We are Amy and Gail Shingler, sisters-in-law and friends!

We are passionate about living authentic and intentional lives!

We are enthusiastic about healthy eating!

We created a space to share our favorite recipes & the life philosophies from which they stem!

Our desire is to inspire,

may you be edified by what you read here!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Grateful Mindful Living

Yesterday, as my kiddos and I rode our bikes to school, I was filled with such gratefulness.  Watching Miranda, skirt flowing in the breeze, singing at the top of her lungs and loving every minute of the ride.  Then there was Gigi, seeing just how fast her little bike could go.  I sat there and just soaked it in, breathing in the morning air and taking time to be grateful for these simple yet profound moments.   Over the last few months we as a family have tried to experience life as it was meant to be lived.  Simple, not rushed, not filled with to do lists or expectations of others but truly learning to be.  Life is still busy but it is busy with intentionality and purpose.  I was reading a book about our thought life where the author made such a profound point.  He stressed that the things we thought about yesterday are realities in our life today. So in keeping with this theory the things we think about today will be our realities for tomorrow.  So I was reminded to keep my thought life positive, keep it real, keep it intentional.   With that said, anyone who knows me well, knows that I think about food a lot so I thought I'd share one of my latest yummies!  

We make this recipe weekly.  It keeps until the next day and is great to take on picnics or to put in wraps for a delicious lunch.  I love to watch my little kiddos eat this salad because they gobble it up and inevitably there are tiny strands of broccoli protruding from their mouths.  They just giggle and eat it up.  Raw broccoli is so good for you and it warms my heart when I can combine nourishment with the yum factor.



Broccoli Slaw Dressing 
(makes about 1 cup of dressing)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp dried sweetened cranberries
2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp honey or a few dates
1 small clove garlic
1 Tbsp juice from one cutie or small orange (optional)
2 Tbsp Flax Oil (I've made it without oil and it was still yummy)
1/4 cup Vegennaise
2 Tbsp water

Let sit in blender for 5-10 minutes to let cranberries plump up.  Blend on high until all is blended and pour onto the slaw (can be made several hours before serving)


Pour over 1 large package of raw broccoli slaw.


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip





















Thank me later.
You're Welcome.
You will be adored.

1 C quick cooking oats
3/4 C flour (any kind U like)
1/3 C sugar (like coconut, sucanat, maple)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 C maple syrup
1/2 C safflower oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp molasses

Optional: 1/4 cup raisins or cranberries or Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips or dried plums or walnuts

I mix all the dry ingredients, then add the wet and stir.  
Roll into one inch balls.
Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.
Take them out and let them "fall" into a flattened shape.
They will be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Again, you're welcome.



Monday, March 31, 2014

Imagination












Life's responsibilities begin to feel like a weight 

when we are no longer living out of our imagination, 
but rather from our memory; 
from our memory of what we did the day before, 
from our memory of what was expected of us in days past and recent, 
from our memory of what yielded responses that fed our egos 
and served our purposes with respect to our "image." 
Understanding that there are things and people we have accepted daily responsibility for, 
we can still live out of our imaginations, 
leaving space in our minds and spirits for Life to surprise us, 
to add a wave or bolt of the "delightfully unexpected" 
or "wondrously touching" 
to an otherwise routine day. 
Living from imagination involves waking like we did as children, 
excited about the possibilities of what a new day might hold;
there is a spark in the eyes, 
a song in the voice, 
and a spring in the step of those who live from their imaginations,
is that you?

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Are the stories you tell yourself --- LOVE stories ?














It's not a good story if its not a LOVE story.

All of us have stories swirling around in our heads,
Moving in and out of our lives, always.
They are the "tapes" that play, the words of another, 
The things we tell ourselves about ourselves 
And about the others in our lives.
Some are stories that inspire us, delight us, excite us,
Others are stories that harden us, paralyze us, wither us.
If we can find the LOVE even in the stories that bring pain and sorrow,
Then they are worth keeping, to teach us and to "grow" us,
And to propel us forward.
If we cannot find the love in our stories,
It is time to let them go.
They will return again and again in different forms
Until we are ready and able to see the LOVE in them,
Until we are ready to see they are here to bring an awareness
To what needs attention in our lives.
Let go of the stories that make you sad, that grieve you,
The stories that tell you you are a victim,
That its not your fault, that it IS your fault,
That others are to blame for the unfortunate circumstances
In which you find yourself today, that YOU are to blame,
Let go of the stories that tell you you are not good enough,
Not worthy enough,
Or simply that you are not enough...for you are, just as you are,
ENOUGH.
Think on the stories of your strengths and your talents
And the ways you do and can give of yourself to others.
And then there will come a day when you see EVERY story
Is a LOVE story.