Coconut Date Truffles: Trick or Treat

When I was younger, Halloween was definitely a favorite time of year.  A roly-poly child with chubby cheeks, a bowl cut, and a natural talent for charming a crowd, I was a popular trick-or-treater with the neighbors.  In fact, there was a frequent inclination for them to give me extra candy 'by mistake,' which, of course, made my siblings and friends jealous.  I would take my stash of candy, and to avoid my brother and sister stealing it, or perhaps even worse, my Mom taking it to ration it to me, I hid it in a drawer in my bedroom.   Candy and I were close, to say the least. 

[cue sound of door quietly closing and the sound of candy wrappers being torn open]

Gluten-Free & Vegan in the Philippines

How do I know that jet lag has subsided?  Not waking up and feeling confused at my surroundings.  The first few days back from the Philippines were definitely like that - disoriented and wondering if I was truly awake upon the random motorcycle revving of my alarm clock.  But now I feel 100% back in Texas.  Back to my daily routines and the things that are comfortable and familiar, like my bed, my car, the drive to and from work, teaching Pilates, grocery stores, and my favorite restaurants where they know me by name.  

But allow me to say that it was nice to be uncomfortable for that month on the other side of the world.

From Across the Ocean

It has been 4 days since I returned from the Philippines, and luckily I budgeted in a few days to recover before I returned to work.  Last year, I also arrived in the evening after over 24 hours of transit, and the very next morning at 8am I was back to the daily grind, convinced that I would somehow be able to will myself through the fatigue of the previous days' journey and the jet lag of a 13 hour time difference.  

"Oops" would sum that up.

Taste Life Through Food

I’m super jazzed that Jonathan asked me to stop by and say hi!

For me, the last decade has been all about an ever-deepening practice of letting food become love. To be really clear, I don’t mean “using” food as a substitute for love, or, say, only eating mint chocolate ice cream ‘cause you love it so much. Instead, I mean savoring every bite and letting each bite be a love-song.  This Zen Buddhist saying sums it up best:

“In this food I see clearly the presence of the entire universe supporting my existence.”