Salmon salad is something you can enjoy anytime on bread or by itself. And it can be made deliciously without mayonnaise, in case you’re not a fan. Or if you want to try a different healthy way like this version on an open face toast… toast to that!
And any way you prefer, it’s a great protein snack or meal. Especially for lunch for all ages. As salmon salad is universal and can be eaten anywhere unlike an egg salad (…where I still remember a classmate’s bag lunch).
Cooked salmon has no fish aroma that your companions next to you can detect, (and that can make you feel self-conscious about your lunch).
It also has a more subtle fish taste. So it could be the new tuna salad sandwich… if it isn’t already on your menu!
…This also reminds me of my days as a teen working in a deli where it was all about the scoops. But the scoop wasn’t an ice cream scoop… it was tuna, chicken, or shrimp salad… and served like this salmon salad one on the plate that fits in a 4 oz cup (recipe below 👇).
In the deli, it was served on the side of a bed of lettuce or grapes, or on a sandwich.
And you can smear this salmon salad like butter.
But without butter. I personally like my dinner salmon with a béarnaise sauce, with a French Mediterranean vibe (no butter).
And this version for lunch.
For variety and fresh healthy ways, you can also serve your salmon salad with or without mustard, like Dijon mustard.
And if mustard is what you’re craving, you can substitute the horseradish or add ontop of the salmon salad.
It’s also delicious with crackers, multigrain, rye bread, or sourdough.
And what makes this one different is the lightness. Unlike heavy duty mayo (as in full fat), this version is salad light.
It uses yogurt, so you can hold the mayo. And no eggs.
But you could make an egg salad layer (if you want) for a Smorgastorta effect, or sandwich cake to go with your salmon salad.
That goes hand-in-hand with these 2 Swedish concepts I can get behind:
Fika is a Swedish concept for a coffee break with pastries and while you’re on yours, you can enjoy a Swedish finger sandwich or smorgastorta. This concept is kinda like afternoon English tea or an American brunching on the weekend (one of my fun things to do!).
And a salmon salad is perfect fit for a brunch. It’s light and protein-full. And if you want to give it a building-an-autumn-fire tasting vibe 🍁, you can add fiery orange color turmeric-spice that has ember burning smokey flavors… in case you didn’t know what the turmeric taste is like.
Black pepper and turmeric are a healthy spice combo so it makes sense too.
You can also substitute with Spanish smoked paprika that’s sometimes harder to find. Now that you have some good ideas, maybe it’s time to make your salmon salad sandwich! 🥪 You can make it today and eat tomorrow.
I bake the salmon and then decide!
A good tip is to decide what you will do with the salmon when it is still warm cooked or baked 🐟 . Because it will finely crumble easier when it’s warm and soft.
Drizzled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, on 350°F/180°C it’s to my baked doneness liking in 3o-40 minutes depending on the fish filet thickness.
You can also cook on the stovetop if that’s your preference. But don’t add too much EVOO if you plan to make it into a salad, as it leaves the salmon more oily. Vs. baking that will dry out and soak in the oil quicker.
But no worries, you can’t go wrong…and all who love salmon will love. 😋
Paella is a great way to end the summer. It’s an endless summer feeling good food… and a healthy seafood dish you can cook up all-year round to spark happy ocean beach memories.
Like this vibrant paella dish you can make in a flash in 20 minutes…
Where added in is Langostino lobster, a Chilean seafood that looks like shrimp or prawns… but has more of a sweet lob-stah taste and softer texture. And is more wallet-friendly. It’s around the cost of shrimp.
It’s found in the frozen sections of some grocery stores, and convenient if you’re not anytime soon going for the local lobster catch, like flying up to Maine… or going to the beach, seaside, shore, OBX… or coast. …so interesting how we have many names for the beach. 🏖️
And around the world’s oceans and seas, there are so many more types of lobster.🦞
But catching them is not an easy feat… even for a lobsterman. It’s a game that requires skill and luck. But that makes lobster even more valuable when caught.
True lobster for cooking is still hard for grocery shoppers to find without importing or individually shipping in… or visiting seafood counters during prime lobster season (in the last half of the year).
When I orchestrated parties at a Spanish restaurant, they had many paella dishes to choose from including a lobster one where the orange creature sat ontop. There was also a gigantic weekly happy hour paella pan that drew in crowds as a popular dish.
