DIY Papaya Exfoliating Facial

Papayas are magical.

They are one of the most nutrient-packed fruits you can eat and also make a phenomenal natural face mask.

Papaya is a natural source of alpha-hydroxy, an anti-aging compound that actually increases your skin's production of collagen, meaning wrinkles will dissipate and your skin will just plain look younger. Papaya also contains an enzyme called papain, a powerful exfoliant that removes the build up of dead skin cells from your face leaving a brighter, fresher complexion.

For $2 (the cost of the giant papaya I bought this weekend) you're going to have healthy skin AND a ton of extra papaya for snacking (here's my chili papaya ice cream recipe!), juicing, and/or margarita making.

Magic I tell you!

And its easy magic, too - just scoop the fruit out from the skin and rub the sticky inside of the skin all over your face (use your papaya skin soon after you scoop out the fruit or the enzymes will breakdown and your facial will be less effective!)

Let the gooey-ness sit on your skin for 15-20 minutes to do its thing, rinse, and marvel at your new glowy skin.

Chili Papaya Ice Cream

I get into food grooves where I can actually, honestly eat the same meal for every meal and be completely happy. When I happen upon something that hits all the right notes, I just want to keep on hitting those notes. 

Its may also frankly be a factor of being a single girl and it taking me a long time to work my way through ingredients.

Lately I've been obsessing over carrot cake overnight oats (check 'em out, they're bomb) and egg bahn mi sandwiches via A Couple Cooks, but today marked the beginning of my newest food passion: papaya.

I made a peanut butter and papaya smoothie for breakfast that I will 100% be making again tomorrow and this afternoon I stumbled upon the sweet treat I will be eating for at least the next 2 weeks: papaya + chili power ice cream.

This is a simple, no fancy equipment required kind of ice cream which also translates into it actually being pretty good for you: mostly frozen fruit, a little non-fat Greek yogurt, honey. 

If you're not big on papaya I urge you you to still try this papaya ice cream business - somehow the yogurt and the spices transform the sometimes off-putting papaya-ness of the papaya into total tropical delight. But, if you really must skip the papaya, this would be amazing with mango, peaches, or even some frozen banana.

Chili Papaya Ice Cream

Per serving

1/2 cup papaya, frozen (this worked out to be the scooped-out insides of 1/4 a large, ripe papaya)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)

1/2 tbs. honey

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch chili powder

fresh herb for garnish - I used basil

In a blender combine papaya, yogurt, honey, and spices. Blend, scraping down the sides occasionally, until nice and smooth.

The ice cream will be the consistency of a soft serve - pop into freezer for 20 -30 minutes if you'd like it stiffer.

Serve garnished with a light dusting of chili powder and cayenne and a sprig of a fresh herb like basil or mint - the aroma of basil was a lovely addition.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with Chia

I've eaten these overnight oats every morning for the past 2 weeks. I can't stop, won't stop.

It's 2 things I love more than most things, carrot cake + oatmeal, combining forces for one incredibly delicious, filling breakfast. It's basically a yummy pudding that's also really healthy - yay for sneaking veggies into breakfast treats!

And yay for cold, refreshing breakfast treats - these oats are going to be absolutely perfect to have in the fridge once things start really heating up in my AC-less LA apartment (dread, dread, and more dread there).

But these oats - oh, these oats. The chia seeds bind everything together and give you a jump on omega-3's and protein for the day, the yogurt gives it a cream-cheese-frosting-esque tartness, and the spice + carrot combination is just so delicious.

Overnight oats with chia are best prepared in a jar with a screw-on lid so you can shake everything together really well, using the jar like a breakfast cocktail shaker. Shaking activates the chia seeds and really plumps them up, creating a thicker, creamier, more amazing treat.

This recipe is per serving - make a few at a time and eat them all week. You won't want to stop!

Overnight Carrot Cake Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond / soy / coconut milk
1 small-medium carrot, grated
2 tbs. yogurt (I used non-fat Greek style yogurt)
1 tbs. chia seeds
2 tbs. raisins
1 tbs. chopped nuts (I had sliced almonds, but these are optional - just use what you like and have!)
1 tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
a healthy pinch ground ginger
a healthy dash ground cloves or allspice

Combine everything but 1 tablespoon of the raisins and the chopped nuts in a lidded jar and shake to really mix things up. Refrigerate at least overnight, but up to 5 days.

To serve, shake again and pour into a bowl, top with 1 tablespoon raisins + chopped nuts and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Travel: A Short Guide to LA's Olvera Street

Olvera Street is one of my favorite places to spend a sunny, margarita-filled LA afternoon.

It's Los Angeles' original city center and the plaza is surrounded by the oldest buildings in the city, some from the 1800s.

