 In the last week I have to admit that I have been addicted to: making muffins !!!
Is easy and fun, therefore I want to share with you my recipe so that you can have fun and be muffin happy too:) The recipe below is for blueberry muffins to make it simple but than I will give you some ideas at the end:) All you need is: 250g of flour ( I make them with both white and brown flour ) 1 tsp of baking powder 4 tbsp of sugar (here you can use white, caster, brown or muscovado sugar you might need to increase qtys for the last 2 ) 1 egg 1/4 tsp salt 225ml of milk ( I have used milk substitutes and yogurt and rice milk and it still works, only be careful with the sweetness of other milks like soya and rice milk as you need to dilute them or add less sugar) 50g butter or ghee (melted) 225g blueberries 1 grated orange zest from a medium orange You also need muffin paper cups , or as I did, you can make them out of baking paper;) or if you have, you can use muffin trays. Preheat the oven to 200C. In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder and the sugar and salt and stir well . In a separate bowl beat the egg and add the orange zest and the milk , beat altogether and than add the melted butter. Pour the mixture into the flour mix and stir for 10 strokes. Stop , the mixture will look lumpy but it's ok :) Now comes the fun part: take you baking tray and paper muffin cases and one by one start layering the mixture from the bottom , half way add the berries and than pour over more mixture to cover . Try and keep enough space for the muffins to grow. You can play with this so you can also mix the berries in the mixture beforehand and add more when filling the cases, you can add more on the top to decorate , you can squash them to create a juicy heart in the middle of the muffin.... so on. Than place them in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes , until risen and golden. Leave them to cool down a little, if you eat them still warm is the best! More staffings that I have tried : Pear and Chocolate boiled pear sliced and chopped with chocolate (you can use a mixture like the one for hot chocolate and mix it in ) or melt some chocolate yourself and a it in. Honey , Ginger and Lemon Grate the ginger and the zest from a lemon and add in the mixture with the honey. Cheese and Pears Boil a pear and slice the cheese and grate the cheese. Add in the mixture and strategically place the sliced cheese pieces in the muffin. This works best with the brown flour muffins. Amaretti Crumble and Berries Put the Amaretti in a bowl and crush them, also get different berries mixed in another bowl. When making the muffin you can sprinkle the berries in the mixture and add the crumble where you prefer , but make sure you put some on the top and gently push it n the mixture so that is not going to burn but will stay on the top. Other ideas: pears nuts , nuts gianduia choc chip, coconut chocolate and choc chip, cheese pears , carrots ginger orange..... But the main thing is: have fun! And make your own, perhaps add it on here after you tried so that I get more ideas too:) Enjoy:)
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As few people asked me for this recipe now I think is good I share it with you guys:)
This is a great option to replace a beef burger and yet get a lot of iron and nutriments in , you can have it with salad , in a sandwich, or as a snack or something extra to go with a soup. Remember to be creative, here below is a guideline but you can really make them with any veggie you like:) 1 cup quinoa washed and rinsed 2 carrots finely cut 1/2 cup green peas ( frozen are ok) 1/2 cup split mung lentils (washed and rinsed) 1/2 cup of other lentils or beans, red spilt lentils are very nice if you like to add colour to the patties. (washed and rinsed) 1/2 cup sweetcorn ( optional, you can use anything you like) 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 1/2 tsp cumin powder ( this gives an amazing flavor to your patties ) 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp garam masala (or any other curry powder) A little oil ( freshly pressed sunflower oil is the best) Salt and pepper. Steam cook the carrots until cooked but still crispy. In a large heavy bottomed pan, add washed and drained lentil and enough water to submerge them and place on heat. Once it comes to a full boil, lower heat and allow them to cook. When the lentils are half cooked, add quinoa and more water if required and cook until both quinoa and lentils are fully cooked. Add the steamed carrots and the peas, sprinkle a little water if required and cook until the vegetables are done. ( you can add sweetcorn to the mix if you like, when veggies are cooked) Add all the spices, salt to taste and mix well. Add the cooked brown rice and mix well. Mash the entire mixture. At this point the mixture should be quite thick and a little stiff . Allow it to cool, then shape into patties of desired thickness and size. Heat a flat pan and place two or more patties on it. Pour a few drops of oil around the patties and allow the lower side to turn golden brown, flip over and cook until the other side becomes golden brown. Voila' !!! Ready :) I found this recipe on : http://www.veginspirations.com/ another great website is : http://101cookbooks.com/ I would like to share with you the story of an inspiring and loving woman, Sri Anandamayi Ma.
