Truffle Giveaway Winners, plus another giveaway

Hello...I have truffles to send you.

First off, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful

and deeply inspiring ideas from the comments.

"Happiness Belongs to the Self-Sufficient"

-Aristotle

I learned allot and many of the comments really lit

a fire under my butt to step up my game.

I just planted two trees yesterday!

A Conandria Fig (YES!!!) and Wonderful Pomegranate.

We filmed the planting, and I have to tell you it was

a total joy to get back into the planting groove again.

I have to wait till Late April-Early May in my neck of the woods

in Central MN before I can start popping little beauties into the ground,

so this was just a great relief, and I hope to possibly plant one every

week...I mean...why not right?

Peaches...more figs, citrus, maybe even a mesquite tree?

What a wonderful hobby to have, and Im finding on Craigslist

all this free manure and compost so I will really be able to

give these ladies lots and lots of TLC.

Ok..so onto the winners!

Minshu!!!

Bikramyogi22!!!

MidoriHealth!!!

These were picked randomly I swear!!

You might have wrote a wonderfully enlightening

comment that gave thousands of people ideas,

but it didnt guarantee a winning pick.

The satisfaction of sharing your awesome ideas might have

to be enough for now...truly that is the priceless gift.

Winners...you will be contacted in just a bit by me asking what

you want your dozen of truffles to be like.

So to keep this momentum going,

here is another giveaway. This one is a beauty.

I received this the other day-

Hi Anthony,

I was reading your blog, and noticed you had a truffle

giveaway awhile ago. I am helping a friend with his site

snubbr.com and we are interested in sponsoring a giveaway

for your blog. We were thinking about letting your readers

pick their favorite book to win from THIS LIST.

Tell us if this is possible =)

-R

...

Of course!!

So here is the scoop with snubbr.com -

"Its like Yahoo Answers for gift ideas and shopping.

Suppose you're looking for to buy a new digital camera.

The experts at snubbr.com will do all the work of searching

for the best camera, and recommend them to you

saving you time and stress."

Makes sense, and Im all for a decent giveaway.

Here's the deal this time -

Mention a BOOK that really changed your life.

You can get into details if you wish (would be nice)

and remember that if you want others to hopefully

read this book, make it sound good.

One week to get in your comment!

Im off to make truffles! Hope everyone's week was great.

Anthony

NoniLand Bees and Cacao Garden

I was really geeking out when I saw these.

Seriously...the biggest smile ever on my face.

Thx to Jake at Rawutah.com for putting these up.

Im itching beyond belief to start working on my food

forest again in Minnesota. I bought a fig and a pomegranate

which I will be planting in AZ soon, but my heart is for the

space in Minnesota...its getting so close to being almost "finished".

Its been so long and my heart is bursting.

Remember my beekeeping vid?

Those girls nailed me, and they were an aggressive hive.

Even the docile hive in Noniland got David right away.

My cacao got its first split after about 3 months.

I bought it in Miami in March 09 and it split by July.

I miss her :(

I totally geeked out when I saw all the baby cacao trees.

Big props to David and Ra for spreading this energy.

Permaculture Update Feb 2010

This was my very recent order to St Lawrence Nursery

all the waaaay up in Potsdam NY.

I truly hope that this is the last big order I have to make.

Most of these items are going into the expanded areas

of the property which I started cleaning out this winter.

Im in the process of editing those videos now.

See the deck up there? This is the western mini-valley.

This whole area is going to be a big wildflower meadow

surrounded by a living fence made up of hazelnuts,

serviceberries, sea buckthorn, buffaloberries, and

currants wherever there is still shade...cant wait!

Im also planting lots of flowers that hummingbirds love.

We have lots up in there already but I really want to support them.

Here are some aerial shots from about one year ago,

they are the most recent ones I have and I was elated

to finally see the dome and the deck from the air.

Its hard to see all the trees and bushes I planted!

But I assure you that they are there.

See that pile of logs near the road?

That is where I did two rows of grapes,

about 100 feet each running the length of the road until

the woods begin again. Those logs...I spread them out and

just halfway buried them so they could soak up water.

