Mindfulness, vision boards & booze-ban "pasta"
Series
So I have this disease where I take everything personally. It’s really bad. For a long time, I thought it had everything to do with my ego. Like, I was just so narcissistic that I thought everything was about me but I’m learning that its a lot more than that. It’s deeply psychological.
I’m working hard to fix this because I don’t think it’s any way to be. Therapy is not in my budget right now but something that’s really been helping me get out of my head is (ironically) Headspace: Guide To Meditation. I’ve heard of the app but I’ve never used it. Luckily, it’s become a Netflix series that’s making meditation and mindfulness accessible.
App
I freakin’ LOVE Canva. I’m not a designer, I don’t even really have much of an eye for it but Canva makes me feel like an artiste 👩🏿🎨! I use it almost daily for many different things but one of my favourite uses is to make digital vision boards for myself. I take vision boards pretty seriously because I’m a pro manifester. I’ve made a vision board for both my cell (1080 x 1920 px blank template) and laptop (1920 x 1080 px blank template) backgrounds and they’re truly inspiring to look at. They’re a gentle and soothing reminder of everything I am working towards. Here’s a peek at one of my vision boards:
Food
Since beginning my grain-free/gluten-free/sugar-free/soy free/peanut-free/alcohol-free/fun-free (just kidding) elimination diet, I have really missed PASTA. Luckily, I got sent this lentil based pasta from Pick n’ Pay (which I haven’t been able to find at my local PnP since I trying it :( ) and it really hit the spot. I opted for a simple penne alla vodka inspired dish.
The vodka added to this pasta dish has nothing to do with getting you wasted because the alcohol cooks off at that heat. There is a particular compound in vodka that brings out a certain flavour in tomato which is what makes the dish special. Obviously the vodka’s been omitted but the flavor was not. A few additional spices really elevate this dish and give it the flavour it needs while keeping this dish elimination diet and booze-ban friendly. Recipe below!
You Will Need:
1 box lentil penne
1 can organic coconut cream (look a coconut cream that contains the least number of ingredients possible which is usually organic)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste (using tomato paste instead of puree/fresh tomatoes creates a richer flavour for this no-vodka sauce)
a few tablespoons of oil (for cooking)
Method:
In a large pot cook pasta until just al dente
Heat oil in a separate pan on medium heat before adding onion
Sauté onion until translucent before adding spices and salt and stir
Add garlic and tomato paste and stir until fragrant
Pour coconut cream and stir gently
When the mixture begins to bubble, add cooked pasta and stir until fully coated
Serve immediately as is or with a side of veggies