Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It has been one hell of a hot summer week, and it's capped off this evening with a spectacular rare Blue Moon. Full moons are a great time to remember that life is full of cycles - in our relationships, jobs, and chapters - and having an awareness of the ebbs and flows that naturally occur can help you honor and be present to the shifting phases you experience.  I hope you stay cool and have a great weekend. Here are a few things I've been loving this week:

• Grooving to the sweet jam "What You Don't Do" from Lianne La Havas. 
• Lightening up my summer moisturizing routine because oil + sweat = grease. A few favorites include: Weleda's Wild Rose Milk, John Masters Organic Vanilla & Blood Orange Body Milk, and Farmaesthetic's Nourishing Lavender Milk. 
• Loving the appearance of stone fruit in the farmer's market. Last summer, my favorite thing to do was make grilled stone fruit open face sandwiches. Divine. 
• And finally, St. Augustine once said "You aspire to great things? Begin with little ones." Here's a poem from Mary Oliver that brings personal perspective to the notion that we should be patient in our journey to becoming who we truly want to be:

"Things take the time they take. Don't worry.

How many roads did St.Augustine follow before he became St. Augustine?"

Weekly Words: "Time really stops"

"We call ourselves homo sapien sapiens. That's the species name we've given ourselves. And that means from the Latin sapere, which means "to taste" or "to know." The species that knows and knows that it knows. So that means really awareness and meta-awareness. And it would be nice if that were actually true, but I think it's a little premature to call ourselves that. And now maybe we need to live ourselves into owning that name by cultivating awareness and awareness of awareness itself and let that be in some sense the guide as to what we're going to invest in, how we're going to make decisions about where we live, where we're going to send our kids to school, how we're going to be at the dinner table. Whether we're going to take our bodies and our children and our parents for granted or whether we're going to live life as if it really mattered moment by moment.

And that's not some kind of prescription for more stuff that you need to do in order to be happy. This is getting out of your own way long enough to realize that you already have the potential for tremendous well-being and happiness right here, right now. Nothing else has to change.

One thing it does is it really slows down time. When you're in the present moment, time really stops."

- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Warm Summer Herb and Vegetable Noodle Salad

Friends, hie thee to your local farmers' market immediately, because things are getting good. 

Here in Boston, we're starting to get into the ripe summer season, where hot heat is whipping the typical week's bounty into a pure abbondanza. Our markets are ripe with berries, zucchinis, herbs, and more, and I can't help myself, but I may have hit three different farmers' markets this week alone. Last week, I took our summer salad game to a new level by finally purchasing a spiralizer, and I've noodled just about everything possible in my fridge since then. 

This warm summer herb and vegetable noodle salad is a more updated version of the the garlic and butter sauteed zucchini I ate frequently during my Italian-American childhood. You could substitute any seasonal vegetable that you have on hand here, as long as it can be easily shredded with a peeler or run through a spiralizer, as well as any fresh herbs. But the concept remains - keep the flavors simple, and let the season's gifts do the talking. 

In my version, yellow zucchini and broccoli stalks (yes, you read that right) have been spiralized into noodles, quickly sauteed with olive oil, garlic, sweet onion, and turned through summer savory, basil and oregano. The resulting dish is sprinkled with Pink Himalayan salt, a hefty squeeze of lemon and red pepper flakes. It's chocked full of flavor, good-for-your-gut dietary fiber, and rounded out with a delicious citrus twist.  

Warm Summer Herb and Vegetable Noodle Salad

(Serves 2)

2 medium yellow zucchini, top cut off

2 large broccoli stalks, florets trimmed off

1/8 cup each of summer savory, basil, and oregano, finely chopped

1 lemon, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, diced

A glug of olive oil

A pat of butter (optional)

Cracked pepper

Good salt (I use Pink Himalayan Salt)

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

1. Trim your zucchini and broccoli stalks so that each end is cut flat. Run through your spiralizer on a thin spaghetti setting, or, peel/julienne to a thin 1/8 inch strip. Pat noodles dry, and trim using a knife or scissor as some noodles can be quite long!
2. Over medium/low heat, swirl olive oil and butter in a frying pan until melted. Sautee garlic and onions for 3-4 minutes, sweating them out until soft, but not browned. 
3. Place your noodles in the pan, and using tongs or wooden spoons, flip gently as they cook. 
4. Toss 2/3 of your herbs over the noodles in the pan, and fold in. Season with salt and pepper. Cook noodles for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until softened, but not mushy, and remove from heat. 
5. To serve, divide noodles in two bowls and squeeze a half a lemon over each bowl. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and red pepper flakes to taste. 

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"

Indulging the Mind and Body with Self-Massage

Happy Monday! I'm fresh off of a long gorgeous weekend celebrating family love and the amazing nuptials of our brother and sister-in-law. As always, after a few days of decadence and late nights, I'm keen to immediately restore my balance with good detoxifying foods, an increased intake of liquids and the reintroduction of slow and luxurious self-care rituals that were passed over in lieu of dancing and extra hours of sleep. 

