NOSTALGIA-
an important but difficult ingredient in cooking
Take my petit pois (French little peas), I add coconut milk, my sautéed onions and bits of ham (at times vegan chorizo) with some homemade sofrito and my chicken stock. I’m writing this and I’m tasting it in my head right now.
I see images of running through my Grandmother’s garden among her pigeon peas, playing near the coconut, plantain and breadfruit palm trees, just waiting to eat my bowl of petit pois.
There are times when I cook, that tears stream down my face or I let out a deep sigh. This usually happens when I cook a dish that my Father, Grandmother or Great Grandmother used to make (they’re now all gone to glory) and the flavors in my mouth trigger all kinds of memories, feelings, and emtions .
I love it when that happens. It keeps my family who have passed close to me.
When I make petit pois for my extended family, they marvel at how much it tastes like Mami’s (we called our Grandmother Mami). I think it tastes pretty close too. That’s when nostalgia lifts my spirits and makes missing my family a little bit easier to handle.
You can also eat your friends’ cooking / food and be transported back in time to sweeter days. My childhood friend’s mother’s baked mac & cheese does just that. If I taste some good baked mac, I become a curly-headed, pigeontoed tween without a care in the world. As an adult, I would forget that I’m lactose intolerant but eat it anyway. As an older man, it takes a little more time to shake off the bloat and drag myself to the gym. My partner would tell me to slow down and not eat so much of that baked mac. I would suck my teeth and reply.
“Leave me alone. I’m 14with the metabolism of a hummingbird. You and I have not met yet- again, I’m 14. Leave me alone old man!”
I would eat copious amounts of that heavy, cheesy, starchy but delicious food and when later came in real time, I really paid for it. However, in my opinion, it was all well worth it. <burp!!>
Then there are other times when nostalgia can play cruel jokes on you. Like my childhood dishes that my Parents and Mami used to make, I cannot recreate them no matter how hard I try. They would share their recipes with me, sometimes they would even coach me over the telephone but to no avail.
I am never going to be able to create those childhood dishes because nostalgia is the ingredient that I cannot buy and put into my food. Yes- I come close to the flavors of my Mami’s petit pois, and it tastes really closebut I’ll never get that recipe to taste like hers did. But at least, making her petit pois brings back all those warm memories and feelings.
Nostalgia is just an ingredient that’s often difficult to recreate- but it’s worth the try.
H. Luiz Martinez
Editor
Autumn is finally here and the colors of the maple trees in my home town of Maplewood, NJ are in their full glory and brilliance.
I’m at my happiest in the Fall (Fall baby here) and I’m happy about this EYC issue. There are so many holiday recipes & travel tips inside.
I know we look forward to Thanksgiving and we can’t wait to eat eat eat!
But Thanksgiving really should not be about spending a lot of money and time on a lot of food, gorging ourselves to near explosion, then passing outcommonly known as a food coma. And I know we all do that or have done that, but is that what we really want a very “Happy Thanksgiving” to be? The truly sad part is, we have all conditioned ourselves into believing that’s what a great holiday should be.
Let me show you that you can have a delicious holiday meal but on the much-lighter side.
I’ll show you how to cut some calories without sacrificing flavors. Like turkey roulade- it has all the flavors, textures and colors of our favorite holiday but with none of the guilt.
Welcome NOVEMBER THANKSGIVING
Get in here!!
Luxury Vacations
on a BUDGET
It surprises me when I find how much my friends are spending on travel. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Not everyone gets paid trips to write about in magazines and to create content for social media.” and I get that, but my Partner and I do pay for some luxury trips. We know that luxury trips do not have to break the bank. That’s not just talk, that’s based on our experience(s).
The most important thing to understand before we get started is that travelers have different definitions of what luxury is and what may be Inexpensive for one may be quite costly to another. My budget tips may not align with what you may consider luxury based on your budget. Either way, my tips and hacks should be relevant regardless of your budget and desired level of luxury.
Let's get started.
Get Real
Tip #1 Really think about your budget and what luxury means for you. Think about if you can afford a luxury trip- then set expectations. And if you plan to travel with others, you may find that you may have different budgets and/or you define luxury differently. Get that resolved. I remember travelling with my friends in our mid 20’s. We thought it would be so fun- it was not!
Here’s what happened. There were 8 of us: 6 of us were Single plus 2 of us that were a Couple. I had my own room, another friend had his own room, and the Couple had their own room too. The other 4 had two double rooms- 2 beds for 2 friends per 1 room. We were all set.
