Yoga Challenge (day 31) and reflections

To conclude 31 days of yoga, I chose a new practice this evening -- 30 minutes of "lunar flow" from Yoga Download. I'm so glad I decided to check out a few yoga downloads -- and just in time to use Tina's coupon for 50% off! I also downloaded gentle hatha, moon salutes, and yoga for back pain. I'm excited to try out these other practices, too! I was a little bit worried about the minimal visuals using the audio download, but found I only needed to glance at the PDF containing the pose illustrations during unfamiliar poses.

Speaking of unfamiliar poses . . . whoa half-pigeon! My hips have never felt so loose and free. Plow is going to kick my ass, however. :) I can't wait to be strong enough to do the shoulder stand!

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Reflecting on the past month . . .

. . . although my level of motivation and participation in the challenge has ebbed and flowed, I am proud of myself for practicing yoga for 30 of the past 31 days! I recorded my practices on a wall calendar, and I must admit . . . that empty square still haunts me a little. I remember that day, though, and know that there was no way yoga would have fit.

HOWEVER, I have practiced 745 minutes of yoga this month, (nearly 12 1/2 hours,) averaging 24 minutes and a couple of seconds per day. WOW!

I have noticed improvements in my overall flexibility and general fitness, but I believe the greatest benefits I’ve reaped from this challenge have been emotional/spiritual. I think the combination of focused, deep breathing and challenging body postures allow me to decompress in a way that is very beneficial to me. I have a high-stress job, (preschool teacher for low-income, high-needs children,) and often struggle turning work “off” when I get home. Practicing yoga immediately after work has become a crucial part of my weeknight routine! My evenings have been more relaxed, productive, and focused, and I seriously think I have been sleeping better, too!

I am thankful I have developed a new habit – and I bet my chiropractor will be thankful, too! (I have had chronic/severe back pain for many years, now – and I have been pain-free this entire month! Woooo yoga!)

I have always HATED “exercise,” although I love to be busy and active – I love to walk with friends, bike, and explore the wilderness, but have set foot in a “gym” literally less than five times my entire adult life. I’ve discovered, thanks to this challenge, “exercise” that I actually enjoy! No longer will the long, cold Minnesota winters be so lazy for me!

With that said . . . bring on spring, and more yoga!

(P.S. I forgot to mention . . . I continue to do sun salutes and various yoga poses with the children I teach, and they beg to go to the conference room for “yoga class!” I think it’s so cute when they say “namaste” to each other!)

How was your month of yoga, if you were practicing along?

Yoga Challenge (day 30)

I cannot believe there is only ONE day left of the 31-day yoga challenge! Wow. The other thing I can't believe? I only skipped ONE day the entire month! I'm excited to report my "stats" tomorrow, as well as reflect on the last month. Tonight, I decided to push myself (with the hopes of finishing with a "bang,") and did 45 minutes of "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss." The thing I love most about this practice, (besides that it is incredibly challenging,) is that there is a "combined practice" option, where you can watch four women practicing at the same time, each doing a different level of modification. Perfect, if you ask me! Most poses I can do at an intermediate level, where some others I need to modify at a more beginner level. I appreciate the option to customize as my body needs today!

I have little piddly stuff to do around the apartment tonight, and I hope to investigate some of the yoga downloads still available at 50% off -- now that I'm feeling more confident in my yoga practicing, I think I'm ready to try an auditory-only practice!

Yoga Challenge (day 29) and Sunday eats!

I went for a long walk around Lake of the Isles with my friend Ann this afternoon, and did 20 minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" when I got home, to stretch out the leg muscles in particular.

I can't believe there are only two days left in the challenge! I'm so excited to reflect on the challenge on Wednesday, and continue practicing yoga in the coming months. It's been an adventure, to say the least!

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I cooked today. (Finally.)

First, brunch:

Potato, kale, and sun-dried tomato frittata, with toast and apple slices. We may be having frittata more often. I like the idea of ONE dirty pan, instead of the usual THREE dirty pans! :)

Second, baking:

Scones, from Vegan with a Vengeance. I used mostly whole-wheat pastry flour with some ground oats thrown in for good measure, ground cinnamon, and diced apple. These spread quite a bit on me and turned out pretty flat, but they still taste amazing! Must file away apple-cinnamon scones for future reference.

Third, beans and rice:

I must be honest . . . "beans and rice" is one of those vegetarian staple meals that I've never quite been able to get behind, until very recently. Nobody ever puts recipes out there for beans and rice, and I was never happy with the concoctions I created -- but lately I've been adapting the recipe for "Messy Rice" from VCON to make my most favorite beans and rice to date! I'll share:
Cook together until soft:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt (use less if you're using canned beans)
Stir in:
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup brown rice (short or long grain, or a mix of the two)
Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the rice, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Stir in:
2 cups cooked pinto, black, or kidney beans (home-cooked or canned)
P.S. A canned chipotle in adobo would be awesome in this, too, (remove before serving,) and a healthy squeeze of fresh lime juice is always welcome. :)

Last, my favorite thing to do with beans and rice:

If the beans and rice are already cooked, these are the easiest, most delicious burritos ever -- sprinkle some shredded cheese in a tortilla, (my favorite is pepper Jack,) add a big scoop of beans and rice, fold and secure with a toothpick, and bake at 400 until the tortilla is crispy and the edges brown. Top with salsa and devour!
These burritos would also be great topped with sour cream, or guacamole, or salsa verde, or mole, or a homemade faux-cheese sauce! I also think the beans and rice would make amazing stuffed peppers . . . maybe I'll experiment next weekend!

