Friday, November 30, 2012

Window Post

By window I mean a glimpse.  A sneak-peak at what's going on, a little of what might be to come, but know that all of this is changing soon.  Very soon.  I must keep my secret!  I'll tell you soon, I promise!

Current Yoga Schedule

I teach 3-4 days a week right now if I'm not subbing a class, for any of you interested friends out there.  This is why my weekends are not the time to stay up late.  I currently am only committed to 2 classes to attend on Fridays in the morning before work, a hot class at the other studio on Saturdays after I teach, and I try to get in a couple more classes throughout the week.
Saturday 8:00-9:00AM at a hot yoga studio
Sunday 9:30-10:45AM at a Chiropractic office
Monday 12:00-1:00PM at my home studio, where I also work the desk
Tuesday 12:00-1:00PM occasionally at a translation services office

Current Work Schedule

(and what I actually do all day long)

It may not be very clear to some of you what I actually do at the yoga studio.  I am simply a desk person, meaning?  Right, well, I share the bulk of the work with the manager who works the morning half and I work the afternoon/evening half of the day.  So we schedule massages, deal with complaints or questions etc., keep up on laundry (this is more challenging than it sounds timing-wise), check massage clients in and out as well as yoga students, sell packages and try to promote specials and returning, coordinate setup for workshops, keep everything stocked, and all the little things like recoding programs in our management system, posting things to the website, double checking each others work in terms of links working and descriptions being right, etc. etc.  Those are the everyday tasks, then there are the more occasional ones.  I was transitioning into taking over payroll, so going through all the teachers pay reports and getting all absent clients off the rosters, making sure everything matched etc.  The manager and I also work on new ideas for the newsletter, the studio space, and the pricing of our packages, which we then propose to the owner.  There is, unfortunately, a fair amount of damage control, though less so now than a few months ago.

I only work 7 hours a day typically, though it often goes over to 7.5.  I'm very grateful that I can start work at 2:00PM, have access to a full kitchen, and free yoga classes, showers, lots of tea, and I never have to work long hours, unless I'm covering for someone.

Today was my last day!  I was trying to keep it quiet so I could surprise my mom in Connecticut for a visit, but that didn't end up working out.  

Cooking

I do teach my food workshops.  Right now they are only at the one yoga studio about once a month.  I'm trying to expand to the hot yoga studio too, and that is in the works.  I'll let you know what happens with that.  I'd love this to grow into something more substantial, and am thinking about selling my homemade nut butters somewhere (here?).  I just made a delicious Raw Cocoa Cashew Almond Butter that tastes like Dark Chocolate Brownies.  Would you be interested?  And hopefully I'll be teaching more private classes.  I'm still a bit unsure of how to get into this  area, but I just got an inquiry from one of my regular attendees, so hopefully that grows into something great.

Extracurricular

I'm trying to have more fun outside of the work schedule.  Don't get me wrong, yoga and cooking is plenty fun, but one needs to pursue things just for the laughing goodness joy of life.  So, I've started my hooping classes.  I've taken 2 so far and have already seen an improvement from the first.  IT is so fun and in a great space!  An artist co-op building in Lincoln Square.  I'm taking class 2ce per week, but I might increase that depending how things go after January, when I'm starting a new job!  I'm trying to save up for a move out west in the summer, so I need a better paying than the yoga desk.  If all goes well I'll also pick up some dance classes!  I'm eying a hip hop class and a belly dance class.  Otherwise, I cook for fun, drink tea and write letters to my boyfriend.

What do you do outside of work to stay sane, happy, and healthy?

Thursday, November 29, 2012

My Thanksgiving

I'll just say that I waited until everyone else had finished with the Thanksgiving posts so I could get more attention.  Yah.  So, now that I have your attention, my dinner.

Sorry about the picture quality.  I wish my kitchen had better lighting.  And yes, there is only the one picture.  Roomy and I got too engrossed in conversation and eating (and wine drinking) to remember to take more photos!  Oops!

