Photos from my workshops......x

The chocolate making workshops this weekend were an amazing success!

Much fun had by all. I met some lovely new people and saw dear old friends too. Everybody made beautiful things and we all went home happy and buzzy!

I am going to post pictures in the next 24 hours.

When I got home last night from the afternoon workshop, I decided to get to work preparing festive food to take away with me at Christmas.

I made my own recipe for raw mince pies:

Soak and dehydrate 2 cups of buckwheat (soak for around 6 hours, rinse well, spread on dehydrator tray and dry for about 8 hours)

Soak 1 cup of cashews (you could use almonds, macadamia nuts or sunflower seeds)

Grind or blend the buckwheat to a flour. Next blend the nuts or seeds of your choice to a fine paste, mix with the flour and add honey, yacon or agave to taste. (I used raw local honey, not too much as filling will be very sweet) Add a pinch of salt too, to bring out the flavour.

Then press the ‘dough’ into silicone moulds, muffin trays or whatever you fancy, you could always make one big mince pie, however, I prefer to do smaller ones so I can freeze half the batch if I need to)

Dehydrate for 12 hours, taking them out of the moulds halfway.

Next for the filling. Combine 1/2 cup of raisins, half cup of sultanas, ½ cup of goji berries, 1 tsp nutmeg, 4 tsp cinnamon, 1 of mixed spice. Marinate this mixture overnight in the juice of 2 oranges, 1 lemon and zest of one orange and tbs raw honey or agave. Once you feel the flavours have been infused long enough, fill your pies (I will not do this until I am ready to serve them, as they can go soggy!)

Top your pies with a cream made from your nut of choice. I am using 1 cup of macadamias, blended with 1 ½ cups water, a pinch of vanilla, 1 tsp honey and some orange zest to top it off!

I also made a loaf to have on Xmas day. This consisted of 6 layers! I made it up as I went along, but roughly, here it is:

Grind up some flax seeds, then, separate this mix into 4 bowls. To the 1st bowl I added blended broccoli, spinach and garlic, the 2nd, blended red pepper and chilli, the 3^rd, blended beetroot and cumin, the 4^th, blended carrot. I spread a layer of each, one on top of the other, in a silicone mould. The 5^th layer was thinly sliced beetroot, then, I topped it off with thinly sliced mushrooms, marinated in tamari. I decorated it with pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast and crystal manna. It needs to be dehydrated for at least 24 hours. I shall serve this with some kind of warm mushroom gravy, or perhaps a warm spicy tomato sauce.

I had some left over soaked dates from the workshop (I use these to make truffles) So, I blended them with coconut chips, stirred in some carob, maca, Fo-Ti powder and reishi mushrooms. I added a dollop of raw honey to sweeten. I filled my silicone muffin trays with the mixture, decorating each one with bee pollen and coconut chips. Dehydrate them for 12 hours. I call these ‘Happy buns’. Nice straight from the dehydrator, for breakfast!

Xmas preparations are going well, however, I’m so looking forward to a few days of doing very little. Reading, long walks, Poirot and Miss. Marple Xmas special!!!

So, watch this space for Workshop photos, coming soon! Also, new dates will be announced early Jan!

Today I made a 'Cream cheese', inspired by a recipe that Matt Monarch posted on youtube a few days ago. Obviously, it is DAIRY FREE and RAW.....So don't expect your typical white, smooth cream cheese! It is, however, delicious, especially stuffed in a large mushroom, topped with alfalfa sprouts! Or, spread on some kind of raw bread, or even a sprouted grain bread....?

Blend the following till smooth and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Serves 2:

1 avocado

juice of a lemon

3 dates

small handful of Dulse (seaweed)

http://www.clearspring.co.uk/japanese/seaveg/dulse

www.coxetersfayre.co.uk

I have been busy!! Sorry for lack of blogging this week! Off to do Gaggle's last gig of the year later, at The Lexington. There is going to be a snow machine...Oh, the irony-ITS SNOWING OUTSIDE!!! Im gulping down the echinacea tea and preparing for the chocolate making workshops this weekend. Tree Harvest (my supplier) is out of cacao butter. Im sure I have enough, but am coming up with alternative recipes (just in case) that don't use cacao butter (nut truffles...?) Should be a smashing day....

