Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Healthy Foods Substituting Ingredients

Healthy foods can substitute processed and other ingredients that your body doesn’t use as nutrition.

The Great British Bake Off does substituting ingredients. But healthy substituting, I’m not so sure about because that’s not their point.

Getting to love healthy foods can take gradual changes.

And food variety and curiosity can create opportunities.

Eating healthy got me interested in cooking healthy foods and using healthier ingredients later in life post-catering management work days.

Those days, I rarely cooked as I was always around decadent foods from a hotel kitchen.

And then stepping away from party planning and then into the pandemic days, I started to home cook and bake daily.

One ingredient at a time, I exchanged filler and not so great ingredients for healthy ones.

It started with interest and fascination with exchanging a simple ingredient like yeast for eggs, gives you risen bread instead of pasta.

That’s the same sort of small ingredient change that you can make in daily meal planning (even if you don’t cook today), that can make a big difference in your health.

But first, you need to know what to do.

“When you know better, you do better.” -Maya Angelou

Btw, as of today, Maya Angelou is now appearing on minted quarters (so her legacy advice is even more valuable!).

But anyway… long before I learned to cook, I didn’t care so much about the quality of ingredients as I did the final product taste.

And for work, I planned catering events in hotels and restaurants, and I can’t think of a single instance where there was a request for a full-on healthy party menu (over good tasting meals).

That theme never came up in conversations. In throwing successful events, enjoyable and making happy memories in those situations means serving an unforgettable mouthful of delicious.

Once in a while, sprinkled in the mix, there would be a request for healthier alternatives because of food allergies, or for a raw vegetable crudite platter that was considered veg-forward, and to start the party off on a light note.

Or for conference event planning, where the catered food was the main daily food the guests were eating and the host planner wanted healthier energy and “brain food” served. But those were the exceptions.

And that’s partly because eating rich foods for a day or eating out for a few days doesn’t have the same consequences as it does for daily eating that become the routines and habits.

When you have an overall goal to stay healthy or be health-conscious, you care about the overall weekly diet and the ingredients.

And if you’re the one cooking and adding the ingredients, you get to decide how much of this or that you add to meals. That can very rewarding and I share a few tips below whether or not you cook today.

…You just never know what will be a good source of inspo to get you cookin’ and as I found on my journey.

I never say never, but if you live near a city especially, gardening isn’t usually the main source for full-on meals. But many of us cook regularly as we want to learn how to make new dishes and develop cooking skills confidence.

So that’s my first tip for anyone: to try and cook more often even if you don’t think you can boil an egg or make a box of pasta. We all start somewhere!

When you make, cook, or bake your food, you start to think about your foods more than when you’re just eating, heating, or ordering food in.

Then that brings more awareness to eating healthy foods if that’s a goal you have.

And in that case, making everyday recipes that have sticks of butter or shortening just won’t cut it.

At first, you can be feeling at odds following recipes that have a mix of healthy and not-so-healthy ingredients. That’s part of the journey.

I always start with the ingredients.

If I don’t like what’s in it, then I just skip the recipe or food. But when you’re starting out, following a recipe is easier and can be more fruitful… just in case you needed some cooking encouragement to keep trying.

Our olive oil EVOO society has also made it easier. That’s what I call it because EVOO (thank you to the Mediterranean diet) is often used in restaurants over butter, that used to be the standard.

Healthy fat foods and healthy monounsaturated fat like EVOO (as in EVeryday olive oil + extra virgin) used with a light hand drizzle is going to be a good substitute for your body health.

Just add a few drops and then spread it around the pan with a baton flick of the ninja cooking wrist . Just sayin’ too much of a good thing is too much.

But a little bit benefits your cooking too. Besides food flavor and a glisten, this keeps your food and pans from cooking heat burns.

The biggest goes to body health of course. So, my second tip is to substitute butter with healthier ingredients like applesauce or yogurt for baking, and ghee or EVOO for cooking when you can.

Traditional Christmas Cookies are the sweet recipe exception I have found that isn’t the same without the buttery taste-texture.

But even in that context, I still think (and from my own baking experiments) know that butter can be substituted, and still be just as delicious and enjoyable.

You may just have to get a ‘lil more creative with the cookie decorating.

…I made these (above photo) bak-love-a layers with light EVOO (that’s great for sweet and savory baking). I only used butter to add on the top layer glaze to please my younger self.

Just an example that balanced moderation can be effectively added into recipes where it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

I find hard and fast rules can fall flat and in the category elimination diet that I tend to stay away from.

I think eating diverse, mostly plant-based, and moderation for most everything else is the way to go and the way I go. Especially if you have food allergies and sensitivities.

But, this is a healthy leap from when I started my baking journey using ingredients like shortening that you still see in Southern comfort cooking recipes.

Aah… but, when I knew better, I did better. And that could be your journey.

