5 WAYS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT YOUR DAY

         Hello everyone! Today, I wanted to discuss with you all how to remember you. I, often, in my life, forget to take care, honor, and  respect myself: my best self, so here are 5 ways in ZOE'S HOW TO: REMEMBER YOU! 

My desk: a book Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf, and a cup of tea

My beautiful breakfast: fried egg,
avocado, & Ezekiel toast 

FOOD. COOKING. BAKING. 

If you've already checked out my earlier post, you will know, I am an absolute foodie. I love everything about food, it is an experience involving all the senses. Being creative, I love trying new recipes from cookbooks; in this, I am totally and utterly engrossed in small tasks for a finished product. It allows me to be mindful of the smaller things, which in life, are truly the most important.

Tip #1: COOK SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT! 

BOOKS. ESCAPE.

I love reading, obsessed would be a better word. Books allow me to enter new world of fantasy, consider moral dilemmas, and inspires my present reality with art, language, and characters. Books have always made me world all the more richer- returning to a loved book, is returning to part of myself I might have lost temporarily in the chaos and confusion of life. 

Tip #2: READ. READ EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING. LET YOUR WORLD BE MORE COLORFUL. 

TEA. RELAXATION. 

This is the simplest thing you can implement in your day to remember to take care of you. My family loves tea, and I have drinking it since I have been a wee child. A cup of tea can relax you and lessen your chance of heart attack, carries bountiful beneficial antioxidants, and is supremely hydrating for the skin. Green tea can also contribute to weight loss. How about that? Take that ten minutes of me time, you deserve it.

Tip #3: DRINK TEA FOR ENERGY AND HEALTH! 

ART. CREATION.

        In the creation of art for fun and enjoyment, art is not hierarchy- it is for pure pleasure, complete create control of the imagination. In creating art, I remember my childhood- and let my self go, to create and innovate. Art is and has always been a form of therapy, even buying a coloring book or doodling can release harmful emotions and feelings! 

Tip #4: ART IS A FORM OF THERAPY! 

A hike up Mount Holyoke. 

EXERCISE.

Exercise is integral to my emotional, physical and spiritual well being. Whether yoga, my favorite, Zumba, cardio, BodyPump, resistance, hiking, biking, etc- I need that time to just sweat that shit out- that emotional garbage, shame, guilt- to get it out of my system to be that better person in tune with her emotions. My advice: find something you love, whether a class, working out on your own, and stick with it and TREAT IT LIKE THE SPA. This is you time- time to care and honor your beautiful self and all the wonderful things your body can do. 

Tip #5: SWEAT THAT SHIT OUT! 

WARNING. I am not perfect. I struggle just as much as the next person with finding that me time, honoring and respecting myself, & remembering that positive thoughts can shape my world into a more productive, warm and kind one. I wrote this post as a way to remind myself, as well as others, of the ways I remember I'm beautiful. At the end of the day, no matter what practices you use, self-love has to come from yourself and no one else. It is a journey I'm still on, but God I'm fighting for it. 

I love you all, if you enjoyed this post and others, make sure to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more inspiration, life hacks, and recipes!

Namaste,

Zoe 

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER (THE EASY WAY!)

     Hello everyone! After over-indulging yesterday in portobello burgers and an oh-so-delicious custard milkshake from ShakeShack, I decided to regain that 80-20 balance with a focus on some delicious veggies that I could roast Ina Garden's recipe for roasted cauliflower with pine nuts has remained our family staple for several years. I have amended the recipe to be slightly more health-conscious and vegan. Enjoy! 

Ingredients*: makes 2 large bowls of roasted cauliflower                     

Time: 30 min

2 heads of organic cauliflower

1/2 cup of whole pine nuts 

2 organic lemons

2 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. pepper 

1/2 good olive oil or coconut oil

Note*: (I'm serious. These are all the ingredients:) 

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Convection Roast. 

2. Take your 2 heads of organic cauliflower, and get the leafy bits off the bottom of the base with a sharp knife. Then, just start pulling the bunches of cauliflower apart, in small pieces, the size is shown above in the finished product. For each head of cauliflower, place the pieces in a separate large bowl, so you should have 2 bowls with pieces of cauliflower in them. 

3  In each bowl, place 1 tbsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. of pepper, and about 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Toss the cauliflower, making sure enough of the seasoning is evenly coated.

