Days Off, July

#sorrynotsorry for the foodspam down below guys. It's a day off kind of post.
After a killer breakfast at Solbar (oh yes, I got white gravy on my bennie), some friends and I took off for a day in the mountains doing one of my favorite things.. Now, as I've said before, I typically follow a pretty healthy, plant-based diet, so indulgences like these are few and far between...but when I'm about to spend the day hauling my butt up a cliff (...or after I have...), I let the gross foodie in me be free.

Don't worry, I got my greens. Someday I hope to see menus utilizing a lot more delicious fruits and veggies, because I know this could've been pretty darn good with some sweet potato and mushrooms. But anyway. We headed up a decent hike to some nice, easy routes for a relaxing day in the sun. I love to be active, and know that whenever I'm spending time moving and doing things I enjoy, my face always looks just a little bit brighter. So even though this is a day off, it's still a bit of skin therapy in the end.
Whenever I know I'm going to be in the sun for a while, I make sure to use sunscreen. Muy importante! Sunburns from heavy sun exposure are your skin's way of showing you that it is not happy! UVA and UVB rays cause so much damage to skin - premature aging, loss of elasticity, spots, and of course skin cancers.  It is said that sunburns are your body's way of fighting off toxic skin cells that have been damaged by the sun - yikes! When considering that you're going to be in your body for quite a while, I'd say it's worth it to at least lather on some help. There's been some chatting about titanium sunscreen product concerns and "nanoparticles"...so I suggest sticking to products that use zinc as the active ingredient. Remember to check those!

Ending the night with a good, home-cooked meal  - we made some tasty watermelon mojitos (had to rehydrate right?!) and roasted a bunch of veggies in the cast iron pan. Simple, centuries-old technique still reigns in this house! I love cooking just about anything in the cast iron - you don't need much, if any, oil and it add SO much flavor to everything! The more you cook with it, the more you will grow to love it, so I hope you pick one up if you haven't!. One tip for cooking in a cast iron is to, actually avoid washing it! A pan you don't clean - it exists. If mine is really dirty, I throw a splash of water in the pan with the heat on, and the simmering water will loosen whatever gunk is stuck to your pan so that you can just wipe it away with a towel. No chemicals needed for cleaning, this just keeps getting better. I like to roast at around 400 degrees (F) in the oven, but of course you can adjust depending on your oven and what you're cooking. A great day off with good food, exercise, and sunshine - keep those on your calendar.. :)