The idea of chopping them all up and burning them seemed

like a really big waste of time and energy

and anyways...I want to use them as sponges to hold up excess water.

I had some plastic covering a few parts of the inner garden

to keep things a little extra warm. It did pay off.

I was able to plant tomatoes in this spot way earlier.

The octagon deck has been surrounded with

gooseberries, grapes, and soon...hardy kiwis.

Underneath I am starting mushroom logs this spring.

In the front of the deck, its about 2 feet off the ground,

but in the back its about 10 feet...perfect for hanging out

when the sun is too strong.

The satellite pics are always in the spring...I wish you all

could see aerial pics in the summer when everything is

thriving and green...I wish I could see that too haha.

I did an interview last night with Lisa Marie and Mo

of the Sweet Peas Podcast and we talked all about permaculture.

She mentioned that people can be really intimidated by

the term permaculture and I told her that I like to use

the term "Food Forests" and even edible landscaping when

telling new people all about this kind of stuff.

Its sounds way more approachable and not so foreign...no?

I know permaculture is way more detailed, but you see my point.

Im going to be a busy guy in early may planting everything...

Im going to order a decent amount of black soil and compost

to really cover the area well and start things off right.

Please....invest big time in your soil and you will never regret it.

Remember...plant a $10 hole for a $1 tree.

Show it love and it will have such a better chance of making it.

Anyone else have cool aerial shots of their project?

I use bing maps...WAY better (or way more intrusive?)

than google maps which is so outdated and blurry.

It totally depends on your area, but hopefully you can get

a good look at your space of love and your surrounding area.

It gives a really fresh perspective of your environment.

My Space of Love! You never forget your first!

Truffle Giveaway! No joke! Pt 2

No replies to this one please...keep replying to the original post.

Ok wow...why dont all of you share such wisdom all the time?

I was just going to give out one dozen, but Im so happy with

the great response that Ill be giving out two more.

SO keep those comments coming!

Your chances just tripled!

Im doing lots of consultations these days too,

and I realized that donating one of those every so often

is a great idea too. People seem to really enjoy them (including me)

and hopefully I can pass on some one-to-one info to someone

who might not be able to fork over $50 for the phone call.

Ok...so there you have it, keep those comments flowing

and Ill pick three by the end of the week.

Ill mail them out by the weekend.

When you win, Ill ask you what style (vegan or grass-fed)

that you want as well as the coating of your choice.

(cashews, pistachio, nibs, or bee pollen).

Im SO inspired by what everyone is up to.

No matter what we eat, self-reliance and resourcefulness

is THE trait to have in these next few years.

Adapt that mentality to whatever youre eating at the moment,

and things will be way less stressful for you and your loved ones.

Big hugs!

A

Truffle Giveaway! No joke!

I want to thank everyone for the good energy

about the chocolates. Im finally feeling that my

inner-purpose is lining up with something that

can make some money. Its a good feeling. Right livelihood!

My path is a funny one. Modeling is a gift and a curse.

In a way, it gave me the FREE TIME, not necessarily the money,

to learn more and expand my horizons about food, religion,

languages, self improvement...all that fun stuff.

In another sense, it has been a bit of an anchor.

I am not a fan of NYC anymore...sure its a great city,

but its a big city nevertheless. A big city filled with pollution

and EMFs...it was always so hard to walk away from the career,

because there was always that chance that I could strike it big.

Its seriously like gambling.

I would never know when I would land a big fish (a job)

and it always made me wonder if I was missing out on something.

Usually, the numbers just dont add up. You will hopefully

get about 10% of the jobs you audition for, and some times

are busier than others, but there was really no way to improve

your chances with the career besides staying fit and

having relatively-decent social skills.

It felt so disempowering...is that a word even?

Well...I really felt that way.

Its all changed now though.

Eventually, Ill be hosting retreats and there is always the

consulting, but the truffles are just so hot right now.

Shoot me a comment on this post and Ill send you a dozen or so...

I promise that I wont pick favorites.

Just comment...but say something cool.

