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The Power of the Mind "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." -Abraham Maslow Interesting News in Psychology: Why Does Getting Rejected by Strangers Matter? | Psychology Today

Power-Packed Smoothie Bowl Ingredients: 1 cup frozen mixed berries 1 banana (fresh or frozen) 1 cup spinach 1 scoop plant-based protein powder 1 cup almond milk (or other plant milk) 1 Tbsp chia seeds 2 Tbsp sliced almonds Fresh fruit for topping (strawberries, kiwi, or mango work great) Start your day with a burst of energy. Blend frozen berries, spinach, a banana, and plant-based protein powder with almond milk. Top it with chia seeds, sliced almonds, and fresh fruit. This bowl is like a sunrise in a dish - bright, nourishing, and full of life. Have fun with it! Mine doesn't usually look as pretty as this picture, but that was what we wanted to convey here. Try different fruits, proteins, and carbs to balance them out the way you like and to keep things interesting! Directions: In a blender, combine berries, banana, spinach, protein powder, and almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a bowl. Top with chia seeds, almonds, and fresh fruit. Enjoy immediately — it’s basically sunshine in a bowl!

14 Day Plant Based Meal Plan Day 1 Breakfast Melty Scramble Sandwich. Lunch: Southwest Tofu and Veggie Rice Bowl. Snack: Fig Bars and Veggies sticks. Dinner: Plant-Based Teriyaki Bowls Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies Breakfast Potato Scramble and a banana. Lunch: Leftover Teriyaki Bowls Snack: Mixed Nuts and a piece of fruit. Dinner: Chili with Cornbread Dessert: Fruity Sorbet Breakfast Overnight Oats with Bananas Lunch: Deli style sandwich with Kettle chips Snack: Dairy Free Yogurt & cashews Dinner: Chunky Sausage and Veggie Ragu & Pasta Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies Day 2 Day 3 Breakfast Melty Scramble Sandwich. Lunch: Leftover Chili and cornbread Snack: Fig Bars and Veggies sticks. Dinner: Chik'n and Veggie Fajitas Dessert: Popcorn Breakfast Tofu Scramble Lunch: Nachos, topped with Fajita veggies. Snack: Hummus and Crackers Dinner: Pizza Dessert: Fruit Breakfast Potato Scramble Lunch: P,B, & J w/Chips Snack: Tapenade & Crackers Dinner: Pita Wraps w/Falafel Dessert: Sorbet or Frozen Yogurt Breakfast Potato Scramble Lunch: Any remaining leftovers Snack: Fruit Dinner: Stir-Fry & Yakisoba Noodles Dessert: Pudding Day 5 Day 4 Day 6 Day 7 Breakfast: Fritata and Potatoes Lunch: Southwest Tofu & Veggie Rice Bowl. Snack: Banana Bread Dinner: Chik'n Fried Steak and Potatoes Dessert: Fruit Salad Breakfast: Melty Scramble Sandwich. Lunch: Leftover Soup Snack: Pudding Dinner: French Bread Pizza and Salad Dessert: Ice Cream Breakfast Potato Scramble and a banana. Lunch: Leftovers Snack: Mixed Nuts and a piece of fruit. Dinner: Wild Rice Soup & Roll . Dessert: Fruity Sorbet Breakfast: Breakfast burrito Lunch: Leftover Chili and cornbread Snack: Hummus and veggies Dinner: Taco Salad Dessert: Popcorn Breakfast: Oatmeal & Fruit Lunch: Nachos, topped with Fajita veggies. Snack: Hummus and Crackers Dinner: Veggie Wraps Dessert: Fruit Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast & Fruit Lunch: P,B, & J w/Chips Snack: Tapenade & Crackers Dinner: Veggie Sausage Dogs Dessert: Pudding Breakfast: Veggie Scramble & Toast Lunch: P,B, & J w/Chips Snack: Chips and Salsa Dinner: Sausage and Veggie Skewers Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14

Plant based Johnny Cakes Ingredients: 1 C cornmeal ¼ C sugar ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp kosher salt1 C buttermilk (1 C DF Oat milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp cold water in fridge 10 min ) or 1 Tbsp Egg or Egg Substitute (Just Egg is our go-to 1 Tbsp molasses 1 Tbsp melted butte Directions: 1) Pre-heat saute pan while prepping milk (combine with lemon juice) 2) Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until the consistency of pancake batter. 3) Using measuring spoon, pour batter onto spray-oiled saute pan making little Johnnycakes 4) Serve with Southern food and Cajun food

