Tag Archives: positivity

PTA: Present Tense Affirmation

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In my last post I said I was EXPLODING with information. Well, some of that information I’m going to withhold… for right now. But I’ll start out with some things I’ve been enjoying this week.

Rode bikes in the city for the first time, along the Hudson River

It’s such a nice way to wind down from the day. After running through Central Park, I’ll head out with friends afterwards for long, leisurely bike rides. Then wash off, stretch for awhile, and do something very grounding afterwards. One thing I like to do is give my feet a nice massage with a peppermint foot lotion. I used to think to myself, “oh it would be nice to paint my nails… or give my tired muscles a massage” and not do it because I thought I didn’t have enough time. When really all it may take is just five minutes. How many people find themselves saying “I don’t have enough time“?

 

Actually, I hear that a lot with cooking. Recent things in my life though have gotten me to take a step back and just relax. To allow myself to just go with it, and not go into shallow breathing panic-mode if someone on the street stops me to talk about Matilda for 10 minutes. Before, I would stop, but I’d feel anxious the whole time. One of my recent mottos: whatever.

Here’s an interesting link I came across a few months ago that explains the title of the post: emotional freedom technique

Of course, there are times when I am rushed, but that’s another thing I’ve worked on… just saying it. I used to shy away from that because I didn’t want to offend anyone. I can reflect on the various causes of my feeling this way, but just behaving in a different way in the present helps the most. Just doing it. Everyone leads a different life, at times a life with demands.

So one day, while on a no-rush walk…

I stumbled upon a mulberry bush

I didn’t want to take too many, since I’m sure the other park animals also eat them.

A breakfast bowl with: diced cold apple, toasted hemp seeds, goat’s milk kefir, mulberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon + nutmeg

A very Perricone friendly breakfast. Perri-who?

Some of you may have heard of renowned dermatologist, Dr. Perricone. Perhaps you’ve read his informative books and seen his skincare line. Or maybe you caught him taking away Larry King’s cup of coffee, for a cup of green tea instead. Anyway, here’s one part of the explosion!

I’ll be sharing recipes and nutritional insights on featured ingredients on a weekly basis over at the blog: the Daily Perricone. This has been in the works for awhile, and I’ve been biting my tongue the whole time.

This week was my first post on the blog, and I’m looking forward to sharing recipes on there.

The recipe can be found here, and for some interesting facts about peas click over here.

I’ll let you guys know about them, and if you follow me on my Facebook fan page then you’ll get more frequent updates as well. I also like to start discussions on there, share snapshots, and love to answer any questions anyone else may have! So check it out if you haven’t already.

My recipe for a simple summer soup.

Here’s a sneak peak look at some more upcoming news.

I’ll be featured in FIRST RUN magazine’s debut issue, which I’ll keep you posted on when it’s off the press. FIRST RUN is a quarterly running magazine, that is unlike any other running magazine out there. I’m truly excited to see it, and I think there will be lots of beautiful imagery and very interesting content to match. Also, keep tabs on what they’re up to through their Twitter.

