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.

5 Ways to Make Self-Care a Priority for the New School Year

It's back to school time!  With it comes buying shiny new pencils (and pencil skirts), doing homework assignments (or preparing lesson plans!) and filling those lunchboxes.  Of course, this time of year also means that, in the midst of our hustle and bustle, our self-care routine can be derailed in favor of finishing off those papers that need grading or squeezing in one last meeting.  And yet, self-care is such a fundamental part of our well-being and productivity.  I mean, if we aren't taking good care of ourselves, then how can we best care for others?  So let's skip the potential burnout of all-work-no-self-care and make self-care a priority this year, whether you are a teacher, student, administrator, or just someone who wants to retool your daily routine to better incorporate wellness.

1.  Make your own lunch and breakfast.  Cooking your own food is hands-down healthier for you.  You can control the amount of salt and sugar in your meals and the portion size.  Plus I find it is easier to stick to a healthy diet if I cook for myself.  I especially love making mason jar meals during the semester so that I am greeted each morning and afternoon with delicious grab-n-go meals.  I simply take an hour on Sunday so that I can have yummy meals all week long to take with me to work.  Plus, it is so gratifying to reach for a tasty homemade lunch come noon--it's like a mid-day treat!  Looking for a little inspiration?  Check out my recipe index for mason jar meals, quick breakfasts and more.

2.  Make exercise part of your routine.  Come mid-semester, this can be hard when you are tired and feel like there is a lot on your plate.  But I always think that if I have time to sit on the couch, I have time to exercise.  The benefit of making exercise a part of your routine is that it helps you to unwind and take care of your body.  Often when I find myself dragging my feet to my workout, I later finish my long walk or hot yoga feeling revived, refreshed, and all around transformed--and SO happy I made the extra effort to take care of myself!  The times I've given into tiredness and just flopped, I've found I can't shake the tiredness, so can never completely recharge and relax.  The best part of this is that if exercise is already part of your lifestyle now, it is easier to stick to it as part of your routine when your semester gets more hectic.

3.  Honor your transitional moments between work and private life.  It is important to begin and end each workday with something that is just for you; it helps you transition from home to work.  Even your drive to and from work is like an everyday ritual that helps you get geared up for the day or decompress at the end of it.  I also like to begin and end my work day with some yoga or exercise--these little rituals I've carved out for myself help me to transition out of teacher mode so I can enjoy my evenings (and weekends!) and recharge my batteries.  If you aren't mindful of those transitional moments, it can be harder for you to shake off the work day and take care of yourself.

4.  When you're working, really work.  This may seem like it doesn't belong on this list, but part of self-care is in maximizing your work time so that you can maximize your down time.  It can be easy to fritter away time and energy during your work day on unnecessary things only to then have to take work home to be prepared for the next day--or to stay awake at night thinking of what you didn't, but truly needed to, get done.  So make it a goal to be as focused as possible during your work hours so that you're not working ALL hours.

5.  Make your workspace an office sanctuary.  My office is in a traditional cubicle setting.  One thing I can never understand is how people can be productive while feeling hemmed in by three gray walls.  I say push back the gray cube!  Your workspace should be light and inspiring--a place you enjoy working in.  Just as a home should be more than a place to put your stuff, a workspace should be as uplifting as it is practical.  After all, work feels heavier when you are surrounded by gray drab walls, so take a little time to pepper your space with things you love and that inspire you.  Working is an act of joy, so let that shine through.  You'll be surprised how much it affects your mood and stress levels when you surround yourself with tranquil, peaceful things.  Fight the gray, I say!

What ways do you work in self-care once school starts?

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!

Mason Jar Farmers' Market Salad

IMG_5381.JPG

It goes without saying that I am addicted to the farmers' market this time of year.  I almost feel like it's a sin to get my produce anywhere else; I mean, where would I find tomatoes that taste like sun-kissed heaven or little cucumbers just begging to be pickled?  Out of this love, stems my mason jar farmers market salad, perfect only this time of year when the produce speaks for itself and needs no more than a wash and a chop to be a divine meal. 

I find it an extra treat during the school year to have this salad for lunch because it reminds me of the lovely time I had gathering the ingredients the Saturday before and the wonderful time I will have the coming weekend gathering more ingredients to play with. The trick to this salad--and most of my mason jar meals--is to get as many different colors as possible into one jar--more colors equal more nutritional value in your meal.  You'll notice that I included the beet greens here--you can do the same for the radish leaves as well.  Just make sure that your greens are firm and unblemished, not mushy or wilted.  This salad is also pretty versatile--just mix together whatever veggies you were able to get from the farmers' market that week.  But below is my basic salad, the one I keep going back to rain or shine.

