Month: August 2014

This is one of my absolute favorite things to make whether it’s for a picnic or BBQ, or I’m just feeling snacky at home! Avocado fries are great to load up on good for you fats and and satisfy that crunchy and savory craving a the same time. The sriracha lime dipping sauce is addictive and will leave you wanting more things to dip! Sweet + Skinny tip: save it! And use any left over to dip raw veggies when you’re looking a nibble during the day.

 

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy, my loves!

 

AVOCADO FRIES WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Serving for 1 or 2.

 

2 avocados

¼ cup of coconut oil ( for lightly greasing the baking sheet)

2 cups of panko bread crumbs

2 eggs (can be subbed out if you’d like to make this vegan- we can go with flaxseed meal and water “eggs”)

adobo seasoning

salt/pepper

 

Preheat the oven for 425 degrees. Lightly grease your baking sheet with coconut oil. In one bowl, whisk the two eggs.  In another bowl mix your panko, adobo seasoning (to your taste – I used about tbsp.)  and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Slice avocados lengthwise, dip in either whisked eggs or flaxseed mixture, and then into the panko mixture.

Place on baking sheet and season again if you feel it’s necessary. I always like to put a couple more shakes of adobo and a little more salt before they go in the oven. Place the sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes or till the panko starts browning.

 

dipping sauce:

1/3 cup of tofu sour cream

juice of ½ a lime

¾ tsp of sriracha

sprinkle of salt

½ tsp of freshly chopped cilantro

Tonight is the new moon in Virgo and as many of you who follow me on instagram or work with me one on one know, I’ve gotten really into the moons this summer! After intensifying my kundalini yoga practice and hearing so much about the moon cycles and how they effect us, especially women, I really connected with it on a soul level. I absolutely love reading about it in Mystic Mama and think it’s a beautiful thing to be aware of so that we can fully use the cosmic energy around us.

This new moon in Virgo is all about self-improvement, ( because Virgo correlates to the archetype of self-improvement) so it’s the perfect time to go inside and really set some intentions for doing the work to be your best self. The Virgo energy helps us to develop a deep, loving, acceptance of ourselves. And who doesn’t need more of that these days?! It’s SOO important to be in a loving, accepting relationship with ourselves so that we can welcome outside relationships from a more centered place. This energy is also going to help us channel our intuition and really listen to what our body + soul needs! That’s everything from more alone time, meditation, releasing fears to dietary changes or an increase in movement. Take advantage of this time to really ASK your higher self what it needs to release, what it wants to take on, listen and let yourself be guided.  This is a perfect time to really tap into your true potential through journaling, meditating,  healthy diet and movement as well as consistent daily inner work.

This insight really resonated with me from Mystic Mama:

“When our mental realms come under attack we become exhausted and have no energy, but when our energy is cleared and flowing there is an aliveness and feeling of sheer bliss. Not an easy task to get there, especially when we are constantly getting hacked! But it begins with an owning and acceptance of what is and a dedication to healing and a knowing that there is support.”

A lot of my clients have really been feeling this shift recently and it’s important to know that sometimes we do feel exhausted when we’re “detoxing” and moving towards our greatest potential, to take care of ourselves during this time and also to know that bliss is on the other side. It begins with a willingness and commitment to finding a better way, to seeing things differently and to allowing yourself to be supported on your journey.

That’s why in honor of the new moon, I’m doing my first-only-ever SALE on my 90 minute EMERGEN-ZEN sessions, when you book TODAY only they’re $111 (regularly $197). I’m here to support you guys, I want to be a resource for you, I hope this blog post gave you some insights on the work you can do to start cracking open tonight but I also know that I wouldn’t have gotten where I am without the support of a mentor or guide.  I created EMERGEN-ZEN sessions just a couple months ago because I had numerous people reach out about a la carte “spot treatment” session, they didn’t want a full on six month program, they were in the middle of a crisis or particular situation/cross roads in their life and wanted relief fast and some tools to take with them afterwards. So the E-Z session was born and has been a great addition to my offerings and tremendously helpful to clients.

A traditional EMERGEN-ZEN session goes something like this:

– it’s 90 minutes via Skype or in the east village if you’re in NYC

– we talk about what’s making you “not-so-zen” right now

– I guide you through a series of personalized meditations to get your zen back

– we discuss what comes up for you during the work

– I send you on your way with a personal “prescription” for daily work to keep your peace

For more info, you can read more about it here. For anyone who contacts me with the subject live “HAPPY NEW MOON”, you’ll get the discounted rate of $111 and we’ll also do a new moon meditation to set intentions and release habits or thought patterns that are no longer serving you.  Email me at gosweetandskinny@gmail.com to schedule yours before they book up!

Check out my latest recipe for Shape Magazine, this Asian Broccoli Slaw Quinoa is the perfect healthy dish to bring to a BBQ this summer or just make to spice up your usual week day dinners. It’s vegan, gluten free and delicious. The perfect light summer meal that will fill you up with out over stuffing you. Watch me making it on SHAPE.com above and try it for yourself with the recipe below! Enjoy!

