Wave No. 9

Our Intention

The Wave  is a step away from the constant flow of content we take in on a daily basis, where things are often saved and rarely returned to.
Revisit this journal during the next few weeks to get inspired, slow down, and take action to create your vibrant life.

Monthly Mantra

“Some people go to priests, others to poetry, I to my friends.” 

~Virginia Woolf

  • After that conversation, I started to think about similar friendships in my life– the people closest to me. These are friends who help me make sense of life, who I feel secure to be myself around, and are the people I cherish most. What I find to be the common thread in these relationships is that they are not just based on longevity, shared interest, fun, or even similar beliefs, but on depth of connection. They are also rooted in trust, understanding, and mutual affection.

    Throughout my life, I have sadly lost touch with some great friends. I learned the hard way that friendship is active. It requires thoughtfulness. It’s not living off that initial spark or connection forever; it's about making time and space for each other. My friends become closer to me when we feel that excitement and a desire to ensure our connection thrives no matter the distance or the conditions of life. Despite our busy lives, my friend Jack and I always text one another when we hear music or see a TV show that reminds us of each other. Those small moments are what bond our friendship on a regular basis.

    My friendships help me to grow as a person and they have changed my life more than a few times (my best friend is to thank for many of those moments ). I believe it's never too late to make great friends, or even rekindle an old one. Odds are, if you feel the tug to connect, the other person has likely felt it too. We often get caught up in fears about rejection or feeling awkward, or it can be intimidating to be vulnerable and honest with people. I have found taking that leap is always worth it. Friendship is such a gift, and when taken care of and appreciated, can last a lifetime.

    Wishing you the gift of friendship,
    Cate

    Co-Founder // Coventina and Co.

Journal Prompt:

Is there someone in your life that you would like to become closer to,  rekindle,  or connect further with? 
How can you foster that connection?

An Autumn Harvest
Backyard BBQ

October evenings are a gorgeous time of year to have some friends over to make use of a grill and a fire pit on the same night. The weather might have already turned to crisp autumn air, or perhaps it is cooling down to a tolerable heat, like here in Florida. These recipes blend the essence of a summer backyard barbecue menu with warming fall flavors. Gather and enjoy.

The Backyard Salad

A sweet-noted mix with apples, pecans, bbq cornbread croutons, and maple tahini dressing // serves 4

  • The Ingredients:

    For the salad:

    • 5 cups of spring mix

    • 1 large Honeycrisp or Green Apple, thinly sliced

    • ⅓ cup dried cranberries

    • ½ red onion, thinly sliced

    • ½ cup pecans, toasted

    • 2 cups of cornbread cut into ½ inch cubes

    • 2 tsp of BBQ seasoning blend (use this recipe if you need one)

    • ½ cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)

    • extra virgin olive oil

    For the Maple Tahini dressing:

    • 1/3 cup of tahini

    • 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

    • 2 tbsp. maple syrup

    • 1 shallot, minced

    • salt and pepper

    • 2-5 tbsp. water

    The Recipe:

    1. Make your Croutons: Set your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, gently toss the cubed cornbread with a drizzle of olive oil and the BBQ seasoning. Place on a baking sheet with parchment, and bake until golden (about 10-15 mins).

    2. Make your Dressing: While your croutons are baking, in a blender or food processor, pulse together the tahini, vinegar, maple syrup, and shallot, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Once the dressing is well combined and smooth, add water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired dressing consistency. Taste and adjust with more salt, vinegar, or syrup as desired.

    3. Assemble: In a large bowl, toss together the greens, dried cranberries , red onion, pecans, croutons, and blue cheese with the desired amount of dressing. Sprinkle on the cornbread croutons.

    ENJOY.

    Entertainment Tip: If you are making for a party, leave dressing, pecans, and cheese on the side to facilitate dietary preferences or allergies

Spicy Veggie Burgers

A black bean and rice base with heat of poblano and jalapeño // serves 5-6

  • The Ingredients:

    • 1 15-oz can of black beans (rinsed, drained, and cooked)

    • 1 cup of cooked brown or white rice

    • 1 cup of walnuts, toasted

    • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

    • 1 poblano pepper, finely chopped

    • 1 jalapeño, minced (ribs and seeds removed unless you want it spicy)

    • 3 cloves of garlic, minced

    • 1 tbsp. smoked paprika

    • 2 tsp. ancho chili powder

    • 2 tsp. cumin powder

    • olive oil

    • salt

    • black pepper

    The Recipe:

    1. If you haven’t already, cook your rice.

    2. In a food processor, pulse walnuts until a coarse meal is formed. Set aside.

    3. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the onion, poblano, jalapeño, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender (~5-8 mins).

    4. In a large bowl, add your black beans. Using a fork, mash about ⅔ of the beans, leaving ⅓ whole.

    5. To the bowl with the beans, add rice, walnut meal, sautéed veggies, and all of the seasonings, along with ½ tsp of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.

