By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
During the summer in Arizona, our local farmers work very hard to grow beautiful produce for us in our 100+ degree weather, so I love to create beautiful dishes with it.
Earlier this week while I was chatting with a friend who reminded me that there are often “behind-the-scenes” steps in creating a beautifully plated dish. So with this Summer dish, I’m sharing with you the full steps from the vision of the dish to the final plate.
I hope you enjoy this “food art” lesson.
Step 1: Stop by the farm and farmers markets to see what’s in season.This was especially important to me the last few weeks, as I was traveling in the Boston area, Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Barbados, so I lost track of what would be growing seasonally in Arizona.
My first stop was The Farm at South Mountain, where Farm Operations Manager, Billy Anthony is growing hundreds of pounds of beautiful heirloom tomatoes.
The Farm at South Mountain: Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes
My next stop was the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, where I often shop and lead cooking demos. I was happy to see that the farmers were growing some of my summer favorites. Thanks Blue Sky Organic Farms for the collard greens and leeks; and thanks to Maya’s Farm for the rainbow carrots.
Step 2: Pause and enjoy the beautiful produce from our farmers. Begin to visualize the creation of a beautiful dish. With intuitive cooking, once we learn cooking techniques and practice with recipes, we can intuitively create beautiful, tasty meals.
Step 3: Pause again and choose a few different types of produce with different colors and textures.
Step 4: Cut the veggies and fruit in different shapes.
Step 5: Pause, yet again, and intuitively notice if any of the produce “fits” together. Today, for me, it was a simple avocado salsa (or guacamole) with the tomatoes, avocado, colorful carrots, lemon, and sea salt. And, the fresh peaches and butterscotch melon with a squeeze of lemon seemed to go together nicely.
Avocado Salsa
Peaches & Melon
Step 6: Arrange all of the ingredients and components (the Avocado Salsa, Peaches & Melon) in a plating “mise en place.” That is, all ingredients mindfully organized to be ready for plating.
Step 7: Looking at the plating “mise en place” begin to visualize how the plate will look. Then, sketch out the plating of the dish, using colored pencils or markers. In the sketch include where the different foods will go onto the plate and the order to plate them.
I’ve been mindfully plating for a few years now, and this process does take practice. Once we get into our own rhythm of sketching our dishes and plating, it becomes fluid and fun. Key is to practice, practice, practice.
Step 8: Mindfully plate the food, following your plating sketch. Know that this phase is also part of the food art process, so if your plate does not look exactly like your sketch, no worries at all. Enjoy it!
All set to plate.
Step 9: Finally, mindfully enjoy eating your plate.
Of course, first pause and enjoy your “food art”.
Enjoy…
We are only two months away from our Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat in Sedona, Arizona September 13-16, 2019.Along with plant-based culinary skills we will also focus on mindfully plating and creating our own style of “food art”.
Please feel free to call (602.615.2486) or e-mail if you’d like to chat about the retreat and take a look at the information about the retreat on ExperienceNutrition.com/sedona-retreats
Top 11 Reasons to Go on a Plant-Based Cooking Retreat
by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition Group, LLC in Phoenix, Arizona, Award-winning Cookbook Author, and Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert
If you’re still curious…
During our Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Fall 2019 Retreat, September 13-16, you’ll experience several days of hands-on, simple plant-based cooking, mindfulness in the kitchen and eating. We’ll enjoy a farm-to-table cooking experience at a local urban farm. You’ll experience self-care with hiking and yoga in the beauty of Sedona.
In the memorable life-changing retreat, our intention is for you to enjoy the cooking and self-care experiences during the retreat and then most importantly take home the experiences and plant-based cooking learning from the retreat to make positive lifestyle changes in your lives.
LEARN TO COOK SIMPLE, BEAUTIFUL PLANT-BASED MEALS
Have fun with hands-on interactive cooking with Plant-Based Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. With hands-on interactive cooking you’ll learn culinary techniques to prepare a variety of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
ONE: Learn How to Prepare Simple Delicious Healthy Breakfasts
Learn the basic culinary techniques to prepare plant-based breakfast options and when you return home intuitively create your own breakfasts with your favorite whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Whole Grains (gluten-free)
Quick, easy, and tasty nut and seed milk
Superfood Smoothies
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
TWO: Learn to Cook a Variety of Plant-Based Lunches
For lunch, our focus is preparing beautiful, tasty raw salads, raw taco, and cold soup.