ASIANBROCCOLISLAW

ASIAN BROCCOLI SLAW WITH QUINOA (2 servings)

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa 1 bag of broccoli slaw

¼ cup of shelled edamame

¼ cup of shredded raddichio

¼ cup of slivered almonds

¼ cup of shredded carrots

Empty the broccoli slaw into a bowl, add edamame, raddichio, almonds and carrots.

for dressing: ¼ cup of macadamia nut oil 3 tbsp of rice vinegar 3 tbsp of sesame oil 3 tbsp of shoyu 1 tbsp garlic (fresh, chopped) 1 tbsp scallions (fresh, chopped) 1 tbsp ginger (fresh,chopped) Blend all ingredients for the dressing and then drizzle in broccoli slaw bowl till the mixture is wet but not overly saturated. Scoop about ½ cup of quinoa on to a plate and top with broccoli slaw mix. Optional garnish with almond slivers, carrots

Not everyone has the privilege of always having a juice bar or health food store near by every time there stomach grumbles and one of the most common questions I get from a lot of my coaching clients is,” what are some healthy options at places that are easy accessible to me?”. Well, get ready because I’ve decided to start doing healthy food hauls on some common spots so that you know what can be a “go-to” when you need to grab something “to-go”.  A lot of the times when we’re out or traveling we can’t get something ideal but we CAN make the best choice of what’s available to us. It’s about doing the best you can in your situation and being gentle on yourself.  Starbucks seems like one of those places that no matter where you are, you can usually find them, airports, highway rest stops, and every block in NYC, so that’s where I decided to begin! Enjoy this video where I show you how to find healthy food at Starbucks and let me know where you’d like me “haul” next!

 

 

Lately, I’ve really started loving taking pictures of gorgeous produce at my local farmer’s market in union square and I also noticed that you guys ( on instagram ) are really digging it! My fruit pictures get even more “likes” than some of the more challenging meal creations I’ll post and I love it! It’s so nice to be in awe of nature’s beauty. We live in a culture where you can walk around the block and see a giant picture of a bacon cheeseburger that’s been photoshopped and painted with shellac to perfection specifically to make YOU crave it.

Well why not do that with the GOOD stuff?!

Actually it’s infinitely easier to do it with nature’s bounty because there’s no photoshopping or shellacking  needed. These are pure uncut, unedited, rough shots I snapped while walking through the farmer’s market this morning. Sit back, relax and enjoy some of my favorite #produceporn from this week! Let it inspire you to add some fresh, organic finds to your meals this upcoming weekend. Summer is almost over and you should take advantage of whatever is in season in your part of the world. These are all from NYC, of course.

If you would like to see this become a weekly post on GoSweetandSkinny please comment below and let me know you enjoy it! Also, tag me on instagram with @gosweetandskinny and #produceporn so that I can see all your glorious farmer’s market pics too.

Have a great weekend!

xo, Cass

blueberriescurrants

Organic blueberries and currants! oh my!

 

cranberrybeans

these cranberry beans are just so incredibly beautiful, I couldn’t resist.

 

heirloomtomatoes

All sorts of sizes, shapes and colors, heirloom tomatoes are gorgeous.

 

husk cherries

I found these “husk cherries” so wild and whimsical.

 

minibellpeppers

 

A fiesta of little mini bell peppers! I can’t even..

 

okra

Okra, you purrrrty!

 

peppers

Pepper party!!

 

strawberries

 

 

Figured we would end on a sweet note. You can see how SWEET these little strawberries are!

 

Hope that you’ve got your appetite raring and ready to head to your local farmer’s market for some local, organic produce for dinner tonight. I know mine sure is.

Check out this tropical beauty I made for the #ShareTheSilk contest with Shape Magazine! Key lime pie is one of my favorite indulgences so why not have it for breakfast in a nutrient rich smoothie?! This smoothie is so simple and delicious, it should be sinful. Enjoy my little slice of heaven and read below for all the details on how you can participate in the #ShareTheSilk contest with Shape Magazine!

Key Lime Pie Smoothie

1 avocado 1 green apple chopped 2 limes (with out the skin) 2 limes just for juice (just squeeze ’em!) 1 tsp of vanilla extract 1 tbsp of cashew butter 1 cup of Silk Vanilla Soy milk ( any nut milk can be used) 2 tbsps of flaxseed meal ( for the “crust” rim) In a blender or vitamin combine all of the above minus the flax seed meal. Take one of your used limes from juicing and rub it around the top of your mason jar or glass and then roll the rim in the flaxseed meal for the faux graham cracker crust. Add a fun straw and enjoy!

ENTER THE #SHARETHESILK CONTEST ON SHAPE.COM:

* post your photo of your favorite smoothie recipe or healthy food with Silk and tag @shape_magazine @lovemysilk and #sharethesilk on instagram * tag me @gosweetandskinny for a chance for me to #regram you or feature on the blog as well!

You can win my book Juicespiration, Candice Kumai’s book Clean Green Drinks on a new Kindle Fire as well as 6 months of nutritional coaching! More details here.

