Around here, Cinco de Mayo means giant feast with all my favorite Mexican-inspired flavors. May 5th is also my good friend and neighbor’s birthday (her nickname is Cinco because of this – send her some birthday love!), so we have double the reason for a serious taco celebration! This year, I’ve pulled together for you a party of my favorite tried-and-true mostly raw, completely vegan taco …

These days, I’ve been trying to take life a little bit slower. To enjoy the pause between moments, to slow down to reconnect.  In fact, this is a theme I’ve been consciously exploring this year. When I was first starting my business and even before that, back to when I was working my first real salaried job out of college, I had this intense drive to work as hard as …

I’ve become totally hooked on rock climbing.  For me, climbing is yoga.  It has this beautiful way of pulling me 100% into the present moment. It thrusts me out of my head and into the movement, my breath, and my surroundings.  And isn’t that union with stillness the true practice of yoga? In an unexpected way, climbing has deepened my connection with my personal yoga practice on and off the …

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You may have recently caught me dancing in my kitchen to capture the perfect lighting for a video shoot. And now, I’m excited to finally unveil what I’ve been dancing for!  Drumroll….I’ve teamed up with Choate House again to bring to you a new quarterly video series: The Vidya Seasonal Kitchen.  Each season, I’ll share a peek …

Today is the last day of summer.  I think we’re all lamenting how quickly it came and went this year.  While it was over 100 degrees just the other day, the leaves are already turning yellow and falling off the trees one by one.  It rained last night, bringing in a cool crisp breeze that is worthy of a big comfy sweater and an extra cup of tea …

Somewhere in between traveling to Tulum for pure escapism and a trip to Alaska for a wedding and a workshop…summer happened.  My mind is still in May, yet the calendar says it’s…what! Mid-August?!

Perhaps it’s because I’m finally out of school and still adjusting to the different meaning summer has taken on now.  But I feel like I missed out on those long lazy days lying …

With this hot summer sun, I’ve been craving a cold soup for weeks now, but haven’t felt inspired to test out any new recipes.  Then I came across this recipe on Sarah Britton’s blog, My New Roots, for a chilled parsley and green pea soup.  Her recipe was a cooked variation served cold. It looks incredible, but without onions or broth around, I opted to test …

An ode to a HOT summer….

PALETAS.
Ice cold,
dripping down fingers and chins,
thirst-quenching and leaving you with grins.
Mexico-inspired.
Yes, this heat has me dreaming of soft sandy beaches
and cold ocean swims.
Here’s my ode to 100-degree days and warm balmy nights.

Summer.

HIBISCUS HONEY LIME + BLACKBERRY PALETAS

5 hibiscus tea bags
64oz hot water
4-5 tbsp raw honey
2 limes, juiced
12 blackberries, sliced

Bring 64oz of water to a boil.  Place hibiscus …

My first introduction to real tabbouleh was through my Lebanese friends in DC.  My college roommates and closest friends were from Beirut, so we’d spend a few evenings throughout the year eating incredible home cooked Lebanese food with their families.  I was straight up spoiled. They had a big influence on my culinary tastes, and you’ll find my kitchen always stocked with za’atar, sumac, and plenty of fresh …