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.

Easy Homemade Pickles

July 5, 2014

According to my dad, a sandwich isn't complete until it has a pickle spear by its side. My rule of thumb? A pickle isn't a pickle unless it's homemade. The stuff you get in stores is usually so packed with salt, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that you completely lose the beauty of a good pickle: crisp, tart from the vinegar, and tasting faintly of the cucumber that it came from. Between me and my dad's pickle philosophies, you've got yourself a perfect recipe to enjoy this summer.

Best of all, making your own pickles is super easy--it takes only 20 minutes! I like to use fresh pickling cucumbers (the small cucumbers that look like pickles) from my local farmers' market, but any cucumber will do. You can pickle them whole, slice them into spears (which I do for my dad), or slice them into little medallions like you do to quick-pickle some veggies. Just keep in mind that the bigger the cucumber, the longer it needs to soak in your brine to get pickled--about one week to ten days for whole pickles, to two hours for quick pickle slices. Of course the longer any of them soak in the brine, the tastier they are!

Ingredients:

6-8 small pickling cucumbers

2 cloves garlic

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons dill seed

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

You'll need two mason jars for canning. Place one peeled whole garlic clove in each jar. Slice the cucumbers how you want them (or keep them whole). For this recipe, I did one jar of spears and one jar of medallions. Place cucumbers in jars.

Place vinegar, water, salt, and spices in a saucepan and heat on medium until boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for ten minutes. Then, while brine is not completely cooled, pour mixture over cucumbers in jar and allow to cool completely before storing them in the fridge. Serve alongside (or in) sandwiches or even as a quick salad topper. Keep for up to two weeks in the fridge (although mine never last that long). 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!

On 4th of July Sparklers

July 4, 2014

The 4th of July will always be sparklers and cookouts, although it has been a long time since you have lit one of those little sticks and watched it light up the night with its crackling light.

Yet you find your mind returning to those sparklers. You loved them more than the big fireworks with their loud wheezing and banging, enough to scare your dogs and make you worry about their sparks catching on the tinder-dry trees--a hazard of celebrating the 4th in the desert. No, the sparklers were safer, yet more whimsical. They conjured stories of magic and secret wishes spelled out in the bright sizzle of their light. As the night grew across the horizon, the stars yet to make an appearance in that dark cloak, you created your own stars.

They were like fairy wands, meant for twirling like you loved to do, spinning round and round on the grass, blinded by their bright sparkle until you collapsed on the ground, you and the sparkler spent--until you lit the next one. These sparklers were you and your sisters dancing in the night, running around the backyard, and thinking up the nonsense you so loved to think up; you were the wild ladies, barefoot and wearing comfy dresses, oblivious to everything but the warm air and the glitter of the sparklers.

Now all you can think about is how much your future niece will love those little fairy wands and the secret wishes she will write in the sky with their magic. You don't light sparklers anymore. But perhaps you should.

Quick-Pickled Veggies

July 3, 2014

Confession: I am a pickle addict. Given my own way, I'd pickle anything...and that's not even getting into my current obsession with a good dirty martini made with my homemade pickling juice. So naturally, I always like to have a jar of quick pickled veggies on hand. They are healthier than the store bought varieties (read: less salt and other additives), you can choose your own seasonings, and they are a great way to spice up anything from a simple sandwich to an impromptu salad. They even make a great appetizer on their own or with a little aged Gouda. Yum!

Feel free to experiment with the veggies and spices you have on hand. I've done this with just beets when I had too many on hand and swapped out the coriander with dill seed (or put in both!). Or if you don't have apple cider vinegar on hand, swap it out with white vinegar. Make sure to get organic veggies, too--you don't want the pesticides of non-organic veggies soaking in your brine. Your local farmers market is a good place to get the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 yellow onion

6-8 radishes

1 cucumber

2 carrots

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon considerate seeds

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

Thinly slice all veggies and mix them up in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, water, spices, and salt to a boil (about 10 minutes on medium heat). Remove saucepan from heat and let liquids cool for about 10 minutes. While the liquids are still warm, pour over sliced veggies. Let sit until completely cooled then divide the veggies and brine equally into 2+ mason jars. Store in fridge. These pickles will be ready to eat in two hours but can last up to two weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!

