The Monsoon Roastery Podcast

On the third episode of the second season of the Monsoon Roastery Podcast 🌞, we sit down with the famous Auntie Cathie, the funky baker 🎂, and owner of Auntie Cathie’s Kitchen. Boy, do we have a treat for you, a big, juicy treat of an episode because Auntie Cathie shares so many little nuggets about herself! Listen to Auntie Cathie breaks down gluten-free flour and how she makes her own curated mix, her secret love for science and forensics, and how she wanted to be a mortician at one point.  We get to hear the story of the original Auntie Cathie’s kitchen, which started in Wales MA, we learn about her farm, her life as a big-time chef in New York and Boston, and her two oriental cats. Auntie Cathie also shares her love for all music, but especially the opera, her impressive list of concerts she's attended over the years, and her secret techniques on playing the ukulele. We also reminisce on when we first approached Auntie Cathie as a roastery but got turned down 😜. Of course, we end by asking Auntie Cathie about the meaning of life and her go-to breakfast, and in both questions, she delivers rich insight. Grab your favorite vegan, gluten-free cupcake, get comfortable, and have a listen.  As always, we welcome you around our virtual table. We are here for community, we are here for you. #socialcapitol #smallbusiness #communitycoffee

On the second episode of the second season of the Monsoon Roastery podcast 🌞, we sit down with the incredible people from Nosh Restaurant and Cafe. If you have ever wondered what it must be like hanging out with the awesome people of Nosh, here is your chance. We discuss the acceptable amount of nastiness 🐛allowed in flour, sugars, and other dry products. We also talk about the evolution of Nosh, how they went from catering gigs to a full-service restaurant, and how they acquired such amazing staff. We touch upon everyone’s go-to fast food, weird food combinations, secret pro tips from Teri, and how she infuses stories into the creation of her sandwiches. Teri also tells how she takes nostalgic foods and makes them just a little bit better and how you can elevate any meal you make, Left Hand Larry talks about his specific requests from gas station attendants, and Kate shares her profound assessment of the meaning of life. This is a very lighthearted episode filled with laughter but we also curse a lot, so keep the kiddos away 😱 As always, we welcome you to take your place around our virtual table. We are here for community. We are here for you. #womenownedbusiness #smallbusiness #socialcapital #communitycoffee

In the first episode of the second season of the Monsoon Roastery podcast, we sit down with Milton White, a local legend that wears various hats in the community. Milton would describe it as "three distinct lives that work in conjunction"; Unc is his recording studio hat, who began recording local talent in the Springfield area in the ’90s until 2016. Milton has since built a new studio at Gasoline Alley and has big plans for all the work he created over those 20 years. There is the hat of Rev. Milton White, but he doesn’t lead with that. His faith plays a big role in his worldview and why he has devoted 28 years to martial arts. Milton walks us through his third hat, being a 5th-degree black belt, a sense, and a mentor to local youth. He also talks about the rich history of martial arts in the Springfield area, the breakdown of the color belts, and how belts get their degrees! Learn why Milton’s first line of defense is avoidance and his second line of defense is de-escalation. He also talks about the three techniques you will learn on your first day at his gym, New England Fit. We end with our favorite question we like to ask on the podcast, the meaning of life, and Milton delivers a beautiful interpretation. You will have to listen to find out but it's well worth it. As always, you are welcome to take a virtual seat around the table, we’re here for community, we’re here for you. #mma #martialarts #communitydevelopment #youthmentoring

In this season’s finale 🔥, we sit down with the beautiful minds behind 413 Stay Woke Stay Active ✊🏽most recently, The Ethnic Study. This has to be one of the funniest episodes we have ever recorded, prepare to laugh a lot. In this episode, we cover current events, ancestors, urban legends, ghosts, and angels. We compare having faith in God ⛪️ to having faith in science ⚗. Eddie even walks us through surviving a black hole! Listen to Sim and Steph walk us through the origin, inspiration, and hope for the future of the Ethnic Study, how there are underground railroads 🚂 in Springfield, building spaces for BIPOC folk where everyone is welcome and everyone can feel safe, and how The Ethnic Study is about building a community care network ♥️. We finish up the show with aliens 👽, Disney movies, finding out what it looks like inside a dishwasher and Mongolian rock bands 🎸 throat sing. You don’t want to miss this one, it’s the best way to finish up 2020! As always, you are welcome around our table, we are here for community, we are here for you. #culturaleventsintheusa #socialjustice #urbanlegends #ancestors #undergroundrailroads #lifeinamerica

In this episode of the Monsoon Roastery Podcast, we explore Contemplative Christianity and what being still and knowing actually means with our guest Daneli Urena. Daniel is half Costarican 🇨🇷half Dominican 🇩🇴spiritual director who has spent most of her life traveling the world✈️, working for various Christian ministries and experiencing first hand what the mystics call, “the dark night of the soul".  Joins us for a very special episode where we dive into how life takes the things that could paralyze you, and with time, uses those things to develop your resilience and inner strength💪🏼. We talk about choosing what you want to do with your life vs. being on autopilot, misunderstanding the opportunity to go deeper and how to find god in the dark, the journey of life and finding what you are truly here for, what happens when god stops fitting into your box 📦, why people struggle with religion, not having to take things at face value, asking hard questions without fear, breathwork vs. shallow breathing and what happens when the ego gets stripped away. You know, real light-hearted 💞stuff. We even end the episode with some breath work and meditation that you can follow along with at home! We hope you join us around the virtual table. We’re here for community, we’re here for you. 

In this episode of the monsoon roastery podcast 🌞, we explore empowering yourself through self-directed, spirituality with our guest, Reiki Master, and hypnotherapist, Sylvia Ferreira…oh and she’s also a correctional officer by day 👮🏻. Sylvia walks us through her journey of relational trauma and abuse and how she found healing ♥️. This episode is so rich, we cover DARE and how ineffective it was, how research can bring stark truth, finding healing through energy therapy, meditation, how the universe gives you answers ✨, what happens when you lose your faith, and guidelines for proper mall dress attire 👔. As always, we invite you to be part of our virtual table. Plug in, sit back, and enjoy. We’re here for community, we’re here for you.

In this episode of the monsoon roastery podcast, we explore the very creation of our universe 💫 and perhaps other universes with guest Alexis Reed. Alexis is an illustrator and mix-media guru but she is also a hardcore student of the world’s religions ⛩🕋🕍⛪️. Join us as she breaks down some of the early faiths of northern Africa, the Yuga cycles of Hinduism, and what it’s like to live past the 4th dimension. If there is one episode of the Monsoon Roastery podcast you should listen to, it’s this one. You can even catch us break out into an impromptu worship session. We dive into some heavy 🏋🏽, heady 💆🏼 stuff and we do it while finding ways to laugh at the anxiety that naturally arises while exploring the meaning of life, the reason we find ourselves on planet earth, fungus, and the inevitable death we will all face, or will we? As always, we invite you to be a part of our virtual community. Videos mentioned in the podcast Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land: https://youtu.be/U_ZHsk0-eF0 Imagining the Tenth Dimension: https://youtu.be/XjsgoXvnStY

In this episode of the Monsoon Roastery Podcast🌞 we talk with our guest Maggie Smith. Maggie has a background in non-profit management, is a rockstar with the young professionals of Springfield, and breaks down for us what it’s like to be polyamorous ♥️💃🏽😳. She was very gracious in letting us ask all the “stupid” questions. We dive deep into relationships, we explore what the D in Heavy D stands for, where do deleted computer files go to, and the return of cassette tapes! Join us for an always light-hearted approach to complex topics, pop-culture, and education on modern-day relationships 👥 We’re here to simulate community, if you are in need of some we invite you to join us around the virtual table 😬

We take things up a notch with our guest Marc Stimpson. Come on a journey with us and learn all about the art of woodworking, how Hope's Woodshop got started, Marc's process, how he views his art, his poodle Winston and so much more.  Marc is a local craftsman who has been making handcrafted furniture from 100% locally harvested trees in New England since 2011. For those of you who remember the inside of the roastery before COVID, he made the beautiful espresso bar and has his shop directly across the street from Monsoon.  We captured so much goodness that we had to split this episode into 2 parts. Sit back, have a listen, have a laugh, and learn all about this amazing guy working right here in Springfield. 

While this is only our third episode, it's by far one of our favorites. This one goes way deep down the rabbit hole. We discuss the origin of Eddie Saturn, how Eddie met Monsoon, downloading things from Limewire, identifying as an alien, not knowing the origin of life, enlightenment, how to find meaning in life, time as a construct, the ego, and good and evil. This is also the episode where we decide to make Eddie part of the regular podcast crew. It’s a packed episode, we invite you to have a listen.

In the second episode of the Monsoon Roastery Podcast, we discuss how statues became a thing, the American dream lore or reality, cultural assimilation and diversity, you get what you pay for, the purpose of life, and more. Come have a listen, ponder with us, laugh with us and take a virtual seat around our table. You are welcomed.

In the first episode of the Monsoon Roastery Podcast, recorded June 4th, 2020, we gather around a virtual table to discuss the current state of our world. We were just getting used to the whole pandemic when the death of George Floyd happened. This episode grapples with the very real struggles of our black brothers and sisters, the role of faith, and the possible invasion of aliens. There is a lot more to the episode, but for that you will have to listen.  Music provided by Eddie Saturn and Donnie Darkpop.