Filed under: food, raw lifestyle, reviews | Tags: cape town, kwalapa, organic, raw food, raw vegan
craig under kwalapa's gathering tree
we heard from beryn @ superfoods that there is now a raw food buffet lunch in town on wednesdays and thought it would be a perfect date, since we rarely go out to eat these days, due to the lack of anything raw and vegan or remotely alive at local restaurants. we made our way there today after a lovely and powerful 11/11 meditation. when we arrived at kwalapa in newlands we were disappointed to find out that due to their launch party there was no buffet today, but we were delighted to be personally invited by patrick, one of kwalapa’s co-founders, to today’s festivities which included food tasting, live music, and talks.
in addition to having a raw food buffet every wednesday created by annie, kwalapa is a wholistic concept in itself, housing an organic wholefoods store and deli centered around organic, local, and seasonal farming and building an eco-conscious community. we were quite impressed, not only by the food itself, but by the vision and passion with which it was presented.
yum yum nasturtium
though the weather could have been much better for cape town going into summer, we enjoyed sitting outside under beautiful fairy lights and stylish lanterns, under the arms of a giant ancient tree as platters of food were brought around for tasting and guests treated themselves to a number of delights. we enjoyed a passionate and inspiring talk about the importance of organic farming called “growing happy food” given by liz eglington, who has been running a magical organic olive farm in the klein karoo since 2001.
stuffed mushies
and despite no raw food buffet today, after “tasting” cucumber rolls, some absolutely divine olives, fresh juices, flax cracker bites, dehydrated stuffed mushrooms, dehydrated apples and pears with nut butter, and raw chocolates (!) we were satisfied and stuffed with raw food by the time we headed home in the rain.
raw chocolate, oh my! yes please!
so we had our raw food buffet date after all! yay for 11/11 synchroncity. we were in the right place at the right time, for sure. and we’ll definitely be back next wednesday for the raw food buffet.
craig:
1. to have lots of energy
2. because it’s delicious!
3. i like being creative with my food
4. i like eating food that is as close to it’s natural state as possible
5. it’s better for the environment
vanessa:
1. i want to eat food that’s alive not dead
2. i want to be healthy and vibrant into old age
3. i love desserts, have a sweet tooth, and sugar is evil
4. i suspect i’m allergic to wheat and dairy, and replacing it with delicious things is the way to go
5. i want to make the conscious choice and eat delicious things at the same time
- vanessa’s raw superberry cheesecake
one of our favorite bands, gothenburg’s little dragon, has a new album in the queue, and we are just loving it! the cd hasn’t left the car for a week and we’ve been driving around all over cape town from century city, to newlands, to town, to camp’s bay, to seapoint, and back, with the majestic mountain looking down on us, while we blare this album on repeat. fresh music. yes!
Filed under: food, health + healing, raw lifestyle | Tags: raw food, raw vegan, vegan
since craig did peter and beryn’s elements of health course in 2007, he’s been inspired to eat raw vegan but often reverted back to cooked foods. i decided to go raw around july of this year, and i was making delicious magick in the kitchen when i arrived in cape town with my vita-mix and craig’s dehydrator. things got a little busy for us and we got lazy. i started craving hot food and cooked grains. we fell off the wagon a bit, so to speak.
thankfully, we’ve recently been inspired to stick to 100% raw food after going back and forth between raw vegan food and cooked vegan food for the last 2 months. but with the help of a couple raw food teachers you may or may not know of, we are diving in head first to stay 100% raw.* these are all worth checking out if you find yourself needing a little support, inspiration, or encouragement.
