The first time I did a yoga class was at Everett Community College. I was attending classes there while still in high school (the Running Start Program). I needed Physical Education credits. I thought yoga would be easy. It was so boring and uninteresting to me. I really did not enjoy a single minute of it. Except for when our instructor would give us a snack at the end of class, that part I did like.
Fast-forward seven years or so, and now I find myself with an extremely active Home Practice which I absolutely love. On days I don't practice, my body feels let down. It helps reduce stress and anxiety. It keeps me from wanting to eat everything in sight, you know those days... I guess you could say it keeps me centered. Or is it "grounded"? I don't know.
Work is about to get busy for the summer season and I am hoping I'll be able to keep motivated enough to maintain this really healthy and fun practice. I even get Yoga Journal magazine in the mail and I savor every page. I wish I had started this sooner. I think it would have helped me a lot with all of my crazy emotions.
I even tried to build a small altar/shrine thing (See YJ's example here). But Coal at the candles I put out.
Oh, and since I've never been able to tell anyone else this bit of helpful information... The best yoga advice I have ever heard was from some lady on NPR telling her story. She said, "Do yoga within your own mat." Basically this: Don't worry about what anyone else is doing, just focus on your own practice. Other people's practice doesn't matter, only your own.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
La crema de Cashew
Okay, I admit I don't know how to say cashew in Spanish. However, WordReference.com informs me that the word is anacardo.
Anyway, now that that's out of the way. I want everyone to know how easy it is to make this delicacy. It took me a long time to actually give this a try, and I wish I had started earlier. Cashew cream is awesome. The only downside is that cashews are expensive. Nuts.com sells them for $10.99/lb right now. And that's not even the organic variety. The bright side is that a pound of cashews makes a lot of cashew cream.
This does not really require a recipe so much as it requires instructions.
Instructions for making Cashew Cream!
Take some raw cashews, maybe two cups or so, put them in a bowl and cover them with water. Soak for 6 hours or longer. I like to just throw them in the fridge over night.
When you think they've soaked long enough, rinse the crap out of the cashews and put them in a blender and cover with water. I have only ever done this with a Vita-Mix. I kind of doubt a regular blender would make a smooth enough cream.
The more water you have the thinner the cream will be. You can always add more water later, so start off small. I like to put enough water to just cover the cashews. Then you blend them to smithereens.
I like to store mine in a glass jar in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a week.
Use portions of the cream like I mentioned before: for pizza sauce, sweet cream for fruit, etc. You just have to season (or sweeter) the cream accordingly and your taste buds will be having a rave in your mouth before you know it.
Anyway, now that that's out of the way. I want everyone to know how easy it is to make this delicacy. It took me a long time to actually give this a try, and I wish I had started earlier. Cashew cream is awesome. The only downside is that cashews are expensive. Nuts.com sells them for $10.99/lb right now. And that's not even the organic variety. The bright side is that a pound of cashews makes a lot of cashew cream.
This does not really require a recipe so much as it requires instructions.
Take some raw cashews, maybe two cups or so, put them in a bowl and cover them with water. Soak for 6 hours or longer. I like to just throw them in the fridge over night.
When you think they've soaked long enough, rinse the crap out of the cashews and put them in a blender and cover with water. I have only ever done this with a Vita-Mix. I kind of doubt a regular blender would make a smooth enough cream.
The more water you have the thinner the cream will be. You can always add more water later, so start off small. I like to put enough water to just cover the cashews. Then you blend them to smithereens.
I like to store mine in a glass jar in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a week.
Use portions of the cream like I mentioned before: for pizza sauce, sweet cream for fruit, etc. You just have to season (or sweeter) the cream accordingly and your taste buds will be having a rave in your mouth before you know it.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
La mejor comida del mundo
I used to think my favorite food was shrimp or something. But now I've seen the light. The best food in the world is: Cashew Cream.
What is Cashew Cream? you might ask.
It's just cashews and water. Brilliant!
You can make it sweet by adding something like maple syrup. Then pour it over chopped up berries.
You can make it savory by adding nutrition yeast, garlic, and spices. Use it as a pizza sauce!
Since I can't eat dairy, and I prefer home-made to store-bought, this is the most delicious and healthy creamy food I have ever had. Cashews and water... Who would have thought?
What is Cashew Cream? you might ask.
It's just cashews and water. Brilliant!
You can make it sweet by adding something like maple syrup. Then pour it over chopped up berries.
You can make it savory by adding nutrition yeast, garlic, and spices. Use it as a pizza sauce!
Since I can't eat dairy, and I prefer home-made to store-bought, this is the most delicious and healthy creamy food I have ever had. Cashews and water... Who would have thought?
Thursday, May 30, 2013
El coche
My car broke down about a month ago. We took it to three different shops. The first two couldn't find anything wrong with it, the third finally found something worth replacing. It worked, for a while...
Five days ago, it broke down again.
This time, they really couldn't find anything wrong with it. So they kept looking. Many hundreds of dollars later, they say I can come pick it up. Unfortunately for me, I have no way of getting there until tomorrow. Additionally, it has been pouring rain so I haven't even bicycled anywhere. I'm not the only one who is irritated. The dogs are pretty fed up with sitting around the house all day.
Tomorrow the SKoz-Mobile and I will be reunited. And hopefully it'll run for more than a month this time.
Five days ago, it broke down again.
This time, they really couldn't find anything wrong with it. So they kept looking. Many hundreds of dollars later, they say I can come pick it up. Unfortunately for me, I have no way of getting there until tomorrow. Additionally, it has been pouring rain so I haven't even bicycled anywhere. I'm not the only one who is irritated. The dogs are pretty fed up with sitting around the house all day.
Tomorrow the SKoz-Mobile and I will be reunited. And hopefully it'll run for more than a month this time.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
El alborotador
Coal is the younger of the two dogs. He is a troublemaker. His hobbies include, eating food off the counter, picking tissues out of the trash and terrorizing his older brother by putting Buck's entire head in his noisy mouth.
About a month ago we noticed that Coal's tags were gone. He had his collar on, but the two jiggly tags were no where to be found.
How curious, we thought. We even joked about Coal throwing his own tags away because he knows he is so naughty, he wouldn't want to be caught doing whatever bad thing he was doing!
So today when Jon sent me a text messaging saying, "You'll never guess where I found Coal's tags." I immediately said, "In the compost?" and I was right! Haha!
He's such a little stinker.
About a month ago we noticed that Coal's tags were gone. He had his collar on, but the two jiggly tags were no where to be found.
How curious, we thought. We even joked about Coal throwing his own tags away because he knows he is so naughty, he wouldn't want to be caught doing whatever bad thing he was doing!
So today when Jon sent me a text messaging saying, "You'll never guess where I found Coal's tags." I immediately said, "In the compost?" and I was right! Haha!
He's such a little stinker.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Autolavado
My car is filthy from going all winter without washing it. But... who am I kidding? It hasn't been washed in probably two years.
Today I tried to take it to the only car wash I know of in the area. There was a line. I guess everyone's car is dirty in this sort of weather.
Waiting patiently behind three other cars, looking around, I noticed some sort of sticker on the door to the booth where the car wash attendant sits. It was an anti Obama and Biden sticker. I was not so much shocked as I was enraged. I could not and would not support a business that so blatantly displays their idiotic/misguided/erroneous political views. Why couldn't the business just present itself as politically neutral? Especially in this little pocket of Blue in a vastly Red state.
I really wanted a clean car...
But instead, I got out of line, I drove away with my car still covered in mud and sand. And that is how it will stay.
Today I tried to take it to the only car wash I know of in the area. There was a line. I guess everyone's car is dirty in this sort of weather.
Waiting patiently behind three other cars, looking around, I noticed some sort of sticker on the door to the booth where the car wash attendant sits. It was an anti Obama and Biden sticker. I was not so much shocked as I was enraged. I could not and would not support a business that so blatantly displays their idiotic/misguided/erroneous political views. Why couldn't the business just present itself as politically neutral? Especially in this little pocket of Blue in a vastly Red state.
I really wanted a clean car...
But instead, I got out of line, I drove away with my car still covered in mud and sand. And that is how it will stay.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Fuera de temporada
Last off season I vowed to not travel as much, or at all, during the fall off season. Well, so much for that.
The spa officially closes on October 29, and stays closed until November 24. I am visiting 4 major cities between now and then.
Denver: to visit Mikey. Monica is flying in from D.C. and Jay is flying in from Seattle. It should be a fun little reunion.
San Francisco: Jon and I are flying to SF for his friend Brian's wedding. It is a black tie event. I need to buy some shoes, all I own are flip flops.
Seattle: Jon and I are driving to Seattle to see my family. He's never been to Seattle, so it will be fun. And then we're flying out of Seattle to see his family in...
Boston: Jon is from Boston and his family is still there. We will celebrate Thanksgiving with them this year.
The day after Thanksgiving we fly back to Seattle, then the following day we will drive back to Jackson.
So again, so much for not traveling.
The spa officially closes on October 29, and stays closed until November 24. I am visiting 4 major cities between now and then.
Denver: to visit Mikey. Monica is flying in from D.C. and Jay is flying in from Seattle. It should be a fun little reunion.
San Francisco: Jon and I are flying to SF for his friend Brian's wedding. It is a black tie event. I need to buy some shoes, all I own are flip flops.
Seattle: Jon and I are driving to Seattle to see my family. He's never been to Seattle, so it will be fun. And then we're flying out of Seattle to see his family in...
Boston: Jon is from Boston and his family is still there. We will celebrate Thanksgiving with them this year.
The day after Thanksgiving we fly back to Seattle, then the following day we will drive back to Jackson.
So again, so much for not traveling.
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