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The Self Examiner

Sharing is very important to us at Cafe Gratitude. This blog is our means of connecting with you, our community through sharing what's happening with us and creating a conversation around the many facets of this community.

Primavera Salad Recipe & the 80-10-10 Health Paradigm

Dreux

Escarole, Endive and Romaine with Strawberries, Heirloom Tomatoes and Murcott Mandarins in a Coconut-Mango dressing.

With the onset of Spring (La Pimavera) I was inspired to take on committing to a 100% raw vegan diet for one full year to cleanse, regenerate and see what amazing possibilities this food program could create in my life.  At the same time I am also looking at a way to simplify my diet and am following a low-fat raw vegan diet that is very similar to Dr. Douglas Graham’ “80-10-10” used extensively by vegan athletes with amazing results.  The 80-10-10 program is 80% carbohydrates (which translates to fruit in a raw vegan context), 10% protein (leafy green vegetables) and 10% fats (avocados, olives, nuts and seeds).  So far I am very inspired by how I feel and the new ideas this new paradigm creates for me as a chef!

Salad:  Wash and chop an interesting mix of salad greens.  In this recipe I used escarole, curly endive and romaine lettuce but feel free to add in your favorites:  spinach, radicchio, frisee, dandelion greens…the more exotic the better!


on Apr 27, 2011 Posted by: Dreux | Comment (1)

Wheatgrass and Workshops and Chicks, Oh My!

terces

The baby chicks are here!  We picked them up with the Grandchildren and shared all about the miracle of receiving Special Breeds in the mail. The man at the post office was so precious about handing over the box to Kate. She said when we returned to the farm, “This is my best day ever!” I love the lessons that children can learn living on a farm! 

Tomato plants are in the ground, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for no more heavy frost. The greenhouse tomatoes now have golf ball sized tomatoes! Love the early start we got this year with the new greenhouse. Starts are abundant in the greenhouse and Lindsay is doing a great job of balancing mothering a small child, Newe, and keeping up with all the sprouts, wheatgrass and plant starts too!

Cacao, one of our Dexter cows, is pregnant and due in July.  We can’t wait to have a baby calf on the farm. The grandchildren are looking forward to that as well. Leche, our other Dexter, just returned from two months on the farm where we purchased her and we are hoping she is bred as well and will calf in December or January.


on Apr 26, 2011 Posted by: terces | Comment (0)

The Encyclopedia of Gratitude

karin

Today, I would like to express my love of the burgeoning (that is the growing, blossoming, sprouting) Encyclopedia of Gratitude!  What began as a humble website, sporting something to be grateful for for each letter of the alphabet (from Abba to Zamboni) has come to be a crowd-sourced plethora (that is excess, or abundance) of gratitude!

Fancy words notwithstanding (or standing on their own, as they are also something to be grateful for), I would like to invite you to peruse the encyclopedia to find something that you have not yet thought of to be thankful for.  Or, if you find that your favorite flavor of gratitude is missing from the list, go ahead and submit it.  For instance, right now I am grateful for parenthesis, a grammatical tool that I have already overused in this entry. 

After you submit an item, your (or my ) entry could be included in the print version of the encyclopedia! Recently featured entries include:  Stevie Wonder (ambassador of love), Whipped Cream (and the people who whip it), and Hot Water (on demand... oh yeah).


on Apr 22, 2011 Posted by: karin | Comment (0)

Chef of the Month: Carmen Vazquez of Gracias Madre

cheyenne

 

Carmen VazquezMeet Carmen Vazquez, an innovative and passionate chef leading the pastry world at Gracias Madre.  Carmen has been with Cafe Gratitude as a top baker for over four years, working with sweets in every which way.  Carmen is humble for what she is creating and how head over heels guests are who get to taste her creations.  Below is an interview with her so that you can get to know who the artist is behind that magical vegan flan at Gracias Madre.

What lead you to want to become a chef?
What lead me to becoming a chef was my fascination to how meals came together. It all started when I began to grocery shop and cook for myself while seeking to improve my health. 
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What do you love about food in particular and how has it changed your life?
I love how limitless food is. I also love how much we (humans) love food. Therefore, I love how food brings people together. The reaction on people's faces after having a bite of an egg-less, dairy-free flan and liking it, is priceless.  Its changed my life in may ways. It has bridged my commitment  to food and health. Also, being by far the most important to me, was becoming vegan and understanding how easy it is to maintain great quality and amazing flavors in a vegetable.
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How long have you been in the industry?
I've been in the industry for about 5 years
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Have you been a chef before?
Yes, I've worked with catering business and other non-veg restaurants here in the bay area.
What were you doing before you came to Cafe Gratitude and what do you plan to do next?
Before CG I was living in southern California (where I grew up) studying Interpersonal Communications. I decided to make a big change in my life and completely focus on a different direction. And next thing I knew, I had enrolled at CCA and was moving to San Francisco.
What's next for me is endless but my main goal is to open up a vegan restaurant.
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What is surprising and unique about you that most people would not know about you?
ummm this one's hard.... something surprising is I don't like shiitake mushrooms :)! Although im not good at it, I like to make people laugh...hahah. oooooooh I also LOVE to sleep! I'm a huge fan of classic rock. and I secretly wish for everybody to go vegan! 
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What's your favorite vegetable and fruit?
I have many favorite vegetables..I love avocados (but I guess by definition its a fruit) okay so kale yummmmmm, corn, tomatoes...  My favorite fruits are persimmons and watermelon.    
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Thank you Carmen, for the awesome work that you are doing in the world and your dedication to sustainable food tasting OH SO GOOD!

 


on Apr 22, 2011 Posted by: cheyenne | Comment (1)

The Abounding River Workshop through my eyes

Heather M.M.

 

This weekend I attended The Abounding River, a workshop taught in a pay-it-forward style by the creators of Cafe Gratitude: Matthew and Terces Engelhart. I had flipped through and purchased the Logbook (which the work shop is based off of) so I kind of had a sense of what I was in for. I was excited that I would be exploring my self-worth, my relationship to money, and saying positive “I Am” mantras in the Cafe Gratitude style. What I did not expect was that I would leave with a much stronger sense of courageousness in my heart, a beautiful new ring (I will explain more about that later), and the option to take on a whole new view of my life.

The workshop started Saturday morning. I snuck in quietly though the back door as a room of friendly people turned their heads to gaze at the sound of the creaking hinge. I managed to find a seat and the workshop began with us all introducing ourselves. Matthew and Terces sat up front and shared “Ok, so to start with this morning, We’d like for you to all share your name and one thing you are uncomfortable with sharing about your relationship to money”. Wow, I thought, as the source of my most embarrassing money secret instantly came careening to the front of my mind. I tried to think of anything else to share that wasn’t so embarrassing. As I thought, I listened. In the moments prior to my arrival, Matthew and Terces had created an environment of trust.

Many people around me were openly sharing their versions of their own money nightmares: some people couldn’t stop worrying about saving enough money or paying their bills on time while others couldn’t stop spending and were deeply indebted to friends, family, and banks. Finally it was my turn and the atmosphere of integrity couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth: “What I’m most embarrassed by is that I am still supported by my parents and I’m terrified of the notion that I will have to support myself one day”. Silence met my ears and it was over. I felt a sense of relief. My fears were on par with everyone else’s, even if the ideas that led to them were different: Now I know I’m not the only one with major fears around money.

The major perspective that is shared in this workshop is that money is inherently neutral: it is our own personal blocks that create our relationship troubles with it. We worked with partners to look at money from multiple perspectives and unveil what our subconscious ideas around money really look like. One example of this was thinking of our relationship to money as a friendship or romantic relationship and then answering questions like “Do you expect me to make you happy?” and “Is our relationship security to you?” The implications of our responses were profound. Most of us had terrible relationships. We worked to come to see how our perspectives could be different, Matthew and Terces were empowering us to take responsibility for our relationships.

Around lunch time we got an invitation to do a homework assignment: “During lunch we would like you to give something away- whether it is money- like a higher tip than usual to your waitress- or an item. We’d like you to give it to someone who is not in the workshop, to someone who has no idea why they are receiving from you then come back and report your findings to us after lunch”. I left having no idea what I was going to give- or how. I had no cash on me but I left it open.

