Blasts of Light

Watch me make this EASY, healthy and VEGAN Halloween treat! Your friends, your kids, everyone at your Halloween is going to fall in love with this adorable, good for you treat!

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Laugh away baby. It’s a thousand percent true! You know that person in your life that always seems to get a ton of things accomplished in the same twenty-four hours you might as well of sleepwalked through? They don’t have some secret pass to stop time just to get more done and make people like you feel inadequate! They just manage their time wisely.
And guess what?!
So can you!! How? Well it’s the same way you manage anything! Want to see why you’re not losing weight? Write down what your eating so you can see all those extra calories you’re not considering. Want to know why your bank account is embarrassingly small? Well you would write your income and expenses down, right? So why not write down HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?!

Try it! For one week, bare with me and log how you spend every hour of the day and then at the end of the week go back and look for “wasted” time. Anything you think could be a better use of your time and circle it. Now Write down all those things you’d LOVE to get done and start inserting them into those circles spots! Give it a shot. It can totally change the way you use your time. 😉

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I was reading yoga journal on the subway this morning and this quote really stuck out for me and I knew I needed to share it! A really amazing and eye opening exercise to try today is sitting down and jotting a list of “who you are”. Who do you say you are? What are your best qualities and what are your worst? Completely unfiltered and real, how do you define yourself? Go ahead, try it! No, really, stop reading this and grab a piece of paper or start writing in the notes app on your phone. Okay, once you’ve got the list, go through and circle or star any of the things that are not serving you. What on that list is getting in the way of the person you want to be?!

Guess what?

Those things you circled, THEY ARE NOT YOU. They are things you have decided about yourself! And the beauty of that is, now it’s time to go back and decide differently. So now return to that list and replace all those qualities that aren’t working for your life with ones that will. It’s that simple. All you have to do is change your mind and COMMIT to that. It’s a great practice to read these new qualities once a day or at times where you are struggling to stay connected with them so that slowly and surely they will be melded into who you have chosen to be.

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Kicking off our #quoteoftheday! Are you peaceful? Life can be chaotic and we can’t always control what’s going on out there in the world BUT we can control how it effects our internal environment. I challenge you to take a minute today and choose to remain peaceful on the inside. Take notice of when things in your life stir you up and how it feels when you make the conscious choice for PEACE! 🙂

 

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It happens to the best of us, we’re chugging along so well with our healthy habits, meditating, drinking our green juice , exercising regularly and then it happens, something crashes into our life like a ton of bricks and we are instantly off track! It could be for a bad reason like a break up, ill family member or just maybe a funk at work OR sometimes it’s even for a good reason, like you fell in love, are on vacation or have been going out with friends a lot but either way your wonderful HAPPY, HEALTHY routine is disturbed and you fall off course. Now, the first step to getting back on track is simple, realize you’ve fallen off track. Nope, this isn’t an AA meeting but it’s still the first step to solving any problem in your life, haha. So now that you’ve admitted that you’ve fallen off track, you’ve made the conscious decision to get back on track, let me take you through my personal steps to realigning your life!

1. FORGIVE YOURSELF. Get over it! It happened, maybe you gained 10lbs, maybe you lost your zen, whatever it is it is and you beating yourself up about it is helping NO ONE. So give it up! Whether you want to sit in a self-forgiveness meditation, envision yourself as a carefree child and heal yourself that way or you simply want to take a moment to yourself and tell that little voice in your head to shut the f**ck up – is totally up to you. Just accept that you are human, it’s not the end of the world and Cassandra is here to help.

2. ASSESS THE SITUATION. What happened? Why did you fall off track? Is it still going on or are you back to your regularly scheduled programming? If it’s over and done with, wooo hoo! I’m glad you had your fun and are ready to get back to the norm. If it’s still going on, you’re on a month long vaca, still in a new relationship or still dealing with grief, then you need to accept that this might be the normal for now and it’s time to get back to feeling good! Having a “splurge day” here and there is wonderful but when they start piling up one after another you will start feeling it’s effects on your system. No one wants to be sluggish, moody and heavier regardless of the situation. Getting back on track with your healthy habits will make you feel so much better!

3. GET MOVING. It’s not always easy to jump back into your old gym routine when you’ve been binging on junk food for days but even a long walk in the park will put you in a better place. Start off by doing your favorite version of working out. Mine is usually going to yoga class or just doing some yoga moves on my own and getting out in nature and doing some sort of cardio but you can do whatever appeals to you. As long as you start making an effort to get your body moving, give yourself a week or so to ween back into your usual exercise routine.

