The Husband can cook vegetarian too!!

Monday night I finally got home around 7:45 from an inspiring and challenging yoga class with David at South Boston Yoga, and was too exhausted to cook.  To my surprise, my sweet husband, Eben started dinner.  It was the first time he has cooked for me since I turned vegan in Sept/2010.  I was beginning to think he was punishing me for my drastic choice.  Before I became vegan, I was a meat eating woman from Texas who really loved her beef brisket and so my decision really confused my dear husband.  Suddenly, he didn't know what or how to cook for me.  Plus I was learning how to cook for both of us andhoping it would taste decent, maybe even good. Luckily, I'm a quick learner and I love veggies. 

I've since abandoned veganism (sorry I really love eggs and raw honey) and now I'm just vegetarian. Wait, no flexetarian ( I occasionally eat fish), but I mostly eat vegan/veg.  The reason I stopped eating vegan was simply because my body needed more.  I found myself light headed and ungrounded so I slowly introduced eggs, cheese, and fish back into my diet.  This is the recipe Hubby made and I also added the one I made for Danielle's birthday BBQ. Enjoy!!!

Chickpea & Artichoke Salad (2 Variations--cold & warm)
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 can artichokes (cut into quarters)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tbls olive oil
2 tbls balsamic
1 tbls dijon mustard
S & P to taste

heat the oil in a large non stick pan and add your onion and garlic stirring to not burn the garlic.  Add the chickpeas and artichokes, salt and pepper and stir.  Add everything else and stir.  Serve over greens...yummy!

Chickpea Salad with mustard vinagrette (a variation from the whole foods version)
1 can chickpeas
3 carrots chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
2 tomatos
2 tbls capers
1 cup watercress
1 avocado (save for last)

for the Vinagrette:
2 lemons
1-2 tbls dijon mustard
2 tbls olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix the lemon juice and mustard together and add S&P.  Sometimes it's nice to add fresh rosemary, basil, or whatever your favorite herb to the mix. Slowly wisk in the olive oil. 
In the same bowl add the remaining ingredients.  If you plan to make this ahead of time then save the avocado for just before serving so it won't turn brown and look ugly.

BONUS:  put your leftovers in a food processor with some bread crumbs and egg for great chickpea patties.  Form patties and place in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Flip patties and give it another 10 minutes in the oven.  Serve in a pita, roll, or over salad greens!

DEMONS BE GONE!!! (from my closet)

Some people are pack-rats, others are hoarders and I am on the borderline somewhere in between.  I don't know how this all started, but everytime I go into my closet to find something to wear there is nothing, even though it's stuffed with clothes. I know most women feel this way!  For months I've been avoiding this issue because it brings so much anxiety and stress, but I really want a nice organized closet!!

Yesterday was Patriot's Day aka, Marathon Monday and I had the day off to finally tackle my closet "situation."  I went to yoga and prepared myself for what was to come: Parting with stuff I no longer need, use, or want.  I have a really nice walk in closet filled with clothes I don't wear anymore, empty shoe boxes, purses, and other junk that came with us 3 years ago when we moved out of Somerville.  Why the hell am I keeping these things?  Am I afraid that trashing stuff will be like trashing myself? Maybe, but most of the fear is knowing I bought all these things and then didn't use or wear them, knowing I gained some weight and lots of things don't fit.  It's a total waste of money and a spotlight on my old retail therapy habits.  Everything fits in 3 big plastic storage containers:

10 belts
6 jeans
6 work pants
5 skirts
25 tops
3 purses
2 hats
4 scarves
8 shoes

My niece, Jess takes first dibs and then I'll donate the rest to Goodwill.

After it was all cleared out I felt relief because my closet serves its' function again and I still have so many clothes to wear that I don't need to go shopping right away.  I'm content with what I have now. Bonus:  I rediscovered some lost jewelry: 4 earrings, 2 rings, 1 braclet, and 2 necklaces. 

Yoga Graduation!!

A week ago I, along with 50 other yogis, graduated our yoga teacher training program at South Boston Yoga.  David Vendetti, Todd Skoklund, Amanda Richter, & Jo Flaherty taught us the foundations for what we all need to be fantastic and safe yoga teachers.  Their never ending support and kindness was so endearing and the yoga community there spills out love and gratitude.  I don't have enough great things to say about them!!  Have I mentioned this experience has changed my life? Really, it has!!

For seven months I shared, laughed, and cried with some of the greatest people I've ever met.   So graduating was a little bittersweet.  I will miss being together with the entire group, but I'm also thrilled to be leaving the nest, teaching and living life knowing that these people will always be here.  I will always be there for them too.  I learned to question myself and my mind that never seems to quite down!  I want to share 5 important lessons that I have learned in these months of sharing.

1. Choose Freedom First
This was a big one! What does it even mean?  Well, instead of suffering and bitching at my job every single day,  I now realize that without this job I can't do all the yoga I want or paint in my studio. And this job is not the only job I'll have; it was a major support during my training and serves as a support now as I continue classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  I might even find my first clients here!

2. Accept Responsibility for all of your actions
yeah, I've messed up plenty of times and now I understand why and I know my triggers.  more freedom!

3. Face everything & Avoid Nothing
I stopped avoiding confrontations and found my voice, a new assertiveness that I was scared of before.

4. It's not personal
Road rage much?  Well, that guy didn't cut me off because he hates me.  He's in a rush and I really could care less. Just don't hit my car, OK?

5. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for others
I really like this one because I have to remind myself of this everyday.  When I don't feel like eating healthy I know that making a bad choice will hurt me and also affect the people I come in contact with, affect my yoga class and practice, and make me feel bad.  So that brings much more purpose and intention for all the actions that I do in my life.

