Cherie Soria, Dan Ladermann, Martine Lussier, Colleen Cackowski, and a group of incredible volunteers had a wonderful time at the 10th Annual World Vegetarian Festival Weekend in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on October 3-4, sponsored by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society and In Defense of Animals. Cherie and Martine did a culinary demonstration "A Mexican Fiesta" on Saturday (in the Main Hall!) and Cherie also presented a "Raw Foods - It's Only Natural!" talk on Sunday. The Living Light team and volunteers also served a fabulous gourmet raw vegan Mexican meal on Saturday evening - to rave reviews, of course! Living Light also generously donated the first 25 meals to the 2009 World Vegetarian Day Celebration. It's an event Cherie and Dan have supported for years... be sure to mark your calendars for next year's event - it's lots of fun, and a great place to network and make connections with other conscious vegans and vegetarians.

Cherie's Culinary Demonstration from the festival is now available free online - don't miss this chance to learn how to make these delectable dishes that were featured at Saturday's gourmet raw vegan Mexican meal:

● Gazpacho Soup Topped with Avocados and Pepitas
● Mexican Seasoned Cabbage "Rice"
● Chocolate Orange Flan

Click here to watch now!

If you were NOT here for the 2009 event, you can now experience the wonder that is the Expo with our exciting new Expo LIVE Encore program!!!

We are thrilled to be able to offer the Expo LIVE Encore program so you can watch our outstanding Expo presenters and chefs, at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home - now available through November 30, 2009.

We have received dozens of letters so far from people who have signed up to watch the nearly 100 hours of top leaders and chefs in the health industry share their expertise. Here are a few comments we have received:
 
"I love watching these presentations in my own home and being in full control of how and when I watch it. It's changed the way I look at food and my food choices."
- Barbara H
      
"Wow! What a beautiful gift you have given the world. I can't stop watching all the amazing speakers and I've learned so much. This is just what I needed! Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
- Micaela S
 
"I don't know of any place in the whole world that has so many great minds and so much information available at the click of my mouse."
- Gene H

Registering for your virtual seat at the Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase™ LIVE Encore will give you access to nearly 100 hours of talks, workshops, culinary demos and documentary-style films by some of the world's premier experts in nutrition, health, environmental sustainability, vegetarianism, veganism, raw lifestyles, animal welfare, and more - all at your own convenience on the Internet.

With the Expo LIVE Encore program, you will be able to switch channels, fast-forward, rewind, watch again, and skip over segments as you wish. We recorded three full days of talks in four different venues to put together this amazing package that you can now enjoy. You can watch these videos as much as you choose between now and November 30.

To give you a taste of what to expect with the Expo LIVE Encore, click on the link below. As an added feature, you will be able to view the free bonus videos that are available online from prior years. Plus, you will gain access to the compelling 2 1/2-hour special program with keynote speakers John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America, Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet, Howard Lyman, author of Mad Cowboy, and Cherie Soria, Director of Living Light International.
 
This is a terrific opportunity, and a great value, and we wanted you to know about it. Please feel free to forward this message on to anyone who would benefit.

Even if you don't plan to sign up for the Expo LIVE Encore program, take advantage of this free opportunity to view these inspirational speakers with our compliments!

Click HERE to view the Vibrant Living Expo LIVE Encore website. Enjoy!

We are delighted to welcome Living Light chef graduate Linas Kesminas from Lithuania. After pursuing medical studies in his native country, Linas switched to business management, catering, and food service management, earning the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree in food service management. He has also worked as a food stylist, a chef in Japanese restaurants, and a teacher of both raw foods and Thai cuisine.

He has also used his many talents in recent years as a food stylist, personal chef to international film stars, and has written articles about raw foods, maintained a raw food website in Lithuania, and given lectures on raw foods in Europe. He is fluent in English and Russian, and also speaks Polish and French. He is quite adept at computer skills, and is a wonderful colleague and friend. If you haven't met him yet, we know you'll be delighted to make his acquaintance when you come to Living Light. We know he'll be an absolutely amazing addition to our company, and we are very excited about the opportunity to get to know Linas better in the coming months!

 

Join Cherie Soria, Martine Lussier, Matt Samuelson, Elaina Love, Vinnette Thompson, and other internationally known Living Light Chefs for New Holiday Traditions of Raw Living Foods™
November 14-15, 2009

Sign up now for a fabulous chef showcase and sumptuous holiday feast beyond your wildest dreams. Learn fresh perspectives on favorite family recipes, special tips for creating culinary magic, fantastic and creative table décor, and the secrets of seasoning for the season while preparing healthful, elegant gourmet meals: appetizers, soups, entrees, desserts, candies, breads and more!