4. GO GREEN. Chances are your body is desperately missing some greens! We forget all about them when we fall off track and stop eating fresh foods from the earth and our body can’t help but feel the negative effects. Best thing you can do? Grab some green juice ASAP! If that’s too crazy for you, of course you can just start incorporating more green in to your plate but a nice juice is great because it gives you an insta-greenboost! Pledge to eat at least three green veggies a day and stick to it!!

5. COMMIT TO A ROUTINE. Now your moving, feeling better and getting some green in to you so take the final step and make a commitment to yourself to keep it up! It can be as small as promising to be active 30 minutes a day or a pledge to go to spinning class every morning and not eat processed foods. Listen to your body and decide what’s right for you. Big or small, making a promise to yourself will keep you on track and remind you to stay on track!

I certainly fell a bit off course while I was in LA. It was SO easy with most of my meals coming from whatever I could grab after filming and then wanting to indulge in “fat days” with the boys on the weekend but whenever I took a breather, got myself to the gym or found some green juice, I was instantly reminded of why I love my ‘normal routine’. I feel better, I’m happier and healthier when I’m putting good plant based foods in my body and meditating and exercising daily! I’m back on track and couldn’t be happier. I hope these steps help you, please feel free to comment below, I’d love to hear about your journey and what your biggest struggles for getting back in to your healthy habits have been!

This Dijon-Balsamic Salmon with Orange-Lentil Salad is actually relatively simple and a great light, healthy dinner! Plus, if you’re cooking for one or just have leftovers of the lentil salad, you can eat it the next day for lunch or poach some eggs on top of it for a delicious breakfast. Delicious and multi-purpose, oh my!

salmonandlentils

Dijon-Balsamic Salmon with Orange-Lentil Salad

2 medium sized oranges

5 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

a pinch or two of sea salt

dijon mustard (1/2 tsp for salad – about 2 per piece of salmon)

a pinch or two of freshly grounded black pepper

1 can of lentils or 16oz

2 sprigs of finely chopped mint

1/2 of a medium sized red onion, chopped

Salmon – as many pieces as you need, skin removed

To start off, preheat your oven to 400 degrees for the salmon. In a bowl, squeeze the juice out of your two oranges. Grate a bit of the skin and let the tiny pieces of zest fall into your orange juice. Add your oil, vinegar, salt, 1/2 tsp of mustard and pepper and gently stir in your lentils, chopped mint and onion. Add more seasoning to your taste.

Put your salmon fillets in a foil lined baking pan. Lightly sprinkling salt and pepper on each side. In a separate bowl add equal parts dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar to taste and depending on how many salmon fillets your making. Brush the balsamic mustard on your fish liberally and stick them in the oven! They should be just about cooked through around 8-10 minutes. Serve on top of lentils and optionally garnish with some mint sprigs and an orange slice, you know, if you want to be all fancy. 😉

 

I need to open up with you about something I have struggled with for a LONG, long time. This week it was really brought to the forefront of my mind because of a really exciting opportunity! Unfortunately, I can not officially  let you know what I’m doing but let’s just say it involves my handy-work in the kitchen and a lot of people watching me. (wink, wink) I promise to let you know as soon as I LEGALLY can! But for the purpose of today’s blog, let’s just say I was asked by someone relatively important if I was a vegan chef. In that moment, I was forced to do something that I was very uncomfortable with..

DEFINE MYSELF.

At first, I said,” well,  yes, I am mostly known for my vegan cupcakes.”But after a few seconds I corrected myself. ” I don’t only cook vegan, I just try to make really delicious things healthier for people with out losing the whole ‘delicious’ part of the equation.” It felt weird and I’m sure they weren’t pleased with my Switzerland- like answer.  Honestly, I get this question A LOT  so I felt like it had to be addressed and leave it to the universe to create such a formal occasion for it! Truth is some ( NOT ALL) vegans don’t really like us ‘swiss’ types either, people have their beliefs (carnivore, vegan, low carber) and they feel very passionate about them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m passionate, but I’m passionate aboutPEOPLE GETTING HEALTHY AND ENJOYING IT! Yes, I personally, a hundred percent agree with veganism but even I occasionally have an egg or want a piece of salmon. I don’t beat myself up, I’m human, I do my best and I listen to my body.
More importantly though, I don’t want to single anyone out. I want to help you whether you’re used to eating 4 cheese burgers a week or you are ready to go raw vegan! So my cooking, when it’s for me, is mostly vegan/vegetarian but you bet I can cook almost anything and I want to be able to cook anything! I aim to provide a variety of healthy recipes and tips on the site and as well as when I’m one on one with my coaching clients.
Starting to clean up what you put on your plate and take charge of your mind and body is no small task but where there’s a will there is a way. So whether you’re still eating steak or you are on a juice fast, it’s cool. Start at your own pace, don’t get intimidated, maybe try a juice for breakfast or make one of my vegan treats that look yummy and incorporate it in your day to day. Slowly but surely you will start learning this whole other beautiful palette that your body wants and craves. But for now, if you want a healthy, good for you recipe with chicken or meat, feel free to reach out and email me. There is no “perfect” diet, there is only what works best for you body right now. We’ve all grown up with  a very similar processed, American diet and we’re all at different stairs on the staircase to our happiest, most vibrant, fit and thriving bodies. I want to be there every step of the way because everyone deserves a chance ( and the help) to get that fabulous place where we feel amazing, look fabulous and love our lives. 