Now on to the biggest news for me right now…

Continue reading →

From Yours Truly

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Happy middle of the week everybody! Isn’t it funny how time just seems to fly by once Wednesday rolls around? You know what else has been rolling around besides the days? I noticed on some blogs that there has been this incredible message being spread. Recently, I’ve come across some incredible posts that just really resonated with me. Rebekah gave us a piece of her mind last week, Jessica is stepping a foot forward towards some wonderful changes, and Jenny has been posting a great series of LIFT posts. I find most blogs to be really inspiring and I love how they are glimpses of how wonderful some people in this world can be! I’m definitely a person who sees the goodness in everyone. What can I say? Anyway, a lot of posts that have been floating around recently have provoked my thoughts–in a good way. Recently, I’ve been thinking about acceptance, willpower, and rooting for yourself. I’ve had my fair share of of Chicken Soup for Whatever Soul moments in my life, but I’m still standing… with both feet on the ground. There were times when I did fall. In fact there were times I hit rock bottom. But who hasn’t? During those times it was hard to see or even fathom the idea that things would get better. I was blind to the fact that things could get better, but it was up to me. Of course, the love from friends and family helps, but at the end of the day… it’s only you that sees the world through your set of eyes. For the most part, we know what things are best for us. So why is it that sometimes we don’t do those things? Sometimes we do the complete opposite! Looking back on the times I hit the pavement hard, I am astounded by the wasted energy I put into not doing what I knew would help me. It was almost as if I wanted to stay in the black hole because at the time it just seemed like “too much” to deal with. Well guess what? One miserable day I was sitting down and I looked at the people around me. I thought to myself, “I want that. I want to be free like they are and not worry about these things anymore. I deserve to be happy!” I was right! We all deserve that. Eventually, I started taking steps towards getting my spirit back. I knew I was not the empty shell I decided to make my home a couple years back. At first, everything felt so scary and foreign to me, but overtime I saw that the more I did these things that were actually good for me, the easier they became. And eventually, it felt natural. I didn’t even think twice about it! I was starting to see that I should have more compassion towards myself, which led to self-acceptance. By working through the storm, I am now able to appreciate so many aspects of life, this world, and beyond. Maybe the child inside of me will never die. I really don’t mind seeing the world through the same set of wide eyes for the rest of my life. I believe people can still keep that innocence and simultaneously learn from their “mistakes”. Just live and let go. Anyway, you see, after you’ve picked yourself up, brushed off your knees… that’s when you realize that scrapes and bruises are only temporary, and that aching hearts do heal. But it’s up to you! And you’re wonderful.

And so are these granola bars!

Breakfast on the go!

I finally used the forgotten tempeh that was sitting in my freezer for months!

I made some maple-ginger grilled tempeh with coconut oil and tarragon.

Perfect for sandwiches as well!

Inside an olive roll + mayo + creme of dates and almonds + onions + romaine

Pumpkin seed butter + maple syrup sandwich

Remember how I said that I wasn’t too keen on the taste of pumpkin seed butter? Well that was the case until I tried the Futter’s pumpkin seed butter that Liz sent me. Whoa! Second chances can be a good thing. I also love the color–it makes me feel like a kid again. Remember when they came out with green ketchup? Green eggs and ham? But of course there are foods that are normally green… like beautiful artichokes!

Filming a video for my final piece.

Guess what this is!

When the lovely Katie posted a recipe for a breakfast pizzert (pizza + dessert), I bookmarked it right away! Since I didn’t have pastry flour I opted for a mix of corn meal and whole wheat flour. I wanted to make something reminiscent of a shortcake, so strawberries were obvious. I plan on making another one soon and I know the perfect fruit to use for the corn meal and whole wheat flour combo. You’ll just have to wait and see!

What a lovely breakfast, don't you think?

Topped it with a sliced banana, more strawberries, coconut oil, and chocolate hazelnut butter + a side of Greek yogurt

I've also recently whipped up my own batch of refried beans!

I spiced mine up with some freshly ground up dried chipotle peppers. Also since I didn’t have any avocados on hand I opted for something I did have: avocado oil! I “borrowed” this from my parents’ kitchen, and have just decided that I’m never giving it back! Sorry guys, but atleast you’re always loaded with actual avocados (avocados are so cheap in Florida).

We now interrupt this post with some fashion!

My friend taught me that in the fashion department they call this "naked clothes". I love it!

My what long handle you have!

Perfect for OIBAJ (oats in a BIG ASS jar)

The other day when I was putting some burnt coconut butter on my sweet potato I realized that it was that time again! This time I did things differently. I made my bowl of oatmeal the night before so they would cool down–as I’ve shared before I tend to start sweating like a mad man when the weather gets hot and I have warm oatmeal–and I mixed in the protein powder after I cooked the oatmeal. Anyway, in the morning I mixed in the oats with the coconut butter little by little. I also  sliced a banana and mango in there, and then topped it all with some shredded coconut. This was the perhaps the creamiest oatmeal breakfast I’ve ever had! No lie! On that note, I’ll leave you all with my last piece of this semester for my advanced sculpture class.