Raw Massaged Kale Salad with fruit, berries, nuts, and seeds. 3-ingredient salad dressing.
Avocado Tartare with fresh veggies
Raw Almond Walnut Taco with Quick Pickled Veggies
Cold Veggie Soup
Raw Dehydrated Crackers
THREE: Learn how to prepare tasty, healthy plant-based Appetizers, Meals, and Dessert for Plant-Based Dinners
For dinner, we’ll cook complete plant-based meals with delicious Mediterranean appetizers, Veggie Main Dishes, and beautiful, tasty desserts.
Mediterranean Appetizers
Hummus, Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade
Meals
Veggie Sautés (Roots & Greens)
Roasted Veggie Flatbread
Turmeric Lentil Soup
Veggie Brown Rice Pilaf
Raw Deconstructed Lasagna
Deconstructed Lasagna
Desserts
Raw Superfood Pie
Raw Cacao Berry Pie
Aromatic Apple Crisp
Raw Cacao Berry Pie
FOUR: Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Class at an Arizona Organic Farm
Enjoy a true farm-to-table experience. Tour a local organic farm with an Arizona urban farmer. Have fun cooking your dinner right at the farm with just-harvested produce from the farm and local farmers markets. Enjoy your culinary creations in the beauty of the farm.
Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition. Getting set for a farm-to-table cooking experience.
FIVE: Enjoy an afternoon Snack at a Local Sedona Plant-Based Restaurant
After hiking in Sedona, we’ll stop by a popular organic vegetarian Sedona restaurant to enjoy their delicious plant-based creations and chocolate treats.
MINDFUL COOKING & EATING
SIX: Practice Mindfulness while Cooking, Plating, and Eating
During the retreat, we’ll focus on mindfulness and being present throughout the cooking process. We’ll practice mindfulness while cooking our meals, beautifully plating our food, and enjoying our meals together.
Mindful Cooking. During the retreat, we will focus on mindfulness and being present while cooking, as part of the cooking process and a form of self-care. We will:
Mindfully choose the ingredients (beautiful veggies) and herbs and spices for our dishes.
Mindfully chop our food. (Learn basic knife skills).
Enjoy the beauty, the colors, the textures, the shapes, and the aromatherapy of our food.
Mindfully set up our mise en place. That is, get all of our ingredients in place before we start cooking for mindfulness and organization.
Learn to plate your foods beautifully. Since we eat with our eyes first, you will learn skills to plate foods beautifully. You’ll learn fundamental principles in the art of plating. You’ll have the opportunity to practice plating skills every time we cook and begin to develop your own plating style. We’ll use edible garnishes, herbs, and flowers in our plating to elevate the eye-appeal of our meals.
Mindful Eating.We’ll mindfully enjoy our meals in the beautiful Sedona environment with our retreat community. We’ll enjoy meals in the beauty of the retreat house and in the beauty of the Sedona Red Rocks. We’ll pause, slow down, and really enjoy the beauty and flavors of the food we prepare.
SELF CARE IN THE MAGIC OF SEDONA
SEVEN: Take time for your own self-care, relaxing in the beauty of the retreat house. Get away from day-to-day life. Retreats are the perfect place to really take time for you. Away from work, responsibilities, and technology. During your Sedona retreat, unplug and allow yourself to settle into quiet, to relax, recharge and reflect.
Relax at our Retreat House
EIGHT: Enjoy hiking and nature in beautiful, magical Sedona, Arizona. In Sedona, we can immerse ourselves in nature by hiking with the grounding red rock and expansive big sky environment which provides the perfect place to exercise and unwind. In Sedona, we’ll hike in the Vortex energy, breath in the fresh air, and enjoy the magnificent sunsets.
Cathedral Rock: Melanie Albert’s very favorite spot in Sedona.Hike at the Sedona Airport Vortex
NINE: Practice yoga on the Sedona Rocks and our private yoga studio at the retreat house. Participate in a yoga class or practice on your own for self-care, quiet, and meditation during the retreat.
Retreat House Private Yoga Studio
Enjoy One-of-A Kind Sedona Experiences
TEN: Enjoy Memorable One-of-A-Kind Sedona Experiences.Only in Sedona experiences. During the retreat, you’ll experience the Sedona magic with Spiritual Reading, and a private Kiva Ceremony.
ELEVEN: Visit Magnificent Antelope Canyon. As a special add-on to the retreat, visit one of the most magnificent spots in Arizona on our adventure day to the Antelope Canyon, one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing, photographic locations in the world. A photographer’s dream, the canyon is known for its wave-like structure and the light beams that shine directly down into the openings of the canyon, creating a supernatural appearance.
If you and your friends are interested in our Fall 2019 Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat, September 13-16, 2019 in Sedona, Arizona, please fill out the form and I’m happy to share more and answer your questions. – Melanie Albert
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I was so excited to intuitively create this farm-to-table recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
This recipe is inspired by the range of roots and the fennel in the POM Rhibafarms Box. Veggie Bowls are popular and we can prepare a really quick veggie bowl with a simple roasting technique where we cook all veggies in a pan or two. Cook a whole grain and make your own tasty Veggie Bowl.
Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…
The beauty of the POM Rhibafarms Box
Closer look at the POM Rhibafarms Box
POM Rhibafarms Quick Roasted Veggie Bowl
INGREDIENTS from the POM RHIBAFARMS BOX
Rhibafarms: Carrots, rainbow radishes, broccoli, fennel, green onions, red beets
Pomegranate Café: Flaxseed Crackers
QUICK ROASTED VEGGIES
Simple Ingredients
2 red beets
1 fennel bulb
5-7 yellow carrots
3-5 green onions
5-7 broccoli florets
5-7 mini-peppers
1 purple sweet potato
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp dried spices: Your choice: Mediterranean Blend, Southwest Blend
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice all veggies into bite-sized pieces.
Place veggies into baking pan.
Place purple veggies (sweet potato, beet) into baking pan.
Place all other veggies into separate pan.
Drizzle both pans of veggies with olive oil, spices, and sea salt.
Roast for 15 minutes.
Mix veggies.
Roast for another 12 minutes.
Use veggies in veggie bowl.
Fennel Almond Brown Rice
Simple Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
2-3 fennel bulb slices
1/3 cup almonds, sliced
2 cups water
Fennel Almond Brown Rice
Simple Steps
Pour all ingredients into medium pot.
Bring to a boil.
Lower to simmer.
Cook covered for 15-20 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed.
Fennel Almond Brown Rice ready for the Veggie Bowl.
Plating: Create your Veggie Bowl
One-by-one place brown rice and veggies into bowl.
Garnish with the Pomegranate Café Flaxseed Crackers.
POM Rhibafarms Veggie Bowl
A fun video of the creation of the POM Rhibafarms Box Veggie Bowl.
A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
SPRING COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
HUMANA:March 27, 2019, April 24, 2019, May 29, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. March topic: Plant-Protein.
PHOENIX MARKET:April 13, May 11, 2019, 10:00-11:00am: Kids Cook at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Melanie shops the market and then shares beautiful ways to enjoy food with the kids.
GRANDFAMILIES PLACE: March 18, April 29, May 30, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm, Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn how to prepare simple healthy dishes, then plate and serve to their grandparents.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
POM Rhibafarms Make Your Own Veggie Tacos
I was so excited to intuitively create this week’s recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…
This week’s recipe is inspired by the Pomegrante Café’s Guacamole, Enchilada Sauce, and Corn Tortilla. Of course, tacos, with the beautiful Rhibafarms grown broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, and radishes. Mix and match tacos with flavorful roasted and crunchy raw veggies.
INGREDIENTS from the POM RHIBAFARMS BOX
Pomegranate Café: Guacamole, Enchilada Red Sauce, Corn Tortillas
Rhibafarms: Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Mookum Carrots, Icicle Radishes.
ROASTED VEGGIES with Chili Spices
Simple Ingredients
3-4 broccoli stems, sliced
5 carrots, sliced
5 radishes, sliced
¼ red cabbage, 1” slices
7 mini-sweet peppers, sliced
2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp chili spices: Your choice: Ancho chili, Smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, ground Rhibafarms’chilis, oregano
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice broccoli, carrots, and radishes into bite-sized pieces.
