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It’s My Party, and I’ll Adho Mukha Vrksasana If I Want To

I have some absolutely HUGE news to share but it will have to wait a little bit. But I just wanted to totally get your hopes up and then make you wait. I’m kidding; I’m really excited about this thing but I just don’t want to jinx it before it happens.

***

It *is* actually my birthday tomorrow (almost today! – Thursday). So that is exciting. I just got home from a deliciously yummy yoga class at Yoga Vida. I’m working on my handstand (still near the wall) and it’s really coming along. I can usually hold it for at least 5 seconds a couple times each day now. And my arms are getting stronger. I cannot believe what I difference I see in my practice when I take a class almost every day.

Not me. Source.

Yoga Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) Tips:

  • Start in downward facing dog, facing a wall. Hands should be about 1 foot away from the wall. Then step your feet in a foot closer than they would be in a regular DFD, so you have a shorter stance.
  • Stretch one leg up, and then practice just kicking up one leg repeatedly so you kind of hover over your hands, and see if you can make it up to a handstand.
  • Tummy strong, weight over your shoulders.
  • Center of gravity should be between your shoulders, not in your lower back! Don’t let your back arch too much.
  • The counter pose is child’s pose, so make sure to take child’s pose after you practice your headstand. It’s also nice to massage the wrists.

***

But gosh sometimes I feel old. What have I done with my life? What do I have to show for it? I have a wonderful husband and two fats cats.

Have I done anything memorable? Meaningful? Important? Well that is why I hope that thing I mentioned above that I can’t quite say actually happens. I just want to do something with my life that means something to me, and makes me happy.

Here is my post from last year. And here from 2009 (this one has a recipe). In 2008 I logged my food. Things have most certainly changed over the years. This is now my second birthday being married. My first birthday in our new place. My second birthday at my job (the longest I’ve had a job, almost 2 years). My fourth birthday out of college (wtf?).

I think that is enough introspection.

***

Did anyone else buy the Living Social deal the other day? I think you know which one I’m talking about. I hope you didn’t miss it. I unsubscribed from those things long, long ago but someone linked me to this week’s and I couldn’t resist. (Okay, okay, it was for Whole Foods! Jeez.)

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Weekend Link Love [on a Tuesday…] – 09.13.2011

Recipes I want to make:

  • Remember that pumpkin pie I made last week? Well, here is some Paleo Pumpkin Bread that I want to try too. I have never cooked with almond flour before. I would probably swap out the sweetener in this for stevia, and maybe do coconut oil instead of olive oil. (P.S. The protein powder I used in the pumpkin pie from last week was “HempShake – Delicious Organic Protein Superfood Drink Mix” in Chocolate. I used 30 grams. I have updated the recipe accordingly.)
  • Chocolate-Salted Caramel Tart. Hmm, I am in a dessert mood today. This tart is really simple; I don’t know if I can call it a true tart because it looks too easy.

Interesting Food Things:

  • “For centuries, almost all carrots were yellow, white or purple. But in the 17th century, most of those crunchy vegetables turned orange. Why? It may have to do with Dutch politics.” Read More. (Since I first read the article there has been an update from the World Carrot Museum – who knew there was such a thing?)
  • Accurate Food Wrappers. I think the Milk Duds box is the funniest. (I have always hated Milk Duds for exactly that reason.)

Interesting Life Articles:

  • Sometimes you should close the laptop. 😉
  • Are jobs obsolete? With the USPS in dire straights, one man asks if it’s really so bad to not have a job. Wasn’t the point of all this technology so that we could work less?
  • What dog do you look like? (This is not deep or meaningful – just funny.)

I am loving this song (thanks, coworker!):

That’s it for me. Any links you want to share?

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8 Foods I Couldn’t Live Without

Ages ago, MDA did a post with almost the same title. ^^ (He did 10 foods.)

So, being the copycat that I am, here are my 8 foods! (They change all the time, but really, these ones are here to stay for good.)

1. Kabocha Squash (you knew that was coming)

Kabocha, also known as Japanese Pumpkin, has been a favorite of mine for several years now. I even turned orange at one point because I was eating so much of it. It’s high in beta carotene and vitamins C, B1, and B2. For more on kabocha, read my kabocha FAQ.

2. Bacon

Bacon is the food that always keeps me from being a vegetarian. At the moment I am assuredly not a veg-head, but I’ve flirted with vegetarianism, veganism, and macrobiotics in the past. And then I remember bacon, and it’s all over. One important thing to note about bacon though, is that you have to eat the kind without nitrates and nitrites, and preferably organic/hormone-free/antibiotic-free. The nitrates and nitrites especially can contribute to stomach cancer later on in life (something I am genetically predisposed to).