Fine right? Wrong- so wrong!
One of the latter 4, decided to bring someone he was dating very last minute. We found out about the new guy, while sitting on the plane. “Who does that?” we all thought.
My friend without the +1 date, was going to now have to share space with a 3rd person. This friend had paid for half the room but could only have a 1/3rd of it, including the small bathroom. He had to sleep next to the noisy dudes too- a bit much for 5 nights.
Day 3, the Couple (with their own room) got into a very heated argument. One of them asked another friend (with his own room), if he can stay with him.
“But I just have the one bed.” he tried to explain. The plea reply was, “But we both fit on the King bed, right?”
On day 4, I ended up paying for an excursion for another friend (about $90 back in 1994) and I’m still not paid backnot that I ever think of it jajaja! Though the excursion was planned well in advance, he never mentioned he could not afford it until we got on-site. It was either take out my plastic or leave him at the entrance… and I really could not afford to pay for the both of us. Uggggh!
During the entire trip, 2 in the group really could not dine out, not even in at moderately priced restaurants. A couple of us took turns buying their dinners. Yes, we are friends but didn’t you know you couldn’t afford this trip beforehand?
So much for a luxury vacation.
I share all this just to say, you must be honest with yourself, your budget and what you define as luxury. If you cannot afford a solo “luxury” vacation or a trip with friends, then you don’t go. Do not put friends in awkward situations or financial burdens because you can’t afford it or not budget accordingly.
Get Flexible
Google.com/travel is a free travel search engine that helps users find and compare prices for not just flights, but for hotels and rental cars too. Tip #2 If you have time on your side and can be flexible with your “dates” then a luxury vacation trip may be just an email or two away.
Google Travel- here’s how it works: Travel Users enter their travel dates, departure and arrival cities, and number of passengers.
Google Travel searches hundreds of airlines, hotels, car rentals, online travel agencies, and meta-search engines to find what is available in the category you choose. Results are displayed in a list with options to filter by price, departure/arrival time, airline and more.
Their key feature is Price Tracking: Google Travel allows users to track prices for specific flights, hotels car rentals, services. You’ll receive email updates when prices drop.
There’s a new feature called Explore: the feature shows a map of the world with prices for destinations from the user's departure city. This is exciting because if you’re flexible, you can book luxury trips at a fraction of the costs. By leveraging its vast data sources and advanced algorithms, Google Travel provides users with a powerful tool to find and book affordable luxury flights.
Get Savvy
Don’t blow your budget before you even leave for your trip. Get savvy and stick to your budget. Some folks blow it way before their vacations even begin. Tip #3 Now is not the time to go on shopping spree for clothes. We all want to look great while on vacation- but don’t spend your budget on buying inflated designer vacay wear. If you do buy some pieces- put it in your travel budget and decide if it’s worth it.
Incorporate your cash tips into your budget too before your luxury trip. That’s for your room, meals, drinks (even for all-inclusive spots) and services. Estimate and set aside those cash tips and bring them with you. Non-local ATMs may charge $5-10 for service fees at your destination. I spent an extra $60 just on fees for not being savvy enough to bring cash. Defer airline / hotel payments as long as possible. Most hotels and resorts (some airlines too) may grant you a full refund if you cancel within 24-48 hours before your stay or departure. Emergencies may happen so it is convenient to have that option (be sure to read fine prints). If you don’t have that option, buy traveler’s insurance. Things happen and you do not want to be out of money without taking your luxury trip.
If you plan to spend your luxury trip poolside or on the beach, decide if it’s even worth spending $350-600 on hair styling/ color before you go. Saltwater and chlorine is very damaging to hair so think about if those costs are worth it.
Get Shorty
Luxury travel can be very affordable when you book a shorter vacation stay. In fact, there’s a whole new travel trend going on right now where Travelers are booking luxurious “One-Nighters” or “Two-Nighters” at your fancier hotels and resorts.
Tip #4 Stay 1 or 2 nights at a luxury hotel, rather than 4 or 5 nights at a less luxurious one- you’ll end up paying the same price but will double your luxury. Fact is, you may even pay less for the 2 nights at the luxury hotel.
Some luxury hotels may even have these “specials” already set up. Deals may include early check in, late check out, breakfast for 2, spa treatments and/ or spending credits at the hotel.
We like to create 1-2 Nighters when we attend special events. We had the choice of spending 5 nights in a great hotel in Puerto Rico (which we love) or 2 nights/ 3 days at a Luxury 5-star hotel to see an amazing Music Concert the 1st night and eat at a James Beard Award restaurant the 2nd night. We chose the latter. With the cost of the great concert tickets and reservations for a fine dining restaurant (along with enjoying the hotels amazing amenities- plus a late check-out and breakfast for two thrown in), we spent about $1200 less.
Now to be honest, we go to PR all the time, but how many times can we see Sade in concert, eat at a Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, save over a thousand dollars, and have those incredible memories in just 3 days?
Get Seasonal
Tip #5 The best tip I can give for travel “luxury” on a budget is to book your trips during the rainy or off-season. The savings can be as high as 70% off compared to peak season travel.
In the Northern Caribbean and Mexico, the rainy season runs from early May through to late October. That is when we like to travel to this part of the world. Apart from the significant savings, we know that the actual rain is nothing more than short bursts throughout the day. We are talking literally minutes and no more than 2-3 times a day, followed by beautiful sunshine. And to be honest, those rains give a nice reprieve from the sweltering heat. Every other day or so, there’s no rain at all. For a 5-6 day trip, the odds are in your favor for a cost-savings luxurious trip during the rainy season.
We wait out the rain underneath a pool umbrella- knowing that it will only be a few minutes. Or we stay on the beach and actually jump in the ocean. Just be sure it’s not a lightning storm and stay near the shallows for safety.
We also like to break for lunch indoors if we think the rains are a bit heavy. Most times, we would pack up our things into a bag and slip our sandals to head indoors, but by the time we would be seated to eat- the rains would stop. I am telling you, if you can deal with short bursts of rain and want to save a ton of money for a luxury vacation, you have to travel during the rainy season.
Turkey Roulade
Making a turkey roulade instead of a whole turkey is a great way to save money, cooking time, carbs and calories. I’ve been making a rolled up, stuffed turkey breast for the last 10 years! We absolutely love it. Best part? No need for a side dish of stuffing- save even more money, time, carbs and calories!
I compliment my Turkey Roulade with fresh roasted carrots and asparagus. Since I also make the stuffing (dressing is made outside on it’s own), you get a minimal amount of carbs per serving and trust me- you’ll digestion will thank you for it.
Here’s what you’ll need...
• deboned turkey breast meat (1 breast can feed 6-8 people)
• 7oz. box/bag of rice blend or chickpea “rice”
• half of an apple (I use Granny Smith)
• dried cherries or dried cranberries
• a handful of nuts (I use pistachios)
• olive oil (a splash)
• chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste (I use kosher salt & cracked pepper)
Turkey Roulade
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
After you preheat the oven, get a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick oil ready. You also want to get some kitchen twine at the ready to tie up your roulades.
Carefully remove the skin of the turkey breast, you’re going to cover the meat with the skin after you roll it up. It will keep the meat moist in the oven. It will crisp up beautifully as well so try to remove the skin in one piece, so set the skin aside.
*One time, my single turkey breast meat came skinless so I wrapped it with slices of raw bacon instead of the turkey skin. It was delicious! Take the meat and pound it out evenly. I place it in a plastic storage bag and use a rubber mallet for this procedure. I find it’s the easiest and less-messy way. Set the pounded out turkey breast aside and start your filling. You may also opt to buy your own dressing/ stuffing too.
Now you’re ready to roll!
Place your turkey breast down and salt and pepper it to taste. Place your filling on top in an even layer. Roll up your turkey breast just like a long jelly-roll cake. Roll snugly but not too tightly. Be as neat as possible. Then take the skin and place it on top of your roulade, salt and pepper to your taste. Tie up your little package with kitchen twine- not too tight because your roulade(s) will expand a bit.
Place your roulade on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick oil or lined with parchment paper. I sometimes make a nest out of vegetable and/or potatoes and place the roulade on top of that. You may also use a roasting rack too.
Place the roulade in a pre-heated oven (375 degrees) for about 2 ½ hours. After an hour, baste the turkey roulade with chicken stock. I usually slowly pour a ½ cup of stock over the roulade. Then I do it again 45 minutes later. I usually end up using a full cup per roulade.
*One turkey breast makes about 8 servings so it is enough for a family of four. If you like leftovers, make 2 turkey breast roulades.
