Hurt! Where does this come from?

Hurt, feeling hurt, dealing with hurt. I suffer from this constant feeling of hurt. It hits me quite frequently, from all directions. Very close friends to complete strangers even dogs. I still feel hurt and have tears in my eyes that Prema left and never looked back. I give in to the feeling of being hurt and lay in its power, feeling helpless, alone and not understood. Addicted to the drama of course, I am directing the best soap opera ever.  Best part is blaming others for "my" feeling of not so great. All the time wasting energy on "How could she do that? I am sooo sad....I don't deserve that at all... Why? why? why? " The evil powers of the universe, working against me..Uffff, life can be tough even in paradise, but it is in these moments we realize what it feels like to be living and discover the beauty of letting go....of me, myself, my life, the toxitiy around me... It never existed anyway...



This article is today from Daily OM, is very well said. I hardly recommend reading it while listening Hurt, from Johnny Cash! Repeat mode of course!




April 30, 2009
Healing with Hurt
Using Your Pain To Help Others

Pain is a fact of being and one that permeates all of our lives to some degree. Since the hurt we feel may be a part of the experiences that have touched us most deeply, we are often loathe to let it go. It is frequently easier to keep our pain at our sides, where it acts as a shield that shelters us from others and gives us an identity—that of victim—from which we can draw bitter strength. However, pain's universality can also empower us to use our hurt to help others heal. Since no pain is any greater or more profound than any other, what you feel can give you the ability to help bring about the recovery of individuals whose hurts are both similar to and vastly different from your own. You can channel your pain into transformative and healing love that aids you in helping individuals on a one-to-one basis and spreading a tide of curative energy throughout the world.

The capacity to heal others evolves naturally within those who are ready to disassociate themselves from their identity as victims. In fact, the simple decision to put aside the pain we have carried is what grants us the strength to redeem that pain through service. There are many ways to use the hurt you feel to help others. Your pain gives you a unique insight into the minds of people who have experienced trauma and heartache. You can draw from the wellspring of strength that allowed you to emerge on the other side of a painful experience and pass that strength to individuals still suffering from their wounds. You may be able to council individuals in need by showing them the coping methods that have helped you survive or simply by offering sympathy. A kinship can develop that allows you to relate more closely with those you are trying to aid and comfort.

Helping others can be a restorative experience that makes your own heart grow stronger. In channeling your pain into compassionate service and watching others successfully recover, you may feel a sense of euphoria that leads to increased feelings of self-worth and optimism. Your courageous decision to reach out to others can be the best way to declare to yourself and the world that your pain didn't defeat you, and in fact it helped you heal.

Rice Paper Rolls...still

More on rice paper rolls, because i eat them everyday and still love them so much. Please try this home, it is super easy and fun to eat with dripping avocados and sweet thai sauce.

Here are some more pictures on how we make them. The trick is to cover them tight with extra chard or spinach. Then roll super carefully and eat within an hour or so, max. Otherwise they get soggy and not the same thing...Deliciously healthy and crunchy.

Recipe here...

Groovy Grasshopper!

I hate wheat grass juice. I love drinking it, i love what it does to my body, but still I can't get over the taste and I don't like it. We have the shots in the cafe and it is pretty popular. People who know about wheat grass, are happy to get it here and I am amazed to see some people coming back for it. Happy, healthy people or the hangover surfer dudes. Shots are the easiest way to get an ounce of wheat grass to your body, but you need a special juicer.  However, i got this new recipe from Honey, the amazing lady who brings our organic produce and she is also a midwife. She says she drank this grasshopper everyday when she was pregnant. Twice.

1 cup of fresh wheat grass
2 cups of water
2 cups of pineapple
1/2 cups of loose fresh mint

add some agave if you like it sweeter...

Blend the wheat grass with water, strain. Add the pineapple and the mint. Blend again. Pour and start hopping!  Super easy, super sexy!

Now, about wheat grass and why it is good for you:

Dr. Ann Wigmore brought wheatgrass juice into the mainstream many years ago and it is one of the foundations to her healing program. According to 'The Wheatgrass Book' by Ann Wigmore:

Increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body's enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

Restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice's abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood.

Is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

Has remarkable similarity to our own blood. Wheatgrass juice is 70% chlorophyll. The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood….when the "blood" of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

Sweetens the breath and firms up and tightens gums. Just gargle with the juice.

Is a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin.

Why are minerals important?

Wheatgrass juice is one of the best sources of minerals. According to natural health expert Dr. John Whitman Ray:

* According to Senate Document No. 264, the official publication, 99 percent of American people are deficient in minerals, and a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease.

* The body is equipped to chelate only a small amount of some inorganic elements from nature. Therefore, the body requires the minerals to come from plants in a chelated form that the minerals may be properly assimilated and utilized. The efficiency of each mineral is enhanced by balanced amounts of the others.

* All nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, sugars, oils, etc. require minerals for activity. All bodily processes depend upon the action of minerals.

* Trace chelated minerals are more important in nutrition than vitamins. Vitamins can be synthesized by living matter, minerals cannot.

* Vitamins are required for every biochemical activity of the body. Vitamins cannot function unless minerals are present.

* Minerals are the catalysts that make enzyme functions possible. Chelated minerals combine with enzymes into an alkaline detoxifying agent which neutralizes the acid metabolic by-products of the cells and other toxic conditions within the body and prepares them for elimination.

* Hormonal secretion of glands is dependent upon mineral stimulation.

* The acid-alkaline balance(pH) of the tissue fluid is controlled by minerals.

* All elements work together as a collective whole. If there is a shortage of just one mineral, the balance of the entire bodily activity can be thrown awry. A deficiency of one mineral may disrupt the entire chain of life, rendering other nutrients either useless or inefficient.

wonderful information on superfoods...

http://www.dailyjuice.org/blogs/nutrition

Slurpy Miso Soup!

Here is the world's easiest and tastiest miso soup recipe, with amazing avocados and soba noodles! Miso has protein (2grs for 25 calories), vitamin B12, zinc, copper and manganese giving you tons of energy to play!

4 cups of water
1/2 cups of wild seaweed, wakame, arame, hijiki, dry
2 shitake mushrooms, (optional)
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced into thin matchsticks
2 tablespoons of yellow miso
1/2 block of tofu, cubed and marinated in soy sauce for 10 minutes or more if you want
Soba noodles
1/2 avocado, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
sesame seeds, for decoration
optional, green onions


Boil the water in a pot and add the ginger, seaweed, mushrooms and a squirt of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  Add the soba noodles and cook for another 6 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Turn off the stove and stir in the miso. Do not boil the miso soup as it will kill the enzymes. Taste and add more soy sauce if you like.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds, avocados and the green onions. Listo!!! All you need is a friend or two to share the pot and slurp away!

killer tofu!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJhZN4WJOo

chunky grumpy rolls-long post!

Feeling full and happy. Ahhh, pura vida, the beauty of tasting amazing, fresh, organic food that I got to eat in my own restaurant. Does that sound snobby? I guess a little. but hey I am working long hours, i need to eat well. Finally I figured out a way to make super easy, super tasty, super filling rice paper rolls...

Chunky because they are loaded...Carrots, beets, sprouts, avocado, 3 rice paper rolls, spinach, lettuce, mint, cilantro..These are gigantic, burrito size!

Grumpy because it is so delicious, can't have enough...but then even if you have two, you get full and it is so tasty you want more but don't have any more space in your stomach, so you have to be patient till you get hungry again..

This recipe has been a work in process since 2 years. When Anna from Australia was working at Organico, she made the Vietnamese rolls for us but they were cumbersome. Too much prep work with ingredients we don't use for other dishes so there was always waste. But we sold them a lot and loved to eat the left overs, even after two days. With more work piling up, we retired the recipe.

