If you think raw food is awesome and you like chocolate, you would've probably, most definitely, certainly, absolutely heard of Pana Chocolate!

No matter where I am in the world, I always make sure I sample the raw chocolate on offer and although I’ve tasted some pretty incredible treats, Pana Chocolate is still heading the leaderboard for their perfect combination of taste, texture, flavour, values and love marks.

Can you imagine my excitement when I heard that Pana himself (I didn’t know it was a person’s name either- ‘Pana’ sounds like the best raw chocolate in the world to me) is releasing a book AND he’s coming to London from Oz AND he wants to teach us his top recipe secrets AND he wants to do it at Tanya’s!!

Well if that’s not enough good news, how about that he is going to run this workshop for you next week, so that you have plenty of time to learn the techniques right in time for the healthiest most delicious Easter!

The recipes Pana will demonstrate are:

Chai filled chocolates
Strawberry Basil tart
Mini Lamingtons (very Aussie for you)
Bloom breakfast bars

And if all THAT is not enough, you will be the first to get an exclusive sneak peek into how we are progressing for the re-opening of Tanya’s Reinvented, sample everything we demonstrate, be able to purchase a copy of the book for only £15 (or bring yours) and have it signed by the master himself, and go home with 2 x Pana Chocolate bars!

Book your ticket now>>

When: Saturday 1st April
Time: 3pm-5pm
Where: Tanya’s inside MY Chelsea, 35 Ixworth Place, SW3 3QX
Fee: £45pp
What’s included: Step-by-step raw chocolate demo, tasters of our favourites from the book, Q&A with Pana Barbounis, book signing (bring your own or buy a £15 copy on the day) and 2 x Pana Chocolate bars.
How to book: via Eventbrite here>>

See you there, I hope!
It’s my first workshop in over a year and numbers are super limited, so we’ll have full house in no time (don’t say I didn’t warn ya!)
Happy Friday!

My baby turned ONE on 13th January.

I still can’t believe it.

Our NCT teacher once said that ‘It’s long days and short years with little ones’ and wowee is it true…

It now takes me two days to respond to a text, three days to finish an email and based on the date of this blog post- over a month to publish a recipe.

Gone are the days of going to the bathroom in peace; you can’t finish a single cup of tea, ever; you teach everyone to slow down and chew chew chew while eating but swallow your own plate of food, whole, together with the plate, I think, wait where is the plate then? You tidy up for more hours in a day than you’ve ever done in any given month before, yet nothing looks tidy. Daylight Savings is now about being woken up a whole hour earlier, instead of gaining an hour. You could stare marvelling at your bundle of joy for hours, yet count down the minutes till daddy gets home for bath time.

Your days are loooong, yet a year flies by.

It’s all so confusing being a mother and yet it’s what makes the most sense. Every emotion intensifies with a child- your hard days are really really hard and your good days make you feel like a superhuman. You look at your little person in disbelief that they’ve been here for a whole year already, but most of all that you’ve ever lived without them.

Happy Birthday Little Lady Lakey Lake, you probably won’t remember it, but your cake was so so tasty!

It was a moist, decadent baked banana cake, which was also free from dairy, egg or any animal food. It was of course free from anything refined and so that I don’t have to worry about you overdosing on nuts, I made the icing free from cashews too!

The tiger nuts I used in the recipe aren’t actually nuts at all, they are root vegetables. They are naturally sweet, which means that you don’t need to add as much sweetener to recipes. They are also mighty nutritious…

Tiger nuts have MORE iron than red meat! 

According to Dr Axe, 1 ounce of tiger nuts has 1.8 milligrams of iron (10% of DV in a 1 ounce/30g serving) and according to Authority Nutrition, 1 ounce of beef has just 0.8 milligrams of iron (29% of DV in a 3 ounce/ 85g serving)!

More to that, tiger nuts are also full of potassium, magnesium, zinc, Vitamins C and E, plus they are high in fibre and work as a prebiotic, which is all great news to beautiful skin and a healthy digestive tract.

