Food Stylin’ by kristin

Wow – just took the Food Styling for Photography class with the multi-talented Cristina Archila, and she really knows her stuff! It was a lot of fun, and Cherie Soria was there to launch the fab non-prerequisite class, and inspire us all with her expertise about food styling. Both Cherie and Cristina have studied food styling with renowned food stylinst and author of The Food Stylist’s Handbook Denise Vivaldo, and it shows! The day-long course was fast paced and fun – we made our own salads, using tricks of the trade that you just can’t imagine until you try it, then we moved on to stacks and pasta dishes – including painting the pasta. We took photos of our creations, and learned so much along the way. Our tool kits were full to brimming with all sorts of tweezers, q-tips, paintbrushes, gels and potions – Cristina really is a raw food artist, for sure.  We watched a slide show and had plenty of hands-on practice to hone our new skills. I could have stayed all week! We were supplied with a comprehensive packet that included information on how to sketch out our ideas (like a storyboard) so that if we were on the job as a food stylist, we’d have everything ready to roll for the photographer. Can you imagine? All of this in a one-day class!

I took photos on my iPhone, and others brought fancy cameras to capture their creations. It was a lot of fun, and being a bit of a crazy artist myself, I snapped some unusual angles – one of the shots of my stacks looks a little like a flying saucer! Well, creative license, you know. Even if you don’t want to be a professional food stylist, think of what you could do for your own brochures, website, and promo materials for your classes as a raw food chef. Possibilities are limitless – Check out some professional photos of our students’ creations, (styled by Cristina Archila, photos by Terilynn Epperson) on our Chef Experience Blog. And here’s one last close-up of my salad, taken by moi – not bad for a day’s work!

Rawk It by mary elizabeth

So – guess what?  It’s time to watch the videos and vote for the next Hot Raw Chef.  Living Light‘s  having another Valentine’s Day themed contest, so I presume most of the entries will be sweets, but maybe not.  I have yet to watch, but I did watch this super fabulous little ad our Terilynn made to kick off the voting called Rawk the Vote.  Check it out!  I wonder if I’ll vote in time this year?  That is my one and only resolution for 2012, by the way: vote in a timely manner for all Hot Raw Chef contests.  But as always, whether my vote’s counted or not, I always enjoy watching the entries and who doesn’t want to pick up some fun new recipes?

I suppose that doesn’t sound like a very strident or lofty New Year’s resolution, but I’m not much of a resolution fan.  I try and live a life of honesty and balance and make my daily goal to be the woman I want to be – the one the universe intended.  My success rate varies dramatically, but not as much as it used to.  Like everything else worth doing, living up to my own potential takes practice.  The more conscious of my inner health I am, the more natural that consciousness becomes.  Fortunately, I have no idea what size the universe wants me to be, so I don’t have to worry about any pesky weight goals.  That being said, some low-glycemic treats wouldn’t hurt.  So – I’m off to watch some Hot Raw Chef videos.  I hope you’ll do the same.

All New: Are You Ready? by kristin

I hate to keep bragging about the weather here in Fort Bragg, but honestly, I’ve been here for nearly 7 years and it’s the best winter ever. I know pretty soon people are bound to start complaining that we need more rain so that we’ll have water during the dry season, and I know that’s important, but at the same time, it’s so darn hard not to just love a sunny, mild winter. I went walking on the Haul Road by the ocean this morning and the waves were gigantic! Even though January has just started, I know how it is. The year just flies by, with lots of things to do and think about. I love the feeling of the very beginning of the year, when the slate is swept clean and the world is full of possibility, and somehow it just feels like everything will be positive. At Living Light we have visioning meetings at the beginning of the year, where we think about what we want to accomplish, and how we can all pull together to make it happen. Like Mary Elizabeth said, we already have a full schedule, including a new Hot Raw Chef Sweet Valentine Video Recipe Contest. See what I mean? It’s only January, but we’re already thinking about February! Deadline to submit your videos for the contest is January 17. You could be a winner like Cristina Archilla, who will be teaching Food Styling for Photography at Living Light!

