There is an oregano-demic. Folks in Seattle are suddenly suffering from nice, warm weather, creating a climate described as “oregano heaven,” and now the leafy herb, best used in moderation, is taking over unsuspecting gardens everywhere. The big question: “How can I use my fresh load of oregano?”

One frazzled gardener, Rachele, reported the problem to Kitchn.com in desperate search of a solution. Folks far and wide have come to her rescue, chiming in with recipes and ideas on how and where to donate bunches of it (give it to colleagues! friends!)– we love the way people really come together in times of need.

With so many Seattle Spas, we thought we’d do our part and lend a hand to finding the solution. See, oregano is part of the mint family, and mint is often used at the spa. So why not spice it up and use some oregano?

Seattle spas, would any of you like to create an oregano spa treatment for the upcoming Seattle Spa Week (September 13-19) to help put an end to the great oregano overtaking? We know where you can get some…!

Hot dogs are a 4th of July staple and delicious from the grill or the skillet…but let’s face it, if you’re chatting it up at a barbecue, you’re not gonna want to settle for just one.

So, for this special 4th of July edition of 1 Food 3 Ways, we give you three hot dogs that don’t pack in the fat or calories, but don’t skimp on flavor, either. So have 2, and enjoy your holiday!

Oscar Meyer Light Weiners Made w/ Turkey and Pork

Per 1 frank (45 g): 90 calories, 6 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 1 g carb., 5 g protein

Applegate Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
Per 1 frank (43 g): 80 calories, 6 g total fat (2.5 g sat. fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 0 g carb., 5 g protein

Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks
Per 1 frank (49 g): 45 calories, 1.5 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 2 g carb., 6 g protein

Have you ever been sitting at your desk in the middle of the day, struck with vicious hunger pangs, and all of a sudden remember you left that healthy lunch you took the time out to prepare on the kitchen counter? No one’s perfect, but we have a guest post from one of our Westchester County spas, Intentional Living to help cure some of those healthy eating woes—during Spa Week and beyond.

You are what you eat is an old cliché, but it holds a lot of truth. We passionately encourage you to create the life you want to live, but how can you do that if you don’t have the energy? Food is our fuel and the foundation that gives us the energy needed to do the things that we love. Food is fun. Food is sexy. Choosing wholesome foods and developing a functional love affair with food is an act of self-care and self-love. And who couldn’t use more love!

By this time, most of us have tried so many different diets, supplements and tricks, all which have left us not only fed up (no pun intended) but also with no insights to what gives us the most energy and how to sustain good lifestyle habits. This is why at Intentional Living we strongly believe in nutrition and wellness counseling Our mind, body, and soul approach to food, fitness, and lifestyle teaches you how to achieve optimal vibrant energy so that you can focus on living your best life!

Whether you are looking to use food as medicine, gain knowledge on preventative maintenance, eat and train for optimal sports performance, or change the dietary and lifestyle habits of yourself or your family, nutrition and wellness counseling will change your relationship with food and ultimately, your life.

Our comprehensive guided approach draws on our training in nutrition, fitness, self-mastery, and stress management techniques. You will get a thorough education about food and fitness and the science behind it (not to mention the politics behind it), and how it affects your individual system. There is no one diet and exercise program for everyone, so why not learn about your system and how to achieve optimal energy and performance. Start living your best life with our easy step by step guided approach. I guarantee that you will never feel like you are on “a diet” and this will be your final ride on the food and wellness roller coaster!

Being part of Spa week is an amazing way to arm more people with the knowledge and opportunity to have a love affair with wholesome food! This empowering force will bring out each individual’s inner warrior and allow you to take control and live the life you were meant to live! Call Intentional Living now at 914-414-0078 to take advantage of our $50 Spa Week Nutrition & Wellness Counseling Session. This could be the most important investment you do for you and your family!

For Spa Week readers I wanted to share some delicious, energy-lasting, healing food breakfast recipes that will set your day off on the right foot!

Breakfast Option #1:

Kefir Smoothie:

1-cup plain flavor kefir : a fermented drink high in pro-biotics. Pro-biotics help keep the gut flora flourishing thereby helping you break down your foods for better absorption. For a dairy free & soy free option use coconut milk kefir.

1 cup of fresh berries: High in antioxidants to help fight inflammation

1 TBS of ground flax seeds: highest source of heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids

1 tsp vanilla

Few cubes of ice

½ TBS of raw honey (optional)

Blend and Enjoy!

Breakfast Option #2:

Sweet Millet with Rice Milk and Almonds-This makes a wonderful breakfast or dessert.

½ cup of Millet: Millet is a gluten-free cooling grain which is good for gastrointestinal irregularities. Millet also balances blood sugar, is high in iron, and has a high amino-acid protein profile.

¼ cup of blanched almonds: Almonds restore, tone, and nurture the body. According to Ayurvedic medicine, almonds relieve constipation, kidney stones, and gallstones. They help strengthen the bones, nerves and reproductive system.

