Lessons from the Millionaire Matchmaker

I urge all of you to watch this.

I watched it last night and it gave me so many lessons.

Before you ask yourself - WTF? Why is he watching THIS?

Just check it out.

Both millionaires are Eco-Friendly,

but the lessons ring so true for many of us.

I dont even want to get into the lessons yet,

I would prefer that you watch it if you have the time

and then we can discuss it in the comments.

I saw so many things that I fear I might have exuded

back in the day. Just check it out and tell me what you think,

I PROMISE you I wouldnt refer you to watch crap.

Enjoy and lets talk after...seriously.

Anthony

Chocolate Biz Update!

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back--

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),

there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which

kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that

would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision,

raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen

incidents and meetings and material assistance,

which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

-Goethe

Im at a really funny crossroads.

I was sitting out in the food forest in AZ yesterday

morning watering the trees when my booker called

me to sternly tell me how upset she is that I am not

living in NYC to do castings and that I am missing out on so much.

I told her as strongly as possible how good it feels

to finally be doing something that my soul agrees with.

I told her how big of a gamble modeling is,

and how toxic I feel NYC is.

She doesnt want to submit me to clients

if Im not going to be there, and I understand that.

Its tough...I hate missing out on the $$, but at what REAL cost?

I was sitting at the farmer's market on Saturday

and it really sunk in that I was there selling chocolates

of all things, when many people would think that I should

be in NYC doing all the model stuff.

I felt like a kid at a lemonade stand.

Maybe I will go back to modeling,

maybe I can do it down here,

but this alone just feels so right on.

We got accepted into Oakville Market,

and we are visiting with Whole Foods very soon.

Lots of online orders too, which is just amazing.

And the great part is that when we visit with people

and tell them about what we are up to,

we know that the integrity and quality is just unbeatable.

There is no selling, its just honest conversation

and we are just SO in the flow.

Im sorry if this sounds like some shameless self-promotion,

but it is honestly going so great and I am so optimistic.

To finally be in control, and not simply be crossing my

fingers on the whims of some very eccentric

NYC clients to make a living...

a living that I felt guilty about for many years.

I read too much Adbusters in my early 20's!

Here are some comments we've received just in the

past few days...I promise these are not made up.

"Oh my! The truffles arrived on Friday.

Canada Customs does love to take their sweet time.

Oh, so worth the wait.

Truly the best truffles I've ever had,

and boy have I eaten too many people's shares of truffles.

I love the crunchiness of the cacao,

the dense luscious creaminess.

They are so satisfying too,

not that I didn't want to eat them all right then,

but that I don't need to.

A great dessert should always leave you content,

and I feel happy. Truly yummy Anthony!

Thank you so much for your truffles.

Definitely made with love!!!"

Ms. T from BC, Canada.

And here's another!

"Winning those truffles practically changed my life;

they certainly have been a catalyst for

so many abundant maifestations,

and likewise more yoga!

Ah, Bikram yoga!!!

Talk about life changing chocolate!

Absolutely incredible, I just ate the Last ONE!

YUM, they don't melt in your mouth,

YOU melt while they are in your mouth!!!

Goodness Gracious!

Anyways THANK YOU very much Anthony,

I was so glad & fortunate to have won! Hooray!

So of course I had to share & spread the joy!

But I just didnt get my fill: these bad boys are out of this world!

I would like to order some more my friend..."

S from Montana, USA

I SWEAR THEY REALLY WROTE THIS.

Thats just two. When I read these I have to forward

them to my mom so she can understand what is going

on over here with all of this. Something truly special.

I suppose that you just have to take the leap sometimes.

I know I am missing out on work in NY, but at what cost?

If I was sitting on my thumbs there waiting for castings

and thinking about everything going on down in AZ

I would be going CRAZY. Youve gotta follow your heart,

and give yourself a little padding just in case.

If anyone is interested, please email me and we will

make them for you right away. Everything is made

to order and shipped out asap. Usually we ship out

early in the week so there is no weekend wait.

The price depends on how many you want to order,

so email me and check out the temp home page HERE.

Follow your bliss! Make the commitment!

Dont ever forget that Goethe quote!

The man knew what he was talking about!

-Anthony

AZ Permaculture Space of Love

SO good to see hummingbirds around.

In Portugese, the hummingbird is known as Beija Flor -

Literally "Kiss Flower". How nice is that?

I took this picture right outside the front door,

she let me get really close to her.

So Ive been planting and taking care of trees that

have already been planted. There are 12 right now.

Ill put some more pics up soon (and hopefully a vid -

damn Apple doesnt let you upload mpgs to Imovie.

Damn them!

Anyhow, I planted a BEAUTIFUL Lisbon Lemon.

She was full of blossoms when I came upon her today

and the smell was simply intoxicating.