I went to lunch with some of the participants at Gracias Madre- Cafe Gratitude’s sister vegan Mexican restaurant. I was sitting, happy to be out and exited to connect with some of the other participants on a more casual level. As I sat down at the family style dining table, there was a beautiful woman across from me wearing a lovely rose quartz and silver ring. I could tell it was a beloved belonging so I complimented her on it. I was looking for a connection to her and I had no idea how deep it was going to get. She looked at me and she said “you like this ring?” and I replied “yes its beautiful” she then preceded to take it off her finger and hand it to me, “its yours now”. Yes, she wasn't following the protocol of the assignment, she knew clearly that I was in the workshop with her, but she said she felt particularly attached to the ring and had been inspired to give it up, make it into an offering.

I felt honored and had some trouble receiving it. I had only wanted to connect with her and being gifted was a challenge to me.  I called my own self worth into question. I was encouraged to accept and receive the gift. The ring is still on my finger now as I write this, its a beautiful reminder that life goes on, with or without our most prized possessions and that sometimes life really does deliver unexpected gifts.

On my way back to the workshop I realized I had nearly forgotten to give my gift. I reached into my bag and found my BART (bay area rapid transit) ticket. It had enough on there to get someone somewhere. I wanted to give to someone who clearly wasn’t in need- I wanted to prank someone with my gift: sometimes giving without reason is joyous and hilarious. I ran up to a girl my age putting gas in her tank and handed her the public transport card. “I want you to have this” I said. Surprisingly, without any skepticism, she said “thank you” and accepted it. I could learn a thing or two from her.

When we arrived back Matthew and Terces encouraged people to share their stories. I learned so much from hearing the people around me speak about their experiences. There were a few hilarious stories.  I heard one participant in the workshop who had given his money to someone on the street and said to him “spend it well”.  Apparently the person didn’t take kindly to the statement and replied “excuse me sir but do I tell you what to do with your money?”. It was a sweet anecdote that I felt pointed to a much larger relationship that the man had with money: needing to feel in control of where it went. We all laughed and took in the lessons everyone had to share.

We moved on to more exercises and talked about reconstructing our perception of debt. One woman shared her fear around debt from investments in music equipment. Terces shared “try to consider that you have been blessed with the gifts of what you were asking for and now the world is asking you to step into your gifts by creating wealth from the instruments you have received”. This was a revolutionary way of looking at the concept to me: Having debt comes from a place of having been abundant enough in the first place to have received what you were asking for AND you can choose to see it as a calling to create more abundance. How empowering.

We closed out the day with a final homework assignment: “Notice how abundant you already are and come back tomorrow to share your findings with us”. My mind was already calculating millions of anwsers: clean water, social services, friendship, health... We walked around the room sharing information and hugs and finally the day ended and  I was offered a ride back to my home.

I would love to share with you about my second day and beyond, but if I do this blog post might turn into a novel. This workshop has been a blessing and has left me feeling more capable and abundant than ever before. What is even more amazing is that this is just one of several workshops offered throughout the year  by Matthew and Terces at a Pay it Forward rate. People who are interested in supporting the benefits of workshops like these are encouraged to donate a limitless amount while people who are experiencing a financial challenge are encouraged to pay what they can: even if that doesn’t come in the form of cash. I am so grateful for all of the gifts I have received this weekend and I am paying my abundant feeling forward by trying on this new view of life and passing it on to others: A view of being provided for.

Click here to see a list of upcoming workshops.

 


on Apr 21, 2011 Posted by: Heather M.M. | Comment (1)

Simply Delicious Raw Strawberry Pie (back to basics recipe!)

Heather M.M.

Image from http://happyfoody.com/2008/05/06/raw-strawberry-pie/I love raw pie! Strawberry pie is one of the first treats I made when I first became interested in Raw foods. When I first encountered a recipe on the internet I thought it was too good to be true. Now I make it all the time and have perfected this simple recipe. Its best served with raw vegan vanilla bean ice cream, especially to children or adults with a desire for a special treat that takes little time to prepare. I hope you relish this recipe as much as I do! 