3. Broccoli / Brussels Sprouts (it’s a tie)

Apples and Brussels Sprouts

Apples with Brussels Sprouts

I love cruciferous veggies! They’ve been linked to cancer and heart disease prevention and they’re filled with vitamins and nutrients. Plus, they taste really, really good. When Bobby and I first started dating I turned him onto Brussels sprouts. After hating them his whole life, it turns out that he just didn’t like the mushy kind. When I cook them now I steam or saute them so the inside is barely cooked – no mush.

4. Sunflower Seeds (and sunflower seed butter)

Ahh, sunflower seeds. Growing up I would eat these at my dad’s softball games so they always conjure up that image for me – sitting on the bleachers, reading, but staying alert enough to avoid stray foul balls. Sunflower seed butter is a more recent discovery of mine, but it ranks up there as well. (Aside: I would have put peanuts up here until a week ago, but after keeping a food log for a week – doctor’s orders – it looks like some of my stomach issues come from eating peanut butter alllll the time. Oops.)

5. Apples

Maggie picks and eats an apple

My favorite fruit. Should have in moderation because I break out from eating too much fruit (or sugar in general). However, bad at moderation = lots of apples (wah, skin).

6. Dark, dark chocolate.

My favorite dessert. Also should have in moderation because I break out from eating too much chocolate (unless it’s 99% dark – which probably just means I break out from the sugar in it). Lots of antioxidants, lots of deliciousness. You know what’s really good? Bacon chocolate.

7. Eggs

Scrambled!

I also like them fried, hard-boiled, and in a salad.

8. Butter!

Of course I need something to cook all of the above in. Love butter! Hooray for healthy fats.

***

I am now off to a yoga class.

What are your top 8 foods?

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Proteiny Healthy Pumpkin Pie? [Recipe]

A few months ago I was getting quite addicted to BodyRocking. It lasted a few weeks, and then I reverted to daily walks and yoga (as usual). I still subscribe to their feed though, and recently I bookmarked a pumpkin recipe to try. I changed it up based on what I had on hand and here is what I came up with.

Protein Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • stevia, to taste – this is hard to measure because each type of stevia is so different. Use your best judgement! Should be equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar.
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 medium eggs (these are smaller than normal eggs – I would use 3 Xtra large)
  • 1 packet protein powder (= 1 scoop = 30 grams; I used HempShake in Chocolate flavor)
  • butter for greasing a pan

Method

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Cook, covered, on low heat like a gigantic pancake in a buttered pan. Flip it after 5 minutes. Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.

This recipe was not actually meant to be cooked on the stove, and it came out ugly enough that I’m not going to gross you out with pictures. I promise though, it tasted really good. The reason for the stovetop baking is that apparently the oven in my new apartment sucks doesn’t work right. I had this for dessert last night and then for breakfast this morning.

If you want some other pumpkin recipes, here are a few of my favorites:

18 pumpkin pie

17-kabocha-garlic

What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?

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{food, yoga} Kabocha & Yoga Love, aka Labor Day Weekend

This weekend was a lot of fun, so here are a few highlights. The number one highlight, of course, included my favorite food:

That is Penang Curry with Beef on a Bed of Pumpkin. Would you believe that I saw other restaurant goers leaving the kabocha squash (“pumpkin”) as though it was a garnish? I wanted to 1) take it for myself or 2) tell them to try it out. I did neither, and Bobby laughed at me all the way home about my passion for kabocha. (The dish in back is Bobby’s Pineapple Fried Rice, also delicious.) I really liked the curry and I want to get it again (soon). The restaurant was called Yum Yum Too (Hell’s Kitchen). It’s a Thai restaurant, and we went here for lunch yesterday.

The second highlight was that I bought a 1-month pass for unlimited yoga at Yoga Vida this month. I’ve been every day since I got the pass.

(Psst – If any NYC bloggers want to go for yoga together just shoot me an email: maggie (at) thesaladgirl (dot) com.)

Lastly, here is a Mooncake. My coworker brought some in for us all in celebration of a Chinese holiday/season. I don’t remember exactly what she said they were for – anyone know? This Mooncake has a red bean filling which is one of my favorite flavors. She also brought ones filled with green bean. I started eating this and then thought it might be an interesting item to share.

How was your weekend? Do anything fun?