I can’t get out of my own way today. I tried one thing. I tried another. I dropped a few things on the floor. I wrote and deleted a post. I’m just noodling around apparently. And, although I had a heartfelt yoga musing planned for this week, I think it’s not going to happen. So, I thought I’d finally do a long-awaited giveaway. READ MORE
Category Archives: Delectable Delights
Thursday Things
I wanted to write something earth shattering. I wanted to write something insightful and thoughtful. I wanted to write that deep post and shout it to the heavens. And, nothing earth shattering is happening today. And, though I’ve got all kinds of recipes in development, they’re not ready for you yet.. So, here are just a few fun Thursday Things.
This week I’ve been seriously hitting the juice, and today I made one huge juice, having the rare time at home.
In the Mix:
1/4 Fresh Pineapple, cut into chunks
Juice of ½ Lime
Small Bunch Cilantro
½ English Cucumber
1 Whole Head of Romaine
A Handful of BHH Kale
It was yummy! And big. Sipped on it all morning.
On the other hand, it cost me just as much to make as it costs me to buy my favorite Heartbeet Juices at the shala while running between teaching, practicing and the office. Even with the BHH grown kale. Plus, it was messy. Oh well, it was still worth it, to make my own blend.
I also ate this:
It’s awesome. No, I am not really Pitta. I just liked the ingredients listed in it but I love the idea of the bars made specifically to pacify the doshas. Maybe I’ll review all three soon! Meanwhile, I probably need something Vata pacifying today, this post is getting windy.
Later, I got overwhelmed. And I felt like I would cave up, shut down or cry. So I put on the soundtrack to Forrest Gump (Gotta revolution!) and hula hooped. Yes, I am totally a dork. But it was kind of uplifting. I managed not to break any valuables, by the way, but just barely. I highly recommend hula hooping as a silly counterpoint to a serious yoga practice.
And, I tried four superfoods and made the BHH try them too.
I’ve had them all before, mostly in smoothies, and wanted to see what they would be like in cashew milk, as a nice plain base for flavor testing. I loved the Lucuma and instantly made a smoothie out of it. Here’s what the BHH said to the taste test:
- Mequite—“I feel like I should be grilling with it.” He’s silly. It tasted yummy and malty to me.
- Lucuma—“That’s better, sort of mapely.” Yes, and I added maple to the smoothie for a great maple walnut ice cream type flavor.
- Cacao—“It’s almost like chocolate.” ‘Nuff said.
- Maca—He didn’t say anything. He made a face and spit it out. Yes, it’s an acquired taste he won’t be trying to acquire. And I think it kind of smells like old feet. Gotta think about what this means for incorporating it in “common man” recipes.
I’m also working on a big post about superfoods in general, mostly ones you can find in the produce aisle (hint, it’s blueberry season!).
What are your favorite “Thursday Things” and what’s up for the weekend?
Summer Lovin’: Massaged Kale Salad
Well, I got that off my chest. And, of course, it’s only one small facet of the issue of yoga and body image and enjoying asana while realizing it’s a tiny piece of the yoga puzzle. Well, I guess that’s what’s wonderful about yoga. There’s always more. I’ll have to post a “retort” to my own post!
But for this beautiful Monday, let’s talk about something a little lighter. Food! I love the summer season. The flavors and colors are so vibrant. Everything is so fresh. The BHH grows an amazing garden and I don’t even have to go shopping to get my greens. READ MORE
Lemons, Love, and A Leap of Faith
I was going to post a well-thought out musing on fear, body image, yoga and growing up. I was also going to book a trip to India. I was going to do a major spring cleaning of my house. But apparently, I was not going to do any of those things this week.
Instead I thought I’d write a fluffy post about birthdays and lemon pie. But more on that later.
I’ve just done something HUGE. For me, that is. I MADE A DECISION. And for those who don’t know me, that’s hard! I can agonize over what’s for dinner, over what to wear, over this word verses that, over a weekend upstate or a weekend on the boat. READ MORE
5 Ways to Enjoy Asparagus Right Now
Asparagus. It’s what’s for dinner. No, seriously, I think we’ve had it every day this week. As my friend Maria put it “It’s the only thing AT the farmer’s market right now.” READ MORE
Solo Practice Problems? Just do it!
I’ve had a lot of company in my practice lately. I’ve had a lot of teachers in my practice lately. I’ve had a lot of time for my practice lately. I’ve been pretty lucky.
But this weekend, upstate with the BHH (and enjoying it thoroughly by the way, not to say it’s not a great thing), I found myself facing my mat solo. I got one day with a good friend and some good gab, but then Monday morning rolled around and I found myself thinking “wouldn’t it be nice to just read the paper and drink coffee? So what if I have a 5 day week, right?” READ MORE
On the Road Again (Plus, A take-it-to-go recipe)
I’m not one of those people who “just can’t wait to get on the road again.” And yet, I somehow seem to travel A LOT. What’s up with that?
I guess I like to be new places, but going there, preparing, being out of my element, is a little nerve wracking for me. And honestly, one of the reasons is food. Ok, I’ve come a long way, but this is still one of my issues. I need a few sure bets in any traveling food plan, so I can feel free to experiment with local eats for certain parts of my day.
Breakfast is the thing that trips me up most. I am not a toast/cereal/ bakery kind of a girl. I mean, I love a great croissant, and when in Paris…but in general this stuff doesn’t make me feel good. And, the way I start my day tends to indicate how I’ll go forward. So often I’m more on the green juice/smoothie/fruit plan. These kinds of things are a little hard to predict while traveling!
For a while I remedied this by bringing a travel blender wherever I went, even when flying. My husband was not amused.
What a Macaroon!
Everyone who loves raw food has either made or bought some version of a macaroon. It must just be the easiest treat to translate into something raw, healthy and delicious. There are completely unheated/dehydrated versions, and any combination of taste sensations. And nowadays you can even buy the little packages at your local grocery store (at least if you’re in NYC).
But my favorite has always been the Pure Food and Wine version. They’re sweet and fluffy, not too dense and waxy, not too dry. They seem just like, well, a macaroon! I have Laura-ized them slightly of course. Very, very slightly. Although I have a wicked sweet tooth, I always found them a little sweeter than necessary. And, I reduced the oil a bit (honestly, I bet you could leave it out altogether though I’ve never tried). But although I didn’t “create” this from scratch, so many people have loved them and asked for the recipe, I couldn’t help but share.
My favorite flavor is the original: vanilla/maple with almond. Pure Food and Wine/One Lucky Duck has long since nixed the maple in favor of the more neutral flavor of agave and eradicated the almond flour in case people are allergic to nuts. You can do the same, subbing coconut flour for the almond flour. But I am a huge fan of nuts and see no reason to get rid of them unless you’re allergic. And I think pure maple syrup is better for you than agave, for the most part.
Below find the recipe for raw macaroons delectable style, and an alternate version for the chocolate lovers among us. Ok, Philly folks, you happy now????
Macaroons—Lightly adapted from Raw Food Real World
Makes about 36, unless you sneak too many tastes along the way.
Ingredients:
3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
1 ½ Cups almond meal/flour (you can buy this at the health food store or grind it yourself from raw almonds. Make sure it’s fresh)
¾ Cup Pure Maple Syrup (I like Grade B for extra flavor less sweetness)
¼ Cup Coconut Oil, in liquid form (you can soak the jar in hot water before measuring)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. You might want to bring the maple syrup up to room temp first, or it will make the coconut oil solidify rather than blend in. You can mix by hand or with the paddle attachment on a standing mixer.
Using a two tablespoon measure, a melon baller or your hands, form rounds of dough and place on dehydrator screens or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-24 hours for truly raw macaroons. Personally, I don’t care about the raw-ness, I’m more interested in the ingredients and consistency so I put the dehydrator on more like 150 for about 8-12 hours.
No dehydrator? No problem! Turn your oven to the lowest temp and “cook” for several hours with the door cracked open a few inches. You can use a wooden spoon or something to hold it open. No, it’s not the most efficient use of energy, but you can turn your heat down while you do it. Make sure they seem pretty dry when done, not gooey, as they won’t firm up very much later. You’ll want to eat these more quickly than the dehydrated version, which will last days. And I don’t recommend this method on a high-humidity summer day.
Love chocolate? Sub raw cacao or regular cocoa powder for the almond flour.
And, you can always melt your favorite dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top of any version, or dip the bottoms in the chocolate and allow them to dry upside down. You can smash them flat and fill them with cashew or coconut ice cream like sandwiches. And, they’re totally kosher for Passover without any tweaking…no eggs or dairy means they go with any meal. How’s that for a malleable recipe?
Go forth and enjoy!
Veggie Man Days: Red-Wine Braised Chickpeas
I interrupt our regularly scheduled Emergency Delectable Measures post to bring you this delicious recipe: Red Wine Braised Chickpeas. The first in hopefully a long list of Veggie Man Days posts.
Emergency Delectable Measures: Tip 2
Happy Wednesday everyone! Are you being nice to yourself yet? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see Tip #1 from Sunday.
So now that you’re acknowledging you’re having a hard/stressful/busy time, and starting to be compassionate to yourself, it’s time to take some action. Specifically: GET MOVING. That’s right, I’m telling you to shake your booty.
