I’ve found the perfect way to stay hydrated and energized during a blogging conference, trade show or any event where you need to keep your star-power bright.

You’re going to want one of these, especially before all the spring-time travel begins! This is the best water bottle ever!

My good pals over at Dexas International know me soooo well. They know that I’m always on the go… or just playing catch-up with my crazy life.

Drinking lots of water is the name of the game (as we all know), but having something healthy to eat when you are on the verge of your next meal is just as important (that’s when we make bad choices… or at least I do).

Dexas has the answer: The Snack-DuO water bottle… the only bottle that has two side-by-side chambers: one to hold whatever you like to drink, and another to hold a snack.

And, before I continue, because this is important, the Snack-DuO is made of Tritan™ copolyester, a BPA and BPS-free plastic. No bisphenols in this high impact-resistant bottle! Good to know, especially because there’s so much talk about the risk of using plastic water bottles that aren’t BPA free!

Do you workout or go to the gym? I really try (key word: try) to work out everyday. I know that after a workout I need to eat something… especially something healthy. Before I work out, I fill the snack-side of the Snack-DuO with protein bar bites, trail mix or almonds. Okay, sometimes I fill it with M&M’s, but that’s only sometimes.

The bottle is watertight and holds 12 ounces of liquid. The snack chamber holds 1½ cups of your fave snack, which is more than a serving size of most healthy snacks. Love that the Snack-DuO is also dishwasher safe.

The Snack-DuO is great for commuting… or for making sure the kids have a healthy snack before their after-school activities!

Now… doesn’t this sound like the best water bottle ever? Order your Snack DuO here!

Here’s a great summertime dish you can “cook” without turning on the oven: Ceviche.

Ceviche (also known as cebiche, sebiche or seviche) is a Latin American dish made with raw fish that is marinated in citrus juice, herbs and spices until the translucent flesh turns opaque and becomes firm.

In Peru (where many people believe this dish originated), tangy ceviche is traditionally eaten in the morning as an eye-opener (read that: hangover cure). Its ingredients are pretty simple: bitter orange juice, onions and thinly sliced hot peppers, like aji amarillo.

I prefer to make my ceviche the Mexican way, with lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños and a little garlic. I serve it on top of fresh crunchy greens. The taste is so fresh and healthy it’s one of my feel-good meals. It’s very easy to learn how to make ceviche!

A few ceviche tips:

• Buy fresh firm-fleshed ocean fish like halibut, grouper, flounder or red snapper that won’t fall apart in the marinade.
• Marinade until the fish loses its translucency, or for about 4-hours.
• Soak the onions for a little bit to take the “bite” out, so they don’t step on the other flavors.
• Remove the seeds and veins from the chili peppers to control the heat.

Funny how the thought of eating raw fish doesn’t sound as absurd as it did a decade ago because, for many of us, sushi and sashimi have become a regular part of our diets!

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In the food world, cranberry beans are Cinderella-at-the-Ball-until-Midnight.

(Indulge me, you know how much I love drawing analogies between food and storybook, movie or television characters).

You have to appreciate the fleeting magenta-speckled loveliness of cranberry beans because, sadly, after you cook them, the streaky reddish-pink color disappears. Vanishes. But, just like Cinderella, it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.

Cranberry beans (aka Supremo, borlotti or shelly beans) are packed with fiber: a half-cup serving will give you almost 40% of your daily need! They’re also loaded with protein, have few calories and NO fat.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

If you find these beans in the farmers market, they should have a soft leathery pod. Inside, the pod should be moist and the bean tender.

They’ve got a very subtle chestnut flavor and won’t overpower a dish. In fact, they’ll add a nice creamy succulence whether served hot or cold. I cook them up for 30 minutes or so, cool them down and then serve them with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon on top of heirloom tomatoes. Yes.

The one downside to these beans is that you have to shell them (hence the name shelly beans), and that can be time-consuming. But, sit your kids down… tell them about Cinderella, and that midnight is approaching. Challenge them to shell as many as possible in 15 minutes… before the spell is broken.

And watch the fun begin…

Sugary sweet, bright kernels of sunshine have finally arrived. Summer’s freshest corn is in the market.

You say corn has been in your farmers’ market for a while? Ha! Those ears were merely poseurs.

The corn you buy this weekend will be so fresh and ready to eat, you can shuck it on site and eat it right off the cob (but please pay for it first).

This is one of my favorite simple summertime recipes. You can use canned beans, but the corn should be fresh off the cob so you get that delightful crunch. The tequila in the lime vinaigrette adds just the right kick and earthiness. You can also leave out the tequila.

Pee Wee Herman looooves this recipe (especially the Tequila part). Do you have a favorite recipe for fresh corn that’ll make your family want to get up and dance?

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