Showing posts with label tree of life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tree of life. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 July 2010

30 More Participants Wanted for Raw Food Study... ;)

Our dear raw friends Susan and Philip Madeley from the Tree of Life center in Arizona are in the closing stages of completing their Masters programmes in Nutrition under Gabriel Cousens and they could use *YOUR* help :)
They are conducting a study into the health of raw/vegan children under the age of five, for their theses and so far they have 70 participants - they would LOVE 30 more participants...

One lovely intended outcome of this study is to provide a vegan recipe for nursing mothers and babies without access to breast milk - wow :) They have a simple survey that they are asking people to complete to help finalise this work - if you or anyone you know is a vegan parent, please hop on over to http://livingveganchildren.com and fill in the 5-10 minute survey to help support this research and important info on breast milk alternatives in challenging situations.


on July the 8th I loved:

1 quart water
mug of horchata tea
1.5 cups Monarch special: passion fruit, granadilla, mandarin juice
2 cups greeeeeen juice with pineapple juice
2 cups greeeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
cup of orange/mandarin juice
½ a papaya, a dragon fruit
water of a young coconut
small bowl of energy soup with spirulina coconut crunchies sprinkled on top, followed by a little hand-stirred 'yumpot' of tahini, coconut nectar, chocolate extract, maca
2 cups horchata tea
1 cup water


I just put up a new set of pics from our *beautifully blossoming* garden :) I am SO excited to see the okra flower, the sesame blooms and the gorgeous patch of sunflowers too - we are so blessed - hope you enjoy the pics too :)




on July the 9th I appreciated:

1 quart water
2 cups greeeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
a yummy papaya
2 cups greeeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
2 cups greeeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
a yummy papaya
2 cups water
little bowl of avocado mushed with sauerkraut and dulse, stuffed into nori sheets, followed by a hand-stirred yumpot of tahini, coconut nectar, chocolate+vanilla extracts, maca
mug of reishi/shilajit/ormus tea
1 cup water


on July the 10th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
mug of horchata tea
½ a papaya
1 cup water
water of a young coconut
2 cups greeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
yummy shared raw 'taco' meal with neighbours and friends, followed by raw halva balls and samples of dried pineapple
mug of horchata tea
2 cups water


In case you missed the live "2012 and Beyond" interview I did yesterday, you can catch the replay at this link below - it was a fun and interview, covering diverse topics from raw food, world shifts, indigo/crystal children and crop circles to ETs and more - lol ;) ENJOY...




All love and abundant declarations of joy :)
Ms. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Conscious Parenting Call Playback Available NOW :)

WOW, last night we had the absolute joy to interview our dear friend Elena Tonetti-Vladirimova for The Raw Food World Radio Show - what a *blessing* :)
We absolutely *LOVE* the work Elena is sharing with the world around conscious parenting and this 1.5 hour interview contains so much priceless information on conception, birthing, child-raising, love, clarity, relaxation and joy...the playback is available to listen to for free at www.TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com, from now until midnight Pacific time, Sunday May 2nd. The special offer on the call is valid until the same time. We truly hope that you enjoy this outstanding information and interview as much as we did - please feel free to share this vital info with anyone you feel will appreciate it too...we're collectively changing world consciousness, one birth at a time ;)


On April the 25th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
water of 2.5 young coconuts
lovely shared meal with friends of pineapple followed by chopped veggies with sunflower and avocado dips
2 cups water
water of a young coconut with marine phytoplankton
bowl of fresh fruit salad with chia seed gel
mug of reishi/shilajit/ormus tea
2 cups water


On the subject of parenting, the lovely Philip and Susan Miller Madeley, workers and students at The Tree of Life are completing their theses on the health and needs of vegan children under the age of five. They intend to provide a vegan recipe for nursing mothers and babies without access to breast milk - wow :) They have a simple survey that they are asking people to complete to help finalise this work - if you or anyone you know is a vegan parent, please hop on over to http://livingveganchildren.com and fill in the 5-10 minute survey to help support this research and important info on breast milk alternatives in challenging situations.


on April the 26th I loved:

1 quart water
water of two young coconuts
bowl of yummmmy mango/greeeen smoothie with Mr. M, topped with dried Incan berries
3 cups greeeeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
3 cups water
yummmmy shared cucumber salad meal with Mr. M :)
mug of reishi/shilajit/ormus tea
2 cups water


on April the 27th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
water of a young coconut
1.5 cups greeeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
2 cups greeeeen/mango smoothie with Mr. M
2 cups water
2 cups greeeeen juice mixed with pineapple juice
'gourmet' raw food meal shared with non-raw friends: 'tacos' stuffed with wild peanut 'beans', coconut 'sour cream' sauce, guacamole, chopped veggies etc, followed by banana ice cream with homemade walnut/raisin 'cookies' :)
mug of reishi/shilajit/ormus tea
1 cup water

Mmmmmm, what a yummy *treat* we have for you today, direct from Katia, a RawReform reader in Australia...Katia has generously sent in a collection of 11 delicious green smoothie recipes that she has developed in recent years and would *love* to share with you all - enjoy :)


~ Green Smoothie Recipes, Created by Katia Dupoirier ~



Goji-berrylicious green smoothie:

1 to 2 cups Goji juice (simply soak overnight a handful - or more, it is entirely up to you - of dried goji berries in 1 or 2 cups purified water, then strain through nut mylk bag)
1 cup berries of your choice (raspberries taste good in this)
1 head butter lettuce
Stevia to taste if desired
Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend away. Enjoy :)


Best smoothie I’ve ever had:

1 head romaine or any other greens of your choice (I've used some red oaks along with romaine lettuce for this smoothie)
1 and a half frozen bananas
2 frozen fresh figs
Big piece of fresh ginger
Few drops vanilla-flavoured stevia (if you don't have vanilla-flavoured stevia, replace with stevia and vanilla)
2 to 3 cups water (can't remember the exact amount of water to be honest but it made about 2 litres/quarts of this green smoothie)

Put all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend. It is delicious. We believe though that the figs could be omitted and it will still have this wonderful flavour. The yumminess came mainly from the blend of the banana, ginger and vanilla :)


Creamy Fruit-Free Green Smoothies:


Chocarob-cinnamon green smoothie
1 head romaine or other greens of your choice
1 avocado (and/or one frozen banana, if you prefer)
2 tablespoons carob powder
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
stevia to taste
about 1 cup water

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy :)



Creamy choc-mint smoothie:

1 head romaine (or less, it's up to you - you could even replace the romaine with parsley or spinach if you prefer)
1 or half an avocado
1 cup filtered water (depending on the consistency you are after)
1 handful mint leaves
4 heaping tablespoons cacao powder and/or carob powder
Stevia to taste

Blend all the ingredients and enjoy :)


Creamy ginger-bread green smoothie:
Hope you will enjoy this one :)

1 head romaine
1 avocado
Two tablespoons pumpkin spice powder (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamon)
Few drops vanilla essence with stevia or vanilla-flavoured stevia
1 cup water
Pinch of cacao or carob powder

Blend all the ingredients except for the cacao or carob powder in a high-speed blender.  Pour into a mug/glass and sprinkle with some cacao or carob powder on top.


