Once a month, the manfriend and I embark on a little thing we like to call, “No-Screen Sunday.”

That means for an entire 24 hours, we aren’t allowed to look at, touch or most importantly, engage with any type of screen. No phones, no TV, no computer, no pieces of technology that are known to cause computer glazing effects. These include, but are not limited to, eye strain, brain fog, fatigue or holding your pee too long because you MUST get to the next level of Fruit Ninja.

Maybe the concept of being ripped away from your beloved Instagram sounds excruciatingly painful to you, and if so, I feel you. Because that’s how it all seemed to me at first. But when we conjured up the idea over a breakfast of banana pancakes on a Saturday morning, I knew No-Screen Sunday would be good and perhaps cause me to, you know…read an actual book.

Because as it turns out, there are about one million things to do that don’t involve technology. Cooking. Going on a walk. Working out. Brunching (a.k.a. Bloody Mary-ing). Reading. Sitting by the lake + watching the waves. Bike riding. Meeting up with friends for Sunday Funday. Napping. Art museum-ing. Cat cuddling. Calling your parents. Dance party-ing. Calculating how many years you’ll be working until retirement (<- that happened on Sunday). Conversing. Taking a bath. Giving yourself a proper manicure. Planning your dream vacation. Meditating. Shopping. Frisbee-ing. Back massaging. Organizing your closet. Baking. Board gaming (Boggle or Yahtzee, anyone?). Farmer’s market-ing. Hiking. Driving with your windows down + your 1999 “Live” Usher album up.

And best of all, NACHO-ING.

That’s why it should come as no surprise that our new monthly tradition is fast becoming one of my favorites. It’s the perfect reason to eat one of the world’s most perfect foods and then wash it down with one of the world’s most hipster beverages, cans of PBR beer. It’s the good stuff.

For example, this past Sunday, we slept in, had a leisurely brunch at Mermaid Cafe + ate a delicious egg sandwich topped with coconut curry aioli, continued the conversation over a refill of coffee, showered, went for a long bike ride along the lake, grocery shopped, made nachos (and scarfed them down in 10 minutes), napped, laid on the couch / read / cat cuddled, walked to the lake, ate ice cream on the couch + went to bed. It was the loveliest day.

Made even lovelier without the cloying noise of technology distracting us away from the stuff that really matters. Trust me on this one, life is just as good (if not better) when it’s just you, your manfriend + homemade nachos. No-Screen Sunday, thank you for the reminder.

The Best Homemade Nachos
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 to 10 minutes

1 bag blue corn tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 scallions, sliced
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 T olive oil
1 (15-oz) can black beans (do not drain liquid)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt + pepper, to taste
1/2 cup jalapenos, sliced (fresh or canned)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup olives, chopped
sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with a generous layer of tortilla chips. Top with shredded cheese, scallions and tomato. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute can black beans in olive oil, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt + pepper until liquid slightly evaporates and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once nachos are ready from the oven, top with black beans, jalapenos, avocado, olives (only on half, so the manfriend can eat them) and any other toppings of your choice. Easy, customizable, delicious.

Serves two very hungry people

(as evidenced below)

Life, it seems, is moving at an utterly disorienting speed.

This months have passed in a flurried blur of ordinary frenzy. I lay in bed clutching my beloved blankie and anticipating the ever-unknown future, feeling excited, anxious + happily exhausted for what lies ahead. Tonight, that’s a sink filled with dishes because an unfortunate fishy odor is wafting from the kitchen. Some things change, my hatred for dishes does not.

I wish I could tell you I know what my future holds, but I honestly don’t know. And I am strangely okay with that. Because everything feels right even though it doesn’t quite all make sense yet. I go to school and feel more love for design each and every day. I go to work and feel like a responsible adult getting a part-time paycheck. And then I come home and fill the remaining hours of my life with freelance work, which continues to come steadily and graciously in my direction.

I cook less. I don’t really workout. I rarely blog. I am way behind on this season of Project Runway.

Sometimes, I feel bad about all these things, because inadequacy is a conniving demon. But then I remember to stand in my truth. And right now, standing in my truth means letting some things go so that others can thrive. Standing in my truth means serious growth and change – two scary yet remarkably powerful transformations that are absolutely needed in this life.

My dear, they are exhausting though. Just be sure to come armed to the transformation game with coffee and a good masseuse, my only recommendations.

I guess what I am trying to say is I am half-sorry, half-not-sorry for disappearing from the blog. I hope you understand and know that I still totally love all of you, which is precisely why I’ve made you Gluten-Free Almond Quinoa Pancakes. I even woke up at 4:45am this morning to share them on TV. You can watch the video here and hear my sexy voice a la Phoebe.

Almond flour, quinoa and gluten-free oats pack a serious pancake punch. These three gluten-free amigos make pancakes that won’t leave you hungry for breakfast #2 at 10:00am, which is totally the worst. Did you know that I once ate nine buttermilk pancakes (not the mini kind), then ate a breakfast burrito two hours later because I was still hungry? That happened.

The best part about these pancakes is the Meyer lemon + ginger berry compote, however. It’s the perfect mix of zing and tang and mouth pucker…and ooh ooh, does it ever get me excited for summer berry picking. And all you need for this entire recipe is two bowls, 20 minutes and a serious hankering for a giant stack of pancakes. Not too difficult, I presume?

If you’re like me, devour these pancakes for dinner with a glass of wine or beer. Because when you’re putting in the hard work to become better – be it personally, spiritually or professionally – and are 21 years of age or older, wine and pancakes is a totally legitimate reward.

Because really, it’s our only work. To dare greatly. To stand in our truth. To accept that the world is going to bring us exactly where it wants us to be, even if that world means less Tim Gunn.

Keep on keeping on friends, I know I will.

Gluten-Free Almond Quinoa Pancakes with Lemon Ginger Compote
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup raw quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 t baking powder
3 T sugar
1 t salt
1 1/2 cups Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Milk or almond milk
2 eggs
1 (6-oz) container raspberries
1 (6-oz) container blackberries
1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
1 t grated fresh ginger

In a medium bowl, sift flours, quinoa, oats, powder, sugar and salt together. Add almond coconut milk and eggs, and mix. Let batter sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. In an iron skillet or fry pan over medium heat, pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the pan. Let cook 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and repeat.

In a small bowl, mash together berries, lemon zest + juice and ginger.

To serve, top pancakes with berry compote

Makes 12 pancakes

[This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze. All opinions are my own.]

I am not a good baker…nor really even a regular average baker.

Baking requires a hefty pinch of patience and preciseness that I simply don’t possess. Cups must be packed and leveled. The batter must be folded gently and scooped carefully into baking tins. Ingredients are mixed in set ratios and proportions that my non-scientific brain fails to grasp nearly each and every time I bake and convince myself that adding in another 1/4 cup of flour is the correct move to make because my pastry dough looks far too wet.

That’s not how to bake good cookies or blondies, for the record. The proof is here.

And let’s not even talk about the dishes afterwards. Baking dishes are the WORST.

Me, I’d much rather whip up savory couscous salads and randomly delicious pizza combinations and actively taste my way through the cooking process, adding pinches of herbs or whole new ingredients to see what becomes of it. Sometimes, that means massive failures but most times, it results in the most satisfying dish. One that my tastebuds, at that exact moment, are craving.

But some days, despite my natural disinclination and having two dozen cupcakes lingering in my kitchen waiting to be eaten, baking just feels so soothing. The process of measuring, spooning, leveling, mixing and whipping somehow manages to calm me on even my most frazzled of days. Those days where nothing turns out right and everything seems backwards and I wonder how the hell Miley Cyrus managed to snag such a hot, young thing in Liam Hemsworth.

For those days, there are Cardamom Carrot Cupcakes voluptuously smothered with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. Because let’s face it, (a) our world makes it far too easy to fall into fits of frazzlement and (b) seriously though, how did crazy Miley hook hottie Liam?!?

In the midst of a frazzlement episode last week, I totally rationalized the baking and consequent consumption of these slightly-wee-bit-just-a-hair-better-for-you cupcakes (oh stop, you know you do it too). I swapped vegetable oil for Greek yogurt. I subbed part-whole wheat flour for white. I added more vegetables to the mix. I demanded more heart-healthy nuts. And then I rhythmically stirred, whipped and baked and let the meticulous ratio of ingredients do what it does.

And out popped these orange-hued gems! Part-cupcake, part-muffin, whole-heartedly delicious.

It made everything so okay that I completely forgot what I was in a frazzlement about and was reminded, yet again, to just fucking relax. So…I ate a cupcake hot out of the oven while letting the rest of the batch cool and decided frosting them was of no importance at the moment. Instead, I went on a walk with the manfriend to fully appreciate the sunny, 45-degree temperature day.

