melissa

Smudge your space and clear out negative energy.

Did you know smudging has been around since the creation of fire? Ancient cultures noticed tried plants and herbs would release aromatic smells when burned. They started burning herbs to clear out negative energy or incorporate smudging as part of their rituals.

Sage is the most common, and is used to clear off energy from the outside world and rid the space from unwanted influences. If my home is feeling heavy I like to open all the windows, burn some sage and walk through each room, smudging doorways and corners to clear out stagnate energy. I say a few mantras to myself in each room as I’m smudging such as, “I clear out unwanted energy and invite lightness into my home,” another manta is, “I clear out negativity and bring in positivity.”

So although for many of us smudging seems relatively new, it’s been around for thousands of years.

It’s always important to be safe when burning sage, be sure to naturally let the sage burn out in a fire safe container. Traditionally a shell is used, and when you’re done smudging leave the sage in the shell.

Sage bundles can be found almost anywhere. The smell is subtle, herbal and smokey.

Try it out next time you’re looking to create a calming vibe in your home.

Delicious Sweet Potato Power Bowl

I love oatmeal but it doesn’t love me. At 2:30pm, I’m doubled over in pain. Oatmeal is also really great with brown sugar and butter. Which as we all know, isn’t that great for you. However half a baked sweet potato topped with warm blueberries, coconut and banana is heavenly.

Here’s how you make it:

Heat up an already baked sweet potato in a bowl.

Toss 1/2 cup of blueberries into a microwave safe glass or into a sauce pan – heat them up until they turn into a sauce. Feel free to squeeze a lemon wedge in them.

Top the potato with the blueberries, a teaspoon of coconut oil, tablespoon of almond butter, sliced banana, pecans, coconut, cinnamon and enjoy!

This is vegan, free of refined sugars, it’s grain free and is very satisfying and easy to make.

Cooking Class: Easy Marinated Chicken

Okay – this one is for the busy ones out there, the meal preppers, the non-cooks and the single peeps. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. This is a flat leaf parsley and garlic marinade that you can let sit for 1 hour or overnight. If you don’t know how to cook and need a starting point, this is for you.

img_1762-1

You can roast some baby potatoes, make a mixed green salad to go with and you’ve got yourself an easy dinner and lunch for the next day.

I use chicken thighs because they are the perfect portion and they are juicy. I think drumsticks would be great too. Scroll to the bottom to see step by step pics on how to make this. I forgot to snap a pic of the chicken on a baking sheet, it shouldn’t be crowded, about 1 inch space between pieces of chicken.

Easy Marinated Chicken, Serves 4

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 handful of flat leaf parsley

3 cloves of garlic

1-2 tsp of kosher salt

1-2 tbs olive oil

Marinade:

If you have a food processor- awesome. If not a knife and cutting board work fine. Put the 3 cloves of garlic in the food processor, pulse a few times, add the parsley, salt and olive oil, pulse until mixed nicely- small pieces, not a paste. Put the chicken in a ziplock baggie, or bowl, pour the mix over the chicken and mix well. Either cover and put in the fridge over night or let it sit for an hour or so.

Roasting:

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, pre-heat the oven to 375, put the chicken on a baking sheet, cook for 25 minutes, when it’s done, broil for a few seconds to get crispy on top.

Remove and serve with roasted potatoes and salad. If you serve with potatoes, start cooking them 25-30 minutes before you start roasting the chicken. Baked potatoes, button potatoes alway take about 45 min-1 hour to cook. If they are sliced or diced they can take 30 min to cook.

Eight chicken thighs, a handful of Italian flat leaf parsley, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbs salt (I use Himalayan) and of course olive oil (not pictured)….

Add the cloves to the food processor first…..pulse so they look diced….

Add the parsley, salt and olive oil…..pulse so it looks like this

Put the chicken in a bowl, container or bag and drizzle a little olive oil over it….

Add the parsley mix to the chicken……

Coat the chicken evenly with the mix and let sit for at least an hour but it can sit over night too….

Place evenly on a pan, 1″ apart, bake 25-30 min, put under the broiler to brown (eyeball it) and serve with roasted potatoes.

Holiday Tips to Help You Get Through

The holidays are officially here! Bring on the pumpkin pie! This time is filled with delicious foods, fun gatherings and cozying up by the fire place. It’s also a time to spend with our family and friends.

