help you to become aware and be in awe of every little thing).

Maybe it’s because I don’t have a giant 8.5 month preggie belly like I did last year and in 2015 (so I can do cool and ‘dangerous’ things like ice skating!)

Maybe it’s the giddy thought of our forthcoming flight to California and spending Christmas Day the American way with my best friend, aka Lake’s Godmama.

Maybe it’s the ecstatic feeling of making New Year’s Eve plans with my sister and the thought of seeing more of her in 2020. (A very Russian belief says that the people you’re welcoming in the new year with are the people you’ll be spending a lot of time with over that new year. It may be superstitious but I’ve always enjoyed choosing my NYE crew thoughtfully- you’re guaranteed a great party if nothing else).

Maybe it’s because I finally feel like I got my health back and I’ve lots of energy and extra hours in my day to enjoy being alive! (Thanks to LMS Wellness for all the advice and to my fellow Hay House author, Medical Medium for all the info on celery juice, which I’m now drinking for the forth week in a row).

Or maybe it’s all because of our Christmas tree in The Living Room. 

Or the fact that this is the only month of the year, that we're holding not one, not two, but three Festive In The Wild Afternoon Teas.

Or maybe it's the fact that I had a stall at my first ever (which also happens to be my favourite ever!) Christmas Market this year. Walton Street Market was seriously the best! Reindeer, camels, owls, jazz, traditional organ grinder, the Xmas carols quire, hot kombucha, my cheezecakes not melting, festive vibes for dayzzzz!

Or maybe it's because 1st of December landed on a Sunday this year and we kicked off the 2019 festivities at a Christmas lunch with special friends.

I made this nut-free Mango Chai & Lime Cheezecake on a Gingerbread Base and it was a hit and a half! Now you too can make it...

Mango Chai & Gingerbread Lime Cheezecake

(nut free, dairy free, gluten free, raw) 

GINGERBREAD BASE

1 cup (90g) jumbo oats

1 cup (100g) desiccated coconut

1 cup (150g) pitted dates

1 tbsp grated ginger root

1 tsp cinnamon powder

pinch salt

1 tbsp maple syrup

-Process all the ingredients except maple syrup until completely broken down.

-Add maple syrup to the food processor and process some more until a large ball develops.

-Transfer to a 7 inch springform tin and press using your hands or the back of a spoon.

GINGER LIME LAYER

1 cup (240ml) hot boiling water

3/4 cup (135g) xylitol

1 block (200g) creamed coconut

3/4 cup (155g) extra virgin coconut oil or vegan butter, melted

1 ripe avocado (150g of flesh)

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice, approx. 2-3 limes

2 tbsp grated ginger root

1/2 tsp spirulina powder, optional

-Dissolve xylitol in boiling water, inside a blender jug. Chop up the block of creamed coconut and add it to the blender, then blend on high using a tamper rod. 

-Add all remaining ingredients and blend again until creamy.

-Pour over GINGER BREAD BASE and smooth out the surface with back of spatula.

MANGO CHAI LAYER

1/2 cup (120ml) cold water

1 tbsp agar-agar flakes

200g ripe mango flesh, approx 1 mango

8 soft pitted dates or 3 medjool dates, de-stoned and soaked if too dry

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp spice mix (mine had cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom)

-Pour water into pan, sprinkle with agar-agar flakes and heat without stirring until boiling. Reduce heat, simmer and stir occasionally for 5-10 mins until flakes are completely dissolved.

-Transfer the agar water and all remaining ingredients into a blender. Blend using a tamper rod until smooth.

-Pour over GINGER LIME LAYER and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.

-To set, transfer to the fridge overnight or to the freezer for 4 hours. Store refrigerated at all times and serve cold.

Prior to moving to the UK from NZ  (9.5 years ago now... Whaaaat!), Christmas Day always meant a full day of sun, sand, family fun and picnic feasting at Piha beach.

We always had the very best of times and although there wasn't a thing to complain about while being brought up in the Southern Hemisphere, I must admit that I also adore the polar opposite Christmas festivities which London has to offer.

And now that I have a family of my own, every single moment of Christmas time is all the more special.

Also, I literally could not be more grateful that I have this time of year to get fully absorbed in and take my mind off the discomforts of final month of my pregnancy with No2.

And how fun is it to visit Santa's Grottos!!? So fun!

