Friday, September 14, 2012

Sabroso: Nieves

It has seriously been so hot in Southern California. We know most of the country endures this kind of weather every summer but we are wimps! One of our favorite desserts to keep cool is a Mexican ice cream called nieves, which translates to snow. There are hundreds of flavors and most of them are actually more like sorbets. Some of the ones we love are tamarind with chile, rose petal, coconut and guanabana. They do have some more outrageous flavors like rompope (like an egg-nog), cactus, corn and even avocado.


Our driver Edgar's favorite spot, on the way to Xochimilco.

THE spot for nieves, offering 100s of flavors, is Tepoznieves in Tepoztlan.

Food blogger De La Tierra has a fantastic recipe for a nieve that sounds amazing:

We will be trying this out soon!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Voyage: Tepoztlan with Sally

Where we'd rather be right now: On a lovely little trip to a magical location with one of our favorite people.

The ride there on this particular day was misty and luscious.



Hasta pronto, Sally and Tepoz!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Místico: Healing Jewelry



Mary's Stone: Sugilite

Do you ever have a piece of jewelry that, although beautiful, you find yourself never wearing it? And then one day, you are drawn to it and want to wear it every day? Such is the case with my sugilite ring. I can't get enough of it these days and truthfully, I did not know much about it until recently. Interesting how sometimes, the stone finds you...

Sugilite is an exceptional stone to use as it has the capacity to bring through the violet ray energy. This ray is associated with spiritual growth, deep spiritual love and wisdom and with the crown chakra. This is the area where most spiritual development is birthed.

This crystal has powerful metaphysical properties that will teach you how to live authentically, and you may become aware of why you incarnated to earth at this time. They are reputed to have the capacity to attract healing power to them so this is another useful reason for healers to use or wear them.

Wearing a Sugilite ring or pendant keeps the energy on your body and protects you from any negativity that may be attracted to your 'light'. If you are working on your spiritual development and are opening yourself up to the light, you may attract darker energy. Therefore using a strong protective stone is recommended.

It is also a powerful stone for dreaming and may help you to remember important dreams. By meditating with one of these stones, you may become aware of amazing scenes that may aid your overall transformation. The power of dreams can be lost in translation but I will say that since wearing this stone, I had one of the most magical, spiritual and enlightening dreams of my entire life.


Candice's Stone: Amber

This stone has been one of my favorites for a long time. It has continually followed me and makes it's presence known when I need it.

Amber provides decisiveness...being a Libra this is a property I welcome.  It strengthens your memory and intellect and helps with emotional calming and centering. It is an excellent grounding crystal, and transmutes negative energy to positive.  

Amber is a stone that aids manifestation and is effective at aiding you to use your innate talents and abilities, to bring abundance and prosperity into your life. It's no wonder that this stone knows exactly when to come back in my life. If you have never been in contact with amber I highly recommend it, the warmth it emits is beautiful. It is actually recommended that you wear amber to appreciate it's radiant nature.

Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it's therapeutic properties safely and naturally. Since amber was once "alive" it has a healing effect like no other stone, it produces negative ions that ease pain and provides protection from harmful radiation. Necklaces are my favorite as this energy is particularly helpful around the throat chakra.

Being that it is resin it can also be burned and made into oil. Amber oil is one of many that I mix on a daily basis as it has a calm and almost cheerful aroma. On a side note, mixed with Mary's go to scent vanilla, it makes for a heavenly combo.