Dont say something lame.

Here's an idea...say something about how you are helping

to become more self-sufficient.

Home-brewing? Making fermented foods at home?

Growing your own produce? Buying in bulk?

Springwater?? Anything is good...just share with all of us

so we have the chance of picking up on some good ideas.

I love you guys...I think we are really on the cutting edge with all this,

and the vast majority of you know that Im a decent guy and am

in this to spread the love...so thanks so much.

Reading comments is a big joy for me, and Im always glad to help out.

Ok...so shoot me a comment!

After the truffles...who knows what else will be on the table?

Milk kefir grains? A data dvd with lots of good music?

We will see...once every 2 weeks should be good,

and I get freebies from some companies so I can

definitely pass that along.

*Hint* if you have a company and want me to pass stuff

along to readers, email me!

Everybody loves freebies, and all you have to do is comment

so dont be shy! Lets here your tips to self-suffciency!

Organic Handmade Cacao Fudge Truffles...Blackbirdnaturals.com

Check out our proper website HERE.

What has turned into a hobby and a way to spread some

extra joy into the lives of my loved ones has grown into

a full-on venture with so much potential.

There is a saying..."do what you love and the money will follow".

We make them with so much TLC...deeply acknowledging the

fact that someone is trusting us by actually putting that

delicious treat into their body, their temple.

Something to really take seriously when you stop and think about it.

Its a shame to think that many ignore that fact for more money.

Somehow because of this everything is falling into place.

When I would give them to friends and family,

even I was surprised at their addictive nature.

People that didnt even like chocolate were enjoying them.

I had a few key revelations during this period...

1. Truffles are way better and received much more warmly

by friends and family than solid chunks of dark chocolate.

2. I realized that I had locked myself into a vegan mentality

when it came to chocolate. Coconut oil, cacao butter...

I have since branched out and we are using organic grass-fed butter

for many of our customers...this is a superstar and about 99.99%

of the population enjoys it and appreciates it.

Don't lock thyself into the raw vegan mentality!

Most people like real butter and it supports sustainable

animal husbandry instead of factory farms.

3. By using dates for my fudgy interior, Ive done away

with the need for any outside sweeteners.

When I would make the solid chocolate,

I was amazed and depressed to see how much sweetener

was needed to make the solid chocolate palatable to most people.

The dates really do away with this entirely,

and they are so unprocessed...we really love them.

4. Less...is often more.

I look at the label of some major chocolate treats

and am shocked at the massive amounts of ingredients.

I think to myself...why all the hassle?

We keep it so simple now.

Maybe 5 ingredients? 6 or 7 for spices?

Why complicate things? Really?

For shelf stability? To save money?

5. Making it fresh is the way to go.

We found that if we can make a batch when someone requests

it, we can deliver a product that was made BY US

within 1-2 days of the order. The internet has

removed all barriers to clean, delicious, organic chocolate.

6. Seeing these truffles more as a food instead of a dessert.

I eat 2 or 3 of these and it is a MEAL. I am satisfied for many hours.

Chocolate as a food hasnt caught on yet, but Ive found it to really

work for me and others. Its more than the chocolate. Its the good

fats, some high-integrity sugars, superfoods, and spices.

Everything in one fudgy little yummy truffle.

We've also been doing events as well.

Weddings, charity Functions, birthdays...its all good.

The people at Crate and Barrel contacted me about being

a vendor for their wedding show in October!

So the possibilities are out there. We've made 500

at a time, so the limits are pretty non-existent.

You can mix and match with different versions as well -

email us to see whats available!

-A

Conscious Eaters Unite

One thing that always bummed me out about the raw food scene was all the infighting.

People that are into superfoods, people that are into fruits, people into high fat...

Simple little nuances that allow us to imagine more easily that we are separate.

ISMS...divide us. Vegetarianism...Communism...Capitalism...Terrorism.

These damn labels trick us into thinking that we arent brothers and sisters.

Cant we just settle on the fact that we want food without chemicals and GMOs?

Or that we want foods not made in factories by strangers?

