Sometimes life sucks! 
Period.

But, then there are those times when life feels like a bowl of cherries! 
That "I've got this!" feeling. . .
That "That's all you got, devil?" feeling. . .
That "Everybody is amazing and life is beautiful!" feeling. . .

After years of investigation and introspection, I've learned that I am an emotional eater and that emotional eating is a form of self sabotage. I have emotionally eaten ice cream, cake, lasagna, fries, hot pockets, chips, popcorn, pasta...etc., etc., etc. . . 

A few years ago, I decided to remove the guilt from the equation. It may not work for everyone, but I told myself that if I was going to emotionally eat, I would do it like a Diva! Which means, don't give me no damn hot pockets! I want pineapples (so many that my tongue burns). Give me dates...wrapped in coconut. Give me dark chocolate and hazelnut granola with bananas and vanilla almond milk and this summer...give me cherries, lots of them! 


Cherries have a host of benefits: 

• Reduce Sleeplessness 
• Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
• Reduce Inflammation
• Reduce Belly Fat
• Reduce Risk of Stroke
• Reduce Muscle Soreness and Arthritis 

Give me the Rainier Cherries (pictured) any night of the week and especially after a hard day. I'm so blessed that there is a cherry truck in my neighborhood (yep, you read that right). Tonight, I purchased two cartons of strawberries and four pounds of cherries. 

And yes, I plan on sharing! Go for yours now; cherry season is only from May to July. Spring/Summer fruit is the best fruit, don't you agree? 

Season 4
Episode 22
You Can't Take Command

1.       OMG!!!! He murdered all the jurors? Damn!!!!!

2.       You can’t take command!

3.       “While I live for justice, I don’t want to die for it.” – David Rosen

4.       Liv’s speech sounded like a baby that can’t get her way. Jake, don’t baby her. How could she NOT know what she                 was up against? Her Papi is ruthless.

5.       I guess daughters do want to be like their Mothers. Liv is case and point.

6.       Mellie is rockin’ that purple dress! I just love purple.

7.       Elizabeth wants to be in the mix soooo bad, but I don’t trust her.

8.       Why does the CIA Lady have on a bad wig?

9.       “Honey, I’m gonna call you Honey because I can’t remember your first name and I don’t care…Honey…” -Cyrus

10.   That was a nice speech by Fitz. Think he meant it?

11.   Really, this show is all about love! David loves Abby. Jake loves Liv. Liv loves Fitz. The end.

12.   See, this is what happens when Command takes his Sasha Fierceness too far! He forgot that he was still Eli Pope. . .

13.   What happens to Jake now? Does he get a happy ending at some point?

14.   It’s almost like Cyrus and Mellie created Fitz. Now, Fitz is totally biting the hand that feeds him. WOW! He was looking         for an excuse to be with Liv. . .as if he really needed one.

15.   Elizabeth!!! Can’t say I’m surprised. See #7

16.   So is Quinn gonna kill Huck or nah?  

17.   Cyrus oh Cyrus! The chickens have come home to roost.

18.   This felt like a series finale, not a season finale. We’ll see if this comes back or not.

19.   If this is the end, let me just say that I have LOVED doing these blog posts about Scandal. It’s my favorite show, but I           respect Shonda’s vision and I understand her need to move on.

Maybe I’m bracing myself for the end of Scandal as a defense mechanism and I'm okay with that. I just don't want to be shocked if this is really the end of the series. 

Speaking of endings, a great way to end a delicious plant-based dinner is by having a satiating dessert following your meal. I'm proud to highlight Timeless Coffee here in Oakland; their desserts are 100% vegan and freakin' phenomenal. I got a chance to work side-by-side with the owner, Violet at the Oakland Veg Fest a few weeks ago. She didn't get a chance to see the best of me though. . .I wasn't really good. I'm no barista and I can be super clumsy. I knocked over carrot cake and got all of her delicious homemade icing all over everything. I was clearly outside of my comfort zone, but she was so understanding. 

Additionally, Violet sent all of the volunteers home with as many goodies as we wanted. . .so I had to move on right?

