Dancing in the Rain

Last night I danced in the rain. 

I sang with the wind.  I spread my hands high over my head and tried to touch the dark clouds weighing down the evening sky; and I called upon that storm to sweep away the cobwebs and dust from my mind, to let the fat rain drops fall upon my face, a soothing balm across the tender center between both eyes.

I let the distant rumble of thunder echo in my bones and the promise of lightning tickle my long wet hair.  I, I did this, making myself one with the rhythm of nature, allowing myself to understand the bigness of it, the fullness of this universe that goes beyond myself and within myself.  My bare feet rooted themselves in puddles as I twirled among the rain drops and clouds thick with cleansing desert magic. 

I was a spirit dancing among other spirits--trees, grass, mountains, and their guardians.  I was a raindrop covering the earth with my love.  I was the quiet in the storm, the stillness in the dance, the held breath between one clap of thunder and another.  I was the whisper of the earth's smile.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Mango Chile Lime Popsicles

As you know, I've been trying to beat the heat this week in a number of ways: avoiding the outdoors during the hottest midday hours, sipping cooling beverages, nixing cooking on the stove, sticking my undies in the freezer...you name it!  Okay, maybe not the last one...although I did see Marilyn Monroe do it in The Seven Year Itch to beat the sweltering heat of a New York City summer.  Fortunately for me, things are not quite so dire in the arid Southwest. 

I am, however, more than happy to indulge in these healthy mango chile lime popsicles to keep cool.  Like my pina colada popsicles, I use quality organic ingredients to whip up a tasty frozen treat that has way less sugars than your average store-bought popsicle--and those only natural at that.  All you need is your own popsicle molds to get started.  

These popsicles are a riff on the popular Mexican snack featuring mangoes sprinkled with chile, salt, and lime.  I remember eating mango chile suckers as a child too; there is something perfect about that blend of sweet fruit dusted with spicy chile powder that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  (And yes, I write 'chile' with an 'e' and not an 'i' because I'm a New Mexican and that's how we spell it...but that's another story for another time!)

I've added an extra twist to this union by using Korean chile paste instead of chile powder.  The result is a sweet, smokey kick at the back of your throat--but be careful, because the heat of this chile sneaks up on you.  I put a little too much chile in my first batch, thinking it would be more sweet than hot.  Wow were we surprised at the spiciness!  With a little tinkering, I finally found the right balance of heat and sweet.  That said, if you like it hot, make it hotter...just go a little at time and sample frequently until you find your right balance.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3/4 cup water

1 tsp Korean chile paste

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds and let sit in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.  I usually make them a day ahead and let them set overnight.  Let the treats sit on the counter for five to ten minutes and then remove them from the mold.  Eat immediately, with gusto!  Makes about 6 with a little left over for a mango smoothie, tequila optional.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Pina Colada Popsicles

So it's hot out.  Like, really hot.  As in 100 degrees hot!  Normally I love the desert summer, but I've found myself beginning to wilt in this heat.  Forget cooking anything that involves the oven or even the stove for that matter.  And you won't catch me baking under the midday sun.  Most of my time is now spent finding ways to stay cool in the midst of this heat wave.  Luckily, I have a perfect antidote to Albuquerque when it sizzles: these pina colada popsicles.  Yum!

They are reminiscent of carefree days on the beach, sipping that rum-soaked pineapple and coconut concoction finished off with a little umbrella...only better because I use only healthy ingredients in this recipe.  I swap out super sugary coconut cream with coconut milk and coconut water and use frozen pineapple for that pop of fruity goodness. What's more, these are super easy to make!  All you need is a popsicle mold which you can find here or at your local cooking store (and sometimes even at your supermarket). 

As with my other recipes, I use only organic ingredients for maximum healthy benefits and best-tasting results.  Make sure to use canned coconut; the taste is richer than the carton variety--and don't be alarmed if the coconut cream is solid at the top of the can.  It mixes easily with the liquid part on the bottom once you stir it up. It would also be a good idea to whip up a double batch of these popsicles because when the temperature goes up, they go fast! 

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup coconut water

 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapples

1 ripe banana

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds and let sit in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.  I usually make them a day ahead and let them set overnight.  Let the treats sit on the counter for five to ten minutes and then remove them from the mold.  Eat immediately, with gusto!  Makes about 6 with a little left over for a pina colada smoothie, rum optional.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Confessions of a Flower Eater

You would grow a garden in your belly if you could so that your insides are blossoms, fat with pollen and thick seeds, strong roots, and liquid sunshine.  It seems terrible to confess that you know you could be like those flowers if you ate enough of them.  But it is true--they would infuse their spirit into your skin and, in return, you would give them a home.  Just a tablespoon a day is all it would take, you think, as you gaze out at your flower garden, that alchemical blend of growing things and medicinal petals. 

