Where have all the mangos gone?

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So I'm assuming that organic mango season is over in countries that Canada trades with, because mangos have virtually disappeared from natural food store shelves. While I'm sure I could find regular pesticide mangos in some regular food store if I really wanted to, that's just not the way I roll... So I'll wait til they're organically available again. And hey, the world probably doesn't need my extra mango food miles anyway.

In the meantime, I've had to forgo one of my favourite summer breakfasts: the infamous mango-cilantro-lime smoothie. With the weather getting colder, my body is conveniently not really into having those kinds of flavours anymore anyway, but I still absolutely loved the sweet and cilantro combination and was dying to get it any way I could. The solution? The banana-cilantro-spinach smoothie. Who would have thunk? Now I get that yummy taste AND extra greens.

The recipe? 1 or 2 frozen naners, that iron-licious handful of cilantro, a few leaves of spinach and/or kale, and a splash of water. The result? One happy green monster :)

Because cravings do tend to reflect the seasons, my best apple find of the month has been local organic russet apples. I've been having one every day this week and they're to die for. They're the perfect fall apple. They have that ideal sweet to tart ratio, and satisfyingly grainy skin.

It's strange but true to say that some raw foods taste warmer and some foods taste colder than others. This is why we are naturally drawn to water-dense fruit in the summer (watermelons, strawberries, peaches) while we are more attracted to denser fruits and veggies in the winter (apples, pears, kale). Our bodies work in mysterious ways if you let them. They know what's good for them depending on the season and even the month if you just listen.

Speaking of season, the world is also forcing me to get into a Christmas-y mood. That's exactly why I had the sudden urge to make an old favourite this week: Heather's Christmas Fruitcake, which I made over the winter months last year.

I'm also making an early resolution to hop back onto the regularly-posting blogger train. I've kind of fallen off the wagon while trying to get used to Doctoral life, but I think that for my sanity and for my love of food and health, I should get back into the swing of things!

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