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So, what's your secret recipe for amazing beans and rice?

Yoga Challenge (day 28), lights out, and chocolate!

I did 20 minutes of Yoga Journal's "Step-by-Step Session 1" again yesterday afternoon. That practice continues to kick my butt! Between a challenging yoga practice and a long walk, my legs were a little bit achy last night. Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't fix, though!

I browsed through new yoga DVDs onine yesterday, and several caught my eye. Once this challenge wraps up, I think I'll post on the ones that interest me, and seek your feedback!

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I don't have many food photos for you! I've been spoiled a little bit this weekend -- Dan took us out for dinner on Friday night, and AGAIN for brunch on Saturday! (It's good to indulge every once in a while, right?) Last night, I made us a simple pasta and salad dinner, but have no photos because we were eating during Earth Hour! (I must admit, we did use a wee bit of electricity during this time, since I left the computer on so we could listed to some music, and I had the gas on for a short time to finish the pasta.)

I meant to turn on my desk lamp for a brief time to snap a photo of our dessert, but mysteriously, my desk lamp wouldn't turn on at that time! (And it miraculously turned back on AFTER Earth Hour! A message, perhaps?) Anyhow, I decided to have dessert for breakfast this morning, just so I could show you all of the gooey deliciousness:

Ever had hot fudge sundae cake?? This is one of those things I remember from my childhood, and I actually had a dream about making hot fudge sundae cake on Friday night, so I figured it was meant to be. :) Chocolatey, gooey, sugary deliciousness . . . and vegan, too! Dan had two helpings -- must have been good?

I'm actually going to cook today, so I'll have more pictures later. :) Until then.

Yoga Challenge (day 27)

Although I had plenty of time for a longer practice tonight, and seriously considered "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss," I decided to choose a shorter, but still challenging 20 minutes of Yoga Journal's "Step-by-Step Session 1." Those sun salutes really do a number on my arms AND legs!

Although it's been a pretty unhealthy day for me food-wise, (Mr. Dennis's "taco salad" for lunch, a couple of cookies, and Dan and I will go out for dinner in a little while,) I decided to take the yoga somewhat easy. I have to figure out how I'm going to stay up until nearly 2 AM tonight! Dan has a late-night gig, which will be fun, but I don't want to overdo it before then and get too sleepy!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Yoga Challenge (day 26) and treats

Last night, I was SO tired when I finished all of my grocery shopping, baking (details to follow), and dish-washing, but I pushed myself to do 20 minutes of Yoga Journal's "Step-by-Step Session 1." There were a couple of times during down-dog that I actually had to put my knees down and rest for a minute, but I'm glad I went for the more challenging practice. Now that I have my "yoga muscles" back, I can start stepping it up a little bit, right?

I'll have plenty of time for a longer practice tonight, so let's hope I have SOME energy left when I get home from work! ;-)

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I enjoyed a nice, little baking party last night. I made a loaf of Broa from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, (which made AMAZING toast this morning,) and I also made cookies:



Peanut butter cookies (with the optional chocolate chips!) from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Mmmmmmmmmm. Dan's response last night was, "you're really on a chocolate-peanut butter kick lately, aren't you?" Well, heck yeah!

These cookies are GREAT -- and I'm going to take about a third of the batch to work today, so I don't eat them all by myself! I'm sure my coworkers will appreciate the "teacher treats" :) If any day deserves teacher treats, Friday is definitely it!

end-of-month pinch

For those of you, like I, who are living on a very tight budget, we all know how much the "end-of-month pinch" stinks. The "I only have twenty bucks until next paycheck" feeling? Yeah. Well, this month 'round, I had thirty bucks, and I went grocery shopping:



BULK:
locally-roasted, organic, fair-trade coffee

CHEESE:
local pepper jack

PRODUCE:
organic bananas
organic Minneolas
organic yellow onion
organic green bell peppers
local hydroponic romaine
jalapeno
organic fuji apples
organic cherry tomatoes

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
organic flour tortillas

I didn't add up as I went along this time, and I ended up having to put a few Minneolas back in order to make the budget . . . but I did it. I spent $30.21, to be exact!

We have some super boring meals coming up this weekend: pasta and salad, bean/rice/cheese burritos, seitan and dumplings, our typical brunch, etc. Dan's planning on taking the two of us out on Friday night, which will be a nice respite from all the boring food!

What are some of your favorite "pinch" meals? 'Cause I'm starting to feel like I need a few new ideas. :)

go see Tina . . .

. . . if you want to enter her Pure Bar Giveaway!

I'm all for free snacks . . . I signed right up!

Yoga Challenge (day 25)

I think this has been my laziest night of yoga yet. I did "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" again, and I was feeling so lazy, I left my jeans and socks on. It felt like way too much work to change into yoga pants, only to change back into jeans so I could head out for choir practice shortly after I finished.

