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Self Care Practices During Stressful Times

During the stressful times we're living in, taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do. Being loving to yourself and accepting of the feelings that you are experiencing right now will help you endure and stay sane. My mom has always taught me about the importance of self-care growing up and so I'm going to share with you all some self-care basic practices I always turn to when I feel I need it. What is Self-Care? Self-Care is exactly how it sounds. It is all about taking the time and prioritizing your needs. Self-Care…

Post published:June 25, 2020
Post comments:11 Comments
Post category:Body&Mind
Post author:Melissa

Banana Nut Muffins — Gluten & Dairy Free

My mom has a lot of food allergies to deal with, she can't have wheat, soy, or dairy, so when I found these banana nut muffins, I thought I would try the recipe. It did not disappoint! These muffins are super moist and chock-full of nuts and chocolate chips for plenty of flavor and crunchy goodness. Besides the fact that they are free of everything my mom is allergic to, they are also refined sugar free! So they are pretty darn healthy if you ask me. The recipe is from a lovely blog I have started following called The Toasted…

Post published:June 22, 2020
Post comments:10 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Apple Pear Tarte Tatin (Vegan!)

If you keep up to date on my posts, you know I like to bake things that are on the Great British Baking Show. I never heard of tarte tatin until I watched it on the show. I am so glad I discovered it thought and decided to bake an apple pear tarte tatin because it is delicious! This is also the first time I’ve made rough puff pastry and caramel sauce from scratch. This tart is three elements: the puff pastry, caramel, and fruit. The traditional tarte tatin is made with apples and according to Wikipedia was named after…

Post published:June 18, 2020
Post comments:15 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Homemade Bagels

I thought bagels would be a lot harder to make, but it turns out they really aren't all that difficult. I feel like most people have this preconceived notion that bagels are hard to make for some reason, so no one every tries to make them at home. It’s also really convenient to just go buy a dozen down the road instead of slaving away in the kitchen, but homemade is always better! I did have some pitfalls, but they still ended up pretty tasty! I had to make savory and sweet bagels for the showstopper challenge so first is…

Post published:June 11, 2020
Post comments:3 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic recipe that everyone should have on hand. I found this recipe on Pinch of Yum blog and I've never gone back. It's that good. I'm more of soft cookie person, rather than crunchy and these are super soft chocolate chip cookies. That feeling when you bite into a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven when the chips inside are still melty...heaven. Chocolate chip cookies are also one of the easiest recipes to make at home from scratch. I know everyone needs a quick fix once in a while, but why go out…

Post published:June 8, 2020
Post comments:16 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Buns

My brother and I have always had a weakness for cinnamon buns, especially the ooey gooey kind. My mom would buy the Pillsbury cinnamon buns in a can on weekends or special occasions and we would have them for breakfast. We would fight over who would get the last one, they were so good! As we grew up, my mom realized my brother and I had food allergies so we had to find dairy free alternatives for everything we loved. We ate a ton of Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Buns after that which are dairy and soy free. It's a great…

Post published:June 1, 2020
Post comments:20 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Mindfulness: Intro, Benefits and Books

A mindfulness practice could help you live a more positive and fulfilling life. A basic definition of mindfulness would be: living in the present moment; but there is so much more to it than that. It helps you live in the present, but it also helps you live with gratitude, kindness, curiosity, and self-compassion. I really got interested in the practice of mindfulness when I came across a new book on the topic at the library. I ended up buying it and highlighting it like crazy because the things the author talks about are so so important. The book, which…

Post published:May 29, 2020
Post comments:14 Comments
Post category:Body&Mind Books
Post author:Melissa

Fancy Plaited Challah Bread

I 've always wanted to make bread and try my hand at yeasted bakes, so when they made Challah on the Great British Baking Show, I had to try it myself. I also plaited it like they did on the show. Let me tell you, I definitely felt accomplished after finishing this fancy plaited challah bread. I ended up using a video from the YouTube channel of one of the GBBO contestants, Mat Riley to do the braid because I definitely needed the visual element to do this braid. I’ve done braids before in my hair, and I’ve even done…

Post published:May 27, 2020
Post comments:9 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Chocolate Oreo Trifle (Vegan & Gluten Free Options!)

Where are all my chocolate lovers?! This amazing chocolate oreo trifle is filled to the brim with chocolatey, creamy flavors and has a little extra crunch from crushed up Oreos. The best part? It can be thrown together in less than an hour, semi-homemade style. It's also dairy-free, and can be made gluten-free and vegan depending on your dietary preferences. This semi-homemade chocolate oreo trifle is a must have for everyone who wants a mind blowing throw-it-together dessert for special occasions. Prepare the Layers There are four different layers to this trifle: Chocolate Cake Chocolate Pudding Whipped Cream Oreos Chocolate…

Post published:May 24, 2020
Post comments:12 Comments
Post category:Recipes
Post author:Melissa

Self Care Practices & Anxiety Tips

Meditation to Reduce Stress and Relax

Meditation is a proven way to reduce stress. And in the stressful society we've been living in nowadays, I feel like more people should be open to the practice. I've known about meditation for quite a few years, but I only really started practicing it regularly when my anxiety kind of flared up last year due to a stressful situation. I've been practicing almost daily now for several months and have started noticing some real benefits from it. Meditation is great for my mental health, and it can be for yours too. Benefits of Meditation Meditation has become an ingrained…

Post published:May 22, 2020
Post comments:18 Comments
Post category:Body&Mind
Post author:Melissa