It was the best part of my week.

The moral of this long-winded rambling story is that when you’re feeling like a crazy beast in the throws of frazzlement, baking may help. So might these carrot cake cupcakes. Don’t be afraid of the cardamom! Although it can easily be omitted, it’s sweet + spicy and strong + fragrant and will give you the kick in the butt you may (or may not need) on any given day.

You can also pile on blue sprinkles and even though Easter is nearly officially over, speckled robin’s eggs too.

Because you deserve it for reading my blog. I don’t thank any of you enough for continually coming here to this little corner of the Internet and being overwhelmingly nice people and relating to things like frazzlement + swimsuit bottoms as underwear and just being so dang supportive always.

LYALS.

(love you all like sisters)

Cardamom Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from a recipe by my mother’s best friend forever, Cindy
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt*
2 cups sugar
2 cups 1/2 white-1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped pecans

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

*I use Chobani because it’s my fave

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together oil, yogurt, sugar, flour, salt, spices and baking soda. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next egg. No worries, as the batter will be thick. Fold in carrots and pecans. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin (or into cupcake liners) until nearly full. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Meanwhile, with a mixer or by hand, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup until a thick, fluffy frosting forms. If your frosting is slightly lumpy, have no fear for there are worse things in the world than chunks of butter and cream cheese on a cupcake.

Once cupcakes have cooled, frost cupcakes either with a frosting knife or pastry bag. Top with sprinkles, if you so choose.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Can I tell you the best thing about going back to school and being surrounded by students 10 years younger (and 10 years more emo) than you?

Two words: SPRING BREAK.

The past couple months have been a bit of a whirlwind, and I feel like I haven’t had a chance to sit, relax, eat some homemade nachos and drink a cold brew (except for that one Sunday afternoon when the manfriend + I actually did that while watching Argo, which was so good). There’s been a lot of intense school work going on, which has involved lots of drawing. Drawing is something I’m a bit rusty at, so it’s been taking me more time to do my work and hone my skillz (see my jellyfish here or my drag queen version of Lana del Rey here or my bird sketch here).

But I love it, and I love school, and I love spring break, and I love being a student again.

 
If you can’t see the link below, here is the link to view the video.

Since no whirlwind is complete without some mindless (and mindful) Internet reading, here are some links that have been getting me through the days as of late:

01 / Instagram. Must follow @dailynibbles, @realbrookewhite, @yesiwantcake + @designlovefest.

02 / I made the life-changing loaf of bread, and while I can’t say it changed my life, the loaf has been completely eaten just three days later. That says something, right?

03 / Just in case you missed that, that photography e-course I blogged about (complete with Gluten-Free Trail Mix Muffins) is now only $19.99! Sign up here now.

04 / I literally was crying laughing reading this article. If you’re from the Midwest, you’ll appreciate.

05 / Kelsey just kills me with her writing. It’s raw, genuine and beautiful. This one’s a must-read.

06 / This is my new jam. I had a piss poor day today + this song single-handedly turned it around.

07 / If you’re mourning the loss of Google Reader, I highly suggest Feedly. Sleek interface, same concept, good stuff. Plus, they can transfer your subscriptions from Google Reader.

08 / And oh yeah, that Blood Orange Coconut Bar recipe! I apologize in advance for my lack of photo, but that means you’ll just have to watch the video to get a good view.

Blood Orange Coconut Bars
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 35 to 40 minutes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup butter or vegan Earth Balance buttery sticks
6 extra large eggs
3 cups coconut sugar or regular white sugar
2 T grated blood orange zest (about 4 to 6 oranges worth)
1 T grated lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice juice of
1 lemon
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, almond flour, coconut, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with your fingers, until dough is crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside and cool.

In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, zest, juice and flour until combined. Pour over the crust, ensuring mixture is evenly distributed throughout the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set in the middle. It will be firm to the touch. Let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, cut and serve!

Makes 12 giant bars or 24 smaller bars

It is 4:00pm, and my mysterious neighborman can see I am dusting little flecks of melting snow off my shoulders. What he cannot see is that I am pondering how I might cut a deal with the universe to give away my first born child for an all-expenses paid vacation to a warm, sunny destination. I am thinking of a place where popsicles cannot help but melt and beads of sweat leave unwanted stains in unwanted places. A place where my swimsuit feels like too much fabric, too hot, and the cool ocean breeze whispers faintly reminiscent songs through my frizzy mop of damp hair.

