The Rawvolutionizing Kitchen - Southampton

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Well thought I would at least mention my own Saturday Cafe, :5146:
open Sat lunch times at SunnyFields Farmers Market, easy to find in the food tent.
Offering a selection of mains, sides, sweets, confectionery, smoothies, juices, specials.
All Raw & pure

Todays market was lovely, A great selection of people dropped by & we sold out of Chocolate cake!:)
Having only opened 3 weeks ago everything is working really well, we have had lots of interested people. We are situated opposite a more conventional eatery :mad: however we are begginning to make waves and attract more virgins to raw food.

On our open display counter / work area are the cakes for all to see, this weeks creations were Raspberry & orange cream,:5149: a huge light & fluffy marbled bubble gum pink cake.....and a Dark & white chocolate marble cake, neatly called "loosing my Marbles":542: with the tag line, having lost the milk, sugar, eggs & butter we came up with this!!

Serving food from 9.30am til 3pm we welcome everyone xx
Sunnyfields usually puts up bouncy castles if the weather is nice, and there are several stall holders offering a range of things to suit all tastes!
I am the only vegan/ raw venue :)

[Jax]

LOL I'll do a review seeing how I've eaten there the last 3 weeks :D:D

Lovely fresh foods, and lots of innovation happening! My absolute favourite is the Burger, I totally love the marinated mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and the onion bread :7854:

The mezze plate is very filling, and so is the trio of desserts! The cacao ice cream and stawberry coulis is scrummy :5149:...........but the cakes like the "losing my marbles" cake are even scrummier!!!

Specials are great too, only they are different every week and I can't WAIT for Rocky Road and Custard Cremes to come back :D However this weeks special was devine too with the walnut mylk and cookies :5150:

[haverawcake]

Now I want to visit Southampton. I used to live there actually.

[Jax]

Well make sure you visit this one because I haven't found anywhere else in the area that does raw food so far.

[ani]

excellent food too
as i walked outside on Saturday
the lady in white said it was delicious
well done for starting the ball rolling Karen
u r rawsome
Ani x

[freethefood]

Hace heard on the grape vine that the rawvolutionizing restaurant is doing a tapas style menu for a limited time xx will be beating a path to the tent!

[Jax]

Aw that sounds good, shame we can't make it this week :(

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Wow, at the end of the day I had sold out of
Chocolate Cake, Onion Burger, Tacos, most of the Walnut & Goji stuffed tomatoes & most of the Neat balls & noodles

I had a complaint though....must not moan but I was rather taken aback by a customers comments that I was "Rather Expensive"....
Now I feel that I need to explain a few things, I will use one dish to example, the Walnut & Goji stuffed tomato.

All the food cost £1.50 per item, three items gets a pretty large meal 4 or 5 are almost "to share"

now back to my moan, I was in Waitrose looking for organic tomatoes, having tried the local green grocers, there were local regional food tomatoes at 17.5p each (in packs of 4 for 70p ) or organic packs where the toms were 75p each, I opted for the organic.
Added to this were the organic walnuts, Goji berries, flax, hemp, sunflower seeds my time and packaging, each tom was served in a little tin (recycleable) boat....the cost for me to make was £1.50
I did the maths after I made them, I fail to see how I am expensive,
I would like to mention that I love making food, always have and obviously I do make some money, but this all goes into buying more food and keeping my family in superfoods!

I got really upset that an increasing number of people try and free load, picking holes in the price of great food.

I really cherish each customer valuing every comment, critic & positive vibe. I feel that I have moaned enough and just want to make people great food, using the greatest ingredients I can source from around the world xxx

Please visit, you all make it really worth while, the more visitors I get the more superfoods I buy and put in the food xxx

love & light to you all

[Jax]

Aww Karen that's a real shame that your new exciting enterprise has been marred by that.

I'm a bit gutted not just for you, but that you've been made to feel like that when you are bringing raw food to the Southampton area................an area that this sort of way of life is in the minority but could really benefit from. I'm not sure if you see what I mean from that, it's just that places like Salisbury, Brighton and Bristol for instance, seem to embrace healthy nutrition and the majority in Southampton seem to shun it in favour of fast food chains and anything that vaguely appears to be a bit different to the mainstream.

