Happy (long) weekend...

Happy Labor Day weekend! We're headed back up to Maine this weekend, and the forecast looks spectacular. Wishing you a wonderful long weekend of sun and summer. Here are a few things that kept me moving during an exciting and active week:

• Grooving to the classic 1976 jam "Free" by Deniece Williams and feeling instantly lit from inside. Good vibes ahead, friends.
• Enjoying one man's account of his sugar detox in Fast Company's article "How Giving Up Refined Sugar Changed My Brain," and continuing to push myself to consume all whole foods all the time.
• Trying Bon Appetit's take on Brooks Headley's burger-of-the-moment recipe. We're big on homemade vegetable patties and meatballs in this house, so I'm thrilled to add another to the repertoire.  
• Purchasing a beautifully illustrated children's book on microbes. Because I'm still obsessed. 
• And finally, a line from A.A. Milne on the gentle observation of a summer day. I hope you have a chance to meditate on the same this weekend:

"Little soft clouds played happily in a blue sky, skipping from time to time in front of the sun as if they had come to put it out, and then sliding away suddenly so that the next might have his turn"

Happy (long) weekend...

Happy early weekend and happy almost birthday, America! I'm looking forward to a few days of family, friends, and floating on a boat in the middle of a big cool lake. Here are a few things that rocked this week:

• Swaying to the breezy throwback of an album finally released by Leon Bridges. 
• Taking my interest in gut bacteria to a whole new level with The Good Gut. My ten-year old science-obsessed self approves. 
• Speaking of gut bacteria, drooling over this recipe for herbed tomatoes, which seems like a  great way to maximize use of the herbs that are growing like weeds on our deck. 
• And finally, a little summer ditty from Carl Sandburg that professes my love for those long lazy summer evenings of lying in the grass, watching fireworks, and being connected to this Earth: 

"Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
                So lazy and hum-strumming"

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! This weekend I'm looking forward to watching the snow melt (forty degrees and sunny? I'll take it!), checking out some new food for Restaurant Week and working to finalize our honeymoon plans. Here are a few things that fascinated me this week:

• Swaying to the sweet honey voice of Leon Bridges, the latest crooner to steal my heart. His first few released songs have those good Sam Cooke vibes that transports you to another time and place.
• Listening to the newer (to me) NPR series Invisibilia? It examines the intangible forces surrounding us in this modern world, and is utterly fascinating.
• Making my favorite bean burger for lunch today. The spices and dressing are totally divine.
• And finally, a long-time favorite poem, "Sonnet: Against Entropy" from science fiction and fantasy writer John M. Ford (that last line really gets it!):

“The worm drives helically through the wood
And does not know the dust left in the bore
Once made the table integral and good;
And suddenly the crystal hits the floor.
Electrons find their paths in subtle ways,
A massless eddy in a trail of smoke;
The names of lovers, light of other days
Perhaps you will not miss them. That's the joke.
The universe winds down. That's how it's made.
But memory is everything to lose;
Although some of the colors have to fade,
Do not believe you'll get the chance to choose.
Regret, by definition, comes too late;
Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.”

- John M. Ford

Mango and Golden Beet Smoothie

Last night, we returned from five glorious days off in Florida. It was a much needed break from a recent busy period and the epic winter we've been having here in Boston, and a great place to celebrate my love's thirtieth trip around the sun.  But there was one thing that was missing from our trip south: the sun.

Gloomy skies aside, we had a wonderful visit filled with quiet island adventures, meditative walks on the beach and some good vacation indulgence. We also had the pleasure of devouring delicious citrus in their natural locale. And now that I'm back, I'm craving more of those fruits and a return to my weekly health routine. 

This mango and golden beet smoothie is a variation on what typically makes up my daily breakfast: a blended mix of fruit and vegetables, nourishing powders and a mixture of seeds.

Beets are a wonderful detoxifying food, and in conjunction with mango, are filled with antioxidant-loaded carotenoids to help support eye health. Maca is a hormone-balancing root vegetable native to Peru and known to help boost fertility and control adrenal activity. These ingredients are combined with orange, raw sprouted protein, my hemp, chia, and flaxseed mix and immunity-boosting bee pollen to provide the right kind of sunny energy needed on a winter morning.

Mango and Golden Beet Smoothie

1 small banana, sliced

1/2 naval orange, peeled

1 small golden beet, peeled and diced

1/2 a mango, cubed

1 packet of raw protein powder (I prefer this kind)

1 tablespoon Maca powder

1 tsp hemp seed

1 tsp chia seed

1 tsp flaxseed

1 tsp bee pollen

Combine first six ingredients in blender, and top with water or preferred nut milk and 3-4 ice cubes. Blend until combined. Add in hemp, chia, flaxseed and bee pollen and pulse until combined. Drink immediately, or if storing, reserve seed and bee pollen mixture until serving, as they will absorb much of the liquid and thicken the smoothie.

Spicy Turmeric-Honey Elixir

Throughout much of the winter, it's a battle to ward off sickness, particularly when stress levels are high and there are germs abound. Drinking more water and keeping clean hands only goes so far. And for this, I've discovered that turmeric is powdered gold.

How It Works

As our bodies age, they must work harder to balance both the stressors of every day life and healthy restorative rebuilding. Certain herbs and spices called adaptogens can help us respond to these continuously changing environments by normalizing our cells and aiding in the recovery process. Turmeric in particular helps boost the immune system due to it's high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature. It's also a great addition to boost skin health, though be careful if applying topically as it stains quite easily. 

How to Use It

Turmeric has a mild peppery taste and is fantastic as a cooking spice in many South Asian and Moroccan dishes. But for a quick remedy, I've been creating a simple paste that can be kept in a jar on the counter for an easy and warming drink.

Spicy Turmeric-Honey Elixir

1/4 cup raw honey

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 lemon

Place honey in a jar or cup. Mix in turmeric and cayenne to create a thick paste. If storing for future use, cover and keep at room temperature.

To serve, scoop a teaspoon into a mug and pour hot water over. Stir spoon until paste is evenly dissolved. Squeeze in 1/2 a lemon and top with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.