Carrots, figs and lavenders.

On Wednesdays I always go to The Farmer's market. I looovelovelove this. The flavors, the colors, and everything is just so vibrant and ripe! It is absolutely fingerlicking awesome.

A few of my stables to get at Farmer's Markets are: raw cheddar, raw heavy cream, raw cultured butter, fresh figs, macadamias, dates, raisins, walnuts, blackberry preserves, tomatoes, carrots, sunflower sprouts, sugar snap peas, fresh eggs and lavenders.

I like lavenders. And sometimes sunflowers. It's like bringing the sun into your home.

I love that.

And of course I just had to make double dipped chocolate strawberries for tonight - so yummylicious!

Santa Monica Farmer's Market.

Like sunshine in your bedroom - so pretty!

Lavenders - I'll use them to make lavender infused sweet cream parfait with - simply raw heavy cream whipped til peaks form and then mixed with melted sugar-lavender brought to a boil over the stove and add in a couple fluffy yolks for good measure - in the freezer it goes, and 3 hours later pure decadence on your spoon!

It's BERRY season - love em with raw cream poured over in the morning!

And I used the strawberries to make double dipped chocolate goodness with!

The figs are for stuffing with buffalo mozzarella and wrapping in prosciutto,
a sprinkle of thyme, black pepper, flaked salt and a honey drizzle
- and then in the oven for 20 minutes! So good you better believe it!

Vibrant carrots for carrot-apple-ginger juice in the morning! Yum!

Love just eating thick chunks of raw cheddar with israeli cucumbers just like that!

Drink Your Shrink: Calming Lemon Balm Ice Tea

I love sipping this during the hot days of summer!
Lemon has an alkalizing effect on you body and thereby works anti-inflammatory together with the raw honey. Do remember that honey is one of those foods that absolutely must be taken raw (check the label, it should say raw on it). Excessive heating - as in pasteurization - changes its properties as it ferments; disabling your body from digesting it and turning into a sticky glue-like toxic substance in your body. This is also why pasteurized honey is a no-go in Ayurvedic medicine.

Lemon balm is one of those herbs that have been used since ancient times to calm an overexcited nervous system. Lemon balm has been found to reduce cortisol levels and also levels of an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter GABA -- an inhibitory neurotransmitter known for its calming effects on the nervous system, particularly an area called the hippocampus.
To notice a significant calming effect and boosting GABA measurably, you need dosage levels of 50- 200 mg/kg body weight daily for three weeks.

The results of lemon balm's actions in reducing cortisol and preserving GABA promote cell growth and development in the hippocampus, which is part of the limbic system and contributes to the control of emotions such as anxiety.

A great and healthy alternative to Xanax which is one of the fastest growing prescription drug addictions in the United States, by the way. Xanax is a benzo used to treat anxiety and panic disorders; the side effects are vast and range from irregular heart-beat to depression. Even though Xanax may be used in short-term scenarios, keep in mind that it does not boost your brain-GABA levels which is the real key to overcoming anxiety for good!

You are anxious because your body's stress filter is off - so you need to restore it rather than simply suppress the symptoms temporarily!

If this doesn't do it for you, know that anxiety can also be a symptom of other brain chemicals being out of whack - i.e. excessive high dopamine, low serotonin and/or a combination. That's why it's important to understand your unique biochemistry type, so you match your diet, supplements and lifestyle with your genetic profile - whether it be for preventative or treatment related purposes!

An online biochemistry testing incl. lab analysis and a health provider service will be launching at The Nutrition Doctor's site Www.ChristinaSantini.com end of August, so stay tuned!

Makes 8 servings.

What's in it?

• Big bunch of fresh lemon balm stalks with leaves
  
• 1/2 cup of raw honey
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 8 cups water

What to do?

