Be your own bff

Hey There!

I hope you all had a nice Monday. It was absolutely gorgeous here in Jersey/New York which made for a pretty fantastic day to bee bop around. Yes.. bee bop.



 

Beautiful flowering wonderland I stumbled across yesterday while walking around the Bronx.

So, today I want to talk about a skill that I believe is crucial to cultivating a deep sense of happiness and inner peace. This practice is learning how to be your own best friend. Relax, I'm not saying you should ditch all your pals and become a lone soldier. We need and thrive on relationships with other people (and animals :)! ). What I am suggesting is that we learn to talk to and about ourselves in the exact same manner that we would speak to our closest friend. Seems like this should be easy, right?  No dice. I find this internal practice to be so flippin' hard! The fact is, not only can we become our own best friend, but we can also be our own worst enemy. Think of the way you talk to yourself sometimes when you handle a situation in a manner that you don't deem to be perfect? Do you say, "Self, it's ok! You did your best- noone is perfect- and you handled things in the best way you knew how in that moment. Let's look at what we can learn from this."?  If this is the way you talk to yourself... my hat's of to you. My internal dialogue sounds more like "You flippin' ding dong... what were you thinking? Who do you think you are? You should have known the perfect way to handle things. You should feel bad about yourself".  Sounds kind of like I am in a verbally abusive relationship with myself, huh? I would NEVER talk to my best friend this way. Heck, it makes me cringe just thinking about it. So, why would I talk to myself this way? The only thing that happens when I treat myself like this is that I end up feeling depressed and beat up. Rarely am I able to rebound from the proverbial punch in the face and say, '" hey, what did I learn from this situation". I usually want to numb out and push down whatever icky scenario I screwed up.

don't wrestle yourself...

The thing is, we think that the only way to ensure that we will handle things differently "next time" or "get things done" is to yell at ourselves. I don't know about you, but treating myself like a punching bag typically does not ensure that I will learn from an experience and handle it better next time.

Let me give you an example. Last week, I came home from work one evening and was beat. All I wanted to do was veg out, despite the fact that I had prescribed myself a long list of "to do's" for the evening. I wanted to clean, I wanted to do yoga, I wanted to blog, I wanted to make dinner, I had administrative tasks that I wanted to attend to. Well, I came home and instead of completing my "stuff', I sat down and reemed myself out for not wanting to do it. So, what was the result? I didn't do anything that I had wanted to do, and I spent the evening feeling like shit about my lack of productivity. At least if I was going to take a night off to relax, I could let myself enjoy it right?  Now, things have to get done... I'm not saying that. However, I did not have anything pressing to do, and I would have been better served had I just given myself a break. I would have likely awoken a much more refreshed version of myself early the next day to do what needed to be done. If I rewind this "scenario" and think about what I would have said to my best friend if she or he were in my shoes, my conversation would have sounded WAY different. I would have said, is there anything you have to do tonight? What is one thing you feel like you could do? Give yourself a break... it's one day!  You shouldn't feel bad for wanting to veg... this doesn't mean you are lazy, unproductive or unmotivated.. it means you are a human being who needs a break! When I feel the difference in the way these words affect me, my whole body relaxes. Sure, there are moments when I might encourage my best friend to attend to a situation despite internal reluctance, or complete a difficult task even though it seems daunting. We all need a little push sometimes. The difference is  that the way in which I would coach her or him would be gentle and loving.

So, I'm asking you to join me for the rest of this week. Practice changing the conversation with yourself. Literally talk to yourself as if you were a separate being whom you deeply care for. I'm warning you, it's hard work, but so worth it. You many consider me a looney toon, but sometimes if I am having a hard time hearing my own nurturing voice, I talk to myself out loud. With that said,  I do usually try to refrain from having an audible dialogue with myself in public.  :)

....if all else fails... go buy yourself some ice cream or fro yo with rainbow sprinkles :) That's what I did on Sunday evening and it was quite a loving gesture if I do say so myself!

....and if you are simply at a loss of loving words for yourself, go be with someone who will assure you that you are perfect and wonderful just the way you are.

Be your own Guru. You are the one that you've been waiting for :)

Be good.

xo

Sarah

A Few Fun Things...

Happy Saturday!

My plan was to post a few of my favorite things yesterday (friday), but it just didn't happen. So even though Friday would have rhymed better with a 'few fun things', Saturday will have to do.

Sunshine in the neighborhood makes for particularly perdy scenery :)

Snuggly pups snoozing in laundry.

This great new fragrance I scored from target!

Big back bends in black and white :)

These super comfy cropped sweats I scored from Target! I have been living in these pepto pink pants. They are great for yoga, sleeping, and lounging! Unfortunately, I don't think they would pass as business casual for work, but you can pretty much count on me slipping these on at any other opportunity I have.  PJ especially loves when I pair them with my favorite lime green fleece.... NOT. Something about the watermelon combo feels so good to me... what can I say?

Sprouted grain bread with almond butter, shredded coconut, and chia seeds. Yummy.

Mung bean pasta! Sounds weird, but I was intrigued by the concept of bean pasta.

25 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber?! How u doin'....  ? :) I enjoyed the noodles served with these turkey meatballs and sauce. Deeeeee-licious (Julia Child voice)!

So. True.

Something to think about: 

 

No matter what your costume looks like, have fun and don't be afraid to play today!

xo

Sarah

Recipe Round-Up

Hi There!

Happy hump day, my friends. So, I realize that I haven't been posting many recipe pics or food snaps as of late since my attention here on zee blog has been more focused on matters of the mind and heart. In addition, I haven't been eating out much at all (wahh) as PJ and I are trying to save our pennies for the wedding. With that said, I haven't had too many exciting or noteworthy food experiences to relay, but I do have a few little yummies that I have captured over the past few weeks to share today. Hey... that rhymes. I'm a poet and I didn't even know it! :)



 

Chipotle Pesto Burrito Bowls

(adapted from Host the Toast )

I love me a good burrito bowl. PJ and I have some type of burrito bowl at least once a week as they are super easy to whip up and guaranteed to tantalize the taste buds and satisfy the tummy! FYI-  the leftover chipotle pesto is a fantastic spread for chicken, fish, or slathered on a burrito!  Enjoy the mouth fiesta!

Ingredients

For the Chicken (If adding chicken)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves


• Juice of ½ a lime


• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped


• 1 tablespoon chili powder


• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin


• 1 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1 teaspoon black pepper


• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika


• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder


• ¼ cup olive oil

For the Cilantro Lime Rice or Quinoa:

• 1 cup dried quinoa


• ¼ cup chopped cilantro


• Juice of ½ lime


• Zest of ½ lime


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Warm Bean and Corn Salsa:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed


• ½ red bell pepper, chopped


• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

For the Chipotle Pesto:

• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo


• ½ cup fresh cilantro


• ½ cup fresh basil


• 3 tablespoons pine nuts


• 2 cloves garlic


• ¼ cup olive oil


• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

To Top:

• Guacamole


• Chopped tomatoes


• Chopped red onion


• Chopped cilantro

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the chicken marinade ingredients and toss to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.


2. Pulse all of the Chipotle pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth. Set aside.


3. Prepare a pot of quinoa according to the package directions. Toss in the chopped cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.


4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the bean and corn salsa ingredients. Cook until the corn begins to brown, and then remove from heat. Pour the salsa into a bowl and set aside.


5. With the skillet still warm, add in the marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and no longer pink inside.


6. Cut up the chicken pieces and assemble the burrito bowl in layers, complete with your desired toppings.


7. Mix together and eat!

 



 
Best Beet Veggie Burgers

(from thekitchn)

Makes about 6 burgers

3 large red beets (about 1 pound) - I used4 love beets organic pre- cooked beets
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans
1/4 cup prunes, chopped into small pieces.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large egg (optional)
Salt and pepper

To serve:
Thin slices of provolone or monterey jack cheese (optional )
6 hamburger buns

If cooking your own beets: Heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the beets loosely in aluminum foil and roast until easily pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and add the rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice until it's a little beyond al dente. You want it a little over-cooked, but still firm (not completely mushy). This should take about 35 to 40 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside to cool.

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir the onions every minute or two, and cook until they are golden and getting charred around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. A few wisps of smoke as you are cooking is ok, but if it seems that the onions are burning, lower the heat. A dark, sticky crust should develop on the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the cider vinegar and scrape up the dark sticky crust. Continue to simmer until the cider has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry again. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Process the oats in a food processor until they have reduced to a fine flour. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans and transfer the beans to the food processor. Scatter the prunes on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts just until the beans are roughly chopped — not so long that they become mush — 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl. Drain and rinse the second can of beans and add these whole beans to the mixing bowl as well.

Use the edge of a spoon or a paper towel to scrape the skins off the cooled roasted beets; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater. Transfer the beet gratings to a strainer set over the sink. Press and squeeze the beet gratings to remove as much liquid as possible from the beets. (You can also do this over a bowl and save the beet juice for another purpose.)

Transfer the squeezed beets, cooked rice, and sautéed onions to the bowl with the beans. Sprinkle the olive oil, brown mustard, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and thyme over the top of the mixture. Mix all the ingredients until combined. Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper, or any additional spices or flavorings to taste. Finally, add the oatmeal flour and egg (if using), and mix until you no longer see any dry oatmeal or egg.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the mixture to a refrigerator container, and refrigerate the burger mixture for at least 2 hours or (ideally) overnight. The mix can also be kept refrigerated for up to three days before cooking.

When ready to cook the burgers, first shape them into burgers. Scoop up about a scant cup of the burger mixture and shape it between your palms into a thick patty the size of your hamburger buns. You should end up with 6 large patties.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer a flick of water evaporates on contact, the pan is ready. I used cooking spray which worked just fine.

Transfer the patties to the pan. Cook as many as will fit without crowding.

Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If any pieces break off when you flip the burgers, just pat them back into place with the spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 4 more minutes until the patties are warmed through. If you're adding cheese, lay a slice over the burgers in the last minute of cooking.

Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.

Note** The pre-cooked burger mixture will freeze super well! :)

 

Mango Grain Salad with Grilled Shrimp

(adapted from thekitchn)

Spring Grain Salad with Mango, Sprouts and Creamy Avocado Dressing

Serves 4

For the dressing:
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Greek yogurt

For the salad:
1 1/2 cups raw farro
3/4 cup pepitas
1 cup sunflower sprouts or radish sprouts
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1-2 ripe medium- large mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the shrimp:

Season/marinate shrimp however you like and grill on grill pan

Make the dressing: 

In the bowl of a food processor (or blender) combine the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until smooth. Add the yogurt at the end and process until combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.  

Cook the grains according to package. let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and toast the peptias until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the salad: In your favorite large salad bowl, combine the cooked and cooled grains, 1/2 cup of toasted pepitas, 3/4 cups sprouts, cilantro, parsley, mango and salt. Fold in the avocado dressing and stir to combine. Top with remaining 1/4 cup toasted peptias and sprouts. Serve immediately topped with shrimp. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs

(adapted from Cook Canuk)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb ground turkey


• 1 cup cooked quinoa


• 2 tbsp flax meal


• 1/2 medium onion, grated


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 1/2 cup grated zucchini


• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish


• 1/4 tsp dried chile flakes


• 2 tbsp soy sauce


• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce


• 1 tsp ground oregano


• 1/2 tsp ground pepper


• 1 egg, beaten


• 2 cups tomato sauce (I used Rao's ... soo good!)


• grated Parmesan cheese

Download a Free Greek e-cookbook

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.


2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, cooked quinoa, grated onion, garlic, zucchini, parsley, dried Chile flakes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, flax meal oregano, ground pepper and egg.


3. Mix well to combine. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon portion of the turkey mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.


4. Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 20 minutes.


5. While the meatballs are cooking, heat the tomato sauce in a large saucepan set over medium heat.


6. Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce and gently stir to coat the meatballs.


7. Spoon the meatballs and sauce into a bowl, serve over your favorite pasta

Mangia!

Something to think about:

True Dat.

xo

Sarah

No choice but to listen..

Hey Everyone!

Happy Marathon Monday to all the amazing people running the Boston Marathon today, and a belated Happy Easter to all those who celebrated. The weather was gorgeous in these parts yesterday, and it was so fun watching PJ's little cousins running around in the sunshine hunting for Easter eggs. It just warms my heart to see how energized and excited little kids get at the prospect of finding a plastic egg filled with jelly beans or quarters! It's the little things, right? I unfortunately didn't snap any pics, but I will include the cutest Easter card in the world courtesy of my mama.

I mean, come on. That bow and those sparkly ears...how could you not smile?

Oh, and PJ digging into a giant bag of peeps that were given to us by my good friend Le-La to pass on to PJ's cousins. Apparently he needed to taste test and make sure those little marshmallow muffins were up to snuff. On a said note, did you know how many different kinds of peeps there are now?! Chocolate dipped peeps, birthday cake flavored peeps, chocolate mouse peeps?!

In other news, on Saturday morning PJ and I, along with some friends, took part in a Tough Mudder in the Poconos. If you aren't sure what Tough Mudder is, click here for some info. In a nutshell, Tough Mudder is a half marathon that included about 25 obstacles throughout the course. PJ has successfully completed two of these events, and this past fall he decided to sign up for another. I decided, what the heck, and signed up with him. Famous last words.

