The Hug and the Brownies

Have you ever felt like you needed a hug to get you through those rough moments?
Thank goodness for kind people who care.

Last week I was craving a brownie from the local Food Coop in my neighborhood. It happens to be a vegan black bean brownie and the folks that run the Food Coop bakery are champs when it comes to baking some of the best treats on the planet.
So even though I was suffering with congestion and loss of taste due to a cold/flu I just had to have that brownie.

Just before heading to the bakery section of the Foods Coop to get my dream brownie I heard a familiar voice asking "How are you?" I turned around and it was my favorite employee who runs the beauty/cosmetics department. I started talking with my raspy voice and sniffles and she gave me a hug and said "Poor thing you're not well today, you need a hug." She gave me a big hug and said "I hope you get well really soon." That little act of kindness really brightened my moments and so did that delicious brownie that had some kind of magic in it because I could taste every single morsel of it.

Wishing you a hug and a brownie in your everyday moments!

                                 DECADENT VEGAN BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

VEGAN BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

1 15 oz can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Blend all the ingredients together except the chocolate chips in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. 

Bake 15- 18 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle a big handful of chocolate chips all over the top of the brownies. Let brownies cool in the pan for about 15 minutes than cut into squares.

Brighten someone's moments with these tasty brownies that make a great dessert!

Coping Moments when sick with "The Flu"

How can I forget this past Wednesday? I woke up early to clean my kitchen, eat breakfast, make  homemade scones for my co-workers, do some exercises, and study for my language course. After doing all these tasks I headed to my job and was having a fairly good day. By the late afternoon I was hit by chills and a sore throat. (Oh, not today of all days…I was suppose to have a dinner date).

I went straight home after work and rested in bed hoping that my sudden symptoms would pass… no such luck.  I cancelled my dinner date and slept for twelve hours. The next morning the chills and sore throat were still there along with body aches, fever, coughing and a headache. I was sick with the "FLU."

Coping with the flu isn't fun…in fact there's a lot of miserable moments to deal with. So with the miserable moments of physical discomfort there's a few ways to pamper yourself while you're fighting the flu as I've learned these past few days. Here's my remedy for making the best of the moments when you sick like I am right now.

1) Don't feel guilty about resting and sleeping. Your body is fighting to repair itself so go ahead and sleep as many hours as you need to.

2) Drink all the herbal tea you can….these days there's many herbal tea flavors to choose from like chocolate mint, lavender, and orange.

3) Charge your smart phone to the maximum and watch some good television shows and movies on "You Tube." A good comedy will help you through the coughing spells.

4) If you have the energy make some soup broth. It's gentle on the stomach and helps soothe a sore throat.

5) Water, Water, Water…keep drinking it to stay hydrated. Chop up some garlic and swallow it with a glass of water. Garlic is known to fight bad bacteria.

6) Look forward to getting well soon and when you finally recover from the "FLU" and your appetite is back reward yourself with a meal at your favorite restaurant to celebrate.

In our everyday moments of life there will be some miserable moments to cope with but eventually those miserable moments will fade away just like "the flu" fades away.

BE WELL!

Healthy Moments on Saint Patricks Day!

Today across the country a lot of people are celebrating Saint Patricks Day and drinking beer. Moments of celebration are awesome and why not experience some luck of the Irish?

How about some healthy moments to drink and celebrate? I recently discovered this awesome smoothie recipe called "Great Expectations." It's a delicious and healthy drink that will put a smile on your face and make you want to celebrate.

Green Expectations Smoothie

2 cups green grapes
1 cup parsley
1 lemon
1 avocado

Process the first three ingredients in a juicer.
Blend this juice with the avocado.


May your moments be filled with happy and healthy drinking!

Leonard Nimoy and His Quote on Moments

"Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory"
  Leonard Nimoy

Actor Leonard Nimoy who became famous portraying Mr. Spock in the television series "Star Trek"had some great quotes in his lifetime. I recently came across the one written above and it really touched my heart.

Life is far from perfect and it can be very challenging and difficult but most humans get those perfect moments that stay in their memory. It's those precious perfect moments that give us hope to keep going and assure us that more perfect moments will come to us before we pass away.

It is my hope that every human being on this earth is granted those perfect moments that Leonard Nimoy spoke of.  "PERFECT MOMENTS CAN BE HAD, BUT NOT PRESERVED, ONLY IN
MEMORY."

RIP…..Mr. Leonard Nimoy

The Slice of Cheesecake

15 miles of walking, 10 miles of cross country skiing, icy cold weather = a slice of cheesecake!

They say "eat dessert first" and sometimes that's just what one ought to do from time to time especially when they need comfort food after exercising in sub-zero temperatures. That decadent taste of a luscious cheesecake slice is a sure way to bring moments of happiness.

When you work hard and want some dessert….reward  yourself from time to time with comfort food like cheesecake.

Happy Eating!

The Perfect Day

Have you ever had "the perfect day" that stands out in your mind for days? Have you every had the kind of day that you wish could come along everyday?

Stress isn't one of my favorite words because I've been around it since the beginning of 2015. Why did today March 2, 2015 turn out to be the perfect day, I'll never know except perhaps because:

My boss let me have the day off on one of the most sunniest days of  the year in Northern Michigan.

I was able to take an amazing yoga class in the morning for free.

I didn't have to wait for the bus because it appeared just as I got to the bus stop.

The hair stylist was able to cut and style my hair the moment I walked into the salon because there weren't any customers waiting.

I had the best fifteen minute chair massage of my life and the therapist was able to get rid of my aching muscle pain.

I got the last pair of black boots in my size on the clearance rack at the shoe store.

I had time to sit on the snowy beach and reflect.

The dog gate was open and I got to cuddle and play games with all the sweet dogs.

I didn't have to cook a meal for once. Instead I met with a few friends and had a tasty dish at a cafe.

I hated for my perfect day to end because every moment was just so perfect. When life is full of responsibilities and stresses, when each day just seems too overwhelming, when everything seems to go wrong how refreshing it is to receive a "perfect day" and be assured that life does have some joyous moments.

May "the perfect day" come to you very soon and may you enjoy all of it's glorious moments.