Cucumber delight:
1 head butter lettuce
2 cucumbers
1 cup or two handfuls berries (raspberries or strawberries are good choices for this recipe)
1 small handful fresh mint leaves
1 cup water
Put all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend away ;) Pour into a glass and enjoy.



Green Smoothie Desserts:


Lemon meringue pie green smoothie:

1 cup fresh lemon juice (or you can simply use the juice of one lemon, depending how strong you like the taste of your smoothie to be)
Few drops of vanilla flavored stevia (or few drops stevia with vanilla essence/pod)
2 bananas
One head romaine lettuce

Blend everything in a high-speed blender and enjoy :)


Apple pie green smoothie:

1 cup fresh apple juice
1 or 2 bananas
1 head romaine lettuce
Apple pie spice powder to taste (Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg)

Blend everything in a high-speed blender and enjoy :)


Ginger-bread green smoothie (fruity version):

1 avocado
1 bunch parsley
Few drops vanilla flavoured stevia or few drops stevia and vanilla essence
Juice of one blood orange or any other orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup water

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy. Sprinkle some chocolate or carob powder on top if desired ;)


Strawberry cream smoothie:

Meat of one young coconut
1 cup strawberries or raspberries
1 head butter lettuce
Half a teaspoon vanilla powder (or few drops vanilla extract)
Stevia to taste if desired
Water of one young coconut
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy. Sprinkle on top some desiccated coconut and/or cinnamon if desired.


Mango cream smoothie (reminds me of those "Yum Cha’s" mango pancakes):
Meat of one young coconut
1 cup mango
1 head butter lettuce
Half a teaspoon vanilla powder (or few drops vanilla extract)
Water of one young coconut
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy. Sprinkle on top some desiccated coconut if desired.

WOW, thanks so much for sharing, Katia :) I trust that you all enjoy experimenting with these delicious-sounding greeeeeeeeeen recipes - the lemon meringue pie smoothie sounds especially interesting to me... ;)


All love, light and peristaltic joy...
Ms. A. C. SM. MA. Hons. xxx

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Who Is Going To Win The Blendtec Blender? *You* Decide ;)


As you may recall, last month we had a fabulous Giveaway Contest to win a Blendtec Blender :))) We have been trying to decide the winner for the last couple of weeks and...we just haven't been able to settle on a clear decision, SO...we want to hand this one over to *you* :)
We managed to narrow the entries down to two videos that we love...and now we'd love for you to vote which one is going to be the WINNER of the brand-new, shiny Blendtec ;)
In this video below you can see the two entries that made it to this final round - please watch the two entries and let us know *your* choice of winner by leaving a comment below our video. You can vote for either 'Superheroes' or 'Accordian'. We will count up the votes next MONDAY, on January the 25th and let y'all know the results thereafter...

screen shot 2010-01-18 at 10.27.42 pm.png


THANKS for voting and enjoy ;)




on January the 18th I was delighted with:

1 quart water
3 tbsp freeze-dried Acai powder :)
2 cups *amazing* 7th Chakra Tea from Rehmannia :)))
1 quart greeeeeeeeen juice
2 tbsp coconut oil, 40 chlorella tablets
2 cups water
2 cups *amazing* 7th Chakra Tea from Rehmannia
4 tbsp acai powder - loving it :)
2 cups greeeeeen juice
2 cups water


Ready for more exciting Raw Job Opportunities? *YAY* ;)
The splendid Tree of Life in Arizona is looking for three new lovelies for their team:

*Holistic Physician (Email resumes to: yosef (at) treeoflife.nu)
*Garden Foreman (Email resumes to: adaya (at) treeoflife.nu)
*Property Manager (Email resumes to: nan (at) treeoflife.nu)

Full details for each position can be seen here: http://www.treeoflife.nu/spiritual-community/employment/employment-application/

ENJOY :)



on January the 19th I was sublimely enjoying:

1 quart water
2 cups greeeeeeeen juice
2 cups 7th Chakra Tea
bowl of blended chia yumminess :) (blended together 2 apples, sprouted chia powder, acai powder = yummmmmm :)
2 cups water
3 cups 7th Chakra Tea
1 cup greeeeeeeen juice
3 tbsp acai powder
2 cups water

Ms. Magic has two pieces of yummmmmy news for you :) Firstly, if you sign up for her "Magic Bubble" at the moment, you not only receive a free, fabulous kale chip recipe (she *is*, after all, the founder of Crack coKale Addicts Anonymous... ;) PLUS, you also get to listen in to an interview that Madam Magic recently did with myself - fun :) You can sign up for all that goodness HERE.

...and SECONDLY, Ms. Magic also has a rather splendid idea she'd like to share, about mentoring people in the UK or Europe, who would like to bring new raw products to the market there. The Magic Madam was over here in California recently and was blown away by the vaaaaast ranges of raw products on sale here (see video evidence HERE ;) Now she'd love to support people in the UK and Europe to bring more goodies to the market - if you'd love to connect with her about this, you can send her a message through her YouTube account, HERE - enjoy :)

All blessings,
The Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Tuesday, 29 December 2009

2009 in Raw-view ;)

