Happy Summer! We left Texas last year on Summer Solstice 2023. The heat index was 118F. I can’t believe we have been here for a year now! There is a heat dome over NY and New England now. It really feels like climate change is accelerating. Unfortunately, there are still people who deny that CO2 levels in the atmosphere have been rising and this is most likely due to human activities. I really hope that people will accept it and that there we be some kind of scientific breakthroughs and societal change to help mitigate the suffering that will continue coming. (I’ve been watching this since my ..read more

Put a little love in your heart with a Schisandra Rose Latte! Do you feel like being loving is your innate way of being or is it something you need to work on. From a Bhakti-yoga perspective, our true nature is to love. We have just forgotten and need reminders until we can fully embrace our relationship with our Divine Beloved. On the way, what are some things that can be supportive on the path. Having gratitude is for everything and helping others with no expectation of return is wonderful. A way to encourage our bodies to be more loving is to support with food. In the winter and colder mont ..read more

Here’s to all the special moments for 2022. I’ve included my favorite meals, podcasts, events and also challenges and changes. Goodbye Chef Veggie Personal Chef Services in Austin It’s been a great 14 year run! I started Chef Veggie in 2008 when my daughter was only 4 years old. I wanted a way to help families eat great vegetarian meals at home but still have the flexibility to take care of my own family. I’ve cooked for celebrities, athletes, cancer patients, raw foodists, people with food allergies or autoimmune disease, busy entrepreneurs, vegans and their non-vegan family, and people who j ..read more

Blythe History At the end of August, I visited Cincinnati for a historic doll convention called Blythecon. In 1972, Kenner Toys and inventor Allison Katzman, created the Blythe doll. At Blythecon, collectors were celebrating her 50th birthday in the city of her creation. Kenner made some of the most iconic toys of the 80’s like Strawberry Shortcake, Star Wars figures, Care Bears and more. Blythe’s defining features are a very large head that houses an eye mechanism that allows you to change her eye color by a pull of a string. You could get a blonde, brunette, redhead and a raven. She came in ..read more

My daughter and I recently returned from a trip to Sydney, Australia. The flights were long (14 hours from Los Angeles) and the trip was short (5 days) but we managed to have a fantastic time together. When I was researching for places to stay I wanted to be near some vegan restaurants so we wouldn’t have to travel far to eat. It turns out I found a vegan treasure in Newtown, a vibrant suburb just south of downtown Sydney that has a street/area with 15+ vegan restaurants and businesses! Seriously, we could walk out our AirBnB and have our pick! Newtown is filled with young people, used book st ..read more

Need to find vegan jjajang sauce? Looking for ube halaya with no milk? I’m here to help you navigate the best way to find vegan items at Asian stores here in Austin.This is part of Austin Food Blogger Alliance 2022 City Guide. #atxbesteats Here’s a list of stores that I visit when I need ingredients or equipment. All are a bit different and I will highlight the best things to get there. You ask, “Why do you need to go to these Asian stores so much?” Well, it’s part of my heritage. My mom is Filipina, I grew up in Japan and I’m part of a spiritual tradition from India. I feel at home at these ..read more

This is my vegan guide for the beginning of the year 2022, as part of the Austin Food Blogger’s Alliance AFBA City Guide 2022. #ATXBESTEATS It includes both completely vegan establishments and also places that have a fabulous vegan option I have enjoyed. With the growth of flexitarians and people trying to eat more sustainably, it’s great to see more restaurants carry a plant-based vegan option besides the now common Beyond Burger. I also want to take a moment to remember the various businesses that closed in the past 2 years due to this very long COVID pandemic that doesn’t seem quite over ..read more

Today was supposed to be a special launch related to my cookbook. After all, it is February 22, 2022. 02/22/2022 All those 2’s are supposed to be auspicious in New Age circles. After watching this funny crystal video by Conscious Trap a couple years ago, I couldn’t stop singing “two twenty two”! Conscious Trap – Crystals From Chinese philosophy, 2’s are great because good things come in pairs. As a child and even to this day, I play with numbers in my mind from clocks, license plates, phone numbers. I don’t think it’s healthy but I guess it depends on who you ask. It’s human to want to assig ..read more

I created 2 kinds of homemade marmalade in early January. Both were made with homegrown citrus – kalamansi and Meyer lemon. For the kalamansi marmalade, I used 25-30 fruit. For the Meyer lemon, I used about 5 large fruit. All you need is citrus, water, and granulated sugar. Prep and cutting of the citrus is what takes some time. So put on you favorite music and pull up a chair and make some slow food! The Basics of Homemade Marmalade 1) Gather some citrus fruit. Try to get it directly from a farmer market, CSA or a friend’s garden. Citrus in stores are often coated with wax or food-based shel ..read more

This is a continuation of my Winter Citrus Series. See my Winter Citrus introduction here! Winter Citrus Yuzu is a small, light orange bumpy fruit used for its zest and juice. In winter, people in Japan add fragrant peels to hot baths. Try it yourself in your next bath! Use a peeler to peel some strips, place in your hot bath and relax to enjoy the wonderful aroma. Save the rest of the fruit for juice. Yuzu juice is an important ingredient in ponzu sauce, another Japanese condiment made with soy sauce. It can replace the citrus component of salad dressings and marinades. It makes a great marm ..read more