I seriously cant think of a better smelling blossom.

So...here is the process of me planting this beauty.

Step one...have lots of fun with compost tea.

This is THE composter to get.

Loads from the top, you can spin it,

and it will drip out compost tea when it rains

or if there is excess moisture in the bin.

This stuff is golden! Keep a rock in the bin so the wind

doesnt move it around. I pour maybe 1-2 cups for a

5 gallon pail. Maybe more, but Im playing it safe.

See...thats where all that stinky goodness drips out.

Nature has a way of smelling...go figure. Good and bad.

Here is the shovel I used!

I miss my copper shovel in Minnesota,

but heck...it works!

So I wondered out to the front yard where I have the

5 gallon pail waiting for use. I fill it up in the morning

and about 12 hours later use the water so the chlorine

has evaporated off. Some say 2 hrs is enough, some

wait over a day. Since I have only one pail,

I do two cycles a day at 12 hours. Ahh..the math.

Im loving that stir stick too. Really nice to swirl

up all the goodies. I brought some spirulina

and sea salt along with me, and I always add that stuff in.

I usually like to add dairy whey to my mix as well,

but I just started a new batch today so that will

have to wait until tomorrow. Really good for

building up healthy bacteria populations in the soil.

Um....dont ask! Put a little of yourself in the mix!

The plants will love the nitrogen and if your diet is good,

think of all the fun stuff in there.

This is super weak too...1 part urine to 5 parts water is really good.

This was more like 1 to 30.

I cant believe I took a pic of myself peeing into a bucket.

Seriously though, this is a GOOD idea.

So this is the finished brew...I then stir for a little bit

and sing some songs if Im in the mood.

The water responds...im sure most of you know that by now

who read blogs like this. Water is intelligent, and if you

bring the intention of love and positive vibes to it,

I feel that its super powerful.

The blank canvas. So rocky, but rocks come in handy.

I love to build rock circles, they trap nutrients

and keep the rain from washing everything away.

And it looks good. To me at least.

Let the digging begin. So damn rocky. More rocks for the circle!

I basically pried (is that how you spell it?)

rocks out of this hole. I really wasnt digging,

I was just getting rocks out. Sandy dirt and rocks.

This is going to need allot of TLC.

Bring in the TLC. Organic composted mulch.

The guy at the nursery said 1/2 this with 1/2 native soil (sand)

is just fine. I erred on the side of caution and added in a little

more of the good stuff, and watered it down with nice nutrients.

Me starting to get the hole prepped.

Good stuff on the bottom.

And after all this talk, you finally get to see the tree.

She is big! And FULL of blossoms. Heavenly!

After popping her into the hole and filling it in,

I like to surround the larger area with a few thick inches

of the mulch. This way it will trap more moisture

and leech down into the sand, feeding the tree later on.

Ill continue to dump more of that mulch on as the weeks go by.

This is my feeble attempt at trying to lure people

into planting trees!

The power of association! Let it overtake you!

I havent modeled for a month now,

so this is me working the camera for practice.

Cant get rusty. That tree is looking happy with

all that tasty mulch around it.

With my hands, I mixed in some nice organic fertilizer.

Maybe 2 cups or so...spread all around.

There she is...sitting pretty. Im excited to see how

everything is looking in the morning.

I also happened upon a lovely yellow guava.

$30! I was ordering these online and they would

cost me $100 with all the shipping! Crazy!

The boys go crazy about planting fruit trees...you should too!

I worry that guavas are a little cold-sensitive

for the winter desert nights here,

so Im putting this one in a nice container and will

see how things pan out. The nursery guy said

that people are having success with them down here,

but it takes a little TLC to make it click well.

Moisture, warmth...but not too much.

I think the container is perfect for now.

Show your plants the love they deserve and they

will give it back to you 100 fold later on!

Treat planting as a joyous hobby,

not some lame chore. The plants will thank you!

Until next time...

Anthony

Giveaway winner for snubbr.com...and what Ive been up to

I found this at Lifethyme about a month ago...

I really hope this becomes the standard.

Less IS more!

I feel thats the same reasoning of the truffles.

Keep it simple...why 30 ingredients?

The winner of the snubbr.com raw book is Amber!

Here is her entry...totally picked randomly I promise.

"Two books have blown my mind over the last month (literally:)).

I've been struggling with a binge eating disorder/mild depression

(low motivation, self-induced isolation etc.).

I was very tempted to go on an anti-depressant

because I literally felt like I couldn't function anymore.

But because I follow a high-raw, very health diet/lifestyle,

chemical pharmaceuticals don't vibe well with me.

I started reading The Ultra-mind Connection with Dr. Mark Hyman

which is all about healing brain-related illnesses.

He gives a 6 week program to begin healing the brain.

Well I am 4 weeks in and I feel like I've had a 180 degree turn.

My motivation is back, my cognitive function is returning,

I feel like seeing my friends and I'm back on track in all of my training.

The other book I read was The Edge Effect by Dr. Eric Braverman

which teaches all about neuro-biology and the role the neurotransmitters

play in all functions throughout the body.

I learned that I am serotonin deficient even when I was at my

best and at my worst my acetylcholine levels were very depleted.

These are fairly easy things to fix with the use of all-natural

supplements and mild lifestyle changes.

For anyone struggling with depression, energy loss, eating disorders, etc, etc, etc.

I recommend reading both of these books!"

Great stuff! Im going to send your email over to Snubbr so

they can hook you up asap! Congratulations and great job with

everything you've gone thru and are working on!

The Phoenix Farmers Market was awesome!

Ive never ever been on the other side of the table

at a farmer's market, but this felt so right!

The website is up too, check it out HERE.

Its a temporary pdf and much more is coming soon.

We would set up at 7am and then just visit with people

and it all came really naturally. Not many people are going

to get rich selling at the farmer's mkt, but its great exposure and

gives decent credibility as far as the local and organic scene.

Some of the offerings at the market are really great,

but many are pretty conventional and not very innovative

as far as organics and such.

Even grass-fed needs way more exposure, but its easy to

forget the viewpoint of the mainstream when you get

neck-deep into cutting edge nutrition and organic living.

We are joining two other markets and will be doing

a culinary festival this weekend where we will be passing

out samples and saying hello to everyone.

Later that night I have a redeye flight back to NY for a two day job,

which Im honestly not that excited about!

The energy down in the Southwest is just so good and

um...it was 70F and sunny today. I have planted new trees

and am giving lots of TLC to the other 8 fruit trees that have

been planted in the past few years. More pics to come!!

Ok Im out the door and have to roll 100 truffles tonight

so Im going to wrap this up. Ill be posting about the desert

permaculture project I am lucky enough to be working on and

sharing lots of pictures. Such a joy to be working with trees so early

in the season...6-8 weeks in MN before people get outside and in the garden.

A

Wild Food in the Desert

Note: These little yellow jewels were NOT good.

My mouth watered for days when I would see them around

and when I finally went out on my own and looked for them

and found them, I was really let down. Maybe they werent ready?

I LOVE wild food foraging. Its probably one of the better

hobbies a modern human could have right now.

Unfortunately, in the northern US there is no wild edibles

coming around for a few months. I could probably tap

some birch and maples for sap, or look for some over-wintering

berry shrubs, but otherwise the prospects are bleak.

Luckily Im down in the US Southwest and things are popping

like crazy. I see citrus trees ALL OVER and even lots of prickly

pear cactus. Everything is flowering now so hopefully soon

I can try some other cacti fruits. Patience!!

This was all I found after about an hour of walking

around the neighborhood though, but again this was a few

weeks ago and whats funny is that when you drive around

you see some prickly pears LOADED with these plump

little morsels, and others are completely barren. Who knows?

Remember to get those spines off too.

I had one stuck in my throat last time and good lord

was that ever a bad time. Eventually it came out though.

Going back to the citrus...its everywhere.

I know its not wild, but it is foraging at least.

Whats sad is that allot of it is these things called

Sour Oranges or Mock Oranges. They taste like lemons.

Whats the deal? Do they grow better? Why would someone

plant a citrus tree that really didnt taste optimal?

They are good for juicing and making marmalade though.

Ive been eating lots more citrus lately.

My egg creams have taken a little break.

Im still doing the kefir with berries, but lately

Ive been having 3-4 tangelos or grapefruits a day which

is a nice change of pace for me...it IS much warmer here.

Maybe the idea of dietary TENDENCIES is better

than the whole "I am a vegetarian or an omnivore or a vegan"

all the time. I love the "flexitarian" ethos...

not clinging necessarily to simply one mode of eating and

embracing the change that always seems to comes our way.

And a little room to wiggle is never a bad thing.

We do have to go out to eat sometimes with "regular" folks.

But if you have the chance to include more wild foods

onto your plate I highly suggest doing so.

There is nothing fresher and stronger than those foods.

When I go into whole foods and look around at the produce

aisle I see lots and lots of domestication...

foods that need total coddling from humans to make it.

That food is healthy of course, but when we are talking

about true life-force and resilience, wild food is clearly the winner.

Sidenote - Rawstrength mailed me some wintergreen berries

that she recently picked and it was my first time eating them.

WOW do they ever taste like wintergreen chewing gum.

If you find yourself in an area with wintergreen growing

(think poor acidic soils and lots of pine trees)

definitely look around for those little red gumdrops.

I just mailed out the truffles to the winners today

so hopefully they will be there by the end of the week!

An we have another giveaway coming soon!

Anthony