I think if it was just one person and you can more than amply justify the price, don't worry about it and carry on what you're doing. It sounds to me that that person may not understand the length of time that items may have to be dehydrated for, how time consuming some dishes are and the costs of ingredients, repairs to machinary used and of course that you need to make a bit of profit to live on etc. Maybe you could point them to the Rainforest Creations market stall and ask them to compare what they think of the prices there to what they could get at yours LOL.

Keep up the good work, and I think I might be able to come out and try some next Saturday!

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

A day spent reflecting with fabulous green smoothies today
3/4 pineapple
1 yellow kiwi
1 mango
handful spinach
whole avocado not skin and yes the pit goes in the blender
big cup of ice

ice is cause the blender needed to run awhile to smooth the avo pit and the resulting drink was just right

very thick very nice

after this and some left overs from yesterday and I feel clear

my brain is ready to take on the world & I have already put complainers to one side and focusing on the amazing visitors who loved the food, who raved over it, who bought one of each to try and kept coming back for "another dish"

I love Southampton & I will shine a light and eclipse McD's etc!!!:):D

[haverawcake]

It sounds like you make your food with love. It is true that this food costs more to make with quality ingredients. I think many people think if they have a beefburger in a white bread roll with margarine for £1.50 they are getting good value but they imagine something meatless and raw should be cheaper, when actually your stuffed tomatoes are full of nutrition and the beefburger, well, enough said. We all need to work together to gradually re-educate people but it will take a long time. It sounds like you are getting lots of customers and good luck.

[Jax]

OMG what a pig I've been today :eek: To be fair I've had to wait 2 weeks to get to try the new menu :o

For lunch I had an Onion Burger, a Taco, a pesto stuffed mushroom and some nori crackers.............and it was all gorgeous, I was already in love with the onion burger and now I am in love with the nori crackers!!! :7854:

Obviously so much so that I forgot to get some chocolate cake :o :D Now THAT is unusual!!! Well done Karen, an excellent menu, and I don't really see what the problem is with the price as I felt comfortably full after that and that was about the same amount of money that we paid on the thai food that was there before..........so we're happy! :D

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

What a wonderful day, glorious weather, wonderful people passed throught the market yesterday.
Not to many visitors, but then August is the month of holidays,
We, my family & I have just spent a few days camping in the New Forest, To gaze at the Milky Way was a truely aweinspiring moment, how beautiful a world we live in.
I made all that I needed to make on Friday afternoon to take to market on Saturday, I sold out of quite a few things.
The new items and little dishes really seem to be working, giving newcomers to Raw a treat and tasty sample if they wish and regulars or those familiar to Raw a decent choice & meal.
Thank you all that passed by, I loved seeing each and every one of you.
I am blessed that you all like my food, and the Nori crackers are made like this

on a sheet of untoasted nori
spread a blended mixture of
a few spoonfuls raw almond nut butter
water
chilli i use dried whole
smoked paprika
sumac
cayenne pepper
not much of each say 1/2 tsp of each
wizz the mixture in a decent blender until really smooth and fairly thick
take your time to spead evenly over a sheet of nori,
rushing will only tear the nori
then top with another sheet of nori and dehydrate until crispy
105 f for about 18/20 hours then cut into little crackers
enjoy xxx:)

[Jax]

Doh I really wanted to make those nori crackers this week.........but been waaaay too busy!!! We're away again this weekend so will miss them for 2 weeks :(

[Jax]

Hey Karen how did it go this weekend??

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Well this week was quiet.....
Although in anticipation of such a day I didn't make an awful lot of stuff.
I did sell out of a few bits, the Stuffed tomatoes & the Tacos & the Mini onion burgers all sold out.
Very good news
There is an event taking place on Sat 19th Sept at the Discovery centre Winchester, A Raw food event, lectures & talks...I will dig out details & post of this site.
So the Rawvolutionizing Kitchen is moving there for that day.
The chocolate sales are at an all time low, I am guessing this is as there is a general lack of people in the summer time wanting choccies xxx
I took delivery of some amazing really fresh cacao beans and made some amazing cakes & chocolates, so I know it's not me driving people away xxx
The people who passed & ate from the kitchen all enjoyed the fare, very positive feed back all round.

