This week we'll explore avocados and a magical chocolate avocado mousse recipe. We'll also delve into a long-awaited new book and tips about supplements for a plant-based diet.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight

Since we're now only a week away from the Super Bowl, this is definitely the time to celebrate avocados and in particular guacamole. I personally live for avocados year-round, but Super Bowl Sunday is always the day when the most avocados get consumed in the US. Ready to make some guac?

Believe it or not, I have numerous different guacamole recipes on my blog that you can explore. Two of my favorite guac recipes for parties are this Grilled Corn Guacamole and this Caramelized Onion Guacamole. Less traditional but super fun is this Hawaiian Tropical Fruit Guacamole. Or, if you want to go in more of a salsa direction rather than guac, there are plenty of fruit + avocado salsa examples in my fruit salsa guide.

My biggest suggestion? If you're planning to make guac for Super Bowl, buy your avocados now. If you buy them unripe, you can ripen them at your own pace. To accelerate the ripening, put them in a paper bag with some bananas (the gasses released by the ripening bananas increase the rate at which the avocados will ripen). When you're satisfied, put them in the fridge for the last day or two if needed to slow the process. Don't take your chances betting that the store will have ripe avos on Friday or Saturday, you could end up in an avocado emergency!

SPECIAL RECIPE: Chocolate Avocado Mousse

With both Super Bowl and Valentine's Day coming up, this seems like the perfect time to share with you my top-secret Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe. This is one I make all the time at home, but I've never put it on my blog. It's just for you guys! You'll never believe this rich chocolate mousse is vegan, naturally sweetened, and much lighter than classic mousse recipes.

Now before you get all concerned about this, please believe me when I say that you absolutely cannot taste the avocados at all. I promise! It tastes just like a creamy, rich chocolate mousse or pudding. You can also sweeten it to your own tastes and/or add another flavor element like a few drops of peppermint extract or a sprinkle of espresso powder. The only caveat: the avocados absolutely must be ripe for this to work.

Ingredients: (makes four servings)

• 0.25 c high-quality dark chocolate chips
• 0.5 tsp coconut oil
• 2 ripe avocados
• 0.25 c maple syrup
• 0.25 c cocoa powder
• Toppings of choice

Directions:

1. Carefully melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil until smooth using a double-boiler or 15-second increments in the microwave. Cool the melted chocolate until barely warm.
2. In a mini food processor, combine the cooled chocolate, avocados, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Process until you achieve a thick, rich texture that is completely homogeneous throughout. If needed, add a few drops of water, scrape down the sides, and re-process.
3. Pipe or spoon the chocolate avocado mousse into small serving glasses and chill for several hours.
4. To serve, top with fruit, coconut whip, chocolate shavings, or whatever inspires you.

Live Colorfully

What I'm Reading

This past week I was riveted by the latest Louise Penny book, The Gray Wolf. It actually came out a few months ago, but the hold list at our library was so long that I just got it (on audiobook). This is definitely one to binge-read!

Have you read the books in Louise Penny's Three Pines series? I recommend them highly (HOWEVER, you'll definitely want to read them in order, so start with Still Life). They follow the story of a homicide inspector in rural Quebec. But don't worry, they're not gruesome or morbid. Rather, they're very nuanced, thoughtful explorations of the beautiful and awful sides that humans have. The character development is really interesting and the plots are unique.

One of the threads in this most recent book (don't worry, this isn't a spoiler) is that we all have both a "black wolf" and a "grey wolf" inside of us. One is selfish and dangerous while the other is caring and good. But unlike the classic image of having a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other (and being at their mercy), the wolf analogy is fundamentally different. The one that wins out is the one that we feed.

Need book ideas for these dark February days? Remember that you can always browse my list of favorite books to see if anything sparks your interest.

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Self-Care Pick

I've been getting a lot of questions about supplements lately, so I figured this week we should dedicate the self-care section this week to supplements.

My biggest piece of advice? Don't just guess about whether you should be adding supplements to your routine. With some very standard blood work that your general practitioner can order, you can get actual data about your blood levels rather than just guessing. Many health insurances cover standard blood work periodically, so you may be able to do it with no out-of-pocket cost. It's always better to make your decision based on real data.

If you choose to use supplements, I suggest paying attention to the ingredients in the same way as you do with your food. If you're vegetarian or vegan, note that most omega supplements are derived from fish and most collagen supplements are derived from cows; if you want to avoid those, make sure to specifically look for an algae-based omega (instead of fish oil) and plant-based collagen-building peptides (instead of bovine collagen).

You won't necessarily find your favorites overnight; this has been a process that has taken me years. It's ok to experiment and refine as necessary. However, here are some of my discoveries that I hope can streamline your search:

• For omegas: I use Sunwarrior vegan DHA. It's the ONLY algae-based omega I've ever found (and I've tried lots!) that doesn't have a stinky smell and aftertaste.
• For collagen: I use the Sprout Living vegan collagen in my green smoothie every morning. It tastes good and you can easily mix it into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Use the code ROGUE to get 20% off all their products (check out all their great protein powders too, they're my go-to).
• For electrolytes: I use the Sunwarrior liquid light in my green smoothie every morning. It tastes vinegar-y on its own but it disappears right into a smoothie.
• For creatine: This is the most recent addition to my routine (just over a year) and I've found it to be hugely beneficial in my weightlifting recovery. I use Sunwarrior creatine in my green smoothie every morning.

It's important to note that supplements should be an add-on to a healthy diet full of diverse veggies, fruits, and other whole foods; supplements are definitely not a bandaid for a poor diet. Of course, your best course of action is to chat with your GP or nutritionist. Hopefully some of these points above give you a starting point for questions to ask at your next visit.

Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!