Home Pizza Crust – Neapolitan-Style Recipe

Home pizza crust is easy and fun to make as homemade pizza dough. And it can be made with any gluten flour like bread flour that I love as more universal to use. You can make other bread types and not just pizza like with 00 flour.

Home oven made Neapolitan style pizza crust with mushrooms. — Neapolitan style pizza crust that looks wood fire oven charred, but is baked in an apartment oven.

Below you can learn step by step how to get the home pizza crust you want including a Neapolitan style crust that’s popular in restaurants with wood fire ovens… but that you can make even from an apartment oven! 👇

…Without waiting for one to be delivered.

This is impressive to your friends and learning how to make your own pizza crust is rewarding. 😋

…Pizza can be a healthy meal that’s filling for all ages. I have a homemade pizza recipe you can try along with all the detailed steps from scratch below…

And you can learn techniques from me, a once-upon-a-time pizza maker teenager for 4 years who worked at the busiest Domino’s Pizza store and franchise in the world 😊… yes, in the world. 🌎

Back then, we would crank out over 200 pizzas an hour on any given Friday or Game Day Sunday. This was when the 30 minute guarantee still existed and then became a well-known business case study.

It was the funnest job I ever had… and very memorable decades later where I use my pizza learned skills to make home pizza today. Like these thin crispy or regular chewy pizza crust styles.

Crispy cracker pizza crust example. — Thin and crispy cracker-like crust.

Thick, soft chewy pizza crust. — Thick chewy crust more like a pan-pizza style with a toasty bake.

And which btw you can make your own special pizza masterpiece from start to finish, faster than you can order a pizza and have it delivered.

So let’s begin…

First, you don’t need a pizza kit.

To make homemade pizza, you just need two essential simple ingredients (flour and water) you already have in your house (or can easily get) to make the dough.

Plus 4 ingredients if you want a bigger crust rise (flour, water, instant or active yeast, and salt). Or you can let room temperature act as the growing yeast (like in sourdough).

Homemade pizza needs no long prep time like pulling out ingredients in advance, like in other baking recipes. So it can be making and baking EASY.

It also has an advantage over breadmaking: you don’t need to wait for hours for the pizza dough to proof.

Making homemade pizza dough needs only a few minutes. You can simply prepare, bake, and enjoy in less than an hour.

If you’re not a planner this can be a winner.

But then again, you’d probably buy store-bought or order delivery. …but then that would be no fun, and you wouldn’t get the healthy, homemade pizza.

So I’ll assume you’ll give it a try at least at some point. You’ll be glad you did! 🎉

Here’s how to make homemade pizza…

Before you do anything, there is one area to plan. You should consider what you’ll add on top of your pizza crust.

If you load with gobs of cheese, then you’ve added fat and dairy (…that isn’t always a bad thing as cheese has vitamins, calcium, other minerals, and satisfies cheesy craving…).

For a healthy recipe, use fresh shredded mozzarella cheese or sliced buffalo mozzarella like on a Margherita pizza. It’s one of the healthier (less greasy) cheeses if your stomach is sensitive and end up sopping up the cheese grease.

Now you’re ready to start and pull out all your homemade pizza dough ingredients.

Instant yeast. I buy the small Red Star packets. The yeast balls look like microscope-tiny, perfectly round khaki brown color beads. And a tip is if you don’t have instant yeast on hand, you can use baking powder that you would use for cakes. Yes, baking powder!

Water. 1 cup warm or room temperature tap water is fine. You may want to experiment as you know what they say about the famously delicious New York pizza crust (the rumor is that it comes from the water).

I’ve used seltzer and filtered water for pizza crust, and I find tap is still the best all-around.

Flour. You have options. Bread flour is the one for Neapolitan-style airy pizza. You don’t need special “00” flour even though you’ll find many recipes with this.

With bread flour you can use for other breads and it’s generally less expensive.

And if you aren’t doing an airy crust, other options are:

You can use a mix of regular or all purpose flour with whole wheat flour (that has a higher bread protein content). Whole wheat flour dough will be less sticky.

And if you use semolina flour for your bench flour, then that will help your dough from sticking to the metal pizza pan you use.

Another reason to choose whole wheat flour is the slightly higher, healthy fiber content. There are also gluten-free options.

In total, use about 2-1/2 flour total, but you will need more when you’re working with the dough.

You get better with practice and experience. You may be able to later eyeball how much you need.

Salt. 2 teaspoon table salt. You can use a little more salt if you use sea salt or if you plan to use fresh mozzarella (or buffalo mozzarella) that doesn’t have as much salt as some other cheeses. Kosher salt or a coarser salt will work well.

Optional: 1 tablespoon EVOO (helps with adding taste and less sticky dough).

Here are the 5 easy home pizza crust steps (broken down in detail):

Step 1: Make the pizza dough.

Add the yeast to water and let it settle/dissolve for about 5-10 minutes. The mixture will have a milky color and consistency. Set aside.

Separately, add the flour or mixed flours of choice to your mixing bowl (I like half and half whole wheat and regular or all-purpose flour). Add 1 teaspoon salt or you can use 1-½ teaspoon sea salt (if you want to use non-iodized salt as I use). Then add EVOO if you’re using, and the water-yeast mixture.

Dough by hand method: You can make the dough by hand, and if you do it that way, I’d recommend creating a neat flour mountain on a shallow baking pan where the flour won’t stick to everything.

Using semolina flour as a lightly floured surface is a preference.

Then add a dip in the middle of the mountain where you would add the liquids, like you may have seen or done at home making pasta the old-fashioned way (except there are no eggs needed in pizza making).

Dough with machine (recommended): It’s easier to use a mixing machine with the dough hook, like the Kitchen Aid mixer (I have a baby pink Cadillac color one… Paris Hilton and I have something in common, lol).

With a machine, in a few quick minutes, the dough should be ready. You’ll know when it’s done when it’s not too dry, and not too wet, and has some good elasticity. Pizza dough is forgiving and is only part of the pizza pizzazz (say that 10 times).

Remember to scrape down the flour from the sides of the mixer. As you’re waiting for the dough to finish mixing, generously flour your pan.

I recommend a mix of coarser semolina flour and regular all-purpose flour for the bench flour.

When it’s ready, pull the dough out of the bowl. You’ll be able to form a small ball with the dough, and you may need to add more regular flour on the outside if it’s too sticky.

Form a dough ball and let it rest on the pan you’ve floured. Leave it sitting or resting at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Note, you don’t even need a plastic wrap or another container you’d have to clean like in bread making!

Step 2: Prep the toppings and the sauce.

While the dough is still resting, I get the topping ingredients ready.

I open the tomato sauce can (many restaurants use San Marzano tomatoes that I recommend), and I add finely chop anchovies with a serrated knife to the sauce as my secret ingredient (that’s not a secret anymore).

It adds salt and another flavor dimension (or you can just add a teaspoon of salt to the sauce if you prefer a saltier-tasting pizza).

Tomato sauce will add sweetness back. You can make your own tomato sauce but since it’s not the star of the dish, canned will work just great.

If you want a chunky style, Marzano tomatoes are plum tomatoes which are the kind commonly used in Italian restaurants. Or else use any tomato sauce or paste.

If you are using fresh cheeses like buffalo mozzarella, slice the cheese into smaller bits.

And if you use basil leaves, wet them a little like with a wet paper towel as they will settle a little better on the pizza. Alternatively, you can use spinach leaves like I use as healthy-alternative inspiration.

For any other wet ingredients like black olives, drain any excess liquid and dry them with a paper towel if you need to (as that would be a damper to your pizza… sorry, I couldn’t resist. Today is a fun day.).

By the time you finish this step, your pizza dough should be ready to work with.

A quick back story: I used to be a pizza maker (or pie maker as they referred to) as a teen before I could drive, and for the busiest Domino’s Pizza… not in the country, but in the world (yes the world! that is becoming smaller every day).

I stuck around for 4 years until I took on other food-related jobs in college.

So, I still make the dough the way I learned from the modern pros!

We used to crank out 300 or so pizzas in an hour as a team during the busy football nights, and during the 30-minute guarantee years (you probably don’t remember!).

Our heads were down but it was fun energy in the shop![OK back to the business of making your homemade pizza]…

Equipment you need:

-Pizza pan. Any metal pan will work.

-Pizza cutter or pizza wheel (optional)

You don’t need a pizza peel.

Step 3: Flatten the dough into the pizza pan, to get it ready for the oven.

You can turn the oven on to pre-heat or you can wait if it’s your first time or so baking pizza.

Regarding temps, if you want to use 425 degrees (Fahrenheit, just to clarify for my Brit friends), that will give you a crispier bake like a pizza oven would.

If you prefer to cook under 400 degrees because it’s a hot summer day or your fire alarm can go off in apartment living, then you can bake with standard 350 degrees/180°C.

So anything in between 350/180°F and 425/218°C degrees will work. Remember pizza crust is forgiving (and I dare say easy).

OK, so here’s how to make the home pizza crust…

Fancy hand way: Take your dominant eating hand and place ontop of your weaker hand. Put your dominant index finger and middle finger below your weaker hand index finger and middle finger (crossing your thumbs).

Or…

Simple hand way: Place your hands side-by-side, index fingers touching.

Either way, using your fingers, put pressure into the dough as you’re making hand imprints. Use enough pressure to make a dent, but make sure you’re not making holes in the dough, and it’s thick enough to hold the amount of sauce you plan to use.

If you get a hole in your dough, simply start over like you would with Play-doh. Roll the dough back into a ball and then flatten the ball with the palm of your hand (that you can coat with a little more flour as needed).

Push down on the dough and make handprints on every part of the dough.

Keep turning the dough 90 degrees while you move along and your hand is at a 90-degree angle (or at 3 o’clock clockwise or 9 o’clock counter-clockwise if you like clock descriptions).

For a right-handed person, you can turn the dough clockwise (and counterclockwise for a left-handed person).

Then flatten down the middle of the dough with your fingers and palm of your hand to get out all the trapped air bubbles.

Do this once and then flip the dough to the other side (back side), and do the same process. Add more bench flour underneath the dough as needed.

Keep working with it until it’s the right crust size for your pan or toppings.

If you want a super smooth dough crust without your handprints or blemishes, turn the dough with your gentle palms while lightly kneading, smoothing, and stretching the dough with palms (like you’re sanding it down).

I skip that part as a handmade-looking pie to me is part of the fun.

For basic round or irregular shapes, making the dough can take one minute or less with practice.

I know my instructions are descriptively long, but once you get the hang of it, it can be fast and easy!

In the beginning, take your time learning. It can be fun and maybe even a ‘lil therapeutic especially if you have some good music going on!

And, then here’s another important step/option that I recommend:

When you’re satisfied with your pizza dough that will be your topping base and crust, pre-bake the home pizza crust first (without toppings) especially if you are using lower baking temps.

This is necessary if you are using lower 350-degree temperatures, but you can skip this step if you want if you use much higher temperatures.

I use the prep-baking crust waiting time to clean off my dough hook, mixing bowl, and other supplies I’m finished with, so I have minimal cleanup later.

After 10 minutes (a magic number for pizza step waiting times), pull the slightly toasted home pizza crust out of the oven.

Let it cool for a few minutes, but you don’t have to wait until it’s room temperature again.

Then you can add your sauce with a spoon or ladle and spread evenly starting in the middle and applying less and less pressure towards the crust.

That’s the way we use to do it in the pie shop 😉

Btw, you can make other sauces like pesto, barbecue, or balsamic (that are other personal favorites of mine)! Maybe you too as you get to be a pizza pro?

…But here I’ll keep it super simple with the tomato sauce. And you can check out how to make a whole wheat flour veggie pizza.

Step 4: Then lay your toppings on.

The secret for better baking through is to put the quickest to cook items on the bottom. So any thin, flat veggies (like black olives and mushrooms) and flat meats like anchovies, and then add the lumpier foods on the very top layer.

If you use buffalo mozzarella (the white ball kind), treat it like a topping instead of cheese. For shredded cheeses like regular mozzarella cheese, add as the first layer over the sauce.

If you want to use tomatoes that aren’t finely diced (tomato concasse in fancy Italian restaurants), bake them on the side in another pan as they could be too wet and create a mess on your pizza in the oven or prolong your baking time (sundried tomatoes are ok on the pizza).

For any meats, cook them through in advance especially if you’re baking your pizza on 350 degrees.

Now you’re in the home stretch! You just have one more step.

Step 5: Bake your home pizza crust (or cook your pie 😉).

When you’re happy with your fully loaded Picasso-pizza art, put it back in the oven on your lowest or medium rack, and if you’ve pre-baked the dough then you don’t need the pizza pan anymore if you want.

You can just set your pizza right on the baking rack. Sometimes I leave the pan baking just depending on the crust I want. Try it both ways.

And then bake for another 20 minutes to your crispy done liking (all ovens are different and depend on your dough thickness, ingredients, etc.).

Check the crust bottom to determine doneness and if it’s not yet done, but toppings are done or shriveling/drying up, then add a piece of aluminum foil on top and keep baking until the crust is done.

Don’t leave the pizza in there after you’ve turned off the oven, like you could in baking other goods, as this can dry out the toppings and the fiery heat will be gone from the crust which usually takes the longest to bake.

When done, pull out of the oven. Presto! Let it cool and then cut and enjoy.

If you want to add individual flavors, like if you’re feeding a larger group, you can have side parmesan-reggiano cheese, oregano spice, red pepper flakes, garlic, drizzle or olive oil, or caper ingredients (just to name a few ideas)!

…And then you will have 100% impressed your friends with your rock star homemade pizza baking skills ⭐️

The sky’s the limit! And while you’re waiting on your baking oven, you can do a few baking yoga moves, if you’re so inclined.

shittake mushrooms homemade pizza. — Shiitake mushrooms and apple cider vinegar cracker pizza crust.

And then when you’ve made easy home pizza crust, you can make your own mushroom Neapolitan-style airy pizza crust from your home or apartment oven, like you would get out of a professional wood-fired pizza oven.

homemade wood-fired pizza with mushrooms recipe.

Neapolitan-Style Home Pizza Crust

You can make this Italian style pizza crust at home in your oven with mushrooms or any of your favorite toppings.

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour
1 tsp salt (coarser kosher salt works well)
water (start with 1/4 cup and add more)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
toppings (e.g. mushroom, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and sauce).
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
bench flour (e.g. semolina flour or bread flour)

Instructions

Make the dough. Add flour, water, salt, and yeast ingredients to a mixer bowl or bowl if you are making the dough by hand. You will use about 1/2 cup water per 1 cup flour.
Knead the dough, until a cohesive pizza dough ball can be formed. With a bread dough hook on a mixer, this will be about 5 minutes on high, 7 minutes on a medium setting (and about double time by hand).
Add some olive oil to a plastic container with a lid.
Place dough in container and let proof for at least 2 hours. Can be left overnight in the refrigerator and be sure to not let the dough dry out.
Then add some bench flour to your pan to prevent sticking (semolina flour is classic for Neapolitan pizza but any flour will do). I suggest a baking pan with a Silpat setup ontop to prevent the pizza crust from sticking to the pan.
Flatten the dough into the shape you want with your hand and fingers. Avoid the crust edges to create a more airy crust.
When you're happy with your pizza shape pre-baked, then place in center of the oven bottom rack and bake for about 20 minutes on 350°F/180°C oven. The pizza crust will not be finished but it will be hard enough on the crust bottom to be able to broiled without a pan.
Add sauce, cheese and pizza toppings.
For the airy crust and charring pizza crust marks, broil your pizza. For preparation, remove Silpat (if using)and your baking pan, and slide the pizza to the top oven shelf at least 6-8 inches away from the top of the oven where the oven heat will be coming from (not the bottom like baking settings). In most common ovens, the 2nd rung down for the top adjustable metal rack works well.
Turn on the broil (caliente hot!) setting for 2-5 minutes until crust is slightly charred giving the wood-burned fire "effect." You'll see the heating source from the oven lines above that could take a minute to heat up (indicated by the top red heating element).
Safety tips: Be careful and watch the broiling the entire time with the oven light "on," so you can be fully safe. Do not open the oven door at any time that the broil setting is fully heated or turned on. And do not turn your pizza without turning the broiling setting off and waiting for the oven to cool down before opening the oven door (and then turning back on). Test your oven for the best broiling time for your pizza crust, and do not overcook.

Notes

You don't want your dough to dry out, so be sure to add enough water so it's more like an elastic smooth skin versus stringy dough. And be sure to cover the dough.

If you do not have instant yeast on hand, you can use baking powder.

Fresh Orange Juice (No Juicer Needed)

Fresh orange juice is a popular, year-round favorite. In the winter, oranges are in season, so you can find an abundance of oranges.

That’s also when most people load up on Vitamin C that they associate with orange juice, and why orange juice grocery shelves can be full or running empty.

And summer is a popular time too as it’s served in vacation towns and resorts.

I share below how you can optimize an entire orange in homemade fresh orange juice squeezed by hand.

If you’re inspired by fresh juices, this is a smart idea to save money, be healthy, and enjoy conveniently at home.

And speaking of enjoyment, last week I had a nice surprise.

I won a gift card to a local smoothie place I’m inspired by. They are my inspiration for tropical smoothies.

One day I saw someone coming out of a yoga studio in my town who was carrying this mermaid blue color bowl that’s the size of a large yogurt container.

I had to find out what this healthy ingredient is!

I learned it comes from an ingredient called blue majik (that’s the magic in the blue bowl). 🥣

The South Block smoothie chain also uses ingredients like camu camu and maca root.

You feel like you’ve been invited to a new array of rainforest superfoods shipped from an exotic locale in the world and infused in your made-to-order bowl or smoothie.

It’s dreamy, no?

OK, I could go on and on excited!…

But, today I also wanted to share how you can optimize oranges in a house-made fresh orange juice.

I’ve become super sensitive to how much sugar I consume and that’s healthy motivation.

And that hopefully inspires you to think healthy food and drinks at least most of the time (as it does for me).

Vatas are attracted to oranges and sugar so this is perfect for satiating sweet cravings.

Next time you think about getting orange juice from the store, consider making your own fresh orange juice from whole oranges where there’s no added sugar.

Fresh Orange Juice

organic navel orange peel for fresh homemade orange juice. — Look for heirloom, organic, or local farmers market produce as in season (free of pesticides, good for us and the environment)

And oranges are one of my favorite fruits as I love the smell of oranges. Here’s why…

They are good for calming anxiety, aromatherapy, and if you’re leaning into the Vata mind-body ways or wanting to restore any Vata imbalance.

If you can’t get the work life balance or life is stressful, keeping an orange near you to sniff and that’ll help calm you.

And making fresh orange juice will also in its healthy-balancing effects.

And if you feel it in your nervous digestive tract, you can try an orange elixir like this recipe:

organic navel orange peel for ayurveda drinks

Orange Digestif Juice

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 orange (pulp, zest, peel)
Apple cider vinegar (amount adjustable to liking)
5 Spice blend (Five spice is star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and black pepper) - (amount adjustable to liking)
water (dilute as needed)

Instructions

Zest and peel an orange. Keep all the parts. Tip: use navel, Cara Cara, blood, or heirloom oranges. They are good for the calming (and good for parasympathetic nervous system also affecting good digestion).
Squeeze the pulp into your orange juice container (or enjoy).
Add your zest and peels to the container.
Add five-spice blend.
Add apple cider vinegar
Fill up with water. Shake and refrigerate. Enjoy when you have an upset stomach.

There are so many orange varieties to choose from. I love the Cara Cara sweetheart orange variety (common around Christmas) that can be juicier and sweeter than a California navel orange that’s in season a little earlier.

Plus fresh orange juice makes me think of my second home, staying in nice hotels! Once upon a time I worked in hotel catering management where I got my first taste.

And you may have seen out and about those gigantic commercial machines that crank out fresh orange juice from whole oranges. That would be a fun job for a day!

You may have seen one of these at selective grocery stores if you live in a larger metro area.

Fresh orange juice definitely ruined me for any added sugar orange juice that comes from a carton (like I grew up drinking).

Concentrated is high sugar and harsh on the stomach, and especially along with a morning coffee routine that Americans commonly do. That’s double acidity.

Plus ontop of that, most common foods are usually acidic.

And if that’s your typical morning routine…

👉 You can opt for making your own organic cold brew coffee and diluting orange juice with water.

So let’s begin and get your fresh orange juice-on!

For equipment, you can use a citrus squeezing tool, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools because it’s bright yellow so I have no choice but to be sunny with the brightening citrus when I use it 😉.

And a zester microplane tool that looks like a zester.

These are the parts of the orange.

Orange Zest (essence). Before I cut into the orange for orange juice, I go around the orange peel, grating, and capturing all the outside orange zest as essence for zhughing up other sweet morning smoothies, dishes, and garnishes (that’s where my former-catering mind goes and yours can go wild too!).

Orange Pith. Most people throw the spongy, slightly bitter part out, but consider keeping.

This would good in the orange digestif recipe mentioned already.

The orange pith is high in Vit C (as is the juicy pulp) and anti-inflammatory flavonoids. For those reasons alone, it’s worth considering mixing in foods and drinks/smoothies.

Plus leaving no traces of fruit is good for not attracting critters. 😉

Orange Juice and Pulp. Then cut the orange in half (perpendicular to the top or the stem or from left to right).

I know it’s tempting to cut the orange any which way since it’s perfectly round, but cutting the right way lets you cut through each orange segment to maximize juice.

Otherwise you could get stuck on a pillowy-feeling orange segment.

Now you’re ready to squeeze each orange half or use a citrus squeezer tool, and squeeze away the juice into a tall glass.

Let go of all your stress squeezing oranges. Activating calming oranges around you is a relaxing sensory exercise.

Keep repeating until you have the amount of juice you want. Add back pulp as desired if you like high pulp juice.

You can also add some water to dilute some or stretch the juice out for more.

And enjoy!

No-Waste Eco-Friendly Ideas: Save the orange pulp if you prefer high-pulp OJ and add small orange pieces to your drink.

Save the seed to grow a plant. Save the pulp and zest for cooking and baking recipes. Save the pith that has the most nutrients for digestifs and foods. Save the orange sticker as a reminder for getting the Produce LookUp (PLU) item again. 😉

If you like fresh juices, you may want to give Fresh Peach Juice and Mango Juice other sunny yellow inspiring fruity juices a GO.

Sugar Cravings, Fasting + Low Sugar Orange Scone Recipe

Sugar cravings don’t have to get the best of you… and the orange scone recipe below may help you get over the worst sugar sweets as it was the healthy start for me, someone who ate way too much daily sugar that many of us do. It’s no one’s fault.

Oranges and citrus fruits are good for blood sugar levels as citrus fruits have a lower glycemic index as a general indicator for how a food will impact your blood sugar level.

And juicy foods like oranges also have a way of quenching your thirst and hunger. Like water and tea, you can feel less hungry when you consume oranges and lower your food cravings.

Using orange and orange zest are also a good way to avoid artificial sweeteners while brightening your food and day.

Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level is at the heart (pun intended!) of a healthy heart.

I became aware of the American Heart Association when I volunteered for the American Cancer Society in my backyard while I was attending college.

The “Eat Smart” campaign was one of the promoted programs and I remember posters (remember those?) were donated that had healthy fruits and vegetables.

These are now known as anti inflammatory food ideas like oranges that were brightly represented on the poster and I proudly displayed on my wall.

Who knew that anti-inflammatory foods would become so important with all its healthy benefits and in many healthy diet movements like the Mediterranean Diet and plant-based diets?

And we couldn’t have predicted that the role of Vitamin C would grow in highlighted health importance, and that oranges would relatively stay the same while we see more orange varieties on the grocery shelves.

We keep evolving in food, health, and nutrition.

Vitamins stay as a focal point in the anti inflammatory diet. Some are antioxidants that are good body protectors for preventing heart disease, Diabetes 2, certain cancers, and cognitive decline that can start off as harmless brain fog or short memory mental health lapses.

In the beginning of 2020, I created a smart pantry for “just in case,” where I collected processed, longer shelf-life foods in cans and boxes. That’s where I failed in my sugar cravings dilemma and developed an itchy eczema skin rash by mid-summer. The source: sugar indulgence.

But not again, because it’s preventable with healthier habits and ways like sweet smoothies in a 7-day eczema diet plan.

Luckily I caught on before things got worse. I got aware and my love for sugar got replaced for Ayurveda ways, moderation, and anti-inflammatory foods.

Sugar we know is good for our happy selves, but not our healthy one. They latch onto lectin anti-nutrients in our gut and can destroy our microbiome that we know controls so much of our daily body functions.

My hope is you’re onboard for a healthier new year, new health progress goals, and micro habit changes. Fasting is one way I have deployed in my healthy lifestyle and you can too. Another is hiking and taking with me smoothies.

And when you’re eating, if you’re like me, you’re a bit choosy and conscious about your food choices.

I love foods, food variety, and enjoy good foods. I planned catered parties in nice hotels and foodie restaurants for a decade, so it’s a part of me that has been weaved into my adult DNA. And healthy eating that I learned early on.

But I have a weakness… a sweet tooth.

Many of us enjoy some sweets in moderation.

Having a sweet tooth is natural but isn’t helpful on a healthy lifestyle mission.

If you regularly eat sugary foods to curb your sweet tooth and sugar cravings, you set yourself up to have more sugar cravings. It’s a vicious cycle.

For entertainment, I had started watching The Great British Baking Show, that’sa competition show that started with U.K. bakers… initially, it wasn’t the best thing to watch if you want to curb sugar cravings and stop eating so much sugar.

But I worked through it and can now watch the show without eating a sweet dessert. I’m telling you this because I believe everyone can get there!

In my search, I came across a book called The 40 Day Sugar Fast by Wendy Speake.

It reminded me of a sugar fast I set out to do for 3 weeks in 2011 but ended up doing the sugar fast for around 40 days.

How?

When I had my tonsils removed as an adult, the fast was a smooth transition as I mostly had a liquid diet in the beginning.

And if you’re trying to break the sugar habit, finding a time when you’re not dealing with as much stress is your best bet.

Like if you’re a teacher, do your sweet fast after the school year ends and you have the summer off. You usually crave less food in the hot months anyway, so use all those helpful situations to your advantage.

Another helpful situation is when you have support. To keep me encouraged, the church I was attending was doing an annual fast for those who wanted to participate. So, it was perfect timing as I wasn’t doing it alone.

And as I focused on giving up sweets for sweet Jesus, the sugar cravings also miraculously disappeared. The ones I’d had every single day since I was a child.

I didn’t use my own willpower to make changes. That doesn’t usually work.

I focused on my heart and deeper desires. To my surprise, my way of thinking changed. It was supernatural and beyond my small capabilities to overcome sugar on my own.

But that’s just a reminder that you don’t have to do it alone and can encourage the Universe or higher source you turn to, to help you.

I also use maintaining good teeth as motivation. As a child I always had a mouth full of cavities. I wanted to live a better dental life later in life. That same motivation carried me when I quit all sodas years ago. Previously as a young adult, I’d have at least 1-2 sodas by noon.

Do whatever works for you and your healthy motivations.

Another tip is to look at sugar nutrition labels. Most food labels are in grams and 1 gram = about .24 teaspoons or a quarter teaspoon.

We use teaspoons for baking in America so that’s easier to visualize.

It doesn’t take much in a Western diet to go over 20 grams of refined sugar at breakfast alone!

You can try these breakfast plant-based breakfast ideas and tips to stop sugar cravings and craving sweets if you want some suggestions.

And sodas are off the charts starting at 30-40 grams.

I drank diet sodas early on, but those are linked to heart disease and Diabetes 2 so they’re no better and probably worse off

Also, keep in mind no fat is usually linked to higher sugar in foods, so you’re giving up one evil for another.

The better healthy answer is to change your healthy food and beverage habits. And then you will enjoy the healthy foods and especially after you have adjusted. I promise.

If you’ve every shifted from a whole milk to a plant or other milk, you know what I’m talking about.

You no longer go back to the other because 1) your body doesn’t need the same quantity of nutrients it needed before or growing up and 2) you have a decent food or beverage replacement.

Most of are lazy in this area about food fixing. It we have something easy and near us, we’ll grab that instead of go out and forage if we don’t have to.

And for fruit, I still don’t overindulge even though the Food Pyramid I grew up with recommended 2-4 servings of fruit per day. These days, MyPlate says at least 1 piece of medium fruit.

Even natural fruits and dried fruits have a huge dose of natural sugars, the better fructose sugar, but still sugar. I limit myself to an apple, a banana, and an orange if I’m craving fruits and sweet foods.

Foods that you wouldn’t suspect and maybe even classify as healthy food like a Fig Newton or low-fat “healthy” cereal are loaded with sugar. You discover reality when you do package label reading.

I once felt I had to add a puff of white cloud sweetness that finished off almost every dinner dessert, holiday cheesecake, pie, or warm beverage. The nutritional breakdown ingredients of some whipped foods say “hydrogenated oils” or trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup to avoid.

You can always say “no whip, please.”

And you can choose moderation where it’s okay for a happy celebrations, but not for daily healthy consumption. That’s what I do in the balance.

That’s the modern Ayurveda way that is sustainable. Turning to healthy and anti-inflammatory foods that are also good for weight loss and preventing weight gain, so you don’t have to do one more yo-yo diet that never works long-term.

Modern Ayurveda lifestyle people love following natural, doable, and achievable (practical) advice.

So here are 3 actionable Ayurveda creature habits and tips for reducing sugar in your diet and curbing sugar cravings:

Become aware which foods have high sugar, added sugar – fact vs. fiction. Read labels at least until you are familiar with the foods you eat regularly.
Substitute your sweets not for other foods, but for a higher calling or purpose for yourself. Find a motivation that makes you stick to your plan and look forward to maintaining.
Do one daily baby step food choice action you can make to create a healthier micro habit. Reminder: the more you eat sugar, the more you crave sugar.

Maybe that’s substituting an empty calorie sugary dessert with a fortified cereal that at least has some nutrients?

And if you need a replacement for something super sweet, I have a low sugar, Orange Scone recipe below I mentioned above that you can try that’s super easy and you’ll love (or grow to love!).

What I love about this recipe is the orange peel zest you would normally throw away is used as the main sweet ingredient.

Oranges are also good for calming in our parasympathetic nerves, so in the strong orange smells, we experience calmer nerves instead of anxiety. You hear people who like to eat oranges by their bed and this could be a good reason why. They are calmer, better managing worry and anxious thinking hours before sleep o’clock.

This orange recipe has no needed added refined sugars, but you may like the turbinado sugar small packet crunch finish like I do, that has 5 grams of fat total used for the entire 8 scone slices. So you do your daily sugar math and see if that’ll work for you.

I also love that you won’t use all your eggs in one recipe. And, in the easy, it can take less than 10 minutes time to prepare!

It takes about 40 minutes total time (from prep to baking to mouth 😋). That’s something to celebrate!

Print Recipe

low-sugar orange scone for sugar cravings. — with currants and brown sugar topping

Orange Scones (Bread) – Makes 8 pieces

This can become a regular dessert bread for you that’s healthier than sugary processed breads and pastries. Great for a sweet tooth (or a Vata)!

1 egg

2 cup flour total (can mix gluten and gluten-free flours if you choose)

2 tbsp frozen unsalted butter

1/2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ cup plain or vanilla Greek, plus more if needed (this is a good food item to look at sugar labels). Use more solid yogurt parts to bring it together if it gets too crumbly.

Zest of an orange (navel oranges are great)

Cinnamon to liking (and you can purposefully add a little teaspoon of sugar, some tips below)

You omit sugar that normally would be added. Since you’re not using sugar, you don’t need salt either to balance any sugar. NO refined white sugar, yay! 😊

Add flour to a medium bowl. Add butter and cut it into small pieces with a knife. Add the egg and mix with a spoon.

Add yogurt and keep mixing until well mixed. Add baking powder and baking soda. Add orange zest and mix until blended into flour mixture.

Form a ball with the spoon in the bowl. Then place the dough on a baking sheet and flatten it slightly, so it forms into a 6-8” circle.

There will be flour crumbs, just stick them on top of the circle to blend in (like you’re adding clay to pottery before being fired in the kiln).

Sprinkle with cinnamon if you like. Cut 8 slices before placing in the oven.

Optional sweet: if you desire, you can add one brown sugar packet of Sugar in the Raw (turbinado cane sugar) on top of the circle bake before it goes in the oven. These small brown crystals are similar to refined sugar in health terms, but if you add them in moderation, that’s not going to make a big difference. If you’re feeding anyone diabetic, they’re not going to eat it anyway… or if they can eat monk fruit sugar, you can add that.

You can also optionally add ½ tablespoon of dried currants or raisins and blend in the mixture before you form the circle. Or you could do half and half (4 pieces plain and 4 pieces lightly sugar)… then you can please those you’re sharing with who won’t necessarily appreciate your low sugar, healthy scone bread efforts.

Finally, put the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake the scones to a golden brown for 25-30 minutes at 350°F/180°C degrees. Let your scones cool, and then you’ll be ready to enjoy.

Easy, Low-Sugar Orange Scones

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 pieces

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 egg
2 cup whole wheat flour or all purpose flour with gluten free flour optional (almond flour suggested) total
2 tbsp frozen unsalted butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 /4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 zest of an orange adds sweetness
cinnamon and currants or raisins (optional) to taste liking
1 sugar In The Raw (turbinado sugar) packet to cover the top of 8-scone slices.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except sugar and make a circle mound. This is a crumbly dough especially with gluten-free flours such as almond flour.
Take all the crumbly bits and add back to the circle mound. Then, slightly flatten the top with hands to about 1 inch high.
Use one packet of turbinado sugar (optional) to zhugh the top before baking, so the sugar sticks.
Cut lightly or score 8 triangular "pie wedge" shapes.
Bake at 350°F at 25-30 minutes (or until light golden brown color).

Workplace Balance Ayurvedic Tips To De-Stress

Workplace balance tips below can save you. And using Ayurveda in your work space can create a better work calm and stress-less zone.

This article has the perspective of Ayurveda workplace balance tips for the Western world modern office that can be stressful. And no a disco ball like this one I worked in is not needed. 😉

Despite its window view and disco ball, this was a tough office environment.

If the work could have been taken outdoors in nature that would have been more calming. Or even a photo of outdoors can help calm.

And help create a collaborating and harmony environment that’s beneficial for productivity. In political organizations that have management hierarchies, finding those ways are the keys to mind freedom and better work life balance.

Because office relationships drive the bus for your success.

If you’re brave or want to develop your personal leadership skills, getting in tune with your co-workers can be worth the time and effort.

Taking your nose off the work grind and looking up at what’s going on around you no matter how busy you are, can pay off and change the way you see your work.

It could be the difference between your work happiness or dissatisfaction.

Learning to live balanced in your personal life plus incorporating Ayurveda workplace balance tips add up to your overall happiness.

Here are the 7 Ayurveda workplace balance tips to calm stress:

The first 5 tips are to benefit you and your surrounding co-workers (that apply to you too if you’re the boss!). The last 2 are for your edge-up with your higher-up boss manager.

1. Meetings. A subtle thing you can do is create a calm surrounding around you.

When you’re in inter-office meetings, bring your calming scents either in your coffee or tea mug, or wear subtle scents if others don’t have allergies that you’re aware of.

Beverage scent allergies don’t exist. Even people who don’t drink coffee don’t mind the brewed coffee scents, as they’ve gotten used to the aromatic smell.

Adding rose water in your coffee (…betcha that’s a slightly new one for you!) will help to calm you and the stressed worker next to you.

Match the desired beverage to the people you expect to be in your meeting.

You can also wear a subtle hint of patchouli or bergamot perfume scent.

…I know this can sound a ‘lil silly to be so coordinated. But why do you think when you walk into a nice spa or luxury hotel, the room you’re in smells so lovely and calming?

(The answer is, it changes how guests perceive their hotel property experience).

Being an ex-hotelier, I know the ways they try to win back return customers with subtle mood changers and amenities.

Scents help you and others stay calm and centered, and help to create a positive energy field.

On that note, keeping your smartphone in your pocket or a small bag from distracting notifications and silently vibrating phones can be what you need for a little peace moment.

You don’t see a phone in the yoga studio, so in the same way, you can treat your daily meetings with yourself like meditation breaks or an off-the-grid intentional focus session.

2. Your workspace. At your desk, play calming music like light classical music if you’re allowed to have music or sounds running in the background.

Like white noise, you can drown out some of the unimportant conversations and noises around you.

If you play relaxing sounds like ocean waves that can be too relaxing, you’re likely to put everyone to sleep including yourself.

Invite your manager to have meetings at your desk or space so you have the “home-court advantage,” as they’re coming to you and you’re not interrupting them.

Before their visit and preparing for unexpected visits, be sure you have an inviting space.

3. Have visible calming props. Watercolors paintings or pictures are good, such as Monet lilies and you can easily find a variety of blank cards or calendars from a gift and cards novelty store, that you can frame or rest on your desk.

It’s a similar to Zoom backgrounds where there’s an unspoken ambiance that’s created.

Pictures of your life are good for you, but they are distracting to others after they’ve seen them the first few times.

Competitive Pittas especially are very visual people. Many go-getting office workers are Type-A Pittas, so they will tend to look at your calming image choices and your surroundings.

Some other balancing items: bring in a perfectly round edible orange.

The California navel orange color and scent are good for calming worry-anxious energy.

And the scent from one fresh rose can soothe an angry-irritated mood. 💐

4. Take stressed co-workers out for tea or coffee. If you normally do lunch at your desk, taking a 15-minute break for tea or coffee with a co-worker is a good excuse to casually get to know them a little better.

If you’re short on time, bring them a new tea bag from home that they’ve never tried. For a Vata imbalance especially, this is going to be good and comforting, especially if it has cinnamon tones.

Next time you travel, find and collect unique souvenir treats that don’t have a short shelf life and you can offer up as a treat for “a better day.”

For a Pitta imbalance try bringing a lavender tea such as a lavender de-stress tea or a lemony flavor tea. Iced teas are good for irritated workers and even during winter, depending on their case severity.

For a Kapha, try a brisk Early Grey or If they love chocolate, bring them a piece. Chocolate is universally a happy gift. 😊

In a practical way, if you know that a co-worker is under a lot of stress or has recent demands in workload, then a stress-reducing tea is a thoughtful gesture.

You can also gift tea bags as a reason for conversation… and a great way to make work friends.

I know you’re wondering, “well… how do you know what balanced or imbalanced dosha(s) your co-workers have?”

In general, you’re better off just sticking with the basics with what they’ve told you they like or you see them with.

Everyone has traces of all the dosha profiles. And anyone can get imbalanced in any dosha at any time.

This is one of the core reasons why you can see a sudden mood or preference change in a co-worker when they say nothing is wrong as they may not know there’s anything different.

And why even if you’re paying attention and know what’s going on with them regularly, like with a cubicle mate friend that you visit often, you and they won’t always know.

And this is the same mysterious reason you prefer some foods, sounds, and activities now, that you didn’t like before. And then this changes again. It’s all connected.

You can call it a different season or mood, but your internal mind-body is always happening and changing, if ever so slightly like a second hand on a clock.

Your mind-body is always keeping score, so it’s good to practice Ayurveda workplace balance tips, habits, and ways, both at work and home.

Your mind-body is constantly revealing information about yourself.

That’s why the insight coming from the body balance quiz is invaluable for anyone in any season, and those you care about who is willing to dive deeper (like your friends… as you’re probably not gonna ask your boss to take a quiz unless you’re also friends).

5. Find a common interest with a core work group. Book clubs and fantasy football are common.

When you have a hobby, interest, or passion that you share in common, that creates a calm mind space.

Conversation creates harmony for workplace balance.

When you think of these work people that have a shared interest, you see them as humans and not just workers.

In one of my jobs, there were a group of women who liked scrapbooking photo albums (I think the hobby is still around and some of us have recent albums as proof 📔).

One attendee to one of the gatherings was a boss so we became work friends. So the dynamic changed and work was a better place.

That ice breaker made me see her in a different light, even though we didn’t discuss our common hobby when we were working.

6. Create a clean space for your manager to walk into. Clean and organizational tidyness shows respect for your workplace (where you’re working on “rented land”).

But, DO minimalistic-ally personalize. If you don’t have anything sitting on or around your desk, then you may not be occupying enough real estate.

If you’re too minimalistic, you will leave no mark or brand of who you are. And your manager can think you don’t have enough work to do. There’s a workplace balance needed with decor.

When you’re out, others may use your desk and it’ll look different when you come back.

This happens a lot with an Executive’s open office that is free of clutter or any personalization. And that’s up to you if you want that to happen.

When you make your workspace your second home, by taking up a little space, you create personal worth in your mind and can blend and balance your work-life better. You’re not just another employee.

Chair Facing Tip For Office Balance

How you situate your chairs in your office space matters. You want to a create a comfortable feeling space.

When you situate chairs facing the front of your desk where you sit, you’re in the power seat.

Anyone coming to see you feels like a subordinate. If you want to be collaborative, then you want them to sit more beside you. And even more open, they can see your computer screen and from your desk perspective. Rarely do you want your back facing the door.

If your manager comes to visit you, if they choose to sit, often you’ll usually see them either lean back or forward a little hunched to show they’re relaxed.

They’re the exception, as they’re never the subordinate in your workplace even if you’re more collaborative like in the tech industry.

7. If you want to have a meeting where your manager is more relaxed, arrange meetings with them late in the afternoon. This is a good opportunity if they say, “find a time on my calendar.”

As humans, we all get more tired as the day rolls on. By evening, we’ve done most of the important or urgent tasks for the day.

Stressed out managers (and micromanagers) are people too at the end of the day.

They look forward to the end of a long day as much as you do despite how they may come across.

You may encounter managers who are unprofessional, have a bulldog personality, or sharp edge. We’re all different in the workplace. And the workplace balance is finding how we work best together..

If you happen to find yourself in a defensive situation, and you sense a manager has had a bad day or week such as by acting grumpy or having irritated imbalance tendencies, acknowledge that, offer, and ask, “how can I help?”

Don’t worry that they would give you a list. That most likely won’t happen, at least not without huge thought. That would require more trust than they are willing to put on the line with just a conversation.

If they give you a general request, then do what they ask.

And in the case where they come back with a tall order, that shows that they respect you, you’re competent and probably worthy of promotion down the road. Plus, you get to learn something new. So it’s a win-win for you.

Thanksgiving Spices Healthy Rainbow Variety and Za’atar Recipe

Thanksgiving spices are afterthoughts to the big day 🦃… after deciding where you’ll be, how you’ll get there, and even scoring the turkey food table star.

The weeks before Thanksgiving builds up anticipation. And even the day before, it’s still not too late to craft up an Ayurveda beneficial and spice-filled menu for a Happy Thanksgiving, created with an inspired rainbow color and variety tasty feast in mind. 🌈

That can linger on year-round after the holiday week has come and gone.

I’ll never forget the memories when I had family come over and there were very few recipe sites. Today, it’s completely different!

I still reference Martha Stewart. She used to have a television show… I don’t know if you remember or know about it, but I was a fan. 🎉

I’m still a fan, but the show has long moved onto YouTube and Instagram videos! But back in the day, my raving fan energy was elevated when I got to actually visit the live television set.

The crew even sent us home with one of the show guest’s cookbook… Clinton Street Baking Co. Cookbook (that has become a big deal in the Big Apple).

How did they know that was the perfect gift for moi? They must’ve known I was coming 😅

And that weekend, they opened up Eataly (the first in the U.S.) in the Flat Iron NYC district. Those were the days when I was working in marketing and event planning for a popular Spanish restaurant chain in my area (La Tasca owned by a large U.K. restaurant company). Some good foodie memories there 🍽 and so fitting for my attendance as I had spent years in hotel catering and restaurant food party planning.

This year, is completely different. Your Thanksgiving plans may have changed but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a meal that knocks it out of the park! You can have punchy flavors using Thanksgiving spices you may not have considered.

And even in the Martha Stewart days, it was still traditional thyme and rosemary spices.

Since Thanksgiving is usually a home food event, so it’s a good excuse to crank it up a notch if you want, and maybe even try different, healthy Thanksgiving spices that pleases your tastes and creative desires. And wows your family and guests. 🤩

I know you’re probably like this… you have your favorite Thanksgiving foods and can be a ‘lil scared to try something new.

But I’m hear to encourage you to rainbow spice it up and I have some original blend ideas below!

So let’s go!

First, here’s a way to get your food senses heightened the week before turkey day (this Happy Thanksgiving). For starters, you can test and sniff your spices in your spice rack or cabinet. This will give you a week or two to get the ingredients you need as Thanksgiving spices become less potent or pungent.

And you can sit on which ones could work with you. Probably any of them, since they are in your cabinet. 😁

Remember, most Thanksgiving spices (and year-round spices) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits (preventing free radicals that can spike disease/cancer growth), so whatever you use, you and your guests will be healthier.

Thanksgiving spices (ground or whole from seeds) and herbs (plants) can be the secret ingredients you add to a new dish. And how you can create your own spectacular eye-pleasing food art at the end as some have some pretty cool colors like purple and red. I love how spices and herbs have unique colors that you can find in a 96-Crayola crayon set.

Here are 11 Thanksgiving spices (listed in rainbow color order). I also have dish enhancement ideas from my party planning experiences below.

1.Red: Saffron (bitter, sweet pungent):

The thin strands are good-looking and tasting on ooey-gooey honey desserts. Did you know saffron is a mood lifter? …so if you have an imbalanced Kapha to feed (…maybe yourself?), this is an amazing addition.

Year-round: Add saffron to your seafood bisques and Manhattan Clam Chowder. It’s not just for paella

2.Dark Orange: Cayenne pepper (pungent):

Add the subtle spice you use for a little heat kick in your salty dishes like mac-n-cheese. Did you know cayenne is used in many Cajun dishes.

Anyone who wants a super hot experience can add harissa, hot pepper sauce, or fresh horseradish. If you want to stick with a mild dish, you could use the safer paprika (found also in Creole dishes like gumbo).

Year-round: Sprinkle some cayenne pepper for your heat. The health benefits are phenom (amazing!). If you want to try something different, you could add cayenne to avocado on top of sprouted bread (this is a personal favorite!).

3.Bright/Light Orange: Turmeric (smokey/astringent):

Give any salty dish a smoky twist, such as your potato dish.

Tumeric is a super-anti-inflammatory curcumin spice. And personally I have seen it do wonders for calming dry, irritated skin. If you are experiencing a Pitta imbalance, turmeric (also cumin) are good spices for you.

Year-round: Potatoes and fish and eggs. I’ve added turmeric to popcorn with a ‘lil EVOO since turmeric is astringent (drying in the mouth) and popcorn is naturally dry. This is much better than adding salt or butter. Salt is sodium where too much is known to be a cause for high blood pressure (hypertension).

