feeling groovyyyyy...

microwave gone...super happy! long day tomorrow...empowered!

inspired by Dori!

minutes away...

from destroying our microwave.........i am sooo excited! will go with a hammer and bangggggg all the negative nails out! awesomeeeeee! i rock!

34 Things I Appreciated This Year

May life bring sweetness and peace to all beings. Thank you mai for inspiration!

34 Things I Appreciated This Year
(in no particular order)

1. Cabuya
2. hot water at home
3. free time
4. my parents
5. my house, covered in ants and all...
6. chocolate making
7. small beach in front of my house
8. San Francisco
9. vegan love
10. music
11. trust
12. crashing waves
13. growing my own herbs at Organico (well kind of, still Randal is the man!)
14. witch girlfriends and our moon ceremonies
15. tide-pool in front of my house
16. travel
17. day dreaming
18. alacati
19. Ask-i Memnu, it's mom's fault...turkish drama
20. running
21. sun
22. voleyball in Montezuma
23. first time riding an ATV
24. crushes on cute clients
25. pink dress
26. Pilates
27. ipod touch
28. alistair
29. vegan sushi
30. liver cleanse
31. green juices
32. papaya
33. moon rise at Playa Grande
34. ozlem

I make my dreams come true!

1. Montezuma

2. Alacati

3. Kyoto

4. Chang Mai

5. Bali

6. Mal Pais

7. San Francisco

and 7 is my lucky number!!! plus and all the airports around the world...Organico, Pure food with Love

and my new job will be to create recipes for all these wonderful spots...pitaya juice, peach smoothies, cherry juices.....aaaah sweet life, sweet dreams!

repeat repeat repeat...

loving this...

http://blip.fm/profile/lane/blip/30332545/Gotye-Hearts_A_Mess

awesome!

Lots of photo shoots at Organico and our spicy thai burger is just to die for. I don't eat wheat but still enjoy it without the bun, the naked version! Having fun in a silly way! Make your thai burger at home, get any veggie patty, I personally don't like the ones that taste like meat, the garden burgers are my favorite, cook it with a touch of olive oil, cumin and spicy salsa. Then top with sweet chili sauce, spinach, tomato and pineapple. Inspired from Mr. Sutter, or rather stolen:)

amazed....

he showed up at voleyball, i hope he never finds out about my blog
because I'd be glowing in red cheeks. Baking banana bread, eating
tamales, fixing the ventilators at the restaurant, still in tooth pain
that sucks, but enjoying life in paradise!

decisions, decisions, decisions...

Meet Scott! Vegetarian, green business lover...Comes here for vacation, wants to help out with business as a volunteer!! What, i am just so amazed, some people do have a heart. There is hope in humanity! But I am so damn confused, i have no clue where to put him, don't even have the patience to show him what he can do. I'd rather do it myself and be exhausted....you know the story, same thing every year:) So, had to say no to free labor. Plus he is too cute to get into the kitchen with me, dangerous, but maybe he plays volleyball??? Sleepyyyyyyyy!

Happy Holidays!

Joy

It is in the air,

The warm breeze

Waves singing

Millions of stars

Winking deep into your eyes

The juicy, sexy, loving

Joy

The love

the gifts

the hugs

we have it all

more than all,

that space

deep in your heart

mili moments between thoughts

dreams

words

sighs

the delicious calmness

unspoken

but only felt

ahhh! makes me only scream

yeahhhhhhhh!

I am grateful for it all.

Happy Holidays!

how chocolate is made...

I love this video. Michael is super sweet!

Israeli Turkish Coffee

Ooops, not coffee free anymore... Its been maybe 3 weeks, but today, I had to try a cup of Turkish coffee in Montezuma, an invitation that doesn't happen very often:)

There is a new restaurant in Montezuma, Pugga's. Super sweet family from Israel. We have so much in common, I feel so good to have friends close to my culture. Plus, Maya the owner, is an amazing volleyball player. Today, when she offered Turkish Coffee, I was a little surprised even have to admit, I said to myself, "Turkish coffee, what a confidence:)"...Her brother took out the coffee from the refrigirator and poured hot water over it in a glass. I was terrified! I doubted my eyes...Then, of course, I had to tell that whatever they are making maybe coffee but is totally not turkish coffee. Then, we started laughing because we were heated up over how to make Turkish coffee in Costa Rica in an Israeli restaurant. These are so precious moments, when we catch ourselves being serious over silly things and we can laugh at ourselves. Then, of course, the whole thing became such a joyful, funny conversation. Maya swears that is how they do it in Israel. I believe her:) Thank god I have all the tools and coffee from Istanbul to make them the real deal, plus I also do the cup reading:) However, I have to admit, the coffee tasted great, like a very strong americano, much better than any coffee I'd in Costa Rica, of course except Organico:) I love my little store.

