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.

Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

June 26, 2014

I am all about the stuffed anything: bell peppers, in this case, or avocados, or tomatoes. I love the concept of using something edible as a container for a nutritious meal; it also helps with portion control (a useful tool when my eyes are bigger than my stomach!).

These stuffed bell peppers came to me one night when I had a handful of veggies that I didn't quite know what to do with--about 3/4 cup chickpeas and a handful of mushrooms leftover from my Chickpea & Mushroom Salad, a forgotten chunk of frozen kale, and half a jar of capers. I was once again flipping through the New Vegetarian cookbook when I stumbled across a recipe for stuffed bell peppers. I didn't have the tomatoes or olives that the original recipe called for, but I did have bell peppers and my random collection of food odds and ends. Thus a new dish was born. You can eat it on its own or serve it on a bed of lettuce--either way is delish!

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

3/4 cup chickpeas

5-6 mushrooms, finely chopped

1/4 cup capers

1/4 sun-dried tomatoes (re-hydrated)

3/4 cup kale, finely chopped

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 oregano sprigs, leaves finely chopped

Olive oil

Preheat ovenr 350 degrees. Slice bell pepper in half longwise, removing seeds and stem. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl. Once fully combined, stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix thoroughly. Spoon the filling evenly into each bell pepper half. Drizzle with more olive oil and set on pan. Cook in oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating. Serves 2 as a light meal. Enjoy!

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!

Are You You-er than You?

June 25, 2014

Do you let yourself outgrow your constant need to apologize for who you are? Do you refuse to tone down your brightly colored wardrobe so as not to offend those who see the world in black and white with your technicolor? Do you happily turn down unwanted social invitations in favor of more time spent with a good book...or feet on the dance floor? Do you, above all else, strive to be the best you, the most you-est you there is? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

Those are your answers, felt deep in your bones, echoed in the beating of blood in your veins. For the first time in a long time, you find yourself feeling you-er than you, the you-est you've ever been. It started slowly, with the satisfaction of saying no--your voice strong and clear--no you will not do that, then onto another small step forward when you admitted to yourself that what you really wanted to do was stay home and tend your garden, and so you did. From there it happened all at once: the you-ness.

You found yourself in mountain pose, gazing at your herb plants, breathing deeply (in and out, in and out) when you realized you were the you that you wanted to be. No more going through the motions or pretending to be a version of yourself more palatable to the rest of the world. No more going through the motions of the you that you wanted to be, keeping the flimsy performance of that persona, a brittle shell without substance or roots. It took time and more patience you thought you had, but, one breath, one act, one thought at a time, you took the hope of being more you and nourished it until it burst from its seed. It reached down into the earth and up into the sky, wild roots planting you firmly to this world, delicate stems and leaves reaching upward, bringing the sun to you.

It is a delicious feeling and an ephemeral one, being you. And yet it gets stronger the more you listen to that voice that would rather walk barefoot all day and gaze at the stars, the one that can go a whole day in happy solitude--or joyfully spin across a dance floor as she does twirl in the moonlight. You want to get to know this you, continue to blossom, allow your roots weaving themselves into the dirt and your stem, leaves, and petals reaching for the sun to represent the fullest expression of yourself each and every day, growing into the you-est you've ever been.

Chickpea & Mushroom Salad

June 24, 2014

Come summertime, all I want to eat is salad. And fruit. And basically anything that is light and super easy to fix so I can spend more time outside hunting for ladybugs and collecting daisies...or something along those lines. Which brings me to this delicious, simple dinner that can be made at the drop of a hat--especially for those nights when you aren't sure what to make. The kicker with this recipe is that it's actually a warm salad--a nice break for your system, which can have a hard time digesting raw veggies all the time. I adapted this recipe from Celia Brooks Brown's New Vegetarian cookbook when I found myself one night with too many chickpeas and not enough creative inspiration for dinner. It was then my Chickpea & Mushroom Salad was born. I added in turmeric, chives, and other little ingredients to provide extra nutrition and flavor, and swapped out the called-for spinach for mixed-greens (mostly because that was what I had one hand). The yogurt mint and chive dressing provides the perfect tangy balance to the cumin and turmeric cooked mushrooms and chickpeas. Now this recipe is one of my go-to weeknight dinners!

Ingredients:

16 ounces cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed, or one cup cooked)

12 ounces button mushrooms

1 small sweet onion, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for sautéing mushrooms and chickpeas

2 cloves garlic, diced

1teaspoon chile seeds

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons turmeric

3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

3/4 cups plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

5 cups mixed greens

Salt to taste

Heat oil in pan. Cut mushrooms in half and add them to the pan and cook until soft. Reduce heat and add diced onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes or until onions turn translucent. Then add chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, chile seeds, and salt to taste. Sauté for 1 minute then add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let mixture simmer on low while you prepare the salad dressing.

For the salad dressing, mix together yogurt, olive oil and remaining lemon juice until combined. Mix in chives and mint, then salt to taste. Divide mixed greens between 4 plates, then add the chickpeas and mushrooms on top of the lettuce. Finally, pour yogurt dressing over the mushrooms and chickpeas. Serves 4. Enjoy!

On Sunbathing

June 23, 2014

In this moment, you are like a turtle perched on a log, unwilling to move an inch for fear the sun will not fully coat you in its delicious honeyed kiss. You want every bit of light to cover you, soak into your skin, and fill your body with the warmth of your desert sky. It is pure nourishment, your soul forged anew under that solar gaze like tiny cleansing flames licking your skin.

You would take all your clothes off if you could, let yourself wear nothing but sunlight until your skin returns to its natural bronze color, faded after a winter buried under too many layers of clothes. But you can forget all those layers now under the sun's tender caress. You want to map the sun's passage as it makes its way along your body, tattooing your limbs with its essence. It starts with your closed eyelids--its touch surprisingly gentle across your lashes--then winds its way down to your toes and through your fingertips, luxuriating in the whole length of you.

Later you will still feel the heat of the sun in your body, although it has left the sky and the earth has cooled with the inevitable darkness. Your skin will still be warm and your insides glowing from a day spent daydreaming, drifting, losing track of everything except the way the sunlight burns away impurities and feeds your true essence.

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.

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

Watermelon Cooler

June 22, 2014

When the sizzling temperatures of summer hit, I find myself craving watermelon juice. Perhaps it is because of the great memories I have of drinking this delicately refreshing drink after many a hot yoga practice or because I always find myself with an extra watermelon in my fridge, but in either case, I find this watermelon cooler a go-to drink for the summer. As I've gotten used to "juicing" watermelon, I've played around with this cooler, adding fresh lime juice to compliment the sweetness of the melon and even herbs, like basil or mint, to give the drink an extra kick. This drink is great for overripe melons; while their texture might be grainy and less-than-appetizing, their juices are still plenty sweet and delicious. This recipe also makes a great mocktail (or virgin cocktail) for those times you want a festive, hydrating drink. If you want to make a full-fledged cocktail out of it (as I've been known to do come Friday night), you can simply add a shot of vodka to your drink. Don't have limes on hand? Swap them out with lemons. It's pretty versatile!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized watermelon, the flesh scooped out, rinds discarded (about 4 cups)

3 limes, juiced (about 2-3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons basil simple syrup (optional)

To make basil simple syrup, simply follow the instructions in my ginger simple syrup recipe, making sure to swap out the ginger with two cups of fresh basil leaves.

Freshly pureed watermelon being poured into pitcher via a sieve.

Blend watermelon chunks in batches in a blender on medium speed until pureed. Then pour pureed watermelon into a pitcher, using a sieve to separate the pulp from the juice. Once all the juice is in the pitcher, stir in lime juice and taste. If you want more of a lime taste, you can juice and add more. Then, if you would like, add the basil simple syrup. Enjoy! Makes about 4 servings.

On the Summer Solstice

June 21, 2014

Gorgeous summer landscape of New Mexico.

To you this day will always be about collecting flowers and dancing barefoot in the grass, attempting to make daisy chains from dandelion heads and spinning around like a dervish until the sun is the only fixed point of your gaze.

You embrace it, this sun, as it stretches from horizon to horizon, coating the earth in its nourishing energy; for the first time, it is able to linger the longest in the sky, so as better to reach each and every corner of your life, illuminating even the darkest shadows. You feel your skin shedding the weight of winter, casting off unnecessary layers and exposing your now tender skin to the sky, where it cures in the fires of the sun.

But you have not forgotten the moon, your ever constant companion, with you always even as she gives the sky over to the sun each day, even when she appears absent at night. She calls to you, too, on this longest day of the year, when her powers wane in the heat of her other half. She reminds you that the darkness has its virtues, forever calling you deeper into yourself, your thoughts like constellations illuminating your inner landscape.

