(Another) Batch of Muffins

It's been about a week since I have posted.  I set a goal for myself for one post and one recipe a week.  I did really well initially, but this past week has been kind of hectic and I just didn't have the time to sit down and write. And when I did, I quite honestly didn't feel like it.  But since I have been feeling guilty, I made a point to make sure I sat down today to share with you.  So while this post isn't going to be my usual soapbox rant, I will share with you a recent recipe I created.  Blueberry Peach Muffins.  These are a good breakfast treat, low fat and with only 128 calories per serving.  I hope y'all enjoy this, and I hope to sit down and write a longer blog at some point today or within the next few days.  Thanks for being patient, and enjoy!

Blueberry Peach Muffins

Recipe makes 12 muffins; Serving Size is 1 muffin

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup gluten free flour
• 2 TBSP flax meal
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4-1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 fresh peaches, pitted and diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place muffin liners in a muffin tin, or spray with a nonstick cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl whisk together almond milk, applesauce, egg, canola oil and vanilla
4. In a larger bowl mix flour, flax, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet mixture
6. Mix together, but do not over mix, the batter should be somewhat lumpy
7. Gently fold in blueberries and peaches
8. Separate batter into muffin tins
9. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown
10. ENJOY when cooled!

Snitch or Samaritan?

I am not sure I have ever felt more glad that it was Friday than I did today.  What a long week; client crises, PMS, Turtle's first week in first grade, and a mountain of laundry.  I looked forward to some time on the couch watching a marathon of The United States of Tara, which Steven ever so sweetly, got me addicted to.  But while I was in the kitchen, supervising the making of our homemade nachos, I heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the parking lot.  I went outside and the little boy who lives across the street was wailing.  I mean, the kid was ugly crying.  Snot, tears, heaving. The whole nine yards.  I was sure his mom would come out and get him, but the longer I stood there in the boxer briefs I had borrowed from Steven the more I realized that was not going to happen. 

 

So I decided I needed to do something.  I pulled my sunglasses off the top of my head, where they are housed from the time I wake up until I go to bed-yes, even on work days and slid them over my eyes.  I walked over to the little guy, and realized it was Turtle's classmate who I will call Pete just for the sake of naming him.  Pete is 6 or 7, but is a little delayed.  If I had to guess, I would say he functions at the age of the average 4 or 5 year old.  Anyway, when I got over to Pete I immediately turned on "Social Work" mode, and started coaching him.  I talked him through deep breaths and other grounding techniques and when I could finally reduce the sobbing enough to understand what he was saying, he told me he had just seen a snake "running" across his front patio.  Now mind you, we were now maybe 20 feet from his patio and he was screaming loud enough that I could hear him from about 50 ft.  Yet I was the only person who came outside.  I got him back in his house and started thinking.  There are probably 10 townhouses within earshot of where Pete was standing. Each unit either has 2 or 3 bedrooms, and if we assume at least 3 people live in each unit, and maybe half of those people are home or don't have their TV up too loud, that still leaves 13 people who chose to do nothing (Steven offered to go but I was starving and he was cooking).   

 

Now, I know that some people believe in that idea of not getting involved in other people's drama.  And I get that, to an extent. I even recognize that I have reacted to a lot of situations that perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut about.  But I also know that I am the kind of person that would not have been able to live with myself if the homeless man died on the sidewalk outside of my apartment, or the little baby playing in a front yard unsupervised got kidnapped, or the reckless car full of teenagers swerved in and out of rush hour traffic without using turn signals had caused or been in an accident.  Or if poor little Pete was hurt, in any way, shape or form. 

 

So where is the line supposed to be drawn?  When are we allowed to reach out for help, or when are we supposed to just turn a blind eye? When does a snitch become a good Samaritan? Or vice versa?  I know that there are people that have either turned a blind eye to a person or situation in need of help.  Even I, the over concerned social worker has walked by a homeless person asking for change, thinking, "If I don't make eye contact it won't be like I am ignoring him".  What drives us to do that?  And how can we change it?

 

I would argue, and this goes back to my post Stamp Out Stigma!, that we are made uncomfortable about that which we do not know about, or is unfamiliar to us.  So, rather than address the problem, we turn away from it and succumb to our belief  that, "if I can't see it, it's not there", and in turn, "if it's not there, I don't have to feel uncomfortable or confront it".  Additionally, stigma plays a role in the way that we choose to judge people or situations.  "He's just a drunk" or "that family is just like that" or "I don't want to be the next victim" get in the way of us simply doing the right thing.  We could choose to treat each person or situation differently.  But it's easier for our simple minds to see each group of people, neighborhoods, families and situations as the same. And none of that should be our problem.

 

But it is our problem.  If we turn away from the issue, we are allowing ourselves to become part of the problem.  We are making it okay for a starving person to starve, or a homeless person freeze, for the two year old to be left home alone, or a partner to fall victim to their significant other's hand.  We are allowing the voiceless to remain voiceless and the oppressed to remain oppressed.  We become the problem, and I would argue, maybe even the oppressor. 

 

So since we are the problem, what can we do to change it?  I'm not saying that we need to call the police as soon as we see something which pulls at our ethical strings.  But what I am saying is we need to be sure of where our moralities lie.  We need to explore our own core belief systems. Are we causing a bigger problem?  Are we ignoring an injustice?  Or maybe just, Can I live with the decision I am about to make?  I hope that next time you hear a neighbor child like Pete screaming, or see a person in need you will think of this. And that you will make a decision that you will be able to live with. 

Someone Has a Case of the Mondays

FYI this was written last night, but I needed my lovely mother to edit before I could send it along.  Thanks, Mom!

 

I think we can all agree on the fact that Mondays all around suck.  I mean, the weekend is over, and it's time to go back to work.  Surprisingly this morning, at 6 am when I woke up to get Turtle, Steven's son, ready for his first day of first grade, I didn't have the overwhelming  Case of the Mondays I usually face; I actually felt good.  I had just returned the night before from a refreshing weekend in Virginia with Steven, spending time with people I love, and felt rejuvenated in my soul and ready for the week ahead.  Steven and I took Turtle to school and after stopping by home to refill my coffee cup I zipped off to work.

 

I felt good as I walked into the mental health center.  I was 20 minutes early which would give me plenty of time to swing by my dear friend's office, and still have time to catch up on emails and phone calls leftover from the week before.  I chatted with my dear friend, went to my office and got to work.  First thing on my To Do list was a letter needed by a client giving her permission to carry her prescription from the homeless shelter where she lives to work. No biggie.  Letter typed.  Sent to the printer. Check.

 

Still feeling good about my day, I headed to the copy room to pick up the letter so I could have a MD sign it.  My letter was still warm in my hands when I ran into one of the supervisors, who calmly told my that my supervisor was in her office and she "may have something to tell" me.  Dread hit me immediately.  I tried not to think the worst, but in the pit of my stomach, I knew.  Someone was dead.  For the second time since I started working at the local community mental health center, I was confronted with the news that one of the clients I had worked with had taken their life.

 

I sat in the supervisors' office in shock.  Conversation went on around me, but I was somewhere else.  I heard someone ask, "are you okay?" All I could respond with was a blank stare.  I waited until there was an appropriate time and I quickly sped off to my office.  I had 20 minutes before a client was due to arrive to "deal" with the news that was just unexpectedly handed to me and caused my happy Monday to come crashing down around me.  Thank goodness my sweet officemate was in our office .  She gave me some motherly words and a hug before I had to head off to see my client.

 

Fortunately for me, I am gifted and trained in shutting off my emotions and being completely present with the person I am with.  I spent the next hour with my client problem solving, building her confidence and assisting her in realizing the strength she possesses within herself.  Unfortunately that hour was eventually over, and I was once again forced to face the negative thoughts running through my head and the emotions charging through my veins.

 

I tried to distract myself with paperwork for the rest of the day.  Seeing a client or two in between the notes and treatment plans that needed to be written, but on the inside I was mourning.  I wanted to scream, cry and most importantly get some good perspective on what I was experiencing.  I tried to go talk to someone, but they were busy. Another friend offered to listen, but I didn't want to burden her.  I later thought I would take her up on her offer, but she was with a client. 

 

So once again I was back to me, myself and my thoughts.  Not a great combo at a time like this.  That lasted about 5 to 7 minutes before I had enough and went to look for someone I respect at work.  A man who is nothing but inspirational, and encourages me to do the best I can while caring for the mentally ill, our head Peer Support Specialist.  I sat down and told him what was going on and that "I really just need someone to give me some good perspective".  And he did just that. 

 

During our 15 minute conversation he helped me to remember that my thinking was kind of selfish and, more importantly, to see the good in the bad. 

 

So often, bad things happen to us, or someone we love or even just know and we are overcome by sadness and negative thoughts.  It becomes hard to see the sun shining behind the thick wall of clouds which have hit us like a brick wall.  We think things like, "why me?" or "why that family?" rather than thinking "what can I learn from this experience?" or "what can I take from this that may make me a better person". 

 

I wouldn't be honest if I said that I am able to see the good in this recent suicide, or even some of the other sad events which have shocked me to my core over the past 6 months.  Truthfully, I am still stuck in my grief and sadness.  I haven't full accepted the loss of my grandmother or my sweet dog, and I am still stunned by the suicide of a client in March.  But after talking to my coworker I am trying to see things differently.  I am trying to pick the small glimmers of light out from the darkness.  To remember the positives, to allow myself to feel the way I do and to become better because of what the people I have lost have taught me; regardless of whether I met them once, or spent almost 30 years loving them. 

 

I am going to share with you one thing that each of the people(and dogs) taught me, and that I hope to carry with me through my life.  I hope that you can do the same with your sad days, losses and Horrible Mondays.

 

To my Gram: You taught me to be a genuinely loving person.  To love everyone like God loves us, in spite of our imperfections.  You taught me what it means to be graceful, and walk through life appreciating every single moment.  You are the light in my heart, and I carry you with me every single day.  Your love and life were such a blessing to every single person who met you, and I will do my best to live and love the way you did, every day of my life.

 

To Client Number 1: Thank you for helping me to understand what a true sickness is.  To experience sitting in a room with someone who is experiencing a different reality than me was eye opening and allowed me to really know what it means to meet someone where they are.  I will do my best to always remember this and your complete vulnerability with me as I support others struggling like you did to fit in in a judgmental world.

 

To my sweet Parker Lou: Some people may think its strange that I am including a dog in here, but I don't care. You taught me how to be grateful.  How to appreciate the little things and be unselfish.  I miss your excitement about going for a walk or getting your butt scratched, and your willingness to put yourself after your "sibling". I will remember the love you gave me every day, little bud.

 

And finally, to Client Number 2: I may have only met you once, but I could tell you were hurting.  But you remained kind and your love for others was apparent.  I am saddened by your death but am reminded that your life was yours and my other clients' lives are theirs.  I am merely just a support for an hour or two a week in a life that anything but perfect.  I will do my best to remember this as I work with my clients.

 

I hope that you all can try to learn from my sadness, and journey with me as I try to find     the good and carry these for important lives with me in helping myself and all of us in living out Let's Be Wellness!

Peach and Chili Cherry Cups

This past weekend Steven and I stopped by our favorite little Asian Market to pick up some fresh, and reasonably priced shrimp and veggies. Steven had envisioned a noodle dish for dinner on Saturday, and I had picked up some Spring Roll wrappers with no idea what my contribution was going to be.  I still had no clue an hour later when we finally got home from the market when I tossed the wrappers in the fridge.

A few hours later and after a much needed nap, I was ravenous.  I knew Steven would be starting on his creation soon, and time was ticking away.  I already knew I had a package of Spring Roll wrappers unthawing and with that in mind I opened up the fridge. I dug through leftovers and new produce and came across one lonely peach and a handful of cherries and a package of Thai chili peppers we had bought earlier in the day.  I had it; I would make some sort of peach and chili cherry creation.

I threw some cherries in a pot, added a minced Thai chili pepper, some sugar and a little bit of water and got  it to boiling.  All the while tasting here and there and adding a little more chili and sugar along the way.  While the syrup was cooking I fashioned cups out of Spring Roll wrappers and grilled the peaches.  I pulled the cups out of the oven after about 10 or 15 minutes, and the peaches off the grill once they looked really juicy.  I cut up the peaches, put them in a crispy cup and drizzled each cup with the cherry chili syrup.  And, bam!  A dessert I think should be on the menu at every Asian restaurant I frequent.  And the best part is each cup only has 93 calories.  Not too bad for a sweet and spicy dessert if you ask me.

 

Grilled Peaches with Cherry Chili Syrup

Recipe Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

• 4 Frozen Spring Roll Wrappers (you can normally find a package of 25 in the frozen section at your local Asian market)
• Approximately 10 fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
• 1 Thai chili pepper, minced
• 2-3 TBSP of organic cane sugar
• 2-3 TBSP of water
• splash of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Take frozen Spring Roll wrappers out of the freezer and follow the defrosting directions on the back of the package
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and your grill to a low setting
3. Add cherries, chili, sugar, lemon juice and water to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
4. Reduce sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is a syrupy consistency.
5. Remove the sauce from heat once it has reached desired consistency
6. Put peaches on grill
7. Take Spring Roll wrappers and form any shape desired or place in a lightly greased muffin tin to make cups.  If you want you can brush with an egg white and honey mix to give them more color and flavor as they bake
8. Bake wrappers for 10-15 minutes or until golden
9. Once the peaches are juicy, remove from grill and cube
10. Place cubed peaches in cups and drizzle with generous amount of syrup

 

 

 

Stamp Out Stigma!

I was shocked last night when I logged on to Facebook to check and see what was new in the world of social media.  I was hit with endless posts about the sad and untimely death of one of my favorite childhood actors, Robin Williams.  I felt tears welling up, it had already been an impossibly hard day, and the news of a suicide rocked me to my core.  Sure, I didn't know Robin Williams. I don't know the story of his demons, his daily struggle with mental illness and addiction.  What I do know, is the struggle of my clients, of my family and friends, of far too many people who feel so alone in their misery that they result to feeling like their only option is suicide. 

 

Every year in the United States more than 30,000 people feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and fall victim to suicide (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, 2014).  This number is staggering, but what is even more shocking is that suicide is the 11th most leading cause of death in the United States, and causes twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS (SAVE, 2014).  These numbers are astounding, and put into perspective how serious of a problem suicide, and mental illness and addiction truly are.  So if this is such a problem, why isn't more being done to raise awareness and shine some light on the mental illnesses that are plaguing this world? Stigma?

 

How many times have you seen a dirty, unkempt man in the park talking to himself and laughed?  Or chuckled at the old lady pushing a shopping cart full of what appears to garbage?  Or encouraged your frat brother to have "just one more" after he just threw up a shot on the bar?  How about this; when have you been the person being laughed at or stigmatized against? The chubby, unathletic kid picked last for recess? Or the awkward teenager, trying to fit in by starving yourself, or binging and purging behind the bathroom doors? The soldier returning from war whose civilian buddies keep telling you to "man up" or "stop being such a pussy". Or even the mother of a newborn baby, experiencing a huge change in hormones all the while questioning her ability to mold another human being?  I would be willing to bet you could relate to at least one of those scenarios, and if you couldn't you know someone who could.  Heck, I can relate to at least one of those, if not more. We have called people "pscyhos" or "schizo"  or even referred to ourselves saying, "I am so bipolar".  And so I would be hard-pressed to believe you if you told me you had never stigmatized anyone or been stigmatized against.  If all of us can relate as either the stigmatized or stigmatizer why don't we do something to something to change this?

 

Unfortunately we either laugh at or avoid things we don't know about, therefore the first step to reducing stigma is through education.  There is so much information out there, and if you are reading this blog, you better not tell me you don't have a way to access it.  Shoot, if you are reading this blog and consider yourself to fit into the group of stigmatizers, click out of the window and google "mental illness" or "addiction" something of that nature.  And read.  I don't care if you come back to the window of Let's Be Wellness, as long as you learn something to open your eyes to what people with mental illness really go through each day.

 

Now that stigma is gone, nothing stands in the way of asking for help.  The insecure teenager can go to her mother, the soldier can talk openly with his commander, the new mother can ask for help instead of feeling like she "should know what she is doing".   Unfortunately that is the future I hope will exist someday and not the sad reality we live in.  So as we work to reduce stigma, I also propose we encourage others to get help.  Or to reach out to those we need help.  Call your local mental health center, your doctor, a friend, your Pastor, 911; someone who can get you pointed in the direction you may need.  Therapy, medication, or maybe just a listening ear.

 

Let's not let Robin Williams or any of the other 39,999 victims of suicide die in vain. Let's reduce stigma. Let's educate ourselves.  Let's reach out to those in need.  Let's reach out when we are in our own places of need.  Let's Be Happy! Let's Be Healthy! Let's Be Wellness!

 

***If you or someone you know is in immediate fear for their life, CALL 911***

SHUT UP!

All day long I have been thinking, "Oh! I want to write about this! Or, "Oh yeah, that is definitely something I need to blog about!" Of course as soon as I'm on the couch feeling ready to write about this and that, NOTHING, will come out!

Almost immediately, my brain starts messing with me.  "Really, Emily?! Why did you share your blog with the world?" or " No one is going to care about Let's Be Wellness; you were crazy for thinking that" and even "You aren't smart enough to write a blog for people to read. You can't even write. What makes you think you are qualified to give people tips about their lives and well being?!"

 

SHUT UP!!!

 

Negative self talk is something almost everyone experiences at least once in their life.  Really?  That many people, Emily?  What makes you think that?  Well, I know that I personally battle my negative thoughts on a daily basis and am regularly reminding myself to tell those nasty buggers to shut up!  In addition to my personal struggle with negative self talk, I would be willing to bet that I hear at least one negative thought turned words come out of the mouth of my coworkers every day.  I also hear my clients regularly verbalize their negative thoughts about self in therapy sessions. 

 

So since it is so prevalent, something obviously needs to be done to reduce the negative thinking that is so common in our culture today.  I know that I have always struggled with negative thinking, but fortunately a few years ago, while at Virginia Commonwealth University for grad school I started my education not only in Social Work, but also in self discovery.

 

As a Master's level student in one of the top Social Work programs in the country, I knew I was bound to learn.  What I didn't realize that Summer of 2009, was that I was also going to leave VCU with a Master's in Emilyology.  I was asked numerous times through out my two years in my MSW program to write papers about self awareness; examining my beliefs about self and the world around me. I deepened my knowledge about my own insecurities.  The negative thoughts that had repeatedly ran through my head for 24 years were pouring salt on my wounded ego.  Shortly after my second year began, I ended a two year relationship.  While I look back now and realize this breakup was needed, I was already struggling to adjust to life as a more than fulltime second year student.  Talk about more salt.  My friends and family watched me in misery.  Losing tons of weight unhealthily. Partying a lot.  Hiding behind a smile.

 

Some of you all are probably thinking "What the Hell?  Why would someone subject themselves to self exploration to that extent? And pay $9000 a year to do it?"  That's a good question.  But it also has a good answer.

 

What I forgot to mention was, there was another tool being given to my cohort and I as we slaved away to Research, Practice and Internships.  We were also asked to write about illnesses, interventions and policy.  Evidence Based Practices were taught, and we built and filled our therapeutic toolbox as we moved through our second semester.  We wrote papers, we role played, we presented.  And all this time developing friendships that are very dear to me to this day.  I learned ways to teach myself and others skills needed to help me help others, and myself.  But I didn't realize this quite yet.

 

 

After talking to a few of my beloved friends, and my wonderfully supportive mother, I decided it wouldn't be so bad to go and see a therapist.  VCU offered free counseling.  And my parents had just brought me Esmerelda, my 80s model beach cruiser bicycle.  I made an appointment and a few days later pulled Esme out of the shed in my backyard.  Surely I could ride a couple miles on my bike. In Richmond. During rush-hour.  Now that I look back I think that I may have been exhibiting some delusions of grandeur. But I hopped on that rusty beach cruiser and headed off to the Medical Center of Virginia (MCV) campus where my intake appointment would be for counseling.  Now, before I go any further, I would like you to take a peek at the map to the left of the page.  That is the route I took.
It may look simple, and pretty short in distance, but trust me.  In leggings, a t-shirt and gladiator sandals, atop Esmerelda, in rush-hour, uphill-both ways, it was not even a little bit fun.  I surprisingly made it only 3 minutes late, and began my intake appointment.  Now, I won't bore you with the details.  What I will share with you is what I learned after being asked all the regular mental health assessment questions.  I learned that I was 1. normal and 2. not going to make it in therapy with this guy.  Disclaimer: I don't remember this man's name. And this statement is in no way about him or his therapeutic skills, it was due to what I discovered during my hour long session.  During this time, Dr. Nameless and I discussed my symptoms.  I found myself spilling my guts to a complete stranger.  Telling him everything I had been discovering and loathing about myself over the past almost two years.  As I sat there talking to him, I started picking up on the things he was saying and doing.  I recognized this and that too! Motivational Interviewing! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy! Mindfulness!  He was demonstrating skills that were being drilled into me in school.  I finished my conversation with Dr. Nameless, and decided I would be better off walking Esmerelda back south of the James.  As I walked, I thought.

 

During that eternal walk I made 3 decisions.  1. I didn't want to, and wouldn't go back to that dingy office. 2. If for some reason I ever needed to go back to MCV, I would not be taking Esme on my journey,  and 3. I was going to learn everything I could about the interventions I would be practicing with others some day and use them to help myself.  And so I did.  I taught myself positive self talk. Changed my negative thought patterns. And began to fall in love with my life in Richmond. 

 

More than 3 years later as a Licensed Social Worker and therapist for the local mental health center, I continue to practice these therapy skills in my own life as well as my practice with clients.  I remind myself that the bad thoughts will come, but they can float away just as easily as they came in, just like a summer storm.  I remind myself to love myself. To care for myself in a holistic way, and to encourage others to do the same. 

 

I am grateful for that intake appointment.  But I am more grateful for the lessons I learned while I was at VCU.  I learned and developed myself not only a human being, but also as a therapist.  I have every intention and hope that I will be able to continue using these skills in my life, while sharing them with you.  Not as your therapist, but as a friend with experience.

 

"I am smart. I am good. I am knowledgeable."

 

Let's Be Happy! Let's Be Healthy! Let's Be Wellness!

 

 

 

   

 

 

Fresh Cherry Watermelon Mint and Feta Salad

I would be lying if I told you that I hadn't been putting off publishing this post until the very last minute. Well, there is a good reason for that.  I told myself that once I had three posts published, I would share my blog with everyone.  I don't feel uncomfortable with strangers reading my writing, but I have always been shy about people I know, other than my mom, reading some of my personal thoughts and feelings.  I am a pretty open book, but just like everyone I have insecurities.  While I think that Steven and I make delicious food, and that I am a pretty decent writer; everyone's palates for food and writing are different.  Plus, let's face it, not everyone can cook.  So, my fears with sharing my blog is that people will 1. not like the recipes and/or posts I have and/or 2. royally screw up our recipe and make it taste horrible (of course that won't be you!).  Maybe that's mean, but it's honest.  Anyway, a wise person once told me that our fear is meant to keep us from achieving greatness.  And I hope that this blog will be just that.  If I/we can help one person want to eat healthier, be more active and care for themselves more holistically then I will call this a great success.  

So here goes nothing, my leap of faith in touching one life. My third post. And my moment to share Let's Be Wellness with my friends, family and anyone else wanting to better their lives!
 This recipe for Fresh Cherry Watermelon Mint and Feta Salad serves 6 and has only 67 calories per 85g serving (a little less than 1/2 cup). While it's high in sugars and saturated fat, this recipe comes packed with a very high amount of Vitamin B6.  B6 plays an important role in the body's production of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are your body's natural antidepressants.  No wonder, I have felt so good at work these past few days munching on this for a midday snack. This recipe also provides us with high levels of Vitamins A and C which many of us already know are very important for our bodies.  We will provide you with more information about the nutrients and importance of eating healthy recipes as we  continue developing our blog.  But for now, I hope this recipe gives you an idea of how delicious and diverse healthy eating can be.

 

Fresh Cherry Watermelon Mint and Feta Salad

Recipe Makes 6, 85g Servings (a little less than 1/2 cup)

 

After making, recipe keeps in the refrigerator for about 5 days

 

 

Ingredients:

·        2 cups Fresh Watermelon, cubed (you probably want to pick out the seeds if you can!)

·        1/3 cups  Fresh Cherries, pitted and halved

·        1/2 medium Red Onion, cut in thin slices

·        1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

·        4 to 5 leaves of Fresh Mint, minced

·        Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.     Mix all items except for cheese together in a medium to large bowl

2.     Refrigerate until cold

3.     Add Feta crumbles and stir

A Baker Is Reborn

Well, the time you all have been waiting for has finally arrived. I have decided it is time to begin sharing my recipes and new love found for learning about nutritional values with you all.
 
As some of you may know, I have recently rekindled my relationship (Steven may call it an obsession) with baking. This love was first born in the year 1999 while working at a bakery back home in Pennsylvania. Grandma's Country Oven Bake Shoppe was a place that allowed me to grow as a teenager, while filling my belly with some of the most perfect baked goods I have ever eaten.  In addition to helping me pack on the pounds, the owner of Grandma's, Kathy, taught me many of the basic skills needed for baking which I continue to carry with me to this day. After a wonderful stint at the bakery and nearly five years rocking the lovely signature bonnets the staff wore, I had my fill of baking and I became just a normal, unemployed, student/teenager and put my days at the bakery behind me.

 
Now, over 10 years later, I have once again realized how much I love baking and have channeled my inner baker. This time, however, I am more conscientious of nutrition and ways to make things taste good without all the extra unnecessary calories, fat, carbs and other stuff we need to be mindful of ingesting.
 
Okay, Emily. Blah, blah, blah get to the recipe.
 

Well first, let me be honest and say that the originial recipe for the muffins weren't as healthy  as they could be; they weighed in at around 280 calories each. Yikes! With the concept of Let's Be Wellness in mind, I modified the recipe. And voila! I was able to get the calorie intake down by 100 calories, just by substituting some of the ingredients with healthier options! I was also abke to reduce a lot of the sugars by cutting the amount of cherries in about half.  Not  bad if you ask me. So while this may not be the most calorie concious breakfast, it is healthier than when I started, and is a good treat when you are in the mood for something sweet in the morning.

 
Okay, this time I am really going to stop blabbing and get to the recipe! Enjoy!

 

 

Yummy Cherry Muffins!

 

 

Ingredients (8 muffins, 1 muffin per serving)

• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Fresh Cherries, halved and pitted
• 1 and 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Organic Cane Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used peach Chobani because it was about to go bad, you can use whatever you have around or like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put muffin liners in the muffin tin
In a medium to large bowl, mix all dry ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk eggs
Add all liquid ingredients to eggs and mix together
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid mixture into the well
Mix all ingredients together until blended
Fold in cherries, don't over mix or it may make the muffins tough
Pour batter into the muffin tin evenly
Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or when muffins are golden brown/resemble the picture below
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes
ENJOY!

 

Side Note: I sprinkled granola on top of the muffins I made at home. It added a little extra yum, but also some unneeded calories and carbs.  
 
I hope you all enjoy these muffins and come back soon for more wellness tips and recipes! Let's Be Happy! Let's Be Healthy! Let's Be Wellness!

Welcome to Let's Be Wellness!

So let's just address the obvious off the bat...this is my first post and I am a little nervous about getting started on putting Let's Be Wellness out into the world. Of course, I decided to start this venture after 7 hours in the car taking Steven's son to meet his grandma and with a homemade cherry-watermelon-mint margarita in hand. Maybe that's a good thing, with a little bit of tequila flowing through my veins and exhaustion creeping up on me, I may be a bit more open, and give all of you readers an honest look into Let's Be Wellness and what we are hoping to achieve.

 

Steven and I met almost a year ago. Maybe it was love at first sight, maybe it was just craziness, but we hopped into an amazing relationship which has grown into a partnership.  One of things this partnership has born is a passion for helping people become the best they can be. We have been building the concept for Let's Be Wellness for some months now, and we are taking the steps to help us get to the point of being able to work with others. Therefore we began this blog and posts on other social media (Pintrest, Intstagram, Twitter ).

 

Now that I have all of that out there, let's get down to the nitty gritty.  What is Let's Be Wellness? And why should you take your time to follow our blog (and Pintrest, Instagram, Twitter)?  I am glad you asked that, because I have been dying to tell someone the cheesy story about where our name for our brand came from. A short time into our relationship Steven  and I were having a few small issues. You know, normal cohabitation issues; clothes on the floor, toilet seats being left up, and dishes in the sink. Although the norm for most couples, it was the first road block in our relationship. This caused high levels of stress and irritation. Just like I said, the norm. We went back and forth about what we could do to fix the problem. We could break up…no. We could live separately…no. Or, we could just be. We could learn to love and accept one another and ourselves through caring for our minds, bodies and souls. And so was born the idea of Let's Be Wellness.

 

Now that you know the cheesy , I should tell you the "why" in why you should follow us. We are hoping that we can use Let's Be Wellness to encourage others to live the way we are. Caring for themselves in a holistic way which allows them I mean…YOU, to be the absolute highest functioning and most productive version of yourself you can be. We will share our healthy recipes, fitness tips and mental and spiritual wellbeing advice.

            Let's Be Happy! Let's Be Healthy! Let's Be Wellness!