Month: March 2019

Question:

When your physical body passes, does your energy simply return to the One Source, becoming everything, and nothing, as your own consciousness merges with Go, or do you continue your spiritual journey in the eternal here and now with the ability to consciously merge and separate your Spirit with the choice to merge with God or to experience life in the spiritual or physical realm?

Transcendental Meditation is an innovative technique for dealing with victims of the opioid epidemic. Transcendental Meditation and the Opioid Epidemic by Dr. Scott F. Terry and David Shapiro     Comedian Russell Brand explains: “The reason I became a drug addict is that throughout my life I felt this sense of irritation, agitation, this emptiness. I found every progressive drug: cannabis, LSD, crack, heroin. Each of them is greeted as tiny little powdery prophets, solutions to the problem of my inner angst. None of them work.”     Today we have a crisis in drug addiction care: less than one in five Americans with drug abuse problems receive any help. Little do they know, all the rest can get rapid, available, effective and affordable tools to escape these painful, costly and even life-threatening attachments. According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 20.1 million people (7.7 percent of the U.S. population) aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2016. Only 3.8 million (19 percent of those who needed treatment) received any substance use treatment in the same year. According to US News in December 2016, the Surgeon General reported that in 2015 the United States had a staggering 442 billion dollar loss to its national economy from drug and alcohol abuse https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/executive-summary According to the National Institutes of Health, the average treatment (for veterans) for substance abuse costs $3,754 with a 75.0% chance of being effective. Some people start drugs for a new “high,” others to overcome pain or discomfort; some athletes use drugs to enhance performance; others take up drugs out of curiosity. For whatever reason one tries and becomes addicted to drugs, the addiction is considered a brain disorder that can change the structure of the brain and how…

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If I had a dollar for every cat hair I had to edit out of these Brownie Crumb Donut pictures, I’d be a millionaire. I made these donuts for my cookbook, but I’m sharing them with you because it’s National Donut Day! Or do you spell it Doughnut? I feel like that’s fancier. Like when British people spell Flavour and Colour with an extra U. It’s just fancier. Kind of ridiculous, but definitely fancier. What donuts are your favorite?! I love Sidecar Doughnuts in the Los Angeles area, they always have a gluten-free flavor of the month (flavour) and some of them are super fancy! I wish they’d hire me to photograph their donuts, they are so gorgeous, I’d love every second of it. During the holidays they had an Eggnog one and I almost drove an hour and a half to get one, but then realized I left my wallet at work. Doh.

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I just got back from Paleofx in Austin and I hope you are following me on Instagram (@vanessabarajas) and Snapchat because I ate so much crazy food, trust me, you want to see it. I love Austin. The people are so welcoming and there’s so much to do. The weather was crazy humid though and there were crazy lightening and thunder storms all week. Which was kind of cool, until you actually spent time doing your hair, or wanted to sleep.

Austin also has the best kombucha ever and all the best brands are there, like Siete Foods, Buddha’s Brew, Tin Star Foods, and Blue Northern (Picnik’s brand!) Speaking of both Siete and Picnik, every time I’m in town, they are just so amazing. Siete hosted a dinner for us and it was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever eaten and I loved every second of it! They had a chef cook a 5-course meal using their almond flour and cassava tortillas in each dish and every single thing had so much flavor. I died.

And then there is Naomi, who is literally my favorite ever and rules the butter coffee and butter blondie universe. Have you guys every seen that movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun? It’s that old 80’s movie with Sarah Jessica Parker pre Sex in the City, and Helen Hunt pre Mad About You and they are trying to get on D-TV and dance and then at the end when they win (spoiler alert) Helen Hunt rides in on a chariot, well that was Naomi at Paleofx, on a chariot passing out butter coffee to everyone. It was the best part of my day. Then she gave us a huge tray of butter blondies. I think I ate 8 blondies. Serious. They are also one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I wish she’d just let me sign an NDA and give me the recipe so I could make them at home. Sigh.

If you’ve never been to Austin you need to go, and your first stop needs to be Picnik for the butter blondies and coffee. The Yeti is my favorite. Then you need to hit up The Salty Sow for the Duck Fat Fries, 24 Diner for the Sweet Potato Hash with pochies, Chilantro for the kimchi fries, Odd Duck for the Sweet Potatoes, Dolce Neve for grass-fed gelato, Whole Foods HQ for Topo-Chico and all the Tart Cherry Buddha’s Brew kombucha you can get your hands on. That was a huge tangent about food. Sorry. Sometimes that happens.

Brownie Crumb Donuts

2016-06-02 22:38:21

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Prep Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Donuts

1. 1 cup (92 g) sifted fine-ground blanched almond flour
2. 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
3. ½ teaspoon baking soda
4. ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
5. ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6. 1 cup (7 ounces/200 g) dark chocolate (63% to 72% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips
7. ½ cup (120 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk, room temperature
8. ¼ cup (55 g) palm shortening
9. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10. 2 large eggs

Chocolate Glaze

1. 2 cups (14 ounces/400 g) dark chocolate (63% to 85% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips
2. 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil

For the Brownies

1. Preheat a mini donut maker or, if using a donut pan, place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients—the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon—and stir together using a fork until combined; set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut milk in a double boiler over low heat or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently, using a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and coconut milk are completely melted and combined. Then add the palm shortening and stir it into the mixture as it melts, until completely combined. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
4. Stir the vanilla and eggs into the melted chocolate mixture.
5. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the melted chocolate mixture and stir using a rubber spatula or whisk until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into a large resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner. Squeeze the batter evenly into the donut maker or pan. If using a donut maker, cook for 3 minutes on one side and then flip the donuts, using a knife or fork to help remove the donut, and bake for another minute. Times may vary according to manufacturer. Remove the donuts and place on a wire rack to cool before glazing. If using a donut pan, tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles, then bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then flip the pan upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the donuts are cooling prepare the Chocolate Shell Coating to use for the glaze.
7. Dip the top of a donut into the chocolate glaze and place back on the cooling rack. Repeat the process until all but two donuts are left. Crumble the two donuts and sprinkle the crumbs across the donut tops, onto the wet glaze. Enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator to let the glaze harden. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently, using a rubber spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in coconut oil. Let sit until the bowl is relatively cool to the touch. Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If the mixture hardens, reheat over simmering water or microwave for 30 seconds until the mixture becomes liquid again.

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/

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One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace.

Heaven is right where you are standing

and that is the place to train.

Morihei Ueshiba, 1883 – 1969, founder of the Martial Art of aikido. 

Are you happy with where you are?  If not, follow these steps to transform your life! Transform Your Life  By Sivarama Swami     We all know nothing comes easy in life. Warren Buffet said, “We don’t have to be smarter than the rest. We have to be more disciplined than the rest.” And with so many distractions like the internet, social media, smartphones, fashion, and so on, discipline is usually the last thing on our minds. But self-discipline is the foundation upon which skills, professions, and life-choices are built. Think of where you would be now if you didn’t go through the discipline of driving lessons and learning the rules of the road. Probably six feet under. Similarly, self-discipline is necessary for all other aspects of life, whether it’s education, health, marriage, business, or raising children. The result of all activities depends on how committed we are to be practicing the disciplines that come with that activity. In other words, in any endeavor, the rule of thumb is that as much as you put into it, that much you get out of it. You can’t withdraw money from a bank account you haven’t put money into. But we often face obstacles to discipline like a lack of motivation or just plain procrastination. Here are 4 tips to help you on your path to transform your life – tips you can add to your life right now. 1. Wake up early! Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise!” As a practicing monk for 50 years, it is my habit to rise before 4 am. Rising early may require adjustments and rescheduling, but the benefits of being more focused and more “ready to go” are extraordinary.   2. Add a spiritual dimension…

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I love S’mores. Like love love S’mores. And I really like food in jars, it’s cute, so I feel like it’s S’mores Jars for the win. In my cookbook I have like 27 S’mores recipes. Okay so that’s a bold faced lie, but seriously I think there’s like five, S’mores Pie, S’mores Bars, S’more Donuts, etc. Pretty much anything I can turn into S’mores, I’m gonna do it. I would say, “So sue me”, but then if you did, I wouldn’t have money to get more S’mores ingredients and then I couldn’t keep making you S’more recipes. So in the end you’d really only be hurting yourself.

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So my friend Diane from Balanced Bites is really a genius when it comes to all things business related, and also a genius when it comes to unwinding from all said business related things. She has a really good Snapchat too, you should check it out. Anyway, one day on her Snapchat story, she started talking about how

business projects are similar to breakups, in the fact that there is a common belief, it takes half the amount of time that you dated someone to get over them.

So say you dated someone for 4 years, it will take you 2 years to get completely over them, the same idea goes for business projects. You need to take a step back and not hustle for half of the amount of time that you worked your a$$ off on a project.

So for my cookbook I spent about a year and a half working 80 hours a week. 40 on the book and 40 at my full-time job. I have no assistants and no staff, so that ish was all me, all the time. When I was done, I didn’t want to look at my kitchen, let alone step in it and actually cook something, and then God forbid, photograph it. So by the old dating standard it should take me 9 months off from hustling before I’m like Stella and get my groove back. And wouldn’t you know, I’m exactly at the 9 month mark since my cookbook launched and I’m SO hungry (pun intended obviously) to get back to baking, blogging, and photographing!

