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    Mango dairy-free ice cream recipe and some other dessert photos to make you salivate



    I had to come all the way to Vilcabamba in Ecuador to be reminded of where my sweet tooth came from.

    My mum is the sweetest person I know, in every sense of the word. And she has the desserts to prove it!

    Kiwi- our Ecuadorian sausage, me and my mum.

    My 'welcome back' treat of almond balls coated in creamy cacao paste.

    Some of the balls had pumpkin seeds. Perfect is the combo of seeds, honey and coconut oil.

    Breakfast. No joke.
    Some swirly magic of sesame paste, raw chocolate and cacao brownie layers.

    I don't know what to tell you about this Cherimoya pudding.  But if you could taste it, you'd agree that it's worth flying all the way to Vilcabamba for.

    And this is Cherimoya herself. 

    This Bananas and Chocolate dessert was from Kitzia's Saturday market, but made it to my collage of 'sweetening up in Vilca' here.

    And Mum's Ecuadorian mango ice cream is off the charts! This has been my most requested recipe from all Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts, so here it is...


    MANGO ICE-CREAM

    2 ripe mangos, peeled and frozen
    1 cup macadamia nuts
    3 Tbsp panela syrup, liquid honey or agave
    2 tsp vanilla extract

    - Put the macadamia, your liquid sweetener of choice and vanilla extract into a Vitamix and blend until creamy, using a tamper. 
    - And the frozen mango chunks to the blender jug and blend again, pressing all the ingredients onto the blade with the tamper.
    - Scoop the ice cream into serving bowls and enjoy immediately.

    If you are more of a visual type and prefer a video, watch my short vid here>>




    Master of the Month | Elena Alekseeva | Cream of Mushroom Julienne Recipe

    For the Russian version, click here>>

    As I am spending the majority of November in Vilcabamba, Ecuador for my retreat and my family, I thought- what better time is there to introduce you to a very special local? So special in fact, that even ‘Master of the Month’ seems like a tiny title in comparison to the work that this spiritual being with the biggest heart, does in the world. I am truly blessed to call her my mum!

    Elena Alekseeva is a gifted spiritual channeller, whose work is in demand from all corners of the globe. She moved to Vilcabamba (aka The Valley of Longevity or the Raw Food Capital of the World) with my Dad, Vladimir, almost four years ago, around which time she was also guided to take down her website. This didn’t make her any less busy though, because the people who need to find her, always do. And this knowing is exactly why no email or request for a spiritual diagnosis and correction has ever gone unanswered. People seek her out for every possible reason -whether it be help with poor health, troubled relationships, money blocks, limiting beliefs and fears, depression or simply guidance on effective meditation or cleansing their present and past lives’ energy- Elena first conducts a comprehensive spiritual diagnosis using a dowsing rod (if the individual and the universe permits) and then a full correction of all of your cells, organs, meridians and energy fields, bringing you to a higher level of vibration.

    Meet our November's Master of the Month…





    Describe your typical day of eating and drinking. 

    When I wake up I do some exercises for blood circulation in bed. I get up, massage my body with the massage brush, jump into a barrel of cold water, raise my arms to the sun and make a connection with the harmony of the universe and earth, fill myself with the Divine healing light and I send it to everyone. I drink a glass of hot water for the activation of the intestine. I do exercises. After that i really want to drink a green smoothie. My favorite is – I make pineapple juice (or mandarin juice), add different herbs from my garden: dandelion and plantain leaves, Kale, mint, beet and carrots leaves, spinach, strawberries, bananas, flax seeds or chia seeds. I make papaya and mango fruit salad, pour almond milk with chia seeds (or sprinkle with sprouted dehydrated buckwheat instead of chia). Later, I like to drink organic coffee (we harvest coffee from our garden, dry the coffee beans, make our own coffee or we buy coffee from the locals in Vilcabamba). I love to drink coffee with lemon, honey, and even with some sweets (ground pumpkin seeds with added coconut oil, honey, vanilla).

    During the day, I eat different fruits or make juices (my favorite - watermelon, ginger, mint, strawberry). I love to make vegetable salad with the different nut sauce, raw soups, and desserts. I start thinking about lunch when I feel hungry. I don’t make dinner, we eat whatever we want – fresh fruits, vegetables, green smoothies, coconut chips, herbal tea with honey.


