Monday, November 29, 2010

My TV debut experience

Me and Tony Pann, meteorologist and the man with a plan!

Yesterday was WILD! I spent so many days being nervous, but the actual live segment flew by in a flash!

So how did The Raw Mocha Angel find herself on television? First, I intend on having my own raw vegan and gluten-free vegan cooking show on national television. When you intend, think from the END. Not, "How is that going to happen?" Think about what you really want and focus on that end result. I didn't know anyone in the TV business before October 30, 2010. That is the day I met Tony Pann at the late great Mystickal Voyage. It closed on October 31st. :-(

Tony and I got to talking about life, and he asked me, "What do you really want to do with your life?" I said, "I want my own television show where I teach people about the vegan & raw vegan lifestyle." He said, "I'm going to make that happen for you."

Yesterday was the beginning of my dream coming true.


Carlotta, the floor manager

So the next question: Why did I cook, instead of doing something raw? Originally, I was to be on at 7:45am and 9:45am. But the producer had double booked. Someone else went on at 7:45. I was live at 9:45am. My plan was to do something raw and cooked. But the producer told me I HAD to cook something. The point of Sunday Brunch is to make a meal. That's where the tofu idea came from. When I come back to WBAL, and other local stations, I'll see how far I can push the raw envelope!

My vantage point

My friend Michele and I spent a lot of time intending that this TV segment go well. And it did. I got there an hour early so I had time to get acclimated. The anchors, Lisa Robinson and Sarah Caldwell, were awesome. They both talked to me and gave me pointers. Getting there early gave me time to settle down.

Once it was time to go live, the whole thing was a blur. Experiencing it, in the moment, it felt like time went into hyper-drive. When I watched myself back on TV, everything moved in normal time. It was surreal. But now that I've done it, I'm glad I rehearsed what I would say and do. Four minutes is not a lot of time to demonstrate how to cook anything, but I got it all done :-).

Thanks for reading and coming along with me on this journey. I told you all in my Third Anniversary post that 2011 was going to be exciting!!!

Love,
Althea

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Sunday, November 28, 2010

We Go Vegan For Sunday Brunch - Video - WBAL Baltimore

We Go Vegan For Sunday Brunch - Video - WBAL Baltimore

I was on TVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The link is above. It was live and wild, but I had a lot of fun. Tony Pann, meteorologist extraordinaire, did the segment with me. He kept me at ease. The other anchors and the floor manager were wonderful. They calmed my nerves and helped keep me grounded.


Adapted from 30-Minute Vegan.


Tofu Scramble




2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 mushrooms, diced
1 lb. extra firm tofu, water pressed out, and crumbled
3/4 teaspoon tumeric
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons wheat-free tamari
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 cups spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro, as garnish


-Slice tofu in half. Place on a plate. Put a skillet, or pot on top of it. Place something heavy, like gallon
of water, on top of skillet. This will press the water out for you. Leave for a few hours. Pour the water off
the plate before using. If you are pressed for time, wrap the tofu in a towel and squeeze the water out by hand.
-Place oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until
the onions are soft, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
-Add crumbled tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
-Add tumeric, paprika, nutritional yeast, tamari, and basil.
-Add tomato, spinach, and cook another 3 minutes more.
-Add salt and pepper to your taste.
-Garnish with cilantro. ( I like it with avocado too.) Enjoy!

Love,
Althea
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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Amy A's Green Smoothies: Review + Giveaway!




Thanks to the power of Facebook, Amy Arnold, author of Amy A's Green Smoothies and I reconnected after 10 years. A lifetime ago, in the 1990s, Amy and I worked at America Online (aka, the Yahoo, Google, and Facebook of its day). Over a decade later, we both find ourselves in the wellness business!

Amy is the founder of VitalSelf, a health and wellness company in Virginia. (Make sure you read Amy's story here.) Her smoothie book was inspired by a challenge she made to herself. To celebrate her 44th birthday, she challenged herself to create 44 new green smoothies, one per day. She posted videos of her daily smoothies and inspired people all over the world. Now her smoothies are in a book! She even shares a few juice recipes too!

This slim volume is perfect for beginners. If you're like, "What is all this talk about green smoothies? Why should I be drinking them?" Then Amy's book is for you.

Her book includes:
-What makes green smoothies green?
-Top 11 reasons why green smoothies rock!
-The difference between green smoothies and green juices.
-5 steps to a perfect green smoothie.

All of her smoothies are funky, fruity, and kid-friendly. There's 62 recipes in all. My favorites are Summer Peach-Mango Delight, and Fresh HoneyRo (romaine lettuce and honeydew melon smoothie).