    6. Mix until evenly combined. To make your burgers, form a heaping half cup into a large ball, place it on a platter or baking sheet, and slightly press down to get the patty shape.

    7. Either sauté the burgers in oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or use your grill and cook until you have nice grill marks on both sides (For best grilling results, let the burgers chill in the fridge for 1 hour beforehand).

    8. Serve with desired burger toppings! My favorites are brioche burger buns, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce or a spicy mayo, lettuce, and tomato!

    ENJOY.

Mindful Movement:
Balancing Chakra Meditation

A 10-minute guided meditation fusing breath, attention to energy systems, and woven moments of education on chakras. This is a fantastic practice led by Eve Marenghi to integrate on a regular basis.

Eve is a meditation coach + reiki healer. She offers custom one-on-one & team meditation coaching programs through Apple Tree Meditation. 

For a limited time, you can book a Clarity: 2024 session with Eve to get clear about your intentions, dreams & goals for the upcoming new year.

Stargaze playlist cover

Sounds of Coventina: Stargaze

A soundtrack for night driving or stargazing.

Features music by Vacation Manor, Peach Pit, Jaden, Nightly, and more.

What We’re Loving: Spooky Season Edition

Kolsvart gummy fish and Numa Taffy

Halloween Sweet: Gummies + Taffy

Blue Stripes Chocolate Bars

  • I always been a fan of candy, but I am often weary of the strange ingredients many brands use. I was so excited when I found Kolsvart and Numa Taffy, which focus on great flavors and use very simple ingredients (plus Numa is a mother-daughter duo which is adorable). The Sour Blueberry Fish and the Banana Cream taffy are my favorites!

Halloween Sweet: Chocolate

  • A bar of chocolate will always make its way into my cart during my weekly grocery haul. A few weeks ago, I noticed Blue Stripes on the shelf. First, the packaging got me. Then, I see how they use the whole cacao (the shell, fruit, and beans) - COOL. Third, each flavor I’ve tried has been satisfying. So, go get your hands on a bar this month.

Daily Living: Floss

  • After all your Halloween sweets, you’ll need a good dental floss. We’ve become a fan of Living Libations Wintergreen Clean Floss. It’s has plastic-free packaging and organic plant wax coating floss.

Estuary with boats

Natural Connections:
The Passage Between Land and Sea

Lagoons, bays, sounds…these are all other names for estuaries. The end of September marked National Estuaries Week. In case you missed it, we’ll fill you in on what exactly defines these ecosystems. An estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water at the intersection of freshwater and saltwater. The result is a nurturing ecosystem of brackish water (slightly salty) teeming with wildlife.

Not all estuaries are created equal, as there are four different types of estuaries categorized by their formation:

Coastal Plain Estuaries (like Chesapeake Bay in MD + Hudson River in NY)
Created by sea level rise that causes water to refill existing valleys and coastal plains.

Tectonic Estuaries (San Francisco Bay + Manukau Harbour in Auckland)
Created by movement of the earth’s crust during earthquakes, causing a rift in land for water to fill.

Fjord Estuaries (Glacier Bay in Alaska, Peugeot Sound in Washington, Geiranger in Norway)
Formed by the slow movement of glaciers, advancing and retreating, which chisels deep valleys
for seawater to pour inside. However, Fjord Estuaries are usually mostly freshwater from runoff.

Bar-built Estuaries (Matagorda Bay in Texas)
Amassed sediment from the tides forms barrier islands and sandbars parallel to the coastline, separating
the mainland and sea. 

Despite their various origins, estuaries are sheltered and nurturing coastal waters that encompass habitats like swamps, mangroves, marshes, tidal pools, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, beaches, and shallow open water. As you may imagine, these habitats offer wildlife like birds and fish, a place to feed, repopulate, and pit stop while migrating. 

Estuaries are not only pivotal to wildlife but help in filtering and draining water, aiding with erosion, and protecting shorelines. They are also mysterious places for us to explore.

Watch this video by Benjamin Drummond + Sara Steele to learn about the climate benefits of estuaries, focusing on the Snohomish estuary.

Your Natural Connection

Find an estuary nearby your home or during an upcoming trip to explore. Leave your phone behind and be present in noticing the nurturing ecosystem surrounding you.

Sources: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/estuary/
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/estuary.html
https://www.epa.gov/nep/basic-information-about-estuaries
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_estuaries/est04_geology.html#:~:text=Fjords%20(pronounced%20fee%2DYORDS),deeply%20incised%20valleys%2C%20creating%20estuaries

Have a story to share?
Submit your piece

Coventina began with a spirit of creative collaboration. If you (or a friend) has a story, poem, photography, mindful movement to share - please get in touch. You do not need formal writing experience, and we assist in editing :)