My entire being smiles when…
a meal not only looks good…
but tastes good too…
~ Dana Rondel
The Natural Food Art Café has kept me quite productive… in and out of the kitchen… The wonderful and appetizing foods, including desserts, I’ve made truly bring a smile to my face and heart… and to my stomach… I know I’ve shared this before… I find so much delight in experimenting with food… Mostly, because of my curiosity with delicious flavor(s)… I’ll either come up with my own creations… receive a recipe from a friend… or try one posted on the internet… Whether my own or another’s ingredients and instructions… the end result is usually quite good… I have to admit, however, some recipes I ended up having to tweak… or I decided to do away with completely… Either way, through the process of each experiment and/or experience… I have found how important it is to use my own instincts… I listen well to instructions given by others, yet… I have a habit… a good one… of changing ingredients to suit my own taste buds… to simplify the recipe… to ensure that all ingredients are vegan (non-dairy)… and/or to meet my own requirements for a raw (non-cooked) food recipe… My greatest reason though… I love being creative…
Creating a meal is indeed an art… I not only care about how my foods taste… I care about how it’s presented… I’m not talking about only how it looks in a cup… bowl or on a plate… What I really mean is… does my food still have life… literally… When I decided to be vegan… this was another experiment for me… What I had to learn for myself was… how does this way of life make me feel… Well… I’ve felt amazingly energized… and much more joyful and happier… Taking into my body… primarily raw and vegan foods and beverages… has been one of the most awesome choices I’ve made… I especially consider this thought… as I think back to when I was completely raw-vegan… During this time, although I may have eaten something cooked no more than a few times, I loved my overall spiritual… mental… emotional… and physical, etc… inner and outer state(s) of being and presentation… It wasn’t difficult to live a raw-vegan style of life; nonetheless, this way of being does request deeper inner-strength and discipline… This wasn’t hard for me… I’ve been an athlete/dancer since a toddler… Inner and outer strength and discipline is a very natural part of my life…
Speaking of natural… living a vegan way of life… caused me to be more thoughtful about my food selections… therefore, I kept only natural, organic foods in my kitchen and refrigerator… Being vegan, tuning-in to myself in a more natural way… also caused me to experience my body… other people… the earth… and the world differently… I have always cared very deeply about each… but I was now treating each with greater reverence… My respect had increased… My attitude toward all life heightened… I wanted everyone to be healthy and well… Just the experience of having healthier feelings and thoughts… improved my overall health and well-being… Based on my own personal knowledge… food plays a significant role when it comes to joy and happiness… I experienced excellent health, well-being, joy and happiness before I was vegan… but now I care so much more about life—holistically… What I’ve done for me… has improved, first and foremost, my relationship with me… And what I’ve done for me… has as well… improved my relationship with others… with our earth… and with our world… I am grateful… BIG smile… :o)
Check out the Natural Food Art Café page via danarondel.com or windinc.org … Learn more and see awesome pics of my own creations… And don’t forget to share with others… :o)
Images photographed, created and/or designed by Partners In Goodwill: Publications & Media… partnersingoodwill.com …
Dana Rondel 