    Who inspires you to eat well and stay healthy?

    This question has the answer within itself. Being healthy inspires me to eat healthy. I do not want to be sick in old age. All diseases people have from the wrong thoughts and wrong food. Better if I change my habits in favor of health now. My family, children, future grandchildren inspire me to eat right to be healthy. If I'm healthy, I can make a contribution to the improvement of life on our planet by my experience and example.


    What is your biggest weakness when it comes to food and how do you deal with that?

    The biggest weakness of mine - is to restrain myself from overeating. I love to create new raw food recipes. All of them are so delicious, especially the desserts, it's hard to stop tasting or to leave a half-eaten meal. But now I have learned to feel when it comes time to say, "I’m done" and set aside the plate.


    My top tip for:

    Improving your diet is… eat less, particularly on those days when you don’t work out much physically. And say ‘no’ to salt.

    Staying healthy while travelling is… About being organised. I like to prepare different crackers and nut and vegetable breads to have on me while travelling. I also take with me nuts and dates, because it’s impossible to be hungry with them.

    Detoxing is… the most effective cleanse is taking a rest from eating, even if the meal consists of only vegetables and fruits. Every Monday I drink only water. Each person is different and the approach to nutrition and cleansing must also be personalized. What's important to one person may be harmful to another.

    Immunizing is… equally important when it comes to the development of the soul and strengthening of the physical body. The body requires rejuvenation by cold water tempering, resting, movement and musscle strengening, and taking walks in fresh air. But better yet is to live where there is always clean air, pure water, where fruit and vegetables are without any chemicals. And also we should not forget to clean our chakras, channels, meridians through which we, as plants get the Light from the Source, and without this Light we cannot live, same as we would not be able to live without food, fresh water and clean air. This is what I do every day.


    What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

    When people tell me stories about their new feelings and sensations after my spiritual diagnosis and correction (pain disappeared, can now hear the voices of fruits and vegetables, began to write poetry, started doing painting, singing, all day live in the higher vibrations, all fears are gone, improved relationships, started living consciously, etc.) Their results - is the best compliment.


    How would you like to be remembered?

    I would not do anything for this purpose. I try to live in harmony with the world every day. Often, people from different countries call or write to me, asking for help. I always give the answer to every individual on how to live in creativity and joy. Everything I do - this is my karma (positive or negative), and how people perceive and remember me - it is their karma (smile).


    If you got to keep only 3 of your belongings: 1 thing from your kitchen, 1 thing from your garden and 1 thing from your bookshelf- what would they be?

    From the kitchen, I would take a blender, from the garden – my greens, and from the bookshelf - my favorite tool for getting information (a dowsing rod) and a notebook, which describes the procedure for correction after the diagnosis, so that I could help those people which the universe wants to heal through me.


    If you could host a dinner party for 3 guests (dead or alive) - who would they be and what would you serve?

    The most favorite guests for my husband and me are our children, Tanya and Alissa. In general, if I invite someone over - they are all my favorite. I would ask everyone what their favorite food is. And I would make for them anything they wish for. I have plans to invite the president of Ecuador to my raw food lunch.


    Why do you believe that life is Better Raw?

    To have a quality life - we need to be healthy, successful, energetic, and need to eat food that Mother Earth gifts us with love. Our internal system, if it is not toxic, can communicate with plants and take from them everything we need for our health and prolongation of our youth. When I prepare something from Tanya’s recipes, which can be found on her website, www.BetterRaw.com, what could be tastier, healthier and more beautiful? Try! Yummmmy.



    ------------------------------------------------------------------ 

    Our Master of the Month shares her favourite raw food recipe...


    ELENA'S CREAM OF MUSHROOM JULIENNE
    Serves 2



    For the marinade
    6 medium button mushrooms, diced
    1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
    1 bell pepper, peeled, deseeded and sliced
    ½ large cucumber, sliced
    juice of 1 lime
    3 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
    1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    1 garlic clove, minced

    -Mix all the ingredients and assemble them onto your dehydrator texflex sheets.
    -Dehydrate at 110F for 5 hours.

