Gratitude and a Hot Lentil Salad

My Dad gave me an article this summer that I still can't get off my mind. It celebrates living a life of integrity and kindness instead of focusing on accumulating the more conventional forms of success, like trophies and money. The article, Redefining the Success and Celebrating the Ordinary, explains that “In this world, an ordinary life has become synonymous with a meaningless life." It is absurd how fortunate I am in so many millions of ways. I grew up with all the opportunities in the world - I could be whoever I wanted to be, and I always dreamt big. I was going to be big. Somewhere along the line, that dream changed. Now I just want to enjoy a good life and be a good person. Gracias a Dios, I feel at peace. We fill our youth (and I see this everyday at school) with the ideas that they have to win, win, win to have a meaningful life, but that's bullshit. Now, there's nothing wrong with winning - I personally love it. But what's being promoted is that it is acceptable to do whatever it takes to be on top. Lying, cheating, manipulating - those are the necessary factors to be the best. I know plenty of winners that are assholes and selfish and sneaky and liars! You know what I'm talking about. Being a good citizen and living a life of integrity are lost, and what are right and wrong become more mirky than they already are. What seems to be a meaningful or important life is actually a life empty of values and truth and honor!

The author of the article says, “Ordinary has a bad rap...there is the idea is that we should always want more,” she said, “but there’s a beauty in cultivating an appreciation for what we already have.” I agree, and I am so grateful for so much! I have a life that is full of love and spontaenity and authenticity! I don't need anything more - except for a little bit more time at the beach! Of course I am always day dreaming and planning for the future...of owning my own café near the water, starting my own tutoring company, getting paid to write and cook!, etc. etc. etc. And even though my dreams and plans change every day, and I'm still very ambitious at work and in my personal life, at the same time I am feeling a deep gratitude for what I have and who I have it with. I'm trying to focus on the present, while still preparing for the future. 

I'm grateful for my caring family and my f'ing adorable nephew and for e-mail and Skype, which make them seem closer than they are. 

Travie's First Snow! 

I'm grateful for laughing until I cry almost every day with my fiancé.

I'm grateful for my job that allows me small comforts here and there, and which allows me to travel home a few times a year. 

I'm grateful for my students. Their humor and kindness teach me much more than I teach them - of this I am sure.

I'm grateful for my friends, both here and in the States. Shout outs to the besties! 

I'm grateful for living in the Caribbean where I see the sun rise over the ocean every morning. True story. And, with coffee, even better!

This is my view on the way to school every single day!

I'm grateful for my good health and for the ability to exercise in the sun in the afternoon with an ocean view.

I'm grateful for the fact that I can make healthy food for me and my fiancé and my friends...

Hot Lentil Salad Goodness

...and for all the millions of things in between.

So thank you to everyone that is a part of my life and for letting me be a part of yours! 

The picture above is one of the many vegan dishes I have been cooked this week, and so far, it is my favorite! Yes, I realize that it's not the prettiest dish I've ever made, but please trust me when I tell you that it is INCREDIBLY delicious! I surprised myself and the fiancé with this one (it is fiancé approved). Everything is fresh and super easy, so this may become a weekly staple! Also, it's nutritional benefits are astounding. Check out the table below to see what I'm talking about!

What's more, the Dijon-Rosemary Vinaigrette that dresses this hot salad blows my mind! The addition of the rosemary adds a kick to what would be a normal balsamic vinaigrette. This dressing will be my go-to from now on. My leftover fresh rosemary is drying outside now in order to chop it up and save it in the pantry for later!

Hot Lentil Salad

Taken from Kris Carr's Delicious Detox: Lentil Walnut Salad

Hot Lentil Salad with Gluten Free Bread! The bread is actually a pizza crust topped with olive oil and olives!

1.5 cups cooked brown lentils, drained (I used 2 cups because that was how much was in the bag of lentils that I purchased, which means you may need a bit more salt than what's given in the recipe for the flavors to burst like they should.)

1/4 cup green onions, green part only, sliced

1 cup spinach, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

8 olives, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Incredibly Tasty Dijon-Rosemary Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the lentils, green onions, spinach, tomatoes, olives and walnuts. Mix well and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper and whisk together. 

Pour over the lentil salad and mix well! Serve immediately!

Serves: 4

a buen tiempo!

Nutritional Facts: This salad is incredibly nutritious! It is low in fat and high in fiber, which is perfect for my diet. It's also filled with an intense amount of necessary vitamins and minerals! 

