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5-Ingredient Guacamole

Cinco de Mayo is around the corner and what better way to celebrate then to whip up some guacamole?

Rumor has it that my husband makes some of the best guacamole around. His guacamole is usually a big hit at our parties, with guests parking themselves in front of it, so I thought it was worth sharing!

It’s really very simple to make and only includes five main ingredients — avocados, garlic, lime, salsa, cilantro — and, some spices that you likely already have on hand. We suggest you serve it with tortilla chips — or raw veggies if you want to offer a healthier option.

Of course, as with all of our recipes, you can modify it to your liking and substitute ingredients, as necessary. For example, if ripe tomatoes are available in your neck of the woods, throw some chopped tomatoes into your guacamole (vs. the salsa we suggest). If you don’t like cilantro, skip it.

Make the recipe your own! (but, it’s pretty good as is!)

5-Ingredient Guacamole

4 ripe Haas avocados

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup of store bought salsa

handful of cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

Cut avocados in half, remove pit, score each avocado and scoop flesh out into a bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork until you achieve the desired consistency (some people like their guacamole chunky, others like it more mashed — all a matter of preference). Add crushed garlic, juice of one lime, chopped cilantro, salt, cumin and pepper. Mix until incorporated. Serve immediately!

Enjoy~

May 2, 2014
Daily Practice: Get Your Down Dog On!

Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most well-known yoga poses. It is the pose we come back to as we move through our flow. It is also a resting pose. Since we are most frequently in Down Dog, we sometimes forget to pay attention to our form. So, let’s break down Downward Facing Dog to help you get the most out of this pose.

Hands & Feet: Where should they be?

Generally speaking, if you come into Plank Pose (or the top of a push up), your hands and feet are in the perfect position for Downward Facing Dog. This is the ideal place to start; however, it may not work for you. I walk my feet in about an inch when doing this. Play with it, everyone’s body is different!

If you are coming into Down Dog from Tabletop position (on all fours), you can either move your hands a few inches past your shoulders OR move your knees back a few inches before lifting the hips.

Here’s your Down Dog checklist:

– Are my hands and feet shoulder width apart?

– Are my fingers spread? Index fingers parallel or slightly turned outward?

– Do I feel my palms connected to my mat?

– Are my biceps slightly externally rotating? In simple terms, are the eyes of my elbows moving towards the front of my mat (external rotation) or in towards each other (internal rotation).

– Are my shoulders rolling down my back away from my ears?

– Is there any strain in my neck? Are my ears alongside my biceps?

– Am I sagging into my chest? If so, can I corset my low rib cage together to prevent lower back strain?

– Are my abs engaged?

– Is my lower back rounded or strained? If so, maybe I need to put a slight bend in my knees.

– Are my quadriceps, or the front of my thighs, engaged?

– Are my inner thighs internally rotating?

– Is the intention of my heels moving towards my mat?

I know this is a long checklist, but start by remembering two or three of these pointers until they become commonplace in your Downward Facing Dog. This pose strengthens every part of your body. Respect it, and show it some love!

XOXO

May 1, 2014
Instagram Quick Tip: Color Splash

Here’s another fun and simple app that I like to use from time to time: Color Splash. This app converts your color photo into a black and white photo, and then allows you to manually add splashes of color back into your image.

When would you use such an app? I find it most effective in two cases. First, your image contains a bright pop of color that you want to accentuate. Second, the bright pop of color in the full color version of your photograph is getting lost amongst many other colors in the photo.
Take a look at my original photo. It’s fine as is, but the bright pink color of my top is competing with the green grass in the background. By converting the entire image to black and white, I can remove the background noise and focus on my clothing.

The app itself is quite easy to use. Once your photo is loaded into the program, it automatically becomes a black and white image. Click on the “color” button, as shown on the bottom of each photo below. Enlarge the image and begin adding color to the photo with swipes of your finger. If you make a mistake, click on the “gray” button to erase the misplaced color. The final effect is a dramatic image with a bright splash of color exactly where you want it.

April 29, 2014
Daily Practice: 3 Core Exercises for Everyday

When someone refers to your “core”, people immediately think of the abdominal muscles. But, your core is so much more! Essentially it is the complex group of muscles in your entire torso…your abdomen, pelvis, spine, back, shoulders and gluteus. All of these muscles work together to help you stand, walk, sit, turn, run and lift. So it is vital, to keep these muscles healthy and strong. Here are three quick exercises you can do daily to strengthen your core.

#1: Dolphin Plank Pose

Key Points:

– Shoulders stack over your elbows creating a 90-degree angle in your arms.

– Elbows are shoulder width apart.

– Hands can be flat on your mat or together.

– Shoulders roll down your back.

– Navel pulls up toward your spine.

– Tailbone lengthens towards your heels.

– Quadriceps, or the front of your thighs, pull up.

– Try to keep your body in a straight line from head to heel…no butts up in the air and no sagging!

– Stay here for 15 seconds, eventually working up to a minute or more!

– Repeat 3-5 times, taking a child’s pose between each set.

MODIFICATION:

– Drop onto your knees while keeping the plank shape.

#2: Boat Twists

Key Points:

– Keep your spine lengthened.

– Try to keep your shins parallel to your mat.

– Move slowly…tapping the block on one side, pausing at the center, then tapping the block on the other side.

– Try to repeat this three times…increasing the repetitions as you get stronger.

MODIFICATIONS:

– Do not use a block.

– Keep your feet flat on your mat.

#3: Knee Planks

Key Points:

– Start off in Downward Facing Dog and lift the right leg (Three-Legged Dog). Moving on an exhale…shift forward and bring your right knee to the right tricep. Inhale, go back to Three-Legged Dog. Exhale, shift forward and try to kiss your knee. Inhale, go back to Three-Legged Dog. Exhale, shift forward and bring your right knee to the left tricep. Inhale, go back to Three-Legged Dog. Repeat using the left leg.

– Move slowly with your breath.

– Round the upper back and lift the hips slightly.

– Try to keep the knees tight into your body.

– Pull your navel up towards your spine as you crunch.

– Start off by doing a full round of these. You can add on repetitions as you get stronger. You can also add these movements into your yoga practice.

MODIFICATIONS:

– Your knees DO NOT have to touch your arms/face.

– You can also do this from Table Top position or all-fours.

XOXO

April 24, 2014
Demystifying Produce Codes

One day not so long ago, I was shopping for produce in my local supermarket. I looked down at the apple that I was holding, and I noticed a label stuck onto the skin. The label had a 5-digit code on it. I looked around and noticed that just about all of the loose fruits and vegetables had these stickers. I started wondering about the significance of the numbers on the labels, and after going home to do a little Internet research, I decided to turn my findings into an article, just for you!

It turns out that the numbers on the labels attached to individual vegetables or pieces of fruit are called Price Look-up (PLU) codes. PLU codes are four and five digit numbers that have been used in supermarkets since 1990 to make check-out and inventory control easier and more accurate. For example, by using these codes, cashiers can quickly determine if they are looking at conventional apples or organic apples in your shopping basket and charge you accordingly. Although the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) created these codes for use by retailers, perhaps we can glean a bit of information from these numbers to help us become more informed consumers.

Here is what I have been able to gather from the IFPS Users’ Guide. If you would like to read directly from the primary source, please CLICK HERE. If you would rather read my summary and thoughts, please continue to read below:

All four-digit produce codes are assigned to conventionally grown produce. Therefore, when you see a red bell pepper with a sticker that reads “4688,” you know immediately that this vegetable has been grown conventionally, and most likely has been treated with synthetic pesticides.

All four-digit produce codes will be numbers in the 3000s or 4000s. These numbers are randomly assigned and have no significance. All that matters for your shopping purposes is the fact that the number is four digits, indicating conventional growing standards.

A five digit produce code beginning with the number “9” indicates that the produce has been grown organically. This means that the produce was grown without conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. Genetic engineering or growth from genetically modified seeds is also prohibited for organic produce.

