A toast to toast: 3 of my favorite ways to eat toast

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.”

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Many of us get into a routine of eating the same things over and over again. At times this can be good – like when we are pinched for time and need a go-to no-fail meal. I know I certainly could do for some more routine in my eating regimen. But I, like Pooh, get quite excited by meals, especially breakfasts. So that means I like to switch things up every now and again.

Recently toast has been a quick, easy, and economical breakfast for me. And, not to mention tasty, nutritious, and hunger-satisfying.  The trick to make toast a fulfilling meal is by adding an ingredient that brings fat and protein to the table. Without fat and protein in the meal, toast is just carbs and sugar, which we know will not suffice for the ol’ body, mind, and spirit.

Here are 3 of my favorite ways to enjoy toast.

1)  Toast + Laughing Cow Original Swiss Cheese (1 wedge) + whatever jelly/jam I’m digging at the moment (could be pepper jelly, apricot, ligonberry, the list goes on). I was introduced to this cheese from my dear friend Irene. I like the taste, the ease of the spread, and the portion controllable packages. The cheese adds protein and fat to the meal, which is great, and who doesn’t like cheese?

2) Toast + Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut and Peanut Spread + fruit slices (apple/banana). I was given a taste test of this delightful spread when I was walking in the Linden Hills Co-op on a yoga teacher training Sunday afternoon. Since my first bite I have not found a happier, nutty spread. In addition to putting it on toast I like to eat it as a snack with fruit or veggies. This spread adds balance with its healthy fats and protein. If I feel like spoiling myself, I admit I do sometimes add a little Nutella or some dark chocolate chips to the mix. Obviously, this would not be the healthiest version, but it is definitely a good option if you are in the treating yourself kind of mood 🙂 

3) Toast + Salmon Spread + Egg (hard-boiled, sliced). I came up with this creation a few days ago. I had to pick up my husband from the airport last Tuesday, so I figured I’d make a pit stop at my favorite co-op, Mississippi Market. While there, I decided to try out their smoked salmon spread. We always keep hard-boiled eggs on hand for quick and easy snacks, so come the next morning, I decided to slice one up and put it on top of the salmon spread to see how it tasted. Turns out it’s my favorite new way to eat toast. YUM!

Honorable mention: It would be unfair for me to go without mentioning avocado in this post. Toast + 1/2 of an avocado + seasonings (a little sea salt, thyme, pepper) – or an egg if I’m really hungry, is another way I like to enjoy toast.  Because I do normally like to add a fried egg (because I am normally hungry), I would not consider this as quick of a breakfast option, but it is quite delicious!

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What do you eat for breakfast? What’s your go-to meal? How do you like to eat toast?

Setting goals

I’ve been staring back and forth between my to-do list and this blank page. Back and forth. Back…and forth.

I’m feeling uninspired, and I wonder why.

But actually, the more I think about it I don’t wonder at all. I guess I failed to mention that between glancing at my list of tasks and my computer screen, I have also been watching the snow falling tirelessly outside my window. It seems to never end.

I will skip detailing my Earth day/global warming/look outside and see the evidence speech (although I feel it stirring within me a little), because most of our spirits would not benefit from that right now. I know it certainly wouldn’t motivate me, and right now I need some motivation.

So, how is it that I continue to type? Because I am in the business of goal setting. The goal I set for myself that is due for tomorrow is “to write a blog post”. What is interesting about this goal I set is that when I ask myself the question, “why is it important to me?” I draw a blank…

Why do I write blogs?

If I had to play coach on myself, the immediate answer I guess is simple, I write blogs with the hope to share information and stories that I believe may be helpful to others. Is that enough to motivate me to write? No, not always.

I’m sorry. I do love you all, but it’s not enough to get me going everyday – especially on a day like today. And if I put on my coaching hat, I understand that my tendency is completely normal. External motivators will not give me the strongest push to follow through with the goals I set in life. The best motivation comes from within. It has to be connected to me and nobody else. I have to care (unlike the fellow in the photo).

Lucky for you/and me, I am quite stubborn, so despite having no idea what this post would entail as I started, I came on anyway and am doing it just so I can cross it off my list. Am I proud of that? Not necessarily.

So what does this all mean, then?

What it means for me is that I need to look more carefully at my blogging practice and determine what it is that I really get from it. Because as altruistic as I’d like to be, I know that if I am not able to answer the question in a way that connects my goal of writing a blog to a personal need, then it is going to be tough for me to sustain it in a way that is genuine and enjoyable for everyone. By understanding why it is important to me, I will be able to deliver content that is more meaningful for all of us, and theoretically I would not have to drag my feet so much (resist) when I come on to write.

From prose to practice

Next time you set a goal and you find your progress is stalling, ask yourself, why is it important to me? Wait patiently for the answer to come and see what you learn. Give yourself some time. Don’t rush the process. If you wait and wait and still can’t figure it out, ask yourself how you can shift your goal in a way that would create more meaning for you.

Or book an appointment with me and we can talk it through together 🙂 Email me at kali[dot]j[dot]higgins[at]gmail[dot]com. Stay tuned for more details/website launch coming soon! 🙂

Fall & Recover

“There is a split in the human psyche between each person’s rational and intellectual side and our chaotic and emotional being. The true essence of modern dance is the movement that happens in between these extremes.”

“Dance occurs in the fearful moment between falling and recovering by the arc swept by a body moving between equilibrium and uncontrol.”

*  *  *

I am not a dancer, but I love this concept. Mainly, I want to live this concept.

People always talk about balance as being so important to our well-being. I used to be one of those people. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it’s not simply about balance and stability. It is about a rhythmic balance. It’s not one or the other, it’s somewhere in between. Its not about smooth sailing. It’s about rising after falling.

Life doesn’t work in a way that’s completely balanced. There isn’t one good day for every bad day. Being a good person doesn’t stop bad things from happening to you. That’s just not how it is. In life there are ups and downs, and what’s important is to make some sort of rhythm out of the highs and lows. We must find the space between equilibrium and uncontrol that allows us to live our lives on the edge. We must trust the rhythm of falling and recovering.  We must not be afraid of falling, and we must know how it is that we recover.

*  *  *

Yesterday, I mumbled and stuttered through my 75 minute yoga sequence – the sequence I am to teach to graduate from my teacher training. It was supposed to be a rough draft, and it was certainly rough. After I taught it I almost wanted to crawl back in bed and quit my training all together. Isn’t teaching supposed to be easier? I thought. No, it’s not. After talking with my husband I realized that I need to put more effort into my teaching if I really want to become a great teacher.

In order to fall, we must put ourselves out there, but we must be real with our efforts. Over the past few years, with my holistic lens and many interests I have always had one foot out the door throughout many of my experiences. For example, when I was working a nice gig in a “green” job, I found myself signing up for a couple weekend programs related to wellness. I even started volunteering as a doula at a hospital. I wasn’t totally invested in my day job, and because of my multiple efforts I could not engage fully in the world. Living that way certainly got me to fall but not the kind of way I am talking about in this post. Now I am aiming for the kind of fall that happens when you put yourself out there and you put all you have into it. Whatever the it may be.

Today I taught a 30 minute yoga sequence to some teens and it was amazing. Just one day after questioning my choice to be a yoga teacher, I had a reality check. While at first I was attached to my bad teaching experience and then became attached to my awesome experience, I realize now, that I cannot be attached to either outcome.

Now I see that both of these outcomes are part of life, part of the rhythmic balance – the dance. And I know that the more I put myself out into the world, the more I will fall. And as long as I fall with integrity and full engagement, I know it will become easier to recover and grow stronger with each new experience.