We both got home and started the celebrating!  We had some beer, played some music, had some rum, danced around the kitchen, and started cooking at 1:00pm.  By the time we were all ready to eat it was around 6:30pm.  After dinner, and before a tasty dessert of pumpkin mousse, we digested with the company of Sex & The City.  Bedtime hit at 8:30!  It was a glorious evening and very low-key.

So what do we have here?  The top right is a pot of Very Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Roomy's specialty), below that is our Baby Bella Gravy; in the center is a hearty Vegan Shepherd's Pie, top right is the best Sourdough Stuffing I've ever made, and below that is some amazing Vegan Green Bean Casserole!  There was a jar of Trader Joe's cranberry sauce too.  We decided not to go crazy and make everything from scratch.  We also wanted to match some of these as closely as possible to the classics and indulge a bit!

We did start the meal with an artichoke appetizer with a lemon butter (Earth Balance) dipping sauce.  I poured the remaining lemon butter onto the stuffing and that really brought that dish to the next level.

Below are some of the recipes.  I wasn't happy with the Shepherd's Pie, so I'm gonna wait until it comes together before sharing anything.

Baby Bella Gravy

1/2 lb Baby Bella mushroom
1/2 white onion
1 Tbs Blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbs Cumin
1 cup Veggie Stock - add more after blending to consistency
2 Tbs Earth balance or olive oil
2 Tbs tapioca starch (or corn starch) mixed with water to make a slurry

Chop and saute the mushrooms and onion with some oil or Earth Balance.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the starch.  Once cooked through process in a blender or food processor.  Put back into the pan and heat to simmer.  Add the slurry of starch and stir vigorously and continually until the gravy thickens. Salt & pepper to taste

Sourdough Stuffing

1 Sourdough baguette left to dry for 2 days and cubed or cubed and dried in the oven on low
1 Cup chopped Brussels sprouts
1/2 onion - chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 an apple - choose based on your sweetness preference
1/2 Tbs Chopped fresh or frozen sage & 1/2 Tbs oregano
1/4 Cup lemon butter
1/4 Cup veggie stock

Put all ingredients into a large pan and allow to cook over medium heat until everything is cooked through and bread is nice and soft. About 20 minutes depending on the size of your pan.

 

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Fresh or frozen green beans
Vegan french fried onions (we used Trader Joe's)
Vegan Cream of Mushroom (similar to the gravy but different proportions)
  • 1.5 Cups soaked raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup veggie stock - add for consistency if needed
  • 1/2 a white onion - chopped and sauteed
  • 1/2 lb baby bellas - chopped and sauteed
  • 1-2 Tsp Cumin
  • 2 Tbs Nutritional yeast
  • 1-2 Tsp Molasses
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Saute all the ingredients except the cashews and veggie stock.  Transfer to blender or food processor.  Add cashews and stock and process to desired consistency.   Return to pan and

Monday, November 26, 2012

Little Escapes

Tomorrow I promise I'll tell you about my Thanksgiving, for now:

Escape in a Bottle

Roomy and I went out Saturday night, and by "went out" I mean after she finished babysitting and I woke up from my post Sex and the City nap/cuddle session with Delilah the Daschund we had one beer at the bar around the corner.  Upon entering the bar we realized it was Saturday.  We only realized this because the bar was crowded, full of young people; Roomy guessed most were younger than us.  I'd been to this bar a couple of times before and always remember it being very quiet, rather empty, and catering to an older crowd.  That shows how often I'm out on the weekends.  IF, big if, I go out, it is typically on the weekday because I start at 1 or 2 pm on weekdays and either 8 or 9:30 am on weekends.  We were quickly overwhelmed by the energy of the place, one too many mosh-pit-type physical exclamations to music.  Drank our beers and went home, made popcorn, watched Sex & The City, and went to bed.  For some reason it amused me, the entire event.  I couldn't tell if I felt old, mature, introverted, mellow, or a wonderful mix of the three.  Am I becoming a homebody?  Ha!  No.  Well, maybe just in the evenings, especially on weekends.

Escape From Connection

When my Rommy's brother's subscription to internet ended, we had to decide what to do about renewing.  After very brief discussions, we decided to try out no internet in the apartment.  The idea behind this was to reduce lazy time and increase productivity and reconnection with hobbies and people.  So far, I think this has been really successful.  The apartment seems to get cleaner, more organized, and I only seek out internet, aside from when I'm at work, for intentional purposes.  This helps so much!  I love it like this, and I'm supporting my local coffee shop!  I've read a lot more this way too, which I thought was lacking due to not using the public transport, and biking everywhere.  Silly, misdirected reasoning.

Escape to a Fantasy World

I am very excited to announce that I saw the final movie in the Twilight Series.  I am a proud lover of Twilight and Edward Cullen.  I'll stop there; I won't get all freaky vampire love on you.  I went with my good friend Carleen for a visit to the movie theater!  Something that was once an almost weekly occurrence as a child is such a special treat now.  She's a good 40 minute bike ride away, which is also a great way to just spend time in your head, not always to my benefit.  The movie was just what we needed as life has been a bit dramatic lately for both of us.  Thank goodness for epic transformations and crazy special effects filled battle scenes.  Drama, right?

Escape to the Mat

When in doubt do yoga.  I've been in a bit of a funk these past few days and I've found that teaching yoga has always been able to snap me out of it.  I don't know if it is because you are doing the poses with the students to an extent, or if it is because you are really focusing on the other people.  You get out of your self-inflicted "noise" and are able to find peace through breath and flow.  I taught my usual noon class which has had a pretty stable 4-5 students, but today only one came, and we had a great time.  I gave her a private and helped work her into a pose she's been having trouble with.  It was so rewarding and I really felt great after the class.  I want to thank her for coming and helping me heal and let go of stuff I didn't need in my life, something we teachers often tell our students to do.  They help us as much as we help them.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

New Adventures

Always right?  If you're a close friend or family member you know that if you ever ask me what's been going on in my life, and you mean it earnestly, you're going to get a fair few stories and misadventures.  That's my life.  That's why this blog is called Sojourning.  Both because I like to move from place to place, but also because I like to have constant change and growth, a side effect of moving around physically and mentally.

So, I have some announcements.  Some changes.  Some small and fun, some bigger and more exciting.  I'll try to stagger the big and the small

1. I'll be leaving my position as full-time desk staff at the yoga studio.  

It has been a great experience, but it is time for me to move on.  I'm looking to move to Berkeley in the summer, so I need to be making a bit more money at this point.  I'll miss the studio though! I learned a whole lot about working in a small, independent business, and had the opportunity to learn how the wheels turn behind the scenes too, as the owner gave me insight into that realm.  I also met truly amazing people, had opportunities to teach both here and elsewhere, and grow a whole lot as a person.  I'll still be teaching here in the future and working with the studio for my food workshops (just scheduled a January one!).

2. Hooping Classes!

That's right.  I'm going to start learning how to do hooping and fire hooping.  Check out this cute video for what I'm talking about for hooping and this one for fire hooping. I'm starting next week.  Very excited!

3. I'll be focusing more on the food.

I want to grow my cooking/uncooking classes, so I'll be looking to expand that while I'm not working at the studio.  I'd like to get to catering some events or personal celebrations (anniversaries, birthday's etc.) too.

4. I will be waitressing to pay the bills.

I have my eyes on a brunch spot right next to the studio.  I also have a friend there and have already spoken with the manager.  Hopefully it all works out.  I will be starting there in January if I play it right.  Working the mornings again would be a dream come true.  It will allow me to teach some evening yoga classes, which I've been hoping for.

5. I'm trying out Grain-Free!

I know right.  "So what are you eating you crazy vegan!?" I've been pretty sluggish and down recently, and I've had this persistent but minor wheeze.  Some of it is partially due to some not so happy family news, but also I had been feeling, already, that I had been eating too much sugar and heavy stuff like wheat and grains.  I'm doing a bit of refined-sugar-free, no added salt, grain-free, vegan thing right now.  Just needed to reset a bit.  I'm not putting a time frame on it, just playing around.  One of my experiments to see how my body does.  I'll be reintroducing stuff back in too over time.