You will honor this day by tending your herbs and letting them bask in this decadent light. You will honor this day by breathing in new insights and exhaling old ways of being. You will honor this day by walking barefoot in the sun-warmed grass and later gazing at the stars when the sun gifts the sky to the moon; and you will honor this day by filling your body with light and well being.

Breakfast Granola

June 20, 2014

Mmmmm...looks like the perfect breakfast to me: granola topped with Greek yogurt and fresh raspberries.

If you've never made homemade granola before, you are in for a treat. The smell of cinnamon and toasting nuts emanating from the oven is as intoxicating as any baked good perfuming your home. And there is nothing better in the summer than homemade granola topped with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast. It's fast, it's filling, and it's sooooo delicious! My mom first got me into granola after she and my dad had the amazing homemade stuff at a B&B in Canada. They brought home the recipe book, and we immediately set to making our own.

Now I usually use what I have on hand in the kitchen to make granola--whatever nuts, spices, and grains stuck in the back of my pantry. The recipe is versatile and forgiving--my kind of recipe! You can easily swap out ingredients for others and play around with different flavors (vanilla extract this time, loads of ginger the next). One of the other great perks of making your own granola is that you can control the sugar content. Most store-bought granola has way more sugar and salt than is healthy for you. By making your own, you can get the benefits of this nutrient-dense breakfast without sugar or salt overload.

Ingredients:

4 cups multi-grain oats

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/2 cup chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup honey

1 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then slowly add oil, honey, and vanilla extract until they fully coat the dry ingredients.

Spread out mix evenly on a large baking sheet (you will have to work in batches). Make sure that you don't overload the pan, or it will cook unevenly. Baking until toasted, about 20 minutes.

Stir once halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for 2-4 weeks. Makes around 15 servings. Serve with berries and yogurt for breakfast or on its own as a light afternoon snack. Enjoy!

Granola fresh from the oven, cooled, and ready for pantry storage.

On Buying a Bouquet of Flowers

June 19, 2014

You couldn't help yourself.

There they were at the front of the store, a riot of colors stuffed into tall tin buckets, each flower vying for your attention like some flirt who can't help herself--it's nothing personal, she does it to everyone who walks by. The sunflowers and daisies call to you with their bright happiness, sunlight springing from their petals. The snapdragons and irises lure you in with their intricacy--the purple irises still tight in their buds, unwilling to blossom quite yet, the snapdragons asking you to play with their delicate mouths that open and close under your gentle touch, less snap and more first-kiss.

You settle, finally, on a mixed bouquet for its compelling arrangement of pink daisies and purple mums (you think--they could be another flower unknown to you, but lovely all the same), shy lilies with all but one yet to fully bloom, and little yellow wildflowers that might not have a name. You don't need these flowers. Not really. They won't feed your belly, nor serve a useful household purpose like the baking soda you later put into your grocery basket. But there is something to their whimsical elegance, something to buying a bouquet of flowers, that puts you in the mood for picnics and long afternoons reading outside.

They add softness to your day and more than a little grace. You can picture them now, nicely trimmed and tucked in one of your small mason jars on the kitchen table, perhaps. Or on your nightstand ready to greet you with the sunrise. Like the ribbons you collect, or the sea glass, your bouquet of flowers brightens your home, lifts your spirits, reminds you that it is okay--necessary even--to indulge your senses; true they will fade and the water they sit in will thicken into a swamp-like goo. But while they are fresh and bright and colorful, they feed your soul and remind you that some of the best pleasures exist in the space between one moment and the next.

On Tasting the First Tomatoes from Your Garden

June 18, 2014

There they are. Two small cherry tomatoes ripening on your potted tomato plant. Sometime between when you left for your short trip and your return, those little globes went from green peas to ripe red fruit. You stare at them for a long time, not quite believing your luck. Two whole tomatoes, there for your enjoyment.

Then, barefoot and holding your watering can in one hand and dead plant leaves in the other, you consider your options. You are hesitant to eat them all at once but can't think of any recipe that would call for just two cherry tomatoes. Even worse, you would hate for them to get lost in a salad, where the lettuce, vinegar, and oil might overwhelm them completely. As you weigh your options, you know you've already made up your mind: you lack the self-control to do anything but eat them straight from the vine. You set your watering can down and toss out your weeds and debris--the rest can wait.

As you pick those little tomatoes, you can feel their sun-warmed skins, the smooth, soft flesh wrapped tautly around their juicy core. You take the first one in your mouth, allowing it to roll around your tongue, almost afraid to break the surface of its skin with your teeth--but you do it anyway. You can't resist the taste of a real tomato.

You feel the skin break, spilling out soft seeds and flooding your mouth with the sweet taste of summer: sun, soil, savory red fruit. You are left with the tart taste on your lips and soil on your hands. It is over too fast; you promise to make the second one last longer but you know it, too, will be gone sooner than you would like. Already your tongue is missing the bright taste of this homegrown magic.

You pop the last one into your mouth determined to savor every last inch of it. You roll it around your tongue remembering why your garden tomatoes have turned you against their mealy store bought cousins. Then this second one, too, is gone in a flood of seeds and juice. You gaze longing at your tomato plants, searching for signs of yellow flowers or little green bulbs that will one day ripen into edible euphoria. Until then you can only wait, water, tend. So you pick up your watering can once more and go about the business of tending your garden, the tang of the first tomatoes of the season still fresh on your lips.

Basil-Nutritional Yeast Pesto

June 17, 2014

I love basil--and pesto. I literally cannot live without either of these culinary miracles, especially in the summer when the basil is plentiful and it is so easy to whip up a batch of this flavor enhancing sauce. I like to make a big batch of it and freeze it in little ice cube trays. When I need a little something extra for pizza, salad dressing, or pasta sauce, I just pop out one of these frozen pesto cubes and--wala!--my evening meal is elevated to summery deliciousness. This pesto is also great for making your own Seussian "green eggs" (ham optional).

Usually, when It comes to making pesto, I just use what I have on hand in terms of nuts (almost always sunflower seeds) and cheese. Lately, I have been l loving swapping out the traditional Parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast in my recipe. This yeast is actually deactivated yeast that has a cheesy, nutty flavor and is often used as a cheese substitute in vegan dishes. It can be found in most health food stores. It is delicious, low in calories, and so good for you because it is high in fiber, protein, and vitamin B-12. I also don't often put salt in my pesto, especially if I am going to freeze it because I want to make sure I don't over salt my dish if I am using pesto with other salty ingredients like prosciutto or mozzarella. So I refrain from adding salt until I know what I'm pairing it with. Let's just say I learned to tread lightly with the seasoning of my pesto after one too many salty dishes!

Ingredients:

2 cups packed organic basil

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Salt to taste (optional)

Add first three ingredients in a food processor until roughly chopped and blended. Then add oil and mix until combined. Finally, add in nutritional yeast (and salt if using) and combine. Transfer to bowl or mason jar. Store in fridge for 2-3 days or up to three months in freezer using ice cube trays. Enjoy!

On Reasons I Love My Home

June 16, 2014

First, it's the way you don't have to wear real clothes--or any clothes at all if you don't want to. You can let your hair down and not bother to comb it. You can walk around with bare feet, relishing the feel of the ground beneath your soles.

Second, it is where you surround yourself with the things you love--and keep out the things you don't. All your books are loving piled on your bookshelves, a riot of multicolored spines, some rigid and sitting up straight like good little hardbacks, other cracked at the seams, their thin paper covers wearing the memory of the countless times you've read them. Your knitting--that turquoise blue blanket you started forever ago and will continue working on until forever--is always right where you left it, on the couch, ready for another knitting session. Your writing desk is an open invitation to sit and dream or gaze out at your patio garden. Even your kitchen is exactly how you want it to be: ready at a moment's notice for cooking, baking, conjuring up tea blends. It is as if it knows the pleasure of being always fully stocked for anything from a simple lunch to an impromptu visit from your sister just as you do.

Third, you don't have to answer the door if you don't want to. You can lose track of time, let the hours unravel before you in the safety of your sanctuary without bother or worry. You feel no obligation to join the rest of the world when they come knocking, only a sweet satisfaction that you can linger in your space just a little longer.

Fourth...the list can go on and on. You will content yourself, then, with saying just this: the reasons you love your home are varied and unending, just as the stash of flouncy dresses and colorful skirts in your closet seemingly are. You love your home because it molds itself around you, always a reflection of your energy, your constant nurturing of simple pleasures, quiet moments of bliss, a life rich in nourishing enjoyment.

Prosciutto Wrapped Apricots

June 15, 2014

Everyone is more or less familiar with the amazingly delicious--and simple--Italian recipe of prosciutto and melon, where fresh cantaloupe is wrapped in that wonderfully salty cured meat. The sweetness of the melon plays nicely with the saltiness of the prosciutto, making it a crowd-pleaser. Because of its short prep time (I literally just slice the melon and drape prosciutto over it), this dish is one of my favorite summer appetizers to serve.

Freshly plated appetizers on a hand-made mica clay platter made by KlaybyKate.

I found myself playing around with this combination of salty and sweet when I got one too many organic apricots at the store. It is a well-known fact that I have little to no self-control when it comes to the fresh fruit of the summer season; I see it, I buy it. So there I was with too many apricots, some prosciutto, and in the needing to put together an appetizer for my family's regular Sunday dinner. The apricots were perfectly ripe and tartly sweet. Why not, I asked myself, swap out the traditional melon with these stone fruits for a riff on a classic recipe? I tried it; I served it to my family-- the prosciutto wrapped apricots didn't last long. They were fantastic! The tart and sweet of the apricots were the perfect contrast to the salty cured meat. Now some people prefer to grill the apricots or used dried apricots. However, I decided to leave them raw in my recipe because a perfectly ripe apricot is hard to beat. Plus, I am all in favor of less time over a hot stove in the summer and more time enjoying a cocktail and appetizers outside. I used only a little bit of prosciutto for each apricot half, but feel free to experiment with the ratio--you may want to quarter your fruit and wrap more of the salty meat around it. It just depends on your personal preference; my family liked more fruit and less prosciutto.

Ingredients:

8 apricots halved

1/4 lb prosciutto (more or less)

Gently wrap prosciutto slices around each apricot half, using 1/4 to 1/2 of a prosciutto slice per half of fruit, then plate them. Serve immediately. Serves anywhere from 2-6 people, depending on how much you want to nibble before dinner. Enjoy!

On Ruidoso

June 14, 2014

It is more mountain than town, more sky than buildings. The sun is closer here, practically coating your skin in its hot embrace before it has even reached its highest point in the sky. The air is fresh and dry, sweeping away any serious thoughts or unnecessary tasks as you gaze out at the lake.

View of the lake at Inn of the Mountain Gods.

Time, too, seems to slip away here as you forget what day it is, what hour, during long morning nature walks and afternoon naps. The roads are home to trucks and deer--those graceful animals seen foraging along the roadside, loping back into the woods--and you find your mind wandering, drifting past those roads into the wilderness, as surely as your car wound deeper into the mountains only a day or two before.

Deer getting ready to cross hiking path.

During one of your morning hikes, you stumble upon a family of deer. They stand in a grove by the street, almost ten in all, their long ears leaning forward to take in the sounds of the woods, to figured out who you are. They are no more than a few yards away. As if deciding you are no real threat--yet still wary--they slowly take off across your hiking path, long legs taking them deeper into the woods, far away from the presence of humans. You marvel at their grace, grateful for this sighting.

You marvel, too, at the resiliency of the land, scarred over by fires that consumed so much forest, charred and blackened trees standing like ghostly sentries guarding the town, memories of a too-hot summer, a too-hungry fire. Yet you see it, once you look past the blackened branches: new growth, little flares of green making their way up out of the blackened soil, ready to heal those wounds. The earth knows no other way but to keep moving forward, to keep planting and tending its seeds.

And even as you know you have only experienced the surface of the town--a local nail salon and a steak house--you admire its long line of shops down main street and the way nature seems to take even those building over, as if the heart of the town lies at its outskirts where the hints of urbanity fade under the caress of nature. Yes, this is a place more mountain than town.

On a Night Spent in Your Hotel Room

June 13, 2014

You know one of the greatest luxuries of staying in a hotel (other than room service) is spending the night in your room, perfectly wrapped in a hotel robe and enjoying take out, TV, and long, sometimes nonsensical conversations with your sister.

You spent the afternoon goofing off--pedal boating and walking around the lake after she finished her last conference day--and now all you both want to do is hang out in your hotel robes and chill. You drank club soda and lemon--the drink cool and refreshing on your lips after being in the heat--while you wait for your take out (take out because evening room service menu was a meat-lovers delight, but less attractive to your veggie sensibilities). Then it's a short walk back to the hotel room where you immediately cast off your clothes, shower with those delicious orange- scented hotel soaps and get comfy.

You even splurged on an overpriced 1/2 bottle of wine from the hotel gift shop. You enjoy some of it while overlooking the hotel grounds on your patio. It is your last night there, and you relish an early evening in, lingering over the beauty of your natural surroundings while you wait for your sister to finish showering.

