Spaghetti in a Tangy, "Cheesy" Vegan Sauce with Lemony Herbed Mushrooms

Don't let the lengthy title, ingredient list, or instructions fool you; this pasta dish is super easy and takes no time at all. Perfect for a busy night when you're working late, need something filling in a short time, or just simply don't want to cook, but don't want to order in.

There are a few ways to make this "cheesy", but the best (and most colon-friendly way - confused? Check out my post from yesterday) way is listed first in the recipe. You'll likely have all of these ingredients in your pantry/frig already, and you can always make this without the gluten-free or dairy-free ingredients if that's not your kinda thing.

This would also be a fantastic recipe to use any skinnypasta HIGH PROTEIN or upcoming SUPERFOOD fresh pastas with... just saying :)

Spaghetti with a Tangy, "Cheesy" Vegan Sauce with Lemony Herbed Mushrooms

spaghetti, linguine, or any other pasta (enough for 4-6 people)

1 tbsp. Becel Vegan Margarine

2 tbsp. minced garlic

3 tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose flour

1 tsp. corn starch

2 cups dairy-free milk (I like So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk)

1/2 cup cashews and/or almonds

2 tbsp. + 3 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh-squeezed or bottled)

1 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. onion powder

black pepper

1 tbsp. dill weed

1 tbsp. rosemary

1 tsp. dried basil

6-8 white button mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp. + 1 tsp. lemon zest

olive oil

salt

1. First, make the "cheese" part of your "cheesy" sauce:

 - in a blender or food processor, mince cashews and/or almonds to a powder (near-powder is okay)

- add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp onion powder, black pepper to taste, a pinch of salt, and a splash of olive oil and blend until smooth.

- add water if needed until the "cheese" mixture is smooth

[Other options include: cream cheese (dairy-free if needed), nutritional yeast, or shredded cheese (dairy-free if needed)]

- set aside

2. Bring water in a large stove-top pot to a boil, and throw in a few pinches of salt. Toss in pasta and cook according to instructions.

3. Melt margarine in large skillet. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant. Add mushrooms and stir. Add 3 tbsp of lemon juice, a splash of olive oil, stirring frequently. Add lemon zest, dill weed, rosemary, basil, and 1 tbsp onion powder, continue stirring. 

4. Once mushrooms are browned, add another splash of olive oil, stir in flour and corn starch. 

5. Add milk slowly, stirring as you pour. 

6. Add your "cheese" mixture (or optional other "cheese"), and stir until the sauce is smooth. Sprinkle remaining 1 tsp. lemon zest and a dash of black pepper to sauce, and stir.

7. Once pasta is ready, drain and toss with sauce. Serve with whichever garnish you choose.

Enjoy!

Sidenote: YES, you can eat amazingly on a vegetarian/vegan diet! Albert Einstein was known for being "onto things", and he said this:

Yup.... way to go old man!

Namaste.

A Double Whammy

I love quotes! Who doesn't? The only issue that seems to come from humanity's great love of quotes is that we often post quotes in an empty fashion, meaning that we like the idea of the words and can see how they would apply to our lives, but we don't take the next step of actually living by these words.
I liken it to waving a white flag without the intention to surrender, or saying "I stand for this" without really knowing what it means.

Not saying that it's easy to just integrate a quote into your life right away - it will take practice! So, I totally support creating a Pinterest board of quotes, or having your favourites posted on your mirror so you can look at them each morning. Kind of like a mantra, right?
But, choose the quotes that really resonate with you! Some that you feel are actually reasonable to integrating into your life, often by the same person or by people within the same genre.

These two quotes really hit-home today. Both represent something I am struggling with, and speak to my heart very profoundly and eloquently. Lovingly, I accept the guidance presented and commit to putting these into practice.

"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you."

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."

- The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)

Image courtesy of coward_lion at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Namaste, All!

PS. Tell me your favourite quotes in the comments!

In Memoriam...

When Maya Angelou announced that she was visiting Calgary, my mother bought me tickets because she knows how much I love everything Maya Angelou - her poetry, her writings, her as an individual, and her innate wisdom. 

I was intensely saddened when I heard that she had passed away yesterday.

Her soul will live on forever, just like her profound words and ideas, and I am so grateful that I had the chance to hear her speak and be in the brilliance of her presence.

