While we typically try to avoid the munchie cliches here, it’s hard for us to be honest and not talk about them. Cannabis can make you hungry, that’s just a fact. Some people may be more affected by this than others.

If you do find yourself checking the fridge for something that isn’t there, then checking the cabinets, and then looking back in the fridge thinking it may have magically appeared, we’ve prepared a quick, easy guide for you to use to make sure that you stay healthy and fit while getting your snack on.

To eat or not to eat?

When looking for a snack, aim for something that’s balanced, one that pairs a protein and fat with a carbohydrate (think apples with peanut butter, or even chips with sour cream dip).

This will make a snack with a low glycemic index. Even if you choose super unhealthy proteins and carbs, put together they’ll make you feel full sooner and stay with you longer.

Some foods are already balanced all on their own, such as nuts and nut butters, sweetened low-fat dairy products like yogurt, and hummus. It also helps to choose foods that are high in fiber, such as whole wheat breads, fruits and vegetables, or beans (and bean dips!).

By having healthy choices available to you around the house, you’re already halfway there. The next step is training your hand to move away from the Doritos and to something healthy instead.

Halo Top by FEE – CC BY

If you’re craving sweets, try…

Halo Top diet ice cream – It’s high protein and shockingly delicious

Nonfat Greek yogurt – Buy it plain and mix it up with some fresh fruit and your favorite calorie-free sweetener

Flourless peanut butter mug cake – At 420 calories (no pun intended), it’s not a health food, but it’s got a low glycemic index so it will fill you up, and satisfy your need to shove a piece of cake in your face.

Cheesecake dip – Dig in with fresh fruits, graham crackers, or check the import foods section of your grocery store for digestive biscuits – they’re similar to graham crackers, but lower in carbs.

If you’re craving salty things, try…

Kale chips – Buy them retail for way too much money, or make your own. Preheat your oven to 250. Tear the leafy part of your bunch of kale off of the thick stalk and rip into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, toss it in just enough olive oil to coat along with whatever seasonings you’d like. Spread it even on a sheet pan, and throw it in your oven for about a half an hour or until crispy and chip-like, tossing every 5-10 minutes or so.

Roasted chickpeas – Follow more or less the same procedure you used to make the kale chips, but with canned garbanzo beans/chick peas, and you wind up with a non-perishable snack that’s high fiber, balanced, and practically guilt free.

Popcorn – It’s a whole grain! Just opt for lightly buttered, and resist the urge to eat an entire bowl with snack-sized packages.

We know more than anyone that breaking bad habits is never easy, and learning new ones is even harder. But the myth (and stigma) that cannabis users get too stoned to not eat pizza is patently false.

For example, cannabis works remarkably well with a healthy diet. Additionally, many cannabis users consume the plant to help aid their strict exercise regimen.

The post How to snack healthy, and actually like it appeared first on Flowertown.

The meatless movement has slowly been gaining traction over the decades. What used to be a bevy of salads has now evolved to much more advanced dishes.

This now includes veggie burgers that are considered “impossibly” good, but will probably never be good enough to convince any diehard meat-eater that fake meat is just as tasty and fulfilling as the real thing.

But vegan food isn’t just about making facsimiles of meat dishes.

In fact, hardier, vegan ingredients, such as tofu or potatoes, are worth basing a variety of dishes around. They provide substance and are packed with lasting nutrients to help you feel full much longer than just a simple salad would.

Read on for three vegan recipes from around the world that are healthy, tasty, and skip the artificial beef flavor. Additionally, if you’re looking for an elixir to help wash down these delicious recipes, check out some of our inspired cocktails.

1. Chana Masala

This simple Indian chickpea dish is great over rice or with quinoa. Traditionally it would be made with ghee (clarified butter), but by simply substituting olive oil this becomes a vegan dish almost by design.

2. Peanut Stew

This West African recipe is that perfect dish for a cozy night in, and it’s all made in one pot, so you don’t have to stress over the dishes.

3. Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish that comes from Nice, France. This version makes a delicious yet ungainly pile of vegetables, but you can also opt to slice them thin and splay them out in alternating layers, then bake in the oven for an Instagram-friendly version.

