5 Life Lessons My Niece Taught Me

So my little niece just turned one year old this weekend and I cannot even begin to express the wonder and joy I've experienced getting to know her. Too often with children we think we are the ones teaching them all about life: how to crawl, then walk, how to eat solid foods, and how to behave.  And we are.  But these little humans are also teaching us valuable lessons too.  I can't believe the number of revelations I've had while watching my niece explore her home or experience her first taste of frijoles, mustard, and peaches (she has quite the adventurous palate).  But for this blog, I've narrowed down all the things my niece has taught me to five all-encompassing life lessons:

1. Don't over think it.  Adults tend to complicate things; we can get so caught up in hectic days or convoluted paths to happiness when the most wonderful things in life are the simplest.  Being an auntie has slowed me down and made me get rid of the unnecessary clutter in my life, simply because I do not have energy for anything that seems to weigh me down or makes me feel muddled. 

2.  Trust your instincts. Remember when I said adults tend to over-think things?  Well with a baby in your life, you begin to learn how important instincts are.  Take my niece for example: when she likes something, you know it.  When she doesn't, well, you know that too.  She is ruled by her instincts right now and more often than not, they guide her in the right direction.  It made me realize that I, too, should be relying more on my gut-reaction to certain things and not talking myself out of the way I feel.  Our instincts are powerful guides on this journey through life; the more we listen to them, the stronger they get.

3. Always leave time for naps.  Okay, so sometimes she fights her naps, but she always wakes up so happy and rested after them.  And I've found that a sleeping baby is a powerful sedative. She sleeps, I sleep--and feel better for it.  As it turns out, I can fight naps too in my effort to get more done in my day.  Yet more often than not, a little R&R is better for you that squeezing in one more thing.  The marvel of it all is that I usually do end up doing that last thing post-nap just with less fuss and stress because I am rested.

4.  Stay playful.  Life, after all, is an expression of the joy and abundance we cultivate.  Everything is a game to my niece, from blinking to stacking blocks.  This is an important reminder to cultivate that exuberant enthusiasm that makes everything feel like play.  It also makes you appreciate just how much fun we can have in our daily lives if we stay loose.

5.  Keep it magical.  Seriously, have you ever seen a baby marvel at the way a flower opens or at the smoothness of a rock?  Have you ever watched them trace the pattern on a rug with their tiny fingers or giggle and bounce when a catchy tune comes on?  At the end of the day, life is a mystical magical experience and it's important to take the time to marvel at the simple wonders surrounding us.

What have you learned from the little ones in your life?

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 Hot Air Balloons

The sun has barely peeked over the purple mountains as if spraying its golden tendrils across the rocky shoulders of its lover.  The air is redolent with the scent of burning cedar from nearby fireplaces, mulched leaves, and the promise of frost--in a word, the morning smells like autumn.

There in the distant horizon, on the other side of town where the sky meets the volcanic earth, you see it: a hot air balloon, the first of many releasing themselves into the sky, happy to be rid of the weighty ropes that tethered them to the earth.

This one is full and fat with yellow and red stripes like those of a circus tent.  It looks so small from your vantage point near the mountains as if it were an ornament or earring dangling on a hook from a stray cloud.  Yet you know they can be bumbling monsters up close as they coast too near your car on your commute to work or fall apart in your backyard, all heaps of unruly silk and coils of rope.  But that is only because their home is in the sky, and like any winged creature, they do not know quite what to do with themselves when they touch the ground. 

Still, you admire these tributes to whimsy, kept afloat by nothing more than invention and imagination.  You have often wondered what it would be like floating across the earth in a four by four wicker basket (or so you always presume the dimensions to be), guided by the changing winds and a desire to see the world from a new perspective--not much different from your life on land then.   

Even so, it would be something to sail from horizon to horizon--or, as you often dream, to another world (one of wonder and imagination, you hope) waiting just beyond the seam where the sky and earth meet in the distance.

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!

Honey Caramel Apples

Every fall I get this craving for caramel apples.  They are the quintessential autumnal treat, a perfect blend of tart, crisp fruit, chewy sweet caramel, and--if you like a little extra flash--crunchy nuts.  While I do have the perfect neighborhood spot to get caramel apples, I've always wanted to make my own. 

I've tried my hand at homemade caramel apples several times over the years but had the kind of issues I now know are common among first time caramel apple makers.  The caramel would either be so soft that it would slide right off the apples or too hard, making it difficult to bite into.  Of course, there were other issues only hippy clean-eating cooks like myself were concerned with, like not using corn syrup or having too many ingredients to count.  So there I was, ready to give up the pursuit of a perfect homemade caramel apple when I saw this delightful recipe from 101 Cookbooks (thank you Pinterest!).  My taste buds are already looking forward to another batch of these honey kissed caramel apples. 