Forever missed, rainbow in our clouds.

Photo from Pinterest

What Is My "Alive"?

Rise Against has this song called Black Masks And Gasoline with the lyrics:

``Simply because you can breathe

Doesn't mean you`re alive

Or that you really live.``

I like the rest of the song, don`t get me wrong, but those lyrics have stuck in my head for my many years of being a Rise Against fan because they speak to me. Yeah, yeah, I know you`re probably imagining me sitting around a camp-fire with a guitar and a tattoo on my wrist that says `John & Yoko 4Ever`, but these lyrics are some of the only words that have stuck so close to me over the years.

I guess it`s fitting as to where I am right now; I'm in a profound transition - a deep metamorphosis - that I cannot control. I've let my inner fire goddess start calling some of the shots and she just goes with no filters, but she gets me what we want: a resolution. It`s hard, and I get in trouble for it... plus my sarcastic side sometimes drowns out the magic of my fire goddess making me seem plain bitchy. Like I said - a transition.

The hardest part about this transition is that I feel as if I am bursting from the seams with life and I'm ready to live. I'm making headway, but, for me, living means getting out there and experiencing the wo

rld beyond money and materials goods and status quos and hypocrisy (though I'll never escape hypocrisy). Calgarians are preoccupied with material goods and money and status - it's sickening. Bigger is better here, unfortunately. Bigger can be better (get your head out of the gutter), but when we're taking about creating unnecessary competition or elitism we're actually setting ourselves back rather than forward. I am lucky to have nice things, I am lucky to be able to have money, but I am starting to transition out of placing such great importance on material goods, status, or money. I just don't care.

This may also stem from my work with Eyes Wide Open Life - through working with this dynamic group of entrepreneurs, I have created in myself a kick-ass entrepreneur building my business around my heart. 

I LOVE to write and, after years of the same old question: "What are you really going to do with an English degree?" and responding: "I don't know"... I'm now saying: "Watch me."

And that's what working for profit is all about, right? You're supposed to enjoy yourself and then be rewarded for it. 

Ah, yes... I hear the laughter and the jeers. And my fire goddess asks: "Why devote yourself to something for life if it does not give you pleasure, enjoyment, and reward in some way?"

Good question! And why do we work in jobs that we hate? Because we are ruled by money, material goods, and status. It's a cyclical thing, and it sucks.

I have no immediate solution to this. I can only follow my heart through this transition and metamorphosis and trust that it will lead me in the right direction and help me to feel even more alive every day.

Namaste, All!

Metamorphosis

Does anybody else do their best thinking in the shower? I swear it's not just me that solves problems and brainstorms solutions and gets crazy awesome ideas while the water is pouring down from that heavenly shower head. 

Tonight I got into the shower late - around 12:30am - and started thinking about time management and my work habits after a long day (yes, even those of us who work from home have long work days). See, I have a consulting company in which I write creative and business copy, along with providing other services like customer inbox support and social media content creation and management. I work for some incredible, incredible people (and companies) and I truly feel like I'm doing what I LOVE! But, I'm also a full time university student taking much too long to complete my degree, so the time management skill is something I'll admit I severely lack.

This can be a problem and it stresses me out; I know I can do the work, and I know I can do it well, but why am I not DOING IT?!?

We've all been there.

It was during my shower that I started thinking about it: how can I better manage my time? Just one simple thought that inspired a veritable brain stew of juicy personal insights and, ultimately, a metamorphosis. 

So... what's the big deal? Well, I have grown up with the notion that I was a doormat - a person that could not do anything right and was basically walked on by everyone. I was bullied... a lot. I was taunted and teased and I put on the victim hat and wore it very convincingly... I ALLOWED myself to be walked all over by playing the part of what we'll call a "lost girl". I lied to make myself look better and build myself up, and purposely put myself in situations that were just not a good place to be. I did it to myself but I don't regret it... not one bit. Sure, I made SO many mistakes, but learning, growing, and moving on from who I used to be shaped who I am today. I shed that skin and, now, I kinda like me. I kinda like me a lot. 

So, what does this have to do with time management? Well, I realized that my aversion to DOING stemmed from my attitude about myself: the doormat mentality. I will apologize and take on burdens that either are not mine to take on, or simply do not exist. I tend to make a big deal out of nothing and then beat myself to a pulp for doing something wrong or going at a pace that I think that others probably think is too slowly. This makes me not even want to do anything (and may explain why I sleep so much - it's not cause I'm tired, it's cause I'm a professional avoider! I kid, I kid) and, thus, has caused me to have poor time management skills. But this is NOT an excuse... nooo sir. This is an epiphany - a revelation if you will. This may seem like something totally obvious to you, but for me it is going to change everything. 

I am remarkably privileged to work for Eyes Wide Open Life and be a part of the brilliant EWO Collective. I used to think that being surrounded by strong-willed, tenacious women would overwhelm me and squash my voice and personality, so I avoided these women in both my personal and work lives. Boy, was I wrong! I am surrounded by some of the most strong-willed, smart, tenacious, GENIUS women in both aspects of my life and I am thriving! 

These women truly know how to embrace their feminine and have introduced me to a type of sisterhood I thought only existed within the relationship I have with my best friends and actual sister, and I am eternally grateful for it. They nurture and incubate my strengths and voice, and don't blame me, judge, or berate me because of my weaknesses, and I strive to emulate them and study their practices and ideas. They inspire me so whole-heartedly and I have, once again, shed a skin that has become too heavy and worn. 

Because of this inspiration, my lifestyle has changed for the better. I am more outspoken and upfront with what I want and I understand now what my path is and that it can change... and to embrace that change and where it may take me. I do yoga every morning I can with my amazing cousin and her love (check out their FREE yoga program here) and I have more clarity now than I feel I ever have. Sweet, sweet clarity. 

I was watching a webinar that featured some of the on-fire business priestesses I work with at Eyes Wife Open Life: Amrita Khalsa, Kiva Leatherman, and Anne Perry (watch it here - you'll be more than glad you did). They were talking about time management and stopping the overwhelm, and one key idea really stuck out and resonated with me: it's about taking time for yourself, too! 

This seemingly simple idea is, of course, easier said than done, but it is possible and it is REWARDING! Giving yourself some freedom and taking the time to focus on yourself gives you breathing room and energy to get to work when the time comes. 

So now, I'm changing again. I'm shedding the old, tired, worn out skin that was saturated with overwhelm because of mismanaged time and not enough inner peace and dialogue. 

I'm not saying, "I can't do it" anymore; I'm replacing it with "I'm going to get it done" and I'm confident that I will do it. 

Can't wait to see what my next shower brainstorming sesh brings me! Tell me how you make the most of your time in the comments below and what you do to relax. 

Stop Apologizing For Love!

Love is a force that captures our minds and bodies in the same way fear does. Love is one of the most frequently-used, most-trusted, and most feared words in our vocabularies... and it seems like many people are forced to, or just do, apologize for it.

Why?

Love is beautiful and inspiring. And yes, while sometimes it can be overbearing and scary, love is the precursor to new beginnings, to good feelings, and to PEACE. 

So stop apologizing for love. Love fearlessly and always, love until everybody around you can feel it, and love because you want to, not because you need to. It doesn't matter if you are gay or straight or what the colour of your skin is, be accepting of love and let it inspire you - stop resisting it!

A fundamental Kadampa Buddhist teaching is that you should love all others, and recognize that their happiness is more important than yours. This is, of course, not saying that we should abandon self-love, but encouraging self-love and self-improvement so that we can be at our best to help others. So that we can inspire. So that our love is pure. 

So that our positive karmic intentions carry on throughout our world that so desperately needs it (like Pay-It-Forward).

Reflect: how did you LOVE today?

Photo from Pinterest

Daily Dose of... Buddha

Photo from Pinterest

Namaste.

Yes!

Photo from Pinterest

Happy Holidays!

We will be back January 2nd with some new posts on all things wisdom, inspiration, and even some new recipes!

Have an incredible holiday season and a Happy Happy New Year - we are looking forward to seeing you all again in the New Year!

May 2014 be the year that you spread your wings and FLY :)

Freedom

Be Not Afraid of Failure... Welcome It!

'Nuff said

Let's Talk About... Kadampa Buddhism

(Almost) every Monday night for the past couple of weeks, my sister, my husband, and myself have been attending Kadampa Buddhist teachings at the Akshobya Kadampa Buddhist Centre here in Calgary.

Life-changing.

You can check out more about the centre, and Kadampa Buddhism, here: http://www.meditationalberta.org/kadampa-buddhism/

Kadampa Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha (AD 982-1054).

In the word, ‘Kadampa’, ‘Ka’ refers to Buddha’s teachings, and ‘dam’ to Atisha’s special Lamrim instructions. Kadampas, then, are practitioners who regard Buddha’s teachings as personal instructions and put them into practice by following the instructions of Lamrim.

By integrating their understanding of all Buddha’s teachings into their practice of Lamrim, and by integrating their experience of Lamrim into their everyday lives, Kadampas use Buddha’s teachings as practical methods for transforming daily activities into the path to enlightenment.

(from http://www.meditationalberta.org/kadampa-buddhism/)

Get Cultured... Take A Magical Adventure

I've blogged a bit on the importance of education and my views on the matter: we need to create an unbiased curriculum for the people in "Third World" or "low-income" countries to learn how to use the supplies that "First World" countries send to them, how to become sustainable, conflict resolution, and allow these people to form their own, unbiased, opinions on how they want to help the world grow! Can you imagine the benefit that we would see - environmentally, economically, and spiritually? Can you imagine a world with little to no need for weapons, a world where smog and air quality was not a concern? 

The Western World can learn much from the rest of the world, too. The Western ideology is that we make the technology, we make the money, we distribute goods, we can only learn from ourselves.... well, no. The Western World needs to take off the "know-it-all hat" and put on the "open-minded" glasses. How can we advance if we are no longer willing to learn? How can we become tolerant and balanced if we are not willing to see past our own issues, our own wrong views?

Take an adventure! Get out there- talk to people! If you're feeling down because of someone, if you're feeling like someone has wronged you- talk to that person! Guaranteed you'll feel better, the other person will feel better (because, although we can't read minds, we can read signals... sometimes its pretty obvious), and you will be closer to reaching a sense of inner peace.

Isn't that what we all strive for - peace? Peace comes from an open mind, a soul that is open to new experiences (travelling, trying something new, etc.), and a heart with the utmost compassion and good intentions, intent on ending suffering.

Be not afraid to be who you really are

This does not happen overnight - it is a work in progress! But I have faith that it will be worth it and I strive to change for the better. 

Join me!

Come From A Place Of I CAN!

Man... spin class kicked my ASS today but it was so worth it!Afterwards, I felt like I had accomplished something and it felt GREAT :)
Instead of coming from I place of "I can't" and start thinking "I can"! 

So many people dread working out (I am one of these people), but it feels so good and even better when you finally see the results.

So, my new mantra for this is:

I am grateful for this opportunity to be healthy.

I am grateful for this opportunity for me to improve myself.

 

Daily Dose of Buddha

If for just the time of a finger-snap a monk produces a thought of loving-kindness, develops it, gives attention to it, such a one is rightly called a monk. Not in vain does he meditate. He acts in accordance with the master's teaching, he follows his advice. How much more so if he cultivates it.

- The Buddha (Shakyamuni)

Namaste 

Did You Know?

Something To Think About

Let's Talk About... Change

"Everything changes, nothing remains without change." - The Buddha

I feel like the word "change" is just an overall loaded word. I also feel like it's connotations are highly feared when they should be celebrated. Should we replace "change" with "metamorphosis"? "Growth"? "Blossoming"? These all have positive connotations - when we think of metamorphosis we usually think of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, or a flower "blossoming" from a plain, green bud into a thing of beauty.

So.... why can't we be that beautiful butterfly or that flower? Let's go back to kindergarten for a sec and be that beautiful butterfly!

 Maybe "changing" the world wouldn't seem like such a colossal task if we switched our train of thought to "assisting in world growth" or, to make it sound a bit more creative and less stick-up-my-butt, "telling the world to grow up!"

 We all have ideas about how this will happen, and that is why I love the internet. It is a world-wide forum on how we live our lives, how we achieve (and do not achieve) peace in our own lives, and our ideas about everything. Yup, every single little thing - haven't you ever perused the YouTube comments section?

Believe it or not, this is helping you to grow/change. You are taking a stance in what you believe in, whether or not you agree with something, and maybe even educating you on a topic that you wouldn't naturally stumble upon. Like.... the gluten and dairy free diet and controversies about it, perhaps?

 Growth/change can be the hardest thing. I am slowly growing up past my fears of failure, my fears of doing something wrong, my fears of letting things go, amongst others... not to mention to massive growth that it took to identify my allergies, discover cooking with them, and creating this blog!

But I am growing... and it is exciting! The new opportunities that have opened up to me are terrifying, fascinating, exciting, and will continue this never-ending growth spurt!

I am proud of myself.

Say it to yourself now. I AM PROUD OF MYSELF!

For:

- list your accomplishments, big or small (if you can't think of any, you're not trying hard enough)

Now, what needs to change? What do you need to grow past? Are you holding onto something that is preventing this growth?

Chances are, you probably answered yes to at least one of those questions. If not, you're not thinking hard enough - you can always improve!

Think of the quote from Buddha above; where would we be if we hadn't changed/grew?

When I think of who I was, especially in high school, I see much growth/change. I see my Self hurdling over obstacles to GET WHAT I WANT TO BE HAPPY.

What do you want? Write it down, blow it up, frame it. WHAT DO YOU WANT??? Will you be happy and true to your Self?

How are you going to get it? I bet that it will involve change/growth - I bet that it will take a bit of life revision to say "I need to change this" or... "I need to grow up".

Our mantras:

"I am proud of myself"

"I am ready to grow"

"I can be that beautiful butterfly"

"I am going to be true to my Self"

"I am going to be happy"

Namaste.

Cleanse Your Mind

The most prominent diet or health phenomena going on today is that of the "cleanse". People are cleansing by means of the Paleo Diet, the 'Clean Eating' (ie. no sugar) diet, the GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE DIET (yay!) and also 'juicing' (NOT steroids, but consuming fresh juice from fruits and veggies - watch the documentary about it here). These are all awesome, and we all know that it takes a healthy body to have a healthy mind... but are we putting enough emphasis on the mind part of this equation?

We have to remember that we need to cleanse our minds, too! To often we focus on achieving optimal bodily health (the societal expectation of the "perfect body") and not enough on making sure our minds achieve optimal health.

To do so, we should focus on happiness and peace; what achieves this for us? Is it dancing to our favourite song or spending time with those we love the most? We could enjoy a massage, or a day out with our friends. I often "detox" my mind by listening to my music, or having a drink with a friend! Tom and I also talk about how we are feeling, and relay our ideas off of each other - even planning for the future relaxes my mind and creates a cleansing sense of happiness that lasts!

This is then, of course, motivating to keep the other part of the equation - the body - in good health, too! We should always have the health and wellness of our mind as our top priority... and trust that the whole "healthy body" thing will come once we achieve clarity of our minds!

Namaste.

Let's Talk About... Being Mindful

Last night, on Twitter, I sent out a tweet about "mindful eating"; that is, eating to enjoy and appreciate the food, instead of shoving it willy-nilly into your face like we all are guilty of at one time.

Being mindful isn't just about eating, of course, but everything! Everything should be done by being mindful and present in that moment.

This is an easy mantra to remember: "Be Mindful" or "Be Present". Saying this in your head, or even out loud, can make you stop, slow down, and think about being present and mindful in that exact moment. This is also helpful when making a tough decision like "Should I take the job overseas?" or something trivial like "Should I post this Facebook photo?" - stop, be mindful and present and think about it! Why do you want to do that? How will it affect you, and how will it affect the environment around you? Will it affect other people negatively or positively? How will this decision aid in bringing peace to your life and environment? Those are only a few questions to ask yourself. 

In a way, it is similar to meditation - you are truly meditating for a few moments on this question by being present and mindful!!!

If there is ever doubt or a question you ask yourself that you cannot answer, then you know where you have to focus some of your energy on. If you are doubtful whether your relationship is truly making you happy, if it is what is the best for you in your life to bring peace and happiness, and if it is affecting your Self and/or others negatively, then you may need to meditate on a larger question: "What is my decision?"

Remember that this is not by any means a question to be answered immediately, but one to sit on and mull over - keeping your intentions and thoughts mindful, present and positive.

You will find your Path and your Self will rejoice upon it.

 

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. (21)”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life