Compassionate Women - Page 10 of 34 -

Turmeric Persimmon Nice Cream

May 9, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Summer is just around the corner! Unless you live in South Texas like me, in which case, it’s summer year round 🔥

But I’m okay with that because it means it’s always nice cream weather. I’m still going strong 2+ years into my obsession with banana nice cream and all it’s versatility/deliciousness. I used to make chocolate peanut butter nice cream all the time and I still love it, but lately I’ve been coming up with new flavors 🍌🍨

Enter Turmeric Persimmon Nice Cream. There’s something about persimmon that kicks up the nice cream game like a million notches. Persimmon adds natural sweetness, a gorgeous bright orange color, and a creaminess that I can’t even explain but it’s amazing. Bananas are one of nature’s most perfect foods and lends more natural sweetness as the creamy base for this recipe. Finally, ground turmeric balances out all the sweetness from the persimmon and banana, adds to the vibrant color, and contributes antioxidants and other healing properties.

Blend this dish up in just a few minutes, then top with coconut flakes, fresh fruit, and coconut whipped cream. I love having this Turmeric Persimmon Nice Cream for lunch, a snack, dessert – I’ve even had it for breakfast! Aside from being sweet and creamy and A++ all around, it gives you a ton of energy to go about your day.

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Does the Golden Rule Only Extend to Humans?

April 14, 2017 by Jillian 2 Comments

This is Jackson, my very first dog. I brought him home from the animal shelter because, well, he was a hot mess. He was so skinny his ribs were showing, he was throwing up and had diarrhea due to untreated intestinal worms, he was dirty, his teeth looked like those of a senior dog even though he was less than two years old, he flinched at every sound, and he was terrified of men. In fact, for the first several days, I had to physically carry him from place to place because he was often too afraid to even walk a few feet.

I have no clue what happened to Jackson before I brought him home. He was found roaming the streets. That’s all I know. I can only imagine the terrible things he experienced and I often wonder, if only people had treated him the way they would have wanted to be treated, he never would’ve been neglected, abused, or traumatized. To this day, nearly eight years later, he’s still extremely timid and skittish.

I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called Live and Let Live. It’s a thoughtful examination about the relationship between animals and humans, and it discusses the meaningful reasons why people choose to be vegan. It really made me think about this idea of the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” which typically involves human to human interactions. But it’s important for people to understand that by not extending the same courtesy to animals and the environment, we’re not only hurting them, but ourselves. We must understand that everything is interconnected and if we want to do good, we must do good to all.

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The Colorful History of Downtown Harlingen

March 30, 2017 by Jillian 2 Comments

One of my favorite things about the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is how colorful it is, literally and figuratively. From the deep blue skies to the green and purple cabbage fields, the food, the smiling faces, and the many intersecting cultures that collide down here along the border of Mexico.

I first visited the town of Harlingen about a year and a half ago to see the original Iwo Jima Monument. Check out my post Exploring the Rio Grande Valley to see the photos and learn more about other nearby towns in the area!

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I decided to go back and explore the historic downtown area. I was expecting the typical old brick buildings you usually encounter in small towns, but instead was greeted by a colorful array of unique buildings and murals. Downtown Harlingen really displays the color of the region, while still embracing the history and cultures. Scroll down to see what I mean 📷🎨

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Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Cheese Sauce

March 21, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

If you love mushrooms like me, then you’re going to love this recipe! Not only are mushrooms delicious and a great meat substitute, but they contain antioxidants, vitamin D, selenium, B vitamins and more! This recipe has two easy elements: the veggies and the cheese sauce. We’re going to start with a mixture of sauteed onion, spinach and baby bellas, then spoon them into meaty portobello mushrooms and smother it all in cashew cheese sauce. Tastes great served with quinoa or brown rice. Hearty, flavorful, and full of nutrients!

Before we get going, let me talk about this cashew cheese for a moment, because it’s so good I could literally eat it in a bowl by itself. Just like many of my dessert recipes tend to include chocolate, I’m noticing many of my dinner recipes are tending to include this cashew cheese sauce. But hey, chocolate and cheese, two things people don’t want to give up when they go vegan – and they don’t have to!

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Coconut Oil Supercharged Coffee

March 13, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but coffee plays a very important role in my life. Not only do I need a strong cup of coffee in the morning to complete my breakfast routine, but as a writer I often need the stimulation of coffee while I work, as well as the idea of a warm mug or cup next to me to facilitate the creative process. I try to stick with just 1-2 cups of coffee per day, and I’ve learned to substitute hot tea or other beverages so coffee overload isn’t affecting my sleep or giving me the jitters during the day.

Here enters the latest “fad” in the health foods world – Coconut Oil Supercharged Coffee. It plays off the idea of the Bulletproof Coffee, where coffee is brewed and mixed in a blender with grass-fed butter to create a foamy latte that contains “healthy fats” for a mental and physical boost. Although grass-fed better may have it’s merits, especially compared to more generic butter, it’s still dairy – not ideal and not cruelty free. But some amazing person came up with the vegan version! Instead of butter, use plant-based fats from coconut oil. It doesn’t have any of the negative health effects of butter and it doesn’t involve using animals or animal product.

I made Coconut Oil Supercharged Coffee nearly every day this past fall and winter, and guess what? I didn’t get sick at all, other than a brief allergy stint upon moving from one region of Texas to another (climate changes tend to affect me like that). My rockin’ immune system was courtesy of the coconut oil, which is a natural anti-bacterial and antiseptic. It’s also loaded with healthy fats for your brain and it makes your coffee taste like a million times better! A foamy, dreamy latte you can make yourself with two ingredients.

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