These little nutty sweet nuggets can be eaten on their own, but I find them a little too chewy for my liking, so I make mylk, using the exact the same method that I do for making my almond mylk, here>>

Here's the recipe of Lake's Birthday cake, using tiger nut milk in the icing:

THE HEALTHY BANANA CAKE

For the baked cake:

[I made 2 of these recipes and stacked both cakes for Lake’s birthday]

4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1.5 cups rye (or a GF) flour
1 teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 cup chopped chocolate, cacao nibs or your favourite nuts (I use pecans or cashews and add a little more coconut sugar if using anything other than already sweetened chocolate)

-Preheat the oven to 180C.
-Mash up the bananas in a large bowl, using a fork. Stir the olive oil through, sprinkle with all remaining ingredients, except the chocolate/nuts, and stir really well. Finally add the chocolate/nuts and stir again.
-Oil the inside of a removable base cake tin or line a cake tin with tin foil (I use 7inch tins). Pour in the mixture, not forgetting to scoop out everything from the bowl with a good spatula (invest in a quality soft spatula!)
-Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out semi clean after being inserted (don’t worry if there’s a little smudge on the knife, because when it comes out too dry, the cake can be overcooked).

For the Tiger Nut Mylk Frosting:

[This recipe makes enough to cover 2 x cakes, halve it if only making 1]

1 cup tiger nut mylk (same method as Almond Mylk)
2 cups desiccated coconut
3/4-1 cup xylitol, depending on taste
1.5 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 drops lemon or sweet orange extract

-Tiger nut mylk doesn’t keep very well so it’s best to make it fresh for this recipe. Also, if you get yours out of the fridge, it will be super cold and can make the coconut oil solidify inside your blender jug WHILE blending! (Speaking from experience here :))
-Add all the ingredients into the blender and blend on high using a tamper.
-If you’re making this icing for a raw cake, simply pour it over the cake whilst it’s still in the ring tin and transfer to the fridge to set for 3 hours. If you’re making this icing for a baked cake, let the cake cool down completely before applying. You will notice that the icing is quite runny, so if that works for you, simply pour spoon-fulls over the top of the cake. I like the icing nice and thick (looks more lush too!), so I transfer the entire mixture into a container and place in the freezer. Every 5-10 minutes (for up to an hour), I take it out and stir it really well to avoid the development of any clumps. Do not leave it in the freezer for more than 10 minutes and if you do and the icing turns lumpy, just blend it all again.
-Pour the icing over the top of the cake and using the back of a spoon, gently let some of it slide down the sides. You can carry on and cover the entire cake if you prefer that look.

For the past 7 years, my parents have devoted the most insane amount of energy, divine love and care to a land which now gives back over 100 edible fruits, vegetables and plants.

People have turned up at their door step not knowing why they were guided there, only to discover that a very rare and sacred meditation portal on their land called them in to heal.

Mum and dad hosted numerous raw food lunches on their property, I held multiple retreats and workshops there too, which attracted people from all over the world and SOLD OUT within days.

This magical place is located in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. It’s known as The Valley of Longevity.

Now my parents are off onto new adventures and to be closer to their beloved granddaughter, so another very very lucky family can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The house, the guest house (rental) and the land are officially for sale!

  Take a look:

If the video above doesn't work, check it out on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRC8ZQKN78I&feature=youtu.be

OFFICIAL AD:

Immaculate Home & Income property for sale USD 370K.

With only a 5 minute walk to town center, this picture-perfect hidden gem is the essence of Vilcabamba, aka The Valley of Longevity. The stunning organic orchard houses an immaculate double-store property, a charming guest-house and a healing energy portal, which have all been developed with retreats in mind.

Main house (240 m2): High ceilings, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite with a jet Jacuzzi tub), mezzanine floor could be used as a library or an extra bedroom, big open plan kitchen and lounge, huge wrap-around balcony, large size porch which gets the morning sun, family sized sauna, 2 storage closets. Two of the rooms have built-in wardrobes and the master has a walk in wardrobe.

Guest house (70 m2): High ceilings, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, mezzanine floor upstairs is currently used as an extra lofted bedroom. Open plan kitchen/dining/lounge, a porch which gets the afternoon sun and a separate street entrance. This lovely standalone property currently receives up to $1,500/ month in AirBnB income.

Land features (flat section 2000 m2): Fully fenced and secure, this land is also flat. An impressive sun-gate numbered 11:11 is a welcoming statement to this magical property. The organic orchard has over 100 assorted fruit trees (citruses, avocados, guayabana, black and white sapotes, macadamia, cashew, almond, pomegranate, pitahaya, persimmons, papayas, apples, pears, apricots, guavas, mulberries, coffee, cacao, figs and more), separate herb gardens, a beautiful flower garden, and a green house full of year-round crop. Water well comes complete with a storage tank and a pump. There are 2 covered workshop places and a paved parking for at least 3 cars.

The highlight of this land however is the energy Portal: A meditation circle of 10 stones with the special meaning symbols, bordered off by a beautiful hedge garden for a peaceful and powerful connection experience, ideal for spiritual meditation and healing ceremonies.

