Telephone Open House with Dan and Cherie Tonight! December 17 at 6:00 PM PST

This is your chance to ask all of your important questions about Living Light classes and programs, including all of the new classes we have added! Join Living Light Directors Dan Ladermann and Cherie Soria for a FREE “open house” via telephone!

Two dates to choose from:

Dates and Times:  Thursday, December 17th 6:00-7:00 PM (PST)
and Saturday, December 19th 3:00-4:00 PM (PST)

To Call In Dial:  (218) 844-0850 Participant Access Code:  873111#

There is no charge for the open house; however, long distance charges may apply, depending on your individual phone plan. If you are ready to begin a new life as a certified Living Light Associate Chef and Instructor™ or Gourmet Raw Food Chef™, or if you are interested in advanced classes, classes on raw food nutrition, knife skills, recipe development, or pastry arts, take advantage of this rare opportunity to ask the experts! Cherie and Dan will cover any questions you may have about Living Light and how our programs work!

Heartfelt Thank You from Elaina and Dominic

Elaina Love and her beautiful son Dominic

Thank you all immensely, from the bottom of our collective hearts here at Living Light, for your prayers and offerings in support of our dear sister Elaina Love and her son Dominic. There have been prayer vigils all over the world and people who have never even met Elaina have heard about Dominic’s brave fight for his life from leukemia and offered their help. Many thanks to everyone who forwarded our pleas on to their lists – it has made a world of difference.

When we sent out the first bulletin asking for financial assistance for Elaina, we had no idea the level of response we would receive! In the 12 days since we began, Elaina and Dominic’s story has reached well over 100,000 people. Nearly 1,000 donations have been received and more than $30,000 collected to help with Dominic’s care and expenses.

Yesterday, we announced the winner of the raffle drawing we offered to people who donated to the fund: Michele Malchow of Reno, Nevada
Michele has won her choice of a FREE FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods™ class (a $365 value), or 2 tickets for the Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase™, August 27-29, 2010 (a $450 value). Congratulations Michele!

Donations for the fund have ranged from $5 to $1000. One donor sent $2000 to Hippocrates for Dominic’s extra medical expenses. And Drs. Brian and Anna Maria Clement from Hippocrates Health Institute have generously provided a scholarship for Dominic, so now the majority of funds can go to Dominic’s continued care. This will also enable Elaina to stay with him during his healing. Thank you Hippocrates for the caring work you do and the lives you save.

Every trial is a learning opportunity, and for Elaina opportunities are unfolding daily. Elaina says one of the many things she has learned is that everything needs to happen in its own time. A body cannot be forced to do something it’s not ready to do – even deep cleansing. It has its own intelligence, which must be honored. She says she now realizes that her body responds differently than Dominic’s body and she vows to apply that bit of wisdom to her future encounters. We are all so unique and different and what works for one may not work for all.

Wednesday Dominic returned home to California for the holidays. He wanted to be with his dog and family members, and expects to continue to improve at home. Dominic is a warrior and he says he knows he will get better. His spirit and Elaina’s outlook is hopeful. Here is what Elaina had to say today:

“I had way too much ego when I went to Hippocrates. I see that now. I thought I was going to save the day (along with Brian Clement). I have been so humbled by this experience. As the 2 weeks have progressed, I’ve seen Dominic get weaker and sicker. He can’t keep the green juice down, nor really anything for that matter, except for his morning and evening wheatgrass shots. Last night and this morning though, not even those are passing his pale little lips. He sleeps most of the day. He takes morphine, sometimes 2 times a day for the pain in his leg and hip where the leukemia seems to be growing. I’ve talked to so many wise and loving people like Brian and Anna Maria Clement, Viktoras Kulvinskas, Dr. Thomas Lodi, and the list goes on and on. There have been so many beautiful people who have sent me gifts, love, prayers and well wishes, which uplift my spirits on a daily basis. For this energy healing I am eternally grateful to each one of you.

I had an idea that Dominic would go to Hippocrates and start eating all the food, drinking the juices, doing the therapies, and poof! transform into his old, healthy self. This has not happened yet. In fact, because he is still so weak, we feel it is best to go back home so he can be closer to friends and loved ones in his own surroundings. I choose to surrender with my entire being. Surrender to the fact that I don’t know the grand design. Surrender to the best possible outcome for all involved.  Surrender to Dominic’s internal intelligence and his “soul’s knowing”. Surrender to letting go of thinking I know how things should go. In essence, I surrender to the Highest Power.

