Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

Mojito Body Scrub

June 9, 2014

Nothing says summer like a nice, tall mojito--the mint and citrus cool you down after a day in the sun like nothing else. Just the smell of mint and citrus evokes fantasies of sipping this perfect drink poolside while sunning myself! But all the sunbathing leaves us with another important part of summer: self-care, especially for the skin. I concocted this scrub in honor of both these things (self-care and mojitos), so my skin feels tingly fresh and ready for a day at the beach--or more realistically, my patio. Use this with my mojito body butter and you've got a recipe for perfect skin all summer long!

Ingredients:

2 cups Epsom or sea salts or sugar (I used whatever I have on hand)

Mojito body scrub freshly packaged in a green mason jar--makes a great gift!

1 cup olive oil

20+ drops peppermint essential oil

20+ drops lemon essential oil

Mix ingredients in a bowl and transfer to a mason jar or other airtight container. You can add more of the essential oils to get a more pungent smell. Store in a cool, dry place for up to a month. To use, scrub liberally over body after soaping down. Avoid face. Rinse.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational collection of musings touching on life’s simple pleasures, everyday enchantments, and delectable recipes that will guarantee to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe here.

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Mojito Body Butter

June 8, 2014

Recently, I ran out of my stash of homemade body butter and made do for a few weeks with store-bought lotion--what a waste! My skin was dryer than dry and lost that luscious softness that can only be achieved with my own body butters. Even when I switched to plain old coconut oil in favor of the lotion, my skin felt greasy more than hydrated. So it was with great relief when I finished school that I could set aside an afternoon for making this moisturizer. Then, feeling the summer spirit, I decided to whip up a stash of mojito body butter, which would pair well with my mojito body scrub. I adapted my recipe from the book Organic Body Care Recipes--an amazing trove of great DIY self-care treats. After a week back using my butter, my skin feels minty fresh and supple!

While making your own body butter might seem complicated or like it takes a lot of steps, it's really pretty easy. The trick is to go slow; the hardest part (really not that hard), is waiting for the beeswax to melt. I like to melt it separately from my other ingredients because it takes the longest to melt. Once melted, you can slowly add other ingredients. Don't be alarmed if the beeswax seems to harden with the introduction of oils--just add the oils a little at a time, and it will slowly melt down again.

Special Tools:

Clean tin can

Old saucepan

Ingredients from left to right: essential oils, coconut oil, olive oil, distilled water, and beeswax.

Blender

Spatula

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup coconut oil

4 tablespoons beeswax, roughly chopped into small pieces

1 cup distilled water

30 drops peppermint oil

30 drops lemon oil

Tin can in sauce pan with some beeswax in it.  I prefer to use an old saucepan that I don't cook with anymore--I use it strictly for beauty treats. — Tin can in sauce pan with some beeswax in it. I prefer to use an old saucepan that I don't cook with anymore--I use it strictly for beauty treats.

1. Place the saucepan on low heat and fill halfway with water. Then place the clean tin can in the center of the saucepan. Put the beeswax in the tin can and let melt slowly. When beeswax is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (but not to solidify) about 5-10 minutes.

2. While beeswax is cooling, mix together olive oil and coconut oil in a small bowl. Heat for two minutes in microwave and let cool about 5 minutes.

3. Heat the distilled water (still in a microwave safe measuring cup) for two minutes in the microwave and let cool about five minutes.

Pouring the last of the melted beeswax into the blender while it mixes ingredients on medium speed.

4. Blend your ingredients in a blender. First add half of the oil mixture and begin to mix it on medium. Once the oils begin to thicken, add half the water, then half the beeswax. Blend for another 10-15 seconds or until first half of your ingredient are blended and being to thicken. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the blender and then begin blending on medium again. Add remaining ingredients (oils, water, beeswax) one at a time until fully incorporated together. Scrape down the sides one last time and blend for another 10-15 seconds. The mixture should be thick.

5. Turn off blender and add essential oils, stirring them in manually with your spatula, then blend completely on medium for another 10 seconds.

