Recently I graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health. I became a vegetarian about 8 years ago when I figured out that it helped clear up most of my health problems. I also stopped eating refined sugar, and lost my blues doing so! Never thought of that before, wish I had. These changes did my state of mind a whole lot of good!

At the cooking school I was introduced to being a vegan, an even more 'friendly' way of eating. I never came across it in the Netherlands where I was born (I'm sure you vegans are out there, but boy, must you have a hard time shopping!).

I was also introduced to the importance of eating organic. Last but not least I learned a lot of cooking and baking -with natural sugars and without diary- that will make it easy to dish up yummy food to skeptics and spread the news on food and healing.

I feel the younger we start with good (whole, unprocessed) food the better, so I am always on the look-out to involve kids. I do demo's for them and their parents at farmer's markets. Nothing beats them dragging their mom and dad over because what they just sampled has to be made TONIGHT!! Especially when it's eggplant a la Dree instead of cookies! There is always a stack of my simple recipes available at events like that. So nothing can stand in the way of trying it out at home. 

I do  too enthusiastic, I know. Because of feeling so much better since I made food changes myself, I can not help want to tell everyone.  If they are not into it, I just try to put a smile on my and their face....

I like to do food coaching. I create personal programs for people, working with them one on one, towards a healthy and happier mind and body. I teach people creative cooking classes as part of this 'food turnaround'.  So the new lifestyle becomes a joy to prepare and a feast eat. If they want to leave the cooking up to me, I whip up their vegetarian or vegan dinner party. I am the Mystery Chef in the sense that they can not order - all they can tell me is what they do not like eating and express their favorites. When things get less crazy in my life, I am sure I will get organized with my menus and be more of an 'official' chef-for-hire. But for now this is kind of a fun way to keep it fresh.

Want to NOT go there because you think you can not live without things like ice-cream? Try Jeff Roger's vice-cream. His recipes tastes better than any ice-cream I remember from the good 'bad' days  - Haagen Daz, Ben & Jerry's, you know the score! Find his book below on Little Dree's bookshelf!

It's 2:30 AM and I'm still jumpin' up and down in my chair with post-excitement.

From what??!!!

Our New York City Zaanghas get-together. It was a feast for all senses....

Yummy pre-movie-dinner for some at Souen.

A brilliant movie, Peaceful Warrior. 

Yummy post-movie dinner for some at Caravan of Dreams.

And lots of great conversation and fluffy Zaadz love all the way through. Home is where the heart is!

Thanks guys, for a great evening! And thank you Zaadz team, for planting the seeds!

And now I REALLY have to try and get some sleep.