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Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

July 29, 2013/in Other /by

Aguas frescas are non-alcoholic drinks made with fruits, flowers, cereals and seeds. They are popular in many cultures, easy to make, and refreshing. In the highlands of central Mexico, 20 degrees north of the equator, all types of flower and fruit can be grown in a relatively small space. In ‘our’ backyard, there are bananas, […]

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

July 20, 2013/in Press /by Ozuke

Series: Road trips USA: West Previous | Next | Index Boulder: a Rockies’ road to extreme sports, yoga and smoothies Gateway to the Rocky Mountains, the ‘republic’ of Boulder, Colorado, is also a bastion of liberal, exercise-crazy freaks Boulder and the scenic regions around it are ideal for extreme sports. Photograph: Soubrette/Getty The Republic […]

Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

July 29, 2013/in Other /by

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

July 20, 2013/in Press /by Ozuke

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Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

July 29, 2013/in Other /by

Aguas frescas are non-alcoholic drinks made with fruits, flowers, cereals and seeds. They are popular in many cultures, easy to make, and refreshing.

In the highlands of central Mexico, 20 degrees north of the equator, all types of flower and fruit can be grown in a relatively small space. In ‘our’ backyard, there are bananas, apples, pears, pomegranates, mangos and several different types of citrus fruits.

Besides the mild year round temps (comparable to Hawaii & Jamaica), the highlands of Jalisco boast some of Mexico’s richest soils. Los Altos, as they are locally known, receives torrents of rain during the monsoon season (June through October). The mineral rich land of Los Altos is a deep red color, and produces hectares and hectares of food. In fact, Jalisco is the leading producer of maize, beans, and livestock in all of Mexico. Here, if you plant it, even if you don’t have a green thumb, it will grow.

With all these colorful flowers and mouth watering fruits, deciding
which refreshing drink to make is no small task.

We decided to have agua de limon (real) & Jamaica. This translates to lemonade and a sweetened hibiscus cooler. Fortunately, up in the more northern latitudes, lemons are available year round, and dried hibiscus flowers can be found in many grocery stores or Mexican markets.

Lemonade (AGUA de LIMON REAL) Ingredients:
4-5 cups water
1 cup sugar (sweeter=more sugar)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (tangy=more lemons)
Ice (less water if using ice)

Directions:
Extract the juice from 4 to 8 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.
Add the juice and 4-5 cups of water to a pitcher. Add sugar 1/2 cup first, then 1/4 cup at a time. Stir until dissolved. If the lemonade is a little too sweet for your taste, add more lemon juice to it. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes or add ice. Serve!

Hibiscus Cooler (AGUA de JAMAICA) Ingredients:
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 – 2 1/2 quarts of water
1 cup sugar or alternative sweetener* (sweeter=more sugar)

Directions:
Bring to a boil 1 quart of water. In a stainless steel bowl, pour the boiling water over the hibiscus flowers. Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Pour mixture through strainer or colander into a pitcher. Add remaining water and sugar, stir until sweetener dissolves. If you prefer a sweeter beverage, add more sugar. Refrigerate or add ice and serve!

* Instead of sugar, I often use a dropper full of liquid stevia, and then add maple syrup to taste for a richer sweetened flavor.

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

July 20, 2013/in Press /by Ozuke

Boulder: a Rockies’ road to extreme sports, yoga and smoothies

Gateway to the Rocky Mountains, the ‘republic’ of Boulder, Colorado, is also a bastion of liberal, exercise-crazy freaks

A mountain biker at sunset in Boulder, Colorado

Boulder and the scenic regions around it are ideal for extreme sports. Photograph: Soubrette/Getty

The Republic of Boulder, as Boulder, Colorado, is fondly known, is a town of almost 100,000 people nestled up against the red sides of the Flatirons in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The “Republic” has a reputation for being at once snooty and strange, a combination that works to bring in tourists and keep out the haters, who love to criticise this odd university town for being a bastion of liberal, peace-loving, spiritual, exercise-crazy freaks.

And we are, and are proud of it. Even the preppy country-club conservatives (there are more than a handful) are openly accepted by the town as they, too, study Buddhism and drink green smoothies. So open-minded we can’t even hate the haters, Boulderites are known to live on raw foods, drink local gluten-free beer, and have become the poster children for cannabis legalisation: because we are so left of centre, we meet up in the back with the libertarian right and want to live as we please, mountain bike where we will, and go to our chiropractor/acupuncturist/psychic when we need to.

North Boulder is your spot to visit like a local. Start by getting a green juice on Pearl Street at Whole Foods Market and a jar of Zuké pickled beets, by Esoteric Food Company, which is the celebrity pinnacle of the flourishing farmer’s market locavore scene here.

Meditation on the Continental Divide Yoga in Boulder … find some peace amid the extreme sports. Photograph: Annie Griffiths Belt/Corbis

Then head on to a yoga class. The yoga attitude lives large in this town, as does being a professional athlete training at altitude – but that’s harder to drop in on.

If you want authentic Boulder, skip the big box yoga places that have popped up and visit the Anjaneya Yoga Shala, a little studio owned by long-time Boulder yoga teacher Jeanie Manchester and run out of her garage. These classes, which will introduce you to yoga, meditation, and real live Boulderites with time in the middle of the day, will make you hungry.

Head for Lucky’s Bakehouse and Creamery on Broadway Street and indulge. You can sit out at the front and watch the parking lot, the kids on bikes, the dogs and their walkers, as you sample one of Lucky’s renowned cinnamon rolls before you head on the obligatory Boulder hike.

Boulder is about extreme sports: extreme hiking, century (100-mile)bike rides, and skiing your age in days every winter. But everyone loves the Anne U White Trail. Named after Anne Underwood White – an environmentalist, scientist and open-space advocate, who donated 20 acres for the creation of this trail – this is a three-mile trek where you do need to be careful about real Boulder mountain lions as you follow the bed of a creek through a verdant valley.

Fig and goat's cheese tart, Lucky's Bakehouse and Creamery 
” width=”460″ height=”277″ /> <span class= Fig and goat’s cheese tart, Lucky’s Bakehouse and Creamery

Real locals eat out. A lot. Who you’ll spot at the finer restaurants includes families, college students, couples on dates, workers from the funky ad agency with the “Disruptive Thinkers” bus and cannabis capitalists with new money. The people at the next table at Radda, a NoBo Italian fave run by a local who rides to work on his sexy black motorcycle with his dreads flying, are likely to be wearing patchouli and eating an enormous amount of food for obvious reasons.

To fit in you need to … wear yoga clothes, go hippy chic, or settle into real designer clothing. All of which reminds you that Boulder has been invaded by New York and California transplants with money and taste. Luckily, their clothes are resold at Common Threads, an essential stopoff for fashion followers and yogis alike, with consignment clothes curated by the hip 30- and 40-something employees who live in the mountains but like a good label.

Beware Chief Niwot‘s curse – the one that says once you fall in love with this place you are doomed to spend eternity trying to find a way to live here. That’s a modern paraphrase, but it does justice to the strong feeling this place inspires in visitors and locals.

Michelle Auerbach, author of The Third Kind of Horse

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Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Thirst Quenching Aguas Frescas (Fresh Waters)

Ozuke and Boulder Shout Out in The Guardian UK

Series: Road trips USA: West

Boulder: a Rockies’ road to extreme sports, yoga and smoothies

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