Last week, Igor from Montreal showed up, a vegan, raw chef and our obsessive food conversation lead to a spontaneous food demo class and we made sushi and rolls. For the rice paper rolls he used carrots, beets, spinach, sprouts, all the ingredients we have ready for almost every dish on the menu. Except for the veggie pate with sunflower seeds that needed some soaking time, tons of veggies, spices, not too difficult but another extra item on the menu...i loved the rolls but not got the clarity to go ahead for a new menu item. Though he taught us the trick to make really stable rolls, using 3 rounds lined up like a Venn diagram and it is so much easier to fill it with tons of veggies and tuck the ends and roll with ease. A trick I have never knew before, makes such a difference. Check out some photos...

Then, two days ago, i searched for raw humus recipes totally unrelated, because I am tired of eating cooked food, hours wasted on energy, taking tons of enzymes, loads of it, to off-set the dead food and trying to take care of myself. So, I found a great recipe with zucchini...It is the same exact humus recipe we use at the cafe, made with zucchini instead o garbanzo beans. I made it today but since zucchini is very liquid, the humus turned out way too wet. Inspired from Igor's veggie pate, I added a cup of sunflower seeds, and it was perfect!

So, here it is....best rolls ever...

3 rice-paper rolls, dipped into hot water for 30 seconds and lined up in a Venn Diagram.

lettuce
shredded carrots, beets
cilantro, mint
raw hummus made with extra cup of sunflower seeds, 1 cup of parsley and 1 cup of spinach (use 3 tablespoons of humus for one roll)
sprouts
avocado
spinach

Pile up all the ingredients in the order above and roll firmly. Serve with your favorite dressing or Thai sweet and chili sauce.

Making Chocolate with Keith

I metKeith 3 years ago when I first came to Montezuma for vacation. He is one of the few people who experienced my move to Costa Rica from the first day, watching Organico and me grow year after year. This week he was here again for a yoga retreat and it was really sentimental to share all the memories and also listen to his beautiful, inspiring real yogi wisdom. It makes all the bad days worth while when there is that one connection that stays forever and grows even without seeing each other...This must be cosmic love.

He invited his yoga group to my chocolate making class and i had one of the best times of my life last night. A full house, total Martha Stewart moment for me.

We tried 5 different flavors, basil, matcha-almond, coconut-curry-ginger, coffee-cardamom-cacao nibs, goji-cacao-spirulina. Then we rated all the flavors and the coffee one was the most popular, followed by coconut and matcha. I love doing these classes, it is so much fun to experiment, create and play with ingredients and share the love with others.

Here is the recipe and my gratitude to Keith, a beautiful angel in my life. I love you!

Fairy Chocolate Bars (70% Dark Chocolate)

1 cup of cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cacao butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4+1/8 cups of agave nectar If you don't have agave, substitute with maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoon of lecitin
pinch of salt

Blend it all in a high power blender and divide in 5 bowls to experiment with different flavors.

Basil:
Add 1 tablespoon of chopped basil

Coconut-Curry
Add 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and 2 tsp of curry powder

optional: 2 tsp of candied ginger

Coffee-Cardamom-Cacao Nibs
1 tablespoon of coffee and cacao nibs
1 tsp of cardamom

Goji-Cacao-Spirulina
Add 1 tablespoon of goji and cacao nibs and 1 tsp of spirulina

Matcha-Almond
2 tsp of matcha powder
2 tablespoons of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of toasted almonds

Once you blend your flavors, wrap them on plastic or use molds and refrigerate over night.

And if you are in San Francisco, go to Keith's class at Laughing Lotus!

pizza blues...

maybe it is only me but i feel really yucky sucky and not inspired and almost sad after having a delicious pizza...maybe the yeast or the gluten or the fact that I ate it really late, is strangely making me question why I don't listen to my body...it also bothers me why I am so sensitive but I will just accept that as part of me, at least now and deal with the food part. It is lonely to be a vegetarian but at the same time it allows me to have real, deep experience with myself and I like that vegan wanna be, lonely girl:)

I am craving a cleanse but damn scared about commitments and others around me. I promised Ian to start a 30 day raw feast, i think I will do it. Why wouldn't I want to feel happy? Simply because it is harder to be happy than sad and the heavyess of being the victim, the "pitty me now please" syndrome...I don't think so.

Ian is serious about blogging his experience...Here....

I am going to try it, it will be fun....I want it to be fun! this is silly but funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv2Ba0-w7-o

happy chocolate?

I am thinking about chocolate these days..having adult conversations around the subject with friends and talking openly about our love for chocolate. I don't know where all this is going, but I am playing with the idea of making chocolate. So far, we have been testing it in my classes, and people love it, but at the same time I do have a long history of loving and abusing chocolate, all the way to being addicted to it. I also know a lot of friends, especially women, who can't do without chocolate. Is this as bad as any addiction? Sure, especially if you are obsessing over it...Your mind time, if it is spent worrying, planning, thinking, searching, getting frustrated, being happy and all about chocolate, yes it is not fun but you can't stop it, there it is...Being under the influence... Personally, I am totally over the chocoholic days, I have maybe 4 chocolate bars in the fridge, untouched for over 3 months, a case of chocolate greens bars waiting to be packed for picnics and sort...but I am not sure if going back and making chocolate will contribute to other's addictions...Of course not everybody abuses chocolate, so maybe I am just over analyzing this, again, but it sounds like a dangerous love...I don't want to contribute to the weakness of others, i know how hard it would be, bu if i make healthy good chocolate and maybe sneak some greens of some sort, add some inspiring quotes or fun cartoons to the packaging, that might be fun. Afterall, life should be all about fun. We spend too much time worrying and stressing over  So, i guess I know what I want to do, tasty chocolate that is good for you and presented in a fun, inspiring way. It is organic, it is vegan, it is full of hmmm what would be a mood enchancer, happy chocolate?  Will be back on this subject with more ideas, i find this cartoon really funny!

http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/topic/inner%20self

happy birthday!

http://cafefernando.com/cafe-fernando-turns-three/

chocoholics

I had my first chocolate making class today. Sooo much fun. After a
year of hunting down the cacao butter and all the pure cacao, it was
so easy to make the best chocolate ever! We started with a vanilla
base, cacao powder, cacao butter, agave, salt and pure vanilla bean.
Then, of course, played around with some spices and different flavors.

Today we tried:

coffee-cardamom-cacao nibs
coconut-curry
mint chocolate
ginger
chopped almonds

it is such a pleasure to taste these combinations and i can't stop
thinking new ideas...spirulina, wasabi, rose, chai, dried berries,
pineapple cilantro, chili, goji...........

cucharacha on me!

yay! I got a cucharacha! I love it, i found this thing in the market
and never knew they are called cucharachas in Costa Rica...super fun
to see people laugh, mostly locals of course. I went back to the store
3 times and bought the rest for my good friend Meche from Tzu Han, the
Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant, Christina, and another girl, friend
of Maria, who loved it so much...

wishing....

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/two-weeks-in-japan-recipe.html

universe please take me back to japan, some how, some day....but not too late:)

your pad or my thai! (stolen and veganized from alton brown)

I am home in San Jose. This is what everyday should feel like, being
around family, feeling love and cooking and lots and lots of
secrets:))) ingredients, restaurants, recipes, music, new babies, new
ventures, live kombucha culture that is about the take over the
kitchen and eat my amazing lime pie.

Discoveries, anything that is new, just makes my heart beat!!! Now,
what can beat that? hmmmm pad thai would be good! From Alton Brown...

Ingredients

* 1-ounce tamarind paste
* 3/4 cup boiling water
* 2 tablespoons
* 2 tablespoons palm sugar
* 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 4 ounces rice stick noodles
* 6 ounces Marinated Tofu, recipe follows
* 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
* 1 cup chopped scallions, divided
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 teaspoons salted cabbage
* 3 ounces bean sprouts, divided
* 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, divided
* Freshly ground dried red chile peppers, to taste
* 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while
preparing the other ingredients.

Combine the soy sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small
bowl and set aside.

Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot
water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the
other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the
water from the noodles and set them aside. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch
wide strips, similar to French fries.

Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the
sauce. Stir to combine.

Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut
oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until
golden brown, moving constantly, for no longer than 1 minute. Remove
the tofu from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.

