Never Let Your Fear Decide Your Fate

Driving home today, one of my favorite songs (Awolnation's "Kill Your Heroes") came on the radio, and I was reminded an important life lesson I try to live by every day: "Never let your fear decide your fate."

How often do we go through life, making decisions based on fear? We grow up as innocent children with the entire future ahead of us. Somewhere along the way, our spirit takes a beating, and we lose sight of our purpose, dreams, and instincts. We begin to believe the hearsay of others, and we forget that we have the power and ability to achieve anything we set our minds to.

As children we're told we can be anything we want to be when we grow up. So why does that change once we get there? We second guess ourselves as adults, and believe our dreams are unattainable. We begin living the life we "should" be living, instead of the one we really want to be living.

As we navigate our way through life, we are questioned. Sometimes we're ridiculed. We're even frowned upon for following a path different from the path society has set forth. Who makes the rules? Who says you can't wear two different colored shoes? Who says you have to match? Who says you will never walk again after a terrible accident? Who says you can never travel the world? Who says you have to go to college to be successful? Who says you will never be able to run your own business? Who decides what you will be? Who decides what you will believe? Who decides your fate???

I have stumbled many times in life, teetering on the edge between my instincts (my core being) and fear. Sometimes fear wins, but only momentarily, because I know it's never the right course.

Since having Nya, I try to be more mindful of the decisions I make: Is it a decision based on fear? Or am I coming from a sound place, backed by research, instinct, and love?

I let go and trust the process, as difficult as that can sometimes be, and with each step, that inner voice and gut instinct become a little bit stronger, until it's screaming from inside me.

I realize how short this life is that we're given. I know how precious every moment is, and I no longer choose to decide my fate, nor the fate of my family, based on fear that society, friends, family, myself, nor anyone else may try to place upon me.

It still can be scary venturing forward; stepping into the unknown and following your dreams, or going against the rest of society. But sometimes you have to push through that in order to get to where you were meant to be. And when you do, you come out on the other side stronger, more alive, and with a much louder inner voice.

Never let your fear decide your fate.

 To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.

Life is a Journey...

Patience. It is something I've always seemed to lack. Luckily, when Nya was born, I found all the patience in the world, and when it comes to her, I can handle anything. But when it comes to situations I'm faced with, I just don't have any.

Most things have always come easily and naturally for me, so when something takes a little more time or I struggle with it, I get frustrated and don't want to deal with it.

I don't mind a hiccup here and there, but when it becomes one thing after another, or the "simple problem" is not fixed with a simple solution, I lose my mind!

I spent THREE hours of my time trying to fix one problem after another. And after those precious three hours, nothing I had set out to accomplish actually was accomplished. This frustrates me to no end.

Since becoming a stay at home, working mommy, my time has become even more precious. My day is filled with Nya, and my nights are filled with writing, catching up with friends, and working on my business, Loving Green Baby (I'm so close to launching but not quite there...time!). So when an obstacle is presented, I cringe inside because I don't want to stop and work around it.

This is a horrible quality I possess, and I'm already seeing signs of it in Nya. She gets frustrated when presented with a challenge she can't easily tackle. I want her to enjoy the process and be proud of sticking with it instead of focusing on the end result.

How do I teach her to have patience with the process if I can't even do that myself?

I think about this a lot as I see Nya grow, and it is always something that weighs heavily in the back of my mind. I want better for Nya than I am for myself. I don't want my negative hang ups to become her negative hang ups. I don't want my mistakes to become her mistakes.

Do as I say and not as I do? This just doesn't work for my type of parenting. I don't believe I can ask something of my daughter, that I am unable to do myself; it feels hypercritical. The best I can do as a parent is to lead by example, and having Nya has forced me to take a long hard look at myself and recognize those qualities that desperately need improving.

I am a work in progress... I realize this. I may still get frustrated. I may feel like I'm losing my mind. But I will not give up. I don't want Nya to give up on something simply because she doesn't get it the first time.

This is what life is about: Learning. Working through problems. Continuous education. Keeping an open mind. And most importantly, enjoying the process along the way.   

Life is a journey. Not a destination....

What are some things you struggle with? Do you worry about this at all? Please share your thoughts below! 

 To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.

Chocolate Ice Cream (Dairy and Refined Sugar Free) - This is perfect for picky eaters!

Can't get your kids to eat their veggies? NOT a problem when you dish up this decadently creamy chocolate ice cream (and it's not made from bananas; although we still love our Yonana Ice Cream!).

I know getting your little ones to eat their veggies, especially their green veggies, can sometimes be a chore, so I'm always looking for ways to recreate traditional foods into something not only delicious, but healthy too.

If your child doesn't want to eat his broccoli, or is having a fit over the collards you cooked up, don't stress about it. I'm not a huge fan of cooked collards myself, but I consume them almost daily by pureeing them into other foods. Greens are one of the simplest foods to conceal because they don't alter the taste of the main dish. I always have some mixed greens (kale, spinach, collards, and chard) on hand in the freezer to add in to just about everything.

I don't know what possessed me to try making chocolate ice cream this way, but I am so glad I did. My ice cream maker had been sitting in its box, packed away in the garage, waiting to be sold for over a year now. Jamie and I had received it as a gift years ago and were so excited to have it... Until we used it the first time. It was a pain! We anxiously went to the store to gather up our goodies and ended up spending over $20 just to make one small batch of ice cream that didn't even taste all that great. It was a disaster.

And after all this time, something inside me decided to pull it out, clean it off, and store it in the freezer yesterday so Nya and I could tackle a new experiment today.

This will literally change the way you think of ice cream, health food, and the endless struggle you have every week about your children getting enough nutrients. It has the "fatty" feel of ice cream that yonanas tends to lack, and the taste and texture is spot on to what you would buy at the store. The only difference? You can eat this ice cream every day if you wanted because there's nothing bad about it. With only 4 ingredients, this chocolate ice cream is easy, cheap, healthy, creamy, and almost too good to be true.

What you need: 

* 1 can coconut milk (light and full fat work equally well)

1.5 c loosely packed greens

1 c dates

2 Tbsp Raw Cacao

What you do:

1. Check with your ice cream maker. The insert typically needs to be stored in the freezer for 24 hours.

2. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and puree until smooth.

3. Assemble your ice cream maker and use according to instructions. (I had to turn mine on, then pour the batter into it. I let it run on its own for about 10 minutes, until it had hardened considerably).

4. Enjoy as soft served, or scoop into container and store in freezer to harden more.

Enjoy!

Important Notes:

• Don't skip the greens thinking your kids won't eat it. I promise you, they won't be able to tell! 

• You do need an ice cream maker for this recipe. If you don't have one, don't fret! You can always pour the "batter" into a silicon or paraffin wrapped dish, and store in the freezer until it hardens. It will take a bit longer but it still works in a pinch!

• You can sub maple syrup, agave, or sugar in place of dates, but try not to. All of them are processed, reducing the quality (if any) of nutrients. You really want to stick to whole foods, so keep the dates!

• Hemp, cashew, walnut, almond, and pecan are all great milk substitutes for coconut; however, be wary of store bought. Most are loaded with added sugars and are highly processed. To make your own, you want to use a slightly different ratio than you would for traditionally making plant milk. 

      *   Use 3/4 c nut/grain and 2 c water.

Other ideas to get those greens in:

• Clean Eating Lasagna

• Dairy Free Baked Ziti

• DIY Milk - Puree 1 c of greens to 1 c of milk (1/4 c grain or nut: 1 c water + 1 c greens  and blend until smooth - add sweeteners if you must!)

• Savory Ideas - Kale

• Smoothies & Popsicles - 60% greens to 40% fruit. Add nuts, seeds, and or grains for a more complete meal.

• Veggie Packed Mac 'N Cheeze

I really hope you give this ice cream a try. Simply because you will be giving your children a treat that is good for them. Share your chocolate ice cream on our Facebook page, Loving Green, or tag it with #LovingGreenBaby.

 To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.

Baked Ziti - Dairy Free!

Every once in awhile I crave those "cheesy" feel-good, comfort dishes. Before eliminating dairy, I didn't think they were possible to recreate, but I have found they taste SO MUCH BETTER.

My goal is always to recreate traditional dishes into a clean version; not just lower in calories and fat, but with real food that builds up your immune system as opposed to breaking it down. You CAN enjoy your favorite foods without the health risks associated with them.

There is no cholesterol and 35 grams of protein per serving. 

I've made baked ziti a few times and have always adapted it slightly. This weekend I made my best batch yet, and couldn't wait to share it with you. The ricotta cheeze mixture in this recipe can be used to stuff shells, manicotti, ravioli, or layered in lasagna. Click here to check out my favorite clean eating lasagna recipe. But whatever you do, don't substitute "fake" cheeze. It's processed, and does not taste the same!

This baked ziti is extremely filling, but not the food-coma, bloated feeling that dairy leaves you with. It freezes well, so is great for later meals when you need something quick.

Don't worry about the ricotta cheeze being too runny. The cashews absorb water and the flax helps to thicken it as it bakes. I usually use jarred marinara sauce, but I have made my own when I'm feeling adventurous. It is pretty easy to whip up, but sometimes that extra step is just too much. Do what you have time for!

Shredded broccoli, carrot, or cauliflower all make excellent vegetable add-ins if you want to skip the zucchini. Don't be afraid to experiment! 

And lastly before we get started, sorry for the lack of photos... Nya was helping me and it can be a bit of a challenge to remember to snap with each step!

What you need: 

1 jar (about 25 ounces) marinara sauce (I use this one) or sub homemade marinara below

16 ounces organic ziti pasta (or sub another pasta preference - make sure it's organic to avoid genetically modified wheat. Also, many pastas add a lot of fillers, so look for ones with only one ingredient.) 

2 - 3 small zucchini, shredded (Buy organic to avoid GMOs)

Ricotta Cheeze

18 - 20 ounces organic, non-GMO tofu, extra firm (90% of soy is genetically modified, so make sure to look for non-GMO)

1 c fresh basil loosely packed

1 c mixed greens (I used a combination of kale, spinach, and chard)

2 tsp garlic powder (or 10 cloves garlic)

1 c raw cashews

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp ground flax

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 c water

"Parmesan Cheeze" 

1/2 c almond flour (you can use almond meal but the flour works best because the almonds are blanched and it's more fine)

1/4 c nutritional yeast

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cook the pasta until it just becomes al dente, then drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

3. Make the ricotta cheeze: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

4. Pour half a jar of marina sauce (or 1/2 of the homemade marinara sauce) in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan, making sure to coat well.

5. Pour pasta, shredded zucchini, and ricotta cheeze into the baking dish, mixing to evenly distribute.

6. Pour remaining sauce on top, without mixing.

7. Sprinkle Parmesan mixture on top of the sauce. (I didn't bother mixing beforehand. I sprinkled the almond flour first, then topped it with the nutritional yeast. Do whatever is easier for you!)

8. Cover with foil and bake for 70 minutes. Serves 10.

* Homemade Marinara 

3 cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted work best)

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1/4 c fresh basil, chopped

Water saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add basil, oregano, and diced tomatoes and continue cooking on med heat, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, mash the mixture or pulse in food processor/high speed blender.

Enjoy!!

To connect with others in this crazy journey called life, discover new parenting ideas and fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, and find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.