Next Class: Gourmet Raw Food Chef Certification Series!

April 19-May 30

This all-inclusive series of courses takes students to the next level of confidence and expertise: exploring world cuisines, developing and writing recipes, transforming traditional cooked dishes into health-promoting gourmet raw cuisine, organizing large events, and learning about the science of raw food nutrition. You'll go home empowered and confident in your ability to produce incredible new dishes at any time—without the need for recipes. You will also learn to write recipes suitable for publishing.

Once the Associate Chef and Instructor Training Series is completed, the following subsequent courses may be taken in any order, as long as they are completed within two years:

Ethnic Flavors is an exceptional 5-day creative course that teaches how to create the flavors and textures of the most popular world cuisines. Travel around the world to exotic places like Italy, China, Thailand, Mexico, France, and India. Each day, students explore two different world cuisines, reaching for new levels of creativity, as they learn to develop exciting new recipes. The grand finale is a dessert extravaganza.

RawFusion Gourmet Spa Cuisine is a 5-day creative course that explores the light and luscious fare we serve at our exclusive retreats in exotic locations. Every day an entire feast is created using a small number of ingredients with various textures and flavors to produce an unlimited assortment of dishes. High in fruits and greens, this deliciously light yet satisfying cuisine is a favorite of the Living Light staff.

April 18-20, 2008 Cherie will be a presenter at one of the most respected health conferences in North America. She'll focus on her latest book, Raw Revolution Diet: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! Highlights of the health convention will include the slow food movement, disease prevention, nutrition, energy medicine, natural homes, organic gardening, and renewable energy. Join Cherie and Dan for a terrific event in Toronto, Canada!

Cherie's Schedule:

Panel Presentation: Slow Food Revolution
Saturday, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

The Raw Food Revolution
Saturday, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Sunday, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Would you like to lose weight, or just gain more energy and feel younger, but don't want to give up your favorite comfort foods? You are not alone! People everywhere are quietly rebelling against the SAD American diet, and are actively seeking alternatives. Join the Raw Food Revolution and see how easy it is to regain your health and recapture your youthful vitality! Cherie Soria will inspire and motivate you to add more whole raw foods to your diet, without spending all day in the kitchen, or giving up the flavor and satisfaction of the cooked foods you love!

Raw Revolution Diet: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger!
Workshop & Food Demo $60 (includes food sampling)
Saturday, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Find out why the raw vegan diet is one of the top diets for weight loss and improved health in the world today-and the only one you will want to stay on for the rest of your life! Cherie will share with you 12 Raw Rules for a healthier new you, making it easy for you to add more raw food to your diet with simple-to-prepare recipes that are both delicious and healthful. You will learn how to prepare scrumptious soups, salads, appetizers, and sweet treats without the use of white sugar, gluten, or animal products.

Stay at eco-friendly Living Light Inn for two nights and get the third night free! Our April Spring Special runs from April 12 through April 17—stay two nights, and the third night is free. Hike in one of our 6 state parks, bike the beautiful coastal roads and trails, kayak or canoe up Big River, enjoy a glass of local award-winning wine, visit boutiques, antique shops, and local art galleries, or just curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace. At night you'll sleep soundly and comfortably in all-organic bedding at the historic Living Light Inn—an elegant, yet cozy home away from home. Prices range from $220 to $350 for the 3 nights. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Cherie and Dan had an absolutely stunning time at the recent 2nd Annual Raw Lifestyle Film Festival, which took place in Los Angeles and Hollywood, CA. Dorit of Serenity Spaces did a superb job bringing a selection of truly extraordinary films together. Great news: several of the award winning films will be shown at our Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase in August! Cherie gave the introductory address to attendees of the Awards Ceremony, urging everyone to promote the films by sharing them with others, donating them to public access television, and getting the word out about the raw lifestyle and how we can all make a difference on the planet in the areas of consciousness and sustainability. One of the highlights, and a great personal honor for Cherie, was to meet Louise Hay, present her film, You Can Heal Your Life (filmmaker Michael Goorjian), with the Green Apple Award and accept it on behalf of this extraordinary woman. Cherie was also honored to introduce and pay tribute to her mentor, and one of the lights of the raw food movement worldwide, Viktoras Kulvinskas. "Uncle Vik" as we sometimes affectionately call him, is always one of our favorite presenters at any event!

There were many wonderful films, including the eye-opening Healing Cancer from the Inside Out, and Reversing the Irreversible, by one of our favorite Living Light students, and an extraordinary upcoming young filmmaker, Valya Boutenko. Both of these excellent films, along with many other featured films and filmmakers from the event will be showcased at the Vibrant Living Expo Mini Film Festival here at the Living Light Center, August 22.

Cherie and Dan also participated in numerous press interviews, and had an opportunity to visit many outstanding raw food restaurants in the Los Angeles area, including Terra Bella, where recent Living Light graduate Lawrence Todd is fulfilling his dreams as the Executive Chef at Terra Bella in Huntington Beach. Five outstanding Los Angeles raw food chefs will be presenting culinary demos at the Vibrant Living Expo here in Fort Bragg this summer. See the Expo section of this newsletter for more details!

It was an inspiring gathering of like minded people—kudos to Dorit, the filmmakers, and everyone who participated in this extraordinary event. Next year Cherie and Elaina Love will be presenting a FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods one-day intensive workshop on the Tuesday following the 2009 festival. Stay tuned for more details!