If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until
shimmering. Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10
to 15 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order
and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, and 2/3 of the
bean sprouts and peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no
longer than 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish
with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve
immediately with the ground chile peppers and lime wedges.
Marinated Tofu:

6 ounces extra-firm tofu, not silken

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Wrap the tofu firmly in a tea towel. Place the wrapped tofu into an
8-inch cake pan. Top with another cake pan and weigh down with a
5-pound weight. (Bags of dried beans or grains work well.) Place in
refrigerator and press for 12 to 15 hours.

Place pressed tofu in a 2-cup container. Combine soy sauce and
five-spice powder and pour over tofu. Cover and refrigerate for 30
minutes, turning once. Remove the tofu from the marinade and use
immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.

Ahhh, the joy of having all the ingredients to this amazing
recipe----, this is real happiness that is like my new addiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYhrYHmUPn0

be happy, eat veggies, spread the love.

day by day...

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. - Confucius

Another day from paradise!

I was looking for some inspiration for the buffet tonight and came
across Heidi's recipe for the muhammara...Perfect complement for my
humus, tabuli, tofu-feta salad, roasted veggies with lemon and cumin
menu....I think we have it in Turkey as well, its been too long I did
not have a good turkish meal...Anyway, try this sauce, make a dip or a
sandwich...It is soooooooooo good...still eating the leftovers...you
must love spicy to enjoy this dish...Happy in flames!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/my-favorite-grilled-kabob-recipe.html

Dreamy Morning

Fascinating times in Montezuma. I got up around 5:30 and did yoga!!! I
don't know what got into me but I guess my body has been craving for
some attention and I went for it. Then, got outside for a run. Believe
me, I am not hyper athletic at all lately, mas or minus for more than
6 months, but when the bug comes, I can't stop it! It was magical...I
went for the soccer field in Montezuma, one of my favorite spots to
run in the morning, beautiful grass and always watered so I can play
with the springs and reminds me of my bootcamp days. The dream gets
better... As I got into the soccer field and there it was... a huge
trampoline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! Like the ones they have in
competitions, big! Instead of running, I hit the trampoline. So much
more fun than my home style little guy! I jumped high!!! I wonder
where it came from, but thank you universe! I am excited about
tomorrow morning. Every town should have a big trampoline. Life is
fun, as long as I want it to be...go away sadness!

uploaded new pics on Flickr!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozdema2/sets/72157614784295033/

Octopus Wanted!

super tired, late at night, sleeping like a baby, BAM! I woke up in
that moment, jumped on bed and I was wrapped up in my blanket and
could not get up from bed and turned into a little ball, trying to
get out of bed, before the bad guys come in. Trying to realize what
was going on, whether a monkey or an iguana or an ant eater or
possibly the neighbor kitty cat fell onto my roof or am I still
dreaming somewhere in Istanbul, it took me a while to come to the
moment. All these happening in less than 20 seconds, totally shaking,
i found myself on the floor, another bam! and that hurt more than
anything. I could not breath for a second and then I was worried
something broke or hurt and started scanning my body diligently,
moving slowly...I was still one with a very strong heart beat! Yay, I
love my heart! Probably the funniest memory of my fears and dreams and
reality, all intertwined at this very moment, followed by a laughing
crisis. Again, I am my own very destroyer. Gotta love the Shiva in
humans!

Its been almost 3 years, I am living in the jungle, and still scared
at night. Want to adopt an octopus for a hug, until then I got a
beautiful hug from me. I love this card from Willo!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willotoons/247786313/

natali dee

http://www.nataliedee.com/030809/gaze-at-your-own-mortality-5-dollars.jpg

good luck sunday!

just thinking all is going well, in peace, at harmony, arrived at the
cafe, on a sunday and the big refrigrator is hot as hell! taking the
day off, well deserved I guess! I am sooooo frustrated! I dont even
want to go into the kitchen right now. It is full of fresh produce
from yesterdays market, plus pots of beans, new chocolate cake and
many other stuff, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! hard to explain my frustration
words, just want to cry and shout and bang my head and breath and ask
for a little easy please... I work 15 hours every day and really need
some peace. I know everything happens for a reason and no matter how
hard I work, it will never be perfect. That kills me, knowing that
makes me run to the ocean and never come back but then I think of an
ice-cream that makes the day for a vegan and for that it is all worth
it again, to give another try...another chance to this crooked, not
fair, messed up world...it is my world....also, it makes me happy to
know I make the world's best turkish mocha tart! let this sunday be
pure joy, no matter what breaks down.

Best Lunch Ever!

I love peas...Sweet peas, avocado, curry powder and tomato and of
course cilantro and cracked pepper! Can I get another one??

Sooo good...Gluten-free sister, you can make one on this amazing
buckwheat bread from Russell!

http://www.therawchef.com/index.php?option=com_recipe&view=recipe&layout=defaults&rec=73

No measuring up!

I love love love Edward Esse, his recipes and poems!

No Measuring Up

Now I make time
to peel potatoes, wash lettuce,
and boil beets, to scrub floors,
clean sinks and empty trash.
Absorbed in the everyday,
I find time to unbind, unwind,
to invite whole body, mind,
breath, thought, and wild impulse
to join, to wallow in the task.

No time lost thinking
that somewhere else is better.
No time lost imagining
getting more elsewhere,
No way to tell this moment
does not measure up.

Hand me the spatula:
now is the time to taste what is!

Speaking of time spent in the kitchen, I broke my all time record last
week for this year and made it to 100+ pure love hours, cooking for a
group of 30 beautiful people. First time ever at Organico, we had such
big group, even made new tables and benches, bought new plates and
cups...and it was really stressful and rewarding at the same time. The
group loved the food and even mentioned to come back for two weeks
next year, so I am really happy. Now, I would like to focus on having
vegans, doing cooking classes for them and exploring spiritual
creativity with Maria. So far, all my dreams came true in Montezuma,
so it's only a matter of time... That said, the timer is beeping, time
to check the bread for tomorrow's burgers.

Soba Noodles

My good friend Aki sent this link, I never knew how to make soba
noodles properly and always had the bland floury taste. This is a
great site and helps a ton...I have been dreaming about Japan
lately...i wonder why.....

http://www.justhungry.com/basics-cold-soba-noodles-dipping-sauce

Guest House-rumi

Guest House

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

RUMI

Voir Un Ami Pleurer

Every moment I breath, is a test...it is a test of my strength,
courage and how well I can manage to live in that moment...without
getting caught up in fears, pain, past dramas, depressions,
assumptions, perceptions, no judgement, no pity, no better or worse.
Every beautiful being in this world passes in front of us waiting to
be touched, heard and felt...In that exact second we see the beauty of
love, beauty of being alive and feel grateful for being part of this
universe. Today I am sad, I am sad to let go of a friend...l in a
relationship that was very important to me...many days of hard work,
tests of depression, happiness, love, many many recipes of beautiful
food, groups....It hurts.......sure there are others.....sure the sun
will rise again........but today I am sad and it is painful.......

in the meantime listening a beautiful song Michel sent me.....

http://wholewheatradio.org/wiki/index.php/Songs:Voir_Un_Ami_Pleurer_(824)

Happy Birthday...it is..

"Doing is a quantum leap from imagining."

detached and alone...

Difficult is life for the modest one
who always seeks purity,
is detached and unassuming,
clean in life, and discerning.

Dhammapada 18.245

Wireless Help

Lazy web, help me figure out how to deny access to strange computers
logged onto my network, that are not clients! I change the password
everyday, but still there are tons of computers logged in at this
moment....

what's next, what's next....questions...and more questions...

Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart.

And try to love the questions themselves.

- Rainer Maria Rilke -

new menu 2009

i am super excited for our new menu lay-out...

Happy New Year with Family!

Montezuma

I can't remember who sent this poem to me, but I love it so much and
wanted to share it again...

We are all longing to go home
to some place we have never been —
a place half-remembered and half-envisioned
we can only catch glimpses of from time to time.
Community.
Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak
with passion without having the words catch in our throats.
Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light
up as we enter,
voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power.
Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that
needs to be done.
Arms to hold us when we falter.
A circle of healing.
A circle of friends.
Someplace where we can be free.

~Starhawk

Happy New Year from Organico!

Thank you for signing up for Organico updates. We are working on our
new website and soon we will have online cooking classes. Also, we are
working on Creative Spirituality retreats with open buffet meals from
Organico. Maybe we will see you sooner than you think back in
Montezuma!

In the meantime, we have a facebook group, search for Cafe Organico,
and become a member!

Please keep in touch, send pictures, tell us your favorite ice-cream flavor.

Have a wonderful new year, full of pancake towers, avocados and fresh pineapple!

Love,

my sister's cake...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guliz83/3145488496/in/photostream/

Organico Necklace

I met a very cute couple on the street and we experimented on making
necklaces for Organico...I love them and maybe we will start making
more...Life is beautiful.

christmas gifts

our latest menu

Baking Away...

My kitchenaid mixer is broken. It was expected so I am not too sad
about it. It served me for two years and worked really hard,
especially when Larry was around and kicking its butt with seitan and
totally abusing the little guy. Anyway, since we dont have a good
mixer, I have much defined arms, so I can't complain hours of hand
mixing. Also I can swear by better cookies and much nicer brownies. I
was probably overmixing most of the stuff...The latest challenge was a
cinnamon roll but we got over that with this amazing new recipe. It is
incredible, very easy and tastes fantastic. Highly recommend it!

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2008/01/13/challah/

I need to find a way to make it vegan but the nutella...ahhhh it is
soooo sinful!!!

Strawberry-Basil Lemonade...

We have a popular Lemonade with Mint at the cafe, but this week, I
don't know what happened but there is no mint in the market...So, we
came up with a new lemonade. Strawberry-basil...We used 2 frozen
strawberries, 4 leaves of basil and a cup of regular lemonade. It is
very simple, creative and tasty. Lets see how popular it will be..

My little sister is getting married...

My little sister, hmmm not so little if you do the math, but I dont
want to go there...Anyway, they are a happy couple, and today her
fiance's family were in our home to ask for my dad's permission. If
you ask me I would say, my family is not traditional at all, but in
reality, yes, we are very very traditional!...In turkish we say, allah
sonunu hayir etsin:)))

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guliz83/2763004092/in/set-72157606722042458/

Unattended kids will be fed espresso and given a kitten...

absolutely necessary code of conduct at Cafe Organico!

Happy Holidays...

It is a beautiful afternoon in the tropics and today is Christmas! All my employees left early and i am by myself hanging out in our chill room, absolutely chilling...I need some time off because I am getting tired. Today I made olive oil lemon dressing with no lemon juice...but it happens, right? In the middle of this little town, I can't believe how amazing families pass by. Juliet and Tony, from the UK. They have been here for almost two months and Juliet is the the founder of VIVA, . They also have twin sons, one red head and the other blonde and they walk around town with "GO VEGGIE" shirts...So adorable! Juliet has started VIVA, 15 years ago and they have awesome campaigns. One of my favorite one is called Hey Meaty, you are making me HOT! Check it out!

Montezuma Film Festival

Come to Montezuma this weekend and enjoy the movies!
http://www.montezumafilmfestival.com/

New Season, New Colors, New Menu

We have finished the redecorating and the cafe looks beautiful, peaceful and really amazing. I am proud of myself doing this all alone with great friends. We spent hours in the hardware store but I got to the depth of the painting business, the color charts, quarts, rolls, happy times...The beauty of doing business in Montezuma is finding peace in chaos, usually because there is enough time to sit and meditate what is going on around you. Work is slow here. At the hardware store, it takes about 2 hours to go and get your stuff. Every moment is a movie scene,a comedy, almost impossible to believe for those of us who are used to the fast pace of "wash and go culture". But, these are the times worth appreciating what we have. Finding a good friend waiting in the car in front of the hardware store, seeing him everyday come and help in return for some vegan peanut butter and cheap veggie lunches is also amazing. The universe is sending me what I need, I am blessed with gifts every moment. Right now, I have everything I need. I dont want more but just days to enjoy these gifts, light breeze and happy smiles and lots of love.

I can't wait to post new pictures. In the meantime, the vegan peanut butter cookies are delicious and super easy, so if you like peanut butter, give it a try.

Peanutbutter Cookies

Mix the dry ingredients well in a bowl.

1 cup white flour
1/4 cup oat flour (or whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Blend in a blender:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, 3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup smooth peanutbutter
1/2 cup oil, coconut oil is the best
1/2 tsp vanilla

Then add the mixture into the dry bowl. Spoon onto a cookie sheet and mark with the fork for the traditional peanutty goodness. 350 degrees, 13 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cafe Organico Tropical Chutney

This is one my favorite dishes in our dinner menu. It goes great with Indian curries, rice and of course over freshly baked bread. You can do so much with chutneys, its incredible..try different fruits, don't be shy and experiment with your taste buds and buddies:))

The key ingredients are your spices. Make sure you have fresh spices. This dish is not spicy!

Makes about 2 cups

Masala
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon freshly grated turmeric or 1 tsp. dry turmeric
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat the olive oil well and add the spices. Fry the spices for about 2 minutes. Listo!


1 onion, diced fine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced fine
1 cup papaya, cut into small chunks
1 cup pineapple, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon white vinegar, apple cider vinegar works great
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1 lime or lemon

Once the spices are done, add onions garlic and red pepper and saute until the onions are browned under medium heat. Add the pineapple, papaya, vinegar and sugar. Cook about 20 minutes or until the fruits are cooked and the chutney is not watery. Add salt about 2 teaspoons but you may need to add a little more as you like. And finally add the cilantro. If you don't have cilantro, Italian flat leaf, would also work.

Squeeze one lime or lemon before serving...

Enjoy!

Months go by...happy

It has been so busy in the last couple of months, I am shocked to see I haven't posted much...Well, I got a dog. Prema! She is amazing, fun, loving and very very time consuming and difficult. I have discovered that I am a very self-centered human being..oh well, that is me...me and baking..and now Prema...My friend Jorge named her, after his first dog. Prema means love in Sanskrit. More love to the world..

News from the cafe...We are officially closed, but open to friends and any random strangers who happen to be in Montezuma in the crazy month of September. It is rainy season here and there is absolutely nobody in town. In absence of crazy work hours, I am spending my time thinking...about the new season, new menu items, new menu lay-out, employees, where to spend my two week vacation with my dog, ayurveda and ayurvedic cooking, chocolate, my family and how much I miss them...

And in the last two days, I have been thinking about everything but apples because I am doing an apple fast. It's incredible how food plays such an important role in my life and taking a break from it helps me shake it off a little bit, clean up my home, check in with my emails, write my blog, call my parents..also I spend time thinking what I want to eat right off the fast (Godiva chocolate that is sitting in the refri for two days!)

May all the cacao trees be happy and tranquilla.

I will post more often... Some recent photos..

Happy Times

Once in a blue moon, some person walks in Organico and I can't help myself making friends. It is hard to live in a transient place, people come and go and it becomes hard to open up to strangers you know they will leave in a few days...Still, someone like Lizard, is pretty rare to come by. You won't miss her in any way. She is from NY, so of course she is extremely difficult with her orders but also she is super sweet and funny and weird, she would find a way to make you do everything for her. We ended up naming a drink after her. Lizzle Dizzle, ice coffee with frozen banana and almond milk. Yum!

Rumi again...

What draws friends together
does not conform to Laws of Nature.
Form doesn't know about spiritual closeness.
If a grain of barley approaches a grain of wheat,
an ant must be carrying it. A black ant on black felt.
You can't see it, but if grains go toward each other,
it's there.

I am planning work trip to Nashville soon...I need to visit the south! Baking Fairy on the go! Just before Lizard left, we stayed in a fancy smoochy hotel in San Jose, went to shopping spent all our money on incredible dresses, went to dinner, made friends with the owner and gladly accepted 30% discount on our bill. The most fun part at the end, poor girl's facial clay. Trial size celebrity skincare...

