1-219-765-8600

carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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October 2, 2025

A Star Ingredient for Flavorful Meals

In last week’s blog, I wrote about a variety of spices that add warmth to fall dishes. I had a question from a reader about how to use star anise. S

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Food, Health
September 25, 2025

Fall Spices That Warm the Season

As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to scatter the sidewalks, many of us automatically think of pumpkin spice. It seems to be in everything from l

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Food, Health
September 18, 2025

When Healthy Habits Don’t Add Up

You exercise regularly. Your plate is full of colorful fruits and vegetables. You’ve swapped fried foods for lean protein, cut back on sugar, and ev

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Health, Hope
September 11, 2025

How to Eat Healthier at Any Restaurant

Eating out doesn’t have to derail your health goals. Whether you’re grabbing a bite at your favorite local diner or trying a new international bis

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Food, Health, Hope
September 4, 2025

Mr. Corn Visits Indiana

It’s that time of year again when my dear cousin, Roger, visits from Florida. He visits now because the sweet corn is amazing here in Indiana. For y

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Blog
August 28, 2025

7 Late Summer Wellness Tips

The nights and days are cooler. Darkness comes earlier. The sky looks like fall. I even saw some leaves in Michigan that had turned brilliant red. How

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Blog
August 21, 2025

What to Do with All That Zucchini

Yesterday, my friend Lisa presented me with a zucchini that looked as though it had taken growth hormones. It was gigantic! She told me that she grate

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Food, Fun, Health
August 14, 2025

Echoes of Summer

Can you feel the shift? The days are steamy–yet the calendar is getting a bit crowded with commitments that pair better with the cooler days of

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Food, Fun, Health
August 7, 2025

August Anxiety. Sunscreen vs. School Bells

This time of year, I feel a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, summer is in full swing. The flowers are thriving, temperatures still soar, and ther

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Family, Health, Personal Development
July 30, 2025

Recharging After Your Vacation

Have you ever returned home from a vacation and thought to yourself, “Gee, I could use a vacation.”? I know I have. It seems wrong. We have such a

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Food, Health

Now is Your Time

January 17, 2019
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Health, Personal Development

Are you waiting for the perfect time to deal with your nutrition, fitness, and health?

If so, when is that time?

Next week? Once you have a break in your busy schedule? When you clean out the pantry and buy some vegetables?

The truth is that there is no perfect time. Whether it’s starting a fitness routine, getting that dream job, learning a foreign language, or writing the book, the time to begin is today.

When we plan to eat smarter “someday,” or get to the gym when we “have time,” we end up doing nothing. Procrastination keeps us safe. If we do nothing, we don’t mess up.

Today, take a step. Do one small thing that moves you forward. If it isn’t the “perfect” time or seems insignificant, do it anyway.

Do the next right thing. It’s okay if you do it “badly.”    

Choose water over the soda. Park further away from your destination and walk at a rapid pace. Eat some protein for breakfast instead of only having coffee. Add an extra vegetable to your dinner.

Do one thing and build upon that. Do the best you can today, for tomorrow is not promised. Now is your time.

We sometimes look at others and think they have it all together. They have more time, more motivation, more talent.

YOU have it all together. Seize the day, seize the moment, and make your move.

If you have a feeling of overwhelm and aren’t sure where to begin, let me know. Overwhelm is a state of mind that we may choose to override by setting priorities. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and take some deep breaths for a couple minutes.

Now is your time.

Cheers to you,
Carol

 “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”—Lao Tzu

Perspective

January 10, 2019
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Health, Personal Development

The other day I headed to the gym to do a cardio step class. I’m a huge fan of classes—for the obvious social reasons. They also push me to work harder.

When my friend showed up next to me and admitted that wasn’t sure she could handle class that day, I inquired as to why. She told me that she felt a bit wobbly in the legs.

Okay. We all have what I refer to as “low energy” days, when it takes all you’ve got to get out of bed, let alone get to the gym.  