Well, what a weekend!

On saturday, my mum and I met at East Grinstead station. I went up on the train, my trolley loaded with goodies. We drove to The Steiner school in Forest Row, where a monthly market takes place. It was so utterly charming, people selling homemade goods. Crafts, wooden items, toys, hand dyed textiles, homemade lotions and potions, books, there was even a room offering reflexology and other therapies. It was a totally inspiring place, the most beautiful building and surrounding countryside.
We set up our stall and over the course of the day, met so many lovely people, with a genuine interest in the products. People who really appreciated hand made things and of course an appreciation for nutritious food.

I packed Mum and I a lunch of parsnip curry, alfalfa sprouts and a beetroot & flax loaf. There was a sweet little canteen outside, where they were serving homemade soup. I got such a warm feeling, I bet the children who go to this school get such a wonderful, nurturing eduucation and creative experience. The children I met on saturday all seemed so grown up and well behaved, not to mention artistic and a little 'old fashioned' (in a good way)!
I also met a lady who runs a bio-dynamic farm nearby, she happened to be a raw foodist and we chatted about her farm, the abundance of amazing produce she has and she told me about the apprenticeships she runs ( I have to say, I am very tempted) There is a possibility of me doing some workshops at her farm shop and she sounded interested in stocking my goods. January is going to be a busy month, following up all these exciting opportunities.

So, at the end of the day, having SOLD OUT of most of my goods, we packed the car and headed back to my house in London, where we re-packed the car for sunday and had a well-earned rest!
Oh, forgot to mention, I bought some handmade christmas fairies, made of silk, and some little felt gnomes. Mum and I also bought a salt lamp each. They generate healthy ion and bioenergetic vibrations which improve air quality. And pretty too!

Sunday morning was an early start. We arrived at Sunday 'Up market' early (too early) It was cold, we huddled in the car till it opened (yes, we arrived before ANYONE else)!!! Finally we were let in. We loaded in the boxes, then got a cup of 'real' mint tea to warm up!

Mum and I had great fun setting up the stall ( we had lots more space today) and laid out all the cakes and chocolates on pretty cake stands and plates. We stood and chatted to our fellow market traders, so many talented, enterprising people.
I made sure we put plenty of samples out for people to try, always a winner! Towards lunchtime, I panicked that I hadn't made enough stuff!!!

Lunch today was a lovely rainbow salad from Rainforest creations, a raw -food stall in Spitalfields market.
Again, we met lots of lovely people and received so much positve feedback. I sold lot's of things to Vegans, who's eyes lit up when they saw a stall selling vegan chocolate (seems there is a gap in the market?!)
Mum and I were pooped at the end of the day. We packed up for the last time, drove back to mine, unpacked, washed up, drank echinacea tea and ate banana and hemp bread that I had put in the dehydrator the night before (mmm, warm banana bread, sprinkled with pollen, dunked in tea)!

Monday now....off to take samples to a deli in Hackney. Then tonight, Gaggle have a photoshoot with The Times....!

Another quick one...!


Butternut squash crisps. Yum.....

Thinly slice squash, coat in olive oil, salt and sage, lay out on dehydrator tray and dry overnight...Its even delicious before dehydrating...like roasted veg, nice for xmas lunch..?!

Imaginative uses for squashes and gourds....!


Just a quick post today. I made my first pumpkin pie. Its good. Here is the rough recipe: (i made 3, so vary quantities depending on how many you make!)!

Crust:
3 cups of walnuts
3 cups of dates
2 cups lucuma
salt

Fillings:
2 avocado's
1 cup coconut butter
3tbs cinnamon
piece fresh ginger
1 cup soaked dates
1 tbs allspice
3 cups chopped pumpkin
1/4 cup chia seeds
tbs vanilla
pinch salt

Blend the dates and walnuts (helps if you soak dates first) and press into a pie tin/mould. I made it with a deep crust. Set in the fridge.