Challenges

Its been tough couple of days, and now I have a big challenge on hand.
I spent so much time to figure out the menu, design the little details
but from outside, it still looks like a little shack my beautiful
restaurant and that makes me sad. Its incredible how much work there
is to do...the signs, the floors, tables...so i need help. If you have
an idea or a picture of a nice patio, send it to my way. I will post
some pictures so you can see what I mean...I am looking for smart ways
of improving the looks, attracting more people...sooo hard...it is
overwhelming...

Tree Yoga

I have done this! My new favorite!
http://treeyoga.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/sunstone_11new_ty_instructors.jpg

I LOVE YOGA

www.Iloveyoga.com

These people are heaven sent. I am so grateful to the universe, it is incredible. One of the nicest groups ever and they love the cafe, they love the food, I love them. Well, I feel pretty up in the air because some people even came up to me and said I make the best food they had in their lives. There are four amazing kids and they dig the icecream. I get so much pleasure feeding people. One love, we are one. I am so happy.

Check out the website, the cloths are fantastic too!

My favorite spice: Tumeric

Here is why you should also eat Tumeric. We add it to almost everything, but especially goes great with brown rice.

The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.

Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:

1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.

4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.

7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.

13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.

14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.

16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.

17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Electricity Costs

We are now paying 35% more to electricity and it sucks big time with my new A/C room....I need to find a way to install solar energy. If you have any information, please share it with me, I am sooo disabled when it comes to installing stuff. Also, I want to look into buyin the panels from the states, as someone told me it would be cheaper. Any ideas? Can I bring them in my luggage?

Amazing Dance

http://www.mysticaldance.net/

Faith...

When you walk to the edge of all the light you have, and take that first step into the darkness of the Unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon or you will be taught how to fly.  Patrick Overton-

And hence my trampoline! It feels great to jump.

new roomies

Well, this time a family of three...Bats! Last night, right after I fell asleep, I woke up with a noise, lit up my flashlight (that I sleep with) and saw 3 bats flying over me......I was ok with crabs, spiders, ants, mosquitoes and frogs but bats they totally scared me...I was up all night designing my new menu....Please don´t get scared and still come and visit me. I am feeling a little off these days, I would love to see my friends and family! It is beautiful and not so hot here.

Immediately I checked the psychic meaning from the Medicine cards...Very interesting....

http://www.globalpsychics.com/serving-you/sample-readings/animal-totem.shtml

In the meantime, if anyone has an idea to get them out of the house, please email me. I need help.

Feelings

From my good friend Maria!

"The wide discrepancy between reason and feeling may be unreal; it is
not improbable that intellect is a high form of feeling - a
specialized, intensive feeling about intuitions."

-Susanne K. Langer, 1967

Our topic this week is feelings.. A lot of time we hear about the
difference between the heart and the head, or between feelings and
reason. But even if there is a difference between them, there is a
connection between them. We can assimilate the two, and use the power
as one, to make the important choices in our lives. It's that merger
that empowers us to overcome any challenges we come across.

-Lissa Coffey

Where is my HR department?

You will not believe this...I love my employees, they have been
working hard, keeping the restaurant going and being reliable for more
than six months now...I am really proud to find such a good
team...However, I was shocked on Saturday when I interrupted a
conversation between one of the employees and a customer. The customer
was asking about our "Turkish Delight" shake It has coffee, dates,
cardamom, cinnamon, soy milk and bananas. I love it. I admit that it
is not every ones favorite but if you like cardamom and coffee, it is
really good but it also takes time to prepare, as it has way too many
ingredients that needs to measured, cut, ect on the spot. So, we
charge more for it, end of the story...Nope!

As this guy was asking about the shake, what caught my eye in terror
was the "disgusted" face of my beloved employee! I could not believe
it...I jumped into the conversation right away and then talked to her
immediately. Apparently she doesn't like cardamom. I don't believe
her. I think she was just tired to prep it and we do have much easier
drinks to prepare, so she was trying to manipulate the customer.
Awful! Maybe she just doesn't like it and I am being evil, but that is
how I feel! Sorry! Yes, I know training, training, training. I need
to take time to train people. But, give me a break, how could you make
that face...Funny thing, the guy ordered Turkish Delight,
regardless....Sigh......Though I am not in the cafe 100% of the time
anymore, I do look at the sales item by item and we have been selling
Turkish Delight quite a lot, despite that FACE! My god!!!

My next stop...

BALI....Here I come...

http://www.ubudbodyworkscentre.com/ubud_aura.html

Viktoras on Radio!

Viktoras and Katherine Clark on Tribeca Radio. I am so lucky to live
in same town with both of them.
http://tribecaradio.net/wpradioblog/2008/06/11/

Life Transitions

From Daily Om and I think it is so true for me...I am copying the
whole article here to read...Sorry, mom I could not translate it to
spanish for you:)))

Life Transitions
The Death And Rebirth Of Self

Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life.
Even though this is a natural and necessary part of our growth, it is
often painful or, if we don't realize what's happening, confusing and
disorienting. In fact, confusion and disorientation are often the
messengers that tell us a shift is taking place within us. These
shifts happen throughout the lives of all humans, as we move from
infancy to childhood to adolescence and beyond. With each transition
from one phase to another, we find ourselves saying good-bye to an old
friend, the identity that we formed in order to move through that
particular time.

Sometimes we form these identities in relationships or jobs, and when
we shift those areas of our life become unsettled. Usually, if we take
the time to look into the changing surface of things, we will find
that a shift is taking place within us. For example, we may go through
one whole chapter of our lives creating a protective shell around
ourselves because we need it in order to heal from some early trauma.
One day, though, we may find ourselves feeling confined and restless,
wanting to move outside the shelter we needed for so long; the new
part of ourselves cannot be born within the confines of the shell our
old self needed to survive.

We may feel a strange mixture of exhilaration and sadness as we say
good-bye to a part of ourselves that is dying and make way for a whole
new identity to emerge in its place. We may find inspiration in
working with the image of an animal who molts or sheds in order to
make way for new skin, fur, or feathers to emerge. For example,
keeping a duck feather, or some other symbol of transformation, can
remind us that death and rebirth are simply nature's way of evolving.
We can surrender to this process, letting go of our past self with
great love and gratitude, and welcoming the new with an open mind and
heart, ready for our next phase of life.

Cenk is on San Francisco Chronicle!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/10/FDAE110LDE.DTL&hw

I am so proud of my Zozi!!! He is amazing! Gush, it is hard to be
friends with celebrities but I manage it ok:)

I got a trampoline...

it is amazing how the universe works and of course without Maria, it
would have been impossible. Right after I posted my request to the
universe, after being convinced that there are no more trampolines in
San Jose, Maria picks up yellow pages and calls a sports equipment ad,
"a tiny winy" ad...The guy says they have one and apparently schools
even buy from him, so we trust his word and go for another trampoline
hunt. It is raining crazy, we are already tired and it is almost 6
pm...but nothing can stop us! I am so lucky to have Maria in my life,
she is like a shining star, almost like the Ganesha, removes obstacles
so easily, makes anything, magical, she really has a fairy wand or an
angelic touch.

Anyway, we make it to the little store. I am skeptical of course,
because I have been on the hunt for the last 3 days with no luck,
dealing with slow sales people trying to sell me a baby trampoline or
telling me to come back in two months...For some reason, everything
takes two months! But I was wrong. They had it at the store, I got
one, Maria got one and we made good friends with the owner. Once
again, I am grateful to the universe. Om namah shivaya...

http://mantrasdelmundo.blogspot.com/2006/06/om-namah-shivaya.html

Request for a trampolin...

I need a trampoline, soooo bad.....Well, not so sure about the need,
it is more of a want, but still I would love to have a trampoline.
Maria and I looked all over San Jose to locate one but they are all
out. I guess everybody wants to jump high. Please universe send me a
trampoline so I can jump and jump and jump!

According to Sarma, (from Pure Food and Wine), bouncing on this is
actually one of the best ways you can detoxify since it very
effectively increases lymph flow (carrying nutrients to your cells and
waste product away). This has to do with the vertical up and down
movement as well as the gravitational effect of bouncing. It improves
your balance, strengthens all your core muscles (think toned abs!),
and keeps things moving and flowing. If you're injured, feeling a bit
old, otherwise fragile, or just out of shape, standing on it and
gently bouncing up and down for even a few minutes without your feet
leaving the mat is enough to wake up your immune and cardiovascular
systems.

http://www.oneluckyduck.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=393

Ayurveda Kitchen

I am a proud Kapha, but it comes with a long list of foods to avoid,
like my beloved avocado, papaya, nuts, coconut, oats...ay ay ay...but
I am always snoozing, tired and longing for energy, so I will listen
to my dosha and give this list a try.

Unfortunately, Montezuma is filled with mangoes, all over the place,
tons of mangoes and I have been eating at least one a day. Yesterday,
Dr. Chien, told me that I am allergic to mangoes, at least I know
where those itches and red spots are coming from:)))) Apples are the
only fruit I will be able to enjoy in the tropics for a while...

I found this blog,
http://franlife.blogspot.com/2006/03/kapha-foods.html with tons of
information and great recipes. So definitely check it out.

Missing home....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cafefernando/2479352000/?addedcomment=1#comment72157605027835067

Favorite Salad

House Cafe is one of my favorite places in Istanbul and I go there
pretty much everyday and most of my friends are sick of it already,
including my sister. They have a great breakfast menu, not so great
granola but tons of vegetarian options and Turkish dishes. My
favorite out of all is the spinach-lentil salad and I started to make
it at home for my dad and he also likes it a lot.

Here is the recipe, totally my version, inspired from House Cafe.

1 cup of lentils, cooked and cooled. I cook lentils with bay leaves
and a pinch of salt, be careful not to over cook, they are done very
fast. Once they are cooled, I pre-dress the lentils with a tablespoon
of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

2 cups of baby spinach, cut rough

1/2 cup of sun dried tomato in olive oil, cut fine strips

1/2 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup of toasted pinenuts

Zest of one lemon, cut into fine strips

Dressing, this is not an exact measurement, I made it impromt but it
is close enough.
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Honey
1/3 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea salt
1tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon Mustard
Optional: 1 tablespoon pomegranate Syrup

Just before serving, mix all the ingredients except pinenuts. Sprinkle
the nuts on top and enjoy...I wish I could have made some for Popeye:)

Hidirellez is coming! Make your wishes come true!

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D313A781CAA92714FCE06A5A2497543C96C6

I discovered a new blog...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

She is fantastic!

Baking Fairy at work...

This is an amazing crumble recipe....I could not find cornmeal in
Istanbul so I used farina (irmik) and it turned out really amazing. We
used strawberries and next time I will try with a combination, sour
cherry, raspberry and strawberry.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/05/the_department.html

Hazelnuts are so popular in Turkey and we have tons of it here. I
can't find them as much in Costa Rica. I have this cake in the oven
right now. Thanks Cenk for the hint.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/03/hazelnut-brown-butter-cake/

Cenk's Korovo cookies are next:)
http://cafefernando.com/korova-cookies

a love note to you

I just bumped on this love note and wanted to share it with you. Life
in Istanbul is beautiful, sweet and loving. I must admit, I am a
little spoiled...

http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/archives/001289.html

You are exactly where you need to be.

You are not missing out, falling behind, doing it wrong,
not trying hard enough.

You are doing more than enough.

Whatever opinions you have about it,
however imperfect
This is yours.

Where you are right now.
Sitting here surfing the internet even.
Is perfect.

Amazing opportunity...

Help Needed for Tassajara's Summer Guest Season! The zen center in
Tassajara is a beautiful and peaceful. Check out their
website...http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/display.asp?catid=4,19&pageid=

and here also some more information on the work schedule.
http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/display.asp?catid=4,29&pageid=181

The kitchen experience is also amazing, I have their cookbook and I
wish I was still in Bay Area to go up there...

my mom's birthday....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guliz83/sets/72157604709542388/

it was so much fun!

Breakfast!

Just finished breakfast with family...One of our biggest tradition is
to have family breakfast on Sundays...Today we had probably everything
one can possibly eat in a week over one meal...We even had pastirma
from Kayseri, a meat dish that is very popular...

http://wowturkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28006

9 different cheeses, breads, pancakes, peanutbutter with five
different jams, spreads, olives, sausages, Sooo grateful to have all
the family at the table, my mom, dad, sister, cousinbrother,
grandmother, my sister's boyfriend! With lots of laughter, great
conversation and my lovely sister's fresh strawberry smoothie:)))

I made eggs from Organico's menu, number 4:))) Scrambled with feta
cheese, tomato and avocado and poppy seed pancakes from 101 Cookbooks.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/poppy-seed-pancakes-recipe.html
with slight changes. I added 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tablespoon orange zest,
1 tsp lemon zest, toasted walnuts instead of sunflower seeds and
yogurt instead of buttermilk...Great recipe.

I am also amazed to learn that the father of my grandmother's
grandmother (we figured he lived somewhere around the 18 hundreds...)
was a medical doctor....Probably one of the first Lokman hekim's of
Turkey:))) Lokman Hekim is an herbalist.

Pura Vida in Istanbul!

In Madrid

Shocked to see how expensive things are on the other side of the
world...I just paid $7 for a bottle of water and coffee...I miss
Montezuma already! Plus people are not nice here, very serious,
business attire, i already get strange looks with my flip flops...:)
one thing is amazing, yo hablar muy bien espanol!!!! I am impressed
with myself, almost a year and half ago, I had no clue about Spanish.
Soy muy feliz!!!

Also highly recommend coming to Costa Rica via Madrid. The flight was
only 9:30 hours and now I have to chill for about 6 hours and then
home sweet home. No hassle of the stupid US immigration lines and
Iberia is pretty comfortable with not so good veggie meals, but I am
used to that already. I keep wondering why anyone is not interested in
providing healthy food...at least once, so many people would try how
real food tastes....wholewheat, grains, fresh fruit and some miso
soup, ahhh...Hot oatmeal for breakfast with goji berries....California
dreaming....I am hungry!

Amistad

In the last two days, Maria and I made the world's best eggplant
parmesan, vietnamese spring rolls, bubble tea and tarte tatin. We
discovered an amazing black sesame seed cereal drink from a Taiwanese
underground store and visited the Turkish bakery. As always, we
exchanged many new recipes and she is probably the only person I can
leave my Organico recipe book without a beat skipping in my heart. For
the rest of the world, I do have secret recipes.

It is so special to have her in my life, I want to scream my gratitude
to the universe, write it on sand with huge letters, have waves
inscribe it on the ocean. Letting go, opens new doors, flowing with
the universe has never been more joyful.

I promised Maria's husband Jorge to visit a Sufi center back in
Turkey. Can't wait..
One of my favorite Rumi quotes...

What draws friends together
does not conform to Laws of Nature.
Form doesn't know about spiritual closeness.
If a grain of barley approaches a grain of wheat,
an ant must be carrying it. A black ant on black felt.
You can't see it, but if grains go toward each other,
it's there.

An other Turk in Costa Rica

My dear friend/angel Maria, found this amazing little Turkish bakery
in San Jose and today we went for a field trip. Of course I had to
taste the baklava (yum!) and the traditional turkish bread, pide. We
drove half an hour to get to town and his little shop was nothing
fancy. Zeki, is the owner of the bakery, Istanbul and he has been here
for 5 years. He hasn't been back since and his wife and 2 kids are
back in Turkey. They communicate through email and phone but you can
see from his eyes that he is sad. Lonely. Still searching...I felt
really good talking to him, he was such a nice guy and offered me lots
of help and advice and he understood me so well...The urge to leave
Turkey, the same urge not to go back, not getting adjusted, learning
spanish, he also came here without speaking a word of spanish,...He
misses his family and hopefully they will be united within a year. He
thinks he will have everything he needs once his wife gets here.

http://www.tinjo.com/tj/index.php?id=313

I am leaving for Turkey tomorrow. He asked me to bring Turkish tea for
him. I will do that for sure...Once again, I find myself grateful to
the universe for offering me this wonderful life, sweet and
comfortable, full of fun, with amazing people I meet everyday,
sometimes I wonder what I have done before to deserve this. It must
have baked some sinful chocolate cakes in heaven!

Matters of the heart

Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart.

And try to love the questions themselves.

- Rainer Maria Rilke -

Ginga Day!

I got up at 5 in the morning, waited for the sunrise, watched my heart
beat and look over the banana leaves to the ocean. Then went to
meditation group and did yoga...A fantastic class from a great teacher
from New York. It was the first time I heard about Ginga. Ginga
(pronounced jin-ga) is an African word that came to Brazil through
capoeira (the Brazilian dance-fight martial art), and according to
Brazilian author and historian Ruy Castro, it is used to describe "a
way of never taking life too seriously, of fighting hardships with the
proper use of toes, heels and hips, if you have ever met a Brazilian,
you know what this means:))

It was a hard but at the same time super fun class!

She ended the class with a quote from Jeremy Taylor: "Love is
friendship set on fire" So simple and true.

Frustrated...

Everything takes time here, toooooo long. I am not a patient person
and I know I need to be a little more tranquila, but it is damn
difficult to become a tortuga..Excuse my spanglish! I have a new space
that I want to turn into a lounge, juice bar and its been a month that
we are trying to get it going. It is so hard to work alone and
everyone on the other side...I still don't know when to scream, so
instead I continue to shout at the ocean and scream underwater and box
with the air...It is not helping...AHhghghghhg! My sister today told
me that I am fighting against the universe and pushing things too
hard, instead of accepting the reality that I don't belong here...She
is right...I really want to go home. Yes!

another day

My dad is still in the hospital, no word on when he can go home. He
got the operation, so now we are waiting for him to recover. Sending
my love and peace to him everyday and I am sad that I am here and cant
be there for a few days. I need to be close to home. Note to
self...Next Organico, within the same national borders of my family!
Por FAVOR! :)

I got up, went for a run/walk/strech/tan, all at the same time. It is
soo hot right now, the minute I wake up, there is no way to go back to
sleep...I dont remember last year being this hot...Maybe I am more
aware of things now then last year...

After the run, I came home and made coffee and breakfast! I am
grateful these days that I have my mornings to myself..I take time to
hangout in my new home, I have some new pics on flickr) and write,
draw, think, swing in the hammock and be lazy...Then slowly I head to
the cafe and talk to people, make a smoothie for myself and check my
emails...Not too bad...

Nights are a little lonely, even with my little prince and I have to
admit and I have been on the border of feeling depressed, super happy,
one day up, one day down, sleepless nights but at the end of the day
everything is impermament. Taking things as they are, not having
expectations and being happy for being...I am learning...it is
hard..it is hard to accept but that is all we have to do to find
bliss...This place is magical to show you the truth...Trust,
friendship, love...Harm, ego, jealousy...I try to be on my own...or
until I met someone like my little prince. He makes the world go
upside down, only with a smile. Sooooo cute!

Dreaming away...

http://www.thesanctuary-kpg.com/

I found my wedding cake!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/extra-icing/1441939235/

Tagged

I've been tagged. Here's my entry.


Here are the rules of this tag:

A. Post these rules at the beginning of the blog entry
B. Answer the questions about yourself
C. Tag 5 people, let them know in a comment on their blogs that they have been tagged.

Whew. Here we go....

What were you doing 10 yrs ago?
1998, I was still in school, working part-time for Procter and Gamble and thinking about getting married within a year or so...Wow...

Snacks I enjoy

* Plantain Chips
* Chocolate
* Pistachios

Five things on my to-do list today

* Bake cookies
* Buy pillows
* Pick-up cheese for Organico from Cobano
* Call my mom to check on dad
* Check emails and photos on Facebook

Things I would do if I became a billionaire

* Open Organico all around the world next to McDonalds
* Clean Montezuma Beaches
* Open a Creativity Center and let people go crazy
* Install lights all around Montezuma
* Bring my family here


3 bad habits

* Thinking too much
* Chocolate
* Not respecting others opinions and decisions

5 places I have lived

* Istanbul
* San Francisco, CA
* Menlo Park, CA
* Montezuma, Costa Rica



Jobs I have had

* Receptionist
* Research Assitant
* Baker
* and some other corporate jobs that lead me to my dream life now...


Things people don’t know about me

* I listen to the same song on repeat forever....1000 times? maybe more...

Thank you Christine, for tagging me... http://yellowgizmo.blogspot.com/

Updates

My mom went back home on a last minute call from home, my dad is in the hospital. He has an infection in his liver and needs to have an operation next week. I am feeling sad and lonely here in Montezuma and I will do a trip home to see my dad soon.

Business is ok, I lost my motivation to do anything, I don't know why I am here, what I am doing and I feel helpless to my family.

I took today off and went to the Natural Reserve with a friend.

http://www.caboblancopark.com/

It was amazing to be in the jumgle and hike 5 kilometers each way. This park is the first national reserve in Costa Rica and it was farmed before. Two foreigners worked on to bring it to its original state and now you can not believe the huge trees birds. The nature is facinating. We went to the ocean and ate lunch (mostly cookies and mango) and made a sand castle...He even convinced me to ride on his ATV and after the accident it was my first time but I did it!!!

I came back to the cafe around 4 pm and baked my favorite cake, chocolate-coconut vegan cake! I love baking. I am really happy when I bake!

Long Due

Its been a really long time and I managed to login to my blogger account. All is going well, my birthday and after celebration all went amazing, the cafe is busy and I am so happy to get calls from people overseas asking for reservations! (it only happened once!)...

Cafe is doing well but I am overwhelmed with the amount of work, two people leaving and totally burned out friends. It stressed me so much last week, I exploded on two of my friends and created a total drama. It sucks and I apologized but I have to learn to do business with friends or decide not to do it. I lost another employee because I don't know how to handle the situation. There is so much work and i don't know where to start...

In the meantime, I signed a lease with additional space and got the office in between the kitchen and the cafe. I have so many new ideas but slowly...

The most amazing thing these days, is the birth of five kittens from our cat Maya. It was my first time seeing a birth and everyday they are growing and becoming cuter and cuter...I love to get two of them for my house but I am not sure if I can handle more responsibility...

News from the menu....I am so happy to get Rice Paper Rolls to the menu and they are selling amazing. I am selling breakfast and lunch the most and very few baked stuff so i had to discontinue the baking section until i get a better grasp of things. It sucks that I have to stop baking for business and focus, but I need to learn to be flexible...

Finally!

This is what I intended to post couple of weeks ago...Finally!!

I am back! I had a terrible accident last Sunday and fell off from a
quad. Luckily, I still have everything in place and got nasty blue
spots and a couple open wounds. Considering what could have happened,
I feel grateful to this opportunity to sit back and thank my angels.
Today I was able to get out of the house by myself, so that also feels
very good. Too bad we could not go out for my birthday party but I had
a lot fun and friends kept visiting every single minute. The whole
thing just opened my eyes...I was working from 7 in the morning to 10
at night again, exhausted, ect...And of course you start to make bad
decisions, poor judgements and it hits you at the very unexpected
moment. I was rushing to get things done as fast as I could....Really
stupid! I just want to pass on my understanding of how life goes,
don't take anything too serious, and have fun. If you are not having
fun, make a change as fast as you can. Life is too short and we have
no control at all!

Also, good news, we are still up and running in the cafe and
they are doing a fantastic job so I really didn't have to worry about
anything but rest. Aloe Vera (Sabila) also helped a lot with the
wounds and we have sooo much fresh here. I am thankful to my angel
friends here so all is good, I am happy.

things we cant plan

I was so happy to come to San Jose to meet my parents yesterday
morning and got this call from my dad, telling me they had to cancel
the trip because he was sick for a week and the doctors told him that
he cant fly...I could not believe it, I had no idea he was even sick
for the last 10 days...No one bothers to tell me these little details
when I am busy taking care of business:( I feel stupid sometimes, how
in my small world I worry about ice cream melting, running out of tofu
or not making enough money to buy a vehicle. Damn!

It was a huge shock in the beginning and mostly feeling alone and
disappointment. I wanted to do so much with them, we were going to do
a trip to Nicaragua, take time from work, celebrate my birthday,
ect...Of course things like this happen in the movies, but in my
perfectly planned life, I have no room for spontaneity...Well, another
lesson learned, life is all about spontaneity after all...I am
grateful that he is ok and they just have to delay the trip. I feel
lucky to have my family and I know they will be here eventually.

For now, I am staying with my amazing friend Maria, baking many kinds
of chocolate chip cookies and developing secret recipes and watching
food TV. The store is also open, I have friends and good employees in
charge...and Maria and I are leaving for Nicaragua tomorrow. It´s not
that shabby at all.

Maria´s Lemongrass Ice Tea

A great ice tea recipe, it is sooo hot here, iced cold tea is the best
way to keep cool!

A stalk of lemon grass, cut fine wrapped in cheesecloth
4 cups of water
3 bags of black tea or loose tea if you have

Boil water with lemongrass and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the tea bags and let cool.
Discard the tea bags and lemongrass.Refrigerate the tea for half an hour.
Serve with honey and lemon slice over ice!

Muy bien!

Sad!

Marlon left Montezuma yesterday. He was here for a month and he is by
far the coolest employee ever! We had so much fun working together and
he helped us sooo much working from 8 to 8 most of the days....He is
still at school so he went back to finish up a couple of unnecessary
classes, though I tried to convince him that schooling is
overrated...Well, work is even more overrated, but it makes such a
difference to work with fun kids! He is off to a bungee jumping
experience and a couple new tattoos, possibly a kitchen aid...Gallo
Pinto and Marlon (aka Maria) rules! Tuanis! (means cool in Costa Rican
slang!) Pictures sooon, I promise!

Burrito Special

It is great to live in a small town...Today I found out that one of
the restaurants ordered some stuff to take out from us, disassembled
and created the same to serve at their restaurant...Wow! I am happy to
see people take me serious! The restaurant is growing so much, its
great to be here.

Many new items on the menu, as always:

Mango-Passion fruit-Coconut is the killer ice cream on the menu...I
just cant find a good name for it...
Starfruit Shake, with pineapple and mango juice
Oatmeal cookies, with white chocolate, pistachio and apricots.
Spinach Salad with lentils, tomato, feta cheese and parsley

We also painted the store---It is now brightly green! My favorite
color! Days are going by...ups and downs, happy and sad, but it is all
good and very hot!

Feliz Ano!

Montezuma reminds me of a big crowded city these days. It is packed
with people, loud, traffic, cars, crazy crazy people and very
impatient customers...All the tables are full most of the time, I am
trying to stay on my feet without collapsing but its been really
difficult. Managing slow times was hard but managing busy times is
harder. On top, I had a few day when an employee had to leave for a
medical emergency and I discovered a feeling I had no idea I had in
me. Anger! I am an angry person, if you can believe it! It wasn't nice
at all, I don't like myself when angry at all but I can't help it. Of
course, I signed up for a massage today and it was great.

In the middle of my breakdown, a customer asks if she needs to make a
reservation for lunch! Yup, we now accept reservations!

In the last couple of weeks, I made a new menu, got 3 new employees
(all boys!) and fell in love with Manu Chao! Since we have listened to
my ipod for 100 billion times, Melanie was sick of the same old music
and started to play her own ipod, after listening hers for 100 billion
times, we got a new one from another friend that I love her music
taste..However, the lastest Ipod we got is from Marlon and he has
heaps of techno music that I absolutely can not listen to...So we
agreed on Manu Chao. I am not sure if they are famous anywhere else
but I love it. Me gusta bailar, me gusta su!

Heading off to the cafe to finish a spiderman cake and prep for dinner
tonight. My parents are arriving in two weeks, and I can't wait to see
them!

Cenk on NY Times!

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/travel/09Foodie.htm

I had to run

I had to run to check my email just because I have tons of people
working in the cafe...It is so strange, everyday I am amazed of the
worker flow in this little town. I wish I kept a list of the people
and showed you in a graph. There is either 2 people or 6...So
weird...If one day someone from the USF Business School reads my blog,
I am ready to give my diploma. I agree that I haven't learn a thing at
school...To my credit, I learned a lot in one year...I can say no much
easier now:) With some exceptions of cute guys...Now, strangely more
guys are willing to take a job than girls...They don't mind doing the
dishes, serving or chatting with the customers...I like to have a
balance, so it is nice to have some male energy around.

What are we baking these days....Chocolate chip cookies,
apricot-almond oatmeal cookies and chocolate coconut cake. The rest is
still the same...I got a few requests for a cookbook...That's
something...I also got a request for a wedding cake this sunday.
Things are moving well...

Latest on the menu, get ready for this....Veggie Fries...Plantains,
Yuka and Sweet Potato! I swear I would have never imagined selling
fries a year ago, but I am...They are so tasty...Healthy Fries...yeah
sure:)))

ouch!

I got a notice from the muni that they will close down the store in 3
days if I dont have the paperwork and the fines paid by then...this
was 2 days ago...After spending hours in between several unnecessary
bureaucratic conversations, paperwork, copies, signatures, crying, all
is done and what a relief...for 10 minutes...my only costa rican
employee, who was working with me for 8 months, tells me she is
leaving for vacation for one month!!!!! By the end of december, the
busiest time of the season...you would think I am used to this by now
but still it gets me...Come on...I was closed for 2 MONTHS!

I have no idea...it will be fine of course, as it was before...Let the
new energy fill my beautiful cafe with lots of love and ideas...Let
the sprit enjoy the flow and dance with eternity...Now, I really want
to kick ass with open buffet vegetarian dinners! I am sooo on it!

what a great idea

The best part about Costa Rica is the coconuts...they are everywhere,
almost free if you know how to open them...Even if you open one by
smashing against the ground, getting the meat out is a painful
process. I broke many spoons, cut my hand and fingers many many times.
Yesterday, at Jeylin's house in Cabuya, I discovered the best tool
ever. Her father built this machine specially to take the meat out
from the coconuts...They have actually built a small scale assembly
line. All the coconuts are gathered in one location, you take one and
move on two the second base, where there is a big wood piece and an
axe. The coconut stays in put in this location and it is easy to cut
it..(relatively easy) Then the best part. Station three. There is a
big metal knob with sharp round points all over...Like a all around
comb... it turns in one direction really fast with electricity. You
take the coconut half and hold carefully stable. As the thing turns,
it shreds the fresh coconut in seconds...It is amazing...Fantastic
idea, life saver and of course the shredded coconut is so tasty, soft
and smells like heaven. We made coconut rice...She makes coconut milk,
coconut oil and so many other things... Sweet life!

working away

its been a tough and rough adjustment back in Montezuma...all is going
ok, working long hours as I have some groups for breakfast and
dinner...

Not much is new, trying to revise and simplify the menu one more time.
However, I got super excited today because we got the Elvis Sandwich
back into the menu with homemade peanut butter!!! I made it with my
new Champion Juicer and it rocks...

Yes, now I have a juicer and we make all kinds of fresh juices,
pineapple beet orange is sooo good, as well as carrot banana
ginger...Thai Greens with cilantro and lime is next to try... Totally
unrelated, I also got a Thai massage this morning and it is the best
ever, I am intrigued by the idea of learning more about it...Maybe
Thailand for my next vacation...

o la la!

there is a snake in my house. I saw him a week ago and I am dead
scared. Dona Betty, my superhero, came by to check on him and we
couldn't find any trace...Yesterday, I was home cleaning up and found
a meter long snake skin on my shoes...it is soooo freaky...

Then all over is scorpions, spiders and on top today in the kitchen, a
rat...I have no idea who to call for help or what to do, so I just
took a break and came down to check my emails. I am soooo ready to
leave here.

Gobble Gobble!

http://yumsugar.com/tags/cupcake+of+the+week

:)