We are also gifted with 11 green juices, my personal favorites. You all know that juices rock my world. Amy's Green Lemonade (lemon, apples, ginger, garlic, kale and romaine) helped knock out my lingering cold.

This book is kid-friendly and colorful. The recipes are easy. There's no intimidation here. In short, Amy A's Green Smoothies is a lot of fun. You want to spend time with this book and experiment. Congratulations, Amy!

10 out of 10 Mocha Angels.
GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!


TWO lucky people win ebook copies of Amy A's Green Smoothies!


- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your children's favorite green smoothie, or your best smoothie for the "kid at heart?" :-)


- Leave a working email address that you actually check regularly. :-)

- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter. (sorry!)


- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Thursday, December 2, 2010.


- I will pick the winners at random at Random.org. The winners will receive an email from me on Friday morning, December 3, 2010. I will announce the winners on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day. If I do not hear from the winners within seven days, I will draw another winner.


Good luck!

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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Are We Hard-Wired for Kindness?

I caught this on NBC Nightly News. I thought it appropriate for Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. In case the video doesn't come up for email subscribers, the link is here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/40374441#40374441
Love,
Althea



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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Super Raw Life and Inspiration



Hi Family: I wanted to share this new magazine with you all. I found out about Super Raw Life on Facebook. It's a free online magazine. They only ask for donations. The link is here: http://www.superrawlife.com/

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Angela Stokes Monarch wrote about Car Crash Lessons - One Year Later in her newsletter. I found her life's suggestions inspiring:


Nov 23rd marks a year to the day since Mr. M and I experienced a pretty intense car crash in Pennsylvania, during which both cars involved were totalled...a year on from this perspective-shifting event, we feel extremely blessed to still be here and manifesting the life of our dreams, day by day...coming out of the other side of an event like that relatively unharmed helped us to step deeper and deeper into *gratitude* for what we do get to experience here - it is truly such a blessing and adventure to be alive and play here in "Earth School", if we choose to see it that way of course... ;)

Our lives can seem so fragile, delicate and impermanent in the wake of shocking events like car crashes or other unexpected accidents - it can be a great reminder to truly relish every moment that we do have here, to offer thanks and gratitude, to greet each new day with excitement and anticipation...to do our very best in every moment to honour others, to offer compassion, to connect authentically and with love...for we never really know when our encounters with another may be the last...so, in remembrance of our perspective-shifting crash last year, I'd love to offer five suggestions here, inspired by others who experienced disturbing circumstances and chose lighter, more love-filled perspectives and lives for themselves as a result:

1. Remain Open - Mahatma Gandhi suggested to "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - choosing to embrace all of our experiences here with love, joy and curiosity and continuing to remain open to change, to new learning and experiences, despite whatever 'setbacks' or challenges we may perceive in life, can bring such richness to the tapestries of our lives.

2. We Have A Choice In Every Moment - I recall the words of Viktor Frankl, author and holocaust survivor, who said: "Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." We *always* have a choice, in every moment, how we choose to act, to be, to perceive things, to interact with others...misery is a choice, self-pity is a choice, victim-hood is a choice...and no matter WHAT the circumstances going on around us, we can choose to keep the light burning in our hearts and stay in a space of love, if we are willing to do so...

3. Vulnerability is Our Greatest Defence - in the words of another holocaust writer, Anne Frank: "In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit." and "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." If we are willing to remain in a space of love and gentleness towards others, despite how challenging any circumstances may appear to be...if we're willing to breathe deeper, speak with more compassion, open our hearts and hold the space wider and deeper with others, to honour that core of light in everyone we encounter, then we will surely see huge shifts in our lives and in the flow of everything around us...

4. Don't Take Anything Personally (nod to Don Miguel Ruiz ;) - understanding that anything 'negative' that people might seem to bring towards you is a reflection of their own imbalances can be very liberating, rather than taking things personally and feeling easily battered around by the opinions and actions of others... Shaman wisdom-keeper Little Grandmother, who survived through a very abusive and disturbing upbringing to bring a message of such joy and light to the world, says "It is none of my business what other people think of me"...

5. Always End With Love - I recall hearing a story of another concentration camp survivor, who had lived through so much and on recounting her experiences from those days, shared that one of her deepest regrets was that just before she and her little brother were separated at the entrance to the camp, she was angry with him for losing his shoe and was shouting at him. She never saw him again. The message she shares and that I take to heart here is: aim to always end things lovingly and with compassion in your communication with others, rather than walking away or even going to sleep shrouded in anger and frustrations...

