Inspired!

Some people are really smart. I can't remember where, but I read somewhere that vegan sashimi with this incredible vegetable works great! It is such a clever, neat idea and I don't know how raw fish tastes, but this tasted so much like fish, I did not want to eat it. Can you guess what this is???

Email me what you think at bakingfairy@gmail.com, and get a free Organico recipe!

Excited!

After spending countless hours of travelling between Santa Teresa and Montezuma in the last month, I decided to take a day off and spend the whole weekend. Sounds great. Now it is already 10:00 pm and I need to pack for a day! What do I take? It is such a big deal to travel overnight, with all my supplement, food needs, yoga clothing (maybe this will be the time I will get back into practicing), dancing clothing, nice dinner dress (don't laugh, i never get to dress here and it sucks because I love to dress up once in a while), and the books, i have soooo much I want to do and there is not enough time. In the end here is what I got:
Green Goddess Chocolate Bars, from Organico of course!
Flax Crackers
Spirulina
Amazing Meal Green Powder
Probiotics
Enzymes
Face Wash
Coconut Cream
Ylang Ylang Body Cream
Make up
Yoga Stuff
Healing Woman, Book about Herbal Healing
Unaccustomed Earth, Story Book
Notebook to write my dreams
Favorite Earrings

Missing night out dress-will think about that tomorrow
Missing sleeping attire-i need to go shopping!

I am excited, so amazing that now really simple things make me excited. I am so grateful to life, my health and body. Pura Vida!

wanderlust

I diagnosed myself with a serious condition, wanderlust. I suffer from curiosity, day dreaming, passion and lack of it, constantly. Now I got some bubbles in my stomach, because it is new moon today and I am doing a liver cleanse. Lets see if I get some clarity tomorrow.

Here is some information
http://www.ener-chi.com/liverarticle.htm

Yam Nut Burger! Looks delicious!

http://hlifemedia.com/2010/02/vegan-raw-yam-nut-burger/

raw and vegan!

for inspiration...

http://gliving.com/sarah-backhouse-diet-revelations-at-halfway-point/#more-4426

confessions of an addict

I am addicted to our chocolate chip cookies. Compared to all kinds of addictions out there, I feel pretty good about our vegan, wheat-free cookies that i have to have one a day. Almost everyday, if we are not sold out. I don't take one out from the case until we close, but if we are closed and there is one left, that is mineee and I am pretty serious about it:) So, i do know it is an addiction.

They are giant, as you can see and packed with lots of chocolate chips. Plus oat flour that we make by simply grinding the oats, flax seeds, raw sugar and homemade brown rice milk. So, in one of my intense why do I love these cookies so much questioning times, I got this idea of an experiment. wanted to figure out what my addiction was...Is the chocolate in the cookies or the cookies am I addicted to? Yeah, this is the big question of my life!!! Pretty entertaining for me:) Really, I don't care about the same cookies with raisins. At the same time, I also don't care about a chocolate bar, (except for our Green Goddess, that is another story and a secret recipe).

So, I made an experiment. I made raw chocolate chip cookie dough drops. With amazing cashew flour, oat flour, same real chocolate chips...Sadly, I could care less for these goodness. They taste amazing, they are pretty much the same exact same thing but I want the cookieeeeee! I think it is also the texture, the cookie is super big and crunchy, well toasted with the oats and flax. The drops are dense, and gooey. I love the crunch and it is lighter. Gooey cashew is super healthy but still, heavy and fatty. I want to try this same thing with almonds now:)

So, I guess am addicted to the crunch and the chocolate chips. I love the freedom that i can enjoy what I love. I love that I love cookies. I love that I make the best cookies in the world and there is not one single thing that I'd much rather have than my own cookies, if baked right. Trust me, to get this recipe right, we have done maybe 25 versions and my amazing friend and super foodie friend Jeff, has been there with me all the way, until they were just right. Thank you!!! We tried it all...From different brand of oats, to different grinding times of those oats, different sugars: agave, dark brown, raw sugar, fruit sugar, then the oils, coconut, cacao, soy, corn, baking times, 15 minutes baking, 20 minutes baking one side and flipping back an other 20 minutes, cooling them in the racks, cooling in the oven, baking temperatures then the storage, wrapping them in plastic bags, freezing or not. And if you have time you can figure out the combinations of all these variables. But it is all done. There is nothing we can add or take because they are just perfect. And here is the base recipe, of course we have our own changes but I am not sharing trade secrets;) Have fun!

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=149

Ylang ylang lemonade

Ylang ylang is my favorite scent and second favorite flower after flor blanca. The smell is sooo beautiful, sensual and totally uplifting. Our gardener Randal brought a huge bag of this wonderful flower to the cafe and we put them in water for decoration. At the end of that day, the water smelled incredible. Totally calling us for a taste. I wasn't sure if we could drink this, neither Randal. I was more thinking that we might have an interesting experience or a trip, and we went for a sip:) Oh wow! This is how water tastes in heaven. Amazing. Still, we did not feel too sure about drinking more and rather washed ourselves and poured the rest back to the nature. These moments of dancing with the nature, discovering something new everyday, sharing my joy with others are the gifts of my life. I am so grateful. 

from organico, lunch time...

reporting from organico, it is not high season anymore so I got time to update my blog and share more what is going on here!

