Today is my birthday and I’m officially into my 30’s. 31, to be exact. For years now, I’ve had this funny tradition of baking my own birthday cake, which some people laugh at but most end up loving when they get to eat the leftovers of my recipe testing efforts. This year, I made a carrot cake. This super-moist double-layer carrot cake is spiced with cardamom and covered in a homemade …

I never thought I would say this, but I really missed cozy cold weather and the feel of the holidays. This year, my boyfriend and I are celebrating with my family. We’re all foodies with similar tastes and preferences, and can appreciate a good meal together – something I know is rare when it comes to those two words: family and holidays.

Over the years, I can’t tell you how many …

It’s 18 degrees here in Oklahoma City and I’m sitting with a cat on my lap and a cup of this tahini hot chocolate at my desk. I’m back in my home where many of the recipes on this blog were created, photographed and shared through the years. It feels good to be back in a familiar place, with a kitchen just as I had left it, and two happy …

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, and I wanted to make something special for my mom while we share this holiday together for the first time in a while. We’re both Ayurvedic practitioners and foodies, so we’re often sharing kitchen stories, new product finds or Ayurveda articles with one another. A few years ago, I discovered Lotus Blooming Herbs and fell in love with their Chyawanprash. Their formula is …

It’s officially spring, which on Kauai actually feels more like summer. It’s more like 2-ish seasons here on the island – hot and rainy, or cool and rainy! In between big downpours of jungle rain, the sun comes out in full blast and it feels like a Louisiana swamp when the trade winds are gone. This didn’t leave much time for my body to transition out of winter practices, and …

These days, I’ve been finding myself spending more time focusing my creative energy behind the computer than in the kitchen. Creating a book has me thinking, talking, writing, studying, testing and photographing food in its many forms and purposes daily. Yet, I must confess, when it comes to actually feeding myself I’ve become admittedly lazy. A quick daal. A pot of kitchari. A steamed sweet potato and broccoli. …

Cue up the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and start stringing cranberries and popcorn for the tree! It finally feels like Christmas here. My mom came to visit this year and we’ve hung two little ornaments on a tiny palm in the living room as a makeshift tree. Mele Kalikimaka. It’s a bit of a Hawaiian Charlie Brown tree situation, but we’re content with its charm. So instead of …

I turn 30 today – on the new moon of December 7th. The same new moon I was born on. Call it auspicious or significant, whatever planetary alignment it is, it’s brought a tangible feeling of freshness and excitement into greeting this new decade ahead of me.

I’d be lying if I said this transition was welcomed with ease. In fact, I spent much of 29 fretting about turning 30. I …

Happy Thanksgiving and holiday feasting season! I was on the mainland this fall and got to enjoy a few weeks of cozy sweater weather and cooked meals with my favorite autumn ingredients. I baked a lot. Tested new recipes, including this warm farro salad, and caught up on a few books and shows (I’m all about the Durrell’s in Corfu right now). After two years skipping winter for island weather, I forgot …