Another good thing has happened when I first started out selling raw chocolate many people would try and compare to Cadburys and the like... and usually those conventional chocaholics would not like the Raw, However recently I have noticed a general shift in the positive responses, more people are trying and liking who were previously "sweet toothers"
So summing up, one step at a time anyone wishing to make & sell raw chocolate should be prepared to spend time building your customers tastes and not take it personally when you get challenged by complete idiots who know nothing about their taste buds and feel that they can tell you everything about everything.....
Lesson 1....ignore all those people trying to tell you information, who do not look like you want to look or live, they obviously know nothing xxxx
(ever looked closely at your GP????? I rest my case xxx) :cool:

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Well what a week, Today was beautiful the market quiet but very friendly. I felt really lucky as great people passed by the stall, each unique person bought a smile and a chat.
Ending for me what has been a really emotional rollercoaster,
At the beginning of the week my hubby & me attended a friends childs funeral, the little lad was 3, we spent a day crying. I haven't cried for 5 years and thought I could cry no more!! then we spent a week in stress worrying about finances having a pretty ****** time and not being able to meet our mortgage!*!*!*! then my great uncle died on Friday......well I know he was old (84) but in my new found state of we should all aim to live more than 100 years I was saddened that a great man of vibrant life had so suddenly been taken ill & died. This great man and tiny child passed out of this world leaving nothing other than memories to those closest to them.
Can we become more than a memory? is it possible for us to leave a tangible thing behind to occupy the space the void in more than photographs and memories.....
well profound thinking, on a more superficial level I have decided to keep up a long tradition of mine, that is finding the positive in every male form than I set eyes on.... this fun and mentally stimulating occupation of mine has in days gone by led me into hot water on more then one occasion...I confess they were days where a alcoholic drink stimulated my pallette.
However have any of you ladies noticed a odd thing happening, young males are dressing in skin tight jeans with madly big cardies...this on a skinny body does not look good....where as ( and bare with me this is about food) Jason Statham has an amazing body and getting better with age (he is welcome to share my air space anytime) while not filming he enjoys pizza and beers however when filming and toning that body and really working out the number one thing he has listed he eats is Vegetables, an emphasis on no wheat, alcohol, sweets.....Well if he can do it why dont more men who aspire to look great and be head turners eat veg, why do they chase the dream that meat & potatoes & beer are the only manly foods out there.....

I digress in a mighty way...
The tacos this week were in my own words *****, why do using the same ingredients produce such different results???? A nice chappy (Godders bless you for gracing the stall like I said less chat more gracing, thanx Jax for being you) suggested it would go well with the pinenut riccotta that I make...well I rushed home, after rushing back to the market because we forgot to empty the freezer!!! i made a pot of riccotta and poured it all over 3 tacos then ate them, well 1.5 of them they were still *****....will try harder next week

I do lookforward to Miss Magics quantum cake coming this week, me & Jax are going to test this one for you all....well all in a days work xxx

motto for the week, if your a bloke, ditch the rule book on meat & processed food, eat veg, pump your body look like a film star....
if a lady...join me & enjoy the view xxxxx;)

[kathy]

Hello

Thanks to my Niece going to the market today and chatting to two lovely ladies, she was able to phone me and put me in touch to the forum also the website 'have raw cake and eat it'. I cant wait to visit you - do you come to Bournemouth?

Kathy

[Jax]

LMAO you've had an emotionally draining week and yet you've still got waaaaay too much energy for me! :o

And yes all in the name of research, we will eat cake this week :D

AND I have finally taken some pics from the Rawvolutionizing Kitchen!

Noodles;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Raw%20in%20UK/noodles.jpg

Nori Crackers;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Raw%20in%20UK/noricrackers.jpg

Onion Burger;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Raw%20in%20UK/onioburger.jpg

Tacos;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Raw%20in%20UK/tacos.jpg

Right Karen might have to help me here cos since my bang on the head my memory isn't great :o I had the nori crackers YUM, and the onion burger - both of those are my faves :D I had the noodles and sushi rolls.......but I don't think that's what they are called! Godders had the tacos and really liked them, but is a mega fan of the ricotta cheese Karen and would like it on everything he eats, that's probably why he suggested it ;)

[Jax]

Hi kathy, that may have been me and Karen, if so your neice is also lovely ;)

Glad you found us okay, the site is still very new, but the more people post, the bigger resource it will become :D

I'll let Karen answer your question though ;)

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Bournemouth, no sadly we don't travel yet. Our Saturday Rawvolutionizing restaurant is just at Sunnyfields farmers market from 9.30 til 3pm

Maybe we could look into a delivery scheme in years to come, little vans of raw food rushing about the countryside xxx

Jax, all dishes looked lovely names are just fine the noodles are just "neat balls & noodles" and I found the rest of the saladdecco in my lunch today.