Self-massage is one of the most beloved parts of my daily routine. It is so simple, yet invigorates the skin, encourages blood flow, and helps open the door to relaxation. I find it to be a wonderful way to really get in tune with your body and calm the mind by inserting a mindful pause into your day. There is even an ayurverdic practice called Abhyanga which is daily oil massage that promotes overall wellbeing. Below are a few basics when introducing self-massage to your self-care routine:

• Use a good oil or butter. For the past few weeks, I've been loving on Sun Potion's Wildcrafted Shea Butter, which is a heavenly skin food. It's solid in the jar, but becomes soft and heated when rubbed between two palms and massaged into skin. Other favorites include Coconut or Jojoba Oil. 
• Warm the oil, either in your hands, or by heating it slightly in a microwave safe cup or immersing a 1/2 cup of the oil in another cup of hot water briefly.
• Start from the top. A gentle scalp massage followed by a facial massage relaxes the muscles, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and drains any puffiness from bloating or allergies.  
• Flow downwards. Use broad strokes and work from the neck, to the arms and legs, to the abdomen. Finish with the feet to help re-balance and ground.
• Consider timing. Self-massage is wonderful pre-shower (to allow the oils to penetrate before taking a warm - not hot! - rinse), post-shower (to moisturize and luxuriate) and before bed (to calm the mind and prepare for rest). 

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Long gone are the roasted vegetable and grain-filled power bowls of winter. Lately, we've been filling our plates with chopped salads jam-packed with cold diced raw vegetables, some sort of protein, a melange of fresh herbs and spices and a citrus or fruit-spiked creamy dressing to pull it all together. The finished dish is popped in the fridge until chilled, and what results is a light, airy and refreshing meal that hits the spot when you can't bother being weighed down by heavy meals in the summer.

This Mediterranean chickpea salad is spot on.  In fact, there was a time in my life that I could consume a dish just like this weekly. During one particular stint, in which I found myself taking a helicopter to work in a small New England city, former colleagues fell victim to my bi-weekly visits to one Mediterranean restaurant for my fix of chickpeas, good olives and the divine matrimony of tahini and lemon that just makes these dishes so right. If you don't already have these classic flavors together in your repertoire, then this recipe is dedicated to you.

Chickpeas, like all legumes, are a great source of fiber and vegetarian protein. In this salad, they're paired with heaps of parsley, which is one of the greatest detoxifying and vitamin-filled herbs out there. You could also add in mint or cilantro to your liking, because when it comes to herbs, I truly believe that the more the merrier. I've also chopped in tomato, cucumber, pitted kalamata olives and green onions, which makes this dish nearly like a grain-less tabbouleh of sorts. It's then topped with dressing that marries that wonderful tahini and lemon combination with cumin, smoky paprika and Pink Himalayan salt. I recommend pairing with chopped kale or a flatbread to make it a meal. And, if you include a nicely bodied glass of red wine, I think you might just have the perfect early summer evening meal. 

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2 cups of cooked chickpeas

1 ripe tomato

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1 small red onion, diced finely

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 cucumber, quartered and chopped

For dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I'm a big lemon fan, so adjust this to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss. In a blender or food processor, blend together olive oil, tahini, lemon, salt, cumin, and paprika until smooth. Pour dressing over salad and mix until completely covered.

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It has been a wonderful and busy week. I'm really excited about this weekend, as I'll be spending it in the next intensive weekend for my coaching certification. 

• Listening to an awesome podcast on meditation, ritual, and celebrating and practicing gratitude from Rich Roll, featuring tea and Zen master Wude. Thanks to the lovely M. for sharing this! 
• Reading the insightful book WomanCode, which is a great guide for helping women understand just how their bodies work...and how to navigate and manage hormonal changes, cycles, and health.  
• And finally, a gorgeous quote from a post by Sharon Salzberg on "The Challenges of Seeing Meditation Only Through a Scientific Lens" where she explores the effects of meditation on the mind, but also on our souls:

"We need to remember to look at our lives for signs — to consider how we are with our partners, our children, our colleagues at work, or even with strangers. Even more importantly, we need to look at how we speak to ourselves when we have made a mistake: do we blame ourselves, or recognize our capacity for resilience, our ongoing ability to begin again."

Happy weekend...

Happy June weekend! It has been a wonderful, fruitful week, and I'm looking forward to loving up my entire extended family this weekend. I hope you have a gorgeous few days as well. Here are a few things that I've been loving lately:

• Throwing back to the nineties amidst a recent Toad the Wet Sprocket kick.
• Loving Outside magazine's article "Man vs. Food" because even though it's a few years old, it still resonates. And because our diet looks eerily similar to that of the author.
• Continuing to meditate on the welcomed new quiet peace in my life with this appropriately timed piece from Pico Iyer on "The Art of Stillness." 
• And finally, a sexy poem from Billy Collins that somehow has always wrapped together many deep vibes and memories I hold from Cape Cod and Newport summers gone by:

"You are not the Mona Lisa
with that relentless look.
Or Venus borne over the froth
of waves on a pink half shell.
Or an odalisque by Delacroix,
veils lapping at your nakedness.
You are more like the sunlight
of Edward Hopper,
especially when it slants
against the eastern side
of a white clipboard house
in the early hours of morning,
with no figure standing
at a window in a violet bathrobe,
just the sunlight,
the columns of the front porch
and the long shadows
they throw down
upon the dark green lawn, baby."