Like I learned butter is made from heavy cream and if you keep whipping, it easily turns to butter.

It’s lessons like this where you can get revelations like I did, that an ingredient’s makeup and consistency is (ex)changeable. And so, ingredients are not fixed as what we know them as. They can be substituted and swapped in recipes.

A good example would be substituting sugar with healthy foods like dried fruits, fruit zest, or honey (that can help allergies too).

These types of little changes make big difference to health, and how you feel in your day. And, maybe the bottom line… or the waistline (yay!).

Or, maybe you’re a natural Vata (or know of some)…that’s me too , where you may have inherited the thinner genes and higher metabolism. You still have to watch the fats.

If you’re a female adult, you wanna make sure you’re not “skinny fat” that’s a good healthy measurement.

You can do this by comparing your waist to hip ratio (where most women can aim for under 80%).

There are no shortcuts to good health as your body has a different opinion on what it needs that’s different than our tastes and wants.

Another healthy substitute is oats and grits for pie crusts, cookies, and brownies mixed with apple sauce or yogurt and honey. When you bake, then you can make these swaps pretty easily, both butter and gluten-free (without flour).

Healthy foods like grits can be used as the pie base.

But when you shop from grocery shelves that’s a different story as pie shells look harmless, despite not-so healthy ingredients. And healthy foods don’t jump off the shelves either.

You can just as easily add Greek yogurt and jam or fresh fruit to your gritty pie shell.. that’ll hold up beautifully!

That’s how I started, not really paying attention to nutrition labels and ingredients.

Then along my healthful journey, I decided not to choose Mister Donut of any kind, fresh or not, because I knew and know what’s in them.

Besides taste, very little. And lots of sugar and fat. And I trained myself from awareness to look at them like that, and see the missing-ness through the hole in the middle.

But for others, and you, that could just as easily be another processed food item where the consequence is known and inevitable.

When a tradeoff is determined as individually undesirable, then you beneficially want to give it up (and don’t HAVE to give it up that can cause an internal conflict).

These btw (below) are healthy “donut hole” inspo w-hole bites and balls of energy that anyone can bake and substitute for high-sugar and fat.

Black bean “brownie-inspo” ball of energy bites

When you pause on the processed foods, you can gradually not desire to eat the super-sweet stuff anymore. It can work if you work it. And then you actually like the taste of healthy foods.

Your habits then become your choices.

If you’ve ever fasted, then you probably know the feeling… because after a while you can stop caring or obsessing about eating (like I did in fasting experiences). I’m not a good faster but I’ve attempted fasting sweets.

After a day or so, you can stop craving whatever you’re fasting from because you, your mind, and your body are in agreement that you don’t need those foods (at least not now).

So, then you’re satisfied.

And that’s all you need to care about when it comes to eating enjoyment. Being content to be happy.

…I remember the days when I got teased by friends for eating healthy and selecting healthy food choices. I felt bad they didn’t know what I knew in nutrition, and sadly, that adds aging stress on the body.

Our bodies are tricky and complex and has a different daily systematic agenda that doesn’t necessarily like our unhealthy choices after swallowed or initial taste bud food changes that we choose (that can be unhealthy or healthy foods).

I knew back then (even if it was subconscious) that I wanted to live without eating regrets or damaging the one body we’re given, so I followed my instincts and those became habits.

When you don’t take for granted your body’s resiliency, that can help you to want to be healthier.

Plus, we have so much more food sources and healthy information available to us now that allows us to buy ingredients in person, online, and from global sources.

When your body is used to you eating healthy, another healthy food strategy (and final tip) is to switch up the healthy foods and ingredients regularly. Switching up foods is fun.

It’s an enjoyable game you can play that you’ll never get sick of and is what your body wants for you as it craves good taste and healthy variety.

Plus, if a food is labeled bad or good and that evolves or changes, like nuts used to be deemed bad and now are great healthy fats, then you haven’t put all your eggs in one basket … you know what I mean, Jelly Bean .

And you can make your own baklava… baking and phyllo dough is as fun as pasta making along with the Great British Baking Show.

Easy Phyllo Dough For Baklava

Make phyllo dough from scratch! It's not as difficult as it sounds... and dare I say fun!

Course Dessert

Cuisine lebanese

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup flour
1 cup water
pinch of salt
honey
chopped nuts
dates, orange, and cinnamon (optional)
additional bench flour (to prevent sticking)

Instructions

Making phyllo is a lot like making homemade pasta, but much thinner.
Make a mound and a hole in the middlle where you can add the olive oil and slowly add water. Knead for about 5 minutes and then form a dough disc. Let rest.
Roll out as thin as possible and then you can slip into the pasta maker if you have one, adjusting until you get to the thinnest setting (e.g. 1). It will look opaque but the hope is that there will be no holes.
Cut into strips that you will use as layers for the baklava.
For the baklava, you can brush honey and top with chopped dates and nuts (walnuts or pistachios work well) on every other layer if you make 7 layers ending with the top layer with honey and nuts. Sprinkle each layer with cinnamon and orange zest if you like (good for Ayurvedic Vata balancing!).

