A Hot Memorial Day

May 30, 2011

I hope you enjoyed the three-day weekend! I sure did, even though most days feel like a weekend since I’ve graduated and moved back home for the summer. I’m definitely not complaining.

Sunday was a girls day-trip to the beach. My mom, sister and I woke up at the crack of dawn and spent the entire day on the sand. I read magazines, finished a book and people-watched. I love people watching! We saw happy couples taking their long walks on the beach, kites fluttering in the wind and kids building sand castles. Ok, ok…so that description was a little too cliché, but that all really happened!

We made the drive home late last night and I was still hearing waves as I fell asleep. Maybe that was just road noise though…

Today was a free day of yoga at Sunstone Yoga in Austin. So, naturally, I threw on my yoga pants and headed to the ‘Fire’ class. It was a 60 minute, heated, bikram-style yoga class. If you’ve been following for a while, you know that I absolutely LOVE hot yoga.

This was the hottest yoga class I’ve taken to date. At 98°F and 60% humidity, I was dripping sweat. I did a forward fold and noticed my shins were sweating. Who knew that was even possible?!?! The Texas heat was actually refreshing afterwards.

I used to be wary of hot yoga classes, but look forward to them now because I feel light, cleansed, relaxed and strong (and slightly hot) afterwards. Here are some of the benefits of hot yoga:

  1. Releases toxins
  2. Improves flexibility
  3. Improves blood circulation
  4. Builds the immune system
  5. Relaxes the mind

Something you should try:

Cross-Legged Reverse Plank

Source (Wholeliving.com)

How to Do It: Sit in a cross-legged position with yours hands on the ground behind you, fingers pointing towards you. As you inhale, raise your hips off the ground. Lift from the core rather than push with your arms. Keep your head aligned with your neck and back. Hold for two seconds. Exhale as you return your lower body to the floor. Repeat five to 10 times.

Benefits: Opens the hips and strengthens the glutes and core.

Give it a try!

What is your favorite yoga pose? Mine changes constantly, but today my favorite poses are Standing Bow and Cross-Legged Reverse Plank.

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Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

May 25, 2011

Sit back, relax and enjoy another snack while I slowly take care of some technical trouble-shooting. I’m dabbling in website design and getting into deep water. Snacks lull me to shore.

Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

This recipe is reminiscent of traditional hummus with sweet and smoky undertones.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika*
Juice of 1 lemonS&P
Pita bread

* If you only have smoked paprika, you can toss it in a skillet on medium-low heat for ~5 minutes or until fragrant.

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cut pita halves into three triangles each.
  2. On one sheet, roast the cubed sweet potatoes 30 minutes. Toss halfway. Allow to cool.
  3. On another baking sheet, roast the un-peeled garlic and pita triangles for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and squeeze the roasted garlic from the peel (this smells AMAZING).
  4. Combine all ingredients (except pitas) in food processor and process until smooth. You might need to add more water depending on how “roasted” the sweet potatoes turned out.

No one knows what he can do until he tries.
- Publilius Syrus

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Homemade Crackers

May 23, 2011

I have officially moved back into my parents house after…

  • Graduating with my bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering
  • Attending multiple graduation dinner parties
  • Moving out of my apartment
  • Transforming my room at my parents house into a make-shift U-Haul storage center for the summer
  • Attending a wedding shower (as the Maid of Honor) for my best friend
  • Hanging out with my family
  • Watching Forks Over Knives (a pro-vegan movie I suggest watching if you’re a foodie), and
  • Catching up with high school friends

    Now that things have temporarily settled down, I have time to devote to the blog. For the past few days I have been watching YouTube videos on all the techie aspects of self-hosting, blogging, etc. It has been slightly daunting, but I am currently waiting on the confirmation e-mail to start self-hosting. Bare with me as I start to make changes to the site.

    Rather than eagerly clicking refresh on my email inbox, I decided that making a healthy snack would be a more productive use of my time.

    Garlic & Onion Flaxseed Crackers

    These crunchy vegan crackers are jam-packed with flavor from the garlic, onion and parsley. Serve with hummus or pesto and store in an airtight container for up to a week (if they last that long!).

    Inspired by Wholeliving.com

    Yield: ~5 dozen

    1/4 cup whole golden flaxseed
    1/4 cup ground golden flaxseed (~2 tablespoons whole)
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
    1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated onion (or minced)
    2 cloves of garlic, minced
    2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
    Freshly ground pepper

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Put whole and ground flaxseed, flour, baking powder, salt, and oil in the electric mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 2 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic and parsley. With mixer on low-speed, pour in milk. Mix until dough just comes together. I added another tablespoon of milk because the dough was a little dry.
    2. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured cookie sheets to a 9-inch square (1/8 inch thick). Cut each square with a cookie cutter, pizza cutter or a knife into about 30 crackers (each 1 1/2 inches square).
    3. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
    4. Bake until slightly firm, about 20 minutes. Switch positions of sheets; flip crackers. Bake until light brown and firm, 18 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to wire racks to cool.


    One luxury of being back at my parents house is the kitchen appliances…

    KitchenAid mixer, you are my hero.

    Add the flava’…

    Pour the milk in slowly…

    Roll and cut…

    Brush with oil and season.

    Bake and enjoy…

    Clean up before the parents get home – done.
    Press refresh on email a dozen more times – done.
    Try not to get frustrated with technology – pending.

    Are there any bloggers with advice for moving from WordPress.com to WordPress.org and self-hosting? What was the most frustrating thing you dealt with?

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