This destination is not here in Wisconsin.

It is nowhere within thousands of miles of where I live, yet I take an odd comfort in these thoughts while murmuring a small guilt-ridden apology to the first-born child that I hope to one day have. I swear kid, that was not me talking…it was a crazy lady fed up with a thing called winter.

But March gives hope.

It lends itself to a wishing…a waiting…and a hoping that doesn’t seem so far away. Asparagus will be in season shortly followed by the annual abundance of summer squash and fresh tomatoes and strawberries picked fresh from the vine. My bike will escape storage, and a tune-up will be needed to ensure it’s ready to cruise the bike paths all summer long. The humidity will come and along with it, an uncontrollable mop of curls that will inevitably be put up into a ponytail nearly every day. The warmth of the sun will shine brightly on down and my skin will soak up every little ounce of it (and along with it, a thick layer of SPF).

Spring, I am ready. I am ready to trade in hot bowls of chili + cornbread for giant farmer’s market salads. I’m ready for crunchy veggie sandwiches in place of lentil soup and heaping plates of pasta and comfort food. As good as it is, my thighs need a break and a very large salad.

But until then, I will continue to wait patiently. I’ve got my own version of paradise in the form of smoothies made with my new obsession – Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Coconut Milk. It reminds me of suntan lotion and beaches and all those warm thoughts that get us cold weather-living people through the dreary months of winter. Plus, if you’re allergic or sensitive to lactose or soy, it’s a great “milk” alternative for both your smoothies and whopping morning bowls of cereal.

So go on and drink up. I know I did. All three glasses of this smoothie below, to be exact.

Blood Orange Tropical Coconut Smoothie
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 banana
2 blood oranges, peeled and deseeded
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Coconut Milk
2 scoops vanilla protein powder*
1 large handful baby spinach leaves
optional add-ins: 1 tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseeds
optional toppings: granola, peanut butter, oatmeal

*I use Tera’s Whey protein powder, which is locally made here in Madison

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. I like my smoothies on the thicker side, so if you prefer a thinner consistency, add a bit more almond coconut milk. Get crazy and top your smoothie with granola, a drizzle of peanut butter or raw oatmeal.

Makes two servings

[This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze, all opinions are my own.]

Let’s start this post off by making one thing very clear: I am at best an amateur photographer.

However, one of the things I get asked most often about is photography and how I manage to make my images look good (minus recipes that will never photograph well no matter how delicious they taste). I have always loved taking photos ever since I was a wee curly-haired one begging my mother to buy me a disposable camera on every trip to Target, and I find myself doing more and more of it now. Two weekends ago, I even did my first set of engagement photos! That was cool.

But I always want to be better.

I admire great food photographers, and one of them just happens to be my friend Dana. She’s funny and talented and gorgeous and really, just one of those people you would hate if she wasn’t so darn nice. Dana and her husband John just released an Food Photography E-Course, and because she’s so nice (see above), she let me give it a whirl to review for you all.

Let me tell you, if you want to improve your food photography, this course IS IT.

Broken up into 15 sections (and ending with a FREE e-book!) with 14 troubleshooting guides and 22 video tutorials, Dana and John take you step by step through the food photography process. From types of cameras to lighting to composition to editing photos to advanced tutorials, this Food Photography E-Course covers it all. Plus some humor, much appreciated by me.

Here are a couple of helpful things I learned: first, your setup is EVERYTHING.

This is my food photography setup in my tiny studio apartment. Dana has solidified my long belief that you don’t need a fancy schmancy kitchen or tools or kitchy accessories to create beautiful, eye-catching and hunger-initiating photos. Have you heard of Deb from Smitten Kitchen? Of course you have. Anyways…she shoots all her gorgeous photos from her tiny NYC apartment.

The most important thing I’ve learned in all my photography is this: NATURAL LIGHT.

You will not shoot good photos without mother nature’s blessed gift of natural light. Early morning light (around the 10am hour) or late afternoon light (around the 3pm hour) tend to work best, as they are less harsh and offer that beautiful golden glow.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the ability to shoot photos at these times (myself included), which is why this e-course  also includes tutorials on photo editing. It may sound complicated and time consuming, but it can make a real difference in your photos when you’ve been working all day and are trying to photograph your delicious bowl of chili with cornbread late at night.