Here we are just last night:

Super into anything and everything FESTIVE this year, I got a major urge to create and have been spending all of my days (and nights) recently making our Raw Organic Christmas Gift Hampers. 

Did you see? tanyasliving.com/collections/raw-organic-christmas-hampers

I realise that not all of you live in the UK to order yours and some of you have just purchased a dehydrator and are super keen to put it to good use this Christmas...

Soooo, I put together a whole recipe collection that covers every single yummy item in my own hampers.

Pick and choose what you'd like to make and if you post it on social, remember to tag #TanyasChristmas so I can find your pics and like them a million times!

Tanya's Festive Grawnola

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight

1 cup sprouted buckwheat*

3/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight

1/2 cup pecans/walnuts, soaked overnight

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup cranberries (I use cranberries that have been preserved in apple juice)

1.5 cups dates, soaked overnight

1/2 cup water from soaking dates

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

2 tbsp Tanya’s Chai Mix (Cinnamon, coconut palm sugar, clove, cardamom, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, coriander)

-Process almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts/pecans only for a few seconds in the Food Processor, until roughly chopped. What you are looking for are shards and fragments of nuts, as though you were roughly chopping them with a knife. Careful not to over-do or you'll create a paste.

-Stir all the chopped/processed nuts together with buckwheat, oats and cranberries in a large bowl.

-Process all the dates, coconut sugar and spices to a smooth paste in a Food Processor. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

-Pour this paste over all the nuts and mix everything really well using your hands.

-Distribute the mixture over a few dehydrator teflex sheets in rough chunks, making sure you don't have really thick pieces or they will take forever to dehydrate. 

-After 6-10 hours, transfer onto mesh sheets and dehydrate for another 20-24 hours until dry and crunchy.

-Store in an airtight container.

*TO SPROUT BUCKWHEAT

3/4 cup raw buckwheat groats

water

-Cover with plenty of water and leave to soak for 4 hours.

-Pour the water out and rinse the buckwheat in cold water 4-5 times. The liquid will be really gooey, so you are looking to continue rinsing until only thin water leaves the buckwheat, no goo.

-Distribute the buckwheat over a tray and leave at room temperature for 24 hours, rinsing 2-3 times in cold water over this time. 

Tanya's Christmas Mince Pies

For the crust

150g almonds

100g cashews

1/2 cup (75g) buckwheat flour

1/2 cup (65g) oat flour

1 tbsp chia seeds, ground

3 tbsp water

1/4 cup (60g) maple syrup

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

-Process all the almonds, cashews and flours in a good processor with an S blade, till powder like.

-In a separate bowl, stir ground chia seeds with water till well combined without clumps.

-Add the chia paste, maple and salt to the food processor and blend till you get a dough-like consistency. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times.

-Line a shallow 12 muffin tray with cling film. Distribute the dough mixture evenly among all muffin moulds, pressing in gently to take the shape of the mould.

-Place the full tray into a dehydrator set to 48 degrees C, for 12 hours. Carefully remove the crusts one at a time and transfer onto mesh trays of the dehydrator. Return to dehydrate for a further 24 hours.

For the filling

1.5 cups sultanas

1/4 cup quality brandy*

3/4 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

zest of 2 oranges

1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice

1/4 goji berries

1 tbsp Tanya’s chai blend (cinnamon, coconut palm sugar, clove, cardamom, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, coriander)

20 drops sweet orange essential oil

10 drops cardamom essential oil

*To check whether your brandy (or any wine, beer or liquor) is vegan, check out http://www.barnivore.com

-Pour the brandy over sultanas and leave to absorb for 2-3 hours.

-Mix apricots, cranberries, orange zest and juice in a separate bowl. Leave to soak for 2-3 hours also.

-Place all the ingredients into a food processor with an S blade and pulse till well combined but still slightly chunky.

-Scoop the filling into ready bases, smoothing out the surface as you go.

For the icing

1 cup cashews, soaked 4-8 hours

1/4 cup xylitol or erythritol

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp lemon juice

-Rinse the soaked cashews, then blend everything in a high speed blender till creamy.

-Scoop a spoonful over each pie, spread to the surface or leave like a dollop of snow fall. Decorate if you wish!

You can also make a simplified version of my Christmas Mince Pies, which requires no dehydrator at all. Take a look here: tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/christmas-in-the-raw-no-dehydrator-needed

Tanya's Christmas Pudding

For the puds

165g walnuts, soaked overnight

100g hazelnuts, soaked overnight

120g sultanas 

25ml quality brandy*

65g dried figs

50g cranberries

35g dried apricots

6g orange peel

juice of 1/3 orange (20ml)

60g carob powder

1 tbsp (10g) Tanya’s Chai Mix (Cinnamon, coconut palm sugar, clove, cardamom, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, coriander)

10 drops sweet orange essential oil

*To check whether your brandy (or any wine, beer or liquor) is vegan, check out http://www.barnivore.com

-Pour the brandy over sultanas and leave to absorb for 2-3 hours.

-Mix figs, apricots, cranberries, orange zest and juice in a separate bowl. Leave to soak for 2-3 hours also.

-Place all the ingredients into a food processor with an S blade and pulse till well combined. You may need to scrape the sides once in a while and pulse your machine.

-I use a medium sized ice cream scoop to form standing puds, then smooth them out with my hands, but you can also roll a ball and press it onto non-stick sheets to create a bit of a base.

For the icing

1 cup cashews, soaked 4-8 hours

1/4 cup xylitol or erythritol

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp lemon juice

-Rinse the soaked cashews, then blend everything in a high speed blender till creamy.

-Scoop a spoonful over each pudding and leave like a dollop of snow fall. Decorate as you wish!

Tanya's Salted Caramel Fortune Dates

12 pitted dates

1/3 cup grated cacao butter, melted

1/4 cup grated cacao paste, melted

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp Algarroba powder

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1/3 squirt Medicinal Flower caramel extract

Optional: desiccated coconut for sprinkling

-Print 12 of your favourite quotes* or feel good wishes* and messages*, roll them up, wrap in a little cling film and insert each into a date. Transfer dates to a freezer to cool for a minimum of 1 hour.

-Melt your cacao butter and paste in a double boiler, remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir gently until the mixture cools down slightly and is no longer thin and runny.

-Drop in a date, one at a time, immediately removing it so it doesn’t cool down (and solidify) the remaining chocolate in the bowl. Sprinkle some coconut if using. Continue to coat the dates in this way. 

*If you need some inspiration for what lovely messages you can print, take a look at this collection: tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/inspirational-quotes-of-the-year

Tanya's BBQ Spiced Nuts

250g pumpkin seeds, soaked

150g walnuts, soaked

140g almonds, soaked

110g hazelnuts, soaked

110g Brazil nuts, soaked

40g maple syrup

20g extra virgin olive oil

15g Himalayan salt

10g garlic powder

10g nutritional yeast

9g sweet smoked paprika

7g coconut palm sugar

4g ground coriander

3g coconut flour

3g dried mixed herbs

-Rinse all the nuts, place them in a tupperware container, then drizzle in maple syrup and olive oil.

-In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients/spices and then sprinkle them over the nuts and cover with lid. Shake the container so coating covers all of the nuts and seeds evenly.

-Spread over mesh trays of your dehydrator and dehydrate for 35 hours at 48 degrees C.

Tanya's Coconut Jerky

360g young coconut meat (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons date paste (this is just soaked dates blended in the water they were soaking in)

2 tablespoons garam masala

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

-Scrape off any rough bits from the coconut flesh and slice it into long 1 centimetre strips.

-Transfer all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir them together using your hands.

-Distribute over 2 teflex sheets so the coconut strips aren’t bunched together. Dehydrate at 47 degrees C for 5 hours, transfer onto mesh trays and dehydrate for another 5-15 hours depending on whether you prefer these chewy or crunchy.

Tanya's Festive Truffles

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup cacao powder

zest of 2 oranges

2 tbsp Tanya’s Chai Mix (Cinnamon, coconut palm sugar, clove, cardamom, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, coriander)

200g 70% dark raw chocolate

-Blend all the truffle ingredients (except the raw chocolate) in a blender and pour the sauce into a lined container.

-Freeze to set for 2 hours, then cut into desired size squares and return to the freezer.

-Grate the block of chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. 

-One at a time, enrobe the frozen truffle squares by placing each on a fork and pouring the melted chocolate over every side for an even coat.

And now it's your turn!

