Going to the gym, eating more veggies, writing in a journal, watching less TV, staying in touch with long distance friends, reading more – as we approach the end of the year and look back, what is it that you have been struggling with? Which promise to yourself have you not kept as well as you wish you had? Which goals for 2017 have you not achieved?
Personally, I have been struggling with the motivation to develop this blog. You see those posts I did through June and the complete absence of anything new since then? During the summer, this blog was something which I put off. I didn’t prioritize it; I didn’t devote any time towards it. In fact, I resented it for not already being successful on its own.
My husband, who has created multiple successful start-ups, told me that new business ventures are like babies-very needy and time consuming. They require constant care and nurturing for years before they finally give anything back. With start-ups, there usually isn’t a clearly laid out path, a checklist to follow, a guideline or template for success. For me, that is exhausting and stressful and scary. I want to know that if I follow a prescribed list of steps, I will be guaranteed certain results. The ambiguity and potential for failure is daunting.
A few days ago, I came across an infographic entitled,” The Emotional Journey of Creating Anything Great.” I want to share it with anyone who may be reading this in the hopes that you apply it to something in your own life which you are struggling with. The emotional journey is normal and real. We just need to have the belief and persistence to get through this. Let’s help each other make it over that “dark swamp of despair.”
Yesterday I went out searching for something happy and fun and creative to share with you—something that will make you smile and feel a little bit magical.
Thank you Cassey Ho of Blogilates for sharing an amazing little thing she likes to call “Unicorn Toast.” See? Even the name is fun and magical! What, you may ask, is “unicorn toast” and why do you want to make it?
Look! Look at this amazingness!
I made my own unicorn toast yesterday and it put the biggest smile on my face! It was like eating pretty, pastel clouds imported from a magical world where unicorns roam free.
Ready to make some for yourself, your kids, and anyone else you want to share the joy with?
Ingredients
2 oz. of cream cheese for each color you want to make (I used regular block cream cheese and it worked, but if you like the whipped variety, it would be easier to mix the colorings into)
4 oz. mason jar for each color of cream cheese
Toast
Natural coloring ingredients – I used raspberries for pink, blueberries for purple, and matcha tea powder for green.
That fourth jar has blackberries which I was attempting to use to create a turquoise color, but sadly it did not work out. Anyone have any ideas for a natural way to make turquoise?
Directions
Prepare the natural coloring ingredients, one in each mason jar. I used thawed frozen berries. Mash them into the side of the jar using the back of a spoon to release the juice. You can strain out the fruit bits or leave them in for texture like I did. Usually I measure all of my ingredients, but this time I just guessed. Add fewer berries for pastel colors and more berries if you want darker colors.
For the green color, I used a spoonful of matcha tea powder.
Add 2 oz. of cream cheese to each jar and use a butter knife to mix until coloring is fully incorporated.
Get creative and spread the colors onto your toast. Make rainbows, flowers, swirls-whatever magical and beautiful patterns you want. This IS unicorn toast, after all–it should be mystical and fun!
Clap your hands and jump up and down a little with excitement because you just made pretty, edible deliciousness without using synthetic dyes. If you have extra cream cheese, just put a lid on your jars and you can store it for another day of fun.
Have fun, be inspired, embrace your creativity, and remember…there’s a jar for that!