A few of the many holiday foods you will learn how to make:
● Holiday Nut Nog
● Cranberry Orange Relish
● Green Beans Amandine with Crispy Leeks
● Holiday Fantasy Stuffing
● Corn Cakes
● Spicy Gingerbread People
● Pumpkin Pie
● Black Bottom Pecan Pie & more!

No prerequisites for the course. Open to all from novice to chef!
Saturday and Sunday November 14-15
Saturday class includes breakfast, 11 demos, mid morning snack, afternoon tea, full lunch, and buffet dinner.
Sunday class includes breakfast, mid morning snack, 7 demos, interactive creative table design class and full festive holiday buffet. Class takes place at the Living Light Center in the Company Store.
Tuition: $575

Student Alert:
This is the last time we will be offering New Holiday Traditions in a complete two-day format! Because we've added several new advanced classes required for Living Light certifications to next year's schedule, we will no longer offer New Holiday Traditions. If you would like to come and share this incredible experience for the last session, please sign up early - we will fill this class!

Festive Holiday Buffet is open to spouses and guests of students taking the class:
Sunday, November 15, 2:00 PM
Cost: $45.00

Click here or call 707-964-2420 or 800-816-2319 to register!

December 1-4, 2009

Cherie Soria says, "I bow to the genius of Vinnette Thompson, our lead instructor for Pastry Arts - Unbaked!™ In my opinion, she is THE most talented raw food pastry chef in THE WORLD!"

Our students were very excited about our debut Pastry Arts - Unbaked!™ workshop last summer, and were grateful both for the exciting recipes and for the invaluable secrets we shared about dessert production. Exciting "tricks of the trade" included learning about which binders, thickeners, gelling agents, and emulsifiers were best for achieving desired textures, as well as how to choose the perfect sweetener to enhance the flavor, texture and appearance of each dessert. Many students had never used ingredients like cacao butter, Irish moss, or maca, and they were thrilled with what they learned about the properties of each ingredient. An added bonus: none of our pastry arts students will ever again dread the thought of opening a young coconut, since each student got plenty of practice learning that particular skill - so important in making wonderful raw desserts! Most of all we had an amazing time "playing" with desserts together. Students not only got to make and sample great desserts, but also catered an elegant dessert reception for Living Light alumni and Expo presenters on the Friday night after the class. Having the class right before the Expo was perfect - advanced students could take the class, have the opportunity to enter the Rawsome Pie Contest, AND enjoy the Vibrant Living Expo. It was a sweet experience for all!

There are still a few spots left in Pastry Arts - Unbaked!™ December 1-4, 2009. Class size is limited, so sign up TODAY!

Prerequisite:  Associate Chef and Instructor Training™ Series

Click here or call 707-964-2420 or 800-816-2319 to register!

Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ I
Join Rick and Karin Dina, D.C., for a comprehensive, enlightening course on the science of raw food nutrition. This 2-day, 12-hour course covers hot topics including raw vegan sources of protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, as well as blood sugar regulation, pH balance, how cooking affects foods, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and weight management. The Raw Food Doctors™ are known for their ability to make complex scientific concepts entertaining and easily understandable for the non-scientific person. This is a great course for chefs, health educators, or anyone else who wants to achieve optimum health.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the experts!
This class is offered 12 times a year. See the 2009/2010 class schedule or phone 707-964-2420 for dates. Hours: 1st day 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and 2nd day 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with a 1-hour no-host lunch break on both days.

Two more chances to take Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ I in 2009:
October 10-11 and December 4-5
Tuition: $375

Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ II
This comprehensive 5-day Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ II course covers essential information on raw food, living food, vegan and plant-based diets, and is a prerequisite for the 2-day Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Course immediately following. It builds on the knowledge base learned in Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ I and introduces many new topics that are essential to understanding the big picture of raw and living food nutrition.

Prerequisites: Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ I

One more chance to take Science of Raw Food Nutrition II™ in 2009: 
December 6-10
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuition: $1075

Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Course
This 2-day class follows Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ Level II and prepares students to present fundamental raw food nutrition information with authority, accuracy and confidence. It is highly recommended for health educators and raw food chefs who plan to teach the benefits of raw and living foods in an articulate and easy to understand manner. In this class, students will learn how to utilize information learned in both Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ I and II to deliver an interesting and comprehensible presentation that is appropriate for a variety of audiences. All participants will receive a CD containing two turn-key PowerPoint presentations on the benefits of raw and living food nutrition. The first is a 20-minute introductory presentation designed to be a free talk to invite participants to attend the second, more comprehensive two-hour raw food nutrition class. This class is designed to be presented on its own, or in conjunction with culinary demonstrations.

The Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Course will also cover techniques on searching for and objectively evaluating raw food and vegan nutrition information. This will give students the tools to continue learning in a clear and accurate manner long after this course is over. Class is limited to 12 students, so register early!

Prerequisites: Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ Levels I and II.

One more chance to take Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Course in 2009:
December 11-12
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuition: $575

Testimonials from Rick and Karen Dina's Science of Raw Food Nutrition classes:

"Thank you! I have been reading books regarding diet for the past 15 years; I have a lot of information but you have helped me to put all the puzzle pieces together!"
- Choo Yeh Fung

"Drs. Rick & Karin Dina bring great enthusiasm and understanding to the science behind nutrition, and they provide documented validity for incorporating raw food into any lifestyle. They are easy to understand, and yet took us to the deeper sciences behind nutrition for body, mind & spirit. I am leaving prepared to serve others with not only the tools and information I need, but a desire to explore the sciences of raw food nutrition even further."
- Jill Seebantz

"Practical - a nutritional course that is truly focused on food, not supplements! Exactly what I have been looking for!"
- Anita Singorahardjo

"This course is very scientifically based. It brings about a level of understanding and learning that is at the very least on the same level as a college course. It has encouraged me to go forth and do my own scientific research through peer reviews and studies. It has given me a solid foundation for which I can stand on in the arena of raw food nutrition when teaching. Also, I have been taken to a new level in my growth as a rood foodist and the way I will balance my raw diet. The Dina's are just lovely and a joy to sit under. This helped one want to listen, focus, and be fully present each and every day. They have been a blessing and they have poured their whole hearts into the material which they put together. Very, very dedicated!"
- Karen Benson

"You exceeded my expectations. Your presentation was skillful, well organized, clear and facilitated learning, and while it was rooted in the fundamentals of physiology along with the current research, it was clinically focused and useful. You conveyed all of this to us with great care, care that we understand and learn, and care that we can effectively use the information to help many others, as well as ourselves. Thanks Drs. Rick and Karin. This was an exceptional course."
- Gil Alvarado, N.D., L.Ac., Dipl, Ac. (NCCAOM)

"I am so glad I took this class. It was just what I needed to organize my thoughts of my own health and raw food knowledge and answer many of the unanswered questions that I had remaining. Thank You! - Drs. Karin and Rick for putting it all together for me and giving me an excellent starting point for bringing my passion for health education and raw food into the world. I also appreciate your depth of knowledge, well researched and peer reviewed material presented with accuracy, integrity, and professional non biased format. You were thorough and entertaining as well as organized. I was very impressed! This was probably the best overall presentation I've ever attended. I only have one complaint! Where is level III?  Thank you again."
- Shelly Armstrong, RN


Click here or call 707-964-2420 or 800-816-2319 to register!

At Living Light we are continually thinking of new ways to enhance our curriculum and provide everything our students need in order to be able to follow their dreams as they return to their communities.  Our goal has always been to support students in developing their ability to create delicious meals for themselves and their families, as well as to share with others the benefits of the raw food lifestyle.  With our new one-day FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods™ format, we are now able to honor student requests by offering our newest three part series:  Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™

The first two parts of the series, Basic Knife Skills 101 and Knife Skills 102 will be offered on the Sunday immediately following each FUNdamentals™ class, so that when students begin hands-on training during Essentials of Raw Culinary Arts™ their knife skills will be properly "honed" and they will have increased confidence as they continue with their education.  Or, students may opt to take the knife skills series at a separate date, depending on personal schedule and finances.

The 3-Part Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™ Series (which will include Precision Knife Skills and Decorative Cuts 201) are included in the core curriculum required to complete the Gourmet Raw Food Chef Certification™ and Raw Culinary Arts Professional Chef Certification™ programs.

When you register for any of the Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™ classes at the same time as the 3-part Associate Chef and Instructor Training™ Series, you will receive 10% off on all classes!

When you register for any of the Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™ classes at the same time as the Gourmet Chef Training™ Series, you will receive 15% off on all classes!

Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™ is designed for all levels of expertise, from novice through professional instructor - taking a progressive approach to the development of knife skills through demonstration, hands-on practice (not in all classes) and reference materials. Basic Knife Skills 101 and Knife Skills 102 provide all necessary equipment with the exception of the required text. The 200 series requires that the student provide their own knives and chef wear.