5 Things I've Learned about Everyday Magic from Blogging

July 2, 2014

Yesterday's blog post found me in awe of the fact that I've now completed six whole months of daily blogging, or as I like to call it, daily meditations on the magic of everyday life. Writing every day like this has been one of my many (and perhaps most important) routines-as-rituals. It has made me hyper-sensitive to the magic of daily life and seems to have conjured more magic! So in honor of this epic month that marks the halfway point of my year of daily blogging, I've decided to share with you five things I've learned about everyday magic from my blogging in the hopes that it inspires you to pause, look around, and see the magic in your life.

1. The more you stop to appreciate the little things, the more inspiration you find for a happy life. It's true--the more time I take to slow down and appreciate life's simple pleasures, the more they seem to find me. Or perhaps they were there all along and I have only just begun to pay attention to them, like those synchronous moments that chase away negativity or simple enjoyments like preparing a dinner party. In either case, blogging regularly on everyday magic allows me to look high and low for things that make my life awesome.

2. Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. This is a huge lesson. In this world of moving too fast and putting the needs of work or others before yourself, it is easy to think of self-care as the last and least important thing on your to-do list. Yet as I began my writing journey, I found myself writing more and more about healing as art. It made me realize that one of the things I've been cultivating through blogging is a greater sensitivity to myself and the needs of my body, mind, and soul. The more I focus on this, the better I feel. Best of all, I realize that when I resisted over-committing myself to demands of work and others, I am more productive and useful--and cut out unnecessary busyness.

3. It takes time and energy to cultivate an appreciation for everyday magic--but it's so worth it! This next lesson might sound counter-intuitive, but I realize that it takes work to see the magic in things. A lot of people want that joie de vivre just to happen, but it won't if you spend your time dwelling on past lives or negative things. Living well means cultivating a mindset and lifestyle that breeds happiness and enjoyment; there's no room for regret, looking back, or fussing over things you can't control. It's everyday conjuring it its simplest form.

4. Writing about everyday pleasures is like being a big flirt with life. No joke. When you wake up with the intention of enjoying every little bit of your day, it's hard not to feel like a flirt--always playful, always inviting unexpected fun, always ready for anything. In many ways, it helps you shed your inhibitions about who you are and aren't, what you should and shouldn't like, what you can and can't do. There's simply nothing left to do but be the fullest expression of yourself--totally liberating! And yes, sometimes it means you get carried away enjoying things like polka dots or your garden's first tomatoes--but that's just part of the magic!

5. Life lessons are about the journey, not the destination. I know it sounds a little cheesy, like something that belongs on an inspiration-gram, but what's wrong with that? Sometimes we need to get lost in the desert or revisit old lives in new cities. Part of finding the magic in everyday life is enjoying the learning process--what you learn about yourself, your relationship to others, your growth as a living, breathing being. It's not about perfection or reaching that one ah-ha moment; it's about being willing to embrace--and enjoy--the messiness that is life.

...and I know I said I was only going to talk about five things I've learned, but I'm going throw in a bonus, and maybe the most important, sixth lesson:

the more you look for magic, the more it finds you.

What magic have you found lately?

It's My 6th Month Anniversary of Daily Blogging on Simple Pleasures!

July 1, 2014

The first of the year saw me making one of those big fat New Year's resolutions, which for me was to write a daily blog on simple pleasures, everyday magic, and any other meditations about the good life that I could think up. Since then, I've blogged about my passions for gardening, cooking (with tons of recipes!), yoga-ing, and nurturing my introverted personality and my super loud fashion sense. Every. Single. Day. It's been such an adventure and a great learning experience--but more musings on that tomorrow.

And then today came, and I realized six months had gone by since I started this epic act of self-care. Woohoo! I've made it to the halfway point! Just another six-months to go...and don't worry, when this year of daily blogging is up, I'll still be here blogging away on the little things in life that make me happy, whole, and grounded.

So what am I going to do now? Well, clearly, drink some celebratory champagne and generally have a ball like this lady here...

