Alcohol and Why I Don't Drink it

Disclaimer: I am not writing this to stop you from drinking alcohol if you so choose. I am writing this to tell you why, I personally have chosen not to drink alcohol. I do not expect anyone to follow in my footsteps, however, I will be providing alternatives if you wish to start taking alcohol out of your diet. 

For those of you that don't know, I no longer drink Alcohol. I think I may have had a few sips of wine

here and there since my Leukemia diagnosis in July of 2017. There are many reasons why I have chosen to no longer drink alcohol unless it is added to cooked dishes.

Number One:

I am still on many prescription medications. I've been told by one of the pharmacists that I could still have alcohol if I wanted to, but considering all the damage these pills are already doing to my organs and my body, I'd rather not add another element to that. As many of you know, excessive alcohol use can damage the liver. Considering how much I have gone through, and the fact that I have had issues with my liver throughout my cancer and bone marrow transplant experience, I think that drinking alcohol is not worth the risk to my health.

Number Two: 

Even if I felt safe drinking alcohol, I wouldn't drink it because I don't feel good after drinking. It's not worth the dehydration, the headache, or the feeling ill the next day. For some reason, even a very small amount effects me negatively. Even before I was diagnosed, I only needed to drink a small amount of it to feel an effect, and I'd often get a headache later.

Number Three:

For me, there is a spiritual reason to not drink alcohol. I believe that it lowers your vibration, meaning that it brings you down to a low space and makes you more susceptible to lower energies. Some people say that drinking helps them in their spiritual journey, if this is true, than all the power to you, for me, I really believe that it hinders me and is not helpful.

It might feel good while you are drinking it, but many who drink to much of it end up in a depressed and low space. It's not good to bring yourself to this space and stay there for a long time. Many get addicted to the initial high that alcohol brings, that little buzz that you get that gets rid of your inhibitions.

Number Four: 

I simply don't enjoy it anymore and I've figured out other beverages that are healthier and don't effect my body in negative ways. There were many summers when my husband and I would sit on our back patio and have a drink and just chat, but what I realized was that I didn't need alcohol to do that.

So, what do I do for an alternative. Sometimes, I just want a nice big glass of ice water, but for those that don't enjoy just drinking water. Here are some other options.

Herbal Iced Teas: I love to experiment with herbal iced tea. This year so far, I have made hibiscus orange mint and Chai Roibos. Both are delicious. You can really make any herbal tea iced. You can also by pre-made herbal iced tea bags that make it even easier.

Fruit Infused Water: My favorite fruit/Veggie infused waters are Cucumber Mint, Apple Cinnamon, and Lemon, Lime, Cucumber. You can try any kind you want. You just throw whatever veggies or fruit you want and then put it in the fridge to infuse and then drink it up within about 3 days or so.

If you want something more creamy, I have also been experimenting with making iced chai lattes. I do it the healthy way, by making everything from scratch, but if you aren't worried about all the sugar, I used to really enjoy Tazo Chai Concentrate with soy milk and ice.

For my healthy version, I have been adding coconut nectar, soy milk, chai roibos iced tea, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove powder, all spice, ginger, and sometimes a tiny bit of turmeric and black pepper and then I blend it to make it a bit foamy, then I pour it in a glass with a few ice cubes. It's not Starbucks chai tea latte, but I like it and it's way healthier.

These are just some drinks that I enjoy and love to have when everyone else is enjoying their beers or other alcoholic beverages on the patio.

When I'm out at a restaurant, I will usually just have herbal tea, or water. There was this one place in Florida that was all vegan and organic! It's still stands as one of my favorite vegan places I've ever been. It was called The Dandelion Community Cafe and if you are ever in Florida, you should go! Their food is amazing! Anyways, they had herbal iced tea, and they did a different flavor every day. I loved it!

Mini Chickpea Flour Fritatta Muffins

I want to start this off by telling you that I have been missing

certain breakfast foods. Most of the items I consume for breakfast are on the sweeter side, things like muffins or breads. I've been on the search for something savory that is also delicious and nutritious. 

I discovered this recipe when I was looking for ideas of things to contribute to my Mom's Easter Brunch. Since we are all kind of stuck in our houses right now, I decided to try them at home first and see if they are any good. They are seriously my new favorite thing! Like not just for breakfast, but in general. 

As you know, I'm really into sauces. We had a leftover sauce I had made for another dish. It was supposed to be kind of a blue cheese sauce, but it doesn't taste like it. It tasted more like a cheesey sauce. These tasted amazing alone, but even more amazing with this cheesey sauce, so I will share the link to both recipes at the bottom of the blog as usual. 

These are full of veggies and they bake perfectly. You will find that the batter seems runny, but don't fret, because they will still turn out lovely. You have to make sure that when you transfer these to the muffin tin that you have an even amount of the veggies and the batter in each cup. The veggies called for are corn, kale, peppers, and shallots, but you could use any veggies you want or have on hand.

When my hubby the taste tester tried these, he said they were delicious, but he thought they could use more salt and something to make them spicy. Since I can't handle any spice, I did tell him he'd have to add his own at the end. I did, however, make these again and added a bit more salt. I didn't think it really changed the flavor much. 