Amazing,  right? My hope is that you will read these and perhaps relate them to your life.  Peace and many thanks to my friends and family who have supported me through this journey.

Bad touch, Good touch

For the past few weeks I've been assisting yoga classes for a fellow teacher at Be.Yoga in Union Square, Somerville, MA.
Initially I was so excited, but once I got in the class I recognized the vast assortment of bodies within one class and became intimidated.  How do I know how much pressure to use?  What if somebody falls while I'm trying to assist them in a pose? 
As I walked around the room I felt a sense of something greater; that we are all here to share this unified experience, to practice yoga.  This yoga practice instills a calm, quite mind in the midst of sweat and difficult poses.  I began breathing that soothing Ujjayi breath that yogis love so much, and instantly, I felt grounded and in control.  I touched with gentle grace and loved all of it.  Only one person fell down in a sweaty mess. (and not while I was touching them) 
Assisting has been such a great learning experience to get to really learn how to pay attention to students alignment, but also your own mental alignment.    What is too much? 

While practicing, when should we push ourselves and when should we give ourselves the compassion to back off?  During one of these classes I noticed a young woman silently crying to herself while in chair pose.  I glanced quickly and could barely tell beneath the sweat and smudged mascara, but there she was crying while in this deceivingly difficult posture.  I thought, Oh GIRL!! I Know exactly how you feel right now!!!! 

After class I went up to her and asked if everything was ok. She assured me that she was good, but she was suffering through an injury and pushing her body to do something that it wasn't ready for.  Knowing it was causing pain she kept trying, only to exacerbate the problem.  But my heart went out to her because I have been that person pushing myself to the limit of my practice, the limit of my social schedule, my working schedule to the point where my body rebels and I'm left crying in child's pose. (The past week for me!) So, really, we can be our own mental assistant in yoga class who pays attention to how our bodies feel to gain more from ourselves and our practice.  Thank you for reading and be kind to yourself.

Black Beans over Quinoa

My family mostly cooked Mexican food growing up. This is my comfort food, the food that makes me feel better and that I must have at least twice a week.   Only most Mexican food has loads of lard, butter, and cheese: all things I've been avoiding because of health problems and now I'm allergic to cheese.  I've been trying to recreate these recipes into healthier, tastier versions. The dynamic relationship between sweet and spicy is what makes this dish fantastic.  Please enjoy!

Black Beans over Quinoa

1 tbls olive oil
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup corn (frozen organic is perfect)
1 chopped poblano pepper
2 chopped tomatos
4 tbls mexican chili powder
1 tbls ground cumin
2 tbls raw cocoa powder
2 cloves minced garlic
S & P to taste
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime
1 avocado
1 mango

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, add onions until they sweat. Add pepper, frozen corn and beans.  Mix in chili powder, cocoa, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, cumin and water and let simmer.  Start the quinoa, following directions on the box.  If the beans get too dry add more water. salt and pepper to taste.
Serve beans over quinoa and garnish with avocado and mango. 

I love tons of avocado & mango on mine! There really are beans underneath!

pretty mango!

We all have off days.

I taught my first community class at South Boston Yoga on Saterday with a group of my fellow teacher trainees and I think we led a fantastic class!  It was the first time teaching at this studio and it was also the largest group of people I've ever taught.  I was so nervous I could barely think, but I got through it.  Afterwards, I was visiting with a friend of mine, Justin, that I haven't seen in months, and telling him about my nervousness.  He said, yea well you haven't been doing this for that long have you?

I said no, I haven't.  I've only been teaching for 2 months and yes, I still get jitters.  That's OK!! 
Why was I being so hard on myself instead of trusting myself?  Then it occurred to me that I'm resisting change. 

There has been so many changes I've made in my life over the past year, that sometimes I feel stressed out and overwhelmed.  Even though all these changes are positive: yoga training, new diet, online classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition,  the old version of myself feels lost.  My body and mind just aren't in sync and this puts me in a funk of a mood. Thoughts of what I want to accomplish during my day/week/month/year bombard me and I forget to calm down.

It wasn't until Justin reminded me that I'm a very new yoga teacher that I was able to remember my new self and values again. So Sunday, I slowed down and did nothing but accept myself as myself, and it felt awesome.

Stuffed Peppers and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Last weekend I became inspired by brussel spouts!  But, I never ate them as a kid and hadn't even tried them until last year. Man, was I missing out.
Anyways, I'm walking through the grocery store, trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. Something good, something Vegan!! Then it hit me, stuffed peppers and brussel sprouts, so here's the recipe. The husband liked it :)  Enjoy!

Stuffed Red Peppers and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

2-4 red peppers (depending on how many you are serving. can split one in half if desired)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
1 cup chickpeas (or one can well drained)
1-2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls earth balance spread
1 1/2 lemon for juicing
1 tbls apple cider vinager
1 cup dry quinoa (follow box directions)
2 cup vegetable stock (for quinoa)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbls ground flaxseed
salt & Pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. add shrooms and onion. saute for 5 minutes.  then add chickpeas, celery, carrots,  1/2 lemon and apple cider vineger, s&p and flaxseed. saute for 15-20 minute.


While this simmers on low start the quinoa, cut the tops of peppers off and remove inside seeds. then strain the shroom mixture and add to quinoa.  (Save 1 cup of quinoa for tomorrow)
Stuff the peppers with quinoa mushroom chickpea mixture and put in oven for 20-25 minutes.
Add 1 tbls earth balance in the saute pan and add the brussel sprouts, lemon juice and s&p.  Enjoy!