This week we'll explore avocados and Cinco de Mayo recipes for the upcoming holiday. We'll also delve into a fun fantasy novel and enjoying dopamine "nibbles" (i.e. small bits of joy).

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: AVOCADOS (FOR CINCO DE MAYO!)

In honor of Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, I'm excited to celebrate avocados and in particular guacamole. Although you can of course make traditional guac for a celebration tomorrow evening, it's also fun to change up your routine with some exciting and different flavors.

In many ways, avocados are a blank canvas for all your guacamole dreams. They go beautifully with a wide variety of ingredients including various types of citrus, other fruits, and savory add-ins like caramelized onions. You could even make a few different types of guac if you're having a get-together.

I have numerous different guacamole recipes on the blog to get your creative juices flowing. 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.

What I'm Loving Right Now: CINCO DE MAYO RECIPES

In addition to guacamole (obviously!!), what other Cinco de Mayo appetizers and finger foods could you make for a party? The options are endless! Mexican-inspired appetizers are fun, full of flavor, and well-loved by all. So whether you're hosting a party, heading to a friend's house, or just having a low-key evening at home, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect opportunity to make some delicious snacks.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Unique Tequila Cocktails

• ​Blackberry Coconut Margarita​
• ​Ginger Margarita​
• ​Blueberry Ginger Paloma​
• ​Coconut Paloma​
• ​Cinnamon Cherry Paloma​
• ​Blackberry Tequila Mule​

Show-Stealing Dips

• All the guacamole variations listed above!
• ​Vegan Pineapple Seven Layer Dip​
• ​Loaded Vegan Black Bean Dip​

Colorful, Cold Nibbles

• ​Healthy Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Peppers​
• ​Rainbow Mexican Black Bean Salad​
• ​Vegan Watermelon Nachos with Avocado Sauce​

Hearty, Hot Nibbles

• ​Margarita-Inspired Mexican Cauliflower​
• ​Orange Jalapeno Brussels Sprouts​
• ​Nacho Cabbage​

Live Colorfully

A Book to Explore: THE AWAKENING

If you enjoy fantasy novels, then I have a book for you to check out. I just finished Nora Robert's "The Awakening" and definitely enjoyed it. It's actually the first book in a trilogy, so I've already downloaded the second one and am excited to dive into it this weekend. (If you're not into fantasy, then this one probably isn't for you; however, Nora Roberts actually writes a lot of crime/thriller type books too, which I've heard are good).

The Awakening is a story about finding yourself. It follows the tale of a young woman in Philadelphia who has always been taught that she's average. But when she decides to adopt "courage" as her motto, she spends a summer in Ireland discovering herself, her roots, her family history, and many things about her that are far from average. Overall, it's a fun read that manages to be both entertaining and thoughtful.

As always, you can browse my list of favorite books if you're looking for more ideas.

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Self-Care Pick: DOPAMINE NIBBLES

Last week, I heard an interesting segment on a morning radio show about dopamine (i.e. the feel-good brain chemical), which I wanted to share with you all. In particular, they discussed dopamine "appetizers" or "nibbles"; basically, tiny bits of pleasure we can give ourselves in our everyday lives.

Sure, we all want to take a vacation, attend a special event, or do something else big (i.e., the dopamine "main course"). But there are small things we can consciously do as well, every single day. So this week, I challenge you to find and put into practice three new dopamine nibbles, each of which takes less than five minutes, into your daily routine.

Here are a few things that have been giving me small but wonderful bits of joy lately, particularly in the morning:

• Taking an unhurried post-workout shower and using my fabulous homemade shea butter and coconut oil body butter (want me to share the recipe?)
• Making a special post-workout matcha latte and really savoring the process (the smell, the feel of whisking the matcha, that first wonderful sip)
• Spending a few moments every morning looking at the pretty new pink and orange blooms on one of my succulents
• Listening to a new audiobook (see the section above!) on my way into work

What could these dopamine "nibbles" look like for you? Maybe it's making a special cappuccino, using a new facial product, having breakfast while looking out the window instead of at a screen, or taking five minutes to meditate right when you wake up. Feel free to reply and let me know what's giving you tiny bits of joy lately; I'd love to share some of your ideas next week.

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!