Do you have kitchen trauma?

What was dinner like for you as a child? Did your mother or father, grandmother or caregiver figure in your life cook for you? Was there love in your kitchen?

This summer, while my husband Joe and I were in Miami, we met up with a good friend of ours who I learned something new about. She was raving about decorating her new apartment and how getting placemats for the kitchen table was a big feat for her. I listened intently and felt happy for her, but had to cock my head a bit and think about the placemat comment. It was a “feat?” Why were placemats such a big deal. I asked and she went on to explain that the kitchen wasn’t her strong point.…

Recipe for Savory, Nutty Italian-inspired Crackers

Crackers can be addicting finger foods. Anything in bite-sized form with a delectable crunch always gets me excited. I love crunchy and savory. These crackers are made with fresh basil, so they’re even more delicious. I believe that my serious cracker snacking days were when I was young. I’d sit with a box of Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and go to town (I’m sounding super Wisconsin right now aren’t I)? For me, there’s this childhood nostalgia associated with crackers.

I have to be honest, there are a few strings attached here. This recipe includes almond meal. Yes, you

can purchase almond meal at the grocery store, however!  My boatload of almond meal, chillin’ in the freezer is from the gallons upon gallons of almond milk I’ve made.…

Leave the dirt outside

Do you take your shoes off before you walk into your house? My mother and grandmother always did so I think I just picked up the habit. The habit became a must after my first international travel experience in Thailand, almost a decade ago. Even before walking into retail stores, I had to remove my shoes. Almost always, the floor was so clean, I was elated to step in with my bare soles.

This is the same feeling I like to have when I walk into my kitchen at home. It’s like my sacred temple. I want to walk into my kitchen and get that squeaky clean, shiny feeling. For some reason french fries, oreos and things like slim-jims just don’t get me in that space.…

Freaky Friday the 13th Arctic Apple®

Are you superstitious? Does Friday the 13th make you wake up with your tail between your legs? I’ve always loved it because I was born on the 13th. It’s a great number, and who doesn’t love Friday? Don’t worry I know that it’s not Friday the 13th today, but the last was only a few months ago.

The first Friday the 13th for 2015 was in March, and it was freaky, no doubt. It was the day the GMO apple was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

gmo apple

Why is the GMO apple freaky? It has nothing to do with Friday the 13th of course, despite the fitting approval date. GMO foods are freaky for many reasons.  There are thousands of studies to read as to why.…

School lunch with a side of food

Cardboard crust with ketchup and plastic coating disguised as cheese. Maybe a few discolored green beans. The side “vegetable” was the closest thing to food on my plastic tray. This pretty much describes the pizza, and unbalanced meal I was served in middle school. Remember school lunch? Maybe you have kids, and it’s easy to recall just what a “school lunch” is.

I am a parent. My husband’s 13 year old son, Joey keeps us in the loop with what’s going on in public school lunchrooms. As of two years ago, he left the private school; where we prepared his vegetarian, sugar-free lunch each day. Even in the prestigious, cutting edge, Los Altos, Blue Ribbon School system, we’re witnessing discord. Joey’s back in public school where he’s questioning ethics in the lunch room.…

Fireworks in your mouth

fourthof JUly

For a while when I was in high school, and in my early college years, I was an activist obsessive. I wanted to take a stand on, well, everything. I wasn’t happy about fireworks and their effect on the environment. I’ve matured now and have learned that appreciation is a better emotion than anger. I’ll just appreciate the beauty of this spectacular day than be angry and fight against it. I’ve found even more ways to love Independance Day, which means that I am incorporating the holiday spirit into my meals. I truly believe that everyday should include a an explosion of tasty fireworks on the palette, but in honor of the fourth of July-we have a recipe to share with a little red, white and blue (and of course green too)!…

Collecting spring water for better sex

I could actually title everything on LanaShay.com “x” for better sex. Ninety-percent of everything I eat and drink contributes to a healthy love life. This is certainly not an ego-trip, it’s fact. I’m preaching because I want you to feel good and experience sensual bliss too. If that’s alright with you, then read on.

This is a continuation from last week, when I ranted about drinking plastic flavored water. It was a sad moment when I ran out of water when I reached the top of North America’s tallest waterfall, because it was contaminated by my low-quality plastic hydration pack.

My husband Joe and I collect our water from a natural spring. We used to have an Aquasana filter on our sink, but learned after a year of using it, that it wasn’t delivering us the best source of pure water.…

Plastic flavored water, anyone?

Hiking uphill in 85° weather for eight miles delayed this article. Have you ever visited Yosemite National Park? I visited for the first time last week and it was mind blowing. I can’t believe I’ve lived only 3 hours away from this park for over four years. I would have gone once a month, if I had known how I would feel basking in the sun next to North America’s tallest waterfall.

 

Joe and I headed out with our good friends from Argentina, and a close friend of theirs who was visiting from Buenos Aires. There were five of us ready to conquer the trail at 8am on Monday morning. We packed veggie burgers, apples, nuts and raw cacao macaroons.…

Tongue scraping and 2 tools for sensuality

I used to wake up in the morning with bad breath. It’s embarrassing, actually. Because now, I realize that this is easily remedied. My dad has a very ridiculous sense of humor that not everyone understands. Keep in mind while you read on, that I share this bizarre sense of humor. When I was in high school, I lived with my dad, and he’d be up singing and being the bubbliest person alive at 5am. I’d wake up to get ready for school around 6am to him belting out Mary J. Blige or Seal (he loved soulful tunes). I was always entertained to say the least. Even though, at 16 years old everything pissed me off in the morning. I’d go into the bathroom, where I spent an hour before school, putting my hair in some elaborate up-do.…

Sensual Journey at LionFish SupperClub

gabbyThis is a text my girlfriend Gabby who lives in Santa Cruz, sent me on Saturday.

I was so excited, that I forgot to respond to her for an entire day, because I was online finding out every detail I could about this event.  A Sensual Food night? Could it be? This concept isn’t a secret.  Sensual Food is the where it’s at!

If you have been wondering exactly what I’m talking about when I mention Sensual Food, here’s your opportunity to get the download, live! For all of you who don’t happen to live in Northern California, no need to fear, this idea is clearly spreading like wildfire. Tuning into the sensuality of food is the inevitable direction. If you’re eating fresh, vibrant, colorful, local and delicious food, engaging and igniting all of your senses is almost involuntary.…