The Magic of the Holidays
Happy Holidays! May your life be filled with love, beauty, joy, and magic this holiday season! I am wishing you the most extraordinary 2025, there is so much transformation and potential available for us to experience. I am beyond excited for what is to come!
Presence > Presents
The true essence of this holiday is to reconnect to the power of your presence rather than the actual giving of presents. Your presence is the most powerful gift you can offer. In the midst of the holiday festivities may you remember and feel the power of your presence and the presence of those you love. Everything changes when we are truly present with ourselves and others, we live fully connected to the body and the senses rather distracted by the mind.
Anchor in Memories
In the end all we'll have are memories. What I desire more than anything is to know that we'll get to the end of our lives and reflect in hindsight on the beauty of a cherished and fully lived life. A life filled with magical moments and meaningful memories. In the past I've waited for others to create moments I envisioned rather than realizing my power to create these moments. So what I am focusing on is intentionally creating these moments and anchoring in memories that will last a lifetime. While the time will pass, the memories remain forever.
Reflections and Contemplations:
What are the lessons you learned in 2024?
What wisdom did you glean and how has this year shaped who you are?
What were your most meaningful memories this year?
Who are you committed to becoming?
What are you ready to create for yourself in 2025?
Holiday Recipe Inspiration
For those of you who are experiencing symptoms and/or conditions or simply choose to live a plant-based lifestyle I wanted to share one of my favorite holiday recipes! Personally, the holidays felt less fun as I navigated my health challenges and was changing my lifestyle. The typical holiday foods contained ingredients that perpetuated my symptoms, so while I indulged I often felt worse. Now the holidays are just as special as I have recreated my favorite recipes using health promoting ingredients. I not only feel satisfied, but my body feels good too!
Gingerbread cookies are one of my holiday favorites and conjure great nostalgia. I remember standing on a chair in the kitchen while I helped my mom bake gingerbread cookies. The taste and smell of gingerbread to me is Christmas. If you do experiment with this recipe I'd love to hear!
Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free Plant-Based (Vegan))
Recipe
Dry Ingredients:
1 Cup GF Oat Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/4 Coconut Oil, Melted
2 Tbsp Molasses
1/4 Cup Oat Milk, more as needed
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients and mix to evenly combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring consistently to ensure even mixing. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until gold brown on the bottom.
Note: if you desire fluffier and gooey cookies, sift the dry ingredients into the wet. On the other hand if you prefer a crucnchy gingerbread cookie press the cookie cough balls flat on the baking shhet.