The post Three vegan recipes so good you won’t miss meat appeared first on Flowertown.

As colder weather and Santa Ana winds move into LA, it’s time to start making those hearty meals, full of flavor that warm you up through the cold LA nights (and by cold we mean the usual mid-sixties).

A hugely popular choice for that comfort food is ramen, which has become a staple over the years for providing all the qualities of a traditional soup dish with wonderfully thick, flavorful noodles and a range of seasoning.

But don’t call ramen soup. It’s far from your mom’s chicken noodle concoction she made to get you through winter.

Ramen originated in China and eventually made its way over to Japan, where the adaptation of the dish is the most popular version of ramen today.

But what’s better than ramen? Making your own cannabis infused ramen on a rainy LA night.

It’s not new information that cannabis enhances the flavor of food. If ramen is already the holy grail of all things comfort food, then cannabis is useful to create a whole new dining adventure.

Plus, DIY’ing is always fun.

Note: Before trying any of these ramen recipes, you want to infuse your oil base with cannabis.

Cannabis Infused Oil

Miso Ramen (easy)

Directions:

In a medium-sized pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat and mix in garlic, ginger, shallot, and sesame seeds. Add meat and stir until cooked. Add bean paste, miso, sesame seeds, sugar, sake, chicken stock, salt and pepper (slowly mix in each ingredient one by one). Add soup and toppings to ramen. Serve hot.

Shoyu Ramen (easy)

Directions:

Using a small pot heat sesame oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat. Saute for 2 minutes and add all other ingredients (excluding ramen water). Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add soup to cooked ramen. Add toppings of your choice.

While adding cannabis to ramen is a great way to elevate something great to something even better, the same can be true for your favorite cocktails to enjoy with your homemade ramen. Or, if DIY infusion isn’t your thing, check out some of our favorite edibles that are made by premium, trusted bakers and confectioners.

The post Cannabis-infused ramen is here appeared first on Flowertown.

Romance is in the air, but it could definitely do with some company. Cannabis goodies can improve your Valentine’s Day plans whether you’re just setting the mood or igniting a little extra passion.

Arouse by Dosist – CC BY

Cannabis in the clouds

If you and your significant other are staunch flower lovers there are two strains you should definitely consider: Skywalker and Atomic Northern Lights. These hybrids mix euphoria with a nice body high that doesn’t make you immobile.

For the more discreet, arouse by dosist offers our California readers a scintillating vaporizer pen. This THC-forward formula will have you cozying up to your partner in no time.

Queen Green by Kushed Candles – CC BY

Relaxing aromatherapy

Set the stage for your romantic tryst with a QueenGreen candle or two. Despite its name, this member of the Kushed Candles lineup is actually rather sweet with enough musky undertones to prevent it from being overbearing. The candle comes in a wide range of sizes, including some 6 oz gold travel tins — in case you’re hitting the road this Valentine’s day.

Cannabis Bouquet by Lowell Smokes – CC BY

A bouquet they’ll never forget

Send some green flowers this year with Lowell Farms’ cannabis bouquet. The arrangement features about an ounce worth of marijuana for a cool $400. Lowell Farms will only deliver within Los Angeles, but you can find out if they ship to a California dispensary near you!

Love CBD Bath Bomb by Kush Queen – CC BY

A tantalizing bubble bath

Whether you’re drawing a bath for your loved one or joining them for some bubbly footsie, you can’t go wrong with a bath bomb. The irreverent Kush Queen’s Love CBD Bath Bomb, which ships everywhere, is all about soaking up the mood. For a more intense effect, you can try out their 1:1 CBD to THC version at your local California dispensary.

Easy Cannabis Cookbook by Amazon – CC BY

A cannabis-infused dinner

Want to skip the busy restaurants where someone’s proposing every few minutes? Enjoy a nice night in with a cannabis-infused meal. “The Easy Cannabis Cookbook” by Cheri Sicard will walk you through the creation of sweet and savory edibles. Control the dose as you see fit, for a jovial culinary experience.

