mom

Cream Cheese Danish

/ embracingspirit / 1 Comment

These easy-to-make breakfast pastries are as delicious as they are beautiful! Fruit and cream cheese danish are ideal for relaxed weekend mornings, Sunday brunch, and I bet your mom would love these on Mother’s Day!

One of my favorite things to add to anything with berries it a little drop of Lemon Essential Oil. To me lemon and berries go hand in hand make the freshness of the berries burst with goodness. Be mindful thought to only use essential oils that are tested for purity and you know for sure have not been adulterated with synthetics. This gorgeous free ebook explains the difference and why using pure essential oils is so important.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 box of puff pastry dough (2 sheets), thawed
  • 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • Lime zest from one whole lime
  • 2–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
  • Fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
  • Sanding sugar
  • Optional garnish: additional lime zest
  • 2 drop Lemon Essential Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Adjust your oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly-floured board. With a large 4.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 4 rounds of dough from each piece. Lightly score the rounds with a slightly-smaller biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Transfer the puff pastry rounds to baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Gather together the remaining scraps of dough. Roll out the dough and create two or three more danish pastry circles. Add those to the baking sheets.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the consistency is smooth and creamy. Place two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each puff pastry circle. Using the backside of a spoon, spread it out, leaving a 1/4-inch rim.
  4. Arrange blueberries on half of the rounds. Artistically arrange strawberries on the rest of the batch.
  5. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the rims of the puff pastry desserts are lightly golden brown.
  6. Allow the cheese danish to relax on the baking sheets and cool down to room temperature. If desired, add a light sprinkling of lime zest to the middle of the strawberry breakfast pastries.
  7. Serve with coffee, milk, orange juice or tea.

These simple and super buttery little pastries are so good and look gorgeous. These are perfect for any special occasion or just to treat yourself!

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Community

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Community; a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Life sometimes becomes so busy and hard that I have learned to take a step back and let the dust settle when I feel like I am one step too close to the edge. At least that is what has been going on in my world. While most things in my life are extraordinarily amazing, some of it has been equally stressful and emotional. I know that the best thing for me to do is get outside, get my hands dirty, and be productive. Some people freeze under stress and I am the exact opposite. The more I can accomplish in a day when I feel like I am going to explode, the better I feel. Not sure what that coping strategy might fall in the fight/flight/freeze realm, but getting stuff done is where I cope.

Literally a month ago I softly uttered the words —maybe I should open up one of my Fridays to see more students since my schedule is so packed and the demand is so great. Within a week of saying that a huge agency asked if I could add TEN memory care assisted living homes to my already swamped schedule. Sometimes when we speak something vague the universe hears it and runs with it! There is no way I could do ten homes in one day, so I chose to go from zero teaching on Fridays to every Friday teaching in four homes. And, another local agency serving adults with traumatic brain injuries doubled their services with me.

Wow.

Last week was my first week of doubled time locally and full days on Friday. I am going to be honest….by Friday at 3pm I decided that if I had to say “take a breath in and blow out a candle” one more time I was either going to lose my mind or cry.

Complicate my exhaustion of driving over 850 miles in four days, teaching 18 hard classes, and dealing with constant pain, I also needed to step up in the mom arena these last couple weeks. For the record, when a young mom complains of the demands of a toddler I kindly tell them to fasten their seatbelt because being a parent to an adult child is one of the hardest things you’ll ever go through. You have to trust that your wisdom will be heard and accepted–much different than putting them in PJ’s and sending them to bed at 7pm.

I realized today as I was having my productivity ass kicking session of washing both my cars, planting lettuces, spinach and arugula, trimming trees, fixing fountains, coloring my girls hair, finalizing contracted social media work, and cleaning the house, that I am so grateful for the community that I have.

In hard times it’s great to know that I am surrounded by people who care and are interested in becoming their best selves. If you are a reader of this blog you are either here for amazing recipes, or essential oil uses, or maybe you are here for inspiration and hope. Whatever brings you back, I realize that in a huge way this outlet gives me the support I think I need to carry on.

I also realized today that I have done hard things before. Many times. Whether it is raise three kiddos alone, navigating the unknown territory of developmental disabilities, or building a business from nothing, or leaving a loveless and controlling relationship that gave me financial safety and security to venture out with just a truck full of belongings and start all over at age 43.

I have done hard. And I have not only survived, but I have thrived. I know that this too shall pass with my kid and I will find my rhythm in adding a huge amount of demanding work to my schedule.

After all, I am not alone, right? I know that I have thousands of people all over the world whose energy comes to me through platforms like these and that in my hardest days, I can still feel that energy. Community and feeling connected is where we survive hard times. I know that I cannot do this life alone and continue to make a difference in the lives of others. Isn’t that essence of community anyway?

So, thank you. Thank you for carrying me on the tough days and allowing me an outlet to write, cry, laugh, cook, inspire, create and mostly, to love.

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Nurture Essential Oil Blend

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Nothing say nurture more than a loving Mother’s energy. Plus, the renewal of spring reminds us that Mother Earth is soaking in the rain and nurturing her beautiful land and animals. 

This perfectly crafted blend is earthy, reassuring, soft, and feels like a giant hug. Applying this to your wrist and your heart so that you can smell the aromas all day long.

Did you know that Myrrrh essential oil is often referred to as the oil of the Divine Mother because it offers feelings of safety, healthy attachment, trust, feelings of being nurtured, loved and secure? Pretty amazing, right?

Adding myrrh first gives the bottom note of aroma a grounded element. Magnolia is often said to bring out feelings of compassion so gives you another layer of goodness at the end of this blend. Layered between these two essential oils are earthy, warm, love inducing essential oils with lavender petals and amethyst. Amethyst is a powerful and protective stone. It alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. Amethysts are said to promote serenity and calm and is the perfect addition to this blend. 

Need some nurture in your life? Pop over here to grab one.

Self-Care Series

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Self care is often the lowest priority for parents. School is back in session for most and that means many parents will have a little more time to think about themselves. As a parent it is hard to put ourselves first but now is a great time to do that.

For many, many, MANY years I neglected my own well being thinking that I was being a great mom by giving every ounce to my kids. Wrong.

Before long I was overweight, angry and exhausted.

It was time to learn self care

Long ago, when someone mentioned to me the idea of practicing self-care, I had no idea what that could be and I had an immediate reaction that is was selfish. Boy, have I ever come a long way.

Not sure what self-care looks like for you?

For each of us it can mean so many things. There is no one-size fits all when it comes to self care.

The good news is, if you are not sure what self-care can be, I can help!

A self-paced virtual self care series

I have an amazing virtual self-care package that includes a variety of tools to help YOU take care of YOU. And the best part? It is self paced and can be done on YOUR time, in YOUR space, but with my loving support.

Check this out! I’d love to walk alongside with you on finding YOU again.

Nurture Essential Oil Blend

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

Nothing say nurture more than a loving Mother’s energy. Plus, the renewal of spring reminds us that Mother Earth is soaking in the rain and nurturing her beautiful land and animals.

This blend is earthy, reassuring, soft, and feels like a giant hug. I love to apply this to my wrist and my heart so that I can smell the aromas all day long.

Myrrh and nurturing

Did you know that Myrrrh essential oil is often referred to as the oil of the Divine Mother because it offers feelings of safety, healthy attachment, trust, feelings of being nurtured, loved and secure? Pretty amazing, right?

What is in the nurture blend

I added myrrh first to be the bottom note of aroma. Magnolia is often said to bring out feelings of compassion so gives you another layer of goodness at the end of this blend. Layered between these two essential oils are earthy, warm, love inducing essential oils with lavender petals and amethyst. Amethyst is a powerful and protective stone. It alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. Amethysts are said to promote serenity and calm and is the perfect addition to this blend.

Need some nurture in your life? Pop over here and grab one.