I had the pleasure of visiting her temple on one of my trips to India and I went back many times ever since. The first time I set in meditation in her temple, with no expectations, I receive a special message from her. I was really sceptic about "hearing staff " so I thought that I was just a bit overwhelmed by my India experience and started imagining things. However, I than spoke to and heard of many people which reported speaking to her in meditation, as her presence is very strong and " she likes to chat:))) " as they say. Here below is an extract on her life from her organisation website and link to her website if you would like to read more about her: http://www.anandamayi.org/ashram/ " Sri Ma Anandamayi today is widely recognized as a personality of great spiritual eminence. She was born a hundred years ago and she took samadhi at the age of 86 ; these limitations, however, cannot said to have conditioned her utter freedom to be just herself under all circumstances. She was the embodiment of a joyous self-sufficiency, which enraptured the hearts of all who came near her. The mysterious aloofness of her personality was totally beyond human understanding and yet it was so tempered by her compassionate love for all living creatures that she seemed closer than the most indulgent friend ever could be. She was the Teacher whose guidance was sought by the learned as well as the simple, the old and also children, people from alien cultures or from traditional backgrounds. Although she travelled incessantly, it was seen that she was at home everywhere and no one was a stranger to her. Throughout the length and breadth of India and also beyond its shores people found her to be, as if the personification of their own inner vision of the Adored one who is most dear to their hearts. " If you are around Rishikesh you can take a short drive to
Tehri Garhwal , about 40 min away and visit one of the most beautiful holistic resorts in the area, Ananda in the Himalayas. Ananda is a stunning palace and used to be the residence of the Maharaja many years ago, but also to my great surprise I found out that Anandmayi Ma ( a spiritual guide and saint) visited and lived there for many years , in a small room on the palace terrace. This place is the perfect blend of luxury and holistic. The suggestive settings on the top of a mountain overlooking the Holy town of Rishikesh and the precisely looked after gardens in the resort grounds accompany you into a journey of holistic bliss. At Ananda you can experiment a full range of holistic treatments in the Spa (one of the biggest spa I have ever seen), but also you can take part to a great range of classes to get a deeper understanding of the Indian culture and the yogic lifestyle. They have fully ayurvedic menus , but also the option of indian specialties if you feel like indulging yourself.. My ideal day when there was: Meditation classes to start the day, yoga and a ayurvedic breakfast. Than join the Vedanta class for some philosphy discussions. Relax in the spa for some tailor made massage treatments for the rest of the morning reading a book and sipping herbal tea. In the afternoon more yoga followed by a class of choice: they often run special classes from specialized guest teachers , while I was there they had the Art Therapy course. For the early evening more vedanta and meditation or you can also join one of the cooking classes which runs every couple of days. In the evening there is usually some entertainment which sees local artists performing. Here for you couple of my favourite recipes I have learnt while there : LEMON AND CORIANDER SOUP 50g carrots 40g cabbage 40g button mushrooms 40g pock Choy 30g zucchini 5g sea salt 5ml lemon juice 1g white pepper 30g corn flour 10g spring onions chopped 1 bunch of spinach 1 bunch of coriander finely chopped 800ml vegetable stock In a pot put together the vegetable stock and all the veggies. Bring it to boil and while boiling make sure that you clean the scum from the top. When veggies are cooked add the seasoning and the lemon juice and serve with a little coriander sprinkled on top. STEEL CUT OAT UPMA 300 g oats 150g sliced onions 25g ginger 10g chopped green chilli 5g curry leaves 25g finely diced carrots 25g finely diced French beans 40g ghee 40ml oil (freshly pressed sunflower is better) 10g mix lentils 3g mustard seeds 10g cashew 175ml fresh milk I a large pan heat the oil in and add the mustard seeds, when they finish popping add the dal (lentils) the cashew nuts and let them sauté' until golden. Add the onions, ginger , curry leaves and chillies and let sauté' until the onions are ready. Add the oats and let them cook until they are turning lightly brown. Start adding the milk by whisking it through to avoid creating lumps. You can use hot water instead if you prefer. When all the milk is absorbed the Upma is ready. This is a great option for breakfast , you can serve it with different chutneys. Enjoy it :) http://anandaspa.com/contact/default.asp When I was India at the Anand Prakash Ashram in Rishikesh, where I studied, I was introduced to the children sponsor program that they have set up in order to support the local and nearby community.
What they do: they match children with appropriate sponsors and provide a communication link between the child and sponsor. Children are supported through their school education and sponsors are provided with school reports and regular updates of the child’s progress. Also children and sponsors are encouraged to stay in touch by writing letters to each others. They also support the family of the child as they are a great part in the success of their child's education. You can make a huge impact on a child future and life with a very small contribution. Here are 3 different ways you can sponsor (the amounts are quoted in Canadian Dollars ):
If you want to get involved please follow the link below http://www.helpinghandsforindia.org/ When I was in India in November , I was lucky enough to happen to be, as they say , in the right place at the right time for the 11/11/11 celebration . In Rishikesh , were I was , they organized a big Kunadlini Festival with many international guests and a fantastic week long program. I. At the festival they served an amazing buffet with a great variety of food , and there I came across this great organization called Navadanya, which was the one supplying the buffet.
Since 1987 , when Navdanya started as a program of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), founded by Dr. Vandana Shiva, they have been actively involved to provide direction and support to environmental activism. The main aim of the Navdanya biodiversity conservation programme is to support local farmers, rescue and conserve crops and plants on way to extinction and make them available through direct marketing. They have their own seed bank and organic farm. http://navdanya.org/home This strike me as an amazing project, especially in a Country like India where love for food and Mother Earth is part of the culture and yet there is a great need to safeguard and nourish them both. Furthermore, I acknowledged a reality, which is often left unspoken: in India, as a consequence to rising costs in the agricultural production system (because of the introduction of chemical agriculture and genetic engineering and chemical irrigation) matched with the falling prices of agricultural products due to an unjust and unfair trade system; a serious burden and debts have started shadowing the life of the poor Indian farmers. Since 1997 , more than 250,000 farmers only in four regions of India , have taken their lives because of this. Navdanya promotes Fair Trade and knowledge in chemical free and organic agriculture. It is now present in many different regions of India and hopefully will be saving more farmers' lives but it will also affect ours as nowadays the EU imports a great amount of food from India and we are what we eat. Here in Montenegro, just before I left for India, I had the pleasure of meeting the person responsible for the agricultural development in the rural regions of Montenegro. Great project which is helping farmers and supporting organic farming. Find here below the link to their project and website. http://www.mpr.gov.me/en/organization/agriculture-and-farming/103228/NATIONAL-PROGRAMME-FOR-FOOD-PRODUCTION-AND-RURAL-DEVELOPMENT-2009-2013.html Beauty and health come from the within, therefore it is really important that we look after what we eat and how we eat it.