There are just SO many similarities, and it seems to be a pretty

common human trait to focus on lame differences.

From what I learned in the past year by branching out from being a vegan,

I realized that I really didnt know nearly as much as I thought.

And I carry this with me now. A strong sense of humility does a human good.

I just saw a great video on sustainable meat production

from the good folks at TheFoodForest on youtube.

The arguments that meat is bad for the environment is a sad generalization,

and we owe it to ourselves as conscious eaters to be informed

on what works and what CAN work if its done properly.

Oh...what did I just make for breakfast?

In the vitamix...I blended -

2 eggs

1/2 cup of cream

1/4 cup of sunwarrior vanilla protein

1 vanilla bean

8 drops of vanilla cream stevia *loving that vanilla*

Some shilajit from UltimateSuperfoods.com

Um...some bee pollen and cinnamon,

AND a little hawaiian sea salt.

Oh! And I put a really ripe organic banana in there!

So this was really good...try it for sure.

I liked adding in the spices, and Im adding nutmeg in tomorrow.

Ok enough about that...check out the vids if you have time.

A

Check this Out

I love where this is going. This is from the Fresh Team

Greetings,
We received a huge response to our article, "Why the shift away from veganism in the raw world?" A big thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts and experiences by commenting online - it makes very interesting reading, so do hop on over and check it out if you haven't already.
And thanks also to those of you who wrote to us privately to tell us of your very personal challenges, setbacks and frustrations in trying to find a diet that works for you.
Having read your comments, we decided it was necessary to go into this topic in greater depth. So we asked two experts with extensive knowledge of raw vegan diets - Dr Douglas Graham of FoodnSport.com and Thomas Billings of BeyondVeg.com - to answer our question, "Is 100% raw vegan our optimal diet?"
Those familiar with their work will be unsurprised to know they answered "yes" and "no" respectively. Today we bring you the articles they submitted to back up those positions. We felt it was important to present both sides of this debate and we also gave our experts the opportunity to respond to what the other wrote, and we bring you their responses to each other, too. Topics discussed include:
Whether there are any nutrients we need that we can't get from plant foodsThe evidence that animal foods are bad for usWhat our ancestors ate Whether raw vegan is the natural human dietGo here to read the article.
With our very best wishes,

The Fresh Team

A Letter to Kim K

obviously this is just me entertaining myself,

but this thought goes thru my head about celebrities often.

Kim! You really need to sell Quicktrim?

Really? Its that good?

Cant you maybe support organic farming as well?

Maybe you could build an eco-village?

I swear that I will plant fruit trees for you. No joke.

The press would love it.

You could be a saint! Think of your reach...

If you use your Quicktrim money for food forests

the Universe will reward you beyond your wildest dreams!

I know that sounds crazy but you would

understand once you started doing it.

If this doesnt appeal to you, tell a friend!

They all seem to have a good amount of free time

and why not use it to replant Heaven of Earth?

Think of the edible paradise a celebrity could build...

When I see celebrities get behind causes not dedicated

to creating paradise on Earth I just have to wonder.

Is that not why we are here? To realize and manifest Eden again?

Im just saying...its in your best interest.

You need to eat just like the rest of us,

and who knows what the world is going to be like in 5 years?

That quicktrim money might be better used to start

your cooking fires on those brisk evenings in LA in 2013.

We all gotta survive, and you could seriously plant

so many positive ideas in people's hearts.

You could literally free hundreds of thousands of people

from indentured servitude. Consider it.

You want to be remembered for what now?

Maybe the Nobel Peace Prize!? Maybe?

Show Obama what its like to earn something.

And try to minimize those artifical sweeteners!

5 packets of Equal? You know and can afford better!

Stevia and Organic Raw honey!

Anthony from Rawmodel.com

Transitions, brokens laptops, mac & cheese, and complaining

I got this pic from my facebook page.

I havent uploaded any pics from my regular digital camera,

so Ive been using the iphone for basically everything except

watching Avatar - The Last Airbender and doing posts.

My dell laptop finally burned out its screen.