Right now, two minutes ago, a group of four walks in, I feel the very masculine energy, two guys and two girls...they walk in happily, saying, "ooo cool place"..and check out the menu...the big, fit guys are ok with the menu, but it is the girls got a little upset that there is no meat!

they want to leave but they want to be polite and ask:

"only vegetarian stuff?"

me: "yeah...the best!"

he feels relieved, "oh, we'll come back for dessert, then. I need that dead animal in me first." Ok, he did not say the second part out loud, but that is what i heard..really...

then the ipod sings..

"i believe they get to you..." some song that I don't know..wow!

yeah....well, i am still judgemental about meateaters and would never date one:)

Drinking it..

Aloe Vera...Fresh! For some reason, my body was craving for it, I just found out that it's great for B-12-that I lack, plus helps with the digestive system...Check it out and have a sip!

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-aloe-vera.html

Now that we have 4 giant plants, I am blending a piece of aloe with pure lemon juice...and make a shot! You can also add it to a smoothie with flax seeds and lots of greens and a banana! Feels like a massage to my organs. Love it!

raw food at its best!

http://myownrawchef.com/2010/03/kale-tahini-salad/

amazing!!!

Celebrating Ground Hog Day!

i love blogging. I actually love writing, it is a fun hobby that I've been doing a bit too privately these days. Now, I got some juicy things happening, so I can share with love! Thank you for being patient with me, checking the site, sending emails and being my friend! It makes it so much exciting to write.

As you know, I've decided to sell the cafe. Finally! Yeah! 4 years of countless hours and now I am ready to move on. It is exciting and very much liberating. I feel in bliss, having made a decision, on top, things are also moving quite smoothly and incredibly magical. I don't have a buyer yet, but it is all good and I know the universe will bring the right person, when the time is right. For now, my work days are short, we are open from 11:30 to 4pm, serving lunch and ice-cream with only three employees. It is super fun, quick and soooo much easier than the 7 am-11pm shifts and managing 10 employees. What a relief. 

Plus, I get to interact with super cool customers, meet interesting people, chit chat and be more social than the usual...goodbye to the crazy mad woman, who would run to the supermarket 10 times a day and be bitter about it everyday:) I am learning, slowly!

So, it gets pretty interesting..like last week for example, had a great a-ha moment during one of these chats with a quite charming guy from the states. After the classic, how did you get here, my previous life, montezuma history, foreigner community in montezuma, he asked why would i want to sell this "great" business. I said, I really got tired of working. Plus living in a tourist town, where I have the same exact conversation everyday,"like this one we're having" gets pretty boring. He said, wow, it sounds like the "ground hog day!" Amazing. I hope you've seen the movie, if not see it, its great. 

Next day after we had this conversation, on my way to work, it totally hit me, the Ground Hog Day, the boat to Tortuga is on the beach, with many people waiting, I say hi to the local guide, the same guide, Pura Vida to the fisherman, say hi to other few people, trying to hide myself from rest of the locals and go in the back route behind the beach and head to the cafe...Opening up, and the first "buenas dias"....it gets to me even more now:)

Honestly, I feel like out of touch with real interactions, the basics, family and friends. I am living the same things, everyday, trying to add spice and flavor to it, by changing the recipes, but what I crave is being surrounded by real people, more than just super cool, deep conversations with wanderers around the world, who hang out a few weeks, or in the best case a few months. Roots...maybe..but then, would it feel boring? ok, enough therapy for today!

decisions!

wow! i am ready! i put the cafe for sale! It is for real this time. I have had such a beautiful, not always pretty, but beautiful experience in Montezuma, I am now proud to say, I am ready to move on! It is exciting, very very exciting. I wonder who will buy my Organico, my baby...I hope she or he will be vegan, into nutrition, feeding people with love. And they keep the place as is, especially the ice-cream! It is a bitter sweet story. After being here for 4 years, i have decided that I want to be close to my family and friends. At least for a while. Sure, I made friends here as well, that I will miss very much, but it is not the same thing. Plus the transient tourist town is getting to me these days. I hate that people come and go and try to sneak into my life and get entertained and then good-bye, sometimes there is even no good-bye. It hurts me a lot, I take things personal a lot, then i isolate myself and cry a lot and then be depressed and try to feed people with pure love, not really..it is hard. I became an emotional drama queen of the town with a story everyday. It does not end. This is probably true for anyone, anywhere in the world but I feel burned, overwhelmed, drained. I can't. I don't want to. I don't want this job anymore. And it feels sooooo good. So, stay tuned for updates. In the ice-cream corner, the flavor of the month is Vanilla Bean with Cardamom! It is incredible! 

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!