Freshly jarred homemade body butter, cooling.

6. Pour body butter into containers (I use mason jars) and let cool for at least half an hour before capping. If you find your water separating from your oils, don't worry, that's normal. It just means that the water temp and the oil temp weren't the same when you blended them. I've noticed the more I make this recipe (or variations of it!), the less that happens, so just keep practicing. Store in a cool, dry place for up to one month or in the fridge for six months--that is the advice the book I adapted the recipe from gave. Personally, I have stored this body butter in my bathroom sink for a couple months and it has been fine sans fridge.

7. To use, apply after bathing or showering. Use only a little at a time--a little goes a long way!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Restocking Your Refrigerator

June 7, 2014

At last! You finally get the chance to restock your fridge. The week was a study in making some hastily bought lettuce, eggs, beets, last until you could go grocery shopping properly. Your fridge has stood forlornly in the corner of your kitchen, almost empty except for a stray bread end and your meager staples. This simply will not do.

It is sweet relief to enter the store, to fill your cart with fresh basil and wine and aged Gouda cheese--the essentials. Your heart is light as you pile on the berries that have suddenly come in-season while you were away, yes they will fill your shelves nicely. And you cannot live without radishes. Or organic lemons. Or, frankly, dates. So in your cart they go.

Then there is the question of dinner for the next few days. You already know your weekend breakfasts will be omelet filled (you select heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet onions). The heat makes you crave nothing but crisp salads, light fish, fresh fruit. You feel a menu forming in your head: salt and pepper calamari with beet and radish salad. Then pesto pizza with those heirloom tomatoes the next night. You even eye the apricots--not quite ripe yet, and wonder if you can turn them into a 5-minute refrigerator jam. Your mind cannot stop forming recipes, meals, kitchen experiments.

At home again, you unload your bounty into your now happy refrigerator, marveling at its shelves, almost bursting with whole foods. You must celebrate. You take the freshly-made sparkling water and mix it with grapefruit juice and basil simple syrup (newly made with the basil only just purchased) for a festive mocktail; happy to once again have an arsenal of goodies at your disposal, ready for anything from a simple meal to an impromptu get-together with family. You try to enjoy your drink on the patio, but it doesn't last. You find yourself in front of the fridge, enjoying your modern day cornucopia, sipping your drink. It is good to be home.

Spain's Gin Tonic: 5 Steps to Perfection

May 24, 2014

Perfect after a day at the beach it Sitges!

Spain is famous for its love of gin tonic--and no, I didn't forget the "and" in "gin & tonic." The Spanish simply forget the "and" and go straight for the tonic. It seems only fitting that since I am both visiting Spain and love a good G&T that I should learn more about Spain's obsession with the drink--and how to make a perfect one! So here's what I've learned so far:

1. They like their ice cubes big. Bigger ice cubes mean the drink won't melt into tastelessness in the blink of an eye and the drink will stay cooler longer.

2. Choose good gin. This should be a no-brainer. The quality of a drink is dependent on its ingredients. I use to order G&Ts at bars because they are hard to mess up--but now I realize you really can taste the difference between a cheap well gin and a solid one. I recommend the inexpensive New Amsterdam gin for those of you who like a more citrus forward gin reminiscent of vodka. If you are looking to splurge a little, Hendrick's gin offers a wonderful botanical element to your drink.

3. Use quality tonic water. This means avoiding tonic water with fake sugar--another seemingly obvious rule, but one that is often overlooked. Real sugar preserves the taste and frankly, is actually safer for you to drink than artificial sweeteners. A good, but more expensive brand is Fever-tree, which doesn't have any artificial sweeteners or preservatives. For a less expensive option, try Hansen's Natural Tonic, sweetened with natural sugar cane and containing no preservatives.

4. Don't over think the garnishes, according to the Spanish. Lime is always the best option. While they like to add a little flair to the gin tonics with interesting flavors like lavender, they suggest that you shouldn't overload your drink with too many garnishes. It's a drink, not a salad!

5. Keep it simple. Sure there are lots of fun twists on this classic drink, including my Grape-Lime G&T. Just don't get so caught up on the flavor riffs that you lose sight of the basic flavor profile of a good drink: the bright flavor of the lime, the floral kick of the gin, and the bitter tang of the tonic's quinine.

Most of all, take some time to sit in the sun and enjoy your drink!

On Kitchen Sink-ing It

May 17, 2014

You must get creative with the food you have, using it all up before you pack your bags and head out on your next adventure.

It took all your self-control not to over-shop at the grocery store, despite the perfectly rounded artichokes and thick stalks of asparagus staring you in the face. You bought only the bare necessities: coffee and wine. It took even more reserve not to go to the farmers' market; that would only lead to a fridge full of spring's bounty--tender lettuce, red radishes, and if you were lucky, garlic scapes.

You know mustn't do that, hard as it is. Everything but the kitchen sink must go, so you pile your plate with all manner of strange meals. You are traveling soon--that phrase playing round and round your head, a constant reminder--and have to clean out your fridge of anything and everything that won't last till you get back.

It has been a series of creative lunches and kitchen-sink dinners. There was the breakfast omelet with one and a half bell peppers and small wedges of several different kinds of hard cheeses; the lunch of quick pickled carrots, radishes, and cucumbers; the simple dinner of crudités and aioli to use up those eggs and any stray vegetables at the bottom of your crisper. Everything must go!

Then there is the carton of half and half that you try to ration out across the next four mornings, so you don't have to buy another and have it go to waste. There is the watermelon you had forgotten about--the one you intended to juice. A watermelon cooler must be made, perhaps several. You will diligently work on whittling down the contents of your fridge until it is nothing but bare shelves and butter, mustard jars and a wine bottle.

It's as integral to your travel preparations as packing your bags and boarding that plane. Yes, this is kitchen sink-ing it.

3 Citrus-Ginger Gin Fizz

May 11, 2014

In honor of my wonderful patio garden, I had my family over for dinner last night. It was a perfect garden party (albeit a patio garden party) filled with the bounty of spring. We had radishes and young beets in our salad, asparagus and roasted lamb seasoned with herbs from my garden on our plates. There was also fresh pesto crostini for appetizers and, of course, a beautiful view of my potted plants. Naturally, when you have a garden party, you need a cocktail that tastes like spring in a glass, which is why I developed my 3 citrus-ginger gin fizz.

A traditional fizz is simply gin, lemon, a little sugar, and sparkling water--an absolutely refreshing way to wind down a warm spring day. I've added a twist to this recipe by using three types of citrus--grapefruit, lemon, and lime--and the addition of ginger simple syrup in place of the sugar. There are few combinations as heavily as citrus and ginger in my book--they play on each other's brightness. Make sure to use freshly squeezed citrus juice--the bottled kind doesn't have as bright a flavor and contains lots of hidden sugars. You can also skip the gin and have a refreshing mocktail, as my pregnant sister did.

Even if you aren't hosting a garden party anytime soon, I'd recommend enjoying this cocktail to kick off your Saturday night!

Ingredients:

Juice of 1 grapefruit

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

6 ounces (3 shots) ginger simple syrup

Sparkling water

Combine three juices together in a mason jar or other container. In four glasses, add one shot of the juice mix to each glass and 1/2 shot (.75 ounces) of ginger simple syrup. Top with ice. Fill the glass to the top with sparkling water and stir. Enjoy in a shady grove, patio garden, or other lovely outdoor space. Serves 4.

Ginger Simple Syrup

May 10, 2014

Ginger is one of those epic all-around healing foods that I can't get enough of. It adds brightness and spice to everything from a good Asian stir-fry to my morning quinoa. This time of year I absolutely love it as an ingredient in the sunny warm-weather cocktails & mocktails that become so appealing after a day spent outdoors. You can also mix it with sparkling water to make a light, refreshing soda. In either case, my ginger simple syrup is an ingredient I like to keep on hand for those impromptu fancy drinks that feel like summer in a glass.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4-inch by 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

To make the simple syrup, bring water and ginger to a boil. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain out ginger and pour syrup into a mason jar. Store in fridge for about one week. Make approximately 1 cup of syrup.

