Motivation…

What a funny thing motivation is!?    Even funnier, is the fact I was complaining about my lack of motivation on twitter this morning, then I walk into class and my teachers days “today’s lecture is on Motivation” – I laughed on the inside!

I chuckled at this as well… this is just how I feel these days!

*source

mo⋅ti⋅va⋅tion

–noun

1.
the act or an instance of motivating.

2.
the state or condition of being motivated.

3.
something that motivates; inducement; incentive.

The one thing my teacher mentioned today is the best way to motivation is to have incentive…

*source

What is it that you use as your incentive to get motivated?  I need some serious help!

One thing I have no problem getting motivated for?   COOKING of course – I think every foodie suffers from this!!

After seeing all the granola in blog land I was inspired.

I didn’t follow a recipe, I just “wung” it!

Oats, coconut, millet and walnuts

tossed into a bowl

With some of this melted and drizzled over!

Then I added a wee bit of grapseed oil and I popped it in the oven at 350 until it got crunchy!

It was great!  I should have added some honey or agave though as it wasn’t sweet at all!   I added some cha cha cha chia seeds and non dairy chocolate chips in, just for fun!

 

Super quick and easy, and not like packaged granola which has a million and a half calories, fat and unrecognizable ingredients!

Test it out and let me know what you think!!

Also stay tuned for my review on this lovely stuff

You know what I love even more about this stuff?

It was a free sample to test out! (ps this stuff is being sold at Starbucks!!)

Wait and see!!!!!!

Also don’t forget about the GIVEAWAY and your random acts of kindness!  I also decided you get a free entry if you are a blog follower so just say HI on that post and you’ll get an entry too!!

Jolene from Everyday Foodie is well on her way!!  PS She has her very first giveaway going on too!! Go visit and say hi!!

 

Have a fabulous rest of your day (PS… my crocuses(flowers) are coming up in my garden!!  Sure sign spring is on it’s way!!

xo Jessssssssssssica!

 

It’s a kale kinda day!

First a quick reminder – Have you done your random act of kindness yet today? If so, enter the giveaway!!

I love that you guys love this idea!! Keep the kindness going!

So I’ve been attempting to eat more raw foods lately! I am going to post a challenge when the weather gets warmer for a 2 week 80% raw food challenge!  Are you interested?  I haven’t figured out all the details, but I have some pretty amazing raw foodies lined up to do guest posts!! :)

This is what I had for breaky today! 

I got the idea from someone’s? blog, and it was so good!

Avocado with agave, salt and pepper

OMG – so amazing I HIGHLY recommend this!

I also had a green monster!

Loads of spinach, water, strawberry, banana, barney butter and coconut butter (which ended up being little tiny YUMMY coconut chips in the smoothie) 

I felt lost after realizing that Amazing Grass and my stomach aren’t friends (pouts) and stopped drinking green monsters… so I am trying to get back in the habit!!

I’m also starting to make Dave some protein shakes

(minus the green)

I also made myself some more KALE CHIPS today! (which I’m snacking on right now!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash up kale and put on a baking sheet

Then massage in about 2 tsp oil, some salt and whatever spice you like!

Pop the kale into the oven for about 10 mins, then turn the oven off and leave them there until they are crispy!

Ketchup chips have been getting the best of me lately, I need another crunchy, salty snack and this is perfect!

Best part – it’s about 2x servings of DARK LEAFY GREENS!

Last but not least!   I am going to share with you a TOP SECRET salmon recipe that rocks!

Marinate your salmon with olive oil, soya sauce and WAY TO MUCH PEPPER (trust me on this) – Marinate if for a min of 1/2 hour.   Cook and enjoy – best salmon you’ll ever eat!

I served it with some of the risotto that Elizabeth send it her package! (with cute notes of course)

and kale… it was a fantastic dinner!

Ok guys, I must get to my to do list now!! 

Enough procrastination for this chick!

Don’t forget about my giveaway!  There are not very many entries so at this moment in time, your chances of winning are pretty fantastic! haha

Happy Monday

xo Jessica

Random Acts of Kindness and a Raw & Spicy Giveaway!