P.S. If you're still after more recipes or maybe some savoury meals to go with your Christmas Feast, there's more in my downloadable book:

P.P.S. If you'd rather I make this hamper of dreams for you, then check out what's on offer. (Those dates below are dispatch dates FYI, actual delivery dates will be 1-3 days later)

You guys,

This is pretty exciting!

I've been working around the clock to create the most beautiful, the most delectable, the most special and the most festive hampers of your most healthiest dreams...

How my days look recently:

I wake up, get Lake ready for nursery, check the dehydrator, squeeze oranges, get high on smelling brandy, soak more seeds/ nuts/ dried fruits in said o.j. and brandy, blend up the Xmas mince pie 'dough' mixture, spend hours carefully forming the mince pie bases, check the dehydrator, run out of organic supplies, order more online or run (read: crawl with my 8 month bump) to the shops or Tanya's in Chelsea, chop/ blend/ mix/ spread all the ingredients for the grawnola, collect Lake from nursery and keep her entertained by seeing how many soaked almonds she can peel for me, answer questions about the hampers on social, look for another way to entertain a bored toddler, get her involved in sampling everything in the dehydrator (always regret this bit- she eats A LOT!), give Lake a bath, make dinner together, eat and clean up, blend up the Xmas pudding mixture, spend hours forming the puds while listening to Xmas tunes and checking out Lake's latest moves that she wants to show me and to try out for myself of course, do the longest bed time routine imaginable (probably due to a hyper child after dance party), then once she's singing happily to herself in bed at 9pm, I return to the most festively scented kitchen for the final and most peaceful hours left in the day.

And honestly.. I love every single moment.

Christmas is truly the most magical time of year and since I really don't know what life with two kids will be like, I wanted to make this Christmas the most satisfying, which very much involves satisfying all of your requests for Raw Organic Xmas Hampers that we've been getting since first opening Tanya's in 2014.

Soooo, check this out:

We have DELUXE and LUXURY Hampers available...

DELUXE Raw Organic Plant-Based Hand-made Xmas Hamper

What's included:

LUXURY Raw Organic Plant-Based Hand-made Xmas Hamper

What's included:

If you'd like to see the list of ingredients or to order your gift hamper, hop over to our online store now: https://tanyasliving.com/collections

If you'd like to make your very own hamper just like mine, make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter, because come Monday, EVERY SINGLE RECIPE of each item in these gift hampers will be in your inbox. 

Subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/dw9CCn

Merry Christmas x

There are sooo many exciting things I’m planning for 2016 and one of them could potentially mean that this is the last sale of this kind… indefinitely.

If you’ve been thinking about equipment for your raw food kitchen, enrolling to Nutrition School or doing a New Year Alkaline Cleanse, now’s your chance to get the very best price I’ve ever been able to offer in the past.

Sneaky secrets:

1. The promo code TANYA10 is available to use on any of the Tribest products through their website: www.tribest.co.uk
2. For the first time ever, my favourite products like the Green Star Elite Juicer and Sedona Dehydrator are available in the UK at almost 40% off!  Tribest have temporarily reduced their prices and you can get a further 10% discount using TANYA10 as a promo code at check out: www.tribest.co.uk
3. The promo code Tanya50 is also available to use on an already reduced in price whole eBook Bundle: betterraw.com/shop

Scroll down, take a peak, lick your screen if you like. It’s the silly season after all 

Tanya’s Alkaline Cleanse |  London delivery only for now

Be it a purchase for yourself or someone else you love dearly, this is one gift that could (and does) transform lives. I designed it especially to work with the daily digestive cycles of your body in order to support you in a gentle yet very effective detox and boost your pH levels. You’ll be able to release the acidity stored in your body over the Christmas period, which is that awful thing that often reflects unwanted weight, aches, pains, dry problem skin and yeast overgrowth.

[Sadly as we are still a small company only able to produce a limited number of fresh organic juices, this cleanse is limited to London deliveries only]

Enter promotional code OHYEAH10 at time of order and save 10% on either 1, 3 or 6 day package>>

Festive- The best raw food Christmas recipes | eBook

This eBook contains the most flavour rich, luxury recipes perfect for the Christmas & Holiday seasons and any other time of the year. You will find 30 recipes with stunning photography. Everything is (as always) absolutely free from gluten, dairy, non-cultured soya and wheat, but definitely not the taste!

Enter coupon code Tanya50 at checkout and save 50%. Take me there>>

The Uncook Book- The Essential Guide to a Raw Food Lifestyle | Hard copy

Inside you will find over 140 easy-to-follow, accessible recipes with a modern edge, everything you need to know to set up a successfully raw kitchen and a whole lot of super handy tips that are both nutritionally viable and creatively fun. It’s the perfect book for anyone who wants to celebrate life through food and there’s even a Kid’s Section and a Party Section (with Superfood Cocktail recipes!), as well as a whole collection of never-before-seen signature recipes from Tanya’s Cafe.

UK version (grams and ounces) available via Amazon.co.uk , click to save 30%. Take me there>>

US version (cups) available via Amazon.com, click to save 31%. Take me there>>

Purified- Your complete 7 day detox program | eBook

This eBook is a step-by-step detox guide with 2 different menu plans- 1 for the luxury detoxer and 1 for the budget detoxer. Every breakfast, lunch & dinner recipe is designed with a busy individual in mind, taking only upto 30 minutes to prepare. Comes complete with shopping lists.

Enter coupon code Tanya50 at checkout and save 50%. Take me there>>

Seduced- Raw chocolate recipes to get very excited for | eBook

It’s all in the title really. This eBook contains 22 gorgeous & simple raw chocolate recipes, including raspberry jam centres, marzipan cigars & chocolate coated strawberries. There is even a superfoods glossary & none of the chocolate making requires any special equipment.

Enter coupon code Tanya50 at checkout and save 50%. Take me there>>

Nourished- Comforting raw foods for winter | eBook

This stunning full colour eBook contains 39 of my most carefully selected recipes to feel warm, comforted and nourished during winter & beyond. Get a whole heap of extra tips on staying healthy & immunised in the cold, as well as a guide to seasonal local produce.

Enter coupon code Tanya50 at checkout and save 50%. Take me there>>

JTC Omniblend 3 Horse Power Blender

I totally get what it’s like to want to make all those frozen fruit ice creams, creamy cheesecakes, pastes, rawtella, nut butters, frozen cocktails, etc, but being left disheartened at the price of a Vitamix or Blendtec. Did you know that the best, closest, most incredible alternative does exist… and costs HALF the price!?

Enter coupon code betterraw into promo code box and save upto 30%. Take me there>>

Tribest Soyabella Nut Milk Maker

The easy way to make dairy free milks at home using the Tribest Soyabella Milk Maker. Simply add soaked soya beans and water to get fresh soya milk in 15 minutes. For raw-vegans, it can make amazing raw almond, cashew, hazelnut and other nut milks in as little as 30 seconds. It can also quickly and easily make delicious milks from a wide variety of other beans and grains such as oat, rice and coconut. The included grinding attachment can even be used to grind nuts, seeds and coffee beans.

Enter coupon code TANYA10 at checkout and save a further 10% on already reduced price.. Take me there>>

Become a Health Coach!Wondering how I found a career I love and became a Health Coach? I studied holistic health and nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! IIN is taught part time, entirely online, by the world’s best speakers, nutritionists, doctors and spiritual gurus. Check out the entire first module of the curriculum here>>

 

Call +1(877)-733-1520 and mention my name (Tanya Maher) to save upto 25%. I wanna sample a class>>

 

Sale starts now and ends at 11:59PM GMT 31st December

Can you believe how close Christmas Day is?

The idea of Christmas feels especially surreal to me this year, because not long after, Elliot and I will meet our daughter.

I literally can’t believe I just said that.

Each time the mini muffin moves inside my belly (ie. all day, every day, each minute, non stop, always), I’m in total amazement at the superpowers of my own body. There’s a real baby in there! Well maybe it’s an alien- it certainly feels like that at times- but then again the other day I felt a teeny tiny foot with five perfect little toes and fell even more in love with this living creation within me.

So while I hear all sorts of stories about her coming for the world earlier or staying cosy for longer, I’m not going to plan any new workshops till we know for sure…

That means that THIS Friday's Raw Breakfast Club is not only my final mini workshop for the year, it's the final indefinitely. OMG!

If you're in London, it's the one morning you'd be glad you slipped out of work for!

You will meet a bunch of super awesome like-minded people, receive a little Christmas gift from one of our partners, learn how to make living raw Christmas Mince Pies (and take the recipe home) and indulge on the most beautiful and nourishing flavours of this silly season!

Take a look at the menu...