Bathe Like an Egyptian Bath

May 1, 2014

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in milk and honey--the perfect recipe for soft, hydrated skin. Naturally, I thought of this as the perfect antidote to the dry skin the change of seasons can bring on. It feels purely decadent to soak in this rich liquid and your skin feels incredible afterward. The lactic acid in the milk gently exfoliates your skin, while the honey helps it retain moisture and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. I recommend full-fat milk since it is mega-nourishing for your skin--so save the two percent for drinking. Organic is also a must--who wants anything treated with unnatural things on their skin? Plan to take some time in the bath: grab a good book, drink a cup of chamomile tea, and feel as pampered as an Egyptian queen! And feel free to imagine scantily clad buff servants fanning you with big palm leaves as you soak.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup honey

Favorite bubble bath (optional)

Pour milk and honey under running water. Make bath water hot but not too hot. Add bubbles if desired. Soak in bath for at least 30-45 minutes. For best results, exfoliate before bathing and slather on your favorite body butter after. Enjoy!

Note: be sure to clean your bath after so you don't leave traces of milk and honey in it.

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 film by the same name. Bathing never looked so glamorous!

Chamomile Face Toner

April 29, 2014

Lately, I have been loving chamomile! It's gentle apple taste and nurturing properties have made it my go-to bedtime tea these past few weeks and I've even enjoyed using it as a steep for soothing bubble baths and beauty treats.

One of my all-time favorite chamomile beauty treats is the face toner I make out of brewing a strong cup of these little flowers. It treats puffiness, inflammation, and irritated skin, perfect for this time of year when the season change can wreak havoc on our skin--especially with all this dry, windy weather we've been having in Albuquerque! This toner is also great for sensitive skin; it simply soothes and heals, without drying or exposing your skin to harmful chemicals like mainstream toners. So if your face needs a little extra TLC, try this--it's super easy!

Ingredients:

1 heaping tablespoon chamomile

1 cup water

Bring water to a boil--pour into mug. Add chamomile and let steep for five minutes. Pour tea through a strainer and into a mason jar (keep the lid off for now). Allow to cool completely. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to one week. To use, simply dab a cotton ball in the tea toner and rub on a freshly washed face. This is gentle enough to use in the morning and again at night. Enjoy!

Spritz Cocktail

April 25, 2014

This time of year has me pining for travel and adventure--especially now that school is almost at an end. It is as if the long weeks of grading papers have finally caught up with me and I can no longer sit still. I want to move, to be moved, to saturate myself in the bounty of life: art, food, music, laughing, loving.

And yet vacation is still a month away. So how do I cope? Easy! I bring the fun to me! One of the ways I do this is by recreating the wonderful foods and drinks I experienced during my own travels, especially to my travels in Italy, where people really know how to enjoy themselves.

One of my favorite evening cocktails is the Italian spritz, made with Aperol (a bitter orange liquor) and sparkling wine. I was introduced to this drink by my younger sister, an artist who lives in Florence, when I went to visit her and her writer husband last summer. There is nothing more refreshing than this bubbly orange drink after a day of museum viewing, city wandering, and food tasting. Of course, when traveling, you should eat (and drink) like the locals, so I was more than happy to try a local favorite cocktail for apertivo, or the Italian version of cocktail hour.

That said, back state side the drink could be a little too sweet for me, since I wasn't drinking right by the River Arno. Still, I love the idea of the spritz, so I decided to see if I could whip up a version that I could enjoy at home while dreaming of my Tuscan adventures. Typically the spritz is made with 2 parts Aperol, 3 parts sparkling wine, and one part sparkling water. I reduced the amount of Aperol and had my fellow spritz drinkers try it. Viola! We were left with a perfect drink. Feel free to try it the traditional way too, if you like sweeter drinks.