WELL...what a year 2009 has been for us...I’ve been thinking back over the last 12 months with a mixture of joy and amusement the last couple of days... ;)
We started the year in Mexico, launching the LiveLightly Plan and rescuing two dogs, from whom we contracted canine scabies...hmmmmm... I went back to the UK to do USA Immigration interviews, heal from scabies and finish writing “Raw Emotions”. After 2 months or so of self-imposed “quarantine” to help heal afore-mentioned scabies and finish afore-mentioned book, I emerged joyfully in the spring with a scabies-free body, a completed book and a fiance visa for the US, after nearly 2 years in the immigration system – YAY :) Swiftly exited left, to Ecuador, to meet future husband and our land in Vilcabamba for the first time – LOVED it all so very much.
Back to the USA after 10 days and almost immediately straight into raw food talk tour which pretty much ran from April to November this year, allll over the US, with little breaks here and there. Also, finding ourselves under obligation to marry within 90 days of me entering the US, as a condition of my visa, we set about formulating wedding plans immediately too, for the Raw Union Festival ;)


Raw Emotions arrived in printed form, my first printed book – VERY exciting...and onwards we travelled, far and wide all over the US, doing talks, festivals and interviews until June, wedding time for Mr. M and I, in Oregon. Enjoyed a spectacular love-fest of a wedding at the Raw Union festival, on organic farm with 400+ people in attendance and Dr. Wolfe as our minister ;) Morphed into the “Stokes-Monarch”...

On December the 27th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
1 cup greeeen juice
1 cup reishi tea
shot of wheatgrass juice
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
2 tbsp coconut oil with 40 chlorella ‘nuts’
1 quart water
2 cups greeeeeen juice
1 tbsp bee pollen
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
2 cups water

The rest of the summer seems a blur in my memory of travel, talks, events, boxes, books, people, conversations, in and out of hotels, motels, people’s houses, talk venues and so on...we probably did 100+ talks in around 30+ states this year...we also started the monthly Raw Food World Radio Show in the summer…
We finished our talk tour on November the 22nd and the very next day, on November the 23rd, our car was ‘totalled’ in a pretty intense car accident in Pennsylvania ;O Immediately started 7-day Juice Feast to help expedite healing from shock, cuts, bruises, whiplash, aches etc... As I was due back in California very soon afterwards for my NEXT Immigration interview, we welcomed a second hand jeep into our lives and jiggled gratefully back to CA for interview, only to be thwarted by the question “what colour is the carpet at your mum’s house?” lol ;) Case put on hold for ‘next 6 months’...ho-hummmm...thankfully the interviewer seemed to have a change of heart in the following week and I got a letter shortly afterwards announcing that I am now welcome in the US, as a “permanent resident” – yeeeeeee-HAH ;)

December saw us help our warehouse staff in Ojai expand the premises to three times the size and I also pieced together the free “Profoundly Raw” ebook as a Christmas gift to all...
Then we dallied off to Arizona, where we currently find ourselves resting ooohhhhhhh soooooooo gratefully and joyfully in the kind embrace of The Tree of Life centre, Juice Feasting, parasite cleansing, getting body work and mainly just RELAXING ;)
It’s felt like an amaaaazing journey this year – thank you SO much to all of you who have been a part of this flow in some way – those who came to talks, watched the TV show, listened to the radio show, read this blog, sent in messages, sent healng and love after our car accident, came to our wedding and so on – however you connected, thank you :)
I am really excited for 2010 and send you all the very best wishes for an expansive year of joy, love and wonder too – enjoy :)

on December the 28th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
shot of wheatgrass juice
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
1 cup green juice
1.5 cups DELICIOUS coconut kefir :)))
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
2 tbsp coconut oil with 40 chlorella tablets
3 cups water
samples of spirulina crunchies and new bee pollen – yummm ;)
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
3 tbsp bee pollen with probiotics
2 cups greeeeen juice from The Tree of Life Café
2 cups water

So, we’re on day 14 of our current intended 30-Day Green Juice Feast here at the Tree of Life in AZ and all is flowing AMAZINGLY well... :)

Alongside this juicy flow, I’m excited to say that on January the 7th, we’re going to be connecting with the lovely David and Katrina Rainoshek of JuiceFeasting.com, for an interview on TheRawFoodWorld TV Show via Skype, alllll about Juice Feasting...and YOU get to ask all the questions... ;)
So, if you have any juicy questions you’d love to have answered by the king and queen of JF-ing, just email those Qs in to angela@rawreform.com by Jan 6th and we’ll aim to get them all answered on Jan 7th with the Rainosheks – FUN :)

All love,
Ms. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Sunday, 6 December 2009

The Raw Mom Summit is BACK :)

I'm excited to say that The Raw Mom Summit is BACK :) If you didn't get a chance to enjoy this fabulous series of free talks earlier this year, then tune in from this Wednesday, Dec 9th, 'cos the raw mama is back in the house ;)
There are some truly outstanding interviews in this collection - I think I've listened to nearly all of them now, while we travelled our way around the USA this summer - I recall finding Daniel Vitalis's interview to be excellent, as were the talks with Jean Liedloff, Elena Tonetti, Katrina Rainoshek, Shazzie, Kate Magic and many other yummy mummies and magical men :) There's actually even an interview with me in there (once again, I am NOT a mother yet, nor am I pregnant or intending to become a parent anytime very soon - I was talking about emotions and food in this interview ;) There are apparently some NEW interviews being added into this free re-run too - exciting :) You can check out ALL the details and sign up to listen in to this wonderful re-run HERE - enjoy...

on December the 4th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
mug of herbal tea
2 Tbsp bee pollen
3 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, lemon, ginger
30 chlorella tablets
bowl of energy soup with Lydia's luna nori crackers on the side, followed by an apple
1 quart water
mug of herbal tea
2 cups water


I'm delighted to say that the ever-lovely Katrina Blair of Turtle Lake Refuge is on a mini-tour right now, giving wild food walks/talks all over the west...we were due to go on a walk here in Ojai, California today - it has been postponed until 2pm tomorrow (Monday) though, so perhaps we'll see you there if you're in the area? Katrina is also leading a raw food hike/talk on Dec 9th at the Go Raw Cafe in Las Vegas from 4pm, then on Dec 10th at 'Health Nut' in St. George, Utah. You can contact Katrina on 505-709-0015 if you want more info. If you're not familiar with Katrina's work, she is a major wild foodie/forager, wildlife refuge caretaker, singer and all-round bundle of raw yumminess - enjoy :)))

on December the 5th I loved:

1 quart water
mug of herbal tea
3 cups greeeeeeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, spinach, parsley, endive, ginger, lemon
2 tbsp bee pollen, 20 chlorella tablets, 2 tbsp goji powder
bowl of energy soup with Noniland coconut crisps on the side, followed by an apple and new raw bar samples (bluh)
mug of peppermint tea
3 cups water
mug of herbal tea
3 tbsps bee pollen
2 cups water


on December the 6th I loved:

1 quart water
mug of herbal tea
amazing fresh fruit at the Ojai Farmer’s Market: satsuma, strawberries, baby persimmons
3 cups INTENSE, dense greeeen juice with farm-fresh veggies straight from the market (PHEW ;) – fenugreek, sunflower greens, nettles, dandelion, tat soi, parsley, spinach, celery, romaine, endive, fennel, ginger, lemon
2 apples, bowl of YUMMY grawnola with coconut milk
mug of spicy tea
2 cups water

OoOOooooo, The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center just announced a variety of 'Holiday' discounts for upcoming retreats at their centre, including $200 off our New Year's 'Renew Yourself' Retreat :) NICE :)
You can see all the retreat details and call to claim the $200 discount HERE - we look forward to renewing ourselves in unison with you... :)))

All love,
Angelalalalalaaaaaaaaaa Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Friday, 30 October 2009

Join Us For New Year's Eve :)

Would YOU love to spend New Year's Eve with myself and the Monarch, in delightful company with a whole tribe of raw foodies, down at the Tree of Life in warm wintery Arizona? Mmmmmm, if that sounds yummy to you, then I'm blissed to say that we have a 10 day "Renew Yourself" raw rejuvenation retreat lined up for you to come and play at... The retreat is from Dec 27th to Jan 6th and will combine powerful body work with yoga, meditations, delicious raw foods served daily by the Tree of Life kitchen crew and of course, talks with us. Here's a list of some of the activities on offer:


* 5-6x/week yoga classes
* 4x/week food prep classes, on subjects such as breakfasts, savory foods, sauerkraut, and raw 'breads'
* 1x/week sprouting class - wheatgrass, alfalfa, sunflower, buckwheat, mung beans and many other kinds of sprouts
* 4x/week Nutritional Q&A sessions with Dr. Dan Engle, Medical Doctor and Psychiatrist
* 1x/week Qi Gong class
* 7x/week Evening programs/Meditations
* Access to unlimited wheatgrass, non-chlorinated pool, infrared saunas, non-chlorinated hot tubs, the world's largest Chartres labyrinth, sundecks, and nature trails
* Native American medicine wheel, teepee
* New Year's Native American Inipi (Ceremonial Lodge)
* New Year's Day Celebration Party

The arrival date is Dec 27th and the phone number to make reservations is: 866.394.2520 x215 or via email: tolrep2@treeoflife.nu

Included in the retreat fee of $2,890 is lodging (shared double room) at the renowned Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, an abundance of 100% organic plant-based meals, 5 kundalini-enhancing, intensive "Renew Yourself" body–work sessions with Dr. George Cromack...and all the activities listed above...

We are very excited to bring in the New Year this way, with raw family :) We're especially looking forward to the Inipi (ceremonial lodge) on New Year's Eve, which we intend to all emerge from at exactly midnight... Then we're going to have a New Year's Day party on January the first, with music and delicious food, where we'll enjoy an intention circle and collectively set the course for a totally flowing, synchronous, divinely healthy 2010 ;)
We hope that you'll join us for this AMAZING, powerful, life–shifting retreat...

on October the 27th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
2 cups veggie juice: celery, fennel, spinach, carrot, ginger
2 Tbsp bee pollen, 2 Tbsp spirulina crunchies, an apple
bowl of energy soup with sauerkraut and spicy sunflower seeds, followed by a YUMMY slice of raw blueberry cheesecake :)
3 cups water
2 cups goji juice with marine phytoplankton, Merlin's Elixir and Etherium Gold
an apple with ½ a bag of Noniland Coconut Crisps and an apple–oat cookie
3 cups water

I've been doing a lot of 'mindless' work for the last week on the computer (repetitive stuff that doesn't require much of my actual attention) and when I'm doing tasks like this, I LOVE to listen to inspiring information. As a result I've been tuning into Raw Vegan Radio and also Raw Inspirations Radio – love them :) Both of these shows provide masses of free interviews with fascinating people in the raw foods movement and beyond – I'd recommend tuning in for some inspiration if you don't already and big KUDOS to Steve and Laura for providing these great services... :) What do YOU like to listen to at times like these? Any recommendations...?


on October the 28th I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, spinach, parsley, lemon, ginger
big bowl of chia–pomegranate pudding with a couple of fresh figs and tahini on the side
3 cups water
2 Tbsp spirulina crunchies and bee pollen
two small apples with a big handful of spicy sunflower seeds
3 cups water


on October the 29th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton, Merlin's Elixir, Etherium Products
2 small apples with spirulina crunchies and bee pollen
bowl of energy soup with spicy sunflower seeds on the side, followed by a hand–mixed yumpot of lucuma/mesquite/maca/cinnamon powders with a little pine nut butter and water
3 cups water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton, Merlin's Elixir, Etherium Products
bowl of grawnola with fresh apple and macadamia milk ;)
2 cups water

The video entries are pouring in for the current RawReform Giveaway Contest to WIN a Blendtec Blender (worth $399) – thank you all SO much for your very amusing, creative flow and sharing...the closing date for this contest is Nov 1st (this SUNDAY) and here is a little reminder of the deets again for those of you who'd still love to enter:

How do you get in on this free piece of mechanical magic for your kitchen? Well, get us giggling and you could be on to a winner ;)

To be in with a chance of winning the spangly new machine, we'd love for you to send in to us a video of no more than 3 minutes in length, explaining WHY you'd love to win the Blendtec blender, what you currently use as a blender (if anything) AND...we wanna giggle too - whoever gets us laughing the most (whether from your stage presence, hilarious costuming, witty anecdotes, charming interaction, stand-up comedy routine or whatever it is...) will win the blender...
Oooooooo, how exciting - we very much look forward to enjoying your submissions :)
You have until November the 1st to get your entries in. We suggest the easiest way to send the videos to us is to upload your entry to YouTube (or another online video hub such as Google Vids or whichever you like ;), then send us the link to the video, to angela@rawreform.com. You can set your video to 'private' if you don't want 'the general public' to see your video quite yet...;) If you would like to send us a video in any other way, you can contact us on that same email address to arrange that - please DO NOT email us massive video files however ;)
Thanks...and ENJOY :)))

All lovings and shimmy-ings,
Ms. Stokes-Monaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarch. xxx

Thursday, 15 October 2009

Climate Change and Food Production...

