Peace Within, over 1300 Pageviews on VBK, & Christmas Banana "Ice-Cream"!!

The lighting is perfect: it's almost a gloomy day, dark and misty but the air is dry and silvery. Perfect time to post.

I've not had hardly any time at all to post, I just barely had to get a new phone because I dropped my old 5c on my friend's toe and it dropped and the screen literally faded to dark purple. What the heck? This past week was the last week of school before a whole 2 weeks of break! (I just adore Christmas and New Year's break!!) 

Anyway, in this post, I'm going to share my thoughts and feelings on how I've changed over the past couple of months, and how my change has been a good effect on me and my surroundings.

My mental health has improved quite a bit. Even though it may seem so sparkly and like I'm so joyful all the time, I'm not. I'm a real person with real feelings that I don't always brush off. What I've learned over the past couple of months is that my body is often in a war with itself. For now, I'm finding some unity within. 

Most days, my body image is alright. Some days though, I feel lonely and miserable, withdrawn and isolated. With these real feelings, I mask them into a false feeling I like to call 'fat'. I feel fat on those days. Here's something I've learned: you cannot simply feel fat, you must be calling yourself fat because of unwanted feelings you don't feel like coping or coming to terms with. This isn't for everybody, but I hear this a lot. 

I also have anxiety. Anxiety is merciless. My anxiety is not me, but I like to hide behind the shadow it creates. I usually fret over small flaws and details in my everyday life, whether it be me consuming food with a lower nutritional value than I'd like, or not moving around enough. 

Butterflies eat away at my gut. My eyes aren't my eyes anymore- they're some dark, shadow's eyes that have no depth with specks of panic. My hair becomes brittle and thin, and my hands turn eggplant purple; My hands become cold. There's also a constant ring inside my head- I'm not crazy, but guilt likes to bottle up inside my gut and come up to my head to explode. I think the guilt likes to trick me into thinking that I'm worth less than how much I really am.

When I feel like this, I am quick to recognize that I've sank to the bottom of a murky pool with sharp edges and weeds swimming around. Today I swam and pulled myself up to the surface of the pool; I am okay. 

The past few months have been mostly lived in peace. I like the word peace, it reminds me of a beautiful river streaming freely; I'd like to live in that river forever. The plan for the next couple of months is to renew peace within my body for good. Maybe my body and I can be friends. Think of your body as a house: you wouldn't try to burn it down, so why would you try to damage your body in order to even make it look like something unrealistic? 

For today, my body is at peace. It might not be tomorrow or the next day, but for today, that's enough.

On the other (less emotional) hand, VBK had reached over 1300 page views! What a pleasant surprise! Thanks to everyone who has read my blog. I'm blushing right now <3

Today I'm sharing with you guys a new favorite banana "ice-cream" recipe! You all know the drill- freeze some spotty-dotty bananas and whip 'em up to create an ice cream like texture. 

The right blend of citrus and matcha green-tea flavor along with berries really gives a pop-tart taste and smells just like Christmas should. Tip*: if you freeze the bananas and let them thaw for 10-15 minutes, then you'll make the blending process easier on your blender or food processor. 

HEALTHY CHRISTMAS CHEERY ICE'CREAM:

*2 frozen, spotty dotty ripe bananas, sliced

*1/3 C of any plant-based milk(s) (for this I used half coconut and half almond)

*1 tsp. each of matcha green-tea powder, pure vanilla extract, orange zest, and honey

*1/2 C of frozen mixed berries

*1/3 of a frozen acai berry packet

*2 ice cubes

*sprinkle of excitement for Christmas (coconut sugar)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start whipping up your bananas with the plant-based milk(s), frozen berries and acai packet, and ice cubes. After, you should stir the stuff

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip up some more. When you're finished whipping and stirring, then scoop the yumminess into a colorful Christmas bowl and let sit in the freezer for approx. 30 min. to an hour to harden and thicken up for the perfect ice-cream/frozen sorbet like texture. 

3. Sprinkle some coconut sugar on and enjoy by the fireplace! Actually, please don't. The whole thing will melt profusely. Stay cozy though!

***NOTE: Please take into account that I am posting something said very personal. If you are in any way triggered by this, then please notify me. I'm trying to, as I said, find some peace within and this is my journal. Xxx, Alli <3***

Spinach & Avocado Frozen Yogurt + Very Berry Kitchen's Favorite Banana "Ice-Cream!" (the oh-so vanilla post)

The days are going by too quick; It is almost Thanksgiving and we just barely got over Halloween! I have been getting lots of sore throats and cold chills recently, and I really hope that I don't start coughing all crazy because I literally look like quasi-modo whenever I cough! (Special Fact: drinking pineapple juice is 5x more helpful than cough medicine.***) Pumpkins and distinct kinds of cooky-shaped squashes are everywhere. I mean, literally everywhere because my sisters even have pumpkins in their rooms.

Next weekend, I plan to have a "healthified" booth at a Japanese boutique where you can sell anything you want! My uncle Mike is going to sell his bottle openers, and my bootiful cousin Madi is going to sell her precious bows  which are oh-so lovely! (I can't say that the bottle-openers are oh-so lovely! Teehee) 

Anyway, I'm still deciding on what to make for the boutique, because I want everything to look and taste sinful, but the treats and desserts will all be totally healthified and pro-nutrient dense! Maybe I'll make my legendary sweet-breads, or maybe even a fully-raw vegan cake. But for now, we shall eat and fantasize over a big bowl of spinachy-avo-froyo! Lettuce (pun pun!) have our froyo and always eat it.

SPINACH & AVOCADO FROYO + VBK'S FAVE NICE-CREAM!

*1 C of plain greek yogurt mixed with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

*a huge handful of baby spinach

*2 Tbs. of soy milk (or any other plant-based milk your heart desires)

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1/2 of a super ripe banana

*1 frozen kiwi- diced so your food processor/blender can run smoothly

*1/4 of a mushy and super creamy avocado

*2 frozen, spotty dotty bananas + 1/2 of a banana- not frozen

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1 medjool date- pitted and pureed (if it's not pureed, then you might get teensy chunks of the date, even you have the highest-speed blender/food processor out there)

*2 ice cubes

*1/2 tsp. maple extract (or 1 Tbs. pure, natural maple extract)

*a tiny scoop of PB + a tiny drop of almond milk

Very Berry Kitchen's method:

1. In a very high-speed blender, blend the all of the ingredients together for the green frozen yogurt part. Pour this into half of a container and freeze.

3. In a food processor/blender, blend all of the banana ice cream ingredients together, save the PB and maple. After everything is blended all the way through, add the PB and maple and pulse. Pour this into the other half of the frozen container and freeze for at least 45 minutes for a creamier consistency. 

3. Top with any other yummies and ENJOY!!

this is the same recipe, but with some blackberries added to the nana nice-cream part <3

Xxx, Alli

Friends, going bananas, and lemon poppyseed pancakes!

 
   These girls plus a very wonderful friend from London, are some of my very favorite friends right now. I love making new friends out of nowhere and I find that my expectations towards how people should act are decreasing, as I have learned that everyone is different and nobody can read my mind. I used to fret when somebody would not smile back at me or if somebody accidentally commented something stupid on a very sensitive topic. I would fear for our friendship if someone would not text back in 24 hours. I used to, and I would worry about silly little things, but I have realized that the world does not revolve around me. Nobody can read your mind. Without asking or telling them, no one can know what you want them to say and do. YOU must do it for them. You must reach out and stop waiting for others to reach out to you. If you don't reach out, then you just might miss out on some great life experiences and friendships that could've been great life experiences and friendships.
   You might be surprised when I tell you this, but I was a very shy and timid little girl a couple years ago. I would not raise my hand in class when I had a question in fear of a wrong answer/dumb question. My little voice was my shield against the dark and bloody world. My very small and quiet voice was because I didn't want to be heard. I would try to talk and make great conversation with a new 'loud' and 'booming' voice, and you probably could have heard my loud voice booming with confidence at very rare moments- even though I really had none most of the time. I spent years following people around being ignored and used because I was (and still am) very gullible, and my sweet figure looked like I could've been easily shoved around. I had no real friends who actually knew me because I would not let them know me.
   I expected people to pry deep into my heart and find some gold and silver. When that didn't work I decided I would do it for them. I let others see the real me, not the superficial happy person mask I always put on. I became a real person with real friends; I took my mask off. I became a bright light in a dark world, and you can too! You can either choose to hide behind superficial masks, or choose to take off your mask and reveal the real you. THAT is how you make friends. The girls in the picture above cannot see through me anymore because I am real and whole. I cannot show up to school half of me and half of somebody else- because I am a whole. You must be 100% you and nobody else. Sorry, but even 75% does not cut it, sweetie.

   Any-who, lettuce get on with the lemon-poppyseed pancake recipe because I know you will all love it! These pancakes are fluffy, tart and sweet, and oh-so-good! You only need a few ingredients to make this stack of heaven, so lettuce begin!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*4 egg whites from the carton (I used Kirkland)
*1 cold, spotty-dotty banana
*3 oz. of old-fashioned rolled oatmeal (I used Trader Joe's)
*3 Tbs. of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 tsp. of poppy seeds
*1/2  tsp. each of coconut sugar, vanilla bean extract, and baking powder
*2 Tbs. of any plant-based milk (I used almond milk from Trader Joe's)

HOW TO MAKE: 
1. Blend the oats, banana, and egg whites in your blender/food processor (I used my Blendtec)
2. Pour all of your ingredients into a big bowl and stir until the batter is thick and creamy. Pour about 2 oz. of the batter onto a preheated stove at medium-medium low heat.
3. Now you should have really fluffy and light pancakes! You can top them with whatever you'd like. You could use: sliced fruit, pure maple syrup, agave nectar, kisses, nuts, cacao nibs, soy/coconut milk yogurt (for vegans, or even for anybody!), greek yogurt, love, and any nut butters you desire. Happy eating!

                                                                    LOVE you all!

 

Peachy Pear and Plum Maple Banana Ice Cream (vegan, gluten free, vegetarian)

          Ahh yes. These are the wondrous days where I get to cozy up with a warm blanket and drink packs of yogi tea and eat pumpkin-spiced everything! I was at Trader Joe's last Sunday and I noticed that there was pumpkin everything! There was pumpkin cornbread, butter (that stuff is quite divine), granola, breads, pie pumpkins, pie, and even….. wait for it…. PUMPKIN BODY BUTTER!! Oh my goodness gracious-the body butter is the best stuff I've ever  slathered on! It has a perfect autumn aroma and a crisp pumpkin scent that adds sparkle to it. Anywho, am I making your tongue watery? I cannot wait to shower you guys with pumpkin recipes that are perfect for fall.

   Another fruit that is very compatible with the season are peaches! My favorite peaches in particular are Hale peaches; They are huge babies. A couple weekends ago, I went to the Sandy farmer's market with my grammy, my little twin-sisters Audrie and Arissa, and my adorable cousin Madi (Go check out her blog! It is http://madiriye.blogspot.com ). It was so fun walking around and piling wooden crates sky-high with the juiciest and most delectable peaches we'd ever seen. You can never have too many peaches, am I right? Pears were also abundant as I tried more samples than I should have. 

        Crisp fruits and veg are my favorite things to eat during this chilly season of black cats and ugly witches.

This recipe for Peachy Pear and Plum Maple Banana Ice Cream will literally melt you away. Blend it up and put in the freezer, eat it in a mason jar and jump outside into the pumpkin colored leaves, or even catch up on ANTM whilst snuggling up to a heat-blankie. Needless to say, Autumn has officially arrived and so lettuce make the best of it. 

What you will need:

*2 small or 1 very large super squishy and spotty-dotty FROZEN banana(s)

*1/2 frozen D'anjou pear and large Black Velvet plum

*1-2 very ripe and juicy Hale peaches or 3 small peaches

*1/2 tsp. each coconut sugar and vanilla bean extract (I use TJ for both) 

*4 oz. any plant based milk you desire (I use Almond Breeze almond milk)

*5 ice cubes

*either 1 tbs. pure maple syrup or 1 tsp. maple extract (I used the extract)

**OPTIONAL: 1 scant tsp. lucuma or maca powder

How to make this beauty: 

1. With your Blendtec blender(what I use)/food processor/vitamix, put in all of the ingredients except the coconut sugar and peaches. press the ice-cream or frozen yogurt button for 50 sec.

2. Add in the last two ingredients and pulse. You should have a really creamy and smooth ice-cream like texture.

3. Top with any ingredients you would like. You could use: coconut sugar, sliced nuts, granola, grawnola, maple syrup, agave, more delectable fruit such as apples or slice pears, pumpkin seeds, or even some carob sauce. My carob sauce recipe will be up with the next post.

4. ENJOY ;D