For a lobster paella dish, looking for prized lobster ingredient is worth the trouble. When you add lobster to a dish, it adds another wow factor. Lobster eyes light up 🤩 on the feast that you don’t get with more common seafood.
…Even if you’re the type to see food (any seafood) and that makes you happy… like it does for me.
Seafood is healthy and has Omega-3 healthy fat, and some vitamins and needed body minerals. Shrimp, crab, mussels, and lobster also have anti-inflammatory vitamins.
You can think of paella as a healthy way to fondue with your spoon with seafood and rice as the food stars (versus not-as-healthy cheese and bread).
And when you add in spices, you get more of the healthy. You also get delicious food taste pairings like tarragon and lobster… that’s Côte d’Azur Mediterranean diet healthy.
Paella Spices:
Spices are the cherry on top. And you could theme blend yours in your paella based on your Ayurvedic needs (and your sharing eating party needs).
If you’re feeling Mid-Atlantic beach summer nostalgic, then Old Bay seasoning is a favorite.
It was heavily doused on crabs and seafood in my old Ocean City, MD beach stomping ground. You can smell 3 things in Ocean City: cotton candy by the amusement park, salty ocean air, and Old Bay spice that’s a blend of 18 herbs and spices including celery salt, mustard seed, and paprika that gives an end-of-fiery-summer burnt orange red color…
And if you don’t have Old Bay blended seasoning on hand, but want the seafood seasoning vibes… add a douse of paprika that will spruce up the dish.
That’s what we did in party family style dishes to brighten up hummus and rice.
…And if you’re feeling Mediterranean Sea wanderlust, then deep red saffron is a must. It’s slightly licorice tasting and very unforgettable with seafood.
Saffron red strands remind me of Spanish paella, and sumac spice reminds me of other family-style dishes from my Lebanese planning party days.
Sumac is a tart spice (that are purplish color specks) you can add to paella and dazzle with contrasting yellow lemon wedges. Then adding in bright veggies like sweet bell peppers, you get vibrant healthy eat-from-the-rainbow foods and colors. 🌈
And for the paella dish, don’t forget to add a dash of green herbs. You can do fresh sprigs, and/or you can add parsley herb spice.
Cooking the rice:
Ah, but first you gotta cook the rice!
And at that starting stage, it’s smart to stay close by to watch the cooking.
Arborio rice drinks water fast, so to avoid rice sticking (and absorbing into the rice that sticks to the skillet pan), use a wooden spoon to stir the bottom often. And add enough water as needed. A little olive oil will help prevent some of the sticking.
And if you cook faster on a higher heat, you can be done in 20 minutes.
Because you have a time choice and you can make this dish in 20-30 minutes depending on how much paella you’re cooking, how high your heat is, and how many burners you’re using.
You can cook the lobster and veggies separately on a different pan (or pans) that will only take a fraction of the arborio rice cooking time.
Tip: I like to microwave my veggies like peas with a little water (no salt) so each veggie looks full of life. Mushy peas are a different dish.
Then add the lobster and veggies ontop.
You can also save time by serving your paella from the pan you cook the rice in. It gives an authentic presentation. Tie a pretty towel to the handle… and voila!
Oh, and finally add dashes of spices for zhughing. You can see how the textures of tarragon long grass, saffron strands, sumac specks, and pepper dots play together.
They give party drama… and everything is tasty and healthy!
Lobster Paella Rice with Old Bay Beachside Seasonings
Lobster paella is easy to make and fun to share.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine seafood
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 3people
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
12ozarborio rice
12ozLangostino lobsters (shrimp size)
spices (coriander, saffron, Old Bay, black and white pepper)
bell peppers, chopped
Paprika or Old Bay seasoning
pinch of salt
1tbspextra virgin olive oil
lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
In a skillet pan, heat rice and water covering the rice. Cook arborio rice according to package instructions. Add spices and olive oil. Keep adding water as needed. You can add in white wine and/or chicken/vegetable broth if you like.
Cook de-thawed lobster separately as instructed. Langostino lobster is like cooking shrimp that's about 6 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip to cook both sides and don't overcook to avoid rubbery texture. Since the lobster will not take as long to cook, time accordingly.
Prepare and cook veggies separately..
Add cooked lobster and cooked veggies to cooked rice. Add additional spices and lemon wedges, if adding. To serve; tie a festive towel bow on the pan and set out on table. Set out spoons and plates, and let the food party begin!
Low FODMAP diet is one food map you can follow when you have bloating symptoms… that anyone can feel from time-to-time caused by disagreeable food choices.
…That’s just a part of living and trying new foods.
When that happens, restoring the gut with a list of researched, healthy, and selective food choices that will soothe the tummy is the fastest and least painful cure with tummy discomfort.
It’s easy to do when you know what to do.
And choosing a low FODMAP diet (at least temporarily) is the easy way.
…It’s like reigning in Nature’s medicinal foods, where Nature is a 3rd party talking some sense into your gut.. so you can bounce back to less restrictive eating and get back to regular food celebration.
…Where baby foods and water aren’t the only items on the menu.
A Low FODMAP diet can also be a digestive reset, supporting a healthy eating lifestyle. The foods are mostly all plant-based and anti-inflammatory. 🌱
So you can think of a low FODMAP diet as a food map to optimize healthy eating. And lower gut acidity that can show up as heartburn, upper GI inflammation, or lower bloating abdominal discomfort.
Many of our American or Western world diet foods are high acidic and can tip the cause to a condition called GERD… that I can attest to feels like amped up heartburn.
…So it’s good to keep a handy list of Low FODMAP foods that won’t 🌱 exacerbate stomach acidity, so that you can fully enjoy your preferred daily foods and beverages.
Where it gets tricky is that some foods can fall into higher or lower FODMAP categories.
Coffee is one such example. It’s a Low FODMAP healthy ingredient. But theway it’s prepared (like as a regular hot brewed coffee) makes it more acidic.
That’s why on that note, daily home cold brew coffee is my safe choice so I don’t have to give up the healthy caffeine starter. Cold brew is easy to make and an easy tweak. But I still cushion with food like a banana. 🍌
Another example is nuts where walnuts and peanuts can be okay… that is, assuming you can even eat nuts.
But then other types of nuts like cashews and almonds that you and I can cross off the list as they can be digestive havocs… it’s nut. 🤪 and there’s no rhyme or reason or easy way to remember (other than with a handy list).
That doesn’t even factor how the foods react individually with us.
But you can see how complex it can get in our busy world food choices.
Food is not black-and-white to our guts.
With any food, we can feel poked and burdened with the weight of lead after it goes down.
So bypassing questionable how-it-will-go-down ingredients, you can go straight to the unquestionable and safe… simple to digest foods..
…Early on, we relied on the B.R.A.T. diet that was bananas, rice, apples and toast. It was easy to remember and you didn’t have to break out a list.
It was so short and easy to remember that I also added yogurt on my stomach-friendly list when I was a young brat. 🧒🏻
Yogurt has probiotics and protein. It’s relatively inexpensive food medicine.
And finding the lowest sugar yogurt option optimizes the good bacteria count.
And the B.R.A.T.Y. (I added the “y”) simple digestive diet still works.
But these days… NOT ALL SO SIMPLE.
…With all the tempting choices around us.
So a personal Low FODMAP list that works for your palate and body is good to compile, so you can reach for the safe decisions made when needed. You can even set the list in your pantry cupboard for your emergency convenience.
I have a label on my Five-Spice.
That way you’re not confused or anxious when emergency calls… and especially with all the conflicting information out there of what may or may not help your bloating or digestive symptoms.
…Like ACV mixed with water.
In my world, it works.
It signals to the stomach to stop producing acid that it does.
Our bodies are all about being counterintuitive mystery curve balls where the best proof is our baby steps and trial-and-error.
That’s how we learn anything specific in our lives.
We test the apples.
And apple fruit is another one that is low FODMAP questionable depending on the apple type (for us apples).
Apples are on the B.R.A.T. diet from a simpler world time.
And you may find you do better with unsweetened applesauce as I learned with my stomach.
What works for one person may not for you.
Just don’t be afraid to try foods for variety.
Most guts aren’t happy on an empty stomach and delays our healthy restoration.
Our guts are forgiving if we’re biodiverse trying… otherwise none of us would be still be on the planet.
It comes from a similar diversifying principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
Eggs, btw, are generally ok too. 🥚
And even if we make a one-time food mistake, we can cushion with foods and ingredients that are generally safe on a low FODMAP list:
-bell peppers and most veggies
-avocado
-many fruits (and believe it or not… green bananas are lower FODMAP than soft, ripe ones).
-Yogurt (low-sugar Greek yogurt)
-quinoa, oatmeal, cooked soft rice
Amaranth is one grain I discovered to be super gut-friendly. It has a Cream of Wheat bowl texture… but is gluten-free.
If you’re a sourdough or bread making person, for Low FODMAP you can even add amaranth to your whole grain roll or bread loaf.
And, some other Low FODMAP list adds:
-herbs/spices: fennel (in Five Spice powder), anise, peppermint
-teas: green, black, and some herbal teas (chamomile, chicory root, peppermint).
Peppermint tea is something I always keep in my “food-as-medicine” cabinet. It does wonders for stomaches and other body aches like headaches.
And instead of reaching for candy or sugar sweets, you can chew on an anise star or make a low-sugar applesauce blueberry cobbler.
Use fruit and maple syrup for sweeteners.
Those can be okay if you’re experiencing high acidity where a GERD grocery list is also a good idea next time you’re in the store.
Fruit pastry tart that’s jam berry-filled is berry filling and puts a smile on some days and faces. And you can make a healthier, low-sugar version with little butter, so you can save the calories and still enjoy the pastry anytime!
Like these clouds, star, and moons…
That have a zing-y blackberry glaze for your starry gaze!
For the pastry filling, you make your own jam or use a store-bought (organic) jam with 10 grams of cane sugar per tablespoon or less.
It’s not the low-sugar 5 grams per 100 grams, or half-a-cup… but it’s lower sugar that still counts.
And for this fruit pastry tart, the pastry is made from whole wheat flour that’s a little more fiber and protein vs. all-purpose flour more commonly used.
Every little healthy bit adds up.
For the fruit pastry tart below 👇, you could use the steps to make a wholewheat simple pastry dough… or use the dough you would use for a pie shell or shortcrust.
No proofing needed.
And there’s no need for folding pastry to make lamination layers like in puff pastry (that looks like fabric bolts in a fabric store if you need an imaginary visual).
But the difference is the ingredients below are modified to healthier ones.
And if that’s important, save these measured steps because this is a simple pastry recipe that you can use over and over again for many baking and dessert applications.
So let’s begin…
First off, allow about an hour from start to finish.
The baking itself will only take 15-20 minutes, but pastry dough is easier to work with when it’s cold. So stopping to refrigerate twice (or at least once) when you’re picking up the delicate cutout dough shapes, will pay off in the end.
…I’m just trying to prep you for what to expect.💭
And the good news is that the minimal extra time needed to refrigerate is about as complicated as it gets for this pastry!
Fruit Pastry Tart Ingredients:
And so starting with the easy prep, gather your pantry cupboard ingredients and combine in a bowl with a regular spoon:
Whole wheat flour, honey, and neutral (light) olive oil will add to the healthy aspects. You can also sub in coconut oil that has a different viscosity, so the amount can vary.
Small amount of butter: Keep in mind it’s easier to work with butter when it’s room temp soft so you can bring out what you will need (the 2 pats), a few hours or a day before.
If you forget, you can use heated, melted liquid butter. Both ways will work in the end.
But before you add to the other ingredients, let warm butter cool down because you want to work with a colder dough.
Water: Use coldish water after you combine the other ingredients.
Add flavor extract, salt, and baking soda.
And after you’ve combined all the ingredients together by hand or machine (if you wish), you can roll out your pastry dough onto a sheet pan (like a 17″ x 11″ cookie sheet pan with a Silpat setup works great).
Add some bench flour, so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands and rolling pin.
If you use a full size Silpat, you’ll know you’re done rolling when you reach the inner orange edges (or about 1″ from each side).
When you’re happy with your evenly rolled out dough, then take your chosen cookie cutter(s), and imprint-cut 12 shapes (2 for each shape if you use different shapes, as you’ll need a top and bottom).
Any regular size cookie cutters will work, and you will have extra pastry that you can make more with or save for another pastry project. I’m a scrapbooker, so this step makes me happy! 😊
And at this point, do not remove the excess pastry yet as it’ll be easier if it’s cold. It’s easier to move shapes when the pastry is cold.
I mentioned that already, but it’s worth repeating.
Imprint cut but easier to remove shapes when the pastry dough is cold. ☁ ⭐️🌙
So then this is a good pause point to refrigerate the pastry pan for at least 10 minutes. (You can do a few yoga moves if you don’t know what to do).