Lifestyle: Self-sustainable, peaceful lifestyle. Grow your own organic sustenance, heal, relax and connect with Mother Earth.

To see more pictures of the property, I made this public album on Facebook, here>>

To find out more about the location and how to get there, these FAQ's I wrote for retreat attendees might help>>

For more info, email Elena and Vladimir on vladimiralekseev@ymail.com

Every year before it ends, Elliot and I sit down to write out all the big, small and tiny accomplishments of the previous 12 months.

This has become the single most important task I do all year.

There is nothing as incredibly thrilling, motivating, inspirational, fun, eye opening, gratifying, healing and self-appreciating all at the same time.

It’s too easy to say that another year just flew by and there are many things you never got a chance to do, but when you start to write down all the things you DID do, the experience is entirely different. The deep gratitude stirring within you, makes it so much easier to plan for the year ahead.

If I ever struggle to remember all the details on the spot, I open up my diary and go through it carefully. All those meetings, trips, events, tasks, highlighted dates, dinners and bookings in my calendar never fail to amaze and delight even the most pushy-never-enough-accomplished-critic within me.

It really is that powerful! And simple. And fun! So fun, what are you waiting for?

Happy Happy Happy New Year!
xTanya

P.S. Originally, I wrote out a few of my accomplishments as an example for you to read. They were so damn good and I was so madly proud that I figured it’s probably not the most inspirational example for anyone but me. It could even put you off starting your own list, not because no one would ever top my examples but because they couldn’t possibly compete with YOUR examples. There is no one (I repeat ‘NO ONE’) that has achieved what you have, do yourself a favour and stop reading already, unless it’s your online calendar of 2016 and you’re making notes!

P.P.S. Screw New Year resolutions, it’s all about the Old Year solutions!

P.P.P.S. Don’t ever listen to anyone that tries to tell you that 1st of January is just another day. It isn’t. It’s the best day ever!

P.P.P.P.S. If you’re still reading this, then it’s very likely that there’s nothing to do in the office at this time of year and my email was possibly the only email you’ll receive all day, so why not play a game. Here’s a game>>

The Banoffee Pie was possibly my favourite dessert growing up in NZ.

I’m a self confessed caramel addict so anything like Sticky Toffee Pudding or Salted Caramel Slice or Banoffee and my name is all over it!

I literally thought that if I picked a restaurant based on its availability of Banoffee Pie, then it had to be the most popular dessert and therefore an iconic one. So can you imagine my surprise when I made it in Ecuador (for Americans and Europeans btw) and they thought I couldn’t spell or say Coffee properly ?

Let’s settle this once and for all… Banoffee is a combo of two words: Banana and Toffee. Kinda like Brangelina or Bennifer or even Tomkat, where they make a stupidly good genetically gifted union, but are just as delicious, individually.

Here’s my raw, unprocessed, dairy-free, gluten-free, cheezecake version of the ‘classic’ Banoffee Pie…

BANOFFEE CHEEZECAKE

For the crust:
1 cup dry walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt

For the banana cream:
2 cups soaked cashews (from 1.5 dry)
3 medium bananas, peeled
1 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/8 cup maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon

For the toffee top:
2 cups pitted dates, soaked
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Optional:
Chocolate drizzle, melt store bought or use this recipe>>

-Transfer all the crust ingredients except coconut oil into a food processor and process till broken down enough to resemble rice. Add the coconut oil and process again till you have a sticky ball. Transfer onto a 9 inch cake tin (make sure the base can be removed or line the dish with cling film to pull it out later). Distribute the mixture evenly using your hands and press it firmly down using your fist.

-After soaking the cashews overnight, transfer all cream ingredients into a blender and blend on high. (TIP: if you don’t have time, soak cashews in hot water for 2 hours). Scrape down the sides of blender jug and blend again until creamy. Pour the mixture over crust and transfer to the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 1 hour.

-Make sure the dates are nice and soft before blending. (If they are already gooey and sticky, you might not need to soak overnight. If they are quite dry or you don’t have ‘overnight’, try soaking in hot water for 2 hours.) Transfer all the toffee ingredients into blender or food processor and blitz on high till creamy. Scoop this mixture onto the semi-set banana layer and spread as evenly as you prefer. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably 3.

-If you’re drizzling with chocolate, slice the cake into 12-16 portions first, separate the slices by a few millimetres and drizzle away. Store in the fridge at all times.

Let me know how yours turns out in the comments below…