I can’t say it’s all me though. I have to give credit where credit is due. Because if I don’t, I’m just as bad as the person who steals my Better Than Box Brownies recipe and changes the vanilla extract from 1 teaspoon to 2, and then passes it off as their own. You know who you are. Anyway this whole rush of inspiration and wanting to get back to the grind is due to all the absolutely amazing friends I stayed with in Austin during PaleoFx.

These people are doing the damn thing. And they are good at it. They are so incredibly great at running their own businesses (and lives for that matter) and it’s really inspiring. It makes me want to be as driven as they are to make my blog something and somehow turn it in to a business. I realize that this is what they do for a living, so they have uninterrupted time to focus on their business, whereas I’m trying to constantly juggle and divide my time between my full-time day job, blog, and social life. And that starts to wear me down. But then I think back to where I was before the cookbook and I was totally in a groove, I’d make and photograph one or two recipes over the weekend (like I did this last weekend) and still have time for a Saturday morning workout, date night and brunch the next morning. When I was working on my book I barely had time to use the bathroom and remember getting irritated that it was so far from the kitchen, and about just being human in general with the need to relieve myself…right in the middle of piping frosting. Ugh. The nerve.

In a weird way I feel like I survived something after writing my book. I’d never worked so hard on something in my entire life. I like to think it shows. Then I see bloggers like Tieghan from Half-Baked Harvest, who not only has a super cool name that’s spelled neat, but then she has her own barn to work in. A barn! If I were an emoji I’d be the one that looks like The Scream painting. She cooks in there, photographs in there and it’s a totally serene space for her to work in. #goals. You gotta aim high.

Was this post as cathartic for you as it was for me? I feel amazing! I guess I needed to just talk it out. Who knew?

S’mores Jars

2016-06-07 16:36:23

Yields 2

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crumbs

1. 1 ½ cups (165g) Kinnikinnick Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs or Graham Cracker Crust on page 170.

Ganache

1. ½ cup (120 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk
2. 1 (12-ounce/340-g) bag dark chocolate (63% to 85% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips (2 heaping cups)

Marshmallow Creme

1. ½ cup (120 ml) cold water
2. ⅓ cup (80 ml) light-colored raw honey
3. ¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup, any type
4. ¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
5. 2 large egg whites
6. ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
7. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8. Special equipment: Candy thermometer

Directions

Ganache

1. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut milk in a double boiler over low heat or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently, using a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and coconut milk are completely melted and combined.

Marshmallow Creme

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the water, honey, maple syrup, and salt. Whisk together and let cook over medium-high heat while preparing the egg whites.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat together with an electric hand mixer (or the whisk attachment on your stand mixer) set to high speed until soft peaks form; set aside.
3. By now the honey mixture should be bubbling vigorously and rising in the pan, whisk again and boil until the mixture reaches 240°F (116°C) on a candy thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Once it reaches temperature remove from the heat.
4. With the mixer set to low, slowly pour the hot honey mixture down the side of the mixing bowl into the egg whites. After all of the honey mixture has been poured in, increase the speed to high and continue to beat until the mixture becomes white, thick, and glossy. When ribbons start to form and hold their shape, add the vanilla and mix until combined.

To assemble

1. In two wide-mouth mason jars (12 ounces/400ml) evenly spoon a layer of graham cracker crumbs, followed by a layer of ganache, and then marshmallow crème. Make your layers as wide as desired. For more condensed layers, use the back of a spoon to press down and spread the contents evenly. Repeat this process until you reach the top. Finish with a large dollop of marshmallow crème. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow crème. Finish by sprinkling graham cracker crumbs across the tops. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/

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Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was looking at her…yeah that’s how these Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups are, they are like that good. I also have that song stuck in my head because my boyfriend Brad has been obsessed with Pitch Perfect 2. Like obsessed. It’s both hilarious and annoying at the same time. I’ve been documenting it on Snapchat. These peanut butter cups are also kinda like that old Reese’s commercial where the panicked lady shouts, “You got chocolate in my peanut butter!” So like both of those things. And now these cups have me wanting to make everything inside out. Is that even a thing? Like could you do inside out cake with the frosting on the inside? (Writing that idea down) or like an ice cream cone, inside a scoop of ice cream? I feel like we could sit around and talk about this subject for hours, while we’re eating these Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups, of course.

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So while we’re on the subject, yes I made these with peanut butter. Actual real life peanut butter. All the Paleo people are probably losing their ish, but this is me not caring at all. I eat peanut butter every single day. Yes, you read that right, and *gasp* I’m still alive to tell the tale.

I think of food as fuel, not a moral dilemma.

Personally I have no issues whatsoever when it comes to eating peanut butter, I feel great in fact. I realize this may not be the case for everyone, so do you boo boo, do you. If you’re still on the almond butter train, party on Wayne. You can totally make this recipe with almond butter as well and it will come out quite delicious. Just not like peanut butter delicious. I know you feel me on that one.

I’ve followed a Paleo-ish template for about 3 years now. If I have to eat one more bite of almond butter I’m going to scream. I’m so sick of almond butter that I can’t see straight. Just the thought of it makes me want to gag. I’ve definitely done the 30-day super strict Paleo, and sugar detoxes, and loved them for what they were and used them as a learning tool to see how different foods affect me.

When I first started eating Paleo, I read a REALLY great article that has stuck with me all these years. It was written by this awesome chick, and it was basically about how to eat Paleo, and still enjoy life. I wish I could find that article, but I can’t because I’m a crappy blogger, so let me just paraphrase it for you. She basically said that there are certain things in life that she really enjoyed eating, so much so, that she just wasn’t willing to give them up. She felt that if she could just choose 3 things that were “Non-Negotiables”, then not only would it be easier to eat healthy and reach her goals, but it would also make life more enjoyable. Her 3 foods were: straight up legit flavored CoffeeMate, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavors, and all. Number 2 was peanut butter, and 3…3, well I forgot what 3 was for but (name that song), maybe hummus or wine, (see…worst blogger ever). The point is she was fine giving up all other foods, she just needed these 3 to survive.

This stuck with me because it hit so close to home. I could care less about CoffeeMate, but peanut butter?! Yes please. So my 3 I think would definitely have to be chocolate, peanut butter, and Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bread. Honestly, wine would be tied with the chocolate and is pretty much “only on the weekends” type of thing, unless it’s a special occasion, but the peanut butter and gluten-free bread are daily, because I really, really enjoy them. I also don’t have any negative side effects when eating these foods. And I think I’m just happier in general knowing that I’m eating food that’s right for me, instead of not eating something just because a popular book or article says I shouldn’t. I’m not Paleo and I’m telling everyone.

Please note: this doesn’t work if your 3 foods are pizza, donuts, and Taco Bell. Mmm-kay. Just gonna leave that right here.

So when I decided to make this treat, I was this close (doing the little pinch thingy with my thumb and index finger) to using almond butter. The reason was two-fold: A. I wouldn’t eat any leftovers because I’m going through my “I despise almond butter” phase and B. It’s Paleo and I write a sort of Paleo-ish blog and stuff. Then I had an epiphany and I was like, no almond butter, bye Felicia. I’m going to use peanut butter and I’m going to enjoy every second of it. From the sticky sweet smell still left in my nostrils, to the remnants left underneath my fingernails. The first bite I took of these Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups was glorious. And the best part was, no almond butter. It tasted just like an inside out Reese’s. Perfect. One of the quotes I would always write in my cookbook during book signings was, “Life’s short. Eat dessert.” Maybe I should change it to, “Life’s short, eat peanut butter.” haha. I’m funny.

I’m so curious now, what are your 3 things? Do you even have 3 things? What are they!!?! tell me!!! So total side note, I deleted the Facebook app off my phone. I’m so irritated at Facebook right now. Maybe I should just go through and “hide” everyone’s posts. Is that mean? I guess I don’t really care. I find myself scrolling and getting so irritated at people. It’s all either clickbate, Facebook ads, humble bragging, or political stuff. I feel like Marty McFly in Back to the Future II when he first gets out of the Delorean and things are jumping out at him every two seconds, like the Jaws 19 movie ad, and he has no idea what’s going on. That’s literally what Facebook has become to me. Now granted, there are a select few people on there whom I truly enjoy following because they post great stuff or have really insightful things to say and I appreciate that. So I don’t want to delete it completely. Also, what’s up with the Facebook memories stuff? The only thing I’ve learned from it is that the Vanessa circa 2008-2010 was not very cool, but thought she was, and her status updates sucked. Ew. Ironically right after I deleted the app I wanted to update my Facebook status telling everyone about it…

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If you’ve ever been depressed you may have wondered—is this the real me? And if anti-depressants work for you, do they get you back in touch with who you really are or make you feel more inauthentic? The findings from a University of Cambridge study suggest that how authentic you feel when being treated for depression may be relevant to your recovery.