Ingredients:

.75 oz (about 1/2 shot) Aperol

5 oz (about 3-4 shots) of a dry sparking white wine

1.5 oz (1 shot) sparkling water

Ice (optional)

Pour aperol into the bottom of a glass. Add sparkling wine and sparkling water. Add ice if desired--sometimes I put it in, sometimes I don't. Serves one (so double the recipe and invite another adventure seeking friend to join you!). Pairs well with a sunny, Tuscan attitude and a lovely patio garden.

Looks like the perfect way to celebrate the end of the week!

Lavender Gimlet

April 20, 2014

This time of year, I always start craving bright, fresh cocktails that are evocative of the season's bounty--fledgling herbs and the green citrus notes that seem to permeate the air come April. They are a great way to kick off a fun Saturday night dinner or linger over with a friend in the garden.

One of my all-time favorite spring cocktails is the gimlet. Cousin to the margarita and the whiskey sour, it is a simple mixture of freshly squeezed lime juice and gin, easy to make and so refreshing--especially after a day of gardening! I was contemplating a gimlet for this very reason last night while tending to my lavender when a thought occurred to me. Wouldn't my gimlet be just divine with a hint of lavender flavor? Yes, yes it would. And it was.

Some people prefer to make gimlets with vodka, but for this recipe, the herbaceousness of a good gin compliments the lavender nicely. I used the local Santa Fe Spirits' Wheeler's Gin, but any quality gin will do. Also, use fresh lime juice--that neon green fake stuff at the liquor store is just plain gross and the bottled stuff doesn't have the zing you need to balance out the sweetness of the lavender simple syrup. To learn how to make this easy, simple syrup recipe, click here.

Cocktail Ingredients:

1.5 oz lime juice (1 shot)

3 oz gin (2 shots)

ice

.75 oz lavender simple syrup (1/2 shot)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake well. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Lavender Simple Syrup

April 19, 2014

I absolutely love lavender! I like to use it as a simple perfume, a spritz of aromatherapy, a fancy topping for a spring salad, sprinkled in my baked goods, and, of course, as an extra zing to my drinks. It has a rich, floral taste that compliments just about anything and has amazing healing properties, too.

Not only is it antiseptic, but it's also a gentle pain reliever and overall nerve tonic. I like to make this simple syrup to have on hand to add to lemonade or cocktails to make them feel extra special. It even elevates everyday sparkling water to a fancy lunchtime beverage. Spring seems like the perfect time to keep this simple syrup on hand as it is evocative of the fresh, floral energy of the new season.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons dried lavender buds

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

To make the simple syrup, bring water and lavender to a boil. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out lavender buds and pour syrup into a mason jar. Store in fridge for about one week.

Hydrating Hair Mask

April 17, 2014

When I got home today, I was preparing for my yoga practice when I noticed how dry my hair was looking. After wearing my hair down--something I haven't done in a long time (I might have slept past my alarm clock today...), I realized how parched it looked and brittle it felt while trying to flip it into a sloppy bun.

I have long hair. Really long hair. And thick hair. Really thick hair. It doesn't take much to dry it out--especially during a dry, windy spring like we've just come out of. The trick to keeping my locks shiny, moisturized, and healthy is my honey and olive oil hair mask, which I promptly slathered all over my scalp post yoga. Both the honey and oil moisturize and nourish your hair.

You may need to play around with the quantity of the ingredients depending on your hair type. If you tend to have oily hair, put little to no oil in the mix (the honey adds moisture to your hair on its own). If you have damaged or super dry hair, you made need a little more oil. In either case, start with a little bit of this mask and then add more of either ingredient as needed--or opt for less oil the next time around. I've also swapped out the olive oil for coconut oil--bliss!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon organic olive oil (or coconut oil) optional

4 tablespoons organic honey

Mix ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds or until warm (but not too hot!). Gently massage mask into wet hair, using a plastic comb (makes for easy cleaning) to distribute mask over hair evenly. Put more of the mask on the dry parts, like frizzy ends. Wrap your hair into a bun and let sit for 30-40 minutes--it's probably a good idea to do this hair treatment when you want to linger in the bubble bath. When done, rinse hair with your normal shampoo and conditioner routine and enjoy softer hair!