Then you spread out on the floor--a whole swath of carpet left conveniently unadorned, perfect for your indoor picnic. You giggle over bad TV shows and movies as you eat your taco salads and makeshift desert (chocolate tokens left over from the previous night's dinner). Then, the best part of staying in really, you are ready to tuck yourself under the plush covers of the hotel bed knowing that the next night you will once again be sleeping in your own.

On Pedicures

June 12, 2014

Your life can be explained in toes. It can be mapped on the soles of your feet, the thick pads tattooed with wrinkles and lifelines that mirror the riverbeds in your hands. Each footstep is another groove worn into your life-path, another print outlining how you got to the here and now. Your toes, your feet carry the weight of that map, the tread of your day-to-day life.

It is pure enjoyment, naturally, to put those feet up once in a while, to pamper those graceful soles that both ground and elevate you. To this day you have only ever had one manicure and two pedicures, including the one you are enjoying right now, your feet propped up on the ledge of your fancy chair as the nail artist paints your toenails a soft lilac color (you never were one for the more traditional colors).

The door of the nail shop opens out onto the small town of Ruidoso; the main street is lined with shops and restaurants. The fans blow in the direction of you and the desert women you are with, cooling the hot temperature of the foot bath and drying your nails. Outside you can feel the sun begin to lower, the trees in the nearby mountains settling in for the night.

Your feet have been cleaned and scrubbed and pampered, worn smooth as if any heaviness in your past year has been buffed away from your soles and your feet now feel naked, new, just like your trip to this mountain town seems to have breathed new life into your soul and reminded you why New Mexico will always be your home.

On Staying in a Hotel

June 11, 2014

It has been a long time since you have stayed at a hotel--maybe a year--and even longer since you were in one state-side.

For you, there is always something vaguely glamorous about staying in a hotel. It doesn't matter if it is a place tucked into the heart of the mountains, like the one you find yourself in now, or in a corner of a big city or nestled in the center of a small Italian village. There will always be something exciting about checking in and viewing your room for the first time--the crisp sheets straining across the bed, the little toiletries lined up along the bathroom mirror. It speaks of adventure and the mystery of other places distilled into those little travel-size hotel lotion bottles that you used to collect as a child as if taking one of those nondescript containers would somehow allow you to bring a piece of that hotel luxury home with you.

It is the room service you cannot wait to indulge in now--a whole meal, breakfast, delivered to your room on a fancy cart, complete with the local newspaper. You feel glamorous, maybe even like Grace Kelly, as you wrap the hotel bathrobe around you and open the door for your breakfast delivery (although you know you probably look far less polished). And while you miss your morning coffee on your porch, you find they have a patio here too, so you drink your coffee overlooking the lake and greet the local birds--starlings you think--twittering around you. A walk by the lake is in order for the day, as is some exploration of the grounds.

There is no tarnishing the allure of a relaxing hotel stay, forever imprinted in your mind as an exciting time of exploration--a carry-over from the over-active imagination of your childhood. And even as the adult you hopes to find some reasonably healthy meals at the hotel restaurants or in town (never a childhood concern) and marvels at the same-ness of most hotels, the whimsical you still looks forward to the new experiences and sensations, a few days of being a visitor wherever you are, to let the day take you where it will.

On a Road Trip through New Mexico

June 10, 2014

Your car is newly washed, polished, and shined. Your tank is full. You have your stash of tunes and another of snacks. Your bags are packed. You have the perfect company: your sister.

Now there is nothing but the open road before you, hours of cruising and giggling and singing along too loudly and out of key to country music. You only have one stop--Ruidoso--but you have summer in your soul and miles of open space spread out before you, making it the perfect little road trip.

The desert has graced you with a cool morning and the promise of a sunny day. Let no one tell you your desert is nothing but dust and an almost colorless brown blanketing the earth. As you cruise you see the mountains glow their purple glow in the distance; the dry sierra brush surrounded by little wildflowers of yellow, pink, and white; and scattered short trees--forest and silvery greens--fanning out on either side of the road, reminders of how much you love your desert. Further still, you know you will see the plateaus and hills wearing their red and brown and yellow stripes, their bellies full of clay and history. The sky itself kisses the hood of your car with its turquoise lips.

Deeper still you go, stopping only to fill up the tank and empty your bladders, climbing higher into cooler temperatures and greener lands. After time away, it is good once again to feel the road under your wheels, the expanse of this glorious desert in your heart.

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.

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

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!

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.