Passionate About Pastry by kristin

Our raw dessert guru/diva has just arrived back in Fort Bragg, which always creates a lot of excitement with both students and staff.

Vinnette Thompson is an amazing teacher and a remarkable person who brings a smile to everyone’s face – and not just because she makes terrific desserts. She also makes creating the desserts a memorable experience. Students learn how to work with a variety of ingredients – Pastry Arts classes are a combination of theory, culinary demos, and practical hands-on training, from a master in the art. Learn how to use binders, thickeners, emulsifiers and gelling agents; how to choose the right sweeteners and fats for a variety of classic pastry recipes and discover the secrets of making exquisite raw desserts that taste even better than famous cooked desserts!

It’s definitely a thrilling class for people, because they’ve learned a lot of fundamental skills in our other classes, and they can now translate those skills into unbelievable confections. The Pastry Arts – Unbaked! course is definitely its own reward…mmmmm.

The good news is that Vinnette is going to be here for an entire month. She’ll be teaching during all of our advanced courses, including Ethnic Flavors in Recipe Development, Raw Fusion Gourmet Spa Cuisine, and Raw Event Catering and Elegant Entertaining. Her bright spirit is a wonderful tonic for everyone who meets her! Yay, Vinette – we’re glad you’re back! And if you are interested in a Pastry Arts Certification, you can start with FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods May 16 and stay through Pastry Arts – Unbaked! June 16- 19 – what fun! Call Mary Elizabeth or Amanda in enrollment for all the details: 707-964-2420

A classically trained chef, Vinnette earned her culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America and is also a graduate of the Living Light Culinary Institute, where she now teaches a variety of classes. Vinnette has two culinary passions, vegetarian cuisine and culinary education. A chef for over 25 years, she caters privately and teaches culinary arts for the Palm Beach school district in Florida.

Green Juice for You by kristin

With the Dina’s Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ certification series beginning May 25, I thought it might be a good time to share some special green juices from Karin Dina, D.C. Don’t forget, any class at Living Light is discounted by 15% until May 15!

Light and Dark Green Juice By Dr. Karin Dina, D.C.

I’m constantly coming up with ideas about how to enjoy more green juice. I love developing new green juice recipes and am continually amazed at the nutrient content of even the simplest of green juices.

 Here is a green juice recipe for people who enjoy a lighter flavored green juice:

5 stalks of celery (12″ long), 1 medium lemon, peeled, 1 medium cucumber, 8″ long

Makes about 2 cups of juice. The ingredients for this juice contain 198 mg of calcium, 2 mg of iron, 1 mg of zinc, and 81 mg of magnesium.

For people who enjoy the flavor of dandelion greens (a great Spring tonic),  a dark green juice recipe:

• 5 stalks of celery (12″ long)
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 medium cucumber, 8″ long
• 3 cups frisée greens (curly endive)
• 5 cups dandelion greens

Makes about 3 cups of juice. The ingredients in this juice contain 790 mg of calcium, almost 12 mg of iron, 3.4 mg of zinc, and almost 203 mg of magnesium. As one can see, the dandelion greens and frisée greens contribute quite a bit of calcium and iron to this juice when compared to the light green juice recipe. These numbers are impressive when compared to the adult daily values for these nutrients!

Living Light faculty instructors Dr. Rick Dina, D.C. and Dr. Karin Dina, D.C. have created an exceptional curriculum on the science of raw food nutrition, which includes a comprehensive 5-course series of classes that will answer all your questions about the raw food diet and how it measures up with other popular diets.

Our Advanced Raw Food Nutrition Health Educator™ package is highly recommended for both health educators and raw food chefs alike, and is perfect for anyone who plans to live the lifestyle or teach the benefits of raw and living foods to others. And the best news is that the next complete session begins May 25!

Gain the confidence you need in scientific-based knowledge, and be able to share the information with authority and accuracy!

For more information about the  Science of Raw Food Nutrition series of classes (discounted until May 15) Call our enrollment department at 707-964-2420 or Click here

Steps to Success by kristin

When we imagine a new life for ourselves – one that is in alignment with our core values as well as our hopes and dreams, it might seem as though the steps to reaching our goals are steep, if not impossible. The future stretches out; we have our daily round of responsibilities and must do lists. How do we take the first steps to making our dreams a reality? This is a question that comes up every day at Living Light. Our enrollment advisors, Mary Elizabeth and Amanda, talk to eager students from around the globe and hear many fascinating stories. The great part is that we help many of those who call our office find a way to take those first steps to success by attending our school. They are inspired to weave their dreams and plans together and make what seemed like far off possibilities a reality – often very quickly.

Our graduate success stories are truly amazing, and its encouraging to see that even those students who have completed only our first level certification, Raw Culinary Arts Associate Chef and Instructor Training™ are already moving forward with new careers! Next associate chef session begins May 25, and we have a special offer when you bring a friend. Check it out here! Sometimes it’s more fun to take the first steps with someone you know.

 

Learn from the Best by kristin

Living Light Triple Win at Sedona Raw Living Expo!

It’s official! Dan and Cherie looked glamorous and were absolutely beaming as Living Light was acknowledged in three categories at the Sedona Raw Living Expo February 22-24, coming away with the  Best Raw Chef Training Program, Best Eco Raw Company, and a special “Peer to Peer” award for Achievement in Culinary Arts Training.

As someone who has worked in the company for nearly eight years, I was so happy to see them rewarded for years and years of hard work getting the word out about a gourmet raw food diet.  Cherie has been teaching vegetarian cuisine for 40 years! And finally, they’ve published a book together, too.

Raw Food For Dummies is their first collaborative writing project. Dan has been behind the scenes, behind the camera, and supporting the businesses with his tech savvy, so it’s heartening to see him in the spotlight these days, too.

Raw Rocks! Tour Rocks California Next

So now they’re in LA at the big NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO WEST event, and will be touring the state in their mobile home – covering lots of territory in California through the month of March. It’s a nice time of year to see the state and connect with raw restaurants and healthy venues, and most of all the people. Cherie says that meeting with people in the various communities is so rewarding – everyone is excited to meet them and learn about raw food, our school, and all of the amazing things Living Light graduates are doing in the world.

Feels Like Spring by kristin

The past couple of days have been relatively warm and sunny – in the low 60s here on the Mendocino coast. Hardly any frost on the ground for the past two mornings, after several weeks of frost covered grass. I’m sort of obsessively monitoring the daffodils in my yard – waiting for the first golden bloom to emerge. The paperwhites I forced on my kitchen windowsill have kept me company during the cold, frosty mornings, but they are nearly finished, and I noticed that the alyssum, which appeared nearly dead as I transplanted it in a few key places last fall is popping up all over. Success! Spring is in the air, if only temporarily – but it is on the way. Hooray!

Besides bringing flowers, Spring showers and longer days, maybe thoughts of Spring cleaning – or better yet, a Spring cleanse. It is the perfect time of year to renew not only our spirits but our bodies. Drinking plenty of green juices and a adding a squeeze of lemon to fresh water first thing in the morning cleanses the liver and removes some of the sluggishness we might feel from eating some heavier foods to keep us warm and spending more time indoors during the long winter. That puts a spring in our step and the longer days motivate us to get outside and get our mojo working again!

If you’d like to know more about how to be the healthiest you can be, why not sign up for our Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ series with those inimitable gurus of green – the Drs. Dina! Honestly, the feedback we get from students about their classes is amazing. Drs. Rick and Karin have a way of making even the most complicated scientific information seem accessible and even fun! And they are both approachable – no question is too complicated or too simple – you’ll see! Series begins March 16!

Live Your Passion

What are you passionate about? Here at Living Light most of our students are passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, feeling energetic and inspired, and making a difference in the world. Pretty wonderful goals – we’re lucky to work among such people – they’re good role models.  We’ve found over the years that the secret ingredient for living an inspired life is always the same – it’s love. And since it’s February, the month of love, we are especially happy to welcome a new group of students – starting today. They are arriving to start at the beginning of their path to becoming raw food chefs, with the  FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods course. It’s always an exciting day for us. Welcome beautiful people – we love you! Meanwhile, Dan and Cherie are continuing the Raw Rocks Tour. They are in Florida right now, but after stopping to catch us up on their latest adventures, they’ll be moving on to magical Sedona, Arizona and the Raw Living Expo, where Cherie will be a keynote speaker, and Dan and Cherie will do a talk, a culinary demo, and a special workshop on how to create a successful raw food business in today’s economy. We’ll be raffling a few tickets to the Raw Living Expo very soon, so stay tuned to our Raw Food For Dummies  Facebook page and look for an upcoming bulletin to enter for your chance to win! Exciting times here at the school and on the road. Don’t forget, it’s never too late to Live your passion at Living Light!

