See you soon. Have a great summer!

You know what they say, “There ain’t no party like an Ooh-I-just-felt-him-kick-and-oh-by-the-way-where’d-you-get-that-nursing-bra party.” This Friday night come get crazy with us at the Pregnant New Yorker’s Alternative Health Expo. This Mardis Gras for soon-to-be mommies runs from 6-9  at Kinespirit (40 East 23^rd Street) and yes, we’ll be there with our delish mmmunchkin-in-the-oven muffins. Classes and discussions will include Introduction to Gyrokineses, Nutritional Tips by yours truly, Feng Shui for the Nursery and Breast Feeding 101.  There will be demos, classes, mini consultations and a lot of free stuff.  Can’t wait to see you there!

The last thing I want when it’s hot outside is a heavy, cooked meal. Here is a light recipe for avocado salad that I have to admit has become an obsession in our house. And the best part is it only takes 5 minutes to make. Really.

And yes, I know, some of you avoid avocados because of their fat content. But the truth is avocados have monosaturated fat (the good kind), which helps to lower cholesterol. They also provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins and folic acid and blah, blah, blah. Look, they taste delish and they’re good for you. Enough already. Try the salad.

1 medium avocado, diced

¾ cup corn(you can use frozen)

1 tomato diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

optional add ins:

red pepper/yellow peppers diced

red onions

Toss all together and enjoy plain, over salad, as a dip or a topping over your favorite dish.

I was perusing the pages of The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose (yes, again), when I came across a recipe for raw chocolate pudding.  I don’t know about you, but I love chocolate. Pudding, not so much. And when I saw the ingredients, reeeeally not so much – Avocado, dates, cocoa powder. Um, yeah. No thanks.

But, then I tasted it.

I am officially a pudding convert. Well, a good-for-you-pudding convert.  It sounds crazy, but it’s delish. (I turned my back for a sec and my husband ate the whole thing).  And it takes less than 5 minutes!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

(makes around 2 cups but honestly you’ll want to eat the whole thing)

Meat of 2 coconuts or ½ an avocado (I used an avocado)

6 dates

4 tablespoons pure cocoa powder

Blend in a food processor and enjoy!!!!

You have to feel good about your parenting after watching this.

I don’t mean to get all retro ‘90’s on you, but I am really digging Portobello mushrooms lately. To avoid showing my age, I sometimes refer them as crimini mushrooms (that’s what they’re called before they grow up into giant portobellos) or by the English translation of their name – Big hat mushrooms.

Anyhoo, Portobello mushrooms have lots of potassium, niacin and selenium, they are guilt-free eating, and most importantly they can be delish.

As I was perusing one of my favorite Raw Food Detox book (sexy, I know), I found this super easy recipe for Marinated Portobello Mushrooms that is so tasty it made its way into my rotation right away.

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Makes about 2 ½ cups

3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and chopped into cubes

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow them to marinate for as few as 2 hours or as long as 2 days.

Here’s my latest discovery – Two Moms In The Raw. Nope, it’s not a video you can get fired for looking at on your work computer. It’s the name of an amazing brand of gluten-free, organic, 100% raw crackers and granola bars made from millet, buckwheat, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds. And they’re delish.

What started out as a quest for wellness resulted in a product line dedicated to creating these convenient, nutritious, raw products for the whole family.  Thanks to Two Moms In The Raw, you and your kids can enjoy dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, organic and raw treats that are not only super good for you, they are addicting!

Try their granola bars in goji berry, raisin, cranberry or blueberry or have their sea crackers made with flaxseed and kombu in garden herb, pesto or tomato basil. You won’t regret it.

But the real story here is how I discovered just how delicious these products are. I tried them right in the aisle at Whole Foods.

As I contemplated purchasing these products, I must admit I hesitated slightly because they are a little pricey.  So I did what I normally do and ask around if anyone has ever tried them before I spend my hard earned cash on them.  No one had so the Whole Foods guys told me I could just open the bag and try them.  Imagine that!  Of course I shared them and everyone loved them.

Next up, I try the same tactic at the Hermés store.

I love onions.  It seems that I use them in almost everything that I cook.  Not only are they delicious these members of the Allium family are good for you.  They are chock-full of chromium, vitamin C and many different flavonoids, plus they make your breath smell like roses. Or am I confusing that last part with something else?

Anyway, that said, I would never be able to slice onions without my onion goggles. Certainly not known for their attractive design these kitchen must-haves certainly do the trick.  It used to be that when I sliced onions I would cry like I was my husband watching Rudy.  Now, I can cut event the most pungent of onions without so much as a sniffle.

Get your own pair here:

http://www.surlatable.com/product/id/218899.do?mr:trackingCode=2E4B67C6-06C7-DE11-974B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Strawberries are in season and, for those of you keeping track, they are by far my favorite fruit. Did you know there are over 600 varieties? When available, I go for the small wild ones, which are unbelievable!

A few quick tips:

Strawberries are delicious as is, but you can add them to most anything.  Try them in smoothies, pancakes, salads, oatmeal, dipped in chocolate, frozen into pops, you name it.  The possibilities are endless.

Strawberries are a great source of vitamins A and C. They also contain fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants and flavonoids.

Don’t wash your strawberries until you are ready to eat them because they spoil quickly.

Be sure to purchase your strawberries organic since they are a regular on the “dirty dozen list.”   (You can download a wallet size version of the list here.  http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php. )

Here is a super easy recipe for Stawberry and Rhubarb Popsicles:

Ingredients
8-10 medium strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 cup rhubarb,chopped
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons water

Method
Simmer the berries with rhubarb and water until very soft about 8-10 minutes.Puree in a blender or processor.Cool a little.Pour in the molds.Freeze for 6-8 hours.
To get the Popsicle out,dip or run under warm water,and slowly pull them out.

And finally, for my fellow strawberry fanatics, check out the next strawberry festival here:

http://www.troyohiostrawberryfestival.com/cwt/external/wcpages/strawberry-festival/index.aspx