Summer Drink Series: Spiked Basil Lemonade

Hello Darlings!

When I think of summer drinks lemonade is always on the top of the list, which is why I kicked off my Summer Drink Series with a recipe for Spiked Lavender Lemonade. However, the possibilities for flavored lemonade are endless. So when I saw that my basil plant looked like it was about to explode with leaves and flowers I knew I had to put some of those leaves to good use! I used the same concept of infusing the simple syrup with an aromatic as I used in my lavender lemonade and the result was just as delicious. Another great thing about a flavored lemonade is that it tastes just as delicious with or without alcohol added!

Low-Key and Lazy: Alphabet Weekend Warriors

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I have teamed up with a lovely group of ladies for Kallie from But First, Coffee’s linkup of super fun ideas to do with fun summer weekends, the Alphabet Weekend Warriors. A while back I was assigned the letter L and had developed a whole day of fun in Denver that revolved around the letter (which is why this post is so L-heavy!).

Meatless Monday: Nopalitos Breakfast Tacos

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Carrying on my desert theme from this weekend's Summer Drink Series Margarita post, I thought it would be fun to create a recipe with cactus! Normally I tend to enjoy the cactus fruit ( prickly pear gelato is to die for!) but I thought it would be fun to try a bit of the succulent side of the plant. Nopalitos, the prepared paddles of the prickly pear plant, are easy to work with and give an interesting, vaguely sweet flavor to your typical morning tacos.

Summer Drink Series: Agave Sweetened Margarita

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In honor of my girls’ weekend trip to Vegas, I thought I would share a rather traditional desert drink: the margarita! I know there are about a bazzilion different recipes floating around with all kinds of incredible additives (I may have very unsuccessfully been on the hunt for off-season prickly pear juice) but I do believe my favorite margarita is an incredibly well made ‘rita on the rocks with plenty of salt! Simple and fresh the Agave Sweetened Margarita is a margarita purist’s dream.

Basic Holistic First Aid Kit

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With the first day of school for many people right around the corner, I thought I would put together a basic holistic first aid kit for those health hiccups that are bound to happen during the school year. However, this list isn’t just for dorm life! I very rarely use ‘modern’ medicine when it comes to being sick, and I feel that it is better for your body than the chemical-ridden pills that are in most prescriptions. On top of that, lots of these taste good, smell good, and are all-natural while being easy to find!

Meatless Monday: Blueberry-Lavender Jam Filled Ebelskivers

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While I absolutely love breakfast, I’m rarely creative when it comes to making my own on a daily basis. With the ingredient for this week’s Meatless Monday from A-Z challenge being jelly, I thought that it was the perfect time to stray from my go-to breakfasts! (If you’re wondering my standard breakfasts are half a cantaloupe filled with cottage cheese and cinnamon, and cage-free scrambled eggs cooked with coconut oil and peppers!) I happened to spot an ebelskiver pan at a thrift store here in Denver for six dollars- you seriously can’t beat that price- and I knew that I had to do ebelskivers this week, even if I did cheat a little bit and use jam instead of jelly!

Summer Cocktail Series: Pomegranate-Blueberry Spritzer

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When the summer heat is feeling rather oppressive I tend to reach for something fruity and ice cold to cut the heat (and satisfy my sweet tooth). Add a few bubbles and a bit of vodka and you’ve got a great cocktail. The Pomegranate-Blueberry Spritzer is the adult version of a refreshing sparkling juice, perfect for a weekend BBQ! It super simple to concoct and can be made from ingredients already taking up space in your refrigerator; doesn’t get any better than that! (Psst. Check out all my other cocktail recipes here)

Holistic Remedies for Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

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For the past few months I have been working out with a personal trainer, getting a bit of help acclimating to the Mile High City. About three weeks ago I sprained my elbow (roller skating, because I am a cool kid like that) and had to lay off the weights for a while. Now that I am back in the gym doing more than just my cardio workouts I am feeling it. So I thought I would share some of the things I use to combat my post-workout soreness.

Meatless Monday: Fig, Pear, and Brie Pizza on Cauliflower Crust

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I had been dying to try a cauliflower crust pizza; the thought of a dough-less pizza crust really intrigued me. So when I came across some gorgeous looking figs in the health foods store that begged to be paired with some delicious cheese I thought I would pick up a head of cauliflower and just run with it. I used the Vintage Mixer’s recipe for the actual cauliflower crust, but whipped up my own garlic sauce and topping combo.

Summer Drink Series: Downward Facing Dog

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In light of my exciting announcement yesterday, I thought it might be fun for the cocktail this week to be yoga themed! The Salty Dog is a well-known gin drink so I put a little spin on it to transform it into the Downward Facing Dog! When I think yoga, I think healthy living and the Indian lifestyle from which yoga originated. I added a bit of coconut water for a healthy bit of hydration and swapped the regular salt rim for a dusting of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt!

Starting A New Chapter : Aspiring Yogi

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From the first day I stepped onto a mat I knew I was meant to be a yoga instructor. It was one of those gut feelings that is simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating, so intense that you want to push it under the rug and ignore it. I did just that for a while, I pursued a desk job that sounded wonderful on paper but in actuality was a bit suffocating (although I did like the outfits). 

This One-Legged King Pigeon pose looks a bit silly as I'm cheesing into the camera!

The Color Run 5k Recap

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You might remember that ‘participate in a fun run 5k’ was on my Summer To-Do List. This past weekend I was able to check that off as finished! I had the opportunity to run in The Color Run, a crazy 5k full of corn-starch-based color that got EVERYWHERE!

Casey, my running buddy, and I before and after! We were rocking white BAMR Bands- so fun to see them change to rainbow!

Meatless Monday: Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Honey-Cashew Goat Cheese

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I may have actually done a little happy dance when I saw squash blossoms at the farmer’s market. (I choose to believe that this is why the sweetheart behind the veggies gave me an extra bunch for free, but I digress.) Flowers to me are a perfect dessert food; I love sugared violets and honeysuckle anything is just delicious. So while I love the more savory stuffed squash blossoms with tart goat cheese and herbs fried in oil, I wanted to try my hand at sweetening the typical goat cheese and forgoing the frying. What I wound up with were fun little mouthfuls of flowers stuffed with sweet cream. Delectable.

Summer Drink Series: Colorado Summer Sangria

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I'm in the ‘fruit plus alcohol equals awesome’ camp. Also, when I was living in Barcelona, I discovered that it was really difficult to go wrong when making sangria; fruit, sugar, and wine are just an unstoppable delicious force. So, when I saw fresh Colorado-grown peaches (with leaves and fuzz intact!) and cherries I knew I wanted to make sangria. Add the fact that I had a bottle of Colorado-distilled vodka from my Sex on the Rockies cocktail, and a bottle of wine from Boulder, I knew I wanted to make a Colorado-grown drink (super exciting for a locovore!).