Plantain Porridge Breakfast Bowl

June 20, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I love breakfast. It’s one of my favorite meals of the day and sometimes, I eat it for more than one meal of the day. Sorry, I’m not sorry. I usually have a rotation of a few different breakfast dishes that I go through depending on my mood for the day. One of my favorites is oatmeal. It’s just so hearty, plus you can put literally ANYTHING into oatmeal (meaning I put spoonfuls of peanut butter in mine) and make it taste amazing. As much as I love oatmeal, sometimes in the summer you don’t want a bowl of oatmeal. You want something a little lighter and a little cooler. Enter plantain porridge. The idea of eating porridge made from fruit might seem a little strange, but trust me it tastes really good. The best thing about this breakfast is that just like oatmeal, you can mix in an assortment of toppings. And let’s be honest, I’m all about the toppings. Give this quick and easy breakfast a whirl and tell me how you customize your bowl!

Plantain Porridge Breakfast Bowl

1 large plantain or 2 small plantains, yellow or black skinned (NOT green!)
Toppings of your choice (I like peanut butter, flax and chia seeds, raisins, goji berries, toasted buckwheat groats, and cinnamon)

1. Peel the plantain by slicing of one end and then cutting a slit down the center. Slice the plantain into smaller chunks.

2. If your plantain is soft enough you can mash the slices right in the bowl until it is a creamy almost yogurt-like texture. If it is a little firmer, place in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until smooth.

3. Place in your bowl and top with whatever you feel like. Try almond butter or tahini. Try any type of berries like raspberry or strawberry. You could add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashews, or even pistachios. Get creative and try some new combos.

In case you hadn’t noticed, (which you might need to get your eyes checked if you didn’t…) this is the “relaunch” of my blog! Welcome to Life, Healthfully Lived. This is a space that you can come and learn some simple but effective ways to start changing your health for the better. I am so excited to start sharing my thoughts and advice on this new page and can’t wait for the awesome projects I have coming your way soon! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and I’ll see you soon!

Unique Opportunity

June 16, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Have you ever felt lost? I’m not talking, “I turned down the wrong street and now I have no idea where I am”, lost. Lost in life, wandering without a clue or perhaps a purpose. I’m sure we have all felt a little lost at some point in our lives. It’s totally normal to not know what to do or where to go at some juncture in your life.

I have been having that lost feeling since about my sophomore year of college. Sure, there have been periods of time within that span that I have thought I knew exactly where I was headed and what I was going to do. For the majority of that time though, I would have to say that I had no clue. I started college so sure that I was destined to be a band director. I loved music, I was good at it, I had always thrived in a band setting, and my own directors were amazing and influential figures in my life. I wanted to give what they gave to me to other kids and share that passion with them. I quickly realized that I was not totally cut out to be a band director. I am not good at leading large groups of people or having all eyes on me. After a short mini crisis/breakdown/cry on the phone to my parents, I decided to pursue music therapy. My college didn’t offer that degree specifically, but I “customized” my own by getting a BA in music and a minor in psychology. My intention was to then get a masters in music therapy. That never happened.

Once I graduated, I got engaged, then married. Adam went right from undergrad to graduate school and we decided it would be best for only one of to be in school at a time. As the years went by, my passion and desire to become a music therapist dwindled. I couldn’t see myself doing that day in and day out for the rest of my life. I also REALLY enjoyed not being in school and out in the “real” world.

During this period, I really started to focus on my health. I started a blog, not this one, which eventually turned into those one. I got my hands on any and everything health related and started to learn as much as I possibly could. I began to develop a passion for this and could begin to see a path for me to make this a career.

I’ve shared my goals with making health my job before on the blog, and those are still true. So fast forward to today. Adam is about to start his new job and we have moved to Chicago. We both agreed that while Adam worked we would start saving up money for me to become a health coach and start my own business. In the meantime, I would try to find a part time job to bring in a little extra cash. I figured I could do some freelance writing to bring in some money, and even got accepted into a writing “bootcamp” program that would help me learn the ins and outs as well as get published. This turned out to be an eye opener for me and caused me to panic (because I never overreact to anything….). I wasn’t cut out for deadlines, strict writing rules, and limited freedom. I started to feel lost again and like I was a failure like before with both music ed and music therapy.