Playing around with your photos can also result in unexpected results! Look at the difference between the muffins + almond milk on the left compared to the right. Sprinkling trail mix (dried cherries, sunflower seeds + chocolate chips) around the muffins gives this photo an extra pop that takes it from pleasing to gimmethosemuffinsrightnowsoIcandevourthemall.

Play with your angles!

Get low, get high, go overhead, go underneath, go side-to-side and do the cupid shuffle. It gives great variety to your images and will keep your audience captivated by offering multiple viewpoints of your recipe. This is one thing I am working on being better at. I happen to love overhead shots of food, so I take a lot of them. My food angle repertoire definitely needed some shaking up.

The best part of the e-course is that it encourages you to practice. Practice with your camera. Practice shooting in manual mode. Practice in different lighting environments. Practice your food photography setup. Practice editing photos. Practice your type + image skills to enhance your photographs. Dang it…just practice! Just like your mama told you, it’s the only way to get better.

The Food Photography E-Course is $99 now only $19.99 – trust me, it is money well spent. Dana and John put a lot of work into this and it shows. If you are looking for some help in the food photography department, save yourself the mediocre advice from me and take this course.

You won’t regret it…unlike me and my decision to take disposable camera selfies as a child. Be careful what you wish for. Those photos still haunt me to this day.

Gluten-Free Trail Mix Muffins
adapted from here and here
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 mashed banana
1 (6-oz) container Chobani Greek yogurt*
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

*I used Chobani’s banana flavor in this recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line your cupcake pan with liners or grease well with cooking spray or butter.

In a small bowl, sift together almond flour, oats, cinnamon, powder and sea salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar together. Add banana, Greek yogurt, vinegar and extract. Mix until just combined. Add about 1 cup of dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Fold together. Repeat until dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet ingredients. Batter will be on the thicker side. Fold in chocolate chips, cherries and sunflower seeds.

Fill each muffin tin slot about 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until muffin edges are golden brown + inserted toothpick (or fork, in my case) comes out clean.

Makes 10 to 12 muffins

[I received the Food Photography E-Course free to review. All opinions are my own.]

We all know what happened last time I tried to complete a cleanse.

Let’s just say it was quickly interrupted with a buffet of reuben egg rolls, a vegetable antipasto platter and several beers (photo evidence here). Cleanses and myself…well, we really don’t get along with one another too well. I like to eat. I like to eat well. And I like to eat what I want.

However, I am also a total sucker. Sometimes the promises made by cleanses are just too damn alluring for me to ignore. Brighter skin! Improved mood! Better digestion! Increased energy! Higher libido (hubba, hubba)! More mental alertness! Yes to (d) all of the above – I want to be a glowing, optimistic, flat-abbed, energetic, sexual goddess of the WORLD! Give it to me cleanse!!!!

So I agree to a cleanse, and the reuben egg roll syndrome starts all over again. Wah wah.

However, this time was different.

When Jo and Jules, the creators of The Conscious Cleanse, reached out to me to help them promote their program, I was skeptical at first. Another cleanse? Geez, I don’t know about that. But once I discovered that this is a 100% REAL food cleanse, I (somewhat reluctantly) agreed.  Their mission is to help you find your personal best – in mind, body AND spirit – using the power of real foods, and that seemed like a mission I could get on board with. So another cleanse it was!

For about two full weeks, here is what I had to do:

• Eliminate certain foods including chocolate, corn, dairy, eggs, grapefruit + oranges, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers), peanuts, shellfish, soy, squash + sweet potatoes, strawberries, sugar, wheat + gluten products and yeast.
• Eliminate certain beverages including alcohol and caffeine (<- yes, including coffee!).
• Follow food combining rules, which essentially suggested eating vegetables with protein or grains but not protein and grains together. Also, fruit is to be eaten in a smoothie or by itself on an empty stomach.
• Complete daily exercise, which focused on self-care and included activities like decluttering my space, journaling and waking up early to take extra “me” time.

If you are freaked out by that ^^ above list ^^, it’s okay. I was too.

But those two weeks were really eye-opening!

I ate a lot of beans and brown rice. I made more smoothies in those two weeks than I had made in the past year. I bought obnoxious amounts of kale, which made even the hippies at my local co-op give me strange looks. I felt lethargic at time. I felt good at times. I suffered from major headaches as I weaned off coffee. I exercised modestly (mostly yoga). I didn’t follow the food combining rules perfectly + slipped up several days. I happily consumed lots of warm lemon water.

