Apple Tart (v, gf) & Fearing Your Power

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During December's gathering, the table was decorated with flowers, champagne, and three delicious treats. Whipped coconut cream sat beside a beautiful and warm apple tart next to a dish of the tastiest chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ever. Today, I'm (Emily, here!) dishing out an oh-so-easy dessert recipe you need to make asap. Seriously. I'm thinking this is the perfect recipe to say I love you this V-Day. You know, if you're into that kind of thing.

But before we get started, I wanted to talk about getting back into the groove. I've been going through a pretty rough time, and even though TGVG has maintained it's beauty and love, my heart has not. It's been having a hard time processing, accepting, moving forward, letting go, getting over crushes, finding new ones, being sick of rejection, being excited by possibility. It's been overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed. Not in the usual work or school kind of way, just by my power.

Does that make sense? Do you ever get overwhelmed by the concept of how you have the power to shape your emotions, to control the outcome, to work with all you have and make it more or less? Because you actually have that power. Every time you sit in your pity party, you have the power to turn it off and make it a dance party. When you are angry, you have the power to shape that anger into productivity and progress. When you are sad, you have the power to turn that sadness around to a form of hope.

This realization is overwhelming for me, because some days I don't want to know of this power. Lately, nothing felt right, and I knew I had the power to change it around, to fix what I could, let go of what I couldn't, find inspiration in something new, but I just didn't want to at all.

So I didn't.

I wallowed and cried and left it all to February. Well February is here, and even though I don't really want to, I'm dealing with my s*** and pulling myself together. Here are small steps I'm taking to feeling better about myself and my life (taken straight, unedited from my journal)::

1. Floss, because I gotta

2. No more TV/Netflix/Videos on school nights (except movie nights with M, or if I have to watch something for film class). Instead I will read or paint or do my hair or yoga or just breathe.

3. Wake up and be up at 8 am everyday - weekends between 9:30 and 10:30

4. Kind bedtime routine with pj's & mindfulness.

5. Cleanse & detox once this month (over a weekend)
TGVG note:: detoxes are not for everyone, but Emily likes them a lot and has experienced tremendous positives from them, so she does them!

These might seem too small or too large for you, but they are perfect for me, and I encourage you to find several small steps to turn your life back to the one you want. Because you have the power to do so right now. If you're waiting for permission from someone to take control of your life, this is your permission -- go for it! If you need help, reach out and ask for some!

Now let's change your life with some TART!!! OHMYGOD Yes.

This recipe brings all of the Great Vibes because it's ...

super easy to assemble and make
sweet
chewy
rich yet light (promise)
decadent
versatile
superfoods to the max

Apple Tart (v, gf)
Ingredients ::

Crust -

+ 2 cups oat flour (whole oats ground in coffee grinder or blender)
+ 1.5 cups almond flour
+ 1/2 tsp sea salt
+ 1/2 cup coconut oil
+ 1/2 cup maple syrup

Filling -

+ 4 apples
+ 2 tbsp lemon juice
+ 2 tbsp maple syrup
+ 3 tbsp sliced almonds

Glaze-

+ 1 tbsp Maple syrup
+ 1 tbsp Lemon juice
+ 1 tbsp Water

Recipe ::

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a bowl combine oat flour, almond flour & salt.

3. Heat coconut oil and maple syrup, stirring to combine.

4. Add coconut oil & maple syrup to flour and stir until combined. Try not to over stir -- if you do, it can make dough more tough and chewy.

5. Spread dough in an oiled tart pan, press down, & fill sides to form a crust. If you don't have a tart pan, just use a pie plate!

6. Pierce crust with a fork several times and bake for 15 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and flatten crust with a fork -- push it back down until it resembles a flat crust again and not a Dutch Pancake!

8. Peel and evenly, thinly slice 4 apples. Once crust is out, place apples in the design of your choice - or just throw 'em in - inside the tart.

9. Combine maple syrup and lemon juice and brush over the apples.

10. Sprinkle almonds on top and bake for 1 hour or so until the apples are soft and slightly browned.

11. Combine all the ingredients for the glaze, plus or minus any ingredients to taste.

12. Brush tart with glaze.

9. Devour & enjoy! Best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream - gramps' & my fave.

Notes::

All ingredients are vegan and most are organic.  If these things are important to you, I encourage you to do the same. Finances, availability, and personal consumer choice can impact purchase decisions. My hope is that you closely follow the recipe, but make allowances where necessary -- my feelings won't be hurt, and your taste buds will still have a party. Promise!

+ What's your favorite pie or tart recipe?

P.S. Did you know you get The Great Vibes New Year Guide when you sign up for The Newsletter? Subscribe right now >>>>>

P.S.S. Have you checked out all of the
other places Emily's spreading the Great Vibes?

The Yummiest Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (v, gf) & Forgiveness for Biting Off More than I Could Chew

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At last week's gathering, the table was decorated with flowers, champagne, and three delicious treats. Whipped cream sat beside an apple tart, both behind a dish of the tastiest chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ever. Today, I'm (Emily, here!) dishing out the best cookie recipe for you to make asap. Seriously. A must-make recipe with ingredients you probably have on hand right now. 

But before we get started, I wanted to talk about biting off more than you can chew, about me biting off more than I could chew. This last year has been humbling with necessary weekends of rest, of moments of silence, of tasks not being started or completed. Some really energizing projects were finished quickly and with pride. Not everything is cake and champagne, however, and some did nothing but land me in bed and leave me feeling defeated.

I wanted to accomplish a lot of things this year, and I didn't get to most of them. Shocker. It occurred to me, though, the ones I did complete were important. To not recognize them would be dismissing key triumphs of 2015. If we forget to reflect on what we did do - even if it's watching 12 seasons of TV on Netflix - we'll never be happy. Ever. It will always be an and then or but then game. It will be a game of always chasing instead of stringing together the happy moments that make a life of happiness.

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So yeah, I sure as heck bit off more than I could chew, because that's who I am, and I'll always want more of the great feeling of accomplishment. But I'm starting to realize it's okay. It's okay I didn't finish them or even start them to finish them. They will be there for next year's growth. They will be there when I'm running out of ideas. They will be there just as they are intended. I've completed what I've completed, and this is enough. I am enough. No eBook or extra program or additional client or extra photo will make me worthy. I am already worthy. I extend this freedom to you. You are already enough. You are already worthy. You don't need to complete another project, cross something off your never-ending to-do list, or lose 10 pounds to be better. You are already enough.


So bite off more than you can chew, and then be okay if it doesn't work out. Set your sights to bigger and better, but be content with whatever happens, because it's all working out regardless.

If you don't want to think any more of your to-do list, you might want to bite into more than you can chew of these cookies, so get ready and get set for some serious yum!

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This recipe brings all of the Great Vibes because it's ...

super easy to make
ready to eat in under 30 minutes
sweet
chewy
rich
decadent
versatile

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients ::

+ 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

+ 3/4 cup oat flour (process 1 cup of oats in a coffee grinder or blender to make your own and then scoop out desired amount)

+ 1/2 cup coconut sugar

+ 1/2 tsp sea salt

+ 1 tsp of cinnamon

+ 1/2 tsp baking soda

+ 1/2 tsp baking powder

+ 1 small banana, mashed

+ 1/3 cup olive oil

+ 1/2 cup maple syrup

+ 1 tsp vanilla extract

+ 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup chocolate chips or other add-ins (I did 1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips, because I love chocolate. No shame.)

Recipe ::

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients - except add-ins. Stir to combine.

3. In a blender, add all wet ingredients, and pulse until fully combined. Alternatively, use a fork to mash the banana, and then whisk all the wet ingredients together.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until completely mixed.

5. Toss in desired add-ins and mix.

6. Drop tablespoon-full sized balls of dough onto the parchment paper. If crumbly, use fingers to mold into circles. They will hold once baked.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops brown, and the edges are slightly crispy.

8. Remove from oven to let cool.

9. Devour & enjoy!

Notes::

Makes between 17 and 20 cookies.

Other add-in options include raisins, walnuts, other types of chocolate, etc.

If you're not feeling bananas for health reasons or otherwise, try subbing equal applesauce or sweet potato puree at your own risk.

All ingredients are vegan and most are organic.  If these things are important to you, I encourage you to do the same. Finances, availability, and personal consumer choice can impact purchase decisions. My hope is that you closely follow the recipe, but make allowances where necessary -- my feelings won't be hurt, and your taste buds will still have a party. Promise!

