July 28, 2025
Hi Friends,
I just returned yesterday from Rancho La Puerta, and after the whirlwind of my last trip, a week to decompress was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Rancho La Puerta—voted the number one spa in the world—is truly the most magical place on Earth. With daily hikes, art and meditation classes, concerts, cooking demos, inspiring lectures, and every kind of fitness class imaginable from 6 AM to 9 PM, it’s like Disneyland for adults. I’ve had the incredible privilege of being a guest presenter there since 2012, teaching cooking classes in their beautiful La Cocina Que Canta (“The Kitchen That Sings”).
If it’s not already on your bucket list, I hope you’ll add it. I truly don’t know of a more healing place on Earth. Each day I treated myself to a spa experience—my favorites were Watsu and Happy Hands and Feet. I also indulged in daily sound healing sessions and nourishing meals made with just-picked produce from their lush organic gardens.
This time I tried a new class called Gentle Aerial Silks.
It felt like yoga in a hammock—or as I like to call it, napping! I also spent lots of time lounging in the garden hammocks, which reminded me of one of my favorite Spanish proverbs: “How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.”
It was such a gift to have a week without thinking about anxiety or cancer. Although—I’ll admit—when my plane home sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes, I had a moment of “uh-oh, here we go again.”
Health update: My 3-month follow-up CT scan is this Friday, and I’m feeling what’s affectionately (and accurately) known as scanxiety. I’ve learned this is common—even among people who don’t usually struggle with anxiety. I promise I’ll share the results once I have them.
I don’t know what my cortisol or lipase levels are this week—no labs drawn! And to be honest, my tiny veins are grateful for the break. I still experience occasional pancreatic pain, especially if I eat anything too fatty. I couldn’t resist the cashew sour cream we made to top the enchiladas—and yes, I definitely paid for that generous serving!
Love & Kale, Chef AJ.