So if I’m going to define my cooking style, I’m a maker of delicious, healthy dishes that help people lead their happiest lives and promote their over all well being. 

I simply refuse to be put in a box.

eggplanttapenade

I love me some eggplant!! This Greek eggplant tapenade is totally vegan, low fat, healthy and wonderfully delicious. I really enjoy making a big batch of this at the beginning of the week and having it for breakfast or a light lunch through out the week on some toasted  ezeikel bread but it’s also great served with crostini at a cocktail party. It’s light yet decadent and totally good for you!

Skinny Greek Eggplant Tapenade

2 small eggplants

1/2  of a (medium sized) red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 branches of fresh parsley, minced

1 branch of fresh oregano, minced

the juice of one lemon

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

(ezeikel bread or a baguette to slice and toast)

You can use prepackaged garlic, oregano or parsley if you MUST but when possible, FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST! It will just taste, so much better! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and wash your eggplants and then stab them with a fork all over to give them a bunch of tiny holes all over so they don’t explode in your oven. Place those babies in a casserole pan and stick them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes to roast. The skin should get slightly scorched and that’s totally okay. 

While those little darlings are cooking, get to your cutting board to prepare all your flavoring agents! Dice your red onion, mince the garlic, parsley and oregano and put it in a bowl off to the side. Once your eggplants are done, cut the top with a stem off , slice and chop it into rather small chunks, removing any big seed pockets. Place your chopped eggplant in a large frying pan on medium-low heat on the burner and add your oil. Stir in your bowl of chopped and minced friends and then continue to add your balsamic vinegar. Slice your lemon in half and squeeze out that juice into the mixture! Be sure to keep stirring the eggplant tapenade while adding ingredients. Keep it on the heat till it’s reached your desired consistency (it will get slightly mushier the longer it’s on) and add salt and pepper to taste. I tend to keep it on the burner for another 5 minutes or so, tasting as I go. Enjoy on some toasted ezeikel bread or serve to your friends on a lovely slice of baguette. 

 

 

 

sweetpotatohaystacks

Fall is just around the corner and that makes me SO HAPPY! My absolute favorite seasonal flavors are in the fall and I just LOVE cooking with them. I pretty much do it all year round, even if it’s slightly inappropriate, haha. These little baby haystacks are somewhat reminiscent of latkes except they are but lighter and healthier. They are also totally VEGAN if you want them to be, and if you don’t, you can add a little egg whites or sub out my non dairy creamer in the topping. I think they are  perfect for the weekend, you know when you have a really huge brunch and only want a light, healthy dinner but still want something ridiculously delicious! 😉 They are just enough to hold you over but low fat and healthy that you won’t feel overly stuffed. These Sweet Potato and Carrot Haystacks ( aka latkes or potato pancakes) are also super cute! Which means, they can be a a great healthy, vegan, low fat appetizer/h’oure derve for a party! Plus, they taste just decadent enough that no one will even know what you’re serving is GOOD FOR THEM! haha Isn’t that always the key!? Super easy to prepare, the whole process probably took me 30 mins tops. Hope you try them out in your kitchen soon!

 

Sweet Potato + Carrot Haystacks

1 sweet potato

1 carrot

2 tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp chili powder (for an added kick!)