+ What are your favorite cookies?

P.S. Did you know you get The Great Vibes Holiday Guide when you sign up for The Newsletter? Subscribe right now >>>>>

P.S.S. Have you checked out all of the
other places Emily's spreading the Great Vibes?

How To :: Manage Indulgence Overload in Three Easy Steps

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'Tis the Season ...

... for standing in the glow of the refrigerator to figure out what delicious food comes next; for hovering over the sink to inhale a slice of pie; for waking up with anxiety over what was eaten yesterday or the day before.

But no more! One day (or weekend) will not make or break your food habits - and if you think it will, it's the diet that is to blame, not yourself.

Waking up post-feast-weekend can leave you sluggish and, for lack of a better word, blah. So I've - Emily here! - included my top three tips for getting back to Great Vibes when I've forgotten myself and indulged like it's my middle name.

Drink Water like it's Liquid Gold - It Kind of Is.

My number one tip to surviving the holiday season is drinking water. It's the easiest, most effective way of flushing out toxins, rejuvenating your skin, and keeping you satisfied. I've done absolutely zero exercise, ate all I wanted, but made sure to have at least 64 oz. of water everyday over Thanksgiving weekend and not gained weight. That won't work for everyone, but my point is water is pure gold. If water tastes bland to you, try adding ginger or lemon (like the picture above) or infuse it with some berries. If you want to step it up a notch, try my top-secret (not-so-secret anymore) toxin flush of 1 cup of water with about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the morning upon first waking and again prior to going to bed. You'll be met with a happy tummy, a detoxified body, and a glowing complexion.

Move the Body, but Not Like You're Thinking.

Contrary to popular belief, the whole burn-the-equivalent-of-calories-in is wrong. You cannot hop on a treadmill and burn off that extra serving of mashed potatoes. Nope. What you can do, however, is be gentle with yourself and your initial movements post-food-coma. To begin, incorporate some slow burning, detoxing twists into your workout or yoga sequence. The reason you're puffy and uncomfortable is due to the build up of food and toxins being processed through your system. The digestive track gets to be slow moving and the stomach may become sensitive and irritable. By incorporating twists into your daily regimen, you can help your body naturally eliminate excess without it being a harmful shock to the system. If you're craving a vigorous run or yoga sequence, then by all means, please do it. Start slowly and then increase to a quicker pace. There's nothing worse than being mid-run and having your stomach cramp. But if you're sitting there saying you must even though you really just want to ease into your day, then do not do it. There's nothing less effective than a forced, high-intensity workout.

Eat More Food - Seriously, Do It.

"Let food be thy medicine" - Hippocrates

If you've overindulged, the answer is more food, not less of it. Remember what I said about exercising and how calories-in cannot be negated by burning the exact amount off? Well starving yourself the day after overindulgence does nothing more than make your body hold onto it's weight. Make room for foods that are easy to digest and extremely nutritious. Any of the recipes on The Great Vibes Guide are excellent for this. For an amazing and free detox recipe eBook, sign up for Minimalist Baker's newsletter. It includes easy to make and yummy to eat recipes that help you hit the reset button on your body. They are refreshing and absolutely delicious. The site is great in general. Dana and John bring priceless resources and incredible recipes to the online community that have me wanting to do a happy dance just thinking about it.

Wrapping back to the main point, foods can heal your body. Eat the good stuff.

Good thing we don't believe in guilt over here ...

If there is one thing I've learned, it is that life has no room for guilt or shame. You ate a meal. Maybe 10. If they exceed what you deem "good" or "acceptable", that is okay and I give you permission to forgive the unkind words spoken to yourself after eating that third slice of pie.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the fitness hype and dieting craze. However, your body is more than the food you eat. It's a miracle. So shower it with the love it deserves during this crazy and hectic holiday season. If you are still struggling, click here to reach out, and let's get you back on track. For the time being, drink lots of water, exercise in a way that makes you feel like royalty, and eat foods that make you glow.

The holidays are here. Make it a wonderful close to the year by treating yourself kindly. Xx.

P.S. Did you know you get a free 5 Tips to Great Vibes Guide & grocery store printable when you sign up for The Newsletter? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

P.S.S. Have you checked out all of the
other places Emily's spreading the Great Vibes?