She then admitted to me that the girl in front of her jumps so much (and so high) that she feels bad about her workout.

Ewww. That feeling of Not Good Enough.

At that point, I suggested that we change her perspective. My friend moved her bench to the other side of the room, where the participants tend to be less jumpy.

We each experienced a great workout and were then ready to take on the day.

Good enough plus.

It’s a real power play when you push your way through a challenge and make it to the other side.

Questions to ponder: Is there something you could use a fresh perspective on? Do you need to move to the other side of the room?

We’d like something to change, yet we continue to work in the same point of reference. Instead of breaking free and moving from point A to B, we continue in a circle.

When we stay in a spot that makes us feel safe, yet not good enough, we sell ourselves short. Sometimes all we need is a new outlook—a fresh perspective—a different spot in the room.

Powerful.

Could you use a fresh perspective on your health, work, or life? (Sometimes it’s all of the above.) If you are nodding yes, I’m here to help. Send me an email and we’ll figure it out together. You’ll be amazed at how a slight shift in your perspective can change the entire look of a room. It’s my New Year’s gift to you.

Powerfully yours,
Carol

“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.”—Chris Pine

 

 

 

Keeping it Simple

January 3, 2019
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Food, Health, Personal Development

Happy First Week of 2019! Now that the celebrations are a fond memory, I am ready to settle myself down and focus on a daily routine that brings me even more peace and joy.

Easier said than done, right? We schedule our lives so carefully, yet we have those days that seem to take on a life of their own.

It is for this reason that I offer simplicity. In the midst of a carefully planned week, surprises (pleasant and otherwise) have a way of making us crazy. How in the world do we maintain healthy practices when life gets so complicated?  

Habits. Habits are what keep us going when we don’t know what else to do. To that point, keep the good ones, replace the less desirable ones, and let me know if you need help. (Email me!)

The secret lies in working on only one habit at a time. Keeping it simple.

One habit that I’d like to improve on is going to bed earlier so I get better rest. This month, that is my focus. Seven hours is ideal for me—and most people. Seven hours means I am more productive. Seven hours of really good sleep brings me more peace and joy.

Will I do this habit perfectly? No. Will I do better than I did in December? Definitely. That which we intentionally focus on will improve.

Today, if you know you need to improve on some area of your life, choose one thing you can do to make it better. Only ONE.

For those of you who are looking to add one home-cooked meal to your week, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. I’ve been adding simple and delicious recipes to my website.

All recipes have been Mr. Non-Compliant tested and approved. My sons like them too.

You will find gluten free and dairy free recipes, since that is how some of us in the Slager household eat.

I’ve recently been baking Gluten Free Bread, since I have not been happy with what I find in stores. It is not complicated at all and it is the perfect accompaniment to the Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Soup.  

Click Here for Recipes Have fun checking them out, and be sure to let me know which ones you like best.

Interestingly, I think the Treats section has a majority of the recipes.

Cheers to days (and meals) filled with more peace and joy!
Carol

“The truth is, you don’t break a bad habit; you replace it with a good one.”—Denis Waitley

 

Gluten Free Bread

December 30, 2018
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Everything Else

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, any kind (I like unsweetened, plain almond milk)
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup finely ground tapioca flour*
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water (Dissolve yeast in a water temperatures between 110°F – 115°F for best results)  

Directions

Mix yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. Warm milk, add cider vinegar, oil, and honey. Beat eggs and add to milk mixture. Add yeast mixture to milk mixture and blend. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and blend on medium speed with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour into well oiled/buttered loaf pan. Cover loosely with sprayed waxed paper or plastic wrap and towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove the plastic wrap and towel. Cover bread loosely with foil tent to prevent over browning and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

*Tapioca flour is also known as tapioca starch. You may substitute cornstarch OR arrowroot for the tapioca flour, if you prefer. I have only made this recipe using the tapioca flour.

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