Ingredients:

2 cup chopped green or purple beans

1 cup sliced radishes

2 cup fresh corn

1 cup sliced beets

1 cup sliced beet greens

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (optional)

Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt if desired in a small mason jar and shake until combined.  Divide dressing between four mason jars evenly.  Then proceed to layer each ingredient evenly between 4 mason jars.  I like to start with the green beans or beets and then layer a different colored veggie and ending with my greens on top. 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 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 the First Day of School

Although you have long outgrown the back-to-school supplies of Elmer's glue and as-yet-unopened boxes of Crayola crayons in favor of a new grade book and freshly sharpened pencils all in a row--the better to draft your lesson plans with--there is still a part of you that will always feel a little thrill up and down your spine at the thought of the first day of school.  The perfectly planned outfit.  The thoughtfully prepared lunch.  The well-organized teacher's bag standing by the door, ready to be whisked away to your office.  The goals to learn and teach and embrace this new school year with a vigor you certainly didn't feel by the end of last spring semester but that you are aware of now down to your very toes.

You wake before your alarm that first day.  The birds aren't even quite up yet.  You take advantage of that extra time to work on your self-care routine that you promise yourself you won't give up when the semester gets further underway and the papers begin to pile up.  You relish your early morning yoga and the quiet excitement as the sun slowly rises.  Then there is your coffee, your perfect cup of liquid energy--as if you needed it--enjoyed briefly on the patio before you turn to the task of readying yourself for school.

You don a dress with a smattering of polka dots, that celebratory print which always makes you feel special.  You lace up your oxfords and slowly, one finger at a time, slide on your rings of amber and onyx, thinking about how you will greet your new classes and see old friends.  You apply your makeup and, with that last swipe of mascara, feel ready to greet the new school year.

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!

Grilled Artichokes

Artichokes are one of those wondrous garden plants that make both beautiful purple flowers when in bloom and if you are willing to forgo the pleasures of that bright blossom, a delicious appetizer.  These vegetables seem finicky to people who have never cooked them but don't be thrown off by their prickly tips and thistled center.  They are actually very easy to cook! 

IMG_5334.JPG

Typically, when we think of an artichoke appetizer, we think of a veggie that had been boiled until soft and then dipped in butter or another sauce.  In the summer, I love to grill these veggies as a nice alternative to this dipping appetizer because, after being marinated and grilled, the need for a sauce is eliminated and grilling gives the artichoke a nice smokey flavor.  This is also a great make-ahead recipe.  I like to boil and marinate my artichokes, then bring them ready to grill tofamily Sunday dinner.  This may seem like a high-maintenance recipe (Trim? Boil? Marinate? THEN grill?), but you only really spend about 20 minutes work time and the rest is in the waiting for the veggie to boil and marinate. 

An easy way to trim artichokes is to simply slice 1-2 inches off the top of the artichoke.  This will take care of most of the thorny parts.  Then, using scissors, clip any of the remaining thorns.  You'll notice I used smaller artichokes for this recipe--not quite the super tiny ones, but the size of a tennis ball.  You can feel free to adapt this recipe for a larger artichoke or several extra-small ones, just make sure to adjust the boiling time accordingly (the bigger the artichoke, the longer the boiling time).  The marinade quantity stays the same.

Ingredients:

4 small artichokes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary

salt to taste

Trim artichokes and place in a pot of boiling water.  Boil for approximately 40 minutes or until the leaves of artichokes pull off easily; I use a pair of tongs to test their readiness.  Remove artichokes from water and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  Then slice artichokes in half and remove the inedible inner thistle. 

Place halved artichokes in a container and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, and salt.  Let sit for at least an hour.  For best results, let sit overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before grilling.

Heat grill (either indoor or outdoor).  Place artichoke halves face down and grill for approximately 5 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown.  Flip and cook rounded side for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.  Serves 4-8.

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 Italian Apertivo at Home

 

One of my favorite customs while traveling in Italy last summer was the evening apertivo, the Italian equivalent of our happy hour usually held between the hours of 6pm-8pm, with dinner not starting until later that night (8 pm being super early for dinner there!).  When I returned home from this trip, I found myself still lusting over their way of closing the day and enjoying a luxurious moment of pure enjoyment.  So I decided to continue this lovely ritual on my own--one of the many things I took back from that trip.  Now I find that there is no better way to enjoy that Italian lust for life and good food than to indulge in a little apertivo of my own at home.

Maybe I am romanticizing Italy (yes, yes I am), but the apertivo there is more than just throwing back a drink to unwind from the day or hitting the bar before you head home.  It is more of a ritual, a transition from work to dinner.  It is where people slow down and pause to close out the end of the day.  There is a softness to it that a happy hour (at least in my experience) doesn't have.

Apertivo consists of a drink, like a spritz or other refreshing cocktail, and a few light snacks, ranging from simple potato chips and nuts to more elaborate treats like crostini. 

Amazing apertivo at a small local restaurant in the Spanish Quarter of Naples featuring an assortment of fish, buffalo mozzarella, arugula, and bread.

Amazing apertivo at a small local restaurant in the Spanish Quarter of Naples featuring an assortment of fish, buffalo mozzarella, arugula, and bread.

An assortment of crostini at a magical restaurant in Florence!

An assortment of crostini at a magical restaurant in Florence!