Then when cold, bring out and remove the excess pastry from your shapes with a knife or offset spatula that you’ll use to pick up the shapes. I find it easiest to put the matching cookie cutter shape ontop of where I’m removing the excess pastry as I move from left to right on the pan.
But you do you! …and the way that makes sense to you.
Then add jam to center of the bottom shapes (or 6 of the shapes). Leave some room for the jam to ooze out when you close up the pastries.
Refrigerate again: You can refrigerate the pan for the second time so you don’t mess up the shapes. This mostly depends on how quickly you work. I’m purposefully slow and detailed, so I refrigerate again.
You’re less likely to mess up the shapes when they’re cold and firmer.
When pastry sheet is cold again or easy to work with, use an offset spatula (or regular cooking spatula) to pick up the top fruit pastry tart shapes (without jam) and gently place on top of the bottom shapes.
Then crimp the matching tops and bottoms together with a silverware fork (no fancy tool needed).
I find this step very satisfying too. 😉
And if instead of vertical line patterns, alternatively, you can also use a toothpick to poke holes evenly spaced apart on the pastry shape edges, and then push down on the pastry making a line in-between the toothpick holes you’ve made. See the star and moon shape below.
You do this with the long side of the toothpick . . . like you’re connecting dots.
Then when you’re happy with your pastry creations, bake your fruit pastry tart pan.
It’s a quick bake… like cookies.
So stick around. And while you’re waiting for the bake, you can make the glaze.
You can use crushed berries. I like a blackberry, lime, and honey trio. You can use a sieve to filter the berry seeds and push the glaze through into a bowl so the consistency will be the same (consistent).
Let the fruit pastry tart pan cool before adding the glaze ontop.
These look like soft leather plushies. I could put a few faces on these. 🙂
Regarding freezing… yes, you can freeze them (and with a glaze), and bring them out and revive them with a smeared drizzle of honey (or maple syrup).
Like changing clouds, the smeared honey look like shadows… and now they’re glazed shiny again, happy, and ready to eat.
These are pastries that you can serve anytime with your favorite cookie cutters!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 12pieces
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
cookie sheet pan
Silpat optional
offset spatula optional
Ingredients
2cupswhole wheat flour
2tbsphoney
2tbspbutter, softened
1tbspneutral oil (light olive oil)
1/2tspvanilla or almond extract
3/4cupwater
1tspbaking soda
pinch of salt
fruit jam
berries, maple syrup, juice and/or water for glaze
Instructions
Add the flour into a bowl. Then evenly combine the softened butter.
Add the remaining ingredients and form a pastry dough ball.
Roll out on a sheet pan. If you use a full Silpat (17" x 11-1/2") sheet, the dough will roll out to the inner orange edge or about 1" from the edge on each side.
Use your cookie cutters to imprint cut shapes but do not remove the excess pastry yet. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Then remove excess pastry. You'll be left with extra pastry you can re-roll or freeze for another time or pastry project.
Add jam to center leaving an edge on the pastry shape bottoms.
Refrigerate again.
Add a top pastry with the same shape ontop.
Use a small silverware fork to make an edge pattern and crimp edges shut. Alternatively, use a toothpick to make evenly spaced hole indents and then press down with the long side of the toothpick to "connect the dots."
Bake pastry on 350°F/180°C for about 15-20 minutes. The bottom edges will look darker. Don't overbake.
For the glaze: crush berries and add milk, maple syrup, and water or liquid like lime juice until you get the right glaze consistency. Tip: push the glaze through a filtered sieve. If it's too thick, it won't go through.
Work-Life Balance is the way for daily joy and a recipe for a more happy and healthy life.
…These days on those missions, workers are choosing work-life balance, joy, self-care, wellness, and delaying gratification of traditional retirement. Because our world has changed, and you can work anywhere these days.
And you can create your own job in the growing Creator Economy.
That’s one hopeful and healthy reminder that you can do anything in this Life. And a small way to plant your intention is by growing an avocado plant. 🥑
The easy steps are below to grow a healthy plant from an avocado seed. 🌱
Small ideas like this encourage our daily joy that help move you to take action (that moves the needle).
And if you’re at a job that started great and then took a downward spiral or is stagnant, you are not alone!
So many are waiting on their DREAM JOB to show up and out.
From my lens of holding dozens of corporate management positions, it doesn’t exist. I hoped and hoped… and still hope, but evolved into writing my own job description that has given me more joy.
