On the 7th night......and every night,  we are grateful for all the beautiful gifts we have in our lives

A good day to enjoy a PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE

MAKE IT BULLETPROOF !

For all those who love Bulletproof Coffee, here's my recipe for a pumpkin, turmeric, spiced version:

Into your VitaMix, put:

10 oz freshly brewed organic drip coffee (I use Joshua Tree Coffee)

1 tablespoon homemade turmeric paste 

2 tablespoons Brain Octane Oil

1 tablespoon grass fed ghee

1 teaspoon Pumpkin spice

1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk unsweetened

a few drops of stevia - optional

Blend for about 10 seconds until frothy (start slow on low, increase to high) 

Addictive indeed.

turkey bone broth - sipping comfort

This morning I'm cooking up a batch of turkey bone broth.  In addition to the basic ingredients, I used fresh rosemary to give the broth a more herbaceous flavor because in my humble opinion turkey bone broth tastes rather gamey. I also added fresh turmeric and whole black peppercorns to give it an extra nutrient boost. This batch is now on my stove and will be simmering for a minimum of 24 hrs.  When it's finished, I'll strain then decant it and I'll be sipping it daily.  Because I'm making 6 quarts, I'll also freeze half of it in quart size glass jars.   

Thanksgiving, the day after & a lot to be grateful for

Wishing all people peace and happiness.  This morning I woke up feeling peaceful, happy and content.  I'm grateful for that!  I know there's a whole lot of people who aren't experiencing those thoughts because of the fear and destruction of the pandemic.  I'm grateful for so many things in my life - the life I always dreamed of - the life I have today.  I'm grateful for my husband, Scott, and I'm grateful for my 2-yr old fluffy dog named Cooper.  The 3 of us live in a safe, sunny, beautiful place called Desert Princess.  It's a wonderful resort community -- we have people of all ages who own homes (and second homes) here .  We've made a some very nice friends and we enjoy all our neighbors.  We have wonderful walking paths here with gorgeous views of beautiful mountains, some even snow-capped ( I can see snow at Big Bear from my bedroom window), swaying palm trees, a gym, tennis courts, 3 golf courses, a restaurant,  and a lot of friendly people. I'm just so grateful.    

Chicken Salad - with fresh herbs - no mayonnaise!

RECIPE AND METHOD:

2 heaping TBs Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup chopped fresh herb medley (basil, oregano, dill)

1 hearty celery stalk (just a stalk, not the entire head), chopped = approx. 1/3 cup

2 crisp/fresh sturdy green onions (both white and green parts - approx. 1/3 cup)

8-10 kalamata olives (approx. 1/4 cup)

cooked chicken, chopped  (about 1/2 cup)

MIX TOGETHER:  Yogurt and chopped herbs.  Set aside.

PREPARE mise en place (that means: get the recipe ingredients ready and set them nearby)  -- clockwise from top left:  chopped green onions, chicken, diced celery, kalamatas

In a medium/large bowl place the chicken.  Place the yogurt/herb mixture in the bowl on top of chicken, then add celery, green onions, kalamatas. Toss gently then drizzle fresh lemon juice on top (about 1 tablespoon). Gently toss again. Put it in the refrigerator cause it's best served very cold. 

PLATE IT WITH BABY KALE, SLICED AVOCADO AND A SQUEEZE OF LEMON.

No need for salt or pepper or mayo!  Yay! 

(I made up this recipe due to my being always inspired by my Greek friends near and far.  You know who you are.)

It's a good day for Ceviche

With summer very hot in the Coachella Valley, (yikes it's 109 today), I tend to eat light and citrusy; a lot of salads and cold things.   Ceviche is a favorite of mine.  So is gazpacho.   Always trying to stay super-hydrated! Right!  It's actually easy to make ceviche at home if you can handle an hour of prep.
The gazpacho Scott and I make together requires more prep time, but it's so worth it, especially since now is a terrific time to enjoy the summertime-sweetness of fresh tomatoes.

Here's the ceviche mis en place :

My recipe includes:  1 lb of bay (the small size) scallops, allowed to soak in 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice for 3 hours.While that's "cooking" I prep: 1 peeled, chopped tomatoe, 1/2 chopped red onion, 10 black olives and a tablespoon of fresh oregano. After the scallops "cook" for 3 hours,  I toss everything in a glass bowl, marinate it in the refrigerator overnight and by the next day I have cold tangy ceviche.

Healing spices: herbs such as basil, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme, and spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, hot peppers, star anise and turmeric.

Avocado Oil is Awesome

Use Avocado oil to fry an egg.  You'll notice a subtle, rich taste to your egg. In my opinion it tastes better than the usual olive oil or butter.  Give it a try and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

One Glorious Year Living in the Coachella Valley

It's been one year since Scott and I moved into our new home in Palm Springs and we are just as delighted about it as the day we moved (from the rat race called LA!).  We also are so blessed to have our little companion, friend, bark-a-holic puppy named Cooper.  He brings us a lot of joy.  He seems to get cuter every day.

Cooper is now 16 months

 I continue to cook for private clients (I love my work-----actually, it's not work, it's my passion and it's really no effort cause I feel so lucky to be doing it and garnering an income from it).  Here's what I eat for lunch (spinach/avocado salad, any leftover veggies from the night before, a small portion of cooked chicken and EVOO & ACV drizzled on top.