Mason Jar Southwest Salad

April 15, 2014

I like to make it a priority to eat healthy, delicious food. This kind of nourishment is the epitome of self-care--taking the time to make yourself a meal that will feed your body and soul. All this sounds great until mid-week comes and I'm too tired to whip up a quick breakfast or lunch. So I came up with the idea of make-ahead mason jar meals that satisfy my need for easy and healthy meals during the week. By far the best lunch I've come up with is this Southwest Salad. It has all the tang and spice of a good Mexican dish with the easy of a grab-n-go mason jar.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked black beans

2 cups sweet corn

2 cups red bell peppers

1 cup chopped radishes

1 cup chopped spring onions

3 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red chile pepper

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (optional)

Toss black beans in the red chile powder and set aside. Mix lime juice and olive oil together in a small mason jar to form salad dressing. Pour the dressing evenly between four mason jars. Layer each ingredient into the jars, starting with the beans and sturdier ingredients that won't wilt in the dressing. For this salad, it works best to layer it with beans, corn, bell peppers, then radishes and finally the spring onions. If you are using the Greek yogurt, you can layer it between the beans and the corn. Store in the fridge. When you're ready for your mason jar meal, simply shake the jar to spread the dressing around. You can eat straight from the jar or pour it on a plate. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational collection of musings touching on life’s simple pleasures, everyday encahntments, and delectable recipes that will guarantee to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe here.

Want even more inspiration to make your dream life a reality? Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Thanks for following!

Grape-Lime Gin and Tonic

April 11, 2014

One of my favorite warm weather cocktails is the gin and tonic. It's the perfect blend of sweet and bitter. It's not overly saccharine, and its bubbly quality always makes it feel festive.

Last summer my family and I took a cue from Spain (a country in love with the G&T) and started adding different ingredients to the classic drink to up its yum factor. The hands-down easiest and most delicious flavor combination is limes and mashed fresh grapes (in the summer we use the ones growing in my parent's backyard). The taste is everything the warmer months encapsulate: tart fresh fruit, refreshing bubbly, and a long afternoon sitting in the backyard, enjoying a cool breeze.

For this recipe, I used Moscat grapes, at their peak in the spring, and best known for their role in making sweet Muscato wine. You can also use green grapes--their tartness brings out the crisp zing of the tonic water.

Ingredients:

1 shots (1 1/2 ounces) gin

3 shots (4 1/2 ounces) tonic water

1 tablespoon lime juice

10 muscato grapes

Ice

Combine grapes, lime juice, and gin in your glass. Muddle ingredients until grapes are mashed and combined with liquid ingredients. Add ice. Top with tonic water. Stir. Enjoy!

Serving size: One (so invite a friend over and double the recipe!)

You might be wondering how to fill a glass this tall...easy: add more gin and tonic!

She Works Hard for the Money Power Muffins

April 8, 2014

During a busy teaching day, I like to stay fueled with these power muffins--they're tasty, easy to make, and so packed with vitamins and nutrients that they can hold me for a long time. This is especially important for the days I'm teaching back-to-back classes and don't get to my lunch until later in the afternoon. If you, too, find you need a healthy snack between meals, whip up a batch of these She Works Hard for the Money Power Muffins!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

3 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil

1/3 cup coconut milk

2 eggs

1 shredded granny smith apple

2 shredded carrots

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Oil muffin tins. Combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients. Slowly combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Fill greased muffin tins about two-thirds full with batter. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

On Cooking an Onion

April 7, 2014

Ah yes, dinner.

You don't know what you feel like and, at the end of the day, are incapable of making any real decisions. But you know, just as well, that you must eat. So you turn to a kitchen ritual so old you don't remember who you learned it from--your mother, most likely, or perhaps your Florentine sister teaching you yet another Italian custom. In any case, you know what must be done.

You need to cook an onion.