I loved that I made something that was larger than me!

Much larger! I made a “raft” and sewed a patchwork sheet to project my short film up on to it.

Detail shot of the mica flakes + paint on the raft

I think knots in wood are beautiful.

Here’s a question for you: when you find it hard to believe in yourself, what do you do?

Treating Yourself Like Royalty

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Since it’s NEDA week I wanted to write about treating ourselves not just with respect, but with love and kindness. Honoring yourself. Harboring negative energy towards others, and especially yourself, is a waste of time. Life is too fleeting to dwell on things. So what does giving myself the royal treatment mean to me? Living life beautifully and to the fullest. Accepting the good and the bad without getting my head wrapped tightly around the latter. Just being. Being who I am and not feeling shame. Never contain your spirit–just let it be free! Moreover, I love to surround myself with things that make me happy: friends and family, the arts… creativity, imaginations, comforting smells, spirituality, and delicious food. The list could go on, but I don’t think we’ve got all day. But here’s how I started my Wednesday!

Crumbled goodness

That particular morning I decided to try Betty Lou’s Apple Cinnamon Fruit Bar… let me just call it an apple pie because that’s what it tasted like!!! Note: All of their fruit bars are “gluten-free / low-fat / vegan / wheat-free / soy-free / corn-free / dairy-free.” You can definitely have these fruits bars alone but I had it with yogurt, a diced apple, and Sunland’s caramel peanut butter. I also spread some coconut oil on the bar before I crumbled it because I’m Katharina and that’s what I do. “In conclusion”, this breakfast was superb! Can you tell that I’m enjoying working my way through the amazing  Betty Lou’s sampler package? I really can’t thank them enough.

Then I got ready for Crit day 2.
Check out the pockets!
Acting like a diva is a sure way to wake anyone up!

My professor actually gave me an extension on my piece because he could tell that I hadn’t finished developing it. RELIEF! I was not looking forward to the critique because of that. But thank you all for your kind words on it!!! I will definitely keep you all updated on how the piece ends up transforming. I’m also working on a video right now, and my next sculpture piece.

Thank goodness for leftovers because I came home a very hungry girl after the crit.

I had the last of the Amy’s cheese & pesto pizza. However, this time I decided to throw on some cooked butternut squash. Adding my own twist to pre-packaged food is something I usually do, but I wanted to give the pizza itself a try first.

Tried some new granola bars!

Nancy, over at Granola Gourmet, kindly sent me a sampler package of two of their bars: brownie and spiced orange cranberry. These bars contain no sodium, no wheat, nor dairy. Moreover, they are also safe for diabetics since they have a low glycemic level, and they boast 391 mg of Omega 3′s per serving. So what’d I think?

Brownie: It was definitely rich and chocolatey! I was expecting it to be dry but it surprisingly was not. I also enjoyed the chewy and dense texture of this bar. I also advise drinking this with a delicious glass of milk.

Spiced Orange Cranberry: The orange flavor in this bar was very prominent. I felt it undermined the cranberry flavor and I couldn’t quite make out what was spiced about it. However, the moistness was very nice to bite into, and it didn’t crumble everywhere!

The recipe I was making called for grated nutmeg.

And water chestunuts.

I popped a few in my mouth while prepping. I just love how crunchy they are! Now, what the heck was I making?

Butternut Squash with Carmelized Onions, Chestnuts, and Sage Breadcrumbs

This was one of the recipes from the Veganomicon that popped out at me when I was browsing through it for the first time.

Digging in!
This snack tasted deliciously decadent.

The other day I also attempted to make April’s famous protein brownie batter. This is one chica I definitely trust when it comes to recipes. And it’s amazing because she comes up with so many of these! I used chocolate protein powder and banana peanut butter to make mine. This was so decadent and satisfying to eat. I think I’m going to try vanilla protein powder with cashew butter next.

Dinner is served.

I had the casserole, a chunk of focaccia, raw kale, and olive oil + balsamic vinegar + cracked pepper for dipping!

It was time for the delicious butternut squash casserole to get in my belly.

This recipe was delicious but next time I will follow their advice and serve it with some holiday cranberry sauce. A tinge of tangy-sweetness would definitely bring this to another level. I loved the textures in this! The crunchy water chestnuts, the soft butternut squash and cannellini beans, and the perfectly caramelized onion all topped off with an aromatic sage breadcrumb crust… yum!

Life is so much more enjoyable when you love your mind, body, and soul. So this is me wishing you a positive outlook on the beauty that you possess.

Oatmeal Lovers

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So who here loves their oatmeal? I know I do! But during the summer, I don’t want something warm for breakfast. However, lately I’ve been able to have my bowl of oatmeal without breaking a sweat! Thanks to frozen fruits. I just cut up whatever fruit I want to use and stick it in the freezer overnight and voila. I just mix in the fruits once the oatmeal is already in my bowl.

Katie is having a Jay Robb giveaway. So comment on her blog for a chance at winning!

Yesterday my parents surprised me with news. At the time it seemed like bad news, but I’m looking at the positives. They told me that I have to go down to Florida for about a month to get all my medical tests done. The whole ordeal has just been a frustrating experience, but I’m hoping to get it done with and start treatment for whatever it is I may have. Finally! I like being back home and Florida can be a paradise, but it gets boring there very quickly. I’m going to try to make the most of the situation though. I guess that means finally trying out some of Angela’s recipes! I’ll see it as time I can work on myself inside and out. A whole month of spoiling myself doesn’t sound so hard does it? Honestly, it’s really hard for me to allow myself to really relax. I feel like I always have to have my head above the water and keep swimming. I can never just… float. I’m realizing that I might be doing all this swimming, but am I really getting anywhere? So while I’m in Florida I’ll just pretend I’m a writer tucked away in a cottage, trying to get out of my creative funk.

I was looking through some pictures on my computer, and for some reason I felt like sharing. I’ll start off with a food related one, since this blog is mainly about my food adventures!

Dad at this Japanese style fast-food place. Everything comes out on a conveyor belt.

Dad at this Japanese style fast-food place. Everything comes out on a conveyor belt.

My grandmother is one of the kindest people I've ever come across.

My grandmother is one of the kindest people I've ever come across. By the way, she's never dyed her hair!

My old desk set-up.

My old desk set-up.

I did a photoshoot for my mom's friend while she was pregnant. I think she looks so at ease with everything.

I did a photoshoot for my mom's friend while she was pregnant. I think she looks so at ease with everything.

Years after I took this picture of 2 random strangers, I saw the man on the right in a wheelchair. I doubt he remembers who I am, but I remember his name.

Years after I took this picture of 2 random strangers, I saw the man on the right in a wheelchair. I doubt he remembers who I am, but I remember his name.

Collecting proof that seasons change.

Collecting proof that seasons change.

Me with one of my close friends, Carly.

Me with one of my close friends, Carly.

Energy drink was unopened at this point.

Energy drink was unopened at this point.

My old studio apartment.

My old studio apartment.

My friend's mom gave me this awesome table and I've filled it with polaroids.

My friend's mom gave me this awesome table and I've filled it with polaroids.

IMG_6576

My bed was very close to the ground at my first place. I got the perfect amount of sunlight in that room.

On a somewhat related note, I feel this post has a lot to do with reflection. The act of reflecting can be something you do about the past, or even on yourself in the present. Either way, I believe for us to grow closer to who we are as people we should do this. The other day as I was reading other blogs I came across a post on Oh She Glows. This particular post deals with self-image, and we often belittle ourselves. Just thought I would share it with you all, and maybe you’ll get something out of it.

What do you do to nourish your mind, body, and soul?

Today the sun is shining (it’s been hiding all week), and it’s a Friday. I’d say it’s a wonderful way to start the weekend.

p.s. Thanks for all the advice on my last post. I feel a lot better about that whole situation.