3 heaping tbsp of Gluten Free Oats

sprinkle of cinnamon + nutmeg

pinch of salt

(optional egg whites)

 

Creamy Apple Topping

1/2 granny smith apple

1/4 cup of French Vanilla Silk or Coconut milk creamer

sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon

 

First off, set your oven to 450 degrees. I used a mini cupcake pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray but you can make them more pancake like and put them on a cookie sheet as well! Next use a potato peeler to remove the outside layer of both your sweet potato and carrot, after that’s been discarded. Use a grater (or just keep using your peeler and then chop it a bit afterwards – that’s what I did) and place all your sweet potato and carrot shreds into a medium sized mixing bowl. Next add your almond butter, maple syrup, oats, egg whites if you’re not making it vegan (they stick together a tiny bit better when you use egg whites but the pictured ones are with out!) and finally your seasonings!  Mix it all together very thoroughly! You really want the almond butter and seasonings evenly dispersed. Now just scoop the mix into your little cupcake pan or on to your baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins depending on size.

While those babies are browning up in the oven, let’s make the YUMMERIFIC  (that’s right, made up that word!)  creamy apple topping. Cut the skin off 1/2 of a granny smith apple and dice it into tiny pieces, add your creamer and season to taste. Either let the apple pieces soak as you mix up the entire mixture or put everything into your blender/food processor for creamier, less chunky consistency. (My blender wasn’t cooperating with me when I was making these so I only diced them.) Let this chill in the fridge while your little haystacks are cooling off.  When reading to serve plop a little into the center and let any extra juice drip over on to the sides. I absolutely LOVE the sweetness of the apple topping against the heartier, slightly spiced sweet potato/carrot so I tend to have a heavy hand with it! 😉

 

 

I kid you not when I say this yoga video will literally make you feel like you just had a massage and sleep like a baby! I know you all know how much I love trying out various youtube yoga videos from time to time and that’s exactly how I stumbled upon this gem. Now, I will be honest, it’s not much of a work out, it’s definitely more stretching. So, I wasn’t necessarily looking for it but I wanted a yoga routine that wouldn’t keep me from falling asleep afterwards because it was pretty late at night but I had to get SOMETHING in!  Light a candle, burn so incense and let this video just loosen up every muscle in your body. I’ve had a really crazy week of recipe testing and prepping for my upcoming trip to the west coast and I truly believe stumbling upon this gem on youtube was the universes’s way of giving me a little “self-care” present! So bookmark this page and keep it for that week when you’re dying for a spa treatment or massage and just don’t have the time or money. You will thank me! 😉

 

This post was inspired by one of my favorite people, Miss Gabby Bernstein. I was watching her lecture from Well +Good’s Summer of Miracles and someone stood up at the end and asked what to do about people in your life who don’t support your spiritual growth. Instantly I thought of Go Sweet and Skinny and how this same question is also pretty relevant to new healthy habits!

What do you do when your friends/family don’t support your new healthy, happy ways?!

Well, I know what your dealing with and boy, oh, boy, do I know that it’s not fun! You thinking running a happy, healthy living company would eliminate a lot of people who weren’t into that sort of thing from my life? Guess again. Whether it’s the health benefits of juicing or the importance of a plant based diet, I’ve experienced more than my fair share of naysayers.

The good news is that whether its your parents or spouse looking at you a little funny or your friends making there best attempts at squandering your health minded efforts, the answer is the same.

SHOW, DON’T TELL. (aka be the light house)

That’s right, the solution is to DO NOTHING. Don’t try to explain it to people who aren’t supporting you or genuinely curious. Just do your own thing and keep on your path to the happy, healthy life you are working towards! Why? Because nothing you say will work, but just wait till they start seeing how amazing your body looks, how your skin glows, they’ll want to know why you’re so happy and energized all the time. When they see the results of what your doing and how wonderful it has been for you, they will start asking and be listening with different ears. All of a sudden they will genuinely want to know what your doing. This might mean meeting certain friends for tea instead of dinner if they’ll be über critical of what you eat or simply just not offering up much of what your doing for your health to certain people. There’s no reason to make their negativity a part of your life, deep down you know you are doing something AMAZING for yourself and feeling better everyday.

So be the light house. Work on getting your fire burning bright and they will all come around in time. The best way to communicate our message is to LIVE IT everyday. Lead by example my lovely peeps!

In honor of my ebook #Juicespiration launching on Amazon.com, I’ve put together a whole series of Juicespiration videos! The third video is here to answer another one of my most frequently asked questions!! CAN YOU CHEAT ON YOUR JUICE FAST WITH FOOD?! Well you’ll have to watch the video to see my answer! 😉

Feel free to check out my book as well on amazon at http://ow.ly/nwj4z