Eat - Yellow Watermelon

Have you ever seen a yellow watermelon before!?!! I haven't! I didn't even know they existed, but as soon as I saw one I just had to try it. I love watermelon, it is one of my favorite fruits to eat or drink especially in the summer. Trader Joe's is still having supplier issues for their watermelon juice and I'm bummed about it! My mom's number one craving when she was pregnant with me was watermelon. When I told the manager at Trader Joe's in Redondo Beach this fun fact, he promised that he would relay it to corporate and get to the bottom of the supplier issues as soon as possible. In the meantime, yellow watermelon will suffice.

Yellow watermelon reminds me of honey. It is sweeter than its red fleshed cousin and a good source of  beta carotene. Red watermelon is high in lycopene which is usually forgotten because is not categorized into the night shade family like tomatoes, the most famous of the lycopene fruits. Those of you who are picky about the texture of tomatoes or don't like carrots, go for the watermelon instead!

Shop - Chilli Beans

h&m dress, vintage vest, free people bag, sunglasses by chilli beans, necklace by emma turnage

I went to the Chilli Beans store at the Century City mall and it immediately became my new favorite shop. They have unique designer sunglasses at three different price points ranging from about $30 - $60.  New styles arrive every week and when I saw this one the owners told me that it was the best buy in the store, the best design within the 'green' or $30 price range. Chilli Beans is a Brazilian company and these glasses would run upwards of $400 in Rio. Someday they might get there here in the U.S. so snag a pair for yourself while they still fit your budget!

The lens color is customizable.

Some of these glasses are designed with a 'top hat' on them and were seen in the designer's runway show this season.

Recipe - Guest Blogger on Navigating Vita

Navigating Vita is one of my inspiration blogs and recently was ranked #14 out of 25 in the circle of moms blogs. As a guest blogger this week, I sent her one of my favorite go to vegetarian recipes that kids and adults love.

For this recipe, feel free to use any version of the ingredients that you have on hand! It can be easily thrown together from your pantry. I have provided my suggested variations in the ingredient list below. It serves about 5 hungry vegetarians and meat eaters alike. There are usually some leftovers that can be gobbled up the next day, hot or cold! Kids love the flavor and they don’t even realize that it is packed with super healthy immune boosting ingredients.

Ingredients:

5-7 green onions

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic or 3 garlic cloves

2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola Oil

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I like Contadina. For chunkier curry you can use diced or whole peeled tomatoes)

1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes (If you use a 28 ounce can of diced or whole tomatoes, use a 14 ounce can of tomato sauce here)

1 package of prepared lentils from the refrigerated section in Trader Joe’s (You can start with the dry lentils as well, about 3 cups. Prepare them according to package directions. They usually need to soak for a few hours or overnight)

1 head of cauliflower or 1 prepared package from Trader Joe’s

Sea Salt

Black Pepper (Black pepper aids digestion!)

2 cups of Jasmine Rice (White, brown or your personal favorite)

For spicier curry:

Add 1 can of Diced Tomatoes for Fire Roasted Tomatoes from Trader Joe’s

Directions:

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Once hot, add the sliced green onions. I like to trim them over the pan using scissors for less clean up. Use the white, light green and dark green parts.

Let the onions simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the curry powder, garlic and salt and pepper.

Stir and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the spices and the onions become integrated.

Add the can of crushed tomatoes, lentils, and the cauliflower. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the rice that you have chosen according to package directions.

Add the can of diced tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes more until the cauliflower begins to soften and you can break it up into smaller pieces with your spoon.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over rice and serve!

Yoga - Trikonasana Triangle Pose

trikonasana - triangle pose

In this variation of triangle pose I am pushing my shin into my hand so I don't hyper-extend the knee. I made sure that the heel of my front foot was in line with my ankle on my back foot to execute heel to ankle alignment. Doing this pose against a wall can really help because you can push your back hip into the wall to make sure that the hips are aligned properly. Then I let my head hang in its own weight.

Yoga - Manduka Product Test

Manduka is an El Segundo based yoga equipment & accessory company that focuses on eco-friendly production. This particular mat is all-natural, biodegradable and does not contain any toxic glues, dyes or plasticizers.

eko lite natural yoga mat in santorini 

Manduka eKO yoga mats are made from natural tree rubber. For best performance, they suggest you wipe the surface with a damp cloth and store it out of direct sunlight. I would definitely recommend wiping the mat down as well as airing it out before you use it, especially the first time. I unwrapped my mat and unrolled it in yoga class today and everyone near me could smell it! One person had a bit of an allergic reaction. As it aired out, the scent seemed to lessen and the yogis got over it.

yoga instructor Natasha Morales wearing o.p.i. mellow yellow polish

You can practice on either side of this mat. Both have a super amount of grip to help you stick your down dog.. The top has the Manduka signature seagrass texture. The bottom side gripped so much that when I put my forehead down on it, I could hear the sound when I lifted my head back up! I was impressed with the cushion that the thin mat provided. It felt as good on my body as my previous mat which is their regular eKO mat . The eKO mat weighs 7 pounds and the eKO LITE weighs 3.5 pounds, so it was much easier to carry up the hills during my walk to class. The eKO LITE mat is about 11 inches shorter than the regular eKO mat, but I was still fine with the length and didn't really notice a difference although I am 5'9". I have put my eKO mat to rest and the eKO Lite is my latest choice for summer, I love it!

Shop - What to Wear in a Yoga Music Video with Bahamas

When Hollywood comes to your yoga studio it can seem a bit surreal. Then again, it's just another day in L.A! Linda Baffa taught a yoga class for a music video for the latest album from Bahamas called Bar Chords. Everyone in class including myself was filmed in real time. How does one prepare to select the perfect outfit for this occasion? Well, knowing that the rumor 'the camera adds 10 pounds' is true, Linda and I decided to go with a monochromatic color scheme which is both on trend and figure flattering. This can work with black of course, but it works with colors as well.

yoga instructor linda baffa is wearing lululemon wunder under crops in heathered charcoal, one me, lululemon wunder unders, lululemon rehearsal tank in paris pink and coal, virus intl. bioceramic bracelet, pura vida bracelet, mala beads by chelsea welch

The artist Bahamas is on the Brushfire Records label along with greats like Jack 

Johnson, Zee Ahvi and ALO

Afie Jurvanen of Bahamas

Recipe - American Flag Terrine

american flag terrine - fourth of july tradition courtesy of lauren dunfee

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup white grape juice
1 cup champagne (Or sparkling white grape juice)
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups berries (Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, golden raspberries, or grapes)

In a small bowl, pour gelatin over 1/4 cup grape juice and let sit 2-3 mins

Heat 1/4 cup of white grape juice and sugar over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Add the rest of the grape juice and all of the champagne.

In the bottom of a loaf pan, arrange the blueberries, raspberries and golden raspberries (Or grapes) in the shape of a flag (With the blueberries on the top right as you will be turning it out to serve). Dump the rest of the berries on top.

Gently pour the gelatin mixture over the berries. Do not overfill.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

To serve, dip the bottom of pan in hot water for 5 seconds and turn it out onto a serving platter.