We have been up, we have been down; we feel wrung out like wet dish towels and hung to dry. But our spirits are still high and we are still hopeful that a miracle could happen at any moment.  Dominic is in good spirits and as always, we are hopeful. Again, we thank you all so much for your love and prayers. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. Dominic’s story has circulated worldwide–we’ve been contacted by people in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and the world over. The love is circling the globe. Cherie Soria and Dan Ladermann of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute have been instrumental in raising funds for us. I am exceptionally grateful for their help and continued support. This is a true story of love, hope, and compassion in the highest form.
I love you all!
Elaina

Urgent Request for Elaina Love and Dominic

Elaina Love and her beautiful son Dominic

We were saddened yesterday to hear that Elaina Love’s  son, Dominic, who has been in a treatment program for leukemia, has taken a turn for the worse. Dominic was diagnosed with leukemia on January 15, 2009. He underwent the traditional cancer treatment of chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplant, and he seemed to be responding well, until recently, when the leukemia suddenly and aggressively returned. There is nothing more to do in the medical arena.

Elaina has faith in the body’s ability to heal itself, so she took Dominic to Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida for 3 weeks where he will eat a completely green, raw, vegan diet of juices, daily wheatgrass implants, and oxygen therapy. She is there with him now and will remain there with him through it all.

This program is very costly, starting at $20,000 for the first three weeks of expenses, so we at Living Light would like to invite you to participate in a fundraising effort for Elaina. If you choose to participate, you can donate as little as $5 to this campaign. If you donate $20 or more through the Living Light fundraising campaign for Elaina and Dominic, we will enter your name in a raffle to win your choice of a FREE FUNdamentals of Raw and Living Foods class (a $365 value), or 2 tickets for the Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase, August 27-29, 2010 (a $450 value).

100% of all proceeds will go directly to Elaina Love to help with Dominic’s expenses. We have set up an easy way to donate funds – you can put it on your credit card by clicking on the link below to contribute in increments of as little as $5 (every little bit helps!) We know that this is a challenging time for us to ask you for money, but if you or someone you know has been touched by Elaina and her gentle and joyful presence, or you simply would like to be an Angel this holiday season and help someone whose young life hangs in the balance, please consider helping Elaina and her only child in their time of need. We greatly appreciate anything you can do and most of all we appreciate your warm wishes and all your prayers. Thank you for your kind and generous support of our beautiful sister, Elaina, and her wonderful son, Dominic.

Click here to donate

Many blessings for a healthy holiday season for you and yours,

Cherie, Dan, and the entire Living Light staff

Italian journalists enjoy feast at Living Light

Italian Journalists taking notes on Cheri's demo

On November 23, Living Light had an exciting day entertaining some editors from the media in ITALY!!! Our guests included editors from Italian Vanity Fair, Panorama Travel, La Republica newspaper, MARCOPOLO TV, and our California Travel and Tourism representative for Italy and Spain—what fun!!! Cherie did a demo, and the editors enjoyed a beautiful lunch menu which included Pesto Almond Torte served with Golden Flax Shards and Julienne of Sweet Peppers, Gazpacho with Avocado Brunoise, Caesar Salad with Almond Croutons and Pine Nut Parmesan, Linguini Parody with Truffle Cream, and Cardamom Chocolate Flourless Cake with Sweet Rose-Scented Cashew Cream. The Italian journalists were very impressed with the food–they couldn’t believe that gourmet raw food could be so delicious.

Cherie’s World Famous Kale Coleslaw on Supreme Master TV

Here’s the recipe for Cherie’s famous Kale Coleslaw (also a signature dish at our award winning Living Light Cafe!) This would make an excellent side dish for your Thanksgiving Feast! See the demo here: http://www.rawfoodchef.com/cheriesvideos.html

Kale Coleslaw
Yield: 2 cups (2 servings)
Dressing
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon light miso
2 teaspoons flaxseed oil
1½ teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground golden flaxseeds
1 small clove garlic
Pinch of powdered mustard

Salad
2 cups large kale leaves
1¼ cups whole head cabbage
1 large ripe tomato
½ cup currents
2 tablespoons
whole red onion
½ red jalapeño chile,
seeded and minced,
or pinch of cayenne
Pinch of salt

The perfect bite-Kale Coleslaw on Supreme Master TV

Living Light and Mendocino Coast on Supreme Master TV

A few months ago Supreme Master TV came to the Mendocino coast to film Cherie and Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. Not content with just doing a couple of demos and a tour of our four businesses, Cherie came up with some other wonderful ideas…she took the film crew on a tour of some of the other sustainable businesses here on the Mendocino Coast for their TV series: Vegetarianism—The Noble Way of Living. Supreme Master TV is a worldwide organization promoting a spiritual, peaceful way of living, and vegetarianism through videos with subtitles in 15 languages. In this series you will learn how to make Kale Coleslaw and Sea Vegetable and Cucumber Salad with bounty collected from two local businesses: Noyo Food Forest, an organic community gardens project that provides fresh produce for local school meal programs, and teaches kids how to garden and compost.Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company A sea vegetable company that harvests, dries, and sells locally gathered seaweeds including sea palm fronds, which are unique to the Mendocino coast.  All of the crew was very excited about the extraordinary businesses we have here in Northern California, and they did an amazing, professional job in creating these videos. We know you will learn a lot, too (we did)–have fun watching! http://www.rawfoodchef.com/cheriesvideos.html

Sea Palm looks like miniature palm trees!