If we are forced to move on from Scandal after this season, just know that I believe the show is well written, exquisitely directed and well. . .timeless! 

Season 4
Episode 21
A Few Good Women

1.       Ya’ll better tell Liv what Foxtail is! She is out for blood!! Got the boy up in the Huck/Quinn torture chamber.

2.       Liv’s track record is a lil dicey lately. She hasn’t been operating on all cylinders. I’m not sure Sailor Girl should trust               her just yet.

3.       What’s happening with the war on Sudan? They just not gon talk about that no mo?

4.       I would be scared as a mug to sleep on that ship knowing that all of those men hated me. I’m a G, but not that much           of a G.

5.       So, B613 is like a boys and girls club now? Jake has campfire stories?

6.       What happened to Fitz & Mellie’s daughter?  I guess they disowned her since the London bridges incident.

7.       Mellie got me excited at her Virginia pep rally! Can I vote for Mellie?

8.       I knew ‘ol lawyer boy wasn’t who they thought he was. At first I thought they just sent him to throw the case, but I               didn’t know that he was B613. I feel like everybody is B613. Am I B613???

Speaking of B’s. There are so many vitamins that you need, but none as heavily debated in the vegan community as B12. Some people think it matters, some don’t. I don’t think that it should be completely ignored nor do I think that vegans should stress over it.

An easy way for vegans to get their B12 is to sprinkle nutritional yeast over their food. Some vegans say that it mimics cheese. I wouldn't go that far, but I will say that it gives your pasta dishes and your veggies extra oomph. 

You can also take a B12 supplement. I'm not big on supplements or poppin' pills, but some don't mind...so decide if you do and do you!

Lastly, another good way (that you may find gross) is to lightly wash your ORGANIC fruits and veggies, leaving some of the soil (where the B12 dwells) on it. I’m not talking about enough soil to make a mud pie, I’m talking about a trace of soil.

While you are turning your nose up, remember that you’ve eaten slaughtered, bloodied and hormonal-puss filled animals in your lifetime, so a trace or two of organic soil won’t kill you…you just may live…a long, long time!

DMV Pics: California 2015 vs. Maryland 2012

1. I'm still working.
2. Progress is happening.
3. Slow progress is better than NO progress.
4. Fruits and veggies illuminate the skin. I don't wear anything but lip gloss. It's extremely rare that I don a "beat" face.
5. Sunshine makes the skin glow.
6. I look like I had food stuffed in my cheeks in the Maryland photo.
7. My eyes are brighter now.
8. Did my nose lose weight too?
9. Why were my brows so thin? I still need to grow them out even more.
10. The journey continues and I'm looking forward to exceeding all of my expectations. . .one veggie at a time. #PlantPassionate

Season 4
Episode 20
Lady Sings The Blues

SCANDALous Thoughts:

1.       How does Liv stay so fresh with all that blood on Jake? Why won’t she put her bag down? It’s like she’s Sofia from                 Golden Girls. She’s a fly bag lady though (more on that later)!

2.       I’m so glad that Sally Langston is back! She’s the best antagonist.

3.       “Some people have bark. Some people have bite, I have both.” –Liv

4.       Awww, Grannie Killer shows us all that even killers have a soul hiding within. Was that corny? Creepy?

5.       When Sally called Cryus her “dear friend” on The Liberty Report I think he threw up in his mouth a bit. Sally reminds           me of a tea party member. #ILoveTheLibertyReport

6.       Wait, B613 has a health plan? Benefits? Didn't cha know?

7.       Liv is such a seductress. Don’t play her for a fool though. . .

I just can't get over how Liv was clinging to that bag EVEN while Jake was hanging on to dear life in the first scene (pictured above). It kind of reminds me how she holds on to Fitz, her contempt for her Father and her need to always fix everything and everyone around her. She needs some chill.

Plant based diets are not new, but chill artists like Erykah Badu give it new life. Listen to how she feels, what she thinks and how she flourishes on a vegan diet. Try it. What do you have to lose except weight, allergies, skin conditions, sleep conditions, mental fogginess, etc, etc, etc. . .