Hopefully I'll feel more motivated tomorrow. :)

Yoga Challenge (day 24)

20 minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" for me. I realize that yoga is mostly a relaxation and stress-relief practice for me . . . I think I need to invest in another practice that meets this need. :)

I continue to notice improvements in my flexibility -- I can ALMOST touch my toes now!

Wow. Exactly seven days left of the challenge!

Yoga Challenge (day 23) and a little bit of stress.

Tonight, I did Yoga Now's "30 Minute Core Challenge." I was feeling mega-uber-lazy when I arrived home, and actually contemplated skipping my yoga altogether. Instead of skipping the yoga, however, I pushed myself to do a more challenging practice. I did it! I'm still feeling pretty lazy, which might mean the laundry will have to wait until tomorrow night, but at least I got the yoga in!

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So, here's the little bit of stress. It seems as though a whole host of things are happening all at the same time right now, (as always, right?) and are making me feel a little . . . unsettled? Here are the few little things:

First, work is nuts. There's no other way to say it, I guess! The kids are all good, my coteacher and I get along just fine, and my boss is great, but due to the lousy economy, our organization is suffering financially. BIG TIME. We learned around the first of the year that we would be experiencing salary freezes -- so, no raises, despite inflation. Then, they decided not to hire for the open assistant teacher position in my classroom, so my coteacher and I are having to stretch our shifts out and take longer breaks in order to cover our room for ratios and diapering and such during the day. (I can't tell you how much HAVING to take an hour break sucks! Blah.) We are also on a strict "no overtime" policy, so I'm having to wiggle around with some flex time, too, if I ever have to stay late for ratio reasons.

With all of that, management has been talking about the possibility of salary reductions, in order to keep the organization afloat. This has been mumbled about since the first of the year, and at our last staff meeting, it sounds as though a ten percent paycut for everyone in the organization is highly likely. TEN PERCENT! I don't make very much money to begin with, but that still makes an awfully huge impact in my monthly budget. I've been brainstorming some ways I can cut $180 per month from my budget, and have come up with several solutions. One of which is returning to the kitchenwares store on a part-time basis, in addition to my full-time job. Not the best scenario, if you ask me, but I can only cut so much! (Rent and student loans are costly, costly, costly.) I do love my coworkers at "the window," and will be excited to see them all on a more regular basis, but the idea of 13- to 14-hour-days is really unappealing.

But I'm thankful to have a job. Well, two jobs, really!

Next, I have to renew my teaching license. This means a lot of paperwork, piddly nonsense, forms and such, which is not really all that stressful, just nit-picky and annoying. And I'm slightly worried they aren't going to accept all of my professional development hours, which would mean . . . they wouldn't renew my license. This wouldn't be an immediate tragedy, but it would make moving abroad in 18 months more difficult.

Yes, moving abroad. Dan and I are slowly thinking about places we'd like to move to teach English. (I'd most likely be teaching at an International school, while Dan would use his TEFL certificate.) Morocco is very appealing to me . . . must learn more about Morocco!

Oh yes, and there's more! Dan and I may be "shackin' up" sooner than we had planned on, for a variety of reasons, all of which are good. (And nothing hugely scary, mind you. We're just ready to cohabitate and both poor, so this solves many problems!) I'm terribly excited, but also have many big projects ahead of me, including loads of cleaning, purging, trips to the Goodwill and Half-Price Books, in order to make room for Dan in my teensie apartment. We also have to go through paperwork/applications/etc. in order to get Dan on my lease. EEEEEEE!!!!

Where are we going to fit TWO bikes in my 550-square-foot apartment!! Do those giant hooks on the wall really work??? We may need to buy some.

Thankfully, most of this stress will be over in the next couple of months, so we can both enjoy our road trip camping vacation we have scheduled in June. Sigh. Why isn't it vacation time NOW????

Pardon the whining. :) I'm done now.

Yoga Challenge (day 22), meh lunch, and feeding the granola monster

For day 22, I did 25 minutes of "PM Yoga for Beginners" before I cooked dinner tonight. This practice has several poses in it that are mostly unfamiliar to me, and are not contained in any of the other practices I have on hand. This makes this practice quite challenging, and stretches and strengthens some previously underused muscles, methinks. :)

I'm so glad I decided to participate in this challenge -- the kick in the pants I've been needing for so long to make yoga a habit! I can't promise I'll stick to daily yoga once the challenge winds down, but I hope to keep it up at least four times a week. I can't believe there's only a little over a week of the challenge left!

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Lunch today:

Tuscan White Bean Stew, from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook. As is, this is definitely a "meh" recipe -- hearty, healthy, and filling, but majorly lacking in flavor. The homemade croutons were the best part, by far. My gut tells me this recipe could seriously benefit from a significant amount of roasted garlic, and maybe a can of tomatoes?? (And more salt.)

Perhaps refrigerator magic will work wonders tonight, and the stew will be ten times better tomorrow. But I'm not holding my breath or anything. (I'm trying to figure out how I can disguise the leftovers so I'll actually EAT it. Blah.)

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The granola monster rears its ugly (um, cute?) head again:

Just out of curiosity, I weighed this week's batch of granola . . . just over a pound and a half! I can't believe Dan can eat A POUND AND A HALF OF GRANOLA IN ONE WEEK!

Don't get me wrong, though . . . I'm not complaining and I'm happy to keep feeding the granola monster/boyfriend. At least he's eating a healthy breakfast and getting his whole grains, right?? :)

(P.S. he does contribute to the grocery bill, especially since I've started supplying him with a weekly batch of granola!)

Yoga Challenge (day 21,) picnic food, and recipes for Lauren to try!

I'm planning on twenty minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" in about an hour, once my dinner is good and digested. I ended up going for sun salutes last night, which was exhausting but great! I'll need something more rejeuvenating tonight -- Dan and I have plans to go see a friend's band play, but not until MUCH later. Let's hope my yoga can wake me up!

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I made picnic food for dinner:

I made Liz's effing amazing coleslaw dressing and tossed it with a cabbage package from the co-op, home-shredded broccoli stalk, and some leftover green onions for the best coleslaw to date, Melody's veggie hot dogs, homemade buns (from Artisan Bread, of course,) and sweet potato fries (from a package . . . gasp!) for one delicious, filling, summery meal. (Oh yeah . . . and it was a completely vegan meal, to boot!)

Oh yes . . . and don't forget that pickle. Mmmmmm . . . pickles!

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My friend Lauren left me a comment on my last post about The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, and I wanted to suggest a few recipes for her to try . . . or anyone, for that matter! (Their recipes can be found online, if you don't want to buy the whole cookbook -- but I highly recommend it! It's gorgeously photographed, beautifully laid-out, and has some great nutrition information, too!)

I've made the following recipes from the cookbook, all with great results:

Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos (AMAZING!!!)
Banana-Oatmeal Hotcakes with Spiced Maple Syrup
Muesli Breakfast Bars
Cannellini Beans with Wilted Greens
Yellow Lentils with Spinach and Ginger
Caribbean Red Beans and Brown Rice (great with sauteed greens and broiled plantains!)

And I'm going to make the Tuscan White Bean Stew for lunch tomorrow . . . I'll let you all know how it turns out!

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Happy Saturday Night!

cupcakes, muffins, and kamikaze pancakes!

Finally, the cupcake reveal:

"Lemon Gem Cupcakes" from Vegan with a Vengeance. I didn't make Isa's lemon frosting, however -- my buttercream intuition kicked in, and her recipe seemed to call for way too much liquid, in my amateur opinion. So, I made a simple lemon buttercream out of Earth Balance, powdered organic sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Delicious!

Cupcake for breakfast, anyone??


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I made "Vanilla Ricotta Muffins" from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe this morning, just to have on hand . . .

Not much to look at . . . but mighty tasty! Even though the recipe said the yield was 8 to 10 muffins, I ended up with 12 . . . could have been 13, actually, but I didn't want to waste all of that electricity just to cook one additional muffin!

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And, I made kamikaze pancakes for brunch this afternoon:

I used the recipe for Banana-Oatmeal Hotcakes with Spiced Maple Syrup from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, and topped the 'cakes with sliced bananas, fresh blueberries, and toasted, crushed walnuts. The pancakes were awesome, even though a bit labor-intensive to make -- the pancakes were strangely buttery-tasting, although there was no actual butter in them! I'd skip the spiced syrup next time -- I didn't get any cinnamon-clove flavor from the syrup, so in my opinion, it wasn't worth the extra effort (and extra dirty saucepan!)

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I'll probably be back tonight with a yoga report and a dinner report -- later!

Yoga Challenge (day 20), pad Thai, and cupcake tease!

I must confess . . . I skipped out on yoga last night. In my defense, I had already gotten a lot of exercise during the day, (I walked home and back to work during my break, and then to and from the grocery store that evening,) had a LOT to do last night, and spent some time catching up with my friend Ann on the phone. As it was, I didn't get to bed until 11:30!! Yowza.

I'll be back on track tonight, though -- I'll do either Stress Relief or PM Yoga in a little while, once my dinner has more of a chance to settle in.

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Dinner? Did somebody mention dinner?

"Brooklyn Pad Thai" from Vegan with a Vengeance. (The broccoli addition was my original take on the recipe, to add another veggie serving to the meal, as well as an additional layer of tastiness!) All I can say about this recipe is . . . thank you, Isa! I no longer have to go out for my most favorite Thai dish of all time! (Maybe this will mean I'll start branching out and trying different Thai dishes besides pad Thai, because it won't be my only opportunity to eat pad Thai for a couple of months??)

P.S. This recipe was pretty easy, too -- I came home during my break today and prepped most of the ingredients, (chopped veggies, made the sauce, cooked the noodles, etc.) and then had dinner on the table within a half hour of arriving home tonight!

I really like recipes/meals that can be made mostly ahead of time. (Who doesn't?)

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I did get around to making cupcakes last night . . . but I haven't snapped a photo of them yet, (lousy lighting last night, cloudy/rainy day today,) so I'm going to hold out on you all until tomorrow! Sorry. :)

AAAAAAAARGH.

Do you love the FLOG? I'm flattered if you do!

I don't love the FLOG. I'm surprised I made it 18 days in a row, taking pictures of almost every single thing I eat!

Are leftovers and fruit and cereal and snacks really that interesting?? :)

I may be back later tonight with yoga and cupcakes. If not . . . there will be posts to come this weekend when I actually cook new things!

