Free

As 2017 is coming to a close, I look back and one word stands out most... free. You may remember that 2016 was a hard year for me (perhaps it was for you too- seemed to be the trend). But that hardship was also a blessing. When faced with what you don't want, you get clear about what you do want. A big piece of that was opening myself up to possibility. And the key to that was trusting the process. 

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

I have a saying that I tell myself daily, two actually. One is that everything is unfolding in my favor. And the other is that I love myself. Whether I am feeling the stress of life or simply enjoying its flow, I tell myself these two things and it helps me feel safe and supported.  It's connected to a way of seeing and living life that I developed this past year. I decided that life is for fun and I'm meant to enjoy the journey. And choosing to see and participate in life this way is very freeing. 

I still have moments of overwhelm and uncertainty (I am human after all), but I find I'm able to sit with it all with greater ease and trust. To see the experiences in my life as part of this very entertaining show staring yours truly. My own personal movie with variation and excitement and heartbreak and love and connection and friendship and success and speed bumps. We get so fixated on wanting what we want, and feeling we will be happy when we get it, that we miss the opportunity to enjoy the present moment and find happiness with what is. I think that's the balance I am striving for- to enjoy the moment I'm in while reaching for what I want next. When I hit that sweet spot, I feel alive, excited and free. 

Photos by the lovely Lindsay Linton Buk in Cheyenne Wyoming. 

Future Positive

In the game of golf there is a term I love called Future Positive. It refers to your mental state as you play the game and more specifically right before you hit your next shot. Each time you step up to hit, you can either tell yourself, "Don't mess up this shot" (which is focusing on what you don't want to do- mess up the shot) or you can tell yourself, "I've got this and I am going to hit it straight." We get what we think about, so I try really hard to catch myself when a negative thought comes floating by. And instead of latching onto that thought and making it my own, I release it and replace it with a positive one. I do this in all aspects of my life.

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

Let me give you a real life example. Summer is a busy time and lately I have been feeling overwhelmed with everything I have and want to do each day. My instant thought is, "I have too much to do and not enough time!" I stop and recognize how that thought is not making me feel good, and then I choose to replace it with a new thought: "I have enough time to do it all, and everything is working out perfectly for me." This thought calms my mind and limbic system. It helps me then approach my day from a positive mindset instead of a lack mindset, and guess what... I do get everything done and it works out perfectly. 

Can you relate to this? Stay positive my friends, it will change your world like you never imagined!

ECO OUTFIT

Parker Vintage Cutoff Jeans, AGOLDE, $128 #100%cotton #naturalfibers

Mallory Off the Shoulder Lace Top, Walter Baker, $74 #100%cotton #naturalfibers

Berri Platform Slip-On Sneaker (similar to ones shown), Matt & Nat, $54 #vegan 

Photos taken by Cole Buckhart at String Lake in Jackson Hole, WY. 

Let's Celebrate!

I recently hit a milestone with a new company I soft launched (more soon!), and because life is busy and even though you've accomplished this one thing, there is still so much to do- I almost let the moment pass by without celebrating it. Almost. Then, I realized that life is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. Taking time to acknowledge myself and my team and celebrate what we brought into reality is important. And so is taking that time to allow yourself to feel good. 

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

So, I was hiking with my dear friend Lindsay Linton and we were discussing this very thing, and it occurred to me that I don't want to have to wait to celebrate when something major happens (though that does feel like the right time to throw a party!). I want to celebrate every day. Find something every day worth tipping my hat to in acknowledgement and allowing my heart to swell for a minute while I embrace the positive feelings around it. In a way, I think I am already doing this when I write my appreciation list each night before bed. I simply reflect on the day and write out around ten things that I appreciate from the day. Now I am feeling inspired to find something each day to, in the moment, celebrate. Wanna join me? Let's share our celebration stories in the comments below. xx

Photos from the Teton County Fair in Jackson Hole, WY by Cole Buckhart. 

Ursala's Delicious Baked Salmon

As you guys already know, I spent last year I living in Los Angeles. It was an experiment I was running... I had always wanted to see what living in LA would be like, and so I packed everything up and bought a car, and got a year lease in Pacific Palisades. I will admit that I wasn't in the best place (emotionally, spiritually, socially...) as I was going through a major breakup. Less than a year later I moved back to Jackson, WY. So, yeah, LA didn't quite pan out for me, but what I will take with me are the deepened friendships of some amazing people I got to know better and the memories of our shared hikes, dinners, and impromptu costume dance parties (you know who you are!).

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

One of my fondest memories is of a very lovely dinner hosted at my friend Ursala's home in Manhattan Beach. She's the epitome of a beautiful, carefree European woman where everything in her life just flows. And her cooking is no exception! Her frig is stocked with a vast assortment of whole foods prime for making yummy meals, and she has a wine frig to accompany whatever delicious creation she concocts. It's a fabulous combination! 