Though the coffee tasted great, not feeling that great with the buzz right now..Crashed pretty fast, so I don't know...I love coffee, i love the taste but it just doesn't work for me right now. Oh well...I just read Sarma's post and it is so much fun to read that we all go through the same holes...Life is beautiful as is, it is perfect.

Freedom Brownies

These amazing brownies are vegan and gluten free! Yes, you can laugh! My super complicated eating habits are also making me laugh at myself, never gets boring over in the baking fairyland... Yesterday, I went over to lunch to a new friend's house and I could not help but laugh to hear "I didn't know if you eat olive oil, so I didn't dress the salad";...come onnnnn, i am not that picky:) Nowadays, I am vegan, gluten free, off coffee, struggling with wine and honoring chocolate daily.

Here is the recipe for super gooey brownies with brown rice flour. Try it at home, almost impossible to mess this up, except for melting the chocolate...That has always been a fingers crossing, praying for the angels, wishing for the best, or "throwing some salt for good luck" action for me, but hey it works:))) Seriously, melting chocolate is a delicate task, and should't be taken lightly. Best way is to use a double boiler. Heat water, put a pan over the water and watch the chocolate melt patiently. Also, very important is to cut the chocolate in small equal chunks. Really delicious, such as life:) Besito!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Oil an 8 inch square baking pan and set aside.

1 cup (175 g) nondairy semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (128 g) sweet potato purée
2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 g) raw brown sugar
1/3 cup (53 g) brown rice flour
2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

In a large bowl, combine melted chips, sweet potato, oil, soy milk, and vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder.
Fold dry ingredients into wet, being careful not to over mix.
Place and level batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 26 minutes.
Let cool in pan, on a wire rack. Let cool completely in fridge before
slicing.

Makes 8 brownies.

let the games begin!

i don't know when i stopped playing volleyball. Most likely when I moved here and thought it is time for yoga. Aaaaah, those days are so over. Ok, here it is, long waited apology from my friends. I am not a yogi, and I find yoga a little overrated. Sorry. I am having so much fun playing volleyball, i have been doing it all my life, i don't know why i let that go…Crazy. And I am damn good at it. Thank god my killer serves are still with me and it is just magical here to play on the beach and meet other super cool v-ball players. And there is nothing more sexy than a man who really knows how to dig a ball. Ufff, finally. We started weekly games already, with posters, ect. and people are showing up. I am so happy! I used to play everyday, i don't remember not playing this long, i am finally getting myself, finding my fun and my peeps. Plus these hungry gangsters eat whatever I bake, no questions! Yogis are a bit uptight about the agave and ultra organic olive oil….hahahahah…i am aliveeeeeeeeee!!! Let the music play, let the games begin!

Sit down and shut up!

'the state of ambiguity-that messy, greasy, mixed-up, confused and awful situation you are living through right now-is enlightenment itself." this brings tears to my eyes. Life is this very moment. It is from this book, Sit down and shut up! Oh, how i wish i can do that. I think chocolate helps with this situation, or i want to believe it would help, so lets bake some brownies.

beloved...

"Dear Goddess: The lady reading this is beautiful, classy, strong and I love her.

Help her live her life to the fullest.

Please promote her and cause her to excel above her expectations.

Help her shine in the darkest places where it seems impossible to love.

Protect her at all times, and lift her up when she needs you the most.

And let her know that she walks with you, and that she will always be safe and beloved.

Super Sexy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Organico!

December 7th marks our 4th season and I am super excited for all the new energy, new recipes, new music (!) and new projects like our 2010 calendar and vegan cooking classes.

The past three years have been such an humbling experience for me personally, to really dive into the business, to see my dreams come true against all my fears and to meet many of you and your beautiful light. Thank you for being here, supporting Organico, blessing this place and our food with your smiles and laughter. With all your wonderful energy, after three years, Organico and Montezuma, feels home to me.

As part of our 4th birthday celebration, we are going to do a beach clean-up followed by a party on December 7th, between 5pm to 7pm. If you are around, stop by and have a "super sexy" shot with us. If you can't make it, know that you are in our hearts and we will be sending tasty "super sexy" love to your way, you can also join us with your super sexy, here is the recipe:

Super Sexy

The super popular, Super Sexy is absolutely the shake of the year, a client and staff favorite! If you haven't had one at Organico, give it a try at home and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you and hopefully will see you in magical Montezuma soon.

1.5 frozen banana
1/4 avocado
1 tsp spirulina
1 tsp wheatgrass powder
1 cup fresh mango (or mango juice)

Blend it all and slurp slowly!

Lots of love from Organico team and Ozlem!

drooling naked burgers...

my friends...are pretty hard core when it comes to food. Check out Jeff's burger idea and he wants to try it this week. This is beyond even my fairy talents. But I asked for inspiration, so here it is...sounds drooling good...

"....An open faced burger with a thin toasted crispy piece of sesame and whole-grain bread on the bottom, then spread on a lot of wasabi-ginger-avocado mayo, then layer with julienne of pickled cucumber/carrot/beet, then a layer of mizuni, arugula, and sunflower sprouts then top it with the mushroom cap (which will be basted with a blend of olive oil, lemon, sea salt and cracked black pepper and then hard pressed and rolled in sesame seeds then grilled to perfection sesame seed side down) and then placed sesame side up and topped with thinly sliced shoestring onions and shredded ginger which has been sauteed in olive oil until the onions are dark brown and crispy and then splashed with soy-sauce in the hot pan.

Serve with a steak knife and oven-baked sweet potato fries and the special mayo to dip in on the side. 

This could very well be the greatest vegan burger of all time. i'll be the guinea pig taster anytime this week except for Wed and Thurs..."

lets see what I'll do with this. It sounds really hard for me right now:)

Princess of Power Smoothie!

It is super fun when i invent something delicious and start feeling like She-RA, the twin sister of He-Man and laugh at myself:)...This smoothie is deliciously green and I swear it is full of super natural powers. Yes, of course I watched too many episodes of She-RA growing up:)

Here is the recipe for one:)

1 tablespoon of hemp butter (if you don't have hemp butter, use tahini)
1/2 cup pineapple
1 celery stick
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon of green powder (I used KYO Green, you can make your own super power with spirulina, wheatgrass, ect)
3 leafs of wild cilantro, or 1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 cup water

that's all...blend it well and feel the power...Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the smoothie and drank it at once:( Bad blogger:)) Got a picture of the empty glass:) Wanna see the after effects? Watch the video...

I want to tell more about cilantro, not only because it tastes amazing but it is also the secret agent in the herb universe. Fresh cilantro, sticks to the chemicals in your body and takes them out, for example mercury. Cilantro also controls blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and fight inflammation (wanna clear up recurring infections, both viral and bacterial, eat some with omega-3 rich foods, like hemp, flax, borrage oil.) Woooo hooo! Fight the bad stuff in your body, with She-RA power! Wild cilantro, is something i discovered in Costa Rica. It is a thin long flat leaf, ok i just took a picture, much easier:) I never saw it in San Francisco, but maybe in the Mexican markets, they must have it. If not, good old skinny cilantro is still amazing.

More detailed cilantro research here, if you really wanna learn more:)

decadency in the jungle

ahhh, life in costa rica...in montezuma in the rainy season....everyday the present opens up with beautiful flowers, crashing waves, lots of sand, a little rain drop, soft breeze, fireflies....discoveries of routine daily life is so precious, i love my life now. Sure it changes daily; I can't promise emotional stability now, but I am working on it:) Organico is closed, I am as lazy as any cricket and yes, the ants are working hard on finishing my red quinoa smuggled from San Francisco...But, I am happy to be lazy, it seems like not enough time just to be. Note to my 90 year old self, you were happy and lazy at 33 so suck it up and dance like crazy and don't worry about rice and beans:))

Anyway, long introduction, laziness comes with its benefits of discovering decadencies, self comfort, more digging into how can I enhance this experience of pleasure, i feel like royalty in my sand castle! So, of course coffee for a vegan girl was decadent with soy milk at home and black anywhere else...until...I discovered something new at a friend's castle. Coconut Milk! I had it with regular coffee and immediately tried it with cappuccino...aaaaahhh, what was i thinking, creamy, delicious, mostly, decadent!!! It is a very rich experience...So enjoy a cup of coffee for me, with coconut milk, and smile to your inner goddess and start dancing before 90!!!

oh, here is a video too...sorry it is on you tube and no access from Turkey....

Magic Pudding....

I am not a fan of puddings. I dont like spending time at the stove and constantly mixing under heat, especially in the tropics. Until I discovered chia seeds! Here is a great super speedy recipe that does not need any stove time plus all the benefits of chia seeds...high in omega-3 fatty acids (in fact, the highest-known vegetable source of omega-3s!) and a 1-oz. serving contains about 4grs of protein. Check out more benefits of this amazing seed here...

Ok, one last thing, if you hate tapioca pudding, pass this recipe with confidence:)))

Chia Pudding (serves 1-2):

1/2 cup chia seeds

1 1/2 cup milk (soy or other non-dairy milk, coconut or almond milk would be great too)
1/4 cup agave
a few dashes cinnamon
1 tablespoon of acai powder or 1 tablespoon cacao powder

a pinch of salt

chopped fresh fruit to top (optional)

Place the chia seeds in a bowl or covered container. Mix all the ingredients with a fork and let it soak on the counter for at least 10 minutes until thickened, or cover and soak in the fridge overnight.  Stir again before serving, and top with fresh fruit and another dash of cinnamon or spices.

Enjoy!