Life is too short for fake butter, cheese or people. 

If you like cheese, then you're looking at the right recipe.  This recipe is not only simple but is full of delicious flavor.  The brussel sprouts roast perfectly coated with a light layer of avocado oil mayo and finely grated cheese.  I used Asiago cheese in the recipe, but feel free to experiment with your favorite fresh cheeses.  Adding a bit of red pepper flakes brings a nice kick of spiciness to this healthy green vegetable too.  This dish makes for a fantastic side or appetizer for friends and family.  It was a hit when paired with my plate of scrambled eggs for brinner one night, yum!
 
Alrighty, who's ready to get cheesy?!


CRISPY CHEESY BRUSSELS
Serves 3-4 

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 tbsp. avocado oil mayo
  
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese, (more for serving) 
• salt + pepper, to taste
  
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together until brussels are coated evenly. 

3.  Place brussels on a lined pan and spread them out.  Bake for 24-26 minutes or until brussels are tender.  The cheese should be a crispy with a nice goldish-brown color.

4.  Add more shredded cheese before serving if you like them extra cheesy! 


                               Always craving good food,
                                              Jillian 

Toxins (noun): poison; all substances that can cause disturbances to organisms

Toxins are all around us.  
They cause stress, exhaustion, illness, and unhappiness in our lives.  

Why do we let this horrible stuff consume our lives?  

For most of us, we may not even realize toxins are present in our lifestyle. We go through the same habits, day in and day out, not being mindful of what we're doing, consuming, or how we feel.  Mindfulness is a habit that can help us be aware of the pleasures, as well as the toxicity in our lives. Mindfulness is not easy to do and must be practiced constantly.  It takes practice to listen to your body, your mind, and your heart.  How often do you ask yourself, "Am I living the life I want?" and "Is my life truly bringing me joy?" These questions are scary as hell to ask ourselves because the answer for many of us could be no.  For me, it was hard to admit that I felt stagnant, floating through life, not moving in any particular direction.  But honesty is so important, especially to yourself.   

Here is my honesty: I feel like my life is out of control, meaning that I'm not in charge of my direction presently. My commute to my job is finally taking a toll on my body.  I stress over clutter and the excess stuff in my house. I want to worry less about cleaning my big house every weekend.  I want to save more money for traveling, but I have too many bills to pay.  I want to start a family but the fertility process is making me crazy and unhappy.  I want financial freedom to have options to stay at home when we do start a family.  I want to be outside more because nature heals my soul.  I want to be more deliberate in my decisions and choose the direction that is right for me. 

Now at first, I thought all of this honesty about my life was just me complaining and being ungrateful, which really made me feel like crap. But then I realized that I was wrong.  Mindfulness is not complaining!  I am grateful for everyday I wake up, including things I have such as, my large house and my teaching job.  But the hard truth was that these amazing things were not helping me head in the direction that I want anymore.  At one point in my life they were making me happy, but now, these things have expired and need to be reevaluated.  Are these parts of my life helping me live the life I want or are they getting in the way?  Being mindful is about being real with yourself.  Being mindful is what leads you to thriving, instead of just living and going through the motions with no true direction. 

Now that I have admitted to how I feel about myself and my life, what's next? This part is the most difficult because it involves a scary word, CHANGE.  I need to make a strategic plan to take action and make changes. Change is frightening and exciting at the same time because it brings a world of the unknown. But isn't life all about growing and learning? And I know, because I do a lot of reading, that growth only comes with change, good or bad, we learn from it all.  Listed below is my plan, or steps that I have and will continue taking to change my life for what I truly value most.  I have also included an organizational tool to help organize these steps: Less Toxins, More Thriving Chart 
Please feel free to customize this chart to fill in your values in life. 

If you need a change, then get started now.  
​What's your plan for thriving? 
 
Step 1: Write down your life valuables, what brings meaning to your life. (See Less Toxins, More Thriving Chart )

Step 2: What actions can be done to rid your life of these toxins that get in the way of your life valuables.

Step 3: When will you take these actions?

Step 4: Reassess your life.  Am I headed in the direction I want? 
Am I thriving in the life I want?

Repeat the process anytime you need to clean out the toxins. 


             Thrive it up,
                       Jillian 

What turns me on?
Making lunches for the week in five minutes. 

Some days I just don't want to cook.  Thank goodness for canned tuna!  
This is a ridiculously simple recipe to make a delicious tuna salad that you can eat for lunch or dinner.  I like making this to take to lunch for my busy work week because it's healthy, and I can easily pair it with some greens to make a complete satiating meal.  Make sure when buying canned tuna at the store that you get the closest to REAL tuna you can.  

Tuna buying tips:
1.  Look for words like wild caught.
2.  Look for ingredients with just TUNA and nothing else. 

Feel free to add more ingredients to this salad if you want make it more colorful, like chopped carrots or apples.  

​Personalize it to make it fun for you!  

SIMPLE TUNA SALAD
makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 - 5 oz. cans of tuna (I use Wild Planet)
  
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 cup avocado oil mayo (I use Primal Kitchen)
• 2 tbsp. horseradish mustard or any mustard (I use Annie's) 
• salt & pepper, to taste
• dill pickles, for serving (optional)

1.  In a large bowl mix everything together until blended well. 

2.  Serve this tasty tuna salad with a crunchy dill pickle and eat with your favorite crackers, on some sourdough toast, or even with some greens to make a delicious healthy meal! Enjoy! 


                                  Always craving good food,
                                                        Jillian