Dark Chocolate Bar by Satori Chocolates – CC BY

Some decadent chocolates

What’s Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Satori makes delicious milk and dark chocolate bars that are so easy to eat, you might forget that each square is 10 mg of THC (don’t forget that, please).

Awaken by Foria Wellness – CC BY

A sensual lubricant you’ll use past February

Foria’s Awaken lubricant is not only a hot cannabis product, it’s knocked some regular lubricants off some nightstands. It’s oil-based so it doesn’t play well with latex and should be used with silicone toys. Awaken only contains CBD, so it can be enjoyed by all, but its THC sister, Pleasure, is only available in California, Colorado, and Canada.

The post The best products for an uplifting Valentine’s Day appeared first on Flowertown.

Cooking a meal for your partner is arguably one of the most thoughtful and romantic things you can do for them. It definitely beats going out to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, with the crowds, the lines, and the Uber surge-pricing.

Instead, you could prepare a romantic infused dinner. Cannabis has been hitting new strides in many industries and the culinary one is no exception. The plant’s growing prevalence has encouraged plenty of gourmet chefs to experiment with ways to expand their menus.

By getting dosage just right and pairing the certain strains with the right flavors, they’ve introduced many people to a culinary experience that connects them to the food and to each other. “Consuming cannabis and dining are a perfect marriage to me. It’s a new way to engage the possibilities of alternative medicine and to engage with friends [or loved ones!],” Chef Andrea Drummer tells Vogue. Drummer says that pairing foods with certain strains can really enhance its flavors, while its inevitable effects would make participants more open and free. Even sexologists like Nick Karras believe, “dinner is the most powerful form of foreplay.”

If you’re in a cannabis-friendly relationship, why not try cooking a romantic infused dinner for your loved one? Not only can you prepare a dish that will certainly please your taste buds, but you can also forge the opportunity to engage and connect with your partner in ways that you haven’t before (or at least in a long time).

There are plenty of ways to have an infused dinner, but the key is to know what you and your partner can handle. Drummer says that a “basic to mild” dose for the average person is somewhere between 10 to 25 mg. “Whether you’re using an infused oil, a butter, or tinctures, understand your product—where it comes from, the levels of THC, and how to properly dose the food. You want your friends [or loved ones] to have a positive experience,” she says.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate cannabis into your cooking is by using cannabis-infused butter or cooking oils, the recipes of which are plentiful with a Google search. For starters, you could try this Seared Scallops with Fennel Slaw, which calls for a drizzle of infused olive oil. The main course doesn’t have to be at all complicated, like a classic Pad Thai dish, made by Chef Peabody. Finally, dessert can be as sweet as this salted caramel pretzel bark. Get creative too: add some essential oils to add different flavors and aromas.

Seared Scallops by Pot D’Huile – CC BY

If you’re a beginner, we recommend choosing one dish to infuse for starters. For some, having an infused appetizer makes for a perfectly elevated experience for the rest of the meal. It all depends on the individual, so remember to always start out small. Once you get your proper dosage figured out, the possibilities are quite limitless when it comes to cannabis-infused cooking! And soon, you and your partner will share a meal unlike any other.

The post Treat your partner to an infused romantic dinner tonight appeared first on Flowertown.

When was the last time you rode a bike and felt like a kid again? No thoughts roaming through your head over picking up the kids or meeting that deadline at work. You were enjoying the moment more presently than ever.

It’s been a while, right?

Recapturing that feeling is possible with microdosing, a movement that has improved the way we use cannabis by leaps and bounds.

Rather than using cannabis in higher dosages for short periods of time, microdosing promotes using cannabis in small amounts over the course of a day.

The benefits of microdosing include reduced stress, minimized anxiety, and increased sensations. Plus, you don’t get as psychoactively high as you typically would in a more intense form of usage. Instead, you’re just even keel all day long.

Now, it’s much more easier for you to be mindful and present during your regular bike ride or happy hour with friends. But when, exactly, should you try microdosing?

Well, that’s up to you. But we’ve put together a list of some of our five favorite activities to use during:

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