*maybe 99.5% would be more accurate. certain things like nori aren’t available here raw, that we know of. we use technically un-raw spices and seasonings (braggs, nutritional yeast, himalayan salt) from time to time, but try to find cold-pressed oils and any other raw ingredients that we can find
boutenko raw family
*victoria boutenko and her documentary “12 steps to raw foods”
i love victoria boutenko, because she sees cooked food as an addiction and gives you a plan for overcoming that addiction and eating raw food instead! she is one of the early pioneers of raw food and has so many amazing stories to tell from her 15+ years of being raw with her husband, daughter, and son.
karen knowler
*karen knowler and her “7 Simple Secrets to Going & Staying Successfully Raw”
karen has 16 years of experience living raw and is a raw food personal coach. she presents some very valuable information on 10 different types of eaters and their behavior when making food choices. her website has tons of free resources and her free tele-seminars are packed with info, tips, and support. her emphasis on the transformation that the raw food lifestyle affords is truly inspirational.
talifero family
*and “breakthrough” a documentary made by storm talifero, about his beautiful raw vegan family… very DIY, home movie, but with lots of heart and very inspirational.
hope things are delicious and delightful in your world!
cheers,
vanessa + craig
Filed under: food, recipes | Tags: cacao, chocolate, raw food, raw vegan, young coconuts
craig and i have discovered the rumours are true and young green coconuts are here in SA from mozambique! you can get yours at sage organic cafe in town, at the saturday market at the old biscuit mill, and also peter & beryn are running a special for the month of october offering a free coconut when you spend a minimum of R70 at their store in newlands.
a-bashed young coconut (a little messy) & our new machete
if you haven’t yet experienced young coconuts, their deliciously creamy flesh, and nutrient and electrolyte dense water, you’re in for a treat! we got ourselves a nice hefty machete from the hardware store and are busy hacking away at coconuts in our garden. our fruit and veg are now threatened to be overtaken in our fridge by these buggers.
raw cacao pistachio ice cream with chocolate sauce!
while at woolies today we were inspired by the raw pistachios glaring at us from the snack aisle and we decided to concoct a delectable raw chocolate-young coconut-pistachio treat for dessert. so i popped some bananas in the freezer, soaked some of the pistachios and some dates, and got busy hacking coconuts. after what seemed like hours waiting for things to soak/freeze, i whirred up young coconut water and flesh, soaked dates, soaked pistachios, frozen bananas, and raw cacao powder and put the mixture in the freezer in a bowl. then more waiting. hmpfh. finally craig whipped up his trusty raw cacao, cacao butter, coconut butter, agave chocolate sauce, and we drizzled that over the ice cream and sprinkled it all with chopped pistachios. oh my goodness. thank you, mozambique.
love,
v + c
after months of deliberation and delay, and over a month of vanessa getting settled in cape town, we have finally come up with a name for our life centre! drum roll please!
the flame of life centre — yay!
we both love it and think it suits us quite well. we wanted something that would go well with the “twin flame” logo that craig had been using for various projects for some time. we both were thinking something with the word “flame” and the words “life centre” but neither of thought of “flame of life centre.” it was our friend maria, genius that she is, that suggested it, so she gets all the credit.
so there we have it. the flame of life centre in observatory. we host max meditation system™ sessions twice a week, offer life activations, jikiden reiki, crystal healings, and are starting to teach a variety of classes including sacred geometry, astral travel, the sanctuary meditation technique, and spiritual intuition. if any of this sounds like your cup of tea, please do come join us for tea!
much love, c + v
while on my trip to seattle, i was happy to discover a new raw food establishment in the 65th/ravenna neighborhood. the day we visited was disgustingly hot, surely over 100 degrees, and my sister and i could barely function. it was a perfect day for raw food! to my bliss, all of the items we ordered were outstanding and exactly what we needed.
i started off with an amazing smoothie called “celestial sea,” brimming with delicious superfoods.
young coconut meat and water, almond butter, cacao, vitamineral green, agave, mint
my friend jon hines ordered a suprisingly delightful raw chili, which we all shared along with a soup and taco salad. we enjoyed the “oh my sombrero,” a taco salad with spicy sunflower seed pate, guac, salsa, and onion cashew cream. the “sweet surrender” soup was a refreshing organic tomato soup blended with basil, onion, celery and spices. there’s nothing like tasty cold soup and a fresh salad on a hot hot day…
richly spiced raw chili made with fresh veggies, nuts, herbs and topped with onion cashew cream and crackers!
thrive is a welcome addition to the raw food choices available in seattle. their menu is vegan, extensive, and predominantly raw. their staff is amazing and sweet.
