LOVE,LOVE,LOVE

Look at who you really are, the authentic, true you. If no one else accepts you for who you truly are, at least you accept yourself. That is all you need, because, in the end, you are born alone and will die alone. There is no need to try to improve yourself to other people, but improve for yourself. We frustrate ourselves when we try to prove to others that we are deserving of their attention, love, kindness and respect. This is when we start compromising and adapting to our illusory patterns of ourselves. Instead simply say, This is who I am. Like me and respect me because I know myself. I honor myself and everyone else.

-Gary Null-





Powerful words and so true. Have you ever tried to be somebody else just because someone didn't accept the real you. Ever tried to change because you feel like you didn't quiet fit in?!
You know what, screw them, screw other people. Who actually says what is right or wrong?
Why are people so hung up on the typical American dream. Go to college, make money, get married, buy a big house. two cars and live happily ever after... Don't we all wanna live that dream? Not really!
People are more depressed than ever, 1 out of 10 Americans shows signs of depression. More than 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, more than 42 percent of people are obese in this country and all over the western civilization.

What would you do if you had no fear and would just follow your heart. What if you would really listen to your inner voice and what it tells you, without any doubts or the little voice in your head telling you that you can't do it.
Maybe your goal is not to get rich and get married.!
Maybe you want to just be you and see where life takes you and live in the moment.
Why do people always wait for tomorrow or later until they can lose weight, go travel, find love or whatever else they think would make their lives perfect.How much time do we really waste just waiting for a better life.

Your life is now, you live now and you are perfect exactly as you are, right now.
We should constantly try to improve ourselves, just be a nice girl or a nice guy, treat people with respect and love, because at the end of the day, we are all equal, we are all the same. Just because you are richer or more beautiful doesn't make you anything special.
Your heart and your soul is what counts. That is who you are!!

Stop comparing yourself to the life of the rich, famous or people that seem to have it all. Because you know what, most of the time, they don't have it all. What goes on behind closed doors is sometimes far worse than you would have ever thought. You know when someone is truly happy and when someone is just pretending.

Wake up, we really do only live once, just in case nobody ever told you yet, your house, car, clothes, shoes and jewelry won't make you a happy person. And it doesn't define you neither.
I mean why do we all waste our times on jobs and in relationships that we can't stand. Because it is convenient, because it pays the bills. Really!? Pretty bad, isn't it. When you are 90 and you are in your rocking chair, what do you want to look back on! Do you really wanna have regrets.

So sad that in today's world we rather work to pay off a big mortgage, three cars and spend money on junk foods instead of spending time with our kids or just truly living. Who needs all that material crap!!! Ever shopped at thrift stores, they are pretty awesome and support a good cause 2.

For the people that still don't believe that it does matter what you eat. Do you really think that eating chemicals won't affect you. Do you think eating foods that have ingredients like bleach, wash detergent and many other scary additives won't have an affect on your mood. Are you not worth it to eat the best possible foods?! I think you are. enjoy your chocolate, but let it a good one not one that taste like it has been on the shelf for the last 5 years( Hershey's yuck!!).

It all comes back to loving yourself. If you truly, blissfully and honestly love yourself everything else will fall into place. You won't deal with people that treat you like crap. When you love you, you will give love to other people. When you love you, you will treat your body like it is your temple and not a garbage disposal, because you know you are worth it. You will go for your dreams, you will travel, open up your business, start a non-profit organisation, lose weight, exercise or leave the full of shit relationship you wasted to much time on already. You will always be a better mom, friend, wife, sister or daughter if you love yourself. The same goes for the guys by the way!!

Love doesn't need binge eating, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee or drugs to thrive. It just needs nurturing and acceptance. Your acceptance!





Love Tips


1.Begin your day with love (not technology). Remind yourself of your worthiness before getting out of bed. Breathe in love and breathe out love. Enfold yourself in light. Saturate your being in love.

 2. Take time to relax( meditate) and journal. Spend time focusing inward daily. Begin with 5 minutes of breathing and 5 minutes of journaling each morning. 

3. Talk yourself happy. Use affirmations to train your mind to become more positive Put a wrist band on your right wrist. When you’re participating in self-abuse of any form, move the band to your left wrist.

4. Get emotionally honest. Let of go of numbing your feelings. Shopping, eating, and drinking are examples of avoiding discomfort, sadness, and pain. Mindfully breathe your way through your feelings and emotions.

5. Expand your interests. Try something new. Learn a language. Go places you’ve never been. Do things you haven’t done before. You have a right to an awesome life.

6. Enjoy life enhancing activities. Find exercise you like. Discover real, healthy foods that are good for you. Turn off technology for a day and spend time doing things that make you feel alive.

7. Become willing to surrender. Breathe, relax, and let go. You can never see the whole picture. You don’t know what anything is for. Stop fighting against yourself by thinking and desiring people and events in your life should be different. God has a plan, just be excited and enjoy the journey.

8. Work on personal and spiritual development. Be willing to surrender and grow. Life is a journey. We are here to learn and love on a deeper level. Take penguin steps and life becomes difficult. One step at a time is enough to proceed forward.

9. Own your potential. Love yourself enough to believe in the limitless opportunities available to you. Take action and create a beautiful life for yourself.

10. Be patient with yourself. Let go of urgency and fear. Relax and transform striving into thriving. Trust in yourself, do good work, and the Universe will reward you.

11. Live in appreciation. Train your mind to be grateful. Appreciate your talents, beauty, and brilliance. Love your imperfect perfect self.

12. Be guided by your intuition. All answers come from within. Look for signs and pay attention to your gut feelings. You’ll hear two inner voices when you need to make a decision. The quiet voice is your higher self; the loud voice is your ego. Always go with the quieter voice.

13. Do what honors and respects you. Don’t participate in activities that bring you down. Don’t allow toxic people in your life. Love everyone, but be discerning on who you allow into your life.

14. Let the past go. Suffering comes from living in the pain of the past or the fear of the future. Put your attention on the present moment and be at peace.

15. Forgive yourself. Learn from your mistakes and go forward. The past is done and you can't change it. Move on.

16. Discover the power of fun. Self-love requires time to relax, play, and create face-to-face interaction with others. Our fast-paced world creates a goal setting, competitive craziness that doesn’t leave room for play. So go play and be a kid again. Who cares what other people think.

17. Be real. Speak up and speak out. Allow yourself to be seen, known, and heard. Get comfortable with intimacy. 

18. Focus on the positive. Go to your heart and dwell on and praise yourself for what you get right in all areas.

19. Become aware of self neglect and rejection. Become conscious of your choices. Ask yourself several times throughout the day, “Does this choice honor me?”

20. Imagine what your life would look like if you believed in your worth. Dedicate your life to loving you. Make it your main event.

21. Seek professional help. Self-rejection and neglect is painful. You deserve to be happy. You have a right to be accepted and loved. If necessary, seek help from a support group, counselor, or coach. It’s the best investment you can make.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Curry Sweet Potato Skins

I am in love with this recipe. The curry sauce is from Trader Joe's but you can also make your own if you prefer. I don't like sweet potatoes the traditional way, with sugar, butter and cinnamon, so this savory dish is right up my alley and sweet potatoes have amazing health benefits like:


1.  They are high in vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies.  Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including the prevention of heart attacks.

2. They are a good source of vitamin C.  While most people know that vitamin C is important to help ward off cold and flu viruses, few people are aware that this crucial vitamin plays an important role in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It helps accelerate wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, and is essen­tial to helping us cope with stress. It even appears to help protect our body against toxins that may be linked to cancer.

3.  They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health at this time of year.  Both a vitamin and a hormone, vitamin D is primarily made in our bodies as a result of getting adequate sunlight. You may have heard about seasonal affective disorder (or SAD, as it is also called), which is linked to inadequate sunlight and therefore a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays an important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, and it supports the thyroid gland.

4.  Sweet potatoes contain iron. Most people are aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper im­mune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.

5.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.

Recipe

Curry Sweet Potato Skins

2 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup peas

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/8 cup onions or less, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 jar Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce

Preheat oven to 375

Bake sweet potatoes in oven for about 45min or until soft.

Set aside to cool.

Saute onions for about 4 min, add tomatoes, bell peppers and peas.

Add curry sauce to mixture and let simmer for about 3-4min. Remove from heat

After sweet potatoes have cooled down, scoop out the inner sweet potato, leaving nothing but the skin.

Mash sweet potatoes in a bowl and  add curry mixture.

Fill potato skins with mixture and put back in oven for about 15-20 min.

Serve hot.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Just Live a Little...

Happy Fall, I guess Summer is officially over.

I gotta say, I never paid so much attention to the beautiful colors of fall, the changing leaves and trees are sparkling in the sunshine and right now the weather in Chicago is perfect. I don't even mind the fall and that comes from a girl who loves 90 degree weather.

It is weird how many things changed for me in a year, last year around this time I was at a totally different stage in my life. 2012 is the first year I really realized what I want, what I love, who I am and that I actually have dreams that I can achieve.

Everything really happens for a reason! You gotta take life as it is and always be the best you can be, never make excuses and never have any regrets. You learn from your mistakes, just be better, a little better every day.


So when I say you gotta live a little, it is specific towards everyone who beat themselves up over stupid things that don't matter. Life is really to short, we are all getting older and time goes by so fast, we have to stop waisting our time with bullshit.
So what is bullshit?!

A bad relationship, a partner that doesn't treat you how you deserve to be treated.
A friend that is only there when he or she needs something, that is constantly complaining or always brings you in bad situations. Can't stand the drama anymore. Whatever the bullshit is in your life, get rid of it or change it!

Food can be bullshit too, especially if it has control over your life. You know how I am all about eating healthy and my vegan diet will never change. I believe that a plant based diet can save a lot of lives, it saves the animals, the planet and it makes you feel amazing.
But I am done being super restrictive on the way I eat. If I am out with friends and I wanna have a bite of some chocolate dessert, I will go for it, even if it contains dairy. And if there is a cookie that is full of sugar and maybe even egg I will still eat it sometimes.
Why?! Because it keeps me sane.
I have been fighting with this for a long time, and I am tired of beating myself up, if I eat something that is not vegan or perfectly healthy I will still be fine. Life is so short and it no fun if we get obsessed with the way we eat.

Yeah I might never have a six pack or I might never be a 100 % raw vegan nor vegan, but you know what  I don't care anymore, because it works for me. I would love the world to be vegan, but it is not and will never be, at least not in my lifetime. So as of right now, I still live in the real world, where we are surrounded by meat, dairy and eggs, sugar and lots of processed foods. Instead of me going crazy I just have a bite and that's that!

I will never go back to the way I used to eat, there is no way I could ever eat a SAD diet again, it is a big part of my life, it is what I do and who I am. It is one of my core believes, but I have friends and family that don't believe in the way I eat, but I love them more than anything. It is really hard for me to connect with some "Vegans". Don't get me wrong, I think it is amazing everything vegans do, just for the animals sake, but you know what though- I am not a hippie and I love fashion and make-up, traveling, movies and motorcycles, I love to dance all night long and get tipsy every once in a while.
Because you just gotta live a little! I can't change who I am and what I like, because of the way I eat.
My lifestyle alone won't keep me healthy-my happiness combined with beautiful plant foods will.

Just do whatever works for you, whatever diet, whatever lifestyle, your relationship, your life!
But be completely honest with yourself, listen to your thoughts and to your body. How does it make you feel, do you feel healthy, happy, at peace? Don't listen to anyone but yourself, take advice from trusted sources, I sure did and I will be forever thankful!

Our society has stupid standard on lifestyle and happiness, jobs, money, cars and houses. It doesn't matter what you do, who your with or not with, how old, small, big, rich or poor you are,all that matters is that YOU ARE HAPPY!!!
If you don't have your happiness, you have nothing.
Health is part of it, friends are, family is and love is. Money will never make you happy. Whatever makes you happy, find it and never let it go!!!

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Almost Raw Granola Recipe

Just made this granola recipe for the farmers market. It is super easy to make and way more nutritious than the sugary version from the store.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

2 cups oats
3/4 cups almonds
3/4 cups cashews
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup maple syrup
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp salt
4-5 large dates, chopped
2tbsp coconut oil

Chop nuts into pieces or grind in food processor. Mix with all other ingredients until it all sticks together. Oil baking sheet with one tbsp coconut oil and bake at 200 degrees for about 40min.
Let it cool and serve with almond milk and fresh berries!

Yum I am excited for breakfast.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Easy Black Bean Salad

 

This salad is super filling, full of fiber, protein and can be made in a pinch. You can use fresh soaked and cooked beans or the canned ones, just make sure you rinse them well. Please use organic corn, conventional corn will be genetically modified.
I made it for a party the other day and everybody loved it. I have to thank Corina for the recipe, I just tweaked it a little. Go eat your beans!!



Black Bean Salad

 Ingredients:
 2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups organic corn
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion and cilantro and gently toss. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the beans mixture and gently stir to combine. Top with avocado. Chill for at least an hour to allow flavors to mingle.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Eating

I watched the documentary ''Eating'' the other day. Very informative and should be an absolute must see for every one, actually I think it should be the law to show it in schools, should be a part of our children's education.

Our government guidelines are ridiculous, our food pyramid is retarded. America trusts the government, they trust their doctors, they trust people they hear and see on TV. When it comes to nutrition, don't trust anyone but yourself! Do your own research and please use your big brain. Think, use common sense.


The ''disease prevention'' pyramid


Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Diseases were almost non existing until the 1900. Everything started with processed foods and a diet high in animal protein . And even then, these diseases were found among rich people, that could afford meat and 'foods' that was produced in a factory. Clogged arteries are already developing in school children nowadays and people still wanna tell me, that it has nothing to do with the way we eat!!

You are brainwashed that you need meat and dairy, freaking brainwashed! Yes, our ancestors were hunters and they did kill and eat animals, but maybe once or twice a year. Not for breakfast, lunch and dinner...but were do you get your protein!!! Did you ever hear of a protein deficiency? No, me neither! You have to be very undernourished and starving to be ''low on amino acids''. Protein is build from amino acids, and 9 of them are essential, meaning you have to get them through your food. There is so much protein in plants, that you will never have a problem meeting your daily requirements and it is also easier to break down and digest. Just because the chicken breast says 20g of protein, doesn't mean you will absorb it.
 



Cholesterol is in animal products and only in animal products, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, stop eating animal! Fish and chicken are not better choices. Chicken breast contains 126 mg of cholesterol in a medium serving, salmon 116 mg and beef 127 mg. Not really a big difference. BTW where do you think does the salmon gets its omega 3's from? The sea vegetables the fish consumes. You are better of eating nori, dulse, flax, chia seeds and walnuts and you don't have to worry about high mercury and toxic waste poison.

Animal products are literally killing thousands of Americans and other populations around the world. I guess that is the way the animals fight back. We torture and kill them and in return they kill us! How ironic!How can you eat animals and call yourself an animal lover. Who says that your pets life is worth more than the pig you eat? I am sure you wouldn't eat your dog, well people in China do and in India a cow is a holy animal that cannot be harmed. Animals are highly intelligent creatures, they give us their trust and we break it, over and over again.




When people adopt animal-based diets, heart disease and cancers suddenly become peoples biggest killers.It is happening all over the world, in countries like China and Japan where people used to thrive on a plant based diet. When they are replacing their rice and veggies with Mc Donald's diseases are spreading like wildfires.

Animal based diets deprive the body of oxygen. Deprive the heart of oxygen-you will get a heart attack. Deprive the brain of oxygen-you get a stroke.Deprive the blood of oxygen-you will get cancer.

Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are preventable. We don't need a cure, we need prevention. Every adult has cancer cells in his body, at sometime in their life. There is nothing we can do about it, but we can do something about how our immune system reacts to it! Our immune system is our cure for cancer. If the storm comes and it will, what will your house be made out off? Our immune system is a fighter, just how it can fight off a cold it can fight off cancer cells, but you have to provide it with strong building blocks. Green leafy vegetables, fruits, veggie juices, legumes and grains are gonna make you strong and turn your immune system into a fighting machine. The cure for cancer is strengthening your immune system by changing to a plant based diet. Your medicine is found in your grocery store, garden and farmers market.

Raising animals for food, kills and destroys our environment. Would you ever open your refrigerator, pull out 16 plates of pasta, toss 15 in the trash, and then eat just one plate of food? How about leveling 55 square feet of rain forest for a single meal or dumping 2,400 gallons of water down the drain? Of course you wouldn't. But if you're eating chicken, fish, turkey, cow, milk or egg that's what you're doing—wasting resources and destroying our environment.

Stop being ignorant just because you love meat!!! If we want a future for our children, the way we eat needs to be changed.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Brain over Binge

Happy Thursday everyone, hope you are all having a great week so far, enjoying life and the last sunny days in Chicago! I am sucking the sunshine in until the last one disappears for the next long couple of month.

I have been reading the book ''Brain over Binge'' by Kathryn Hansen. I thought I have a lot of knowledge, when it comes to the topic of bulimia, but I was impressed and very intrigued on how she looks at the vicious cycle of binging and purging.

 


Kathryn is a ''recovered'' bulimic herself and describes in detail her unconventional approach to recovery. She offers a very unconventional perspective to the canvas of eating disorders, meaning she doubts therapy and that binge eating and/or bulimia is more about self-control and free will.

When young girls and women develop and eating disorder,they are usually send to therapy.In conventional therapy, they are told that binging and purging has to do with deep issues. Experiences in their past or present that they haven't coped with. From the beginning on, eating disorder patients have to resolve their problems and emotional feelings to get in control of the disease.Eating until you are sugar drunk and purging because you feel guilty are signs that you want to shut out the real world and always have to do with deeper issues! Really?! Bulimia, Anorexia and other eating disorders are looked at as a disease. But is it really a disease? Do we really have no control over if we want to stuff ourselves until we feel sick and numb? Are our lives suddenly, magically improving and problems fade away, because we are not binge eating anymore?

I can speak from my own experience that sometimes you make excuses for binge eating! ''I had a tough day'', ''That idiot doesn't get me'', ''I am bored", ''It is OK to binge, as long as you get back on track''. The last statement is something you hear a lot in therapy. You will have setbacks, but it is important to keep on fighting.I get it, but for how many years are you supposed to have setbacks, how many excuses can you make?!
Just to be clear, I do not want to offend anyone, I know that struggling with an eating disorder is an awful, time and life consuming thing.
But do we really have no control!!!!!????

As Kathryn states in her book, most eating disorders start in teenage years, most of them are girls. Our society puts pressure on us, especially on young women, how to look a certain way, skinny equals perfect. We all know how influenced we can get when we are teenagers. For some it might be cigarettes, for some alcohol and for others it is the wish to be skinny. You probably just have to go into a class of High School students, and I can guaranty you, that a big topic under girls is diet and how to lose weight.

Maybe that is why bulimia and binge eating develops! When we starve our body, sooner or later our brain is gonna go crazy. Our brain and body doesn't know that we live in the time of food abundance, and that there is always plenty of it available. There is a part of our brain, the subcortex, the animal brain, that just wants to watch out for us. It is wired to tell you to get as much food as possible, if you starve yourself over a period of time. Meaning if you deprive yourself of food and nutrients, you will have the urge to binge tons of unhealthy, fatty, sugary foods. A long time ago, people sometimes stuffed themselves, because they didn't know when food would be available again. Today, at least in the western world, we do not have to worry about that! Your animal brain just wants to prevent you from starving.It is like a defense mechanism.

The human part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that has the power. Free will, self-control and self-reliance . It has the power to control your actions. No matter what thoughts, feelings or cravings the animal brain generates automatically, the human brain can choose the action. Nobody forces you to binge! Just like nobody forces anybody to pull the trigger..

Is binge eating a habit? It might be, a very bad one too. Are you always binge eating in the same situations. When you are alone, bored, or when you are stressed.
Are these triggers just excuses to binge? Do you feel better after?

In therapy you learn that something is wrong with you, meaning you had a dysfunctional childhood, if you have an eating disorder I guess you could waste your whole life figuring out who to blame. I think we all had some issues growing up, some more some less. Our parents can only do their best. We cannot blame binge eating and bulimia on our parents, ex-lovers, friends or teachers. We have self control and if we forgot how to use it, it is time to get it back.

Like all habits, we have to relearn how to change them. But if we really separate ourselves from the part of our brain that wants to binge, because it is used to doing it for so many years, maybe bulimia is not a disease. A bulimic binges and if the binging is non existing, the purging will stop automatically. No binge, no purge, no bulimia! If we assure our animal brain, that there will always be enough to eat, maybe after a while it will trust us again and the urges will go away. I am not surprised our bodies and brains are so messed up, by the way we treat them.

I personally think, that Kathryn's book is a refreshing take on bulimia and binge eating. It is empowering, knowing that you and only you can change yourself for the better. You are in total control of yourself. Stop being a victim, stop trying to run away from your life. Your life is your responsibility and your choice!


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

A taste of Sweet-Cranberry Rice

I just made this dish from my new favorite book ''Clean Food''.
Finally a book that combines vegan cooked with raw foods, has gluten and soy free recipes and the best part..they are easy and quick to prepare. You do not need a million ingredients for one side dish.


A taste of Sweet-Cranberry Rice

1 cup wild rice, cooked
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 stalks celery diced
2-3 tbsp red onions diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/8 cup fresh parsley
21 seasoning to taste
Salt to taste 

You can either saute the onions in water or use a little bit of coconut oil. Saute onions over medium heat for about 3min or until translucent. Add celery, mushrooms and spices. Cook for another 3min.
Add rice, parsley and cranberries, cook until heated through. Toss in bowl, stir everything together and add almonds. Adjust seasoning to liking. Serve as a side or main dish with a green salad.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Sweet as Sugar Chocolate Pie

So this is one of these recipes that should be made for special occasions. It is not healthy or nourishing (well maybe a little)  but it is heavenly, amazingly delicious and worth a sugar hangover. For all of you who can not bake, you cannot mess up this ''no bake'' pie.


Sweet as Sugar Chocolate Pie

 

Crust
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup almonds or walnuts
1 cup dates

Process all ingredients in food processor until it all sticks together.
Press into a spring pan and set aside.

Filling
1 container organic silken or firm tofu, 12oz
1 cup dark (vegan) chocolate chips
2tbsp almond milk
1tbsp vanilla
Fruit of your choice

Preparation
Melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring frequently to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn
Once the chocolate is melted, blend together silken tofu, chocolate and almond milk in food processor until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour. Decorate with fruit of your choice, i like strawberries, raspberries and bananas.



Enjoy every bite

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Why Milk Sucks!!!!

So once and for all, milk and dairy sucks! If you want to do something for your health and your children's well being, cut the white poison. You will be amazed what a huge difference it will make.

I listed a few reasons on why, once and for all you should skip the Moo-juice!!!

 

 

 

 

1. Cows are not milk machines. After years of living in filthy conditions, being kept constantly pregnant, and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they naturally would, dairy cows are slaughtered.

 

2. "Moo" is not your first language. Human babies are not calves, so why treat them like it? Humans are the only animals who drink breast milk after infancy and the only animals who drink milk from a different species. It makes as much sense for people to drink cow's milk as it would for dogs to drink giraffe's milk!

 

 

4. Studies show that over 75 percent of the world's population is lactose-intolerant. Can you say abdominal cramps, bloating, and diarrhea? The reason for this, is a lack of the enzyme ‘lactase’ which is responsible for breaking down the lactose (a sugar in milk) in the digestive track.

 

5. Dairy is scary. There's more to that glass of milk than you think. Dairy products are commonly contaminated with blood, pus, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.

 

There's veal in your cereal. Milk fuels the cruel veal industry. Considered byproducts of the dairy industry, male calves are dragged away to veal crates when they are just hours old.

 

6. Milk is bad for your bones. Instead of preventing osteoporosis, milk is a big cause of it. Dairy is highly acidic and to bring your blood back into a alkaline or neutral balance, your body leeches calcium from your bones.

 

7. Milk does the planet bad. Bad for mother cows, milk production is also bad for Mother Earth; it's a disastrous source of water pollution. Just one dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day—as much as two dozen people could produce—but with no toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.

 

8. The white stuff isn’t the right stuff. Milk is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of calves—who have four stomachs and gain an average of 115 kg in their first six months. It's crazy for humans to chug moo-juice, and you wonder why people are obese!!

 

9. No grain means lots of pain. Every glass of milk takes a meal away from the hungry. Crops that could be used to feed the hungry are instead used to feed dairy cows. It takes a huge amount of grain cycled through cows to produce a very small amount of milk.

 

10. If you haven't read the China Study yet, please put it on your ''must-read'' list. Devoid of fiber and complex carbohydrates but loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, dairy products have been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

 

Have a beautiful and save Labor Day weekend

 

Love and Cookies

 

Jennifer

Sunshine Salad

Really, I have such a hard time to let the Summer go! I always knew I am a summer girl, but I definitely realized it this year. My move to California will happen, sooner or later...
This salad puts the sunshine in my heart, with all its beautiful vibrant colors and the fresh juicy taste of pineapple and mango!! On my today's love list.




Salad ingredients:

1 cucumber
1 handful macadamia nuts
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 mango
2 cups of pineapple
4 stalks celery
2 handfuls of mixed salad greens
Several handfuls of spinach
Sea salt

Dressing ingredients:

2/3 cup date syrup
1 small bunch dill
2 limes, juiced
1 pinch cayenne pepper
3/4 cup sesame or olive oil
1 handful of fresh cilantro
3 tbsp organic dry roasted peanut butter

Preparation:

Process the cucumber, celery, peppers, green onions, mixed greens and spinach in a food processor with the slicing blade or just with a knife. Try to get the pieces as small as you can.
Chopping green onions is more efficient with a knife than a food processor.
Chop macadamia nuts and dice mango and pineapple.
Blend remaining ingredients for dressing.
Mix all the salad ingredients and toss with the dressing. Mix well and let sit for a while to let the flavors combine. Or just munch it up right away!


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Jen's Chia Pudding

Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico.Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.
When added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar.
Chia has a nut like flavor. Even Trader Joes carries them now. They are on my love list right now. This recipe is perfect for breakfast and if you have constipation it will definitely clean you out.


Jen's Chia Pudding

4 Tbs chia seeds

1 banana

1 granny smith apple

1/2 tsp cinnamon

 
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp vanilla

Filtered water

Fresh berries

Blend banana, apples, spices and vanilla with enough water to make a smoothie.

Pour mixture over the chia seeds and fresh berries and let soak for about 20 minutes in the fridge.

After letting sit stir pudding to break up clumps.

The mixture will be semisolid, as the chia seeds will have soaked up all the liquid. Top with

chopped fruit, raisins or unsweetend coconut.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Serenity, Courage, Wisdom

I am writing this post on behalf of my beautiful, amazing, smart friend Angie! I am so thankful every day,that she was send into my life. Love ya Girl!!!


God gave me the Serenity to accept the things I can not change,
Courage to change the things I can
and Wisdom to know the difference.

This little prayer is my life, the words I live by. It makes perfect sense to me, I guess that is why I have it tattooed on my spine. Serenity-Courage-Wisdom.

I believe in staying peaceful and calm, happy with yourself and always trying to look at the big picture in life. There will always be situations and people in your life that will shake you, make you mad and angry. It will try to break you, make you act foolish and bitter. It will bring you to tears and makes you wanna fight with your fists, it will break you down and will try to defeat you. Never ever let the devil get a foothold and never ever let the sun go down and go to bed angry.

No matter what an amazing person you are, even bad things happen to good people. Big situations like getting really sick or a family member dying and smaller things like a car breaking down or a break -up. The question is- How do you handle it?! Are you going to give up, and let it defeat you or are you going to wipe your tears, get up and fight for what you believe in. Don't ever underestimate the power of your mind. It all starts with the thoughts you have and that you truly believe that you can do it. You know how I always say, ''You are what you eat''! Well, you are what you think, just as much, if not even more. Our mind and our thoughts control everything.





Life is like a rollercoaster, we have good times and bad times. How will we ever be able to appreciate the good times, if we never experience the bad.

I want everybody to remember that there is a reason for everything in life, every breath you take, every move you make( that sounds like a song, hello Sting and The Police ), is meant for something great. You are meant for something great. God put you on this earth to fulfill your purpose. He knows your story, your weaknesses and strenghts, he knows every thought before you do and he gave you the amazing ability to fight for what you believe in and stand your ground no matter what!

Now I don't care if you believe in God, Buddha, Alla or just a higher power. But I care that you have faith! When hardship will hit you, and it will, you have to pray, believe and never give up hope that good times will come. There is a lesson behind every bad time and you will only come out stronger. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, is reality!

I believe that God only gives you as much as you can carry.Some people are meant to carry more hardships than others. Some people are born with stronger spirits and they still always get back up, no matter how hard life hits them. This too shall pass! Another wise quote. Life is too beautiful to give up on it, life is too precious not to live your dreams, life is too much fun not to giggle, laugh and be silly until your tummy hurts.
Life is too short for tears, pain and haters. Life is too short for superficial things and mean, angry people. Life is too short to compare yourself to others.

We all have our talents, we are all unique in our own way. Nobody will ever know everything. Even though I wish I could(-:
Don't compare yourself to other people, you don't know their stories. You don't walk in their shoes. If we would put all the problems of the world on one pile, we would fight to get our own back! Appreciate your blessings every day and learn from your mistakes.

Don't let anybody ever tell you, what to do, how to look, what to say and how to act. Listen to your inner guide, your strenght. It is your life, take in every second, losen up and go for it.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Easy Vegan Cruelty Free Breakfasts

If everybody in the United States would went vegetarian or vegan for just one day a week we could save:

-100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
-1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
-70 million gallons of gas -- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
-3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
-33 tons of antibiotics.

Crazy, isn't it!


To get you in the mood for some tasty vegan mornings, here are three easy vegan breakfast recipes.



Berry-Cherry Oatmeal

1/2 cup of steel cut oats cooked
splash of almond milk
1/4 cup mixed organic berries( I love blueberries and raspberries )
1/4 cup organic cherries
handful of chopped almonds

Combine the oats and almond milk, let sit for a minute. Add pitted and chopped cherries and mix together. Put berries on top and top with chopped almonds or nuts of choice.






Breakfast Tortilla

1 large whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup rice
2tbsp salsa
1/2 chopped avocado

Warm tortilla for a couple of seconds and fill with all the ingredients. Roll up and eat.





 Apple-Pancakes (not just for Sundays)

1 small chopped apple 1banana 1 1/4 cups almond milk 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional) 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons sodium-free baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Cinnamon and date syrup for serving

In a large bowl, mash banana, then stir in milk and maple syrup.
In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir until smooth.Add chopped apples.
Pour small amounts of batter onto a preheated non-stick, lightly oil-sprayed griddle or skillet and cook until tops bubble . Flip with a spatula and cook second side until golden brown, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with cinnamon and date syrup.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Angel-Smoothie

I was so lucky and blessed that I got to go see my family in Spain. My nieces Sophie, Lara and my nephew Jayden are my little Angels.
I was staying at my sisters house ( my love of my life :-) ) and made my green smoothie every morning and even my nieces liked it. Yeah 10 points for that one!! Here is the Angel-Smoothie...pictured below is one of my Angels Lara.


                                                                                                                 

Angel-Smoothie

Handful of Spinach
1 ripe banana
2 kiwis
2 nectarines
A couple of mint leaves
Water to blend

Blend all the ingredients until smooth and enjoy glowing skin and a happy mood.

                                                                                                                
Love and Cookies

Jennifer

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                

Rock Climbing-killer workout

Rock climbing was on my bucket list for a while and I finally did it. I gotta tell you, to get over my fear of heights and pushing myself like that..I am really proud. I can hardly type, that is how sore my arms and hands are..Love it!





Rock climbing

People enjoy the benefits of rock climbing everyday. Some like the vigorous full-body workout, others like the exercise and community at their local gym or crag, and others are competitors who train year round for accomplishment and victory.
Getting and staying in shape is a huge rock climbing benefit. You can develop…

• dynamic muscle strength
• flexibility
• balance
• coordination
• mental and physical focus

Benefits of Rock Climbing

One of the great benefits of rock climbing is the fun and joy it brings. Climbing is challenging and taking on the challenge can be very rewarding. Working up a good sweat and having fun with your friends. You can't beat that.

The physical benefits of rock climbing are plentiful. Rock climbing does not only stick to one set of muscles and because of this, climbers often end up with bodies that are toned all over and look healthy. Instead of the same old environment of the gym, rock climbing can create more challenges.

Another very important aspect of rock climbing is the community.
While there are bonds that form while people work out at a gym, they are often not as deep and sincere as those formed with climbing partners. Since you will most likely be belayed by someone from this community, you are basically trusting them with your life. Talking about a life partner!!This kind of bond is very strong and can lead to strong friendships and even romantic relationships. Maybe I will find my next Lover while I trust him with my life..that would be a story!
Climbers tend to be very friendly and open people, so it is relatively easy to make friends within the community even if they don't start out as your climbing partners.

An extremely rewarding benefit of rock climbing is that it can lead to better moods and more self-confidence. Someone that has just finished a route or even just climbed up that wall at the gym, that they had been working on for a week is often infected with a smile. This smile, in turn, affects the mood of those around this climber and as a result, everyone's mood improves. The feeling of achieving is huge. Yes you can be proud of yourself, I sure was!!.
Maybe you just did one more pull-up than before. Or figured out a technique that can help you in the future. Or maybe you just talked to that climber guy that you've been wondering about for the past week. Regardless, you often walk away with a feeling of success and accomplishment after a climbing day, like a couple of hours isn't enough.

Primary muscles used for rock climbing

Forearm

The five major forearm muscles: brachioradialis, pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus and flexor carpi ulnaris all get a major workout anytime someone climbes a mountain. Since the muscles in the fingers themselves are very tiny and hard to exercise, the strength it takes to hold you onto the face of a rock are found in the forearm. For this reason, many climbers strengthen their forearms by completing hand exercises. Squeezing a grip bar or small ball several times in the hand will ultimately improve hand, wrist and forearm strength, increasing your endurance and allowing you to stay hugged against the wall tightly.

Upper Arms

The ability for a climber to hang by the arm or pull themselves up by the arm when a footing is too small comes mostly from the upper arms and shoulders. These muscles include the bicep in the front of the arm, the triceps behind the arm and the deltoid that wraps around the shoulder. To increase strength in these muscles, many climbers do repetitions of pull-ups. 

Quadriceps

While climbing most certainly does take arm strength, the real strength comes from the legs. Climbers do not use their arms to lift their bodies; the arms are used predominately to stay tight against the mountain. To move up a rock face a climber must use her quadriceps muscles, found in the front of the thighs. Strong quadriceps allows a climber to step up from any precarious angle. Strengthen the quadriceps by doing squats and always taking the stairs, two steps at a time, instead of an elevator.

Calf Muscles

The muscles in the calves, although used less to help a climber step up than the quadriceps, also play a crucial part in climbing. When a wall's face has small nooks and crevices, the calf muscles are what aid you to keep your toe against the wall when only the smallest bit will fit. When it comes time to move upward, it is the calf muscles that allow you to rise to your tip-toes to get a better reach. For the fastest way to increase calf strength, simply rise to the ball of your feet and lower back down several times while standing. It will not be long before you feel the burn. Alternate patterns with feet parallel to each other then turned out. This will change, slightly, the muscles being engaged making you a more well-rounded climber.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Tyra Banks-Fierce Bodies

A couple of weeks ago I watched the talkshow ''The View'' and beautiful, smart and talented Tyra Banks was one of the guests on the show.Tyra was talking about women and body image and how our society is crazy about being skinny. Skinny=Beauty!

Who hasn't seen her fierce, real and honest performence in 2007 on her own show, where she told all the haters and bullies to ''kiss her fat ass''! It still makes me tear up and gives me goose bumbs everytime I see it.

Tyra Banks message is about loving and accepting yourself exactly as you are. With all your imperfections. You are beautiful, no matter what! Women and girls come in all different sizes and shapes, size 0 is not the answer to a perfect life. Love your body and who you are, exactly how GOD put you in this amazing world.

Here is my problem with Tyras message- do I believe that you have the right to be the best you can be, mentally, physically and spiritually!? Yes absoloutly but I trully believe that being obesse and unhealthy is not part of being the best you can be. It just sends the wrong message to young women.! Yes curves are sexy and we all come in different shapes and sizes, that's why we are all unique in our own special way. There are women that will never be a size 0 and it doesn't matter, what matters is that they take care of themselves and their bodies. I don't believe that a size 14 should be considered normal and average! I am sorry to tell you, but everybody who eats right and exercises will not be an average oversized size 14. I am not talking about people who have medical issues- we are talking about healthy, strong young women.

I do not accept that our society keeps on opening  clothing stores for overweight people just to make them feel comfortable and make it seem acceptable. It is not acceptable to let yourself go, it is not ok to stuff your face with whatever chemical crap you want to just because it is fine to have '' a few extra pounds''. Get over yourself- curves are sexy, excess wabbely fat is not!!!!

Just like stick thin, sick looking models are sending the wrong message so is Tyra Banks with her ''fierce bodies'' propaganda. Yes, please love yourself with all your flaws but don't use food and no exercise as an excuse to let yourself go. It is not ok- you were not born fat, so do not treat your body like a garbage can.
GOD made you exactly as he intended you to be, but he didn't send all the junk food and TV shows with it. You make that decison!

Please don't tell me that some women just have fuller bodies! Yes, Jennifer Lopez was born with that butt, but she still takes good care of herself and her body. If she would eat burgers, fries and oreos on a daily basis, oh well that curvy butt would look very different, very soon...