¼ cup fresh blueberries: Great source of anti-oxidant vitamin C. Blueberries help increase good cholesterol levels

1 cup of water

¼ cup vanilla rice milk

Cinnamon to taste: Regulates blood sugar

Rinse millet and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add millet and simmer for about 20 mins. Or, until all water is absorbed. Add the remaining ingredients and gently heat until all ingredients are warm, approx. 2-3 mins.

Convenient Time Saver: Place everything in a travel mug, pour boiling water on top and by the time you get to your destination, it will be ready to enjoy!

There is ALWAYS a convenient way to enjoy good food and great choices!! For more great recipes and lifestyle tips sign up for Intentional Living’s monthly newsletter.

I have a date tonight.

Back in November I was invited out to dinner by a man by the name of Hagan Blount. For a last-minute girl in a city of last-minute men where dates tend come into existence the week-of, if not the hour-of (one of the great thrills of living in New York!)—this was certainly no ordinary invitation.

Hagan Blount is The Wandering Foodie, and after his last stunt (24 meals in 24 hours), Hagan has asked over 50 NYC food bloggers, myself included, to join him for a meal along the way on his latest epicurean adventure, 93 Plates.

For the entire month of January, Hagan is eating every single meal—breakfast, lunch and dinner—at one of New York City’s best restaurants, documenting every last bite. Thirty-one days, three meals a day = 93 Plates.

Why? The Wandering Foodie says: Why not?

Read more at WanderingFoodie.com and check back here to read the juicy details of our meal tomorrow. Oh… where are we eating? That’s a very good question. The destination has changed 3 times within 3 food genres and 2 boroughs in the past 48 hours… and at 2:30 PM, with bated breath I wait. Even for a non-date with an organized, super-charged foodie on the loose, nothing’s different—it’s still New York!

Follow us on Twitter for the live table talk: @H18 and @michellejoni

AFTER THE DATE UPDATE:

Just after posting this, Hagan informed me that our dinner was at a little Italian place in Queens called Vesta. Last time I had been to Queens for dinner was never. I was excited to try out a new borough, and my expectations were wildly surpassed.

A note on Hagan: “Wandering Foodie” is a 100% accurate representation of his current existence. With a laptop on his shoulder and only the clothes on his back (well, and the ones in his sublet), Hagan wanders from restaurant to Starbucks, blogging and eating and blogging and eating without much else in between.

It was fun to take on the role of a true food blogger for the night, photographing each dish in the best lit spot of the restaurant, jotting down notes on each bite, ingredient, flavor, spice, texture and opinion. Enjoy eating vicariously through our meal, and I’ll link you when Hagan posts his detailed review.

Appetizers:

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan, one of the dishes they are rightfully known for. If you love roasted brussel sprouts... it's because you've never tried them fried.

Bibb Salad: Some of the freshest, buttery smooth lettuce I've ever had, topped with fried leeks, bacon with a farm egg; yolk drizzled on top with a light dressing.

The Meatballs: The breadcrumbs and Parmesan stole the spotlight - the ball is in their court completely.

Main Course:

Porkbelly with Sweet Potatoes, Pearl Onions and Prune Sauce blended beautifully. Porkbelly was too fatty for me to enjoy, as porkbelly tends to go for me. But was a well prepared dish for fat-lovers.

Cheesy Campinelle: Beats any macaroni and cheese. Again, breadcrumbs stole the show, creating flavor-filled fireworks in my mouth with every bite.

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Escarole: Too oily and not enough flavor compared to the other competitors on the table.

Dessert:

Pound Cake with Apricot Sauce: Better without the sauce. A decent cake, nothing to write home about.

Baby Jesus Cake: Hagan loved it. I thought it was just okay. Hagan also thought there was gingerbread in it. I assured him there was not. I was right.

Check out The Foodie’s version of our meal at Vesta.

Cleanses are all the rage among young women (and men), especially in urban areas – a search for “cleanse” or “detox” can turn up hundreds of webpages extolling the virtues of these righteous purges, which usually consist of food regiments with little to no solid food. Proponents of cleanses say they flush out the fats, toxins, and chemicals that are part and parcel of a modern diet. Many companies offer pre-prepared cleanses, where customers can choose the length of time they’d like to “cleanse” and can purchase instructions and enough premade juices and liquids to last for that number of days.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hmmm...

I’ve read about these cleanses, but I must admit I’ve been skeptical. I get irritable, moody, and nauseous when I’m hungry – I can’t imagine voluntarily subsisting on juice for more than a few hours, much less a few days, and I can’t imagine that depriving myself of solid food would really work to flush my system out. Jauntsetter recently posted a firsthand account of one of these cleanses that seems to agree with me – this blogger found that a cleanse made her feel worse, not better.

After reading that, I feel vindicated and quite sure I won’t be committing to a cleanse anytime soon. Have you tried any of these trendy cleanses or detox programs? What was your experience?