Coddiwomple Magazine Spring 2020 Issue

e l p m o w i d d o C living an INSPIRED life

MAGAZINE

SELF CARE Don’t forget to take care of yourself. pg. 7 RECIPES Chicken Korma & Robinson Soft Brittle Cheesecake.

pg. 22 & 24

EXERCISE IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Don’t age poorly. pg. 35

ISSUE 3

SPRING 2020

Online Ordering & Ordering App For YOUR Restaurant!

$350 One-Time Setup Fee 8% Per Order Commission Fee That’s it!

herbig CREATIVE DESIGN STUDIO Your Digital Marketing Expert www.HerbigDesign.com/restaurants

SELINA CALKINS Selina enjoys drinking tea, reading books and taking long naps by the beach. She loves writing and editing; her passion for it grows every day as she finds words to be a beautiful way for understanding someone else's view of the world. she has a poem published in a poetry book called "treasured" She's been writing her whole life and hopes to have a poetry book published.

ROBINSON SOFT BRITTLE - PAMELA & TODD ROBINSON Pamela was a single mom with 3 boys, known for her creative specialty cakes, elegant wedding cakes, and decorative cookies.  Todd was a widower with 4 daughters, an entrepreneur who had previously launched a media agency & CGI software company, a motorcycle racetrack school, and a motorsports parts business.

WHO ARE WE? CODDIWOMPLE - (V) TO TRAVEL IN A PURPOSEFUL MANNER TOWARDS A VAGUE DESTINATION PHOTO BY LAUREN DENOS - ADVENTURE BOUND MEDIA

They met in 2017 and married the following year. They started with soft peanut brittle, since Pamela and her mother knew the special process to make it soft and flaky. They quickly launched other exclusive creation recipes like chocolate hazelnut soft brittle, triple chocolate hazelnut espresso bark, and apple brandy toffee, among other confections.

In 2020 they launched a line of energy and meal bars that saw immediate success, and also became a fully licensed food process to sell their confections and bars through retailers nationwide.

When not working at their business, they enjoy time with their kids and new grandson, and riding motorcycles.

LAUREN DENOS

TIP METAJAN

JESSICA HERBIG

Lauren is an artist who specializes in photography and mixes that medium with digital art. She does both commercial and individual personal art. She aims to help others see the beauty in the world around us and likes to help inspire. When she is not working she loves to find adventure and find new challenges to take on.

Tip Metajan is an author, business coach, social media and affiliate marketing expert. She’s the founder of Honey Butter Company and Elevate 22. Tip lives and breathes positivity and light. She believes that there’s always light to be found in every challenge. She’s guided many companies and individuals through some of their most challenging steps and helped them come out on top.

Jessica is a local creative studio owner and graphic designer. She enjoys designing and collaborating on all manners of print publications and branding.

HoneyButterCompany.com and 22elevate.com

www.HerbigDesign.com

BONNIE SADIGH

MICHAELA SUMNER

LESA LEBEAU

Bonnie Sadigh is the Co-Founder and COO at the Wheel of Wellbeing, an integrative, holistic, and psychological wellness center.

Michaela has always loved writing, anything from essays and formal documents to short stories and poetry. She loves to achieve an emotional response from those who read her writings and wants people to see the beauty in the world even from what might be the smallest and most insignificant things. She also is a gifted massage therapist with dreams of ownig her own spa. She hopes to bring hope and inspire people inside and out with the combinations of her writing and massage.

Chef Lesa LeBeau began her career in 1996 after graduating Culinary school in Southern California. She has worked with many celebrity clients and charities.

Chef LeBeau is versed in many cuisines from around the world and loves teaching and sharing her passion for cooking .

AdventureBoundMedia.com

Bonnie is a Master NLP Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, EFT Practitioner, Relationship and Certified Life & Success Coach, and Master Time Technique Practitioner. She is also a Certified Transpersonal Energy Healer from The Lion Heart Institute. Bonnie graduated from Queens College of New York with Masters in Fine Arts.

Her fascination with the mind and body led her to become a coach, public speaker, and a motivational blogger.

She believes in the wholeness of each individual and strives to unlock their untapped potentials so that they can thrive and live life to the fullest.

When she’s not working or writing, Michaela enjoys playing video games and board games with her friends as well as camping, hiking, and swimming.

She’s lived in North Idaho all of her life, and along with her husband and 2 boys, spends her Spring sitting in rainstorms on baseball fields, and loves enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.

Lesa is currently teaching cooking classes at The Culinary Stone in Coeur D Alene, and is very busy with catering and in home private Chef services.

You can catch her on KREM news several times a month sharing her life long passion for the culinary arts...”Food is Love” @Cheflebeau on Instagram

TABLE OF CONTENTS

07

SELF CARE

12

ENJOY THE RIDE

14

One of the things that people tend to forget about the most is self care. We are always so busy with life and work or even taking care of our friends and family that we forget just how important it is to take care of ourselves.

Have you ever said once I look better I will pursue an acting career, or when I am finally fully healthy I will pursue my dream job? Or when I am making enough money I will start traveling the world. How do you define when you have gotten to this point?

As the voice inside got louder and continued to scold and reprimand me for not getting out of bed, I started feeling awful and already began punishing myself for not holding up my end of the bargain with the alarm clock before the day even started.

HEALTHY HABITS FOR BUIDING SELF ESTEEM

19

24

26

What is “The Path of Least Resistance?” In short, it is the choice that we make that will take us on the smoothest course.

The one that makes us go in the direction we want with the least amount of push back.

Comforting Indian Food and a bonus recipe for Naan!

This recipe came about as a challenge from a friend. “Maybe post some recipes using your soft brittle.” She gave a few suggestions and I settled on a cheesecake recipe because....cheesecake!

THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

CHICKEN KORMA

30

37

40

There are plenty of people who have so many amazing ideas of things they can create, activities they want to do, something they want to explore. So why do people not follow through more often on their amazing ideas? They are overthinking it!

Too many people believe that they have to age poorly or that it is all just down hill after a certain age and there is nothing they can do. This is completely not true. You do not have to accept the dogma that you have to decline in health as you age.

An athlete has a much different approach mentally to health and fitness than the normal dieter and you should take a page from their book. How are they different? Well, I am glad you asked, here’s how.

OVERANALYZING SLOWS DOWN CREATION

EXERCISE IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

BE AN ATHLETE, NOT A DIETER.

CHEESECAKE, ROBINSON STYLE

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

- Marcel Proust

Photo By Janna Juday - InspiritStudioz

FEATURE

SELF CARE

By Michaela Sumner PHOTO BY KIKE VEGA

One of the things that people tend to forget about the most is self care. We are always so busy with life and work or even taking

care of our friends and family that we forget just how important it is to take care of ourselves. I may be a bit prejudiced, but a massage is always a good way to go about taking some me time, but I also know that it can get expensive and isn’t available for everyone’s budget.

However, there are a lot of simple things that you can do at home to take care of your body that everyone can do. #1 Stretching & Yoga With YouTube so easily available, there are thousands of videos that will give you a great routine for stretching and yoga. The best part

is, you can find ones for the areas you specifically need focused on.

Most people carry their stress and tension in their upper shoulders and neck which then causes other issues, the most common being headaches. Stretching out the muscles in these areas is an easy

bottle while you are sitting down. The cold is also great for flushing out inflammation that can build up in the feet.

PHOTO BY ALORA GRIFFITHS

#4 Foam roller One of the harder areas to take care of on your own is your legs; stretching is good, of course, but sometimes the body needs a little extra help to get those large leg muscles to relax. A foam roller is the most common way to help with leg tightness at home. They come in a variety of colors that indicate their density, with white being the softest and black being the most dense.

Red and blue foam rollers are considered medium density with blue tending to be slightly softer. This is important to know because when you first start foam rolling, I recommend blue or white depending on just how tight your leg muscles are to ensure that it doesn’t hurt as much. As PHOTO BY TODD TRAPANI

way to help prevent or at least lessen the pain. Another important area to make sure to keep stretched and strong is the back.

Most people have a desk job and making sure to have your back strong is important for posture. Yoga is a great way to do this while also helping to stretch those back muscles that tend to be stuck in the same position for most of the work day. Just taking even 15 minutes a day to stretch and do a mini yoga session will help to make sure your body is taken care of. #2 Tennis Ball Most people nowadays have had at least one massage in their lifetime, but it can be difficult to afford to do them regularly as the body needs. The good news is, there are some very simple things you can do at home to take care of those extra angry spots. One of my favorites to use is a tennis ball; you can easily lay on it on the floor and move it around the back and glutes to get those extra tight areas and knots.

If laying on the floor is uncomfortable to do this with, another trick is to put the tennis ball in a sock and then lean against

it on a wall. The sock makes it easy to control where the tennis ball is on your back. As an extra tip, if the tennis ball is too soft because you need a deeper pressure, a lacrosse ball or baseball also work very well and are more dense to give that firmer pressure. #3 Frozen Water Bottle & Golf Ball While most people have a lot of tension and stress in their backs and neck, another common area is the feet, especially for those who are walking around all day for work. Because the feet are smaller, a tennis ball doesn’t work as well to massage them.

However, a golf ball is a great tool to use; while you are sitting and relaxing watching TV or a movie, simply roll your foot around on the golf ball. This can be pretty intense and painful depending on how tight your muscles are; if it is too much, another great option is a frozen water bottle. The smaller water bottles tend to work best but how you use them is very similar, just roll your foot back and forth over the top of the water

these muscles loosen up, feel free to get a more dense foam roller to get the most out of this self care procedure. You tend to use a foam roller on the floor, laying down decreases the amount of pressure used while moving back and forth over the foam roller while sitting up will increase the pressure and intensity. They are a great way to work out the quads, hamstrings, IT bands, and calf muscles. You can also use it on your back to help get different stretches in.

These are just a few ways to help yourself to take some time and take care of your body. It has to carry us around all day and survive through our entire lives so it is important to take the time to take care of it. There are even more tools you can use to help keep your muscles loose, such as an S hook, but these are the most affordable items to use that work. Even if it is just a half hour a week, please take a little time to take care of yourself, even if it is just taking yourself out to coffee.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

PHOTO BY LAUREN DENOS - ADVENTURE BOUND MEDIA

ENJOY THE RIDE

BY LAUREN DENOS

Many people have so much stress of getting from point A to point B. They see life as a race to be finished as soon as possible. Many believe that once you complete a task your life will be magically super awesome. The truth is, this is generally not how it works because you never are really done until you die.

Have you ever said once I look better I will pursue an acting career, or when I am finally fully healthy I will pursue my dream job? Or when I am making enough money I will start traveling the world.

How do you define when you have gotten to this point?

Maybe your determination is a certain amount of lost inches, the problem is when you get to that point what if you are not happy enough with how you look now? Are you still going to do what you were putting off until that weight came off, or are you going to create a new goal of losing 4 more inches and make that end point? When will you start the life you want? And then another goal after that!

This is an issue in academia too. You study a specific subject and think “when I am done with this course I will finally feel like I know enough to get a job in my desired field”, but then you get done with that course and you see another subject and think, “It would be better if I learn this subject also before I apply to that job I really want, that way I can really know my stuff”. It’s a continual cycle. It never ends. There is always something more to know, something more to study. You will never have all the answers or be perfectly prepared for what you want to do. At some point you just have to jump in and realize you will keep learning on the way.

The thing is, we are never really done. We have a series of ends but that only leads to another beginning. Every time you complete one thing you will have something else to work towards next.

This is the natural progression. And it is a great thing! This means you always have something to strive for which makes life juicy. It also means that you can stop stressing out because this list of things you need to get done will just get replaced by another one, so why worry so much?

Instead of waiting for the perfect time to do something (because the perfect time never comes) learn to enjoy what you are doing at this moment.

Each step in each moment is just one more step towards the bigger picture of what you are creating in your life. Having goals for your future is an important thing to do, but not with blinders on to everything else that is going on now. If you are constantly thinking only about the future and always thinking about the next thing you need to finish you miss out on all the enjoyment of what you are learning and experiencing right now. This moment will never come again. Are you going to look back on your life and remember all the good moments or are you going to be thinking about all the stress you had because you never stopped to appreciate where you were? There is a common quote that goes like this: “The past is history, the future is a mystery. Right now is a gift, that is why we call it the present.”

This moment is what is creating your future, so if you do not attend to this moment how do you expect your future to get any better? When you start to find yourself in the trap of thinking you will be happy tomorrow when you accomplish your goal, think about how you will never get everything done, because you will always want more, you will always have another list of “TO DO’s”. So, instead of waiting to be happy when you complete your goals or tasks, choose to be happy now and enjoy this moment. That will make a bigger difference in your future and put the enjoyment back into what you are doing.

Enjoy the process of what you are doing. The lessons you learn from accomplishing your goals is the good stuff, and if you ignore the present moment you are missing out on a lot of it. Start to enjoy the ride!

Healthy habits for building self-esteem

BY BONNIE SADIGH

PHOTO BY FRANK BUSCH

It was a crisp and chilly mid-October morning; I had set my alarm for 6 am, as

I had a long list of to-do’s that day. I hugged the covers a little tighter as the alarm went off, struggling to get out of the bed. “Ten more minutes,” I told myself. Then I heard the voice inside my head say: “get up, you lazy bum.”

As the voice inside got louder and continued to scold and reprimand me for not getting out of bed, I started feeling awful and already began punishing myself for not holding up my end of the bargain with the alarm clock before the day even started.

As I forced myself out of bed, I could hear my husband singing in the shower. I could feel the positive, joyful energy in his voice -the kind of energy that penetrated every fiber of your being, the kind that could be contagious if you allowed it. Instead of catching the joy, I reacted by becoming super annoyed. My internal dialogue was still persisting that I am a lazy bum and not good enough, putting a damper on being jolly and jubilant at 6 in the morning. The annoyance soon turned into disbelief as I heard him say: “I love you,” “you are awesome.” With eyes half-open, yet popping out my head, I wondered, who was he talking to?

Two years into my marriage, and I just realized I married a selfish, self-absorbed narcissist? How can someone be so loving towards self? This was so foreign to me, as my self talk more often than not included criticism and harsh condemnation.

It took me years and many countless hours of self-growth self-discovery, therapy, and coaching to realize it is NOT selfish nor self-absorbed to love yourself. In fact, a healthy dose of self-love allows you to love others more profoundly and have more empathy towards others.

Self-love is the foundation of everything worthwhile that we want in life.

Self-love is a virtue that needs to be practiced and cultivated into our daily lives by reprogramming and ridding the mind of the negative thoughts we believe about ourselves.

From birth up to the age of 7, children are walking sponges. Without a critical conscious mind, children believe whatever they see, hear, and feel as truth. Without analysis and examination, every statement, positive or negative, is accepted as fact.

Our leading influencers at this very crucial growing years- our parents, grandparents, and caretakers, knowingly or unknowingly planted the seed in us to grow to be self -confident and self-loving, or self-sabotaging people with low self-esteem.

PHOTO BY TYLER NIX

When we have a fundamentally negative view of ourselves, we are biased to interpret adverse outcomes as evidence of our limitations. We become extremely hard on ourselves and highly self -critical for anything less than perfect.

We grow up believing, “I’m not enough, not good enough, not worthy, not competent enough, not lovable enough,” and so on…

We carry these limiting beliefs around, allowing them to affect everything we do.

We spend most of our adulthood, scolding ourselves and internalizing these negative beliefs as part of our being.

We allow the negative self -talk to dominate our thoughts and our reality, therefore making loving ourselves that much harder!

How can we genuinely love ourselves when the voice inside our head is continually putting us down, mocking us, teasing us, and making us question our self-worth?

How can we praise ourselves for big or little achievements, when our minds are overriding positive thoughts with negativity?

Our thoughts have tremendous power; because what we think about and what we focus on expands. We attract that which we give our energy or thought into.

The more negativity we believe about ourselves, the more the universe provides of it into our lives. The more negativity we have in our lives, the more we cement the negative beliefs to be the truth.

So how do we reverse the cycle of negativity and low self- esteem?

By starting to love ourselves!

And how do we start loving ourselves?

The process of self-love is an unbiased journey within.

Self- love starts with: Acceptance- To love yourself, you must first get to know yourself, and then accept all of you: the virtues, the flaws, the good, the bad. The perfect you and the imperfect you.

Separate the behavior form your identity- We all make mistakes, we all have some behaviors that we are not proud of; being able to separate our behavior from our identity is the key to revealing our true essence.

Do these internal dialogues sound familiar?

PHOTO BY GABRIEL E.

Oh, I’m so stupid, I am depressed, I am

lazy, I am so clumsy…you get the picture, I am sure! How often do you hear yourself saying something similar in your head?

Now, let me ask you a strange question, do you say to yourself, “I am fingernails,” Just because you have fingernails? You are not sadness, you are not anger, you are not your mistakes, and you are not your emotions. Your behavior does not identify who you are!

Become aware of the way you talk to yourself, reframe it, and separate the behavior and the emotion from your I AM’s. When you detach yourself from the emotion and the behavior, you allow yourself to observe without judgment.

I have made a wrong decision; I sometimes have depressed thoughts, I feel tired, I can be careless sometimes…and so on.

correct wherever possible. Realize that you can only do your personal best at any given moment, live by your values, be kind to yourself, forgive yourself, and ultimately move on.

Take action- Knowing is great! However, implementing and putting what we know into action is what empowers us to move forward. Take one step towards your goals every day, stretch yourself out of your comfort zone. Be willing to take risks, be flexible in your approach, be ok with occasional failures and praise even your smallest wins.

That chilly October morning was a wakeup call for me. Even- though it took me years to implement and embrace self-love,

the seed was planted deep inside me.

Loving myself was the most profound step into self-growth, self-acceptance, and self-awakening and building healthy selfesteem.

You are one of a kind! There is no one like you, appreciate your uniqueness, your strengths, and your weaknesses. They are what make you who you are. Talk lovingly to yourself, acknowledge yourself, and give gratitude to your BEING. Loving yourself needs practice! As in anything else, that is worthwhile. Practice loving yourself a little more every day, and make it an amazing love affair between you and YOU!

Identify your values- Values are what is most important to you at the subconscious level. They determine every action you take and every decision you make. They are your tightly held beliefs and principles that make you who you are and allow you to live life genuinely, authentically, and passionately.

Be willing to say NO!- When you say YES to others, make sure you are not saying NO to yourself! One of the main principles of setting personal boundaries, and respecting yourself is to know when to say YES wholeheartedly and when to say NO. Both your YES’s and your NO’s need to always come from a place of selfpreservation.

Have Gratitude- This is a simple and easy practice with enormous and immediate positive results. The more grateful you are, the more life will offer you to be grateful for.

Spend a few minutes to list the things you are thankful for and grow your list every day. Learn to be grateful for the little things in life, as well as big accomplishments.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude attracts more abundance, love, peace, meaningful connection, and happiness to your lives.

Forgive yourself- We are humans. We make mistakes, we fail, we say things that we shouldn’t. We break hearts intentionally or unintentionally. We hurt people by our actions or our inactions.

What happens after you’ve made a mistake? First, realize the past is the past.

No matter how regretful, ashamed, or guilty we feel, no amount of self- negative talk, or self-criticism will undo the past.

Learn from your mistakes, identify your biggest regrets, take responsibility, and

PHOTO BY ALLIE SMITH

THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

BY TIP METAJAN

PHOTO BY CORINNE KUTZ

Have you ever had those nights where you know you should sleep, but you find yourself scrolling through Facebook or Instagram or maybe even TikTok?

It would make so much sense to put down the technology and get the much needed rest.

It seems like you’ve been thinking about the moment you get to sleep all day long and yet, when the moment arrives, it’s filled with other things.

single night.

Do you think this person is: A) going with the flow by letting themselves play with technology then sleeping

On the other hand, what if you actually laid in bed and went straight to sleep. Would you be able to fall asleep quickly or would you wonder what’s on social media?

or

This scenario, of course, isn’t relevant to every person, however, if it isn’t you, you sure know someone who is in this scenario every

There are many perspectives to this scenario.

B) is this person resisting sleep by letting themselves play with technology

Some could see it as going with the flow and could even turn it into a nightly routine. Some could find it an issue if the hours just seem to pass by on social media. One minute it’s 9 p.m. and the next it’s 1 a.m. in a blink of an eye. Some could see it as self-sabotaging sleep to make the next day harder. Perspectives are countless.

Abraham Hicks, is a spiritual channel that speaks through Esther Hicks, speaks on the concept of “The Path of Least Resistance.” Abraham and Esther have written nine books and present in numerous workshops on the subject of the Law of Attraction.

What is “The Path of Least Resistance?”

In short, it is the choice that we make that will take us on the smoothest course. The one that makes us go in the direction we want with the least amount of push back.

It’s the choice that makes us feel good about our decisions.

Sometimes it’s the easiest choice and sometimes it isn’t.

Here’s an example of that. Working at a job that you hate to get the bills paid.

It isn’t the path that necessarily feels good about day to day, but when the bills get paid at the end of the day, it makes it worth it. That would be the path to least resistance.

If someone was resisting the path, they would quit their job without having another lined up and would not be able to pay the bills.

That would cause an even greater amount of stress than working a job that is hated.

Does that mean we should never do anything that causes resistance?

The short answer is no.

Sometimes, what happens is that we get comfortable doing things that we don’t necessarily feel good about. That feeling that we didn’t like turns into our new norm.

Since we were talking about jobs, let’s stick to that. Say Jack hated his job, but he keeps it to pay the bills. He’s on the path of least resistance in a month to month scenario.

Sometimes, what happens is that we get comfortable doing things that we don’t necessarily feel good about. That feeling that we didn’t like turns into our new norm.

PHOTO BY JEREMY BISHOP

PHOTO BY PAIGE CODY

Jack’s dream job is to work for an animal rescue group.

By staying at his old job he is accomplishing the path of least resistance when it comes to paying bills, however, when it comes to his dream job he is actually on the road of resistance.

The Path of Least Resistance is feelings based.

There’s a fork in the road and Jack must choose which path he will take.

Your feelings are there to guide you. If something doesn’t feel right, look for another path. There’s always another way.

At the end of the day, the track that Jack is on, isn’t leading him to his true path of least resistance because he’s not on a path he will feel good about long term.

Ready to leave the comfort zone and start to feel good about your decisions?

The path of least resistance doesn’t mean Jack doesn’t have to do some hard work to get him to his goal.

Use the path of least resistance to guide your way. It’s a great tool for you to pull out when considering your options.

It just means he’s chosen to be on one road and he needs to jump onto his next step even though it may make him uncomfortable for a while and feel like resistance.

How do you know when you’re on the path of least resistance or just plain old resistance when you’ve made a change?

It comes down to how you feel about the change. If it’s hard, but you feel good about it then you are on the path of least resistance.

What’s your perspective on the phone example above now?

The answer will be different from person to person depending on how it makes a person feel.

Feelings are important to listen to when figuring out the road ahead. Many times, we ignore our feelings until push comes to shove.

If you’re not feeling good about something (say a job), why wait until the last minute to make a decision to put out your resume to find something new?

Ask yourself these questions when you are making important decisions: 1. How will this make me feel?

2. If it’s hard, will it be worth it at the end?

3. Is it towards my ultimate goal?

4. Am I resisting or going with the flow?

This is a great time to honor your feelings and get back on that road. Try it out for yourself.

CHICKEN KORMA

BY LESA LEBEAU

MARINADE INGREDIENTS • 1/2 c chopped cashew or almonds • 3 tbsp tomato paste • 4 cloves chopped garlic • 1 tbsp minced ginger • 1 tbsp garam masala • 1 tsp red pepper flakes • 1 tsp paprika • 1 tsp turmeric • 3 tbsp sugar • 1 tsp ground coriander • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom • 1/2 tsp cumin • 1/2 tsp cinnamon • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 c Greek yogurt • 2 lbs bite size chicken thighs NEXT STEP INGREDIENTS • 2 seeded Jalapenos • 1 medium chopped onion • 1 c coconut cream or heavy cream STEPS • Add all marinade ingredients except chicken thighs into processor or mortar and pestle. Let blend together for at least 3 hours.

• In a large pan, saute the jalapenos and chopped onion for 5 minutes on high.

• Add chicken and marinade and cook for 15 min or until chicken is cooked through.

• Add in coconut cream or heavy cream and simmer 10 minutes on low!

• Garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve over rice with naan bread.

