CYH's Song of the Moment

I've been listening to this song all week and wanted to share.

Looking forward to Botany's debut EP release in November.

Bumble Bars

Dude...have you tried these Bumble Bars yet?! Holy Toledo, they are SO good! My next mission in the kitchen is to recreate my own version of them (with less sugar) so that I don't have to keep purchasing them. Stay tuned for a recipe, but in the meantime definitely pick up a few and give them a try. ENJOY!

Banalmond Sandwich

At a friend's BBQ this past summer, my friend John (he's below with a big red lipstick kiss on his cheek!) brought a plate of banana and almond butter sandwiches all cut up for everyone to enjoy. They were the perfect snack to grab while we were all hanging out and oh-so-good!!! I told him then and there that I would publicize this wonderful concoction of his on my blog to spread the deliciousness! I made a few adjustments and roughly jotted them down below for you to try. They are the perfect sandwich for you or your little munchkin to pack for breakfast or lunch. Or you could always steal John's idea and show up to a party with them!

Banalmond Sandwich

Ingredients:
1/2 banana
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon shredded coconut
your favorite whole wheat bread

Directions:
Mash banana with the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl using a fork. Add more of an ingredient depending on what you (or your child) like (more banana, more coconut, etc.). Once mixed, spread onto your favorite bread. My favorite is Yoga Bread. Either pack up for the little one or enjoy right then and there! Enjoy!!

Yoga Festival by the Sea - Global Mala 2010

This weekend was the Yoga Festival by the Sea in Asbury Park, NJ. It was an exciting weekend of yoga, yummy vegan food and great people! =)
The Global Mala was founded by Shiva Rea to unite the global yoga community from every continent to form a "mala around the earth" by spreading peace in hopes that it has a ripple effect throughout the world. On Sunday, we gathered and practiced 108 sun salutations together on the Asbury Park boardwalk. All of the money raised for this event will go towards bringing yoga into Asbury Park Schools.
The first two pictures on here were shot by Kiersten Rowland of Prema Photographic (she got so many lovely shots of the day!) and the rest were a few that I snapped myself.

Ming, one of my wonderful yoga students flowed through ALL 108 sun salutes next to me with not one break! I was so impressed and proud of him, GO Ming!

Me flowing!

Jody, from Shrewsbury's Lululemon, with her beau cobra-ing on her mat together.

Chris (in red), my faithful yoga student and good friend. I knew he could do it!!

Reggie, from Yoga Basin who made this whole event happen.
Thanks, Reggie and all other yoga studios, yoga teachers, local businesses and vendors
for such a wonderful weekend!!!

September 2010 Newsletter

Check out my September newsletter by clicking on the yummy Brussels sprouts above!

Sufjan's All Delighted People EP

Sufjan Steven's new 8-song EP, All Delighted People, is straight up wonderful. I love how Asthmatic Kitty Records describes him, "Sufjan mixes autobiography, religious fantasy, and regional history to create folk songs of grand proportions." His indie-folk sound is so eclectic and broad with an electronic twist, I just can't get enough of it. I adore ALL that he has ever created and always look forward to more. He will be releasing his next full length album in October. I obviously am counting down the days!

The song Enchanting Ghost, (click image on right to play on YouTube), is lovely and reminiscent of his unmistakable sound that resonates so well with me. The Owl and the Tanager (click Sufjan image to listen on YouTube) may be the most gorgeous song I've ever heard him sing (I'm totally exaggerating, because I can say that about 10 of his other songs) as he wails through a bunch of "ooooo's." I sing along and try to harmonize with him but it probably doesn't sound as pretty as I think it does. The end of the EP is Djohariah, a 17-minute treat for the ears with noisy guitar jams, strings and horns while a dramatic chorus and beautiful Sufjan sings. Heaven!

September is National Yoga Month

We all know that yoga is good for us, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to be reminded! Read on and try and think about taking a new yoga class this month to change things up a bit. It's important to keep an open mind with your practice and be inspired by different teachers.

10 Reasons to Practice Yoga

1. STRESS RELIEF: Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. By encouraging relaxation, yoga helps to lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

2. PAIN RELIEF: Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain, and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.

3. BETTER BREATHING: Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths. This helps to improve lung function, trigger the body’s relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.

4. FLEXIBILITY: Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains. Many people can’t touch their toes during their first yoga class. Gradually they begin to use the correct muscles. Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity, making more poses possible. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

5. INCREASED STRENGTH: Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. And, while these postures strengthen the body, they also provide an additional benefit of helping to relieve muscular tension.

6. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: Yoga (even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well-being and self-esteem.

7. IMPROVED CIRCULATION: Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.

8. CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING: Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

9. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT: Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to become more aware and to help create mind body health. It opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.

10. INNER PEACE: The meditative aspects of yoga help many to reach a deeper, more spiritual and more satisfying place in their lives. Many who begin to practice for other reasons have reported this to be a key reason that yoga has become an essential part of their daily lives.
Text courtesy of Yoga Alliance.

Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats!

This past labor day my friend Danny had another rooftop party on his lovely roof in Asbury Park. The weekend, as you all know, was a gorgeous one. He was grilling up some fresh veggies and had prepared his delicious roasted red pepper hummus, roasted lemon garlic hummus and fresh salsa for all who came to party. I brought a batch of chocolate rice crispy treats for everyone and they were a total hit! SO easy to make, so delicious and so little sugar!

Lauren's Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice syrup
½ cup almond butter
½ cup barley malt sweetened chocolate chips
3 cups brown rice crispies cereal
1/2 banana

Directions:
Heat brown rice syrup and almond butter in a large skillet, over low heat until creamy. Stir in the chips until they melt. Remove from the heat and stir in rice crispies. Gently press into a baking dish. Slice thin banana rings and press gently on top of mixture. Sprinkle with a dash of raw sugar on top (optional). Allow mixture to set until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy. As you can see from the pictures, Danny sure did!!!

About Brown Rice Syrup
Brown rice syrup is a natural sweetener produced from fermented cooked rice by treating it naturally with enzymes from sprouted barley.

Brown rice syrup has a low glycemic value, which means it does not cause a sugar rush or a sudden spike in blood sugar after consuming it. This is because the sugar profile in this syrup is 50% soluble carbohydrates, 45% maltose and 3% glucose. The glucose is immediately absorbed and metabolized, maltose takes from an hour to an hour and a half, and soluble carbohydrates take 2-3 hours to be metabolized and energy released. This results in constant supply of energy spread over a long time rather than a sudden rush.

Brown rice syrup is a good source of minerals, magnesium, potassium and iron! How do you like that?! As this is completely natural and has a lot of minor nutrients unlike refined sugars, snack manufacturers are using brown rice syrup more and more for making granola bars, muffins, cookies, etc.

Lundberg makes an organic, non-GMO and gluten free brown rice syrup called Sweet Dreams that is available at any health food store. This is what I used for this recipe! I got a good two batches out of one bottle.

Welcome to my NEW Blog!!

I'm excited to introduce my new blog where I will be jotting down recipes, thoughts about health/wellness, yoga, music and posting lovely images for you to check out on the regular. I've been enjoying blogging so much for 3 Healthy Chicks LLC that I thought one of my own would be cool too. Thank you for all of your continual support and I hope you enjoy!