Summertime is here in full force. I love this season and I’ve been using a mix of old and new things this month. Here are my top 5 favorites for the month of June. I love sharing with you things that I actually have been using and loving all month. Everything here is Sown Life approved, enjoy!
1. Simple Mills Pancake and Waffle Mix– I have been loving almost all items put out by Simple Mills but this month I am crushing on this pancake mix. With all the fresh berries at the Farmer’s Market I could eat pancakes every weekend. I also use the whole mix so I can have leftover pancakes during the week. Just pop them in the toaster and you have a quick breakfast! These also have lots of protein because they have several eggs and are made from almond flour. Win!
2. Lavender Soap by Bon Air Naturals– If you haven’t been a client of mine then you don’t know about my little herb shop in the front room of my office. I carry a limited amount of supplements and herbs but I also carry local soaps, body scrubs, bath bombs and perfumes all made by Leslie of Bon Air Naturals. I love bath and body products that smell good but wanted some cleaner versions than what I had been using. This lavender soap is made with olive oil so when you wash with it you don’t even need to use lotion, its that moisturizing. Please, pop on by anytime and pick up some of Leslie’s amazing and clean creations. You can also purchase all her bath and body products on her website or at South of The James farmers market on the Southside of Richmond on Saturday mornings.
3. Dynamic Aging, by Katy Bowman– Not many of you know that I struggle daily with hip pain due to scoliosis at the base of my spine. I have to walk every day and do lots of stretching just so I can move properly. I came across Katy on a weekly podcast I listen to and really felt like she was the person who can help me as far as my functional movement with no pain. I have been reading this book all month and love it! She specializes in natural movement using only your body weight and movements that we no longer use in our very sedentary culture. One of the comments she made that struck home with me is that working out in a gym is like concentrating on only macronutrients instead of including micronutrients as well. I am learning so much from this book and it is full of exercises that I can do at home. You do not have to be older to learn from this book! All of us are aging every day.
4. Ricotta Cheese– It’s funny, for the longest time I only used or ate Ricotta cheese in a lasagna. Little did I know that it could be awesome in a dessert! When you make ricotta from scratch with a good quality milk it is nothing like the grainy version that is available at the supermarket. It is so rich and creamy! My favorite way to have it is just to drizzle some raw honey over the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and eat it with a spoon! This is how one might eat it in Italy. I also am going to try grilling some peaches and putting a dollop of ricotta on top with a little honey, cinnamon and lemon zest! Find my recipe for homemade ricotta here!
5. Dry Farm Wines – I am very careful as to how many sugars I have in my diet. Not only can they contribute to weight gain but sugar is also the number one cause of inflammation in the body. I really enjoy good wine but I also am well aware of its sugar content as well. When I found out about Dry Farm, I was so excited about the wines because they are all low in sulfites, organic and biodynamic, (see my blog post on this) they are also low in carbs and sugar. This helps me to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and still enjoy a glass of wine with dinner! You can check out their website and order some here.