Then Adam came to the rescue (I sure do love that man). When I told him my frustrations and concerns, he said that I had a really unique opportunity here that not many people get. I have the blessing of having someone who can support us financially (and mentally) while I pursue whatever I want. He help me realize that I needed to use this time to my advantage. That is exactly what I am going to do.

I am going to take this time to grow and expand this blog. Once Adam gave me his little pep talk, I immediately had ideas on how I wanted to spend my time. I got excited to take steps forward and really work towards my goals. I want to quick let you know about a few changes that will be happening here. First, and probably biggest, will be a new name and look to this page. I want to make this place inviting and user friendly, so a change is due. There will be better pictures, more posts, advice/tutorials to help my readers, and more of a presence online. Expect these changes to be rolling out soon, with an official “relaunch” of my blog coming this Friday. I can’t wait!

I know what it’s like to wander around aimlessly, wondering what it is you should be doing with your life. I have cried tears of failure, lack of purpose, and frustration. I have watched others who seem to have it all together and felt like I was doomed to be a bum with no calling. You might be going through that now, whether it’s with your health, life or something entirely different. I know that isn’t fun. Let me give you the courage and support Adam gave me. Find your unique opportunity and use it to your advantage. Take steps, even if they’re baby ones, towards your ultimate goals. Search for your passion and ignite it. Trust me, you will find your way and it will be all worth it.

Friday Fill-In

June 6, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello everyone!

I don’t have a recipe for you today, but I am working on creating some delicious summer recipe ideas for you. I have a chipotle sauce that is AMAZING, that I will be sharing with you soon… But more on that later!

Meet Olaf!

The big news in the Dawson household this week is the addition of a kitten to our family! One of the things that Adam promised me, was that once he got a job and we had a place that could have more than one animal, he would get me a kitten. So on Monday, he made good on his promise and we got a 2 month old orange tabby. He is energetic and playful and of course super adorable. After making a huge list of names, we finally narrowed it down to Olaf. Yes, it is partly after Olaf the snowman in the movie Frozen. It’s also a character in one of the video games that Adam plays. The name fits him perfectly, and as I pointed out he really does like warm hugs!

Hi! I’m Olaf! I like warm hugs and climbing up peoples legs!

Our other cat, Dot, is still a little hesitant about the furry ball of mischief that we have brought into her domain, but they are slowly getting to tolerate each other. Now if Olaf would just stop attacking her tail while she is eating, things would be amazing!

Olaf about to make a bad decision…

That’s all I have for today, but I will be back on Monday and I’ll talk about how I haven’t been able to run for the past month. Spoiler alert: I hate it. The whole experience has taught me some good lessons though, and hopefully you will be able to learn something from it. Have a great weekend and make sure to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Maybe he’ll be a runner like mama…

Coming to You Live From Chicago!

June 2, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello from Chicago! My husband, Adam, and I are finally living in the Windy City. We moved into our apartment a little over a week ago and have settled in these past few days. We have really enjoyed getting to explore our new neighborhood and learn where everything is. Every morning we head out to the Chicago Lakefront Trail and ride up and down enjoying the beaches and parks all along the way. The city has so much to offer us and we are very excited to take full advantage.

This move was the most stressful move for me that we’ve ever done. All our other moves were of a smaller scale, as in we would just move down the street or at least within the same town. We didn’t have to rent a truck, figure out a new city, leave our job, or worry about where to run outside (ok, that last one is just me!). I admitted to Adam yesterday as we were walking around outside, that while I was ok with moving for his new job, I had been absolutely terrified to move to Chicago. I was afraid that I would hate everything about city living. All the people, cramped spaces, a smaller apartment, a grocery store I didn’t know, unfamiliar streets, higher cost on everything, and no concrete job position for me. I was truly worried that I was not made to live in a more urban area and that I would quickly isolate myself with my cat in my apartment. I knew in my head that moving here was the best decision for us, but I just couldn’t convince my heart that was true.

This wasn’t even totally full yet. Thank goodness Adam is a Tetris champ!