This recipe has everything I was looking for: quality ingredients, foolproof instructions, and perfectly chewy caramel that stays on the apple.  Best of all?  It only takes three ingredients: honey, cream, and salt.  I usually make the salt optional in my recipes but find it works well here to balance the sweetness of the honey.  You can also add a little more to give your dessert a stronger salted caramel flavor.  Always use local honey for best quality and taste.  You can even experiment with types of honey to get different flavors.  The darker the honey, the more intense the honey flavor will be.  I like to use small local apples because they make the perfect single serving and you can't beat the flavor.  Feel free to use bigger ones so long as you stick with tart Granny Smiths.

The only sort of fancy tool you need is a candy thermometer, which you can buy super cheap at most grocery stores.  I found that keeping track of the temperature really does matter when making the caramel.  Too low a temp and you have runny caramel (great for ice cream, but not apples); too hot, the caramel become brittle.  You'll want to stick pretty close to the instructions on this one, unlike my other recipes when you have more wiggle room to adapt to your own tastes.  The creative part comes at the end when you can add nuts (I used sunflower seeds, pictured here), chocolate drizzles or other toppings to your apples.

Ingredients:

5-10 apples, washed and dried

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Push a popsicle stick into the top of each apple.  Fill a large bowl 1/2 full with ice water and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the cream and salt until bubbly--not quite a simmer.  Add honey.  Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir constantly for about 15-20 minutes or until the mixture reaches about 255-260F degrees (this is where the thermometer comes in handy; just latch it to the side of your saucepan). To stop the caramel from cooking, carefully set the bottom of the saucepan in the bowl of cold water you prepared earlier.  Make sure not to get any of the water in the caramel. Keeping stirring until caramel thickens.  (You can always put the caramel back on the stove for a few seconds if it gets too thick, but I found it needed to be really chilled and thick for it to stick to the apples.)

Tilt saucepan so all the caramel goes to one side and dunk each apple into the cooling caramel until fully coated.  Place each apple on the parchment lined baking sheets and allow the caramel to cool and set at least 20 minutes.  When it is almost set (wait at least 10 minutes), you can add extra toppings.

Makes 5-10.  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 Autumn Sweaters

Last night you found yourself rummaging through your closet looking for that one colorless, shapeless sweater you've had for years and years, the one you can't remember where you got it from, but somehow always turn to when the nights get longer and cooler.  The soft cotton on the inside has been loved off by time and use so all that remains is a thin pelt.  The sleeves are frayed and overstretched, the neck a loose ribbon around your shoulders.  There it is, buried in the back with your coats.  It occurs to you as you pull this soft shell over your head that it is officially sweater season--and that you have one for just about every important occasion.  This is the sweater you wear at the end of the week when all you want to do is curl up on the couch, eat popcorn and watch a movie.  

But there are so many others that you love and look forward to wearing as the earth prepares itself for a season of quiet and rest.  There is the basic oatmeal sweater, perfect for rolling up its sleeves for a morning in the kitchen baking bread or dipping apples in warm caramel and nuts.  It is homey and solid, like the loaf you just pulled from the oven.  And you can't forget the rose-hued one that falls off your shoulders, ideal for an afternoon of drinking cinnamon tea and getting lost (found?) in a book--fairy tales, mysteries, gothic novels...doesn't matter.  But the sweater does, somehow making the afternoon complete, allowing you to let down and even doze off in your overstuffed chair, the rose cloth wrapped around you like a blanket. 

Or there is the heather purple one essential for raking up leaves and putting your garden to rest for the season; it is light enough to keep you cool as you labor, with long sleeves to protect you from the prickly bones of dried plants, skeletal trees, and the early morning bite.  You don't fret over messing it up as you would one of your teaching blouses because it was made for getting dirt and crumbled leaves on its cuffs.

You look at the sweater you are wearing now, the one you paused your writing for long enough to slide your arms into before returning to that next page.  The open window brings in the cool, lush air of the season; your writing cardigan (a sub-genre of the autumn sweater) and cup of chai tea, echoing the heavy scents of autumn, chase away the chill.  You love this sweater perhaps most of all (though you say that about each one as you don it and feel the memories stitched into its fabric rub against your skin).  This sweater is long and faded, the color of sage, with fat pockets for storing seeds or tea leaves or a few words.  There are no buttons to this cardigan, so you must make peace with the fact that it must always be open, as you must be to your stories and experiences, wherever they may take you. This one is made for loosely wrapping around yourself just as you wrap your words around you for comfort and healing as you descend into the realm of stories.

Yes, it is sweater season now.  You look forward to being once again in the folds of these unassuming sweaters, these garments that reflect the quietest, most intimate snapshots of your life.  The moments you live without ceremony or the awareness of anything other than dipping your caramel apple into a shallow tray of sunflower seeds.

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!