A five digit produce code beginning with the number “8” indicates that the produce has been genetically modified. HOWEVER, and this is a BIG however—this seems to be a completely theoretical concept. From my own personal experience of looking through bulk produce bins at various supermarkets, I have yet to find a single fruit or vegetable marked with a sticker beginning with the number “8”. This makes sense, as the use of PLU codes is not mandatory. If the use of such labels is not required, why would a grower/retailer ever stick a label identifying its fruits or vegetables as genetically modified? Would anyone ever buy such produce if genetically modified fruits and vegetables were readily recognizable? I know I certainly wouldn’t.

If genetically modified fresh produce is not labeled as such, what can we as consumers do? In my opinion, the best we can do is to be well aware of the most commonly genetically modified produce, and specifically seek out the organic versions of these fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, the list of commercially available genetically modified produce is short.

The three major genetically engineered crops in the United States are corn, soybeans, and cotton. More than 90% of all corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the US in 2013 was genetically engineered, and these three GMO crops account for HALF of the total land used to grow crops in the US.

Knowing that you will most likely never see a PLU code starting with the number 8 on each of your ears of corn, just go ahead and make the assumption that it is genetically modified. As you shop, just be sure to look for corn that is labeled as organic, if you would like to stay away from genetically modified produce. Likewise, make sure that you always buy organic soybeans and tofu.

Other genetically engineered crops in the US include canola, sugarbeets, alfalfa, papaya and squash. GMO crops such as cotton and canola are not classified as “produce”, but it is good to be aware, as cottonseed and canola are typically used in the production of shelf-stable products, such as oils and margarine.

April 22, 2014
Quick Tips for Preparing Asparagus

I love asparagus, and recently my kids started to really like it too – which means it will be a staple on my menu this season.

I have a feeling, though, that many people pass up asparagus because they don’t know how to prepare it. So, this article serves two purposes — one, to get you to try asparagus, and two, to help you learn how to prepare it properly.

First, when you go to the market, look for a bunch of asparagus that has uniform thickness. This will ensure that the asparagus cooks evenly. You also want to make sure it’s fresh — it should be crisp and bright green.

The most important part of prepping asparagus is removing the lower, tough portion of the spear. Most people just chop the bottoms off the spears without much thought, but there’s actually a method to trimming asparagus.

Rather than randomly cutting a portion off the bottom, you take the spear between both of your hands and bend. The spear will break naturally separating the tough lower portion from the more tender, upper portion of the spear. (For those of you looking to make use of the trimmings, you can reserve them for stock!)
The spears may not all be the same exact length, but that won’t affect the cooking process.

Now that we have prepped the asparagus, let’s cook them! I prefer to roast them, but you could also saute them in a pan with olive oil or blanch them in a pot of boiling water. We are big on roasting our veggies these days, so here’s a quick and tasty preparation for roasted asparagus!

Lemon-Garlic Scented Asparagus

Serves 4-6 adults (with leftovers!)

Before we launch into the recipe I just want to point out that you DO NOT want to pour lemon juice on top of your asparagus. The lemon juice will turn your asparagus gray — it will turn most other green veggies the same color. Instead, we are using lemon zest which will not affect the color of your asparagus, but will scent it with a wonderful lemon flavor!

2 bunches of asparagus, stems trimmed

1 lemon, zested

1 garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange trimmed asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over the asparagus, season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast asparagus for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning them occasionally, until tender and browned (cooking time will vary based on the width of the asparagus).

While the asparagus is roasting, mix together the lemon zest, crushed garlic and 2 tablespoons (or so) of olive oil in a small bowl.

Remove asparagus from the oven and arrange on a platter. Drizzle lemon/garlic/olive oil mixture on top of the asparagus.

Serve and enjoy!

The good thing about this recipe is that you can modify the amount of garlic and lemon zest you use, so make it your own!

April 19, 2014
Daily Practice: 4 Must-Do Hamstring Stretches

Your hamstrings are the three muscles that run along the back side of your thighs. We use our hamstrings everyday in activities such as walking, running and jumping. In yoga, flexibility in your hamstrings can make all the difference, so it is important to work them everyday. They can be notoriously tight if you spend a lot of time sitting. Here are four hamstring stretches that I incorporate in my daily practice. Take these stretches slowly and never force yourself deeper!

#1: Uttanasana or Standing Forward Fold

Key Points:

– Keep the torso lengthened. Try not to round the back and hunch.

– If you cannot reach the ground, use blocks or hold onto opposite elbows.

– Shift your weight slightly towards the toes so the hips stack over the ankles.

– Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid hyper-extension.

– Upper thighs internally rotate.

– With every few breaths try to deepen the fold.

– Stay in the pose for about a minute.

#2: Parsvottanasana or Pyramid Pose

Key Points:

– Both feet face towards the top of your mat.

– Stance is about a leg’s distance apart.

– Try to keep your hips as square as possible.

– Squeeze both thighs in towards one another.

– Keep your torso lengthened.

– Use blocks if you cannot reach the ground.

– Stay in the pose for 30-60 seconds, then switch sides.

#3: Prasarita Padottanasana or Wide-Legged Forward Fold

Key Points:

– Feet will be anywhere from 3-4 feet apart. Try not to over-exaggerate the distance because you are trying to get your head to the ground.

– Feet will be parallel to each other.

– Do not roll onto the inside edges of your feet. Press into the outside edges of your feet.

– Draw your quadriceps up; keep them engaged.

– Shift your weight slightly towards your toes so you are perpendicular to the ground. Don’t sink back into your heels.

– Keep your torso lengthened.

– Use blocks if you cannot reach your mat.

– With every few breaths, try to deepen the fold…working the crown of your head towards your mat.

– Stay in this pose for about a minute.

#4: Janu Sirsasana or Head to Knee Forward Bend

Key Points:

– Use blocks and/or a blanket to support yourself. Sitting on a blanket can ease any discomfort in your sacrum. Use a block or blanket under your bent knee if it does not easily come onto your mat.

– Keep your torso lengthened as you fold forward.

– Slightly twist your torso as you fold so the center of your torso folds over the leg.

– Keep the foot flexed on the straight leg and press the back of the leg down towards the mat.

– With every few breaths, try to deepen your fold.

– Stay in this pose for about a minute, then switch sides.

XOXO

April 18, 2014
You Can Be a Mermaid!

I still remember the first time I saw a photo of standing mermaid pose. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, and I paused to look at this interesting posture. It appeared to be some kind of dancer pose variation, but I had never seen anything like it before. I had to try it!

If only I had a video of what followed. What a disaster. Without any instruction, I had absolutely no idea how to get my foot lifted into the air and into the inner elbow crease of my arm. I tied a strap around my foot and did all sorts of crazy moves to see if I could raise my foot into the proper position. Ultimately, I gave up on my strap and realized that it was a much simpler process than I thought. In order to save you some time and aggravation, I will walk you through each step of getting into standing mermaid pose.

Please keep in mind that mermaid poses of any kind are binding poses. The fingertips of both hands clasp (or bind) together, resulting in a deeper stretch than if the hands remained apart. The purpose of a bind is to intensify a stretch and deepen a posture. In a mermaid bind, your chest, back and shoulders will feel the intensity of the stretch. If you do not have a strong backbend practice, you should consider modifying your mermaid pose by skipping the bind altogether and focusing on keeping the top of your foot pressed into the crook of your arm. Once you improve your flexibility and notice some progression in your backbends, you can re-visit the bind.

Step 1
Begin to shift your weight into your left foot. Bend your right knee, and reach back with your right hand, palm facing up. Place the top of your foot into the palm of your hand.

Step 2
Begin to slide the top of your foot down the length of your forearm until the top of your foot is sitting in the inner elbow crease of your arm.

Step 3
Extend your left arm up toward the sky, bend your elbow, and see if your fingertips can clasp. If you feel any discomfort in your back, stop at this point.

Step 4
Begin to press the top of your foot into the crease of your arm and lift your leg higher as you lean your torso forward to maintain your balance.

April 16, 2014
Roasted Potato Leek Soup (Gluten- and Dairy-Free!)

Leeks are a spring vegetable. And, now that they are in season, it’s the perfect time to incorporate them into into your cooking.

