IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

OK, OK...so it's been a year since I have posted to this blog...hey, we've been a little busy!! Closing and reopening an establishment is a time consuming task.

HOWEVER.....WE OFFICIALLY RE-OPENED ON OCT 31ST!!!.... The new place is even better than the old...we have

AN OPEN KITCHEN with counter seating, WELLNESS WORKSHOPS and TWO ROOMS FOR MASSAGE AND FACIALS.

WE EVEN HAVE AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE, CHECK IT OUT.... http://www.almondblossomwellness.com/

If you wanna post a comment for us, check out our FEEDBACK & MORE PG.

Just got thru with a 3 Day Whole-E Health Workshop...was such a wonderful experience! It so nice to walk away knowing you have helped people overcome issues they have been dealing with and they leave with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts!! GOD IS AWESOME!!

OUR REGULAR SERIES OF CLASSES WILL BEGIN ON JAN 5TH, 6TH & 7TH. AND RUN EVERY TWO WEEKS.... CHECK OUT OUR WELLNESS PG (on the website) FOR THE DETAILS...

AIN'T NOTHIN' LIKE A RAW CAKE!!

mmmm... they actually taste better than they look, if that's possible. The blue one was a custom order wedding cake and the red/pink was for a photo shoot..yep, guess we are actually going to be featured in some local publications soon! We will keep ya posted on those as they release.

CHRISTMAS IS THE SEASON

Hey, check out the awesome Christmas display we put up in Veteran's park in Flagler Beach! We wanted to do something a bit nontraditional to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I think we achieved that, eh? It really looks great at night. I must give lots of thanks to Bruce Jonas aka DasKongas and his sculpting talents with creating the wall, the stones and the God hands! He does custom work, for those that are interested....fountains and the like.

GRAND OPENING, NOV 17TH

WHAT A DAY! From 10:30 am till 10 pm we where hooking it up!! Thanks for all who attended and make it a success. Here are a few memories from the day. Look forward to many more fun times such as this...

Well, as much as we love green grass (the wheat variety) my personal roots are in BLUEgrass music. That's why I was diggin' on the sounds of these guys...the ALMOND BLOSSOM RAMBLERS...har. They were a pickin' and I was a grin'n. Definitely want to get them back again!

ART THERAPY? Sure...art is a great stress reliever and soo much fun! God has blessed me with a creative gift and being an artist myself, I was so happy to have my bud Veronica offer her talents as well. She is a great instructor and such a good soul. We were so blessed she could be there to inspire other "inner artists". Look for more art related events in the future!

ps....HI KELLY AND NANCY...

HUH? That's my baby...I love him but he really could use a new set of ears! However you can always count on David for a dose of "healthy conversation."Check out the wonderful ladies with him...even though they are not of the raw food world, they didn't seem to have any problem getting it down! LOL! Right, Michelle and Ann?!

And of course, ABC would not be complete without our own MISS CAROL BROWN! Hey...what's she doing out of the kitchen!?$%

This woman is an amazing person with one of the biggest hearts you will find. Plus, she is tops with the raw desserts...Meister Kondiotor...is that what it's called? She certainly has a way of keeping things interesting around here!

And here's our other resident Carol...she calls herself "Just Carol" but she's hardly that...if it wasn't for this woman, I would lose my mind! She is a blessing to this place as our General Manager and one of the main backbones that I lean on when I think I can no longer stand! Thanks honey!!

Yep, There's a bit of sweet-talkin' going on here....umm, with the dessert, I mean. For those that don't know...that's me(Kim) in the dress... (don't think Jesse wears them....we let Robert take that position..oops!). Anyway, Jesse (in the chef jacket) is also another amazing individual who has been with David and I before we even signed the lease on the place. He has helped us build this out, paint, lay tile, drywall and...etc, etc. Plus, he has been my personal advisor in the kitchen as far as getting and keeping this venture on track. Maybe one day we will get him to over full-time with us and we will be a total raw convert. But, I know he likes to fish...so it might take some time...LOL!

Were the madness begins....the hub of it all...the laboratory.... THE KITCHEN!! WOW, LOOK MA, NO STOVE!! But...lots of dehydrators!! Btw, that Robert...ya, know from the last comment...and in the far back you can catch a glimpse of Andrew...our faithful kitchen slave! We only let him out at nights to eat the lasagna.

IS YOUR MOUTH WATERING YET??

STUFFED AVOCADO CURRY



Just thought I would temp ya with a sampling of our goodies. What do you think of the pics?? I like the Avocado shot the best...it's definitely the money shot.



This avo has a curry spicy/sweet flavor and is stuffed with sprouted lentils (yes, we sprout our own), diced grape tomatoes, and diced green onions!

MOLE' TACOS

Our tacos are one of our best sellers. I once had a meat-eating Hispanic guy ask me if they had chorizo sausage in them. I laughed and said, "No dude, your eating ground nuts!" He was quite surprised.



PS...we make the crackers too...and the salsa..and the butternut "rice" and beans.

