YogaSoul

Oh lovely Delicata, how I adore you…

Small, easy to wrestle into a pan, comforting, nourishing and warm.

I forgot to snap a picture of the most amazing dish I made for dinner, so you’ll have to rely on your vivid imagination. It was Marinated Tempeh with Sauteed Squash. It was amazing. and easy.

Cut the top and bottom off of a delicata squash. They have thin skin, so don’t peel - extra vitamins and fiber! Scoop out the insides and you are left with a hollow shell. Cut it into rings and throw it onto a baking sheet. Peel, clean and dice up a butternut squash. Add a whole onion, sliced and mix all of the veggies together. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake at about 475 to 500 degrees. Stir the veggies often and they’re done when they are tender and starting to caramelize.

In the meantime…

Slice tempeh into thin strips (about 1/4”) and brown in a cast iron skillet coated with olive oil. Brown these strips in batches, and put the cooked ones aside. They’ll get warmed back up in a bit.

Make a marinade. Add some olive oil, tamari, garlic and black pepper. Don’t ask me how much, because I never measure - just taste it. If you like it, you’re done. If not, add more of this and that until you do. It’s not rocket science.

After you’ve cooked all the tempeh, put it all back into the skillet. Pour the marinade (a little at a time - use only what you think it needs) over and let it all get warmed up. Keep stirring, being careful not to break the tempeh up too much.

When everything is all cooked up, grab a platter. Spoon the squash and onions all around the edge. Put the tempeh and onions in the middle. Serve with a simple salad of greens and a light dressing of olive oil and lemon. You know, to contrast all that sweet, hearty flavor.

It’s really good the next day - if it makes it that long. Happy cooking, mofo’s!

Namaste’.

I like simple food. Whole food that isn’t fussy, but is nourishing, nice to look at and, well, sometimes fun. That’s exactly what my oatmeal has become. My cherubs love steel cut oats. Not only because they’re good, but it’s a big production…or at least it looks like one.

I use Trader Joe’s quick cooking steel cut oats cooked in water. Then I put out all kinds of toppings in bowls with little spoons and a pot of coconut milk creamer. They spoon in what they want and it’s not only fun, pleasing to the eye, but super nourishing and filling. Here’s what was on the bowl in this photo:

quick cooking steel cut oats

brown sugar

splash of coconut creamer

frozen blueberries (don’t defrost, it’s a great to cool the oatmeal down a bit)

chopped raw almonds

That’s it. So amazing for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I also like any of the following out on the table for the cherubs so they can get creative:

walnuts or pecans

dried tart cherries

cinnamon

chopped apples

chopped figs

chia or hemp seeds

tiny spoon coconut oil

molasses

honey

okay, you get the idea. If you can’t find the quick cooking steel cut oats, make the traditional kind, cook them the night before and spoon them into a pot the next morning with a little extra water. Stir until smooth and warm. I make mass quantities when I make this kind. It will keep for a few days in the fridge and always cooks up perfectly the next day.

Have fun and share your combinations!

Namaste’.

Vegan Chili is easy…dump in everything but the kitchen sink.

Seriously. I hate to start off Vegan MOFO with something so simple, but simple is undoubtedly best. Vegan chili is easy and good. Here’s a guide to get you started.

MOFO’s, it’s gonna be cold this weekend. My advice? Shop now, get all the ingredients, a bottle of vegan wine (or other happiness) and some Dandies vegan marshmallows. Then, come Saturday when it’s 50 degrees (what?!?) you won’t have to leave your house. You can slow cook a pot of chili, build a fire, drink wine and roast marshmallows. You’re welcome for the fabulously fall day idea.

Here you go:

1 can cannellini beans - drain and rinse

1 can kidney beans - same story

1 can black beans - you guessed it

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg. vegan choirzo sausage

1 28 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

dash or 4 of cumin

oregano to taste

black pepper

sea salt

couple of splashes EVOO

water (to thin if needed)

tomato paste if needed to thicken, your call

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot on low and cook for about 4-5 hours. Taste. Add what you think it needs. Mashed firm tofu could sub for the chorizo or you could use both. A sprinkle of cocoa powder would make it richer and mole’-ish. Add some crushed red pepper for heat. The possibilities are endless. Seriously, use what you have in the kitchen. Let me know what you come up with - photos are also good!

Don’t forget to practice before you eat all this chili. Down Dog does not feel good unless it’s 2 hours before or after chili. Just sayin’. Happy Monday and have fun MOFO-er’s.

Namaste.

P.S. Don’t forget to visit www.veganmofo.com for the entire blogroll of participants of vegan MOFO. You will be blown away by all the goods!

I’m officially a MOFO blogger!! Stay tuned, the Vegan Month of Food starts October 1st!! I’m planning some fabulous recipes, tips and inspiration to tempt you to up (or start) your vegan intake. Click here to get a sneak peek at all of the other fabulous vegan blogs participating. See you next week!

Namaste.

I’m not one to post these kinds of things, but I thought this was so fitting. YogaSoul is about the music and the soul of yoga intertwined. B.K.S. Iyengar is an amazing soul.

Have a beautiful day!

Namaste.

Happy Monday, Yogis!

