When I see the words “cookie” and “easy” in the same sentence – I’m so there. Especially if said cookies are a) minus grain and refined sugar, b) are SUPER UBER tasty.

Just a warning – these are not Whole30 compliant, so if you’re doing that this month, you’ll have to wait until February :)

I saw this recipe for the first time at Ruth’s Real Food Blog. And, when I first saw the ingredients, I was a little hesitant… because, who woulda thunk that tahini and honey go well together… but, I was craving cookies, and I’m all about trying something that’s as easy as these are.

Sooooo glad I tried them – OMG – they are good. The 10 year old and the husband even REALLY like them. I’m so glad I gave them a shot.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Tahini Paste
1/4 Cup Honey

Process:

Whisk vigorously with a fork until the “batter” becomes stiff. Use wet hands and drop balls of the dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes (watch them – every oven is different).

Check out Ruth’s blog above. She’s got some suggestions on different amounts you can make. I also tried them with a bit of cinnamon… YUM!!! Like a healthier version of a snicker doodle (and by “healthier” I mean not so sickeningly sweet).

Enjoy!

I’m starting a new series here on the blog. As some of you know, I’m big into Crossfit. And, because I run in these circles, and those folks know I’m a yoga teacher, I get lots of questions about how to become more flexible… or if there are specific yoga poses to loosen up after certain workouts.

So here we go…

Yesterday in our WOD, we did Power Cleans. My shoulders and traps are screamin’. I put together this sequence to help loosen those tight shoulders, and that tight upper back. Enjoy!

We spend so much time honoring everyone else’s needs.
Taking the time to do just 1 more thing before we get that glass of water… or take that break… or stretch… or go home for the day.

We forget that we are really the first priority in our lives.
Because, if we get run down, burnt out, tired, or sick – we can’t serve anyone.

It’s important to take time for yourself… and not just the 5 minutes to get water… but the hour for yourself to recharge, renew, and rejuvenate. It’s important to create space for yourself  - to get out of that always-busy-never-stopping brain of yours.

I know, in a hectic day, an hour can seem like an eternity that you just don’t have. So start smaller than that. How about 20 minutes. 20 minutes to do whatever you want… even if that means doing absolutely nothing. Doesn’t that sound divine?? I challenge you to do it. I KNOW there’s 20 minutes in your schedule that you can claim for yourself. Find it and use it.

Wait!! Before I lose you because you think there’s NO WAY Roasted Cauliflower sounds like a good snack… hear me out!

First, I’m not a GIANT fan of Cauliflower. But, I’m doing a diet challenge this month (more on that in another post) and I was looking for new snack ideas. A post about “Cauliflower Popcorn” caught my eye – and since I used to be a BIG sucker for dripping-in-butter popcorn, I thought – what the heck, let’s give this a shot.

One of the things I LOVE is, this is EASY. I mean – REALLY easy. I modified my recipe slightly from the original – they added a bit more spices, but I wanted to keep it simple… so here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower (or 1 bag of frozen cauliflower thawed) – remove the stems and the greens and break into bite sized pieces.
1/2 cup Olive oil (more if needed)
Salt

Directions: Toss the cauliflower in the olive oil and salt to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour at 450 degrees. Turn a couple of times during cooking – BAM – done.

Don’t be afraid by how burnt these look. That burn = caramelized yumminess. Leave them in the oven until they look like this. I would even say, leave ‘em in a little longer… I found the more burnt they were, the yummier… seriously.

They turn sweet and salty… and addictive. And, one thing I was really happy about – they lose most of that “cauliflower-y” taste… so if you’re not too keen on that, no worries!

My 10 year old LOVES them as well, so they passed the important kid test ;)

Enjoy!

[Easy Yoga Sequence - Video] How many times a day do you actually check in with yourself and do something just for you?

If I had to venture a guess, I’d say you don’t do it enough… And the reason I’m so bold about my guess is – I know I don’t.

Most days, my internal dialog goes something like this:

“Ok, let me just check this one more e-mail and then I’ll get some water…”

“Oh wait – I gotta look up that web site to check on that class…”

“Alright now I’m getting water… wait – just let me review my classes for today…”

And, 2 hours later, I STILL haven’t gotten my water… *sigh* sound familiar?

I’m challenging you this week – check in with yourself on a regular basis and ask “what do I want?” Doesn’t have to be any existential, big deal – just stop. Take a moment and ask yourself what you want, what you’re needing – right now. Then, honor that request.

Could be as simple as a glass of water, a break, a breath…

It’s honoring these little requests that help us get reconnected with our center. And if we can reconnect, we can listen. And if we can hear what we want in these small ways – we’re going to start hearing – and honoring – what we need in the bigger ways too.

This week’s Blend is all about helping you go inward. So if you’re having trouble hearing what it is that you want, try this Blend and see if it helps. Enjoy!