In preparation for the dinner party, she asked me to come early and gab while we prepped the meal. I was thrilled. The wine flowed, and so did the conversation, but I kept on eye on what she was doing because I knew I would want to learn from this woman. She really is something extraordinary and her friends say that everything she touches is 'Ursi-fied.' I believe it! Through the blur of a couple tasty glasses of wine, I committed her baked salmon recipe to memory and am pleased to say that ever since my preference to cook salmon has been Ursi-fied! The result is a moist and fragrant piece of fish that melts beneath your fork. I pull this one out for fancy dinner parties when I want to impress and also remain confident I can pull off a great dinner with a small amount of work. I urge you to try this for yourself and make any adjustments to make it your own. Ursala will be proud. 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Prep the salmon.

Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towel. Holding the salmon over your glass baking dish, pour about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil onto salmon and rub into the fish.

2. Season the salmon.

Place salmon in glass baking dish (skin down). Salt and pepper over fish. Then layer fresh cut herbs. Add a second layer with the sliced lemon or lime rounds so that salmon is completely covered. This will help seal in juices and keep the fish moist. Pour about 1/4 cup of white wine over salmon so that there is a little layer at the base of the baking dish. This will help steam the salmon as it bakes.

3. Bake the salmon.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil and a clean dish towel to keep in heat. Keep covered for 8- 10 minutes to continue cooking the salmon until it is perfect, delivering a medium rare temp. Serve immediately and enjoy. 

fresh caught wild salmon, filleted

2 lemons or limes, sliced into thin rounds

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

grapeseed oil

white wine (cooking wine is fine, and I subbed Mirin for wine too)

salt & pepper

Allan's Awesome Asian Salad

I'm exploring the Paelo diet and picked up a copy of Paleo Magazine's 2017 Recipes. It is very inspiring, and I must say, the instructions are so concise it makes you feel like you could make anything in 15 mins! Okay, in all fairness, it does take longer than 15 minutes (more like 30), but it is worth it. 

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

I spent the last few days attending a Yoga Fit Fore Golf retreat in Vail, Colorado. It was beyond beautiful and really wonderful to incorporate yoga moves and stretching before getting out on the course. Coming home the back way to my parent's house, there wasn't really a great spot to stop for groceries, and I figured there would probably be enough food in the frig to make a yummy dinner. Altering a recipe in Paelo's 2017 Recipes (page 73), I drummed up an oriental style dinner that was a huge hit! My step-dad, Allan, declared that it had all his favorite things and so I've named it for him as Allan's Awesome Asian Salad. 

I worked with the ingredients I had on hand, and would have added some chopped cashews or toasted black sesame seeds to finish it off. Sub things as you see fit, and add more or less depending on what kind of salad you are feeling like (ie: a meal or a side dish). This was our main dish and it was very satisfying. 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Make the egg.

Beat two eggs in a bowl with a teaspoon of Mirin. Heat medium size pan over medium- light heat with grapeseed oil (about a teaspoon or two). Spread egg out on bottom of pan to cook a thin even layer (about 1-2 mins), cut in half and flip. Cook 1-2 more mins. Remove from heat and place egg directly on cutting board to cool.

Once cooled, layer the two halves and in half lengthwise. Then cut into smallish strips. Place in bowl and set aside.

2. Cook the veggies.

Reheat medium-size pan with some grapesedd oil (about 1-2 teaspoons) over medium heat. Add carrots and cook 1 minute. Salt with a couple light pinches of salt. Add onions and cook 1 minute more. Add bell peppers and cook 1- 2 minutes. Remove veggies from pan and set aside.

3. Make the dressing.

In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup grapeseed oil with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1-2 teaspoons Mirin, 1-2 teaspoons amino acids, and 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar. Wisk together using a fork.

4. Cook the shrimp.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Using the same pan as before, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat. Before it gets too hot, add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to release flavor. Add shrimp. Cook 1-2 minutes. Flip. Pour a touch of tamari sauce (about 1 teaspoon) over shrimp and add scallions. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes. Place shrimp in one corner of individual serving dishes. Pour excess oil, garlic and scallions into dressing and wisk once more. 

8 oz fresh or frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined)

2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon Mirin mixed in

2 carrots, thinly julienned

1 red bell pepper (or 4 small ones), thinly julienned

1/4 of a whole red onion, thinly sliced

1-2 heads butter lettuce, coarsely chopped

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

black sesame seeds, toasted

salt

grapeseed oil

tamari sauce

mirin

rice vinegar

amino acids

toasted sesame oil

5. Assemble!

Place lettuce in one corner of serving dish and top with avocado and dressing. Place cooked veggies in another corner, and the chopped egg in the remaining open corner. Top with cilantro and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve and instruct guests to mix everything together to insure a yummy mouthful with each bite.