June's Strawberry Moon Explained

I happened to run to the supermarket around 9:00 last night when I looked up and caught sight of June's spectacular Strawberry Moon. I was thrilled to be able to snap a quick photo before heading inside the store. Glowing low on the horizon, the moon looked like a giant ball of fire lighting up the night sky.

Despite its name, the Strawberry Moon isn't actually pink or shaped like a strawberry. June's full moon gets its name because it's strawberry harvesting season, not because of its color. Because it rises so low in the sky, it can often appear golden, orange, or even fiery red, making it one of the most beautiful full moons of the year.

The name Strawberry moon originated with the Native American tribes, particularly the Algonquin people, who used the full moons to keep track of the changing seasons. The June's full moon signaled that it was wild strawberry season.  Thus they called the June moon, Strawberry Moon.

                                                       

This year's Strawberry Moon was especially interesting because it appeared unusually low in the sky for many people in the Northern Hemisphere. When the moon is close to the horizon like this, it often looks much larger than it really is thus creating a fascinating optical illusion known as the "moon illusion." Depending on weather conditions, it can also take on golden, orange, or reddish tones as its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere.

If you missed the June Strawberry Moon this year, you'll have to wait until next June for another chance to enjoy this beautiful annual event.

Summer Vegan Pesto

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite summer recipes—a fresh, vibrant healthy pesto made with fresh herbs that I snip straight from the containers on my deck. There's something very satisfying about stepping outside, gathering a handful of fresh herbs, and turning them into a flavorful sauce in just a few minutes.

For this easy pesto, I simply picked a large handful of fresh basil and a handful of cilantro, gave them a quick wash and dry, and tossed them into my food processor with raw cashews, pressed garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. A few pulses later, I had a creamy, flavorful pesto that is completely oil-free and vegan.

The raw cashews (I usually buy them at Trader Joe's or Costco) give the pesto its rich, creamy texture without needing any added oil. Traditional pesto relies on quite a bit of olive oil, but I don't miss it at all. Cashews add creaminess along with fiber and nutrients, while oil has lots of calories but no fiber to contribute.

The result is a fresh, delicious pesto that's incredibly versatile. Toss it with zucchini noodles for a light summer meal, stir it into your favorite pasta (gluten-free, in my case!), spread it on sandwiches or wraps, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, or use it as a dip.

Don't like cilantro? Parsley is always a good substitute and will work just fine in this recipe.

If you're new to vegan cooking, you'll quickly discover that raw cashews are one of the best pantry staples to have on hand. They're the secret ingredient behind many creamy dairy-free spreads, dips, dressings, and sauces.

When your herb garden containers are overflowing this summer, this simple pesto is a delicious way to put them to good use!

Ingredients

1.5 cup of fresh basil leaves

1.5 cup of fresh cilantro leaves (or 3/4 cup of parsley)

1 large clove of garlic, pressed

Salt and cracked pepper

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup of raw cashews (not toasted)

Directions 

Place everything in the food processor and process until creamy, scraping down the sides if necessary. 

My Notes: 

1. Greens of any kind are good healthy food.

2. Herbs and spices add lots of nutrients to our recipes

Spicy Moroccan Cauliflower Dinner Inspired by Ruhama

Last week, I spotted some big beautiful cauliflowers at the neighborhood farmers market. They looked so fresh and vibrant that I couldn't resist bringing one home with me.

Once I got home, though, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to make. I knew one thing: I didn't want an ordinary cauliflower recipe. I was in the mood for something flavorful, exciting, and a little different from my usual roasted cauliflower dishes.

I went online for inspiration.

Many of my friends had mentioned a Middle Eastern cook named Ruhama.  I decided to visit her website and see what everyone was raving about.

If you're not familiar with Ruhama, it's time to meet her.

According to her website, 

"Ruhama Shitrit is an Israeli-American recipe developer and content creator who shares authentic Middle Eastern recipes through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube under her brand, RuhamasFood. Drawing from her Iraqi heritage, she creates both traditional and modern interpretations of Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine."

Her recipes look delicious, approachable, and full of bold flavors that make you want to say, "WOW" and head straight into the kitchen. She is a delight to watch perform in her videos!! She is.                                                                            quick with the recipe, to the point, and fun!! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I was especially inspired by her vegan Moroccan Cauliflower Video Recipe. Of course, being a food blogger and recipe developer myself, I couldn't help but adapt her idea to my own taste by adding some ingredients and leaving out others. I have a feeling Ruhama would understand—we all tend to make recipes our own and there are hundreds of ways to make Moroccan cauliflower online.

The end result was an incredibly flavorful cauliflower dinner that was anything but ordinary.

Sometimes all it takes is one beautiful head of cauliflower from the farmers market and a little inspiration from another cook such as Ruhama to create a meal you'll want to make again and again.

Thank you, Ruhama, for the inspiration. Our vegan Moroccan cauliflower dinner was absolutely delicious. 

Here is the recipe I made- now you can make it with adaptations of your own to suit your taste!!

Ingredients: 

1 head of fresh cauliflower, sliced into steak slices

3 tomatoes, sliced

5 mini sweet peppers(any color) sliced

3-5 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (your choice)

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds +

1 teaspoon of ground cumin +

1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt (adapt to your taste)

1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper

2 cups of jarred chunky salsa (mild, medium, or hot) 

+ 1 cup of water

1/4 cup of pitted whole or sliced Kalamata olives

2 cups of cooked chickpeas (1 can, washed and drained) 

1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (leave it out if you don't like it)

Directions; 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place tomatoes, sweet peppers, red onion, cumin seeds, cumin and 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth in a large rimmed skillet that eventually can go in the oven. Begin to cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add cauliflower slices and the cauliflower crumbles, garlic, olives, salt, cracked pepper, salsa and an additional 1 cup of water . Cook for about 10 minutes covered. Remove lid, cook 5 more minutes. Add chickpeas and place in preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Top with lots of fresh cilantro (if you like cilantro) and serve.

My Notes: 

1. Serve with rice or quinoa for a satisfying meal

2. I use a jar of organic mild salsa from Aldi

3. All my recipes on this blog are always naturally gluten-free 

4. This is an easy and tasty plant-based meal 

5.Personally, I don't add any oils to my recipes- I use water or broth instead for sautéing. 

  

Computer Repairs and Best Buy

Recently, my desktop computer started acting up. It was becoming very slow, programs were frequently closing, and even typing had become frustrating. I would type something and then wait several seconds for the words to appear on the screen.

Since we have a Best Buy membership that includes computer support and repairs, I decided to use their remote service, where a technician can access your computer while you are on it and fix any problems.