After it is beautifully browned in about 2-2 ½ hours, take it out and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the strings and slice into 1 inch thick rounds. Serve 1 larger slice per person or 2 smaller slices per person.
Even you will be impressed when you see the result of your turkey roulade. Your family and friends are not going to believe you made it. Warning: you may never make a whole turkey ever again for Thanksgiving!
A turkey roulade is so moist that a gravy is not really needed. But if you like the taste of gravy with turkey then have it on the side. Place it in a gravy bowl for those that would like some.
Simple Turkey Au Jus
• pan drippings
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• parsley
• ½ lime or lemon (I usually have some limes)
• roughly chopped ½ onion or 2 shallots
• 2 whole garlic cloves, bruised
In a small pan, pour in the turkey roulade drippings, olive oil and the juice of ½ of lime or lemon. Add in your roughly chopped onion or shallots and bruised garlic cloves into the pan. Bring to a boil. Strain the gravy.
You want nothing but liquid flavor so be sure to strain out the pieces of onions, shallots and garlic. Finely chop and mince your parsley and add it to your liquid. This au jus will not be thick and should be served separately in a small gravy bowl for those that want to enjoy it with their turkey roulade.
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SPLIT-PEA SOUP with HAM
Unquestionably, split-pea soup is the one I make most-often in my home. I’m talking at least three times a month and each batch makes enough soup for about 8-10 meals easy. It’s so good too!
Now during the holidays, when I make my Cola Ham, I have leftovers to add juicy ham bits to my split pea soup. The number one question I get in the comments after I post a picture is: how did you make that?
During the pandemic, my split-pea soup provided such comfort. I knew I was able to stretch out the soup if I really had to. I taught lots of people how to make it, how to stretch it out over days and I even responsibly delivered some to friends. Please do your part in sharing what you know or what you have to help someone else in need. It’s what the Holidays and LIFE is all about.
One story I remember, my Grandmother (we called her Mami) would make a very large pot of her split pea soup and a big pot of rice and kept it on her stove on Sundays.
Lined up near the stove, she would have these Styrofoam cups and plastic spoons. Throughout the day and into the night, her neighbors would come in her back door where the kitchen was located. They would shout out, Bendiciones, Doña Virginia, grab a spoonful of that rice and a ladle of that split pea into one of those cups. My Mami fed the entire neighborhood that way some times. It used to frighten me to see these people coming and going through her kitchen. People coming through the back door, just marching up to the stove, shouting out blessings and serving themselves in those to-go cups. One time I asked, “Mami- don’t you know how dangerous all this is?” She replied without missing a beat- think about how dangerous it is not to eat.
*Split Pea Soup Recipe
INGREDIENTS
* 16oz dry split-pea (recipe uses ½ a bag)
* olive oil (1/2 cup)
* 2 white, red or Spanish onions (diced)
* 2 carrot sticks (peeled, diced or shredded)
* 4-5 garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
* mushrooms, sliced (optional)
* 5 cups (40oz) of chicken stock
* ham (diced or shredded)
* parsley (reserve some leaves for garnish)
* lime (juice of 1 lime or lemon)
* cumin, coriander and curry powders
*Before you begin the recipe, rinse your dry split-peas in a colander and check for fragments to discard. Sometimes you will find a shard of a pebble or something that got in the split-peas. Soak your dry splitpeas in 2 parts water for at least 3-4 hours overnight on your counter. 8ozs may serve 4-5 people.
I garnish my split-pea soup with parsley leaves and red pepper flakes and perhaps a slice of lime. I also drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on top. I always garnish with ingredients found in the dish that I’m serving.
In a large pot, add some olive oil and warm it up. Add diced onions and sauté until translucent. Then add diced carrots. Add minced garlic. Also, sliced mushrooms. Sauté 3-4 minutes.
Add 5 cups of chicken stock. Never use those bouillon cubes. I usually make my own stock but there are some good-quality brands out there. Lately, I’ve been using a product that’s made from actual chicken, vegetables and herbs cooked down into a paste. Use a teaspoon of this paste for every cup (8oz) of water. Add cumin, coriander and curry to your taste- salt & pepper too.
Then add your drained split-peas to the pot- bring to a boil. Add diced ham and squeeze of a lime/ lemon. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer until the split-peas soften and thicken soup- maybe an hour or so. Remove the cover, add a splash of olive oil and stir. Be sure to scrape the bottom, split-peas tend to hide down there. Stir in chopped parsley and let the soup simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.