So you collect your marigolds and nasturtiums, your puffs of dandelion and your fat tulip bulbs, your sharp lavender and blowsy rose petals, and you begin the task of making your meal. You could grind them up with your mortar and pestle until each bloom dissolves into a thick paste, a murky drink not unlike your compost to rest in your stomach.  But where is the fun in that?  How can you delight in the feel of seeds down your throat or a soft petal kissing your tongue?

So you mix up your flowers--seeds, petals, stems, roots--into an otherworldly salad.  The tulip bulb is your base, thick and earthy, to welcome your eternal spring and chase away the darkness.  Then you stir in yellow marigold and passionate hope, and add peppery nasturtiums, streaked with orange and red, to make you feel brave; next is dandelion (puffs, roots, leaves picked from a crack in your garden path) to echo your tulip base of infinite possibility.  And a few rose petals to dust the top, a delicate perfume to soften the aspirations of the other flowers--it is enough to enjoy the beauty of this moment.  Your salad isn't complete until you sprinkle blue lavender buds across your feast, adding the final touch of tranquil healing.

You devour this salad, one bite at a time, crunching down on meatiness of the tulips, the melt-in-your-mouth silkiness of the rose, until there is nothing left on your plate but a marigold blossom, somehow still intact.  You pick this flower up with your fingers and bring it to your mouth.  You feel the feathery petals across your tongue, the way it falls apart under the pressure of your teeth, the weight of sunshine in your belly when you swallow it.  This is your garden, each piece of your summer harvest preserved inside you so that you are now part flower, part hope.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Fried Sage Chips

One of my go-to appetizers come the weekend are these delicious and easy to make sage chips.  They combine my love of fresh herbs with all the tastiness of a kale chip but are dainty enough to nibble on as you enjoy an evening cocktail. I even hesitate to use the word "fried" in my blog title because these chips aren't greasy or heavy, just light and crisp.

There is nothing like the woodsy taste of the sage paired with the pop of sea salt on the tongue to prepare your palate for your evening meal.  It's the taste of this dish and taking the time to enjoy a pre-dinner drink that matters, rather than filling up on a heartier snack--it's like the Italian version of an appetizer in that way, making you slow down and enjoy the simple pleasure of a luxurious dinner.   Like my roasted garlic scapes, these sage chips only require good olive oil and sea salt to make them tasty--you can always add a pop of brightness to them with my 3 Citrus Himalayan Salt.

Ingredients:

1 bunch organic sage leaves

Olive oil

Sea salt

In a saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Use only enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 tablespoons.  Once oil is hot, place sage leaves in pan and let fry until they begin to get crispy and golden, but not burned (about one minute).  Make sure not to pile too many leaves into the oil at once, otherwise they will get mushy.  You may have to fry them in batches.  Promptly remove from heat and set on paper towel to drain.  While the leaves are still hot, sprinkle them with sea salt.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

5 Tips for a Magical Staycation

This year I decided to forgo distant travels and enjoy my hometown for vacation.  There is something sort of romantic about seeing your city through the rose colored glasses of a visitor--no day-to-day worries, just pure unadulterated fun!  I'll admit that one of the draws of a staycation is the idea of sleeping in my own bed and never having to worry about whether or not I packed the right wardrobe (picture me freezing in my summer dress in still wintery Rome!).  You have all the fun of traveling with none of the hassle. 

A staycation is a great way to indulge in the simple pleasures you can't always enjoy when you travel--like sleeping in or spending an afternoon dallying on the porch.  When you travel, you want to maximize your time enjoying the magic of the destination you find yourself in--getting the most out of museums, restaurants, nature walks...and so forth.  Of course, the excitement of being in a new place and saturating your senses with new experiences is awesome, but sometimes what you really need out of a vacation is a little R&R.  A staycation allows you to truly rest and enjoy the comfort of your own home. 

I also love that it encourages you to see your city in a new light--and hopefully take some of that carefree magic into your everyday life.  After my staycation, I felt more motivated to enjoy the events and places of my town on a weekly basis.  So if you want to try a staycation this year--or just add a little more fun to your summer, check out my tips for a magical staycation below.

