This week's DELIGHT: Quinoa Pizza Ball

As you know, I am a huge fan of quinoa and I've prepared  dozens of recipes with it.
I usually make it as a salad changing the ingredients depending on what I have in the fridge (tomatoes, dried cranberries, grated carrot, chopped almonds, corn etc.) and sometimes we have it warm (like rice) cooked with vegetable stock.
I thought it was about time to try something different and after doing some research on amazing food websites, I found what I was looking for: Quinoa Pizza Ball.

It's simple, healthy (it's baked!) and it really tastes like pizza!
You can have the filling you want. I tested it 3 versions: mozzarella, cream cheese and plain (mozzarella is the winner!). The only problem is that you have to eat it right away. Otherwise, it will lose its crispness.
A healthy and delicious appetizer! Check out this and other recipes here.

This week's DELIGHT: Homemade Granola

Tomorrow is Monday, also internationally known as "starting-a-diet day", so I will end the weekend with a healthy recipe: homemade granola!

I was interested in making a homemade recipe for quite some time because I wanted to have a little more control over the ingredients. When we bought granola at the grocery stores, usually the best ones (in taste)  are always packed with sugar and, those healthy ones have some grains I'm not too fond of.
Anyway, hubby who only eats one type of granola, from one certain brand, from one certain grocery store, loved it!
And the cool thing is that you can change the ingredients whenever you want and have a different version each and every time (of course I didn't have all the ingredients at home, so I made my own!)
Check here this and other recipes.

Have a nice week you all!

Cheers! (no alcohol this time!)

To fight the heat it's doing here, nothing better than a fresh juice. So a good tip is to stop at the Beverly Hills Juice. A tiny shop, very simple with delicious juices!

It's been quite some time that Los Angeles is all about pressed juices (fruits processed by hydraulic pressure which, they say, have a higher nutritional content and does not oxidize as fast as the other methods).
These juices have become a must in the healthy/zen world, specially for those people who go on liquid diets, or want to detoxify, energize, etc.
The juice is very tasty. I bought this apple ginger coconut and I really liked! The juice is not too sweet and you get that "burning feeling" from the ginger (you have to really like ginger!)

For those familiar with the variety of juices and fruits in Brazil and its cheap prices, this is more expensive (I paid $ 6 a bottle), but it is worth if you want something different to keep you hydrated and refreshed especially during summer time.

This Week's DELIGHT: Salmon Tartare

I love raw or smoked salmon, but I confess that the fish was not part of our meals as much as it should be. But now that I learned to make Salmon Tartare, I'm sure it will be more present in our house!

Salmon Tartare is a super simple, light and refreshing dish, made with raw fish (you can use tuna too). Easy to make, it's a great option for an appetizer. But in my case, it was a hot Sunday, so I made it as my main dish, with spinach, feta cheese and dried cranberries salad.

Check here to get this super healthy and very tasty recipe!

Griffith Park, Los Angeles

This weekend, hubby and I felt very "Angeleno": we went hiking at the Griffith Park.

Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, and in there is located the Observatory, Hollywood Sign, Greek Theater, courts, places for picnics, hiking and many other activities.
It took us more than 3 years to do this, but since we're not an adventurous couple, it was not a priority. But the day was beautiful, the city was calm and quiet due to the holiday today, and the weather was great.
The trails are easy, not too radical (except the height!) and can be done by everyone: children, elderly, dogs etc. But since they have no signs, and there are several of them, at the very beginning we has to ask a hiker who was leaving one of them, if that trail could take us close to the Observatory (and he said yes). So off we went!

Less than 50 minutes later we were on the very top! Higher than the Observatory. From there you can see entire Los Angeles, from all sides. We stayed there for a while admiring the view and then we went down taking a different trail.

Two hours nicely spent (the time will depend on the trails you choose), breathing fresh air, sunbathing (don't forget sunblocks!) and walking. A very pleasant way to exercise and admire beautiful views!

Herb Gardens

I love the idea of ​​having my own fresh herbs, available in my yard or by my window. Until some years ago, if you wanted to grow your own herbs, you would need a house with a big yard or live in the countryside. However, nowadays there are nice herb gardens that you can keep indoors and with artificial light!
It's not difficult to find houses with these herb gardens by the windows in LA and, oddly enough, they look beautiful and kind of easy to use. If you are up to do this, and if you buy the right products (seeds, soil etc), I think it can work!
For those who might like this adventure, here are some cool options:

Officeoriginair

Bacsac's

AeroGarden

Sagaform

PS: I won't be able to post the next days, but I'll be back next week with more tips and news! A great week to all!

This week's DELIGHT: Salads

I don't know you but, even during cold seasons I eat lots of salad (after all, I need to compensate for all the sweet I make and eat!). So I decided to share with you some easy, simple and tasty suggestions.
PS: there is no recipe. I make them by heart and change them up depending on what I have available in my fridge that day!

Baby spinach, tomato and dried cranberry

Cherry tomato and avocado

Cannellini beans, tuna and balsamic drizzle (I use this)

Red quinoa, corn and raisins (I had nothing in the fridge that day but I generally make this salad with tomato, and chopped cheese and turkey breast)

Baby arugula, cherry tomato, shredded carrot and cannellini beans.

These are my "basic"salads, but I have many others that I will post in the future. I use balsamic vinegar or lemon; love mixing sweet and savory by using dried fruit (raisins, cranberry, fig, apricot), and I also use lots of beans (chickpea, cannellini, corn), and tomato and avocado almost every time!
Don't forget the crunchy broccoli salad (I made again this week. So good!).

Sweet Moments: berries and banana smoothie

Whether starting your day, in the afternoon, or before/after exercise, a homemade smoothie with berries (blackberry, strawberry, blueberry) and bananas - or any other fruit of your choice - is a great choice and super healthy!

Tip: whenever my fruits are over ripe and I know I will not eat them but I don't want to throw away, I freeze them, so I can prepare juices, smoothies or even cakes with them. I do it with berries, pineapple, banana, peach ...

October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A brief pause in happy posts to talk more serious: here in the U.S., October is also remembered as breast cancer awareness month.
During this month the campaign is even stronger and many events take place to raise donations for the National Foundation for Cancer Research and many other Foundations.
In Brazil, we have a campaign called No Alvo da Moda (Fashion's Target), made ​​by a big clothing company called Hering. Here, is the Pink Ribbon, and coolest thing is that several companies participate in creating products - in pink - with the income donated to the program (Avon, KitchenAid, Estee Lauder, Opi, Conair, Philosophy, Lacoste, Wilson, Sephora, Everlast, Donna Karan, Aveda  are some examples) .
The Foundation has an online store with a huge catalog of things for home, clothes, accessories etc.. Department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdales, besides products, they do special activities, for example: I received an email from Bloomingdales saying that if I "Like" the store on Facebook, they would donate $1 for the campaign. Great, right?
These are great iniciatives that should be copied and spread throughout the world, because everything is worth to win this fight!
Below you will find some TV commercials from American Cancer Society, entitled "Birthdays". They air them every year, and you can ask my hubby: I get emotional every time I see them! (I'm sure you'll be too!)
On the website you can find other artists and can help the Society by sending a song to someone else...

My wishes for a world with less cancer and more birthdays!

Chipotle Mexican Grill - Part 2

For those who liked the post I made on Chipotle, here's a beautiful video produced by them showing their concern for the way animals are treated. And due to that, the way the company chose to work.

The soundtrack is Back to the Start sung by country music legend Willie Nelson.

Chipotle rocks!

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle is a Mexican fast food chain that you can build your own burrito, taco or bowls.

With several stores in Los Angeles, they are different from other fast food chains simply because they are healthy! How come? Even though it is still fast food, the food is fresh, bought locally, and most of them are organics (40% of the beans used by them are organics). And everything is prepared in location. Nothing is pre-made!

The company is also concerned about the way animals are treated, so they only work with family farmers who raise the animals naturally, grain/grass fed, and no hormones nor additives.

The stores are packed, the service is fast and they are always trying different things (the website is very interesting and, through it, you can also place your orders). I've tried the burrito and I can say that you can notice the delicious taste of home cooking food!

As they say: "It's not just a burrito. It's a foiled-wrapped, hand-crafted, local farm supporting food culture changing cylinder of deliciousness".

