Now that’s a real breakfast! My breakfast bowl looks like a smiley face! (The apricots are the eyes, the banana slices being the mouth) I admit, I’m someone who tends to skip breakfast but now I’ve noticed the difference that comes with a filling, hearty first meal. When I eat a great breakfast, I’m not frazzled and hungry throughout the day like I usually am. If you’re a non-breakfast enthusiast like myself, I encourage you to wake up a little earlier and treat yourself to a nice healthy breakfast to get you ready for the day. You’ll feel so much better! We truly are what we eat. With that conclusion, this morning I am a banana, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, a tablespoon of molasses (for iron), half a container/1 serving of GTS Cocoyo living coconut yogurt (for probiotics), chia seeds, an apricot, gluten free oatmeal, topped with a healthy serving of coconut shreds! Not only is this healthy but it’s absolutely wonderful. I hope everyone knows that they are loved. Have a lovely day🌞🌈

My angel Shirley was taken from me today. I never got the chance to say goodbye. You can feel her outgoing, gentle soul pouring out in these pictures. She had transmitted BVD (bolvine viral diarrhea) from her mother who died during her birth which caused her to have developmental delays that made her smaller and look distinctly different than the rest of the herd. I don’t understand why this happened but I’m powerless in this situation. The other cows would pick on her and keep her isolated as she was considered the runt of the bunch but she remained the sweetest, purest baby. She was one of the many reasons I became vegan. I loved holding her peculiar fuzzy face in my hands as she smelled the food remnants on my fingertips that caused her pink wet nose to touch my hand. I really learned just how marvelous these beautiful creatures are and how I really cherish living amongst them. I can’t help but to think of her reality. Her kind have a twisted existence in this world where they are simply reduced to food products as they are “beef cows”. They are born to give and become a meal; nothing more, nothing less. The horrific cycle of rape, torture, and brutality that these beings go through is a travesty. I hope that one day everyone is able to appreciate and live in peace with all walks of life. My heart is heavy but the lovely memories I have of Shirley live on. My love and condolences are with everyone who has lost someone dear to them whether it be a family member, a friend, or a pet. I’m going through that pain now. Loss is a hard part of our existence. I’ll miss looking out the window and seeing Shirley’s funny face that filled my heart with light. We may ask God why we lost our loved ones as it can cause us to lose faith in Him, I was feeling that way today, but just because our love ones are no longer with us in a physical sense doesn’t mean they are completely gone. The love we felt in our time with them will never die. I thank God that I got to connect with such a cutie pie. Loss is a painful experience in life all creatures endure that allows us to relate and empathize with one another. We must remind ourselves that those who have passed still remain alive in our memories. We have to live in the spirit of them and triumph through the trials and tribulations of our time here on this big, beautiful, abundant Earth. My memories of Shirley are how she would be happy over the simple joys in life like running in a field of fresh green grass. I truly honor her existence as I’m grateful to have witnessed it. I miss my little bucket of sunshine.

Vegan blueberry shortcake with a side of vegan vanilla ice cream!💙 Located at The Garden Cafe in the heart of Woodstock, New York. Truly heaven on Earth!☁️

Up close and personal with today’s dinner! Snow in April warranted a creamy mushroom pasta dish. Gluten-free pasta, crimini mushrooms, peas, garlic, shallots, unsweetened almond milk, and nutritional yeast all combined to make a savory, warm meal. I want to inspire others to pick up the art of cooking as a means of expressing themselves. Get creative with what you do; it’ll make life more enjoyable!✨