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I saw a recipe for crispy pan fried tofu and I had everything on hand except the breadcrumbs. I noticed she used panko which are always so good for making fried food nice and crispy. What I did have was some sesame sticks from Trader Joes. They were going stale so I thought they would be perfect to grind up and use as breadcrumbs. Oh my was this good! I made a simple batter with 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup water seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, mushroom powder and onion powder. After whisking this together, I dropped my tofu slices in and gave them a nice coating. On a separate plate, I had the ground sesame sticks (used my mini food processor for this) and a little bit of flour to stretch it. I gave the battered tofu a nice coating of the sesame sticks and then pan fried in a good bit of sesame oil. After a few minutes on each side, they were crisp and golden brown. I removed and sprinkled with salt and ate on top of pasta. It's too bad I'm out of these sesame sticks because this is my new favorite way to enjoy tofu! I will have some of the leftovers in a wrap with Franks red hot and some vegan ranch. YUM.
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Years ago, when I was in my early 20s, I did a brave thing and became an adult. I initiated some of the most difficult conversations of my life with my parents. It was scary. They did not approve of choices I was making in my life. I was heartbroken. But I realized that this was my life to live and if I wanted to be happy and feel contentment, I needed to listen to my heart and make the choices that I wanted to make despite the consequences. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was becoming my own person and it was empowering. It was the beginning of forging my own path in life. Making "strange" unconventional choices, being the "weird" one, the black sheep. And then I found a community of black sheep filled with others who understood my choices and who made similar ones. It feels good to walk your own path but it feels even better when you turn and see others walking with you. Reasons forgiving yourself is hard:
But you need to forgive yourself so that you can finish the circle of forgiveness, so that you can be successful and reach your full potential. This was excerpted from Forgiveness... the Ultimate Miracle by Paul J. Meyer I just read this message - Action conquers fear. Taking action puts us in motion and allows us to be and feel purposeful. I was having a conversation with client who experiences anxiety, but uses that anxiety as a catalyst to propel her into thoughtful action. That action moves her out of anxiety into a productive space. It can be scary to take that action, but thinking about it and dwelling in the what if's are often far more frightening. When the time is upon you, start and the pressure will be off. I'm moving more slowly these days. I am walking vs running. I am making bread vs buying it in the store. I'm not rushing. I'm waiting in line. I'm taking baths. I'm taking my time. I'm giving myself space. I'm reading, listening, sharing. I'm settling into a new way. This morning, I listened to Brené Brown and David Kessler's discussion on Grief and Finding Meaning and received the much needed permission to cry. I cried tears that I know I have been swallowing for the last several weeks as I have kept up, felt optimism, gratitude and hope, taken action, checked in with others, withstood pressure, had (& tried to have) patience and understanding, felt confusion, anger and concern, listened as others shared their worries, hopes, sadness, anger and grief, observed our shifting interactions and the loss of physical connection and community, and how things were. I miss being with others. I recently wrote about surrender, yet I realized listening to this podcast that I have been resisting allowing myself to feel deeply into loss in an effort to be strong and brave, and to keep moving forward. The reality is, it is strong and brave to be vulnerable and to have these feelings (thank you Brené) and to express and share our experiences with each other. My world won't fall apart because I cried as I walked this morning or because I admit that I am grieving. Instead, I have the opportunity to live more whole-y as I allow myself to experience my full range of emotions which allows me to have deeper compassion, connection and understanding with myself and others. I highly recommend giving this 45 minute podcast a listen. Perhaps you will find that it helps to normalize how you have been feeling and maybe it can open the door for you to have a vulnerable conversation with someone in your life. Here are my 4 biggest takeaways from their discussion:
What are your takeaways from this discussion? Where are you experiencing grief and meaning in your life? I was out walking this morning and I realized that I'm finally starting to relax into this new way of being. As I reflect on the last several weeks, I can see how my typical response to uncertainty - being serious, striving for perfection, not wanting to disappoint or let others down - has permeated my being, my teaching, my life. As I write this I take a deep breath and release tension from my body. A tension I have been carrying likely since the beginning of the year. I exhale and let it go. One of my goals for this year was to engage in regular self care habits and I have utterly failed so far! I have been waking up in the mornings with my jaw clenched shut and the memories of weeeeird dreams. Not a good sign so last night I recommitted to my self care intention and began what I intend to be a new routine. I'm starting small with a two week timeframe and will re-evaluate at that time and share what I'm up to. We are almost half way through the year (can you believe it?!) so now is as good a time as any. "We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same." ~ Carlos Castanada Traditionally on this last Saturday in April, my community gathers for an all day meditation. It has been a highlight of the year for me since I began going back in 2008. This is my first year not attending and while it feels strange, I find myself feeling grateful for those experiences that I had and excited about an event we have planned instead. I have been craving community and gathering together for meditation and today we have such an event planned. It's amazing how you may not realize how much you have missed something until you get to experience it again. I find myself filled with joy and enthusiasm and excitement and am looking forward to seeing everyone online. What and who are you missing? Perhaps it's time to reach out and schedule some time together. How can you use this time to take risks? Perhaps a risk is asking for what you need, or asking for some space or time to yourself, or asking for a conversation and time together. Perhaps the risk is going out to run your first mile or to take a 30 day challenge or to improve your diet. Perhaps the risk is reading that challenging book you have always wanted to read, reaching out to someone you haven't talked to in awhile, trying a new recipe or clearing out your closet and letting go of what no longer serves you. There is so much we can do with this time. Take a risk, take an action and serve yourself. |
AuthorI am an animal loving-Vegan runner, I practice and teach Kundalini Yoga and I love to cook and eat flavorful plant-based food. Archives
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