raw carob and white chocolate balls

I know some of you are avoiding cacao for its caffein content. (even though its caffein is quite different from caffein in other sources such as coffee and tea)
you might love a taste of carob, and you may not. I have to say I like carob but it is not my "cacao"
Anyway mixing carob and cacao butter is my way of getting close to the chocolate flavour we love.
Cacao butter is the fat portion of the cacao nib, which caffein is concentrated in. thus no caffein in cacao butter.

Because Carob is naturally sweet you don't even need to add any sweetener. just a natural energy packed ball, perfect for snacking ;-)

Carob and white chocolate ball

1 cup melted cacao butter

2 cup almond, grounded to powder

1/2 cup raw carob

pinch of salt

extra carob for coating

Process all the ingredients in a food processor and roll the dough into balls. 

coat with more carob powder

we are always learning and sometimes it hurts

sorry to be personal again. this blog is like my dairy..
I feel the energy at our cafe is shifting. We welcomed a couple of wonderful new staff and had to let go of a couple.
After being open for a while  I know some of the reasons why many small businesses fail. It is not easy, especially if you started merely because you are so passionate about it and wanted to follow you heart.
My business skill, hospitality skill and spirituality as a person, who is a business owner, friend, mother  and many other things still need fine tuning.
I know we never stop learning. But learning in this life can hurt you so much because it is so emotionally attached. Because learning this way means you have to look deeper into yourself. Lots of guilt, shame and unworthy feeling that you learn to hide from yourself and others can surface at that time. I have learned now to recognise that but I am still at the stage that I still have difficulty letting go of them now and then.

How good would it be just to receive without any attachment, expectations, guilt, and unworthiness. How good would it be just to ask for help and share my journey with others without all the above.

When someone offers to help me i still seem not be able to fully accept. It is challenging especially when the person is so dear to me. As a result I get hurt and they do too.

Hope I have learnt my lesson this time …

can you relate to this? if so is there anything that help you?

yoko xxx

are you living your dream?

I just wanted to share this with you today because it has been one of the things that I kept thinking about.
Since I have opened the cafe I am blessed with meeting people who I had followed in a social media for a while. David wolfe, jessica ainscough from wellness warrior, tara bliss, Adele aka vegie Head, lola berry, Tracy bartram,  kemi, belle from the whole pantry and more.
They are people who have followed their heart and passion and now considered as "guru" "celeb" etc. And every time before meeting people with a"profile" I catch myself excited and nervous at the same time. This insecurity of mine creeps up.
Fortunately every time after meeting them I feel relieved, reminding me again that they are just people like me and you. They come cross special because they are following their dream and trusting that the universe will giver them what they need.

Are you living your dream?

When we start thinking and daydreaming about what is possible it doesn't seem like a reality. then when we actually planning to step towards taking an action the fear, insecurities and doubts come up. The comfort feeling of having securities and certainty will block you from diving into an adventure. Some people rank these as their priority, and be Ok with the life they have. And that is Ok too.
Most of us will have to take a risk at least once in their lives. I am not just talking about starting a business or doing what we love. I am also talking about relationships and finding ourselves.
I believe this is a journey. I am a traveller and seeker, who will have to trip over, pick oneself up, get lost, find the light and keep going. Along the way I am not just looking ahead and looking for what may be waiting for me in the end but appreciate everything around me at this moment. If I have to fall over, I now have a tool to use so I can pick myself up with a giggle and I can let others to help me stand up and push me a little with appreciation.
it is not because I have done a calculation, research and finding the facts. But because I know now that everything WILL work out in the end. Whatever happening right now is happening because it is meant to happening.

so how do you like your life right now?

love
yoko xxx

fig and balsamic vinegar dressing

I have been using these beautiful balsamic vinegar at the cafe. Fig and balsamic vinegar are such a classic combination. Enjoy this dressing on your favourite salad. It is quite sweet so it would be good to combine with salad with some bitter greens such as rocket or mustard green. 


