black and lemony? not so much.

no, not together silly! if my "black" and "lemony" were together today, then i would have had burnt pancakes. not so yum.

but luckily, i had another round of pancakes. not burnt. i just can't get enough! but i think i'll return to my first love tomorrow, oatmeal or oatbran. today's flavor? vegan lemon poppy seed.

always a favorite of mine, i remember eating lemon poppy seed cake as a youngie in elementary school. i would eat all my veggies (some things never change) and then ask nicely for the largest piece. good times, good times. since i'm not one for much sugar anymore, (sugar coma? no thank you.) these pancakes were the perfect answer to my lemony-poppy-seedy cravings.

for lunch i wanted something simple and legume-y (what's up with all the y's today?) so i made a black bean burger. i based of the chickpea cutlet recipe from veganomicon but just changed the spices. i served it on a whole-wheat bun with salsa and organic ketchup (can you believe i never liked ketchup as a kid?) and carrot fries with almond butter and strawberries on the side. if you've never tried carrots microwaved or roasted in the oven with almond butter, it's a must. seriously.

the salsa was just so good at lunch that i couldn't help but use it in my dinner, too. after coming home from a great yoga practice led by one of my favorite teachers and quick shopping for necessities at whole foods, i mad quinoa. quinoa + black beans + salsa + garlic + chipolte powder + corn = quick but yummy dinner. of course i had it with a large bowl of my favorite yeggies, cauliflower and broccoli.

before i go, i wanted to mention something my teacher said in yoga today. being the first day in the new year that the yoga place was open, she talked mostly about new year's resolutions. she made the point that most people make unrealistic goals for the new year that they can't keep. one little slip and we give up. come january 31 and we're back to what we were before. but why give up when we could feel good and accomplish our goals?

instead of new year's "resolutions", she suggested that we make a promise to ourselves to live better as a lifestyle choice instead. breathe deeper, love stronger, feed our bodies what we know we need, and overall, enjoy life. now that may not seem realistic either, but the thing is, we can accomplish this goal is so many ways-- even little things count! take a short walk outside, call a friend or family member you haven't talked to in a while and simply ask them how they are, or even just take some time to check in with ourselves and relax in a healthy way. a healthy and happy life is in reach everyone! we just have to put in a little effort, and what we get out of it is well worth it. no one's perfect, but at least we can feel good about ourselves knowing that we are doing what feels right for us (which is not necessarily right for everyone else) and making strides to be nicer to others, too. after all, we deserve it!

happy new year everyone. it's time to commit to that better life we're always saying will happen "tomorrow". may you all have sweet dreams, and the sun will be out tomorrow.

xox