Did you know that today is Blog Action Day, worldwide? One day a year, bloggers everywhere unite to address a certain topic and this year is: Climate Change.
Hmmmmmm, Climate Change...what would the Stokes–Monarch mind like to share about that I wonder...? Let's see…well, one thing that struck me deeply recently was the wonderful dad of the Dervaes 'Urban Homesteading' family over in Pasadena, CA speaking about food growing patterns in recent years.
In an interview, Jules Dervaes, who has been growing food all around his home for many years, noted that he always used to feel clear and confident about how to direct gardening newbies with growing their own foods. In the last few years however, things have changed so dramatically in his area with the climate and seasons that there is seemingly no longer any pattern to follow...it has all gone more than a little random...he said he has tried planting tomatoes out FIVE times in the last 12 months and none of the crops have yielded much harvest...
This really struck me, as it illustrated for me at a very simple, hands–on, practical level the result that climate change is having...and as someone who is very keen to learn more about growing food and to get my hands in the soil on our land down in Ecuador sometime in the next year, all being well, I am VERY interested to know how climate changes may be directly affecting food yields...
So, aside from eating raw (and hence potentially producing a lot less waste, plus a smaller footprint if you're eating lots of local, organic, wild foods), what ELSE might help curb Climate Change? HERE is a wonderful list of 10 solutions for Climate Change from Scientific American – ENJOY ;)
Here's to Mama Earth...WE LOVE YOU :)))

on October the 13th I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups goji juice blended with camu powder
3 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, zucchini, endive, fennel, spinach, romaine, ginger, lemon
bowl of energy soup with flax crackers on the side, followed by some of the Goji Yum Balls and a mug of hazelnut tea – YUMMMMM ;)
3 cups water
1 quart water


Mmmmm, would you LOVE another opportunity to win my book 'Raw Emotions'? If so, you might enjoy hopping over to Nwenna Kai's blog HERE where you can read a recent interview I did with the lovely Ms. Kai AND get in on the opportunity to win a free copy of my book at the same time ;) The giveaway closes next Monday, the 19th – so get in there quick if you'd like to be onboard...

ENJOY :)


on October the 14th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
3 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, endive, romaine, spinach
bowl of energy soup with spiced pumpkin and sunflower seeds on the side, followed by a little 'yumpot' of lucuma/mesquite/maca/cinammon powders hand whipped up with a little almond butter, vanilla and water – YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ;)
mug of hazelnut tea
3 cups water
2 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, endive, romaine, spinach
2 Tbsp bee pollen
2 cups goji juice with Etherium products, Marine Phytoplanton, Merlin's Elixir
3 cups water


…and while we're on the subject of interviews and offers, be sure to tune in tonight to Mr. Monarch's LIVE call with Gabriel Cousens, M.D., for The Raw Food World Radio Show. The call is FREE, LIVE and starts at 7pm Pacific time, 10pm Eastern time...you can sign up to participate HERE if you're not already onboard...they will be discussing spiritual aspects of nutrition, candida solutions, energy, meditation and much more...plus expect the usually special offers abounding ;) Remember, there is only room on the call for 1000 people, so get in there quick if you'd love to participate ;) We'll connect with you sooooooooooon...

All love and gratitude,
Angela. xxx

Saturday, 3 October 2009

Gabriel Cousens on The Raw Food World Radio Show :)

Well, well, well, did you hear Mr. Monarch interviewing the fabulous Shazzie on The Raw Food World Radio Show last week? If not, you missed out on some powerful insights and revelations, including conscious parenting tips, info on 'free–range children', supplementation, breastfeeding and co–sleeping, plus the gracious answering of some very personal questions by the ever–incorrigible Mr. Monarch... ;)
NEXT UP is Dr. Gabriel Cousens...yes, the good doctor will be the next guest to grace The Raw Food World airwaves, with his shiny morsels to share on spiritual unfoldments, optimal health choices and reversing degenerative conditions...HURRAH :)
This LIVE call is scheduled for Thursday, October 15th at 7pm Pacific time (10pm Eastern time) and once again, there is only room for 1000 people to join the call, so be sure to sign up and call up in good timing, if you'd love to be with us for this unique, FREE event ;) You can see all the details and sign up to access the call info HERE...

ENJOY...

on October the 1st I loved:

1 quart water
20oz greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, dandelion, ginger, lemon
2 tbsp bee pollen, 20 chlorella 'nuts', little handful of spirulina crunchies
2 cups water
bowl of energy soup with flax crackers and pecan butter on the side, followed by an apple
3 cups water
3 cups goji juice blended with Merlin's Elixir and Mucuna
1 cup water

Would you love to win a FREE printed, signed copy of my book 'Raw Emotions'? If so, you might want to hop on over to the blog site 'The Daily Enlightener', written by the lovely Nateah, a RawReform Blog reader based in Tennessee ;)
Nateah has created 'The Daily Enlightener' as a daily inspirational newsletter for mind, body and spirit. To be in with a chance of bagging this month's prize, Nateah would love to see you send in your favourite recipe...all the details can be found HERE – enjoy ;)


on October the 2nd I enjoyed:

1 quart water
3 cups goji juice blended with camu powder
bowl of energy soup with an orange bell pepper on the side, followed by 2 Tbsp of Wilderness Poet Pistachio Halva Butter
3 cups water
2 apples with spirulina crunchies and bee pollen
1 quart water


While we're on the subject of giveaway contests, it is my joy to remind you that the current RawReform Giveaway Contest to win a copy of the amazing 'Birth As We Know It' DVD closes this Monday, October the 5th...here's a little reminder of the details:

Please send in your answer to the following question, to angela@rawreform.com:

"If you were the winner of the Birth As We Know It DVD,
who would you share this inspiring documentary with and
why?"