	Nutrition Facts   Servings Per Recipe: 3   Serving Size: 1 serving, 0.5 cup Amount Per Serving   Calories 282.2   Total Fat 16.1 g       Saturated Fat 1.9 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 5.7 g       Monounsaturated Fat 7.6 g   Cholesterol 0.0 mg   Sodium 147.5 mg   Potassium 646.4 mg   Total Carbohydrate 25.8 g       Dietary Fiber 9.5 g       Sugars 2.2 g   Protein 11.6 g   Vitamin A 21.4 %   Vitamin B-12 0.0 %   Vitamin B-6 14.1 %   Vitamin C 13.4 %   Vitamin D 0.0 %   Vitamin E 8.5 %   Calcium 5.1 %   Copper 24.7 %   Folate 54.2 %   Iron 24.7 %   Magnesium 17.5 %   Manganese 51.7 %   Niacin 8.9 %   Pantothenic Acid     8.0 %   Phosphorus     23.8 %   Riboflavin 8.0 %   Selenium 5.4 %   Thiamin 16.0 %   Zinc 11.7 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Zucchini Hazelnut Bread!

Today I made a loaf of bread. This is a big deal.

I'm gluten-intolerant and lactose intolerant, and I have a lazy intestine. That mother doesn't want to work. I shouldn't eat meat, peanut butter, chocolate, and other hard-to-digest-but-delicious-foods. At the end of the previous school year, I wrote what I consider to have been a very inspirational blogpost about the matter: "I'm taking control of my digestive system!" and "Nothing will get me down, by golly!" were the highlights, in case you were unlucky enough to miss it.Well, that attitude was fairly easy to keep up with this summer while I was at home in High Point, on vacation, straight chillin'. I had nothing to do but eat well, exercise, and hang out with my friends and family, and my mind and body loved me for it!

I came back to the DR, so happy to be with the fiancé and my friends here, but to be honest, going back to work has been a complete bitch. Being in the classroom is so gratifying and fun for me that it's like free therapy - I leave at the end of the class more relaxed and more in tune with myself than when I began. But the grading! And the new classes! My workload feels like it's doubled and I've been completely exhausted, stressed out, and contemplating quitting my job and working in retail. I mean, whatever. Any mindless job will do.

My day-to-day life has consisted of school, napping, boiling some tubers, and going back to bed. The days that vary are the days that I get so sick of this routine that I freak out about how every day is the same and the fiancé and I go to a movie or go out to dinner. And then I set my alarm to begin again.

Y'all, this is ugly. On top of feeling way overworked, I've been neglecting exercise and my strict eating routine. In the past few weeks, I feel like I reversed so much of what I worked so hard to improve in the last few months. I know it's a vicious cycle - eating poorly and not exercising also zaps energy, but being a work zombie has given me a tunnelvision that directs me straight to my bed.

But then I went away last weekend to Puerto Plata, and I connected with my inner voice again. Friends. The beach. The sun. An absorbing book. It's amazing what rest and silence and laughter will do for the soul.

I reminded myself that I really am in control. I am the only one that can bring life back into my life! Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk that has gringo-fied many Buddhist teachings (Thanks Thich! ;) We're on a first name basis now), said something that connects with my weekend away: "The greatest miracle is that you are alive. And one breath can show you that." We are alive! Living! Breathing! Swimming! Laughing! Sharing! Listening! Shit that's good!

I'm embarrassed that I've been letting work, stress, and the proverbial "man" keep me down, but I'm feeling reenergized to start fighting back! For the millionth time, I want to be better today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Because, "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' (Mary Anne Rodmacher)

So I tried again today.

And I worked efficiently at school (check), I exercised (check!!!), and I made an incredible loaf of Zucchini Hazelnut Bread (check check check!!!!!).

Wow! My first loaf of bread! It's moist, spongy, and the flavors are so perfect together! Really, it's exactly how I remember gluten-full bread to taste like! It was love at first sight/taste/smell. I wouldn't change a thing. (But if you want to, walnuts is a good substitution for the hazelnuts.)

Yogurt-Zucchini Bread with Hazelnuts

1 cup hazelnut halves (about 4 oz.)
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt**
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)

**I am very sensitive to any and all lactose products, but I tolerate Greek yogurt. It has less lactose than normal dairy products, and it's full of probiotics. Some of you lactose intolerants may not tolerate Greek yogurt at all, and in that case, you could substitute the yogurt for applesauce in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. 

Chop the hazelnuts in half. Then spread the hazelnut halves in a pan and toast them for about 8 minutes, until you can smell them. Take them off the heat and reserve them for later.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and fat-free greek yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, along with the grated zucchini and toasted hazelnuts.  Stir until the batter is evenly moistened. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the loaf is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 30 minutes before unmolding and serving.


a buen tiempo!