I usually have apertivo on a Saturday, when I can really enjoy it.  I make a cocktail and put together a few little nibbles to hold me over until dinner.  The trick is to use what you have on hand already--olives, a good cheese, some sun dried tomatoes.  It is about waking up the palette before dinner, not filling up on appetizers.  It's also a great time to catch up with your loved ones.  Nothing creates the fun weekend vibe like playing jazz records over a few easy treats and a special drink to ease into the evening festivities. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started--and help you keep your fridge stocked:

1. Aged Gouda and preserved lemons. Both can be found at your local health food or gourmet store.  The caramel of the Gouda balances nicely with the salty citrus pop of the quintessentially Italian lemon preserved in olive oil and salt.

A gin gimlet with, going clockwise, mixed olives, pickled veggies, aged gouda, and salt cured lemons--perfect for some patio apertivo!  The small apertivo plates are from an amazing ceramicist in a small town in the heart of Tuscany, called Cer…

A gin gimlet with, going clockwise, mixed olives, pickled veggies, aged gouda, and salt cured lemons--perfect for some patio apertivo!  The small apertivo plates are from an amazing ceramicist in a small town in the heart of Tuscany, called Certaldo.

2. Olives.  Use apertivo hour to try new olives beyond the Calamata or the cocktail olive.  Lately, I've been in love with the green, buttery Castelvetrano olive and the fat avocado-like Luques olive.

3.  Veggies.  It's easy to use some of the perfect farmers' market produce as crudites to dip in some aioli or pesto as a quick apertivo. Or you could put out a little platter of pickled veggies.  Like the preserved lemon, quick pickled veggies add a refreshing pop of flavor to pair with rich cheeses or an equally bright cocktail, like my lavender gin gimlet.

Aioli with cherry tomatoes, purple beans, radishes, and okra fries.

Aioli with cherry tomatoes, purple beans, radishes, and okra fries.

4.  Fruits.  If you want to dress up your fruit options, you can try my prosciutto wrapped apricots or pair them with a nice cheese like an easy homemade ricotta or cured meat.  Of course, summer-ripe fruit is perfect on its own! 

5. A good cocktail.  The Italians are fond of sparkling wine-based cocktails, so you could whip up my limoncello spritz or, if you prefer a drink with the bubble but not the wine, try your hand at a gin & tonic or a gin fizz.  You can also never go wrong with a nice glass of wine.

...the list of apertivo options can go on and on.  The trick is to have fun experimenting with different treats and drinks that make your night extra special, turning it into a weekend ritual rather than just another evening.  So the next time you want to elevate your evening meal or simply transition from work to play, consider starting your own apertivo hour with a good cocktail and a few treats scavenged from your fridge!

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 Chile Roasting in New Mexico

It is that time of year again.  Not quite summer anymore, nor completely fall, but some season in between.  School is just around the corner and markets are full to bursting with summer's bounty.  You find that you, too, are beginning to wind down from the limitless summer of late nights reading and long days writing, into the solid routine of teaching.  It is that transient month of living up your free time and getting ready for the fall. 

But nothing tells you that the season is changing more than the smell of green chile being roasted.  In all the places you've traveled, the things you've seen, nowhere on earth is there chile roasting like in your home, New Mexico.  You watch as they pile a sack full of ripe chile into the caged roasted and fire it up.  Soon, the chiles are cracking, their tender skin peeling and charred.  The air is perfumed with the smell of this roasting fruit, a smell akin to burning sage or hot spices.  This is the smell of your land.

All at once, this smell alone brings back a flood of memories: family Friday night green chile stew with fresh tortillas and beans, a micro-brew and good conversation; the soothing fall ritual of peeling sacks of roasted chiles to freeze and put by for the year, hands tingling from the spiciness; the bouts of homesickness when you lived away, cured only by your makeshift attempts to roast chiles in your oven.  It is the smell of pure comfort and nourishment, of home and self, the spice of the earth buried in the veins of the chile and your skin.

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!

In Tags ,

Riceless Veggie Sushi

One of the best ways to end the week is with a little something different on your dinner plate.  Enter sushi.  Homemade sushi.  Wait!  Before you panic, know that making your own sushi is actually super easy (another reason this makes a great end-of-the-week meal) and doesn't require raw fish or anything fancier than some veggies and seaweed sheets, which you can find at your local health food store. 

I like to nix the rice in my sushi rolls, mostly because I think the best part of sushi is the veggies (and fish, if I'm ordering from a restaurant).  I also don't like a lot of carbs in my diet, and the rice part of sushi always makes this a heavier meal than I like it to be.  So, no rice for me which means easier prep.  If I want a little extra protein boost, I throw in extra-firm tofu strips I marinate in soy sauce and chile paste, but they aren't necessary to enjoying this healthy, quick meal. 

The only real trick to this light meal is learning how to properly fold your roll so that it doesn't fall apart when you slice it--we all remember how my first attempts went, right?  When I tried to make sushi for the first time, I overloaded my roll and didn't make it tight enough.  Now, I use less of each ingredient and leave empty space at either end of my seaweed sheet so that I can properly bind it with no mess.  It may take you some time to get the hang of it, but know that even if your first attempts end up a little messy, the meal is still tasty! 

Ingredients:

2 sushi nori seaweed sheets

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

2 radishes, thinly sliced

4 dandelion or radish leaves

4 green beans (optional)

2 thin slices tofu, cut into strips (optional)

1 teaspoon chile paste (optional, as tofu flavoring)

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce (optional, as tofu flavoring)

Wasabi and low sodium soy sauce for dipping

Drizzle tofu slices with soy sauce and chile paste and set aside.  Place one seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat.  Line it with half of the avocado slices, starting 1/2 inch of the way in and leave at least 2 inches at the opposite end.  Then line the avocados with half of the radish slices and then half of the carrot shreds.  Place two leaves of the greens in the center of that mix and two green beans across them if you are using them.  Finally, add the tofu in strips across the center. 

IMG_5164.JPG

Then, slowly roll the sushi sheet, making sure that it is tight and holding all the veggies together as you go.  When you have reached the last 1-inch strip, rub a little water over this lip and press it against the rest of the rolled sushi sheet to bind your roll.  Cut into even slices.  Repeat, using the last of the ingredients to make a second roll.  Serves 2.  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 Afternoon Midweek Movie Watching

It is the best time to watch a movie. While technically having less romance than a night at the theater and missing the coziness of a flick night at home, a weekday afternoon spent in a theater has its own kind of glamor and thrill.

First, you know you should be ironing out the details of your lesson plans or finally finishing off those tasks on your to-do list.  But instead, you are one of the few people at the movies, enjoying the cool air and the faint whiff of popcorn.  Second, you relish the fact that is really only you and a handful of other people in the large expanse of the theater, making it feel as if the whole movie is spun in its reel just for you.  It was your sister who first taught you the glory of afternoon movie watching, of entering the dark cave to be told a story, to lose track of time and emerge into the late afternoon sunlight reborn, refreshed. 

Your first afternoon mid-week movie happened years ago, on another late summer day just like this one.  It was Mama Mia and there was only you and a little old lady who clapped furiously when the film was over.  Then, too, you could have been gearing up for school but chose instead to indulge in the sanctity of story-telling, the comfort of being sucked into another world, another time even if (or especially because?) it was to an ABBA soundtrack.

Now you find it has been too long since you had the theater almost to yourself, too long since you forgot about regular schedules and simply enjoyed a luxurious afternoon at the movies.  So you take in another film, Magic in the Moonlight, with your mother after an unexpectedly large glass of wine for lunch that served to leave you both pleasantly relaxed.  Over the previews, you both giggle over the surprisingly accurate comments of the two elderly women in front of you: "That movie looks too heavy," "I'd see that," "Oh dear, who would want to watch that on Christmas day?" 

For a little while, you are blissfully lost in a world of jazz and flapper girl style and the French countryside and a story that only serves to punctuate your belief that magic is in every corner of life--including an almost-empty movie theater in the middle of a hot summer weekday afternoon.

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!

Spicy Okra Fries

Okra is one of those fruits that I only ever eat when I can get it at the farmers market. I love gathering rich purple and green spears to use in stir fries, to pickle, and to make into fries that are juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside.  They taste all the more magical because their season is so short.  Now is the time to stock up on the delectable treats and enjoy them any way you can. 

This year, I dabbled in a new recipe, eager to put together my New Mexican love of red chile and blue corn with these okra spears, a nice blend of crisp outsides and gooey insides.  Thus, my spicy okra fries were born.  They pair well with my aioli and work beautifully as a side dish or appetizer.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound okra

1/8 cup flour

1/8 blue corn flour

1/8 breadcrumbs

1/8 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon red chile powder

salt to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven 400 degrees.  Slice okra spears in half.  Combine dried ingredients in a shallow bowl.  Place beaten eggs in another shallow bowl.  Working a few spear halves at a time, dip halves into eggs and then into the flour mix.  Line battered halves on an unlined baking sheet. Cook okra spears 25 minutes at 400 degrees, making sure to turn them once halfway through. Serves 2-4.  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!

Under the Influence of M.F.K. Fisher

It started with reading M.F. K. Fisher in the bubble bath.  About her time in France and her search for the perfect martini there, of all things.  She never found it but happily made do with a glass of rose for aperitif.  Before that you were enjoying another unassuming Monday night, looking forward to a simple salad and turning in early to read and drink tea.

But then you found yourself under the influence of M.F.K. Fisher.

You simply couldn't shake the description of the pink-glassed aperitif, of the rich musing of her first meals in France, the way food and wine served to punctuate the passionate episodes of her life.  As the bubbles faded in your bath and your thoughts turned toward dinner, your simple weeknight meal suddenly became an opportunity for more.

A quick scan of the fridge told you that there was still a half bottle of rose chilling and a few small wedges of nice cheese, not to mention the mountain of farmers' market vegetables.  You must make aioli, you decided, to dip your perfect radishes in.  And there is nothing to throwing together a small cheese plate of deep veined blue and ripe tilsiter cheeses, fat castelventrano and bella di cerignola olives.  And why not put on some old jazz tunes so that the whispers of French love songs float through the air in time to your gentle whisking of eggs and olive oil?  Soon your apartment was transported to Provence and full of M.F.K. Fisher's joie de vivre. 

The rose was dry and mineral-y on your lips, tasting only faintly of tart cherries and ripe strawberries.  You savored the ritual of whisking together your aioli, that perfect blend of garlic, egg yolks, and olive oil, as well as lining your plate with purple beans and radishes and tomatoes to dip in your sauce.  All at once your dinner was ready, your Monday night turned into a vibrant celebration, a feast for the senses.

Like M.F. K. Fisher, you forgot about the world for a moment, about everything but this sensuous meal, simply prepared and enjoyed to the fullest.

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!

Peppery Radish Salad

If there was one root vegetable I hold in esteem above all others, it would be the humble radish.  It looks unassuming, often a spout of slightly spiky leaves and a little red and white body covered in dirt.  But the taste!  Don't get me started on the taste of a good radish.  It's surprisingly peppery with a bright bite that is balanced out by the not-unpleasant undertones of dirt and earth.  My fridge is never without a bunch of radishes, nor is my garden.

As a radish lover then, I like to keep my radish recipes as simple as possible.  Nothing is worse than a radish that's been coated in too much sauce or butter that its flavor gets lost.  The only exception to my sauce rule is aioli because a light aioli's lemony taste brings out the bright, crispy texture of this root veggie.  Still, it's best not to over-think it when it comes to eating this veggie, which is why I offer you this simple dish--ideal as a side or light meal--that uses only lemon to flush out the sunshine taste of the radishes and a little pepper to emphasize their bite.  You'll notice I also include the radish leaves in this recipe.  They are spicy and edible just like the root part of the plant.  Just make sure to buy organic and only use leaves that look crisp and full, not mushy or crumpled. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch radishes, washed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

Separate the radish bottoms from the tops.  Thinly slice red radish bottoms and set aside.  Line four plates or shallow bowls evenly with radish leaves, then line those leaves with your radish slices.  Mix pepper, salt, olive oil and lemon juice in a mason jar and shake until combined.  Drizzle the dressing over each of your four salads.  Enjoy!  Serves 4.

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!

5 Ways to Make the Most of Summer's End

Summer is almost at an end.  School is starting.  The green chile is being harvested and roasted here in New Mexico and the mornings are just a teensy bit cooler.  If you're a teacher like me, you're working on lesson plans and course outlines in preparation for the coming semester.  In fact, August always seem to be a fine balance between enjoying the most of summer's end (blissfully unstructured time!) and preparing for my fall classes (aka getting sh** done).  While I am excited about fall--apples, freshly sharpened pencils, pumpkins, and crisp mornings--it can be easy to let the demands of work become so consuming that the last days of summer vanish before I can fully enjoy them.  So in an attempt to take advantage of these extra days before school starts, I've come up with a few tips to make the most of summer's end.

1.  Schedule play time...and nap time.  Yes, the semester is infinitely easier if you can get your lesson plans in order before the first day of school, but that doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to goofing around.  If you want to enjoy an afternoon swimming or reading or napping, pencil it in to make sure you don't put it off.  You can thank me later!

2.  Take advantage of the farmers' market.  Nothing says summer like fresh produce.  Get out and enjoy local ingredients for a deliciously fresh dinner.  An ordinary meal turns into a culinary adventure when you go to the farmers' market to enjoy a summer feast.  Summer is all about spontaneity and spur-of-the-moment enjoyment.  Nothing says that more than biting into a ripe peach fresh from market stands or throwing an impromptu picnic. Seize the day!

3.  Get outside.  Enjoy nature by taking long walks, stargazing, tending your garden...all those outdoor things that make summer special.  With the changing of the seasons comes more time indoors, so enjoy the deliciousness of outside while you don't have to wear a jacket.

4.  Do less, not more.  This is a great rule of thumb for your life in general, but especially now that you might feel yourself gearing up for fall--yes even if you're not a teacher, the fall can signal a time of renewed industry.  Make a conscious effort to trim the fat out of your schedule (unnecessary errands, over-committing to social events) in favor of more time for self-care.  This way when you are busier, it is easy to stick to your self-care routine and gentle lifestyle rather than getting caught up in the frenzy of the new school year.

5.  Make the transition a celebration!  I love the changing seasons. In fact, I almost love these transitional moments between each full blown season more than the four seasons themselves.  There is something akin to possibility wafting in the air during this liminal time as if every day magic is fully exposed in nature as it shows off the bounty of summer harvest while preparing for the turning of leaves in fall.  All of which are worthy of a celebration and deep enjoyment.  Remember those farmers markets I was talking about?  Why not take all that juicy produce and have a summer harvest party?  Dance under the light of the moon, stay up late reading at night, wake up early to bask in the cool air, search for ladybugs in the grass...simply take the time to celebrate this gorgeous season change and last light of summer in any way you can.

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 Peaches

You were lured out of your home today with the promise of perfectly ripe peaches from your farmers' market.  They are like August, lush and full of summer sunlight, almost overripe after a season of sunbathing.