Later, skaters.

Yoga Challenge (day 18), and pathetic FLOG

Twenty minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" again, tonight. It's been a long day, and it's not nearly over yet -- some stress relief was definitely in order!

I noticed another huge improvement in my flexibility tonight -- I can actually do standing forward bend with straight legs and the block (in the high position!) I've never even been able to reach the block before! Wooo!

I'm thinking wide-leg standing forward bend is one of my most recent favorite poses -- it must stretch the hips or something, because it feels great!

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Breakfast:

The last muffin. Thank god. (And a banana, obviously.)

Lunch:
I packed a lunch, and then ate only part of what I packed, so I have no picture for you. Mr. Dennis (our cook) made me cheesy "pizza burgers" when he was making the meaty ones for the kids. Thanks, Mr. Dennis! I did eat my beets and grapes that I had packed, too. And a Dum Dums pop.

Snack:

Hummus, crackers, and a pear. The kids kept asking me about my "funny peanut butter." I also had a handfull of Nilla wafers with the kids, and TWO more Dum Dums pops. I was having an attack of my sweet tooth!

Dinner:

I must admit, tonight I was thinking about dinner on my way home . . . and craving a gooey quesadilla! Two-cheese and kale quesadilla, with homemade guacamole for dipping, and a side salad of romaine, tomatoes, and green onions, drizzled with lime juice and olive oil.

Treat:
I'm going to eat the last sprinkle cookie before I head out to choir practice! (And take my vitamin, too.)

Until tomorrow!

Yoga Challenge (day 17) and FLOG

I found myself deep in thought on my way home from work tonight; "what kind of yoga do I want to do today?" This was a rare conversation to be having with myself, since historically, the post-work thoughts tended towards, "what's for dinner?" :) A nice change of pace, perhaps?

Don't get me wrong -- I love being a food snob. :) It's just nice to not have food be at the front of my mind once in a while!! ;-)

Anyhow, I settled on twenty minutes of sun salutes, using Yoga Journal's "Step by Step Session 1" video. I must buy the series for myself when I complete the challenge!

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Breakfast:

I swear, this is the never-ending batch of muffins. They are multiplying themselves in the fridge when I'm not looking. :) Coffee, too.

Lunch:

Leftover potato-mushroom stroganoff, noodles, and green beans. Still very yummy the next day!

Snack:
A coworker made a run to Chipotle, and she kindly delivered me an order of chips and guacamole. Yummy, yummy avocado. I also had a cherry-cola flavored Dum Dum's.

Dinner:

Leftover Agean Eggplant with Lentils, leftover rice, leftover beets, and some fresh pineapple. (I was feeling low on the fruit servings for my day.) (And I promise I'll remember my vitamin, too.)

Treat:
I'm going to eat a sprinkle cookie. 'Cause I want a cookie, dang-nabbit! :) Yum.

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I have a grocery list to write, lettuce to wash and tear up, and a few other odds and ends to take care of -- I better get crackin' so I can get to bed early tonight! I stayed up too late finishing a book last night, and I'm TIRED today. Until tomorrow!

Yoga Challenge (day 16) and FLOG

Today is really the first day since I've started this challenge that I truly considered skipping the yoga -- I did get some exercise (walking) earlier in the day, and we ate dinner kind of late, so I'm still pretty full. HOWEVER, I will do yoga! I slept in this morning, (almost until 10:00!!), so I'll stay up a little later and do 25 minutes of "PM Yoga for Beginners" right before bed.

I'm sure glad I set "prizes" for myself if I complete this challenge, because if it wasn't for that, I bet I'd skip tonight! :)

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No breakfast today, since I woke up so late! (I did drink coffee, of course.)

Lunch:

I loosely followed this recipe for black bean soup, but changed things up a little bit . . . more veggies, slightly fewer beans, adding a chipotle chili in adobo and some tomato paste, etc. This was delicious topped with a little queso fresco and green onions, with a side salad of romaine, avocado, and tomato, (topped with lime juice and olive oil,) and some homemade "Broa" (Portuguese Corn Bread,) from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

Treats:
No pictures, sorry! I had a cookie at home, a Tootsie Pop while I was waiting for Dan to have his beard trimmed at Fantastic Sam's, and THEN Dan bought me an ice cream cone! It was a sugary afternoon, and my gut let me know later -- that ice cream cone sat like a ROCK in my tummy for quite a while. Ugh. (But it was delicious!)

Snack:


Dinner:

Dan and I shared this big plate of sushi and edamame. Sometimes I use white rice, sometimes brown, in my sushi -- this week it was brown rice. The brown rice doesn't stick together quite as well as the white rice, but it is definitely nutritionally superior, so there you go. :)

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Ugh -- back to work for me tomorrow! At least it's only four more days until Friday, right?

Yoga Challenge (day 15), day off, granola monster, and FLOG

I had a very busy, very physically-active day yesterday, so I knew some light, relaxing yoga was in order early evening. I did 20 minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners." Although I love this practice, I'm starting to think I need another relaxing practice, just so I can switch it up a bit!

In other yoga-related news, my ab muscles are SORE this morning. Ow.

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I have a day off today! Woo! I have some appointments and things, but there will be time for a little bit of fun, too. :)

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Dan has become a granola monster. (He finished the batch of granola I sent home with him last weekend already!) So, I made him another batch yesterday:



My same recipe that I always use, although I used agave this time 'round, instead of maple syrup, and a whole host of spices, (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger,) and a splash of vanilla extract, too! A blend of walnuts, almonds, and pecans, two different kinds of raisins, and dried apricots, too! I'm sure it will be well-received. :)

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Yesterday in food . . .

Breakfast:

Crackers and hummus (YUM!) and a sliced pear. Coffee, too.

Lunch:

I made Mexican Tomato Bean Soup with Corn Dumplings and quesadillas stuffed with leftover greens and mushrooms, and a sprinkling of queso fresco. The quesadillas were AWESOME, of course, although we ran out of salsa. :( Boo, hiss. I have made the soup in the past, but not for a couple of years, and was looking forward to another taste! I remember loving the dumplings, but this time was not meant to be. Last time I made the soup, I definitely used masa harina for the dumpling dough, which worked well. This time I used cornmeal, (the recipe suggested the substitution,) which was a DISASTER! I made and formed the dumplings, dropped them in the soup, allowed them to simmer undisturbed until I thought they were done, gave the soup a stir . . . and the dumplings completely fell apart. Alas. The soup still tastes good, and we each ate a big bowlfull for lunch, but no cute little springy corn dumplings! Bah. I made a note on my copy of the recipe, so I know to pick up some masa harina next time!

Treat:

The rest of the chocolate mousse that I couldn't finish yesterday.

Yesterday was a long, busy afternoon, with a very late dinner planned. Lots of snacking, as a result.

Snack #1:

Half a lemonade. (I saved the other half for Dan, who is nursing a cold and enjoyed the treat!)

Snack #2:

Shared while watching a movie!

Snack #3:

There were many, many hours between lunch and dinner. :)

Dinnertime finally arrived:

Mushroom-Potato Stroganoff (from The Cheese Factory Restaurant Cookbook,) egg noodles, and oven-roasted green beans. SO good.

Treat:

COOOOOOOKIE!

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Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is calling my name . . . !

Yoga Challenge (day 14,) over-budget, and FLOG

Dan and I went to see a play last night, and when we got home, I convinced Dan to do the dishes :) while I did twenty minutes of Yoga Journal's "Step-by-Step Session 1." The more I do the sun salutes, the more I love them! (And boy, are my arms and legs tired when I'm done!) This might have been a little bit too much physical activity for me at 9:30 at night, since I could barely crawl my butt into bed when I was done, but it was fun while it lasted. :) I may choose an easier practice today!

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I went grocery shopping yesterday morning, and I am officially already WAY over budget for groceries this month. (This will be okay in the end, since it's a three-paycheck month for me.) I think I may go to a cash system next month, however -- take out $87 per week, leave my debit card at home, and be smarter about my shopping. I'm also watching to see what expensive things I've been picking up, so I can maybe make better choices next time. (For some reason, anything over four dollars seems to catch my eye on my reciepts. These items include coffee, health and beauty items, organic canola oil, cheeses, and some high-cost produce items such as the pineapple, grapes, beets, and pound-and-a-half of mushrooms I bought this week!)

Budgeting, like anything else, is a learning process, right??

Here's the loot:


BULK:
organic green lentils
egg noodles (so glad I found these in bulk! They are SO EXPENSIVE pre-packaged!)

CHEESE:
local queso fresco

FROZEN:
local, organic edamame (in-pod)

HERBS & SPICES:
local, organic, ground white pepper

PACKAGED GROCERY:
organic canola oil
wild capers
organic tomato juice
organic firm silken tofu
organic dried shiitake mushrooms
organic diced tomatoes
organic stoneground wheat and flax crackers
organic "harvest whole wheat" crackers
Seventh Generation TP

PERSONAL CARE:
two bottles of Nature's Gate shampoo
two packages organic cotton tampons (on sale!!)
Burt's Bees orange essence facial cleanser

PRODUCE:
organic cucumber
organic bananas
organic avocados
organic pineapple
organic green grapes
organic limes
organic red pears
organic green beans
organic eggplant
organic garlic
organic red chard
organic dino kale (two bunches)
organic cilantro
organic Italian parsley
local, organic, white button mushrooms
organic yellow onions
organic green onions
organic green bell pepper
local, organic russet potato
local hydroponic romaine
organic zucchini
organic beets
organic cherry tomatoes

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
flour tortillas
local, organic, low-fat sour cream

To stay in budget, I'm considering switching to conventional canola oil next month, and will also make smarter fruit choices. I must admit, though, it's that time of year when I'm just so SICK of apples and oranges, I want to SCREAM! (Don't get me wrong . . . the Minneolas are still tasty, but it's been ages since I've had grapes! Let's hope the grapes and pineapple were worth the cost!)

I also need to plan my internet orders for heath and beauty items better -- I had to pick up a couple of things we ran out of, because I had just placed an order. Oh well!

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Enough budget talk; on to yesterday's FLOG!

Breakfast #1:

Pre-grocery store muffin. Coffee, too, of course.

Breakfast #2:

Post-grocery store dates. Dan managed to sneak some of these out of my dish!