Do I have some fun for you! In light of my looming birthday this month, I have decided to dedicate some time to me by getting back to something I’ve put on the back burner. This month, being a bit of a challenge for me (with the transition of the seasons - see previous post) I have neglected some of the things I love so much, like writing about food - specifically vegan food. So, as a Happy Birthday to me, I joined the Vegan MoFo challenge (acronym for Vegan Month of Food). It’s a compilation of bloggers from all over the world writing, every day, about vegan food. It’s a very cool effort dreamed up by Post Punk Kitcken to spread the word about veganism. Every day in October, bloggers have committed to blogging about cooking, eating or thinking about vegan food. The MoFo challenge page will feature the blogroll of everyone signed up to take the challenge. Don’t just follow mine, check them all out!

I am bursting with ideas and I can’t wait to get started posting my favorite recipes - some mine, some I stole, and even tips and tricks for getting you or your circle of friends to embrace veganism, no matter how small. It will all tie together with yoga and the practice to keep you amused and inspired all month long. Check back here every day in October for tons of fun stuff.

Keep practicing, yogis! Have a great week.

Namaste.

Autumn Lotus as a seed pod.

Hello Yogis~

I have been on hiatus for most of the summer, as I have enjoyed having my three children home with me. Sadly, I saw them off to the beginning of another school year this morning and I’m back to spending my time thinking about, practicing and being inspired by all things yoga.

Autumn, although not officially here for several weeks, has arrived… in my mind, anyway. In the coming days, many of us will momentarily find ourselves with a bit of free time. Hopefully, before you fill your plate with new commitments, you’ll consider allowing yourself to use some of that time to reflect and reconnect to your inner self. Regardless of your personal schedule, we all need to make it a priority to find some personal time to foster our physical and mental well being. 

Depending on your physical constitution, seasonal changes can be a challenge for some and a breeze for others. The physical evidence is all around us that the season has definitely begun to change. Have you noticed the changes in the appearance and height of the clouds? The tops of the trees are starting to turn the slightest bit yellow and the night air has lost is density and warmth. Even the sounds around us are changing, with crickets chirping all hours of the day. The grass has become drier and the smell of the air is even different. It’s a beautiful thing to be mindful of these changes and embracing them makes life richer. Unfortunately for some, seasonal transitions don’t always seem beautiful.

As the Summer flows into Autumn, a lot is happening in our bodies. We are all a part of nature and are affected by every force around us. You may experience a range of emotions and physical changes - not always positive. Seasonal allergies bring on an array of symptoms that can often manifest into other illness. Some bodies are hyper sensitive to temperature changes. Others can suffer merely by the changes in their diets as seasonal fare shifts. For some, it’s more emotional. Depending on your geographical location, seeing a season come to an end and preparing for less than pleasant conditions can take a toll on your mental health.

Practicing yoga is a great way to help you embrace, embody and balance those changes. A committed yoga practice teaches us to honor our bodies for what they are at this moment and to feel gratitude for everything that may be going on within and around us. Pranayama, or the breath practice, leads us gracefully through the asana practice and purifies every cell, bringing a fresh state of mind, pain relief and renewed energy. If seasonal transitions have a marked effect on your body or psyche, please join me for a class. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to be one of those people who breeze through the seasons, join me for YogaSoul anyway - I can help you keep the positive flow going!

My schedule has changed as of today and I plan to add more to the schedule as interest and schedules permit. You can find all of the details above, just click the “Info” tab. Please call, e-mail or comment at the bottom of this page if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. I wish you a Happy Autumn and look forward to meeting you soon!

Namaste.

“You cannot walk straight when the road bends.” ~Romani Proverb

This is one of my favorite quotes. It is a subtitle to “Gypsy Caravan: When the Road Bends”, an amazing movie, soulful music and one of my all time favorite documentaries all rolled into one. The proverb is just a way of saying that, in life, you always have to remain flexible. Roll with the flow. Accept what life throws you. It’s something I always have in the back of my mind and is truly a guiding mantra for me.

This very proverb came to my mind today as I have been trying to decide how to best proceed with weekly classes. I cancelled all of the morning classes for the remainder of summer (and some were cancelled for me), but I try to take it all in stride. I would love to teach yoga every day, but as the seasons change, so does the need for classes. People have busy lives, children, jobs. Obligations. Despite our best efforts, I know firsthand that we can put ourselves on the back burner when life gets too full.  

So here’s the point: Several days ago, I announced that I would no longer teach Tuesday morning classes, and as luck would have it, I had three requests for a class in one day. So blessed am I. So in the spirit of this mantra, I am now teaching the Tuesday morning classes again. The road is bending!

If you’ve never been to the big red barn at Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, this is a great time to experience it. It’s a calm, beautiful, serene space. There is an amazing vibe there that lets you feel like you are one with nature. As an added bonus, if your children are able to sit quietly there are tons of great nature activities for them to explore…all right beside you while you YogaSoul.

The class is 9:30 to 10:45 am and is $12 per class on a drop-in basis. Purchase 6 weeks at a time for $60 and you get one class free. Please e-mail or call for any further questions.

I hope to see new faces as well as familiar ones. Have a beautiful day.

Namaste.