Spiritually fit.

Real Good Recipes: Wingless Buffalo Chicken Quinoa

Calling all buffalo sauce fiends, this one's for you!

I am in LOVE with this recipe, by the way, mainly because I actually get to use Frank's Red Hot Wing sauce for something!


This recipe will serve two as a main dish or four as a side dish, assuming you can put that fork down. I especially love this dish for potlucks, and everyone knows summer is the season for BBQ's and outdoor gatherings. Why not surprise your family with something that's a bit off the beaten path, but still has that familiar feel to it? Trust me, they'll dig it. To all my vegan/veggie friends: substitute your favorite meatless meat/tofu for the chicken and you'll be enjoying that buffalo wing fantasy all over again.

Wingless Buffalo Chicken Quinoa

Ingredients (Remember to use organic items whenever possible!)

1 cup quinoa (I had tri-color quinoa at home, but the regular white/yellow probably lends better when taking on that red buffalo color)
2 cups water
1 large organic chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce (I prefer Frank's because it's fat-free!)
1 head of broccoli florets, rinsed and sauteed
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles (I prefer fat-free feta cheese instead, but I know blue cheese is sort of synonymous with buffalo sauce... insert tangy cheese (dairy or soy) here!)
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
salt & pepper for seasoning

1. Rinse quinoa; combine with water on stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover on low for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. When ready, remove from heat and fluff with fork.

2. While quinoa is cooking, cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Add olive oil to pan on medium heat and saute broccoli. Don't overdo it - you want the mini green trees to add a little crunch to the dish so cook for about five minutes, then set aside. In the same pan, saute chicken in half of the buffalo sauce (about 1/4 cup). Once chicken has absorbed most of the sauce, add quinoa, broccoli, carrots and half of the blue cheese crumbles. For those that like it spicy, add the remaining sauce (or as much as you can handle). Lightly season with salt and toss well. Add remaining cheese as garnish.

Quinoa, your new best friend. xo

Mantra Mondays: Ahem, it's your move.

As I was driving this weekend, a marquis on the side of the road caught my eye. It read:

"Are you moved by your circumstances or your vision?"

Wow. The Universe really knows how to get my attention (or should I say rub it in).

Someone wise once said that "pain is a great motivator," and I would imagine that most of you are smart enough to make a move when the time calls for it, but what about the rest of us?

If you're like me, I tend to sit and wait things out. I don't even know what I'm waiting for in most cases, but let's just say that moving is never my first thought. Other people I know are ready to flee their circumstances at the drop of a dime, sometimes blindly, but not me. Nooo, I'd much rather explore every "what if" until I forget what I was even considering in the first place. Why is that? Why do I sit and let things paralyze me until I am forced to move? Why can't I just be more proactive, more willing?!

Oh yeah, F-E-A-R.

This week, let's think about movement. The latter part of that hidden message from the Universe uses the word vision. Okaaay, talk about powerful!

I guess one must know their vision before they can make a move towards it, right? Of course some of you might challenge me on that one and tell me that people can move no matter what's around the next corner, but I've never been much of a risk-taker. So for the purpose of this exercise, let's think about some of those visions we've got dancing around in our heads. You know which ones I'm talking about, the ones you've thought about over and over again but somehow decided aren't realistic, or wouldn't happen, or just seem too unattainable to risk it and, well, make a move.

Is it time to pursue one of them and make it a reality? Is it finally time to step out of your neatly decorated comfort zone and venture out into the land of your imagination, your passion, your truest, most intuitive calling?

This week, let's take a look at our behavior. Part of this exercise is thinking about where you're at currently and where you would like to be. Could it be that there's a better way to transition into something new that doesn't involve waiting for a set of circumstances to force us into making the next move? What would it feel like to take the next step towards your vision, your goal, the next experience that's waiting for you?

It's your move, so what's it going to be?

Don't forget to stretch.

Peace & plenty, you little movers-and-shakers! xo

Mantra Mondays: finding purpose through practice.

I've been thinking a lot about the word practice lately.

We all know the old saying that "practice makes perfect" but it's sort of an oxymoron, don't you think? I mean if you were perfect from all that practice, you wouldn't really need to practice, right?

