During these hot summer days I find that I’m craving something sweet and cold at the end of day. Let’s make some popsicles!
1. I made a few with fresh strawberries, pureed and pieces.
2. Pimm’s Cups are refreshing.
3. Coconut water is hydrating, so it would make an excellent popsicle.
This past Sunday I hosted some girlfriends for a healthy day of yoga, juicing and massage. It was a great to relax and spend time together, and feel good about it the next day. We had so fun that we are thinking of making it a series.
One of the girls knew someone who could teach yoga as well as our juicing class, so we arranged a private class. Sandra from Latin2Yoga was a great instructor and she got along well with the entire group. She was so laid back and helped the entire day run smoothly.
The weather held out, so we were able to have the yoga class outside on the terrace. It was supposed to be a scorcher, so I put together water bottles for each of the girls, as well as sweat rags (nothing is worse than slipping and sliding on your yoga mat!)
We started the day at 9 AM, with some light nibbles before yoga class. When everyone arrived, we had oatmeal chia bars and fruit out. I didn’t want it to be heavy, but some people need to fuel their work out, so I wanted to have something available.
Our yoga class was 90 minutes of breathing, movement and relaxation at the end. It was the perfect amount of work and wellness—and I definitely felt sore the next day!
After yoga, we were presented with cold towels, scented with peppermint. We added just a few drops to the water to give that high end hotel feeling.
Then we really dove into the fruit, oatmeal chia bars and veggies with homemade hummus. I tried new bars this time, from my every day muffins, and they drew rave reviews. I used this recipe here. We also served cold water and flat belly water {lemon, cucumber and mint, infused over night} as a choice of beverages.
After we snack a bit, we started the juicing class. It was a 2-hour class, the first hour for understanding the benefits of juicing and smoothies and the second hour for tasting. Most of us are fairly educated on the value of organic produce, so it was a lot of fun to try out new recipes we had never imagined.
Once we were well prepped and educated, it was time for lunch. My awesome husband put together a healthy spread of various salads and roasted vegetables. They were so good and so beautiful. With lunch we served iced tea {like the proper southern girl I am!}, my favorite T2 Quince Tea and for a light dessert, I made my favorite unprocessed mounds bites.
Once we were good and full, we piled in a taxi and headed to get massages. One of the girls found a modern, fun place where we could get a choice of foot or body massage. It was nice to be able to all get a massage at the same time. I got a body massage and it was wonderful.
As a take away, I gave each girl a box of organic chocolates and some tea to take home to extend her wellness.
We had so much fun spending the day together, and focusing on our wellness and ourselves. And, in truth, as I spend a lot of time eating healthy, it was great to share some of my recipes and favorites with my friends. I’m looking forward to the next installment!
Recently I am obsessed with coconut. Maybe because we are using more coconut oil at home, or maybe because it’s so darn tasty, I want it all the time.
So when I saw this instagram video for how to make Mounds bars in a healthy, whole foods way, I was in.
Unprocessed Coconut Bars
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) ➡️
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil ➡️
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ➡️
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips melted {I used 1.5 chocolate bars, because that was more accessible}
Mix the first 4 ingredients together {or blend them for a smoother texture} then scoop them into a silicone ice cube tray and into the freezer for 20 minutes. Once out, pop them out of the tray, and dip into the melted chocolate. Then get them back into the fridge or freezer as quickly as possible. Pretty easy!
This treat is healthy and tasty and perfect for guests. Just be careful, as I bet they will melt quickly with no chemicals.
Enjoy!
With the weather warming up and the sun peaking through, spring can be such a wonderful season. Warmer weather without it being too hot, but still the promise of a bikini… Spring always motivates me to eat healthy.
I love green anywhere, but especially on the table. Not only is it bright and colorful, but you know it’s gotta be good for you. Here are a few appetizers I want to try. And maybe when monsoon season is over, serve up these up for guests.
Asparagus and Radish Salad (I’ll be making this one dairy-free)
I’ve been working to lose weight and get my body healthy in the last year, and now I’m starting to focus on food. I’m trying to eat whole foods, cleaner and less processed. Even though it seems a bit “Brooklyn” to me sometimes (you know, like eating kale), its recently become more important, particularly living next door to China. And honestly, I feel better when I eat well.
I still have a mean sweet tooth, so I’m always looking for recipes that let me enjoy my cravings without falling off the wagon. Here’s a few I’ve tried lately… and may even serve to guests!
Fresh almond milk. Creamy and rich, it is so much better freshly ground. It goes bad in a few days, so it would be good to have on hand with a full house.
Breakfast quinoa bars. These have a lot of ingredients, but are tasty. I’d make ’em again.
Oatmeal banana muffins. Ok, I haven’t tried these yet, but they look good! Next on the list.
Chocolate Chia Pudding. I mentioned this before— while not that sweet, nor like pudding, it’s fun with fruit.
Any good healthy recipes you can share? Any that have particularly loved by guests– even non-healthy ones?