Being a tea addict and always searching for new recipes (especially the ones with outstanding health benefits) suddenly paid off in an unexpected way!

I’ve always known that ice cube therapy can do wonders on the skin and it is a very popular skin treatment among women in many cultures (including never aging Korean and Chinese women!J)

However, until my recent hunt for new tea recipes, it never occurred to me that ice cubes could be made with herbal and tea infusions! I was hooked instantly and made several trays of different herbal/tea infused ice cubes to give them a try.

Sometimes I think cities are just like people. Some of them are world celebrities, known and spoken of by everybody. They shine and sparkle in their glory. They have no secrets left. Crowds of fans (aka tourists) are their inevitable fate and privacy is long forgotten.

And then there are simple fellows who live their simple lives. Their names are unknown; their ways and paths are left alone. The only visitors are family and friends and tourism is an extraordinary phenomenon treated with sacral reverence.

I for one love those fellow cities. There is room for imagination and fantasy. Tripadvisor is helpless and the internet blushes with embarrassment returning a tiny Wikipedia article as its one and only search result. You are on your own, but isn’t it great? When the world is thoroughly traveled and infected with tourism plague, isn’t it amazing to find places where no tourist has ever set foot and you can pretend to be an explorer on a mission to make new discoveries?

#7 Soursop Coconut Smoothie

Soursop Puree

Banana

Coconut Milk
Coconut Flakes
Ice Cubes

Sometimes I forget I live in Miami. In daily routine I forget that the breathtaking turquoise ocean is just minutes away from my apartment. I forget how great it is to feel the waves with your bare feet, to inhale salty air and to enjoy the touch of hot sand on your skin… Days like yesterday bring so much joy and happiness and remind how lucky we are to live in such paradise!

What most people dream of having once a year during their two weeks’ vacations – we can have every day just a few steps away. Isn’t that amazing? I think so! Being originally from Siberia (yes, it is cold there, very Very cold), I’ve always had a dream of living somewhere in the South, with palm trees instead of pine trees and vines on the walls instead of icicles on the roofs. I guess my dream came true – I live in Miami and I love it here! Don’t get me wrong though – I love my home town Tomsk likewise. It’s just that kind of love which prefers a long distance relationship :)

#6 Hibiscus Strawberry Smoothie

Hibiscus tea (1 cup)

Strawberries

Frozen Banana
Pear
Almonds (tablespoon)
Honey (tea spoon)

Superfood – Almonds 

1. Almonds are the most nutritionally dense nuts making them a high protein snack with loads of nutrients!
2. High in protein and fiber and a good source of potassium, calcium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
3. Research has shown that almonds might aid in weight loss, help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, lower "bad" cholesterol and increase "good" cholesterol levels.

Books, you are exhilarating and intriguing, wise and silly, disheartening and inspiring, touching and revolting, funny and ironic – you are so AWESOME!

For the love of books! Amen! J

Books I read in March and my humble remarks: