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Daily Roast

Thought Flights.

5 Vacation Coffee Moments

2/23/2019

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Oh man. Today. At 7:25am I had an exquisite Vacation Coffee morning.  Saturdays are getting busy from a training perspective so I rolled out of bed and decided to grab a cup of ambrosia.  My first sip was so excellent it inspired a blog.

5 Vacation Coffee Moments This Week

  1. Ambrosia = Valentine Espresso, Almond Milk, 1/2 Tbsp Honey.
  2. Multiple reps in the 200# range for squats, and a successful strict press in the 100# spectrum.
  3. Being inspired for a side hustle.
  4. Seeing so many people get inspired to learn to lift heavy, and having the opportunity to watch my business shift and evolve yet again.  More small group openings coming soon. <3
  5. Receiving a gift in the mail (that I bought a year ago) from an incredible local artist.  If you've ever seen the painted antler in my home, I now have one for the gym and the detail mind boggles me.  
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Like what you see? Head to https://cassandra-smith.com to check out her portfolio and shop! Cassie is one of my former clients, her husband is my former teammate, and they have a beautiful little boy. <3
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The Perfect Cup: French Press

2/18/2019

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How to brew the perfect cup of coffee with your french press. <3
  1. Bring water to a boil in your kettle.
  2. While water is boiling take your fresh coffee beans (coffee beans in whole form have a shelf life of 6 months, but I've found that 3 months tops is best), and grind them to a medium-coarse grind.
  3. Once water has come to a boil let it cool for 1 minute.
  4. After 1 minute slowly pour water over the ground beans which I am hoping you transferred to your press.
  5. Stir and let steep for 4 minutes.
  6. After 4 minutes give your brew another stir, and then slowly press down on the press.
  7. Pour. Drink. Enjoy.
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Butternut Squash Soup: Thai Style

2/17/2019

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It just. Keeps. Snowing.  Cold days call for warm soups, and my favorite soup to make is butternut squash.  Traditionally I have served this soup with cheese raviolis, but since I have once again removed dairy from my diet (and feeling better because of it), I figured I'd combine my two favorite things: coconut curry and butternut squash.

Ingredients
  • 2lb Butternut Squash; peeled and cubed (I recommend getting a whole one and actually doing the work because you want to roast the seeds with red cayenne)
  • 1 Can Low Fat Coconut Milk
  • 3-4 Cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 Yellow Onion; chopped
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple; chopped
  • 1 Carrot; chopped
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Ginger
  • Red Curry Paste
  • Curry
  • Salt & Pepper
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Instructions

1. Peel and cube butternut squash. Take the seeds and place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cayenne, and roast in oven for 5ish minutes.  Just check on them here and there.  Set squash aside.

2. All of those chopped veggies and fruit in the ingredients?  We really don't care what they look like, so grab a stock pot and throw the mish mash in on medium high heat with 2 tblsp of oil.  Preferably canola oil, or any oil that cooks at high heat.  Cook until softened up, and then add the two cloves of chopped garlic for the last two minute or so.  I'm a stickler for not over cooking the garlic.
3. Now it's time to pour in the veggie stock and add the butternut squash.  Cook until you can easily get a knife or fork through the thickest cube of butternut squash.  So......20ish minutes on a simmer or boil. When I'm in a hurry I boil. When I do it right, I simmer.

4. Squash all soft and mushy?  Good. GRAB YOUR BLENDER!  There is going to be a larger amount of liquid to veggie mush so add a good amount of both and try to make it even.  I blend it down to a smooth texture. If it's too thick I add more broth.  Too thin? Add more veggie.  Blend until smooth and transfer back to an empty pot.

5.Once all soup is moved to the new pot turn the heat back up to a simmer.  This is where we add all the seasonings.  Salt. Pepper. Curry. Thai curry paste. Cayenne.  We will also be slowly adding in the coconut milk to create a creamy texture.  

6. Keep working at it until the taste is perfect.

7. Ladle into a bowl.  Add a small dollop of Greek yogurt, some cilantro, and the seeds to garnish.  Enjoy.
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Birthday Thing

2/11/2019

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When Chris and I first started dating a few friends of mine said, "Oh my god, this makes too much sense."  Well, they weren't wrong. Five years later (this April) we are still going strong.  The last three weeks have been very busy for me with the powerlifting team competing in two separate meets, various snow storms, cancellations and reschedules, new clients, old clients returning, etc.  However, Chris' birthday did not go unnoticed.  His dear friends Veronica and Jordan sent him a delicious Kings Cake, complete with tiny baby hidden in the cake, and I honored his 37th year of earthly presence by watching a Nicolas Cage movie.

Face. Off.

In celebration of the birthday boy, here are a few things that make him wonderful:
  • There are rumors, and various pictures, that say he had beautiful hair, worthy of the God's, and because of this they smited him and took back the locks of gold, returning them to their heavenly realm.  In return they had given Chris an incredible beard.  I love that beard.
  • Chris can bake and he's pretty great at it.  My favorite are his scones and honey beer bread.
  • He is kinder than any other human I know.  
  • He's very good at trolling people.  Again, in a very kind way. Chris manages to troll without insult.  It's a gift.
  • He doesn't remember anything he does. I remember everything he does.  This does not bode well for Chris, but it makes for fun stories.
  • Chris has never shadowed my light.  Never tried to extinguish my flame.  I am a stronger woman because he is a good man.
  • When I get scared or angry, he stays calm.  When he gets scared, I stay calm.  I cannot say I have ever seen him truly angry.  Frustrated, yes.  But when he gets frustrated that's when I know I pushed things too far, and I apologize and reel myself in.  
  • He brings chaos to my obsessive compulsive organization.
  • He's the best.
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The Social Conundrum

2/8/2019

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How many of you have tried to disconnect from social media?  

"Bye Facebook!"
"See ya later, Instagram!"

My favorite is when it's announced.  I did this for a month last year and the world was very quiet.  Social media is clearly back in my life, but it's different now.  Do I occasionally find myself mindlessly scrolling?  Yes. Ugh. Such a bad pointless habit.  What's different then?  I am learning how social media is working so that I can work with it.  I need it for my job.  That truth is something I cannot escape.  It's "free" marketing and advertising, in a sense, and it is where a lot of us socialize.....or is it?  

Are you socializing or are you stalking?  I'll fully admit to stalking people.  I mainly stalk cake blogs, though.
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I blame The Great British Baking Show.

Anyways, how many of you are actually social on social media?  A.J. of my Mastermind Group posed this question to us today on a call.  I have no idea why that thought never stuck with me before. Social. In a media way. Social media. 

​I'm such a derp.
Now that I have used social media to my advantage by interacting with people, tagging, placing links in the right place, etc, my analytics are improving! AND THAT'S GREAT!  That is what I need from a business perspective.

But what about personal?  Well, personal is how Vacation Coffee started, my friends.  Why? Because FitPOWER is not just Jess anymore.  FitPOWER is now an us. Jess is a....me. I am a Jess.  Some things you may have noticed about Jess:

  • My personal Facebook page showcases more community happenings and FitPOWER activities rather than personal beliefs or posts.
  • My blog is where I open up more.  It's a bizarre thing when people are quick to be petty on social media (maybe it's that quick satisfaction of getting to say something punchy just to stir the pot), but are more thoughtful on a blog.  Or, I'm just not that popular on a blog!  Win win.
  • Instagram has the Jess factor.  Fun memes.  Our doggos. Chris being goofy. But it's instagram, so its a quick happy feeling wrapped up in a picture!
  • Guess what I discovered!!! PINTEREST!!!  My name is Vacation Coffee! Give me a follow!  Right now I have a book board and my blog board.
This blog can tie in very well with a longer one I wrote the other day called Boundaries.  I gave social media boundaries.  That is what is different.  It may be near impossible now to fully disconnect ourselves.  As a society, we just aren't heading in that direction.  But you can make it better by being clear about where and when you connect to the world, and when you decide to be fully present.  

Watch the video below for an awesomely insightful vlog on this exact topic.  When you get to minute 8 I suggest you really tune in and connect to what she is trying to say.
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