Change to Vegan

Costa Rica, December 4th – December 11th, 2011 – Join hosts Chef Jason Wyrick of The Vegan Culinary Experience and Chef Wendy Strebe of Casa Metta in beautiful Heredia, Costa Rica for a week of relaxation, exploration, rain forest hikes, canopy tours, morning yoga, and local organic cuisine and classes led by the chefs. Costa Rica is one of the best destination spots for pure, clean living. Pura vida! Cost: $1399 per person, $2499 per couple, includes food, lodging, and activities. Visit Casa Metta on the web at www.casametta.com. For more information or to register, please contact Chef Jason Wyrick at chefjason@veganculinaryexperience.com or at 623-680-7468.

Last night we had my husband’s homemade Tempeh served over basamati rice, with homemade barbecue sauce, sliced onions and guacamole. It was truly delicious.

We cannot purchase tempeh, here in Costa Rica. So, we got some starter, some organic soybeans and make our own. We refuse to buy products with corn syrup. Most commercial barbecue sauces have corn syrup in them, so we make our own. It is possible to have healthy foods, even when you don’t live where there are health food stores offering these products.

We eat very well in Costa Rica. We make most of our foods from scratch and enjoy the bounty at our food based B&B.
www.casametta.com

Power Food

Last night we feasted on artichokes.  These amazing vegetables not only taste delicious, they are fabulously good for you.  One large artichoke contains only 25 calories, no fat, 170 milligrams of potassium, and is a good source of vitamin C,  folate, magnesium and dietary fiber.

Some new exciting studies have shown that artichokes contain an unusual amount of anti-oxidants, in the form of phytonutrients and in a study done by the United States Department of Agriculture, artichokes rank as the number one vegetable in ant-oxidant count.  Among the most powerful phytonutrients are Cynarin and Silymarin, which have strong positive effects on the liver.   It is interesting to note here, that over the years, artichokes have been reputed to help in the cure of liver diseases, liver cancer and to cure hangovers!

We steamed our artichokes and dipped them in extra virgin olive oil with some minced garlic and balsamic vinegar that we let immerse overnight.  They were absolutely superb.   Enjoy them while they are in season!

Adding a large artichoke to the daily diet would add 6 grams of dietary fiber 1/4 the amount recommended by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services.  One medium artichoke has more fiber than a cup of prunes!

You need a getaway, but want to stay somewhere that is gorgeous, exotic, luxe, eco-friendly, ecologically sustainable, affordable, with healthy delicious vegan food (gluten-free/ raw options, too please) and vegan owned…yea, good luck with that is what we would usually have told you. But now there is Casa Metta in Costa Rica!

Casa Mettá is a gorgeous mountain villa with vegan / vegetarian cooking classes, amazing gardens, breathtaking views, plentiful activities or pure relaxation.  It’s located on the slopes of the extinct Barva Volcano, in San Jose de la Montaña, Heredia. Known as the “Little Switzerland” of Central America.

Enjoy peace, hiking, healthy food, communing with nature in a special region of Costa Rica. Swim in the salt water, solar heated pool, enjoy the steam sauna, or wander amidst glorious gardens and cypress forest, spot exotic birds and lizards.  While you are there, be sure to make friends with the rescued animals including dogs, cats, quail, chickens, and rabbits.  Aromatherapy treatments and massage therapy are available, so don’t forget to splurge on yourself a bit.

Your hosts at Casa Metta are Wendy Strebe,a certified vegan chef, vegan lifestyle coach, nutrition specialist and aromatherapist and  Erich Strebe, sous-chef and coffee barista.  Come visit magical villa!

I just had a guest here for a week who wanted to learn to eat healthier.  She had been a fast food junkie and developed diabetes before she realized she needed to change her life.  It is so wonderful to see someone waking up to how great they feel when eating healthy foods.  And, how gratifying to help someone work to change their life.

We made soups, salads, gluten free vegan breads, main courses, raw vegan deserts, dehydrated veggies, shopped at the farmer’s market and grocery store as well as eating out.  We talked about entertaining, sharing new foods with friends and how to stick with it.

At one point, my guest purchased some cookies, at one and said, “This does not taste as good any more.”  That is excellent.  When you clean your body, putting corn syrup, fatty foods and too much gluten back in can really make you feel bad.  You recognize what you were doing and how to not get in that rut again.

I have really neglected this site lately.  We have been so busy building our wonderful Casa Metta that it may seem like I don’t care about Change to Vegan.  On the contrary, I have continued to create and share wonderful vegan dishes and have been teaching guests how to cook vegan and gluten free delicacies.

Our greenhouse is built and veggies and herbs are growing.  Our rescued animals are thriving.  We have dogs, cats, chickens, quail and bunnies.  They are so fun to interact with and watch.  Our sauna is glorious, followed by a dip in our salt water pool.  Our landscaping is magnificent.  Birds and butterflies enjoy the flowers and adorable little lizards abound.  Our fountain provided water for all the creatures.

We are dehydrating tomatoes, zucchini and carrots these days.  I will start posting photos of great food, etc. shortly.  Life is good.

Check out our Casa Metta web site and Facebook site:

We are finally getting ready to really open Casa Metta.  This is a wonderful 3 acre property where people can come stay and relax, enjoy food holidays and cooking classes, have aromatherapy treatments, hike around and enjoy nature in the mountains of Costa Rica, and learn how to change their lives by healthier eating and active lifestyles.

We have the Buddha Room in the main house, the Satori Apartment with a separate entrance and the Lotus House – a separate building, for guests to sleep in incredible comfort.  We are in the mountains of Costa Rica, on the slope of the extinct Barva Volcano.  This is the Little Switzerland of Costa Rica with pure mountain spring water, fresh air, amazing birds, breathtaking views and a gorgeous property to explore.

Come spend some time with us and then hit one of the fabulous beaches Costa Rica has to offer, or visit one of the active volcanoes such as Arenal or Poas.  In our area there are coffee tours, zip line canopy tour, Poas Volcano, InBioParque, farmer’s markets, etc.

We are happy to help get you on the right path, or just host you in our zen-like retreat.