Step up your morning routine with this flavorful oatmeal. In only 15 minutes, fuel your day with a breakfast that tastes just like dessert! The best part? It’s vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Ingredients Creamy Caramelized Banana Oatmeal Inspired by EatWithClarity.com
Bring More Positivity to Each Day Through Random Acts of Kindness
Oatmeal: • 1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats • 2 cups nondairy milk (or water)
Bananas: •
1–2 tbsp refined coconut oil • 2 tbsp maple syrup plus more for topping, if desired • 2 bananas, sliced into thick disks
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon • Pinch of sea salt • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a pot over medium heat, add the oats and nondairy milk (or water) and bring to a boil. 2. Reduce heat to low, add cinnamon, sea salt, and vanilla and let simmer until thickened. 3. To a large sauté pan, add the coconut oil and maple syrup while the oatmeal is cooking.
Once sizzling, add the sliced bananas. 4. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. 5. When the oatmeal is done, top with the caramelized bananas and additional maple syrup if desired. Add cinnamon, crushed walnuts, pecans, or nut butter!
A few days in February call upon us to spread love and kindness to others. Most are familiar with Valentine’s Day, as it’s hard to escape the candy, hearts, and stuffed animals that flood our local stores, but another special occasion allows us to bring joy to someone else’s life unexpectedly. Random Acts of Kindness Day takes place on Feb. 17 and provides us the perfect opportunity to do something kind for someone else. I genuinely believe that doing things for others, whether it’s a random act of kindness or something planned out, can add to our human experience in a positive way. I’m always touched and a little surprised whenever I’m on the receiving end of a random act of kindness. It can be something as simple as paying for someone else’s coffee in the drive-through line or letting someone with fewer groceries check out before you. These simple actions can completely turn someone’s day around. When my son was only 4 or 5 months old, my mother and I decided to take a trip to see my grandmother. It was a six-hour drive, so we needed to stop and get something to eat on the way. We stopped at a restaurant, ordered our food, and were pleasantly surprised when the waitress informed us that another table had already paid for our meal. They did this out of the kindness of their heart. We didn’t know them, and they didn’t know us. They didn’t even stick around for us to thank them! It was truly a random act of kindness that brightened our day. Since then, I’ve tried to go out of my way to perform random acts of kindness whenever possible. If I’m stopping to get food or a coffee and see a police officer or priest in line, I’ll pay for their order. I don’t do it for recognition; I try to remain anonymous. You never know what kind of day others are having, and receiving unexpected kindness can go a long way to help others through challenging times. We often underestimate how much certain actions can mean to someone. It can uplift them and create a lasting impact on their lives. They may even turn around and perform a random act of kindness themselves. This Feb. 17, try to perform a random act of kindness for someone else without expecting anything in return. You’ll be surprised how much positivity it can bring into the world.
TAKE A BREAK
–Andrea Shoup
e of mind tomorrow.
WWW.SHOUPLEGAL.COM | 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator