Fleur De Sel Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts have nothing to do with monsoons, but they are DELICIOUS.

The month of August this year was probably one of my favorites.  What’s that, you say?  My favorite month was August in Arizona?!  Yes.  And I’ll tell you why.  One word: monsoons.

Monsoons are what keep me going in the desert in the summer, when the days over 110 degrees stretch out over several days, not a cloud in the sky.  But then, I start to hear the rumble in the distance.  A dark knot of clouds starts to roll in from the south, ready to engulf us in a sudden storm.  Thunder, lightning, inches of rain dumping in less than an hour, and just the sheer power of it all.  Watching a monsoon roll in from my back porch as I sip a chilled drink is one of my favorite ways to reduce stress and just be.

Also in the month of August, I found myself reading a lot of great posts and articles about yummy treats, Monsanto woes, and traditional nutrition:

• Maybe this is not the place to admit it, but I have issues with hard-boiled eggs.  Which is really a shame, because I love them.  But here’s the way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs.  Thank you!
• If you’ve been reading, I have been ranting about The Monsanto Machine, and so have others. I love these posts about how to help stop Monsanto, our food fight and prop 37, and how to deal with genetically modified foods.
• I have mentioned the evils of PUFA before in my love for fleur de sel macadamia nuts and my priority to sleep stress away.  My friend Emily is also on board, not just with PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids), but with Diet Recovery as well.  No more dieting!  I love her post on PUFA and why we should limit this polyunsaturated fat in our diets.
• The universe is telling me to eat more grass-fed gelatin, because look at these two great recipes I came across: how to make gummy stars and how to make healthy jello!  Plus, it’s still hot here in Arizona, so these cool treats sound like the perfect snacks.
• As we go back to school, I was very glad to find healthy classroom snack list.  (I’m so tired of seeing massive boxes of goldfish crackers and breakfast cereal in my children’s classrooms!)
• This kiwi fruit leather, easy vegetarian frittata, and slow cooker apple pie filling are all GAPS legal!
• And speaking of GAPS, I think you’ll find this guide to baking with coconut flour extremely helpful.  I know I have!  Coconut flour can be tricky, but Jenny is a master of coconut flour recipes.
• Of course I love this post about how lowfat diets are just plain silly: fat is your friend!  I mean, remember how I said that saturated fat and cholesterol do not cause heart disease?  I stand by it.
• 6 tips for healthier coffee drinking?  I love it!  I agree with each and every tip, although I still add whole cane sugar to my decaf, yum!
• Transitioning to a traditional diet can be tough, but here we have some good advice and very approachable steps to make the process even more painless.
• Finally, did you know that Emily over at Holistic Kid wrote an ebook?  She is so knowledgeable, a real foodie and acupuncture and holistic medicine practitioner.  See how The Eczema Cure can help you heal from eczema from the inside out!

This post is a part of Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, The Mommy Club.