VEGETARIAN CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

I have been trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet as I have become convinced that we all eat too much meat.  I love black beans and wanted to share a delicious recipe from the Forks Over Knives website. Enjoy!  (I didn't make my own tortillas.  I buy mine at Trader Joe's.  They have some wonderful healthy options.)

Cuban Black Bean Soup
From Happy Herbivore AbroadServes 2

Ingredients: 

• ½ small onion, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder,
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup prepared salsa
• 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
• 1–2 green onions, sliced (garnish)
• corn chips, crumbled (garnish)
• hot sauce or cayenne
• pepper (optional)

Instructions:

Line a skillet with a thin layer of water (or vegetable broth).

Sauté onion over high heat until translucent— about 2–3 minutes.

Add chili powder and cumin, and stir to combine.

Then add beans, vegetable broth, and salsa.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and puree until mostly smooth.

Mix puree back in with soup. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and broken corn chips.

You can also drizzle with hot sauce or add cayenne pepper to taste, if desired.

Chef’s Note:You can make your own corn chips from tortillas. Crisp tortillas in a toaster oven or oven (350ºF) for a few minutes until crisp, then crumble into chips.

Multiple Benefits of Coffee

I continue to be amazed by the multiple benefits the coffee bean and its fruit have to offer.  Besides  producing an awesome morning beverage, the coffee bean has been used in the skincare to improve circulation and to reduce the appearance of cellulite. It is also reputed that by lathering caffeine on the skin, the caffeine in coffee could guard against skin cancers.

Coffee beans can be a cook's best friend.  Coffee grounds can be placed in the refrigerator to freshen and remove odors.   It turns out that this works on skin, too!  To get rid of stubborn smells like garlic, onions, or fish on your hands, just rub a few coffee beans into your skin. When the unwanted odor is gone, wash up with soap and water!

Recently, Dr. Oz investigated weight loss claims involving green coffee bean extract. "The most recent study on the green coffee bean was published in January 2012 in the 
Diabetes, MetabolicSyndrome and Obesity journal. The researchers followed a group of 16 adults who supplemented with a special green coffee bean extract of chlorogenic acids at different dosages (either 700 or 1050 milligrams per day) for 12 weeks. All 16 adults were considered overweight, as demonstrated by a BMI of greater than 25 (a normal BMI is between 18.5 and 25).

The extract the researchers used contained an ingredient called GCA, which contains a standard green coffee extract of total chlorogenic acids and other hydroxycinnamic acids that have been known to have antioxidant health benefits. The subjects lost an average of almost 18 pounds – this was 10% of their overall body weight and 4.4% of their overall body fat."

If you would like to see this show, this link will take you to the video on the Dr. Oz show website.  I found it really interesting.

A Fun Place To Visit - The Kauai Coffee Plantation

If you are lucky enough to visit Kauai, don't miss the Kauai Coffee Plantation, the largest coffee plantation in Hawaii.  It is one of my favorite places to visit. There is an outdoor sampling room with over sixteen different types of awesome coffee to choose from and you can try as many coffees as you would like.  They are absolutely delicious and fresh, having been grown right there on the estate.  The sampling area overlooks a beautiful view of the coffee fields.   

 There is also a video playing, which explains the coffee making process and there is a self-guided tour through the coffee fields.  There is a small museum that has all sorts of interesting artifacts related to coffee making. Sometimes, a staffer shows you how beans are roasted.  There is also a little cafe that sells delicious pastries and, of course, coffee! 

 

 The gift shop sells their wonderful coffees as well as chocolate covered macadamia nuts, cute T-shirts, burlap coffee bags with the Kauai Coffee Company logo as well as jewelry, artwork, etc.  Kauai Coffee Company uses very green farming techniques, creating their own hydroelectric power. I hope you get the chance to enjoy this interesting coffee plantation on the lovely island of Kauai.

Film Producer Jennifer Klein's 14th Annual Day of Indulgence Event!

 

This month, some of Hollywood's leading ladies gathered at producer Jennifer Klein's home for her girls only 14th annual Day of Indulgence party.  Actresses, network and studio executives, screenwriters, directors and producers were treated to a day of guilty pleasures including sweet treats, shopping, pampering massages, manicures, pedicures, eyebrow shaping, eyelash tinting and even reflexology.  Jennifer also shared handpicked products that are her favorite brands and designers which she has personally tried and loves, to introduce to the invitees who recieved a gift "suitcase" designed especially for her event by Nike.

Jennifer was introduced to Kohana Skin's Wild Ginger Alaea Salt Scrub while on the Hawaiian island of Lanai recently.  She loved the product and contacted us to include the scrub in her Nike gift "suitcase" at the 14th annual Day of Indulgence party, which took place on August 12th of this month.  We were delighted to have the opportunity to particpate and excited that guests Jennifer Lawrence, Tyra Banks, Christina Hendricks, Jennifer Garner, Andie MacDowell, Hailee Steinfeld, Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg and others received our Wild Ginger Alaea Salt Scrub and the Papaya Pineapple Enzyme Masque to experience!

Covered by InStyle Magazine, here are the details about the fabulous Day of Indulgence party! 

In celebration of this exciting event and for a limited time, we will be including free 2 ounce travel sizes of our Wild Ginger Alaea Salt Scrub and Papaya Pineapple Enzyme Masque!  Like us on Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to automatically recieve these popular products with your next order!   Happy Aloha Friday!

Gladys Magazine Features Kohana Skin

We are absolutely delighted to have our Kona Coffee Body Polish featured in the Eco-Friendly Beauty Finds of the July 2012 issue of Gladys Magazine.    Gladys Magazine is a quarterly, national magazine and online source dedicated to helping busy people of all ages create and inspire change. Their editorial philosophy is one of positive encouragement and motivation. They offer inspiring articles to enrich their reader's lives and contribute what's hip in fashion, beauty, travel and luxury products.   It is dedicated to anyone who has been inspired to pursue their dreams by someone they love.

Organic Spa Magazine Annual Skin Care Guide 2012

We had an especially nice Aloha Friday treat today.  I received an email from Organic Spa Magazine letting me know that Kohana Skin  was included in the 2012 issue of Organic Spa Magazine Annual Skin Care Guide for the third year in a row!  Organic Spa Magazine's Skin Care Guide  is a list of the leading companies in the natural and organic beauty field. A few years ago, this list was limited to just a few companies. Today, thanks to consumers' interest in a greener and cleaner world, the list has grown tremendously.  In fact, there are over 550 natural and organic companies that have been listed in this issue and we are delighted to be one of them.  To view the digital version of this issue, please click here.

Papaya - A Super Food

One of my favorite fruits to eat is the papaya. Christopher Columbus called the deliciously sweet papaya the "fruit of the angels". Papayas contain papain, which is a digestive aid and has been shown to assist in digesting proteins.  This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in skin care.

Rich in potassium and vitamin C, one cup contains 55 calories, 0 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 31% RDA of vitamin A, 144% RDA of vitamin C, 13% RDA of folate, 5% RDA of vitamin E, 5% RDA vitamin K, 10% RDA potassium, 3% RDA calcium and 3% RDA magnesium and 3 grams of fiber.

I love the papaya salsa sold at Trader Joes, but I found this wonderful recipe for a Pineapple Papaya Salsa that is delicious on salmon burgers.  Let me know if you try it and like it!

Pineapple Papaya Salsa Ingredients:

3/4 cup ripe papaya, diced
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced
3/4 cup diced jicama
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar