Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Autumn baking is officially on, baby. The days are getting chilly and windy but still sunny enough to score a tan during mid-day swims, and the honeycrisp apples, pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon are begging to be put to use. 

The Vitamix is officially all packed up and ready to be sent back to Headquarters, so my Kitchen Aid mixer stood there on my countertop all alone, looking longingly at me with her sad eyes. I caved.

I usually follow recipes exactly, just since I feel like I barely paid attention in food science class, and the whole ingredient-substitution thing can be overly complicated. But today, perhaps it was the weather, or a false sense of confidence catalyzed by the fact that I had accomplished 75% of the things on my to-do list- well, I was feeling ballsy. Which meant that I substituted quite anything and everything that I could, in order to make these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins more healthy, in true 'dietitian' nature.

Flax eggs? Bring it on. (For the record, it's just 1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 3 Tbsp water. It makes an egg-like consistency, for vegan recipes). I swapped coconut sugar for brown sugar, and used coconut oil instead of canola oil. 

I'm learning that cooking, baking, whatever; it's all a craft of its own sort. It's a moving meditation, an art, a tender practice of intending, intuiting, stirring and creating something beautiful that wasn't there before. Try it for yourselves.

VEGAN PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 flax egg
• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 1 cup almond milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Prepare flax egg by mixing flax meal and water in a cup- let rest for 5 minutes until it thickens
3. Add wet ingredients together and stir. Then, add salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon and whisk.
4. Carefully place flours into a sifter and add to wet ingredients and stir.
5. Add chocolate chips and stir.
6. Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 22-25 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container or bag.

And there you have it. A delicious and healthy muffin to start off the fall season. Happy baking. 

You Are Life.

Topped off today literally chasing the sunset with good company, headlamps on the visors, deeply inhaling the crisp evening autumn air. The seasons are definitely changing. The trails are always the first to unwrap autumn, and tonight I was able to really pay attention while breathing and running, noticing the parallels to how we try to out-run the looming darkness of death and race towards the ever-quickly-setting sun. Chasing, chasing, chasing.

And so we stopped to enjoy the painted sky after the sun had set, and all at once, it made sense...

“You are not separate from the whole. You are one with the sun, the earth, the air. You don’t have a life, you are life.”

— Eckhart Tolle

Here's to early autumn sunsets, trail runs, and the big lessons that emerge from simple adventures. You are life. Remember that. 

Why Hello, Autumn...

I'm craving yin the way a newborn craves milk.

Despite the toasty weather and the triple digits that the Tri-Valley has been experiencing lately, fall is officially here as of today, and with it, so many seasonal changes are afoot. The evenings creep earlier now, and kabocha stew will soon be simmering on the stove. The Pumpkin Fairy has officially waved her wand over the aisles of Trader Joe's, and soon the watermelon bins will be replaced by pumpkins and squash. The headlamp is charged for the early morning/evening runs, and I've unpacked the long-fingered gloves and arm warmers in preparation for the chillier bike rides.

I'm digging it.

Embracing the new fall season with a new fall hair color.... #ombrelove

I'm excited to trade the sleeveless tanks for scarves and knee-high boots that have been hiding in the back of my closet, and light the apple cinnamon spiced candles and read good books underneath a warm blanket to the fireside's glow. I've noticed the subtle shift of my mood and how it follows the seasons- I find it's true how nature plays a role in our physical and emotional states.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, there is a connection between autumn, the Metal element, and the large intestines and lungs, and there is natural tendency to turn even more inward and reflective as we embrace root vegetables, hot soup, flickering candles, and everything else that embodies this season of yin.

So if you are anything like me, and find you have a tendency to feel even more quiet and thoughtful and nostalgic and maybe a little reminiscent and even just a tad bit melancholy, just recognize that it's just Autumn, saying hello, and taking off her shoes and putting down her jacket in your house since she'll be staying awhile.

So invite her in, throw a kettle on the stove, and light the fireplace. And don't forget the pumpkin bread. Welcome, Fall.

Rising Strong.

“There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by. A life of good days lived in the senses is not enough. The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less; time is ample and its passage sweet. Who would call a day spent reading a good day? But a life spent reading- that is a good life.”

— Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Recently, I've been consumed with two creative, inspiring, raw, authentic, fiery, unapologetically-badass women whose work I have admired through the years. Both have new books out. 

Dr. Brene Brown's work on vulnerability and shame from a research-oriented perspective inspired me in my own writing and sharing of my work. Turns out, when you dare greatly in the 'arena,' you are going to get knocked down. 

Miraculously, PK and I were able to score tickets to her sold-out show in SF, and there was a unique energy in the room. We were not her fans, we were part of her tribe- all of us were somehow in our own arenas of life, wanting so badly to choose courage over fear, being tempted to feel safe rather than brave, but also feeling sick and tired of hiding out, pretending, and armoring up against vulnerability.

“Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending- to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, ‘Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how this story ends.”

— Dr. Brene Brown, Rising Strong

In her newest book, Rising Strong, Dr. Brene Brown provides the roadmap to enable individuals to navigate through the messy middle parts of life (this is where the magic happens), and ultimately emerge from the mud and mire more whole, and living a more wholehearted life. She reliably, simply, shatteringly continues to rock my world, in the most mindful, elegant, research-based of ways.

On the same note, Elizabeth Gilbert's newest book Big Magic comes out tomorrow. I've been riding this train of what it means to live a creative life (it is a choice, after all), how to show-up daily for the 'work' even when feeling uninspired, and trusting that this path of uncertainty as an artist is worthwhile and meaningful. These authors are like warm blankets to comfort us artists, who are at times, shivering in our own fear and isolation. The power of good, honest, raw writing, of course, is that even when it expresses sentiments of the work being difficult and hard and muddy, that kind of authenticity makes us all feel less alone in our creative work. Somehow, we feel more normal.

Read Dr. Brene Brown's book Rising Strong, and listen to this fabulous interview with Elizabeth Gilbert and Jonathan Fields about her new book, Big Magic. 

http://www.goodlifeproject.com/elizabeth-gilbert/

Take inspiration by the hand and follow your curiosity. Then get up off your butt. And make something real.

Garam Masala Roasted Chickpeas

Garam masala roasted chickpeas, avocado, radishes, carrots, arugula, black forbidden rice with hummus.

These one-bowl meals have been making me swoon lately. Especially since the weather has been 105 degrees out here in the Tri-Valley, it's easy to eat watermelon 24/7.  Luckily, this solves the problem when you come back from the pool and don't have much energy to cook an entire dinner. One-bowl meals are the perfect combination of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein.

The garam masala roasted chickpeas add a unique flavor, and these can be used for tasty on-the-go snacks as well. You can purchase garam masala at your local Indian store.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp garam masala (or more, if desired)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Using a paper towel or cloth, blot dry and remove outer skins
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle garam masala, coating evenly
4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Enjoy!

Jump.

“I would rather jump and know the freeze of the water, the shake of my bones, and the stinging of my skin, than spend my life clinging to the rails and staring down at the current below.”

— Tyler Knott Gregson

Enjoying my first hike to Alamere Falls... #seekadventure #livewide #lovedeep

Choosing Grace.

“If you ever find yourself empty from something you cannot know or name, find a stretch of ocean, a field or a mountainside, or even clouds or trees. Because there are a thousand simple ways to fill your tired soul so you can remember how to be, how to see, and most importantly, how to breathe.”

— Victoria Erikson

Overlooking Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz.

Driving to Half Moon Bay at 6:30am on Saturday morning, I was both stunned and surprised to see small droplets of rain falling upon the windshield. It had been 100 degrees in Dublin just a few days earlier, and I was unprepared and caught off guard. I didn't even pack arm warmers for the ride, naively expecting it to be sunny and 70.

It reminded me of how everything we experience- thoughts and feelings of both pleasure and pain, community and isolation, are all like a weather pattern, coming and going, appearing, and then passing along.

It seemed particularly apropos given that my usually 'sunny and 70' mood had changed in the last 24 hours, and my current state of vague blah-ness and somber mood was matched by the grey clouds and the foggy conditions.

We started down Highway 1, and every few miles I wiped off the raindrops on my sunglasses that shrouded and obscured my vision so I could focus on the road right in front of me. I was literally and metaphorically pedaling through the fog as J just listened and offered space. I realized how much-needed these rainy days of life are. How they offer introspection and reassessment of our lives that just don't come when the sun is always out. What a poignant reminder of how we should allow the chillier, often messier 'storms' into our lives, understanding that they too, are simply weather systems, coming and going.  And they are just as necessary and nourishing to our soul's landscape as the sunnier days.

You know what happens after awhile?

The sun always breaks through the fog in due time. And my mental clarity in my head and my heart followed suit.

View along West Cliff in Santa Cruz, 50 miles in...

We arrived safely back into Half Moon Bay with 100 miles in our legs, and salt and goofy grins all over our faces. I was starving, my mouth salivating in anticipation of enjoying the Olive Walnut bread/hummus sandwich at San Benito Deli. We sat down, exhausted and anxious to get some real food into our stomachs. I was getting ready to take a huge bite of my sandwich when everything came to a screeching halt.

There was mayonnaise layered on both sides of the bread.

I don't do mayo.

I shot J a desperate look, not wanting to be a prima donna, but also knowing that I couldn't eat this if it had mayo all over it, and I was thisclose to entering the 'hangry' state.

I sauntered back into the deli, knowing it was my fault for not specifying 'no mayo' but also secretly hoping for a miracle. The woman behind the counter looked at me with tired but kind eyes as she listened to my request. She took my sandwich, made me a brand-new one, and even wrapped up the old one, placed it in a bag, and instructed me to "give it someone who might enjoy it." She didn't charge me for my new sandwich. Instead her response was, "You've just ridden 100 miles and you deserve a good meal." It made my day how someone could be so kind to me. 

We were about to leave, and my heart was overflowing with gratitude for the exceptional woman who served me up with much more than a hummus sandwich that afternoon. She served me grace. I walked up to her as she was cleaning the deli, and handed her a tip as a small token of my gratitude. She refused it at first. She hugged me instead. Then she started to cry.

It turns out that the day before she had experienced some deep pain caused by a friend. And it was in this absolute place of isolation and pain that she needed to feel love. "Your timing was so perfect today. This was exactly what I needed," she replied. No, it was exactly what we needed. I realized she had the power to change the entire ending of my day if she had reacted negatively to my request. But instead, she chose compassion. She chose grace. And grace is a circular blessing.

In fact, the whole day felt very much like grace. Grace being the unexpected blessings, the unearned bounty. The kind of blessing that comes whether we work for it, or deserve it, or ask for it, or pay for it, or not.

There's Big Grace- the kind that involves a cross and unconditional love.

But there's also everyday grace- the kind that's found in smiling at the stranger standing in line next to you at the grocery store.

The kind that's found in letting another car merge in front of you during rush-hour traffic on a Monday.

The kind that's found in the small air pocket tucked behind a friend's wheel to protect you from the headwinds of life.

The kind that's found in hummus sandwiches without mayo.

The choice is ours. We all have the opportunity to choose in each interaction, in each moment, in each breath.

Will you choose grace?

Update: Today I received a thank you email from Marie. If you visit Half Moon Bay, drop by the San Benito Deli and give Marie a huge hug. And order the hummus sandwich on olive walnut bread...just specify no mayo.... ;)

Sunrise.

Sunrise miles are still my favorite...

If I had the chance to go back again
Take a different road, bear a lighter load
Tell an easy story

I would walk away with my yesterdays
And I would not trade what is broken
For beauty only

Every valley, every bitter chill
Made me ready to climb back
Up the hill and find that

You are sunrise
You are blue skies
How would I know the morning
If I knew not midnight?

You're my horizon
You're the light of a new dawn
So thank you, thank you
That after the long night, you are sunrise

There's a moment when faith caves in
There's a time when every soul is certain
God is gone

But every shadow is evidence of sun
And every tomorrow holds out hope for us
For every one of us

-Nichole Nordeman, Sunrise

Lately I've been listening to this song on repeat... May you all know that dark nights always give way to new mornings...
 

"Spice of Life" Retreat

Hello, friends! I'm excited to announce that our next 1/2 day wellness retreat will be on September 19th. It'll be a fun day of cooking demonstrations, exploring the benefits of ayurvedic spices, and learning how to use them to balance your specific body. CLICK HERE for all the details!

We only have a FEW more spots left, so let me know if you're interested in joining us!

Japchae with Kelp Noodles

The feeling I get when something actually goes right in my kitchen...

Across the board with my Asian clients, I hear one lament- "I MISS NOODLES." I see the sadness in their eyes. It's like a bad break-up. All of those nights watching sappy movies and slurping noodles are gone. All those rainy days being comforted by hot noodle soup have been stripped away.

We all know that the best part of breaking up is the making up. So wipe those tears away, folks, because here is a recipe that will give you the mouthfeel and texture of noodles with only a fraction of the calories and some added nutrition. Change out of your sweatpants, put on some make-up, and do your hair. Noodles are back in your life.

Kelp noodles contain only 6 calories per serving (each bag contains 3 servings), along with calcium and iron. And the best part? You don't have to boil them! You just add them straight into your recipe and BOOM! You're done and can move on with your life.

I order Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles from Vitacost.com- it's the cheapest I've found anywhere, but you can also find them on amazon.com as well. Japchae is one of my favorite Korean dishes, and now you can enjoy this too, guilt-free and with added nutrients.

Kelp noodles are neutral, so they readily absorb the flavor and seasoning of whatever dish they're added to...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp tamari
• 1 Tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms 
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup spinach or other greens (I used red chard)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in a large wok. Add diced yellow onion, ginger and garlic and stirfry until onions are tender.
2. Add shredded carrots, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, green onions to the pan and continue to stir.
3. Add tamari and sesame oil (optional) to taste.
4. Meanwhile, rinse the kelp noodles under cold water. Using kitchen shears, cut into smaller pieces and add to the stir-fried vegetables. 
5. Stir together and sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.
6. Enjoy!

Sunrise Musings.

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. The longer I live, the more my mind dwells upon the beauty and the wonder of the world.”

— John Burroughs

Captivating rays captured this morning after descending from Redwood Peak....