What type of life do you lead? My personal training client told me she deleted Facebook and wanted no trace to the site. She claimed social media made her post pictures of her having a life that was extraordinary or “better” than what she lives. As a result, her happiness decreased. 

What’s the lesson? She valued and found happiness from her ordinary life as a creative mom.
 
Isn’t that an extraordinary personality to love and value your life as it is without the acceptance of likes, loves and comments? I challenge you to find joy out of simple things like picking fresh flowers, cooking a homemade meal or petting your cat. Joy is everywhere in life, we just need to be open to the experience and the present moment. 

As always, inspired by the sun, 
Elizabeth

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At 20, I studied abroad in Australia and visited Fiji. I met a local who lived in a beach hut with 8 other people. He was poor as dirt, but happy as a clam. He bought me a bag of snacks and in that moment my life changed.

As globalization and consumerism evolve, we get caught up in the material world. Every poor nation I visited, the people had the clearest minds, were thankful for having food to eat and were some of the happiest people I ever met.
 
As a yogi, you learn to dispose of your attachment to materialism. The less you have, the less have to lose. And sometimes less is more.
 
The less you have the happier you are since you appreciate the small things in life (the basics). Living a minimalist life gives you freedom. You are not bogged down (or responsible) for piles of shit that drag you down emotionally, spiritually and physically. 

As always, inspired by the sun, 
Elizabeth

Inspire your Sunday with positive quotes, images, random thoughts & sweet nothings.

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Are you looking for more positive vibes in your life? If so follow the hashtag #sunspiration on Instagram , @sunspiration_everday.

As the world shifts and shakes, it's important to stay positive and to be thankful for all that we have in our life. Energize your day with inspiration quotes, motivational messages and sweet nothings. Inspired by the sun, uplift your mind, body and soul every Sunday as we analyze quotes & share our thoughts in 150 words or less. 

Stay sunny, 
Elizabeth
@sunspiration_everyday

This blog will be as short and sweet just like the recipe. My recent blog post, theIced Green Tea sweetened with Rose sugar, gives you some ideas on how to mix-up your favorite summertime drinks. 
 
Iced coffee is the perfect cool-me-off beverage. If you have extra coffee left over in the pot, storing the coffee in the fridge reduces waste and avoids waiting for hot coffee to cool.

I found these cute old sheets of music from The Queen Flea, vintage upscale market held by @bygonecharm. I, like most people love music. Music inspires us. Music moves our soul. Music is a piece of creativity that can literally transform our souls.   

I love certain types of music so much that I couldn’t imagine life without it.I've ventured through life and the world, experiencing many spiritual awakenings and events. I'm happy to announce that I will be heading to Black Rock City this 2016 for Burning Man with "Da Vinci's Workshop" theme.

Coffee is a time to think, relax and ponder about the beauties of life. Enjoy these lovely coffee-inspired quotes!

Iced Coffee Sweetened with Rose Sugar
 
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 
1.5 cups of cold coffee
Milk of choice to your taste (soymilk works best)
3 tsp of rose sugar

Start by mixing the coffee and the sugar in a glass. Add milk of your choice to taste. 

*Notes: I’ve found that soymilk or creamer tastes best. You can also use coconut creamer, but I’ve found that almond milk is the least desirable for my palate.

The days are long and the sun is sweet. Sweet as candy, to me. The sun inspires everything to thrive, even my burnt skin. Lately, I’ve continued to detach from the material world and spend more time in nature. 
 
The buzzing bees, the whooshing dragonflies, everything and everyone is living their part and doing what they can to survive in this unpredictable world.

Sitting on my balcony, my sun-kissed skin felt quenched. With nothing but a green tea bag and some freshly made rose sugar, I created a quick iced tea to cool off my balcony loafing project. 
 
The sweetest part of the experience is that my cat, Snickers, is obsessed with the balcony. The best part of her day is to sit on my husband’s or mine’s chest and either take a nap or get combed under the bright and shining sun.  She gets so happy that she licks my cheek and drools droplets of saliva out her mouth.

It’s amazing what we can learn from animals. Now, if only we humans can be as happy as a cat getting combed under the sun we would have world peace. And until that day comes, I might as well keep experimenting in the kitchen. 

The iced green tea is simple and lasts several days in the refrigerator. Adding something like rose sugar gives a different hint to the tea and is the perfect beverage for hosting or celebratory events. Enjoy!

Iced Green Tea with Rose Sugar
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Waiting Time: 20 minutes
 
Ingredients:
1 green tea bag 
2 cups of water
3 tsp ofrose sugar 
 
Bring the water to a boil. You will lose some water to the steam, but pour the hot water into your favorite cup. The cup I used fits about 12 oz. of liquid so I didn’t use the entire 2 cups of water. 

Steep the green tea bag based on the tea’s directions. Normally, green tea tastes best when steeped between 2-3 minutes. Steeping for a long time gives it a “burnt” taste. 
When hot, mix in the rose sugar. Cool the tea in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

What's your favorite type of iced tea? Remember you can always save these recipes in your Yummly recipe box!

Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever had an entirely horrible day that you never want to relive?
At some point, we've all experienced some not-so-good days. 

But like life, there is light in every situation and in every day. Some days are so miserable that you forget that just being alive and able to breathe is a damn good gift. I used to work with obese clients and while they had psychological stress everyday, the ability of their organs, heart and lungs to still function at 350-500 pounds is a gift. It shows the resilience of the human body. 

If you're having a bad day, it's okay to feel, ride and express the emotions. But some bad days aren't that bad. And I'm sure we can all found something positive even in the most miserable situations. Something as small as smiling or admiring at hummingbird eat from a flower contributes to a good day. Life is good. Don't waste it. 

As always, inspired by the sun,
Elizabeth
 
Let's Connect & Evolve our Community 
 
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Do you still have the red, white and blue spirit? Nature is at its peak with sprouting its patriotic colors. So many beautiful red, white and blue flowers blossom throughout nature and blue-winged dragonflies buzz around town searching for the perfect flower. 

​It's the time of the year when summer berries are at its finest. 

Strawberries and blueberries are my two favorite berries. It reminds me of childhood where my family made a simple dessert of mixing freshly-cut strawberries and blueberries sprinkled with a bit of sugar to get the berries “juicing.” We would then top the berries with whipped cream.  We often used the strawberries we picked that week from the local self-picked fields in Northeast Ohio. 
 
I love me a good baked treat every now and then. I wanted to “spice” this up a bit by using a wee-bit of freshly made rose sugar on top. This is not necessary as you can enjoy the recipe without it.

But, the sweet hints of rose petals combined with local berries gives summer a new meaning. 
 
This recipe is simple to make and since this was my first official crostata I gave it a two thumbs up. If you’ve never made a crostata, the pleats come naturally as you fold the dough. Your fingers will pinch the dough as you lift and fold it towards the berries.

I remember looking at pictures thinking, “How did they do that?” Use these images below to guide you on your crostata journey.

Vegan Summer Berry Crostata Topped with Fresh Rose Sugar
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
 
Crust Ingredients: 
1 cup flour
5.5 tbsp vegan butter, cold
2 tsp cane sugar
4 tbsp cold water
¼ tsp salt
 
Filling Ingredients: 
½ cup strawberries, washed and chopped
½ cup blueberries, washed
4 raspberries (optional – I had some left in the fridge)
1 tsp cane sugar
Optional Topping: rose sugar
 
Directions: 
 
Begin by making the crust. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Mix until blended. Take the cold butter and use either a fork or pastry cutter to “cut” the butter into the dough. The results should look like a lot of small clumps in the flour. Add one tablespoon of water at a time, mixing after each tablespoon until it forms dough. 

Use your hands to massage and roll the dough into a ball. Place the dough in the refrigerator. 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, make the filling. Wash the berries and cut the strawberries. Place the berries into a bowl with one teaspoon of cane sugar so it forms juice. Let the filling while you prepare the dough. 
 
Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. To form a circle, I roll the dough between my hands and then smack the dough with my right hand. This will flatten the dough. Place it on the floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. 

You may need to flip the dough once or twice so each side rolls on the floured surface (I flour my parchment paper on top of the pan that it will bake in). 
 
Once the dough forms, place the berries into the center, leaving about two inches of space. Begin folding the dough toward the berries. When you work around the crostada, your fingers will naturally pinch and lift the dough. (see picture above). 
 
If you haven’t done so already, place parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. 
 
When you are ready to serve, sprinkle some rose sugar on top. Rose sugar is not required.

What's your favorite type of crostata? 

Get a recipe every now and then....You can save this recipe in your Yummly recipe box!

This classic quote has inspired us since the birth of lemons. If life hands you an opportunity, what are you going to do with it?

You can make lemonade out of the smallest things in life. Sometimes the smaller opportunities are the most prized ones.
 
Transforming lemons into lemonade is symbolic to life because you can take something sour and make something sweet. This represents challenges. You have the power to take any challenge in life and turn it into something amazing.

It may not be easy and there will be struggles, but know with a sound mind and body you can overcome anything thrown your way.
 
Since summer is here, I challenge you to make the best batch of lemonade. Celebrate your gifts. Embrace your talents. Overcome your struggles. This will be the sweetest juice you’ll taste – I promise!

As always, inspired by the sun, 
Elizabeth

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One of the best parts of summer are the roses. Seattle certainly has no shortage of roses that bud around town. From the waterfront’s Rose Garden to patches of blooms spread throughout the Queen Anne neighborhood, roses make everything nice and sweet – including your food.

Many cultures around the world use roses for culinary purposes. From the petals to its leaves, there are multiple purposes for cooking with roses. 

One method to sweeten desserts, teas and coffees is by using rose sugar. I rarely use sugar for cooking, but when using small amounts every now and then, sweetening your life by nature is an indulgence that I stand behind. But, use fresh roses that are not contaminated with pesticides.

Roses have many medicinal benefits, and you’ll soon see my posts for rose water and syrup, which is an excellent addition to your health and desserts.

You can make fresh rose sugar by using several methods. In these pictures, I blended the petals and sugar in a coffee grinder. This made the sugar powdery and infused the color of the petals. (I used the same colored rose in the picture). Your sugar will result in the same color as the petals you choose. I used a coffee grinder because I wanted to use ¼ cup of sugar. I found no need to make a huge batch (to keep it as fresh as possible) and my food processor is too big for such a small amount.

Another method is to use a mortar and pestle to grind the sugar together. The color is vibrant, but the petals turn brown after 24 hours.
​
As for the ratio, I chose a 1:2 rose to sugar ratio. You can certainly try a 1:1 ratio for a strong and robust flavor.

How to Make Fresh Rose Sugar
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh rose petals, chopped
¼ cup cane sugar

Directions:
Begin by washing the petals in cold water. Lay the petals out on a paper towel to dry. 

​Cut the white ends off the base of the petals. Cut off any damaged part of the petals. Next, finely chop the petals. Place the petals and the sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor and blend for about 10-20 seconds or until the sugar is blended. Store the sugar in a sugar jar or container at room temperature.

Have you made fresh rose sugar? If so, what is your preferred method (or color)?

Catch a Newsletter Every Now and Then...And Let's Connect

Happy Fourth of July! This July Fourth, America will celebrate its 240th year of independence from the British and King George III. Compared to the rest of the world, the "New World" is still budding. 

Fourth of July ignites nostalgia on my Cleveland youth and upbringing. Every year, we'd go to the Indian Games on July 3rd where they'd have fireworks for the Fourth. I remember my Ukrainian Great Grandmother always saying how proud she was to live in America after World War II. Her enthusiasm made me so proud to be American, especially with a Midwest upbringing. 

Along the path of my maturity in college, I disconnected to the America I once knew. I began to focus on on the negative parts of this "new" culture of consumerism, pesticide and chemical-laden food and high health care costs. I lost my sense of pride. I "found" my way back home after living in Germany. 

Once I dove deep in European history and started to see the world go "crazy" I became thankful for America again. From freedom of speech to being a woman and having the freedom to wear, think or say whatever I want is a true gift. It's a blessing and something we should never take for granted. 

Now let's face it, alot of world doesn't like us, and they certainly do not appreciate us. They use the technology we create, the clothes we produce and rely on our intelligence. Although there are many things that have gone wrong in our country, we need to get back to our roots to realize how special our freedoms are.  I hope everyone has a great and safe 4th of July. Enjoy the time off of work, as that is something we don't get much of now a days.