A New Year, Make it YOUR Best One Ever!

Hi Everyone!

So glad to be back! Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

As you all know, The Smoothie Vegetarians focuses on a lot of tips and recipes for vegans and vegetarians but being vegan is not just about the food, it is so much more in my opinion. It is not just a static practice but a vision and a goal for the future. I view this movement as a way to spread kindness and compassion for all living things. A way to feel good about yourself and the choices that you make.

Since the beginning of the year, I am sure that many out there have made at least one New Year's resolution. I want to share my resolution with you, mine is to just to be the best version of myself. This sounds easy but is actually much harder than it seems. This is especially true if you are a "people pleaser" and want to be everything to everybody. By doing this this, you can sometimes lose yourself in the process. It is absolutely OK to be totally content with who you are and not worry about what anyone else thinks about you. That being said, it makes me curious about a couple of things...

One of the things I wonder about is why we never think we are enough. Talking to my single friends, we got on the topic of dating and relationships. Online dating really puzzles me. I have never been on a dating website but have watched numerous episodes of the MTV show "Catfish". For those that have never seen the show, the premise is that people will either impersonate someone else, embellish the truth about themselves or will just out and out lie. They then make every excuse not to actually meet the person they are "supposedly" having this relationship with. They create scenarios, invent profiles and use other people's photos to create the persona. Naturally when the show finally arranges a face to face meeting, there is always disappointment and sometimes anger. So I guess the thought behind this is that the person never thought a meeting with occur otherwise why would they do it.



Now on a dating site, I would think the intention for most would be that you would actually want to meet someone that you could potentially have a relationship with. So... if this is the case then maybe someone can explain to me why they would put up a picture of themselves from 10 years ago or when they were a size 6 and not a 16. The intent is to meet the person you are talking to so this is not exactly the way to build a trusting relationship. I have heard stories where people didn't even recognize their potential date. Now I am just a spectator but I would like to share some advice. If you are talking to someone on line and all the pictures are taken from a distance, this would be a red flag for me. If there are very few pictures, this would also make me wonder since admit it or not, everyone takes a selfie now and then. I totally get putting your best pictures on the site but when you use filters to the point where the pictures are blurry you may have went a bit to far with the enhancements. You should want the person to recognize you!

On the flip side, you want the person to meet you because of you not some old picture where you were younger or thinner. Be proud of who you are now and what you have accomplished. Self-confidence is what is truly beautiful and if they don't want to meet you based on what you really look like, the truth is you are way better off in the long run. There is nothing more beautiful than just being yourself. Remember you need to love and accept you for you before you can expect anyone else to.

This is the year to declare "YOU ARE ENOUGH"!

Now I am sure everyone wants to know that secret of how I got those Brussel Sprouts so golden and tender with no fuss and no muss.



I recently purchased an air fryer. I read about making healthier meals but didn't have a lot of knowledge about them but it seemed like a good idea when I was shopping at Bed,Bath and Beyond. Although they come in a myriad of price ranges, I chose one for under $30.00 on sale. So after sitting on my counter for a couple of months, I decided it isn't making me healthy by not using it. I trimmed the brussel sprouts, sliced them in half tossed them in a small bit of vegetable oil and added salt and pepper.  Fifteen minutes later, they were done to perfection. I had to do multiple batches so I didn't overcrowd the basket and I checked them and give a quick stir midway through the cooking process to make sure they were cooking evenly. Clean up was a breeze and there was no excess fat so totally healthy and delicious!

Finally, it breaks my heart to see all the homeless animals on Facebook, so I would encourage you all, if you can't adopt of donate at least share their pictures and stories, it truly increases their chance of finding a loving home. You never know who will see the post and find their new best friend.

ALWAYS ADOPT, PLEASE DON'T SHOP!

Would love to hear your ideas, experiences, thoughts and comments! It is always great to learn from each other.