Well here's another recipe from the kitchen

Pinenut Riccotta
Now to be fair I am a bit random in making things to adjust if your taste wants it different and IT WILL SET after a few hours so even if runnyish when you first make dont add more nuts unless you want to stand your spoon up!!!

a good cup of pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
juice of a lemon
2 dessert spoons of nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp posh salt
water to blend I suggest half a cup to start
blend your looking for a double cream consistancy

of you substitute pine for cashew dont add the flakes and add lots of grated cucumber & chopped mint to the final cream you will get Tzatziki

happy eating my lovlies xxx:D

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Was thinking about Saturday, feel a change is due, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's me, maybe it's because i'm a londoner!!! bet you didn't know that one. Well hey I really feel compelled to do a few british in season dishes with very little additions from far flung places,
Tomatoes are really at there best right now so a soup and different sauces I think would be nice, I hope the new changes will be well recieved.
It's tricky getting it right as most people are so out of touch with seasonal food they expect everything all year round!!! madness.
They all need sectioned in a fruit farm.....lol brilliant idea.....do you think it will catch on!!!:cool:

[Jax]

And don't forget to make the Rocky Road this week cos I've missed it sooooooo much!!! :p

[Jax]

MMMMMM the pizza was great today Karen...........even if his lordship had more mushrooms than me!! :1882:

We haven't tried the Bubblegum Cake yet, that's for afters :7854:

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Do you remember going back to school after a year of summer??? the long socks, jumper & rain coat then ever so quickly the scarves & hats!!!
Well today at the market was non of that a glorious summers day!!
Celebrating this anticipated cooler weather I did Soup...lol I even got asked does it come with a roll & is it hot.....this was a raw newbie!!!
no, it's not hot & no I don't do rolls! did grace the plate with a slice of onion bread as a gesture of rawness.

Today I felt a real urge to try a pot luck again at my house, maybe a once a month event with people paying in advance for buffet type food it they do not wish to make a raw meal, or simply have not got the equipment yet and want to try more raw....but as I left the market ( a place I really do love) I felt that I would be taking something away, that people who might otherwise be tempted by a burger and tried my food would miss out, I felt that I could not convert strangers if I was a stranger to them....
So I will continue with the Rawvolutionizing restaurant, I will probably follow todays food format more often, lots of marinated dehydrated veg, pizza, sauces, noodles etc and lots of lovely cakes all over the stall!!

One new commer to the stall to one look at my organized caos and said "Cool! random, you have salad & cake next to each other"
How elso should it be???

Todays & for the near future the menu was a Huge Pizza, Neat balls & noodles, Tomato Soup, Marinated veg bowl.
Bubblegum pink (well purple today) chocolate cake, coconut cake, orange cake, ice cream

Sold out of most things....MASSIVE THANKYOU to all that made this happen

Lovely unexpected thing happened, I made the Rocky Road this week and the little bags that didnt get put on the stall were in a box underneath, well the day got warmer & warmer...needless to say when I got home most of the chocolate the carefully made dark & white chocolate squares had melted and run together, they have made a fantastic little Dark, Milk & white bar all messed up together I had to eat some cause they were amazing.

Please note I am at Winchester at Rian Torres, Raw Food Talk & demo at the discovery centre on Saturday 19 Sept

It's a very very great event, please show support & join me
Lunch is included as well as tasting sessions in the £25 for 5 hours

say yes & call Rian to book 0796 3692441
e mail info@healthetcetera.com

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Todays market was the quitest it has ever been, sadly I feel the time has come to move from the big open kitchen back to a stall, the rent is less.
I will still do the Chocolate, cakes and a variety of foods just like the kitchen. I am trying to source a fridge and hope to have a selection of takeaway dishes and packed goodies for all those amazing people who like eating and come escpecially to do so.
I am also Chef for the Raw Food Centre in Wingsworthy, Winchester.
I have always dreamed of making raw food available and easy for all.
My dreams are being realized, the pot luck was amazing, our families dream is to turm our home into a centre for learning about raw food, a place where you can see the food growing and prepared and eat.
We want the best food, most amazing flavours and most of all vibrant wonderful people to be able to come together in one place.
Sharing this dream and expanding on this is Rian and the newly opening retreat. Where I will demonstrate & talk.

