We are in the dog days of summer, yes? The weather is nice and toasty, everyone’s faces are browned from the sun, and spirits are generally lifted. There is something to be said about the power of a sunshiny day. I am hard pressed to remain down in the dumps when those hot rays of sunshine are beating down upon my body. I feel like they are literally warming my soul, reminding me that each day I wake up is a gift that should be embraced and appreciated.
Lately I have not been keeping up with my jogging and yoga; I can really feel the effects. Why, you ask? No good reason, just little things pushing me to take up one task or another over my physical health. I have been extraordinarily busy, for me at least. However, I do not think this is a good enough reason to allow my personal exercise regimen to decline. I am lucky to have the ability to physically exercise, and when the weather is beckoning me outside, who am I to say no?
I read an article recently that stated when people publicly declare they are going to do something, they are much more likely to stick to it. They used the example of when people go to the gym and take photos and post about it. It said those people are more likely to stick to their routine since they are telling the world about their actions. It has something to do with our psyche, probably not wanting to be big fat old liars….<—I don’t want to be a big fat old liar.
So I have an announcement to make *clears throat*. Starting today, I will take at least 15 minutes (hopefully closer to 60) out of my day for my own personal exercise. This can include a nice morning stretch routine, a quick jog around the block, yoga flow, or anything else that strikes my fancy. I will continue in this fashion until it has become a standard routine in my life and is no longer a declaration but a way of living. This used to be the norm for me, but somewhere along the line it changed. Now it’s time to fix it.
Phew! Feeling motivated!!! Oh yeah!!!! So who wants some honey mustard?!? *raises hand* I ALWAYS want honey mustard. Since becoming vegan I generally bring my own or go without because, as the name implies, “honey” is in the ingredient list. This recipe could technically be called Spicy Brown Rice Syrup Mustard, but that really doesn’t have much of a ring to it. I whip one of these batches up quite often, although it depends on my mood whether I mix in the spicy seasonings or not. This particular recipe is my favorite. Dijon mustard, brown rice syrup, splash of vinegar, and spicy seasonings make this a perfect blend of tangy and sweet. I love using it as a marinade, dipping sauce, and drizzling it into wraps for lunch.
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 heaping tbs Dijon mustard
- 3 heaping tbs brown rice syrup (agave would work too)
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ⅛ tsp chili powder
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Saves for up to 1 week (maybe longer but I have not tried).
- Taste, add more of any ingredient per your own preferences
Jack says
Can’t wait to try this!
Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan says
Awesome recipe, Jenn! I’ve never had honey mustard but it looks delicious and brown rice syrup is such a great sweetener. I’ve made mustard once (I think it was 4-5 years ago) from scratch with mustard seeds and it was so good! Since then I’ve been meaning to make it again (for the blog.. of course) but somehow never got to it. Now I’m super motivated again. Ahh.. as we’re speaking of motivation. I’ve set myself the goal to do yoga every day.. this worked perfectly… for a week. Then I’ve left out a day but now I’m back on track now. (Now that I’ve said it.. I sure hope the motivational trick will work for me too. << I don't want to be a liar! 😀 )
Jenn says
I’ll keep a look out on your site for the fresh mustard recipe, sounds delicious! And I hope you are able to keep up with yoga! At the risk of sounding cliche, it really is amazing how it can heal your body and your mind all at once!