I've been having fruit with nutbutter for breakfast, or a big salad, or tofu scramble with lots of veggies, thanks to my roomy!  I've also juiced a bit in the morning. Lunches have been giant salads with roasted beets, a whole avocado, a nice vinaigrette, and raw pumpkin seeds.  I've been snacking on a grapefruit or pear with nutbutter or dried apples, and dinner has been miso soup with lots of Wakame.  I have some fun ideas for making a sweet potato puree, dehydrated with some other goodies to make a cracker and make some kalamata hummus (or have Roomy make it - she makes a mean batch).

6. I'm an Americorps Team Guardian!

My dear boyfriend is an Americorps Team Leader (Rockstar!).  It is a 1 year commitment to guide a team of about 10 young adults to help the community.  He is made for this role as a natural leader who walks the walk and demands respect with his grounding presence.  So right now he's out in the deserts of California doing upkeep for a reserve/park, from what I understand.  That means lots of manual labor, not always the best conditions, and being out in the wilderness/camping somewhere away from home for 6 weeks.  Some teams are out helping with disaster relief on the East Coast too.  I volunteered to be a Guardian and that means I'll be sending motivational tid bits and treats to boost moral and keep them bonded, hopefully.  I sent out my first team-based letter last week!  Cookies are in process.

If you've read all that cheers to you, and if you found it interesting, then you get a big virtual hug!  Maybe even a heart hug.  Have a grateful Thanksgiving by reading this wonderful article about building gratitude!  I'll be spending it with my Roomy!  We've got a whole mini-feast menu planned!

Any big changes going on in your life?  Or any that you want to make, but have been holding off doing?  Do them! (And then tell me about it)

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Dessert Workshop

Yesterday evening I hosted a dessert workshop.  My goal was to teach people how to make tasty but healthy desserts.  They were vegan and ended up mostly being raw.  It's kind of funny how you can plan something, just like when you're teaching yoga, and everything changes!  Well, EVERYTHING didn't change. I also tried selling my Creamy Italian (Raw Vegan) Kale Chips and 8oz jars of my Raw Almond Cashew Coconut butter.

I stuck with the basic outline I had set:
Little Desserts-
Frozen Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Bites
Single Bite Date Pies

Classic Favorite-
Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie (didn't end up demoing this again, just gave out taste tests)

New Idea:
Chocolate Truffle Pie

I was browsing Pinterest, as I do sometimes, and saw a picture of a very not-vegan chocolate truffle pie.  I looked at it.  It looked at me.  We eyed each other up and down.  I'll admit, I was doing more of the objectifying.  "Yes" I said, "You will be the star of my workshop."  And so it was.

Isn't it beautiful!  I actually created the theory for the pie in advance, but had not tested it out before hand.  This was a live experiment.  It worked!

Crust
1/2 cup unsweetened raw coconut flour
1/3 cup raw almond flour
1/4 cup raw cashew
1/4 cup unsweetened raw shredded coconut
Optional add ins of sea salt, vanilla, and spices

Instructions
1. Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse until incorporated
2. Pat into a pie tin
3. Refrigerate

Filling - Layer 1
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
5-8 soaked dates (adjust to sweetness preference)

Instructions
1. Put all ingredients into a high powdered blender
2. Use the tamper to press into the blades so that a smooth consistency is created
3. A slight amount of water or non-dairy milk can be added to allow for better processing
4. Spread mixture onto crust and place in fridge to set, or freezer for faster setting

Filling - Layer 2
2 Ripe avocados
1/4-1/3 cup raw cocoa powder (depending how bitter or dark you want it)
1 Tsp vanilla extract
10-15 soaked dates (taste and see how sweet you want it)

Instructions
1. Blend until smooth
2. Add liquid if you want more ease of blending or a lighter consistency
3. spread on top of 1st layer
4. Refrigerate

Coconut Whipped Cream
1 can full fat coconut milk flipped upside down and refrigerated for at least 4 hours.
2-3 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Open the coconut milk and drain the water - the cream should be on the bottom now
3. Whip the cream and the other ingredients with an electric mixer or a whisk until fluffy and incorporated
4. Spread on top of pie
5. Share with friends!



Friday, November 16, 2012

Secret Dreams

Not those kinds of dreams, silly!  Pull your mind outta there.  No, I'm going to share some of my secret aspiration dreams with you all.  Why?  Because you bring me so much joy and I feel like I can trust you.  And also because I think it is time I was loud and proud about some dreams that I have pushed to the side for years.  It's time to state them publicly.  Manifest my reality, so to speak.  Interestingly, the career ones are the ones I was most afraid of admitting.  I think, don't hate on me parents, that is because there is an indirect push to have a "real stable career path"in our family, and that is so not my style.  I'm not even going to try to fight it anymore.

Dream #1: Be a famous chef - I want my own TV show.  I like the spotlight.  I've never denied it!  I want to bring healthy wholesome food to the masses by not focusing on what is lacking in a plant-powered lifestyle, but on what is plentiful and tasty!  Through this I'd love to more easily fund opening my Wellness Retreat (See Dream # 3)

Dream #2: Model.  Yes, I said it.  I want to be a model for fitness.  Yoga modeling would be ideal, but I'd love to do athletic wear or camping wear.  This was my "shame-dream" that I wouldn't admit for years and years.  So now it is out!  I'm putting it out into the universe.  During my first ever Reiki experience, the Reiki Master looked at me and asked if I was a yoga model and if not that I should do it because it would benefit me more than I would expect.  I'll take that as a clear sign.  He said it would help my Giving Side, my Right Side, which he said is not flowing as well as my taking side.  Cheers to that.

Dream #3: Open a Wellness Resort.  I've had a few ideas develop with this one including starting a small scale version just outside of big cities, but I'd really love to have a large resort in a beautiful area (Patagonia, Central America, New Zealand, Thailand).  It would focus on the full aspect of living happily with yourself.  From Yoga, to backpacking and canoeing, wholesome food (a Raw Gourmet Restaurant and a more Casual Cafe), massage and acupuncture, even educational workshops and certification courses.  It would host retreats from outside sources like Jodi's Mindful Destinations, and others like that.

Dream #4: Be able to take good care of my children and family (in the future - don't freak out).  I want to have the option to let business take care of itself as I spend quality time with the future family.  I have a certain love of domesticity that I denied for a while because, on the East Coast, there is that GOGOGO be a free working woman thing in the air.  But I love certain parts of it very much and crave having them as part of my life when the time is ripe.

There you have it.  My secret dreams.  I love them, I think about them before I fall asleep, and I daydream about how to make them happen during the day.  One step at a time.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Links I've Been Loving

Here are some awesome articles I've read recently.  I hope you find them striking as well!

I've Started Telling My Daughters I'm Beautiful

This is a great, heartwarming entry about showing that you have some self-love around your daughter so she grows up to love herself too.  We can be hard on ourselves sometimes, but projecting that around impressionable children affects the way they will think about themselves as they grow.

Dealing With Change

An article from Yoga Journal's website about changing your perspective on change so that it doesn't rock your world in a bad way.

Rituals of Transition

This is a great article from Kripalu's website about transitions and dealing with fear.  It really touched me and I appreciated the message so much!

3 Exercises  that focus on the core.

This article is just a fun way to add variety to a work out or help get those handstands prepped.


Monday, November 12, 2012

My First Cooked Food Workshop



The event went very well!  I was dancing around at the end.  23 people attended, and I got to reconnect with my first hosts on couch surfing from my long bike trip.  I've hosted Raw Food Workshops in the past, and I realized, and was told, that I should have had an assistant for this one.  The cooking workshops take a fair bit more effort, and I was moving around pretty quickly and had to do a lot of quick cleaning between prepping, which could have been done by someone else.  I already got an offer to trade free entrance to my next one for assisting.  I may take her up on that.


Roomy, and a couple of couch surfing friends stayed after to help do dishes and put everything away, which was much appreciated.  I got a fair number to sign up for my next workshop on Sunday the 18th, 7:30-9:15pm.  It's a Vegan Dessert Special!

The final menu:

For the full recipes come to my workshops or leave me a comment and I can put you on my workshop mailing list where I give sneak peaks and detailed information about what went on incase you missed it.

Winter Appropriate Green Smoothie


  • Spinach
  • Apple
  • Cashews
  • Banana
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon
  • Water to consistency

Key Point: keep fruits & water at room temp to enjoy on cold days

Winter Simple Salad


  • Kale - massaged with:
    • Avocado
    • Raspberry
    • Lemon Juice
  • Chopped Apple
  • Pumpkin Seeds
Key Point: Again, room temp is the key to enjoy a salad in winter time


Roasted Pumpkin Seeds


  • Freshly scooped and cleaned pumpkin seeds
  • Salt
  • Mesquite Powder

My No Teeth Soup (great name right!)


Lentil Walnut Loaf

Inspired by Angela's recipe. I made some changes to her recipe for my needs and resources.  The glaze wowed everyone and paired very nicely with the Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes I made to go with it.

Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese Sauce

This  was simply sauteed extra Lentil Loaf mixture added to Marinara Sauce.  Served with my Pumpkin Seed Vegan Parm!  This was my personal favorite of the night.  A glass of Malbec would have been a nice addition!

From Scratch Pumpkin Pie

Inspired by Gena's recipe with some minor changes.  We went through the whole process of halving, scooping, roasting, pureeing, crust making, baking, and eating.  The pie rocked and was just the perfect texture.  I made 3 pies total for the event, 2 in advance so they would be cool for serving, and one during demo.  Served with Coconut Cream Whipped Cream!  So good!

What did you all eat this weekend?

I hope to see some of you next weekend for the Dessert Workshop!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What to Eat When You are Missing Teeth

This would have to do with my recent wisdom teeth removal.  Yes, it finally happened to me.  I was actually convinced that I wouldn't have to get them removed as I only had the top two and they were even and not screwing up my mouth or anything.  But then, it happened.  I ate a Lara bar and felt terrible shooting pain in the wisdom tooth area.  Turns out one of them had a cavity and I just couldn't reach that part with my toothbrush.  Alas.  My dreams of keeping extra teeth were foiled.  And so out they came. 

I'll admit I was absolutely terrified, since the numbing shots have not worked in the past.  I was convinced I'd have to sit through it all, feeling it ALL.  Not excited.  I told myself that people did this in the past before numbing was an option.  Pain is temporary.  Remove yourself from your body.  Accept and breathe.  Fortunately, the doctor hit me with a higher dose and it was all good!  The worst part was the fear.  I subsisted off of some Vegan chocolate pudding my roomy made me (she's awesome) and passed out at about 5PM.  My boss told me I needed to take off work, so I did.  I thanked her for her wisdom.

I didn't want to live off of sweet puddings for the next couple of days so I made this:

This was the result of not having much in the apartment and needing to be creative.  What came about was so good that I'm actually going to feature it in my upcoming workshop.  So simple!

2 Medium Red Bliss Potaoes
1 Tbs Coconut Oil
1/2 Head of Napa Cabbage
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1/3 Cup Raw Cashews (soaked for 3 hours or overnight preferable if not using high power blender)

Boil the potatoes until cooked through, a knife slides in and out easily.  Chop and saute the cabbage in the oil until slightly caramelized, adding the garlic 3/4 of the way through so they have time to brown slightly.  Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until very smooth adding boiling water as necessary to thin and salting to taste.  Top with a pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Smoked Paprika.  I happened to buy the Smoked Paprika that day as a treat to myself. So happy I did.

What do you guys do when you can't chew your food?  Any suggestions for the post-op girl here?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Good Fortune I've Had - A Gratitude Post

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but I just couldn't wait.  So, to beat the rush, I'm giving a little bit of thanks.  It struck me, this wave of gratitude, after teaching my noon Vinyasa class today.  I had a regular to our studio and 2 other lovely ladies who really did amazing things.  We focused on stretching out the quads and the psoas and building plenty of heat between.  It was a good class and it left me very fulfilled.  I really didn't do much of it myself like I usually do because I am trying to respect a still healing wrist.  My intention at each class I teach is to demo, show the postures, as little as possible.  I did that well today and for that I felt wonderful.

Truly, then, I am thankful for:
  1. My wrist.  Throughout the injury I have learned more about mindfulness and slowing down than any other time in my yoga practice.  It has translated to everyday life, of course and if there is one thing I need it is to learn how to slow down and embrace the moment.
  2. My education. This is a very very general statement.  It includes the general education my parents provided me to allow me to learn about things on my own, the structured high school education I received, and my experiences in Boulder, CO and Switzerland for university.
  3. My parents.  One to remind me that anything is possible and to dream big stubbornly (hey Dad!) and one to ground me, keep me balanced, and infuse wisdom into my life (that's you lovely Mom!)
  4. The blogging world.  A cliche blogger statement perhaps, but it's true.  I've been reading blogs for the better part of 3 years now and have learned so much by watching all of you other bloggers grow.  Inspiration, hope, joy, connection, innovation are all words I would use to describe the community.
  5. Food and health.  I'm lucky - intentionally.  So far so good!
  6. My living situation.  I mean look at how cute that dog is!  And I have the best roommate I could have hoped to find.
What are you grateful for?  Good to prep thoughts for the coming holiday!

Many hugs to you all!  May you enjoy whatever is!

Monday, November 5, 2012

November Goals

Re-inspired by Katie's Post over at Peace Love & Oats, I'll be doing some public goal setting.  To quote her:


"I find it helpful to stop and assess how my life is going and write down a few changes or things I want to work on" 

My favorite part of that is the stop and asses part.  Always a good thing to do.  So I stopped and assessed. I have my vices like everyone does, and I am working on them, trying to break habits that do me no good.  Take the time to analyze yourself and your lifestyle and see if there are any things you'd like to work on too.  I write my weekly and monthly goals on a white board on my fridge so I see them everyday.

November Goals

Source
1. Reduce my sugar intake - This goal pops up often for me because I am a sugar addict.  I love it.  I have reduced it to mostly natural sugars at this point, but I still seem to have too much of even that in my life right now.  If it didn't make me wonky I wouldn't mind keeping it around a bit, but I have noticed its influence more and more.  I don't know if this is because I am more aware of shifts in my body and in my mood or if it is because I continually clean my diet and lifestyle up so I am more sensitive to toxins.

Not a recent pic, and I slept through that distraction!
2. Sustain a regular sleep schedule - Ever since returning from my most recent trip to the Bay Area in California to visit the Boyfriend about a month ago, I just can't seem to be well rested and I'm convinced I'm either channeling my boyfriend's crazy-busy-lack-of-sleep life or I'm just not maintaining a regular time of going to bed and waking up.  Drives me crazy.  Need to feel rested!  I also think this might have to do with sugar consumption in the evenings, something I've already cut back on.

***Note since writing this - I've been sleeping a couple hours earlier than usual and waking up before sunrise and feeling great! This was triggered by wisdom teeth removal and knocking out real early as well as Daylight Savings ending.  Maybe all I needed to do was be early morning Lia, and the amount of sleep isn't the isue, but the time of day I shut down and restart.  I HAVE always been a  hard-core morning person by nature, much to many a boyfriend's irritation!

3. Bike through the cold - I am not a cold weather appreciator.  It is my goal to move to a warm place as soon as that is financially feasable. But, while I'm still in Chicgao, I am determined to enjoy even the winter.  So far, I have found that biking through the chilly days and evenings has actually made my body acclimate much better and more quickly.  Being outside also lifts my mood.  I'm usually the cold one in a group, but since my cold weather biking, I've been comfortable even in chilly rooms.  I'm determined to keep this up!