NAAN BREAD • 2 c cake flour • 2 c Greek yogurt • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 1/2 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp gain powder STEPS • Knead together ingredients and rest 20 mins • Roll into balls and flatten out. Cook in non stick pan over medium heat. No additional oil needed.

cheesecake, robinson style

BY ROBINSON SOFT BRITTLE

This recipe came about as a challenge from a friend. "Maybe post some recipes using your soft brittle." She gave a few suggestions and I settled on a cheesecake recipe because.... cheesecake! This came out far better than I expected. My husband (who does NOT like cheesecake) ate 2 pieces in one sitting!

BRITTLE TOPPING CRUST • 1 1/4 (131g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12–14 full sheet graham crackers) • 1 1/2 cups (262g) Robinson Soft Brittle Topping • 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons; 115g) butter, melted CHEESECAKE • 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream • three 8-ounce blocks (680g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar • 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract MAKE THE CRUST •

Stir the brittle topping crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan or pie pan and pack in very tightly.

The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. Freeze for 10-20 minutes as you prepare the filling.

MAKE THE FILLING • •

•

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.

Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.

STEPS • Remove crust from the freezer and spread the filling into the crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.

• Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.

• Cover top of cheesecake with a light layer of topping. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the pan, then remove the rim or loosen side of crust from pie pan. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.

• Serve cheesecake with desired whipped topping and brittle pieces. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

NOTES: • I used peanut topping for this crust but our chocolate-hazelnut topping would be amazing as well! You can also mix and match Brittle Topping crust and cheesecake flavors. Chocolate-hazelnut Topping with peanut butter cheesecake, Peanut Topping with banana cheesecake…so many tasty options!

It is the supreme art of the

teacher to

awaken joy in creative

expression and knowledge.

- Albert Einstein Painting By tracy gaston

OVER ANALYZING SLOWS DOWN CREATION

By Lauren Denos

PHOTO BY CALLUM SKELTON

PHOTO BY ANDREW NEEL

There are plenty of people who have so many amazing ideas of things they can create, activities they want to do, something they want to explore. So why do people not follow through more often on their amazing ideas? They are overthinking it!

Let’s be clear, I’m not saying you shouldn’t think of what you are doing before you do it. It’s good to look at an idea and have a decent idea of how you are going to get started, and if it’s even something you would like to put the time and effort into. But there comes a time when you need to stop thinking about every single detail and start taking steps to make it a reality. Let’s look at some steps you can take to stop over analyzing everything so you can get more done. #1. Do not get overwhelmed. Many people have something they would like to do and instead of thinking about the first step or even just the first few steps they have to take, they think about the entire project from start to finish and think they need to plan it all or do it all right now. You only have to take one step at a time. So, instead of looking at the big picture, break it into small manageable steps. For example, if you are wanting to finally get into your “Perfect” shape, do not think about how a year from now you may be working out daily or your diet may be completely different with no pizza! Because, really, you have no idea if that is even true. Instead, think about changing one small thing in your diet like adding in 1/2 cup of vegetables into every meal and going on a 3 mile walk/run. That’s all you are worried about and then you can worry about planning the next step after you have already been working on these steps for a while. #2. Give yourself a time limit to decide what you want to do. This way you will not be spending the next 2 years thinking about what workout you want to start or what eating program you want to use. You can always change it so there is no need to stress about it. This goes for any decision in life. Now, some bigger decisions should have longer time frames to decide.When you look at your life do you tend to think about every decision too much because it may be the wrong one? It’s time to start being more decisive and make your decisions, it’s one of the most empowering things you can do. #3. Do some sort of action towards what you want; even if it is small. Don’t just think about it. You’re not set on one course of action, if you decide you do not like where you are headed you can always change it. But if you are always just thinking about it you will waste your life away wondering why you never did anything.

Stop theorizing about stuff and just do something. This means if you have been thinking about getting in shape but want to plan out exactly what you want to do for exercise but have not nailed it out completely, just go on a walk. That walk is taking some action while you figure out the rest. This same principle goes for many

other areas of your life. For example, if you have been thinking about starting a business but still are not sure about how you want to go about it then just start researching names and write down what your potential business would do; this is at least taking some action towards what you are thinking about. #4. Don’t let fear get in your way! One big key factor is FEAR also known as False Evidence Appearing Real. That is one of the big kickers, you let yourself get freaked out about possibilities that may not even ever happen. You have no way of knowing how things will actually turn out so there is no reason to freak out about it. All you can do is the best you can in each moment. Having fear when you face a mountain lion is a real and healthy response, but fear from contemplating how your business that you have not even started may fail is your mind playing games. Do not react to things based on this false evidence. Look for the facts and the truth before you judge a situation, if there are any facts to be had.

You may succeed and you may fail, but if you do not start on the thing you want to do you have failed anyway.