• Stuff as much rinsed lemon balm into a slow cooker as will fit and cover with 8 cups of water - let simmer for about 3 hrs on low heat.
• Drain the resulting liquid into a pitcher
• While it's still warm, add raw honey and lemon juice. 
• Add more water to taste
• Chill before serving

Reference:

Dae Yoo, Jung Choi, Woosuk Kim, et al. Effects of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) Extract on Neurogenesis Associated with Serum Corticosterone and GABA in the Mouse Dentate Gyrus. Neurochemical Research (13 November 2010), 

pp. 1-8, doi:10.1007/s11064-010-0312-2

I can't believe it's NUT butter!

I love breakfast. I love waking up knowing there is something delicious in store right around the corner! And that usually means that there has to be something rich and creamy about it.

That said, I want breakfast to give me a steady energy and feel-good feeling throughout the day, so starting off with bacon covered waffles floating in syrup and hash-browns does not entice me.

Finding that perfect combination of indulgence that nourishes my body, mind and soul is a fine line.

Enter MARZIPAN spread with tiger-stripes! MHMMM!!! Lick it baby!

I made this up as I was longing for genuine Lubeck marzipan that you can only get in Northern Europe. It is usually something we eat dipped in dark chocolate and infused with lemon zest during Christmas, but why wait if you love something so? I am a fond believer of including desserts and decadence as part of your meals; that way you never feel deprived, and you can include it as part of you daily healthy eating habits - it is not about cheating, but all about treating yourself!

Sprouted Ezekiel toast spread with homemade marzipan 

and sliced banana (sans stripes)

Tigress Marzipan spread

So, what's in it?

• 1/2 c. blanched almonds
• 1/2 c. raw buckwheat honey

So, what to do?

Blend til a fine paste in a food processor.

That's it!

Now simply spread on whole-wheat toast and serve with sliced banana and/or drizzle with melted dark chocolate (my fav being Guanaja from the French chocolate brand Valhrona. Lindt 70% works fine for this as well).

Take a bite. So. Unbelievably. Good.

And it only has good stuff in it!

I like to eat my tigress toast with a soft-boiled egg and a mug of black coffee. The perfect combination of sweet, savory and strong-black-bitter. Gotta love breakfast.

Strawberries 'n cream. Lick it baby! The best thing since whipped cream...

is CASHEW CREAM!

Wait a minute while I lick my bowl clean - yes, it really is THAT good!

One of my favorite ways to start the day with is a strong chai and strawberries marinated in Italian aged balsamic vinegar with orange shavings and topped with cashew cream... sometimes if I'm lacking energy I will add a generous sprinkle of raw cocoa nibs! TO-DIE-FOR!

For the Balsamic marinated strawberries:

So, what's in it?

• 4 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 of an organic orange peel (shavings)
• 1 tbsp. raw Manuka honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz. sun-ripened organic strawberries (remember berries are one of those things you absolutely must buy organic as they are one of the most pesticide sprayed foods around! Pesticides act like neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors - they accumulate in your fatty tissue. Anything that messes havoc on your brain chemistry and hormones is FATTENING! One of the most efficient ways to detoxify from heavy-metals and pesticides is by supplementing with zinc, selenium, iodide, vitamin C and N-Acetyl-Cysteine).

So, what to do?

Slice strawberries

Shave the orange peel

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and cover firmly; place in fridge

Let the strawberries marinate for min. 6 hours (I usually do this in the PM, so they're ready when I wake up)

Cashew cream + marinated berries...

fingerlicking pleasure in a bowl!

For the cashew cream:

So, what's in it? 

• 1/2 c. cashews
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 medjol dates
• Sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt

So, what to do?

Blend for 30 seconds. That's it!

You can make it thicker/thinner by varying the amount of water you add - the above amount results in a pretty thick yogurt like texture - see picture to the right.

Sometimes I like it more liquidy; I will typically use a 1:2 nuts to water ratio.

A day in Marrakech.

Never have I been a place with so many contrasts in one space.
Marrakech is like a melting pot.
A fingerlicking delicious blend of colors, flavors, smells, people, smiles, hustlers, players, magicians and elegant French expats sipping their cafe noir and inhaling their velvety smooth mousse...
Marrakech is exactly like Aladdin. It makes you want to wrap yourself in pink silk, live on fresh-squeezed orange juice and mint tea so sweet it melts your heart.

