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Did someone say pumpkin spice season is here?!?

8/26/2020

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Let me start by saying this recipe does not contain any sugar or salt. I know, now you're hooked and all curious. To be clear, I have nothing against sugar and salt. They have never once offended me. However, I ventured to make this recipe with my parents in mind, and sugar and salt are a no-go for them. My mom has recently started a strict vegan diet (yay for more vegans in the family) but sugar and sodium are a no go on this diet. My dad cannot have sugar or salt either because he has a super rare disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia. We've known for a while sugar is a trigger for his nerve shocks, but we are recently discovering salt could be problematic and lead to some inflammation (which could cause nerve flare-ups with his disease). So before you @ me for not including salt and sugar, I HAD A GREAT REASON. 
​Even though it was still above 90 degrees in Oklahoma this week, I have been craving Fall and all the Fall foods. Hence the pumpkin pancakes. This recipe is pretty easy to whip up, and if you skimmed the top and are just now tuning in, it's very healthy too. I had pancakes for dinner with this recipe and was immediately in a better mood. 

Drum roll, please!!!! And here we go.
Ingredients: 
1 1/4 cup of flour 
2 tbsp of baking powder 
1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove) 
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree 
1 1/4 cup of unsweet non-dairy milk (I use almond) 
2 tsp vanilla 
2 tbsp maple syrup (and more for drizzling on top) 
1 tsp olive oil (for the skillet)
1/4 cup of walnuts


  1. Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice) into a medium bowl and mix.
  2. Combine all the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, non-dairy milk, vanilla, maple syrup) in a medium bowl and mix. 
  3. Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until your batter is smooth. 
  4. Heat a griddle or skillet (I used a cast-iron skillet) to medium heat and add the olive oil. 
  5. Pour a spoonful of batter onto the skillet to test the heat. Once the tester has cooked, you are ready to go! 
  6. Pour 1/4 a cup of batter onto the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. 
  7. Drizzle some maple syrup, toss some walnuts on top, and enjoy! ​
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I hope you enjoy this sweet treat as much as I did. Remember to check out my other recipes or tips on my instagram and blog! 
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Environmental Wellness...say what??

8/26/2020

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Now, this might sound weird, but our wellness is affected and influenced by so many things, including our environment. Environmental wellness is about both the Earth and your physical environment. We must take care of the Earth because it gives us life. Likewise, your physical environment, where you exist, needs to be healthy and sustainable. Being surrounded by a healthy environment can help us thrive.
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Think about it this way, when we go on vacation and get out of the city we always come back feeling better and refreshed. That’s because we are breathing in cleaner air, we typically get more exercise, we ignore things in our physical world that may be harming us (think sitting on your computer working all day), and we can connect again with the earth. When I go hiking or on vacation I almost always sing “Below My Feet” by Mumford and Sons in my head because it truly embodies what I’m feeling.

But what if we could have more of those “being in the mountains on vacation” feelings more often? Living in an apartment, I can’t completely recreate that but there are things I can do to create a similar wellness experience.
Here are my tips for physical environment wellness: 
  1. Decluttering. Clean out the closets. Get rid of things you don’t need. We accumulate so much stuff and it truly weighs us down and can create more chaos in our brains. (This is a big one for me because I am SUCH a hoarder!)
  2. Make your bed. This is such a small one that I have started doing every morning for the past month. It is amazing how it changes my mood to walk into my room throughout the day and have my bed made. It brings a sense of calmness. 
  3. Plants. Indoor plants can be air purifiers and outdoor plants get you outside and feeling the earth. This connects you back to the earth. 
  4. Clean. Although you don’t need to every day, a little cleaning here and there makes you feel better to be where you are. Again, it goes back to calmness in your environment. 
  5. Diffuse essential oils or use a candle warmer. Having pleasant aromas in your environment will help enhance and lighten your mood. ​
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Likewise, there are things I can do to promote the wellness of the earth. 
  1. Recycle. Speaks for itself. 
  2. Turn off the lights and lower your AC. Reducing energy consumption helps the earth to not be as drained. 
  3. Turn off the water when you aren’t using it. Speaks for itself. 
  4. Shower less. Whether this means quicker showers or not every day. I shampoo my hair once a week so that cuts down on both my shower time and how often I shower (I shower more frequently than once a week, don’t worry). 
  5. Meal plan and prep. This may be more of a surprise but it’s crazy how much food goes to waste each year and this can have detrimental effects on environmental wellness. By meal prepping and planning, you are less likely to waste food and more likely to eat what you have. This helps keep stress levels lower throughout the week and keep food waste lower. ​
As an environmentalist, environmental wellness has made a rather large impact on my life. However, the physical environment wellness is more of a new concept for me. I am excited to continue to find new and healthy ways to help keep our planet healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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Something borrowed, something blue

8/24/2020

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I love working smarter not harder. And I am not the type of person who has perfected recipe-making. Maybe someday, but until then I will continue to use recipes from the genius brains of others. 

This recipe comes from the genius @amylecreations and I fell head over heals. My sister was the one who first found this recipe and tried it out for me when we were living together. Although she is not vegan, she eats vegan with me a lot! After eating this recipe, you will quite literally die and go to heaven. Amy has PERFECTED this creamy pasta. It's healthy and delicious. What more could you want? 

Pro tip: there are lots of steps in the recipe but many you can do simultaneously. For example, while the sauce is first heating and combining, chop up the sun-dried tomatoes for the blender. Likewise, you can cook the pasta while you are blending the sauce. It seems more complicated than it actually is. Just be smart about it and ENJOY. 

Thank you, Amy, for this fantastic recipe. I am so happy to *borrow* it and share with others. 

Recipe: https://amylecreations.com/creamy-spicy-sun-dried-tomato-pasta/ 

Peep below for some pictures from when my sister and I made it last week! 
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Let's Talk: Self-care

8/22/2020

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​Self-care is a term that’s been thrown around work environments and wellness scenes more prominently within the past couple of years. My relationship with self-care has been...strained in the past to say the least. 

I had never even heard the term self-care until after I graduated college. I didn’t know what it was, and I didn’t know how to take care of myself from within. I had no relationship with my emotions and didn’t understand my stress in the slightest. 

I started hearing about self-care in the sense of doing things for yourself, but it always seemed to be about one’s physical self. For example, people would talk about self-care as getting pedicures, online shopping, going for a run, and meal prepping. Which, don’t get me wrong, those are all great ways to take care of yourself. But self-care is much deeper than that. 

It’s true, taking care of yourself can be doing things to relax, like those pedicures or a massage. Or making yourself feel happier through retail therapy (I love it, no shame). However, it can’t be just that. Eating healthy, endorphins from exercise, and releasing tension will all help me feel better, but sometimes (most of the time) I need more. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but sometimes self-care means I need to physically remove myself from situations or spaces. Self-care, even dissecting this term, is truly caring for oneself. To look deeply into that, we need to look deeply into ourselves. 

To care for ourselves, that means doing what we need to be our very best selves. In our society, taking care of oneself is viewed as being selfish. It’s like if we don’t give all of ourselves to our work, relationships, the world, then we are selfish. If we put ourselves above others, even once, it’s viewed as selfish. I’m not saying we should be putting others down to get to where we want to be. But putting ourselves first is necessary for our overall health. We cannot continue to destroy ourselves for someone or something else. 

This could mean to care for yourself, you need to take a break from relationships. If someone causes you physical or emotional harm, you owe it to your self to take a pause. Self-care can be pausing work. I have heard plenty of stories of people being miserable at their jobs, but trudging through it for years because they think it’s something they have to do. Then they switch jobs eventually and *BAMB* feel better. Sometimes caring for ourselves is moving. Maybe the city you are in is not helping you be your best self. Then, move. Another is allowing others to help. For me, I have a fear of not being in control, and it’s affected a lot of my life and my relationships. Something I am trying to do better to care for myself is allowing others to take on responsibilities. 

Caring for ourselves goes so much deeper than just doing little things on the weekends for ourselves. Although this is still necessary and we need to do more for ourselves, self-care is also about making changes in our lives to be happier and healthier. 

We need to do what is necessary to take better care of ourselves. So get that pedicure, go on that run, and then dump your partner who makes you cry every night. Let’s do some real self-care and start putting ourselves first sometimes. 
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Plant-Based Butternut Squash Quinoa bowls with sautéed garlic mushrooms and spinach

8/19/2020

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This weekend I took a camping trip with my friend, Katie, to the Ozark National Forrest in Arkansas. After an 8.5 mile hike and a humid night tent-camping, we were ready for a well-cooked meal. We drove up to Bentonville to visit the Crystal Bridges art museum (amazing), but before we got there we stopped downtown for a patio meal. After surveying the vegan options (it’s hard to find vegan options during Sunday brunch) we settled on a restaurant called Table Mesa and I had a, you guessed it, quinoa bowl with butternut squash, mushrooms, and spinach. 

This meal quite literally brought me back to life and tasted as good as it sounds. The portion was on the smaller side so of course, I was craving more when I finished! A couple of hours later and I am adding it to my meal plan for this week.
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Now, this meal was INCREDIBLY easy to make and very cheap. So if you are looking to ball on a budget, then this is a great option. That’s another myth about vegans, everyone assumes it is expensive. Which, a lot of the processed vegan foods like cheeses and pre-made meals are more on the expensive side and can break the bank, but eating like a healthy vegan, what many people refer to as whole food plant-based, and making things from scratch is way cheaper than what my carnivorous friends pay. ​
Ingredients: 
-dash olive oil
-2 tbsp of minced garlic 
-one package of sliced mushrooms 
-two handfuls of spinach 
-¾ cup of quinoa (any kind will do but I used a tri-color blend)
-1 bag  of frozen cubed butternut squash 
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
  1. Bring a small pot of water to boil and cook the quinoa. Once boiling, add the quinoa and then turn the heat down to simmer for 15 minutes. Check the package for exact directions! 
  2. While the quinoa is cooking, use an iron skillet and add some oil on medium heat. Add your minced garlic to the pan and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Next, add your chopped mushrooms and sautee them for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add a handful or two of spinach, mixing every few minutes. 
  3. Set the quinoa to the side as it should be done cooking. 
  4. Set a small pot of water on high heat. Once boiling, add your frozen cubed butternut squash. These only take 3-4 minutes to cook but always double-check on the package directions. 
  5. Time to eat! I like to add my cooked quinoa to my bowl first, then adding the garlic mushroom and spinach mixture to one side and the butternut squash to the other. Add some salt and pepper, mix all together, and enjoy! ​
This meal is great for whole-food plant-based and vegan eaters, but can be enjoyed by anyone else too! Also, it has lots of anti-inflammatory foods to heal your insides and make you feel great all day long. ​
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Slightly crazy eyes from recovering from camping (and just utter excitement to eat this bowl of goodness)
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Let’s talk about stress management and work-Life Balance.

8/18/2020

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Some people reading this might be thinking: “SHE is telling us how to manage our stress?” And hey, I get it. I don’t have the best past with stress. A year ago, I was 6 months vegan and felt on top of the world. I felt changing my diet had been the best thing in the world for me. And it really has been. I felt almost no anxiety or depression even though I was working full time and in grad school. However, I took on way too much at once, the curse of feeling good, and quickly became overwhelmed by the number of committees I was on and the different roles I had at my school. 

Work-life balance has always been a struggle for me. I think part of it stems from wanting to be in control because I do have Khaleesi tendencies. And part comes from not wanting to let others down. I feel I have to give all of myself to something, which is a great work ethic, but it can wear me down incredibly fast. I found myself near tears at school and quickly losing that positive state of mind I started the school year out in. 

So here are my tips: 
  1. It’s okay to say “no”. 
    1. Obviously this one is harder for me. I like being a boss babe and helping people but I have learned (see the above two paragraphs) that I simply can’t do everything. It’s okay to say no to things. It’s okay to not take on extra work. We cannot make extra time in our days so an easy way to be less stressed is to not over-fill our days. If it is not an immediate need, say no.
  2. Lists. 
    1. Lists have been a lifesaver for me. Being a teacher and being a scatterbrained human do NOT mix well. On top of that, I have a lot of different commitments that I need to keep track of to stay organized. When I am so stressed or overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, having a list, and getting to cross off items is very healing. It helps to calm some of the chaos. 
  3. Find your escape. 
    1. I firmly believe in finding an escape. This is something you can do or a place you can go that takes your mind completely off what is bothering you. It took me a while to realize it but I discovered my escape was being outside. It’s amazing what a little bit of sunshine and fresh air can do for the soul. An escape can be both mental and physical. I might need to physically remove myself from somewhere to readjust my emotions or I might be able to do it by escaping in a really good book. Everyone is different, find yours! 
  4. Leave work at work. 
    1. This one is so hard for teachers, but it relates to nearly every other profession as well. As teachers, it becomes part of our identity. Our work seems to flow into our being and it’s hard to shut off that part of our identity. I’ve had the sleepless nights worrying about students, staying up late lesson planning, cutting out labels, and sharpening pencils during dinner. I’ve answered emails on the weekends and talked to parents at any hour because they mean a lot to me. And some of that is okay. Some of that helps us do our job. But some of that work we need to leave at work. Only recently, I’ve discovered I really shouldn’t work when I am not being paid to work. Although that seems a bit selfish, and really it’s not about the pay aspect, but rather it’s about setting boundaries for myself. 
  5. Use your sick and personal days 
    1. This hits different in COVID times but prior to that, I know all of us have gone to work sick. One year I went to work when I (unknowingly) had pneumonia. I kid you not, I couldn’t stand for more than a few seconds because my lungs couldn’t handle it. After my diagnosis, I stayed home until I was better but I STILL got texts and calls from work. So take your sick days and do not work. Use that time to heal your body and soul.
Overall, we can all do a lot better at shutting off work and being more present in the here and now. It’s incredibly difficult for Americans who are so engrained with constantly pursuing the American dream or our fear of failure that we work ourselves to death. We can’t blame ourselves; our society built us this way. I was shocked when I learn how other countries around the globe view work. For example, I met a man from Germany when I took a solo trip to London. I bombarded him with questions about the education system in Germany and learned teachers are not allowed to work outside of their contract time. They just go to work and...go home to enjoy their life. What a dream! Although the U.S. is not there yet, we can all take small steps to be healthier and balance out the stress from work. 
If you have extra tips on what you use for work-life balance then follow me on Instagram and share them with me!

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Sterling Shephard and Vegan Grilled Cheese

8/17/2020

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Now I know what you’re thinking, how can THAT be healthy? I mean, it’s vegan, right? If anything it soothes the soul and that’s all the health I need from it. 


Funny story: in college when I first tried going vegetarian I thought I could live off grilled cheese. I’m telling you I ordered a Sonic grilled cheese to eat on the way to my 4:25 class almost every damn day. One day, it even caught the attention of the one-and-only Sterling Shephard (yes THAT one) who spied me eating it from the car next to me and promptly yelled: “YOU EAT THAT GRILLED CHEESE.” I wasn’t offended. I kept eating the grilled cheese. He got nominated for the Heisman, I got a grilled cheese. I think we all know who the winner was there.
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In my conversations with people who want a more plant-based lifestyle, there is one thing they are never willing to give up: cheese. And I get it. That melty goodness is straight addicting. There are plenty of bad vegan cheeses out there (not naming any names) that just don’t do the trick for me. But HERE is how I make a yummy plant-based grilled cheese to snack on when you’re driving to your 4:25 class OR just as a regular meal.

The ingredients 

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The ingredients and insanely simple: butter, bread, cheese. Now, I love to have some oats or nuts on my bread because it gives it a little something extra. For this meal, I used Earth Balance Butter, Chao sliced cheese, and oatnut bread.

Directions

Start by grabbing a saucepan and turning the heat up to medium. Put a little bit of butter on the saucepan and let it heat up. Once it has melted, place one of your slices of bread into the heated-butter goodness and let it toast for 1-2 minutes. Take it off, set it to the side, and replace it with the second piece of bread, doing the exact same thing. On this second piece, you’ll put two slices of the Chao vegan cheese, and let it cook for a bit. I am not a recipe expert so I always eyeball it. Try 3 minutes, check the bread using a spatula, and if it needs more time place it back down. When it is ready, time for you pre-toasted bread! Grab it and place it toasted side up on top of the cheese. Once steady, grab your spatula and FLIP. Follow the same eye-ball-it-and-guess method as before. Once ready, place it on a plate and voila!
Something to be aware of, vegan cheese melts differently than cow’s cheese. You can tell from the pictures that the cheese down not look melted from the outside but when I cut it you can see the gooey yumminess.
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And in less than 15 minutes, your meal is served! Tag me on Instagram if you make your own plant-based grilled cheese here. You never know when you'll need a grilled cheese for the next time you see Sterling Shepard. 
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That "Wellness" term

8/17/2020

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What does wellness mean?

In the past, I’ve thought of wellness as being diet and exercise; protein and counting calories. Although protein and calories are essential to health, wellness encompasses a vast wheel. Wellness is health, diet, exercise, self-care, and emotional intelligence. I’m here to go through this wellness journey with you, sharing my experiences, failures, and recipes along the way. 


I first got this idea after recently having a few coworkers ask me for recipes and advice on going more plant-based. Around the same time, my dad found out he lost 20 pounds in just a few months after I encouraged him through an anti-inflammatory diet. In a sense, it almost felt like a no-brainer to create a platform where I could share my lack-of-expertise all in the same place. 

I do not tout to be a wellness expert but I have spent a lot of time digging into the deepness within me to really understand what I need in life to grow (physically, mentally, and spiritually). I am continually on this cycle with me, of self-searching and understanding. And I fail. A lot. Sometimes I have a meal that every WFPB (whole foods, plant based) doctor would cheer for and sometimes I have meals that would quite literally cause them to faint in horror. I have an addiction to potato chips and one I am desperately trying to knock (HELP ME). 

I am here to give and take advice on how to be our most well selves. 



Here’s to living life to the fullest and feeling good doing it!
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    An elementary school educator by day, grad student by night. And I somehow manage to live life to the fullest in-between.

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