Lunch:

Our weekly brunch, with freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice on the side! (P.S. My hashbrown-making skills improve with each week. Crispy deliciousness!)

Treat:

I have been savoring last weekend's batch of sprinkle-cookies.

Dinner:

I made Agean Eggplant with Lentils, brown rice, and steamed beets for dinner last night. I haven't made this recipe in a couple of years, and I can't for the life of me figure out why! These lentils and veggies are so healthy, comforting, and delicious. Yum. This should be a good recipe to keep in mind for late-summer farmer's market bounty, too!

(P.S. I didn't use canned lentils, per the recipe instructions -- I cooked up a big pot yesterday morning, and portioned out and froze the rest.)

Treat:

I made a tofu, chocolate, and peanut butter mousse yesterday, which turned out SO thick and rich, I couldn't finish my entire portion! I think I'll skip the peanut butter next time -- I tasted barely a whisper of peanut butter flavor, and in my opinion, the last thing this recipe needs is more richness! Cook and learn, right?

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Stay tuned -- more yoga and delicious food to come today!

Yoga Challenge (day 13) and a not-so-healthy FLOG

I knew I had a busy evening planned last night, so I decided to get up a little bit early and do yoga in the morning. I must admit . . . I don't think I'm an AM exerciser. I move slowly in the morning, (both my body and brain,) and doing even a gentle yoga practice, (Gaiam's "AM Yoga for Beginners,") felt like too much. So, it's nice to know that I can get up and do yoga right away, but I'm certain it won't become a habit any time soon!

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Breakfast:

This is the first time I had really sampled the granola I made last weekend, and if I do say so myself, it is fantastic! Nice and cinnamon-mapley. Coffee not pictured.

Lunch:

The last of the scrambled tofu, with a banana. I also had a scoop of mashed potatoes that the kids were eating, and a rootbeer-flavored "Dum Dums" pop.

Snack:

Anyone else feeling burned out on muffins lately? 'Cause I am. :) Another Dum Dums pop, too -- cherry cola flavor this time.

Dinner:
Dan and I went out for burritos to Los Ocampo. (We had planned on going to our favorite Malaysian restaurant, since we had a coupon courtesy of Courtney, but there was a looooong wait! Boo!) Anyhow, I have typically enthusiastically enjoyed their quesadillas in the past, which I've scored when we've been cruising the Midtown Global Market. I decided to order a veggie burrito this time 'round, simply because it came with a huge amount of chips and guac, too! The burrito was good, but nothing to write home about -- nice amount of cheesy rice and beans, crisp fajita veggies, sauteed mushrooms, but slightly lacking in flavor. Salsas and hot sauces, which were served with the burrito, and most of my guacamole portion smeared over the top, really improved the overall taste. Didn't stop me from eating almost the entire burrito, however! (Dan helped me finish a few bites.) Round out the meal with a lime Jarritos, and roasted pumpkin seeds, and call me stuffed!

Treat:
Dan and I went to the Riverview Theater and saw "Rachel Getting Married," (which was incredibly fantastic, by the way!), and I had a small handfull of "Good 'n' Plenty" candies from a bubblegum-style vending machine. Only twenty-five cents, and just enough sweets for me! Yum!

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And thus begins our "staycation" -- since we can't afford to go on a "real" vacation, Dan and I have a fun weekend of eats and activities planned! Stay tuned for more fun and tastiness. I have to go to the grocery store, now. :)

Yoga Challenge (day 12,) muffin review, and FLOG

My grocery shopping night is typically Thursdays, but I'm postponing the shop until the weekend this week -- Dan and I plan to go out for dinner tomorrow night, so I won't need anything until Saturday at the earliest! (And on Saturday, I can take Dan's car, instead of having to walk back with all of the food!) Plus, postponing left me time for a lengthier yoga practice this evening.

I did 45 minutes of "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss" tonight, which is probably the most physically challenging practice I have access to at this time. I really appreciate that the DVD offers a "combined practice," which follows four instructors simultaneously, each demonstrating increasing levels of difficulty, with appropriate modifications. I find that I can do many of the poses nearly fully, but it's nice to see modifications where I need them. I'm glad I had the time and energy to do this tonight -- it was great! My abs may be sore in the morning, but I'll recover, I'm sure. :)

In yoga-related news, I have been doing more yoga with the 2- and 3-year-olds that I teach, and they are loving it! I've taught them "turtle," tree, cobra, cat curls, downward dog, chair, and have started taking them through sun salutes. I'm amazed at how well they focus when we do yoga! I haven't pushed them past five minutes or so, but it's been fun. This is a little selfish of me, but hearing their little voices say "namaste!" is so cute!!!

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The muffins were a HUGE hit last night, although I had way too many leftover -- we had a shorter-than-usual break, so folks didn't have much time for munching. The spiced cocoa muffins were especially popular! I was surprised, but pleasantly so. :) (Coworkers were pleased with the extras this morning, too!)

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Breakfast:

I gave oatmeal a try again this morning, and loaded the heck out of my bowl, in the hopes this traditionally "light" breakfast would stick with me longer than usual. The oatmeal contained almond milk, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, a pinch of salt, an eigth-teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and a spoonful of sunbutter. I had to sort of force the whole bowl down, not because the taste was poor, but I was getting pretty full nearing the end! I enjoyed the banana later at work, but somehow, I was STILL very hungry by lunchtime! What am I doing wrong, here???