Morocco is where magic was born...

From the eardeafening silence of the Sahara to the souk maze of Marrakech to the sleepy fisherman villages of Essaouira and the St. Tropez like resort of Ouilidia by the coast.

Yes, it is a muslim country and it's one of the safest places I've probably ever traveled through as a sole caucasian blonde. Dress appropriately and you're totally fine
- they do not judge you for not covering your hair, just keep it in a knot or some updo of sorts.
Marrakech is filled with French expats living the sweet life outside the old medina if that makes you feel more comfortable to travel to this part of the world.  But really, you want to stay in the old medina where the charm is and the people are awesome.

Indian silk lounge pants from a guy I work with in Marrakech on designs.

Available via my Health Shop site Www.ChristinaSantini.com

Stay at one of the so-called riads - they are butique hotels
- small mansions made into guest accomodations.
It feels like you are transported straight into Aladdin. Simply amazing.
And the woman in charge of each riad cooks made-to-order meals for you daily.
Place you dinner order with her in the morning,
and she goes to get fresh produce at the local market
and slow-simmers your food for the evening.
Talk about awesomeness.

Lava beaches, Olive oil and Spicy mojo of Santiago, La Gomera

Excerpt from Gypsy tales™

Color: Pink
_________

Location: Playa Santiago, La Gomera
___________

Food: Joanina restaurant, Spanish - Gomerian, Rating 7/10

Watercress soup

Boiled tuna in evo and vinegar with onion, tomato and black olives.

Canarian potatoes with mojo verde and rojo

Still water
Americano

Super fresh no-frills food and everything down to the mojos made from scratch.
Both mojo verde and rojo wrapped around your tongue like silk and had that slightly salty-sweet earthy roasted flavor to it.
Canarian potatoes - perfect crunchy, saltbaked exterior and soft center.
The evo vinaigrette was surprisingly deliscious on the otherwise slightly dry boiled tuna; also deliscious were the added raw onion and tomato that gave it a nice crunch and added some zing to the sweet evo heavy vinaigrette.
Perfect Americano with espresso crema finished the meal.
View could not have been better - ocean, mountain and harbour view all in one.
Only slight downside: the watercress soup although delicate and smooth a bit too blah; some crispy bacon would have perfected it. That or braised ox-tailes. If strict vegetarian I would have added some roasted garlic and black pepper alternatively.

_______________

Style: 

Men's white translucent shirt, Express ($25)

Granny pants used as hot pants, lingerie department Forever 21 ($6)

Gold flip flops, Old Navy ($5)

Pink ipod nano, Amazon.com
_______________________
On the ipod: Moves like Jagger, Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera

Who Can Resist Cinnamon Baked Apples...

Apples growing wild, Sweden

I adore the fall...  picking crisp apples from the trees to use in pies and apple butters; watching the crinkly leaves dance on the ground. I find there is something almost magical about this change in season. The blood-orange and deep red hues that clash with the wet, black soil. The wind blowing through to your core, so you feel that something is changing. Something is on its way. Something new and unpredictable. There is something in the air. The heaviness and humid weight of the summer disolves into fresh rain and stormy black skies. And there seems to be this space in time where you can decide which path to follow. As if you reach a crossroad that go with the season. And sometimes you choose to go where no trail is, and you make your own. Wondering where you end up.

And then the sweet smell of fresh baked cinnamon apples pulls you back to reality. And you know that you'll be fine. Everything is going to be alright.

The Nutrition Doctor's Cinnamon Baked Apples

Ingredients
4 apples
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup rum or apple juice
4 tbsp. mixed raisins and walnuts

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.Create a small well in the center of apples by cutting out the stem and core and leaving the bottom intact. Transfer the apples to an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Fill each well with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tbsp. of the raisin-nut mix. Sprinkle cinnamon over apples. Pour rum or apple juice around the apples, cover with foil and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Let cool before serving.

