Moving My Blog

Good morning everyone. I just wanted to let you know that I am moving my blog over to wordpress. I hope to see you there at Breathe Zen

6 Ways To Read With Your Children

Society today is so fast paced. Too many people are rushing through life and not taking the time to slow down and enjoy the moment. Why do we feel the need to hurry? Life is about breathing, taking in the scenery and enjoying your family and friends.

I've noticed an alarming trend, children are paying the price and not spending enough quality time with their parents. Bed time stories? Forget it.

A couple of years ago I started babysitting my niece, after her mother passed away. I would always make special time for Des. She loves to help me cook and she loves when I read to her. My house was stocked with books just for her.

We would make some snacks (apples and peanut butter were requested on most occasions), get cozy and I would read to her for at least one hour. We could never stop after one book.

When I was busy doing dishes, I would peek in the living room to find Des, sitting on the couch looking at the books and making up her own stories. She made my heart melt.

Let's take a step back from our hectic schedules and read to our children. Books are such an important part of childhood. They spark imagination and take us to magical places.

If you need to spark your imagination, read some of my suggestions.

1☼
Bring your children to the library so they can choose a book to take home. Kids feel liberated when they are able to choose the books they want to read. One of my fondest memories is going to the library with my mom and walking out with a small stack  of books.

2☼
If you have smaller children take them to story time at the library.

3☼
Instead of movie night, have a reading night instead. Don't forget the snacks and blanket.

4☼
When reading to your kids, use different voices for each character. Make the story come alive.

5☼
Buy your child a personalized book, where they take center stage in the story. Your child will be in awe and feel oh so special.

6☼
Turn reading into a nightly activity. If you have older children, have them read you a story.

If you have more suggestions, please share them in the comments below. What was your favorite book growing up?

Banana Pancakes

Bananas are one of my favorite fruits. They so versatile, I love adding them to smoothies, baking banana muffins or garnishing my cereal with yellow drops of goodness. Naturally, banana pancakes are on the top of my list and they are so easy to make.

Ingredients☼

1 c unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. unrefined sugar or brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
1 c non dairy milk
1 banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Directions☼

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar in large bowl

In a small bowl mix remaining ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Combine well.
Add more milk if batter is too thick.

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter in pan. When the edges turn golden and start to bubble, flip and cook until done.

Chef's Note☼
Sprinkling vegan chocolate chips into the mix is a delicious way to satisfy your chocolate craving. For a very berry pancake add some blueberries, it's a luscious combination.

Bon Appétit,
Elle♥

Tropical Sorbet

I have a delicious treat that will cool you down and make your taste buds sing. With all this flavor, who's going to miss adding sugar?

Yields: 1 Serving

Ingredients☼
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
2 bananas

Directions☼
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and thick.
Enjoy a perfect sorbet!

Bon Appétit,
Elle♥

Holistically Yours

Hello Lovely Readers,

Being a Holistic Weight Loss Coach is a very rewarding career. My heart is filled with joy when my clients reach, maintain and exceed their goals.

Losing weight is not all about what you eat or how you exercise. It's about getting emotionally naked and releasing those insecurities that hold you back from enjoying life. I support women along their journey towards self-acceptance, falling in love with food, their bodies and their lives.

I want women to be able to look in the mirror, love who they've become and be happy with their bodies.

Spinach Avocado Sandwich

I love cooking and eating vegan dishes. My family on the other hand prefers meat to vegan food. They will happily eat any veg dish I prepare as long as there is a side of meat on the table. I was surprised when I made my vegan Spinach Avocado Sandwich, they all grabbed a plate and made one for themselves.

I started with lightly toasted homemade bread, spreading on a light layer of vegan mayo and organic spicy mustard. I layered the bread with spinach, lettuce, avocado, tomato and cooked vegan bacon.

Life is all about enjoying the little things and we savored every bite.

Bon Appétit,
Elle♥

A Season For Love

Summer is winding down and this post ( courtesy A Shelter In The Storm) is the perfect way to savor each delicious bite of the fading season.

 

Henry David Thoreau once said, “Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign your-self to the influences of each”. In the month of June, I resign myself to the sweet flavor of strawberries. As May leaves us with a brilliant display of wildflowers and June begins to scatter sunshine on gardens everywhere, I am delighted with the anticipation of strawberry season. Native Americans had a different name for strawberries. They called them "heart-seed berries" and added them to traditional corn-meal bread. The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shapes and red color.
 

Legend has it that if you break a double strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall in love with each other.

 

The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is unique in that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside. Many medicinal uses were claimed for the wild strawberry, its leaves and root. I adore this sweet berry and its romantic aura that fills the air each June. An abundance of recipes exist to turn this legendary fruit into shortcakes, pies and chocolate covered aphrodisiacs but my favorite is good old fashioned strawberry jam. I am transported to a simpler life when I pour bubbly chunks of strawberries into glass canning jars and seal them for future enjoyment.