they have a great selection of superfoods and bulk items and they even offer community events and workshops about raw food! if i lived in seattle, i would go there all the time. if you live in seattle, i highly recommend stopping in and supporting thrive!
peace,
vanessa
in about a week, i will be at the Fountain, the final oracle gathering in the beautiful pacific northwest. this wondrous event will take place in the dragon’s sphere park, right smack in the middle of the area’s largest earth fountains, mt. st. helens and mt. rainier.
i’m going there for many reasons, the first of which, is to represent lover’s rock, the jewelry and accessory business that i have with my sister cassandra. we’ve been busy preparing for months, creating necklaces, hair pieces, earrings, and headbands to offer at our stall there. our business has grown out of our love for working with gemstones and the energies of the mineral kingdom, as well as our love for fashion, creativity, expression, and making things with our hands. here are some of the one-of-a-kind pieces we’ve created for this event:
victory charm necklace: sterling silver, green zoisite, aventurine, with sterling dove and rose charms
one-of-a-kind handmade whimsical headgear
i’m also going to the oracle gathering to celebrate a community that i’ve been involved with for years, as a performer, a supporter, friend, and member of a circle of kindred spirits and friends who have become family. a few of the first friends that i met when i moved to seattle in 2002 are founders and leaders of the oracle gathering legacy, as well as key leaders in the modern mystery school to this day.
the oracle gatherings have been unlike anything i’ve ever experienced. their intent has always been to create *Sacred Space*, *Transformational Experiences*, and *Art with Intention*. this tribe is one that really understands and lives shamballah and they have been bringing that experience into reality since 2001. this weekend, like the 21 previous gatherings they have created, will include not only music, djs, and live performances, but visionary workshops, art, ritual performance, family and youth activities, healing and activation areas, exceptional raw food, and some of the best arts and crafts available anywhere! this is going to be so much more than your run-of-the-mill festival. i’m excited and grateful that i will be there to experience the magick, report my findings, and share some of the energy of shamballah with you.
as i prepare to download, assimilate, and integrate a multidimensional weekend filled with magick, music, dancing, delicious raw food, learning, inspiration, abundance, and bonding with my sister and many dear old friends and new friends, i am filled with anticipation and also a bit of sadness. this is the very last oracle gathering, and also the end of a cycle for me. as i see friends i haven’t seen for awhile since my move to san diego, i will also be saying goodbye to them for some time. i’m getting ready to move to another continent to start a whole new adventure, with my very best friend and partner. i’m filled with so many emotions, as i sit down to write this, i’m now just barely realizing how big this all is.
and so, i journey to consult the oracle. one last time. i hope that i’ll bring back clarity about my journey to come. i hope that i’ll bring back a sense of accomplishment with my business and abundance reflected in all of the hard work my sister and i have done to get there. in photos, i hope that i can capture the wonder and magnificence of the northwest, and the wild creativity and genuine community that is the oracle gatherings. and i hope i’ll bring back a huge slice of shamballah to plant and build upon when i arrive in south africa.
much love,
vanessa
when it comes to making magick in the kitchen, rather than being a recipe kind of girl, i’ve always been the type to whip up something amazing and random with whatever i happen to have sitting around. that was the case with this quick and easy meal i made.
craig has made me acutely aware of how blessed i’ve been to live in california, where i’ve been able to find an abundance of raw-friendly, vegan-friendly pre-packaged foods and snacks to make my raw food transition much more convenient and also delicious! so before i make the move to cape town, i’ve been making a concerted effort to consume my share of my favorite delicacies while i still can. don’t be surprised if i continue to post more and more of these precious gems.
also, it’s summer here in the northern hemisphere, and it’s been HOT. it’s been in the 90s here, while craig was bundling up in cape town in the low 50s at times during the week. that’s fahrenheit, of course. summer here means yummy produce, and part of that harvest is corn, a plant food i’ve immediately fallen in love with eating raw!
