[Ninja Baker] Gambling with the Saints

[Ninja Baker]

The Venetian Hotel Photo Courtesy of David Cassidy

Card gamblers, booze guzzlers and alleged gangsters saunter (or stumble if inebriated) down the electrified streets of Sin City. Celebrities premiere their new perfume lines at parties inside vibrating disco walls, gyrating to ear-piercing sounds and flashing paparazzi cameras.

The Venetian Gallery Photo Courtesy of David Cassidy

A chocolate Buddha at the Bellagio Hotel: Home to Chef Jean-Phillipe Maury's renowned patisserie.

Tourists flock to five-star hotels with names like the Venetian, Paris and New York, New York. Screaming fans cram into stadium-size theaters for legendary crooners. Otherworldly spectaculars such as O! and 

Le Rêve

magnetize throngs of admirers of the weird and wondrous. And with the dawn of 2012, saints marched into Las Vegas to speak at the You Can Heal Your Life Conference.

Amongst the featured speakers were authors Louise Hay (You Can Heal Your Life) and Cheryl Richardson (The Art of Extreme Self-Care.)  As they chatted about positive thought, action and collaboration on You Can Create An Exceptional Life, they reminisced about their book touring experiences. Cheryl asked 85-year-old Louise if she still carried condiments in her bra. Sure enough a mini soy sauce bottle saved from a London restaurant was fetched from the undergarments of the radiant elder. The audience howled. Moments later, Louise’s Las Vegas room key followed by a cocktail umbrella also appeared. Perhaps it was a part of a ploy to cure the ills of conference participants. Humor heals. And Louise did have the audience in stitches. The ladies’ message is simple but powerful: “Make feeling good the priority, the rest will follow.”

A few ideas for feeling good:

Dance!

Cruising and fox-trotting in Florida: Dad and gorgeous step-mom, Barbara.

Listen to music.

Already the girls are serenading my cutie pie great-nephew, Ethan.

Connect with Family 

Good times: Sushi with brother, Steve and sister, Karen.

Go for higher education. 

My friend, Sandra beams with pride next to her husband - Dr. Don!

Visit the Happiest Place on Earth

Great-nephew, Ethan having fun at Florida's  Disney World.

Next up on the You Can Heal Your Life Conference stage was Oprah Winfrey’s friend, Sirius XM radio host, and bestselling author, Marianne Williamson. Expounding on the theme of healing, she encouraged all to “be the Angel of your better nature.” She stressed how the events of our times are crying out for those who can provide solace. And love.

There is hope for our future! My angelic niece, Eliza and her gal-pal, Danielle at a local animal shelter where they donated time and dollars (raised at a bake sale.)

“The news of the world is giving you its prayer list,” said Marianne. Her admonition to play “Host to Love (instead of) Hostage of Fear,” filled me with inspiration to do better. Believe husband, David, sister, Karen and my darling niece, Jasmine were similarly motivated. However, our stomachs were also sending us supplication for nourishment. So, we headed over to the Red Velvet Café.  A vegan restaurant located at 7875 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89117 

All smiles at the Red Velvet Cafe after an inspiring morning listening to Louise Hay, Cheryl Richardson and Marianne Williamson at the Las Vegas You Can Heal Your Life Conference.

A vegan take on Red Velvet.

Salads and smoothies were devoured between catch-up conversations. If we hadn’t been in a rush to hear Robert Holden, the Happiness Doctor, we would have lingered over their luscious looking sweets.

Yours truly rarely recommends skipping dessert. Forfeiting the Red Velvet Café treats, however, was worth the sacrifice. I savored every word Dr. Robert Holden, the host of Shift Happens on Hay House Radio, uttered in his lovely English accent.

His first challenge to the audience was to list three ways to make today even happier.

What are your smile-making strategies?

Aaron, the happy barista at Cielo, Santa Monica.

1.

2.

3.

One of the gorgeous coffee creations available at Cielo in Santa Monica, CA.

Dr. Holden announced, “I think coffee is a delivery device for the Holy Spirit.” Clearly the items on the smile-making list can be simple. 


The Happiness Doctor also encouraged everyone to engage in activities that make the heart sing. Quoting the poet, Hafiz, he declared, “Cast all your votes for dancing.”

The Ninja Baker poses with champion dancer, Artemi Okunev. A popular partner on Australia's Dancing with the Stars.

Dr. Holden also highly recommended that everyone “Give up hopes for a better past.” And choose to put on a happy face now. 

Want a little help? 

Try this recipe for vegan chocolate pudding. This heavenly creation is courtesy of Christina Ross of PattiseRaw. (If you are in the SoCal area check your Whole Foods Events Calendar for her vegan cooking classes.)  Without knowledge of the ingredients, never in a million years would I have guessed this is a healthy dessert.

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

Unbelievably yummy AND healthy chocolate pudding.

1 large ripe avocado

1 cup cacao powder

1/4 cup agave

1/8 cup water (The Ninja Baker needed more.)

1 pinch of vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender until the consistency is very creamy. Pour pudding into bowl and garnish with berries, chopped nuts and coconut. 

Note: Christina uses a high-end Vitamix so she may not require as much liquid as the Ninja Baker’s run-of-the mill blender.

Another delish dessert that is good for you is Chef Amy Chaplin’s Vanilla Chia Pudding. Chia seeds and coconut oil, by the way, are allegedly super-duper memory boosters. (Remember to click on the link to get the recipe.)

The strawberries sweeten Chef Chaplin's Vanilla Chia Pudding.

Fun facts about Chef Chaplin:

* Star at Shizen, a Japanese macrobiotic restaurant in Amsterdam.

* Pastry chef at Amsterdam’s famed bakery “De Taart Van M’n Tante.”

* Founder of London’s The Lekker Lounge, which has been featured in British Vogue and BBC’s Good Food.

*Chef Chaplin is an Aussie who now lives in the Big Apple.

*The “Goddess of Healthy Delights” was featured in Martha Stewart Living’s January 2012 issue.

Speaking of all things happy, healthy and Las Vegas, a blog featuring Sin City would be incomplete without referencing the multitudes that gamble on marriage via Elvis weddings. Check out my beloved David and I dancing during our ceremony officiated by the King.

Wishing you the courage to gamble on your heart’s dreams and desires.

© Copyright Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker

Questions, comments? E-mail: NinjaBa...@gmail.com

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Posted By Ninja Baker to Ninja Baker at 2/21/2012 12:46:00 AM