1.  No schedules! While it's true you'll want to make sure you catch that museum show or work in that trip to the mountains, you want to avoid penciling in all your free time.  In fact, you should start each day with no real plans, only a handful of suggestions of what you might do.  I learned this from one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies, Roman Holiday, in which the heroine insists on no schedules while she takes a day out of her princess-ing duties to simply enjoy herself--just one of the few travel tips I've learned from Miss Hepburn. 

2.  Sleep in.  Have a lazy breakfast.  Linger over your cup of coffee.  This will help you avoid the temptation to over-schedule yourself.  It's also pretty delicious to sleep in on a weekday when you know the rest of the world is at work. 

3.  Indulge.  You know if you were on vacation, you'd be having that glass of wine with lunch or that afternoon gelato...so why not do it while you're staycationing?  Have your ice cream cone.  Savor that decadent lunch.  Splurge on that dress.  Go out to your favorite restaurant dressed to the nines.  Take a long nap under a shady tree.   

4.  Make time for the things you love--but don't always have the energy for.  I personally love looking at art, going to festivals, and yes, dancing (as you well know).  That said, I don't always feel like doing any of these things after a busy work week (the allure of wearing pajamas all day is just too much to resist).  During my staycation, I went to a local wine festival, several dance events, and even a film screening (after a martini at my favorite bar). 

5.  Be a tourist in your own city--minus the fanny pack and frumpy tennis shoes.  I know this might sound super obvious, but it's important to point out that a staycation is a time to see the important stuff in your city that you wouldn't otherwise check out, like that historical monument or gorgeous nature reserve--or the host of seasonal activities and events that you say you will go to each year but never do. 

What do you enjoy most about staycationing?

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Roasted Garlic Scapes

Imagine my delight to find garlic scapes at the farmers' market this weekend!  Here I had thought that the season for these tender shoots had come and gone without me being able to feast on these perfect greens (I comforted myself with an unexpected batch of fiddlehead ferns).  For those of you that don't know, scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant that are harvested before they flower so the plant sends its energy into developing the garlic bulb.  Picked early in the season, they have a mild garlic taste with hints of earthy asparagus.  Yum!

Typically, I indulge in this magical season by feasting on roasted garlic scapes.  I like to roast them for a long time so that they are one part meltingly tender and another part garlic crisps.  The great thing about scapes is that they don't need much to make a tasty appetizer.  In fact, I only ever use olive oil and quality salt.  If I feel like getting fancy, I sprinkle some of my 3 Citrus Himalayan Salt over the curled greens. 

You'll notice that I didn't specify quantities here.  I roast as little as a handful to a whole basketful depending on how many people I'm serving, so the recipe is pretty versatile.  Just remember that the more scapes you use, the longer you want to roast them--especially if you want them slightly crispy.

Raw scapes ready for roasting.

Ingredients:

Garlic Scapes

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Place washed scapes on one side of a large sheet of foil and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.  Fold other half of foil over the scapes and pinch the open sides closed so that you create a little pouch for the scapes to cook in.  Place on a baking sheet and let roast in over for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remember, the longer you cook them, the crispier they get, so cook they according to your own preference.  Let cool for five minutes before plating.  Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

My Summer Fun List

Summer is *finally* here (goodbye windy stormy May)!  While I appreciated last month's rain, I found myself longing for sunshine and flip flops and polka dot dresses.  It was hard to feel like it was officially that carefree time for teachers when I spent most of my time indoors away from the wind, hail, and thunder. 

Now that the skies have cleared and the temperatures are up, it finally feels like sweet, sweet summertime!  Oddly enough, this stormy May made me appreciate all the things I love about summer--and in all honesty, sometimes neglect to enjoy when I slip into my daily routine. When fall rolls around, I wistfully look back at the time I could have spent picnicking, stargazing, or generally goofing around instead of getting locked into a set schedule (that dreadful little thing!). 

This year I have decided not to let that happen and this summer fun list is going to help me make sure I indulge in all the simple pleasures of the season.  After all, summer, at its best, reminds us of the power of play.

So here is my list, in no particular order, and that will no doubt continue to grow:

1. Enjoy more summer cookouts.  One of best things about summer is cooking outside and lingering over a refreshing drink and good conversation.  Oh, and eating smores.

2. Visit the Farmers market.  A lot.  To feast on all those delicious local fruits and veggies!

3. Go to a baseball game.  Summer isn't summer without at least one ball game.

4. Walk barefoot.  Who needs shoes when the temperature is up?

5. Have more picnics.  I absolutely love throwing down a blanket in the grass to enjoy a simple feast, a good book, and a sunny day.

