Every month, I team up with My Chelsea (the hotel we’ve been in from day one) to host my favourite event of all time…

In The Wild Afternoon Tea.

We stick to the vegan, half-raw-half-baked, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthful-comfort-food, plant-based, handmade, devilishly-delectable-goodness theme, but each month is a little different. 

Last month, a friend came back from visiting my parents in Ecuador and brought back a parcel from them. One of the things inside was a box full of stunning rose petals that my parents grew in their organic high vibration garden, picked, washed and dehydrated over low heat and many hours.

I was immediately inspired to create something beautiful and sharable. 

That’s how my raw white chocolate macadamia blondies were born. 

We served them with the award winning teas at our March event and they were such a big hit, I thought you’d enjoy making them at home for everyone you love, so I’m sharing the recipe below.

The next In The Wild Afternoon Tea is happening tomorrow, but if that’s too little notice for you, check out all future planned dates, here>>

(BTW that link above stays Live and every time more dates are announced, that's where you'll find the details. Keep the link bookmarked for later!)

Raw White Chocolate Macadamia Blondies

For the blondies

2 cups (280g) almonds

50g coconut sugar

1 tbsp (10g) maca powder

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

2.5 cups (300g) pitted dates*

1/8 cup (30g) cacao butter, gently melted

90g macadamia nuts

For the dipping chocolate

Dark vegan baking chocolate or this recipe here, grated

*If your pitted dates are quite dry and hard, soak in boiling water for 1 hour, then squeeze the water out well before using in recipe. You are after soft (almost sticky) dates.

METHOD

-Place all the ingredients, apart from dates, cacao butter and macadamia, into a food processor with an S-blade.  Process till all the almonds are broken down to a fine powder.

-Add the dates and melted cacao butter. Process till the entire mixture forms one big sticky ball. You may need to stop your food processor several times to scrape down the sides and back onto the blade.

-Using a wooden spatula, break up the mixture to evenly cover the blade. Sprinkle macadamia nuts all over and pulse the processor till nuts are slightly broken down and folded into the ‘dough’. You’re looking for nice chunks here so they are visible when you score the final slab into many blondie bites.

-Get a decent sized container (mine was 17cm/ 6.5 inch square), line it with cling film so it sticks out the sides of container and transfer the mixture inside it. Using your fist, really press it into the container so it won’t crumble later. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or freezer for 1 hour.

-Holding onto the cling film, pull out your set slab of blondies and score into equal sized squares. You can then slice each square in half to form rectangles like I’ve done with mine. Transfer to the freezer if you are going to dip yours in chocolate and leave there until the moment you’re ready to dip.

-Gently melt down your grated chocolate in a double boiler, remove from heat. Take out the blondie bites out of freezer and dip a corner, edge or one half of each piece into your chocolate. Dip and remove each piece quickly, so the entire chocolate mixture doesn’t begin to solidify inside the bowl from the coldness of frozen cake. Store in a cool dry place inside a sealed container.

The countdown to the most incredible event of the year has officially begun!

Did you know that I’m hosting a magical rejuvenation retreat, happening 11-16 October, in pure paradise called Sardinia?

It’s not a detox retreat, it’s not a fasting holiday, instead...

WE. SHALL. EAT!

And not just eat anything- you will enjoy the freshest locally-sourced organic fruits and veggies as well as exotic superfoods and sprouted seeds, made into gourmet raw vegan dishes.

AND I will teach you how to make them all so you will go home completely purified, satisfied, ‘meditated’, yoga’d, inspired, energised and equipped with new skills for life.

One of the people attending this retreat has been my coaching client for years and she valued the 5 day program to be AT LEAST 4 TIMES MORE expensive than it is.

So I guess you can call it one heaven of a bargain :)

To learn more, hop over to this page: https://tanyasliving.com/pages/longevity-with-tanya-retreat or see the program outline below...

THURSDAY 11^th October 

4:30pm Meet & greet. Opening meditation, introduction & wish list visualisation skills workshop

6:00pm WELCOME FEAST:

Mum’s famous yellow sage soup

Sunflower seed burgers with curried cream & juicy cucumber dill strips

Butterscotch & chocolate swirl cheezecake

FRIDAY 12^th October

8:00am Gentle yoga, palates and digestion awakening with chlorophyll chia seed water

9:00am Conscious eating meditation & Superfood power breakfast

10:00am Discover your soul’s message via Mandala drawing meditation

11:30am TOPIC OF THE DAY: What are your food cravings trying to teach you about your deficiencies and the way your body communicates its needs.

12:30pm COOKERY WORKSHOP: Learn the basics of raw cuisine, soaking and sprouting, nut milk making, our lunch soup and how to serve it, how to make easy sushi at home.

2:00pm ASIAN FEAST:

Thai spiced coconut soup

Make your own sushi with home pickled ginger and sunflower seed ‘rice’

Mango & coconut caramel slice

3:30PM Your free time to explore 47 acres of stunning gardens, the beach and swimming pools, to book your included massage and detox Thalassotherapy Spa session, to meditate, to relax and to give your digestion a break or try one of the resort’s restaurants for dinner.

SATURDAY 13th October

8:00am Gentle yoga, palates and digestion awakening with chlorophyll chia seed water

9:00am Conscious eating meditation & Superfood power breakfast

10:00am TOPIC OF THE DAY: Discover how much Candida is present in your body & how to eliminate it, as well as what foods create inflammation and acidity, plus how to enjoy a pain-free energised lifestyle that is mostly alkaline.