Maybe you'll open your heart to showing this DVD to a local women's group, or share it at a potluck gathering, with a group of teenagers, your extended family, your local school or arrange a whole event around showing the documentary...whatever resonates for you, we'd love to hear
about it - the more people who receive this information, then all the better :) ...and it is my sincere hope that whoever is picked to win the DVD follows through and does actually share the DVD with those around them - this is vital, life-shifting information... ENJOY and we look forward to reading your suggestions for outreach and connection...you have until October the 5th to send your yummies in... ;)
(You can also get Elena's DVD from our store HERE if you just can't wait... ;)

All love and profound blissings,
Ms. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Sunday, 27 September 2009

Reversing Diabetes with Dennis Banks :)

OoOoOooooo, I'm excited - you may recall that a few days ago we were visiting the wonderful Tree of Life healing centre in Arizona and I mentioned the amazing stories of reversing diabetes that are coming out of there at the moment. Well, we were extremely blessed to interview one of the current diabetes course attendees - none other than Mr. Dennis Banks, one of the founders of the American Indian Movement (AIM), activist, warrior, leader, mover-shaker and now raw foodie-diabetes-reverser-extraordinaire ;) I really loved the opportunity to interview Dennis and we ended up speaking for around 45 minutes. Mr. M just posted the series of videos with him to TheRawFoodWorld.tv and you can check all 5 vids out at the link below - I trust you enjoy this peek into Dennis' life and vision for reversing diabetes in Native communities nationwide...


on September the 25th I adored:

1 quart water
water of a young coconut blended with Greener Grasses, Merlin's Elixir and Mucuna
bowl of energy soup with flax crackers on the side and sample of jungle peanut butter, followed by an apple with a couple of Tbsp of Lucuma–Vanilla Coconut Crème
1 quart water
2 apples with bee pollen and spirulina crunchies
3 cups water

If you'd love to see some snaps of our Summer Solstice Raw Union wedding celebrations, Mr. Jeff Eichen has a lovely collection over HERE that he just recently sent us the link for...there's some great, unique pics in there - I especially love this one of us with our eyes closed ;)


on September the 26th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
2 apples with bee pollen and spirulina crunchies
3 cups water
juice of an orange
bowl of energy soup with blue–green coconut crisps, followed by an apple and a few Incan berries
1 quart water

LOVE this little quote sent to me recently via the lovely daily 'Gift for Today' emails from Hazelden:

"Every problem teaches us how to resolve it. If we can't see the solution, than we're not ready for it, and instead of sputtering vainly we should set that question aside and address ourselves to our appropriate tasks."

LOVE it - that has been the flow of my energy for years now and it helps me in countless situations to move on from whatever seems 'stuck', focus on smthg else that seems open to flow/possibility at that time and come back to the first issue later on, when the energy seems clearer...

With gushing torrents of joy and abundance,
Ms. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Join us on Retreat in Florida :)

OOOooooo la la, breaking news: it seems Mr. M and I are holding a retreat next month in Florida – hurray :)
From October 16th to 18th on the Palm Coast, FL, we'll be enjoying a relaxing,
rejuvenating weekend retreat at an oceanfront mansion, giving talks on raw food, sampling raw creations from talented chefs, playing with biomats, doing detox footbaths, massage and reflexology and enjoying the beautiful ocean and beach – YUMMY :)
If you'd love to join us for this unique event, just visit HERE and you can see all the details and sign–up... The retreat is
just a month away from now, so be sure to register soon if you'd love to be there - the first ten people who sign up apparently also receive complimentary accommodation in the mansion - yeeeeeeeee-HAH ;)
We'll see you on the beach ;)

on September the 19th I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon juice
3 cups greeeeeeeeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, ginger, lemon
1 Tbsp bee pollen

cup of herbal tea
bowl of energy soup with flax crackers/almond butter, followed by a handful of soaked In
can berries
1 quart water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton and Merlin's Elixir
2 cups water

Well, well, well, translations of my books into various different languages is currently underway by inspired raw beings around the globe – we currently have people scribing away in German, Spanish, Norwegian, Polish and Czech...and we already have French versions of many of my books available HERE and the Hungarian version of my recipe book is HERE ;)

If YOU are deliciously fluent in another language, excited about the raw lifestyle and would love to translate some of our books to help spread the message globally, then email me on angela@rawreform.com and we'll see what we can co–create ;)

THANK YOU :)

on September the 20th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
20 chlorella 'nuts'
bowl of energy soup with flax crackers/almond butter, followed by a few slices of dried lucuma
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton
3 cups greeeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, zucchini, spinach, romaine, ginger, lime
YUMMY samples from Vivapura – bee pollen, spirulina crunchies, trail mixes, with two fresh apples
shot of coconut kefir
3 cups water


on September the 21st I was blissed with:

1 quart water
3 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton

fingertip of royal jelly and 1tsp fresh bee pollen
wonderful buffet meal at The Tree of Life Café – sprout salad, butternut/coconut soup, raw pizza, chia/plum dessert
1 quart water
mug of herbal tea
1 cup coconut kefir
3 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton
3 cups water

Those lovebugs over at SimplyRaw are doing a very special 'Gratitude Sale' right now – get 50% OFF on either or both of their DVDs (Simply Raw and Raw for Life – I'm in Raw for Life ;)
This offer is only running until this Friday, the 25th, so click over HERE sharpish if you'd love to get in on
the action.
I LOVE how Simply Raw is helping people (especially diabetics) to change their lives all over the place...we're in Arizona right now, visiting the Tree of Life, where Simply Raw was filmed and meeting some of the people currently on the diabetes reversal programme there – the stories of
recovery are PHENOMENAL – one man told us yesterday that he released 28 POUNDS in his first 2 weeks here and almost all of them are off their insulin or on significantly lower dosages – it is SO inspiring and wonderful to witness :)
Maybe we'll get to interview
some of these recovering heroes tomorrow for The Raw Food World TV Show – we already have some wonderful videos up online from the Tree – see below for the first in a series ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXNLwzieuZA


With all love and bountiful joy radiating,
Ms. Sto–Mo. xxx

Friday, 3 July 2009

Food Independence Day ;)

Ooooo, looks like there’s some interesting research afoot down at Gabriel Cousen’s Tree of Life Centre... They’re studying the health of vegan, live food babies and they’d love for you to participate in the survey if you have a child aged from birth to five years who is eating a vegan live food diet. The researchers intend to share the results to help support other parents who’d love to raise their children this way.
You can access the survey and read the full participant requirements list by clicking HERE. Please feel free to also pass this info on to anyone else you think may be willing/able to participate – they’re looking for another 100–200 participants at present ;)
I look forward to seeing the results ;)

on July the 1st I had:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon orange juice
2 tbsp bee pollen
2 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, ginger
2 cups energy soup, with 5 freeze–dried macadamia nuts
3 cups water
2 cups energy soup, followed by a little ‘yumpot’ of almond butter mixed with carob peppermint maca powder, cinnamon, stevia and water
1 cup reddrox tea
3 cups water

LOVE this high–energy video below from the uber–cool, a capella, amazing singing group from Israel called ‘Voca People’ – big gratitude to the lovely Ricki for sending this link in – with nearly 2.2 million views already, they seem to be a YouTube sensation ;) ENJOY :)


on July the 2nd I had:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/orange juice
2 cups greeeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, spinach, parsley, zucchini, ginger, lime
2 cups coconut water, 2 cups coconut smoothie: coconut meat, a little coconut water, maca, stevia, vanilla, reddrox water, cardamom = yummmmmmmmmm :)
2 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, spinach, parsley, zucchini, ginger, lime
2 Tbsp bee pollen
couple of spoonfuls of Mr. M’s outrageous maca ice cream concoction, a whole cup of subliiiiiiiiiiime ‘Green Potion’ ice cream from Truth Calkins’ elixir bar in Erewhon – LOVE it
2 cups water


on July the 3rd I had:

1 quart water
shot of orange juice
3 cups coconut water mixed with Greener Grasses powder and aloe vera
2 cups coconut water
2 Tbsp bee pollen
2 cups greeeeen veggie juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Greener Grasses powder, MSM and Marine Phytoplankton
1 Tbsp be pollen
2 cups water


Soooo…happy Independence Day tomorrow to all those in the USA ;) I am excited to see that over at the Kitchen Gardeners site, they’ve declared Food Independence Day. The idea is to declare ‘food independence’, by sourcing the ingredients for any holiday meals as ‘locally, sustainably and deliciously as possible’…love it ;)
You can check out the site at FoodIndependenceDay.org, where you can even stick a pin in the map to mark out where YOU will be sourcing local foods tomorrow ;) They also have a cool–looking ‘Why I’m a Victory Grower’ video contest you can enter – YUMMY :)

All brightest blessings to you and those everywhere who are growing food, foraging and connecting directly with gaia :)
All love,
Ms. Sto–Mo. xxx

Thursday, 7 May 2009

Raw Emotions on Amazon :)

OOOoooo, I’m excited :) My book Raw Emotions is now up on Amazon for sale – I really feel like a 'real' author now ;) You can see it HERE...and perhaps, if you’ve read it already, you might LOVE to share a review on Amazon? That would be SUPER–appreciated and I will send huge energetic hugs and love to you (well, I do that every morning anyway – I’ll send even more... ;)
I received SUCH a sweet little message about 'Raw Emotions' yesterday from Alex Ortner (from the Simply Raw reversing diabetes movie). Alex is currently reading the book and wrote:

“Let me just say that your new book...ROCKS! I've only read about 1/3 of it so far (not much extra time with a baby) but I think it's a fantastic book. I'm REALLY big into understanding the reasons for why we do what we do...and I LOVE that your book takes a real and honest look into understanding the connections between food and emotions.

It is VERY well written. Sometimes I think that people get too lost worrying about raw food and don't understand the emotional and spiritual things going on behind their eating. I'm big into raw food but I don't think that you can really help somebody unless you look at the reasons for why people eat what they eat.

So, in short, really like the book. I think it's the best book I've read on raw food. :)”


Alex Ortner

http://www.Rawfor30days.com


Wow, THANKS, Alex :)))
If you haven't got hold of this juicy book yet, you can invest in a copy of Raw Emotions HERE – enjoy :)

on May the 6th I had:

1 quart water
shotglass of orange juice
2 cups greeeeen juice: nettles, fennel, parsley, dandelion, romaine, spinach, Jerusalem artichoke, carrot
3 romaine wraps stuffed with cucumber mush, dulse, tomatoes, masses of sprouts, followed by a little slice of Mr. M’s birthday ice cream cake (sans chocolat layer ;)
1 quart water
2 tbsp E3 Live
2 romaine wraps stuffed with cucumber mush, dulse, tomatoes, masses of sprouts, followed by a little persimmon ice cream
3 cups water

Well, while we’re on the subject of Mr. Ortner and the Simply Raw film, here’s a timely little reminder that the current fabulous bonus giveaway offer for the Simply Raw DVD ends TOMORROW (Friday May 8th), at midnight.
If you order the DVD before the deadline, you will receive a handsome reward of over 53 different bonus extras to expand your brain cells, like e–books, audios and other yummy offers...you actually even receive the whole of Mr. M’s ‘Raw Success’ E–book and my whole ‘Revealing the Physical Changes’ e–book as part of the package – BARGAIN ;)
To get in on the action before midnight tomorrow, click HERE.


on May the 7th I had:

1 quart water
5oz orange juice
2 cups veggie juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion, parsley, fenugreek greens, beetroot, carrot
2 tbsp bee pollen
3 cups water
fingertip of royal jelly
3 cups lemon drink: blended water with lemon juice, stevia powder, added zinc angstrom minerals liquid (thanks si*star* Michelle for the recipe inspiration ;)
2 Tbsp E3 Live
bowl of fruit salad with raw ice cream (blueberries, blackberries, fresh mulberries, cherimoya)
2 cups water

OoOoOoo, opportunities abounding today...the tremendous Tree of Life centre in Arizona would love you to know that they have some exciting employment openings to share...check these out:

*Admin Assistant to Gabriel Cousens (OoOoOoo la la, imagine ;)
*Colonic Hydrotherapist/ Licensed Massage Therapist (NICE :)
*Licensed Massage Therapist (Mmmmmmmm…)
*Vegan Live Food Chef (HURRAY :)
*Sprout/ Farm/ Garden Worker (Ooooo, I’d choose this one ;)
*Cafe Seva - 3 Month Minimum
*Garden Seva - 3 Month Minimum

All positions require at least a two year commitment of joy...all details can be eyeballed HERE: www.treeoflife.nu/employ
…and while we’re on the subject of fun activities at the Tree, the next round of their fabulous–sounding ‘Conscious Gardening’ course is coming up very soon...May 17–23, then also August 23–29 or October 25–31 – learn how to grow your own fresh, vibrant, loved–up, nutrient–packed food in greenhouses or fields... :) See HERE: www.treeoflife.nu/consciousgardening
ENJOY :)

All love,
Miss Stokes. xxx

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Learning to Grow our Own Foods :)