*Before serving, garnish with parsley and olive oil. Pepper flakes are optional.
8 Things NOT to do on Thanksgiving
or at any party you’re invited to…
maybe I shouldn’t be writing about this but someone has to say it. There are do’s and don’t do’s when invited to a party. Being related to the Host(s) does not absolve you from the rules. Now when I say rules, I mean just some common-sense manners that seem to be lost on some people… or maybe that’s just some of my family members and friends. jajajaja!
Do NOT show up early. It may be worse than showing up late. Hosts do not have time for you, especially before a party. They may be getting last minute details together, maybe taking a shower or getting dressed for the party. The last thing a Host needs is someone in their home, super early, before a party.
Someone showed up to my home very, very early. If I try
Do NOT show up late. It interrupts the flow of the party. Your host has not time to answer the door, take your coats then make sure that you are situated. It pulls them away from the party, from the kitchen and away from others. I’m not talking about 5 or 15 minutes late-comers, I’m talking about those that always arrive 45 minutes or 2 hours late every time. You are not more important than anyone else. And if you do arrive late, don’t make a fuss. Don’t give excuses, and please don’t take time away from the part explaining why you’re late. Someone came late one year and said, “Oh, I think that the baked mac is cold.” I replied, “Is it? It was piping-hot when the party started 2 hours ago.” to remember it correctly, I’m guessing he was about an hour and 37 minutes early, give or take 12 seconds. I’m not totally sure, because I hardly think of it. He replied, “Well at least I’m not late.” Nuh-uh!! If you arrive early, hang out in your car, walk around the block, grab coffee, do a tiktok or whatever. Just don’t show up early- it stresses out the Host(s).
Do NOT badger the Host(s) with calls/ texts before your arrival. Unless you’re calling beforehand to ask if they need anything- do not call. Calling to say that you’re leaving now; I’m parking now; I’m in front of your home now; what are you doing now? are quite unnecessary. Host(s) do not have time to be interrupted by your calls- just ring the doorbell when you’re supposed to arrive.
If they ask you to pick-up something, just show up earlier than expected.
I would show up with said item(s) then say: I’ll see you later, I have calls to make. Then sit in the car until showtime.
Do NOT show up to anyone’s home and state how bad certain foods are for one’s health. I was at a party and some Fool proceeded to tell everyone that the foods at the party are low-grade foods. That we all should only be eating organic foods- not this stuff, so she said. The hostess put that person outdidn’t care that they were cousins. Every one was a little uncomfortable after that. Some guests started leaving and the ones that stayed were ill at ease.
One summer at a BBQ, some Vegan went on how cruel it was to eat meat. Didn’t this person know that they were coming to a BBQ? The Host was so mortified. Next thing I knew, the Vegan was gone. Don’t be that person!
Do NOT show up with other people, if you have not cleared it with your Host(s). If you want to bring someone, discuss that when you’re invited to a party.
Met the Love of Your Life just yesterday? Get to know that person on your time and by all means, do not just show up with a gaggle of your friends.
I was hosting a Terrace Party at a boutique hotel, when the front desk came up to inform me that I had a guest waiting for me in the lobby. I was perplexed- the party was 5 minutes away from being over. I had to leave the party and my guests, walk downstairs to the lobby, just to tell an adult how to tell time? I was fuming and couldn’t believe it. As I reached the Lobby, there was my friend… with 5 other guys. whaaaaaaaat?
This was not my house, this was a hotel property that was more than gracious in allowing me to have Guests on their rooftop terrace in the first place. I can’t just have 6 other people show up while there were 10 guests already on the property.
But I was cool. I looked at my watch and simply stated: I’m sorry, the cocktail party is over, we’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.
Later that same night at a club, this same friend was telling me that I was rude for not allowing them all to go up. “I know you’re lying!” I said. About a month later, the same friend introduced me to some guys and two of them said: Ohhh-this is the guy who kicked us out of the hotel.
*Now I’m a bad Host because a friend took it upon himself to invite 5 other guys to crash my party- minutes from the party’s end. Geez!
Do NOT eat all the food, allow others to have what’s available too. Parties are not places for you to pile as much shrimp as you can onto your plate. Leave some for other guests to enjoy as well.
