The Painted Doula

Did you know? Papaya, especially green papaya, has been a prized superfood for late pregnancy and the postpartum period for centuries in Thailand, among other cultures. Green papaya boosts oxytocin production, which can help initiate labor and is incredibly high in the enzyme Papain, which is said to help with milk production. It is a rich source of Vitamins A, C, E, folate and many beneficial enzymes which provides tremendous benefits for blood flow and circulation. One of my favorite recipes using green (or ripe) papaya is my twist on the Thai papaya salad. Here is my method and recipe ☺️

In a bowl, add:
-1/2 of a green papaya, shredded
-2 carrots, shredded
-1 red or orange sweet pepper, sliced
-huge handful of sugar snap peas, chopped

Then make the dressing by adding the following to a food processor:
-4 oz of peanuts or cashews
-5 cloves of garlic
-1 Fresno Chile pepper or a mild red pepper, but the spicy Fresno helps if you can handle the heat

Blitz these ingredients until they are coarsely ground. Then add
-juice and zest of 2 or 3 limes
-2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce
-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar or honey (coconut sugar has better flavor in my opinion)
-a splash of water to tone down flavor if you’d like. It’s a bold dressing

Combine it all in the bowl with veggies and enjoy! Keeps in fridge for 3-4 days if you’d like to make in bulk.

Sometimes people buy me as a gift for someone they love and it makes me feel so important and valued. It’s like, “here you go friend, I got you your very own Joli because I know how much you will love her and she will help.” It’s a very warm and fuzzy feeling that this person who cares enough to do something kind for someone decided that my work was that kind thing to give them. Just the musings of a very sleepy doula. 🥰 good night!