Market Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

This post is very special to me because it is the first time I'm writing a tip from a reader!
Fabio M. (aê!) has a tip from a pretty yummy restaurant in Rio de Janeiro (yes, readers, this time the restaurant is near you!) called Market Ipanema.
Hidden behind a small door in the Visconde de Pirajá is this charming restaurant, multicolored, that since 2008 offers healthy Brazilian food in a relaxed and enjoyable venue.
You notice the attention to details: warm bread, music and high-quality ingredients - many of them organic. The restaurant also offers juices, drinks and desserts (according to Fabio the banana cobler is a must!).

A small door that opens up to a world of flavors!

Photos: Fábio M.

Home hair removal

Every now and then everybody talks about Brazilian waxing. Since I am Brazilian and I have years of expertise, I have a great tip for removing hairs at home: Remington EP6025 Epilator.

Many years ago I had a waxing device called Epilady (what a pain, my God!) and I confess I was not in the mood to buy another one like it. But shaving here in the U.S. is quite different from Brazil, so I decided to buy it. And what I have to say is that the technology has evolved, my dear! This device is much more convenient, wireless, with multi-tweezers (so several hairs are removed by the root at the same time) and it can be used in the bikini area. The suffering does not compare with the old one. The result is great and the skin is very soft! This and other models are easily found on sale at Amazon, supermarkets and drugstores.

Angel's feet...

Every woman owns at least one uncomfortable pair of shoes. It is very difficult to find a beautiful and comfortable high heels, or even a pair of flats (they do exist, and when we find them, we want to buy one of each color!). But to our joy, some companies have created great "gadgets" to help reducing pain caused by our beloved - and painful - shoes:
Foot Petals: great products for women such as invisible insoles to be worn with open shoes, inserts for the heels, and silicone strips for strappy sandals.
As for Dr. Scholls, it's a more complete line - for men and women - that goes from insoles to gels to prevent/help healthy issues such as perspiration, achy feet, back pain, knees pain etc..
Here they are widely used here in the US and, in most of the cases, they actually work! Since you don't have to spend too much money, it's worth to try.
Have you ever thought that with these inserts maybe that wonderful pair of pumps you put away could be the most comfortable shoes in your closet? Available on drugstores and supermarkets.

Yoga for all!

Last Sunday I had a really cool experience that I'm going to share here, because I think it may serve as a model for other companies, I had yoga class in the middle of a yoga/workout clothing store, on a Sunday morning, with a great teacher and for free! This is a iniciative of Lululemon that hires teachers from different gyms to teach for free. They do this every Sunday and anyone can join. And at the end of the class, berries and crackers were available also free. In addition to this yoga program, they also offer other free activities during the week. I loved it and I will definitely go back. When ideas and intentions are good, we have to be part of it!

The Beauty Detox Solution

Today is Monday, also known as cleaning/dieting day. So it is worth mentioning the "it" diet here in the U.S.: the Glowing Green Smoothie developed by celebrity nutritionist, personal chef and yoga instructor Kimberly Snyder. According to her, clients who's drunk the juice regularly started experiencing visible skin improvement in just few days.
This March she released a book called The Beauty Detox Solution on diet, health and beauty. For her, proper nutrition has the power to leave the skin brighter; hair and nails stronger; increase energy and get the body you desire. The recipe and other tips can be found on the nutritionist's website.

Food Inc Documentary

A few days ago I watched the documentary Food Inc. It draws attention to some important  issues about our food, such as the way animals are treated from slaughterhouses to the supermarkets; the concern about what these animals eat, how they sleep and the amount of hormones they have to take, and the relationship between buyers (fast food chains, supermarkets etc.) and slaughterhouses/farmers. I'm not going into details about the documentary, because I do think it is interesting to watch, but it is important to say that it's not a kind of brainwash to turn us into vegetarians. It only reports the striking facts and gives some suggestions which are very easily to use on a daily basis. If you are interested, below I list some of these suggestions (it's important to say tha it is a documentary made for and about the American market, but many things can be applied to any other country):
- Know the origin of your meat, eggs and dairy products (doing this you might have a better idea of how the animals are treated and the quality of the food)
- Go meatless once a week
- Choose meat from grass fed animals
- Buy organic food
- Buy free range and hormone free eggs
- Buy local
- Ask for healthier lunches at your kid's school
- Read the labels. You should know what you're buying
For more information about the documentary or what else you can do to improve the food you put on your table, visit the official website.