When you are afraid you may also justify and rationalize every choice you are making or actually lack thereof. This is very common, people do it for many, many, things in their lives. The problem with this can be that you can come up with a ton of excuses of why you should not do something and sometimes you are right, but many times you’re just making excuses because you are afraid of something not working out. Pay attention to when you are making these excuses and ask yourself if this is an actual good reason not to do this or if you are just making excuses to not take a risk. #5. Focus on the current moment. I am as guilty as anyone else of living in the future and am working more on staying present in this moment. This moment, right now, is the only one we know we have. We need to have enough vision of the future to know what we are working towards, this can motivate us. We also need to remember the past because we have learned a lot of useful lessons, and it would be silly not to pay attention to them. But we need to put most of our attention on what we are doing right now, this moment came about because of your past and it will directly affect your future. Now is the bridge between the past and the future and if you ignore the bridge, it will eventually collapse from not being attended to, and then you do not make it to the future you desire. Besides it really is true that the only time you can be sure you have is this moment. Stop stressing out about the rest of it, it is not helping you.

PHOTO BY IAN ESPINOSA

#6. Stop worrying about being perfect or anything being perfect for that matter. There is no such thing as perfect. Even that woman that you see with the “perfect” body is not perfect, there is something you do not see, it could be that she looks good but has some other unseen health issue going on. Besides from not being able to see the whole picture of the people and lives around you, even if a body is great, what is perfect? If multiple people were looking at the same body they would have completely different ideas on it. Some will say she is too muscular, some will say her body is too soft, some will say too skinny and some will say too stocky, some will say too tall, one will say well her left calf and right calf are not symmetrical enough. The point is nothing is perfect so stop thinking that you or anything you are producing needs to be perfect. #7. Find ways to relax. Sometimes you just need to be able to relax and let your mind clear. We can wind up thinking so much about something that it starts to become an automatic loop, but then these thoughts start to pile on top of each other and we wind up getting interference. At that point you are more confused and the over analyzing takes on a whole new level of insanity. By having a way to calm down your mind you will find that the answer you seek will most likely come to the surface. Any way that works for you to calm your mind is fine, it may be listening to calming music, dancing, going for a walk and getting some fresh air or taking a hot bath. It does not matter what it is, it just matters that you find what works for you. In fact having multiple tools is a great thing

because while a hot bath may work best for you, you may not be able to leave work to take a bath in the middle of the day. #8. When in doubt you may want to ask a friend. Sometimes you just need someone who is not in your head to help you clarify what you are talking about. This does not mean that you should trust someone’s opinion over your own, you have to make the decisions of what you want to do, but a friend can listen to what you are saying and possibly help you clear away some of the excess noise and worry you are having about an idea. #9. Trust yourself. Many times we are over analyzing because we do not have enough trust and faith in ourselves. We think that we may make the wrong choice. When we have an idea we may think “well, if it is such a good idea, why has no one else done it yet”. In cases like this you need to remember that you are going to have completely different ways of looking at things and solving problems than anyone else. What you will create will have your own unique edge to it. Besides if you have had a thought of something to produce chances are someone else has thought about something similar but they did not have the guts to bring it to fruition.

You have plenty of great ideas, and you are having them for a reason. Stop over analyzing so much and start to take the steps you need to to make the life you want a reality. You have the power and the tools, make it happen!

Start today! Take that idea you have had and start working on it.

Photo By Kari Lynn Photography

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

- T. S. Eliot

Exercise Is The

fountain of youth

By Lauren Denos

PHOTO BY DYLAN NOLTE

Too many people believe that they have to age poorly or that it is all just down hill after a certain age and there is nothing they can

do. This is completely not true. You do not have to accept the dogma that you have to decline in health as you age. Does your body change as you get older? Sure. But that does not mean you have to accept that there is nothing you can do to stay healthy and active. There are many people who have decided as they got older to start working out and wound up being in better health than they were in their youth.

Challenges of getting started.

Sometimes there are challenges to getting started. Granted, there are challenges for anyone getting started in a workout program, not just for people when they are older. #1. Start small and work your way up. Lifting weights is going to be a great benefit for you, but you do not need to start super heavy.

Start with lighter weights and work your way up from there. #2. Use shorter ranges of motion when needed. Sometimes when

you start working out your range of motion is not what you want it to be. This will naturally increase as you workout, but do not force it. Do as much of a range of motion as possible and then just continue to improve upon it. A good example of this is if you are doing a squat, you may not be able to get down to parallel to the ground, heck you may only be able to get a few inches into the squat, that is fine! You’re just getting going so do what you can. #3. Do what you can. When you are just getting started you may not be able to do an hour’s worth of exercise every day of the

week. Do what you can. For you this may be 30 minutes 3 days a week or it may be 10 minutes a day. No matter what you start at you can build up from there. #4. Listen to your body. This is important when you are starting a workout routine. Listening to your body is how you will keep yourself away from injury. This does not mean that you should stop exercising if you feel slightly uncomfortable, that will happen.

What I mean by listening to your body is paying attention to the actual pains, pay attention if you are getting too tired and your form is getting bad. If you are having pains it may just be a matter of changing up what exercises you are doing. Whatever you do, pay attention.

Working out can improve your overall life at any age. It can help you lose or maintain weight, reduce the impact of illness, improve your mood, and help you live a more active enjoyable life. Stop thinking you are too old, exercise can help you breathe new zest back into your life. So go for it!

