Witchy Woman Walking

Birthdays should be a celebration of life, but they are often met with resistance as we get older. As society becomes more and more obsessed with youth, we dismiss the belief that midlife has anything of value to offer us. But what if the second half of life includes much more than aches and pains? What if midlife and beyond hold the potential for deeper curiosity, joy, purpose, and relationships? When we finally give zero f#cks, we can start living life on our own terms. This is the gift of getting older if we choose to accept it. As we take in the early signs of spring, consider the beauty ready to bloom in your life. Embrace your age, embrace your one wild, precious life!
What am I reading?
Letting Magic In by Maia Toll
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780762480418
The Untethered Soul by Micheal A. Singer
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781572245372

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Curbside Prophet by Jason Mraz

What’s for dinner?
Thai Peanut Chicken 
Ingredients:
1 Ib chicken breast or tofu
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup peanut butter, 
2 tbsps tamari
 1-3 tsps honey
 2 tbsps lime juice
2 garlic cloves
I inch fresh ginger
3 tbsps water
4 cups green cabbage
1/2 red pepper 
1/2 mango or 1 cup pineapple 
4 stalks green onion
Instructions: 
1. Mince the garlic and ginger. Chop the cabbage. Shred the carrot. Dice the red bell pepper. Cube the mango or pineapple. Chop the green onion.
Add the chicken to a small bowl and season with chili powder, smoked paprika and sea salt. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly and then shred with two forks.
In a blender, add the peanut butter, tamari, honey, lime juice, garlic, ginger and water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
 In a large bowl, add the cabbage, carrots, pepper, mango and green onions.
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil Any neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola
2 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions:
Stir together the dry ingredients in a microwave-safe mug: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps.

Add in the oil and milk, stirring until smooth.

Drop the peanut butter into the center of the batter and gently press it down.

Microwave on high for 1 minute. If needed, adjust the time by a few seconds depending on your microwave.

Aging out of F#cks
https://themidst.substack.com/p/aging-out-of-fcks
Previous Birthday Episode 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2251895/episodes/16868953
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Most of us can recall a time when we did something purely to please someone else. Maybe the action didn't sit well in our gut, but we did it anyway to avoid conflict or rejection. This desire to please others is hardwired into our survival instincts. When we make others happy, we're less likely to be cast out of the herd. This behavior makes sense, but when it becomes excessive we risk emotional and physical burnout. So how can we tell when our behavior is genuinely kind and helpful versus people-pleasing? The trick is to discern whether you're acting from a place of fear rather than a place of love. As we stroll through the late winter woods, consider your people-pleasing tendencies. Are they based in genuine kindness or are they fueled by fear? It's time to see and feel the difference. 

What am I reading?
The Violin Makers Secret by Evie https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780008777678
The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic by Lindsey Stewart
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781538769508

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers

What’s for dinner? 
Healthy Burger Bowl
1 lb ground beef, chicken, turkey, or plant based protein 
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 cups chopped romaine
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup pickle slices
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 avocado 
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 tsp hot sauce 
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground protein and seasonings. Cook until browned. Drain fat. Set aside to cool.
Wash and chop lettuce, halve tomatoes, shred carrots, slice onion, and slice pickles. Dice the avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Mix yogurt, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, and hot sauce. Season to taste.
Divide the lettuce between bowls. Top with layer of ground meat, then add tomatoes, carrots, onions, pickles, shredded cheese, and avocado. Drizzle with sauce. Enjoy!
Fudgy Date Brownies
Ingredients: 
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted 
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips 
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper.
Place the pitted dates and hot water in a food processor. Blend until you create a smooth paste. 
Add the melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the date paste. Mix. 
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. 
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Center should remain fudgy.
Let the date brownies cool in the pan before cutting. Cooling helps set the fudgy texture.
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Managing feelings and emotions can be a complicated part of life. When we’re angry, sad, or frustrated it’s all too easy to blame our negative feelings on someone else. Sometimes we have a difficult time separating our own emotions from the emotions of others. We can even create codependent relationships by caretaking the feelings of others, rather than allowing them to do emotional work for themselves. Learning to be emotionally autonomous is a skill that we can hone once we start taking accountability for our own inner worlds. Your feelings are your responsibility… full stop. As we wander through the muddy forest, reflect on your emotional landscape. How healthy are your boundaries? What work is yours to do? 

