This week we'll explore how to make naturally-colored July 4th treats with blue spirulina and easy tofu "ricotta" for summer. We'll also delve into tomorrow's Strawberry Moon and a peaceful sip & stroll ritual.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: BLUE SPIRULINA

With July 4th coming up soon, I expect many of you will be making red, white, and blue treats. But before you reach for that bottle of blue food coloring, what about trying a natural alternative? Yes indeed, you can get a bright blue color in a natural (and even healthful!) way using blue spirulina, an edible algae.

Blue spirulina is an edible member of the cyanobacteria family and has a neon blue color. You may be able to find it at artisan grocery stores or you can order it online. In addition to looking great, it's actually very nutrient-dense. It contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, omegas, antioxidants, and amino acids. In contrast, there's a huge amount of research suggesting that artificial food coloring negatively impacts our health. The take-home message? Definitely opt for blue spirulina to color your July 4th cakes, cookies, drinks, etc.

What can you do with this powerful and colorful algae? It mixes nicely into anything liquid or creamy, so you can stir it into frosting, yogurt, ice cream bases, etc. It also works great in drinks; I recently published a fun guide to making drinks with blue spirulina, which is filled with tips, tricks, examples, and specific recipes.

Will you be making any red, white, and blue creations this week? If so, give blue spirulina a try!

Try This Week: EASY TOFU "RICOTTA"

Do you ever feel like you want to add some protein to a meal but don't want to deal with the hassle of cooking it? Recently in that situation, I've been turning to tofu "ricotta". It works especially well on a warm summer day when you don't feel like turning on the stove.

Made from high-protein tofu, this easy, plant-based ricotta substitute is tasty and versatile. Best of all, there's no cooking involved, so it's a great option for a busy evening. You can get all the details in this Lemony Tofu Ricotta post. The process involves pressing all of the water out of the tofu and then flavoring it with lemon zest, lemon juice, a dash of robust olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Although most people think of ricotta as a component in lasagna, I love the simplicity of just dolloping this tofu "ricotta" on a salad or adding it as a component of a bowl meal.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: THE STRAWBERRY MOON

On Monday night (June 29), keep an eye out for the full moon. June's full moon is typically called the "Strawberry Moon" and I love how its name celebrates one of early summer's greatest treats.

Want to view the Strawberry Moon in all its glory? Its peak fullness will occur on Monday evening, so you'll be able to see it best as it rises, looking eastward. You'll also have a great view of it on both Monday morning and Tuesday morning as it sets, looking westward.

If you really want to get into the spirit, remember that we chatted about the many different ways to enjoy strawberries back in this recent issue. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a picnic with strawberry drinks, a strawberry salad, and a strawberry salsa on Monday evening, then watch the strawberry moon rise?

Self-Care Pick: A SIP & STROLL RITUAL

This week, I'm excited to introduce you to one of my favorite summer rituals that I call "Sip & Stroll". For me, this routine is about setting aside some time to care for both my body and my mind.

Sip & Stroll is exactly as it sounds: I sip (a matcha) and I stroll. All you need is a refreshing beverage of your choice and a long walk, ideally in the woods or somewhere else peaceful. I do Sip & Stroll alone since it's a time that I dedicate to myself, but you could also meet up with a friend.

For the "Sip" piece, an iced version of this Salted Maple Matcha is my daily go-to. It's perfect for a warm day since it has a satisfying sweet/salty combo and contains some electrolytes. I'm a huge fan of Matcha Nude's Premium Matcha, which is organic, delicately-flavored, and vibrant green (use the code ROGUE for 15% off). I also always add these unsweetened, unflavored electrolyte drops, which are especially important for summer (shop through the link to get 20% off).

That said, this concept will work beautifully with any sort of iced coffee, juice, or even smoothie, so do whatever matches your mood and the time of day.

One pro tip: get yourself a good insulated tumbler. I treated myself to this whimsical mermaid tumbler and it makes me happy every day to fill my glittery cup with matcha. Look for something double-walled (for better insulation), large (to accommodate a lot of ice), and maybe even transparent (so that you can see your beautiful, colorful creation).

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!