Grind and mix your choice of chili spices in a small bowl.
In a bowl, gently coat each veggie with olive oil, mixed spices, & a pinch of sea salt.
Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
Roast for 8 minutes.
Flip veggies.
Roast for another 8 minutes.
Use veggies as taco toppings.
PUMPKIN SEED CREAM
Simple Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds soaked in water overnight
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup water, adjust for desired creaminess.
Simple Steps
Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
One by one, heat corn tortilla in pan, turning to cook and crisp on both sides.
Plating: Create your Tacos
Plate with corn tortilla on flat surface.
Spoon sauce and pumpkin seed cream onto the top of the taco.
Add roasted veggies, guacamole, and pumpkin seed cream.
Garnish with the raw veggies.
Building the Tacos…
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The Amazing Tacos!
Seriously, I think these are my favorite tacos ever. Made with so much love and passion. Passionate Farmer Mark Rhine, Healthy Restaurant Pioneer Cassie Tolman, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author Melanie Albert. What a fun collaboration!
A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
So honored and excited to create quick, simple, delicious, farm-to-table dishes from the weekly Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with the healthy-eating, vegetarian, vegan Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and the incredible Rhibafarms and Mark Rhine in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at my favorite beauties in the POM Box…
POM Rhibafarms Box. Arizona Winter 2019
Mark Rhine, owner of Rhibafarms dried last Fall’s beautiful chili peppers for us over the last year. What a variety. Big Jim’s, Jalapeno, Habanero, Cayenne, Sweet Bell.
This week’s recipe is based on intuitively cooking almost all of my favorites in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. It started with being excited with my first fresh thyme of the year, plus the beauty of the dried peppers. You’ll see that I first created a pilaf and extended the meal to a fresh simple salad.
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019: Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!
During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.
View food differently with mindful cooking and eating.
Enjoy urban farm-to-table cooking experience.
Experience self-care with hiking and yoga.
Take home retreat experiences to be healthier & make positive long-term lifestyle changes.
During our Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Fall 2019 Retreat, you’ll experience several days of hands-on, simple plant-based cooking with organic food, mindfulness in the kitchen and eating. We’ll enjoy a farm-to-table cooking experience at a local urban farm. You’ll experience self-care with hiking and yoga in the beauty of Sedona.
In the memorable life-changing retreat, our intention is for you to enjoy the cooking and self-care experiences during the retreat and then most importantly take home the experiences and plant-based cooking learning from the retreat to make positive lifestyle changes in your lives.
Learn Simple Ways to Cook Healthy Plant-Based Organic Food
During the Sedona retreat, our key focus is simple, beautiful, healthy plant-based cooking. We’ll enjoy cooking and eating beautiful, fresh, delicious farm-to-table plant-based meals. Alongside award-winning cookbook author, Melanie Albert from Phoenix, Arizona, you’ll learn simple culinary skills for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
With interactive, hands-on cooking with local Arizona farmers organic produce, you’ll learn simple plant-based culinary techniques. We’ll focus on learning the cooking methods and guiding you to be intuitive with your cooking so you will be able to cook intuitively at home with seasonal produce grown by your local farmers.
All of the cooking is based on the anti-inflammatory way of eating, Mediterranean way of eating, and inspired by the Blue Zones, where people live the longest and healthiest lives. Learn during the retreat and feel confident to prepare the foods when you return home.
Award-Winning Cookbook Author, Melanie Albert at the Sedona Retreat House
Key Plant-Based Foods
During the retreat, you’ll learn simple plant-based culinary methods to cook key healthy plant-based foods. Our organic retreat meals feature as much local Arizona farmers food, as possible.
Roots & Greens
Whole Grains
Beans
Nuts & Seeds
Superfoods
Plant-Based Culinary Techniques
During all of the meals, you’ll learn a variety of cooking techniques to use when you return home. The culinary techniques during the retreat:
Proper steps to sauté veggies with flavor layering.
Steps to roast veggies for crispiness on the outside and a soft inside.
The process to cook flavorful veggie soups.
Simple steps to prepare whole grains perfectly every time.
Steps to create a 3-ingredient salad dressing.
