Cilantro and Lime Cauliflower Rice Servings: 5 Serving Size: 1 Cup Calories: 61 [Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrates: 8 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 2.5 g] Total Time: 22 minutes Ingredients: - 1 medium sized cauliflower head - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - 2 garlic cloves - 2 scallions (diced) - Kosher Salt + Pepper - 1.5 limes - 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Prep:(Prep Time ~ 10 minutes) 1. Remove the core of the cauliflower and let it dry completely. 2. Coarsely chop into florets. 3. Pulse half of the cauliflower at a time in a food processor until it has the consistency of couscous or rice (don't over process it or will get mushy). 4. Dice scallions 5. Chop Cilantro 6. Mince garlic cloves. Instructions:( Cook Time ~ 12 minutes) 1. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat large Saute pan over medium heat. 2. Add scallions and garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes or until soft. 3. Raise heat to medium high. 4. Add cauliflower rice to saute. 5. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir frequently. (Until cauliflower is slightly crispy on outside but tender on the inside). 6. Season with salt and pepper. 7. Toss with fresh cilantro and lime juice.
“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate.”
The Man (or Woman) Who Thinks He Can
The Man Who Thinks He Can
by Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are:
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.
Do you believe everything you hear?
How often do we question the information that is presented to us? Whether we hear it on the news or from a friend, we take it for face value and never really consider the root or origin of that information. Several weeks ago, I came across this NPR-Ted Radio Hour podcast, “Misconceptions,” that debunks some commonly held beliefs and it really opened my eyes to the validity of common knowledge. If you have ever heard of David and Goliath or have ever ordered General Tso Chicken or Tofu, you might enjoy listening to the reality behind what you think you know to be true about these things.
If you’ve got some time, listen to the entire show. If you’re short on time, listen to Malcom Gladwell talk about the reality behind David and Goliath in the first part. And if you’re just thinking food, listen to part 2 where Jennifer Lee tell’s you more about General Tso Chicken.
Quinoa Fried Rice
Quinoa Fried Rice Servings: 4 Total Time: 34 minutes Ingredients: - 1 head broccoli - 2 carrots - 1/2 cup frozen corn - 2 cloves garlic - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger - 8 oz mushrooms - 1 small onion - 1/2 cup frozen peas - 1 zucchini - 2 large eggs (optional) - 3 tablespoons soy suace - 1 tablespoon sriracha - 3 cups cooked quinoa - 2 tablespoons olive oil Prep:(Prep Time ~ 15 minutes) A) 1 cup quinoa yields 3 cups cooked quinoa B) Set 1 cup of dry quinoa to boil with 2 cups of water C) While quinoa cooks dice onions, mushrooms, green onions, and zucchini. D) Cook frozen corn and peas with water in microwave. Instructions:[Cook Time ~ 19 Minutes] 1) Heat 1 tbs olive oil in medium skillet over low heat 1A) Add eggs and fry until cooked through, flip once and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.(Skip this step if making egg-less dish). 2) Heat 1 tbs olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. 3) Add garlic and onion. Cook stirring for 4-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. 4) Add corn, peas, carrots, and quinoa. Stir often, cook 1-2 minutes. 5) Add mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini. Cook while stirring until vegetables are tender. (3-4 minutes). 6) Add 1 tbs ginger and 3 tbs soy sauce, cook while stirring for 2 minutes. 7) Stir in green onions and (eggs). 8) Add the magical ingredient - Sriracha. Stir. 9) Serve!
Post Cabin Fever
At this time last Friday, some of my friends were packing their cars and buying groceries for our long planned Cabin trip while the rest of us were waiting for the clock to strike 5 O’Clock. It seems that the long awaited Cabin trip passed by in a matter of minutes, that it was too short. We were all surrounded by good friends, acquaintances, and had the opportunity to connect with old friends and forge new friendships. I was able to become closer to individuals I considered just acquaintances, now being able to call them friends and wanting to plan more trips or occasions where we can all hang out. But beyond this, I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone time and again. It was only my second time skiing. I had sworn to myself and pledged allegiance to the bunny slopes that I would not leave the bunny slope no matter what. Yet, I was surrounded by individuals who inspired me to confront my fears and make my way to the green slope. Granted, I was awfully quiet waiting in the singles lift line, with my heart pounding, face flushed red, and going through every scenario of how I can get out of this line. Maybe I can just stay on the lift and come back down on the lift, I thought to myself. But before I knew it, I was at the top of the hill, pushing myself off the lift. I thought to myself, this is it, no backing out. I must have fallen 14 times (because had it been 15, one of my friends threatened to leave me alone on the slope). But I had crazy supportive friends who never left me alone on the slope. Rather, they fell when I fell to give me company and kept supporting me to make it down the slope. There was a part of the slope where I wiped out so badly, I had tears running down my eyes, and one of my friends looked at me and said “You’ve got this, you’re a fighter, you have it in you to get to the bottom of this slope, I know you, you don’t give up!” To be surrounded by people who won’ t leave your side and who believe in you even when the odds are you’re not going to make it down the slope for another 20 minutes is incredible. I feel so fortunate to call such charming people my friends. I know these are the people that will be by your side no matter what. Apart from that, I felt like I was encompassed by a group of people who weren’t willing to give up and fearlessly tried new things. It was inspiring to see people pick up a snowboard for the first time in their life and not give up until they make it down the slope without falling or to see friends go from the baby bunny slopes to doing 360s. There were people who made the obstacles on the slope look like a piece of cake.
Skiing is only one part of exploring uncharted territory last weekend. We all know that there is a lot that goes into planning any trip and getting 18 people to agree on one thing is like rocket science. In any group setting, you are bound to hit heads with people and have clashing opinions. But really, that’s a given. You’ve got to be dreaming if you didn’t expect that. What matters more, is how you handle a disagreement or how you walk away from something when the outcome isn’t most favorable to you. What matters most is being able to put your differences aside and enjoy the wholesome experience rather than hone in on the few things that displease you. There were individuals who went out of their way to make this trip as fun as possible for everyone and not once did they respond negatively to any criticism from anyone. May we all be blessed with a little bit of that fortitude and unique quality. Looking back at the weekend, I can say that there was an overwhelming positive energy that helped transcend any prior resentment, disagreements and provided a path to building sincere friendships.I was impressed with the welcoming and gracious attitude embraced by everyone. We are young and reckless, but the time we have now isn’t everlasting. Let us all make the most of our youth and the opportunities we have to make lasting memories. Before we know it, we will be living the adult life where vacations are delicacies and seeing friends becomes associated with occasions like weddings, baby showers, and anniversaries. So cheers to the Cabin Trip Entourage and may those of us that have post-cabin fever look forward to more fun-filled events!
P.S. – And may those who actually have post-cabin fevers drink lots of Vitamin C, take zinc tablets, rest up and blame Patient X for coming on the trip and spreading germs.
White Noise
Your alarm rings and you wake up. Well, some of us might hit the snooze button several times before we wake up. You wake up. What is the first thing you do? Ask yourself that question. Do you check your text messages, do you check your social media notifications, or do you put your phone to the side and start your day? Your day is going to be filled with tons of notifications and emails, so put that aside and focus on what is important in the morning. For me, it’s important to take a moment to say a prayer or have a positive thought in my head. For you it might be something else, so zone out everything else, disregard the mental clutter, and take a moment to focus on what is important to you at the start of your day. Because I guarantee you those text messages and Facebook notifications will still be there when you come back to your phone. But, the truth is, there just isn’t enough time in the morning to do everything we want, so we run around like crazy maniacs doing our morning routine. I speed around the house, making my breakfast smoothie, packing my lunch and gym bag, pouring my chai into a coffee mug and running to the car to make it to work on time. But somehow, in that morning frenzy, we find time to take the morning Snapchat Selfie. Then why not build something more fruitful into our morning routine, starting with when we wake up?
We get to work, and throughout the day, we come across so many people and have hundreds of interactions. With smartphones and social media, we connect with people hundreds of miles away. But how much of that contributes to our growth and self development? How many of the people with whom we talk or text are actually helping us grow and develop in a positive direction? How many conversations are we having that add to our knowledge or spread knowledge to the people around us? And liking a post about the Super Bowl Champions Parade or some other news isn’t spreading knowledge to say the least. How many genuine human to human interactions are we having throughout the day? It suffices to say that more often than not we succumb to our inner desires of craving attention and wanting to be liked rather than focusing on being the person who makes a meaningful contribution to someone’s daily routine. We spend a majority of our day surrounded by the white noise of social media and trivial chatter about workplace or social drama.
After an exhausting day, we get into bed and fall asleep with our phones in our hand or under our pillow. When you go to bed tonight, ask yourself this: Is the boy/girl you are texting only there for the purposes of attention, or is he/she actually helping you grow in a positive direction? Are your friends pushing you in the right direction or just a fun background tune to your routine life? Ladies and gentleman, if you are in your 20s and have graduated from college, it is time to cut out the white noise. Why drown out your day by white noise when you can compose your own beautiful melody? The people in your life should add harmony into the melody of what is a beautiful life, your life.
Handpicked for you: How We Love
Helloo fraands,
It’s me again. This week’s hand picked podcast for my dearest mitras is How We Love. Listen to it when you can, because it has some great insight into love. Maybe you’ll find more motivation to listen to this one since it practically applies to all of our lives in SOME way.
Cheers!
We are the ‘Next Greatest Generation’ | 11.05.2014.
Hello fraands!
So for a while, I’ve been listening to podcasts on my phone going to and from work. I subscribe to different channels/stations and I’ve found that I really like listening to the NPR–Ted Radio Hour stations and the Ted Talks Station. I’m always learning something new or reflecting. So I’ve decided to spread the knowledge and recommend one talk per week to my friends.
Last week, I listened to maybe 3 talks and the one that I would like to recommend is called the Next Greatest Generation. Its about our generation, the millenials and how the 20s are our defining decades. I definitely think you should listen to it at some point this week! Feel free to share your thoughts once you’ve listened.
Here is the link below:
Two Day Rule – Post Two Days, Now What?
It’s been two days. And, I’m perfectly okay with the decision I made two days ago. I’m sticking with it. You know how you are left with the decision to try harder or walk away. Well, I’d like to think that I’m not giving up. There exists a fine line between determination and desperation. I’m thinking, there is no way I’m crossing that line. I’m still the same me, caring and understanding. However, it’s time I remember that I’m an amazing person and it’s time I don’t let the words and actions of other people get to me. I don’t NEED anyone in my life, I CHOOSE to have the people I love and cherish in my life because they make me happy. For those that can’t give me happiness most of the time, then I don’t need or want you most of the time. There, it’s really simple. Life is simple, let’s keep it simple.
The Ordinary Mantra 