“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.” – Hafez
So what makes you glad you are alive? How do you keep it close to your heart and active in your life? Feel free to comment below if you wish.
The Friday Affirmation
“I trust in the chaos that precedes creativity.”
https://www.bergreenphotography.com/creativity-affirmations/
More
“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
A Valentine’s Day Treat
Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day I decided to repost an oldie but goodie.
Copyright 2015 by RA Robbins
Genie’s Note: A few of my readers may not know that before I was Espirational I was Gluten-Free and Loving It (on another blogging platform). That blog is long closed, but I am still loving the gluten-free life. So for Valentines Day I decided to do something I haven’t done for a while and share one of my gluten-free recipes, Chocolate Sundae on a Raft. Enjoy!
First the Raft….
Chocolate Waffles (GF with DF and EF options)
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free flour blend of your choice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup sugar)
1/3 cup oil
3 Tablespoons flaxseed meal mixed with 9 Tablespoons hot water (or 3 eggs)
3/4 cup to 1 cup almond milk (or other milk or substitute)
fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries for garnish
Directions:
1. Combine flaxseed meal and water. Allow to sit until thick.
2. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa.
3. Add agave nectar, oil, flax seed meal and water mixture and 3/4 cup almond milk. Stir until ingredients are blended. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk a little at a time if mixture is too thick.
4. Cook according to instructions with waffle iron.
Dark Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce coats a spoon. Be sure to stir the sauce so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
3. Allow sauce to cool and pour into a squeeze bottle. (I reuse my agave bottles.)
To Assemble the Sundae:
1. Drizzle chocolate sauce on the plate, extending beyond where the waffle will be. This is just to make it look pretty.
2. Place waffle on top of sauce.
3. Top with a scoop of your favorite regular or non-dairy ice cream, Greek yogurt, whipped cream, whipped cream cheese, whatever strikes your fancy.
4. Garnish with fresh or frozen raspberries or sliced strawberries and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
The Friday Affirmation
I am open to the flow of creativity.
Source: https://zannakeithley.com/2021/02/15/creativity-affirmations/
The Time for Home
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”— Edith Sitwell
I love winter. Living in a tourist area, winter is a time of quiet and rest. The part-timers are gone and just the permanant residents remain. It is also a time when we are driven inward, not only in the physical sense but also in the spiritual sense.
Living at the lake I love being outside and enjoying the views and the beautiful weather. Winter is when I rest and recover from the noise and activity of the warmer seasons. But it is also my creative time, the time when I write, cook and make art.
People here at the lake laugh when I say winter is my favorite season, but I need this time for home. What does winter look like for you?
Start Living Now
“Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.” — Mary Manin Morrissey
Do you have things you keep saving or putting off for later?
Are you saving the good china, Grandma’s tablecloth or a special dress for a special occasion that never arrives? Are you planning to travel when you retire? Are you deferring your dreams of singing, painting, dancing, running, writing, whatever if may be for you until the timing is right?
One of the things life has been showing me is that if it is at all possible do it now. I have seen enough dishes never used, trips never taken, dreams never realized to know the truth of today’s quote.
How would your life change if you began living as if “every day you are alive is a special occasion? Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God?”
The Friday Affirmation
“My creativity is helping to heal the world.”
Source: https://www.bergreenphotography.com/creativity-affirmations/
You are One of a Kind
“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.” — R. Buckminster Fuller
Peace, Joy and Serenity
“Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
espirational.com 