I am content with who I am, With each new day, I become a better woman, I am grateful for what I have, I strive for greatness, not to be better than.
My journey is mine, it’s unique and true, I will not compare myself to you, I am focused on my own goals, My blessings are abundant, my soul glows.
So I walk my path, head held high, Grateful for my life, no need to vie, With anyone else, I am enough, My own blessings are plenty, that’s no bluff.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Closer to light I tread,
But darkness is on my heels,
A constant shadow, it follows me,
And the weight of it, it never feels.
I strive for the brightness ahead,
But the night’s grip is hard to break,
I fight with all my might,
But the darkness, it never shakes.
But still I press on,
With hope in my heart and fire in my soul,
For I know that the light is waiting,
And the darkness can never take hold.
So I’ll keep moving forward,
With each step, I’ll push away the night,
For I know that the light is coming,
And soon, it will be in sight.
Dear younger me,
As you read this letter, know that you are strong and capable. Life may seem uncertain and daunting at times, but you will come out on the other side, stronger and more resilient.
I know you’re going through a tough time right now, dealing with insecurities and self-doubt. But remember that you are worthy and deserving of happiness. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise. Believe in yourself and your abilities, and know that you are capable of achieving great things.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They are a part of life and are necessary for growth. Learn from them, and don’t let them define you.
Cherish the moments you have with the people you love. They will be the ones who will support you through the tough times, and the ones who will be by your side when you succeed.
Never stop dreaming and reaching for your goals. You have the power to shape your future and make your dreams a reality. Believe in yourself and keep pushing forward.
You are going to go through a lot of changes, but know that you are not alone. You will find your passion, your voice and your place in this world. You will make mistakes, but you will learn from them. You will find love, lose love, and find it again. You will discover new things about yourself and your surroundings. And most importantly, you will learn how to love and respect yourself.
With all my love, Your older self.
No? How am I supposed to take it?
The point is, I LIKE to take things personally, I think it creates an interesting challenge â even closeness â and makes for lively, honest conversations that even lead to something, like discoveries about each other! I also not only like to take things personally, I like people to take ME and the things I do and say personally, because Iâm a person who tries to be as personal as possible. Why? Because it gives me a soft, warm, emotional and personal feeling. It glosses over my insecurities and makes me feel like being âseenâ, recognized, something we all crave, no matter how silly that is.
Of course, there are things I definitely donât take personally or really donât care about one way or another. Like when a dog would try to bite me, or if the bus driver doesnât smile, or when a homeless lets down his pants on the subway and starts swinging it around â a daily sight in NYC.
Nope, not taking any of that personally. As for the rest… đ
The harsh reality is that we live in a cruel world where more often then not, darkness can be found not only surrounding our every day lives, but can also be felt within ourselves. The flickering of news channels and news articles can almost always be counted on to be a bearer of bad new. Showing how much humanity is in chaos with the world and itself.
Truth is that at the very moment your eyes are passing these very words, people are dying while others are crying. There are murderers, rapists, and abusers in this world causing their victims turmoil of a living hell. Millions of souls in this world are slowly losing faith in their dreams and hopes such as a candle light flickering just before itâs final moments of forever being blown out. There are people who are losing everything they ever loved, who are depressed beyond belief, who are suffering a disease that could take their lives atany moment and who feel like their losing a war at which an unknown monster is winning. At this moment, people are homeless trying to find a way to survive each day. At this moment, there are people who are starving wondering where to find food each day. And at this moment, someone out there is ending their life because they decided they couldnât handle the cruelty of this world anymore. And throughout all this, we stand and witness all this sadness and destruction.
Thereâs a saying out there: The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who donât do anything about it.
And thatâs just it. The world is a cruel place, but it is not without its good. I mean, for how evil this world is, there are so many people who do not sit by and not do anything about it. There are countless of people who are trying to help the less fortunate, who are trying to right the wrongs, and if anythingâŚout there hoping for a better tomorrow. In a world full of darkness, it is still important to remember there are countless lights of good people with good hearts that still can be found and with it, hope for a this world to improve and be better. And as youâre reading these words, be one of the lights in this vast darkness. Be one of the good in this cruel world. Donât let the darkness snuff out your light.
Ingredients:
* 1 medium cauliflower about 1 1/2 lbs* 2 tbsp grape seed oil
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 tsp ground pimento berries/seeds allspice
* 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/4 cup onion diced
* 1/4 cup chopped carrots
* 2 tbsp green bell pepper diced
* 1 clove garlic finely minced
* 1/2 tsp scotch bonnet
* 1 tbsp chopped thyme
* 1 1/2 tsp Browning or may use brown sugar
Instruction:
1. Cut cauliflower into flat steaks. Drizzle with grape seed oil. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, pimento seeds, and smoked paprika. Gently toss to distribute.
2. Add onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic, scotch bonnet and thyme. Again, gently toss to distribute.
3. Drizzle Browning to mixture, and with wet fingers, combine until cauliflower is darkened.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably over-night.
Brown cauliflower:
1. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Then add grape seed oil. Allow oil to heat for 30 seconds.â¨â¨ (You may add your brown sugar here if you don’t have bottled browning )
2. Separate the cauliflower for the rest of the ingredients. Add cauliflower steaks to hot pan in single layer, making sure to not overcrowd the pan, so that the cauliflower will properly brown. You may have to do it in multiple batches depending on the size of your pan. Allow the cauliflower to brown on one side before turning (3 – 5 minutes). Turn, and repeat on the other side. You may also have to stand the pieces on their heads to ensure the florets also brown.