Honestly, I didn’t get the euphoric goddess of the world effects as I had hoped. However, I did notice my bloating go down significantly (like, really significantly) and saw abdominal muscles that I hadn’t seen since most likely elementary school. I prepared all my own food at home, saving me time and money (which would have gone to eating out), and just generally making me feel better.

The best part of the cleanse is that Jo + Jules encourage you to slowly reintroduce foods to gauge your food sensitivities. What I had never taken the time to notice is that my body does fine with gluten, dairy, corn and coffee but does not like sugar or soy. When I reintroduced sugar (via a slice of zucchini bread from a co-worker), my stomach immediately started churning and didn’t stop for eight hours later. The same thing happened after a handful of gummy bears too.

Will I still eat these things? Of course.

But will I be more cognizant of how much and how often I eat these things? Absolutely.

And that for me, is the perfect level of food consciousness.

Conscious Cleanse Kale Salad with Avocado, Cherries and Pecans
Prep time: 10 minutes

1 head lacinato or curly kale
1/3 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sugar-free dried cherries (or make them yourself using this method)
1 avocado, diced

Lemon Tahini Dressing
1 heaping T tahini
2 T lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 t dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
salt + pepper, to taste

Tear kale into bite-sized pieces, removing stem. Place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over the kale, and mix well. I suggest, if you don’t mind getting messy, tossing and massaging the salad with your hands, ensuring the dressing is well-coated onto each leaf. Add pecans, cherries and avocado, and toss gently.

Makes 1 Everythingtarian-sized serving, 2 generous servings or 4 small appetizer servings

//

The Conscious Cleanse is offering Everythingtarian readers 20% off using the code RFCC912. The next cleanse starts April 14th, so mark your calendars!

[I received the Conscious Cleanse free of charge to review. All opinions are my own.]

There’s nothing like change to make you well…change.

I floated rather resistantly in a state of frazzled transition in 2012. I went back to school. I began a new relationship. I quit my job. I ran a marathon. I started freelancing. Good friends moved away. Good friends got married. Freelancing wasn’t covering my living expenses while in school full-time, so I got a new job. I switched to school part-time. I moved twice. I kept freelancing. I traveled to Nashville, Boston, New York City and Argentina. And I about lost my mind.

Last year took every preconceived notion I had about success and threw it in the garbage disposal with me watching as each belief whirred and spun, vanquishing into the dark stainless steel abyss. All that remained was exhaustion and the damp stench of used coffee grounds, which has become impossible to remove from my sink. The ground kept ceaselessly shaking underneath my feet, testing whether I would be able to bend deeply and earnestly to embrace the small quakes or lock my knees, refusing to adapt. And refusing to embrace the changes that were inevitably coming.

This year, I’m defining success much, much differently. My personal success is going to be measured by my ability to adapt to change. To welcome change. To accept my circumstances as they are and not how I would like them to be. To keep my inner happiness unbroken even when sadness, anger and frustration try to force their conniving, gnarled hands on me. I think that may be the hardest part about change – how do I remain happy even when the tough stuff is just too much, too hard?***

So…I am going to invite change into my modest studio apartment, tell it to take a seat on my bed (sorry, no room for a couch) and stay for a cup of coffee. I am going to feed it a simple, wholesome tart, because who and what doesn’t get cranky when they get hungry? It’s going to be gluten-free, which is a change from my usual eating patterns, but I’m embracing it.

Embracing change by feeding change with change?  Just go with it.

I am not going to kick change out or tell it to go, but rather, let it take it’s precious ol’ time, sit as long as it likes and be okay with this strange thing in my bed. I’ll let it leave when it wants to leave and welcome it back with more coffee and tarts when it returns. It will help me practice my hostess skills. In fact, call it my healthy 2013 resolutions: embrace change and become a better hostess.

Because wasn’t it Sam Cooke who sang, “A Change Is Gonna Come?”

I’d like to argue Mr. Cooke, that change is always gonna come.

*** If you’re interested, I am reading the book The Untethered Soul, and it touches perfectly on cultivating this skill.

Gluten-Free Apple Cheddar Tart
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10 to 15 minutes

Gluten-Free Tart Crust

2 T olive oil or butter
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 T minced fresh rosemary
salt + pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Wisconsin cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare gluten-free tart crust in a 9-inch tart pan or an 8×8-inch square pan. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, saute onions and olive oil. Stir occasionally, letting onions slowly caramelize until they are light brown in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add apples and garlic. Continue cooking for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until apples are soft. Add rosemary and salt + pepper, and mix to coat evenly. Pour caramelized onion-apple mixture atop the tart crust. Top with an even layer of cheddar cheese.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and edges are lightly browned.