Lunch:

The last of the chili with shredded cheddar and avocado, some diced mango, and a cookie.

Mid-afternoon:
I had to go to the coffee shop to pick up a pound of beans, since I'm postponing the co-op until the weekend, and of COURSE you get a free beverage with beans! I enjoyed a medium soy latte. Nummy.

Snack:

Mini-muffins and a pear. Snack time was really silly today -- one of my little ones was shocked by my "little muffins." He kept exclaiming, "you have little muffins -- little muffins!!!!" I told him they were called "mini-muffins." He then said, "are mini-muffins LITTLE muffins???" I said yes, he said, "oooohhhhhh." I'm thinking we may have to make "little muffins" sometime for a cooking project??

Dinner:

Dinner was sort of a train wreck tonight, although it tasted fantastic, in the end. I decided I wanted a grilled-cheese sandwich, then realized I'd have to bake some bread. No problem . . . Artisan Bread to the rescue, right? Well, that's where the problems began. My loaf shaped and rose just fine, but then I killed my oven when I threw the water on the bottom for steaming the crust, so I had to quickly mess around with getting the pilot light re-lit, then get the oven back up to temperature ASAP! Then, I checked on the bread ten minutes before it was supposed to be done, and it looked and "tapped" done, but it wasn't . . . by the time I hacked around the uncooked core, I had two haphazard, mismatched slices left with which to make my sandwich. Oh well -- grilled cheese is grilled cheese, no matter what it looks like, right? I added some tomatoes to my sandwich, too, and coleslaw on the side. And I'm going to go take my vitamin, and enjoy a cookie, too. :)

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I'm SO glad tomorrow's Friday! And I have a three-day weekend, too!

Yoga Challenge (day 11), minis, and another photo-less FLOG

First, I thought I was going to get up early this morning and do yoga . . . THAT wasn't happening, since I had a lousy night's sleep. Then, I thought I'd come home during my break and do yoga . . . but it's FREEZING outside, and I just didn't feel like going out until I had to. So, that left yoga for getting home from work time!

I did 20 minutes of "Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners" tonight, which was just what I needed. I've noticed that since this challenge started, I'm more able to focus on my breathing, especially during less challenging practices. I really had the "ocean-wooshing" thing going on tonight!

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Even though I have no photos for the FLOG today, I do have one delightful little thing to show you:

Well, really, many delightful little things! I made a mountain of mini-muffins for church choir practice treats tonight -- pumpkin-pecan, hearty spiced cocoa, and banana-date, all from Joy of Vegan Baking. (I used whole-wheat pastry flour for all three recipes, and cut the sugar in half for the banana and pumpkin ones. I also used the banana recipe, subbing pumpkin and adding pumpkin pie spice, for that variation.) All three are deeeeeee-licious! I hope they are well received, and folks aren't creeped out by spicy sweets. (Those cocoa ones are deep, rich, and have a touch of heat to them! Woo-eee!)

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Breakfast:
Black coffee, Cream of Wheat with soymilk, and a banana.

Lunch:
Mr. Dennis's alfredo pasta, a scoop of diced canned beets, my homemade coleslaw, and a frosted sugar cookie.

Snack:
Muffin, pear, and a cinnamon-roll flavored "Dum Dums" pop.

Dinner:
Three mini-muffins, (one of each flavor,) diced mango, and leftover chili topped with shredded cheddar and diced avocado. And I'll go take my multivitamin now, too!

Yoga Challenge (day 10) and FLOG

Again tonight, I had thought I'd be up for 45 minutes of "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss," but it was not to be . . . I think winter's dragging on is dragging me down! Anyhow, I did Gaiam's "Yoga Now 30-minute Core Workout." This practice is indeed a workout! My muscles felt used by the end of the 30 minutes, and tonight was the first time I've noticed some improvement in my flexibility since the beginning of the challenge -- I'm closer to being able to straighten my legs in standing forward bend, and I think I may have eliminated my extra bend in downward dog! Woo!

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Breakfast:

I added some soymilk to my granola at work. Coffee not pictured. I have GOT to figure out a vitamin routine, because I couldn't remember whether I took one this morning, so I just took one now. Maybe I should take it with lunch every day??

Lunch:

Leftover chili with a little shredded cheddar, leftover cornbread, and a cookie.

Snack:

Muffin and pear. I also had a banana-flavored "Dum-Dums" pop. Why? Because the kids were having Fritos for snack, and I needed something to distract me away from salty, chippy, greasiness. (I can't believe Fritos count as a snack! Ugh.) The pop worked wonders, by the way! (That, and all of my knowledge of scary GMO corn.)

Second Snack:

I had to eat a little something before yoga, and dates did the trick!

Dinner:

Leftover tofu scramble, and "panfried mashed potatoes" -- I patted out a few leftover mashed potatoes into a patty, coated it in panko, and panfried the whole thing for a couple of minutes. Heavenly!

Treat:

Mmmm . . . cookie!

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I better get to bed here pretty fast -- I have to set the alarm early tomorrow morning to fit the yoga in. 'Night!