While we love our family and friends, sometimes getting everyone together can bring out the best and worst in people. You may find tensions bubbling over like gravy on the stove. Don’t worry, here are a few tips to get you through so you don’t boil over:

Don’t expect other people to change, it sets you up for disappointment. People are creatures of habit. Eliminate from your thoughts, “hoping,” “maybe,” “hopefully..” Your 70 year old racist Uncle is 70, he’s not changing. Accept him for who he is.
You’re the one who has changed. Pat yourself on the back.
Laugh at the uncomfortable moments.
If you need a breather, excuse yourself to the restroom for a few minutes or get some fresh air. This really helps, especially when things get extra weird. You can go to your car and scream. That sounds liberating.
Go easy on the libations. Seriously. Inhibitions go out the window with a little too much vino.
Buy pre-made sides, put them in a casserole dish. Act natural. No one will know. Many markets set up holiday dinner packs that you can order ahead of time. You can order something nice for around $200. Costco even sells sides. Cooking, eating healthy and entertaining are my jam but it’s not in me this year. My Dad passed away, work has been crazy and of course with death there is a lot of “extra.” Making all the things just doesn’t sound fun. Honestly if you’re feeling pulled in every direction, it’s not a bad idea to cater your meal. Your kitchen won’t be a mess, you’ll be able to rest and you’ll be able to enjoy your day off. It’s called self preservation my friends. You can sleep in, go for a walk, or do some yoga.
Did someone say stretchy pants? Athletisure is really a game changer. Obviously there is a lot of enjoying that goes on with the holidays, why be uncomfortable? But DON’T get into the habit of wearing stretchy pants all winter…..you won’t notice if your skinny jeans become too small. Been there done that.

Hopefully you find the tips to be helpful and a little humorous. Most importantly take care of yourself. Make sure you rest on your days off. Your time is valuable.

I Created a Women’s Resource Group

One of my recent projects has been the creation of a women’s resource group called Fiercely Female.

I started this group with the help of a coworker in early 2017. I haven’t been to too many networking events. The few that I have been to seemed more like singles trying to pick each other up and really superficial. They were loud, stuffy and filled with people passing out cards and never following up. Not to mention, a lot of cheap wine. Headache the next day. Stained lips. Lame.

I hate cheap wine. I also hate pointless mingling.

So I noticed as I was getting older my network was pretty diverse but also pretty small. I’m not super social or outgoing and choose the people I hang out with wisely.

I’m also really shy.

At the urging of one of my mentors, I created a women’s group. I wanted the group to have some purpose. A take away. A resource. I need help with my career, so why not assemble a group of women who can help each other?

So I did.

Our first event was a hit. We talked about manterrupting and shared ways to not let it piss us off and solutions to work around it. Hint: say things like, “as I was saying” or “hang on let me finish my thought.”

Women’s networking groups get a bad rap.

Mostly because ladies night turns into bitching about people and getting drunk. They also turn into a male bashing event. Nothing gets done. Ways to help each other aren’t communicated. They fizzle out for lack of solutions and infrequent meet ups. Hint: Women are supportive. Girls are competitive.

This is where social media is useful.

When we aren’t meeting, I’m posting on a private Facebook group called Fiercely Female. I encourage the current group members to share, promote themselves and invite others to the group who could benefit or add value in some way. The group isn’t about man hating or politics. There is enough of that going on. I would be lying if I didn’t say man hating occasionally happens. It’s a place where we ask questions, share articles, post videos, share motivational quotes. It’s a digital community.

I’m still trying to work out the kinks.

Since this is all relatively new for me, I’m trying to work out the kinks. I’m also trying to not compare myself with other networking groups aimed for women. They may have started around the same time and gained a larger following. This isn’t about gaining a large following. This is about creating a sincere resource that is valuable.

I’m excited to see where this goes.

Aloe Matcha Face Mask

I love staying in on Friday nights, getting take out and listening to podcasts and maybe baking something.

I was on the ‘gram recently and saw that @Bucknakedpaleo posted a face mask using all natural products. I wanted to try it and have to say, I liked it so much I made the mask 2 days in a row. My skin is so sensitive and I usually end up in breakouts or hives so I generally stay away from masks. This face mask doesn’t look gorgeous but it’s so simple to make, leaving my face feeling alive, skin incredibly soft and fresh. Take 1 tablespoon of raw aloe vera – I used aloe vera gel, a tablespoon of matcha powder and a 1/2 teaspoon of Manuka honey (regular honey works too, Manuka honey is $$$$). Mix together and apply all over your face. I used a combination of a brush and my fingers. It gets a little messy but that’s half the fun. Wait 15 minutes, rinse with cool water and finish with a few sprays of rose water and aura glow oil.

Here’s me with the face mask on….wondering if what’s going to happen. 🙂

Scrumptious Gluten Free & Sugar Free Pecan Spice Coffee Cake

FullSizeRender-3

My Scrumptious Pecan Spice Coffee Cake is the perfect fall treat. It’s the perfect combination of a vanilla, spices and pecans that go well with a cup of coffee on a cool fall morning. What’s even better is it’s refined sugar free. I adapted a Bob’s Red Mill recipe for Blueberry Muffins. Instead of using refined sugar, I used monk fruit sweetener and coconut sugar, which does not compromise flavor. Since we do not really drink cows milk at home, I used cashew milk instead. The coffee cake is full of flavor and welcomes fall with a sweet pecan flavor.

