Celebrate Success

Nothing says celebrate like a little bubbly and nothing spells office comradery like a little booze in the afternoon! To celebrate a successful event our owner decided to propose a toast to honor and thank everyone for their hard work!

Don’t get the wrong idea here, everyone had a small mimosa to cheers the triumph and celebrate the companies continued success but its the little things like this that make working for a small, family owned business all the more rewarding!

While the bubbly didn’t hurt, the acknowledgement of our collective efforts was far more rewarding!

Don’t forget to acknowledge the little victories and celebrate success!

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Wrap it up

Happy Friday!

What’s better for wrapping up the work week then a whole wheat wrap for lunch!?!?!? Super simple, delicious, healthy and filling, its a fun Friday food!

Stir fry some of your favorite veggies with tofu (or any sort of animal protein), add some fresh leafy greens and you’re good to go! I used fresh arugula because I love its peppery bite with some spicy stir fried peppers, shitake mushrooms, onion, zucchini and extra firm delicious tofu!

Wrap it up…enjoy!

Power of Food

So a friend and fellow IIN student shared this on her facebook the other day and I just had to pass it along to the blogger community!

Click the Photo to read a powerful article about Nutrition, Food as Medicine and the Medical Community!

Never forget the power of food!

 

Chia Chillin’

For as healthy as I am, I have only recently gotten on the Chia bandwagon. With a few more weddings around the corner, and lots of craziness the last couple weeks, I have been in desperate need of an extra boost – both in energy and in my diet. Chia seeds are a fabulous source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, a multitude of trace minerals, fiber and antioxidants!

While I have always been a huge fan of the ‘Immortal Health Elixir’ known as Kombucha, the ones with Chia seeds in them freaked me out! Kombucha is loaded with probiotics, amino acids and electrolytes so I didn’t see the need to add something else in the mix.

I always thought mixing in Chia seeds was the weirdest thing but when I read that allowing seeds to sit in liquid to form a gelatinous layer allows for slower digestion/break down of the carbohydrates, I decided to stop being such a baby and give it a try!

While I can’t say I am in love with this whole textured drink thing -something I am sure you have to get used to – I like the flavor and how full a feel after just a few sips.

The health benefits are endless and you can put them in almost anything. Unlike the more popular flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be ground/broken down in order to receive all the amazing benefits. And while this may not be the driving force behind my consumption, they’re said to have amazing weight loss benefits (likely from the full feeling you get from even the smallest amount).

Start chia chillin and see how you feel!!

Enjoy!

Moments or Mementos

Some of my fondest memories throughout my life are marked by a memento or small keepsake. To some, this might make me a bit of a hoarder but I love looking at little trinkets, ticket stubs, pieces of jewelry or in some cases extremely random items and remembering the memories attached.

I recently lost a few of those mementos and was pretty devastated. While I did sob myself to sleep that night, I woke up with a question burning in my brain: ‘What’s more important, the memory or the memento?’ Well, that was fairly obvious…the memory!

The mementos, while special, were just objects – material items that marked moments of immeasurable value but not invaluable themselves.

Even without those items, the memory stays.

Making time

While moving my life from one neighborhood of the city to another less than a mile away doesn’t seem like it should be an incredible undertaking, believe me, it is! With the help of my boyfriend and various family members we’ve been at it since 10:30am yesterday!

Even though it’s been exciting, there have been quite a few moments of anxiety along the way, and we’re still a ways away from being fully settled!

Regardless of the task at hand, it’s always important to make time to relax! In an effort to take a ‘time out’ my handsome man and I wondered the neighborhood and found a cute, local, outdoor spot to have brunch – and a Bloody Mary!

Relaxed and rejuvenated after taking in some awesome food, fresh air and a little libation, we’re back at it!

Even if you think you can’t, always make time!

Rainy Day Relationship Revelations

This afternoon’s lunch hour was spent with one of my close friends and mentors Kristin, owner of Nourishing Storm. She is a fellow nutrition student at IIN and has been the most amazing influence along my journey!

Our intention was to have a lovely lunch in the park, to catch up, and for me to practice doing health history consultations for school. Of course, as soon as I stepped out of my car, the skies opened and it began to down pour! Being the nature loving ladies we are, we both commented on how awesome the rain felt and didn’t let it alter our plans – the blanket just got set out on the gazebo floor instead of the grass!

After the consultation, which went really well, we got to talking about how things are going in each of our lives. As we reached the topic of my relationship, and healthy relationships in general, she said something very powerful that I guess I’ve always known but often forget. Ironically enough, it had been the topic of her morning meditation.

Kristin said that we have everything we need within ourselves and its once we’re able to recognize and celebrate that completeness that we find the partner we’re meant to share this journey with. While that may sound a bit lofty, its totally true.

I believe in my heart if I had met my boyfriend even a few months earlier than I did, we wouldn’t be together. It wasn’t until I was happily on my path and finding fulfillment in everyday that I could be open to attracting ‘the right’ guy!

Always remember you’re perfect and complete just the way you are! Finding a partner in life is a blessing, not a requirement! Love you first!

Tasty Toasts

What do you do when you’re trying to clean out your fridge, you have limited cooking utensils because you’re packing and you need to eat….MAKE TOAST!

Decadently delicious yet incredibly simple, this goat cheese and pistachio toast is perfect for anytime!

All you need is a baguette (whole wheat in this case), some goat cheese, pistachios, a little EVOO and balsamic oil.

Drizzle the EVOO and balsamic over the baguette, spread the goat cheese and sprinkle with chopped pistachios…I know, SOO difficult! Add some salt and pepper to season and toss in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes (or until nuts and corners of the bread start to brown).

With next to no effect you have a delicious and nutritiously balanced meal!

Enjoy!

Great Goddess Gifts of Goodness!

I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life who inspire me and encourage me to pursue passions and practice self care! One such lovely lady is my IIN peer coach Elizabeth who also is a District Manager for Arbonne.

After chatting recently about all the amazing benefits this bountiful brand provides for both its staff and clientele, I had to give it a try. While I am all about goodness from the inside out, I like to indulge my inner Goddess and take care of my outward appearance as well!

Arbonne has been in business for over 30 years and is all natural…and when I say all natural, I mean European guidelines NOT FDA guidelines. Turns out the FDA allows hundreds of perfumes, dies and chemicals in their “all natural” products that EU does not!

I am terrifically tickled to try the products provided and can’t wait to see what I am confident will be fabulous results!

Unbeetable Salad and Seafood

If you haven’t caught on already, I am all about fresh, local and simply delicious, nutrient dense foods! This awesome salad and seafood combo is no exception, and just like most meals livingleen, its easy to prepare!

The beet, walnut and goat cheese salad paired with seared Halibut hit the spot and kept me completely satisfied! All I did was boil some beets from about 40 minutes and let cool…you can do this ahead of time. The rest of the ingredients in the salad are all eaten as they come: chop up some walnuts, crumble some goat cheese and throw the terrific trio over some mixed greens! Lightly toss with some balsamic, salt and pepper and BOOM! BEET BLISS!

The fish is super simple too: Marinate briefly in white wine or champagne (because we happened to have it on hand), salt, pepper and garlic. Place in med/high heated sauce pan with a little EVOO and let sizzle! Turn the heat down to medium and flip…fish should only take a few minutes to flake and then you’re finished your fancy feast!

The health benefits from the protein filled fish, nutrient dense beets, leafy greens, calcium rich/low calorie goat cheese and omega-3 walnut wonders makes for an amazingly delectable, unbeetably nutritious dinner!

Hit up your local farmers market and fish monger to make your meal memorable!

Enjoy!