We have 3 classes, which must be taken in order:
● Basic Knife Skills 101
● Knife Skills 102
● Precision Knife Skills and Decorative Cuts 201

Testimonials for Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™

Taking the basic knife skills class was very helpful to me.  Reviewing all my weak points and taking them to a better understanding about the how and why to do it right was a truly remarkable experience and [I'm] looking forward to the advanced class. 
-  A. R. from Mexico
 
The hands on work with personal attention from the "cutting edge experts" at Living Light really allowed me to solve a problem I'd been having with my knife technique.  The time spent was truly worthwhile.
-  B. McC. from California
 
I have been teaching raw food classes for nearly 5 years.  It wasn't until Cherie mentioned the knife skills 101 class that I realized I needed to review.  We are starting a catering business and definitely saw the need to refresh my own personal skills.  In class I learned the proper ergonomics, safety, knife holding techniques.  If you are venturing into the Raw Food world this class is a must!  You will learn how to be able to work hours and days at a time without fatigue.  Knife safety and handling is critical to your success in order to be able to teach others.
-  S. F. from Nevada
 
As a novice chef, Basic Knife Skills 101 and Knife Skills 102 were so helpful in my developing efficient and safe knife handling skills.  I had bad habits!  The instruction was informative, and the one-on-one time with professional chefs during the hands-on portion was worth the cost alone.
-  K. F. from Northern California

Click here for more information or to register for Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills!™ Series

Day of the Dead Altar and Chocolate Sampling
October 25

For the first time this year, Living Light will participate in a special Day of the Dead event organized by Cammie Conlon of Little River Inn in Mendocino. Our employees will bring in items to create a Day of the Dead Altar which we will display on the central table in Living Light Marketplace. The altar, decorated with flowers, fruit, candles, personal mementos, and "papel picado" will stay up for an entire week.

Not to be outdone, Living Light Café will offer A Fiesta of Chocolate: a Trio of Chocolate Samples for Latin Lovers from 5-7 PM for only $5 per person. On the tasting menu will be:

Mexican Spiced Chocolate Milk: rich cashew milk with cacao and cinnamon
Ancho Chili Chocolate Truffles: an intense melt-away chocolate bite with a fiery finish
Coconut Dream Bars: extreme chocolate and coconut designed to fulfill your chocolate fantasies

Plus, purchase of A Fiesta of Chocolate ticket will include a $5 coupon to shop in the Living Light Marketplace. Also in The Company Store will be a series of eight altars by local artists at Gallery 3G, and samples of Mexican Mole at Mendo Bistro. Vicki Rae hair salon will also display a unique Day of the Dead altar and offer refreshments. If you are in the area, be sure to check out this event!


Wine and Mushroom Days
November 6-15

Mendocino County's annual Wine & Mushroom Festival has evolved into Wine & Mushroom Season for 2009, beginning with a flurry of events the first weekend in November and stretching through autumn's end. Mushroom dinners, musical performances, exhibits, and guided mushroom walks are among the activities scheduled. Many restaurants are celebrating the season with special mushroom dishes featured daily. Living Light Café will feature two delicious vegan specialties all week: Creamy Mushroom Soup with Potatoes and Leeks, a warm, sumptuous cooked vegan soup made without dairy, and Pine Nut and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms, a gourmet raw vegan dish that is full of piquant flavor! Sample these and other delicious specialties at this award winning cafe! Visit the GoMendo website at www.gomendo.com for more information on other activities during the event.

For the month of September, Living Light is pleased to honor Accounting and IT Assistant, Stephanie Reno, as our Employee of the Month. Even though Stephanie has only been at Living Light for a short time, she has proved to be a valued member of our team. Stephanie is intelligent, focused, motivated, and always helpful and polite to others, even when they are not patient with her. She has a calm and soothing demeanor, is bright and quick to find solutions to problems, and is willing to take on new tasks that require perseverance. Her coworkers say she is a good multi-tasker and has a great sense of humor.

Stephanie loves Fort Bragg and especially loves working here at Living Light because of the people, the teamwork, and the way we support each other. She is always courteous and doesn't let stress affect her. She obviously loves her job and the people she works with. Stephanie appreciates working for a company that supports good health, since good health is one of her primary goals in life. She is also very devoted to being a good mom to her kids.

Stephanie describes herself as adventurous and enjoys everything life has to offer, including drag racing, volleyball, and softball. She also enjoys cooking, making jewelry, shopping, and doing anything outdoors! Her favorite animal is the Giraffe!

Living Light employees and managers selected Stephanie as Employee of the Month for many reasons, not the least of which is her tireless work on the Expo Live Streaming and Expo Encore programs. Thank you Stephanie! We love and appreciate you!