What am I reading?
The Ferryman and his Wife by Frode Grytten
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781643757452
Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics by Mirabai Starr
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781683641568

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Up, Up, and Away by Jack Harris

What’s for dinner? 
Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Salad 
Shredded chicken 
2 cups cooked quinoa
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes halved
Fresh spinach
1 can chickpeas 
Fresh dill
Chopped olives
Goat cheese crumbled
Olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Fresh lemon juice
Minced garlic 
Pickled onions 
Salt and pepper
Instructions: Marinate and cook chicken, shred into bite-sized pieces or use precooked rotisserie chicken. Cook quinoa according to instructions. Wash and dice cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, fresh spinach, and fresh dill. Add olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper to a big bowl, mix. Toss in veggies, chicken, chickpeas, and quinoa. Mix thoroughly, season to taste, sprinkle with goat cheese. Enjoy! 
Lavender Cookies
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon culinary grade lavender buds
1 large egg yolk 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt it in the microwave in 25 second intervals until fully melted. 
In a food processor, combine the sugar and lavender buds and pulse a few times.
Stir together the melted butter, lavender sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir very well to combine.
Next, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the dough, and stir just to combine.
Press the dough flat and evenly in the bowl, and then divide it in half. You should get 3 cookies from each half.
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There are many reasons to feel uneasy these days. Most of us are walking around with frazzled nervous systems that we don’t know how to soothe. Stress and anxiety have become so commonplace that we don’t even realize how off kilter we are on a daily basis. Thankfully, there are many ways to calm our bodies if we’re willing to pay attention. Tending to our nervous systems is not frivolous, it’s critical work if we want to show up fully to our lives each day. Take a breath, find a pen and paper, and begin the process of creating an internal space of safety. 
What am I reading?
The Botanist’s Assistant by Peggy Townsend 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780593638118
When Things Fall Apart: Letter to Activist’s in Crisis by Kelly Hayes 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781849355841

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

Additional Recommendations 
Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780593716939
The Cure For Chronic Pain w/ Nicole Sachs Podcast 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cure-for-chronic-pain-with-nicole-sachs-lcsw/id1439580309

What’s playing on repeat?
Trendsetter by Connor Price and Haviah  Mighty

What’s for dinner?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Bean & Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can white beans
1 can chickpeas
2 cups cooked quinoa 
Handful chopped olives
Goat cheese (for crumbling on top) 
Pickled red onions chopped 
Fresh dill 
Salt and pepper
Dressing:
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Grainy mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper 
Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and thinly slice Brussels sprouts. Arrange on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and slightly browned. In a large bowl, mix together dressing ingredients. Drain and rinse beans, add to bowl. Chop pickled onions, olives, and fresh dill, add to bowl. Add roasted sprouts and cooled quinoa. Mix together, sprinkle with goat cheese, season to taste. Enjoy! 

Vegan Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
For the chocolate pie filling:
12 ounces firm silken firm tofu
1/2 cup plant-based milk 
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/2 cup nut butter 
12 ounces chocolate chips
flaky sea salt for topping
Crust: Use premade graham cracker crust or homemade crust.
Instructions:
Blend the tofu, milk, maple syrup, and nut butter until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips. Add to the blender and blend until smooth. 
 Pour filling into a crust, sprinkle with sea salt if you want, and chill for a few hours until firm. Enjoy!
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Everywhere we turn someone is looking to influence our choices. It seems that new “experts” are emerging every minute. It feels impossible to make a decision without weighing the opinions of all the external forces. But what if these external forces are only serving to cloud our inner wisdom? What if instead we chose to be our own authority? What would your life look like if you were the one calling the shots? It’s time to trust your own intuition, find the magic in influencing yourself. 

What am I reading?
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780593874325
Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given
 https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781668067123

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa

What’s for dinner?
Super Versatile Bean Pesto
Ingredients:
Large handful or 2 of fresh basil
1 can white beans
Juice 2 lemons
Minced garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
8 olives w/ a little brine 
A few bread and butter pickles 
Salt and pepper 
Instructions: Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Season to taste. Spread on bread, use as a dip for veggies, or mix into pasta. Enjoy! 

Vegan Brookie
Brownie Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes, baked
3 tbsp cacao powder
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Cookie Ingredients:
1 tin chickpeas
6 medjool dates
1/4 cup peanut butter powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana
Pinch of salt
Optional choc chips
Ingredients:
1. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven until super soft and squishy. Peel the sweet potatoes and add to a bowl with the remaining brownie ingredients and mix together.
2. Add all the cookie ingredients to a food processor and blitz until it forms a cookie dough texture. Mix in optional chocolate chips.
3. Add the brownie batter to an oven safe dish, then add the cookie dough mixture to the top. Bake in the oven for 30-40 at 180 Celsius or 350 F. 
@broccoli_mum
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