weekly scenes

Everything is a lesson and a reason to grow. I feel it more than ever this week. I have so much to figure out, and I'm just beginning on the path. But I'm on a cusp. My brain is reeling more than ever, and tiny things are clicking. I get it, I get it! Is that enlightenment? Who knows. All I do know for now, is that it was another week enjoyed, another week lived.

Love to you all.

sometimes you should: practice gratitude

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This past week I went to listen to a Reiki practitioner talk. Her lecture went over the basics of chakras and their applications to life. Many things she said were full of meaning, but at one point she told a little story that really struck me. She was talking about her three young daughters. At times when they're out of control, kids being kids, the moment gets the better of her. She finds herself being a mother that she doesn't want to be, and has to take a step back to remember how thankful she is to have them. They are the single most important thing in her life, and she has to take care of them being the best mom she can. 

How many times have you found yourself snapping when you don't mean to, just like this? You use a rude tone with your mother and regret it later. Maybe you get annoyed with your job, and don't act like the employee you want to be. Things like this happen because we forget to slow down and put what is occurring into perspective. How do you really feel about the person you just yelled at, would you ever want to treat them that way? Perhaps you should be thankful for the fact that they are in your life, and don't forget, you're one lucky motherfucker for even having a job these days. Look at things for what they are, and you will realize that you should be thankful for most of it.

Out of gratitude, grows spirit. By being thankful for the things and people around us, we find the comportment that we wish to have. Take the time to remember it. Move a bit slower, use control, stop yourself before you say something you don't mean to. Give your inner being the time to acknowledge and it will take care of reacting in a positive way.  The first step is remembering to be grateful. It may take some practice, but the best version of your spirit will grow from there.

home roasted vegan tomato soup

Right now, in the depths of winter, there is nothing I love more than a bowl of hot soup. It's comforting and healthy all at the same time. I've made it a ritual to cook a giant pot of soup every Sunday during this time of year. What I do is freeze half, and then take the rest for lunches during the week. It's a great way to have easy, ready-to-eat meals around that aren't tv dinners. We all know how much I love chemically preserved resemblances of food.

Anywho, I made this guy the other day, and I have to say, I'm extremely proud of it. It tasted....orgasmic. I love creamed soups, but can't bring myself to ingest that amount of high fat dairy. So instead, I made a little experiment with some coconut milk, and it came out a vegan phenomen. There is something so satisfying about making something from scratch, and the added bonus points for making it vegan put me on cloud nine. This tomato soup is the ultimate comfort food, pair it with a piece of multigrain toast that has avocado smeared on top and your set. Your welcome. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

15 Medium Vine Tomatoes

2 Small Yellow Onions

1 Celery Stalk

7g Oregano

7g Basil

5 Sprigs Thyme

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Can Coconut Milk

1 Cup Orzo

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Cut tomatoes in half, and lay them out on a foil-lined cookie sheet that has been greased with a bit of olive oil.

3. Drizzle tomatoes with some more olive oil on top and then roast for about 20 minutes, until skins begin to shrivel and split.

4. While your tomatoes are roasting, finely chop your onion and celery keeping them separate  and then clean and chop the herbs. 

5. Once you take your tomatoes out of the oven, begin sauteing onions and whole garlic in a bit of olive oil over a low/medium flame.

6. Once your onions are completely see through, kill the flame, stir in herbs, and let sit.

7. Now you will want to peel the skins off of your tomatoes. Because you roasted them, they should come off very simply by just using your fingers. Be careful, they might still be a bit hot, but it's easiest to peel when they are.

8. Using a hand blender (or food processor if you don't have one) puree onion and garlic mixture.

9. Add in 2/3 of your tomatoes and coconut milk, and then puree until creamy.

10. Add the rest of your tomatoes, and then puree just a bit, so they are still a slightly chunky (if you like some chunk, if not, just add all of the tomatoes in step 9).

11. Put everything in a pot back on the stove over a low flame, and add orzo and celery.

12. Stirring constantly so that you don't get exploding soup, cook for another 15 minutes. 

13. Let sit until orzo is fully cooked, and then serve or let chill and freeze.