Simple Buckwheat Pancakes

I grew up in Russia, and buckwheat is a grain we eat daily. Russians make buckwheat "kasha" for breakfast, and enjoy it with milk and a sprinkling of sugar (just like cereal), they make it as a side for meat and eat it for lunch and dinner. It is a relatively inexpensive grain, and our National staple, even more so than potatoes.  You will be surprised to know that buckwheat used to be in deficit during the communist times! My mother used to have to wait in line and purchase her ration with a coupon, and the only people who were given access to it were diabetics, since this was the approved low-sugar food they were allowed to consume to stay stable, and not spike. 

Not only is buckwheat a delicious, fluffy, and warm comfort food, but it is also good for you! Did you know that buckwheat is one of only few alkaline grains? This means that it won't feed candida, and won't cause inflammation and acidity imbalance in the body. This recipe will not only satisfy your taste buds, but will keep you full without spiking your blood sugar - so it's low on the GI (glycemic index) and absolutely satiating. 

Ingredients (I only use organic):
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 medium eggs

2 drops of vanilla extract

I learned how to make crepes years ago from Jamie Oliver, and his best advice has been to separate the egg whites from the yolks, and beat them just until fluffy, before adding to the rest of the ingredients. After doing this, combine all ingredients in a big bowl, and mix well. I preheat and grease my cast iron skillet with a bit of coconut oil, and pour the pancakes. Once I see that they become porous all the way through, I flip them, and remove from the skillet just seconds after that. You will easily get the hang of it - nothing too complicated! 

A great way to eat these is with a drizzle of raw honey and some organic berries, but you can also have them with anything your heart desires - peanut butter, yogurt, anything! You will love these, and make them often. Enjoy! 

Vitamin L

Are you getting enough Vitamin L? There have been reports of people struggling with Vitamin L deficiency lately, and it's extremely dangerous! Vitamin L (LOVE) should be present in your body at all times of the day. You can get 20% from sunshine and fresh outdoor air, 20% from pets, and family members, but most importantly, you are responsible for finding this vitamin within yourself and bringing it to the surface. Some people don't realize the importance of self-LOVE, and ignore the symptoms, such as jealousy towards others, low self-esteem, negative body image, and bad habits. Start practicing the Vitamin L game daily - just ask yourself, if self-love and love for others were a vitamin, would I get my dose today?

Book review of "Rework" by Heinemeier and Freed

Flip the pages of "Rework" and you will be pleasantly surprised by the black and white drawings that grace every other page. It is a bit unusual for a business book... When you start reading, you will realize this is an unusual type of book, giving unusual advice. Did I mention it is great advice, because I truly believe so!

"Rework" takes business outside of the box by making it available to everyone. One of my favorite concepts is getting rid of the word "entrepreneur", because it is dated. The writers suggest throwing away traditional ideas of what a business person looks and dresses like, and just making and selling a product or service YOU would want to buy. The book mocks workaholism, and gives many reasons as to why anyone can be successful by working normal hours.

The writers emphasize the importance of doing what works for your business, as opposed to doing what everyone else does to get ahead, ie: hiring more people, spending more on ads, acquiring more territory. You can't please everyone, so make sure you know what you're selling and who your customer is, and you will do great.

The most wonderful advice anyone doing any kind of business will benefit from, is to become educators. Let's "out-teach" the competition! Anyone can sell you a scarf, but the companies that take the time to make a video and show you 20 ways to tie it really stick out of the crowd. This is a brand that creates fans! This is the way I have done business for the last 8 years. Educating not only shows my professionalism and knowledge, but encourages customers to try to copy my technique and treatments to do better and make more money! A wonderful example of this in the book is comparing brand educators with chefs who openly publish their recipes and secrets. 

I love this book, it was a quick and pleasant read, and surely, very informative. I would definitely rate it as one of the year's best in business.