OoOooo, fun things going on in Dr. Cousens' world: the Tree of Life centre has a wonderful-looking course coming up on how to grow your own food called 'Conscious Gardening'. It's being offered 4 times this year: March, May, August, October. I am so happy to see these skills being shared - mmmmmmm, I'd LOVE to be there for one of these courses... Wow, how wonderful - learning about organic/vegan/conscious gardening from a RAW/living food perspective - love it :) You can read ALL about the course HERE.
Dr. Cousens is also going to be sharing some good juicy juju in LA soon, at a week-long 'Juice Fast for Peace' in conjunction with the super-shiny Michael Beckwith and Agape. FUN :) That event starts on March the 1st and you can tap into all that info HERE.
BTW, remember too that those other fabulous-looking 'Anastasia'-based courses are coming up soon all over N. America as well...sharing info on how to set up your own 'kins' domain', grow food, co-create a family strongly rooted in nature and communication with the Universe and so on...I still strongly hope to make it to one of these workshops toooooooooo...you can see all about these HERE.
I am nearing the end of reading the 9th book in the 'Anastasia' series at the moment and the stories I was reading today of single women who are going out into the countryside in Russia to begin their kins' domains with their bare hands moved me to tears - the power, the passion, the vision, the love...it's all so beautiful...and it's just going to keep on expanding as more and more of us (re)connect to the land and grow our own foooooooooooooooooooooood...

WE. ARE. SOOOOOOOOOO. BLESSED :)


on February the 15th I had:

1 quart water
mug of dandelion tea
2 cups green juice: celery, zucchini, kale, endive, fennel, ginger, lime
2 cups energy soup with tahini and okra on the side
little mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
little bowl of sweet yum: hemp butter, carob powder, lucuma, maca, vanilla, cinnamon, water, with pieces of Grawnola stirred in :)
3 cups water


on February the 16th I had:

1 quart water
cup of dandelion tea
30 chlorella ‘nuts’
2 cups water
bowl of chia pudding with fresh cherries, chunk of Lemon Goji bar from LoveForce = YUMMM :)
3 cups water
2 cups greeeen juice: celery, zucchini, kale, endive, fennel, ginger, lime
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
little mug of dandelion tea
1 cup water

A little reminder: I’ll be giving two talks over in the south–west of England next week. I’ll be giving a ‘Raw Food Transformation’ talk next Tuesday, the 24th in Glastonbury and then on Thursday the 26th in Barnstaple. You can check out all the details HERE and reserve your place by calling the lovely Lisa on 01769 550408, or sending her some love to: lisasture (at) toucansurf (dot) com.
Maybe see you there ;)
(As ever, if you’re looking for raw events in YOUR area, you can always check the wonderful events calendar on GiveItToMeRaw.com, HERE ;)



on February the 17th I had:

1 quart water
cup of dandelion tea
2 cups greeeen juice: celery, zucchini, kale, endive, fennel, ginger, lime
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
little mug of dandelion tea
3 cups water
bowl of chia pudding with a chunk of Lemon Goji bar from LoveForce = YUMMM :)
cup of spicy tea
2 cups water


on February the 18th I had:

1 quart water
mug of dandelion tea
2 cups greeeen juice: celery, zucchini, kale, endive, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, ginger, lime
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
little mug of dandelion tea
3 cups water
2 cups greeeen juice: celery, zucchini, kale, endive, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, ginger, lime
little bowl of chia pudding with fresh raspberries, diced apple and goji berry powder
big mug of fresh lemon/ginger tea
2 cups water

My musical muse has wandered backwards down the path a bit at present to the early 70s and has fallen rapturously in love with the late Minnie Riperton. WOW. What a BEAUTIFUL being. I have been listening to her music almost non–stop the last few days on YouTube ;) (Yes, I even have my own Minnie playlist now, HERE ;)
This new fascination expanded after that cheeky madam Ms. Kate Magic sent her latest ‘Love Mix’ over...(as you may or may not know, the talented Ms. Magic is a super–fine DJ as well as chef, mother, light–being, speaker, author, business owner, photographer, artist and myriad other creative outlets I’m sure ;) Part of this latest musical compilation was the 70s song ‘Les Fleurs’ by Minnie Riperton.
Now, I’ve heard this song a few times before – Ms. Magic says it’s one of her all–time top 5 toooons – I’d never paid that much attention to it though. This time I was listening with headphones and WOH...my whole body became covered in goose–bumps...what a VOICE, what a message, wow...I was captivated and have poked around all over YouTube unearthing old Minnie songs since then...sadly she died at the age of 31 from breast cancer in 1979 – she left behind some truly outstanding music though...she seemed to sing and express with her whole being and so much LOVE, smiles, passion, vibrancy and delight. TRULY someone on her brightest path in the short time she was here in the physical...and so very humble and sweet at the same time, aside from remarkably talented as a singer.
Minnie’s voice apparently covered a range of five and a half octaves and she could sing in the ‘whistle range’ – a rare talent for adult humans – she could easily hit those notes waaaayyyyyyy above high–C that others might struggle a lifetime to try to reach ;) She sounds almost like a DOLPHIN or something similar in many recordings – it’s really quite unearthly at times and just phenomenal to hear.
One of her best known recordings is the well–loved 1975 hit ‘Lovin' You’ (“...is easy ‘cos you’re beautiful and every day of my life is filled with loving you…” etc ;) – she hits the incredibly high notes in that song flawlessly and with ease...amazing...and I am blown away that I am only really accessing this woman’s work at this point in my life...
Mariah Carey, another singer whose work I love, has cited Minnie as the greatest influence on her singing style, which makes sense to me now, as Mariah has a range over five octaves and can sing in the whistle range too...
While reading about Minnie, I also came across the music of the Brazilian/Italian singer Georgia Brown who has been recognised as singing the highest notes recorded by a human. This woman apparently has a vocal range over 8 OCTAVES and can easily slide into the whistle range too – HERE is a truly ‘unearthly’ performance by her, singing a whole 2-minute song in the whistle range. She seems to have a very different energy to Minnie, yet I still find her talents remarkable... ;O
My heart swells as I listen to the legacy Minnie left behind – what a beautiful, inspiring woman...thank you SO much Minnie for the gifts you shared... :) Listen to my playlist of Minnie’s music HERE if you like – and wear headphones for optional extra spine chills ;)

All joy,
Miss A. Stokes. xxx