Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Fish "Tacos"

Although my second attempt at a month of clean eating was not as successful as the first, I still try to be as compliant as possible.

If you don't count all of those margaritas and bowls of queso that I've recently consumed...

When I saw that the local grocer had recently started carrying raw jicama "tortillas" I just couldn't resist an opportunity to create Whole 30 tacos. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my squeaky clean, super delicious, feels like 'you're cheating' fish tacos.


What you'll need: 
1-2 filets of any fish of your choosing (I used pangasius because I always seem to have that in the freezer)
Olive Oil
2 Jicama tortillas, I use these.
Cabbage, shredded
Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (another ingredient that I always seem to have on hand)
1/2 Avocado, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Lime, sliced

What to do:
Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat
I rubbed both sides of the thawed filet with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper but you can season the fish how ever you'd like. 
Add the filet to the hot pan and cook both sides until crispy. This does not take long.
While the fish was crisping, I was shredding the cabbage. Shredding your own cabbage is so much better, but I don't blame you for buying it pre-shredded (but really, it's your loss.)
Remove the filet from the pan and set on a paper towel to cool. 
Chop the filet and add to raw jicama tortillas.
Top your tacos with shredded cabbage, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Eat.

..Then make two more...because they literally takes less than 10 minutes to make. 


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Try.

Before I begin my yoga practice, I sit atop my mat and dedicate my energy and strength to an intention that I set. Many times it is for the people I love, maybe someone who may need it a little bit more than I do that day. But other times, I just pick a mantra. Something to focus on when my mind starts to wander or my breath becomes erratic. Something to motivate me when I'm losing speed. Something to inspire me.

Lately, my mantra has become: Try.
Try something new. Try to make a difference. Try not to continue bad habits. Yeah, we've all heard it before. Sounds like a New Years resolution, doesn't it? And how well do those ever work out?
This sort of "try" that I am striving to cultivate within myself is the effort that I put forth towards these resolutions.  Really try. At first, it was just within my yoga practice that I was applying this to; pushing myself a little harder, attempting the bendy poses that I once believed I couldn't get myself in to. But I quickly realized that the reward I was getting from my yoga practice could easily be found in all aspects of my life.. if I would just try.

The job that I was ready to walk away from has become something that I am beginning to enjoy again. I'm not only pursuing my bachelors degree, but I am really excelling at it. That hill that I usually find an excuse to walk up is now something that I sprint to the top of. It doesn't matter what it is that I'm trying to accomplish, the result is always the same. Reward. Satisfaction. Pride. Happiness. All of which are things that seem to shine out of you, the kind of things that power you to keep trying.

Friday, July 3, 2015

The Sweet Life.

Life is funny, and magical, and romantic. It can be cruel. It can be ironic. But ultimately, it is special. There is something incredible to take note of, in fact, there are many. And they are all around you.
It is the song in your earbuds that makes your heart flutter to the familiar soundtrack of an old love. It is the warmth your black coffee brings both your throat and your soul. It is the low hanging clouds that support yet another outstanding sunrise. It is the dampened dirt and pine perfume that only an Arizona rain can stir up. They are everywhere.  You just need to stop and stare. Soak it up, unashamed of your greed. Because if it brings you even a glimmer of bliss, gobble it up and beg for seconds. Fill yourself to the brim and let it burst out of you. Life may be ironic and full of surprises, but it is also short and if you don't take advantage of what it's offering you, you're wasting it. I swear, whoever said "it's the little things..." had it all figured out.