Raw Vegan Cashew and Moringa cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours)
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp moringa powder
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• Pink Himalayan salt to taste

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The cacao bean

The precious cacao is contained in a hard shell, which when roasted opens easily and unveils the cacao bean. We are growing now the young trees from the seeds in our Jiwa Damai Garden.

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Cacao research

At Jiwa Damai we produce useful research and we share it with the community. The following article is meant as a support for those who wish to learn about cacao, the black pod disease and methods how to deal with it. This article contains a short overview to the  history and the ecology of the cacao, a summary of the cacao plantation in Jiwa Damai and a description of the black pod disease. The article was the work of our volunteer, Cedric Ricci, under the supervision of Dr. Margret Rueffler.

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Cacao & Berry Power Smoothie

Sometimes the tastiest recipes are the easiest ones to make. This month we recommend you a Cacao & Berry Power Smoothie!

You just need:

2 table spoons raw cacao nibs
1 peeled banana
1 tablespoon goji berries
½ cup of frozen or raw raspberries
1 cup coconut milk or nut milk
Handful of ice

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Living with gratitude and apprecition

Our founder and caretaker of Jiwa Damai agro-permaculture and retreat center and the Lagu Damai Bali Foundation, Margret Rueffler discovered the art of permaculture 9 years ago. A transpersonal psychologist and therapist, as well as an acupuncturist, it seemed a very organic move to expand from learning to love one’s Self, to uncover the deep love for the earth as a living being.

Permaculture is a wonderful way to ground this deep love for the earth through a hands on approach, coming from the heart, touching the soil, plants and aligning with nature. It offers an intelligent approach to live the values of gratitude, apprecition on a daily basis. Its intelligent design incorporates the expansion from the personal growth to the landscape, buildings, communities as well.

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The Health benefits of cacao

Cacao beans are seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree, a small evergreen tree grown in Mexico and South America. Cacao beans are roasted and ground to produce cocoa and, after further processing, are the basis of chocolate. When the beans are dried at low temperature, however, they are called raw cacao beans, which can be consumed whole, broken into pieces called nibs or ground to produce raw cocoa powder. Cacao beans are rich in natural antioxidant compounds with many health benefits.

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North Bali Vineyards

Growing grapes in Bali has started at the beginning of the 20th Century but it is only a few decades ago, after multiple trials and errors, survival to parasites and other vine diseases, that the grapes were grown with satisfaction on a commercial scale and found in markets all over the archipelago. The final choice was a black table grape variety of French origin called ‘Alphonse Lavallée’.

The vines in North Bali’s vineyards are trained into an overhead trellis called Pergola, where the posts consist of small trees, which are regularly pruned. Besides keeping the workers cool, the pergola system reduces the risk of diseases and sunburn on the grapes, all contributing to a better fruit quality.

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Unique Bali Grapes

In our land in the hills of Bali, at Awan Damai, in Gunung Sari, we began to plant local Balinese grapes. about 500 pieces. The area is about 700 m in altitude and exposed to the North of the island.

However, since we are only a few degrees below the equator, the sun comes straight overhead and thegrapes are exposed to the tropical sunshine. At the moment we are feeding some of the vines with EM, effective micro organisms and the others are being left without. We wish to see if the nutrients and bacteria in the EM does make a difference in growth.

Our grapes are surrounded by miles and miles of clove trees which are harvested in September and dried. 

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Volunteering at Jiwa Damai

We are very grateful for the work of our volunteers at Jiwa Damai, in Bali. We appreciate their help and we hope that they also enjoy the beauty and the peace of our place. Here are the thoughts of Zane Leadley on the volunteer program. 

“I was a volunteer at Jiwa Damai for two months from September – October 2015. Jiwa Damai is a special place that fosters learning, creativity, and inner growth. In addition to working in the garden, teaching English, and promoting Jiwa Damai’s internships, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on my own aquaponics project. I am very grateful for the opportunity. The food is delicious, the people are fantastic and the place is idyllic.”

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Grapes and Health

Grapes are a natural source of beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols. Current research suggests that grapes may help maintain a healthy heart, and may also help to defend your cells against a number of age-related illnesses. Scientists are also working to uncover more links between grapes and eye health, brain health, joint health, and more. At just 90 calories per 3/4 cup serving, grapes are a sensible, delicious snack with no fat or cholesterol

According to research from the University of Connecticut, funded by the California Table Grape Commission, eating grapes may help protect heart health in men with metabolic syndrome. In the study, men with metabolic syndrome who consumed grapes lowered their key risk factors for heart disease.

 

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