3. Remove cauliflower from pan and transfer to a clean plate.
SautĂŠ Seasoning and Stewing:
Ingredient:
* 2 tbsp grape seed oil
* 1 tbsp tomato paste
* 1/4 cup dry red wine
* Vegetable stock or water
* 2 tbsp ketchup
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tsp non-dairy butter I use Earth Balance
1. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining seasonings (onions, pepper, thyme, etc) to pan. SautĂŠ, stirring often until onions are soft (4-5 minutes). Season with pinch of salt and black pepper.
2. Add tomato paste. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
3. Deglaze pan by adding red wine to hot pan and scraping the pan around to release all bits stuck to the pan. (This stuck bits are called suc.) Cook for another minute.
4. Raise heat to medium-high, then add the cauliflower back to the pan. Add ketchup and bay leaf.
5. Add enough vegetable stock or water to come up to the sides of the cauliflower without completely covering (1 – 2 cups). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
6. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is fork-tender.
Finishing Up:
1. By now the liquid should have been reduced to a thick sauce. If not, raise heat and allow to reduce for another 3-5 minutes until thickened. Turn off heat, but allow pan to remain on the hot surface. Add butter and allow to dissolve. Gently stir to combine. Here I have it with some “provisions and flour” as they would say in Jamaica.
Ingredients:
*3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
*1 large yellow onion, diced
*3 cloves garlic, chopped
*4 large stalks celery, diced
*1 heaping Tablespoon diced jalapeĂąo (use more or less depending on how spicy you like things â 1 Tbsp. gives it a nice kick)
*4 cups diced fresh tomatoes (you could also use whole cherry tomatoes or one large can of crushed tomatoes)
*2 cups uncooked brown rice
*4.5 cups vegetable stock
*2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce (you can find some good vegan varieties online or, if you donât have any of the vegan stuff handy, just leave it out!)
*3 bay leaves
*1 teaspoon smoked paprika
*2 teaspoons hot sauce (I use Sriracha)
*salt and pepper to taste
*1.5 cups chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Instruction:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan (use one that has a tight-fitting lid)
2. Add onion, garlic, celery, and jalapeĂąo to oil and sautĂŠ until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and cook an additional minute or two to soften them up.
4. Add rice, vegetable stock, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, paprika, hot sauce, salt, and pepper to pan and stir to combine. Cover and bring mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for 20-40 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and cooked through.
5. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve immediately. Garnish with extra cilantro.
I added roasted broccoli and a slice of avocado to top mine. I am greedy.
I used Leek but you could use Kale/Spinach
Ingredients:
* 1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
* 2 tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
* 2 tbsp curry powder
* ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
* 4 cups vegetable broth
* 1 can coconut milk
* 1 can diced tomatoes
* 1.5 cups dry red lentils
*1/2 bunch of leeks cleaned and chopped (or 2-3 handfuls of chopped Kale
* salt and pepper, to taste
* Garnish: chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) and/or vegan sour cream
Instruction:
1. In a stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent, a couple minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste (or ketchup), curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
3. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, diced tomatoes and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20mins add the leek and let simmer for 15 more minutes, until the lentils are very tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. {Make-Ahead: May be cooled, frozen in air-tight containers, and re-heated over medium-low heat.}
5. Before serving, stir in the kale/spinach and garnish with cilantro and/or vegan sour cream.
* Replacing the coconut milk with 1 cup of broth will result in a bright red soup with and a more pronounced tomato flavor
* Replacing the diced tomatoes with 1 cup of broth will result in a creamier soup with a stronger coconut flavor
* Replacing BOTH the coconut milk AND diced tomatoes with 2 cups of broth will result in a soup soup with a lighter consistency but more pronounced spices, because it wonât have the coconut milk or tomatoes to temper them.
It’s just two vegan pancakes and a black bean burger.
Vegan extra sweet pancakes:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 1/2 cup flour (I used 1 cup rice + 1/2 cup wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instruction:
Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the water and oil together in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet. Stir just until blended; mixture will be lumpy.
Heat a lightly greased griddle (I use earth balance soy free butter) over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, (I used a hamburger mold to get a perfect circle and a thick cake) and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Black Bean Burger recipe:
Ingredients:
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* â¨1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
* â¨1 tablespoon minced garlic
* â¨3 baby carrots, grated (optional)
* â¨1/4 cup minced green bell pepper (optional)
* â¨1 tablespoon cornstarch/ arrow root
* â¨1 tablespoon warm water
* â¨3 tablespoons chile-garlic sauce or Sriracha
* â¨1 teaspoon chili powder
* â¨1 teaspoon ground cumin
* â¨1 teaspoon seafood seasoning Old Bay
* â¨1/4 teaspoon salt
* â¨1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* â¨2 slices whole-wheat bread, torn into small crumbs
* â¨3/4 cup unbleached flour, or as needed
Instruction:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). I use a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You could just grease the baking sheet instead.
* Put the black beans, onion, garlic, carrots, and green bell pepper in the food prosesser (I used one with an S shape on low) you could however just smush all of this in a bowl.
* Whisk cornstarch, water, chile-garlic sauce, chili powder, cumin, old bay seasoning, pink salt, and black pepper together in a separate small bowl. Stir cornstarch ( I used arrow root) mixture into black bean mixture.
* Mix whole-wheat bread into bean mixture. Stir flour, 1/4 cup at a time, into bean mixture until a sticky batter forms.
* Spoon ‘burger-sized’ mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about a 3/4-inch thickness per mound. Shape into burgers.
* Bake in the preheated oven until cooked in the center and crisp in the outside, about 10 minutes on each side.
DatGurlDkay 