Midwest Winters

Alright guys, if you didn’t know it was coming from my original post now you know. Winters in the Midwest suck! Well to a certain extent; I love the quiet chill vibe in the area, but sometimes the cold and always gray skies gets to a person!

If you’re like me and get random cravings at random times of the day, then you’ll understand the need for a smoothie in the winter. If it’s difficult to understand, then it’s basically like wanting ice cream while sitting in a freezer…Yet I sucked it up and still filled my craving and made one of the best smoothie bowls I could.

Smoothies are pretty simple to make, you throw everything into a blender and let it do its magic. For this bowl I had

• frozen fruit

• spirulina powder

• ashwaganda powder

• banana

• mixed greens

• unsweetened cashew milk

• flax/chia seeds

• turmeric/black pepper

• cinnamon

• granola

• sesame seeds

• sunflower seeds

• passion fruit (I don’t recommend buying these in the winter. it was $6 (USD) for two very small fruits!)

• fresh blueberries

• cacao/maca sauce

It seems like a lot and it kind of is, but let’s be real can you ever have enough superfood powders? All of those could be substituted out too, especially because they are fairly expensive, but they last quite a while. After I made the smoothie bowl, I talked to a camera for a bit about how much midwest winters suck, so if you want to hear my reasoning, feel free to watch my awesome video here.

After I ate that smoothie bowl I was FREEZING, winters in the Midwest, amiright? So I decided to make a hot cacao. I’m always amazed when I make this drink because it’s so thick and chocolatey without being overly sweet. A how to is below, I highly recommend trying this recipe out if you’re a chocolate fan.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 tbsp cacao (or cocoa) powder

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 - 3 tsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp maca powders optional

• 1/4 tsp ashwaganda powder optional

• 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk

How to:

• add all ingredients into a jar and shake

• pour mixed ingredients into a pan and whisk at medium heat

• for more froth whisk back and forth vigorously

Super simple right? I also made this recipe in my video (linked above), so check that out if you want to see how I did it and my reaction, plus I used a few different ingredients for that one.

Until next time,

Alex

Self-Care Package

Hello there!

In today’s hustle society we forget to take care of ourselves and take moments for self-care. I wanted to share with you what I give to others, so they can implement a bit more self-care into their every day life.

I have a mentor and friend, who tends to forget about self-care because she’s extremely busing with life (aren’t we all!?). I created this little self-care package for her. Click the photo to watch the video I’ve made explaining all the materials I listed below.

Try to remember that self-care is extremely important to our mental and physical health. We’re bombarded by the idea to constantly hustle and keep grinding until we’re burnt out. We cannot allow ourselves to work so hard without taking breaks to care for ourselves. Think of one small activity you can implement into your daily routine to benefit your mental clarity. Take a moment to journal every morning or get in a bit of extra vitamin C and D on cooler days. Winter days lead to more sickness and amping up your vitamin C will always benefit your future-self.

Anyway! Here is my list of self-care items:

- Terrasoul Superfoods - Maca and Ashwaganda

- Dr. Bronner's sample pack

- Homemade cookies

- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix

- Homemade tea sample pack

- Recycled basket

- Notebook

- Lavender candle

- Oranges

- Bananas

Until next time,

Alex

Vegan in the Midwest

Hello there!

We all know being vegan (even plant-based) isn’t difficult; but sometimes you have to get creative when going out to eat, especially when you live in the Midwest. I’m sure all vegans have a story about going out to eat and dealing with the stares of the wait-staff and the annoying comments from family members.

The easiest way to combat this problem is by eating prior to going out. Though we all want a good black bean or veggie burger right?

I went out to a pizza place with my boyfriend and we were pleasantly surprised to see bruschetta on the menu! Bruschetta happens to be one of the best foods - it’s garlic, tomato and basil, what isn’t to like?

Turns out that bruschetta has cheese on it…and not the vegan kind. The situation got a little dicey, but I found a way to correct it! I decided to make my own bruschetta and a delish and nutritious vegan pizza.

Check out my story and recipes on YouTube. While you’re there subscribe for more videos!

Until next time,

Alex

Dance: a recap of University

I started dancing when I was eight years old. I didn't realize my potential until the end of high school and I continued to dance through college. What follows is a collection of photographs taken of me and my follow dancers and friends. I cannot thank those photographers enough for capturing moments in my life where I was able to express myself through an art form, not many people are so lucky. 

Until next time,

Alex

**Photos given to me by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, or taken by friends.