We want to hear from you!! We strive to bring you the best content possible here on HonestlyYUM, and that wouldn’t be feasible without hearing your feedback. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey so that we can continue to create content you love. It’s an anonymous Google Form, and honestly it will take ~3 minutes. Thank you so much as always for all your support! Once again, here is a link to survey. Thank you!!
(Image by HonestlyYUM. Link to HonestlyYUM 2018 Survey)
Last fall, I attended a paella workshop with Chef Paul Canales of Oakland’s beloved Spanish restaurant Duende. And it was a blast. Paella was made from scratch (stay tuned for more on that later this week), while Paul schooled us on the history of Spanish cuisine and the various regions which make up the brilliantly unique flavors of the country. Afterwards, we feasted on a delectable spread of pintxos, cured meats, paella and one particular dish that absolutely blew my mind. It was . . . drumroll . . . a salad. Essentially, Ensalada de Col translates into “coleslaw” (say what??) but don’t let the unassuming name fool you – this salad is full of bright and bold flavors that will make you want to devour it in its entirety. Humble savoy cabbage is sliced paper thin and tossed with toasted pistachios, green olives and a garlic vinaigrette. The pièce de résistance is a delightfully generous shaving of Mahón cheese. Boom. I hope that you’ll give this salad a try. It’s so, so good.
Since we’ve been talking about travel bucket lists, I can’t help but reminisce about Spain, one of my favorite countries in the world. A few years ago, I returned with my entire family (with 17 month old Quincy in tow!) and traveled from north to south, enjoying pintxos, tapas, jamón, paella, and Spanish wine along the way. What are pintxos, you might ask? A pinxto, pronounced peen-cho and derived from the Spanish verb pinchar, is exactly how is sounds: a pinch of food that is pierced together by a toothpick. Hailing from the Basque region of Spain, the pintxo is essentially a smaller version of a tapa, however, they vary drastically depending on the town, restaurant or bar.
2018 is the year of travel. I’m excited to tackle that bucket list, which seems to be getting longer and longer each year. There are so many places to see, things to eat and adventures to embark on . . . I asked Karen and Todd to share a few of their top 2018 destinations. We’d love to know where you’re wanting to travel to next!
It’s been ages since I made a cocktail on the blog . . . WTF is going on?!! It’s not like I’ve been taking a break from drinking – far from it! In fact, I was recently on a Berkeley bar crawl, and had the pleasure of sipping one of the tastiest, most refreshing libations I’ve enjoyed in quite some time: the Yerba Buena, created by the talented Daniel Sheel of Tupper & Reed. You see, this particular bar crawl was all about featuring low ABV drinks; sometimes called inverted cocktails. Naturally, these low ABV (alcohol by volume) cocktails highlight an ingredient that is, you guessed it, lower in alcohol! On this occasion we were enjoying a lovely afternoon of Lo-Fi Apertifs.
After a few rounds at East Bay Spice Company, we walked our way down to Tupper and Reed, where Daniel was waiting for us behind the bar. He quickly whipped us up three unique inverted cocktails, one of which was the aforementioned, Yerba Buena. I love this drink so much, because it’s so light and refreshing, while at the same time being incredibly complex, thanks to the Lo-Fi dry vermouth and the Oakland Spirits Co lemongrass brandy. I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of each if you ever get the chance!
I have a love/hate relationship with winter. The rest of the country is undoubtedly leaning towards the latter right now. I take delight in the warmth, love, and connections the season brings but I am also averse to the shorter days and being cooped up indoors. This year, I’ve made it a goal to get outside more, especially during the work week. I love the idea of enjoying breakfast, or lunch, outdoors – making a concerted effort to soak up as much vitamin D as it is possible during the chilly season – at least here in California . . .
“Superfood” is a term we hear a lot around healthy foods but how many of us actually know what it means and why particular foods are so super? With resolutions on our minds and the launch of HonestlyFIT, I’m taking a moment to break down what it takes to be a superfood and which ones we should all eat more of in 2018! Generally a food qualifies as super when it has been seen to reduce chronic diseases and is packed with key antioxidants, polyphenols (which prevent cell damage), vitamins, and minerals. That is the case with watercress, walnuts, baby bok choy, sesame and seaweed – the 5 superfoods that outshine many of their more famous superfood siblings in terms of gram per gram nutrients. Last week we showed you how to incorporate them into a delicious salad, but they are all so versatile that the options for incorporating them into your diet are endless.
Remember at the end of last year when everyone was complaining about how awful 2016 was, and how they couldn’t wait for a new year and a fresh start? Surely 2017 couldn’t get any worse, right?!! Yeah . . . well, how did that turn out? I don’t want to get into the details here on the blog. After all, HonestlyYUM is a haaappy place, full of abundant cheese platters, stiff cocktails, and piles of sweets! Am I right? And yet again, here we are at the end of another year, and dare I say . . . 2018 couldn’t get any worse, right?!! 😛 Enough with the doom and gloom. Of course, there were plenty of 2017 highlights as well. As I’ve said before, it’s been such a treat to see Fiona turn from a sweet little toddler, into a full-blown threenager right in front of my very eyes. She’s already halfway done with her first year of preschool. She even has a little best friend who she coordinates her outfits with! Gah – the cutest thing ever! Anyway, before I get too carried away with the proud dad talk, I wanted to introduce you to a new member of the Honestly family . . . please welcome HonestlyFIT!!
As we like to say, HonestlyFIT is HonestlyYUM and HonestlyWTF’s stronger sibling! Editor Orissa Rose provides her unique take on all things fitness and wellness related. Trust me, one visit will leave you fully inspired to live your very best, most active life. Case in point, this superfood salad!! Orissa, being the generous woman that she is, whipped up this outrageously delicious salad, packed with an assortment of nutritious goodies (complete with her original creamy vegan cashew dressing) all to share with our readers here at HonestlyYUM! Just what I needed after all that heavy holiday binging. Stay tuned for more healthy inspo from HonestlyFIT in the coming weeks. And as always, thank you so much for stopping by the site this year, for all your kind words, and for making our little Honestly fam a part of your daily routine! Happy New Year!!
Read More
