I am asked often to make these muffins for my friends. I was inspired by a recipe from a spa that I then tailored and changed until I was happy with the result. Often, eating oatmeal, cereal or toast in the morning leaves me famished by 10 am. Alternately, I am unable to eat a big heavy protein filled breakfast first thing in the morning. I had to give this some thought and realized that while carbs are easier to digest in the morning, I needed some carbs with longevity. Additionally, I needed wheat free carbs. So I formulated this recipe and it has been a hit ever since. I dont travel without them! My friends see it (truly) as a gift when I bring them a batch. Try this recipe....you will thank me...But just remember, they are NOT the heavy big muffins you get at coffee houses and bakeries. Think.....Spa.

Download the recipe

 

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In the Eye of the Beholder....

Beauty is all around us. Even when we think there is no value to something, someone can find a way to make it beautiful, useful and communicate a part of themselves through it. The object then has a history of its own - transformed in different ways and contributing to this world.

This drum became a trash can to help keep the beach clean, then someone saw it as a canvas for their art and in turn inspired me to write this blog. It is almost "paying it forward" in a way. Continuing to use what we already have and mix it with our essence to create something totally new.

Junk and unwanted items should be looked at again. Can it not be recycled in some way? Can the item be repurposed into something useful or a beautiful thing to enjoy? Or can it's parts be used again so that something else can continue to enhance life in some way? I call this a dzyn MashUp.

Taking something that is considered useless or unwanted and transforming it into something useful or beautiful or both. I enjoy taking "junk" and redesigning or reusing it to create something totally new and unexpected. The item inspires me to challenge myself and use what is already available, transforming it into something new.

Creating dzyn MashUps out of something that was once considered useless, is empowering. How about people? No one is useless. No one's life is junk. Perhaps applying these same principles to our lives could be enlightening for all of us. No positive effort is junk. Take what seems to be junk in your life, find what is beautiful and useable in it and create something that can contribute to humankind.

All of us have traits that are useful, but maybe we haven't considered combining them with what we had considered useless? Life throws us many surprises and things don't always go as planned. Plans are just that. Plans. Be open to the possibilities - be open to the MashUp in your life and in turn inspire others to do the same.

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Creativity comes in many forms and saying you aren’t creative is like saying you are not a human being. Everyone creates. Those who harness it are the ones who have an advantage in this current job market, life, and their overall life experience.

Let’s say you can’t draw, paint or sculpt so you decide you aren’t creative. But maybe you are excellent at creating codes for computer programming ….and you love doing it.

Or maybe you are really good with people and able to persuade the most unbending nasty types to work with you or in a group.

Maybe you are quiet, observant and create analysis, which yield amazing findings that add to our lives. The point is, to create is human and we are all creative.

What do you like to create? A discussion, a poem, a painting, a new way of learning for someone who thought they just couldn’t learn? We all have talents that require honing and paying attention to. When we do that, we shine. We get noticed and before you know it, you are asked to create what it is you do on a regular basis. You get recognition for your talents and people want to pay you for them. THAT is how to get started…

Some like to create an answer to a need. Some create products to needs we didn’t know we had. What are you good at? Start doing it because you really enjoy it and the rest will follow.

So MAKE THINGS and make things happen.

• Check out “Getting a chance and takin’ it” – two guys who did what they loved to do and built careers from it. Dzyn Ur Lyf
• dzyn Mash Up puts creating into focus -taking sustainable design to a whole new level. The possibilities are endless and inspirations limitless for ways to recreate, rethink, repurpose and redesign. It’s not all about arts and crafts.

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Sound unreasonable? It isn’t really if you think about it. People who are engaged in their interests, community, work or life rarely find themselves bored. The impetus to create (or work, or socialize or learn) is integral to living. It’s what gives us ambition, drive, curiosity and connects us to one another. By taking the time to discover what is interesting to us, we get to know ourselves better. By knowing ourselves better, we have a chance at living a more balanced life that is rewarding.

Finding past times that enrich us as human beings builds an excellent knowledge of self along with a sense of capability and independence. Learning is never a waste of time and solitude can enhance the creative mind. With the world of technology buzzing all around us, we are fortunate to have so much available. But it is important to realize that everything comes at a price. It is important to remember that we control the amount of technology and media we allow into our lives.

Watching hours of television requires absolutely no effort on the viewer’s part. They might gain some knowledge they hadn’t had before watching television – but many people don’t always chose the most enriching programs. Video games are tremendously time consuming and can be addicting. Hours of Facebook can distract a person from life for awhile and many chose to be on Facebook for that reason. But what could they be doing with their time that might enrich them? Telephones and texting, emails and web surfing. I am not innocent of any of the above. I watch television, use the web, and Facebook.

The key is to not allow technology to invade our free time. The key is to make choices that are balanced and reasonable. DO AND LEARN THINGS THAT ARE INTERESTING. By doing so, you will: Add to the person that you already are, give to your community, build real life relationships. By not giving in to the colossal amounts of time that technology can eat up, we can find out WHO we are. The result...we will hardly be boring.

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That seems like a pretty easy question to answer – right? Well, it might not be as easy as you think. Many people have trouble defining exactly what it is that they love to do. If they are able to identify a passion, it is often something that they are afraid to try because they perceive it to be unrealistic. This simply isn’t so.

The easiest way to discover what you are passionate about is to consider how you spend your free time. Do you like making things and selling them on Etsy? How about filming and editing? Programming or graphic arts? Music, debate, politics…

Think about what grabs your interest and keeps you coming back for more. Something that you create just for the sake of….creating it.

And then keep doing it.

How will that fit into your life?

 

• Explore it. Find someone you admire and spend time learning from them, whether it be for an hour, a day or for the duration of an entire internship.
• Don’t write anything off—go in ready to “make copies and sweep floors” and make the most of your time while you are there.
• Find out how this person is making it work. Does their passion allow them to lead a balanced lifestyle, with time for other activities? How important is a balanced lifestyle to you?

It’s alright if you discover that it’s simply not the right fit for you. That’s what this experience is all about—exploration.

Start somewhere. Find your passion...

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