Getting my number written on my face so that my body could be identified if I was found face down in mud. JK.

My Friend Erin and I pre-mud.

Nervous.

So, let me tell you how this event went for me. In terms of pre-event training, in March, I started running about 6 miles 1x per week As I've said before, I don't really like running, but I knew that I needed to ramp up my stamina to make it through the course. The weather on the weekends has fortunately been on my side, so I actually haven't minded my Saturday jogs through Liberty State Park. With that said, nothing really could have prepared me for this whole tough mudder experience.  I was nervous going into the event, but I remained optimistic and was convinced that I was in- shape enough both mentally and physically to successfully complete the event. Mind over matter, right? Well... not so much for me.

Although it was sunny on Saturday, it was cold and windy in the Poconos. I figured I would warm up after I started running, which was the case for the first 5 miles of the obstacle course.  I think it was probably around mile 5 where the obstacle was to jump into a pool of ice cold water... literally ice floating on the top. Nothing could have prepared me for how my body would react to  that type of temperature change. I went under water and literally felt paralyzed and like I couldn't' swim back up. PJ said the look on my face when I emerged from under the water was pure terror.  Haha. Anyways, I managed to get my breath back and keep running, but then the wind picked up. Even  though my clothes were drying while running, my teeth were chattering and my body wouldn't stop shaking. I literally had no control over it. In terms of my endurance, running felt fine. My legs were kind of on autopilot even though I couldn't really feel them.  I pushed through for another mile or so and then we came up to another water obstacle. I told PJ that I was going to skip it and join the other cold people lying on the pavement trying to absorb any warmth they could. Didn't work. I literally was considering stealing a sweatshirt I saw on the ground or asking a bystander for their shirt. I got up and tried to keep running, but my body literally stopped working. PJ told me that I couldn't finish, and I that I needed to go to the medic tent to get warmed. Honestly, I was so upset and embarrassed that I started to cry. The little golf cart came and picked me up and brought me to the medic tent where I, along with tons of other people with blue lips and chattering teeth, huddled around a heater covered in silver warming blankets. PJ followed the cart to the warming tent and hung out with me for the 35 minutes it took me to stop shaking. I felt so bad... neither of us finished... and we were less than 2 miles from the end :( What's worse is that since I didn't finish I didn't get the orange headband! I was loaned the headband you see above to take a pic.  Womp, Womp.

I was honestly pretty bummed out when I arrived home on Saturday afternoon. I felt weak- like I should have been able to somehow push through. I knew that I didn't really have a choice but to forfeit the run; however, there was a part of me that was still pissed off at my body for shutting down. Yesterday at Easter brunch, I was discussing the situation with PJ's aunt, and she said something to me that I had been trying to tell myself  but hadn't yet been able to come to terms with. She said that it was amazing that I participated in the event, and it was even more admirable that I listened to my body-not my pride -and knew when to call it quits. While I was and am still kind of sad that I didn't finish, I'm realizing that I did honor my body. There is a difference between being uncomfortable and not wanting to complete something , and putting yourself and your health in danger. Sometimes it's appropriate to push through, and sometimes the harder thing to do is to know when enough is enough.

So,  the message today is not only to recognize when you've truly had enough, but to own your choice with confidence, not embarrassment. I'm going to strive to embrace this mentality, and I encourage you to do the same :)

xo

Sarah

 

Clarity

Hey Y'all :)

How is it already Thursday? I mean, no complaints here, but what a quick week. So, today is going to one of those posts. I'm going there. I was thinking the other day about the various blogs I read, and I have to say that the posts that discuss real shit are the ones that I just can't get enough of. Sure, it's fun to read about someone's daily activities, but I personally am more interested in what went through that persons head during those daily activities. For example, this post where I disclosed my rather loaded relationship with alcohol and my decision to stop drinking received the most feedback of anything I have written to date.

Brene Brown is one smart cookie.

Today I want to talk about my personal struggle with body image. I'm not going to dive too much into my past experiences, but let's just say my relationship with my body and what it looks like has been rather tumultuous over the past 15 years. Yes, 15. It's been 15 years of trying to figure out how to make myself good enough to be accepted not only by others, but also by myself. As you can imagine or perhaps can relate to, I have always looked to external factors for the "answer" to how to reach perfection, and thus, acceptance. I have read too many self help and diet books to count, determined to find "the answer" from some guru. My strategy hasn't really worked out so well seeing that the whole time, the answer to peace, happiness, and acceptance has been inside of me. Sure, garnering inspiration from others is great, but trying to fit yourself into someone else's mold for success is a losing war. There has always been a part of me that has known that I have the answer, but in a world filled with a focus on external solutions, I didn't trust the part inside enough to go with it.

So, here is what has been happening. Over the past year and a half, my body has undergone some changes. Despite my dislike for running, I spent years feeling that I had to run to be able to maintain a normal weight. It's not like I was a distance runner ,but I had a slight obsession with running 2-3 miles a day to fit in my pants. Well, about 2 years ago now ,I totally stopped running. I just had enough. I decided to find a form of movement that I actually enjoyed doing, and I committed myself to doing it because it was fun rather than because it was something I needed to do to be ok. As many of you know, I found yoga and fell in love. I grew up dancing and loving every second of it, and to me, yoga feels "dancy" with a spiritual component . Perfect combo for me. I was floored that despite abandoning my running routine, my pants still fit! I know, crazy concept, huh? This was a huge transition for me and I was super psyched to have a form of movement that I was actually pumped to do!

While my exercise routine changes, in terms of food, my eating habits remained the same. I love fruits and veggies, and along with plenty of these little nutrition powerhouses,  I still included lean proteins, whole grains, and a smattering of "sometimes" food (aka, fries, cake, cookies, etc) in my diet. I was happier than I had ever been through embracing intuitive eating and  exercise  instead of rigid rules an prescribed plans.

While it wasn't my intention when starting a yoga practice to change anything with my body, my body apparently had other ideas. I didn't really notice initially, but things umm... tightened up if you will, and my clothing started to feel a bit loser. I didn't really think much of it, because my focus truly was NOT on what yoga would make me look like.

Then the comments came. You look thin, you are so tiny, you look great. For anyone who may made a comment, I ain't mad atcha' :) . Really, people's comment were just observations about how something looked to them or a change that they noticed. People will ALWAYS make comments, it's really about having a strong enough relationship with yourself where you can choose to take their comment and react or not react based on your core values and beliefs.  Observations can be nothing more than just that if you can take a step back and remind yourself that you don't have to react. Well, I was good at not reacting for a while. I kept on doing yoga and eating intuitively and things were humming along.

Then my crazy thoughts started. Well, wait... if I look thin now, what did I look like before? Did I think I looked good and really,  I would have looked better if I was thinner? How could I have not noticed?  The fact that my body had in fact "changed" scared the pants off me. What if it changed back? Would I be less me? Less happy? What if, what if, what if....

Even though I did not intentionally change a single thing about my body, I started to get scared and felt that I needed to "do something" to make sure my body stayed the same. Adding to the craziness in my head was the fact that I had purchased my wedding dress... which I love so so much :) While I chose a dress that I felt complemented my body and didn't hug anywhere that would make me feel like I needed to "watch myself" to fit into it, the thought of committing to a dress that would have to "fit" me a year from the date I chose it was a little overwhelming for me. What if something in my body changed back even though I wasn't "trying" to do anything and the dress didn't fit? Intellectually, I know that all of this chatter is just fear, and fear isn't real, people. It's just not. It's our mind's way of trying to protect us, but really fear is just future trippin'.

Another thing about the wedding dress, I had (and have) committed myself to not dieting for my wedding. I will do another post on this soon :) I honestly feel that brides buy into this idea that they need to lose weight for their wedding because somehow that's part of the whole process. Like, going on a diet is part of getting married or something? This is bullshit. Sure, you want to feel great, but the lucky person who get's to marry you doesn't give shit (or they better not!) if you are 5lbs up or 5lbs down.

So all of this noise in my head has lead to me feeling a little stressed over the past few months. I have noticed my food choices have become a bit more "restrictive" if you will. On a side note, it's so easy to restrict certain foods/food groups in today's health obsessed society. Everyday there is new "research" stating that grains, or dairy, or meat, or sugar, or fat or (insert any other good group/macronutrient) is the devil. If you say, oh, I don't really eat dairy, people don't think it's weird. I think some people (myself included at times), feel a sense of superiority because they have the self control to eliminate a certain food group. Now, this isn't to say that there aren't people who eliminate certain foods because they have strong beliefs in animal rights, or they don't like a particular food, or they truly have a food intolerance. This is a bold statement, but I would be willing to bet that there are a lot of sick and stressed out people excluding food groups because they think it's the way to happiness and success. 

So where am I going with all of this? Well, a few places actually. First off, I'm done obsessing over food groups being good or bad. I want to feel more like the girl who a few months ago did what her body truly asked for.  I'm not saying that I don't love my fruits and veggies... I always have and always will. I feel that feeding your body nutritious food is an act of love for yourself and is also a way to power you through your fabulous life.  With that said, if my body wants meat one day, great. If I want a veggie burger one night, awesome. If I want a big salad for lunch, sweet. If I would rather a yummy chicken sandwich, that's what I'm having. If my body changes a little bit, oh well. I know, gasp, right before my wedding. I actually called my seamstress two days ago and asked her NOT to take my dress in until right before the big day. I do love the quote below from bride wars...

But... I just I don't buy that shit. No dress is worth my sanity. I will alter the dress to fit the ME that is happy to walk down that aisle in it, whether she is 5lbs up or 5lbs down :)

Who's with me?

Photo Cred: Kathryn Budig "What I be" project

Be good :)

xo

Sarah

Morning Routine

Hey There :)

How are ya?  Things over here are pretty good. What a gorgeous day it was yesterday here in NYC! Ahhh, I'm so ready for the warmer weather :)



 

So, today I want to talk about morning routines. Although I haven't always been able to call "the morning" my favorite time of the day, as I've gotten older, this quiet period before the onslaught of daily activities and happenings has become something that I cherish. I find that how my morning is structured sets the tone for the whole day. Now, that's not to say that there are time when I enjoy a nice morning, and then my day takes a sharp turn into unexpected territory. This is life, people. Shit happens. With that said, if I have taken the time to center myself in the morning, those hiccups in the road don't throw me off as much.

I spoke last week about experimenting with doing yoga in the morning as apposed to the evenings as I was finding that my after work time felt far to brief. Although it was nice to start my day with yoga, I realized that I much prefer writing and getting administrative work done in the mornings rather than when I come home in the evening. Sure, it's nice to come home and be able to just plop down and relax, but I find that closing the busy day with a bit of yoga allows me to reflect, practice some self care, and "shut down" if you will. For me, yoga is also super playful. I love hopping around, inverting, and trying fun balances after a day of work. I also learned that I am much more focused and thoughtful in the mornings which means that completing tasks requiring patience or are perhaps not my fave things to do get done quick and painlessly. I think it's so important to experiment with what works for you.

 Determine when during the day you are typically at your "best" to answer emails, pay bills, make phone calls, etc. Don't get trapped into feeling like you "should" work out or move in the morning because you "get it over with".  Maybe these are your best hours for getting sh*t done, and maybe not! Maybe you are a bit of a night owl and you get your second wind after dinner. Perhaps these are the hours where you are most productive. With that said, if you are a night owl, try to pick a time where you shut off because getting adequate sleep is SUPER important.  The point is to experiment and find out what works for you. If you know your brain is firing on all cylinders in the morning, set your alarm a bit earlier and make use of the time! Sure, there are things we don't want to do, but finding the times when these activities feel less stressful or annoying is the key to getting them done well and in a reasonable amount of time. Know thyself.
My practice : I set my alarm for around 6:15. When the alarm goes off,  I usually hide under the covers with my cell phone and check emails, facebook, instagram, and Mind Body Green until I feel more awake. This usually lasts about 7-10 minutes. I then sneak out of the bedroom, trying not to wake the sleeping beauties (aka PJ and Toby), and head into the kitchen. I grab a glass of lemon water, head over to the couch, and do a short guided meditation. Next, I pour myself a cup of coffee (which PJ makes the night before and sets a timer!) and either blog or read. Depending on the day, I pack myself a lovely lunch before or after blogging. As weird as it sounds, I kind of love spending time in the morning putting together a nourishing lunch to fuel me through the days adventures. I try to view my lunchbox creation as an act of self love. When I have finished attending to myself, I shower, get dressed, eat brekkie, and head off for the day. I NEVER skip breakfast unless the world is ending or I'm ill. Although I like a simple breakfast, it tends to be my fave meal of the day. I will usually have ezikiel toast with nut butter and a piece or fruit or oatmeal with nut butter and fruit. I'm and definitely a sweet breakfast girl, and rarely do I wake up craving eggs or veggies.




On a side note, I was excited this weekend when I was actually craving a savory brekkie! I made avocado toast topped with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. I kind of wish this craving hit me more often in the morning because avocado toast is such a yummy and filling light meal or snack.

If you aren't familiar with nutritional yeast,  it's sold in yellow flakes or powder and is a complete source of protein and vitamins. Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is nutty and kind of cheesy tasting. I love it sprinkled on salads, avocado toast, and popcorn. It is also commonly used as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. Good stuff, awful name! I mean, who thought of the name "nutritional yeast"?  How 'bout Nutty Cheesy Sprinkles? You like? So do I. Nutritional Yeast= Nutty Cheesy Sprinkles.

The point of this post is to make your own rules. Do what works for you, and listen when your body is telling you that something is working or it's not. If we go with our natural flow, we are limitless. It's when we swim upstream and try to force ourselves into a prescribed mold that things fall apart. As I always try to repeat on this blog, I am still learning to trust myself, my body, and my intuition. When I write, it's as much for me as it is for you. While the words may flow out, I still have to practice following my own instincts. We are all a work in progress.

Except this little angel. He is pure perfection.

Be good.

xo

Sarah

It's Friday, so do some mouth yoga!

Happy Friday :)

I hope you all had a nice week. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather we were blessed with here in the northeast! It's amazing how the first signs of spring- warmish breeze, vibrant flowers, sunshine- can really change people's moods. Myself included. I notice that those first beautiful days make people so much nicer to each other. I'm not saying that people are usually assholes, but when you're not freezing your tush off or covered in rain its much easier to step outside yourself and have a conversation with someone just for the heck of it!

So yesterday, even though the weather was gorgeous, I still woke up and was freakin' grouchy. For all my lady friends out there, I was surprised with my monthly "gift"  and frankly felt kinda sick, tired, and uncomfortable. PJ, who looked scared of me, let me vent about how I was so aggravated with EVERYTHING. Even though I intellectually knew I was being super reactive and emotional, he didn't judge me and tell me I was being dramatic. He just listened.  Smart man (who also probably feared for his life!). The truth was, I just needed to get "it" out and be heard. I just needed to hear "it's ok, muffin". I didn't need him to make everything perfect, I just needed him to hold space for me to spew my frustration if you will. Typically, I hold my grouchy feelings inside and then totally lose my sh*t later in the day which as you can imagine, can really slow one down both physically and mentally.What a concept it is to just let out all that "crap" inside without judgement. It doesn't mean you have to "do" anything about your feelings and thoughts, or that you need someone to to tell you your thoughts and feelings are right or wrong, . In fact, saying them out loud and simply being heard does wonders for the soul.

True Dat.

The point of the story is that yesterday turned out to be such a wonderful day. It didn't start out that way, but I was patient with myself and didn't judge or beat myself up. Slowly but surely, things seemed to turn around. As I went through my work day, sure I had moments of frustration, but I tried to counter those moments by noticing something beautiful around me or thinking of something I was truly grateful for. Yesterday was one of those days where my first inclination was certainly not to skip through the streets smiling and thinking how grand life is. However, actively choosing to notice and be grateful for all the beauty around me transported me out of my head and into happiness.

Remember this, people. It's important. I'll be honest, it pisses me off that there are times when happiness has to be a choice and you can't just naturally feel sublimely happy. With that said, when we recognize that it's a choice, we technically do have access to the feeling of happiness all the time. Sometimes we just have to be a little bit more purposeful about feeling the feeling.

Since it's Friday, I'd love to share with you some of the great reads I came across this week! Enjoy!

On body image/nutrition...

WIAW: Why 1200 is so, so wrong

Scrap the Scale

One man's story of eating disorder recover <~~~ Amazing.

On spirituality...

Turn your shitty moments into shiny moments

I cannot deny that I rather enjoy sobriety  <~~~~ amazing article and AWESOME website/movement

Friday funnies....

Jubilant Dog <~~~ pee pee your pants funny

Happy Friday... now go do some mouth yoga :)

xo

Sarah

A little bit of everything...

 

 

Greetings from my couch!



Gosh, there is something so wonderful about taking a hot shower after a long day and crawling right into comfy clothes and more importantly, fuzzy socks. Mom, I realize these socks are yours. I apparently hijacked them last time I was home. Oops.



 

In sticking with the pink theme, I chose this sassy spring nail color at the salon the other day. You like? Yes, I have to take a picture of the hand with the ring. I still get all excited when I look down and see that sparkler! Anyways, I have to admit that after the long, freakishly cold winter we have had, there's something about these pink nails that make me think spring is on it's way! I mean, I'm just hoping that my bright nail color and spring-like outfits will lure some permanent sunshine and nice temps our way.