Tomato, Tomatillo & Goat Cheese Tart

There is no such thing as too many tomatoes in my opinion--at least not during the long hot days of summer when these juicy fruits are in their prime. 

This recipe is a riff on both my calabicatas tart (once you have a good tart crust you can fill it with just about anything) and a goat cheese tomato tart we used to make as kids when we wanted to look like culinary pros and beat the heat with an easy one dish meal.  I've added tomatillos as an extra twist along with some pepper; both bring an unexpected spice and tartness to the dish.  That said if all you have on hand is tomatoes then, by all means, stick with the classic version of just tomatoes, onions, and goat cheese.

And speaking of goat cheese, you'll notice that I gave you a range of ounces to use in this recipe; if you want gooey-cheesy use more cheese. If you want it to just to play backup singer to the tomatoes, use less.  This dish is excellent on its own or paired with a side salad for dinner, and it makes a great left-over lunch!

Ingredients:

For crust:

1/2 cup blue cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

For filling:

2 medium tomatoes

6 tomatillos

3-5 oz goat cheese

1 medium sweet onion

1 tablespoon oregano

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Whisk together flours and a pinch of salt to taste.  Then add oil and water and mix until a ball forms.  Press dough evenly into a tart pan (I use one with a removable bottom for easy serving), then use a fork to prick holes into the bottom.  Cook in oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While the tart crust cools, dice up onions and sauté in olive oil with half a tablespoon of your oregano and pepper in saucepan until softened.  Slice tomatoes and tomatillos into thin disks.  Once the crust and the onions have cooled, pour your onions on the bottom layer of the crust, then break chunks of your goat choose and layer it over them.  Sprinkle one-fourth of a tablespoon of oregano and a pinch of pepper over the cheese; then layer the tomatillo circles over that.  Lastly, layer your tomatoes, starting in the center and working your way out to the tart crust to give it a uniform look.  Sprinkle with the last of the oregano, some pepper and salt.  Drizzle top with olive oil.

Place tart in oven and cook 35-40 minutes until egg is set.  Let cool for at least ten minutes before serving.  Serves 4-8.  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!

Calabacitas Tart

Nothing says harvest time here in New Mexico like when you find yourself looking for creative ways to use up that extra zucchini and squash from your garden--and get your chile fix. No dish epitomizes this better than calabacitas.  I have fond memories of coming home as a child on a school night to roasted chicken and a casserole dish filled with this corn, chile, and zucchini veggie side.  And now that school is officially back in session, I love the idea of one dish meals that are healthy and easy to put together on a busy weekday evening (hello first week of teaching!). 

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's spinach tart.  I've added blue cornmeal to the crust because yum! and then swapped out the spinach for the traditional Southwestern filling of alabacitas.  For the tart pictured, I omitted the squash, simply because I didn't have any on hand, but feel free to add it as an extra layer to your own--I know I will once I get my hands on some!

This tart is great as an easy dinner by itself, with a side of greens, or, if I am feeling nostalgic, with roasted chicken.   It's also delicious the next day for breakfast with an over easy egg on top.  I used nutritional yeast in place of cheese for this recipe, but you could easily swap it out with aged gouda or sharp cheddar.  Keep in mind that if you are using cheese in place of the nutritional yeast, you don't have to drizzle olive oil over each additional layer.

Ingredients:

For crust:

1/2 cup blue cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

For filling:

1 cup chopped green chile

1 cup yellow corn

1 small zucchini or half of a medium one

1 medium sweet onion

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 cup nutritional yeast (or cheese of choice)

1/4 cup red chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 eggs beaten

salt to taste

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Whisk together flours and a pinch of salt to taste.  Then add oil and water and mix until a ball forms.  Press dough evenly into a tart pan (I use one with a removable bottom for easy serving), then use a fork to prick holes into the bottom.  Cook in oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While the tart crust cools, dice up onions and sauté with minced garlic clove, olive oil and cumin in saucepan until softened.  Slice zucchini into thin disks; you should end up with about one cup (you can save any zucchini not used here for pizza toppings or a veggie stir-fry). Now you can begin to layer your ingredients: start with in the onions and garlic first, then the chile and finally the corn, making sure to add some of your red chile powder, salt, and nutritional yeast (or cheese) between layers.  Then pour the beaten eggs over your layers.  For your final layer, arrange your zucchini disks over the tart, starting in the middle and working you way out to the edge.  Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and dust the top with your last bit of red chile and nutritional yeast (or cheese).

Place tart in oven and cook 35-40 minutes until egg is set.  Let cool for at least ten minutes before serving.  Serves 6-8.  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!

Takin' Care of Business...& Beyond!

My website is in need of a tune up, so I'll be taking some time off from writing new posts while I give my site a little behind the scenes TLC. That's just a little less than two weeks away from the proverbial page--and I promise I'll be back by the end of August with plenty more to share on everyday magic, simple pleasures, and of course, delicious recipes!  You can expect more late summer harvest recipes and odes to the changing seasons, as well as exciting new ruminations on autumn in the Land of Enchantment. 