4. Rock out my November cooking workshops - I'm teaching a Vegan Fall Feast Workshop on Saturday the 10th, 4:30-6:30PM and a Dessert Special on Sunday the 18th, 7:30-9:15PM both at the yoga studio.  I'm so so so excited and really have some fun ideas for these guys!  They're going to be my first cooked demos.  The past ones have been focused on raw foods.  I want to be more organized with bringing books and make some informational packets to hand out.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Transition Foods

In each workshop I've led I've always been asked by someone in the group what I think of fake meats and highly processed Vegan fare, what many of us like to call "transition foods."  They are called this for the logical reason that they tend to be most used by people transitioning away from animal products.  This purpose is great!  It helps people get the texture and taste (mostly) that they might be craving or have a habit of eating while still avoiding the actual product.  As people become more familiar with a whole foods way of eating and thinking, they will naturally begin to drop some of the processed food and move on to eating plants as they are.

A lot of non-vegans enjoy arguing that eating the processed stuff is terrible for your health and therefore a silly notion.  This is relevant if you are vegan for health reasons.  I know many a vegan who could care less about what they put into their body from a healthy perspective.  They are more concerned about the animals than learning how to cook from scratch, so the above argument doesn't apply to them. I always point that out to initial arguer.  I'm not much for arguing.

I am a promoter of wellness, and health applies to that, so I always try to focus on whole foods, from the source, made from scratch, and enjoy some of the processed choices as a treat or exception.  While I do teach that being busy is not an excuse to NEVER prepare wholesome meals, I also teach that being stressed and uptight is going knock your well-being down.  So, what's a busy stressed out person who is so adamant about preparing wholesome meals-gosh-darn-it to do?  First breathe deeply, stretch out your neck, one more breath, now weigh things out.  If you find that washing that lettuce and chopping it up is more of a drain and maybe even preventing you from eating greens, then relax and grab a bag of pre-washed greens to easily throw into a bowl.  Just need a break for a day or so, then grab a veggie burger, maybe some Candle Cafe Frozen dinners or an Amy's pizza, and enjoy every bite of it, never feeling guilty.

We all need a break occasionally and that is what these transition foods are also for.  Convenience is nice to have in the produce aisle too for those really busy times.  Keep cool, grab the best option, relish it, and get back into your rhythm.  Food and eating is meant to be enjoyable and nourishing, both for the body and the soul.  An all-or-nothing approach does not, in my opinion, promote balance and peace of mind; it promotes guilt and control issues.  My personal opinion.

So, on that lovely note, here are my top choices for transition foods:

For pizza it's definitely Follow Your Heart Mozzarella.  It has a great texture and flavor.  I find that Daiya just doesn't do it for me for pizza.  It's great for pasta and Mexican foods though.


For BBQ's and a Hotdog craving (I've never been a Hamburger person) I love Smart Dogs from Lightlife


And for Tofu Scramble or any Germanic dish I LOVE Field Roast's Italian Flavored Sausage.  I HATED traditional sausage as an omni, but I really love this stuff.

I'll end with a frozen meal for those really really busy tired days.  I'll even feature two because they are just that yummy to me!


First up is Amy's Pizza.  This one has a light rice crust and Vegan cheese.  I can't get into the no-cheese pizzas.  I gotta at least make some cashew parm if I'm making pizza at home, or a nut based goat cheese.  So, this is my top pick for a lazy day.


Second choice is for comfort and taste, Candle Cafe Frozen Meals.  I'm keen on their Mac & Cheese for nostalgia, but the ravioli is out of this world.  I also ADORE the restaurant Candle 79 in NYC.  It was the first Vegan restaurant I ever went to in the city and has become a regular visit whenever I go back home to see my lovely parents.

Be moderate with your indulgences.  Use them as weapons against stress and as a tool for transition.  Enjoy them, love them, respect them!  Then, get a bunch of greens and get back into your groove.