The rawvolutionizing kitchen will still exist, thats my kitchen. It's role will be still to provide organic, local & lovely food.
Dishes can be preordered if required but I have found the most interest has been because I vary things from week to week, showcasing the best of what is in season.
Thank you

[Jax]

I hope there's going to be some tasty goodies today Karen :D

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Well it was a wash out weather wise at the market today!
The market manager was on fine form moving everyone around, so much so that as I was popping back after popping out I bumped in to a friend who thought we wern't there!!! it's not a supermarket it really doesn't need changing round every week! people are confused enough already!!!
Well I may still be ranting after my soup from earlier....strange brain activety going on up there!!!
Well Should I or shouldn't I do Food....that is a pressing question!!!???
The market manager whistfully waved his arms in the direction of my kitchen, telling me that "any time I fancy making something, look it's all there" bless, what do I do.
My food sells, but I make just as much money selling chocolate & cakes!
People need to see Raw food to be encouraged to try & buy, my not doing it doesn't help people learn!
I still have zero profit...I jest not I tallied the accounts for the year so far....the profit was £200 and I have not factored diesel into that!!
So I really am not joking when I say I make nothing !!!
I love making chocolate & cakes, and the pot lucks are an avenue for me to provide interested people with tasty raw treats & great food.
I do get a bit peeved when asked for discounts!! maybe I'll get asked less now people realise (need to promote this forum)
I have recently being given the (honour) of Raw Consulting Chef for Health Etcetera in Winchester, waiting to see how this pans out, I would love to show off, who wouldn't. However I feel passionate about providing great food for free...not the greatest business plan, but I believe in Karma xxx

All things are ours to share or keep, but there is no pleasure in a work of art in a cupboard.....

[Ruth]

Just have to say Karen that the people who do buy from you and love your food appreciate what you do more than you will ever know.

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

This weeks market is fast approaching....and as yet I have not been struck by wild passionate creativity!!!
What has happened...I can hardly serve bowls of seaweed & miso which is all I want to eat right now.
I should buy a few coconuts and magic up a big old strawberry cake....but alas right now all I visualise are the apples we have been picking from the fields and the sweet chestnuts & plums...and I am not sharing those precious gatherings with cadbury loving non chocoholics!! how can they call themselves chocoholics....it's insulting to the cacao that they are so addicted to the sugar they don't even know what cacao tastes like...
grrrrrrr.....!!!!!!!
Anyway I will be making "teaching ginger" the fabulous chocolatl that contains big pieces of ginger soaked in teachers whisky!
And seen as I have lots of cherries in Kirsch a huge batch of those and maybe a chocolatl cake with cherries as a layer...
I'm loving the hand tempered chocolates that I made a week ago and might just have to relax and make a batch of those....mmmmm
anyway off to raid mum cupboards for a light seaweed based snack for tea!!! don't fancy anything else .....should have been born in the sea!

