The Restorative Power of Nature

I recently returned from an amazing trip to southern Colorado. I love my life and home in Austin, TX, but I don’t love the all pervasive, unending heat of summer. I am of Scandinavian decent and long, hot days (and nights) really do not suit my body nor temperament. Luckily we have fabulous swimming holes…

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Watermelon Aqua Fresca – Cool and Refreshing Summer Beverage

Watermelon Aqua Fresca with Mint

In the summer, nature gives us cooling foods to eat

In order to get through this challenging period of time in the lone star state (or any other hot place you may be), it is important to eat cooling foods. If we eat seasonally, nature will naturally give to us the foods we are supposed to eat in the season we are supposed to eat them. And in the summer, nature gives us cooling foods to eat.

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Cream of Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

bowl-of-heirloom-tomato-basil-soup

This delicious soup is an easy summertime hit that is good consumed either hot or cold. If you have your own garden, you probably have more tomatoes that you know what to do with. This soup will put a dent on them. I timed myself the other day and this soup literally took me 10…

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Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

sweet-potato-pecan-pie

Desserts if eaten in moderation and made with healthy ingredients are a sweet treat to be enjoyed on occasion. This pie is one of my favorites. The best of the fall season is offered in this recipe with the rich flavor of sweet potatoes and the deep taste and wonderful texture of pecans. It is…

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Clean Food, Chemical Free Food

People often ask me, “Isn’t it more expensive to eat the way you eat….organic, local, fresh, nutrient dense food?” My answer is that I don’t even consider it as an option to eat any other way because it is such a top priority for me to nourish myself with healthy, nutrient dense food. I also…

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Coriander Crusted Sablefish

sablefish-atop-bed-of-spinach

Sablefish, also known as Black Cod, is one of my favorite fish. It is rich in good Omega 3 fats (containing EPA and DHA ) and tastes buttery and delicious. Sometimes I am lucky enough to find it in the seafood section of my market place. If not, I order it from my favorite online…

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Gluten Free Almond Flour Sandwich Bread

loaf-of-almond-flour-bread

I love this gluten free bread. It really tastes like bread but is free of gluten and is so easy to make. No yeast, no rising, no gluten.  You can make your own almond flour from pulverizing soaked and dehydrated almonds or you can order it online. I found this recipe from Elana’s Pantry. She…

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Strawberry Cream Pie with Date-Pecan Crust – GF/Paleo

strawberry-cream-pie-with-date-pecan-crust

Strawberries are one of the first fruits of spring and are great to facilitate spring cleansing. This recipe is very simple and is also gluten and refined sugar free. You can’t get much better than fresh strawberries and whip cream. Strawberries are one of the first fruits of spring and are great to facilitate spring…

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Cleansing Spring Soup Salad

glasses-of-cleansing-soup-salad

This is one of my favorite things to make when I feel the need to eat lighter and cleanse. It is not only delicious, but also easy to digest. You will basically be putting your salad in the blender and blending it up till smooth and then drinking as if you were drinking a soup.…

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Beet Kvass – Ancient Eastern European Lacto-Fermented Beverage

glass-jar-of-beet-kvass

This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver, and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet kvass may also be…

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Making Whey and Kefir Cheese

straining-kefir

Whey is useful in many fermentation recipes – as a starter culture for lacto-fermented vegetables and fruits, for soaking grains for proper preparation, and as a starter for many beverages. The yogurt or Kefir cheese is a delicious by-product with beneficial lactic-acid-producing bacteria. You may use homemade yogurt or Kefir or good quality commercial plain…

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Dairy Kefir and Kefir Cream

dairy-kefir-cream

Kefir is one of the most powerful foods you can eat. It contains anywhere from 30-50 beneficial microorganisms that inhabit your gut and create colonies of helpful microflora. These little “good” bugs (not all bugs are created equal) literally become your immune system as they fight to protect you by killing invading pathogens (bad bacteria…

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Super Simple Seasonal Greens

Hardy cold season greens are one of the most nutritious of vegetables. They are full of fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Try this recipe or make up your own. Eating them regularly will help prevent SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) in the low light winter months. Eat greens regularly to enhance your health, cleanse…

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Bone Broth

homemade-bone-broth-in-a-jar

“Indeed, stock is everything in cooking…without it nothing can be done.” Auguste Escoffier
Bbroth or stock as some call it is one of the most nutritious of foods. In many cultur­­es it is consumed almost daily. Ancient cultures would not think of throwing out the bones, the place that holds the essence of the animal. They knew to slowly cook them with water and maybe other herbs and ingredients to extract the precious life giving nutrients from them.

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