In the meantime, I'll be posting some oldies but goodies on the bounty of summer on Facebook and Twitter (@EnchantmentLL); if you are feeling adventurous--or just can't get enough inspiration!--check out my blog and recipe indexes for more insights to everyday magic. Thanks for your patience, and, as always, your support!

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!

A Love Letter to Pleasure

I don't quite understand you; it is as if you are a word in a foriegn language that I can't completely wrap my mouth around--but I try to desperately, willing my tongue and tonsils to coax the song across my palate with grace so that one day I may pass as a native speaker of your bliss.  So please, have patience with my fumbling.

Still, I court you, tempted by your sighs and tickles, or the way you put my life into perspective with a playful shrug of your shoulder and, all at once, my too-hot flame is a joyful spark.  You are Coyote, tempting my off the straight and narrow, that dull anemic path that leaves nothing but an empty cup and a heavy soul.  Okay then, I say, when you cross my path.  Let's go.  Let's get lost in the desert, drunk on the stars, dizzy with the moon.  I won't even pause to catch my breath or search my dictionary to make sure I have the right words for you.  They will come on their own.

Yes, you can kiss me--though I know you would even without my permission.  That's what makes you, you.  And I reach for you in return, seduced by your mercurial touch, grateful for the way you ground me back into my body, my life (for even you, you seemingly flighty creature, have a way of bringing both the lightness of a summer's night and the weight of roots grounding garden herbs into my bones). 

I need you; and though I know you've heard this before from countless others, on hundreds of other rendezvous, know this: you are my necessity, my home. You bring wings to my discipline and joy to my focus; you are my rosebud, my compass.  Without you, there would be no breath.

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!

Life is a Celebration

Yesterday I had a cookout--fresh corn and kebabs on the grill--and Django Reinhardt on the record player.  Why?  Because it was a Tuesday and I was hungry.  This morning I did yoga to the sunrise and drank coffee on the patio because that's the best time to talk to the birds (and my plants).  There was a moment just now, too, where I just let my mind wander and allowed myself to breathe in the heady aroma of blue sage because I could.

On Thursday, I burned an expensive candle and had a glass of even finer whiskey solely because I enjoyed the searing light of fire within and without; there was no point in waiting for a 'special occasion' (whatever that is, like a fence that limits pleasure to some distant future moment).  Monday was another story--I drank up the stars late into the night because that was as long as it took to finish my conversation with them.  And the blades of grass between my toes today were proof that walking barefoot was as good for my soul as it was for my soles. 

Later I might decide to twirl--in the rain or on the dance floor--for the sheer pleasure of feeling my body move.  And I will most definitely lose track of time at some point in the week; those pesky seconds and minutes dissolving into bliss.  Perhaps it will be while reading--no, napping--under a shady tree, or swimming in the mellow current of summer.  Either way, it will happen on a day just like any other, with no special importance to it except that it is today; or maybe that it is every day, a gentle celebration of fresh mint from the garden, a new book to read, a spontaneous picnic. 

In any case, tomorrow I will marvel at the host of ladybugs making their home in a broom plant overflowing with tiny yellow flowers.  They too seemed to have found their joy in the thin green stalks they climb upon. 

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 Necessity of Nice Underwear

It reminds you that you are a woman before you don your costumes of teacher, writer, sister, daughter; that you are first and foremost flesh and heart and body.  Your skin is enveloped in lace and satin, a constant loving caress as you go about the business of being a warrior.  A small indulgence, a secret concession to hedonism as you make your way through the practicalities of your day.

This seeming frivolity defines you at your core, worn for no other reason than that it pleases you.  There is no room for frayed elastic across your waist, nor a bra strap stretched and worn into limp colorless ribbons.  Every other garment you step into afterward is dictated by the quality of your underthings.  Your body will not be stained or blemished by anything.  It is a delicious aesthetic experience your torso wants, for you were put on this earth to feast on its delights and saturate your senses.  So you slip on the delicate lace underwear, relishing the texture of its intricate pattern across your flesh, and the way your silky slip slides across your torso.  You take your time with this ritual, adorning yourself in this second skin, this breath between the privacy of your home and the armor you wear out into this world. 

This intimate wearable art reveals nothing except how you really feel about yourself, your animal heart and each curve along the map of your body.  Only that small fact, and nothing more, that rests in your center like a small seed ready to sprout in the body of the woman and climb its way through the satin and lace towards your heartbeat.

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!

Let Me Be

Let me be the river forever creating ripples in the stillness, still in its eternal movement through a clay path.  Let me be the wind that whispers of lives past, hopes not yet lived, as my stormy fingers twine around the earth's wild curls; or let me be the heartbeat between breaths. 

