Friday, March 20, 2009

We're finished...for now. March 21 '09

I went to see about obtaining a county permit in order to work outside the city limits and just got word this morning that they will NOT okay the permit. It has to do with the Building Dept. as this is where our problems began with our city permit. We'll just move on and keep pushing forward.
In the meantime, we will be able to do special events, farmer's markets, those sort of things. We do have a couple of things lined up and so I will post them up as soon as things are confirmed. Thanks for all your patience and support. Keep posted. Aloha, Crystal

Thursday, March 12, 2009

News Flash- March 12 '09

We spoke to the city and we are definitely forbidden to work within the city limits of Roseburg due to the trailer not being licensed (it can only be utilized to do temporary events).-- Brian wants to pack it up and move to Oahu and go back to work for the Marriott -- where he will make more money and do less work--- Crystal loves it here and continues to tell Brian she's not moving no-where--- Brian is still trying to get the commercial hood/vent installed (the equipment the city told us we needed to get in order to work in the city, then told us we can't install it =@#$%^()_)?><), but its like trying to install a piece of da vinci or a picasso in a subway toilet.. so here we plug away each day trying to make it happen....
On the lighter side-- life could be a whole lot harder if we were in Africa-- Chef Brian
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p.s. Looking at the possibility of obtaining a county permit and work outside city limits. Anyone have any suggestions as to where? Give a call. If no answer, press star when you hear the voicemail and leave your name and number, we'll call you back. Brian-808 264 5959 or Crystal 863-9706. Mahalo and Aloha!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Vegan Kitchen Update March 10 '09

No good news to report as of yet. We are waiting to speak with City Hall regarding the last meeting they had about us. With that information we will be able to make a better decision. So far, we have a couple of options.
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I had been reluctant to explain the situation because of the length and complexity of the issue, but I'll try my best to explain so you know...
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Fire Dept. states "No cooking with grease (oil) without a commercial hood, vent system and fire suppression system." We had tried to comply with this and invested in the costly equipment (on borrowed money). When the Building Dept. got involved to issue a permit for the installation of this onto the trailer, they placed codes upon us that were unrealistic for the trailer, using guidelines for a "permanent" restaurant. So there the problem lay and never got beyond that. Between city hall, fire dept., and building dept., their "hands are tied" as was explained to me.
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So we could possibly relocate outside of the city. We have to weigh the fact that it may not be profitable for us as the majority of our traffic would be located in Roseburg.
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We may possibly be operating just seasonally and do the fairs, farmer's markets, etc. In this case, please keep updated for a schedule of where we will appear.
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As to obtaining a permanent restaurant location, it is not an option for us. We like the flexibility of being able to close down to do cooking classes, health education, lectures, etc. Also, cost and time would be too much to handle! Thank you for all your suggestions and help in trying to figure this situation out.
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I'll let you know what we figure out. It's leaning toward operating seasonally, and leaving the winter season open for return to Hawaii to resume our lecture/demo work. Aloha and God bless, if you'd like to read about our Expo experience, read on...

Expo West 2009 Natural Foods Show

We're finally back from our trip to Sacramento and Los Angeles. It was a long drive but well worth it. We missed our family in Sacramento and had a nice time there with them and it was a good break from driving.
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Our stay in sunny Los Angeles was great. The Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center and is the largest one of it's kind on the West coast. Products ranged from every kind of bottled drinks and teas to natural foods to a dizzying array of nutraceuticals and more. Well, you know we're mainly interested in the food stuff and it was exciting to see so much out there for us veggie foodies who are on-the-go!
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We saw lots more hitting the market in the way of gluten-free foods. Sadly, most were not vegan but did usually include eggs or dairy of some sort. For those who are sensitive to the most common allergens, but not vegan, satisfy that sweet tooth and visit http://www.cinderellasweets.com/ Wow! They got some treats that are truly eye candy too. My absolute favorite vegan and gluten-free treat has got to be Glenny's Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats. Yes, I said MARSHMALLOW! Better than the real thing. Check them out at http://www.glennys.com/
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Everyone's favorite addiction...Sugar in one form or another was everywhere to be found. Our favorite vendor was there with Sweetleaf brand stevia. Many other brands of stevia are hitting the market and you could also find many, many products sweetened with stevia, most notoriously, packaged drinks. If you don't know much about stevia for use as a sweetener, please look up information about it. While you're at it, look up agave too. Both are excellent alternatives to traditional sugar with good health benefits.
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Some of our other favorite sweets that need to be mentioned...
Smooze Fruit Ice http://www.smoozeusa.com/ made with real fruit purees and juices and fresh pressed coconut milk!
Certified Organic Cotton Candy http://www.bernodspuncity.com/ no yucky stuff, especiall high fructose corn syrup!
Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss http://www.coconutbliss.com/ ...drool...need I say more?
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Okay, nevermind dessert before the meal. (We see that all the time at the trailer). After looking at product after product and package after package of soups, pizzas, wraps and burritos, soy this and soy that, etc. etc. etc. I have to conclude that cooking at home preparing fresh food for you and your families is the absolute best. Make the effort! I did see products that do help to make home cooking a little easier. And I'll be realistic because not everybody has the time to plan, organize, shop, and fix good, wholesome foods each day. So make use of what you can. Just don't eat out of the box or can or whatever as much as possible when you don't have to.
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Superfruits are big. Acai superfruit has not faded out of the picture when it made it's big intro in the past couple of years. Still big are the other superfruits: Mangosteen and Goji and you can find these or combinations of these as main ingredient in drinks, nutritional bars, and supplements. Taste good, and good for you.
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There is so much to mention but not enough time or energy to do it so I'll just mention a couple of other products that I think every self-sufficient person who takes their own health and their families health seriously and into their own hands where it should be. One new/old product is one that I have mentioned before is Chia Seed. Now that the word is really getting out about this ancient superfood, you'll see the applications for Chia explode. When I went to Mom's house, she made these dessert balls out of dates and nuts and rolled them in chia seed. It was delicious! At the Expo, I sampled a Salba Whole Food Bar. (Chia Seeds are black, the white Chia, or Salba, have that outer covering removed which make the nutrients more asimilable to the system when ingested). Yummy food on-the-go.
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Besides Activated Charcoal in your home first aid kit, don't forget to include Colloidal Silver. One company we met up with there clearly has the best product called ASAP. See their web site- http://www.silverbiotics.com/ with all the clinical studies to back up its claims. Our family has long been using it for little owees like cuts and bruises, cold sores, infections like colds, and for pretty much everything else. ASAP comes in gel form making it easy to apply topically. Of course we still use the spray or dropper in liquid form for taking internally. Heal and protect yourself and your family with good knowledge and the right products.
That's all for now, praying for renewed and continued life and vitality for all of you. God bless and in good health, your friends, Brian, Crystal, and Skye from The Maui Vegetarian.