11:30am COOKERY WORKSHOP: Learn how to make the most incredible layered lasagne and the Tiramisu cheezecake, using only raw unprocessed plants and nuts.

1:00pm Design your personalised energy juice, forage the gardens for ingredients and make the juice

2:00pm ITALIAN FEAST:

Creamy avocado & tomato basil soup

Living lasagne with layers of marinara, herbed cashew cheese, mushroom ‘meat’ & pesto

Tiramisu Cheezecake with vanilla coffee swirls & chocolate biscuit base

3:30PM Your free time to explore 47 acres of stunning gardens, the beach and swimming pools, to book your included massage and detox Thalassotherapy Spa session, to meditate, to relax and to give your digestion a break or try one of the resort’s restaurants for dinner.

SUNDAY 14th October

8:00am Gentle yoga, palates and digestion awakening with chlorophyll chia seed water

9:00am Conscious eating meditation & Superfood power breakfast

10:00am A self-mood discovery session according to each year following your birthday. Gratitude and self-love meditation.

11:00am TOPIC OF THE DAY: All about gut health and learning how to break down your foods better no-matter your diet, plus how to boost your digestion.

12:00pm COOKERY WORKSHOP: Learn about the art of fermentation and marinating to produce the most nutritious foods, and how to make a layered red velvet cake. Design and make your own energy balls!

2:30pm EASTERN EAUROPEAN FEAST:

Russian traditional borsch & cashew sour cream

‘Creamy’ mushroom Strogonov with mashed cauliflower & probiotic sauerkraut

Layered red velvet & cashew frosting raw food cake

4:00PM Your free time to explore 47 acres of stunning gardens, the beach and swimming pools, to book your included massage and detox Thalassotherapy Spa session, to meditate, to relax and to give your digestion a break or try one of the resort’s restaurants for dinner.

MONDAY 15th October

8:00am Gentle yoga, palates and digestion awakening with chlorophyll chia seed water

9:00am Conscious eating meditation & Superfood power breakfast

10:00am Learn how to release negative energy and interpret the difference within you and your soul’s message via Mandala drawing meditation

11:30am TOPIC OF THE DAY: How to eat for beautiful skin, strong nails and thick shiny hair. Plus how to make your own face mask.

12:30pm COOKERY WORKSHOP: It’s all about chocolate today! Learn how to make your own raw chocolate from scratch, how to fill the centres, how to flavour it, how to create different intensities between milky and dark, plus how to meditate using cacao.

2:30pm MEXICAN FEAST:

Vibrant vegan Gazpacho

Lettuce tacos with spiced walnut ‘meat’, pineapple salsa and guacamole

Make your own raw chocolate with filled creamy centres

4:00PM Your free time to explore 47 acres of stunning gardens, the beach and swimming pools, to book your included massage and detox Thalassotherapy Spa session, to meditate, to relax and to give your digestion a break or try one of the resort’s restaurants for dinner.

TUESDAY 16th October

8:30am Final Superfood breakfast feast

9:30am Closing power coaching session & Your best life ever takeaways

Here are some love notes from dear clients:

"Tanya really knows her stuff. Having had her as my coach for three years, I sincerely believe that her retreat is well below its true value. Being in her presence is powerful enough, but having Tanya teach you her very best recipes, nutritional information and meditation practices is life changing in the very best way."

-Marianne Daniels, USA

"I suffered with migraines, bloating, severe aching and burning limbs, constant reflux, regurgitation and heartburn, severe fatigue, lack of concentration, anxiety and depression. Just days after learning from Tanya, I could feel the burning in my stomach and joints has gone down dramatically, as well as all aches and pains. My reflux and heartburn have reduced by at least 70%. I found it most helpful to discover what the alkalising foods are and how they rate on the pH scale, so if I'm ever feeling acidic, I just refer to the list, make Tanya's recipes and quickly feel better."

-Loretta Murphy, Australia

"Tanya is a fantastic example of how to live a life with passion and purpose. She gives an amazing amount of value every time she is with clients. I love to work with experts and learn from the best, Tanya definitely ticks that box. If you are interested in finding what real health and energy feel like, then a fantastic start would be to see Tanya in action, you will never regret it." 

-Graham Harris, UK

To read more about the Longevity with Tanya Retreat, happening in Sardinia 11-16 October, and to apply - go here:

tanyasliving.com/pages/longevity-with-tanya-retreat

Did you know that in all of my 10 year wellness journey, I felt unhealthiest while opening my ultra healthy organic cafe?

I’m not alone in this.

Shirin Kouros of The Good Life told me that during the launch of her first Californian-style 'feel good' eatery (around the corner from us in Chelsea), she too suffered from extreme fatigue, that caused her to have crazy facial breakouts, gave her a dry mouth, brittle nails and stomach inflammation resulting in weight gain and digestive issues.

Although our diets are very different, we both have a lot in common when it comes to the lessons we’ve learned during these stressful times, especially what not to do the second and third time around (and even more for Shirin as she plans to open their 5th location). 

We also have a lot in common when it comes to the evolving diets of the men we married, our fertility plans, our digestion experiments and struggles and the weird things we both do to tune in to our body’s requests.

And for the first time ever, we plan to take this conversation public! 

Join me, Tanya Maher of Tanya’s and Shirin Kouros of The Good Life, as we share our journeys on balancing entrepreneurship, wellness, relationships and motherhood.

Moderated by Claudia Canavan, a renowned food and lifestyle journalist, this talk uncovers the how and why the health movement has changed in 2018 and what the future holds.