Let me be the memory of seeds resting in my bones, the code buried in the hollyhock's fat black discs stacked along my spine.  Just let me be the quiet of a morning before it is kissed by the sun or touched by bird song.  I ask for nothing else; only this promise to free me from the confines of others' expectations or the sting of turning away from what is not mine.

Let me be the clean slate, the open swath of unblemished potential spread out before you like a field of grain not yet harvested or the desert monsoon, still unsure if it will rain down upon this earth or let its ripe clouds sail beyond the horizon.  Let me be the dream conjured out of lunar light shining through the crystals on your nightstand--

--and that precarious universe between sleep and wakefulness.  Let me be that moment forever distilled in human experience. 

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!

Two-Ingredient Sunblock

I love the sun as much as I love the moon--especially during the summer.  I like longs walks in the sunshine and a lazy afternoon sunbathing.  It's practically part of my Land of Enchantment heritage after all!  Who could not love a gloriously open and sunny sky after growing up in this magical desert?

Alas, we've become pretty sun-phobic in many ways as we worry about sun damage and other hazards; that said, you can be sun-smart and still enjoy plenty of rays.  In fact, they're good for you as twenty minutes in the sun gives you your daily dose of vitamin D, something I really missed when I lived in Seattle!  If you want to learn more about how UVA and UVB rays affect us and how homemade sunscreens can help, check out what the Modern Hippy Housewife has to say.

I've always wanted to try making my own sunblock because I do believe in practicing "safe sun"--including using only organic sunscreens because non-organic have a host of chemicals that seem even worse for you than the rays they are supposed to protect you from.  That said, organic brands can be pretty pricey.  Naturally, the crafty life-hacker in me decided to see what she could figure out whipping up a batch of her own sunblock. 

I took cues from recipes via Wellness Mama and the above Modern Hippy Housewife, opting for an easier recipe with fewer ingredients (hey, a beautiful afternoon poolside was calling to me, and I needed my goods ASAP!).  I used my coconut body butter as my base because it was super easy to make and non-greasy when applied.  I then added non-nano zinc oxide powder, the primary substance that offers protection against harmful rays.  Make sure it is non-nano zinc oxide powder, as it is better for the body (you can read more about that from Goddess Garden Organics).

Coconut oil actually offers about SPF 4 and other natural oils, like shea butter, offer a similar amount of light coverage.  Pretty cool, huh?  But if you plan to be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time, it's a good idea to whip up a batch your own sunblock to boost your coverage.  This recipe here gives you about SPF 25.  As with any sunscreen, make sure to apply generously (at least a full ounce) and often (every two hours or so).  And be smart about your sun exposure.  It's never a good idea to bake for hours on end.  With this recipe, I can now feel good about my outdoor time, both under the sun's rays and with the ingredients on my sunblock (which costs about $3 a bottle when all is said and done!).

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut body butter

4 tablespoons non-nano zinc oxide powder

Stir zinc oxide into coconut body butter until thoroughly combined, making sure not to inhale the powder.  Store in a mason jar.  To use, simply apply your sunblock as you would your regular body butter half an hour before sun exposure.  Makes one cup.  Enjoy on a sunny day!

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!

Dancing in the Rain

Last night I danced in the rain. 

I sang with the wind.  I spread my hands high over my head and tried to touch the dark clouds weighing down the evening sky; and I called upon that storm to sweep away the cobwebs and dust from my mind, to let the fat rain drops fall upon my face, a soothing balm across the tender center between both eyes.

I let the distant rumble of thunder echo in my bones and the promise of lightning tickle my long wet hair.  I, I did this, making myself one with the rhythm of nature, allowing myself to understand the bigness of it, the fullness of this universe that goes beyond myself and within myself.  My bare feet rooted themselves in puddles as I twirled among the rain drops and clouds thick with cleansing desert magic. 

I was a spirit dancing among other spirits--trees, grass, mountains, and their guardians.  I was a raindrop covering the earth with my love.  I was the quiet in the storm, the stillness in the dance, the held breath between one clap of thunder and another.  I was the whisper of the earth's smile.

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!

Mango Chile Lime Popsicles

As you know, I've been trying to beat the heat this week in a number of ways: avoiding the outdoors during the hottest midday hours, sipping cooling beverages, nixing cooking on the stove, sticking my undies in the freezer...you name it!  Okay, maybe not the last one...although I did see Marilyn Monroe do it in The Seven Year Itch to beat the sweltering heat of a New York City summer.  Fortunately for me, things are not quite so dire in the arid Southwest. 

I am, however, more than happy to indulge in these healthy mango chile lime popsicles to keep cool.  Like my pina colada popsicles, I use quality organic ingredients to whip up a tasty frozen treat that has way less sugars than your average store-bought popsicle--and those only natural at that.  All you need is your own popsicle molds to get started.  