I felt the need to write a little about PEACE this week, it’s certainly been an ongoing theme in my life recently and I’m sure it has seeped into quite of few of your lives as well with all that’s been going on in the news. As many of you probably know, on August 8th (Friday), there was a global meditation for peace lead by Deepak Chopra as well as many others around the world. I spent that afternoon, when it was going on, in yoga class doing a meditation for peace. We all envisioned what our version of a peaceful world would be and then planted that seed and sent that love and light out to the world.

My vision of peace was very simple, I saw a street in SoHo (where my yoga studio is in NYC) and just lots of people walking past each other, smiling, saying hi and just showing love and light for one another. For me, peace is really us all being able to see each other as love and realizing that the other people we meet are just reflections of ourselves. We’re all human and we’re all going through this human experience, why not send each other love and light and be pleasant (even friendly!) with one another!?

On Sunday, I got invited to a “Unite for Peace in the Middle East” event with two very special influences in my spiritual life, Marianne Williamson and Jennifer Kass. Both ladies brought up a very important point in their talks, PEACE begins with US. That is, peace needs to start with our personal experience. We need to find peace within us, within our relationships and within our lives. How can we preach about peace in the middle east when we can’t keep peace in our romantic relationships or even sometimes within our own head? Peace starts with you.

Below is a meditation that I love using on the go for those situations in life where I need to remind myself that peace begins with me. I find it very helpful when you’re out there interacting with the world and silly things come up that push you out of your peace. For me, meditation is that tool that helps me come back to my inner peace and therefore helps me spread peace in my daily interactions. Peace (and happiness) is a CHOICE we can make. Sometimes it can certainly be harder to make that choice then others but that is when it is so important to ask for help and guidance. Whether you’re asking for help from the universe or some higher power by simply saying a prayer for guidance ( for example, “please help me see this differently // please help me see this with love // please help me find peace in the situation. ” ) and that’s really as simple as it can be, or reaching out to someone like me, for an emergen-zen session so that you can get the tools to help you get back to that place of peace inside of you. The only requirement is your willingness, when you are ready to find that peace and serenity, you will be guided to it. Sending you guys love and light, I hope you try out this mini-meditation for peace and please let me know how it goes for you. I’ll answer and comments or questions below if you need some more insight or want to share your tips on coming back into your inner peace.

Check out this delicious summer zucchini pasta with vegan pesto that I made for SHAPE.com. This recipe is perfect for those hot summer nights when you want something light but fulling. Zucchini pasta is a great gluten-free alternative and my vegan pesto will have you wondering why you ever needed parmesan cheese! Splurge and buy that spiralizer or go to your local grocery and pick up a bag of shredded zucchini and fake it. 😉

Kale, it’s what for dinner…most nights at my place at least. I’m actually kidding, brussel sprouts are probably WAY more of regular around my dinner table. Regardless, clearly I’m obsessed with green stuff and I also have a love for whipping up random salad dressings based on whatever I have around the kitchen, so this evening, this beautiful salad creation was born. It’s a kale salad tossed in a simple truffle vinaigrette topped with roasted brussel sprouts, onions and cashews and it was delicious! Since it was so tasty, so easy to make and also happens to be vegan, gluten free, dairy free AND all around good for you – I thought I’d share the recipe with you guys!   Kale Salad with a Truffle Vinaigrette. serving for 1 // double + quadruple as needed 3 handfuls of organic tuscan kale shredded 1/4 cup of diced sweet white onions 3/4 cup of shaved brussel sprouts 2 tbsp of crushed roasted cashews 2 tsp of coconut oil (for sautéing brussel sprouts + onions) Dressing: 2 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp of dijon mustard 2 tbsp of truffle salsa   Pretty basic, very few ingredients and you have an absolutely delicious lunch or dinner that’s vegan, gluten free, dairy free, good for your body and easy to throw together. Wash and chop your kale, put your onion and 1 tsp of coconut oil into a small sauce pan on medium heat and let them become translucent while your making your dressing. Once the dressing is complete, toss your kale in it and set it to the side. As soon as onions are done, toss them in with the kale, put the remaining coconut oil in the pan and add the shaved brussel sprouts. Cook the brussel sprouts till they brown a little on the edges and then toss them on top of you kale salad. Finish by sprinkling the roasted cashews over the top.

It was an absolute pleasure to interview Daniel Sullivan from Tumeric ALIVE at Wanderlust Festival in Tahoe,CA. I’m always fascinated by companies creating products with conscious and the people behind them. Find out some incredible information about the balancing properties of tumeric and it’s ancient origination, how to incorporate tumeric into your daily routine and Daniel’s personal morning ritual and breath work that helps him rise to his highest self and step into his power every single day! Lots of incredible information in this interview, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did doing it.

To learn more about Tumeric ALIVE, click here. And, if you’re interested in learning more about ego irradicator or starting a meditation journey, check out my mindful eating and meditation video here, or feel free to email me at cassandra@gosweetandskinny.com and schedule a personalized meditation session.