the scrumptious dinner above, dinner for one, was made with the following ingredients, chopped roughly, and again i don’t use recipes, so here goes:
1 ear of fresh white corn
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper
handful of cilantro/coriander
handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
piece of red onion
drizzled with olive oil
juice of half a lime
sprinkled with sea salt
and the crowning ingredients:
pesto pumpkin seed crackers from livin’ spoonful in portland, oregon
some of the best raw crackers i’ve ever tasted, they are raw, sprouted, and contain organic pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, basil, olive oil, dates, lemon juice, garlic, celtic sea salt, jalapeno pepper
a big happy glob of sundried tomato jalapeno garlic paste from majestic garlic, a california-based company that makes the most deliciously creamy raw vegan garlic pastes around. my raw foodie sister cassandra got me hooked on this stuff, and we eat it with everything, as a condiment, and as a food in general, by the spoonful–er, by the tub actually. i will have to experiment with craig in duplicating this product. wish me luck.
and last but not least, a generous handful of rainbow microgreens, from sungrown organics, a san diego based company that offers the most amazing array of microgreens, microherbs, sprouts, micro mixes, specialty greens and shoots, and edible blossoms. adding sprouts and micro greens to any soup, salad, or even in your smoothie is an easy way to make any meal super gourmet and super nutritious. ha! superfoods!
it will be hard to leave the convenience and availability of these things behind when i make the leap to south africa, but it only gives me more inspiration to make creatively delicious and amazing things with craig. no doubt, we’ll be busy whipping up some tasty delights in our cape town kitchen, and we’ll be sure to let you know what we come up with. but until then, i’m gonna savor the local delights i’ve come to know and love!
much love,
vanessa
twindragon is the brainchild of craig (matek) + me (vanessa nova). the story of twindragon, and how craig and i met, is quite an exciting and heartwarming story and i’m happy to tell it. in early 2009, we were both sitting on opposite ends of the globe, plotting and praying to get to toronto for our teacher’s and healer’s training program with the modern mystery school. it was quite a leap for both of us to get there, but neither of us had any idea what would be in store for us and that our lives would never be the same again.
craig says he noticed my energy as soon as i walked in the room. he knew that he needed to talk to me but didn’t know why. by the second day we were fully into the training and while i was talking with his friend fred, we struck up a conversation. if my memory serves me correctly, it went a little something like this:
fred: so what do you do?
vanessa: i make music.
f: oh, my friend craig here makes music also.
v: oh. awesome!
craig: what kind of music do you make?
v: i sing and make electronic downtempo, dubby, trip hop stuff. but mostly i’ve been making dubstep.
c: oh wow. i make dubstep too.
v: heyyy, i think i know who you are. i’ve heard your music before. that’s cool! we should work together. let’s make a track! what programs do you use?
c: i use reason.
v: oh wow, cool, me too…
and then class resumed and all the while i was thinking, as soon as class is over for the night i can ask him if he wants to hang out and work on some music. but as soon as class was finished, here comes craig asking, “so, would you like to go work on some music now?” and of course, i was so down for that…
we spent the rest of the week together after class into the wee hours of the night collaborating on what was to become “elemental state”, our first song. our creative process flowed so magickally that by the end of the week we had a track! the week’s exciting events culminated in an impromptu shamballah gathering, which gave us the perfect opportunity to share what we’d just co-created. performing with craig was so much fun!
with all the fun we were having, the week went by so fast and all of a sudden it was time for me to head back home to san diego. in the atrium of the hotel, i was saying my farewells to friends i’d made from all over the world. in the back of my mind i was wishing i’d been able to say good bye to craig. he was in some other training. our friend lisa from bahrain, mentioned that she’d say goodbye to him for me, that she’d love to hear what comes of our track, and that she loved our energy together–”you guys are like galactic twins!”
i think lisa’s comment may have been the seed that spawned the name of our collaborative effort, twindragon. it’s a project we’re both super passionate and excited about and brings forth the best of each of our talents. we’ll be dropping an EP shortly after I arrive in south africa and we’re already slated to take the stage at afrika burn and earth dance cape town in september 2009. we invite you to follow us along on yet another exciting adventure.
and just to whet your appetite a bit, check out that fated track.
“elemental state” by twindragon
love, vanessa