PHOTO BY EVAN WISE

#5. Rest when you need to. Take rest days when you need to. Your body does all of it’s repair work when we rest. You do not want to push yourself to the point of burn out. You should have at least one day a week that is a rest day. #6. Do a variety of weight training and cardio. They both have an important place in your routine. Weight training not only makes you stronger for your day to day activities but it also helps keep your bones dense and strong. Cardio will help keep your lungs and heart strong not to mention keep your blood flowing better which increases energy and brain power.

photo by victor freitas

BUDDHA

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

PHOTO BY LAUREN DENOS - ADVENTURE BOUND MEDIA

BE AN ATHLETE,

By Lauren Denos

NOT A DIETER

An athlete has a much different approach mentally to health and fitness than the normal dieter and you should take a page from their book.

How are they different? Well, I am glad you asked, here’s how.

Athletes have a different focus Athletes train to be stronger, faster, etc. The thing is, even though they are not focusing on getting leaner than they usually are. It’s a natural byproduct of all that training. But, they are not into torturing themselves, at least not in the way that people that want to lose weight are doing. They are focusing on being better in a sport; it is a much more enjoyable way to do it. They will still be working incredibly hard but there is a difference to wanting to shave a few seconds off your lap time verses making yourself hit the treadmill because you have to melt off a few extra pounds. Another difference is that they see it more as a fun game and less as a torturous process they have to do.

They actually enjoy it. This is not to mean that they do not take it seriously, they just know that it is an ongoing process of improvement. They do not see this as a few months of hard work and then they can stop working out and eating what they used to eat.

If you want to be more like an athlete start to look at your goals and change them to be ones that are more conducive to your success. There are things that can get in the way of you losing the body fat you want, different health conditions can complicate the weight loss battle, but how fast you are running can improve even if your weight is not, the amount you are lifting can change regardless of your weight. Start setting goals that pertain to things that you have more control over. Eating a clean diet, pushing for an extra mile, lifting 5 more lbs. These are all things you have control over. This does not mean that you will not lose the weight, it just means that you will not be basing how successful you are on it.

Athletes eat for performance Athletes do not eat to lose weight (well unless you are a boxer making weight or a bodybuilding competitor). They eat to support their bodies.

They want their bodies to be able to be the best functioning machine that it can be, and that comes from feeding it high quality fuel. For different athletes they may have slightly different ways of eating. But, if they want to be the best, they know that they need to get the right amount of all of the nutrients in their diets. They do not see it as a torturous restriction but as a way to improve their abilities, this makes it a rewarding process instead of a deprivation.

If you want to eat more like an athlete focus on

eating to be a better performer and not just to fit into a jean size. Eating healthy is not a punishment, it is a sign of love and respect to yourself. Start to see healthy food as the treat and reward. Healthy food does not need to be boring and tasteless, get creative. Just keep in mind when you eat healthy that you are doing this because you want to, because you want to be better.

Athletes always have new goals Athletes set goals and reach them and then set more. It’s a never ending cycle. They don’t run a 7 minute mile and say “well, that’s good enough”; they will then start working on getting that down to a 6 minute mile. Many times when people are going the dieter route they eat really strict and go to the gym a lot and then get tired or burnt out and drop it all, this is where the yoyo effect comes into play. Athletes know that they can always do a little bit more and they want to see that improvement every day. Again, this is part of the game.

It is good to always have something to look forward to and this type of mindset is what that creates. They are always excited by what they have accomplished and looking

forward to what they can improve upon tomorrow.

If you want to accomplish goals like an athlete then focus on being the best you can be every day. Athletes are not concerned with just being okay, they are constantly striving to be just a little bit better all the time. Get interested in the improvements you make each day no matter how small and then wonder how much better you can get tomorrow.

Athletes know when to rest Athletes know when to rest and know when to push. Okay maybe not all athletes, but the ones whose bodies are in good health know when to say when. Sleep is a big part of the process for health. Sleep is when our bodies repair. In order to really be performing at their peak they know they have to rest as well. We are in a society that thinks the less sleep you have the more productive and successful you are.

This is not true for many people and it is certainly not true with your health. Think about this: You decide that you need to be getting a project done so you only get 3 hours of sleep but you are just trudging

along, getting distracted easily and not really thinking clearly. Now, if you take the same project but work until you are ready for sleep and then get your full nights sleep you will wake up rested. You will then be able to focus and think critically. Which of these scenarios do you think will yield the best end product? When you think of skipping sleep think about this example.

Heck, just test it out for yourself and see which one works best for you.

If you want to be focused and sharp like an athlete then pay attention to when your body needs rest. Do not fall for the common idea in society that you are more successful if you sleep less. When you rest your body will repair stronger than before.

Give it the sleep and rest it needs.

These are some of the bigger differences that we see in athletes versus dieters. You can adopt a mindset of an athlete and you will enjoy getting healthy a lot more this way. Now get to it!

photo by todd quackenbush