pine nut mouth & pesto

Last week I made this lovely pesto with a big handful of gorgeous fresh basil, a beautiful bunch of curly parsley, 2 cloves minced garlic, a few generous swishes of olive oil, some salt and pepper... and about a half cup of pine nuts (take note of this, it's what the rest of the story will be about). Blended it all very nicely in my sweet food processor, and served it a top some brown rice pasta, with a few halved cherry tomatoes and hot italian sausage. It was delightful. Absolutely wonderful... it is a perfect time to make pesto.

The issue came when I noticed about 3 days later that I had a strange bitter/metallic taste at the back of my mouth. When M came home from work I mentioned it to him... which to me meant that it was really something if I was bothering to remark. To my surprise, he had noticed the exact same thing... an odd bitter aftertaste that would happen every time he ate or drank anything. And, with all of my experiments in the kitchen... he was now convinced that I had poisoned him :). Soooo not the case here.

We also agreed that it was unlikely that we both developed diabetes on the same day with the exact same symptom... and thanks to google it was not to difficult to figure out what happened. We had contracted "Pine Nut Mouth". And, as it seems from our quick search that many others had too... especially from pine nuts from Asia. The ones I had "poisoned" us with came from Trader Joe's... so, I would not recommend those for your next pesto. If you want a medical opinion on the subject, click here.

As for my pine nut mouth... it is less and less as the days go by, working itself out of my system. Not too worried but it sure is weird. Hope you are well, xoxo tbone

so cool it's illegal

I am very happy to report that I will be the *featured health & wellness expert* at the upcoming Illegal Wedding Fair here in NYC on June 6th. Please join me in supporting our friends who are lucky enough to find that very special someone with whom they wish to spend the rest of their lives. It is going to be a really fun event with a lot of cool people. Get your tickets early, you don't want to miss this!

Come by and say hi. I am happy to share some tips to help you look great, feel great and be great. Plus, I'm hand-making raw chocolates for the occasion... that alone is reason to put on a party dress. hope you're well, and hope to see you on June 6th, big hug xoxo tbone

so crazy it just might work

I just found this wacky "recipe" for a tan from Vitaljuice, sounds like a fun project and tea smells way better than those bottled tan creams.

I love the idea of putting cocoa in my body lotion... need a fix for that sweet tooth? lick my arm :)

Let me know if you try it. hope you're well. big hug xxtbone

Your Best Tan Recipe

This technique is so easy, you won't be-leaf it.

Required time: About 30-40 minutes
Skill level: Goof-proof

Ingredients:
4 black tea bags
2 cups boiling water
Sponge or spray bottle

Optional:
Body lotion
Pure cocoa powder

Instructions:
When water has boiled, add the tea bags to steep. Leave in for 10-15 minutes, or until tea is dark and cool enough to touch.

In the meantime, take a shower to ensure your skin is oil- and sweat-free. Afterwards, make sure skin is completely dry.

Stand on something you don't mind getting dirty. If using a sponge, drench it in the tea and wipe all over your body. If using a spray bottle, fill it with tea and spray evenly. Let skin air-dry and apply another coat for a deeper shade.

Tea will stain clothes if wet, so make sure you're all dry before dressing. The "tan" should last 3-4 days.

Optional: For bonus color, mix cocoa powder into body lotion until you reach desired color and apply for an all-over bronzing boost.

adventure date

Happy Spring friends... the weather has been incredible here in NYC. And, I would love to share a fun idea with you. Book an adventure date with yourself. You can invite others along as well, but the most important person to show up is you.

I just recently had a really fun afternoon in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden... with my camera. No plans, no expectations, just fun. A great reason to get myself out, get a nice walk in, surround myself with nature, and gain inspiration.

I really find that when I change my situation I feel energized... and that can mean taking a new dance class, putting on an outfit that makes me feel good, shaking up my routine by walking a different route than usual, anything that awakens my physical senses. It is how I energize my resources so I feel more resourceful.

I would like to invite you to see what makes you feel energized. Shake things up. Take a walk with yourself, see something new... it doesn't mean you have to travel to Tahiti (although, sounds like a great idea!). Challenge yourself in a new way. Have fun. Play. Hope you are well. big hug xxtbone

here's a couple more pics for you... enjoy :)