It doesn't matter if you are 5ft or 7ft, young, old, man or women, curvy or skinny, just take care of your temple-your body, because you only have one! Life is to short to obsess about your weight, but you still have to be realistic..A healthy body+A healthy mind= Amazing LONG Life!!!


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Healthy Travel Tips

My little trip to ''Sin City''  got me thinking about what our body has to go through while being up in the air. Dry skin and eyes, clogged ears, germs and jet lag are only a couple of stress factors our immune system has to deal with.






Here are some tips on how to stay healthy while traveling:

Drink, drink, drink!

Staying hydrated is key.
Drink plenty of water throughout the flight. Stay away from alcohol, coffee and tea. Don't worry if you have to keep getting up to go to the lavatory - the exercise might help prevent deep-vein thromboses.

We usually feel most comfortable when the humidity in the air around us is about 40 to 70 per cent. In an aircraft cabin it falls to about 20 per cent. It is common to suffer from dry eyes (which can cause serious problems for contact-lens wearers) and a sore or dry throat and nose. This dryness is often uncomfortable, but it might also make you more prone to infections. So drink up!




Eat light!

Remember our body uses 70 percent or more of our energy for digestion. Don't eat big meals, so your body can focus on keeping you healthy during a flight.
Eat light before arriving at the airport. You’ll need energy when dealing with long check-in lines and security and will want to avoid the airport’s fast food options. Load up on fruits and veggies. These types of foods will help you avoid dehydration.
You can bring light snacks in your carry-on, like a homemade cereal bar, made out of oats, dates and nuts or grab some fruit like bananas and oranges. These healthy snacks are easy to carry and are perfect in a hunger pinch. Make sure you don't over eat or gorge on rich foods before your flight. A bloated tummy in a pressurized airplane cabin isn’t something you want to deal with on vacation.
Once again-drink plenty of water before and during your flight.




Move around!

This is the biggest issue for most travellers. Apart from the sheer discomfort of minimal legroom - cramps, neck cricks and so on - long periods of immobility lead to a higher risk of DVT, and the risks may be greater at lower pressure.
DVT occurs when blood in the lower leg flows sluggishly and eventually clots, causing pain and swelling in the short term and a risk of sudden death from clots reaching the heart or lungs.
- Buy as much legroom as you can afford- especially on long distance flights.
- Wear comfortable, non-restricting clothes.
- Get up and walk around the cabin at least once every hour and exercise in your seat by alternately tensing and relaxing your calf muscles.
-Avoid crossing your legs, or keeping the same position for a prolonged period.
-Stretch as much as possible.



Sleep!

Get as much sleep as you can before your trip and while on the airplane. Being exhausted and stressed weakens your immune system, making you more prone to infections. Don't stress out about any delays that may occur - life is to short and you will get to your destination sooner or later but you will be way more relaxed.




Use a neti pot before departure!

The air at altitudes of 30,000 to 35,000 feet, where most commercial airlines fly, is extremely dry, and the recirculation systems used in airplane cabins dry the air out even more. The lack of humidity sucks moisture from the tissues of the nose and mouth, compromising the body's natural defense system. And if you're already congested from allergies or a cold, the problem is even more acute.
Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, alleviate congestion, facial pain and pressure.

You can also get a natural nose spray to keep the nose from drying out during the flight
This one is a great alternative to chemical nose sprays!




Germs-Awwww

I think germs are overrated. Our body has an amazing ability to fight them , but with your immune system already compromised and an airport full of people better save than sorry!
Airplanes seem to be the breeding ground for many viruses, in part because so many people are confined to such close quarters and viruses thrive in a dry environment like the one on an airplane.
One of the simplest ways to avoid germs on a plane flight is to follow your mother's advice: wash your hands! Wash your hands with warm to hot water and soap, lathering and scrubbing for at least thirty seconds. If you are washing your hands in the airplane restroom, make sure that you open the door with a paper towel upon exit, because not everyone is likely to be quite so conscientious!
Another important factor when trying to avoid germs on a plane flight is to keep your hands away from your face. If you touch the tray table, the armrest, or the magazine, you are essentially touching everyone who has touched these things before you. You absolutely do not want to put your fingers in your mouth or rub your eyes or nose after this — at least not until you wash your hands thoroughly. 


Happy Traveling


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Apple-Carrot Deliciousness

My Mama used to make this side dish a lot. We used to eat it with fish (hello mercury) and fries (trans fats anybody) but this delicious salad was always the best part. I twisted the recipe a little and turned it into a easy summer main dish.



Apple-Carrot Deliciousness

-3 shredded carrots
-1-2 shredded apples
-handful of raisins
-handful of pumpkin seeds
-juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients, let flavors combine and enjoy!


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Choosing ''Me'' before ''We''

Wow I am super excited-will be going to Vegas over the weekend!
Fun, Sun and no worries and you know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

Not that I have anything to hide..




This post is for all my girlfriends and women who should never settle for less, no matter what!!!!




I want to talk a little bit about women and relationships.
Women are pretty obsessed about relationships and about finding ''The One''.

Our society puts a lot of pressure on us, to find the right guy by a certain age, the quicker the better, get married, have children and live happily ever after! Oh the fairytale about living happily ever after.

Movies, books and fairytales have really done a job on us! So many little girls dream about ''Prince Charming'' coming to rescue them from the bad world- so they can run of and have a happy life until death do them part! Nobody ever told them that there might be some big battles on the way to happily ever after, that love can not conquer it all and that a man can never rescue them from themselves.

So, what is the most important thing, before anything! You have to love yourself! Really love yourself. Be in love with yourself, build the life that you ever dreamed of, accept yourself with all your flaws and imperfections and know that you will never be able to attract a healthy, strong man and have a fulfilling relationship if you are not truly happy. Misery loves company! Why do we all fall for men that are straight up crazy, disrespectful and full of it- because we think it is better to have that kind of man, than no man at all and feeling lonely! We don't know our own worth.
Really-wake up princess, life is to short to spend years in misery with a man who will never give you what you truly deserve.

It all starts with self love and knowing what you want in life and in a man. You should have your core values in place! Core values???Yes, you should really know what you want in a man, and I am not talking about tall, dark and handsome kind of values.They suck and won't get you anywhere past the bedroom..
Does he have to be respectful and family oriented? Would you like to travel the world with him?
Should he always have a positive outlook on life?
No matter what it is, write it down, read it out loud, everything and stick to it. You don't believe that the perfect guy for you exists? Get over yourself, because if you don't you will only end up in a lousy, misery relationship that will end up in heartbreak sooner or later.If you belive that you can only get losers, that is what you will end up with. Don't settle, you deserve only the best!

Oh and stop worrying about if the next guy might be ''Mr Right", just enjoy the right now, who cares if you will marry him or not, all that matters is that it feels right, RIGHT NOW!

Go on with your life, never make a man your life, especially if you are not married to him. Have fun dating, doing you, experiencing everything the world has to over. Make guys part of your life, but don't make your happiness depend on them. One more thing-please don't have sex with any man that comes along, you are worth more than that Ladies!! You are precious in every way, don't just give it away-it is usually not worth it.

I really want to tell all the beautiful, amazing, strong and independent women out there, that you don't need a man in your life to be whole! You do not need anybody to complete you! You need to complete yourself.What is going to happen if that person will be out of your life? You will only be half a human- I don't think so.''You Complete Me'' is BS.

Focus on YOU-YOUR LIFE, passion, friends, family, carrier, be compassionate, give back, have fun, go out, travel, meet people, pray, laugh, cry, date, do whatever you want to do and whatever makes you truly happy.

But be completely honest with yourself, really listen to your gut feeling, your inner guide, the voice that comes from deep within. Don't push that feeling away! There is a reason why GOD gave us our inner guidance-the next time you have it follow it, because there is a big reason for it.
I wish I would have followed my inner voice a lot sooner!

The right man will come when the time is right, when you are truly happy with your own life, when you feel complete and usually when you don't expect it. If you are your own best friend, your own lover and your own spirit you will attract amazing people that will enrich your life and join you in this crazy journey called life.



Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Chipotle Salad Bowl

This is the easiest and most delicious salad ever...Love Chipotle, love their salad bowl.



Ingredients

-2-3 hand full of mixed baby greens
-1 avocado
-juice of half a lime
-1/4 cup organic corn
-1/4 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
-1/4 cup cooked black beans
-1 chopped tomato
-1/4 cup fresh or store bought medium salsa
-salt and pepper

Add the salad greens to a big bowl.

Mash the avocado and add lime juice, salt and pepper.Set aside

Add brown rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and salsa on top of salad greens.

Add more lime juice and salt and pepper if you like.

So good, easy and full of flavor.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

DRAMA!!!!!

I know I have been a little ''write lazy'' lately, so until then I have to share this funny and so true post!




Drama sucks.
Not “dramas” as in movies, TV shows, plays, etc that are serious in tone, but rather “drama” as in the petty ridiculous conflicts that get blown way out of proportion for no reason at all.
Urban Dictionary has my favorite definition of this kind of drama: “making a big deal over something unnecessarily.”
We’d like to believe that petty social drama ends the day we leave high school, but sadly, this is not the case. No matter how old they are, people can still find ways of adding unnecessary conflict to their relationships, be they at work, at home, or with friends.
This is truly a shame, because drama increases stress, ruins relationships, and eats away at that one precious commodity none of us can afford to waste: time.
If you want to stress less, have better relationships, and make the most of the limited time you have on earth, I would highly suggest you eliminate as much of the drama from your life as you can. Here are 5 things you can do to live “drama free”:

Make No Assumptions
Assumptions are where drama starts. Somebody does something that bothers you, and then you run off and start making assumptions about why they did it.
What you observe someone doing is fact. If that bother you, then you need to deal with it. The moment you start making assumptions about their reasons, motives, or inner dialog is the moment you move out of the realm of rational thought and into the world of unnecessary stress.
You have no way of truly knowing what a person is thinking or why they do the things they do. Catch yourself when you start making those assumptions; if you want to live drama free, let those assumptions go and simply resolve to deal with the observable behavior.


Don’t Believe the Grapevine
Problems tend to increase exponentially with each additional person who is added to the communication chain. If I hear you say something, I can be pretty sure of what I heard. If Sandy tells me that John told Jane that Steve heard Sheila say something, chances are that the story you are hearing bears little resemblance to the actual truth.
Each additional person alters the story to some degree. They may remember things differently. They may add in emotion of verbiage that wasn’t there before. They may just be flat out wrong.
If you hear something through the grapevine, it might be worth investigating. But if you work yourself up into a lather based on third, fourth, and fifth party communication, then you are just feeding the drama monster.
Don’t get sucked into this. Skip the grapevine and go straight for the horse’s mouth. It will save time and cut the drama factor way down…


Be Direct
Drama is simply a byproduct of people’s inability to communicate like logical, rational adults. This is why it is so prevalent in highs school. This is also why it should be 100% unacceptable in the adult world.
If you have a problem with someone, talk to them about it. If you believe that someone has a problem with you, talk to them about it. Direct conversations nip drama in the bud. This is not to say that direct conversations make all problems go away, but they will help you cut through the nonsense and deal with the real issue.
Relationship challenges begin and are compounded by passive aggressive behavior and indirect communication. If you want to cut out the drama, be willing to have those “crucial conversations.”


Be the Bigger Person
Fighting fire with fire is good if you are trying to control a raging wilderness inferno. It’s not so good if you are trying to eliminate needless petty conflicts from your life.
When you find yourself the victim of some small offense, your first instinct may be to respond in kind. While this may feel good for a moment, it usually just escalates the situation and makes everything worse. If you truly want to live drama free, then you need to be willing to be the bigger person and let things go.
You don’t need to get in the last word, you don’t need to “one up” the other person, and you certainly don’t need to make them pay for wronging you. Just let it go, and watch the drama flow away.


Avoid Drama Queens
After you have made sure that you are not creating the drama yourself, the best way to keep your life drama free is to eliminate the drama queens (or kings!) from your life.
This is easy when you meet new people or are dealing with someone you aren’t very close to. Once you realize they are “drama prone,” minimize (or if you can, eliminate) the interactions you have with them.
With people you are close to, have a long history with, or are related to, or who are genuinely good people who’s one major flaw is their tendency to make a big deal over nothing, you don’t have to cut them out of your life altogether. Just acknowledge that quality about them and, when they start acting up, don’t get sucked into their “drama vortex.”
We are functions of our environment. To live drama free, get as many drama creators out of your life as possible.
You may never be able to eliminate all the drama from your life, but with just a little bit of focus and discipline you can certainly minimize how much you have in your life. It’s well worth doing – the less drama you have in your life, the room you have for fun, joy and great relationships!
***
Avish Parashar is the Motivational Smart Ass. As a speaker and on his blog, Avish makes people laugh while sharing with them simple ideas to make their lives easier and more successful.