One of my biggest problems is that I tend to internalize my stress and worries instead of sharing them. I bottle up my feelings and soldier on because I feel like that is what I should do. No one needs to carry the burden of my problems other than me. Of course that is ridiculous. No one can keep all of their problems to themselves without breaking under the pressure at some point. By keeping all my worries to myself, I negatively impacted my health. I developed a cold a few days before our move and I am still getting over it. A few weeks before the move, my knee started to hurt so bad that I could no longer run on it. I still have not been able to run, and I am trying my hardest to rest and let it heal. During the actual move, I lost my appetite and didn’t eat the same healthy meals that I normally make and I also didn’t drink as much water as I normally do. All of these things added up to me feeling crummy and that is not how you want to feel when you have to move. I felt weak and could barely help Adam move and load our boxes. I felt exhausted during the day and wanted nothing more than to take long naps all day. Even my face started to break out. Health wise, I was pretty much a wreck.

Bedroom. Haven’t done much to this room other than put our stuff in it. We’ll get to it soon….

If you go back and read my other posts about moving, you’ll probably notice a similar theme. I start to stress, keep it to myself, and my health turns into a mess. Why can’t I seem to get my act together and why do I keep telling you about it? I am not perfect, far from it, in fact. Even though I enjoy being healthy and do my best to do all the things I know make me feel and look my best, I still fail from time to time. I know that many of you feel that becoming healthier is really hard and you get frustrated when you fail. I am the same way. I am slowly learning though that being healthy isn’t about being perfect 100% of the time.

It’s ok to fail or not do something as well as you had hoped. It isn’t how you fail that defines your health, it’s how you deal with the fallout. Rather than wallow in your shortcomings and quit, pick yourself up and get right back in the game. Use that experience to help shape your healthy journey in a positive way. Learn from your mistakes and when the same obstacle arises next time you will be able to overcome it. I am getting better at being ok with my imperfections and knowing that my overall health is more important that the tiny little things I do everyday. As long as you are working towards being healthy and the majority of your choices and decisions are good ones, I promise you that your health will be just fine. One setback every now and then is not going to totally derail all the hard work you have done.

Tiny kitchen, but I make it work!

While I am hoping that I won’t have to move for a long time (I would love to live in an apartment for more than one leasing period!), I know that this move has taught me so much for the next one. I am also happy to say that I absolutely LOVE living in Chicago. All my fears and doubts are gone and I am relishing living in a new area. It is exactly what Adam and I needed to continue to grow in our lives and in our relationship. We had gotten all that we could from our previous area and it was time to move on. Now big things are in store for the next chapter of our life and I can not wait to get started!

Shot of the living room/office and the dining room. This is where most of our attention has been focused for the time being!

Mac N’ Greens

May 16, 2014 / ktbuchs87

In one week, Adam and I will officially live in Chicago. Technically our lease started yesterday but we won’t be moving until next Thursday. This move has come really fast and while I still have a to do list a mile long, I don’t feel as stressed as I usually do when we move. Although that could all change in an instant, talk to me next week! This will probably be my last post for a few weeks while we get everything moved and settled in our new place. Once we’re in Chicago though my blogging will be much more regular and there will be some changes happening to the site! Excited for all the new things that we are going to do and experience in the next few weeks!

This meal is a quick and easy meal to throw together and it makes a lot of leftovers. It’s kind of the perfect meal to make when you’re moving to a new city…

Mac N’ Greens

1 package of pasta (I used brown rice pasta to keep it gluten free. Whole wheat would be good too)
1 bag of frozen kale or spinach, thawed (could also use fresh and whatever green you want like collard or mustard)
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans (or 1 can)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp brown mustard

1. If you’re using dried beans, soak them overnight, then drain and rinse them and cook them on the stove for about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Make sure your greens are completely thawed. If you are using fresh, chop them up and set aside. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.

3. In a medium skillet saute the onions in olive oil for about 5 to 7 minutes until they are soft. Add in the garlic and saute for another minute or two.

4. In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews until they are a fine powder. Add in about 1 cup of the broth or water and blend until smooth. Add in the onions and garlic, beans, lemon juice, and mustard. Combine until smooth and add in salt and pepper to taste.

5. In a large pot, combine the pasta and greens until fully mixed together. Pour the sauce into the pot and heat over medium heat until everything is warmed through.

Enjoy your delicious and nutritious pasta dish, and I’ll see you in Chicago!