A tip is to use a stainless steel bowl as I find it easier to clean as turmeric can leave a stain (like an fiery-orange autumn leaf can).

4.Light Yellow: Ginger (pungent):

Add to your hot tea to aid digestion from your big meal and also add to your water. Turmeric chai tea is well-known in parts of our world now.

It’s exceptionally beneficial in the morning when you’re revving up your stomach engine for the day. it’s a staple ingredient for gingerbread bakes.

Year-round: Add to chicken, and keep adding to your hot tea.

5.Yellow/Brown: Cumin:

Add to turkey and savory dishes. You could even add a cumin side dish like a hummus where you mix chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cumin, garlic, and cayenne if you like.

Cumin takes your dip from mildly boring to amazing… or a salad, like pairing with feta cheese, red onions, and chickpeas.

Year-round: Add to savory rice, soups, and dips.

6.Yellow/Brown: Curry (sweet):

Add to your turkey rub Thanksgiving spices. This makes for a very interesting flavor. One thing you can do is, smell the spice first and see how it lands with you at that time. If it’s not favorable, don’t give up on it. In Ayurveda, your body tells you what you need at the moment. I like to sniff curry and cumin and see which one (or neither) call out to me.

Year-round: Try with chicken and rice (a well known Indian dish combination). You could also try a mustard-based potato curry salad.

7.Light Green: Tarragon (sweet/astringent):

Add to roasted potatoes. Total flavor winner.

Year-round: Add to cooked eggs and you’ll have a nice French-American bistro dish experience.

8.Light Green: Oregano (astringent):

Add to turkey for the more traditional tastes where you can’t go wrong. Oregano is a staple anti-inflammatory spice.

Year-round: Add to pastas and Italian tomato-based dishes

9.Blue: Blueberry extract (sweet):

Add to your fruit pie compotes. Along with whole blueberries for decoration around your turkey and dessert pies. Some vineyard wineries make blueberry wine that can be thickened up to make a great drizzle to desserts. Chokeberry is another one you can try on the purplish side.

Year-round: Add to your muffins, smoothies, and coffee or tea. Wild blueberries are superfruit

10.Purplish: Sumac (bitter):

Add to your potatoes for a slightly bitter tangy taste, and casseroles. The small specks of dark purplish red color, stand out

Year-round: Add to your dressings. This is a mystery ingredient that makes you a super chef-ette.

It’s a key ingredient in za’atar, that has sesame seeds, sumac, and thyme. You can add other ingredients but these are the key ones. You can make za’atar crackers out of these.

11.White: Horseradish (pungent):

Fresh horseradish with the small chunks (that look like mini crab meat), is so pungent that it’ll work its way through any nasal congestion. Like those wasabi pea snacks…whew! they’re spicy. You can dip your carrots or salty snacks like pretzels into horseradish.

This will wake up any Kapha balance/imbalance awareness, clearing up sinus congestion and waking up the tired like smelling salt

Pairing Healthy and Creative Thanksgiving Spices Tips (Common Questions Asked):

For your turkey, if butter is your traditional way, try using olive oil that’s healthier and easier as a liquid. EVOO is going to be less acidic than just any olive oil. I also find it less messy as a bonus!

Adding 3-dimensional flavors not only tastes great, it also has direct health benefits. Many spices have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

It usually only just takes a minute of deeper thought to come up with a “new and improved” dish, as I’m trying to show you here.

And when you eat healthily you think you did something good that boosts your self-esteem. ..how great!

For your turkey, instead of traditional gravy that has a dull, brown color (and sometimes boring blob-like texture), instead add a lighter zestier color chicken broth spiced with cumin or orange sugar that can be side glazes. You’ll know who your Vatas are in the room (and based on symptoms from a body balance quiz).

For potatoes, when you add a dash of turmeric, it resembles the fall leaves and pumpkin color. Seasonings can add to the seasons and that’s the way our bodies are naturally wired to live in.

For your sweet potatoes, lean into the sweet by adding honey and cinnamon.

Maybe add an option of baklava, a dessert that dates back to the Roman Empire days. The main ingredient, pistachios, are calming for Vata and Pitta. The flakey textures can be what you need. Hearing the light, crisp crunch when you bite into the dessert is satisfying.

Many European or Middle Eastern restaurants purchase their baklava as it’s not easy or fast to make, so you could choose to do the same.

What Beverages Are Good For All Ages?

For digestion, after the meal have mint and ginger tea. For dinner, have water and lemon slices. Instead of cranberries where there could be leftovers, you could serve up cranberry juice with a few festive shiny cranberries sprinkled and floating up top in the drink.

One of these days I’m going to make an anise mocktail. It’s not a taste for the faint of heart but if you like black licorice, you’ll love and is great as an after dinner drink.

What’s a Good Thanksgiving Starter Plate?

Before the meal, you can give dinner party ambiance with just your food. That’s what I did at many parties that had 20-50 guests. I’m sure this year especially, yours (and mine for sure) won’t be that large.

Decorate the table with unique foods that are fun and edible, such as a fruit plate with red and green grapes, apple slices, and oranges. Finish off with ruby red pomegranates in season now. And kiwi tropical if you like (easier to find in November and winter months).

Fruit is a great meal opener and starter for your stomach to receive the larger meal coming. I grew up after every meal having half an apple. While it was the dessert with most my daily dinners, for digestion, it would have been better to have the apple before the meal.

You could go-to-town with an amazing fruit and cheese platter.

You could also add a decorative plate of rose or Turkish Delight candy common with Turkish meals. …that’s a new one, huh?

That’ll add a dash of exotic color to the table without candy wrappers (and btw, Thanksgiving is the only time I would keep my strawberry Twizzlers hanging out in the pantry closet 😊

Ideas On: How Do I Decorate a Showstopper Turkey Platter?

For the main showstopper turkey platter, you can create a decorative piping effect by alternating shiny cranberries and no-sheen blueberries around half-cut lemons or oranges, to create a dramatic plate. You could add orange slices on top of the turkey as a garnish to tie in the look.

To soften your food art platter, you could add fresh dill sprigs. You’re the artist! For salty or savory party plates, when in doubt, parsley works.

This Happy Thanksgiving (and beyond) is your chance to cater up to your tastes!

You don’t have to overly use traditional dry rosemary that will appeal to a Kapha but can repulse a Vata. And in the same way, for desserts adding cinnamon to apple pie is satisfying to balance Vata, but not so much for the Kapha friends (who may prefer a peach pie or choose to skip the sweets altogether).

You could even be adventurous with a cardamom spice dessert (or save that one for the next holiday…Christmas!).

I hope you enjoyed the healthy, festive, and colorful food talk. Bon appetit and Happy Thanksgiving! There’s a lot to be grateful for, and available spices is one reason. The seasonings celebrates the season.