For myself, at least, I like to think that it's more about progress, not perfection, which can only be attained through -- you guessed it -- practice. Day in and day out, we repeat the same actions over and over again in the hopes of seeing a particular result. Let's face it, practice is hard work.

So how does practice apply to my life today and why is it so important?

Easy, everything I do is a practice. I practice being on time for work every day. I practice cooking. I practice riding my bike. I practice learning new things and applying them to my life each day.

I practice wellness as a lifestyle, which means incorporating many smaller practices like exercise and healthy eating habits, consistency and discipline. I practice meditation and prayer, learning how to be still and clear my mind of thoughts and worries. I practice giving and receiving love, which doesn't always come naturally to me. I practice gratitude, a daily reprieve that I simply cannot afford to slight.

What I get from all of this practice is a sense of purpose! Practice is a process which allows me to welcome change. It offers me an opportunity to explore, opening the door to new possibilities. It also presents obstacles and challenges which I must overcome -- it forces me to adapt and adjust. Most importantly, practice opens up a channel allowing me to evolve on every level: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

Each of my practices transforms me just a little bit for the better. I am gifted these daily rituals as a means of continued improvement, which is far more rewarding than perfection, don't you think?

What about you? What sort of practices do you maintain each day and how do they shape you? How can you remain present in your practices and find more gratitude in each? 

This week, how about looking for the positive in the process?

Peace & plenty! xo

DIY for Better Health: Deodorant!

I'm pretty darn excited to share this DIY project with you, even if you're as skeptical as I was!

First things first: does anyone else feel the need to rotate different kinds of shampoo or conditioner every couple of weeks? Do you ever feel like your products stop working after a while?

Well I noticed over the last year (perhaps around the time that I turned, ahem, 30) that I was bouncing from one deodorant to the next in hopes of finding one that would work "like it used to." I would use one, and then after a few weeks, it felt like it was working less and less. Needless to say, I was looking for a way out.

Combine that with my desire to find a more natural alternative and the test was on. After doing some research on the harmful chemicals found in most commercial name-brand deodorants (i.e. aluminum, talc, parabens, etc.), I was ready to start pampering my precious pits with something safe!

I started off with a pretty popular "natural" brand first, and let's just say I was not impressed. So I moved on to natural brand #2, and then natural brand #3... you get the picture. None of them seemed to work very well. For someone who rarely sweats in the first place, I am definitely not a fan of feeling damp! I'm also curious to know what it really means when it says "97% naturally-derived (remaining 3% is vital to maximum effectiveness)." Can you say shady alert?!

Turns out the only real way to go natural when it comes to deodorant is... to do it yourself!

I'll admit I did NOT think it was going to work. I decided to test it out on my girlfriend and my sister first, who also did NOT think it was going to work. However, having been applying this miracle mix to our underarms for the last few weeks now, I am happy to announce that it TOTALLY works! Not only does it work, but I think it might just be the best deodorant I've ever used, hands down!

Sure, it doesn't come in the form of a convenient bar, and you have to apply it by hand which takes a few extra minutes, but the fact that I am not knowingly putting toxins into my body each day makes it worth it for me.

The baking soda (one of my favorite household ingredients) is wonderful for neutralizing odor, the arrowroot powder keeps things dry and the coconut oil softens skin and smells great. Feel free to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and you're good to go!

Ingredients

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup all-natural arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
4-5 tbsp. organic extra virgin coconut oil
5-10 drops of tea tree oil (optional)

Combine baking soda and arrowroot in a bowl. Mix in 4 to 5 tablespoons of coconut oil and essential oil for added fragrance (I prefer the fresh scent of tea tree oil, but lavender also works well). Continue to add equal parts of the baking soda and arrowroot until you've reached your desired consistency.

Make sure to store it in a cool, dry place (leave it in the refrigerator overnight if it gets really hot out to keep it from transforming into a liquid state), apply a pea-size amount under each arm and gently massage it onto your skin. I do a quick brush off once it's dry to avoid any traces on my clothes, and that's it. It smells great all day long and it even passed my spin class test: dry! What do you have to lose?

Because your pits are my pits - enjoy! xo

Real Good Recipes: Simple Spaghetti Squash

So here's a SUPER simple recipe for one of my favorite spring/summer meals: spaghetti squash!

Sure, it's no pasta, but you'll love the calorie count (which is next to nothing) and it takes on great flavors so don't be shy when adding your favorite seasonings. For those that have a little extra time, making the sauce from scratch is encouraged. However, I'm just adding extra veggies to ready-made sauce for the purpose of the recipe. The best part about this recipe is that the actual amounts don't matter too much; feel free to use more or less of each ingredient as you see fit. Don't forget to use organic ingredients whenever possible!

Simple Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

1 medium size spaghetti squash
2 servings spaghetti sauce of your choice (mine is the fat-free Organic Spaghetti Sauce with Mushrooms from Trader Joes)
1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced/diced
1 large bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow/white onion, diced
1 medium size zucchini, sliced lengthwise then chopped (bite size pieces)
2-3 cups of spinach, rinsed
1 cup of mushrooms, chopped (I love the mini portabellas!)
Meat (I switch off between a low-fat, all-natural Garlic & Herb Chicken Sausage link or 2 servings of diced/crumbled tofu)
1/4 cup fat-free feta cheese
Olive oil for cooking
Seasonings (I like the 21-Seasoning Medley from Trader Joes)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F; cut squash in half. Place open end of squash facedown in a hollow cooking dish with 1 inch of water. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the exterior of the squash gets softer and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife.

2. Place pan on stove over medium heat; add about a tbsp. of olive oil. Saute ingredients (garlic, onions, peppers and zucchini); cover for 5 minutes until softer. Add mushrooms and spinach; saute. Add sausage/tofu to warm through. Add spaghetti sauce and additional seasoning; reduce heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

3. When ready, remove squash from oven and let stand for 5 minutes, or until it can be handled. Using a fork, shred the inside of the squash into a large bowl. Add sauce and feta; toss and separate onto two plates. For traditional spaghetti, simply place squash "noodles" on plates and add sauce on top.

Makes 2 servings

Enjoy! xo

Mantra Mondays: cultivating your inner garden!

Welcome to another Monday, folks!

I've been looking forward to this beautiful spring season for a while now and I am so grateful that we've been blessed with such nice weather lately.

I remember planting gardenias at my grandmother's house each spring when I was younger. That woman loved having both hands buried deep in the earth and showing my sister and me how to carefully plant each bulb along the edge of her house once the weather got warm. Wearing her gloves on my small hands and borrowing her kneeling pad as I watched her add soil to the flowers we picked out is one of my fondest memories.

Fast forward to present day and the idea of planting a garden has become more of a burden than an exciting spring ritual like it used to be. In years past, I made a few attempts to grow things or purchased potted plants with the intent of watching them flourish, only to find them dying and withering away within a few months. I began to get frustrated that my green thumb was apprently not very green at all!

This year though, I decided to give the garden idea another shot. But first, I had to make some serious alterations to my attitude and get honest with myself. Maybe all of those pretty plants needed more sunlight than I was able to provide them with before. Maybe I forgot to water them from time to time, or even worse, over-watered them. Maybe they needed richer soil. Maybe they just needed better care. I suppose I was more concerned with the end result than the actual tending of the garden. Let's face it, I've never been one to watch water boil.

The point is that I was missing the main ingredients to any successful garden which are time, nourishment, patience and love. I was always focused on the negatives and fearing the worst outcomes, rather than showering my garden with positivity. Most importantly, I was missing that willingness to experiment and enjoy the process. Growth takes time. And just like those plants weren't growing, neither was I.

Luckily for me, this inner garden of mine has finally come into fruition! By seeking to cultivate a slower pace in life, nourished with love and self-acceptance, I was finally ready to get my hands dirty this spring! After doing a little research, picking out what I wanted to grow, preparing the seeds and prepping the plants, I am happy to say that my little patio garden appears to be thriving! Thanks to a new perspective and a little willingness to take a different approach, I am now taking the time to nurture my plants, unlike before, and am hoping that at least one of them makes it through the summer.

No matter what happens, I know Nana is smiling somewhere. That's all that really matters anyway, right?