It’s 2012! Sweet! by mary elizabeth

Well – we made it.  All that’s left is New Year’s and at my age it’s not the pressurized deal it used to be.  Yay!  I’m happy to report I had absolutely lovely winter holidays this year.  I was skeptical for a while there and even wrote a mean spirited blog about being newly single for the holidays which dear Kate, Living Light receptionist, suggested I hold off on publishing.  Wise woman. By the time they actually happened, all was well.  I wound up feeling a lot more grateful than wistful and focusing on abundance rather than lack.  Good for me.

So – no more gifts till Valentine’s Day.  Speaking of which, have you been checking out our new Hot Raw Chef Video Recipe Contest?  It’s a Sweet Valentine contest, just like last year, only this time the recipes have to be low-glycemic and gluten free.  I’m looking forward to watching the videos and am bound and determined to make 2012 the year I remember to vote for my favorite.  Keep an eye on our Hot Raw Chef site to be a part of this fun and healthy way to start the New Year!

I Heart the Holidays! by mary elizabeth

Happy holidays, everyone.  It’s Christmas Eve and I’m here at my desk writing one last blog of the holiday season.  I can remember some frantic, last minute type Christmas Eves in my life, but this one’s pretty mellow.  All my gifts are bought and wrapped and I’m looking forward to spending the next couple of days with old and new friends and, of course, my sweet children.  I’m feeling loving and balanced and supported by the universe and appreciative of these sparkly winter holidays that distract us from the cold and dark and remind us to love one another.

But let’s not get carried away.  Is it too early to think about Valentine’s Day?  Not here at Living Light, it isn’t.  We’ve just launched our Hot Raw Chef Video Recipe Contest – Sweet Valentine style.  These contests are a lot of fun. The contestants are eligible for all kinds of super fantastic prizes and we voters are treated to tons of raw recipes!  And guess what?  This one’s all about sweets, but the recipes have to be low-glycemic and gluten free.  So come on, all you hot raw chefs!  This Christmas, write a  Valentine’s recipe dedicated to the one you love.

Frosty Days and Hot Raw Chefs by kristin

Tis the season…it’s actually happening, and we’re coming to the end of our holiday blogs. Mary Elizabeth and I always enjoy doing them, because it’ s something special and personal that happens only once a year. This holiday season has been a little daunting – everything from 50,000 emails in my inbox, to a flood in our administrative office (we’re all cozy in the abundant health classroom, temporarily.) But you know what they say – change is good. So we’ve shifted the energy, and after we get the new carpet in and all of our desks moved back, everything will be fresh and ready for 2012. Seems auspicious in a way – at least I choose to look at it from that perspective. Meanwhile, this season, we’ve had glorious sunny days, frosty mornings, and starry, starry nights. And 2012 is supposed to be a pivotal year for all of us, when we step into the new paradigm of how the earth can be. We are a little microcosm of relationships here at Living Light, so we have opportunity. Speaking of opportunity, we’ve just launched our latest Hot Raw Chef Sweet Valentine Video Recipe Contest. Mary Elizabeth is going to fill you in on more details tomorrow. It’s going to be fun seeing all of the great contestants, recipes, and this time the contest is low-glycemic and gluten-free, so it’s quite timely. Who doesn’t want to enjoy guilt-free raw food recipes that make you feel good? More than that, the contest is open to both professional and amateur chefs, so no matter what your skill level, you have a chance to win. And we are giving over $4200 in prizes this year.

It’s About Time by mary elizabeth

Here in the good old Admin. Office at Living Light, we’ve been experiencing some technical difficulties with our clock.  First, our fancy atomic clock went nuts, complete with some very “through the looking glass” spinning, and wouldn’t keep the time even with new batteries and trips outdoors to better connect with it’s atomic brethren.  So, we got a regular old battery operated wall clock to take its place and all was well for a while, but now – not working.  But we’ve discovered that it works just fine when we take it down off the wall, yet when re-hung, it stops.  It seems to me that the only logical explanation is that spot on the wall of the office is some sort of time vortex – an anomaly, if you will – where time stops.  If only we could figure out how to use this to our advantage!

