These gluten-free peanut butter brownies are dense and delicious, made with seratonin-boosting bittersweet chocolate and happiness-inducing mucuna bean powder. Mucuna pruriens, also known as velvet bean, is a bioavailable source of L-Dopa, an amino acid that metabolizes into dopamine in the brain. (Dopamine, you may recall, is the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness.) This naturally occurring, […]
Mood Recipes
Michelle Obama’s Signature Shrimp Linguini Recipe
Michelle Obama’s epic shrimp linguini recipe was something I saw whispered about in various presidential profiles detailing what Barack Obama liked to eat at home. Eventually, I found the recipe on Genius Kitchen and decided to make it fresh with a few modifications, below. (Minor adjustments made to up the nutrient profile while making the […]
Hillary Clinton’s Duck Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Last year when I unearthed the recipe for Hillary Clinton’s chocolate chip cookies in Family Circle Magazine, I was bummed to learn that the original recipe calls for vegetable shortening as the principle fat. Vegetable shortening is pure trans fat and should be avoided at all costs. Trans fat has *zero* redeeming health qualities– and yes, […]
Meryl Streep’s Pistachio Rose Heart Cookies
These heart-shaped cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day– just ask Meryl Streep. Based off a recipe I originally saw in Good Housekeeping, these pistachio-rose shortbread cookies are an homage to Meryl Streep’s original almond shortbread cookie recipe. (I changed the flavor profile since I don’t eat almonds, and I wanted to do something rose-flavored for […]
Easy Calming DIY Lavender Body Butter
This homemade DIY body butter is perfect for giving your driest parts a little extra love during the coldest months of the year. Comfort and self-care is extremely important for mental wellbeing in the winter. This easy calming DIY lavender body butter can be an essential part of any wellness routine, especially if you are […]
Healing Hazelnut Beet Salad
Every year when winter rolls around, I find myself lamenting the onset of cold weather while simultaneously celebrating the arrival of one extremely seasonal fruit: blood oranges. This healing hazelnut beetroot salad celebrates the flavors of the season, and frankly: it’s gorgeous! Composed salads make a beautiful addition to any holiday meal; this one will […]
Stress-Busting Turmeric Instant Pot Popcorn
This easy Instant Pot Popcorn packs all the flavor and freshness of homemade popcorn without any of the fuss. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare and combines several anti-inflammatory spices to maximize health benefits and taste– which is why this is my favorite homemade popcorn recipe, ever. Made with stress-busting turmeric and black pepper, […]