It is the soft fuzz on their skin that you first enjoy.  You roll your thumb over it as you grip a firm peach in your hand, the white fuzz a gentle contrast to the red and yellow blush of its skin.  You feel for firmness first, that tricky balance of ripe but not too ripe, a hefty weight in your hand that promises sweet juiciness without bruising or mush.  You look for a saturation of rose and mustard in their coloring, not the anemic green-butter wash and faded berry stains of a fruit plucked too soon from its tree.  No, you want your peach full of life and juice.

You add perhaps too many peaches to your basket at the market, telling yourself you can always make a cobbler or pie, knowing full well your edible jewels won't last that long.  You pile them carefully on top of one another so as to prevent bruising.  When you get home you just look at them for a bit, as if to take one out of the pile and sink your teeth into it would somehow break the spell, making you forever hungry for this fleshy fruit even after your happy pile dwindles to nothing under your voracious appetite. 

But the feeling doesn't last long; that mound of ripe fruit is too tempting to resist.  Eat one you must.  You take the peach on the top, the one with its green leaves still attached to it and, without any attempt to control yourself any longer, sink your teeth into it, feeling the fuzzy soft skin break under the weight of your bite.  Your mouth is flooded with the tangy sweet taste of its juices, your tongue rolling over the velvety softness of its flesh.  You don't really pause long enough to enjoy that first bite or any of the others, but simply keep taking one bite after another of the peach as juice dribbles down your chin and hand, until there is nothing left but the pit with only a few bits of yellow flesh sticking to it.

This--this feeling of ripe sunshine in your mouth and sticky hands: this is summer.

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!

Aioli

IMG_5285.JPG

It's been all about the farmers' market for me lately.  My meals revolve around the perfection of summer produce.  During this time of year, I find that I don't like heavy duty meals, especially at night.  For me, a heavy duty meal is anything that involves too much time over the stove, rich foods like meat, or any ingredients that require more than a quick wash and sauté or slice to be ready.  So naturally I am always looking for ways to enjoy my farmers market produce as simply as possible.

Which is where this aioli recipe comes in.  It is the perfect pairing to crisp radishes and green beans from the markets, or any other fresh veggie you can lay your hands on.  It requires very little prep time and absolutely no stove time.  It's like a fancy mayonnaise but much better for you.  Made up primarily of eggs and olive oil, this condiment is rich with good for you fats and can also be used as a spread for sandwiches or a base for salad dressing.  But honesty I don't usually have enough left over after pairing it with radishes to make it to the sandwich spread phase of aioli use.

Mmmmmm...a perfect appetizer or light dinner of aioli, radishes, purple beans, cherry tomatoes, and okra chips.

Mmmmmm...a perfect appetizer or light dinner of aioli, radishes, purple beans, cherry tomatoes, and okra chips.

You can blend these ingredients whisking by hand or in a blender or food processor.  I've even seen recipes for making it using a mortar and pestle!  The benefit of whisking by hand is that you get to build your upper body strength, but your aioli might be a little thinner.  If you want a thicker consistency, go with the blender.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup olive oil

1 juiced lemon

Salt to taste

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, and salt.  Slowly whisk in olive oil to allow it to blend into mixture and thicken.  Once all the olive oil is mixed in, whisk for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens even more and develops a pale yellow color.  Add lemon juice and whisk thoroughly for another 1-2 minutes.  Taste test and add more salt if needed.  Store in mason jar in fridge for up to one week. Makes about 1 cup.

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 Crocheting Infinite Blankets

Each stitch is a piece of woven intention, a slip of yarn looped around another to bind your healing, nourishing thoughts into the blankets you create.  They are tapestries of a happy life you conjure every time you pick up your needle and yarn. 

Your first was a monstrous purple affair crocheted with only a series of what you now know are half-stitches.  But you and your sisters were set on crocheting your own infinite blankets after watching the heroine in Like Water for Chocolate knit an endless blanket and ride off into the sunset with her creation blazing behind her.  Yes, you needed blankets like that, and so you rustled together old crochet hooks from your mother's stash and bought spools and spools of yarn and crocheted and crocheted for years and years.  Together you crocheted hopes for love and adventure and deep living into the folds of your blankets.  After two or three years of busily working on your infinite blankets while watching old movies or over long conversations, you decided your masterpiece was finished.  It sits folded at the foot of your bed now, twice the size of any normal blanket, and twice as full of history and love.

Your second infinite blanket came to you in graduate school.  This one was your one and only attempt at knitting a blanket.  It was a wish made of mustard and cranberry yarn, a series of stripes to keep you warm and of the living in the land of the cold and the gray.  Like your graduate school experience, knitting was less forgiving of your mistakes as you fumbled your way through these more sophisticated stitches.  There was no do-over, as with your trusty crochet hook, no re-knits to iron out the kinks.  Your only option was to start over completely if you lost a stitch or to keep blazing forward. 

You chose the latter.  Looking back had always seemed like a waste, perfection seriously overrated.  No, you preferred these flaws and holes in your blanket, the better to let bad spirits escape according to an old legend native to your beloved Southwest, learned from your mother.  Three years down the road, this one was three times the length any proper blanket should be; you could almost trail it along the perimeter of your apartment twice over if you wanted, although you'd much rather snuggle into the all encompassing folds of that deliciously imperfect but utterly complete blanket.

