The simple wine that takes us all back to a very specific time in our youth. Just remember the line. "I remember when 30 was old." The recipe is as simple as it gets, no additives, just basic, natural ingredients, and let science do the rest (please see note about Campden tablets and other additives … Continue reading Simple 1 Gallon Strawberry Wine
Without having some sort of wine making mentor, I have had to rely on the use of books and some rough internet recipes to convert a 5 gallon recipe down to my 1 gallon recipe. Prickly Pear wine is so region-specific and unique, you just do not come across this recipe very often. So I … Continue reading Arizona Prickly Pear Wine
Don't get me wrong, I do the green smoothie thing most of the week. Yet I'll be the first to admit, as an avid breakfast smoothie maker, it's tough to stick to a strict veggie/fruit smoothie breakfast routine without getting bored. It's crucial to mix it up! I find that peanut butter or chocolate is … Continue reading Chocolate Coffee Banana Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie
I don't know about you, but my holiday shopping doesn't usually begin until December. Maybe it's because I grew up in the desert, where I have to put myself into the holiday spirit by sipping pumpkin spice frozen drinks and playing constant Christmas music throughout December to remember that it is December, because it is … Continue reading Unique holiday gifts inspired by change
I was Couchsurfing at a house in northern Germany when I met the first person I had ever heard say, "Ich stehe nicht auf Plastik." The phrase means, "I do not agree with," or, "I am not keen on" plastic. It was the most bizarre comment to me at the time. This was 2011. The … Continue reading Not so keen on plastic in my food
The mighty Prickly Pear holds within it a powerhouse of benefits. It is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, low-calorie and contains antioxidant compounds. My desert tortoise uses the juicy cactus pads as a main source of nutrients, the local birds have figured out how to drill into the fruits and extract the sweet, almost … Continue reading Harnessing the power of the Prickly Pear
I remember my grandma would always try to make sure I had healthy food when I went to her house. I'll never forget one specific occasion she said, "Oh Kaysha, look at those chubby little fingers!" I can't remember how old I was, but my ice cream and over-eating habits began to catch up with … Continue reading It’s okay to eat chocolate sometimes
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates First, we need to talk about Ginger. Let's talk first about how ginger is proving 10,000 times stronger than chemo in some cancer research and how it can attach to and fight cancer stem cells. If that's not enough to make you want to include … Continue reading Ginger Pear Blueberry Super Smoothie
There she was: a goat in a stanchion with a full udder, ready to be milked for the first time. Behind me was the culmination of about two years of dreams and planning to get to this moment. Of course after the initial excitement of baby goats wears off, you have a couple of weeks to wait … Continue reading To the rhythm of the squeeze and stream
Because of the desert southwest's recent onslaught of abnormally hot weather, I've found myself searching for non-traditional methods to keep the animals cool. It was 116 degrees at my desert home on Tuesday. We're far from the city's concrete metropolis and surrounded by cactus, bushes and dirt, but little shade. Luckily our temperatures didn't hit … Continue reading Watermelon goat’s milk pupsicles
Poesie Sans, Souci 