...and keep writing of course! You can look forward to more musing on everyday magic and simple pleasures each day. Some cool additions to my blog have included a recipe index, where you can find all the food, drink, and DIY beauty recipes I've featured on my blog. As of last week, I've officially compiled a blog index, which catalogs all the (non-recipe) reflection blogs I've written so far by general topics. So if you can't remember where that one great recipe was or that one blog that really resonated with you--or if you just want to browse for some life inspiration--you can check out these indexes. And if you want even more inspiration (really, who doesn't?), you can follow ELL on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

I want to thank my readers for your support, your comments, and your engagement on my posts! It has been such a treat to share my reflections and recipes on enjoying the little things in life. I look forward to another six months and beyond of celebrating everyday magic! You can help me celebrate by spreading the word to friends, family, colleagues--anyone who wants a little extra magic in their day--about my blog. You can always subscribe to my blog by typing in your email in the subscription link at the bottom of each post (this will ensure you get my latest post emailed directly to you) or join me on Bloglovin to peruse my posts at your leisure.

In the meantime, always remember that true magic is in everyday living and learning!

On Summer

June 30, 2014

It is long days and even longer nights--as if your body knows that you don't have to be up early in the morning, even though you always are. The days stretch out before you as you fill them up with early morning walks before the heat takes over the city, drenching it in sweat and light. It is the quiet afternoons spent reading a book and drinking homemade lemonade under the protective shade of your favorite tree.

You find it in staying up late to stargaze--or read longer, abandoning yourself to the simple pleasure of getting lost in a book as you would when you were younger, snuggled deep into your comforter with only a dim light to help you read the words on the page. And when the monsoons come you indulge in Gothic novels, the wind and the rain and lightning outside echoing the mystery and mayhem between the pages until your eyes close against your will and you awaken to a cool morning, quiet, hushed in the wake of last night's storm.

Time does not matter in the summer. It unwinds itself slowly from the clock of your everyday life, loosening itself from the tick-tock of 1-2-3-4-5... like a ribbon unwinding from its spool, the hands on the clock face no long needing to clip through each second, for during summer the seconds expand, holding you there longer than you ever thought possible.

You can give up real clothes, too, and proper meals. You are allowed to walk around barefoot all day, blades of grass kissing the soles of your feet, your hair loose around your shoulders and faded to a golden-red from the sun's caress. You summer uniform: nothing but a loose dress or yoga pants, anything that won't get in the way of you being you. Makeup is forgotten in favor of naked skin, the sky, the air, the earth touching your bareness. And proper meals: you don't need them. Lunch is an overripe peach eaten in the grass, dinner a slap-dash meal of tomatoes and basil. Who needs anything else?

Summer. It is when you can abandon yourself to your reclusive nature, give yourself over to the bird's song and the chanting of the cicadas at night. You can dance with the moon and twirl under the sun's gaze. You can fill your lungs with the lush rose's sweet perfume and run your fingers through the wildflowers--daisies and dandelion heads mostly--and relish the way the clock's tick-tock tick-tock is replaced by the humming of bees and the rustle of leaves.

Quick Apricot-Basil Jam

June 29, 2014

Sometimes an afternoon calls for jam on toast--with a cup of tea, of course! I love jam, but too often find that the store-bought kind loses the flavor of the fruit with too much sugar. What's the point of enjoying an apricot jam, for example, if it tastes more like corn syrup than those perfectly tart stone fruits? Naturally, faced with this dilemma (and another heap of apricots I wasn't sure how to finish), I set about figuring out how to make my own jam. I had two caveats: it must taste like the real fruit (so minimal sugar) and it must be easy (the thought of canning, standing over a boiling pot of water sterilizing jam jars felt like too much work in this summer heat).

After searching the interwebs, I found my inspiration in a Blackberry Chia Seed Jam recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod and a How to Make Chia Seed Jam tutorial from Oh My Veggies. The reoccurring theme? Chia seeds! They replace the pectin that helps the jam gel. These little orbs turn translucent and gummy when exposed to heat, giving them a texture similar to tapioca as you might remember from my Easy Vanilla Cinnamon Chia Seed Pudding recipe. I also threw in a handful of basil because I love the combination of tart fruit and earthy herbs. What's great about this recipe is that it is so versatile that you play around with your favorite fruit and herb combinations.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced apricots

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 organic lemon, juiced

2-3 tbsp honey (depending on how sweet you like your jam)

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine fruit, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and honey in a saucepan and cook on medium until fruit begins to break down, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in basil. Cook for two more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds. Allow to cool completely. Store in a mason jar for up to two weeks. Serve on toast, as a compote with age cheddar, or over your morning oatmeal. Enjoy!