You are working on a new one now, this one moving slower than the others.  Almost four years in the making and still only a fraction of it complete.  But you want to take your time with this one.  A bright turquoise and crocheted (yes, you want the forgiving stitch) in a series of shells.  It is longer than the others, and it will be the strongest, the most infinite.  It is your New Mexico blanket, each stitch infused with your love of the desert, begun with the intention of weaving together a life you always imagined embodying: teaching, writing, living in the Land of Enchantment.  Yes, this one is still in progress and may always be.  You work on another infinite blanket too, though this one is not for you. It is the bold pink synonymous with your desert aesthetic, a plucky color bound together in a generous crocheted stitch, so that your niece may live and love and be in the world fearlessly, boldly, and know that she is surrounded by warmth and affection.  It is for the new generation of women in your family, a new generation that, like you and your sisters did together so long ago, will crochet and conjure.

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!

Ghee

Ghee, that magical clarified butter, is one of those foods that is good for you body and soul--and a cinch to make!  Basically, making ghee is all about separating the milk solids and impurities from the butter itself so that you are left with good-for-you fats, vitamins A, C, and E, anti-inflammatory properties, and a host of digestive benefits.  On top of that, Ayurvedic wisdom tells us that ghee is one of the purest and energetically replenishing foods we can eat to nourish our spirit. 

According to them, ghee is infused with the energy we put into it, helping us to replenish our natural life force.  And it makes sense if you think about it. Like with anything you cook, you put your own energy and love into whatever it is you are making.  It's kind of like a proverbial spell or kitchen magic that gets conjured every time we fire up the stove and prepare a meal for ourselves and loved ones.  However you like to think of it, when you make this ghee--or anything else--it's a good idea to infuse your food with nourishing, happy thoughts.  Who would want to eat food that's made with anything else?

My sister taught me how to make this over the weekend because I have long loved the depth of flavor ghee gives to the dishes she cooks.  It has all the richness of butter, without the bad fats.  You can also play around with the depth of butter browning.  I like my butter to get a little toasty because it deepens the flavor to a smokey caramel.  If you don't like that taste, you can always pull the butter off the stove sooner.  Make sure to use unsalted butter because it is a higher quality than its salted cousin.  Ghee's high smoking point makes it ideal for a stir fry and other high-temp cooking.  It also elevates a simple piece of toast to something akin to the divine.  This recipe is for a smaller batch so feel free to double (or triple!) it if you know you will be using a lot of ghee.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter

Place butter in a small saucepan and let melt on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until butter melts.  You will begin to see the top get opaque.  This is how you know the clear fats (below) are separating from the dairy fats (on the top).

Once you see that, continue cooking butter until it begins to bubble.  Allow to keep cooking for about 5-10 minutes, or until butter browns and the bubbles begin to get smaller.  Then remove from heat an strain through cheesecloth or a metal strainer into a mason jar for storage. Your strainer will have some gunk in it--the dairy fat and other junk--which you can just throw out.

Allow to cool completely before using.  Store in pantry (no refrigeration necessary!) for up to three months (although really, you will gobble this all up before then).  Makes 1/2 cup. 

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 Dreaming Under the Supermoon

You were in my house last night, ephemeral tendrils of light seeping through my window and curling around my body as I slept.  I didn't see you, but I could feel you sweeping away debris from my mind and old skins from my body one gentle caress at a time.

You bathed and cleansed old wounds and shed light on the darker corners of my mind, allowing me to release burdens I didn't know I was carrying.  You held me in your arms as I dreamed deeply of things long past and those to come, of the here and now, and of the realms that only exist when I close my eyes. 

After a week of letting go of old selves, of things, old ways of thinking, I return to my dream realms to finish the task of unburdening myself from people I will and never should be.  You, supermoon, help me with this, with your larger than life wisdom casting hope, rebirth, gentle understanding into the shadows of my home, myself.

You, dear moon, reinforce the necessity of gentleness in my life, of the feminine virtues so often undervalued in this world of loud and busy.  No, you say, that is not your road.  You tell me that I am a daughter of the moon, of the stars and midnight, of the quiet hours of reflection, the mistress of secrets revealed only in the hush of late hours and moonlight. 

Today is the day I feel this transformation most, as I shake off sleep and turn those quiet hours of healing into a gentle industry and forward movement.  The metamorphosis happens now when last night it was enough to dream my dreams and let your light wash over me.

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 Pulp Fiction Books

1.jpg

In these, you give yourself permission to judge a book by its cover.  The verdict?  Sizzling hot!  Full of searing scandal and lusty dames, shameless rogues and sinister villains.  Buy them you must, just as you must run your hands over their worn covers and imagine all the sordid deeds seeping through each page--almost soiling you as if you are guilty by association...and rather enjoying it.

