"If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was produced in a plant, don't. - Michael Pollan, Author Have you watched The Game Changers movie yet? Produced by, among others, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s by far the best vegan and plant based documentary that has been released in 2019. I would put it up there with Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives as must-see documentaries if a vegan or plant based diet interests you or if factory farming alarms you. The Game Changers: Plant Based is Going Viral Since The Game Changers movie came out, people have been searching in Google for words like ‘vegan’ and ‘plant based’ more than ever. In the graph below you can see that the search words plant based peaked near the end of October 2019. The graph shows a percentage so, compared to the peak, there were only 25% searches for plant based before The Game Changers came out. That means that since the movie came out, people have been Googling the words plant based 4x more than before! Comparing to several years before, searches are actually up about 10x. The plant based movement is now experiencing its peak hype, but will it last? I think so. There are two reasons why I believe this sudden surge in trend is a sustainable one. 1 The Word is Out: Protein from Plant Based Sources is Superior Until now, the general perception of vegans has been: People who are skinny, look underfed and are protein deficient. Even though research has shown that sufficient and high-quality protein can be obtained from a balanced whole food plant based diet and can actually promote health, people are still asking the protein-deficient question. The Game Changers skillfully goes into this query and comes out with a very clear answer. Not only does plant based food contain enough protein and the right proportions of protein, it also contains a higher quality protein than animal-based products. The world’s strongest man, the world’s fastest man (be it in a car), the world’s best football player, the world’s best tennis player, the world’s more durable athlete.... they all have one thing in common: they eat plant based! Their ability to recover, which is incredibly important when competing at the very best level, is greatly increased on a diet in which protein comes from plant based sources. I think that insight has sent shock waves through the world. 2 It's Actually Tasty?!! Once people accept that a plant based diet has enough nutrients (like protein), and that it can actually enhance athletic performance, there is another big obstacle to make the leap. Many people seem to think that vegans only eat salads. Quite the contrary is true. I’ve also found that people around me who have given it a shot, have actually enjoyed the great variety of flavors that a plant based meal provides. In The Game Changers movie there is also a scene in which big, tough American Football players are digging into a colorful, nutritious and tasty plant based barbecue meal. A big eye opener! Nowadays there are so many options available if you want to eat plant based. You can go the route that is considered more healthy, the so-called whole food plant based route. But you can also go for plant foods like the Beyond Burger or Impossible Foods, which have been gaining a lot of popularity worldwide in 2019, as they are quite similar in flavor compared to meat. Whichever option you choose, rest assured that you will have a lot of variety and a guaranteed flavorful experience! This article was written by Darren Van Es, founder of GingerKale, a website which helps educate and inspire people about the benefits of a whole food plant based diet. You can also follow Darren on Instagram.
0 Comments
"When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in." -Kristin Armstrong Let's face it, sometimes life is a big shit show. I know, I've had my share, possibly more. Most of us don't get through life without a challenge or two....or more. If you are lucky the trouble is temporary. Sometimes, however, the challenges last much longer than would seem humane. I don't know why some of us seem to get through with just a couple bumps and scrapes while others of us seem to hemorrhage trouble. Why me? That's the million dollar question with no answer. But what I do know, is that in any situation, in any difficult moment or season, there is still always, always, always, something to be grateful for. In the last few years off and on (mostly on) I have been experiencing my own season of challenge, one of several in my life. I am tired and sad and confused and sometimes angry. I feel stuck and overwhelmed and alone and like I am barely keeping my head above water. Still, every night before bed, I get out my gratitude journal and list 10 things I am grateful for. Some nights I struggle to get past 3 but push on 'til there are 10. Some nights it's easy to list 10 and to keep going. All this in the midst of a very uncomfortable chapter in my life. Yes, tonight my fork performed beautifully. Thank you. The other day I saw the image below (sorry not sure who created it) on a friend's Facebook page for a 30 day gratitude challenge. I perked up when I saw it, not because I needed a challenge to keep a gratitude practice, but because it gave me so many more ideas on what to be grateful for that I don't normally consider. How crazy is that? Just goes to show you how much I (and maybe all of us) take for granted every. single. day. I'm not really a Bible kind of gal, but even in that doesn't it say something like in all things give thanks? You may be surprised at how a little gratitude can give you a bit of peace, hope and comfort even in the midst of your own shit show. It's easy when life is going along great, but it's absolutely necessary when it isn't. So I am going to do this 30 day gratitude challenge publicly. You can join me by following along on my Facebook page or Instagram account, both of which are linked up at the top. I will welcome your comments about what you are grateful for under each day's topic. Who knows maybe with collective gratitude we can help each other ride the wave of sorrow or despair or discomfort and come out better for it on the other side. And with that, I will just say "Thank you" for stopping by and reading my little blog today. Namaste. "Gratitude is the best attitude." - unknown Welcome back friends to another post for our Virtual Book Club on The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. I apologize for not keeping a regular posting schedule. I love the book but I am loving a lot of other books at the moment as well. So far my joy has been keeping the gratitude journal. However I have also noticed a shift in how gratitude colors some of my other relationships at work and at home for the better. I hope you can all say the same. This blog entry is brought to you by a guest blogger, my niece Alana. She introduces herself a little more down so keep reading. She is an extraordinary young woman, and I love and admire her greatly. I was thrilled when she accepted my offer to guest blog for me. Please fell free to leave comments for her below to continue the conversation! The exploration of any idea is always more interesting when more participate. Thank you Alana for sharing! When I was asked to write a guest post for the blog, I was elated. I loved The Gratitude Diaries (I finished a few weeks ago) and have referenced it multiple times for myself, during interactions with roommates, and in a workshop with student community service leaders on my campus. At first I thought I’d focus on specific passages that spoke to me, but I decided its impact on me would be better explained in a broader sense. The past couple months of my life have been extremely transformative—figuring out life goals, eating habits, and exercise regimens—and this book was an integral part of that journey. A little about me: I’m one of Lynda’s nieces and a junior at Penn State University. I’m in the College of Communications studying Media Studies, a major focused on communication theory, policy, law, political communication, telecommunications, social justice, research, and writing. Simply put, I appreciate authors that use words to do good things. It’s not always easy to be as expressive and relatable as Janice Kaplan manages to be, but by the end you want to be her friend. College in general was a bit of a rollercoaster ride to start, but now I feel like I’m sailing pretty smoothly. As someone who struggles with situational anxiety, taking time to reflect, meditate, eat well, sleep well, and exercise is absolutely crucial to my wellbeing. It’s something I’m still learning to balance, but this year was the first time I’ve felt really confident about the path I want to take in life and the person I have become. This book could not have entered my life at a better time; I was ready for the gratitude challenge! I was lucky enough to have received a journal to accompany the book, and I want to share some entries written in the very beginning: 1/18/17: I am grateful for…the yummy pho dinner Lauren and I had in the dining hall, the funny yoga instructor who insisted that “enlightenment doesn’t have to be serious” and used an accordion to pitch the “oms” at the end, housing for fixing the light outside of our door, that my rain boots came in the mail 1/19/17: I am grateful for…the sky had no clouds (so when I was walking home at night, I could see the stars), we won our first intermural volleyball game of the season, I had really delicious 6-vegetable pesto soup today for lunch (that I made!), my professor let us out of class 20 minutes early today Super simple stuff, but reading it back now makes me smile. So now to the three instances I mentioned in the beginning: applying lessons from the book to real-life situations. The part I found most personally useful was the section about gratitude and health (specifically diet and eating). As a food lover with a sweet tooth, self-control has always been an issue. I’ve been transitioning to a more plant-based diet, and in the process, it’s been helpful to be grateful for the good things that fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, and legumes do for me. Taking care to prepare quality food for myself involves lots of self-love, and the experience has been rewarding. Not only that, but in times when I’m stressed or annoyed, I take some deep breaths and try to look for something to be grateful for. This strategy has helped me with my roommates, as well. My roommates are all lovely, and I can’t complain about my living situation. Regardless, we aren’t all perfect, and I have my off days. There was a day when my roommate was particularly upset about the number of ants appearing in our living room and insisted on getting housing to come and spray. Not being a big fan of chemicals, I was not enamored by this idea and insisted that the problem would solve itself. The situation created a bit of tension, but I had to remind myself that I was lucky to have a roommate that cared about maintaining a clean apartment. She was willing to take action to solve a problem. In the end, an Orkin guy came and squeezed tiny bits of goo around the molding in our living room. I had overreacted, but putting the issue in perspective and being grateful for my roommate’s concern made the situation much better. My attitude improved immediately, like a flipped switch. One morning turning to "Chapter Four: The No-Complaining Zone must have been fate. The weather was particularly miserable one day (similar to Kaplan’s experience), and as I was reading with breakfast, my roommate came in lamenting about how cold it was outside. I echoed Kaplan, mentioning how lucky we were to have class in nice toasty rooms. I noticed an immediate change in her frame of mind, and suddenly the morning was made more pleasant. I wish I could always have gratitude in my pocket like that, but I’m not always that quick to think on my feet. In this case, the mentioning of weather in the book could not have been timelier. Lastly, I am a Healthy Penn State Ambassador, which means I work with a group of students to promote health and wellness around campus. In our training, we learned about all sorts of awesome free things that our health center has to offer (but few people know about, which is why the group was formed). In another organization, Council of LionHearts (a roundtable of student community service leaders), I was asked to lead a workshop on a topic of my choice. Drawing from what I learned at the Healthy Penn State Ambassador training, I chose burnout and self-reflection. The first thing I mentioned as a key to mental health? Gratitude! I brought my book along, explaining the whole endorphin phenomenon that occurs with a habitual practice of gratitude. The workshop was a hit! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Gratitude Diaries. It’s the first non-academic book I’ve read in a while, and I’m happy to say that it’s reignited my interest in reading for fun. I’m now working on Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good, a hilarious read about how Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner developed the Newman’s Own brand. This post was a lengthy one, but thank you if you stuck around ‘til the end! The Gratitude Diaries is a book I’ll be recommending over and over to friends. Although the emphasis is on gratitude, I believe one of the biggest takeaways is patience. As mentioned before, gratitude is a habitual practice. It’s something that takes time to develop into a routine. So be patient and loving with yourself, as we all have off days and must remember that it’s called practice for a reason. - Alana Fiero “Tacos are like what the voices of a hundred angels singing Bob Dylan while sitting on rainbows and playing banjos would taste like if that sound were edible.” -Isabel Quintero I found the above quote on Goodreads. I'm not sure I have ever come across a more glorious food quote! Made my whole being smile. Then again, it makes me think this recipe really has a lot to live up to, and I am a little nervous about that! I also just realized it has been a long time since I posted a recipe or a Gratitude Diaries (entry coming soon!). So I thought I'd quickly share where my crazy brain has been the last month. First of all I have a senior in high school who will be graduating in just a little over a month. I am wanting to make the most of the time we have together before she (my youngest of two kids) heads off to college out of state. I work almost full-time outside of the house, so that's an added time taker. Lastly I have been doing some creative exploration that I have not shared here. I have created some mixed media art and some leather wrap bracelets specifically and the act of creating has just taken me to such a happy place, I neglected many other things (blog, laundry, clearing the paper clutter off my counters....) But I re-grouped recently to handle some of those issues and thus a new blog post in the form of a recipe. So I hope it was worth the wait. Thanks for hanging in there. Weebly, my blog host, gives me stats, and somehow, you have been still visiting and reading! So thank you so much for that! xoxo This recipe is inspired by one I saw travel on Facebook from Better Homes and Gardens. I made their version and it was time consuming and messier than I liked. Don't get me wrong, it tasted very good, but not good enough to justify how long it took me to make it. So I stream-lined things a bit and came up with the following. Yummy good and super easy thanks to the use of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from Costco (or wherever...mine had a net weight of about 3 lbs). Try it and see what you think. It was a huge hit at my house and is already being requested for an encore appearance. Buen Provecho! Green Chile-Tequila Chicken Tacos (Serves 6 or so) Breast and Thigh meat from 1 pre-cooked Rotisserie chicken, shredded, skin removed, pan juices reserved.* 1 c. diced onion 1 Tbsp. minced garlic olive oil 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded 2 Tbsp. Tequila (I used Jose Cuervo Gold) 1 1/2 cups salsa verde (if you are near a Trader Joe's, I really like their brand, too) 1 cup chicken stock pinch salt pinch coarse ground black pepper 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crumbled 6" corn tortillas (GF are available) Assorted toppings to taste: Cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese**, radishes julienned, chopped red or green cabbage, diced fresh tomatoes, diced white or green onion, minced jalapeno or pickled jalapeno slices, fresh lime wedges 1. In a large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add in onion, garlic and jalapeno half. Cook, stirring until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in Tequila and cook until nearly evaporated. 2. Stir in salsa verde , chicken stock, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano and reserved pan juices. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and discard jalapeno OR you can chop it up and stir it back in if you want some extra kick. Stir in reserved chicken. 3. Combine chicken and pan sauce until fully coated. Simmer until heated through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. (remember the cotija cheese is on the salty side if using). Remove from heat, cover and set aside . 4. Meanwhile heat another skillet or griddle and heat corn tortillas on medium to medium high heat on both sides to make them soft and malleable, about 30-60 seconds per side. 5. Have a variety of toppings nearby. Create tacos by filling warm tortillas with a small amount of chicken the topping as desired. Don't overfill! Squeeze lime juice on top if that's to your taste. Notes: * Chicken demi-glace would be a good substitute for the rotisserie chicken pan juices. It's available on-line or in some gourmet grocery stores. Use 1 Tbsp or to taste. A little goes a long way. Store leftover in freezer, air-tight.
** a substitute for Cotija cheese, if it's not available, near you, is just a basic domestic crumbled feta from the dairy aisle of your grocery store. "Cauliflower is nothing more than cabbage with a college education." -Mark Twain We've had a couple weeks of rather unseasonably warm weather recently, broken up by a day or two of winter re-visited. The warmer, spring-like weather piqued my taste buds for something fresh and light. Fresh and light brings to mind salads for me. I have long been wanting to create a grain-free tabbouleh, the middle eastern dish of bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley among other ingredients. I adore the flavors in it yet avoiding gluten, so the traditional version is not a match for me right now. Enter the versatile cauliflower that is popularly being used in everything from pizza crusts to rice substitute to potato substitute to now bulgur substitute. In many stores it comes already pre-chopped in a bag for convenience. My local Costco has organic chopped cauliflower which made me so happy ( if you can't find it pre-chopped, just pulse it in batches in your food processor or chop it by hand.).It turned out to be a great substitute in my opinion. The dish was so fresh and crunchy and cool, it really hit the spot. Instead of the more typical lemony -olive oil dressing though, I dressed it in a version of my Hummus recipe. I thought the result was beyond delicious. I ate the entire recipe myself in two sittings. Oh, yes, did I mention it stays fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator? Make ahead salad for the win! It's a great start to a Meatless Monday, if you want to try it out. Grain-Free Tabbouleh -Serves 4-6 as a side dish 4 cups finely chopped cauliflower 4 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 cup diced red onion 1 cup chopped Italian parsley, stemmed 1 1/2 cups diced cucumber (I use organic English or hot house cucumbers, skin on) salt and pepper to taste Hummus Dressing: 1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained 3 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste) 1 small clove garlic 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or sea salt 1/4 cup water or more to get desired consistency 1 pinch ground cumin, optional 1. Place all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. 2. For Dressing: Place all of hummus ingredients in bowl of food processor with metal blade in place. 3. Process hummus until smooth and creamy. Add in more water to thin to desired consistency. 4. Spoon 2/3 cup, or to taste, of hummus onto salad ingredients. Toss to combine. Use as much or as little hummus as you'd like (leftover hummus will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days- use as a dip for your favorite raw veggies or pita chips or as a spread for a veggie-full sandwich or wrap). Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly with salt and pepper. 5. Serve immediately, or cover and store in refrigerator until needed. May be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Happy eating! ♥
"Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don't have." -unknown This is my week to post an update to The Gratitude Diaries virtual book club, if you are following along. Are you? Have you finished reading it? I have a confession to make. I have my hands in so many things right now, I am going chapter by chapter in a very slow fashion. The one constant in my Gratitude Diaries journey is keeping my gratitude journal. Every night, like clock work, give or take a day here and there, I am listing 3-5 things I am thankful for. I look so forward to looking back over the day to capture those moments, too. It has become a little treasure for me personally. What about you? I have also managed to show more appreciation for people in my life, my immediate family as well as perfect strangers and everyone in between. I am much more aware of wanting to do that even and how important it is to express the appreciation and gratitude. But before I Dive into this week's chapter, "the No-Complainig zone," I need to go off track for a moment. This past weekend I was developing a recipe I imagined for the blog. The vision was in my head, I knew how I wanted it executed and visualized how yummy it was going to be and how beautiful, too. Well guess what? It was beautiful and it was a total fail. So I have no new recipe to post for this blog. It's not a total loss because twice last week I had Roasted radishes cross my path. Roasted radishes? I know, right? But when the universe sent them my way not once, but twice, I thought I'd better give them a try. And you'll never believe it but they are really yummy and quite pretty. So this week's virtual Book club entry is coming with a bonus mini recipe for roasted radishes. Here's the quick version: get a couple bunches of radishes, stem them and remove the little root end (wash them of course). Halve them from stem to root. Pat dry. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F. Toss the halved radishes in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil , sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and roast on a baking sheet for 15-2o minutes until just tender. I used two bunches and it served three of us, so use that as rough guide for servings. My daughter, my husband and I all really enjoyed them. I will definitely make them again. See? so pretty! Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled blog post! Up until now in the Gratitude Diaries, the gratitude and appreciation topics have rung a clear, true bell for me. I have understood and recognized the merits of practicing them, with actually committing to the practice being my short-coming, off and on. But the no-complain zone, now that struck a different chord. I make an effort to generally be positive in work and "public" settings , but I have been known to whine and complain more than even I'd like to admit to on the home front. The thing is, it is really quite commonplace to complain and use it as a bonding practice (talk about the weather lately... or anything else we have no control over changing?I thought so). As Kaplan says in the book, "the get it off your chest approach has many adherents, but what you say has an effect on how you feel. Announce too often that you are miserable and you begin to feel that you really are." Why would we do that to ourselves?!!
My goal in life is to feel good, so that means some behavior modification is in order. As Kaplan goes on to say " my attitude of gratitude has to hold in all condition. " Yup, that's my goal- rose colored glasses and a positive attitude. I know what you are saying, but what if what I am talking about is true? Well as I heard Esther Hicks say in an episode of Abraham-Hicks , that's a poor excuse! Speak it as you'd wish it to be, I will tell myself! So the call is to find the good in everything, the silver lining in the cloud, the lemonade from the lemons. It's really just a shift in perspective. I can do this! And the incentive is that this gratitude is going to result in higher sense of well-being. Dr Seligman a renowned professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania was quoted in the book as saying ,"of all the positive strengths we've looked at, people who are highest in gratitude are also highest in well-being." That's a worthy goal in my book. He went on to say how gratitude journals, letter and visits all help reinforce the benefits. I have written such letter from everyone to an elementary school teacher of mine, to an author whose work really touched me and several others. I can't report how my letters made them feel, but I can say the gratitude and connection to something else that I felt was definitely enhanced. Perhaps it is time to look for more letters to send and more gratitude to express and zero complaining. Several years ago at a church I was attending at the time, the pastor talked about not complaining. Her suggestion was to wear a bracelet , like those silicone bracelets that were so popular several years back, and when you catch yourself complaining, you move the bracelet from one wrist to the other back and forth it goes as long as you are complaining. In fact I believe it came from the book A complaint Free World by Rev. Will Bowen. The bracelets are still available here, if that's something you may be interested in. Another time I heard the idea of wearing a rubber band around the wrist and snapping it on yourself every time you complained. It could be helpful to have a physical reminder like either of those to help me break the habit of complaining. What's working for you? I have been practicing the no complaining since this past weekend, after finishing the chapter. This may turn out to be an idea I investigate further, but in my short time of practicing no complaining, I have noticed it is much more empowering to turn a complaint around and acknowledge the good. As Kaplan states at the end of this chapter, "I felt liberated to understand that it wasn't events that made me happy but how I chose to frame them." I challenge you to join me on the no-complain train this week. Let me know how it goes for you! Sharing our experiences and ideas is what makes them richer for all of us. Join me on facebook or Instagram or right here and let me know how your gratitude Diary journey is coming along. In the meantime, roast some radishes! ♥ "Come with me, and we'll see if a cupcake can make the world a better place to be." -Unknown It's almost Valentine's Day, and for my that means chocolate (well, just between us, that's my MO on any given day actually). And what could be better than a cream-filled chocolate glazed cupcake? Hand-held happiness right there! Growing up, my aunt and uncle owned a little neighborhood corner store. Besides penny candy they also carried the whole line of Hostess goodies. In my opinion, the only one worth the time to unwrap was the two pack of hostess cupcakes, one for me , and well, the other one for um, me. We saw them several times a year and could eat our fill of all kinds of awful-ly wonderful stuff. But the Hostess cupcakes took the cake (pun intended). Inevitably I grew up and evolved, taste buds included, and the packaged, highly processed delights of my childhood no longer delighted me (with the exception of an occasional vanilla Pop-Tart* and M&M's*, but I digress)., but the memory certainly did. Mock Hostess* cupcakes to the rescue. There are several steps, but don't be intimidated. They are all easy, can be broken down, made ahead and assembled later. Printable PDF of recipe below. Fill your hearts with love and your tummies with treats this Valentine's Day! Mock Hostess Cupcakes- makes approximately 2 dozen Prepared and cooled Chocolate cupcakes (the best recipe is here) Marshmallow Cream Filling (recipe below) Chocolate Glaze (recipe below) Sprinkles specialty equipment needed - Wilton Bismark Piping Tip Piping Bag Marshmallow Cream Filling: 3 Tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cold water 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin, such as Knox 4 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste OR seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped pinch salt 2 cups marshmallow cream Chocolate Glaze- (adapted from Simply Sensational Desserts by Francois Payard) 6 ounces good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup heavy cream small pinch instant espresso powder 1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup such as Karo (not high fructose corn syrup) 1. Put water into a medium sized, microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin evenly on top. Let sit 5 minutes to soften. Microwave mixture on high for 30-60 seconds, JUST until gelatin is melted and small bubbles appear at the edge. Remove. 2. Whisk in butter, salt and vanilla bean paste until smooth. This is a little messy but trust it will come together because it will. 3. Whisk in marshmallow cream. Again, it will come together. Patience and care. Cover mixture with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (can be made up to 3 days ahead at this point, cover and refrigerate until needed). 4. Meanwhile prepare chocolate glaze: In a medium sauce pan, combine cream, espresso powder and corn syrup, bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate just until submerged in cream, cover and set aside for 3 minutes. 5. Remove cover and whisk glaze until smooth; set aside. (can be made up to 3 days ahead, cover and refrigerate. To use, gently reheat in microwave on half power at 30 second intervals, until smooth and fluid). 6. Insert tip into piping bag. Fill bag half-way with cold marshmallow cream mixture. Poking a hole through the bottom of the cupcake, pipe filling, applying pressure to the bag while simultaneously pulling it steadily back out as you pipe, finally releasing pressure right before removing tip,until you feel cupcake get slightly heavier. Do not over-fill or cupcake will pop open. This may take a few to get the hang of it, but you'll master it in no time! 7. Once all cupcakes are filled, dip the tops into chocolate glaze, twisting back and forth a couple of times to make sure it's well coated. As you remove the cupcake from the glaze, holding the cupcake close to the surface of the glaze, give it a little shake to allow excess to drip off. This is a gently motion. Immediately tip cupcake right side up and shower it gently with sprinkles of your choice.Repeat until all cupcakes are finished. Alternately, while glaze is still wet, you can pipe a design with melted white chocolate on top instead, more closely mimicking the whole Hostess thing. Happy Valentine's Day to you, lovely reader. May your day be sweet and delicious! ♥ NOTE: Cupcakes are best eaten fresh, but may be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. * Hostess, Pop-Tarts and M&M's are registered trademarks and not affiliated with this recipe at all.
" To raise grateful kids, be grateful for your kids. "- Janice Kaplan How is your gratitude journey coming along so far? I have kept my gratitude journey afloat almost daily. I missed a couple days, but then I went back to capture the gratitude later. Although I could fairly easily list items to be grateful for after the fact, I found, interestingly to me, that I had a harder time conjuring up the feeling of gratitude that went along with them after the fact. That has been the part I enjoy the most about being grateful- how it makes me feel! Daily! If you are new to the blog, I am "hosting" a virtual book club at the moment and the book I am talking about is called The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. You are welcome to join in at any time. We have already discovered it is less about reading the book than it is about actually practicing gratitude in our everyday lives. Nonetheless, through the book we go. This week I am covering chapter three, "Raising Grateful Kids." Kaplan talks fairly early on about how her tendency had always been to interject all kinds of ideas on her kids about what they possibly need or how to improve their lives. I can only speak for myself, but that sounded rather familiar to me. She also went on to say how exhausting it was for her and so when she decided to let that go and instead sit back and enjoy them for their best traits in the moment, how much more relaxed and fulfilling the interactions were. Different aged kids have different needs, of course, but in a nutshell, isn't that what it's all about? Being able to take a step back from the have to's and should's and just breathe in the what is for even just a minute? If you are reading this and have little ones and feel exasperated by their activity levels or running around after them, take in some of the joy of that, for I tell you it is fleeting those times. Be like a dog and wag for them when hey get home from school, that is to say, light up when you see them. Don't let the first thing out of your mouth be something "negative." As my kids have gotten older, I now find that much easier to do because one is already fairly independent, a junior in college out-of-state, and my youngest is a senior in high school, also to be going out of state for college. In fact, earlier this past fall, when she was kind of moody (she won't read this so I can tell you-lol) and we weren't connecting as much as I wanted (she is my baby, after all), I did use gratitude and appreciation as a way to reach her and it worked. For a while I wrote her weekly "love and appreciation" notes, only affirming good things she'd done or experienced and even what great things were in her future.I never ended it with PS , but your bathroom is really a mess, or don't forget to put away your laundry! Sometimes it was really hard to bite my tongue about some of the things getting on my nerves, but that wasn't how I was going to connect with her, so I let them be (hard for me!). I haven't written one in a while and this chapter has sparked a renewed interest in doing that for me. Oh, and if you need another idea, I recently saw on Facebook this idea to place a heart a day on your child's bedroom door with something you love about them written on them, every day for 14 days in February for Valentine's day. But really, it would be a great thing to do anytime. We all love to feel appreciated and seen (In fact, while you are at it, write a love note to yourself , too. Self-appreciation is highly under-rated, and you, my friend, are an amazing, miraculous being). The one thing though that really stood out for me from Chapter 3 was how kids didn't want to feel indebted and somehow confused that with the ability to feel grateful, even for kids as old as college aged or slightly older. That left me scratching my head. Almost no one in my experience gets anywhere in life without help along the way, even if it's only words of encouragement and a shoulder to lean on. I'll have to explore that one a little more. And perhaps our young adults all need to as well. As Yale President Peter Salovey once conveyed to a graduation class, "the need to express gratitude reminds us that we are not entirely in control; that we might be indebted or dependent; that our destiny is not entirely in our hands; indeed that on occasion we are vulnerable." He later went on to say, "the good life may be out of reach unless we are able to cultivate an openess to accepting help from others and expressing gratitude for that help." It takes a village after all.... I did have an ah-ha moment , though, when I read about the chemistry of the adolescent brain and gratitude. I bet if you are a parent, you have had more than one occasion where you thought (or possibly even expressed out loud) that your kids were completely ungrateful "for everything you do for them or everything they have." Sound familiar? Well apparently, as Kaplan states, "neuroscientists have shown that different regions of the brain develop at different rates. The prefontal cortex which controls reasoning and executive control, is on the slow track." So the reason kids don't know how lucky they are is because they don't. Their brains don't do that sort of thing yet. Oh, knowing this could really be helpful for parents everywhere! I sure could have used this way back when. I have tried to influence my kids gratitude practice by getting them each a journal, which neither one adopted. I have encouraged them to at least think about what they are grateful for but haven't prodded as to if they do that on a regular basis or not. Kaplan talks about different activities as a way to get kids to express what they are grateful for. In most homes it is the stuff of the Thanksgiving table, once a year, but imagine how amazing it would be to have that be our daily lives? One of the experts she consulted, Christine Carter from Berkeley, California said "Finding silver linings gives kids at any age more resilience and helps them short-circuit anxiety." That can only be a good thing. What was your favorite take away from this chapter? Do your kids have or did they have a regular gratitude practice growing up? Do you already have in place a way to regularly appreciate your kids to their faces?I am so interested to know! Thanks for reading along with me. I'm so grateful you are here. ♥
"One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. " - Luciano Pavarotti It's January, the month of healthy habits for many, so I'd like to encourage that by offering you one of my favorite winter salads. It's fresh and bright, healthy and delicious and full of powerhouse nutrients. It's also super simple to make. Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days so you can double the recipe to have some for lunch or dinner the next day or two. The main ingredients are shredded Brussels Sprouts and Fresh Kale. I've never been a huge fan of cooked Brussels Sprouts, but a couple of years ago I had my first fresh Brussels sprouts in an amazing salad served at Pizzeria Da Lupo in Boulder, Colorado and I became an instant convert! .To shred the Brussels Sprouts I use my Cuisinart food processor's shredding disc. Before I cut the kale in strips I remove the thick stems and discard them. They are not really all that palatable. THe dressing has a little natural sweetness from the apple juice concentrate which is a great counterpoint to the savory whole grain mustard. It's my favorite salad dressing to use in the colder months as it complements so well any fruits or nuts added to mixed greens. I hope you will love it, too! This month also brings a change to the blog. I am now including a PDF file link so you can download or print the recipe to make it even easier for you! Winter Greens Salad- serves 4-6 ...or just me. 3 cups shredded raw Brussels Sprouts 3 cups thinly sliced fresh Lacinto (aka Dinosaur) Kale 3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh celery 1/4 fresh pomegranate seeds plus more for garnish (or substitute Dried cranberries for seeds) 1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped plus more for garnish Apple Cider Vinaigrette- 2 Tablespoons Thawed Organic Aple Juice concentrate 2 Tablespoons Organic Apple CIder vinegar Pinch each Kosher salt and Coarsely ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 Tablespoons mild oil (Grapeseed, canola, Avocado or Light Olive Oil) 1 Tablespoon Walnut Oil 2 Teaspoons Whole Grain Mustard 1. Make Vinaigrette: In a medium bowl whisk together all the ingredients except whole grain mustard and oils. 2. Whisking continuously, drizzle in both oils. Stir in whole grain mustard. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. (Store in lidded jar in fridge until needed. Shake well before using). 3. In a large salad bowl, place the shredded Brussels sprouts, kale, celery, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. 4. Toss to combine. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing (I am firmly in the less is more camp). Toss to combine. 5. Serve immediately, garnishing with additional seeds and nuts, if desired.. Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Here's to your health! ♥ Printable Recipe Here:
"I now knew that writing down one thing every day that made me grateful could change my attitude about everything else. A glowing sunset. A good friend's hug. THe first hint of spring. One thing. Who can't do that?"-Janice Kaplan I chose The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan for my virtual book club back in November. Now that the holidays have come and gone, I want to turn my attention to this book and even more importantly to creating a regular practice of gratitude in my own life, one that goes deeper than I have ever gone before. Kaplan ends the preface of the book with the above quote. It highlights just how simple culitvating a gratitude practice can be, and yet, as she goes on to explain in the book, few people express gratitude on a regular basis. The John Templeton Foundation funded a survery by Kaplan which found "94% of Americans thought people who are grateful are also more fulfilled and lead richer lives. But less than half the people surveyed said they expressed gratitude on any regular basis." I don't find that hard to believe because although I have had a gratitude practice off and on for many years, and HAVE felt the benefits that go along with that, I have still failed to make it a part of my daily life consistently. Kaplan's research into gratitude is extensive. She had consulted experts in the field as she progressed through her year-long gratitude experiment. Most of us fail to recognize the good we have instead choosing to focus on what isn't going well or what is lacking in our life. Even Sheryl Crowe sang way back when "It's not having what you want. It's wanting what you've got," and I would add expressing thanks for it to boot! We don't seem wired to look for the good, the silver lining, the ray of sunshine. Kaplan says how experts seem to think, and most agree, that it takes no less than 3 good things to counteract a bad. That's where the gratitude journal comes in. Writing down the three to 5 things you are grateful for as a daily practice reframes a day's events and actually helps re-wire the brain. I can attest to this being 100% true. Task #1-keep a gratitude journal daily! I purchased a beautiful set of notebooks last year with artwork created by the artist Katie Daisy (she was featured on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday-the best show on television IMHO- a while back, but I digress...). I now have my gratitude journal for the year. I am keeping it by my bed so I have no excuse not to write down my grateful thoughts every night. Kaplan suggests having a beautiful journal will make the practice even better . As a lover of all things paper, it wasn't hard to convince me of that! If you are following along with the book, have you chosen your gratitude journal to use? Show me yours on my facebook page or tag a photo of your gratitude journal on instagram with #WandGgratitudejourney2017. I'd love to see them! I haven't gotten very far in the book yet, I just finished the section where she focuses on expressing her appreciation of her husband to her husband. She talks about how we tend to forget what is special about the things and people who are a part of our every day life. She states "we get used to something-whether a husband, a house, or a shiny new car-and then forget why it seemed so special in the first place." Can you relate to that? I sure do. She goes on to discuss, and this one really struck me, about how much demand we place on those closest to us to fulfill so many of our needs and desires, as in no other relationship. "And when-inevitably- we aren't feeling on top of the world,. it is clearly (clearly!) our spouse's fault." That kind of hurt to read to be honest, and I am guessing you have felt that way in your relationships perhaps at least once, too. "When you expect everything, it's hard to be grateful for anything." Kaplan then puts aside expectations and spends a full month expressing appreciation for her spouse, even in circumstances she had previously struggled with. I admired reading how she was able to re-frame some of those things. It turns out that the appreciation was returned to her by her spouse as well without any prompting whatsoever, benefiting both of them more times over. Again there was science to back up all the positive feelings going both ways, showing "gratitude could actually increase positive neural circuits and make both partners feel happier." Sounds like it's worth a try.
Although I haven't gotten that far into the book, it is clear to me, that the actual benefit of the book is not in the reading of it, but in embarking on a journey of gratitude inspired by it. In just the first 50 pages of the book, there are all kinds of positive references and reasons to express and focus on gratitude as a daily practice. I have known this for some time, and I am looking forward to 2017 being the year I develop this very important, life-affirming and healthy habit. When we think we can't change the world we are wrong. In expressing gratitude to others and for the things we have, we are in effect causing a ripple of kindness to emanate out of us into the world, and that will change the world. You'll see. Please join in on the conversation by commenting here or on facebook or on instagram. It will certainly be a way richer experience with your voice involved. I'm grateful you are joining me. See you here next time! |
Archives
December 2019
Categories
All
|