This onion is your culinary oracle. Once gently simmering in your pan it will divine the future of your kitchen table, wake up your palate and reveal that which you most desire--for tonight.

So you deftly move through you conjuring ritual with the ease of someone who has done it often. You pull a sweet onion from your cupboard and lovingly chop it up on your cutting board. You heat up oil and slide your offering into the pan--a gift to the culinary gods.

There is nothing left to do but let that humble kitchen staple begin to caramelize and wait for that moment of inspiration. You feel the pungent scent of these bulbs drift through your home, conjuring up memories of comforting meals like rich soups and ratatouille and roasted root vegetables. But it is dhal you finally settle on--yes dhal, cooked to perfection only once the onions are added to the lentils, along with garlic and cumin. Yes, dhal.

The oracle has spoken.

On Baking

April 5, 2014

Outside it is a calm, cool, almost cloudy spring day. You woke up feeling relaxed, deliciously unfocused. Your body is pleasantly sore from a week of strengthening and healing. It is the kitchen that eventually calls to you between nursing your last cup of coffee and tinkering with words at your writing desk. You want the pure comfort of baking.

You put on the kettle for tea. Your rummage through recipes--both in the books stacked against one wall of your kitchen and in the files of your mind--until you land on another idea entirely: time to play, toy with a new muffin recipe.

Slowly, you gather your supplies. Two kinds of flour and too many seeds to keep track of, shredded carrots and apples, your favorite spices, cinnamon, and ginger. You whisk together eggs and milk, flour and spices. When your mix is ready, you spoon it into your muffin tins, already anticipating the warm treat that awaits you soon, so soon.

You pop your muffin batter into the oven and set the timer. While you putter around the house--washing your baking dishes and flipping through your bookshelf--the rich scent of cinnamon and brown sugar waft through the oven, perfuming your home with a sense of comfort and well being.

It isn't until you pull the muffins out from the oven and bite into the still-too-hot treats that you feel the warmth in your belly, the cozy tingling in your spine that tells you all is well with the world.

You are at peace. You are at home.

Coconut Water-Kiwi-Lime Cocktail

April 1, 2014

That's right, I said it. All us hippies can feel free to have our coconut water and drink it too--in cocktail form! It makes drinking cocktails feel almost healthy, because, hey, there are tons of good-for-you vitamins and electrolytes in your glass, thanks to the coconut water. If you're feeling extra virtuous or pregnant, feel free to leave out the vodka--the drink is equally delicious sans alcohol.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz vodka (1 shot)

3 oz coconut water (2 shots)

1 squeeze of lime (about half a teaspoon)

One skinned chopped kiwi

Ice

Pour vodka, lime, and kiwi in a glass and muddle ingredients until kiwi mixes with liquids. Add ice. Top with coconut water. Stir. Enjoy! Makes one serving (so you should probably double it and share with a friend).

Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Bubble Bath

March 27, 2014

Apple cider vinegar, like baking soda, is one of those all-purpose miracle kitchen staples, good for everything from salad dressings to facial toners. For it to really work, though, you need to make sure that you buy only the raw organic kind, like Bragg, because of the natural minerals, vitamins, and enzymes in it. Apple cider not only reduces inflammation in the body and draws out toxins, but also soothes and moisturizes the skin. It is likewise the all natural secret to brighter, clearer skin--it has long been purported to cure acne and fade sunspots. What most people don't know about apple cider vinegar is that it also absorbs and neutralizes odor, making it one of the best forms natural deodorant, right up there with baking soda.

...which is my long way of saying that it makes a great detox bath--bubbles optional (but really, what bath is complete without bubbles?). If you are worried about smelling like you spent the day in a pickle jar post-bath, don't be! The vinegar smell doesn't stick to you like most people think. You can always add some essential oils to your bath to balance out the vinegary smell as well.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

essential oils of your choice (optional)

favorite bubble bath (optional)

Simply add one cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath, along with your essential oils and bubbles if desired. Plant to soak for at least half an hour to get maximum benefits. Enjoy!