It’s good to be back!

I mentioned in my most recent blog post (almost two months ago already!) that I was pondering a pivot and would be stepping away from content creation for a short time to clarify my intentions for my business and to think about what I know and do best and how I can use my education, experience and strengths to truly add value.

Through both introspection and data collection, I’ve gotten clear on who I am best equipped to serve and am in the process of updating my offerings and website. Even though some of my changes are still in progress (and some are future aspirations), I’m excited to start bringing some of my new ideas to life and hope they will make a positive difference.

I will be offering coaching, education and community to motivate and empower women in midlife and beyond to actively engage their minds and bodies to take control of their wellness where they can.

Importantly, I’m still serving parents of kids affected by mental health and substance use struggles (Many of those are midlife+ women.) through donating 10 percent of every sale to Hopestream Community and through volunteer work.

In the spirit of getting back out there with content, I felt inspired recently while I was journaling to share a simple, delicious plant-based meal that I made for our family.

My baby grandson likes to help me in the kitchen. When he helps me cook, we talk about the nutritional value of each ingredient. This meal that we cooked last week included an original recipe that I decided to share here because who doesn’t love a quick, easy, nutritious meal?

My helper 😊:

Here’s what we made: Whole-grain pasta with fresh veggie sauce & fresh green beans.

Here’s the recipe we created:

· Patagonia Provisions Organic Shells from Natural Grocers (Other whole-grain pasta is fine, too, or you could use bean-based pasta to keep it gluten free.)

· 28 oz. can Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes

· About a cup of low-sodium garbanzo beans (leftovers from the refrigerator)

· 15 oz. can of low-sodium kidney beans

· About a dozen fresh asparagus spears, sliced into 1-2-inch pieces

· 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into small pieces

· 10 Kalamata olives

· 1 tablespoon Date Lady date sugar from Amazon (Did you know that date sugar is a whole food? Just ground dates.)

· About 1 teaspoon garlic powder

· About 1 teaspoon onion powder

We cooked it gently over low heat in a cast-iron skillet until warm, keeping the veggies crisp-tender.

We snapped fresh green beans and steamed them for three minutes in the microwave. I ended up putting them under my pasta and sauce, and it was all super-yummy together.

It was a simple meal, but full of flavor and goodness. Here are some of the pluses:

· Since it’s completely plant-based, it’s cholesterol free, like all vegan food! (Did you know that fiber is only found in plants, not animals? Another benefit!)

· The whole-grain pasta and beans are all great sources of plant-based protein, which is important for all of us, especially for midlife+ women! High-quality protein helps us to maintain muscle mass, while increasing satiety—the satisfied feeling we get after eating a good meal.

· Cooked tomatoes are a great source of lycopene. While lycopene is known for its protective benefits against prostate cancer, women also benefit from its antioxidant properties through the protection it provides for everything from our bones to our heart.

· Asparagus is loaded with health-promoting nutrients, including folate for brain health and potassium for heart health. The fiber in asparagus feeds our beneficial gut bacteria and improves digestion.

· Bell peppers are great sources of Vitamin C and fiber. Orange and red bell peppers have high beta-carotene content, which serves our eyes, skin and cells.

· Green beans are good sources of Vitamin K, enhancing bone, blood and heart health.

· I kept the olives light, since they are high in sodium, but they also provide heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and add a subtle, but delicious, flavor.

Tasty and nutritious!

I look forward to being back in touch and growing with your needs and interests. Let me know what mind-body wellness topics feel most intriguing to you.

I would love to know if you try our recipe!

Here’s the picture I took for my Oura app.