On Mindfulness & Thoughts like Popcorn

Does anyone love popcorn as much as I do?

Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.

~ John Muir

Ever tried to meditate?

As in, sitting quietly, breathing mindfully (no where to go, nothing to do), clearing your mind of your thoughts? It’s a giant challenge, and one I don’t do often enough for sure.

Now imagine in that harried moment a boisterous loud popcorn popper, bubbling over with abundant, freshly popped (thoughts) and corn. Many of you might relate to this as we try to slow the pace of our minds, and the thoughts that keep ‘popping’ faster as we try harder to slow them down.

Eventually, if you sit long enough, those popcorn thoughts will slow down. Eventually, with practice, they do stop.

“Stress is caused by being in the now but wanting to be in the future, reducing the present to a means to an end.”

– The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

I don’t think I know a soul in this life who doesn’t benefit from taking some time to slow down, to breathe, and to simply be.

With that, I dedicate today’s post to popcorn, and to mindfulness.

Quiet. Peaceful. Present.

Pardon me for the (perhaps even slightly corny, okay, alot!) metaphoric post, but I couldn’t help it!

Popcorn is a long time personal favorite and I think it can help anyone wanting to practice mindfulness in a few small ways.

First of all, if you are an avid snacker, then it is likely you already know the virtues of being the proud and shrewd owner of a popcorn popper.

Last I checked, you can pick one up for about $20. Popcorn poppers don’t break, or require any cleaning, or take up any space (really) either.

They produce fresh, warm, and good-for-you popcorn in minutes.

Popcorn is literally the cheapest snack on earth – last I checked in it clocked at less than a quarter or so per large batch (to satisfy 2-3 people), and it also happens to be the healthiest, too.

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

– Omar Khayyám

So, if you love snacking, chances are you love popcorn (though I have met those who detest it).

Fresh popped is far superior to anything microwaved (in taste, economic, waste, and health factor), and also gives fried, salted, and over-processed snacks like bagged and boxed chips a serious run for their money.

So, if you don’t have a popper yet, they can be found easily at a bigger drug store, or cookshop.

I buy large bags of popcorn at a time a store it in a jar for easy access and scooping. My girls adore it, and so do I.

Many a meal has been made of popcorn, carrot sticks, and re-run marathons of Friends. Precisely why we *sometimes* look forward to the husband’s business trips.

But we don’t tell him that. We wouldn’t want to upset anyone now, would we?! 😉

Hope is a waking dream.
~ Aristotle

The Less:

Less salted, fried, and packaged snacks, means less salt, oil, fat and empty, fattening foods in your life. Less worry about snacking means more enjoyment of those moments, and less guilt later about cravings, snacking, and eating in general. Less cost and less prep means snacking well is super easy, just breathe deep while it pops, and remember to stay present (or not).

The More:

More clean eating snack food means worry is banished. More tasty clean toppings means fresh flavor is abundant. More fresh homemade snack foods means the grocery snack aisles are history, and more high fiber popcorn means 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Homemade Popcorn:

• (1) electric Popcorn Popper
• (1) scoop popcorn kernels (organic if possible)
• (3-4) tbsp olive oil (feel free to also use melted butter)
• sea salt to taste
• other toppings to taste: nutritional yeast, chile powder, chile flakes, seasoning salt, black pepper, tamari, garlic powder…what are your faves?

Start by plugging in the popper and heating it for a minute or so to get it ready. Get a large clean bowl ready. Add the popcorn kernels, breathe deeply….exhale. Breathe deeply again……..exhale. Repeat until the popcorn starts popping! Add the oil in small bits as the popcorn comes out (yes, it is very interactive) – this will ensure even coating of all the kernels as best as you can.

Add your salt and seasonings as you add the oil. Once the thoughts, er, popcorn, are done cascading from the mouth of the popper, unplug and take one last mindful deep breath (or not).

Mix all with your hands. Choose your favorite show or movie, and enjoy!

Of course, if you don’t eat a lot of salt, or oil, or butter, you can eat popcorn completely naked too. It’s still delicious.

You can use one or all of these.

Sea salt,  nutritional yeast, olive oil.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

You can also try these: chili flakes, garlic powder, and seasoned salts of all kinds.

Another one of my favorite bloggers also tipped me off to one of her favorite childhood snacks a while back. I’ve yet to try this (mostly because I think it will be just too good), but she grew up enjoying cubes of sharp cheddar cheese cubes in her popcorn – thanks to Sharyn at thekalechronicles for that tip – one of these days I am surely trying that as the kids will love it, that I am sure! 

Have any of you enjoyed popcorn this way?

The power of imagination makes us infinite.

~ John Muir

Enjoy popcorn well, and revel in the simplicity of such an easy and economical way to scratch the snack itch.

After all that mindful deep breathing (or not), make sure to check in that you are not mindlessly scarfing the fruits of your labor. I think popcorn has an ever so valuable added layer of benefit for us – to make sure we are staying in the present moment long after the popper stops and we sit down eat it.

The present piece, the present bite, the present laugh.

I have observed this from years of popcorn eating experience, of course! 😉

“Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.”

― Louis L’Amour

That was a moment (or two) well enjoyed.

“The real pleasure,the real peace,  the real enlightenment is to give. The more you give the more you get. If you give 10, you get 100.”

– Bikram Choudhury

• Are you a popcorn fan too?
• What are your favorite popcorn toppings?
• How do you meditate or stay mindful?

I’d love to share with you on this as it is a matter very dear to me (both popcorn and mindfulness), I’m always looking for ways to improve my ability to practice and enjoy both!

Let us know and share your tips if you will! Here’s wishing you all a super wonderful weekend!

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Mindful Almond Milk/Cream

What is True Mindfulness?

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

How many of us eat on the go, or eat while doing other things, or (my worst or best habit depending on how you look at it), eat what feels like an entire dinner while preparing food?

I’ll admit it…….I am a bit of a snacker. I know, right? Is there anyone who isn’t?

I enjoy preparing food and having fun with it and I have to, I have 2 kids and a hungry husband to feed – never mind satisfying my own needs for fresh, healthful fare that keeps me feeling light on my feet.

But snacking is not a meal. Is it?

I should really be sitting down. And we do as a family, but during the week I definitely need to do it more.

• How do you stay mindful when you eat?
• Do you chew your food 30 times slowly?
• How do you stay in the present moment through your day?

I thought of this the other day when I was I was standing at my kitchen counter, peeling these almonds I soaked. I did this because a reader had asked about nuts other than cashews for making cream (Thank you Fiona!) – it brought me back to memories of almonds.

Specifically, it brought me back to thoughts of peeling the skins off almonds.

As I stood there (peeling almonds) focusing wholly on the task at hand, it struck me at how meditative the practice of popping off those skins was, one at a time, by hand. As each almond was touched by me, I imagined it was sort of ‘thanked’ as I handled each one and prepared it for what it would become:

Delicious, Nutritious, Fresh, Awesomeness.

Corny I know, but isn’t this why we love preparing food so much? Isn’t a meal only as good as the love it was prepared with?

So with this thought, I will share with you this recipe for almond cream, or milk. This base can be used for either, depending on how you prefer to enjoy it – I love cold almond milk over granola or on it’s own, it’s so refreshing and healthful.

The Less:

Freshly soaked almond milk means less packaging from store bought tetra paks. Less processing means more freshness. Less time grocery shopping in the center aisles means more time to peruse the fresh aisles and be inspired by the bounty available to us.

The More:

More live nutrition from soaked nuts means more energy infused into your cells. More time mindfully preparing food means more love in your tummy and calm in your center. More dairy-free options means less fat and calories from animal products.

Almond Cream/Milk Base

You will need:

• 1 cup whole raw almonds
• 4-6 dates
• cold water for soaking (enough to cover as the nuts will expand)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Soak almonds in cold water for 12 -18 hours. Soak the dates in a small bowl separately for the same amount of time. When ready, drain the almonds, and rinse well with cold water. Leave the almonds in the bowl of clean cold water.

Using another bowl to hold the peeled almonds, practice your super-powered yogic breathing (or just your regular breathing!), while you pop the skins off of each almond. If you’ve never done this before, you will be amazed: just apply a teeny bit of pressure to the tip of the almond and pull the skin back – those little white almond kernels will shoot right out!

See if you don’t meditate (just a little) while you get in this groove!

Once you are done this step – proceed to the next. Are you calm yet? No big deal either way….maybe you are dancing in the kitchen, that’s just as good!

Next:

Drain your dates. Combine the almonds, soaked dates, vanilla extract, and 1.5 cups of cold water in a blender. Blend on high until creamy, about 2 minutes.

From here you can:

1. Save and eat with the pulp as a cream just like cashew cream (it will be a little thicker)

2. Add up to 3 more cups of water to make milk

If you are making milk, add the extra water and blend on high. When smooth, strain the milk through a super fine strainer or cheesecloth into a large measuring jug or clean bowl. Voila! Fresh Almond Milk!

Store in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days and enjoy cold!

*If you want to, feel free to skip the peeling, this is totally an option if you are short on time. Just be sure to take a few deep breaths while the blender is running!

Be sure save the pulp from the almonds if you make milk – that’s my next post! Can you say chocolate?!

I hope you enjoy this as just another way to stay fresh and nutty and (maybe)…(just a little) less hectic and (maybe, just maybe)…….(just a little) more mindful.

Or, if you don’t, at least you can say you have now peeled almonds before!

Be well – I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday – I would love to hear how it goes!

Yours in Less,