I hope the “Raw and Spicy” giveaway brought you here!  :)

But you’ll have to read my other thoughts before I get to that!!
Muahahhahahahahaaaaaaaa

I have been wanting to do this post FOREVER…  Now is the day!  Ready to spread the love…?

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) are an amazing thing.

Not only does it give you the power possibly make someone’s day, but you get to also feel the glow for doing something good for the world. 

And one act of kindness can cause a major ripple effect, many people will benefit from you.
Best part –it’s easy!

Imagine you have the power to make a difference today!

Have any of you been on the receiving end of random acts of kindness?
If so, do tell!!

If not, it’s time to begin the ripple effect!! 
I have a challenge for all of you.  

Commit to yourself to do one random act of kindness per day in the upcoming week – And then come back and tell me about it (one entry into the draw for every story)

Here are a few ideas! (easy and cheap) there are SO MANY MORE – if you need more inspiration “google it!”

1. Pay for the person’s coffee behind you in the line up, if they have more than a coffee, oh well… how awesome would it be if someone paid for your breakfast?
2. Send nice cards to random people in the phone book.
3. Leave some operation beautiful notes somewhere special.
4. Open the door for a mom, a grandpa or anyone.  Smile and say “have a nice day”
5. Tape a quarter to a pay phone with a note welcoming someone who needs it to use it.
6. Drop off flowers (randomly) at a friend’s place – even better drop by the thrift store to pick up some pretty little vases and then buy a bunch of flowers, this will cost much less than buying a bunch from the florist.
7. Shovel someone's drive way (this happened to us this winter – it was awesome!)
8. Clean up litter along the road – makes for a nicer cleaner walk for someone else.
9. Apologize to someone, if you treated them unfairly. Quick story for you. I was grumpy, I snapped at someone at the grocery store.  I felt bad, went and apologized to her. It ended in a hug! Hugs ROCK!
10. Send a letter (not an email) to someone who has made a difference in you life (ok ok, you can send an email too)
11. Read to a child – EASY- kids get so lost in the shuffle sometimes.  I love to read to my friends kids when I visit, or to the little kids that I work with sometimes!
12. When you ask someone how they are… mean it!
13. 
    Smile at a stranger – SO POWERFUL
    

I have lots more too, if you need more inspiration!


Ok… the give away – it’s raw and spicy!
2x Raw Revolution Bars
3x Green First – the green’s powder my Naturopath recommends
4x Chocolate spice tea
4x Yogi Vanilla Hazelnut Tea



Ways to enter
 Leave a comment about a random act of kindness you have received

• Leave a comment about a random act of kindness you have done in the next week Feb 7-14th
  Tweet Tweet – about it (and let me know you did)
  Blog about it!  (My favourite one!)
  
  I will draw on Feb 14th!! :) The day of LOVE!
  Open to Canadian/US residents only!!
  
  Never miss an opportunity to make someone SMILE
  xo Jess
  

A post of reviews!

First off.  If I have not convinced you to read this yet, you must Nella’s story.  It is hands down the most touching story I have ever read.  If you are a mother, even better. 

Grab a tissue, close the door, turn up the sound (the music makes it even better)  I don’t ask you to do much, but I am asking you to read this, it will change your life! :)

Ok onto the reviews! 

Remember awhile ago with Mighty Leaf tea’s sent me a whole wack of samples… 
the tropical green tea was my favourite…
until now…

I love mint tea, but this flavour was out of this world! 
It’s super sweet and minty – amazing totally worth the price, best mint tea I have had hands down!
PS. Remember you can order their teas online here!

Ok.. next review! 

The lovely folks at GO GOOD sent met about $50 worth of coupons the other day! 
I was sooooo excited as I LOVE their products! 

When I became dairy free my first thought was “NO MORE ICE CREAM”
I’m pretty sure I HEARD my heart break and shatter into a million pieces – as a life with no ice cream, is a life not worth living!  I kid, I kid, but let’s be honest, it would be pretty sad!

Enter So Good  Butterscotch Swirl…

A M A Z I N G on so may levels.

First off here are the stats

Not too bad really?! 

