yogi: 5 yoga poses to boost your mood!

me doing "wild thing" -- wild thing...you make my heart sing...

earlier this week, i was featured on fit bottomed girls' blog.  this fabulously popular blog features stories and practical advice about living a fit, happy and healthy life. the ladies behind the blog tackle everything from workout reviews, to the latest fitness fashion, to the tastiest protein bars -- all of which is delivered with style and sass.

to check out the blog and yoga video that i created for them -- 5 yoga poses to boost your mood -- click {here}!

smile :-)

yogi: why set an intention?

if you've ever wondered why you're encouraged to set an intention or dedication at the beginning of your yoga practice, wonder no more.  watch my 2 minute video that will clear up any confusion :-)

foodie: bruschetta potato salad

i got back from a trip to the csa with heirloom tomatoes, a pint of potatoes, a bunch of fresh basil and a head of garlic (among other things).  inspired by the spoils of my trip, i decided to create a bruschetta potato salad -- it was delicious, super simple to make and craig told me afterwards that it's one of his new favorite dishes!  this one's a winner all around :-)

here's what you'll need for 4-6 servings...

1 pint potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 pint tomatoes, chopped
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup basil, cut into a chiffonade (long, skinny ribbons)
1/8 cup olive oil, plus a tad more for roasting the potatoes
salt & cracked pepper

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1. put the cleaned, cubed potatoes on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  roast for 30 min or until fork tender.

2. while the potatoes cook, prep the rest of the food.  toss the tomatoes, garlic and basil together.  season with salt and pepper.

3. once the potatoes are done, mix them into the tomato mixture and drizzle everything with olive oil.  season with more salt and pepper to taste.

adding the warm potatoes to the bruschetta enables them to soak up all the goodness, and the final drizzle of olive oil really seals the deal.

this dish makes for a fabulous summer side dish or works well as an entree salad over chopped romaine.

bon appetit!

just do it (a deck building realization)

this past weekend my husband, craig, and i, along with the much-needed help of my father-in-law and my parents, added a deck onto our cottage.  we have over an acre of land, and love spending time outside with our little dog, olive, but we didn't really have an outdoor space that we could enjoy.  so, after a few years of talking about it, we finally planned it, got our zoning permit and broke ground.

it's funny how we put things off that we know we will enjoy.  (sure, it took a weekend and about $700 in materials to make our 18 ft by 12 ft deck come together, but the enjoyment we'll get out of it is truly priceless.)  so, why do we put off things that will ultimately bring us more happiness and enjoyment?  perhaps we're waiting for the "right time" or for the moment when our to-do list is done, but unfortunately, those moments never arrive -- they are forever in the future.

there's a lot of truth to nike's slogan...just do it.  if there's something you've been putting off (it doesn't have to be as grandiose as a weekend-long deck building project) put it on your calendar.  schedule yourself a manicure, go to a yoga class or plan lunch with a friend you haven't seen in a while.  replenish yourself instead of depleting yourself.  put as much energy into the things you love as you do your responsibilities.

olive enjoying the deck

isn't she adorable?!!

so, what are you going to do that will increase the joy in your life?...

foodie: squash "pizzas"

inspired by this recipe and with a gorgeously round summer squash in need of use, i set out to make my very own version of squash "pizza".  the buttery squash made for a delicious (though not so stable) crust, and the fresh marinara, parmigiano reggiano cheese and garden basil, made it all the better!  the result was quite tasty, if i do say so myself.

here's what you'll need for pizza for two...

1 round summer squash
marinara
cheese of your choosing
olive oil
salt
fresh basil

preheat oven to 400

1. cut the squash into 1/2 inch thick rounds, and place on an oiled baking sheet. drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are lightly browned and the edges begin to curl up.

2. remove from the oven and top as you see fit!  caramelized onions, chopped kalamata olives and homemade pesto could be delicious, too.

3. bake for another 10 min or so, until the cheese begins to melt.

enjoy with a side salad and a glass of wine :-)

yogi: what does namaste mean?

if you've ever wondered why "namaste" is often said at the close of yoga classes, wonder no more!  check out my brief video that explains it all.

 

namaste :-)

foodie: homemade "ice cream" (and you don't need an ice cream maker!)

whenever i see recipes for ice cream on other blogs or on foodgawker, i always pass them over because (1) they often are labor-intensive, and (2) i don't have an ice cream maker.  so, you can imagine how excited i was when i found a recipe for "ice cream" with just one ingredient...yes, just one!  and, to top it off, it's healthy.  go figure.

if you're craving the cold, creamy goodness of ice cream, it's only a few simple steps away.  and, you don't even have to feel guilty about it.

here's what you'll need for one bowl of homemade ice cream...

1 banana

cut the banana into 1 inch coin, put on a plate covered with plastic wrap and put into the freezer for at least 2 hours.

put the cut, frozen banana into your food processor and blend until it magically begins to resemble a scoop of hard ice cream.  amazing!

(i jazzed mine up by adding 1 tbsp peanut butter into the food processor with the banana, and also topping my finished ice cream with another tbsp of melted pb.  delicious!  did i mention that i ate this for breakfast?!)

after getting bit by the "ice cream" bug, i decided to try another combo.

1/2 banana (i used fresh, which gave it a more sorbet-like consistency, but you could use frozen, too)
1/2 cup cherries, frozen

same deal.

and again, peanut butter makes everything better!