ABC SUSHI

AH-SO! Jesse, our awesome blossom sushi chef gave us a sushi 101 class and now we have some pretty tasty rolls going on...minus the fish, of course. However, we do throw in some marinated portabellas or eggplant here and there!

PORTABELLA MEATLOAF DINNER

WOW! Looks like the real thing, huh? Quite frankly, I like it better (but I might be a little partial, eh??) This one has the mushrooms, ground nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh rosemary...plus much more!! MMMM... The veggie sides switch out daily depending on the what we have going on.

SUPER-RICH FUDGE W/ COCONUT CREME'

You know those commercials that claim to have guilt-free desserts??... Have you ever stopped to read the ingredients!! Well, rest assured ours are totally guilt-free and actually healthy for you!! This fudge is the BOMB-DIGGIDY!! and rivals any fudge out there on the market. And best of all, its made with our own almond nut butter, carob and agave nectar....oooh, I'm drooling just thinking about it!!

OCTOBER RAW FOOD POTLUCK

Wow! We had such a great turn out! Had around 40 raw foodies attend and the spread....well, just see for yourself by the picture below! For those of you who have not attended, you don't know what you are missing...the food is great, the company is engaging and the atmosphere, well... let's just say I'm quite proud of my digs!!

Hope to see you at one of our future Raw potlucks...they are held the last Sunday of every month. You can call us for more details. If you don't know what to bring you can check out many raw food sites like www.hacres.com or www.freshandalive.com .

GIVING THANKS

Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who joined us in the fundraising effort for our friends in Peru. Because of your participation, we were able to raise $600 towards the Earthquake relief effort!! Blessings to our FATHER and to you!

A FULL HOUSE GETS IT EVERY TIME...

As you can see, we had no problem filling the place...and judging by the way the plates came back empty, it seems like we should be having more of these type of events!!...

PS...NOtice the writing on the wall...now, you know where the inspiration for the ALMOND BLOSSOM came from.

THANKS FOR THE DEDICATION

Our lovely pastors...Rod and Valerie Palmer discussing thier first RAW EXPERIENCE!! lol

AND THEY ALL CROWED IN...

Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves... even the Jazz guitarist, John Allison in the corner is a hit!

FIRST COURSE...

Sprout Salad... What a healthy way to start the day!... And just who would that be servin' em' up??.... Why none other than MISS CAROL BROWN!!... psssst, wait till u taste the creamy basil dressing!!

ABC = SUCCESS!

THE CALM BEFORE THE SWARM...

WoW!!... The fundraiser turned out to be a HUGE success for us! Not bad for first time out the gate!! Here's a peek of the ABC (ALMOND BLOSSOM CAFE) ready and waiting for the crowd to gather. Notice all the lovely volunteers in the background??

SOOO....Ya Think It's All Fun and Games, eh??

Well...isn't THAT pretty?!... this is the current status of the Almond Blossom kitchen wash area and office. The hole with all the dirt will soon (hopefully) house a mop sink and a mechanical dishwasher. The other room with all the madness will one day sport an office...as u can see we STILL have a ways to go! However....we are learning LOADS about patience with this venture.

ALMOND BLOSSOM-FRONT

Here's one section of seating. Just think, before too long those chairs will be filled with bodies enjoying tasty treats!! Yes?

ALMOND BLOSSOM- BAR

Kim's handi-work paint job and stone wall...

Do ya like?...I do!

ALMOND BLOSSOM- BATHROOMS

Metallics on the wall, and even a painted toilet....they are so boring, eh?

Raw Wedding Cake

This is a chocolate/cherry/coconut cream cake I made for my daughter and son-in-law's wedding reception! It was great!

Almond Blossom SNEAK PEEK

Well, we are getting closer! Finally starting to look like something. Still got the kitchen area to go but hopefully that will be getting underway next week!

Quite a Load You Got There, Mister...

The IKEA score...just always remember to not to overload your trailer so that your back bumper won't be pulled down...hmmm, how would we know that?

Power Shopping...Tip #6

IKEA...NEED I SAY MORE! WOW! TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF! The place is amazing but after spending 91/2 HOURS shopping for ALMOND BLOSSOM, we were spent... and so was our wallets!!

BTW, see how sweet and paitent David was to hang with me AND hold my purse!

Become Certifiable....Tip#5

This was Hallejuiah Acres, showing off our certifications as "Health Ministers". Great Experience. We encourage everyone to check it out!

The Sign Says it All...

AMEN!

Get in Touch w/ Your Spirituality....Tip#4

This place is called FIELD OF THE WOODS outside of Murphy, NC. An amazing place to spend some time with our Creator. It was built in the 40's! The writing on the hillside is the 10 Commandments made from cement. The line up the center is 309 steps, which we walked up!

Nothing Like the Great Outdoors....Tip#3

The Tennesse hills are always a nice place to get away from the madness of the rest of the world!..Although I'm not sure if the country folk around there quite knew what to make of Kim!

DE-FEETED

Even on the road we are subjected to "de-feet" by corporate America! har, har...

Dine&Drive...Tip #2

Those Navy Seals sure know how to multi-task. Eating salad at 75pmh is no easy feat!

Raw Road Food ....just say cheese (and crackers), Tip #1

We are definitely die-hards, eh? We brought along THREE coolers of food and our beloved Blend-Tec blender to make green smoothies, goji milk and nut milks..mmm. Yep, we love the healthy life (some might even call us excessive??...naah) Hey, at least u don't' have to worry about feeding us when we come to visit...WE FEED U...LOL!

The picture is the soon to be famous Kim's Cheez and crackers...IT'S SOO AWESOME AND does not contain any dairy...this here is made from young coconut meat!

Healthy Road Trip Tips

Our Trip to Tennesse and North Carolina (to attend the Hallelujiah Acres Health Ministry Training Certification) was a very positive experience! Had a little R&R, saw some old friends, met some new ones, learn some new information and ate quite well (i.e. healthy) considering the situation. So thought we'd share some of our highlights and trip tips for those wanting to stay raw on the road!!

Plan Reviews, Equipment and MORE EQUIPMENT

Hotels and Resturant inspections aren't fun! First there's the plan review...which requires a whole list of items, including a scaled floor plan, surveys, a sample menu (which is killer, btw) etc, etc....BUT, I think i got it, just hope i haven't forgotten something...

BOY, sooo much to buy!! I must say I have been getting some great deals thru ebay!! Found our commercial dishwasher (that thing is kewl, btw...got to use one today at a Catholic Church...it was kinda even fun!...HA, i must be made for this biz if i like washing dishes, eh?) and big three-compartment sink...we we're really blessed on meet our new friend LES, who sold us some of his used equipment in Daytona! got a freezer, small cooler, racks, shelving, tables, etc. Both ours and my mom's garages are loaded with STUFF.

Got David to agree to building me a center island...his honey-do list gets bigger everyday...LOL!!

But it's all good. We are heading to Hallelujah Acres this weekend to take their certification course. Will really enjoy checkout their facility and program and meeting like minded Believers. I'm treating this as a mini-vaca (except for the stop in Atlanta to the IKEA store to buy MORE STUFF) cuz once we return, it's put the nose to the grindstone, arrggh.

We Signz Ze Papas, YIKES!

YEP! The lease is signed and and we will be getting the building on July 1st! Dang! Got two months to get this thing going to be open by September! I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Keep us in your prayers that we will not have any obstacles and open on time!!

Shopping is Soo Much Fun!!

This is the part I like... started picking up a few decor items and serving type stuff... wish this is ALL I had to do!! Btw, found a great plumber it's not gonna be cheap, but at least it's do-a-ble...YAY!

Stay Tuned for next week's adventure of "IT'S TIME TO DO THE PAPERWORK AND PREPARE THE BUSINESS PLAN, AND MAKE THE PHONE CALLS FOR PERMITS, LICENSE'S, DRAFT UP A FLOOR PLAN... ETC, ETC"

Permit This...Paper Work That... Plumbing Fun..$#@%

NOT...my favorite part of all this beginning stuff...anyone want a job as my assistant? lol... The city requires so much stuff, which I was aware of but what I wasn't aware of is that I might have to hire a "Design Planner"..aka Architect to over see the building process since this place is going from a retail space to an eatery. I certainly don't want to have to pay through the nose for that!! I have started several businesses before and done it all myself... I'm praying that the woman at City Hall is incorrect.

Then there is this plumbing issue... do we really need water anyway??...Cant' we just bring in some buckets and work out of those and get a couple port-o-potties for the patrons...LOL! Don't worry peeps... will get all the bugs worked out, just promise me you won't flush the toilet while we are doing dishes... (don't mind me, I'm like this often).

Road Trip

The boys (David and Mike) headed up to Toccoa, GA to pick a large glass door cooler unit I bought off ebay....hmmm, Mike seems a bit unsure for some reason. As it turns out, guess he did most of the driving!!

It was a 7 hour dirve for them and they picked up a trailer we rented to haul that big sucker back here. Still wonder how we are gonna store it in the garage with all the rest of our madness, until we can get in the building.

And So It Begins...

Ok...so after much prayer and thought we have decided to move forward with opening up a Wellness Learning Center here in Flagler Beach. The plans are to have a vegan/mostly raw cafe and classroom/work space for art therapy/lessons and other natural healing modalities. The space is gonna have a contemporary atmosphere and a great outdoor back space for eating/hanging for music or other gatherings.

It's a huge undertaking and there's lots of work to be done to get us going but we feel lead in this direction to offer a place of this nature to educate people about the healthy benefits of leading a natural/spiritual based lifestyle based on the teachings of Hallelujah Acres and the like.

We are shooting for an opening date of late August/early September and look forward to seeing you there. Please keep us in your prayers to give us energy and diligence in completing our tasks.

I'll be keeping you abreast of the progress as it transpires...and maybe even use this as a bit of a sounding board in case there are any snags we hit... LOL! THAT IS NOT THE GOING TO HAPPEN...RIGHT?

For those that know the area (or not)...here's a "BEFORE" pix of the future home of WHOLE-E HEALTH LIFESTYLES WELLNESS CENTER....featuring THE ALMOND BLOSSOM CAFE'. Hope to see you all there!