Makes 9 squares

[This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker. I received product in conjunction with this post. The opinions and text are all mine.]

I wasn’t sure whether to start this post by telling you that I used to HATE mushrooms (emphasis on the all caps) or warning you that this soup tastes much, MUCH better than it might look (again, emphasis on the all caps).

But both statements are exceedingly true, so I went with both.

Because it’s funny how things change as we get older. How old preferences meld into new, seemingly more sophisticated ones and how we learn – ever so slowly – not to judge things, situations and most importantly perhaps, people by just their outward appearance. Sometimes, that giant step into adulthood is the small discovery that a certain unattractive, nutrient-rich fungi can taste delicious when doused in a warm, scented pool of butter and garlic.

Now, if only all adulthood problems could be solved with garlic and butter! Taxes, car payments, relationship issues, figuring out what to do when you discover you’ve gotten absolutely no FAFSA money to go back to school. God, I’d be so plumply happy.

Luckily, adulthood problems are easily remedied by one thing: putting red wine in mushroom soup. Think of it as extra antioxidants to slow down that pesky aging process and a super easy way to give your soup that certain je ne se quois. That “I-can’t-quite-put-my-finger-on-it-but-damn-this-soup-is-good.” Plus, you can drink the rest of the bottle singing, “Being grown-up is the best eva eva!” to the tune of Rihanna’s “Under My Umbrella…ella…ella…”

Or, if you are like me, you still sing but just stick to a glass or two, because anything more leaves you with a headache the next day.

(Because some things never change.)

The real secret to this Creamy Mushroom Soup however, is a hefty pour of almond milk. The unsweetened kind and preferably from Almond Breeze (my brand of choice). It gives it the perfect amount of creaminess plus a small dose of healthy fats.

It’s a soup that makes me happy I’m a grown-up who now likes mushrooms and has eaten three batches of this soup in the past week despite the fact it looks like scary bowl of purplish slop. A grown-up who is taking responsibility for her own life, going back to school, getting published as a freelance writer, continually working at a happy, healthy relationship (both with myself and the manfriend) and being okay with the fact that she’ll probably never find the perfect balance.

And I’m just REALLY proud of that (emphasis on the all caps).

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups mushrooms*
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
salt + pepper
Toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds + brown rice, for serving (optional)

*I used 1 cup portabella, 1 cup cremini and 1 cup shiitake mushrooms

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic. Continue cooking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft and have released their juices. Add red wine and almond milk, and let cook for 5 minutes or until pot comes to a low boil.

Transfer mixture into a high-speed blender or food processor. Puree until soup is smooth.

Serve drizzles with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds, if desired. You can also serve this soup over a bed of brown rice for a hearty, fiber-filled lunch or dinner.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

[This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze, all opinions are my own.]

The end of the year always leaves me feeling quite nostalgic.

This year was filled with big endings and humble beginnings. Things happened this year that I will never forget (Another marathon! Starting school! Argentina!), and hard things happened this year that made me learn. Much of my life (and the hard stuff) faded off the blog this year, as the whoosh of life transitions and movement into new adventures seemed unbearably overwhelming. Far too overwhelming to write about. Even now, writing about it still seems quite impossible.

But I’m still here. And I’m still kickin’ it. And I’m totally ready for 2013!

Before we’re given a fresh start only the beginning of a new year can bring, let us remember that while new recipes will be created in 2013, old favorites still remain favorites for a reason. So…without further ado, the top 10 most popular recipes from The Healthy Everythingtarian in 2012.

01  /  Healthy Quinoa Fried Rice

02  /  Homemade Dried Cranberries

03  /  Banana Custard Oats (from 2010! still so popular)

04  /  Easy Avocado Dressing

05  /  Raw Zucchini Pasta + Almond Pesto

06  /  Chia Seed Peanut Butter

07  /  Spicy Polenta with Grilled Asparagus, Pan-fried Beans and Feta

08  /  Apple Cinnamon Quinoa

09  /  Baba Ghanoush

10  /  Lentil Israeli Couscous Salad (one of my favorite recipes this year!)

Happy new year friends! May we clank virtual champagne glasses, and see each other in 2013.