I usually don't pose and post, but speaking of wishing for warmer temps,  I was kind of diggin' my springy fashion today and wanted to share! EVERYTHING on my body (except my undies!) is JCrew Factory. In fact, my entire closet is pretty much JCrew Factory come to think of it. If  you haven't heard of JCrew's more affordable factory store, check out the website. There are site wide sales constantly, and the prices are pretty decent to begin with. I honestly haven't noticed a difference between the factory quality and that of the regular JCrew. The only major difference is the price, and I don't know about you, but I'm all about saving a few bucks! A little fun fact about me is that I refuse to buy any article of clothing at retail.  Of course there is the occasional exception, but generally speaking, I buy on sale. Purchasing clothing full price is like buying a brand spankin' new car- that sexy ride depreciates in value the second you drive it off the lot. Same thing with that cute blazer you just had to have RIGHT. THIS. SECOND.  If you take deep breaths, that bad boy will likely be on sale for half the price in a week. I know I'm not alone in having an extra skip in my step when I feel great in a piece of clothing that I scored for a great price.

I have a couple fun things to share. Monday evening, I was asked by my favorite little Greek, Valentine,  to see The Most Deserving. It was a pretty hysterical play, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Prior to the play, we went to Radiance Teahouse for a little bit of chit chat, tea, and soup. We only had about 30 minutes, to sip, chat, and chow before the play started, but I would LOVE to go back to this sweet little spot and just hang out. The tea was awesome, and we both ordered the miso soup, which I have to say was probably the best bowl of miso soup I've had to date.

Random pic, but while I was retrieving my car, I saw these two dolls munchin' on some yellow stuff in the parking garage. Only in NYC would you see horses hangin' in a garage.

There was also some yoga this week. Thanks to my darling friend Katie for my amazing yoga meditation book and eye pillow! What a thoughtful and perfect belated birthday present :) The eye pillow makes shavasana feel  a little bit like night time which has resulted in me catching a few post-yoga ZZzzz's. No complaints here; I do love my beauty sleep.

Food has been yummy the past couple of days. Yesterday for lunch, I enjoyed a spicy chickpea salad wrap with chard and avocado. SO GOOD. I have never made chickpea salad, but after trying the one you see above, I think I will be factoring it into the weekly lunch rotation. Yummy, filling, and a little spicy.

Chipotle Chickpea Salad

(adapted from clean eating veggie girl)
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbs vegan mayo ( I don't like regular mayo AT ALL- but vegan mayo is actually pretty delish! )

1 to 2 tsp sriracha sauce (start with 1 and add more to your liking- I used 1 1/2 tsp)

Directions

1. Using a fork, mash chickpeas in a medium bowl until mostly pureed with some small chickpea pieces remaining.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Refrigerate for at least one to two hours, or until chilled.

4. EAT!

Last night for dinner, I had another pretty rockin' meal. I made this farro and mango salad with creamy avocado dressing. I grilled up some shrimp to put on top, which I must say complimented this rather springy dish perfectly. I jumped the gun and ate a few shrimp off my dish before I photographed. They looked too good.  I had to adapt the recipe that I used because I was missing some of the ingredients, so I  subbed in what I had on hand. It still turned out delicious.  A couple of notes if you are going to make this dish: the recipe recommends using 2 medium mangos. I used 1 large mango and it was more than enough. They also call to include optional diced avocado which I left out and was happy that I did. My recommendation would be not to add additional avocado as it I think it would be overload with the avocado dressing. With that said, if you're an avocado freak, go for it! I highly recommend making this!

Alright, kids. That's all she wrote. I'll leave you with a little story about this picture of my beautiful tulips. I came in from work today and all of the flowers except two were hanging down around the vase. Frankly, they looked dead. Womp, Womp.  When I left my little beauties this morning, they were in their full upright position blossoming away. I was kind of bummed to see this sad sight since I only got them on Sunday. I  picked up the vase (aka beer mug that they are in) and realized ALL the water was gone. Thirsty little buggers. I refilled the vase, put the flowers back on the side table ,and went into the kitchen to make dinner. How excited was I when I came back into the living room 40 minutes later and to my surprise saw my flowers had come back to life (except that one sad straggler in the back) ?!  Then I started to wonder if I sat and watched the flowers for that 4o minutes,would I have been able to see them come back? Hmmmmm.....

Anyways, the point is that sometimes in life you may get a little "dehydrated" and keel over. Sorry, but I think it's safe to say that it happens to the best of us. What's important is that we have those people in our life who don't give up on us and know exactly what we need to "come back". A sprinkle of love, a dash of belief and a little bit of patience does wonders.

Love and Hugs!

Sarah