It has been several moons since I have made banana bread. I was craving the aroma of sweet banana and cinnamon drifting through the house. And the piles of spotted bananas on my counter were screaming for attention. Moist Banana Bread
Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Add half the flour mixture to wet mixture and combine. Add milk, eggs and gently mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until all ingredients have been combined well. If you are adding nuts, fold them in. Lightly grease a glass or metal loaf pan. Gently spoon in bread mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick. If the toothpick is still wet, place back in the oven and continue to check at 10 minute intervals until the toothpick comes out clean. My loaf took a total of 70 minutes but I do still suggest checking it every 10 minutes to ensure it's completely done and not too dry.
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So here’s the thing: I can’t help but to ALWAYS sing Chef’s Chocolate Salty Ball song from South Park whenever I make these! South Park fans… this one is for you! lol
These little power balls are the perfect snack when you are feeling sluggish or are needing an extra burst of energy! Packed with oats, peanut butter and chocolate, they are healthy and delicious! But anyway… (And now that song is TOTALLY in your head now!) here is the recipe! Chocolate Power Balls 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 1 serving of your favorite chocolate superfood protein powder (I used vegan Shakeology) 1/3 cup honey A few tablespoons of chia seeds and hemp seeds Dash of cinnamon 1/3 cup carob chips (or your favorite chocolate chip) 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted Combine everything in a bowl and stir until well combined. Roll into 1/2 in balls. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy! XxOo Tasha Happy Monday!
I hope your weekend was fun, relaxing or maybe a little bit of both! We kicked off another Clean Eating Group over the past weekend and we all sat down and wrote out our WHY’s. The first day is ALWAYS my favorite day because this is such an important step to lasting change! Why do you want to live a healthy life? Finding your “WHY” is important to not only your health, but for everything that you do in your life! It motivates you and gives you purpose Knowing why you do what you do is so crucial! Otherwise you be wandering around each day with no real sense of purpose. You may do things for a few days but then the motivation would fizzle away just as fast as it came. It helps you practice self-discipline Can you remember a time when you KNEW exactly what you were supposed to do? Imagine being able to do that all the time! When your “why” is kept at the forefront of all that you do, making decisions becomes a lot easier. It helps you to remember your values so that when it comes time to make decisions, you are doing what’s best for you. It keeps you going you when times get tough Those tough days can REALLY get the best of us at times. And it can be easy to lose sight of why we work so hard to try to make our dreams happen. But when your why is strong it allows you take leaps (and sometimes baby steps) toward our goal. If you’re having a bad day or feel like you’ve lost your sense of purpose in doing what you do, keep reminding yourself of why you got started in the first place. Asking yourself “What is my WHY?” might actually reveal that you don’t have a why. And that’s okay! It just means that you have an opportunity to dive deep inside of you, evaluate your goals and create that plan of action. Ask for help! Look around you for motivation! But always remember that your WHY has to come within! XxOo Tasha Do you need help finding your why? Maybe you know you should be living a healthier life but are not sure where to start? I encourage you to reach out to me! Don’t be scared or shy – this is MY WHY! This is why I blog, and became a nutritionist and help so many people start living a healthier life! [email protected] (My service is ALWAYS free to my subscribers!) I commit to the practice of seeing the good in all things
You are love. It is your inherent vibration. The obstacles and challenges of the physical dimension attempt to trick you into thinking that there are other ways to view life -but there is only one way that is natural to your being: love. This card simply reminds you that your soul is made of God's pure Devine vibrational force of love and that you need to bring this awareness to bear on every aspect of your life and being. Love is a healing energy. All anxiety and drama cannot exist in the aura of love. Most souls have come back up on this earth to learn, accept, and utilize this harmonic force and to see its effect upon their lives. It is your time to remind others of the strength of their own power of God, and assist them in knowing fully that love is the most powerful element in the universe. It builds, fortifies, and strengthens even the most lost person. When we live in the power of love, then and only then will we know truth. True love is the spiritual link between us and God. It will guide our footsteps through the conflicts of the material world and will cleanse our hearts of unwanted facets of the human personality. - From The Soul’s Journey card deck - Happy Valentines Day! XxOo Tasha There is nothing better than a huge plant based lunch! I was craving kale today so I made my favorite kale salad and a huge pot of veggie soup. It was simple, quick and delicious! Kale Soup – serves 6 1 small yellow onion, chopped 3 large stalks of celery 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinse 1 can of chopped tomatoes with juice 2 cups pre-cooked gluten free pasta spirals 6 cups loosely packed kale, de-stemmed and torn into large pieces 2 tablespoons of olive oil Spices and Herbs – dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, chili flakes, powdered garlic (Use as much or as little as you like! I never measure my spices. I just add handfuls of spices and it always turns out amazing!) 6 cups of filtered water Heat a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the oil. Chop the onion, red bell pepper and celery into bite size pieces. Add the chopped veggies to the pot and stir to coat. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and your spices. (I add my spices in stages – this adds depth and great flavor!) Cover and let cook down for about 10 minutes. Add the garbanzo beans, canned tomatoes with juice and water. Add more spices, herbs, salt and/or pepper. Turn the heat up and bring to a soft boil. Cover and reduce heat and let cook for about 20 minutes. Add the pre-cooked pasta and kale. Stir to combine. Taste one last time to see if more spices or herbs need to be added. Take off heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! I topped my soup with fresh grated parmesan before eating. Kale Salad – serves 1 4 cups loosely packed kale 1/2 ripe avocado small handful of dried cranberries 2 tablespoons olive oil pinch of salt pinch of chili flakes (optional) Wash and dry a few leaves of curly kale and tear into large bite size pieces (about 4 cups). Place in a large bowl. Drizzle on the oil and salt and massage the kale for about a minute. This helps break down the fiber in the leaves and makes them super soft and yummy! Place the avocado in the kale and quickly massage to coat the leaves. Add cranberries and chili flakes and gently toss. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so and then enjoy! XxOo Tasha Do you know someone that is a health bully? You know, that person who makes fun of you or others for making healthy choices. Maybe it’s a Co-worker, friend, family member… they are the person that is always right there snickering about what you are eating and telling you what a waste of time exercise is. This happens A LOT! Most everyone that I have talked with has stated that there has been someone in their life that was not supportive about their healthy lifestyle. It’s sad… but oh-so common. Here’s the thing that you MUST realize – it’s not about YOU! It’s about them! Something is being triggered in them and they are projecting that emotion towards the trigger – YOU. Something happened in their life that is making them insecure. Maybe they know that they do not have the self-discipline to live a healthy life. Maybe they have tried and tried to lose weight with no success. Something traumatic has happened to their confidence around living a healthy life or losing weight. Living a healthy lifestyle is NOT easy. It takes a HUGE amount of will-power, self-discipline and WORK. If living a healthy lifestyle – eating healthy and exercising – were easy then EVRYONE would be doing it with huge success! But it simply is not the case. It takes a strong minded person to change their lifestyles, their habits and stick with it. Some may not see the value in living a healthy life – lack of education, lack of self-love or lack of motivation – can all contribute to this mindset. And this is why you see some people poke fun at people living a healthy life. Instead of being happy or supportive, they are shadowed with guilt or shame because you are doing something that they are not willing to do. So they bash, make fun and ridicule to help with their own insecurities. It’s really quite sad if you think about it. And I am the kind of person to recognize these behavior patterns and realize that this behavior is not directed at the target. Even though they may be looking at you or talking at you, the hurt is inside of them and they are basically saying those words to them self. If you are being bullied, or made fun of, or not being supported in your healthy journey, YOU need to have the confidence to know WHY you are making the choices you are making. You are eating a healthy, nutrient dense diet because you care about your body and you want to live a long, disease-free life. You work out every day because you honor your body and want to become stronger, have more energy and look better. When you show your body that you care about it, it’s the best gift you can give yourself. The gift of Self-Love. So can you do anything? Yes. If you are in this situation, talk to the person. Be the bigger and better person. Ask them if they need help. See how you can spread your self-love onto them. They might dismiss it, say you’re crazy and walk away. But they might open to you and express why they are acting the way they are acting. They might just need to extra little help and support to make a healthy change. I