Ways to create beautiful raw salads with what your local farmers are growing in season.
Steps to make raw dehydrated crackers.
Techniques to create simple raw sauces.
Plant-based dessert techniques with nuts, fruit, raw cacao, and superfoods.
Organic, Local Arizona Farmers Produce
RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS: Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreat with Award-Winning Cookbook Author, Melanie Albert
Sedona Eco-Retreat House: 3-Days and 3-nights at eco-retreat house in the beauty of Sedona, Arizona.
Noon-3:00pm Drive from Sedona to Phoenix for flights
ADD-ON TO RETREAT: ANTELOPE CANYON EXCURSION
Monday, September 16, 2019
6:00-7:00am Early Breakfast at Retreat House
7:00-8:00am Drive to Flagstaff
8:30-5:00pm Drive and Tour Antelope Canyon
5:30-7:30pm Dinner in Flagstaff
7:30pm+ Hotel in Flagstaff
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
8:00am-1:00pm Drive to Phoenix
To learn more about the retreat and to chat with retreat host, Melanie Albert, please fill out the form, or give me a call at 602.615.2486 or e-mail: Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
I look forward to connecting for both of us to get to know each other and to answer any questions about the retreat. — Melanie
ABOUT OUR LIGHT HOUSE Retreat House
Eco-Home. We are thrilled to hold our retreat at the Light House in Sedona, a truly eco-home with a collection of indoor and outdoor spaces created with a complimentary merging of Indonesian, Japanese, Moroccan and East Indian cultures. The Light House offers a full natural sensory environment with comforting courtyards, peaceful meditation gardens, hanging lounges, tranquil pools, and restful waterfalls.
Sedona Eco-Home Retreat House
Feng Shui.The Light House incorporates the principles of Feng Shui to create an environment that is energetically aligned promoting harmony, serenity, creativity, and vitality. An impressive cleansing crystal is strategically placed in the center of the house to ensure a healthy environment and numerous Feng Shui essentials are found throughout this landmark home. The Light House is the perfect environment to relax, reduce stress, and rejuvenate.
Welcome to our Retreat House
Salt-water Pool. Light House features a beautiful salt-water pool and Jacuzzi to unwind.
Retreat House Beautiful Salt Water Pool
Sedona Beauty. The natural outdoor beauty of Sedona is just out the back door with the beautiful Oak Creek and a glimpse of Cathedral Rock.
Our Retreat Home View of Cathedral Rock
Our Retreat Bedrooms
The Light House Retreat features 6 unique bedrooms, with a variety of beds and accommodates couples or singles. We welcome a group of friends or couples to attend the retreat
ONE: Downstairs Master with King and sitting room. Unique custom ‘pebble’ master bathtub and large glass steam shower.
TWO: Downstairs Off-Master with Queen. Private bedroom off Master. Shares master bathroom with ‘pebble’ bathtub and large glass steam shower.
Downstairs Master. King.
Master Bathroom
Downstairs Queen, off Master.
THREE: Downstairs Asia Room with King.Outdoor hallway to room with lounging sofa, desk and glass window views.
FOUR: Downstairs Bali Room with 2 Queens.Screen door access to outside lounging and garden areas.
FIVE: Upstairs Private King. Private outdoor patio with view of pool and Cathedral Rock. Shares bathroom with Sunrise Room.
SIX: Sunrise Room Upstairs Loft with Queen and Double. Fun loft. Shares bathroom with Private King.
ABOUT SEDONA
Beautiful, magical Sedona is a true oasis, a paradise in the middle of the northern Arizona desert. In Sedona, enjoy canyons, green forest, azure skies, and the dramatic red rock formations that glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. Sedona offers adventures including red rock jeep tours, hiking, Slide Rock, and Oak Creek Canyon, as well spiritual healing, psychic readings, and energy vortexes. Sedona will have your senses buzzing for days! Sedona offers a unique, one-of-a- kind culture and is an experience of a lifetime.