It's also home to an important 1932 mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros. "American Tropical" is painted along the exterior of the second floor of Olvera Street’s Italian Hall. Its anti American-Imperialist message made it pretty unpopular and it was white washed shortly after it was finished which actually ended up preserving it much better than many of Siqueiros' outdoor murals. It was only recently re-unveiled in 2012.

(photo by The City Project)

The plaza is now an open air market filled with all sorts of Mexican candies and toys, embroidered dresses, and magical talismans.

Olvera Street hosts Mexican cultural events throughout the year with traditional dancers, open air dance floors with DJs playing Mexican dance music, and great excuses to dress up.

Day of the Dead on Olvera Street feels like you are actually in Mexico - everyone paints their faces and wears elaborate costumes and there are traditional healers or brujos who will perform a sage ritual over you to rid you negative influences. Magic I tell you!

(photo by F Fatal)

The street is lined with several restaurants all with lovely outdoor patios but the the best is La Golondrina. The menu is authentic old school Mexican - try the chicarron tortilla soup and the velvety mango margarita.

 

 

Starting a Business: The Ultimate Exercise in Self-Love

(original image by Jay Roeder)

I'm starting a business y'all!

Well, I've been in the process of launching my mobile gallery for a bit now, but my opening debut show extravaganza is coming up (this Sunday at the Rosebowl Flea in Pasadena) and it's actually starting to feel real.

It's also starting to get really scary!

Deciding to create a business is the ultimate test of self love and trust: you are putting you, your entire self, out there. There is no one else to blame for mistakes or failures - everything is riding on you. Which is of course terrifying but it is also incredibly powerful: starting a business absolutely requires that you trust yourself: you just simply don't have time for those little self-doubty voices to creep in.

And so now that I'm in official crunch time zone, I'm plugging my ears to any self-doubt and making the best of what I've got going on.

I started this project for reasons I absolutely believe in and I have to trust it: if I don't, who will?

And so I say to anyone reading this: trust yourself! And trust your passions! There are reasons you are drawn to the projects you undertake - love yourself, love your work, and spread the contagious wildfire of self-love by inspiring others with your strength of vision.

The Perfect Easy Michelada

Ah micheladas - spicy, juicy, beery, the perfect beach drink. Or drink for when you desperately wish it was warm enough to be at the beach, as the case may be!

There are as many versions of this beer cocktail in Mexico as there are drinkers (really... everyone has their secret twist) but this simple version hits all the important notes for me: beachy lime, that certain claminess from the Clamato, a deep umami from the Worchesterchire and onion powder, and just enough heat.

There are plenty of fancy-pants recipes out there for making your own tomato juice, etc etc but Clamato really is the key for a lazy, drunken  Sunday (like Cinco de Mayo this weekend!) filled with sunshine, your favorite people, and minimal effort.

The Perfect Easy Michelada
Per cocktail:

1/2 tsp Worchesterchire
1/2 tsp pepper sauce
3 tbs Clamato
juice of one lime
healthy dash onion power
healthy cracking of fresh black pepper
pinch of salt
1 light, beachy beer like Pacifico or Corona

Pour everything but the beer into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice.

Slosh around to mix it all up. Add the beer last and sip and savor and thank the universe for Mexicans and their spicy beers.

Style: How to Successfully Wear a Flower Crown

Hint: It involves not giving a damn and having fun doing it!

 

But first, a confession: Posting outfits makes me feel a little strange!

It's a litte more "look at me!!!" than I'm used to and honestly, I started this blog with the intention of focusing more on healthy + magical recipes.

So why have I been posting so much about style?

You see, I've always really loved reading style blogs and there's something magical about the process of watching someone's image evolve over time.

I've been following some of my favorite style blogs (like this one! and this one!) for years and it seems like their blogs have really been places for wardrobe experimentation and refinement - they've all grown stylistically so much since I've been keeping up and have really solidified their person styles in ways that make me a wee bit (ok, a big bit) jealous.

I've always loved clothes and playing dress up but I think the prospect of going to grad school this fall (eeeeeeeep!) has had me really thinking seriously for the first time about developing my style - who do I want to be now that I'm almost a real live professional adult?

Answer: I want to be the kind of professional adult that wears flower crowns and crop tops.

Flower crowns have been a major thing across the Land of the Internet and I couldn't be happier about it: what's more fun than wearing giant colorful flowers in your hair?

 

I'm on a mission to make them more ubiquiotous off the internet and away from the festival scene, too - why not wear flower crowns, all the time? That's my politcal platform y'all.

I wore this summery combination of giant fake flowers and cosmic flamingos for a day wandering around LA's Olvera Street - the oldest street in the city, filled with a market selling traditional Mexican crafts and candies, restaurants with dreamy patios and margaritas, and seemingly constant dance parties happening under the street's oak trees - what better place for a crazy flower crown?

 DIY flower crown /// Loft  jeans /// Forever 21 tank /// Forever 21 necklace ///

 Vintage bracelet /// Forever 21 belt /// Vintage Justin boots