6 years...not bad, and I can get it fixed,

but with the iphone, minimalization,

and kind souls lending me their computer for an hour or two,

Ive been able to get by with little disturbance,

but I need to get my winter garden videos uploaded soon though.

Its actually been great, way more time doing stuff in the physical world,

but when we tend to base our lives more and more in cyberspace,

the more time we have to spend there (either for income or social)

starts increasing really fast. I could be online all day learning

and watching youtube and chatting with friends all over the world.

Its great, but again...Balance.

The weather has been off and on in NY,

making for adventurous sidewalk experiences.

I have to stay really focused sometimes because these

fermenting grey slush puddles will form and if you step right into

one your day has just officially gone FUBAR.

Especially when its dark, and everything is covered in slush anyways.

Because Ive been making (and grazing on) fudge

truffles so much this week my sugar intake has been

a bit higher than normal. I feel sort of fuzzed out.

Im wanting to get to Arizona asap (just a few more days)

and its like those last few days before summer vacation.

And Im just over big city life...not my place for daily existence...

Holidays and working yes, daily life? Noooo..

Ill usually sit on the rooftop in Soho and look around the area.

Usually its a clear day and I can see a decent ways away.

Buildings as far as you can see pretty much.

I saw a Nat Geo show about Henry Hudson coming into the bay 400 yrs ago,

and how they established the city downtown.

A while back it really sunk into me that they chopped down

every poor majestic oak and chesnut and everything else on the island.

First, so they could grow grains(?), and 2nd for shabby buildings.

Total nutjobs...I mean...come on!

Where's the reverence for nature?

Couldnt they have built a cool forested city?

Why cut down everything? It just seems so insane

and so much damn work anyways. Why not just plant

edibles in between? Everything just feels so wrong

in a big hypercity like this. Just really bad design and adaptation.

SO many EMFs and poor air quality...

And just all the idling cars in the streets, you wouldnt believe it.

Or maybe you would? Maybe most of us would now.

Fresh water, got that (thank you Findaspring).

Fresh air, going for that in a few days.

Fresh food, always! Well, pretty much!

I went to macbar yesterday in NYC,

and for those who havent heard of it its like

a deluxe mac & cheese place.

Feeling adventurous lol, I got the mac' shroom

and it was INSANELY good. Damn was that good.

If youre a mac & cheese fan and youre in NYC you should

really stop by and no they didnt pay me.

Neither did Maple Hill Creamery.

I found that walking thru Lifethyme yesterday.

I had it with some Trader Joe's frozen raspberries

and a coconut chewie that Lifethyme makes in the deli.

That was such a primo little meal.

Its like my life sometimes is centered around me walking

around NYC and eating random food and taking pictures.

I actually will walk around Whole Foods

if Im in the area and theres nothing else going on.

I like looking at all the different beers and chocolates now.

Always researching! Or is that just the life of a bored foodie?

More posts coming soon...sorry for the dry spells

New D. Vitalis Stuff

This text is from Health Forward...Daniel is so sharp! Im envious! If you havent listened to Daniel's recent interview with Patrick Timpone on oneradionetwork.com, DO IT SOON. SERIOUSLY! No matter what your eating style at the present moment, this video will intrigue you...ok here is the text -
This is a 9 min promo for Daniel Vitalis who will be speaking in Sacramento CA. on Feb 16th 2010 at The Art Of Food Restaurant located at 1825 Del Paso Blvd. Sacramento CA. 95815 from 6:30pm to approx 8:00pm. For more details email me at Russ@HealthForwardOnline.com
Also see details of this event on my Events Calendar page at http://www.healthforwardonline.com/
Daniel Vitalis will explore *Why we are the only species confused about what to eat and how to stay healthy *How we can use nutrition to assist personal evolution. *The critical missing piece of the dietary puzzle that all nutrition books, diet lifestyles and health gurus Don't Know! *What is Human Domestication and what effect is it having on our health and the fulfillment of our life's purpose? *Use Shamanic Nutrition to rebuild yourself and your health in the age of post-industrial nutrition.
Daniel's website is http://www.danielvitalis.com/