On Visiting the Used Bookstore

June 28, 2014

In many ways, they are your closest friends, your ever constant companions, made up of paper, ink, glue--sometimes even held together by needle and thread in much the same way your dress is. Their spines are a familiar weight in your hands; the soft leaves stamped over with words are like parts of a continuously unfolding oracle.

When you walk into your favorite used bookstore, it is as if you can feel these stories reaching out to you, as if you could wrap them around you like a blanket and disappear inside their covers. You have long outgrown the notion that everyone feels this way about bookstores, about books; not everyone wants to nourish the imagination nor indulge in this portable feast for the senses. But for you, that nourishment is life--it is your internal life, often a thousand times louder, more vibrant than your waking one.

The smell of the books--a heady scent reminiscent of lightly smoked tea leaves--is its own soothing perfume. It doesn't matter what it is. A worn sword and sorcery book, the bubbled letters on the cover almost completely worn off, though the epic scene below the title remains surprisingly intact. Or the slim, nondescript volume by Colette almost lost in the crush of the bigger books around it. Then there are the vintage pulp books whose titillating covers alone could keep you occupied for hours. They all promise to lead you where you need to go simply by making you turn one page after the other.

You find the advice you didn't know you were looking for in the folds of a Rilke book and another on women readers by an author whose name escapes you the moment you set the book back on its shelf--the name forgotten, but not the wisdom. For once you cannot find a book that calls to you, ready to find a new home among your other books. It is simply enough to be surrounded by these friends, to walk the narrow aisle and get lost in the piles of stories, so crammed together it is almost as if their contents bleed into one another, create new narratives to fill the shelves. It is enough to fill yourself up with the possibility of these stories even as you turn homeward, already looking forward to an afternoon reading the book you can still picture perched on your nightstand ready for your hands upon it, your eyes caressing the ink of its pages.

On Attempting to Make Veggie Sushi

June 27, 2014

You awoke that morning with the lofty goal of making your own sushi. It would be veggie sushi with some of that chile-crusted tofu you needed to finish. And no rice. Rice is overrated. You would get the supplies today and figure out how to make that perfect little meal at home--cool, refreshing, healthy, just what your body wants during the hot days of summer.

It would be so simple; you'd watched plenty of youtube videos and looked up countless recipes for a good rice-less sushi roll on Pinterest (because really, isn't a good sushi roll all about the fresh slice of avocado, the crisp bite of carrots, the heat of wasabi invading your nose?).

So you got your bamboo sushi mat and even some chopsticks. You roasted some edamame for an appetizer and even mixed a bowl of soy sauce and wasabi for your roll. You prepped your vegetables, thinly slicing avocado, radishes, carrots, and then did the same to your spicy tofu. Now there was nothing left to do but assemble your sushi roll. Gently, you placed a crispy seaweed square onto your bamboo mat. You laid out your fillings atop that, careful to leave room around the edges of the seaweed for easier rolling--a tip you picked up from those how-to videos.

You began to roll your creation; soon it was a tangle of loose carrot strands and tofu that wouldn't quite stay in place, little cracks on the seaweed as you attempted to make a tighter roll. It was all you could do to finish the process, wrapping that one naked strip of seaweed around your creation, sealing it with water--afraid to let go, lest your grip was the only thing keeping your roll more-or-less together.

There it sits, your first attempt at making sushi. It is not particularly lovely, nor the graceful tight roll you had envisioned that morning. But it is yours. You made it. You tried something new. So with the happy resolve of someone determined to master this new kitchen project--already taking notes on how to better make sushi next time--you slice your roll, not caring that carrots stick out at each end or that the filling doesn't quite want to stay in. It is delicious in its messiness, perfect in its embodiment your fearless kitchen experiments, your constant thirst for new ways of experiencing nourishment.

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!

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.

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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.