I love spring. I love the mild weather and I love to cook in the Spring with all the fruits and vegetables that come into season. As we move into the warmer months, here are some fun and affordable, springtime activities and recipes. I’ve made/done everything on this list.

Food trucks at Klyde Warren Park:

I love going to Klyde Warren park before it gets too hot. Going out there in the summer is brutal. While the weather is still mild and pleasant, spend an afternoon trying different food trucks. I prefer going to Klyde Warren over Truck Yard for food trucks because there are more options at Klyde Warren. If you want a cocktail, you can snag a Mambo Taxi at Mi Cocina (the only thing worth getting at Mi Cocina).

The Arboretum:

Again, going to the Arbortetum in the summer is actual torture, but it is delightful in the spring. The tulips are gorgeous. Take a bougie picnic and spend the afternoon pretending you are basking in the sun on your private estate.

The Nasher Sculpture Garden:

The Nasher has an impressive permanent collection outside. It is a great way to spend an hour or two.

Iced Matcha Latte:

I love switching to Matcha in the spring. Abby’s Bagels has ceremonial grade matcha. I get a large, iced, almond milk Matcha latte with vanilla syrup (also comes in sugar free). It is delicious, light and fresh. Perfect for spring.

Katy Trail:

Not blowing any minds by including the Katy Trail. I love walking the trail when the weather is nice.

Highland Park:

Nick and I lived off Oak Lawn for a few years. Our walking route during the pandemic went straight through Highland Park. The neighborhood is so picturesque. Park your car at Highland Park Village, take a walk and get lunch at Honor Bar.

Workout Outside:

Walk in your neighborhood or around the lake. Do a yoga class in your yard. Soak up as much Vitamin D before you are housebound in the summer.

Deep clean your house:

Spring is such a great time for a reset. Pick one area of your house that you’ve wanted to organize and spend ten minutes a day on it. It will be done in no time, and you can make your way around your house all season long. Spring is also a great time to swap out old, toxic, cleaning products and switch to a clean alternative. Branch Basics is my favorite non-toxic cleaning supply brand. You can also make your own cleaning solution using:

3 cups white vinegar

4 tablespoons dish soap

2 cups water

Drops of essential oil

Change out your winter bedding:

If you have heavier sheets for the colder months, switch them out for something light and breathable as the weather gets warmer. There is a sheet company called Peach Skin that makes super light and breathable sheets for cheap. Nick and I have Peach Skin on our bed and love it.

Read outside and practice grounding:

Wake up 20-minutes earlier and read outside. It is best to get your bare feet on the grass to receive the benefits of grounding. Grounding helps regulate your circadian rhythm; helps ease anxiety a promote a sense of wellbeing. This is a great way to start your day.

Start a garden:

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to start planting a small garden. It is so satisfying to watch little seedlings grow into plants. Start with herbs and hearty flowers like zinnias. Redentas on Oram and Skillman is a great place to get all your gardening needs.

Make a spring playlist:

Make a playlist full of light and pleasant music. I love turning on a jazz playlist in the mornings while I’m making coffee.  The Bossa Nova playlist on Spotify is great and Relaxing Piano Jazz on Apple music is one of my favorites.

Dye Easter eggs:

It’s a fun activity and then you have homemade Easter decorations. Get creative and use acrylic paint to make them super unique and pretty.

Take up a new hobby:

Try something new. Needlepoint is fun and you can take it with you and work on it anywhere instead of scrolling on your phone. It is great for relaxation and dexterity. They make any design you can think of on a canvas, and if they don’t, you can paint your own design on a canvas. Creative Stitches in the Preston Valley shopping center is a great place to get started. If needlepoint isn’t your thing, take a cooking class at Central Market or Sur La Table, they have classes for all skill levels.

Add some things into your wellness routine:

Spring is a great time to add to your wellness rituals. Adding to your wellness ritual is a great way to practice self-care. Some small things you could add are:

Dry Brushing: This is a great practice to add to your self-care routine, especially for service industry people because it promotes lymphatic drainage.

Tongue Scraping: I love tongue scraping. Do it the second you wake up. It gets all the bacteria that has been sitting on your tongue al night off. It is kind of gross, but it is so good for both your oral and all-around physical health.

Scalp massage with oil: Scalps are trending right now, you don’t need fancy oils or tools, just your hands and some neutral oil. Scalp massage promotes hair growth and scalp health.

Aroma therapy: Find an essential oil that you like and diffuse it in the morning when you are starting your day and, in the evening, when you are ending your day. Pick something bright and invigorating for the morning like Eucalyptus or citrus and something more relaxing for evening like lavender.

Mouth taping: I started mouth taping a few months ago and it is a game changer for sleep. I sleep deeper and feel more refreshed when I wake up in the morning. Mouth breathing can cause a whole host of issues, you want to make sure you are breathing through your nose when sleeping. You can get cheap mouth tape on Amazon.

Meditation: Do this outside. Start small and work your way up to 20 minutes. There are a ton of free meditations on You Tube.

sPRING Recipes:

White Bean Turkey Chili

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon ghee

1 onion diced

2 stalks of celery diced

2 large carrots diced

3 large cloves of garlic minced

1 32 ounce box of turkey both (chicken is fine if you can’t find turkey)

1 can full fat coconut cream

1 package Ground Turkey

1 Can rinsed navy beans

1 jar of hatch Chile salsa (I got mine from central market)

For serving:

½ an avocado

Hot Sauce

Parmesan cheese

Add garlic to a hot pot with a tablespoon of ghee, cook until fragrant

Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are translucent

Add salt, Ancho chile powder and onion powder

Add in turkey

Add turkey broth and bring to a boil

Add navy beans and salsa

Let simmer for 30 minutes

Right before serving add in the coconut cream

Serve with avocado, a sprinkle of parmesan and hot sauce

Spring Pea Salad

4 Cups of peas blanched

2 shaved cucumbers (peeled into ribbons with peeler)

2 shaved green apple (peeled into ribbons with peeler)

½ red onion

1 Cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

1 cup dried cranberries

¼ cup mint leaves

1 avocado (cubed and tossed in lemon juice and salt)

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl

Basil Vinaigrette

1 cup basil leaves

¼ Extra Virgin olive oil

1 big clove garlic

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoon shalt

I chopped shallot

2 teaspoons pepper

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour over the salad mixture.

Herby Chicken:

3 Chicken breasts cubed

1 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh dill

1 shallot

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

The juice of 3 lemons

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon pepper

Put all ingredients (excluding the chicken) in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Put herb mixture in a Ziplock bag with the cubed chicken

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours

Once the chicken has marinated

Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Serve over rice

Refreshing Papaya Protein Shake

1 cup cubed and frozen papaya

2 Scoops vanilla protein powder

½ cup milk of choice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup of kale

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy

 Peach mocktail/cocktail

2 peaches

1 cup mint leaves

1 Tablespoon Stevia in the raw or raw honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 ounces peach iced tea (I get mine from Eatzies but you can make your own)

Slice peaches and muddle with the Stevia (or honey), lemon juice, peach tea and the mint leaves

Shake in cocktail shaker with some ice

Fill a rocks glass with ice

Strain the peach, mint, lemon, tea and sugar mixture

Pour peach, mint, lemon and sugar mixture into a glass

Top with Topo Chico

If you want to make this a cocktail, add 3 ounces of bourbon to the strained mixture. Fill a shaker with ice and shake the bourbon and the peach mixture until chilled. Strain over a rocks glass full of ice and top with Topo Chico.

Garnish with a sprig of mint and lemon wheel.

Bartenders Nightmare

This is my go-to, I ordered it at Al BIernaTs once and they brought it to me in a wine glass with a straw… makes it a million times better.

Muddled Jalapenos and mint

Top with ice and Topo Chico

Add splash of cranberry juice

Rim with Tajin and garnish with a lemon wedge

Cucumber Cooler

Muddled cucumber

Muddled basil

Ice

Tonic water

Splash grapefruit juice

Garnish with a lime wedge

Raging Bull

Ice

Sugar Free Red Bull

Splash of grapefruit juice

Tajin Rim

Garnish with a lemon wedge

No Tequila Sunrise

Ice

1 ounce Cranberry juice

1 ounce Orange juice

Splash of lime juice

Garnish with a lime wedge

 Cherry Coconut Sipper

Shake in a cocktail shaker:

Muddled cherries

.5 ounce Honey

1 tablespoon Grated ginger

1 ounce Coconut Milk

Ice

Strain over ice

Top with Topo Chico