And you can do that today wherever you are to gain your happiness without delay in your dream work-life balance life… and doing what you’re meant to do… creating, helping others, and solving world problems.
Without delay.
You can hit publish, empower yourself to step in, or pick up the phone and connect. The world is big and wide and you don’t have to look far.
Working for an employer is jut one way that helps you get experiences and learn skills while contributing your time, effort, labor, and mind. And you get paid in exchange.
But empowering yourself as your own boss in your domains is the cherry-on-top… where you get the best of all worlds and feel unhindered.
And when you think of it like that, you can create so much good exchange in this world.
And also always be useful doing meaningful work. That helps your growth.
And when work doesn’t grow or we’re no longer contributing, then we know it’s time to move on… and that’s healthy good for everyone involved.
…And if you’re like me, ormaybe I’m odd (or old-er 😉)… I never want to retire. I think work is part of purpose and the right kind helps us stay young.
Redefining work is where it’s at!
I believe you should love working your passions, interests, and gifts you’re good at that you enjoy.
Maybe because I’ve had so many experiences, both good and bad.
Early on, I loved my teen job where I had very little responsibilities.
That was good for that youthful time. I had fun. And the reward was development and growth and taking on new, impactful challenges while saving money to buy a car.
But I wouldn’t go back to that as I’ve outgrown those fun, no-real responsibility jobs. It doesn’t suit or align with my identity. It’s a mis-match like wearing Love’s Baby Soft fragrance would be.
And finding where you fit now is where you get the most out of this world.
At some point, you fully realize that you only have this one life you get and you won’t get this time back.
And that you have so much more to give than a lowly position that’s replaceable by another body or teen.
You’ve gathered experiences, and grown into a wiser brain that can be put to good use for the world you and I share.
In my walk, that’s the realization I had disappointment after disappointment collected, one job role after another for a couple decades.
I didn’t feel like my contributions and impact was commensurate to my knowledge and what I had to offer the world.
The corporate jobs at-hand sucked all my energy and most my hours for the week.
So I kept going and growing, even though the jobs looked respectable and good on paper.
And I eventually landed myself into freelance writing work the year of the pandemic when many of us career pivoted.
I also started this healthy and happy blog that year.
As a writer, I found work-life balance that didn’t just mean working from home. That’s one aspect or benefit.
It also meant choosing to prioritize health, and a healthy lifestyle over stress (high Pitta).
I could write all morning and then be ready for something else in the afternoon. I wasn’t chained to a desk or forced to attend office meetings that wouldn’t matter in a year (or sometimes even the next day).
There was work-life balance in every way.
I could find emotional freedom feeling calm during unplanned yoga time and not have to wait until later.
And I could run errands when others were at work.
I could also avoid public mobs and heavy traffic patterns that I grew up with in the DC metro area, that’s now the worst traffic.
And staying aligned, I vowed never to work jobs without some (healthy and happy) passion EVER again… and/or loving or believing in the people and mission I work directly for.
I realized work-life balance with PASSION WORK EXISTS where you get paid for your efforts. It’s not a pipe dream.
That was my new HIGH bar to keep reaching for.
…And I haven’t been disappointed putting in the risk and effort tradeoff.
And if you were to reach for your abundance and believe your dreams to come true, balance and passion work EXISTS for you!
You can leapfrog to work-life balance sooner rather than later in your choice.
…From those who did, I’ve only heard that the only regret they had was that they didn’t do it sooner!
Maybe that’s the motivation you need.
And helpfully could be for you… am I wrong?
Some are consciously walking off the job for their personal lives, health, and safety… choosing work-life balance and creating the life they want in work, life, and balance.
People on the job these days have to wear so many different work hats while multi-tasking life.
It’s no wonder so many people have ADHD signs, brain fog, and burn out symptoms that they need to medicate.
Today post-2020, it’s much more acceptable for us to slow down, take self-care sabbatical time, and pivot work and careers more often without harsh judgment.
And in my work-life balance pivot to a healthy lifestyle, I started this hobby of growing healthy avocado plants as a metaphor…
How to Grow an Avocado Plant from a Seed (a healthy reminder for work-life balance)
…One day I took a baby avocado seed and grew it to an avocado plant after my breakfast with a plant-based avocado smoothie.
It’s such an easy thing to do.
You don’t need a green thumb.
And the plant doesn’t need much window space or light in case you’re in an apartment with limitations like I was.