Renaissance by kristin

We’re off to a new start. The Mayan long count calendar Baktun cycle ended and as of Winter Solstice we’re ready to embark on a brand new era of  mutual cooperation and co-creation. The weather may be a bit gloomy and dark just now, but that gives us a little extra time to reflect on the possibilities of new beginnings in the coming year. I have a feeling that 2013 is going to be quite remarkable if we stay in integrity with our dreams and goals. The last full moon of 2012 kept me awake last night – tuned in to its magic brightness in the dark winter sky. To sleep, perchance to dream, or shall we now wake up to the certainty that we can be instrumental in helping to create a new society of nurture and care?

Every new year, I am filled with hope – this year even more so. In spite of painful events in the world, I’m hopeful that enough people will pull together in the coming year to start making a true difference.

At Living Light, we’re happy, excited and enthusiastic. Dan and Cherie have just published a wonderful new book, Raw Food For Dummies, (raw food for smart, busy people), and are planning a world tour in the new year.  We know that bringing the message of health and vitality to a whole new audience is one of our important missions and we’re glad to take it out to a broader public.

Health, vitality and energy are three important qualities to aspire to in the coming year. We’re blessed and happy to be able to help people with education and delicious food. First stop, Hippocrates Health Institute on January 4 in Florida – the 2013 Raw Rocks Tour!

Sweet Memories by kristin

Yes, it’s true. Co-blogger Mary Elizabeth and I have definitely begun our holiday blogs in earnest. I’m sitting here writing with my headphones on, listening to holiday music on Pandora, and it’s only two days until we can add snow to the blog! Meanwhile, it is also my son Simon’s birthday, a very special day to me. I was fortunate to be with him recently in the south of France, and he lives far away, up in Prince Rupert, B.C. So, I’ll have to be content with sweet memories of Christmases past as I wrap his gifts to take to the post office. Mary Elizabeth’s kids are younger and still live with her, so they are all together on the holidays – something to be grateful for, especially since both of her children have birthdays close to the holidays, too.  Holidays are interesting times. This Thanksgiving Day it was sunny and beautiful here.  I went on a four and a half mile walk wearing a bright pink scarf, and  every single person I encountered along the way said hello or Happy Thanksgiving. Don’t know if it was the pink scarf, the holiday, or the sunshine, but I hope everyone’s holiday season is filled with such kindness and goodwill. It’s something to keep in mind as we navigate through all the activities and opportunities that happen at this time of year.

Time for Mistletoe and Holly?

Did it sneak up on us again? How does it happen every year that the holidays surprise us with their sudden dramatic entrance? You’d think by now we’d be wise to it and well prepared WAY ahead of time. In our office we’ve decided not to listen to “holiday music” until the day after Thanksgiving, just so we don’t get tired of it before end of season. The frost isn’t even on the pumpkin here yet and its already Thanksgiving! We might as well say,  “just in time”, since the season of peace and plenty is an opportunity to open our hearts once again to love and giving to others the best of ourselves. When we brush aside the tinsel and commercialism, it’s always wonderful to remember the heart of the matter. On that note, we’ll take one holiday at a time – not to jump ahead of ourselves. This Thanksgiving Day Living Light is hosting a vegetarian community potluck and world peace meditation beginning at 2:00 PM. And we have a great New Holiday Traditions online video course available, just in the “nick o’ time.”

Time to connect, celebrate and be grateful for each other. May the blessings of friendship and love shine on your table tomorrow!

Grace à Dieu by kristin

Not long until I’ll be winging my way to France  – next Thursday to be exact. And since it IS Friday, I thought I’d bring out that old French phrase we all know and love: “Grace à Dieu c’est Vendredi! Thank God it’s Friday – what a Friday it is, indeed.

We just got Joe, our Marketplace manager, and Dan Ladermann off to San Francisco this AM , driving  “Gracie” our Living Light mobile home and pulling “Gratitude” our refrigerated mini- kitchen packed with supplies for World Veg Day in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. They are in Petaluma with a flat tire, but we know all will be well, and for that we are thankful.

Martine Lussier and Cherie followed this afternoon, and will be the divas who cater a beautiful raw vegan meal for 150+ people on Saturday night. Speaking of thanks – we are delighted that Martine and Cherie will be assisted by several able and talented Living Light graduates (more on that later). We know who is well-trained! (Sigh of relief). It’s not only the 13th Annual World Vegetarian Day, but it’s the 40th Annual International Vegetarian Conference. It’s held all over the world and this year in California, so the gathering in Golden Gate Park this weekend should be especially memorable. Our whole staff has been busy for weeks preparing for the event. For those attending – have a great time, and be sure to report back on the festivities!