To learn more about the retreat and to chat with retreat host, Melanie Albert, please fill out the form, or give me a call at 602.615.2486 or e-mail: Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
I look forward to connecting for both of us to get to know each other and to answer any questions about the retreat. — Melanie
Top 11 Reasons to Go on a Plant-Based Cooking Retreat
During our Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Fall 2019 Retreat, you’ll experience several days of hands-on, simple plant-based cooking, mindfulness in the kitchen and eating. We’ll enjoy a farm-to-table cooking experience at a local urban farm. You’ll experience self-care with hiking and yoga in the beauty of Sedona.
In the memorable life-changing retreat, our intention is for you to enjoy the cooking and self-care experiences during the retreat and then most importantly take home the experiences and plant-based cooking learning from the retreat to make positive lifestyle changes in your lives.
LEARN TO COOK SIMPLE, BEAUTIFUL PLANT-BASED MEALS
Have fun with hands-on interactive cooking with Plant-Based Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. With hands-on interactive cooking you’ll learn culinary techniques to prepare a variety of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
ONE: Learn How to Prepare Simple Delicious Healthy Breakfasts
Learn the basic culinary techniques to prepare plant-based breakfast options and when you return home intuitively create your own breakfasts with your favorite whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Whole Grains (gluten-free)
Quick, easy, and tasty nut and seed milk
Superfood Smoothies
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
TWO: Learn to Cook a Variety of Plant-Based Lunches
For lunch, our focus is preparing beautiful, tasty raw salads, raw taco, and cold soup.
Raw Massaged Kale Salad with fruit, berries, nuts, and seeds. 3-ingredient salad dressing.
Avocado Tartare with fresh veggies
Raw Almond Walnut Taco with Quick Pickled Veggies
Cold Veggie Soup
Raw Dehydrated Crackers
THREE: Learn how to prepare tasty, healthy plant-based Appetizers, Meals, and Dessert for Plant-Based Dinners
For dinner, we’ll cook complete plant-based meals with delicious Mediterranean appetizers, Veggie Main Dishes, and beautiful, tasty desserts.
Mediterranean Appetizers
Hummus, Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade
Meals
Veggie Sautés (Roots & Greens)
Roasted Veggie Flatbread
Turmeric Lentil Soup
Veggie Brown Rice Pilaf
Raw Deconstructed Lasagna
Deconstructed Lasagna
Desserts
Raw Superfood Pie
Raw Cacao Berry Pie
Aromatic Apple Crisp
Raw Cacao Berry Pie
FOUR: Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Class at an Arizona Organic Farm
Enjoy a true farm-to-table experience. Tour a local organic farm with an Arizona urban farmer. Have fun cooking your dinner right at the farm with just-harvested produce from the farm and local farmers markets. Enjoy your culinary creations in the beauty of the farm.
Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition. Getting set for a farm-to-table cooking experience.
FIVE: Enjoy an afternoon Snack at a Local Sedona Plant-Based Restaurant
After hiking in Sedona, we’ll stop by a popular organic vegetarian Sedona restaurant to enjoy their delicious plant-based creations and chocolate treats.
MINDFUL COOKING & EATING
SIX: Practice Mindfulness while Cooking, Plating, and Eating
During the retreat, we’ll focus on mindfulness and being present throughout the cooking process. We’ll practice mindfulness while cooking our meals, beautifully plating our food, and enjoying our meals together.
Mindful Cooking. During the retreat, we will focus on mindfulness and being present while cooking, as part of the cooking process and a form of self-care. We will:
Mindfully choose the ingredients (beautiful veggies) and herbs and spices for our dishes.
Mindfully chop our food. (Learn basic knife skills).
Enjoy the beauty, the colors, the textures, the shapes, and the aromatherapy of our food.
Mindfully set up our mise en place. That is, get all of our ingredients in place before we start cooking for mindfulness and organization.
Learn to plate your foods beautifully. Since we eat with our eyes first, you will learn skills to plate foods beautifully. You’ll learn fundamental principles in the art of plating. You’ll have the opportunity to practice plating skills every time we cook and begin to develop your own plating style. We’ll use edible garnishes, herbs, and flowers in our plating to elevate the eye-appeal of our meals.
Mindful Eating. We’ll mindfully enjoy our meals in the beautiful Sedona environment with our retreat community. We’ll enjoy meals in the beauty of the retreat house and in the beauty of the Sedona Red Rocks. We’ll pause, slow down, and really enjoy the beauty and flavors of the food we prepare.
SELF CARE IN THE MAGIC OF SEDONA
SEVEN: Take time for your own self-care, relaxing in the beauty of the retreat house. Get away from day-to-day life. Retreats are the perfect place to really take time for you. Away from work, responsibilities, and technology. During your Sedona retreat, unplug and allow yourself to settle into quiet, to relax, recharge and reflect.
Relax at our Retreat House
EIGHT: Enjoy hiking and nature in beautiful, magical Sedona, Arizona. In Sedona, we can immerse ourselves in nature by hiking with the grounding red rock and expansive big sky environment which provides the perfect place to exercise and unwind. In Sedona, we’ll hike in the Vortex energy, breath in the fresh air, and enjoy the magnificent sunsets.
Cathedral Rock: Melanie Albert’s very favorite spot in Sedona.Hike at the Sedona Airport Vortex
NINE: Practice yoga on the Sedona Rocks and our private yoga studio at the retreat house. Participate in a yoga class or practice on your own for self-care, quiet, and meditation during the retreat.
Retreat House Private Yoga Studio
Enjoy One-of-A Kind Sedona Experiences
TEN: Enjoy Memorable One-of-A-Kind Sedona Experiences. Only in Sedona experiences. During the retreat, you’ll experience the Sedona magic with Spiritual Reading, and a private Kiva Ceremony.
ELEVEN: Visit Magnificent Antelope Canyon.As a special add-on to the retreat, visit one of the most magnificent spots in Arizona on our adventure day to the Antelope Canyon, one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing, photographic locations in the world. A photographer’s dream, the canyon is known for its wave-like structure and the light beams that shine directly down into the openings of the canyon, creating a supernatural appearance.
by Melanie Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Award-winning Author of cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Eating with Real Whole Foods”, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, in Phoenix, Arizona
Get inspired at your local farmers market.
It’s National Farmers Market Week in the USA, and today, as almost always on Saturday, I visited one of my favorite farmers’ markets, the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. This market opened in 2005, just after I moved back to Phoenix and I have to say I’m so glad it did.
A few reasons why I love this farmers’ market:
Organic Farmers. Three local organic certified small farmers sell their produce at this market. For me, this is key, as I focus on eating organic (no pesticides and no herbicides) and I personally know the farmers and have visited their farms around our Valley of the Sun.
Hydrate All Day. Every Day.
Community. There’s such a sense of friendly community with the vendors and people who visit the market. People who attend the market are true friends with the farmers and are happy to catchup on life and food. Plus, it’s fun to see how much people who attend the market have so much fun meeting other like-minded people at the market. Personal note, today, I met 3 people who work with American Airlines, a pilot and two flight attendants, which was interesting as my Mom was an Airline Stewardess in the 1950’s with American. Small world.
Fun. Going to the farmers’ market is fun. A great place to be on Saturday morning. Once a month, I teach the Taste of the Market Cooking Demo, where I shop the market and then show our Phoenix community how to intuitively prepare fresh, healthy dishes. Plus, the market offers demos including gardening, composting, and today they hosted a Watermelon Eating Contest.
For my Arizona friends, I’ll be leading the Taste of the Market on August 25, 2018, 10am. Hope to see you!
Interested in learning simple culinary skills and intuitive cooking, purchase my cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods.” I’ll gift wrap and mail a copy to you.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, award-winning author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
A week ago I was enjoying the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. When I returned home to Phoenix after my brief get-away, I had a huge ah-ha. As a former Type A Marketing Professional and now 23-year successful Entrepreneur, I learned first-hand how valuable it is to “Unplug.”
Thanks. Before I share my insights, I want to take a moment to thank my friend, Cassie Hepler, founder of the travel and lifestyle blog, www.ExplorewithCassie.com for inviting me to be her “plus-one” on her media trip with Grand Canyon Adventures www.DoTheCanyon.com
Thanks Grand Canyon Adventures for the enjoyable, memorable day at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Profound Mini-Trip. Little did I know that when Cassie invited me several weeks ago how profound this mini-trip would be for me.
Anyway, I’m usually sharing my behind the scenes with cooking and intuitive cooking creations, but I decided to share with you the behind the scenes with my “Unplugged” adventure.