Fig and balsamic vinegar dressing

ingredients:

1 cup water

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

6 large dry figs

1/2 cup coconut balsamic vinegar (if not available use normal balsamic vinegar)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend all the ingredients together

what is BAOBAB?

One of our new additions to our list of superfood is BAOBAB. It has an amazing nutrients profile and the best of all it tastes so pleasant! 

Baobab is also known as “the tree of life” from Africa. it can live as long as 5000 years. Raw organic baobab fruit is highly nutritious and rich in antioxidsants, amino acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Manganese, Zinc, phosphorus, Iron, Protein and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. It also has a high ORAC vale of 1400 per gram.

Baobab is known for its high content of vitamin C - six times more than oranges,  as well as iron - three times more than spinach, antioxidants - three times more than blueberries, calcium - three times more than milk, and potassium - six times more than bananas.

The Baobab fruit pulp shows interesting properties in the stimulation of the intestinal microflora growth. Studies carried out in Research Centers have shown that the hydrosoluble fraction of the fruit pulp has a stimulating effects on the proliferation of Bifidobacteria. In fact, soluble dietary fibers, like those contained in the pulp (about 25%), are known to have prebiotics effects stimulating the growth and/or the metabolic activity of beneficial organisms.

possible benefits

While much research is still being conducted, some of the possible health benefits of our Organic raw baobab fruit powder may include:

● Strong anti-oxidant with an ORAC value of 1,400 per gram

● Antibacterial & anti-fungal properties

● Source of soluble fibers with prebiotic activity

● Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic activity

● Increasing calcium absorption

● Anti-diarrhea, anti-dysentery activity

● Helping to fend off free radical damage

● Excellent source of many micro nutrients

● Natural & excipient

● Reducing constipation

● Supporting healthy cholesterol levels

● Relieving stomach aches

● Rich in triterpenoids beta-sitosterol, beta-amyrin palmitate, alpha-amyrin palmitate & ursolic acid

  this is a baobab tree

15 ways to detox we can do regularly

Because of the way we live these days I come across the word "detox" all the time. Our water, air, soil are now polluted, the stress levels have gone up plus many processed and refined foods with full of chemicals have entered into our diet.
Once a while you may decide to go for a detox programme which may involve fasting, juicing, or even enema and colon irrigation. For those of us who feel these are not for them at this time there are many things that we can incorporate in our daily life to detox our body

1. hot lemon water in the morning with or without caynne
2. include herbs that are know for detoxing (dandelion, burdock, ginger liquorice etc)
3 eat detoxing foods
- crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and broccoli sprouts)
- green leafy vegetables (kale, parsley, chard, coriander, beet greens, watercress, mustard greens)
-citrus (oranges, limes, lemons - but avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, because they contain a substance known as narigen, which can, in turn, interfere with the liver-cleansing process)
- sulfer rich foods (onions, garlic,)
-Liver healing foods (asparagus, artichoke, beets celery)
4. buy organic and be careful with animal products with hormones, chemicals and seafood with mercury
5. rebound to stimulate the lymphatic system
6. therapeutic massage
7. sweat - infra red sauna is great as it can assist in removing heavy metals from fat cells
8. eliminate - regular stool movement is important
9. invert - shoulder stand, head stand or just putting legs up against the wall can reverse the flow of gravity, stimulate the lymphatic system, and aid in blood purification
10. dry brush
11. hydrotherapy - alternate hot and cold shower to stimulate circulation and eliminate wastes.
12. still and moving mediation
13. supplement with clay or zeolite
14. detox bath with epsom salt, baking soda or drops of essential oil such as geranium, eucalyptus and juniper berry
15. oil pulling in the morning

Spring is a great time to do a detox as it is easier for the body to hold onto more fat and toxins that are stored in the fat over the winter. maybe we can do one together. what do you think?

keep well and enjoy
yoko xxx