An avocado plant is like a Peace Lily plant you sometimes see in offices. They do not need a lot of natural or artificial light, so you can enjoy them indoor in a shaded spot. 🌱
These are the steps to how you get your plant going and growing:
Rinse off your avocado seed. Peel off the brown paper-ish skin shell. I think this step gets often missed from others I’ve talked to. This helps to let the root grow.
Your nails are the better way to get the shell off without scratching the seed.
So you’ll want to do this when you haven’t just gotten your nails done. 💅
Then when you have a bald seed, you’ll see it bare looking like a peanut (light beige) color in a walnut shape.
You’ll want to fully moisten some paper towel and wrap over the seed, and then place the wet seed in a plastic bag and leave alone in a cool/shaded spot in your kitchen where you visit often.
Leave for a week or two, and then check in on it. By week two, add more water if needed. Keep it soaked.
After some more time, you’ll start to see a crack in the avocado seed and a budding root.
The fault line means birth is happening (a happy baby seed 🌱).
When the root grows to about a thumbnail’s length, place 3 toothpicks in the seed and prop it over water in a glass or cup with fresh room temperature filtered water reaching the root.
Keep it in a shaded spot.
Keep checking and filling up the water to about the same level, and changing out if it looks cloudy and has too much debris.
If you notice any root rot or slime, gently clean it off and you can rinse your seed off if the water gets dirty.
Gradually over the weeks and months, move your new baby avocado to a sunnier spot indoors. And when your glass is full and you have substantial roots growing, plant into a larger glass so the roots aren’t crowded.
The avocado plant is an amphibian plant (living in water and then soil).
Eventually, after months or years will go into potting soil. I waited 2 years before planting mine in soil.
Waiting until there are leaves is a good idea.
Keep this article as reference, so you can review the steps (and not get too antsy to plant in a soiled pot). 🪴
And the longer you keep your growing avocado plant living in water instead of dirt, the stronger the roots get before you give it life on earth soil. This ensures stability for growth.
After a few months or so, you’ll see some good progress with green leaves and a stem that goes up and root that goes down like described in the cute All I Really Need to KnowI Learned in Kindergarten book 😉
A few leaves are the sign to add a pot with soil.
You can water every few weeks or less. Do it when you remember (ssshhh, talk about low maintenance! This plant is great for brown thumbs (🙋🏻♀️), lazy gardeners, or frequent travelers… and no worries, as you don’t need a plant sitter!).
Daily or weekly, check in with your plants when you can pause and work-life balance. 🪴 The leaves will tell you if it needs water.
After you enjoyed your avocado on toast or with a meal, you can plant your seed for an avocado plant for daily enjoyment. It's perfect greenery for an apartment or bookshelf where you can grow your own plant when you have a brown thumb or want to appreciate avocado abundance. This a great project for adults and kids! 🌱
Author: Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Materials
drinking container or glass
toothpicks
paper towel
Instructions
Clean off your seed. Larger round to medium seeds work better.
Peel off the brown outer layer so you see the bare seed flesh that has a peachy flesh color. Tip: Do this when before you go to the nail salon as you will need to use your finger nails. Knives and sharp objects won't do the job without damaging the seed. It may be easier to wet soak the outer layer first to make it easier to peel off.
Take partial paper towel and full soak seed with water. Wrap around the entire seed, but don't leave too much excess paper.
Place the seed in a sealed plastic bag (works best) and set in a darker, cool room temperature place in a place you don't forget about.
When the paper towel starts to dry out over the days, moisten with fresh filtered water. Keep repeating this step. One day you will see a middle crack in the seed. This is to allow the root to sprout and grow that can take a few weeks. Be patient! And if your seed crack breaks the seed (no worries and don't give up), keep the seed half that has the root.
When you see an obvious root bud growing, you can place 3 toothpicks evenly around the seed and set in a drinking glass or container with a rim. Glass works nicely so you can see the roots from the outside. Then add water so the bottom and middle of the seed is "bathing" in the water, but the top of the seed does not need to be submerged in water.
Over more weeks, you will see a green stem grow upward and eventually leaves will sprout (months later). Enjoy and keep adding water to your glass as your seed roots are thirsty. The roots will eventually outgrow the glass where you may then choose to transplant to a larger vessel. This is a great easy project for the Kindergardener in each of us where the roots go down and the plant goes up!