It All Works Out.Several days prior to the trip to the Grand Canyon, I realized that I had doubled booked myself the night before our scheduled road trip to the canyon. I was booked with coaching clients at the same time we were planning on driving to Flagstaff the night before the Canyon Tour. I was concerned that I would not have reliable internet or phone service for my clients. My friend, Cassie, kept telling me it would work out. I trusted.
And, of course, it worked out. I changed my plans; stayed in Phoenix to do 6 hours of coaching until 10:30pm that night.
I packed my food magazines, documents to work on with my business expansion, journal, planner, and some snacks: home-made raw trail mix, local apples, and grapes. I got up at 3:30am, after sleeping for 4 hours and drove to Flagstaff.
Thanks to Grand Canyon Adventures. Happily, at 7:30am the friendly folks at Grand Canyon Adventures greeted me with a smile.
I had just begun my “unplugged” adventure.
Grand Canon Adventures drove us to the Grand Canyon, with history lessons, geological lessons, and expansive beauty through 5 different eco-systems.
7 Wonder of the World. It has been decades since I visited the Grand Canyon. When I saw my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, I was in awe. I paused. The beauty. The magnificence. The magic. The power. Here I was with one of the 7 Wonders of the World!
Grand Canyon with a Little Yoga.During our full-day tour with 4 different stops at the canyon, all I wanted was to soak in all the beauty of the canyon. At each stop along the canyon, I paused and practiced some yoga and enjoyed “my” tree pose everywhere. Thanks, Cassie for the beautiful photos.
Pause at the Canyon. I even found a beautiful quiet spot to reflect. Enjoy the Grand Canyon video.
Cassie with the Grand Canyon. And, Cassie enjoyed her hiking and being grounded with our Earth.
More Self-Care. For the last 3 miles of our day at the Canyon, Cassie and I quietly walked the South Rim capturing photos of us enjoying even more self-care with the beauty of the Grand Canyon. One final tree pose.
Thanks, Root Public House. When we arrived back in Flagstaff, we found a great place to eat, Root Public House, with a lovely outdoor patio breeze. I enjoyed a tasty creamy pea vegan risotto, made especially for me. And, I was feeling as though I was on vacation for days.
Sedona Airport Sunset. After dinner, Cassie headed back to Phoenix. I drove south to Sedona, where I just caught the end of the sunset at the Airport Vortex.
My Favorite Place in the World.The next day, I spent the whole day at Oak Creek Crossing, at the base of Cathedral Rock, one of my very favorite places in the world.
A video peek…
I hiked, walked in Oak Creek, sat, listened to water, listened to birds. That was it.
Pause and enjoy Oak Creek.
Unplugged. Being “unplugged” was sinking in. I had no desire to look at the food magazines. No desire to “work” on my business. Only a little bit of journaling. This was huge for me.
I was “Unplugged” from electronics and importantly “Unplugged” from working. I was away from business strategy and responsibilities, writing blogs, cooking, creating recipes, teaching classes, and hosting events.
After a full day of being unplugged, I drove home to Phoenix.
Unplug Ah-Ha. I know this may sound obvious. What I realized was that I (we) need time to really unplug from the phones, computer, work, magazines. Yes, we can do this with yoga or meditation. For me, it was extra special and powerful to unplug in the beauty of my beloved Arizona.
For my few days at the Grand Canyon and Sedona I found that after being totally unplugged, I came back with even more creativity, energy, and passion.
Unplug in Arizona Retreats. I really do believe that it’s incredibly important for our own life and joy to “unplug.” I’ve been planning Cooking and Self-Care Retreats in Sedona for 2019. My time at the Grand Canyon and Sedona made me realize how valuable these retreats will be for our guests to get away and “Unplug.”
With the insights from my personal “Unplugged” experience, I have now added a Grand Canyon Adventure to the retreats, along with the Phoenix Urban Farm Cooking Experience and the intuitive cooking, hiking, yoga, and extreme self-care in Sedona.
If you are interested in attending Unplug in Arizona Cooking & Self-Care Retreats or interested in creating a custom retreat for your organization, please let me know and I’ll keep in touch. Warmly, Melanie
Interested in my book, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods,” I’m happy to autograph and gift-wrap and ship to you.