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Sunday morning, rain, wind lashing the windows, waking me up at this unearthly hour!! then I checked the clock...nearly 10....and I'm the only one awake.....
I blame my lie in & very tired body on the effects of last night, my family all came round to escape the halloween efforts of the local hoodies on their estate, my dad wanted a Karali takeaway, anyone not familiar with this takeaway, well it's south Indian brilliant and the veg dishes are nearly all vegan as they don't use butter ghee!
Well for me i usually have just a starter and a salad or green juice, because usually the dishes my dad & dave picks are meat orientated but last night there was only one meat dish....the rest all vegan....it would have been rude not to have tried some of each!!!
Wow i did feel bloated....although the lack of wheat in the food also helped me not be to bloated!!!!
My dad had a nearly all vegan dinner...by choice.....WOW!!!!
Well anyway...we had an ok market....from a social point I thought it was brilliant.....from a financial point......:(......it was marred slightly in my opinion by one customer, commenting after I commented that it was a quiet day, that my range lacked consistancy and that would drive people away..or at least not encourage!!! I was spechless as I gazed at the 20 varieties of chocolate 3 types of cookie things and 2 magnificiant cakes, having been inspired to make a blackcurrent wonder!!! I stuttered a few answers along the lines that the market as a general was quiet, not just me, and that I don't actually want money I do this to provide raw food to people who otherwise wouldn't eat it.....When I got home & told Dave his first comment was one that I had forgotten about, he said "did you mention that it's all seasonal!" I had forgotton the number one reason why be range shifts & changes!!! DUH!!!!!
Other than that I met my amazing friends....some new faces...and one family who I haven't seen for about 18 months...her first comment was "youv'e lost weigh" .....made my moment!!!
After the market we headed to lepe beach and as the tide was out, while Dave & James headed for the playground I headed for the pools at low water line, passing many Oysters, would have gathered these in the old days, pleanty of clam activety again left them to their world and was rewarded by a big bag of seaweed, further in beach samphire & sea beet got a big bag of those, a big red apple, sadly the tree was really difficult to get to with the amount of rose growing through it, i would have dived under the barb wire to get at the 2 big apple trees if i had been desperate!!! I left the seabuckthorn tree as there are better ones where Ruth lives, also I left the sweetchestnuts, hawthorn, rosehips...and other edibles....happy just to admire & gaze at the stunning sky....had i been paying attention & not day dreaming I would have seen the storm front that we have today....but my mind was just daydreaming.....fantastic...I have been preoccupied of late with the suns potential activety anticipated to happen in 2012....my plans are under way!!!
should the Aurora wipe out our electric and therefore way of life you'll find our family living on the coast for a while...away from the riots & looting that I reckon that will plague the cities...yep tent & travel....that will be us xxx

[Jax]

Uh oh, what have I missed with the sun thing then?? :confused2::confused2:

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

According to NASA and other high up solar watching peoples the year of 2012 is the next predicted year that we are to get increased sun activity, now while this usually just means Norway gets more Aurora back in 1989 Qubec, Canada had a 6 hour electrical black out affecting more than (i think) 2 million people...now all got fixed and we forgot all about it, however the suns cycles are every 150 years or so and the next heightened lot is due, now going back to the last big one, it was 1857 (again might be out by a year or so!) a guy named carrington (the event was named after him) recorded that the solar activity caused the aurora to be seen in daylight and as far down as the equator...now this all sounds very pretty, But our electric grid is going to be like a giant lightening conductor! and some clever bloke at NASA has being trying to do the math, the conclusion is, that if the plasma hits earth to that extent these days, in the victorian times the primative telephone network was wiped out, the situation could be pretty dire!
We are very unprepared as we are so dependant on electricity for everything from our pumped water supply to our food delivery network!
see my point with wanting to get to a quiet place and ride it out!
There are warning sattelites up there but the one specifically pointing at the sun ready to warn up,.....is out dated, old & nobody wants to pay for a new one....and the sattelite is geared based on a 15 minute warning from the plasma ejecting from the surface of the sun and getting here....Carrington warned that from the initail glow on the sun it was just minutes....not enough time for us to even flip a switch turning off the power!.....well theory is that if the right person with the right level of authority...in the right place.....not on holiday....could turn the mains off....whats the chances of every country having that bloke in place at the 2 equinoxes of that year.....equinoxes are when we are angled at the sun to take maximum benefit from a plasma spat!!!!!

start a plan......never needs be that serious!!!! as this event could happen any day or never!!!! but like winning the lottery we all plan for the big ticket....well this is like planning it in reverse.....imagine loosing everything!!!!:(

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

The Rawvolutionizing kitchen had a spectacular day at Health Etcetera's open day, there were over a hundred people all fed by the kitchen.
I forraged the local beach for a wild greens salad, made mountains of marinated salads, loads of lavish tropical & more recognised sauces.
Trays of cakes & bisciuts...I loved it & I think so did all that ate it!!

We are in the planning stages now for a sit down meal, I have already devised a couple of gourmet menus and am spending every spare minute on the web sourcing lavish & exquisite ingredients....I really want every one who comes to really love the food, I want to make Raw food every bit as memorable as I remember the great (cooked) food restaurants I have visited!
The Fat Duck, The Waterside, The Crown at Whitebrook, Bearfoot Bistro (in Canada), The Seafood Restaurant Padstow, among others I rate these (on my old diet) very highly and want to live up to their brilliance!!!

mmmmmm yum!!!

will keep you posted on the details so when we announance you will be ready xxx

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

The market was a little quiet today...was it due to the other christmas markets all starting today? Who knows but it was dire!!!
on the plus side there has been a few new faces who all seem keen on RAW! Some came tentatively and then came back!!
I was really pleased with the response I had for my newest creations!
I made a Cacao Bomb, A Cacao Cup, Jammy Dodgers, and bought back an old favorite Choccamocca cake! I have to thank Ruth for the Jmmy Dodgers, in full blissful credit! although she refused to give me the recipe!! I e mailed what I thought was in them then made my own with Raspberry jam, I sold out...So would like to mention that the price of £1 each was accepted and not questioned!!
I think people saw them as more of a cake / cookie rather than the individual biscuit! they were dehydrated a couple of days so the electric was probably getting close to a £1 lol

I want to make my stall a gathering place for Raw foodists to come and chat maybe using the tables dotted about to sit round and try things out...
So with this mad idea in mind I reckon I am going to make a variety of things for people to have on a donation basis!....also as the economy gets bitingly tight it's time to open our minds to the idea that money isn't everything.
I will make tea's & cookies and possibly some salads to "give" away (with donation tin at the ready)
I want people to feel loved and I am grateful for all those who keep coming to the stall, If it wasn't for my now friends I wouldn't have a stall or the inspiration to create what I do.

So over the coming weeks running up to Christmas I will be doing giveaways.
Please pop by the stall around lunch time 12-1 and see what I have been making

I did a big giveaway at Easter to celebrate what for me is an important time of year (and I refuse to get wrapped up in lavish connsumerism...spell check!!) It got a funny response

People actually wouldn't accept what I was offering, of course the friends did, but strangers are really odd...they viewed me with deep suspicion and warily gave me a wide berth!!!

I hope in the festive run up to Christmas I don't encounter such fear!!!

If anyone wants to donate ingredients that they are not sure of or are close (not passed )sell by dates I will certainly create these into dishes!!
If you are in Southampton just pop them round to my house or the stall and then have a raw treat on me xxxx

Love light & blessings to each and every one of you:tea:

[Ruth]

Dear Karen,
I didn't refuse to give you the recipe! I had to make it again to find out what I did, so at your time of asking I'm ashamed to say there was no recipe in my mind to give away. I don't work with recipes at all, as you may have guessed when I have given you my idea of a recipe in the past! When I do write anything down it sort of switches off the creating process. And pathetic this, but having to think about what I'm doing creates stress instead and I'd rather not make any food at all if I have to treat it like a maths project! I don't know. I just can't go into the kitchen with my brain switched on...I literally can only come up with things if not thinking at all and most things I create I did not intend to; they come out of mistakes. I really am not a proper chef like you and don't really have any skill to call upon apart from the love behind it somewhere.

So sorry about my lack of help, but glad they sold well. I am bringing some to the next pot luck so hope they will be the same as the last batch that were liked.

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Ruth, You really are the greatest raw chef I know. I am always completely blown away by your creations.
The attention to detail is truely inspirational, & I fondly remember times when you have given me the seeds of ideas and it has led to some of my best creations!
I actually think we work best together, you are the star that keeps burning with ideas and I am the solarsystem of energy to keep us both going!

I am so looking forward to your Chocolate Tea party I am almost bursting everytime I think of it xxxx Bring on January xxxx:party0007:

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

The Market has been really quiet....is it an economic down turn, or too many stones to walk on? who knows and frankly I care....
I continue to make cakes, biscuits, chocolates, the range of chocolates on my recipe lists now tops 50 and the cakes 15!
Each new creation is met by a flurry of buyers eager to try and the old favorites sell steadily, but we are not attracting new people....the market i fear is dying.
I did a stint working at Health Etcetera but in the end found that this really wasn't for me, see the trouble is I spend my creating time conjering up dishes for people I know, imagining what a new person would like to try and making something that I know me and my family would love to eat. I buy only organic, fairtrade and ethical products. I try and support local shops and refusing to buy from cheap importers.
This means my products are not the cheapest and my demos are not giveaways either.
I still only scrape a few pence I don't come anywhere near a "profit!" in fact Inland Revenue recently wrote to me and said, due to my earnings and low income they propose not to send me self assesment tax forms for the forseeable time! my accountant was in disbelief, we changed accountant last year as our accountants didn't fit our ethos, they constantly wanted increased profits and performance, with charts and things to demonstrate how we were going to become millionaires!
Switching to a new accountant seemed logical, she was surprised that we earnt so little and was amazed that I would give up a "job" that was paying from Health Etcetera because I didn't want the money!
I still sell my products making sure that it keeps paying for itself, and keeping us in gourmet raw food.
Life for us is about living.
It's about spending time with family and friends, its about sharing a new idea.
About being us, sure we have a mortgage like every one but somehow we manage....
I am writing a diary for Funky Raw magazine and would urge people to get a copy, it's a great magazine with brilliant recipes, stories and inspiration on being, becoming, staying and dabbling in raw. Like the Get Fresh magazine only even more ethical.
I now stock quite a range in Naturally Healthy, Bedford Place Southampton and hope to have a flurry of new customers passing the stall in December, where I will have made a fantastic selection of seasonal treats....
and lastly the Pot Lucks.....
well have a read of the thread on this site...they really are brilliant
who would have thought there are so many rawfoodists in Southampton xxx
Massive love to everybody xxxx

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Hey ho never mind!
I'm calling time on going to the farmers market....
This Christmas will be my last.
I need to step back to allow Dave to work unhindered and make some in roads into paying our mortgage...
I need to dig my garden and plant for spring....
I need to spend time making lovely things for friends and family, I will still have chocolates to sell but probably more individual creations. i will still stock the little shops but standing outside freezing for another year......

[Jax]

LOL I better get along for one last ever time then ;) Are you going to have a Christmas farewell final week?? :tea: :D

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Sure the last market date I will be at Sunnyfields will be Saturday 18th December
I hope to hve a good one and celebrate my moving on with a great selection of raw goodies xx

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

mmmm Checked out early

I have called time on the market and left early

Buying Chocolates will now be a simple affair of coming to our Raw food pot lucks and checking out what we have there xxxx

[haverawcake]

So sorry you have had to close your market stall but I totally understand. I loved being able to come and visit you there Karen and I think it was great that you kept it going for so long. But I think there is a reality here that making fantastic raw foods with high quality organic ingredients is extremely time consuming and something we do for love and health rather than money. Having done my own stalls and made raw food to sell I know that that time and effort put in is huge and that my family and friends missed out on time with me. I too now make food for my family and for friends on occasions. I respect your decision and hope you find the best way forward for your family. Those who visited your stall and bought your food were receiving a gift from you.
Annette

[Ruth]

Just thought I would highlight a couple of great health food shops which are now stocking raw products.

Sweet Joe Pye at the top of Lymington high street has a number of things necessary to the raw food diet, and seems to be adding to its stock every time I visit. It has coconut water and butter, a good selection of raw nut/seed butters from Carleys, honey's, dried organic fruits, nuts and seeds, misos, seaweeds, raw chocolates, raw bars, biscuits and crackers, and supplements if you are into those. It is also stocking a fantastic new chocolate brownie bar from Raw Gourmet which has to be tasted to be believed!

I also want to flag up Archie Browns in Truro. This is the best health food shop i have ever used and the one thing I really miss about living in Cornwall (i get to go when i visit my mum!) Archies does a huge number of raw goods, including Raw Living's range of superfoods, chocolate bars and choc making products. It also has almost a complete range of Carley's products, a fantastic organic skin care range, other raw chocs from Mulu and Conscious Chocolate, unusual berries like incans and mulberries, good number of Clearspring's products and any superfood under the sun. I don't know whether their other shop in Penzance stocks this amount of choice but would expect it to as is the larger of the two stores. (Incidenally i bought my first raw book there 4 years ago!)

Any raw foodist who regrets not living near a Wholefoods needs to know that there are places in England where you CAN buy great raw foods wihtout resorting to the internet. I say thank you to the owner every time I buy something raw in an English health food store. I hope it will encourage them to embrace raw food and enlarge their stock as the market for raw explodes.

[Jax]

Sweet Joe Pye at the top of Lymington high street
Good work Ruth...........Sweet Joe Pye is one place I really want to go, when I've got some money again :(