July Macrobiotic Newsletter

In this issue:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Box o? Bull
Positive Solutions
Upcoming Cooking Classes
Update about the Macrobiotic Dinners
Leslie?s Services and Testimonials
People You Should Know About
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<<ALERT: OCA LAUNCHES KELLOGG'S BOYCOTT
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUGAR TO HIT SUPERMARKET SHELVES THIS YEAR>>

The Organic Consumers Association's (OCA) and allies are calling for a boycott of all Kellogg's products after Kellogg's refuses to source only GE-Free Sugar. Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Genetically Engineered Sugar is due to hit stores this year, exposing millions of consumers to untested and unlabeled "Franken Foods" that threaten human heath, the environment and farmers' rights everywhere.

Take Action-Join the Boycott! http://organicconsumers.org/kelloggs.cfm

Sign OCA's Petition to Kellogg's http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1300
Make a Free Call to Kellogg's and let them know how you feel http://organicconsumers.org/ge/CallKelloggs.htm
Send a Letter to the Editor of you Local Newspapers about the Boycott http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/letter/?letter_KEY=1009


<<SUSTAINABILITY NEWS OF THE WEEK:
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS-- FROM PANIC TO ORGANIC>>

While consumers struggle to fuel their cars and put food on the table, oil companies (like ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips) and seed companies (like Monsanto, Cargill and ADM) are raking in record profits. In a fiery essay posted on the Common Dreams website and circulated widely on the internet, The Organic Consumers Association's National Director, Ronnie Cummins, shows how the food, climate and energy crisis are connected and how the time for positive change is now:

"Fortunately, there are hopeful signs that we can move beyond crisis to positive solutions. Connecting the dots in our food-climate-energy crisis, millions of green consumers are voting with their dollars for foods and products that are healthy, locally produced, energy efficient, and eco-friendly. A growing number of politicians, mainly at local and state levels, are also waking up. Organic food and farmers markets are booming. Chemical-free lawns and gardens, green buildings, solar panels, wind generators, "buy local" networks, and bike paths are sprouting. A critical mass of organic-minded Americans are waking up to the fact that we must green the economy, drastically reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas pollution, re-stabilize the climate, and heal ourselves, before it's too late."

Read the full essay here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12893.cfm

<<UPCOMING COOKING CLASSES>>

July 11, 2008 SUPER HEALTHY SEA VEGETABLES: NEPTUNE?S GARDEN

Why would anyone ever want to eat seaweed?! With all the hype about super foods these days, these gems of the sea have been shamefully overlooked. Sea vegetables historically have been consumed in Asia by honored guests and royalty. Not only do they carry toxins out of the body and help fight cancer, they also are packed with the broadest range of minerals of all the foods available. In this vegan macrobiotic cooking class, Leslie, a Kushi-certified macrobiotic cooking teacher, will demonstrate how to prepare a variety of sumptuous sea vegetables. You can taste the food, take home the recipes and handouts, and have your specific questions answered individually. This class will be taught in a comfortable home, making for more specialized help with whatever goals you're trying to achieve.

? Wakame Cucumber Salad

? Sea Palm with Tahini Sauce

? Fresh Spring Rolls with Nori

? Watermelon Kanten

6:00 to 8:00 pm, Please contact Leslie to register for this class and for directions to the Kaimuki location. $[masked]

July 12th, 2008 COFFEE SHOP SWEETS

Love going to the caf? with friends for cookies, scones, cakes, or biscotti, but want something without sugar or other refined ingredients? Do you want to learn some new and healthy recipes to WOW friends and family? In this class you will learn several delicious recipes for irresistible vegan treats that are made with wholesome unrefined ingredients.

Decadent Chocolate Cake (You won?t believe it?s vegan!)
Spice Cookies (Warning: These are VERY ADDICTIVE!)
Refreshing Berry Kanten (To cool us off on hot summer days)

Kapiolani Community College, Ohia 109/112, 1:00 to 5:00 pm, $50, To enroll, please call[masked].

October 18, 2008 BE SEXY AND SUSTAINABLE

Leslie will teach you how the environment is affected by the foods that you eat and how you can "be green" by having a healthy diet. You will also learn that what's great for Mother Earth at the same time will help you look and feel better than you ever imagined with clearer skin, more energy, better digestion, and a healthy weight. Some of the recipes you'll learn include tempeh spring rolls with peanut sauce and kabocha salad.

Kapiolani Community College, Ohia 109/112, 1:00 to 5:00 pm, $50, To enroll, please call[masked].

November 15, 2008 FRESH FROM THE FARMER?S MARKET

The amazing array of fruits and vegetables you buy at the Farmer's Market are the freshest, most nutritious, and tastiest available, whereas most food found in grocery stores is highly processed. Reconnect with your health, the earth, the weather, and the turning of the year through learning how to cook with foods purchased locally. Enjoy recipes such as hearty autumn stew and holiday sweet potatoes with mapled pecans.