    For the filling
    1 cup coconut meat
    1 avocado, meat only
    2 Tbsp almond butter
    2 tsp raw honey
    juice of 1 lime
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1/2 tsp ginger root, grated
    Salt to taste
    Pinch of black ground pepper
    Optional toppings: soaked walnuts, fresh coriander and chopped green onion

    -Blend all the filling ingredients apart from the optional toppings.
    -Stir in the dehydrated vegetables and spoon the mixture into bowls.
    -Alternatively make your own decorative basket by wrapping banana leaves into a tube.
    -Serve with your favourite salad.


    ------------------------------------------------------------------


    If you’d like to know more about Elena’s work or to book a Skype session with her for a comprehensive spiritual diagnosis and correction, email reikielena@hotmail.com . If you’d like an electronic collection of her uplifting poetry 'I'm not alone' (Russian only version), it is available for instant download, here>>





    From Latvia with Love | Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe



    Have you ever experienced deja vu? Felt undeniably connected to a place? Were completely and utterly at home even though it's your 'first' time somewhere? Have you ever been lost and safe at the same time? What about disconnected from the outside world, yet more connected internally than ever?

    My trip to Latvia brought all of these experiences and more.
    Aya & Isis
    I booked a flight to Riga with a single purpose- to visit my soul sister, Aya and her tiny five month old crystal child, Isis. Little did I know, that I was actually embarking on a journey back to my own childhood and the delicious memories within it. 

    It is the land of my mother tongue, it is the land of Anastasia (or how I would imagine it to look) and it is the place where I lived for 1.5 years from when I was exactly the same age as Isis is now. Since Latvia was part of the Soviet Union in the 80s and my dad's military base was stationed there, he brought me and mum over from the Far East of Russia to be near him.


    I can't say that I remembered anything in particular returning 27 years later, but I know that I remembered a lot. 

    An obvious reminder was of the reason for which I travel. To me, travel is the only thing you can buy, which makes you truly rich. Instantly, another reminder came of how deeply grateful I am to my parents for moving around and showing me the world, showing me that home is not on a chunk of land, but within yourself.

    Deliberating on who's ride is more awesome.

    Exploring Riga's old town.

    Harvesting organic apples for Aya's Pura Vida raw food bread range.

    Aaaand THIS is where we stayed! Aya's wooden hut is in Mersrags, a 1.5 hr drive from Riga.

    Beach on one side of Aya's hut, while the woods are on the other.  Paradise? I think YES.

    Pura Vida bread on tap! 
    There's so much more I want to share with you about my Latvian experience- did you know that Riga has not one but two Raw Food restaurants? We've visited both! We've shopped at the local markets, went wild foraging, [nearly] went swimming in the freeeezing Baltic ocean, collected spring water, ate a bucket full of organic berries picked straight from the bush, stood on our heads in the forrest and rejuvenated all of our cells with every breath of the most crispy clean air...

    So much more to share in fact, that I am going to continue this story in another post and include a review of the raw restaurants too! For now I want to leave you with a be-you-tiful recipe, which you will simply lurve, as it was a mushroom foraging result, which I came up with for the chillier season...


    CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP 
    Serves 3



    3 cups almond milk
    2 cups shiitake mushrooms (about 150g)
    3 stalks celery
    juice of 1 lemon
    ½ red onion
    3 garlic cloves
    1½ tbsp liquid aminos

    Leave a couple of shiitake mushrooms for garnish if you like and transfer the rest along with all other ingredients to a blender.
    Blend on high, until the soup begins to warm up.
    Serve straight after blending or add boiling water to the soup to warm it up at a later stage.
    Enjoy with Tanya’s Onion Bread (pg. 26 of Nourished), Crunchy Croutons (pg. 32 of Nourished) or any of Pura Vida's ready made raw food breads.



    Did you like this recipe? It was featured in 'Nourished- Comforting Raw Foods for Winter'. This gorgeous full-colour eBook contains 39 of my most carefully selected recipes to feel warm, comforted and Nourished during winter and beyond. Everything is as always absolutely free from gluten, dairy, soy and wheat, but definitely not the taste! Take a look around>>

    How to throw a raw food party | Our engagement celebrations



    It's no secret that Elliot and I are getting married next year, but we are not done with the high of being fiancés just yet! As we got engaged in the middle the coldest winter UK has experienced since well before we were even born, it only made sense to wait for the summer to celebrate outdoors.

    THE PREPARATIONS

    We hired the lawn bowling club next door, ordered some props online, put together a canapés menu and recruited the best looking helpers in town...

    DIY decorations in the making the night before.
    The gorgeous Californian beauties and their funny mini man.
    Raw pizza and salad for the helpers.
    And the #1 prize goes to my #1 helper and bestie! Gina- you are a little cupcake of awesomeness! 


    THE FOOD

    When you are preparing raw food, it shouldn't actually take you any longer than preparing cooked food, however you must always start ahead of time to allow for the dehydration process.

    The great news about dehydrating is that you literally- pop in your trays full of food and walk away for the next 12-24 hours or so. No need to check up on anything, no need to worry about anything getting burned, and no crazy energy bills either! Have you checked out what dehydrator I use and recommend? See my entire suggested equipment list here>>

    Here's a sampling of what I made...

    Everybody's favourite- these Marinated and Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms never stick around for long, they are the best addition to any picnic and you can even serve them as a main course with a side salad.

    Dessert was surprisingly tricky to organise, as I knew it'll be sitting out in the sun, while so many raw food dishes require a fridge or a freezer. That's why I opted for Chocolate-filled Macaroons (they are usually chocolate covered and I teach the recipe in my Raw Chocolate 101 class) and Chocolate & Caramel Coated Cookies (recipe is just like these Dutch Stroopwafels, but with added cacao powder).

    Raw Food Pizza- a party must-have! The base is a classic nut-free version I always make, then goes the tomato paste, then the spreadable cheese and finished with any toppings you have in mind (or in my case- something that required minimal prep time was the winner- olives!) I also teach the making of it in my Raw Food Tastes of Italy class>>

    Dips and Dippers. ALWAYS have Dips & Dippers. For simple dippers- carrots, runner beans and celery sticks will do the trick if your dips are tasty enough, but it's always good to add some flaxseed crackers to the mix. For the Dips- I made extra Pesto while doing the stuffed mushrooms, extra Creamy Cheesy Sauce while making the pizza sauce and Guacamole.

    These mushroom nut balls and tomato ketchup are a delicious idea, possibly best kept for a more intimate dinner occasion. They take quite a long time to first soak and marinate, then process, then roll into balls and then dehydrate, but disappear in record time. Serve them with toothpicks to pin and dip or over courgette noodles if you are having them as a main meal.  


    THE PARTY

    Like any host will know- there is always something to do last minute, there is always something that gets overlooked and there is usually something that doesn't get done at all. However the great thing about it all is: nobody knows, but you!

    I mean, just look at these guys... does anyone look like they know I may have forgotten a thing or two?









    BRING ON THE WEDDING

    Our engagement do was sooooo much fun, although I reckon that was as much practice for the actual event as I will want to handle for the time being. I'm only grateful that the wedding isn't for another few months! But when the time does come, it will be the best day I am sure... 

    Just the thought of my whole family being back in New Zealand together for the first time in nearly six years, makes me emotional, but both of our families coming together for the second time since Elliot and I met, all while we have our closest friends by our side and in the same part of the world, while we say our 'I do's' -my heart may just explode. 

    Is it normal to even feel these nerves this far ahead? I will endeavour to calm them down by looking at our 'Save the Dates' and share one with you to make you smile too...




    raw food & soul adventures retreat revealed!

    Whether you are looking to unwind, recharge, cleanse your mind and spirit, take your soul on an adventure, breathe in the purest air, alkalise by marvelling at perfect nature, nourish your body with the most flavoursome and nutritious organic meals, learn how to prepare all the healthy raw foods or experience what the real Valley of Longevity is all about… there is no place on earth, like Vilcabamba to satisfy all of your senses and dreams.

    This November, a carefully selected group of people will get an opportunity to experience the ultimate Raw Food & Soul Adventures Retreat. Read on for more details and apply at the end>>