cook with me: vegan banana bread (muffins + loaf)

it seems that everyone and their mother is making banana bread during this quarantine/lockdown/self-isolation/social-distancing moment. i grew up eating the most delicious banana bread (hi, mom!) and wanted to create a vegan version. i adapted this recipe from Betty Crocker's vegan banana bread after making it as-is since my freshman year of college. this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free. this can be made as muffins or as a loaf. i've included every successful substitution i've made on this journey below. so, let's get to it!

mental health matters: conquering the fears that keep us from living

* disclaimer, this was originally written in 2019. however, i think the content of the post applies to a lot of what is going on now.

i spent a long time living in fear and letting that fear take control parts of my life. i didn't get my drivers license until i was 21 and didn't start actually driving until well into my 22nd year. there was a persistent, ever-present fear that some harm would come my way - i would get into an accident and wind up paralyzed, or i would accidentally hurt - or worse, kill - someone, or i myself would wind up dead. it was an ever present fear that took over my life until i was forced to reckon with it. and in that, i think i learned something very, very valuable.