One time years back, a guest ate every last shrimp- straight out of my grill pan before I could place them onto skewers. When I asked in horror- what are you doing? He said: they’re soooooo good! I really love shrimp! I never invited that person again to my home. Sometimes, I would see him at a friend’s house or out socially and they would say that they heard I just had a cocktail party or a holiday party. I would just look at him and say,
“It was a great party! I couldn’t invite every one that I wanted because I didn’t have enough food to go around.”
Do NOT tell your children what they like or don’t like when they want to try something new. Or worse, tell the host that your child is NOT going to like it before they get a chance to try it. On the same token, do not get upset if your child tries something they do like it- they just may not like the way you prepare it. Take the opportunity to ask how the food was prepared so that your child may enjoy it later at home when you make it.
Do NOT ask for other libations, spirits or cocktails unless a host/hostess asks if you prefer to drink something else. If you don’t see the cognac that you like to drink, make do with what’s offered.
I was at a cocktail party that had 3 signature drinks. Someone asked for beer instead. But guess what? They were only serving the cocktails. About 45 minutes later, the Guest returned with a case of beer. Then he tried to push the beer onto other guests- all of whom were enjoying the cocktails. Please don’t be that person. It makes everyone feel so awkward. You’re basically telling the Host and the other Guests, that you do not like what is being offered. It’s just uncomfortable and bad mannered.
Chandra is back with the best cookies for Thanksgivingher Pumpkin Cookies. ChaCha also created a handy checklist for us to use- so no excuses this holiday.
I’m going to try this easy recipe too and I can already taste it.
Make Chandra’s Pumpkin Cookies yourself and let us know how you do. I’m sure you’re going to get rave reviews.
Chandra’s Baking: Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients Checklist
Sugar coating
▢ 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
▢ 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Cookie Dough
▢ 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
▢ 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
▢ 2 egg yolks, room temperature
▢ 2 tsp vanilla
▢ 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
▢ 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
▢ 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
▢ 1/2 tsp baking soda
▢ 1/2 tsp baking powder
▢ 1/2 tsp salt
Photo courtesy of C . Valentine
SUGAR COATING:
in a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice together. Set aside.
COOKIE DOUGH:
Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In the meantime, get ready to start drying out the pumpkin.
CANNED PUMPKIN: Spread pumpkin on a plate and lightly press with a paper towel to absorb. Repeat the step until hardly any liquid should transfer onto a paper towel once it has been dried enough. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
MIXER:
In a large bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on high until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla- mix on medium speed a couple minutes. Add he pumpkin and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Scoop the dough and roll into 1 inch balls, then roll in the sugar coating. Place the cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on sheets.
BAKE:
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling for at least 15 minutes!
*Enjoy and try not to eat them all in one sitting.
1 Blazer / Multiple Looks #HLuizStyle
Strawberry Cheesecake
Gone are the days where I would make 3 to 4 desserts for Thanksgiving. Also gone? The days where I would make high-calorie desserts too- can’t do the bloating. My original strawberry cheesecake would get oohs and aahs but then I would see take home containers full of cheesecake slices. Now, I did not cook and bake for days only to have food and dessert(s) leave my house in containers! Now I make smaller, low-calorie cheesecakes in a cup and everybody’s happy.
However, my little family wanted those cheesecake cups with more frequency, so I developed a simple kit. Now I can make them in minutes and so can you.
Strawberry Cheesecake Kit
* pint of strawberries (or any berry or fruit)
* graham crackers or dry cookies
* 8oz package of cream cheese (I’ve been using a vegan variety lately)
* sweetener (sugar, stevia, agave or honey)
* ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (not imitation)
• nuts optional (pistachios, almonds, etc.)
Assembly
Mix your sweetener, vanilla extract, and 8oz of soften cream cheese (mix it right in the tub of cream cheese)place it in a glass container. Crush up any dry cookies (I use graham crackers)- place that in a container. Slice your fruit (sprinkle on some sugar to help it macerate)place in a glass container. You just created your kit. Place all 3 containers in the fridge until you’re ready to make your no-bake cheesecake.
To assemble, layer in your crust (dry cookie crumbs), layer in the cheesecake filling and then the fruit- repeat your layers and lastly top with your nuts (optional).
San Francisco San Francisco
“AnElegantHotel??”