6. Dance.  Dance.  Dance.  Salsa dancing in my case.  Summer is the perfect time to do all the things you don't always get to do when you're in the daily grind of your regular routine--like going out dancing without having to worry about being up early the next day.

7. Go swimming.  There's something about diving into a pool and splashing around that makes me feel like a kid again. 

8.  Stargaze.  New Mexico is such a perfect place to look at the stars--which, I admit, I don't do enough of--but when I do, I feel like I could drink up those stars forever.

9.  Sunbathe.  Right up there with stargazing, I love (safe) sun-soaking.  It feels great to shed the extra layers of clothes in favor of a bathing suit and a pair of sunglasses.

10. Drink frilly cocktails.  On the porch.  Sprawled on the grass.  In some shaded garden nook.  Poolside--wherever I can!  With the bounty of the season, it's fun to mix up fruit and herb concoctions to quench your thirst. Hello, gin fizz...

11.  Wear fun summer dresses.  So I love flouncy dresses.  Like, LOVE.  Especially if there are polka dots involved.  This playful season allows me to get even more cheeky with my wardrobe.

12.  Stay up late reading.  Okay, I've been pretty good with this one already.  It is such an indulgence to get lost in a good book, especially when you know you aren't ruled by the morning alarm clock.

13.  Garden. Who doesn't love fresh tomatoes from her own garden?

14.  Pickle everything! This is like preserving summer in a jar--and no lunch sandwich is complete without fresh pickles.

15.  Watch the sunrise.  Taking time in the morning to appreciate the cooler temps and watch the city slowly wake up is the ultimate luxury.

16.  Watch the sun set.  With a glass of wine in hand.  Too often I can come home with a to-do list (yoga, clean, eat) and lose track of those moments of stillness that allow me to savor the beauty of nature.

17.  Forget schedules.  Lose track of time.  Often.

18. Visit museums.  One of my favorite things to do, when I lived in Seattle was to visit museums, particularly one summer when the city experiences a record-breaking heat wave...and I had no air-conditioning in my apartment.  Yuck!  So instead of drowning in my own sweat (great for hot yoga, but not so much for getting through the day), I would go to a lovely air conditioned museum, look at art, and simply be.  It occurred me that I don't do that enough in Albuquerque, so now's the time to fix that.  

19.  Mid-week afternoon movie watching.  Who doesn't love an air conditioned almost empty theater?

20.  Daydream...

...the list could go on and on, but I figure if I can even tackle half of these and enjoy a popsicle or two, I've had a nice full summer.

What's on your summer fun list?

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

To the Everlasting Yes!

It is not the question that matters, only the answer.

The Why is full of too many uncertainties, a tangle of threads knotted into a heavy ball of your potential histories (what was, what is, what will be, and--strangest of all--what might bes, those thin strands of chance that vanish and reform with every step in a new direction).  It cannot be fathomed nor untangled; to try to separate one cord from the rest is to further knot yourself up.

And that is the reason it is not the Everlasting Why that matters, only the answer: Yes! 

Let go of holding those threads so tightly and let them find their way around one another until they are not a snarl of string but a rich tapestry of the adventures you take on.

Yes, it is the Yes.

There is the thread that gives you life. You don't even need to understand, only feel it in the dreams carved into your bones.  To taste it in the first strawberries from your garden or the spinach leaves with the tang of minerals from your lettuce patch.  To see it in the way the robin gathers dry grass for its nest or in the industry of bees sucking down pollen from your fat hollyhocks; in the way it rains when only sunshine is promised, feeding the earth and allowing your seeds to drink up the evening's sweetness.   

This is your Yes, that heady tingle of something just beyond your sight that permeates your worldly experience, filling it with light and the warming caress of an afternoon breeze.  Here in the stillness is your answer.  It clears away the dust and doubt, the painfully literal that, like a bookmark, attempts to pin down your story to one set page when it is an ever-evolving tapestry threading each day with new experiences. 

It is tempting even to call this Yes transitory (more of that dust and doubt), but it is ever constant in the way it fills you up with breath and possibility--why not make your Yes the stuff of your everyday?  Why not fill your heart with it until there is room for more Yes and more Yes and more Yes.

It is not about the Why, only the Everlasting Yes.  The Yes.  The Yes.  The Yes.

You must only feel the Yes.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!