You may want to use time to your advantage and register for the on-line version of our 2011 Chef Showcase as quickly as possible.  Right now it’s being offered for almost $50 off the regular price!  Quite a deal, and so worth it!  We have such amazing chefs participating this year – you don’t want to miss out on all the new, cutting edge recipes they’ve developed.  And there’s lots of bonuses that come along with it – so don’t let time slip away – sign up today!

Summer Treats by mary elizabeth

We have chosen the next Hot Raw Chef! It’s none other than Living Light graduate Cristina Achila. Her winning recipe is for Pear Napoleon with Pistachio Crumble and Fig Confit and looks fabulous. No wonder she won! And if you missed the voting, like I always do, you can still watch the videos and register to receive the eBook of recipes. I totally suggest you do it, too. I have a copy of the eBook and there is so much fun stuff in there, including tons of summer treats. So just go to HotRawChef.com and check out the latest in raw culinary yumminess.

What summer treats do you enjoy the most? I am a watermelon fan and am so looking forward to trying both the watermelon gazpacho recipes featured in my new eBook. If you like watching demos, you should treat yourself to this year’s Chef Showcase at the Living Light Center. The line-up of chefs is impressive. You may want to use the warmer, dryer weather to ramp up your exercise regimen a couple notches. Or –  spend it sitting still and soaking up the sunshine. Whatever you think will make your summer sweeter, be sure and indulge yourself. During the cold, dark days of winter, make sure you have some summer memories with which to warm yourself. How will you treat yourself this summer?

Movies and Videos by hilloah

Archie and I do enjoy watching movies. We do not have cable television, but we own over 300 movies and watch them frequently. This week we went to the Coast Cinemas to see Transformers III in 3D. The night before we went to our friends home to watch Transformers I and II so that we could get primed for the current movie. Part 3 is great! Both the storyline and special effects were terrific and thoroughly enjoyable.

 Next week we will see Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson and directed by Woody Allen. It should prove to be good by all the reviews I have read. Then we will see Harry Potter: It All Ends. I will cry, I know. Not only because of the content, but because the movies are over. Ah well, I have read the book four times and can read it at least once a year for my “Harry Potter” fix.

Living Light’s own 5 and 5 Hot Raw Chef Video Recipe Contest has been very popular.  Many people have entered, and many more have watched the videos. It is so exciting! Who will win? The Grand Prize Winner will show off their skills at the 2011 Chef Showcase, receive the Food Styling class for free, go to the dessert reception and have dinner at the Ravens. They’ll also get a ticket for the Showcase which includes lunch each day. The Runner Up will receive $450.00 worth of Living Light Classes, and the People’s Choice will receive $250.00 to be used towards classes, a stay at the Living Light Inn, or purchases in the Living Light  Market Place or Living Light’s own Café. Wow!

 

Choices by mary elizabeth

I used to think that I’d always be passionate about the things that got me all fired up in my teens and twenties. Today, I couldn’t even tell you what they were. I mean – I remember reading certain books and feeling profoundly affected by them but now I couldn’t tell you why. Oh well – I guess as one grows older and enters the more settled and necessarily responsible stage of adulthood, one has to save one’s passion for things like paying bills and buying healthy food on a budget. That’s okay. I know I always felt strongly about things like voting and exercising one’s constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and I still do. Maybe not quite as vocally as before, but certainly in my heart.

It’s voting day here at Living Light! The polls close tonight at midnight Pacific Daylight Time. And guess what? I remembered to vote on time for this one. Yes – we will be announcing the next Hot Raw Chef next week. Pretty exciting – plus just watching what people were able to make with five ingredients in five minutes was fun. And I got tons of recipe ideas. Have you watched the videos yet? If not, I think you still can even after the polls close. Actually, I know you can as per my after polling adventure last year at this time. Anyhow – watch the videos, enjoy them and vote for your favorite Hot Raw Chef – right now!