Crust

  • 2 cups almonds (soaked & dried or raw, chopped down in the food processor)
  • 4-6 medjool dates (process first to make into a paste)
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • generous pinch of salt

Filling


on Apr 21, 2011 Posted by: Heather M.M. | Comment (0)

Ushering in the Spring!

terces

Happy Tuesday,

Such sweet Springtime weather. I am cleaning out our yurt today and I feel SO GOOD! There is something about dusting off winter that is so wonderful. The cobwebs, both inner and outer, the rearranging of what works for our life at this time... Today we had more salad than cooked food, which is always a sign of Spring! 

In what ways do you clean out the winter for the newness of Spring? 


on Apr 19, 2011 Posted by: terces | Comment (0)

Integrity & the ability to be dynamic

cheyenne

Integrity is the system working.  Integrity shows the solid strength of a person, an organization, a container.  If integrity is out, it doesn't mean that there's something wrong.  There's nothing bad about being out of integrity, just as being in integrity doesn't necessarily mean that there's something right.  Integrity is just the system working as it is.  

Integrity will move in and out as organizations grow, or as projects move.  I see it being as natural as seasons and as beautiful and creative as our natural planet.  As integrity moves out (say, if staff come in late when we've made a commitment to being on time) then it's a creative moment for us to see the leak in the container and decide to recommit to coming in on time or create a new system that better matches what we're committed to.  If being your word is a source of power... being out of integrity is your ability to stretch and grow.  The trick is to not make yourself or the organization wrong when you are out of integrity.

Consider that we are constantly repeating ourselves to create a strong structure, that we are reminding ourselves and others whenever integrity is out.  One of my favorite theorists, Judith Butler explains how repetition creates an opening for choice and re-evaluation.  She uses the concept to describe how social norms are created and maintained as dissent comes up and the repetition of thoughts and beliefs re-attach what is created to be "normal" or "central".  In this, she explains, we have an opportunity to re-evaluate and envision various options:  just as we are about to repeat, we see the possibility of change. 


on Apr 18, 2011 Posted by: cheyenne | Comment (0)

Focus on: The Outrageous Self-Love Project!

karin

Last week, I was sitting down on the couch at the Berkeley cafe for a green juice and some ice cream, when I spied a woman across from me making a remarkable video with her cell phone.  She was talking about Cafe Gratitude, remarking on our philosophy and goals, and citing us as a wonderful source for Self-Love!  Well, I just had to inquire, and here's what I found out:

Jan Robinson, a relationship and sexual intimacy mentor by trade, has undertaken a Purpose in Action Challenge to practice 90 days of Outrageous Self-Love, and record it via video blog.  She dined with us on day #50 (View the Video Here!).

Her purpose for exploring Self-Love is many-fold. "I've been hearing for years about how important it is to love yourself. It has almost become cliche.  Really, how are you supposed to do that?" In her 90-day challenge, she hopes to address questions such as 'What is Self-Love?', 'How do you do it?', and 'What would my life be like if I practiced Outrageous Self Love?'.


on Apr 15, 2011 Posted by: karin | Comment (0)

Frederika, Ingrid, and the Cafe Gratitude Song!

Guest

I meant to send this to you a long time ago and just re-discovered it on my hard drive. We visited your wonderful cafe in the summer of 2008. My eldest daughter Frederika who was 8 at the time created a game with her school friends after returning to London. They had a den and created a cafe where you didn't need money, only pebbles. Frederika suggested they call the cafe Cafe Gratitude. They created a full menu for the cafe and then it turned into a song which they played with the school orchestra at an end of term performance. One of our ex teachers who now teaches in California was there for the occasion which was rather appropriate.
Click here to view the video on youtube! 

Frederika is on the left, with her little sister Ingrid.  I hope you enjoy the clip as much as we enjoyed your cafe!

Brought to you by Philp C.


on Apr 15, 2011 Posted by: Guest | Comment (0)
Tagged in: speaking up , music , inspiration , england , cafe stories

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