Things I Loved In July

Rice Cakes:

This month I haven't been able to get enough rice cakes! They are so delicious, and I love how they only have ONE ingredient: rice! I've been getting the Full Circle Organic Rice Cakes (unsalted) and have been either just eating them plain, crumbling them up to put onto of things, or smashing a banana ontop. They are such a good base for just about anything; jam, fruit, hummus, or nut butter.

Asian Food:

At the beginning of the month my mom and I took a trip to the Grand Asian Market in Cary and I fell in love! I had never really enjoyed Asian cuisine, but once I had the "proper" ingredients I've really enjoyed incorporating Asian foods into my diet. I've been making sushi (without the fish) every so often, and also made a really delicious miso soup. The Grand Asian Market also had a really good selection of teas, so I've really been enjoying those as well (especially chamomile green tea).

 

 

Frozen Grapes:

I've been loving cold treats all this month, to stay cool, and frozen green grapes have been my favorite! All I do is rinse the grapes off and de-stem them and then put them in a jar and stick them in the freezer overnight. They are the perfect sweet, cold treat to suck on and enjoy throughout the day!



French Pressed Coffee:

I don't know why it's taken me so long to realize how amazing a french press is, but this month I came to that realization. French pressed coffee is so much better than drip coffee, it is so much richer and creamier. Also, it doesn't take up as much room/energy as a bulky coffee maker does.




Master Chef:

I've always enjoyed watching Master Chef, it's so entertaining and I love trying to create recipes in my mind from the ingredients the contestants are given in the show. It's definitely been one of my favorite TV shows this summer.









"The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick":

This was the book that I read this month, and I found it so interesting as well as useful. It's an easy read and is fascinating to read about other people's regimens of how they stay healthy. Definitely a book to check out!

Refreshing Mint Lemonade

It's summer time, which means it is hot hot hot! I have a beautiful mint plant that is in full swing and I wanted to make a drink using the mint, so I made this delicious and refreshing lemonade. This is the perfect drink for a summer day, and lemon and mint are two great detoxifiers! So not only are you getting something to sip on, but you're also helping your body out.

For three servings, all you'll need is...

Two lemons
Three to four springs of fresh mint
Three to four fresh stevia leaves (or your preferred sweetener, but I definitely recommend organic Stevia either in the liquid or powdered form)





First . . . squeeze your two lemons.

 Then . . . wash your mint leaves and set them on a plate.

Using a fork . . . "mash" the leaves to release their flavor.

Place them in the bottom of the container you're going to be using.

Do the same with the stevia leaves . . .

Add in the lemon juice . . .

Add water to the rest of the container (about a liter) and shake it up to combine everything . . .

Lastly, the most important step . . . set it in the refrigerator overnight to enhance the flavors.

Now you have a nice refreshing drink to enjoy!

How To: Cut a Pineapple

With summer quickly approaching, this means more fruit! One of my favorite summer fruits is pineapple. They are so sweet and juicy, and they are also great frozen and blended in smoothies, or even grilled and thrown into salads. Pineapples look pretty intimidating, and many people have no idea how to cut into it, so I wanted to show you guys just how easy it is!



First...

you want your pineapple to be RIPE, to pick a ripe pineapple: pull a leaf from the middle of the fruit, and the easier the leaf comes out, the more ripe it is. You also don't want your pineapple to have a lot of green....so the more yellow, the better! Also, you should be able to smell the pineapple before you cut into it.

These three signs all guarantee your pineapple is ready to get cut open and be eaten! If your pineapple still needs some ripening, leave it out on the counter until it's ripe. Once it's ripe, you can stick it in the fridge until you're ready to cut it.

 

It's time to cut open your lovely pineapple! Start by breaking off the leaves/hair of the pineapple. Just simply twist it right off..

 

Now, you want to cut off both ends so you have two flat surfaces to keep the pineapple from rolling around, or toppling over..

Time to get rid of the skin! Stand it up on one end and go around each side, cutting off the outer layer. Try to leave as much of the actual pineapple, and only cut off the skin..

 Now, your pineapple should look like this..



Once you have the skin off, there is usually some spots of skin still remaining, so to get rid of this just use a knife to cut out the little spots. Again, try to leave as much of the pineapple while doing this..

Now, it's time to cut out the core. Pineapples have a hard core in the center, much like an apple or pear, so to cut this out I like to stand it up, cut around it, and then just pull it out. The core is a lighter yellow, so it's pretty easy to see it.

Lastly, chop up your pineapple into pieces, you can make them big or small depending on your preference. 

YUMMMMMMM.......

Pro Tip: Set a plastic bag beside your cutting
board, this way you can just put all your trash into this
and avoid taking "trips" to the trashcan.
Also, it makes the cleanup a little easier.