We just had a flurry of guests visiting us in Mexico. Our friends are wonderful and it’s fun to share our love of Baja with them. What ends up being hard for me is the consecutive days of eating out. Dining out is festive and offers a plan for the evening but truth be told, I’d rather eat at home. I have noticed that cooking for guests is tricky. Some feel guilty as if they are putting you out, others want the full Cabo experience of dining on the beach. Who could blame them?
I haven’t ventured much into the world of papayas. Mainly because the smell can be off-putting. But in Mexico they are plentiful and their health virtues make them difficult to ignore. I’ve made several papaya smoothies in the past but tossing in the peppery seeds…………really takes it up a notch.
I’m a brownie fan which is why I can’t make them often or I’d eat the whole pan. But every now and then I like to bake a batch, especially when I find a recipe that’s healthier and vegan. I came across this one on Gimme Some Oven (such a cute name don’t you think?), and wanted to eat the computer. These brownies turned out deliciously moist and chocolatey. No one would suspect there is avocado hidden in them.
Vegan baking is perfect for anyone who is new to baking or doesn’t consider themselves “a baker”. You don’t need fancy mixers nor do you have to worry about creaming the butter perfectly or if your egg whites are stiff enough. Baking vegan is fun and easy and you can’t help but put love into it.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a phrase we’ve all heard before. In the past, I didn’t care for apples. I’d much rather eat a juicy peach or velvety mango. But now, I crave this fruit/seed combo and can’t help but eat an apple a day. It’s my favorite breakfast.
There was a time when I was eating so much fruit that a wise friend gently asked if I was a vegetarian or fruitarian. It was a simple question with a powerful message. I was eating too much sugar.
Before making this 3 seed mix, I learned about Chia seeds from a healer I’d seen in Mexico who suggested I add more protein to my diet. I’d never heard of them before aside from the infamous “chia pet” I tried to grow as a child. But there they were in Mexico, a bin of little black seeds.
Little did I know then, they’d hit super-food stardom. Once I began learning more about these odd seeds, other nutritionally dense seeds fell under my radar. Eventually, I developed my protein rich 3 seed mix which I can’t resist sprinkling on nearly everything………
Oh hummus how I love you, let me count the ways! Hummus is a staple in my fridge. Whether it’s white bean, lima bean, edamame, almond pulp (raw hummus) or traditional, there is almost always a tasty dip available to dollop on salads or snack on with carrots.
I’ve been making hummus for years and while the ingredients remain the same, I’ve yet to lock down exact measurements. I take a fluid approach allowing my intuition to guide me. A little more lemon, another roasted garlic clove, a sprinkle of cayenne, a dash of salt – blend, taste and adjust.
Roasted Kabocha squash fell under my radar from Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet. I’ve cooked it several ways, but always come back to this simple, minimalist way of enjoying it. Could it be that I end up devouring it right off the cookie sheet and lack the discipline to save it for other recipes? Sure! But there is something nurturing and comfy about simply roasting a Kabocha squash.
This post will show you the secret to making kale taste so good that you’ll crave it. When kale started to become the “it” thing, I must admit that I ate it because I wanted to benefit from it’s nutritional wonders but the taste was hard for me to swallow. I tried many kale salad recipes but were never blown away with them and mostly disguised this wondergreen in smoothies. This was before I learned the SECRET to making kale taste good. Now that I know how to make kale more palatable, I eat it raw all the time. Even my husband requests kale salads.
I’ve been endeavoring to eat more Brazil nuts (or rather seeds) because they are an excellent source of selenium which is good for a healthy thyroid. My goal is to eat two a day but I heard they turn into a velvety smooth milk like cashews.
For a long time, I avoided making nut milks because it seemed complicated and I was certain I didn’t have the right gadgets. That was until I tried homemade almond milk for the first time and was blown away by the taste and texture. It was like drinking a vanilla milkshake that was bursting with life. That day, I ordered a nut milk bag from Amazon and tried my first attempt.
When my good friend Melanie Boyer, a talented yoga and Pilates instructor moved to Punta Mita (Puerta Vallarta), I was lucky enough to be invited to stay with her. I had an amazing time and learned a lot about living in Mexico. I tasted my first Michelada (without Clamato juice), a refreshing glass of icy cold beer poured over a generous layer of fresh lime in a salt-rimmed glass. I also had THE BEST creamy guacamole I’d ever tasted.