Kapiolani Community College, Ohia 109/112, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, $50, To enroll, please call[masked].

All recipes taught are 100% vegan

Leslie Ashburn * Macrobiotic Cooking Teacher and Personal Chef * [address removed] * www.macrobiotichawaii.bravehost.com *[masked]

<<UPDATE ABOUT THE MACROBIOTIC DINNERS>>

Just to let everyone know, the Church of the Crossroads is going through another renovation process which limits our access to the kitchen. Specifically, the Early School (normally situated next door) is moving into Weaver Hall where the kitchen is located. They have priority access there until 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Since Kathy and I often start cooking at 1 pm, we have to change our game plan until their renovations have been completed. We?ll be switching the dinners to SATURDAY nights temporarily until further notice.

Since all of this information came suddenly, and the church schedule is very booked up, we cannot get any July dates. We?re scheduling the next dinner in August (most likely August 30th). We?ll keep everyone posted.

<<LESLIE?S SERVICES AND TESTIMONIALS>>

Everyone deserves great abundance, energy, health, happiness, and well-being, and one of the easiest ways to bring more of this into your life is through the healing power of whole foods.

Leslie Ashburn has been a passionately dedicated vegan macrobiotic personal chef and cooking teacher for the past 5 years and in the food service business for over 20 years. She cooks for weddings; busy professionals such as artists, lawyers, and doctors; tourists; people dealing with significant illnesses such as cancer; surfers; small groups of people; dinner parties and special events; massage students; families; on boats; the Honolulu community at large through her bi-monthly dinners; healing seminars with the local living treasure Dr. Terry Shintani; and more.

Leslie's style of cooking, along with her customers, is colorful, diverse, dynamic, creative, and sophisticated.

She can help you eat right in the comfort of your own home, and if you want to be a better cook, she can teach you how. She'll help you create menu plans, unclutter your kitchen and your life, navigate the health food store, and trouble shoot anything you're facing as an obstacle to achieving greater health and happiness.

You'll enjoy a variety of foods you probably always wondered how to cook, vibrant local organic produce straight from the farm to your kitchen, as well as the benefits of eating a whole foods diet, including better sleep, stable moods, more energy, improved concentration and mental focus, less PMS, fewer cravings, and the alleviation of many other troublesome physical symptoms.

Testimonials:

?Leslie is an amazing person and an amazing chef. Everything she prepares is infused with her passion and her heart, and because of that, her food is created at a level beyond the ordinary, making it truly extraordinary.

In learning from her through classes, as well as eating her delicious food consistently over the years, I have embraced a new consciousness about macrobiotic food. I feel nourished, alive and balanced after one of Leslie's meals. She is always working with a smile on her face and in her heart and her food takes on that very same quality. I smile after each meal that she prepares for me, as I know it is such a treat for my body, mind and spirit.

In addition, Leslie is conscious, connected, inspiring and confident in who she is which brings forth that very same energy into my life through her food. Anytime I know I can partake of a macrobiotic meal that is prepared by Leslie, I will never miss that opportunity. She is that awesome.? Alice Inoue, Astrologer and Feng Shui Expert

?Four years ago, I made the time for macrobiotics to achieve a better state of health for myself and went on this journey where I met Leslie. I took a few classes from her and learned how the macrobiotic diet can be more than the basic foods that I was exposed to in the '80s. The food was very tasty and varied. The kabocha salad is one of my all time favorites!! I appreciate Leslie?s variety of recipes as well as her expertise in cooking. She has such a positive energy and always is reliable and dependable in helping me to be healthy eating the macro way. I have had her cook for me at least a couple of times a month and have participated in her twice a month dinners. If you are looking for a healthier lifestyle, then macrobiotics is the way to go and Leslie can help you get there through her cooking. Happy Eating!!!!? AS

?I wanted to let you know I planned a little dinner party for my husband?s birthday celebration last night and all the dishes were very very yummy. The sweet corn soup was very refreshing, the lentil / barley salad (served cold) went very well with the walnut pesto pasta. And, I made the prune cake! Turned out delicious. Thank you so much. I felt like you were right there with me in the kitchen and I was able to take my time and enjoy the shopping, cooking, preparing and dining process. I'll look forward to your next class. Thank YOU!? AM

Leslie Ashburn * Macrobiotic Cooking Teacher and Personal Chef * [address removed] * www.macrobiotichawaii.bravehost.com *[masked]

<<PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT>>

These are some of the people I wholeheartedly feel great about giving my money to:

Alice Inoue (read the Midweek article about her upcoming presentation)

http://www.astrology-fengshui.com/

http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/newsmaker_article/alice_inoue/

Ma?o Organic Farms www.maoorganicfarms.org

Check out the recent KGMG9 shows about them at:

6/17/08 http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/7357/173/
6/18/08 http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/7395/173/

Manoa Yoga with Shelley and Ray

www.manoayoga.com

I hope everyone's having a fabulous summer so far!