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Buche de Noel Sponge Cake + Happy Places

Buche de noel sponge cake gets better when you pair with happy places. It’s a Christmas cake that’s celebrated around the world.

The recipe I use is modified from a sponge cake in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

And it’s cake that can be made anytime. It’s a happy new year 365-day cake to celebrate happy moments (and visit your daily inner happy place).

At home, baking is my jam and how I swiss roll decorated with sprinkles, plus vanilla-chai and chocolate-flavored for both tastes. I see the cocoa and Greek yogurt ingredients as both healthy and happy

This Buche de Noel sponge cake rolls me into the mood to share my happy places on the planet besides home (and some are ranked happiest places and cities, so I know I’m not the only one ).

For Americans, “the happiest place on earth” to visit is Disney World: a place where you can find the dressed-up celebrity mouse and his wife waltzing about their world adding to people’s fantasy land dreams.

Overseas, I like to “doll up” in a grown up city like Copenhagen… it’s ranked as the happiest city in the world for its cobblestone-street charm and cool vibes on the water. I’m grateful I checked it off my list in 2018.

Every day is a photo postcard there:

Copenhagen is a happy places that looks like a postcard!

It’s pretty magical and the culture embraces balance as a way of life. It’s in their calm and cool energy, taking time to slow down and not rush around.

This Little Mermaid is the most photographed woman (or fish) in the world

Then if you head north to Bergen, Norway, you’re in happy central territory for trolls.

You know, the colorful ones like Poppy with her glitter-power and friends from the movie, Trolls.

It’s a different place where you may not be sure whether to laugh or give a puzzled look as you venture around.

The whole idea of trolls is wondrous and can make you curious about what exists out there? If nothing else, it’s fun to look at the indigenous troll trinkets like characters in Disney but with 4 fingers and toes.

Cute or not-so-cute is for you to decide

…Bergen is just a hop, skip, and a jump from little Norwegian towns surrounded by lush foliage and waterfalls. Occasionally you can see a cute roof, and wonder who lives in those dwellings like a Nordic scene from the EuroVision movie.

…And what do they eat? I’m into biodiverse eating, but in Norway, they have fresh fruits and similar protein categories that are also in our healthier Western diets. You may have heard of the Nordic Diet, one of the flavors in anti-inflammatory diets out there today.

One main difference is they use canola oil over a southern Mediterranean diet that uses EVOO (and is not a “diet”). Unlike fad or buzzy trending diets, these are based on the daily foods (what they eat) in an entire region in the world.

Like most cities, they have organic markets and local farmer’s markets with the freshest seasonal goods.

Here I saw some fresh berries:

And plenty o’ wild salmon (where many restaurants source their catches) where you can make your own healthy fish and chips.

And moving away from the rural and into the City of Light life like in Emily in Paris, you can be in a new awe.

In my happy place just under the Eiffel Towel.

It’s a walking city.

If you’re a fan of “Emily in Paris,” then you know this is where Emily’s friend sings with her “garage band” in Season 2

Paris is a happy place to visit as there’s so much to see walking around and when you just wanna chill, you can stroll in the parks.

Another happy place to visit is the U.K. where there’s so much to see and do. And I’m enamored since The Great British Bake Off show full of baking tent fun and laughs.

Who knew there were flowers in the winter like these ones in Shakespeare’s Garden on the other side of the pond of…

Washington, D.C. which is where I lived and worked most my life.

You may know Washington, D.C. for the power-hungry, political society. But that’s only a part of the area.

You can relax and take a leisurely kayak or canoe on the Potomac River or take a scenic drive along to see the monument skyline.

There’s plenty of American history to discover as it’s the place where Presidents temporarily live during office. And was permanent home to the first President, George Washington. Plus so much more interesting history on the downtown mall.

Then when you’ve seen enough of the historical buildings, you can fly south (like birds that still migrate) to a slower pace.

One happy getaway is…

Clearwater, Florida.

Hope and Winter from The Dolphin Tale movie lived there. Dolphins are happy mammals, so that should tell you something

On vacay, you don’t feel the hustle and bustle from the city with slow driving cars, less stress on the streets, and fewer tourists. It has a tropical vibe like a pina colada smoothie you can sip on watching the Florida palm trees swaying and beautiful sunsets.

The Gulf is known for fresh fish catches like fresh grouper, so a fishmonger can bring it to you cooked fresh from the boat.

So those are the happy places I can drop a pin on(plus one when I’m making the Buche de Noel sponge swiss cake ).

Buche de Noel Sponge Cake

Modified recipe from the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book"

Equipment

Silpat and baking pan
tea towel

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup monk fruit sugar
jam and yogurt of choice (for filling)

Instructions

Separate eggs. Tip: It's easier to separate eggs when they are cold from the fridge. Then let them warm up to room temperature.
Beat egg yolks in a regular size bowl and add juice and baking powder.
Separately beat egg whites in a larger mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. The small amount of sugar will help bring the texture together.
After step 3, gently pour egg yolks into egg white bowl. Gently fold in egg whites to combine yolks. Don't mix or overmix as that will deflate the egg white air which is the reason why the egg white was separated from the eggyolk in the first place. This will give a higher rising sponge cake.
Spread on a Silpat lined baking pan about 3/4" thick or the size of your yule log you would like. Bake on 325°F for about 45 minutes or longer (mostly depending on actual thickness). Pull out of oven before sides start to brown.
While warm-hot out of the oven, pull out cake and roll up into a tea towel like a sleeping bag to get the "swirl." You want to make sure to do this while it's warm or it will break when cool.
Let cool and when cool, cut off ends. Add a layer of jam or yogurt that you want inside.
Pour melted chocolate over the cake and after cooled, drag a fork around the glaze for a yule-log effect.

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Confidence Building For A New Year

Confidence building is underrated if you don’t want a repeat of last year in certain aspects of your life. We’re meant to grow and get better.

And this could be a good blog article for you to read to bring out your confidence building skills this year…

my confidence building Empowered Happiness book. — My personal growth book helps those who want to transform their internal ways and insecurities, and turn them to external confidence building and lasting happiness.

Let’s start from the beginning…

If you were born into a home where love was expressed daily, then you felt a sense of security and confidence that others did not (but could develop).

Whether that was your luck in life or not, you grew up and don’t know any different life outside your body. It’s all relative to you.

And if you didn’t grow up with developed inner confidence building (how my life story began), you can give that to yourself in empowered confidence (and self-love) that maybe through my ethos, transparency, and sharing in this article can help to encourage you along your journey.

And a little sweet treat never hurt either. I grew up with blueberry muffins (and graduated to a blueberry muffin healthy recipe below that can be made into snack energy balls )

Btw, as a grown adult looking back, neither upbringing situation is better or worse, it’s what you do with your life situations that makes the difference in your outcomes and happiness.

So, that’s the first conscious belief you can be reminded of to help you.

“What you think, so you will become.”

-Napoleon Hill

But, if you didn’t grow up with an assured sense of familial belonging or love, then you probably started out not expecting as much from others and had the desired sense for comfort and belonging because that was missing early on in your life.

But that’s different than insecurity which is an area that manifests and shows up in many different ways for anyone and isn’t always as easy to detect.

Insecurity can run along the crevices and cracks in a person, showing up at any given moment or when triggered. Just like emotions can.

In an interview with Oprah, Priyanka Chopra Jonas acknowledged that her parents never fought in front of her when she was young, and that gave her a sense of balance and confidence (but she also faced insecurities from the external world because she lived in two different cultures). I stay attuned on the yoga mat!

Balance Is Life’s Answer

And Priyanka got the concept right. Balance is a healthy recipe for children growing up. But not everyone has that story theme running as a backdrop.

And in that case, you can be more hungry for what you didn’t have if and when you get a taste of it and want more… and then the balance can swing the other way (off-balance) on the pendulum until there is a counterbalance back to balance.

…So early on, I was far from knowing how to restore my imbalances (or counterbalance), so in hunger, I’m making up for in lost time

These days, I choose to live calm and happy with optimal living and work towards longevity goals, over instant gratification and unsustainable desires.

I believe it all works out in the end in your confidence of knowing what you want that’s healthy. And I believe your beliefs carry you.

But that didn’t take effect until years after tasting work-life balance for the first time in my late 20s. Everything before that felt like a hard test I couldn’t pass on my own, I think.

In those days, I came to the realization that work-life balance was more important than grinding myself to the bone to meet life goals which was the opposite belief I held before then.

I had the opportunity to drop more things I had been dragging around as baggage crumbs, previously hidden under the rug.

And as years passed and experiences were gained, I realized Life can evolve into something different anyway. That can help us grow and change.

The one constant I have held onto is: time is more valuable than money. Paper is manmade and can be regenerated (and time cannot).

When I freed up mind time (letting go and surrendering old beliefs) and I started to work on myself, who I was becoming that would determine outcomes, and I noticed insecurities showed up.

Before then, insecurity was like an invisible blanket where there was a transparent veil covering.

Then unmasked, those feelings were mostly made aware to me in triggered relationship-related thoughts I had, and in those magnified situations, then I could take the opportunity to make a thought change at that moment and tell my mind who’s boss.

Oh – joy… and how satisfying!

If you’re in an awareness zone or reflective season in life, then you know what I’m talking about as you evaluate your life.

And you know your thought life is changeable! You may not be good at it yet, but you know it’s possible. Yay!

Being aware is easier if you’re not so busy (and finding a few moments to reflect even if that means waking up a few minutes early but then feeling much better in your day).

With an aspired balanced lifestyle and evolved mind these days, I can work on myself, and confidence from the gains of this year and past year’s experiences. And finding Life happiness isn’t based on situations.

If balance or happiness are not natural or strong suits for you, then using a journal can be a good first step to purge thoughts and feelings.

As you reflect on this year’s end, you could make a list of all that you have accomplished including mindset shifts, attitudes, and beliefs. For starters, you probably are more patient, resilient, thankful, kind, valuing people, and less selfish (or maybe even a bit selfless).

Those traits will help you do and get more in your life!

Plus, add any tangible accomplishments. I’m sure there were A LOT more than you think in your mind at the (or this) moment.

After you’ve got them written and meditated on them, then let them go so your ego doesn’t get the better of you.

And those helpful actions will help bring healthy outcomes and changes in your life (that’ll pay dividends for the rest of your life).

And if you want to feel even better about yourself today, you could bring out your writing pad and pen or writing instrument and jot down a few extra thoughts about how you can use the changes you’ve made in the past year — for next year.

A little year-end goal-setting never hurts and can help because we know action provides clarity. You put one step in front and that provides a new experience and perspective.

And then openly see what comes up in new doors.

A good place to start is to think of an area you would like to grow in and expand by teaching or sharing with others what you know.

Whether you end up teaching or not is not the only endpoint.

It’s really just to get the action ball rolling and juices flowing. Because when you think of what you can teach, that requires you to have learned and processed what it is you want to teach.

And not knowing everything on that subject makes you better because you’re determined to learn and stay relevant.

And when you can teach others in a way they understand, then you know you’ve passed the test. You can also fine-tune and discover a deeper niche, or discover an area that you had previously dismissed (where the timing wasn’t right).

You keep pivoting and trying new things. No harm, no foul. It’s all good. And keeps your fountain of youth. And as you persevere, you become more resilient.

And if you have moments where your feel down on yourself or your accomplishments, refer to your positive pep-self-talks (the ones in front of a mirror) and your past-year accomplishment written notes you hopefully made (or will make) from the above suggestion.

It’s easy to forget what you did this year and a few years ago as current and year-end thoughts and feelings can crowd in, so just a nudge to take those few extra minutes to take a pause.

And another note is to focus more on who you became (who you are today) and are becoming more of, and not so much on what the accomplishment means.

An example in my life is I wrote about lessons learned and ended up publishing a book that is easier to refer to than a bunch of micro-lessons. I didn’t set out to write a book but it made sense at the time.

Since then I’ve grown in other areas (that’s what growth mindset means) and I can’t go back and replace those exact thoughts in the same way, so the timing was (and is) everything.

I got the ball rolling, evolved, and am evolving… and that’s my encouragement to you.

You did great things this year and in 2020 (a year none of us will forget) and the time leading up to then. And some are gained life skills. That can help in confidence building toward your future.

You can diversify where you use your transferrable skills in different multi-passionate areas.

…And since I’m on a multi-area roll here, another area I like to be reminded of is about making new friends online which we all can do.

We find our people out there that we wouldn’t be able to without the internet (and with or without a pandemic).

While socially distanced, it’s a healthy comforting bright spot to be in a like-minded community, and we help one another be better versions of ourselves in some ways.

It’s not the vanity photos and words that we want to show off, but the inspirations, and ideas that we want to pass on.

The contagious energy brings more love, encouragement, and support to your life and others.

…And couldn’t we all use some of that in our lives to keep us lifted up and to further optimize our aspired highest quality of living?

You matter. And in your empowerment, it’s really about you participating and sharing some bit of brightness in the world in your unique way. Your brightness shines.

And then you gain more confidence building to move forward as you’re showered back with love.

That’s one of the best gifts that you can give a stranger and they can give back as you meet more people and get to know them.

…And finally… Yes, I’m getting down to the wire… it doesn’t hurt to take a few risks, and would probably serve you well.

When you learn something new and put a stake in the game, then you reap rewards. Part of that is in your belief about risk-reward.

This past year, I joined 4 courses and memberships. Two I’m still processing and for the other two I’m seeing the fruit and more clarity already by taking action.

That’s a 50-50 reward.

But had I not joined any of them, I’d still be in a similar “stuck” place. We just never know what will stick and what will go by the wayside.

That’s this life.

I recently learned that the business fraternity chapter I belonged to in college which was a big part of my life at the time and a “lifelong membership,” is ending this year.

I thought the Greek Alphabet classes of new members would keep extending. I had attended school with the Founding class, as I was in the Delta class (the 4^th letter in the Greek Alphabet) and now it’s almost over.

And while that’s news in my life from my younger self-life… in my more recent life where I’ve been mentoring in a professional group, I know that will end one day and will be replaced by another group.

That’s a great place for me now, but like most things, that will end in the perfect time.

And, that’s why it’s best to be proactive in seeking what you want your life to be about rather than just wait and see.

Look for the good things and mask out the ones you don’t want to repeat or that can weigh you down.

Better replaces good.

We know good will happen and better can happen with us. Or another unique or great opportunity replaces that lost good happening, and that can be a lucky surprise.

However, those good happenings land in your lap, and you can focus on more evidence in your life that goodness is out there for you.

And that bit of assured confidence building (rest assured) is helping to build confidence within you, little by little.

And little by little, you can gain confidence building in small things like these healthy blueberry muffins you can make.

Healthy Blueberry Breakfast Muffins (Or Blueberry Energy Balls Pictured)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups grits or bran flour
1 cup whole wheat or AP flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup honey or monkfruit sugar
1 cup Greek yogurt (or 7/8 cup or 7 oz)
1-1/2 cup frozen blueberries, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp baking powder (for muffins)
1/2 tsp baking soda (for muffins)

Instructions

Combine ingredients. Bake on 350°F for 25-30 minutes for muffins (less minutes for energy balls).
For energy balls, you can eliminate yogurt, eggs, baking powder, and baking soda ingredients and can use less sugar/honey for a healthy version. Cinnamon can be the primary sweetness. Naturally, when you reduce sugar, you crave less sugar as your body tastes adjust when running optimally.

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Holiday Entertainment Shows + Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Holiday entertainment is not a mere plus during the holidays. It’s a must to get through the holidays… full of bittersweet happy and sad moments… filled with illuminating reflections on the past year… finding your way through stressful calendar-marked deadlines ticking like a time bomb.

And before holiday has come and gone, you can enjoy this one-bowl comfort dessert with no guilt as it’s healthy and wildly tasty! It could be your new year dessert.

It’s gluten-free, carrot vitamin-rich and orange calming for nerves… and great for entertaining mixed emotions.

Healthy Carrot Cake great for holiday entertainment and life. — Gluten-free healthy orange carrot cake (recipe below)

Ahhh.. but light-hearted holiday entertainment shows (like GBBO for this modified healthy baker) and sappy rom-com tearjerker movies can help us lighten our load if we feel stressed.

On that note, I have 3-holiday entertainment mentions below worth checking out

That can be exciting and worth sticking around until the end of the blog article and staying up past midnight on Dec. 31.

…And somewhere in between is December 25 where we can easily forget when we started our holiday. In America, that’s usually Thanksgiving in November where we celebrate gratitude for the things we have in our lives.

In the happy holiday spirit, December and Christmas are opportunities for each of us to grow, dig deep in our shadow, be reflective about our past, and find more appreciation for our joy and happiness’ sake as better humans than before.

Christmas is always an invitation to find hope and peace now. And welcome in happy and healthy intentions for the future. And that can include skipping, baking, and inspiring yoga moves! Why not?

I plan to be in the kitchen (…and maybe you too with your planned festivities whether quiet or action-filled?).

Here’s my illustrative yoga guide for those who will be busy holiday joy baking and wanting to unwind like a pretzel in front of the tube or streaming media :

5 baking yoga stretches: tree pose, pigeon pose, bow pose, bridge pose, and happy baby.

There’s a big buildup to Christmas celebrations that probably started way earlier in the year …like Christmas in July promotions?

This year is probably no different where you’re not hit by deer lights… that’s a certain predictable point to be grateful for. We know it’s coming!

And we can lean into holiday entertainment, decorations, and warm & fuzzy feelings to get us in the mood.

We don’t have to lean into the bitter self-pity. We can feel contentment for what we have in our accumulated wisdom.

Some things we can think of is:

We’re grateful we’re not who we once were. We’re a better version, and getting better every day. It may be two steps forward and one step back, but we’re still improving.

And some places we’re completely transformed and others we completely forgot where we were once hurting in another way.

We’re happy as is because we know it won’t stay this way. We’re wired to have the best life.

Besides things could be worse, but thankfully they’re not. Those (and your) beliefs can help shape your optimistic outlook.

Getting rid of the moods that can hang over like heavy, gray clouds (that can lead to Kapha depression) is freeing. And also changing the anxious-worried symptoms common in active Vata minds.

You could be fighting ego or affected without awareness.

Letting go isn’t always so easy…

In awareness, it can feel like an uphill battle to try and win over an internal fight.

I find that when I have a moment where I feel a little emotional turmoil, laughter never grows old as one of the best medicines.

Healthy cleansing tears from humorous holiday entertainment or heart-felt movies, series, or shows can be just what the doctor ordered.

After from watching, you can feel good again.

What we feel from recently watched holiday entertainment shows can show up in our refreshed thought life.

These are 3 of my holiday entertainment picks (and maybe they’re good for you also)… which btw, I’ve yet to meet a close friend who likes the same quirky shows I do.

I’m not talkin’ about Friends and the popular America’s Got Talent shows that everyone has glimpsed.

So I’m goin’ out on a limb here…

The first one I wanted to mention is actually not a show, but an old classic movie, The Sound of Music. And if that’s not your bread and jam, then think of a show or movie you watched as a kid that you enjoyed and impacted you.

And you can take my Cliff Notes version:

If you’ve never seen or forgotten what this classic movie is about, it starts out with actress Julie Andrews as a young lady in an abbey prepping to be a nun. She soon discovers she’s too independent thinking and not cut out for the job.

Sound a ‘lil familiar? I know it does for me having taken a hairpin turn or two early on. None of the nunnery kind though.

The movie plot is a metaphor for our lives that can change in an instant, a.k.a. a life pivot.

A better plan is out there for us if we’re willing to stay open and hang in there.

Those thoughts can help us get through any bitter holiday moments.

Julie Andrews’ character is sent as a governess to 7 children for a former widowed Captain and Austrian naval officer.

Fr. Maria, she’s called, brings singing and love into the family and the odd-pairing couple ends up marrying (aww… a love story and musical). I hope I didn’t ruin the happy ending.

So now you’re either caught up or possibly curious to watch the movie (again).

Fun fact: the movie is filmed in Austria and Los Angeles of all places, so maybe that’s one of the reasons why it’s still a Hollywood boom.

In our lives, the parallel is that there’s a lot to look forward to getting to the other side, crossing the hills, and any mountains along our path. We can stop to appreciate the flowers like Edelweiss or roses that remind us of our resilience from our life situations.

Then after you get your fill of that movie, whether you fast-forward to the part where your heart is filled or watch the full movie, afterward you can pause to fill your warm drinking mug, and get ready to laugh (…maybe even belly laugh some) with this next recommend…

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee

This modern American Netflix show of several seasons is a good metaphor for not taking life too seriously. Stand-up comedians don’t.

And Actor and Comedian Jerry Seinfeld makes that clear as he takes his guests out for coffee in coffee venues (think Diners, Drive Ins, and Dive places, plus some hole in the walls).

He chauffeurs his guests around with different classic cars to match the comedic intent and their barrel of laughs to come in coffee conversation .

Once in a while, they’re driving in lemons like an Oh sorry, Ferrari that dies on the road. That’s comical drama we call comedy.

The show is peppered with what you’d expect from comedians… impromptu funny lines about their lives and the world we live in.

Having worked in restaurants, I can find a chuckle or two with the (literally) off-the-wall menu special posters or off-color restaurant jokes…

Like when Jerry orders and asks for 2 eggs and nothing else on a plate, and the server quickly asks if he wants it on the side? The server (or waitress) made an inside funny without knowing it. Good stuff there.

You’ll have to find your own humor points if you end up watching some of the episodes. …and so that brings me to a recent holiday entertainment show…

The Great British Baking Show

The Great British Baking Show has got to be the funniest baking show out there. It’s also interesting to watch the baker techniques and their foibles.

By now in the show’s (just-finishing up their 9^th season), as you’d expect the contestants know what to expect.

If they didn’t, that would be like going under the pressure cooker show as a contestant without baking practice.

.. And that would be like going on the Shark Tank show and not rehearsing… where they’d get eaten alive!

The GBBO contestants (more fitting than calling them competitors because they help each other out in the tent)… want to be sure to make the show fun and take time out to make good bakes while playing along with the tent show elves and laughing at their side jokes.

Tent Sidekick Noel announcing the challenge

As part of the audience, you can feel the contestants are more mellow, less tense, and less serious about winning… and more motivated with staying in the baking tent (sometimes baking hot tent ) for as long as they can.

In case you missed season 9 which is one of my faves (I say that for all of the newest ones), the cherry-on-top Star Baker title went to Giuseppe for his traditional Italian bakes passed down from his family’s baking lineage.

So now you’re all caught up!

The Great British Baking Show also has holiday versions. You can especially enjoy it if you like holiday baking inspiration and while eating sweets…

Healthy Carrot Cake — Gluten-free healthy carrot cake (recipe below)

And on that final note, I have a deliciously, seriously healthy, SWEET gluten-free carrot cake recipe below (that I’ve played around with the ingredients, whipped up, and tested all the crumbs!)… And you can just as easily prepare and enjoy in a square, round or any shape pan you like that you can bring to your screen with whatever holiday entertainment shows you end up watching.