Scrumptious Gluten Free Pecan Spice Coffee Cake

Makes 1-9″ cake pan or 12 muffins

2 Cups Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-1 Baking Flour*
2 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 c milk (I used cashew milk)
Raw Pecans to top cake with

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray round cake pan with non-stick spray or line 12 muffin tins.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another bowl cream together coconut oil, monk fruit sweetener and vanilla, add eggs. Transfer mix to dry mix and stir in cashew milk. The batter will be thick, a little thinner than cookie batter. Don’t be afraid.

Spoon batter into 1-9” pan or 12 muffin cups and top with pecans.

Place pan in oven and reduce heat to 375 F. Cook 9” cake for 35-40 min and muffins for 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean and edges are a golden brown. Let stand to cool.

Modifications:

If you are not GF use regular AP baking flour, if you have GF Flour and Xantham gum follow the ratio instructions. Of course you can use sugar, the classic recipe calls for white sugar.

My Attempt at Whole30 #2

I’m attempting to do my second Whole30. During my first Whole30 in the beginning of 2017 I realized that I totally emotionally eat. I was in denial. I thought emotional eating was eating sweets, like cookies, candy, or junk food like chips or cheese it’s – but no. Emotional eating can come in all shapes and sizes. For me, it’s portion control and meals throughout the day.

On tough days at work, I would drive home from work and think about how nice it would be to have garlic bread, a glass of wine, and eggplant parmesan. I learned that the Whole30 is very similar to the mindful eating exercise that I’ve done in a couple meditation retreats. The Whole30 for me brought this incredible awareness of where my food comes from or what’s in it and how I look at food.

I’m excited to pay attention to the thoughts that come up during this next journey. I’ll welcome any cravings that come up as my old friend and embrace them.

What’s helpful for me is to meal prep and recipe prep – there are days that I will come home from work hungry and if dinner isn’t planned, that is when food choices go out the window.

Meal prepping and planning is your best friend on a Whole30 — actually in general if you want to have healthy eating habits. I will meal prep for the next day after dinner and in the morning before work. I make enough dinner to have leftovers the next day for lunch and that seems to help. Here is a pic of the recipe prep I’ve done (ignore the spelling and hand writing) – I’ll refer to it every couple of days and go shopping once or twice a week.

FullSizeRender-3

Your End of Summer To Do List

butterfly I think we can all agree that is has been a really odd year. I’ve been feeling pretty stagnate like I want some big change. I sure got some big change when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of June and died five weeks later. His death ignited a fire in me and while I’m grieving I also realize I need to make some change happen. Death can ignite change. I’ll write more about grieving in another article. I’m sad and bummed that my Dad died, I really do hate that he died but I’ve accepted it and I’ve also used his death as my fire.

I’ve been writing this blog for awhile now putting down recipes and thoughts so I can express myself and also keep a place for all these ideas I come up with. My Dad’s death in a way was symbolic of a chapter closing and a new one opening up. Shortly after his death we experienced the solar eclipse, I think we can all say the solar eclipse was a metaphor for a chapter closing and another one opening up.

Really we can ignite change and create new chapters every day when we wake up or when we go to sleep. I’ve had a million things buzzing around in my head lately. In particular things that I want out of life. All those thoughts started to make me anxious and made me feel overwhelmed. I looked at those things that I want out of life and simplified it – these are action items. At work, I have an ongoing task list for all my action items. So I decided to write down the things out of life that I want just as I would my task list for work, a to-do list, or a grocery list. While this is a small gesture, I organized my thoughts and only wrote down the things that I want to happen.

Any gesture whether it small or large, symbolic or actionable can ignite change.

Take a few moments to write down some things you would like to do for yourself. It doesn’t matter what it is. These can be work goals, spiritual goals, health goals, savings goals, travel goals, anything and in any order. Do not deny yourself of it. Spend some time with that list, put it on your fridge, save it in your phone or put it in a journal. Come back to it often.

Believe that everything you put down on that list will happen. It may not happen in the exact order you want it to. The timing may seem slow or like it’s never ever going to happen – but keep on believing in that list and above all keep believing in yourself.

You can take it a step further and manifest the list, allowing yourself to feel joyful and fulfilled when you think about all the wonderful things you are welcoming into your life.

Coconut Banana Bread (GF)

Coconut Banana Bread

Banana Bread is magical. This is a gluten free protein packed banana bread topped with shredded coconut. Rather than using refined sugar, I used coconut sugar and added a 1/2 cup of paleo protein powder for some extra protein. Although it was 11:00pm when I finished baking the bread, I had to have a sample.

Coconut Banana Bread (GF) (Makes 1 – 9×5 loaf pan)

2 Bananas (Mashed)
¹⁄₃cup olive oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Redmill)
1/2 cup unflavored protein powder (I used Paleo Pro)*
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
¹⁄₂teaspoon salt
Shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease or line with parchment paper a 9×5-inch non-stick loaf pan.
Cream together mashed bananas, oil, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.
Add flour, protein powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda to egg mixture.
Mix until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan, cover with shredded coconut and a little coconut sugar.
Bake 9×5″ loaf for 1 hour

Enjoy!

*Do not feel like using protein powder? Use 1 3/4 Cups of Gluten Free Flour