Blend the pumpkin in high power blender (or food processor) add all other ingredients and blend till smooth, pour into crust and put it in the fridge to set, or freeze! I decorated mine with goji berries and pumpkin seeds. Photos to come!
xx

Today i made tomato soup, warmed gently over a pan of water, it was just the ticket on a cold winter day!

6 large tomatoes
3 mushrooms
splash of tamari
4 cloves of garlic
tbs tahini
sprinkle of cumin
sprinkle of chilli
splash of water (depending on thickness desired)
tsp hemp oil

blend it up baby, serve with a generous helping of sprouts

Yum.

Hello friends. Last night was Kate Magic's talk at Inspiral lounge. I made some notes and got some good information and reminders. We all know we should drink more water, but it is good to be reminded! Kate drinks 4 litres a day (including mylks, teas and juices) so today, i have already had 2 pints of lemon water and am going to make a litre of chia mylk, with added liquid mineral drops, cinnamon, purple corn, suma and Reishi.
Reishi was another thing she spoke lots about. I have had some in my cupboard for a while and keep forgetting its there! It is believed to be fantastic for the immune system, so im going to go reishi crazy, may even make a reishi- mushroom 'gravy' for xmas (warmed gently).
Warming your food is also what she spoke about. It is important in the winter to take in warm, nurturing foods. In Chinese medicine, it is believed the spleen can suffer if one is to eat too much cold, damp food. Things like green juice (especially cucumber) are good for you, however, can unbalance you in the cold weather. Warming foods in the dehydrator or porringer, adding ginger, cinnamon, garlic, chilli etc is a great way to balance out the 'yin'.

Im off to meet my lovely musician friend Rachel today at The Alchemy centre for lunch (the 'Tree of life' trained chef there is very lovely, i met him a month ago, he had made delicious lucuma mango cake and made an amazing green juice for me. He told me all about T.O.L, sounds like heaven there).
Anyway, then i must finish off a few jobs here.....I feel I am slowly ticking off lots of jobs. Being surrounded by bits of paper, notes and lists is making me muddled! My packaging is nearly finished and tomorrow Im going to start a 3 day mammoth un-cooking session, in preparation for this weekends markets! Yay!

Other news- I am in talks with the lovely proprietor of Earth natural foods in Kentish town. He wants me to do a chocolate making workshop there in January. Watch this space. I am also taking samples to a stylish new deli in Hackney next week, so fingers crossed i can win them over with my chocolates!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have a local shop/cafe/deli that you think would welcome my products!!!

Hello People!

France was a success! A looooong coach journey, MASSIVE venue, lots of interviews and a t.v appearance!

Back late last night. Woke up today and got straight back into London life! I decided to go for a walk and picked up a HUGE bowl of bananas! What to make???!

Decided to consult the Gabriel Cousens book 'Conscious eating'. Made up a batch of Almond banana cookies with cinnamon. I set half the mixture aside and added carob and maca.

I didnt follow the recipe exactly as I never do!

6 bananas

250 g soaked almonds

2 tablespoon cinnamon

Or:

3 bananas

100g soaked almonds

3 tbs carob

1 tbs maca

Blend to a smooth paste. Spoon onto dehydrator sheets into little cookie size 'dollops'. Flatten slightly.

Dehydrate for 12 hours, take them off teflon sheet after 6 hours and flip them over.

Bring on breakfast! Yay! The whole house smells christmassy!

Off to Kate Magic's christmas talk at Inspiral lounge tomorrow. Notebook at the ready!

By the way, I didnt get any pics of the things I made yesterday, but i shall photograph my new recipes (inc the new raw 'mint aero' and pink 'rose fondant') at the markets I'm doing weekend after next)

However, here are some photos of a birthday cake made for one of the Gaggle girls, a few weeks ago. It is a 4 layer cake consisting of a layer of brownie, a vanilla cashew cream, a layer of blondie, then a layer of orange & goji cream. Decorated with white chocolate unicorn, pollen, goji's and orange chocolate hearts....Yum.


www.www.coxetersfayre.co.uk

sunday 13th

http://www.sundayupmarket.co.uk/index.html

Saturday 12th

http://www.michael-hall.co.uk/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=31

Last night was crazy! I was in the kitchen from 6.30 pm- 3.am this morning. I was working in the kitchen at the Laban centre (thanks Dawn)! I then woke up at 9am to prepeare for a trip to france. Gaggle are off to Rennes tomorrow to play an industry festival. 2 nights away....Woop!

Last night I made (with the help of my good friend Amy, AKA 'Raw Like lion'):

170 Blondie truffles, 80 chocolate truffles, 50 Spiced raisin chocolates (covered in red edible glitter), 70 maca maca truffles and last but not least my Emerald city creation, which turned out exactly like an old favourite of mine, Mint Aero!!!

This morning i have been catching up on jobs and errands, managed to make some beetroot burgers to take to France, along with some nori rolls, juice, almond mylk and fresh fruit salad (yes, i know they have food in France but on the motorway, on a coach, you would be suprised how difficult it is to eat well, let alone raw!)

Recipe for burgers:

2 cups ground flax

1 cup hemp seeds

cup of chopped beetroot

dash olive oil

2 tbs cumin

splash of tamari

pinch of pink salt

1 red pepper

3 sticks celery

1 clove garlic

3 carrots

half head of broccoli

sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes

blend all in a powerful blender, then dollop into silicone muffin trays (i also did a larger butterfly loaf, to share) and decorate with crystal manna and goji berrys

dry for about 16 hours (remove from moulds after about 5 hours)so they are still moist in the middle.

So, now I have to start packing for my trip and catch up on emails (am ordering my first batch of business cards and stickers)! Will try and go to my spinning class later...I must be mad!

Breakfast.... sesame mylk, buck-wheaties, pollen, plenty of warming cinnamon and some hemp oil and lecithin.


It came to me on the way to the recording studio. Dreaming of magical lands, fantasy, colour......I want to make vibrant, jewel-like chocolates. Obviously, nutrition comes first, so I will make them with natures most colourful super-foods.

Emerald city. A dark chocolate peppermint layer, topped with a peppermint white chocolate, made a vivid green, with Green super-food powder.

Living lavender. A dark chocolate lavender layer, topped with lavender infused white chocolate...made violet with purple corn extract.

Coming soon x

Today I am feeling very tired, yet very positive! The festive period is looming and it will be a busy and creative time for me!

May I also take this opportunity to thank Rob for all his hard work this weekend. He is a very patient, creative person...and a computer whizz kid!

Im off to the studio later this evening...Gaggle are recording a song to be released in january. Woop!

www.myspace.com/gagglespace

xx

Hello again....!
So, today it has rained and rained and rained. We have not left the caravan! Have been working on the website www.coxetersfayre.co.uk and took time out to make a raw curry full of rainbow vegetables for lunch....topping Rob's cup up with herbal brews every half hour (well, got to keep the workers happy)!
whilst looking out of the window at rainy, grey skies, I thought back to the summer and remembered a lovely coconut cream pie, that I made for friends down in Dorset. I photographed it amongst their amazing fossil collection, from nearby Lyme Regis. Hmmm...Dinosaur pie...! Ha!
Anyway, back to now.....I'm dreading the journey home from here in this weather. Got a busy week coming up, making chocolate selection boxes for the Pop up cafe at The Cockpit Arts open studio weekend
www.cockpitarts.com
So, from soggy South West London....Bye for now...x

Today I have been taking photos for my new website.

www.coxetersfayre.co.uk

My good friend Rob has kindly agreed to take photos for & design my website (well, some arm twisting and a few chocolate and wine bribes were involved) !
We managed to avoid the rain, basking in the winter sunshine. We 'styled' my raw confection amongst leaves, chunks of magnolia tree and moss. Aah, natural food in its natural habitat!
The batch of goodies i made last night managed to get snapped before they were greedily eaten (mostly by moi)! and now we are working on the site (check www.coxetersfayre) It's coming along nicely.
I made a dinner of stuffed vine leaves, curried flax crackers and guacamole for the hungry worker, now huddled in a caravan, sheltering from the pouring rain!
Night night!