4. Place the 2 bowls of seasoned cauliflower into 2 separate cookie pans. Using cookie pans is important; it distributes the heat evenly onto the cauliflower, and overall, roasts veggies more quickly and easily for people on the go, like you, who don't have time to roast for two hours! 

5. Now, to each pan, add about 1/4 cup of pine nuts.  Also add to each, a 1/2 of a lemon's juice. With your hands, mix the cauliflower up with pine nuts. Bring your trays to the oven, preferably with both on the top rack in the oven. 

7. Now, 10 MINUTES into cook time, you MUST TAKE THE CAULIFLOWER OUT OF THE OVEN. Then,take out the smaller pieces which are cooked or dark brown, black out into a separate bowl on the counter, and turn over the rest of the cauliflower on their back sides to make sure they cook evenly. Place your trays back in the oven. 

8. When 20 minutes are up, take your cauliflower out of the oven. On the tray, spitz 1/2 of a lemon on top of the cauliflower.

9. Voila! You now have easy, gorgeous roasted cauliflower with pine nuts! 

Thank you all for reading and trying out the recipes! I so appreciate your inspiration and good vibes. It means the world! If you enjoyed this recipe and others, make sure to go follow me on my ThinkZoeBoost Twitter or on my ThinkZoeBoost Instagram to get more recipe concepts, inspiration, and life hacks!

Namaste,

Zoe 

ROASTED CORN (THE SHORTCUT METHOD!)

     Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day's weekend! I thought in the spirit of summer, that I would share with you two of my favorite recipes for easy, simply roasted veggies either on the grill or in the oven. As a vegetarian, it is truly key to make big batches of veggies to save time during the week- to then distribute for your meals throughout the week. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients: makes about 4 ears of corn

4 ears of organic corn

2 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. cinnamon 

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper 

2 tbsp. melted vegan butter

2 tbsp. coconut oil 

1 tbsp. good olive oil 

          So first, shuck your corn, and place them on a wide flat dish. Combine your butter, coconut oil, and olive oil into a small microwavable bowl. Place the bowl into the microwave for 20 seconds. Take your mixture out, and add your spices: cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper. With your basting brush, layer on about 1/2 of your mixture distributed equally on each corn on the cob. If you wish to grill, go ahead and grill those corn until the corn has become a mottled brown, black, and orange. After you take these off the grill, baste brush the rest of your mixture on top of the corn.

You now have yummy scrumptious corn! 

Here is my dinner last night: there is a recipe to come from roasted cauliflower (so look out followers:) avocado, feta cheese polenta, sauteed mushrooms with caramelized onions and tomatoes, ROASTED CORN, and hunk of fresh baguette with garlic hummus! Yummy ! 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and I'll be back with a new post Wednesday at the latest! Hint: it's recipe related:) 

*If you enjoyed this post and others make sure to go follow me 

on my Instagram and my Twitter for more recipes, life hacks, and inspiration.  

Namaste,

Zoe 

HOMEGROWN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to share with you one of my days. My day today was spent meandering through the beautiful gardens and meadows of a local arboretum called Willowood. This particular nature preseve I have visited since I was a wee child- it has remained a place of calm and peace amidst turbulence and confusion in my life. Here I can truly breathe, let go, listen to birds chirping away, and revel in the most natural and homegrown wonders of the world. Here are some of the photographs that I took today along with quotes that continue to aid me in times of trouble. I hope they inspire and provoke reflection.....

  

         I am done with the past, the future has plenty of room for change."

      

     "The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention." 

        "If you wait until you are ready, you'll be waiting the rest of your life."

        "The earth is what we all have in common."

                                         

             "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. 
 Khalil Gibran

                 "Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail." Frank Lloyd Webber

                       

                            "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in line." John Burroughs

 

                "Come forth into the light of things. Let Nature be your teacher." William Wordsworth

                                       

        "Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light."Theodore Roosevelt

 I hope these images inspired you like they inspire me- to move more naturally in the universe, peacefully. I love you all, wishing you a week of being respectful to yourself, love, beauty, and stability.

*If you enjoyed this post and others, make sure to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see more recipes, life hacks, and inspiration. 

Namaste, 

Zoe 

THE MANTRA OF ALL MANTRAS

You are AMAZING. 

You are IMPORTANT.

You are SPECIAL.

You are UNIQUE.

You are KIND. 

You are PRECIOUS. 

You are LOVED IMMENSELY.

Namaste,

Zoe

*If you enjoyed this post and others, make sure to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more recipes, life-hacks, and inspiration.