…definitely! I've stayed at a few Staypineapple Hotels, and this one in San Francisco, CA is so aptly named. The color palette of the lobby, lounge area, breakfast bar and upper lounge are exactly like my own home's palette at Casa Sol. The golds, creams, ivories and dark browns made me feel at home- but this was even more elegant than Casa Sol. The decor of the rooms too were beautiful and elegant. On this Tour Trip, it was the service that played a huge part of my incredible stay…
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is that I can go on vacation, go on assignment or attend an event and then upload it to a current issue of EAT YOUR COLORS mag. I can send an alert, a story, a message and/or an email to let you know that new content is available within a current issue. You can go to hluizpresents.com/eatyourcolors at any time to read and/or reread articles, catch up on interviews, tap on links, watch videos, learn cooking techniques & recipes and get NEW content when it becomes available.
Meditative Art and Positive Vibes - Colors
It’s finally here- the coloring book for Meditative Art and Positive Vibes! Some of the tableaus that I’ve done on Live Streams, some postcards that I’ve sent to you, some of the giftbags that I’ve designed and even some new designs and patterns too- all here for you to color.
A lot of you have expressed that coloring is just as therapeutic for you, so this book was created with that in mind. You may color with as many colors as you’d like or as little color as you would like as well.
Doodling, drawing and coloring kept me calm, motivated and positive- I’m sure it can do the same for you. All you need do is give it a try.
Coloring tableaus that I have already created gives me double the calm, twice the meditations and two time all the fun. There’s already a 2nd book in the works- a larger book with bigger spaces to color. Some tips and tricks to blending too. This will be out in 2025.
on AMAZON
Meditative Art and Positive Vibes Coloring Book
I wanted to introduce Meditative Art and Positive Vibes to our youth but on a level that was easy for them to understand. Creating this coloring book with the same principles and meditative properties as the 1st book was really the goal and intention.
This coloring book teaches our children to take ownership of their art work. Which in turn, gives them the very tools that they may internalize to take ownership and some responsibility over their very young lives.
When I was a child, I would color the people, animals and objects in my coloring books(s), colors that were in my imagination. People might be colored a light shade of blue or a dark shade of green with hair colored- orange or pink. Cats and dogs may be purple. The sky may be a cool red or a warm yellow tone, and the sun a bright turquoise.
The actual sky is blue of course but I couldn’t control that but I could control my coloring books though.
*available exclusively on AMAZON
Meditative Art and Positive Vibes by H.Luiz Martinez
Meditative Art, Art Therapy, Mindful Art or simply just Doodling has been around since forever- they're found in caves for goodness sakes. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Create fun, easy patterns and create beautiful designs- I call them tableaus. Inside, I'll tell you how I got started (40+ years ago) and how you too can benefit from creating your own tableaus. I even show you how you can make one-of-a-kind gifts with your artwork.
Over 40 years ago, I used to doodle on everything I can get my hands on. It wasn't until I started doodling on my homemade book covers (I started with brown paper bags but graduated to white kraft paper) that people really started to notice my artwork.
#AskHLuiz
We are bringing back the hashtag #askhluiz to the social media stratosphere. In your own posts and / or comments, if you ask a travel or cooking question that you want me to try to answer, use the hashtag #askhluiz and I may be able to answer your question.
Please note that all #askhluiz question may be read by anyone and everyone so please keep it cute or keep it on mute. Your question may be published or posted in Eat Your Colors magazine and / or any “H. Luiz Presents…” media channels in order to answer your question to a broader audience.
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Most times, it’s just folks wanting me to do the research for them. Don’t they have the same search engines as the rest of us? Do they have time to price check and price compare their own travel plans? Because I truly don’t. Most places I stay are complimentary because they want content creation, create a video for them or feature them.
All that being said, do not use #askhluiz to make your travel plans and / or make your travel bookings. I am not a Travel Agent.
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Tap the picture to make my Shrimp Cakes
Thanksgiving Feast
The table overflows with abundance
Delicious turkey roulade, nice slices
Stuffing infused with herbs, fruit, nuts
Asparagus- crispy, caramelized
Cranberry sauce tangy, not too sweet
Sweet potato mash, infused Fall flavors
My peach cobbler, a classic dessert
Au jus flowing like a river of goodness
Flavors blend in perfect harmonies
Family gathers, hands held tight
Gratitude shared, love shines through Warmth, comfort, and togetherness
A Thanksgiving feast to remember
Happy Thanksgiving from Henry, Me and EYC!