These books throw virtue out the window, just as they reject any pretense at literary grandeur in favor of grit and sin and a yarn spun so well you're dizzy after reading it.  Their covers are a cold hard promise of people behaving badly--and liking it as much as you love reading about it.  It's all about base instincts and tawdry actions.

They are the books no one wants to admit to reading, to wanting; the ones that kindle your imagination the most just by their covers alone.  This is why you love them, why you give them a prized place on your bookshelves and writing desk and nightstand.  These books, out of all the others, remind you that you are human, made of bone and skin and blood, of heat and heart, of wisdom far deeper than the thin veneer of respectability you are tempted to commit to with a quick purchase of some old classic or other.

So you surround yourself with these pulp pops of humanity, theses thin slivers of juicy life full to bursting with bright flashes of human experience, these over-the-top exaggerations of what it means to bite into life and savor every moment, the good, the bad, the pulp.

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 InstagramFacebookPinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On an Unexpected Feast of Books

You hadn't planned on visiting a used bookstore (your favorite kind) today, but you should have known better; an OPEN sign and a window full of books are always more than enough to lure you into the waiting embrace of any bookstore, if only for a moment.  You should have also remembered that you find exactly the books you are looking for on these unplanned bookstore visits, never on the ones you deliberately pencil in.  It's some cosmic rule that when you forget to think too hard about your list of desired books that the ones you've been waiting for--and the ones you didn't know you needed--will fall right in your lap.

IMG_5247.JPG

So there you were, running your fingers along the spines of worn and well-used books, pouring over each section of this house-turned-store.  There in the old kitchen sat philosophy, over there in a would-be pantry, old classics a buck a piece.  You spent more time in a closet turned sword and sorcery den, but didn't get swept away until you found a rack of vintage pulp books, the kind with lusty dames and robust fellas on them, each with their own provocative taglines.  You're a sucker for those splashy covers and tawdry tales, always have been even before school officially ended your love affair with Serious Reading.

So you find one of those pulp beauties to add to your collection--the history of an audacious young seaman...who dueled and prayed and sinned his way to magnificent adventure!  Or so the back of the book tells you.  The cover, well, you know the kind of picture it likes to paint.

But it isn't until you are almost out the door with this find that you stumble upon a shelf in the cookbook section and find yourself face to face with a row of books you have been searching for some time and a few you didn't know existed.  There, stacked together like old cronies were a long-searched-for Nero Wolf Cookbook, a must have for any fan of food or this classic mystery series, and a collection of M.F.K. Fisher and Julia Child books you simply must own.  These women of food and words (much like yourself) feed your soul and your mind as they titillate your palate. 

Yes, you must have these.  And the Gone with the Wild Cookbook too, for much the same reasons as you need your swashbuckling pirate pulp adventure, for the cover and the idea more that the story or a recipe for classic Southern grits.  And then there is the novel about cheese and something whimsical; you don't know much more about it but that you must read it.  It has all the makings of a perfect bubble bath read.  These you sweep into your arms, unable to curb your hunger for such tasty reads.

You can already picture your afternoon with your new books spread out on your bed, a tea tray sitting next to you as you flip through one and then another book, lost in a myriad of worlds, feasting on new ideas and images and experiences.  These books, this feast of pulp and culinary musings and tributes to perfectly imaged worlds are a reflection of you.  You are a creature made up of good books and good meals, food experiments and word experiments, usually with a side of wine and cheese.

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!

My Home, Myself After Cleaning Out My Closets

There is nothing but space and light where once old lives and whispers of the past used to live. It is a delicious feeling of wholeness in the empty spaces carved out of your closets and cabinets, a sweet fullness in yourself as you acknowledge that to move forward you must let go of the remnants of other selves haunting your home.

Your bedroom closet now resembles those spacious, clutter-free works of art you see in home magazines: everything in its place, easy to see and flip through as you prepare for your day one piece of your ensemble at a time.  It is now your collection of things that make you who you are, plates of armor that protect you as you make your way in the world, bits of art that you proudly display on your body, visual expressions of your inner essence.  Gone are the things that you once tried to fit into.  You said farewell to the too tame traditional wardrobe staples that will never be your style.  And another to the outlier impulse purchases that gave only a brief flash of confidence as you swiped your credit card to purchase them, only to get home and realize you are not, in fact, a woman who will ever wear this or that.

Your hallway closet--your storage closet--too is blissfully organized with seldom used but necessary things: the bin of winter holiday decorations, the file box of important papers (whittled down after shredding several years' worth of unnecessary ephemera), the stack of boxes, reserved for future moves.  And yet it breathes free and easy from the one hundred other things you stuffed in there--Very Important Documents that, you realize, you have not touched for over a year and, in fact, had forgotten about, and so must not be so Very Important after all.

Your home feels this lightening up as if each piece of clothing or old household item you donated has liberated it in the same way it has liberated you.  It can breathe again, no longer weighed down by things that don't belong there.  You love this lightness and want to nourish it as it nourishes you.  You don't want to weigh it down with anything else or fill up those spaces with something new.  You simply want to enjoy the new space you've created, both in your home and in you, new space, new life that you can grow into.  For now, it is enough to know it is there, a bubble of potential.

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!