If you’ve never cooked with leeks, this roasted potato leek soup is a great, and simple, introductory recipe. The roasted vegetables offer depth of flavor and compensate for the lack of dairy in the soup (potato leek soup usually contains cream). It’s also gluten-free!

Leeks have a mild onion flavor. The dark green portion of the stalk, which is too tough to eat, is removed (wash and save it for stock!), using only the light green and white portion. Learning how to clean the leek is important since sand tends to get caught in the stalk. Therefore, you need to take a few steps to prep the leeks before proceeding with the recipe.

First, remove the dark green portion of the stalk.

Then cut about a 1/4-1/2 inch from the bottom, white portion, of the stalk.

Next, cut the leek lengthwise.

Rinse the leek under cold running water to remove the sand.

Then, put the leeks cut side down and cut the leeks in 1/2 inch slices.

Toss the leeks into a colander, separate the layers and run under cold water to make sure all of the sand is removed.

Now you are ready to prepare the soup.

Here’s the full recipe:

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

4 leeks, washed and prepared as noted above (1/4-1/2 inch slices)

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

6 cups of organic, gluten-free chicken stock or vegetable stock (non-tomato based)

chopped chives for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Arrange sliced leeks and diced potatoes on a large cookie sheet. Top with salt, thyme, pepper and olive oil (feel free to add more olive oil if necessary) and mix to coat. Roast the vegetables for approximately 50 minutes, stirring them frequently. Once potatoes are tender, remove from oven. At this point, you might notice a few dark pieces of leek, you can toss those. Transfer roasted leeks and potatoes to a large stock pot. Add the six cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove mixture from the heat. Blend the soup in two batches in a blender (please note, a Vitamix or other high powered blender, may be too strong for this job — you do not want to over-blend the soup. It will yield a gummy consistency).

Serve hot or at room temperature. Top with chives.

Yields two quarts of soup.

April 12, 2014
Looks Funny, Feels Great!

Yoga classes are often serious, but once in a while, you find yourself in an embarrassing or funny looking pose that just makes you laugh. I know, I know… yoga is NOT about how a pose looks, but how it feels. Sometimes though… You just have to LAUGH.

Here are my top four favorite “It-Looks-Funny-But-Feels-Great” yoga poses.

#1: Puppy Pose

Extended Puppy Pose is one that I do everyday and usually very early into my practice. It feels great on my shoulders and upper back, and just starts to wake up my spine after sleeping. There are a lot of things that race through my mind when doing it but I’ll keep it G-rated here. After months of teaching it in my classes, it has become clear to me what the actual name of this pose SHOULD be. It should be called the “Are-My-Yoga-Pants-See-Through” pose. As a teacher who likes to walk around while teaching… It is clear to me that we should also be doing this pose to check the transparency of our new pants.

#2: Star Pose

Let’s face it… by the end of my practice, I do not want my face anywhere near my feet, but Star Pose is usually something I will do at the end. Unlike Baddha Konasana, your feet are further away from your body. When you fold forward, your face will come closer to your feet. From this moment on, I shall call this pose… the “Do-My- Feet-Smell” pose.

#3: Happy Baby (You knew this one was coming!)

Happy Baby pose or what I affectionately like to call “the hottest pose in yoga”! It feels wonderful rolling around on your mat like a two year old with your legs spread open, right? To all of my fellow moms… I bet you’ll agree that this stretch should actually be called the “Am-I-Giving-Birth” pose.

#4: Lion’s Pose or Lion’s Breath

This one just cracks me up. I usually incorporate Lion’s Breath in Downward Facing Dog after I’ve worked my students hard. It’s a great way to release tension and frustration during your practice. It’s also hysterical to see how timid students are in letting go of their breath and ego, and allowing themselves to really let it go! My first-time students usually feel weird when I tell them to stick out their tongues and really exhale. I really think there is no better name for this exercise than the “W…T…F…” pose.

Always remember to practice safely and stay playful! You do not always have to take your practice so seriously. Don’t forget to laugh at yourself once in a while.

“Don’t sweat the petty things… And don’t pet the sweaty things.” – George Carlin

XOXO

April 10, 2014