And then (da da daaaaaaaaaa) there is the butterscotch…

that swirl is truly one of the wonders of this world (well a dairy free world at least)

This ice cream is amazing.  All of their flavours are amazing.

I hardly notice a difference from regular ice cream,
even the price (around $6) isn’t too bad!  11/10 in my humble opinion! :)
Even if you are not dairy free, but ice cream upsets your stomach, give this a try,
I’m sure you will loveeeeee it!! :)

While I try to not have too much soy intake in my life
I have spend the week with a spoon, freezer open eating soy ice cream like a mad women.

I tried out one of SO GOOD’s (So good and so nice are the same company) other products!

I have to be honest, I was sceptical, because over Christmas I tested out SO NICE Egg Nog, and I ended up returning it to the store because it was so bad tasting (I’m pretty sure it had gone bad)
Caramel Macchiato
Stats…
Not the best pic sorry…

I have to say I really enjoyed this stuff.  It tastes like a starbucks drink a bit watered down (which is good in my opinion as starbucks drinks are SOOO sweet). 

I tested it out hot and cold and enjoyed both.  

I give it about a 8/10. 
That being said, I don’t think I would buy it again, only because I’m a water/tea drinker, with the occasional almond milk mixed in, and don’t feel a need for another sweetish drink, but for a special occasion for sure!

Well there you go! 
My reviews for the day, I hope you enjoyed and I hope that you test these products out for yourself, their website is super fantastic too!!  Check it out!

I will be hosting a (RAW) giveaway in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled!! :)
xo Jess

I have seen the light!

The fresh juicer juice delicious light!

Dave took me out for lunch at one of my favorite restaraunts yesterday and I ordered a fresh juice – it came looking something like this.   I didn’t take this picture, I just borrowed it from here!

And I officially became a beet vampire!!

I have no idea what was in it (besides beets) because I told the waitress to surprise me…  let me tell you ladies and gentleman

I have been craving this ever since the last savoured sip! 
I officially know what you all mean when you say

“When I drink this juice, I feel the energy pulsing through my blood” YES! Amazing! 
But for $4.50 for a drink, I felt like I was being robbed as well! haha


I also made some DELISH super easy veggie soup, and it was awesome because I used up all our left over veggies!

I boiled up carrots, cauliflower, onions, garlic, potatoe, parsnip, kale, green pepper.  Added some chicken bullion, miso, pepper and hot sauce.  

Then whizzed it up in the food processor until smooth.

It got an A+ all around!! :)   And soo easy!  I served it with 3 Korn Bread – which is also fantastic!


Another amazing thing that I learned this week…
If you mix these two things together – you get a VERY tasty result!

I put these together and served over one of the previously created OHSHEGLOWS veggie burgers, tossed on loads of spinach wrapped it all up and tossed it into my sandwich press! WOOT!
Amazingness was born!

So amazing in fact that no photos were snapped!



I was also pretty excited… the day I got engaged I also won this amazing package at FOOD BLOGS.
Sorry for the dark pic – Gold Label coconut oil, coconut cream, coconut peanut butter and coconut flour!
Thank you Tropical Traditions! 

I can’t wait to dive in, all this stuff will prep my body for all the coconut drinks in MEXICO…

Speaking of MEXICO haha

We have found two different locations for our wedding (finally)
RIU Sante Fe or RIU Emerald Bay

Anyone been to either?  I will have the quotes by Monday and will hopefully make our decision soon after.
They offer a pretty amazing wedding package that includes just the right amount of guests!  

We are hoping to do it Dec 26-Jan2nd ish time….  which won’t be convenient for many people, but we understand that, it was either that or no wedding for 2 years!!

Also if you follow me on TWITTER you will know that I had my interview to get into school yesterday! 

It went really well and I should know by next week if I get in or not!  They said I was a reflective leader, I have NO idea what that means, but I took it as a compliment! haha

Anywhoo watch tomorrow for some product reviews – all fantastic yummy stuff!! :)  - Soy Ice Cream = YUM!

Hope you all have a beautiful day!!
xo Jess

ps.  Anything exciting going on for you today?!!?