Basil Cashew Mayo

I have this habit of leaving my gym bag pockets unzipped.  It's partly because I'm lazy, but it's also partly because I have never had anything fall out so I never had incentive to zip them up.  Well, that was until two weeks ago when I lost my eyeliner.  And since it was a bit pricey, I am sure you can imagine how excited I was when I found it in my yard a few days ago.  Even though it was a bit weathered and the brand name had been rubbed off, it still worked great.

However, this morning upon closer inspection of the weathered brand name, I discovered that this was not actually my eyeliner.  Lesson learned: zip your gym bag and don't use eyeliner you find in your yard. 

Another important lesson I learned this week is how to make amazingly creamy mayo -- without the eggs or added oils!  So let's get to work!

I've been craving a creamy spread for sandwiches this week so I went searching for healthier mayo options.  This mayo uses silken tofu and cashews for a creamy, oil-free and egg-free spread that will delight your tastebuds and amp up any cold sandwich.  Add basil or your favorite herbs for an extra boost of summer delight.

Recipe submitted to Wellness Weekend

Basil Cashew Mayo
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 block organic firm silken tofu
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Drain water from tofu and place tofu, cashews, mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt in a high-speed blender or food processor.  Blend at highest speed until light and creamy.  Add the basil and blend again.  Seal tightly and keep refrigerated. Stir before each use.

Simple Sun Tea

In our neighborhood we have seven different cats that roam around being adorable and causing trouble.  Lucky for me, my desk sits right next to our kitchen window where 24/7 I have a live show of sleeping cats and feline mischief happening in the neighbor's yard.  Today, that mischief involved a squirrel.

This crazy little squirrel kept jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and made his way to the roof where our neighbor throws old loaves of bread for the birds.  And as he sat, happily munching away, one of the neighboring cats, snuck up right behind him.  I had already seen a close-call chase go down this morning  and was horrified because the squirrel wasn't turning around to notice the feline behind him.

In a situation like this, you have a couple of options.  You can keep watching and hope for the best.  Or, you can look away if you expect the worst.  Well, unless, you are me, that is...  because if you are me, your solution would be to open your window and begin yelling for the squirrel to run. Yes, at 10 am on a Sunday, I opened my kitchen window and yelled at a squirrel like a crazy person.  (And, yes, this really happened.  Who would make this up?)

Sure enough, the cat quickly made its move and that badass squirrel made a break for it -- bread and all.  Impressive little guy.  I guess when it comes to wild animals, they really don't need anyone looking out for them.

Luckily the rest of my day was not as eventful.  I stuck some fresh herbs in a pitcher of water, let it sit out in the sunlight, and then stayed away from my window.  I think my neighbors appreciated it.

Sun tea is for days when you want to keep it simple.  Maybe your kitchen is too hot to boil a cup of tea or maybe you just feel too lazy.  That's okay.  All sun tea requires is some herbs and, of course, sun. After brewing, keep this in a pitcher in your fridge and enjoy over ice.  You can use any combination of herbs you like, but this is one of my favorites.  If you aren't able to drink all the tea, you can also freeze it in ice cube trays to add a nice flavor to plain water. 

Simple Sun Tea
Inspired by Simply Recipes

2 quarts of water
3 cups fresh peppermint leaves
1 cup lemon balm
1/2 cup chamomile flowers

Add herbs to pitcher of water and let sit in direct sunlight for 3 - 5 hours.  Refrigerate after brewing and consume within 2-3 days.

Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs

Hello dear partner, and love of my life.

I am sorry.  I am sorry that while you were out running errands I did nothing that I said that I would do.  I did not clean the kitchen.  I did not prepare your dinner.  I also forgot about the laundry.  My sincerest apologies.

Instead I accomplished many, many important, but totally non-important things, such as:

1. I updated our Netflix queue.  I put all of my most favorite romantic comedies (i.e. your least favorite movies ever) at the top.  They will be here on Friday.
2. I rated 46 movies on Netflix so that it would provide the best suggestions for us whenever we log in. Of course, since I rated them, I gave 5 stars to movies that I love, like Eat Pray Love, 13 Going on 30, Julie and Julia, and My Best Friend's Wedding.  I am sorry that Netflix will now recommend items like Sweet November and Something Borrowed, instead of movies that you like.  I am also sorry that I will most likely add these new recommendations to the top of the queue and delay your movies even longer.
3. I was really dehydrated from all of that Netflix work so I drank some water.  I found that I still felt a bit dehydrated so I made some fresh juice.  I left all of the pulp sitting out on the counter and now the kitchen is attracting fruit flies.  Whoops. 
4. I spent exactly 12 minutes petting a cat.  I know this because that is how much time was left on the timer that was supposed to remind me to grab the laundy from the dryer.  Instead, I turned off the timer and continued to pet the cat.
5. I went on Etsy and found an awesome merchant that sells adorable puppy blazers and fancy white collars for cats.  It looks like this cat is wearing a suit!  So cute.  I know that you hate the idea of dressing pets in clothes so I am hesitant to tell you that I ordered two for the cat's Christmas gifts. Don't hate me. 
6. I also read a bunch of articles about superfoods aiding in cancer prevention that were mentioned on Twitter.  Even though I am certain that you don't want to hear about this, I plan to tell you about all of it when you return home.  Get ready. 
7. I oiled the wooden cutting board.  It's pretty now.  So pretty that I would like you to refrain from using it.  It is now reserved for blog photos only.  Thanks.

But after all that, I made you this smoothie.  I filled it with nutritious and tasty things like ripe pears, fresh kale, and zesty parsley.  You're gonna like it.  Promise.

P.S. I love you. :)

I've been experimenting with different herbs in my smoothies recently and I really love the sweet pear and parsley combination in this one.  (If you are new to green smoothies, check out some of my other recipes: Green Smoothie 101, Green Smoothie 2.0, and Kale Smoothie for Kids.)  Nondairy milk or fresh juice can also be substituted for the water if you want to add a bit more flavor or sweetness.  This is my favorite breakfast smoothie at the moment and the addition of flax seeds, protein powder (I use Omega pumpkin seed protein powder), and avocado make it more filling as well as delicious.

Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups greens (I used kale)
1/4 cup herbs (parsley and cilantro both work great)

2 ripe pears, cored
1 frozen banana (remove the peel, cut into 1-inch slices, and freeze in a plastic bag overnight)
1 cup ice
1 Tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
Protein powder (optional)
1/4 avocado (optional)

Instructions:
Blend water, greens, and herbs for 15 seconds - 1 minute (depending on your blender) on high. Then add the pear, banana, ice, flax seeds (if using), protein powder (if using), and avocado (if using) and blend for an additional 30 seconds - 1 minute.