Home Cooked Healing

03/10/2022

Something many people don't know about me is that I co-own and run a business called Diamond6 Leadership & Strategy. We develop and run leadership development workshops across the country. I've been in this business for over 15 years! Officially, I'm the COO. I like to describe myself as a "Jill of all trades." Because, in a small business...you do a little bit of everything!

In my time with this business I have taught "executive wellness" to hundreds of people - educators, business leaders, and executives.

I love teaching adults and working with groups. It's incredibly rewarding and the support is inspiring.

I am bringing together my work in executive wellness and experience in leadership development in this new program.

In my opinion, presentations are fine, programs are better!

You can learn all about the Lead Yourself program here: bit.ly/leadyourselfnow

If what I describe there resonates with you, I hope you will join me.

Space is VERY limited. I am only taking 10 participants for this first go-around.

Hugs, 🌻
Tanya

03/08/2022

03/08/2022

Wow! It's been a minute....or more like YEARS 🙃

When I last posted my daughter was not even a month old. Now she's 5 1/2 and my son is 18 months!

Let me introduce (or re-introduce) myself.

I'm Tanya McCausland, I am a business owner, speaker, teacher, and nutrition counselor.

I am a wife, mom of two young kids, and a woman building a life free of hustle and grind. A life that feels joyous, grounded, calm, and rested.

In another pre-kid lifetime I ran programs and taught classes in the world of health, wellness, and self-care. Two kids, one pandemic, and what feels like, a lifetime later, things have changed drastically. In a nutshell, it's not all yoga and kale salads over here - not by a long shot! 😁

(I realize there was plenty of that here many moons ago!)

I'm dipping my toe back into the wellness waters. I'm excited to pick up on things I've missed and looking forward to doing things a little differently this time around. Because....

"Life is growth and growth demands change." - Virend Singh

I don't know exactly what changes will come in the coming months. Stay tuned and I hope you will join me on the new part of this journey.

Much love,
Tanya 🌻

10/05/2016

I absolutely LOOOOVE sweet potatoes and I REALLY love this omelet. A dear friend made this for me years ago in California and I've been making it ever since. Yeah, I was a little leery of combining eggs and sweet potatoes at first, but, don't knock it till you try it! Great way to get a veggie in for breakfast and it's also a great quick dinner.

***SWEET POTATO OMELET WITH THYME***

INGREDIENTS
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2-3 eggs (I'm an egg snob....get yourself some local free range eggs. Waaaay better than grocery store eggs)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (Don't have fresh? Dried works just as well. Just use a bit less)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash sweet potato and pat dry. Place potato in a oven safe dish and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake potato for 30-45 minutes - depending size of potato. It's done when a sharp knife inserts easily.

2. Set potato aside until it is cool enough to handle. You can easily remove the skin by hand. Mash the sweet potato in a small pot with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, thyme and pinch of salt. Reheat on stove if needed.

(Yes, this potato process is time consuming for breakfast. Scroll down to read my "Pre-made Sweet Potato Puree" that makes it really easy).

3. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk until frothy. Stir in a pinch of salt.

4. Heat small pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Pour eggs into pan. Using a small spatula occasionally push eggs to center while tilting pan to one side for the rest of the liquid eggs to pour into. This is the key to a fluffy omelet!

5. When your omelet is as you like it, turn off the heat. Scoop mashed sweet potato onto one half of the omelet and fold over the other half to close.

6. If you like, some grated parmesan cheese is a delicious finish. Enjoy!

PRE-MADE SWEET POTATO PUREE

I eat this omelet several times a week. To save on time I do steps 1 & 2 in the instructions above ahead of time. I bake 3-4 sweet potatoes, peel them, mash them with the thyme and coconut oil. Then, I store my sweet potato mash in a glass container in the fridge. When I'm ready to make my omelet in the morning I scoop out some of the puree into a small pot to heat up while I'm making my eggs. With a little practice this omelet comes together in less than 10 minutes. No more excuses to not eat breakfast!

RESOURCES

How to Make the Perfect Omelet: Martha Stewart has a great (VERY vintage!) video on making an omelet. She's spot on with her tips. I like to cook my omelet on both sides before adding my filling, but that's just my personal preference. http://www.marthastewart.com/915776/how-make-perfect-omelette
- sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet pot

09/28/2016

Roasted veggies are usually reserved for side dishes. But, I always struggle with getting them on the table while they're still hot. This salad solves that problem! Toss ingredients while the squash is still warm so the arugula wilts a bit and the dressing flavors are absorbed. You can use any kind of squash or veggie.

This is a hearty salad so leftovers can be kept in the fridge for lunchtime the next day!

You must know that I'm not one for measuring and really, a salad doesn't need measurements. Amounts are a ballpark.