Living Light Ambassadors and Raw Sweets Contest in Tokyo Japan

Jewel Box cake amazes Living Light Ambassadors

Living Light students are reaching out into the world again, and we are so proud of their achievements! In October, the Japan Living Beauty Association hosted a Raw Sweets Contest in Tokyo, and Living Light Ambassadors Jim Maurice, Beate von der Osten, Brenda Hinton, Masae Kitahara, and Makiko Asano were contest judges. Over twenty entries came in over the internet and the judges voted on the desserts based on photos, recipes, ingredients, and descriptions of the dishes. Eight finalists brought their desserts to the contest, and guests and students at the event were treated to demos and lectures by Living Light Ambassadors and Japanese students. Everyone got to taste the marvelous creations, and the grand prize winner was a cake called The Jewelry Box. The young (19 year old) winner of the contest, Moeko Shima had spent some time in Switzerland and wanted to create a traditional cake (a raw version of the Donauellen from that region). Judge Beate von der Osten from Germany well remembered tasting the delicious cake in Europe, and was SO impressed—she said it was exactly like the cake she remembered! A quote from Living Light Ambassador Brenda Hinton: “Needless to say this was an incredible adventure, an uplifting experience, and a beautifully heartwarming event. And this is only the beginning !! Moeko Shima dreams of coming to Living Light, and here’s what she said: “I am looking forward to go to America, to Living Light and to think and learn more things about raw food and also to meet Cherie Soria.” And if you would like to see more photos of Japanese students making raw food, click this link: http://rawsweets.blogspot.com/

Our students love to blog

We are so excited that our students are now blogging about their experiences here at Living Light. We send email bulletins, write press releases, contribute to various raw publications, and do a lot of publicity to get the word out about what a fantastic program we have created here at Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, but nothing can compare to word of mouth from students who have attended our classes. Audrey Barron’s blog called BeBliss has some great posts complete with photos…check them out at http://beofbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/living-light-in-fort-bragg.html

Cherie Soria with Living Light student chefs

FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods Santa Barbara

FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods™ with Cherie Soria and Martine Lussier.

Our introductory FUNdamentals class (first in our Associate Chef and Instructor Certification series ) is traveling to Cherie’s hometown, and we are excited! Discover the magic of creating fabulous organic raw vegan cuisine for optimal health and rejuvenation!  Dozens of superb culinary presentations will show you everything you need to know to create a wide variety of delicious, easy-to-prepare raw recipes.  Learn to make healthy and delicious everyday favorites using whole, fresh, ripe, raw, organic foods.  See and sample rich nut milks and creams, appetizers and pates, cultured foods, smoothies, sauces, dressings, soups and salads, simple entrees, dehydrated goodies and snacks, and desserts.  Learn kitchen gardening and sprouting, basic knife techniques, and equipment use.  You will be provided a complete recipe folder and resource guide and will sample all the foods prepared during the class.  A delicious buffet lunch will also be served!  No prerequisites are required.  This class is open to participants of any skill level, novice to professional.  Tuition: $365

Where:  Santa Barbara, California
When:  Wednesday, June 3 (Check in 8:30 AM, Class time is 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
Tuition:  $365, includes lunch and samples
Location:  Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara
1535 Santa Barbara Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 965-4584

Students Cater Mediterranean Meal May 28

Students have fun catering a delicious Mediterranean meal

One of the exciting and fun things our catering students do is to prepare and serve a delicious Mediterranean meal that is open to the public! It is great experience for them. They work in teams to prepare all of the courses, and decorate the dining room with flower arrangements and candles. They also serve the meal to attendees from both Living Light and the general public, who are awed by the amazing skill and culinary talent our students exhibit.

Our next student catered meal will be May 28, with a Mediterranean menu including Hummous, Falafel with Tahini Sauce, Tabouli, Greek Salad, Carrots with Moroccan Spices, Dolmas with Middle Eastern Marinara and Apple Baklava! Such a bargain at only $22. Join us if you are in the area–or plan to be! P.S. The student in the middle is Bennett McClellan, who now teaches FUNdamentals with us!