I like to serve them topped with Greek yogurt (and you want the full fat version here - the non fat is way too tart - also remember that the healthy compound CLA is found only in animal and dairy fat).

"There never has been security. No man has ever known what he would meet around the next corner; if life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor."

Eleanor Roosevelt
1884-1962, First Lady of the United States and Civil Rights Activist

I can't believe it's NUT milk!

My favorite indulgence before bed is to savor a tall glass of milk. Cashew milk, that is.

Cashew milk. SO creamy. SO rich. So good for you!

Regular pasteurized cow's milk, containing the for humans difficult to digest lactose and casein, is an absolute health disaster. Pasteurized milk consumption has been tied to everything from allergies, asthma, eczema and mucus production. Pasteurized milk is simply one of the biggest contributors in our diet to inflammatory based diseases. Everything you know about cow's milk is probably part of the Dairy Industry myth. All cow's milk - regular and organic - has 59 active hormones and allergens. Most cow's milk has measurable quantities of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins (up to 200 times the safe level), up to 52 powerful antibiotics (perhaps 53 if you include LS-50), blood, feces, dead bacteria and pus. Cow's milk can have traces of anything the cow ate, including such things as radioactive fallout from nuke testing; the 50'ies strontium-90 problem.

Now how's that for enjoying dipping your home-baked cookies in - yummy in your tummy. Or not.

And that's why I make my own cashew milk - not only is it nutritious, but even more importantly: it is simply delicious!I crave rich, creamy and full-bodied flavors and cashew milk's got it!

So, what's in it?

• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp. cashew-butter OR 2 tbsp. cashews
• 1 medjol date
• 1 pinch of sea salt

Add a banana with your cashew milk before bed to calm down your CNS!

And I like to add a scrape of real vanilla pods as well. Sometimes I switch vanilla for 1/2 tsp. each cardamom and maca which gives it a deep fragrant, earthy flavor! You can get hold of maca here.

So, what to do?

Pour everything in a blender or vita-mix and hold tight for 30 seconds.

That's it!

Nutritious and delicious - once you go nuts, you never go back!

I Scream, You Scream... We All Scream For Ice Cream!

The Amaretto and the protein density 

in the Greek yogurt is the secret 

to the smooth silkiness that out-rivals 

any Italian gelato.

I love Haagen Dazs, but admittedly it is not something that I would ever eat for breakfast. In the heat of summer I do crave that rich, cool, creamy sensation that just seduces your taste-buds from the first lick more than anything. So, I figured I'd make my own makeover using a stable I always have in my fridge: Greek yogurt. This is actually something that you can savor for breakfast - high in protein, probiotics and clean of junk, it is truly a delicious and satisfying treat for all your senses.

And yes, so much so, that I lick my bowl clean when no one is looking.

So, what's in it?
(Makes approx. 4 servngs)

• 3 cups 2% Greek plain yogurt
• 1 cup raw buckwheat or wildflower honey, liquid 
• 2 tbsp. Amaretto

So, what to do?

Mix ingredients in food-processor and freeze according to instructions in an ice-cream machine (alternatively, you can freeze in an ice cube tray and then blend 6 cubes per serving, when you want to dish it, but you really do need an ice-cream machine to get that smooth seductive silkiness going.

I like to serve it with chopped figs and shaved, dark chocolate or banana slices and coconut flakes. Sometimes I'll drizzle some raw medical-grade Manuka honey over... Give in to temptation.

Go bananas for Jack Lalanne...

Before there was a Dr. Oz... and before Jillian Michaels started shouting her lungs out... and way before Jane Fonda did buttock twists... there was one man, and one man only....

You gotta love Jack Lalanne. In this clip Jack shows us how to prepare a dessert that will make us more glamourous. And I'm absolutely bananas about it!

Mashed banana coconut-raisin pudding.

The Glamourous Banana Recipe:
1 banana
1 tbsp. shredded coconut
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tsp. raw honey

Mash that banana
Sprinkle the raisins and coconut 
Drizzle the honey...
That's it - now you are one step closer to being glamourous!