Go with the Flow

Hey hey hey! How is your weekend going? 

Mine got off to an interesting start. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I absolutely love going to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings (er... afternoons---I like my sleep!) Unfortunately, we were short on time today and things did not go exactly as planned. Our time crunch would not usually be an issue, but there was some major traffic on the freeway that clearly went on for miles. 

[Talk about crunch! A tortilla pizza made with an Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortilla on my pizza stone makes for extra crunch. I think I finally found the right use for these fragile delights.] 

[I added my own spin on Amanda's pumpkin hummus pizza recipe by using my favorite toppings: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and brussels sprouts. Ah. May. Zing. The pumpkin-hummus combo might sound a little strange, but all I can say is it is definitely out of this world.]

[+ A sprinkle of pasta seasoning for pure delight. For flavors so different, they swirled together perfectly.]

Because of that, my mom made a quick decision to switch freeways and head the other way. Luckily, there is a smaller farmer's market that was on our way back home. (Small is a relative term, though, because the one I usually go to is THE farmer's market and is huge accordingly.)

[To christen my new home, I decided there was no better way than by baking chocolate chip cookies. There is just something oh so inviting about the smell of freshly baked cookies.]

I would love to say that this decision did not bother me at all, but that is not true. Not only is my usual farmer's market the best one (selection, price, local/organic availability, etc.), but I always look forward to the experience all week long. Add to that the fact that I really like to stick to plans and you have a recipe for disappointment. 

[Chocolate brownie oats with strawberries are never a disappointment.]

[After the market, this most certainty turned my frown upside down.]

The selection was extremely minimal, the price was super high (again, this is relative), and I did not get a friendly hello from my favorite farmer, Trevor. Speaking of Trevor, last week he was out of kale, but knowing my love his kale specifically, he promised to save me some for next week. No usual farmer's market = no best-kale-ever. Boo.

[This girl loves her leafy greens. Romaine lettuce salads are so refreshing on hot summer days!] 

[In an effort to change up my salad combination-of-the-week, I decided to add a little ginger garlic stir-fry. Basically it's just grated ginger and minced garlic. Both have wonderful qualities, most notably being anti-inflammatory, and are extremely delicious. They pack a nutritional and flavor punch!]

[Is it weird that I like to eat my greens first, then mix the flavoring into the other veggies & beans? Any non-salad mixers out there?]

Even sans kale, all was not lost. I found a very nice farmer who was local and organic, just like Trevor. Not quite as local and definitely not my favorite farmer, but very nice all the same. He did have a lovely selection, including kale (I got two bunches, of course), so I was pacified. I might have also picked up a few cute, new summer squash varieties, as well. 

Anyway, while the produce I got was wonderful (albeit a very modest amount in comparison to usual), I still did not feel right. Sure, there were some other factors, but I know that part of my bad mood was caused by a simple change in plans. 

[This cheezy white bean dip was a result of a change in plans, too. I decided I was feeling in a dipping mood so I deconstructed my salad. Deconstruction never tasted so good.]

I recognize that it is part of my nature to love plans and thrive on them, but that does not mean that I should be miserable if they are changed. I can see that good things have come out of spontaneity so I think I am going to try to have more of a "go with the flow" kind of attitude (Hahaha. Vinyasa. Flow. Anyone?)

[I decided to start off on the right foot by going with the flow for dinner. 1st order of business: new photo taking spot. I like. Baby steps, my friends, baby steps.] 

[After this picture was taken, I went with the flow and added a few things I was craving (yay! cravings!). I mixed the veggies together and added a little garlic and Braggs.] 

[As for the kabocha and adzuki beans, I mashed them together with cinnamon.] 

[I also added an Ezekiel tortilla for a little crunch. If going with the flow is always this delicious, I may never stop going...]

I guess my point is that we are all beautiful just the way we are, but there are always ways to better ourselves. Maybe the correct word is not "better," though, because the goal is to make our lives more enjoyable and happy, not perfect. 

[While delicious, my protein brownie was definitely not perfect.] 

[However, I did try as best as I could to make it keep its shape. In the end, its really just about effort, not necessarily the result. Life is a journey, not a destination.]

What is something about yourself that you would like to work on? I am definitely going to work on my flexibility. Instead of looking at the negatives when my plans get changed, I will try to list the positives. How will you work on your goal?

Thank you to all of you that told me what makes you happy! I actually smiled while reading your responses. If it is okay with you, I would love to include them in my paper; I think it would be a unique way to discuss the topic.

If you did not get a chance to answer, what makes you happy? 

Before writing this post, I made cookies for my yoga teacher as a birthday surprise. Doing something nice for others always makes me happy. 

Have a lovely day and try something new and different! Why not? Have fun with it! 

xox, 

Mandiee

P.S. If anyone has a good (and simple!) vegetarian refried bean recipe, please send it my way! I have been looking and looking but no luck thus far. :(