My Grandma Rivas or Mamaw as we called her is one of the most influential women in my lifetime. She wasn’t a huge cook but every so often, when the occasion called for it, she whipped up tamales with her sisters, a special stuffing recipe and a delicious recipe for Spanish Rice. In between those …
My baby sister recently moved into her first apartment! As an experienced apartment dweller, I checked out every single option, roommate, lease and reviewed for all of the potentially unexpected issues that come with renting. It was actually a fun process when it wasn’t me trying to find a spot for myself! While she was …
The holidays can be a tough time for people with food allergies and restrictions. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve overindulged a little more than I should have this season with symptoms of it still lingering around. I can avoid the mashed potatoes and fresh bread (sometimes) but the hardest part of …
Earlier this week, I went to my first SoulCycle class. It was their small studio in Old Town and just as I had arrived, a slew of Soul riders were running out and crowding the lockers and tossing their towels and sweating boastful manifestation vibes that the entire room was like a cloud of enlightenment. …
This year especially, I’ve taken the baking game up a notch. I’ve been having a blast experimenting in the kitchen with autoimmune paleo and paleo recipes that leave me feeling full and use fresh, real ingredients. There are a lot of things that make following the AIP and paleo diet difficult, but the hardest is …
This year has been BIG for me. I started the autoimmune paleo diet in March and have been documenting my journey on Instagram. It looks healthy and fun, but there’s meaning behind my recipes for collagen smoothies and gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free brownies. I’ve been looking for some internal healing. I’ve said it a million …
I have a love/hate relationship with Cinco de Mayo. I love that it’s a day where we get to celebrate Mexican culture in the mainstream, but I hate the fact that it’s often a day to perpetuate negative stereotypes and make fun of the culture I hold so dearly. So while you’re sharing these delicious …
Summer is officially here in Chicago! Which means I put on a bikini for the first time in a full year and between us, I was not feeling super confident. Even though I’m only sporting it at the dog beach and my dog couldn’t care less what I look like and only how far I …
The holiday season is officially here! The list of everything I’m thankful for this year is overwhelming. My family is moving back to Chicago from Arizona to be closer to me, I am the recent adoptive mother to the cutest little puppy in the whole world (unbiased opinion), and am so blessed to have a …
A couple of weeks ago I started a new job. New places mean all sorts of new perks and one of the major bonuses to this new place are free bagels every Monday. Not just any bagels from the fridge section. I’m talking about freshly made Panera Bakery bagels in every flavor with every kind of …
