Joy of Baking

I got this article as a gift...So precious...

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/2960

when we are long gone..

Saturday morning I woke up with a phone call from a friend, asking me to get ready to be picked up. A tsunami warning has been issued for Costa Rica after the 8.1 earthquake in Chile. Wow. These words came out without much thinking "Ok, I am ready to leave, but wait a second I have employees..." i was worried about them. I left home with my passport and put on my favorite jean skirt. In a split second, looked at my beautiful laptop and said to myself, no, not worth it at all. I felt pretty good about not having anything to take from my place...On the way to the cafe, I saw life differently...like a play..some people running around, some acted like nothing has happened, some careless and the birds flying with no sign of panic. It felt like I was on a movie set, it was timeless.  

When I arrived at the cafe, got another call that the warning for Costa Rica has been reversed and we were safe to be back in business. Yay for the saturday market and super sexy shakes!!! 

I saw the news on the internet, Chile, life, all this struggle, search, happiness, pain, healing, friends, family, babies, but just seconds of memories...this moment, now. The recordings were full of sadness and frustration, our helplessness as human beings,  hopelessness...how can we help...how can we heal this planet? 

Later today another friend shared this beautiful song, I've never heard before. Touched my heart and still listening to it on repeat. Sending all the love, support and healing to everyone in need, with gratitude to the universe, my body and wonderful experiences I am sharing with you. When we gone, long gone, the only thing that will matter is the love that we shared, and the way that we cared, when we're gone, long gone. Super good. May we all be blessed by the love we have for each other, in this body on this planet. Now...

TIRAMISU, vegan raw amazing!

Tiramisu was a hit! Thanks for coming and for your wonderful smiles:)

Here is the recipe:
1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
1 cup dates
1/4 cup espresso
1/2 cup cacao nibs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
20 drops of gotu kola, optional but it is the real deal with the pick me up:)
1 tsp almond extract ( I used hazelnut extract because I didn't have the almond)

blend everything in a food processor until the dough holds its shape
and press it together to make little round circles.

Now the real deal! The Cashew Mascarpone..
1 cup cashews soaked
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup agave
1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

blend everything until smooth and add:

1/3 cup cacao butter
2 tablespoon lecitin

Refrigerate over night. Spread over the tiramisu base and sprinkle
cacao powder and some fairy dust! Enjoy!

and...

And such is the mystic.  The mystic seeks to remove the "and" from between the spaces in life and in our hearts.
Mystics seek to remove the "and" from prayer, work, love, service. They seek to remove the "and" from indeed all of life and living.

http://www.priyakale.com/blog/2010/02/25/painted-soul-mysticism-and-the-tyranny-of-time/

And today again I hear the words, "life is not always pretty but beautiful" Yes, it is true...such a longing for finding where we lost the knowledge of who we are, followed by the pure joy to remember, reconnect. It exists. I do remember, so can anyone. So grateful to every single moment of my life that lead me to ME! Celebrating, costa rican style, sushi rolls, and a turkish drama, thursday nights are my favorite! Hmmm, tomorrow will be iced coconut chai tea, thai style!

thinking of...

will you give sweet peas a chance? 

Vacation!!! I am dreaming about going away...closing the store, resting, reading, sleeping, dreaming, hammock. soon...very very soon!

http://www.haciendadelsolcr.com/index.php

Recipe of the Day

Recipe of the Day

Clean the racks

No need for an oven,

Hot as 150 degrees

in Montezuma,

Paradise for raw fooders.

Lets make a fruit salad.

Cut a papaya in half,

Ah that vibrant color.

Saving the seeds for later,

make it glow with

abundant mango of love,

sweetness from a deep OM

and a spoon of 

shared memories, ever growing

day by day.

moment of gratitude

forever will stay with us today.

And now spread those seeds 

All over town

They sure will burst out of love

and make a papaya farm!

- Ozlem

Written for Matthew Meyers

Montezuma, Costa Rica

February 14th, 2010

Ultimate Human Experience

Amazing story, and music...Speaks to my heart!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123534818&ps=cprs

Carl Sagan and love!

If i were to make my own mix, i'd also add a few descriptions of what it feels like to eat an avocado with curry powder, a chocolate mint cake from the baking fairy and the warm fuzzy feeling of a hug that you feel right in your chest that everything is right where it is supposed to be. The ultimate feeling of sharing...the world is a magical place to be. 

Perhaps...

"Perhaps love is the process of my leading you gently back to yourself." Antoine De Saint Exupery

One of my favorite quotes! Happy Valentine's Day! May everyday be filled with love, freedom and peace. I am going to have a little get together with my lovers this Sunday and we will be testing a couple new recipes and then of course you will get the recipes here!

love is in the air! always!

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.