I trust that you may find some extra inspiration in these words for your own journey - we are truly so blessed to be here, may you enjoy your choices and experiences. ;)

****************
Up next, a review and giveaway!
Love,
Althea ◦
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Friday, November 19, 2010

Taking Flight

Now that Raymond and I are finally feeling better, we are taking flight!

Raymond, ever the chef, is helping me an apple-banana smoothie. He is adding the coconut oil.

And we're doing YOGA! (Excuse the pile in the back! That's Rom's stuff!) That's Jona in Warrior Three, better know as Airplane pose to children :-).

Raymond is doing Right Nostil Breathing before any schoolwork.

From www.yogapoint.com:

Right nostril is Pingala Nadi, which represents physical energy and body. The breath through right nostril is important for many important metabolic processes.

The purpose of the Right nostril breathing is to increase the Pranic energy , the physical energy, to revitalize the body. It increases the efficiency of digestive system, also boosts the nervous system, especially the sympathetic nervous system.

Following are the benefits of Right Nostril Breathing -

It increases the body temperature, which removes the Kafa (mucus) imbalance. This is very effective in obesity. Regular practice of Right nostril breath is used for weight loss.

Prana increases in the body, increasing the vitality.

Very effective for depression, low energy.

Helps reducing the anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses.

It gives all the benefits of deep breathing as well.
 
Love,
Althea ◦
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Happy Third Anniversary!!!

Happy third anniversary to The Raw Mocha Angel blog!!!! Three whole years! Time absolutely flies when you are having fun! Thank you to all of you who read my blog, send me lovely emails, and root for me. My wish for all of you is wonderful health, vibrant energy, and a love of life!

I am feeling lot better. I've been doing a five-minute energy routine, as well as targeted exercises for illness from Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine. Below is the routine. I highly recommend this book, along with Barbara Ann Brennan's Hands of Light, if you are interested in energy healing.



Even MORE good news:

I am going to be on WBAL Channel 11 on Sunday, November 28th! As part of their Sunday Brunch segment, I'll be making scrambled tofu.  I'll be live at 9:45am.

For those not in Baltimore, videos of my segments will be on the WBAL website the same afternoon. I'll put up links as soon as they are live. I am so nervous and excited.

*******************************
And, a reader wrote me and told me she nominated me in the Best of Raw 2010 awards! Thank you! I went through the categories and nominated other people too. If anyone wants to nominate me, or any other raw foodie, just go to: http://www.bestofraw.net/. Click on the orange "Nominate Now!" button to your right. You do not have to nominate in all the categories. You are free to pick and choose.

**********************************

I was interviewed on Wednesday about Intuition by Jerome Braggs as part of his Intuition Expert Series. You can hear the interview here: http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=15973491

Thank you everyone. I plan to achieve great things in 2011. Thank you for coming along for the ride. :-)

Big hugs and love,
Althea ◦
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Joy Amongst Sickness

Hi Everyone:

I'm alive! Raymond is alive! And now Rom is sick, but that's okay :-). Thank you all for the positive, loving emails. I am gratified by you all. Please now that I wasn't home moping. Raymond recovered faster than I did. He is doing much better. My friends came by to bring me produce. The above photo is of me and Amaadi. My five-year-old Jona took the photo, which is why it's blurry. But I like that picture. It's kind of endearing :-). Me and Amaadi are holding a green juice of apples, limes, cucumber, and celery.

Amaadi holding the produce she brought me.

This is Ernie, one of my friends from Mystickal Voyage (which is now closed permanently. To say I am devastated by this is an understatement). He came by as well!

Apples from a farm near my house. Fifty apples for eight bucks (love those seconds!)

************************************

Also, I being interviewed by friend Jerome Braggs on Blogtalk Radio on Wednesday, November 17 at 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PST. The event page is here: http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=15973491

"Join Jerome for his new Expert Interview Series: "Intuition: Opening the Gates to Inner Wisdom." This series will address the topic of intuition and spiritual wisdom--what it truly is and how each of us can strengthen this spiritual muscle and begin to live life with proper guidance. This Event is FREE and OPEN to the Public."

********************************

Lastly, if anyone knows what is the significance of Friday, November 19, 2010 in relation to this blog, comment or send me an email. The first person to get it right will win something. What, I don't know, but I'll got some goodies in my house waiting for the right person!

Love,
Althea ◦
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Monday, November 8, 2010

I'm still here

Hi All:

I haven't been around because myself and my oldest son Raymond have been fighting an upper respiratory viral infection. On Saturday morning, Raymond had a mild seizure. I took him to the ER around 5:30am. He is fine now. But we are still recovering. I am juicing and resting. I will be back soon :-).

Love,
Althea ◦
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