Below are some of the tastiest dishes and treats I’ve been allowing myself to enjoy this week.

I ate this straight from the pouch by squeezing it into my mouth. I'm unashamed of that fact.

This pizza was somethin' else.

Tiny gelato for everyone!

This artichoke & jalapeño was too hot for 90% of my family, but I managed to eat an embarrassing amount of it.

I always have the pleasure of drinking Community Coffee when I'm with my parents; God bless 'em.

I could never say no to a popchip (or 10).

The piquant sauce covering the tilapia in this picture is a winner.

Oh yeah! Danielle and I did manage to make the Mango Lime Virgin Margaritas I mentioned in yesterday’s post.

So. Good.

As per use, here are a few food-related articles I found interesting:

• FDA Reopens Food Dyes Debate- Why can’t we be smart like the British and dye our orange soda with pumpkin and carrot extract instead of petroleum-based dyes?
• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic- I’ve linked to an article like this before, but it only concerned produce. Reading about 12 different pesticides being in milk made me thankful that we alternate between buying strictly organic milk and unsweetened almond milk. Also, I’m pretty sad about the high number of pesticides used to grow blueberries because we can never find the organic variety.
• The Clean 15: Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic- This list isn’t entirely current, but it’s much more uplifting than the previously mentioned article. Also, recipes are provided with each fruit/veggie that makes the list.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I plan to thoroughly enjoy my last couple of days at the beach.

With my approaching period, I’ve been feeling not quite myself lately. I’ve been eating everything in sight without a second thought. My skin and my hair haven’t been behaving themselves (My clay and eggs mask had positive but fleeting results), and after walking Clem and Winston every day this week, my feet are sore and actually pretty smelly (It happens to the best of us).  One night this week, in an attempt to make myself look and feel less haggard, I made time for a hair mask, face mask, foot moisturizing/scraping (I did try to think of a less disgusting word), and a long bath (which was made complete by a couple of drops of sweet orange and lavender essential oils).

The hair mask did make my hair shiny, and my feet feel a million times better, but the bath and face mask were definitely the highlights of my night. Since I slightly altered the face mask that I linked to, here are the exact proportions I used:

• 1 tbsp of whole organic milk
• 1 tbsp of honey
• all of the aloe vera gel that I could squeeze out of that chunk in the picture
• 1 drop of lavender essential oil
• a pinch of whole grain old fashioned oats

This was my first time using essential oil to make a face mask, and it couldn’t have been a lovelier experience. I love the scent of lavender, and it had a calming effect on both me and my skin. I got a little on my lips and, after licking it off, discovered that this mask is also oddly delicious. I’m not entirely sure that ingesting lavender oil is safe, but I can’t imagine that just a drop would be dangerous. I did a little research, quickly became overwhelmed, and then gave up.

As for bathtime, sweet orange oil will definitely be a common future addition. I actually felt cheerful afterwards.

Here’s my skin post mask. Yes, that is a floral towel turban on my head.

P.S. In the first picture, the tiny brown bottle with the dropper (which used to be home to my argan oil) contains a mixture of tea tree oil and olive oil.  I applied it to my feet in addition to the peppermint lotion.

If you haven’t had a date with a couple of masks and a hot bath lately, then I’d suggest treating yourself. I feel great!

I was delighted to read that drinking 8 to 14 glasses of red wine per week might reduce a person’s risk of developing a cold.

I read this interesting and inspirational article about the Whooping Crane being reintroduced in Louisiana.

I learned what Clementine and Winston’s tails might be trying to tell me, and I loved that the hypothetical dog in the article is named Norton.

I came across some hot tips for reusing junk mail. I never even considered giving clothing catalogs second lives as shredded packing material; how neat!

This article about pet toxins was full of information that I’d already heard (and those who’ve had pets for a while might agree with me) , but it would certainly be helpful to a new pet owner or someone who is pet-sitting for a weekend. Still, xylitol being toxic to dogs was news to me, so even confident pet owners probably shouldn’t overlook the article completely.

I read an article that discussed 6 Foods That Weaken Bones, and I questioned the article’s credibility when it suggested drinking milk as an alternative to soft drinks.

To avoid having a text only post, here’s a sweet picture. Clementine is often willing to pose when she sees me with a camera, and I love that about her (even if I have to occasionally wag a stick to hold her attention).

My reason for giving up cheese is simple. Not only is it made from milk, an unhealthy part of any diet, but it also makes my bowel movements irregular… and I want no part of anything that interferes with something as natural and important as a bowel movement.

I still eat fish, eggs, and honey. This means that I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian. Regardless, I have no doubt that if done correctly…a vegan diet is an ideal diet.