***SUMMER SQUASH SALAD WITH ARUGULA & SEEDS***

INGREDIENTS

- Olive oil
- 4-6 small summer squash or 1 medium zucchini. Cut into large bite-sized pieces.
- 2 generous handfuls baby arugula
- Balsamic vinegar
- Maple syrup or honey
- Feta cheese or freshly grated parmesan (optional)
- Maple syrup or honeyid parmesan )opti
- Sea salt and fresh pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cut squash onto rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a wee bit of olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt. Toss until everything is distributed evenly. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until the squash is softened and starting to brown a bit.

2. Meanwhile, make your seeds. Any seed or nut will do. The key is to give them some flavor by toasting them. In our house Tamari Toasted Pumpkin Seeds are essential - if they are missing I hear about it! Here's how to make them....

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat (about half a cup or so). Toss frequently so they don't burn and brown evenly. Once they are puffed up a bit and start to turn golden turn off the heat. Quickly pour about 1 tablespoon tamari over the seeds in the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until they are coated evenly. Let sit until the tamari dries onto the seeds. I like to make several batches and store them in a glass jar in the pantry.

3. When the squash is done, scoop pieces into a serving bowl. While squash is warm add arugula, a drizzle of balsamic, a small shot of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

4. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds before serving. Add cheese before serving as well, if using. Or, put seeds and cheese on the side for each person to add their own. Enjoy!

RESOURCES

What is tamari? http://www.thekitchn.com/the-difference-between-tamari-and-soy-sauce-ingredient-intelligence-174139

Health benefits of pumpkin seeds: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

09/21/2016

Tomorrow is the autumn equinox and therefore the first day of fall. But, I'm not totally ready to let go of summer quite yet. Here is a smoothie recipe that celebrates my favorite summer fruit, peaches! They are still available at my market and I'll be getting my fill for as long as I can :)

***LATE SUMMER PEACH SMOOTHIE***
Smoothies are not rocket science my friend....the measurements I have below are ballpark. Adjust ingredients to your liking.

INGREDIENTS
1-2 handfuls of ice
1 cup plain kefir (Kefir is a fermented dairy drink. It is delicious! You can use sub in yogurt, milk, coconut milk, almond milk etc)
1 banana
1 peach
3 tablespoons h**p seeds
1/4 teaspoon of your favorite pumpkin spice blend. You can also just use cinnamon and a little pinch of nutmeg.
Drizzle of real maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add ingredients to your blender. Blend and pour into large glass. Enjoy!

This makes a very generous smoothie. I'm ok with that. Or you can share the deliciousness with someone :)

RESOURCES
Learn more about kefir and it's health benefits: https://draxe.com/kefir-benefits/

Learn more about h**p seeds: http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/food-safety/how-healthy-is-h**p/

I use Autumn Harvest Spice Blend from Calicutts Spice Co. You can purchase their products here: http://calicutts.com

07/06/2016

This sounds delicious!!!!

Summer’s hottest sip can be found at cool Brooklyn cafes — or simmering on the stoves of many Indian grandmas. Though they’ve been consumed for centuries, turmeric lattes, also known as “gold…

07/06/2016

There might be something fishy about that fish you're eating! Check out this comprehensive article by my brother Phil McCausland!

Seafood fraud hurts consumers and fishermen. Luckily, there's a growing effort to fight back.

05/15/2016

This Asian noodle salad is rocking my socks off right now! Prepped ahead it makes an awesome 5-minute lunch. Might have to be the next recipe up on the blog 😉

04/15/2016

Health and healing can be found right in your own kitchen....don't rely on this crap to heal or support you through illness.

“I Wouldn’t Feed This Stuff to a Dying Animal” – Terminal Hospice Patient Exposes Truth About Ensure Nutrition Drinksby Yelena Sukhoterina | April 10, 2016 Carrol Krause demanded change for sick Hospice patients before passing away to cancer this February. Photo via IDS News/Edit Carrol Krause, a…

04/13/2016

“Europeans fought for shorter workdays, more vacation time, family leave, and all these kinds of things,” he said. “Those haven’t been priorities in America, it’s been about money. You see in the countries that fought for time, they cook more often, they have less obesity. There are real benefits to having time. There’s often a trade-off between time and money.”

The culinary crusader and journalist Michael Pollan thinks not.

04/13/2016

[Recipe] Sea Salt Popcorn with Kale Crumbles

The BEST healthy popcorn for family movie night!

04/06/2016

Great article about bread, gluten and Michael Pollan's take on the topic. And, if you haven't watched his 4-part documentary Cooked on Netflix, add it to your queue - absolutely fascinating and inspiring!

According to the superstar foodie, it could help your gut health—if you find the right bread.

03/24/2016

An Easter weekend PSA....from yours truly! :)

03/22/2016

Need delicious, local, free range eggs for Easter? I'm in Carlisle today with a big load! Eggs will be available at Simply Well by noon today or I can deliver tomorrow (Wednesday) if you are in town. Leave a comment below or send me a message. Price is $5/dozen.