These popsicles are a riff on the popular Mexican snack featuring mangoes sprinkled with chile, salt, and lime.  I remember eating mango chile suckers as a child too; there is something perfect about that blend of sweet fruit dusted with spicy chile powder that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  (And yes, I write 'chile' with an 'e' and not an 'i' because I'm a New Mexican and that's how we spell it...but that's another story for another time!)

I've added an extra twist to this union by using Korean chile paste instead of chile powder.  The result is a sweet, smokey kick at the back of your throat--but be careful, because the heat of this chile sneaks up on you.  I put a little too much chile in my first batch, thinking it would be more sweet than hot.  Wow were we surprised at the spiciness!  With a little tinkering, I finally found the right balance of heat and sweet.  That said, if you like it hot, make it hotter...just go a little at time and sample frequently until you find your right balance.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3/4 cup water

1 tsp Korean chile paste

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds and let sit in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.  I usually make them a day ahead and let them set overnight.  Let the treats sit on the counter for five to ten minutes and then remove them from the mold.  Eat immediately, with gusto!  Makes about 6 with a little left over for a mango smoothie, tequila optional.

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!

Pina Colada Popsicles

So it's hot out.  Like, really hot.  As in 100 degrees hot!  Normally I love the desert summer, but I've found myself beginning to wilt in this heat.  Forget cooking anything that involves the oven or even the stove for that matter.  And you won't catch me baking under the midday sun.  Most of my time is now spent finding ways to stay cool in the midst of this heat wave.  Luckily, I have a perfect antidote to Albuquerque when it sizzles: these pina colada popsicles.  Yum!

They are reminiscent of carefree days on the beach, sipping that rum-soaked pineapple and coconut concoction finished off with a little umbrella...only better because I use only healthy ingredients in this recipe.  I swap out super sugary coconut cream with coconut milk and coconut water and use frozen pineapple for that pop of fruity goodness. What's more, these are super easy to make!  All you need is a popsicle mold which you can find here or at your local cooking store (and sometimes even at your supermarket). 

As with my other recipes, I use only organic ingredients for maximum healthy benefits and best-tasting results.  Make sure to use canned coconut; the taste is richer than the carton variety--and don't be alarmed if the coconut cream is solid at the top of the can.  It mixes easily with the liquid part on the bottom once you stir it up. It would also be a good idea to whip up a double batch of these popsicles because when the temperature goes up, they go fast! 

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup coconut water

 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapples

1 ripe banana

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds and let sit in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.  I usually make them a day ahead and let them set overnight.  Let the treats sit on the counter for five to ten minutes and then remove them from the mold.  Eat immediately, with gusto!  Makes about 6 with a little left over for a pina colada smoothie, rum optional.

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!

Confessions of a Flower Eater

You would grow a garden in your belly if you could so that your insides are blossoms, fat with pollen and thick seeds, strong roots, and liquid sunshine.  It seems terrible to confess that you know you could be like those flowers if you ate enough of them.  But it is true--they would infuse their spirit into your skin and, in return, you would give them a home.  Just a tablespoon a day is all it would take, you think, as you gaze out at your flower garden, that alchemical blend of growing things and medicinal petals. 

So you collect your marigolds and nasturtiums, your puffs of dandelion and your fat tulip bulbs, your sharp lavender and blowsy rose petals, and you begin the task of making your meal. You could grind them up with your mortar and pestle until each bloom dissolves into a thick paste, a murky drink not unlike your compost to rest in your stomach.  But where is the fun in that?  How can you delight in the feel of seeds down your throat or a soft petal kissing your tongue?

So you mix up your flowers--seeds, petals, stems, roots--into an otherworldly salad.  The tulip bulb is your base, thick and earthy, to welcome your eternal spring and chase away the darkness.  Then you stir in yellow marigold and passionate hope, and add peppery nasturtiums, streaked with orange and red, to make you feel brave; next is dandelion (puffs, roots, leaves picked from a crack in your garden path) to echo your tulip base of infinite possibility.  And a few rose petals to dust the top, a delicate perfume to soften the aspirations of the other flowers--it is enough to enjoy the beauty of this moment.  Your salad isn't complete until you sprinkle blue lavender buds across your feast, adding the final touch of tranquil healing.

You devour this salad, one bite at a time, crunching down on meatiness of the tulips, the melt-in-your-mouth silkiness of the rose, until there is nothing left on your plate but a marigold blossom, somehow still intact.  You pick this flower up with your fingers and bring it to your mouth.  You feel the feathery petals across your tongue, the way it falls apart under the pressure of your teeth, the weight of sunshine in your belly when you swallow it.  This is your garden, each piece of your summer harvest preserved inside you so that you are now part flower, part hope.

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!

Fried Sage Chips

One of my go-to appetizers come the weekend are these delicious and easy to make sage chips.  They combine my love of fresh herbs with all the tastiness of a kale chip but are dainty enough to nibble on as you enjoy an evening cocktail. I even hesitate to use the word "fried" in my blog title because these chips aren't greasy or heavy, just light and crisp.

There is nothing like the woodsy taste of the sage paired with the pop of sea salt on the tongue to prepare your palate for your evening meal.  It's the taste of this dish and taking the time to enjoy a pre-dinner drink that matters, rather than filling up on a heartier snack--it's like the Italian version of an appetizer in that way, making you slow down and enjoy the simple pleasure of a luxurious dinner.   Like my roasted garlic scapes, these sage chips only require good olive oil and sea salt to make them tasty--you can always add a pop of brightness to them with my 3 Citrus Himalayan Salt.

Ingredients:

1 bunch organic sage leaves

Olive oil

Sea salt

In a saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Use only enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 tablespoons.  Once oil is hot, place sage leaves in pan and let fry until they begin to get crispy and golden, but not burned (about one minute).  Make sure not to pile too many leaves into the oil at once, otherwise they will get mushy.  You may have to fry them in batches.  Promptly remove from heat and set on paper towel to drain.  While the leaves are still hot, sprinkle them with sea salt.  Serve immediately.  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!

5 Tips for a Magical Staycation

This year I decided to forgo distant travels and enjoy my hometown for vacation.  There is something sort of romantic about seeing your city through the rose colored glasses of a visitor--no day-to-day worries, just pure unadulterated fun!  I'll admit that one of the draws of a staycation is the idea of sleeping in my own bed and never having to worry about whether or not I packed the right wardrobe (picture me freezing in my summer dress in still wintery Rome!).  You have all the fun of traveling with none of the hassle. 

A staycation is a great way to indulge in the simple pleasures you can't always enjoy when you travel--like sleeping in or spending an afternoon dallying on the porch.  When you travel, you want to maximize your time enjoying the magic of the destination you find yourself in--getting the most out of museums, restaurants, nature walks...and so forth.  Of course, the excitement of being in a new place and saturating your senses with new experiences is awesome, but sometimes what you really need out of a vacation is a little R&R.  A staycation allows you to truly rest and enjoy the comfort of your own home. 

I also love that it encourages you to see your city in a new light--and hopefully take some of that carefree magic into your everyday life.  After my staycation, I felt more motivated to enjoy the events and places of my town on a weekly basis.  So if you want to try a staycation this year--or just add a little more fun to your summer, check out my tips for a magical staycation below.

1.  No schedules! While it's true you'll want to make sure you catch that museum show or work in that trip to the mountains, you want to avoid penciling in all your free time.  In fact, you should start each day with no real plans, only a handful of suggestions of what you might do.  I learned this from one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies, Roman Holiday, in which the heroine insists on no schedules while she takes a day out of her princess-ing duties to simply enjoy herself--just one of the few travel tips I've learned from Miss Hepburn. 

2.  Sleep in.  Have a lazy breakfast.  Linger over your cup of coffee.  This will help you avoid the temptation to over-schedule yourself.  It's also pretty delicious to sleep in on a weekday when you know the rest of the world is at work. 

3.  Indulge.  You know if you were on vacation, you'd be having that glass of wine with lunch or that afternoon gelato...so why not do it while you're staycationing?  Have your ice cream cone.  Savor that decadent lunch.  Splurge on that dress.  Go out to your favorite restaurant dressed to the nines.  Take a long nap under a shady tree.   

4.  Make time for the things you love--but don't always have the energy for.  I personally love looking at art, going to festivals, and yes, dancing (as you well know).  That said, I don't always feel like doing any of these things after a busy work week (the allure of wearing pajamas all day is just too much to resist).  During my staycation, I went to a local wine festival, several dance events, and even a film screening (after a martini at my favorite bar). 

5.  Be a tourist in your own city--minus the fanny pack and frumpy tennis shoes.  I know this might sound super obvious, but it's important to point out that a staycation is a time to see the important stuff in your city that you wouldn't otherwise check out, like that historical monument or gorgeous nature reserve--or the host of seasonal activities and events that you say you will go to each year but never do. 

What do you enjoy most about staycationing?

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!

Roasted Garlic Scapes

Imagine my delight to find garlic scapes at the farmers' market this weekend!  Here I had thought that the season for these tender shoots had come and gone without me being able to feast on these perfect greens (I comforted myself with an unexpected batch of fiddlehead ferns).  For those of you that don't know, scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant that are harvested before they flower so the plant sends its energy into developing the garlic bulb.  Picked early in the season, they have a mild garlic taste with hints of earthy asparagus.  Yum!

Typically, I indulge in this magical season by feasting on roasted garlic scapes.  I like to roast them for a long time so that they are one part meltingly tender and another part garlic crisps.  The great thing about scapes is that they don't need much to make a tasty appetizer.  In fact, I only ever use olive oil and quality salt.  If I feel like getting fancy, I sprinkle some of my 3 Citrus Himalayan Salt over the curled greens. 

You'll notice that I didn't specify quantities here.  I roast as little as a handful to a whole basketful depending on how many people I'm serving, so the recipe is pretty versatile.  Just remember that the more scapes you use, the longer you want to roast them--especially if you want them slightly crispy.

Raw scapes ready for roasting.

Ingredients:

Garlic Scapes

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Place washed scapes on one side of a large sheet of foil and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.  Fold other half of foil over the scapes and pinch the open sides closed so that you create a little pouch for the scapes to cook in.  Place on a baking sheet and let roast in over for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remember, the longer you cook them, the crispier they get, so cook they according to your own preference.  Let cool for five minutes before plating.  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!

My Summer Fun List

Summer is *finally* here (goodbye windy stormy May)!  While I appreciated last month's rain, I found myself longing for sunshine and flip flops and polka dot dresses.  It was hard to feel like it was officially that carefree time for teachers when I spent most of my time indoors away from the wind, hail, and thunder. 

Now that the skies have cleared and the temperatures are up, it finally feels like sweet, sweet summertime!  Oddly enough, this stormy May made me appreciate all the things I love about summer--and in all honesty, sometimes neglect to enjoy when I slip into my daily routine. When fall rolls around, I wistfully look back at the time I could have spent picnicking, stargazing, or generally goofing around instead of getting locked into a set schedule (that dreadful little thing!). 

This year I have decided not to let that happen and this summer fun list is going to help me make sure I indulge in all the simple pleasures of the season.  After all, summer, at its best, reminds us of the power of play.

So here is my list, in no particular order, and that will no doubt continue to grow:

1. Enjoy more summer cookouts.  One of best things about summer is cooking outside and lingering over a refreshing drink and good conversation.  Oh, and eating smores.

2. Visit the Farmers market.  A lot.  To feast on all those delicious local fruits and veggies!

3. Go to a baseball game.  Summer isn't summer without at least one ball game.

4. Walk barefoot.  Who needs shoes when the temperature is up?

5. Have more picnics.  I absolutely love throwing down a blanket in the grass to enjoy a simple feast, a good book, and a sunny day.

6. Dance.  Dance.  Dance.  Salsa dancing in my case.  Summer is the perfect time to do all the things you don't always get to do when you're in the daily grind of your regular routine--like going out dancing without having to worry about being up early the next day.

7. Go swimming.  There's something about diving into a pool and splashing around that makes me feel like a kid again. 

8.  Stargaze.  New Mexico is such a perfect place to look at the stars--which, I admit, I don't do enough of--but when I do, I feel like I could drink up those stars forever.

9.  Sunbathe.  Right up there with stargazing, I love (safe) sun-soaking.  It feels great to shed the extra layers of clothes in favor of a bathing suit and a pair of sunglasses.

10. Drink frilly cocktails.  On the porch.  Sprawled on the grass.  In some shaded garden nook.  Poolside--wherever I can!  With the bounty of the season, it's fun to mix up fruit and herb concoctions to quench your thirst. Hello, gin fizz...

11.  Wear fun summer dresses.  So I love flouncy dresses.  Like, LOVE.  Especially if there are polka dots involved.  This playful season allows me to get even more cheeky with my wardrobe.

12.  Stay up late reading.  Okay, I've been pretty good with this one already.  It is such an indulgence to get lost in a good book, especially when you know you aren't ruled by the morning alarm clock.

13.  Garden. Who doesn't love fresh tomatoes from her own garden?

14.  Pickle everything! This is like preserving summer in a jar--and no lunch sandwich is complete without fresh pickles.

15.  Watch the sunrise.  Taking time in the morning to appreciate the cooler temps and watch the city slowly wake up is the ultimate luxury.

16.  Watch the sun set.  With a glass of wine in hand.  Too often I can come home with a to-do list (yoga, clean, eat) and lose track of those moments of stillness that allow me to savor the beauty of nature.

17.  Forget schedules.  Lose track of time.  Often.

18. Visit museums.  One of my favorite things to do, when I lived in Seattle was to visit museums, particularly one summer when the city experiences a record-breaking heat wave...and I had no air-conditioning in my apartment.  Yuck!  So instead of drowning in my own sweat (great for hot yoga, but not so much for getting through the day), I would go to a lovely air conditioned museum, look at art, and simply be.  It occurred me that I don't do that enough in Albuquerque, so now's the time to fix that.  

19.  Mid-week afternoon movie watching.  Who doesn't love an air conditioned almost empty theater?

20.  Daydream...

...the list could go on and on, but I figure if I can even tackle half of these and enjoy a popsicle or two, I've had a nice full summer.

What's on your summer fun list?

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!