Meet Bryce and Destiny McLaren Namaste From humble beginnings, we’ve walked a path shaped by resilience, creativity, and a desire to serve. Raising a family while navigating physical limitations and challenges like low vision, anxiety, depression, and military-related PTSD taught us the strength of compassion, patience, and persistence. For many years, the hardest part of being “different” wasn’t just living with those challenges, but facing a world that often lacked understanding or acceptance. As our children grew and left home, new space opened in our lives — space to reconnect with ourselves, with each other, and with the deeper callings of our spirit. In that process, we discovered something powerful: that true wealth isn’t measured by income, but by purpose, joy, and the ability to give back. We chose to earn less if it meant doing what we love — creating, teaching, and building communities rooted in authenticity and love. This website is the heart of that vision: a place where our stories, recipes, writings, and spiritual practices come together. It’s a living archive of the lessons we’ve learned, the wisdom we’ve gathered, and the joy we find in blending flavor, spirit, and creativity. Looking ahead, our dream is to one day create a wellness retreat center and farm — a space for healing, growth, and connection with the land. We envision it as a co-operative effort, where others who share this vision can join in community, learning, and service. Until then, this site is where the seeds are planted, growing into something larger with each step. Our hope is simple: that the work you find here nourishes you — body, mind, and soul — and inspires you to embrace your own journey fully. Mission People everywhere are searching for belonging, meaning, and connection in a world where old systems no longer provide the answers. We believe community doesn’t have to be defined by religion, politics, social class, or labels of any kind. Instead, it can be built on authenticity, compassion, creativity, and shared growth. Through food, spirit, and storytelling, we offer a space where people can reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with the wisdom that unites us all. Our mission is to create resources, practices, and experiences that inspire healing, empower voices, and bring people together across all walks of life — planting the seeds for a more conscious, loving, and sustainable future. Vision O ur hope is to empower and bring people together by providing useful information, encouragement, and support for all those who seek it, while offering a safe space to learn and explore alongside like-minded people from all around the world! Legacy Our long-term vision is to create a sanctuary for healing — a retreat center and farm where people can step away from the noise of the world and reconnect with themselves. Through guided spiritual journeying, sound baths, integration workshops, and hands-on farm experiences, we want to offer a safe and loving space for transformation. Whether for a weekend stay or a longer immersion, this center will embody the full expression of our work: blending food, spirit, and community into a path of healing and belonging.

Balanced, plant-based lunches inspired by global flavors. From light Japchae to hearty gumbo and comforting soups, Flavor & Spirit brings Ayurveda ease to your midday meal. Lunch Keep checking back, we will be adding more of your favorite dishes! Japache A Japanese inspired dish that hits all the notes! Sausage Gumbo Savory and slightly spicy, great for lunch or dinner! Potato Leek Soup A creamy and heart go-to, that's perfect for a cold day

The Hero’s Journey The path of becoming. This isn’t just mythology; it’s the pattern of awakening woven through every soul’s story. Across ages and cultures, the same rhythm repeats itself. We dream, we act, we fall, we rise, and in time, we remember what we’ve always known. Every civilization found its own language for this process. Some called it enlightenment, others rebirth, ascension, or gnosis. But beneath all the names is the same map — the return to self. What we once saw as divine instruction was really a reflection of our own becoming. The Hero’s Journey is not about slaying dragons or reaching a final destination. It’s about the quiet evolution that happens each time we move from confusion to clarity, from survival to purpose. It’s the sacred rhythm that keeps us growing, whether through heartbreak or breakthrough. When we start to see our lives this way, everything shifts. The chaos stops feeling like punishment and starts revealing itself as initiation. Every loss, every repeat lesson, every strange loop back to the beginning is part of the same spiral that’s been guiding humanity since the dawn of consciousness. The Universal Pattern Every age has tried to name it — the pulse that moves through creation, destruction, and rebirth. It’s in the myths of gods and heroes, the cycles of nature, the rhythms of our own healing. Whether written in stone or stored in neurons, the pattern repeats: expansion, contraction, renewal. We rise to understand, we fall to remember. The ancients called it the Great Wheel. Alchemists called it transmutation. Modern psychology calls it growth through integration. But they’re all describing the same current — the universal pattern that carries us through transformation. This pattern isn’t mystical fluff or moral lesson; it’s the architecture of evolution itself. The same laws that guide the stars guide the psyche. The same energy that births galaxies pushes us toward wholeness. When we resist the pattern, life feels chaotic. When we learn to move with it, we begin to see that even chaos has choreography. The journey doesn’t just happen to us — it happens through us. Every heartbreak that cracks us open, every failure that forces a redirection, every breakthrough that follows surrender — all of it belongs to the same design. From the creation myths of Egypt to the philosophies of India, from Jung’s archetypes to quantum theory’s entanglement, the story never really changes. Consciousness expands, forgets itself, and then finds its way home again. Over and over, forever learning how to embody what it already knows. That’s the rhythm behind every story humanity has ever told — and it’s the same rhythm living in you. The Living Arcana & Archetypes The Leap of Faith The Fool walks with trust before proof. She reminds us that growth begins not in certainty, but in the courage to begin anyway. Explore Archetype Explore Archetype The Magician turns potential into practice. Through repetition and patience, he learns that mastery isn’t luck—it’s devotion made visible. The Apprenticeship of Creation The Practice of Knowing Explore Archetype The High Priestess listens before acting. She invites us to quiet the noise and remember that true wisdom isn’t found—it’s recalled. Nurturing the Effable The Empress reminds us that creation isn’t chaos — it’s care. She’s the one who turns wisdom into warmth and effort into ease, nurturing what’s real until it thrives. Explore Archetype The Living Arcana & Archetypes

We are explorers and guides, not Psychologists (yet) but learned a lot in our life-long journey. This exercise was interesting, fun, and truly changed our lives. Full disclosure, you will be looking at your truest, most vulnerable self!! This isn't for the faint of heart. Taking such an intimate and honest look within has a funny way of showing you things that were always there but easy to miss or forget. What do you have hidden within? Even if it doesn't change your life, we hope you find it as powerful as we did! Let us know how you enjoyed it! Enjoy! The Full Story Step One: Get ready Paper and a quiet are all you need, but I recommend taking a few deep breaths and making the decision to be completely open and honest, yes with yourself. You will realize throughout this process just how difficult this can be for many people. It's always okay to stop and come back to it later, but this works best when you give your initial answers, not just your well thought out responses....just be gentle when reflecting on those answers. None of us are perfect or we wouldn't be searching for answers. Step Two: Get paper and settle into a quiet and comfy Place If you're reading this because you feel a bit lost and find yourself heading in the direction of an awakening, of whatever capacity, we HIGHLY recommend keeping a journal. This will be great to look back on later. First Question: Paper and a quiet are all you need, but I recommend taking a few deep breaths and making the decision to be completely open and honest, yes with yourself. You will realize throughout this process just how difficult this can be for many people. It's always okay to stop and come back to it later, but this works best when you give your initial answers, not just your well thought out responses....just be gentle when reflecting on those answers. None of us are perfect or we wouldn't be searching for answers. Vision This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Step One: Get ready Paper and a quiet are all you need, but I recommend taking a few deep breaths and making the decision to be completely open and honest, yes with yourself. You will realize throughout this process just how difficult this can be for many people. It's always okay to stop and come back to it later, but this works best when you give your initial answers, not just your well thought out responses....just be gentle when reflecting on those answers. None of us are perfect or we wouldn't be searching for answers.

Discover the path within Flavor & Spirit that resonates with your current season of life through this interactive self-discovery and intentional living quiz. Where will your journey take you? Discover the Next Steps on Your Unique Journey Explore a quiz designed to enhance your wellness and creativity. Uncover insights into your life’s meaning and embrace intentional living. Remember, there are no right answers, just possibilities waiting to be discovered. Start Now

A hearty, family-favorite tortilla soup simmered with tomatoes, beans, corn, and peppers, layered with bold spices and finished with crisp tortilla strips, avocado, and fresh cilantro. Comforting, nourishing, and perfect for any season. Tortilla Soup Not only is this one of our favorite dishes and one that the family can enjoy in any season, it's a great opportunity to spend some time prepping food together as a family! Aside from the time it takes prepping all those veggies, it's easy to make and definitely worth the effort! Ingredients: 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies X1 12 oz can tomato paste 8C water + vegetable bullion = 8 C broth 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can corn, drained 1 small yellow onion, small dice 1 green bell pepper, small dice 1/2-1 bunch of cilantro 1 avocado Tortilla strips (best to fry your own) 2 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil or avocado oil 4 Tbsp taco seasoning 1 ½ tsp oregano 3 Tbsp Creole or Cajun seasoning 2 Tbsp hot sauce, cayenne pepper 5 jalapeno slices, fresh preferred, but pickled will suffice 1 Tbsp kosher salt (more or less to your taste) 1 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper 1 Tbsp garlic powder C cooked rice (we use an Instant pot) ½ bunch of cilantro, minced Chopped avocado Tortilla strips (best if fried at home) Chop veggies and garnishes If you plan to fry your own tortilla strips, get your oil heated up on Medium, since this takes time. In hot soup pot, saute onions and peppers in hot oil until they begin to soften. Add in beans and corn. Cook for 3 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes Start rice in a steamer or Instant Pot. This should finish shortly before soup. When everything is finished cooking, add a scoop of rice into a bowl and add soup on top Serve hot with listed garnishes.

Moist Vegan Banana Bread Ingredients: WET: 3-4 large ripe bananas, mashed 2 flax eggs 1 ½ C sugar ½ C Crisco or other shortening ¼ C almond or oat milk DRY: 1 tsp baking soda 2 ½ C AP flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp nutmeg ¼ C crushed walnut pieces Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour loaf pan. 2) Wet mix: mashed banana, flax eggs, Crisco, vanilla extract, and sugar. 3) Dry: In separate bowl mix together AP flour, baking soda, and nutmeg. 4) Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, slowly adding in milk. Fold in walnuts. 5) Pour mix into prepared loaf pan. 6) Bake @ 325 F for 60-80 min. Use toothpick to test for doneness