Chickpea Flour Fritatta Muffins

Cheesey Sauce

Note: Kala Namak, or black salt, is part of this recipe, this is what gives it an eggy flavor. I am not sure where in a grocery store you would look for this, but if it were to be found locally, it would probably be near the Indian foods as Kala Namak, or black salt is from India. I ordered mine on amazon and I've been loving making eggy dishes ever since! 

Thai Peanut Ramen

This was so yummy!!! I made my own curry past with thai basil leaves, water, curry leaves and a little yellow curry powder. It wasn't the exact same as a curry paste, but it was delicious anyways! 

I also left out all oils as I don't personally consume oils. But, this recipe did not require it at all. I used vegetable broth to saute the vegetables. As a mostly gluten free Vegan it's hard to find vegan and gluten free ramen noodles, but Cost co carries a great brand that is organic, gluten free, and vegan so we use that. When making this recipe, I also left out all the spicy stuff, but if you can handle spice! Leave it in! Thai based things are usually spicy! 

If you love ramen, I highly recommend trying out this recipe. It's delicious and filling and comforting. 

Recipe Link Below:

Thai Peanut Ramen Noodle Soup! 

Chickpea Flour Mini Frittatas

This is the first recipe I've been really excited about sharing lately. My energy levels have been low and the past few days, I've been struggling mentally. Today I woke up and decided to try making these and they are absolutely delicious! They taste like cheesey eggs with savory veggies. 

On first taste, my husband suggested adding some sort of spice, which I won't do because I can't handle spice, but I told him he was welcome to add hot sauce on the top if he wants. He also said he wished it was a bit more cheesey. Personally, I thought these tasted great without anything else added. My husband also thought they could be a little more salty. So, I might add a bit more salt next. 

After he taste tested for me, I decided to try dipping mine in a vegan blue cheese dressing I made the other day, and I'd say that added a bit more of the cheesey taste he was looking for. Other than that, I'd say, if you want it to be spicier, add in some hot sauce, or sprinkle some on top. 

If you have access to chickpea flour, you could really use any veggies you wanted. These called for kale, corn, red pepper, and shallots. I thought that worked out as a good combo, but you could use whatever you have. 

I highly recommend this recipe. I may have added more veggies than called for. 

Make sure you have enough batter to veggie ration in each muffin cup. 

Here is the recipe:

Chickpea Flour Frittata Muffins

How to Treat Lung Congestion and Cough at Home

During a global pandemic, there are going to be lots of people that will develop symptoms. It doesn't mean that you have the virus, but it could. So, fear gears up and it lowers your immune system. So, how can we combat our fears and anxiety when we develop a cough?  How can we cope when we feel like we can't breathe? The best way to cope with these fears is to focus as much as you can on what you can control. So, if you start having symptoms that scare you. Start doing things that can help, not only your immune system, but can treat your symptoms. 

Of course you should watch your symptoms and if they get worse, absolutely see or talk to your doctor, but in the mean time. Try some of these methods first. I, myself, recently had a sore throat and had heard that this was how the virus starts. Did I freak out? Yes, I'll admit I did a little. But, I spent the next two days drinking lots of oregano tea (known to be an natural anti-viral) and I drank lots and lots of liquids. After two days of this, my sore throat was gone. So, sometimes it's just a simple fix. 

Here are some simple at-home methods to treat lung discomfort. I'm going to start with the most effective method. Start by trying an overnight ginger wrap. You may have to do this a few nights in a row, but ginger wraps are known to help remove phlegm from the lungs. Below you will find directions for making a ginger wrap.  

How to Make the Ginger Wrap for Cough

• Grate or puree about a half a cup of fresh ginger
• Place in a strainer lined with cheesecloth to drain
• Spread on an old towel about 9-12 inches square
• Lay the towel with the paste on your chest as you are laying down
• Cover with another towel that is damp and warm
• Leave on for 15-20 minutes
• Rinse off with a warm cloth or shower
• Repeat if necessary

If you experience discomfort from the ginger wrap, you can use another old towel on your skin under the towel with the paste. You’ll need the vapors to penetrate your skin to benefit from the herb.

 Along with using a ginger wrap, you can also drink ginger tea or ingest ginger raw. Not everyone can eat raw ginger, but if you can stomach it, this is the best way to consume it, make sure it is organic and wash it well. It is great for immunity and again, even ingested, it will help with your lungs. It has also been known to help with anxiety. Below I have included a link for fresh ginger root tea. 

Homemade Ginger Root Tea

Alright, so the amazing ginger! Try it in it's many forms. Next, lets look at the benefits of  echinacea. This is another thing that can help with breathing. It is often used along with peppermint as you can see on this tea box. I like to take a tea like this and breathe in the steam it creates. It soothes the lungs. Then, because of it's immune powers, I drink it once it's no longer too hot. 

If you aren't interested in drinking tea, you can also put a drop of ecinacea oil and a drop of peppermint oil into a bowl of boiling water. You can then put your head over the bowl and breath in the oils. Or, if you have a diffuser, you can do that as well. Another option is to take a hot shower and put a few drops of oil on a wash cloth and hang it in your shower. 

Another thing you can try is Eucalyptus tea or oil. It has been known to promote lung health and help remove mucus from the lungs. This is great for use in the shower as well. A drop or two is all you need as this has a very strong scent. I love a tea called Breethe Easy that utilizes this amazing plant. 

I hope this helps! And remember, focus on what you CAN control. Find ways to calm your mind and do what you can. 

Much love to you in these trying times! 

Strengthen Your Immune System with Smoothies!

This is a Love Letter to you all! 
It's a reminder that in times of stress and uncertainty, especially when it involves something like a global virus, we need to be focusing on strengthening our bodies and our immunity. 

I've found the best and easiest way to get lots of nutrients into your body is through smoothies. There are so many variations and they are delicious. Smoothies and smoothie bowls are also a great treat for your kids and will help them get some fruits and vegetables into their diet. Get your kids hooked on smoothies! Yum! 

First of all, I'd love to share with you what I put in my smoothie every morning. I call it my detox smoothie because of all the antioxidants and cancer fighting power that it has. See my recipe below. 

My Super Detox Smoothie

1-2 cups Frozen Wild Blueberries
1 Banana Frozen or fresh
a handful of Frozen Spinach
1/2 cup Frozen Mixed Berries
1/2-1 Navel Orange
1 scoop of Greens Powder
1 teaspoon Maca Root Powder
1 Teaspoon Moringa Leaf Powder
1/4 cup Chaga Tea (I brew my own Chaga Tea with dried Chaga Mushrooms, Orange peels, Cinnamon Sticks, and Cloves)
1 cup Almond Milk
Water or coconut water to thin if you don't like your smoothies thick. 

I don't know if I would call this one kid friendly, but I think it tastes good and I drink it every morning. I used to put a lot more powders in, but I have an auto-immune disease that doesn't allow me to boost my immune system too much. So I try not to over do it any more. For my husband, I add in more powders, he gets an elderberry powder, and a mushroom powder that has a mixture of different immune boosting dried mushrooms in it. 

So, the next two smoothies I'm going to share with you are recipes that I got from Pinterest. I've tried both of them and they are both absolutely delicious, I made minor changes to both which I will share with you, but these would definitely be kid friendly! 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie with hidden vegetables! 

So, for this one, I skipped the hemp seeds and used almond milk instead of coconut water and thought it tasted great! I made it a few different times and did add in some dates for extra sweetness when my strawberries weren't looking very sweet. Every time I've made this I've enjoyed it. I would recommend adding a bit more sweetness if you make it for your kids. A few dried dates, or raisins would probably do the trick. Otherwise my other favorite alternative sweeteners are date syrup, maple syrup, and coconut nectar. If you add any sweeteners, it doesn't need much. 

Chocolate Mint Smoothie

This is another one that I tried and enjoyed. I had a whole bunch of mint to use, so I used fresh mint instead of mint extract. However, you need quite a bit of fresh mint in there to actually taste it, and I don't think I put enough.  Mint extract would definitely give it more of a minty flavor if you like that sort of thing. This is delicious! and your kids will love it! It's like eating mint chocolate ice cream. Oh and PS, you cannot taste the Mushroom Powder or the Kale, but these delightful additions will help yours and your children's immune systems. 

Okay, so now that I've shared with you some recipes that I have personally tried, below I will list some more recipes you can try with your family and your kids. Yummy, antioxidant rich smoothies that you and your family can enjoy as the weather gets warmer and our bodies continue to need nutrients to be strong! 

Much love to you all and find more links to smoothie and smoothie bowl recipes below. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie Bowl

Cinnamon Apple Pie Smoothie Bowl

Mint Chip Spirulina Smoothie Bowl

Green Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Banana Mango Smoothie

Kale Cherry Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Shake


These are just a few! There are tons more recipes online! These ones sounded the best to me and are colorful and fun for the kiddos. Much love! 

Perfected Blueberry Banana Muffins

 I love to take base recipes and figure out how to make them oil free, gluten free, refined sugar free, and Vegan. I know, sounds boring, but I don't make these treats to be gross. I am usually craving something sweet or trying to re-create something from my childhood into something that I can eat now that I'm doing my best to eat clean and be healthy. I was excited to find this recipe as I didn't have to change much. 

First of all, I used Aquafaba for the coconut oil and it worked really well. I used Bob's Red Mill GF flour, and I only threw in about 2-3 Tbsp of date sugar. The recipe calls for a lot more sugar than that, but it really didn't need it. I also ended up adding a container of those cups of organic unsweetened applesauce that you can find at most grocery stores. Because of this the cook time needed to be increased because they were a little more wet than the recipe called for. 

I did a mixture of 6 big muffins and a few mini muffins. The mini

muffins took about 20 minutes to cook, I kept checking them with a toothpick. The big muffins took about 25 minutes. 

They were really delicious! I highly recommend trying this recipe for some healthy muffins that you can have for breakfast or as a snack. If you don't plan on eating them all in one day, I reccomend freezing them and thawing them as you want to eat them. You could also re-heat them in the oven if you want. 

Blueberry Banana Muffins