encourage you to always be the better person. Stand with confidence but also stand with love and grace. You never know what battles someone might be facing. XxOo Tasha There is something MAGICAL about soup! And this soup is especially amazing! When my house comes down with any kind of sickness, I get to work in the kitchen. Chopping, cooking, simmering… until I create a pot full of healing soup. This soup will chase any cold or flu bug right out of your home! And remember to make it with LOTS of love! Magical Healing Soup Ingredients 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp minced garlic or 6 garlic cloves, minced 3 carrots, chopped 3 stalks of celery, chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 c sweet potato or regular potato, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 4 c water or vegetable stock (i always use filtered water and my soups always turn out) Handfuls of herbs on hand: basil, parsley, dill, thyme – if using fresh, chop and add towards the end. I always add dried herbs at the beginning. Taste throughout and add more herbs. Directions Heat a large soup pot on medium and add oil. Let the oil heat for a few minutes. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Let cook down for a few minutes until onion is soft. Add remaining vegetables, dried herbs, salt and pepper and let cook down for about 10 minutes or so. Add liquid of choice and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium/low. Stir occasionally. Let cook for about an hour or so. You can always add more liquid if it becomes too thick. For this vegetable soup you want it to be rather brothy because this is where the magic is! Don’t forget to taste throughout the cooking time to see if it needs more seasonings. Also, add fresh herbs when it is almost done. Parsley is amazing in this soup, along with dill. Sip and heal! : Acceptance :
I am learning to accept the things I cannot change Right now your soul is learning acceptance. This may force you to feel out of control in a situation or with another person in your life. Just realize that the universe has given you this incredible opportunity to release control. Perhaps doing so will help you realize that there is a rhythm-a rhyme or reason-to everything in life. Rather than thinking that these are "accidents" that are occurring, refer to these conditions as moments of "Divine Design." Maybe it is a person or a situation that you do not agree with right now. For that moment, instead of having a knee-jerk reaction based on an emotional response, stop, step back, observe, and make an attempt to understand both sides of the equation-which is an incredible gift for you to practice tolerance, grace, and patience. Realize that although you have come to except a situation or condition, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're condoning a behavior or that you support it. You see it for what it is and recognize that there is something rich to learn from it. The Soul’s Journey by James Van Praagh _____________________________________________________________ I talk about acceptance quite a bit. And this is something that I still to this day I continually work on. It isn’t easy. In fact, it is downright hard and frustrating at times. I never thought that I was one to want or need to be in control. But as I get older, I seem to want to be in control more than ever. Maybe it’s because I have more life experience. I have done a lot of trial and error and I don’t want any more errors. But that’s when life will swiftly remind you that you are not in control. While it is not fun, it is an amazing tool to learn from. And while I am still perfecting my acceptance and releasing control, the many times that I have done this I was able to find great peace in stressful situations. You see, accepting means seeing things for what they really are instead of the story you are creating in your head. When you accept reality, reality then becomes your friend. The suffering and pain will subside and you are free to move and free to think again. I really like this quote: While you think of acceptance as just another word, another concept, another trick of the mind, you will not see it as the replacement of learning, and as such as an active state, a state in which you begin to work with what is beyond learning, a state in which you are in relationship with what is beyond learning. It is in truth, a state in which you enter into an alternate reality, the reality of union--because you accept that reality. ~ From A Course In Love When you learn to ACCEPT everything for what it is, you can move freely with unconditional happiness and peace. Accepting does not mean that you are giving up on change or the desire to make the situation better. Accepting means you are consciously viewing life as truth. When you accept, you can make rational and peaceful decisions based on reality vs. the story you are telling yourself. I would love to hear from you – where do you find accepting vs. resisting comes into play in your life? Are you going through a current situation where you could start learning to accept to help you move through it? May peace be with you today – XxOo Tasha : P R I D E :
I love myself, and I see myself and everyone You need to take time to honor and acknowledge who you are and what your soul has accomplished with your life thus far. You should look at your past soul choices and be mindful of how through your positive actions, compassion, and understanding, you have made a better life for yourself and others. How have you changed the world in some little way? How have you shared in fights with others? Reflect on what you have mastered. You should never under appreciate or underestimate yourself or your accomplishments. Now is the time for you to remember how brave you have been throughout your journey. Celebration is required! Humans tend to spend too much of their energy and time on negative emotions or what they have not done. This card signifies that you should take rightful ownership of who you are and how you have shared your unique light in the world. It may also be a perfect time for you to look around and acknowledge those other souls who have also accomplished many great things and you need to be reminded of them. -------------------------------------------------------------- This morning as I sat to do some reflective journaling I asked Spirit to help me set the intention this week – to show me what I need to focus on. To allow me to feel more like I am on my path or to guide me to my correct path. As I was carefully shuffling my cards, the Pride card slipped out of my hands and landed on my lap. I couldn’t remember a time when I had been given this card and at first I rejected it not knowing what it was. I was thinking to myself “Give me a happiness card, or a love card, or a protection card. Anything but this card!” But like always, I was guided to perfection. As I took out my guidebook and read more about the meaning of this card, I started to fully understand why this was the card that I truly needed in this very moment. For this day. For this week. For this lifetime. The past few months I have been pretty low. I turned 32 in October and as I look over my life I feel like I have accomplished NOTHING. Zip. Nada. I look at all the things I still want to accomplish vs. what I have accomplished. And this gets my mood and state of mind very depressed. But as I started reading the Pride card, I took out my journal and pen and started to slowly write down all of accomplishments. It was painstakingly hard at first. I could feel the resistance. Graduating High School Going to College and earning my wellness certification Buying my first brand new car at the age of 21 Creating Life (my son) And slowly but surely things started popping in and out of my head – from my ability to create quilts and sew, to creating an online blog and inspiring others, to as simple as living a healthy life. And this made me realize how we can so easily get lost in the daily life of wants and needs when we actually have all that we need. Sure we have goals and aspirations but those should be adding to your life, not masking what you have already accomplished. Today I encourage you to take a few minutes to make a list of your own accomplishments, From big to small. How have you made an impact in this world? XxOo Tasha : G R I E F :
I understand that losing something is an opportunity to appreciate it. Nothing is gone forever. The belief that we have "lost "someone or something is merely an illusion to assist us in the learning to appreciate our having had it in the first place. The emotion of grief and the sense of loss are absolutely real-but that is the point. The lesson of loss is not about the actual physical separation, because the parting is temporary and illusory. The point of the lesson is to acknowledge that the bonds of love never end and that we have not been abandoned. When you accept in your heart that you will be reunited with everything you have ever loved, it will give you the ability to move beyond your grief and derive something beneficial from the experience. To wallow in grief is to pass up the opportunity that you and your soul family have devised and learn nothing from it. Instead, allow your grief to take you to a place of deeper understanding. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have seen so much pain this past year and more specifically the past few months – death of children, parents, spouses, close friends... and my heart aches for everyone that is going through the pain of loss I never know what to say but I always send those that are hurting as much love and peaceful thoughts as I possibly can. People grieve differently. It takes time. How much time depends on the person that is experiencing loss. I, too, have experienced death in my life. Friends, relatives… but no one really close to my heart (like a parent or a child) has passed on. But like everything in life, I will experience it at one point. But I look at death a little differently. I try to find peace knowing that I cannot change the outcome. I find peace knowing that they blessed my life and that I blessed their life. I remember the good times, and even the bad times. Because all experiences made the relationship whole. I am forever changed knowing them and grateful for that change. If you are experiencing loss right now, please know that I am sending ALL of my love to you. Like a big warm blanket, my love is wrapping you – protecting you. You are loved in this very moment. XxOo Tasha |