Healthy (Easy-No Mixer Needed) Gluten-Free Carrot Cake (Bread or Squares) in One Bowl

gluten-free carrot cake

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrots

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 Tbsp coconut oil (or light EVOO or baking oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup (120 grams) almond flour (or other gluten-free flour)

1/4 cup (60 grams) oats

1/2 cup (120 grams) chopped walnuts and raisins combined

Orange zest from a medium-size orange (or add maple syrup to taste, 1-2 tsp suggested for low sugar)

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

You can mix all the ingredients in one bowl. Add dry ingredients first, then add the liquids (that way you can use some of the same measuring spoons and cups without the dry sticking to the wet in my planner-at-heart mind ).

Pour into an 8″ round pan or 4″ x 8″ baking pan.

Bake at 325°F/165°C for 35-40 minutes.

After cooled, “frost” with Greek Yogurt (2% fat or reduced fat suggested) and healthily enjoy. Or you can blend with a low-fat cheese (like neufchatel cream cheese or ricotta cheese) if you prefer or will be serving to others who don’t prefer full-on healthy … but would love to try what you happily sweetly baked.

To Your Merry Happy Holidays!

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Journal Ideas For Personal Growth

Journal ideas are a great way to grow in personal development.

And personalized gifts like journals with specific themes or words inside are unforgettable gifts.

I have a friend who has the gift of giving memorable personalized gifts (where she would write something nice or attach a thoughtful card).

I knew she had the gifting gift from the first gift she gave me which was a blank hard-bound Hallmark journal with heavy ivory parchment pages (that’s thicker than resume paper).

It had this popular in the day vintage book pattern, but with a mint green color. I don’t think Martha Stewart would mind me showing off one of her cookbooks I’ve held onto.

Journal Pattern Personalized Gifts

I remember my friend even said she didn’t think I would like a diary with a locket.

Looking back, journal ideas would have been different when you know it wasn’t read by someone else.

Those were the old-fashioned letter and journal writing days for memories.

Today, journal ideas on paper are good for purging emotions and a form of meditation. They are productive way to release thoughts and feelings, gain revelations, and a quiet practice to slow down.

Journal Ideas for Personal Growth

If you’re feeling stuck in life, writing in a journal or composition book… or typing thoughtful words on a computer is a great exercise to help you gain clarity.

It’s an easy action step that can give you the next breakthrough.

And you feel accomplished and calmer when you address areas of your life you may not have if left in your brain.

Journaling can be a good means to an end and help process what you haven’t figured out just yet.

Written details bring out solutions.

Gratitude Journal Ideas (#1): So one area you can start with is appreciation.

You can write a gratitude journal that lists out what you’re grateful, small and big.

So if someone showed kindness, you could write that down. And your mind will blow that up.

After then after you process or noodle through your journal ideas, thoughts, and feelings, you don’t need those in-between or bridging memories anymore.

So you could toss them out in our growing paperless world, and that can be freeing like burning a piece of clothing that you no longer wear or an old identity you were holding onto.

You can use prompts like:

I am grateful for ___________ today.

I appreciate _____________ in my life.

Revelation Journal Ideas (#2):

Reviewing your old journal writing you wrote can be eye-opening and fun.

You can laugh at life and discover who you’re becoming.

We are meant to grow and change.

You’re no longer in the process of where you were when you wrote the journal entry.

Your habits have changed and you’re in a different season.

the sadness stings or hardships have changed and hopefully lifted.

Some things you wrote could even put a smile on your face. Some are worth repeating (like re-reading) for the laughs.

And some journal ideas could be reminders for a future dream you can pickup today.

Prayer, Quotes, and Hope Journal Ideas (#3):

Using Scripture, quotes, and heartfelt mantras can be super helpful for uplifting, encouragement, and reminders that we all need.

They can get us to our next moment when situations are tough.

We can lean on others’ ideas that helped them through similar troubles that got them through.

That adds a ray of hope.

And you can use your journaling for shadow work. Sometimes we didn’t get what we needed in our past.

So we can add reminders like:

I am loved.

I am never alone.

S.W.O.T. Journal Ideas (#4): Using the SWOT Method In Your Journaling

S.W.O.T. stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

SWOT is a tool for strategic decision-making that I learned in my later college years.

We drew a lot of grids in business school and this one I’ve used for many areas of life to slow down and make decisions without regret.

I’m more practical than impulsive, but this is also great for those who are.

When applied to a writing tool, like in journaling, it can help you to process thoughts and evaluate from a more objective (higher) point of view.

You can count the pros and cons (and probably save time and money from hiring help) to make better decisions.

It can help you slow down (to ultimately speed up) and help you avoid making a wrong choice.

You can start by thinking of what your current strengths and focuses are today.

And then, what could hold you back (weaknesses and threats) from going all in?

Sometimes you discover it’s nothing or it something you can grow and change in you… that’s the best kind of SWOT journal ideas…

Then write what opportunities you have to move forward on.

Look for answers to know where you’re headed in your destiny and next steps.

If you want to transform your life, and you don’t have a chance or want to take a radical sabbatical now, you could meditate and journal for a few minutes a day in this season that can help propel you into the next one.

Happy journaling!

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