What makes Living Light’s Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase unique? The event, which takes place August 22-24 on the beautiful Mendocino coast of Northern California, will highlight some of the top raw chefs on the planet, who will join our own Cherie Soria in one of the most spectacular line-ups of raw culinary artists ever assembled, anywhere! Let us drop some names! We're excited to announce several newly confirmed presenters and restaurant celebrity chefs from the Los Angeles area: Rawsheed, Rod Rotondi of Leaf Cuisine, Jenny Ross of 118 Degrees, Matt Amsden of Rawvolution and Rachel Carr of the restaurant Cru. Other stellar chefs include "The Raw Gourmet", Nomi Shannon, Mathew and Terci Englehart of Café Gratitude in San Francisco, Elaina Love of Café Soulstice in San Francisco, Vinnette Thompson of The Raw Underground in Florida, Ronnie and Minh (whose film Going Raw was shown at the 2nd Annual Raw Lifestyle Film Festival) and many others TBA.

Keynote speaker Dr. Gabriel Cousens will be joining Living Light directors Cherie Soria and Dan Ladermann this year, as well as Viktoras Kulvinskas, Dr. Doug Graham, Victoria Boutenko, Dr. Fred Bisci, Happy Oasis, Rhio, Dr. Ruza Bogdanovich, Drs. Rick and Karin Dina, Dr. Leslie Van Romer, David Rainoshek, Matt Monarch, and Angela Stokes, whose amazing weight loss journey (from 294 pounds to 133 pounds) has been an inspiration to many all over the planet!

We are expecting several other very special guests, including presenter and performer AwaHoshi Kavan and Dorit and her host of filmmakers, and we will keep you updated with all the latest Expo news in future bulletins! Pre-and Post-Expo classes and workshops are slated with top experts in raw food nutrition, including Dr. Douglas Graham's Natural Hygiene Raw Nutritional Science Certification Course Monday and Tuesday, August 18th and 19th, and Maximum Athletic Performance seminar Wednesday and Thursday, August 20th and 21st.

Due to popular demand Dr. Graham has added a second day to his Maximum Athletic Performance class, therefore The Natural Hygiene Raw Nutritional Science Certification Course has been moved to the 18th and 19th of August.

On Monday, August 25, Raw food guru Viktoras Kulvinskas will offer a special seminar and Raw Food Doctors™ Rick and Karen Dina will present their popular Introduction to The Science of Raw Food Nutrition course. This year's Expo promises to be an event to savor! There will be an opportunity to take Living Light's one-day FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods Intensive (the first step in the Living Light certification process) on Tuesday, August 26. Those of you who have already attended know how incredible this event is, and for those who have not yet attended, SIGN UP NOW FOR THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT !

The three-day Expo ticket:
$165 before July 1st, $195 July 1st and after.

The spectacular new 4-day workshop, Pastry Arts-Unbaked! with Cherie Soria and Vinnette Thompson on August 18-21 is already filling up! The 4th Annual Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase will be THE place to network, to learn from nutrition and raw food experts, holistic visionaries, and to experience the culinary magic of the best raw food chefs in the world. A new wellness pavilion this year will include dance, music, yoga, bodywork, and other therapeutic modalities, as well as Exhibitor booths offering a variety of dazzling delicacies and products for conscious living. Last year's exhibitors were awed by the knowledgeable attendees at the Vibrant Living Expo. It's a target audience of informed planetary citizens, making a difference in their own lives and in the world! Health Panels, Living Light's famous Raw Pie Contest, a Rising Star Chef Showcase, and a Mini Film Festival coordinated by Dorit of Serenity Spaces will round out the program. Sign up now for the most professional, well-organized, detail oriented, awesome raw food event ever!

ATTENTION EXHIBITORS: Book your booths early, as spaces will fill up! Volunteer Opportunities are available. See you on the Mendocino coast this summer!

EXPO Raffle Winners!
Congratulations to two lucky winners of 3-Day Expo Passes! Mark Welch of Willits, CA was the raffle winner at the Ukiah VegFest, and Chris Slawson of Redondo Beach, CA won at the Raw Lifestyle Film Fest in Los Angeles! Stay tuned for future winners!

Would you like to be able to offer healthful candies for your sweetheart, family, or friends on special occasions? Living Light Café has elegant new candy boxes available now. The perfect gift idea for Passover (begins April 19), Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother's Day, Graduation, Father's Day—any holiday or special occasion will be more memorable with delicious raw vegan candies from Living Light. Candy assortment includes Almond Joyous, Turtle Truffles, Real Live Fudge, Chocolate Pecan Squares, and Chewy Caramels.

We have a wonderful new book on the shelves at Living Light Marketplace, called Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food, by Andrew Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety. The book is very attractive, well organized, and is packed with useful information. Chapters include such categories as 10 Ways to Get Involved, Spread the Word, Begin in Your Own Backyard, Use Your Personal Buying Power, Shop with Shared Values, Food and Politics, Empowering Democracy, and more, including shoppers resources, a community organizing guide, a chapter on organizations and web resources and a wonderful section devoted to further reading on the subject. Local Mendocino county activist Els Cooperrider is highlighted, and there is a page on GMO and GE free communities including both Mendocino (yes!) and Sonoma counties in California. It’s a wonderful resource for all who wish to “be the change they wish to see” in their individual neighborhoods and communities. Take action now! the motto of the book, takes you step by step through the processes needed to create change, and to protect our food supply. Highly recommended!

As you are creating awareness about organics and raw food in your own neighborhoods, you could prepare a food demo, using the amazing Spirooli, which makes pasta out of all kinds of vegetables including zucchini, rutabaga, turnips, butternut squash, carrots, and more! Everyone from kids to grandmothers love this simple tool. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, and impresses everyone with fabulous pastas in a rainbow of colors. Top with any of the four sauces included in our recipe section this month, and voila! Instant demo! Create a pasta meal for friends or family, or do a demo at your local farmer’s market. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and people just lap this up! We’ve just ordered a new shipment of Spiroolis, and they are on their way! You can pre-order your Spirooli now!