Your skin is one of the first signals of an healthy diet. If you want a radiant, youthful and acne free skin there are few things that you should include in your diet and other that you should avoid. If you are looking into making your skin more glowy and healthy, you can simply enrich your diet with what is listed below : Green tea - has strong skin healing and anti - inflammatory properties. Flax Seeds ( linseeds) - help keeping skin hydrated thanks to their richness in omega 3 fatty acid. Vitamin E - is a great antioxidant helps protection against skin cancer, helping skin retain moisture and fight free radical damage. Source: one of the best are Almonds but also Wheat germ Oil, Sunflower Oil and Seeds, Nuts and Nut Oils, Palm Oil, High-value Green Leafy Vegetables like Spinach. Also Turnip, Beets,Collard and Dandelion Greens like Avocados, Asparagus, Kiwi , Broccoli. Vitamin A - helps keeping the skin elastic and healthy creating new skin cells.Vit A can also be manufactured from the body from beta-carotene. Source: Vit A can be found in cheese , eggs , milk and yoghurt. Beta -carotene can be found in Kale , Lettuce, Peppers, Carrots, Spinach , Pumpkin , Turnip, Cabbage , Mangoes, Sweet Potatoes Apricot, Watercress . Vitamin C - best antioxidants to fight free radical damage and boost collagen. Source: Berries and Papaya are a great source but also kiwis , tomatoes, red peppers, oranges, potatoes and peas. WATER - helps the body detoxifyng ,the more the better! PRANA - breathing techniques are fantastic to detoxify the body and keep your skin looking healthy and young! When you eat always try and do it mindfully and when you cook always try and be positive transmitting love and positive energy to your food. If you are experiencing problems with acne you can still make a great difference by using your diet to heal. Acne is caused by an over stimulated oil gland that has become infected, 3 are the main factors for this : 1 - hormones 2 - digestive function/ diet / liver related. 3 - adrenal glands, they get stimulated creating a stress response in the body . This creates fire (too much Pitta in the body) For the first 2 the best foods to be AVOIDED are all the one that can create congestion in the body, like animal fats , dairy products , chocolate and sweets. For the third we will need to help the body decrease its fire, therefore stay away from anything that helps ignite the fire in the body. Like spicy foods, curry, chilli, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and also oranges and strawberries. An helpful diet will consist in adding this to your everyday cooking: Plenty of Fresh Salads: full of greens and more of the fresh veggies previously listed ,if you can add apple cider vinagre and freshly pressed sunflower oil it will make it even better and delicious. Proteins : found in Eggs, Tofu, Quinoa, Amaranth, Chia Seeds, Lentils Fatty Acids : found in Sunflower Oil and Seeds, Nuts and Avocado. WATER : again this is one of the most important things you should consume in abundance during the day . PRANA - life force, for a youthful and an healthy functioning body. It will help detoxifying by bringing new oxygen in and expelling toxins. Facilitating cells regeneration. You will start seeing results very soon after your change in diet , but for effective change you will have to be patience as it can take to up to 6 months, so try and be consistent in your diet regime and you will see the effect in your skin. This is what I have gathered from my research and put together for you , but I am not a nutritionist and this research was done for my own personal use and also there is much more to it and many more sources on all of the above, so please feel free to add on here if you find out some more information. My main sources were: http://www.nutritionsociety.org/publications/nutrition-society-journals/british-journal-of-nutrition http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://ayurveda-foryou.com/ http://www.myyogaonline.com/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html http://nutritiondata.self.com/ Thank you :) Today I connected to my guruji which now is in Canada and soon will go back to India to run a teacher training.
So I thought to share with you the link to his website as he is amazing and I wish for anyone to be able to attend his course. The amount of knowledge that he shares with you is behond words , is a way of being . I was in India with him on another training just couple of months ago and every time, to my surprise still, I undertake an amazing transformational experience. Thank you Guruji! http://www.akhandayoga.com/ If you are interested in expanding your knowledge in yoga related anatomy and can't go to attend a course abroad or have limited time to study, I have just the right course for you.
I took this course early last year and it was fantastic! The Australia based teacher Simon Borg, runs Yoga Synergy school since 1984. Yoga Synergy is based on the deep use of the anatomical knowledge to deepen and evolve asanas and your practice, SimonBorg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss being physiotherapists and yoga practitioners themselves developed this over 30 yrs, also based on the teachings of Professor T. Krishnamacharya. You need a good internet connection, as the lectures are all online and at times they run for more than an hr , it is well explained and illustrated with asanas and demos. You also access a great community and info sharing with all the other poeple that are or have been on the course. For more info follow the link below: http://www.yogasynergy.com.au/main/anatomy-physiology In my teaching experience I often had athletes joining my class and it is quite interesting to see how, often, their approach to yoga is quite different: they know their body well and they are seeking to balance a sport routine which often develops or tightens certain area of the body more than others. Sometimes there is also a struggle with the understanding of the depth and non competitiveness of yoga itself, being used to being part of a competitive sport environment is hard to let go and just be with no expectations.
I found that the book below had quite a good insight on a different approach and suitable yoga for balancing an athletic lifestyle. The Athlete's guide to Yoga : an integrated approach to strength , flexibility and focus. By Sage Rountree Sage Rountree and athlete herself, decided to develop, through her understanding of an athlete body, the most suitable yoga balancing asanas. Sage also offers online classes: http://www.yogavibes.com/pages/yoga-for-athletes/ Her website is : www.sagerountree.com This is a very simple but gnammy recipe. I made it the other night and I thought to share it:)
All you need is: 1 tbs of ghee 300g of spinach (washed and sliced) 1 apple (peeled and chopped) 1 tbs of mango chutney Take a large pan and put half of the ghee in , add the spinaches when ghee has melted . Live them to shrink for about 10 min and when they have reduced you can add the apple and the rest of the ghee. Add salt and pepper to taste and than the mango chutney . Steer and when the water is all gone it is ready :) Easy peasy:) I hope you like it! Living in Montenegro for the past 8 months created a big gap in the amount of yoga classes available to me.
I have been craving for the Cape Town yogic vibe and studios to which I was so used to when living there. Developing a personal yoga practice is very important for everyone, as we need to develope our own conciousness, awareness and depth within our practice, but I still love attending different classes at different studios all the time to learn more from other teachers and also to get some nice caring adjustments. There came the discovery of some handy websites offering a wide selection of yoga classes. Classes are recorded in different studios around the world and are also very affordable; so you can join a yoga class anytime, anywhere and for very little money! Loving it !!! Here couple of sites that can enrich your practice from home anytime you like : http://www.myyogaonline.com/ http://www.yogadownload.com/ http://www.yogavibes.com/ I was just skipping through some yogic news today from the Yoga Journal Blog and I came across this article about Rodney Yee and his new program with Urban Zen ( www.urbanzen.org ) which helps training nurses and doctors in hospitals to use yoga as a complementary therapy. Fantastic ! Apparently more than 300 doctors and nurses will be trained to bring yoga into hospitals.
Check it out: http://blogs.yogajournal.com/conference/2012/01/14/rodney-yee-calls-for-yoga-in-the-hospital/ If you are looking into gathering some great knowledge on yoga and its history and philosophy this is an amazing DVD.
Not easy to get as you need to either order it online or, for example, I found it at the Jivamukti studio in New York; possibly some well stocked yoga studios might have it. Is a little pricy but it is totally worth the money , it will give you a great insight on yoga through the testimonials of some amazing yogis spread throughout 2 DVDs of 3hr15. You can sit back and relax and learn a lot:) http://www.yogaunveiled.com/ When I was in New York last week I went for a yoga class at Kula Yoga ( http://www.kulayoga.com )
I had an early morning class with a young teacher called Lori and she introduced some different postures in her blend of styles of yoga . She trained with Shiva Rea but also she was applying the signature style of Yoga Kula (working towards a specific goal through the all class , building up to achieve a specific posture at the end of the class with repetitive themes) , the whole sequence was enriched by some strong and unusual asanas, she later explained that she learnt an ancient form of martial art inspired by the strength of the animal spirits originated in Southern India , Kalari. Some of the postures really felt energizing, especially by using pressure points while holding the asana. Here a brief explanation: " The origins of the ancient martial art of Kalari-payattu are lost in hoary antiquity. According to some of its proponents, it was the sage Agastya Muni who developed the Kalari fighting technique, while others claim that the great warrior-incarnation of Vishnu, Parashurama created Kalari. Kalaripayattu is indigenous to the South Indian state of Kerala and derives its name from the Malayalam word ‘Kalari’ which literally means ‘battlefield’. " Check out more: http://devavision.org/html/kalari-martial-arts.html |
AuthorA Passionate Yoga Teacher, Appreciating Joy within each and everyone's Smile. Grateful for her Yoga Life, Experimenting and Searching for Innovative Healthy Food, Music Soul, Interested in all New/Alternative Therapies, Seeking for any Dance & Art & Cultural Stimulation, Hopeless Travel Addict and Animal Lover, especially 4 her gorgeous border collie Joy;) Archives
July 2014
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