Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

From Raw Food Real World.
Holy Goodness...this is darn fantastic food. Two thumbs WAY up!

Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

    3 ears fresh corn, husked
    3 pints small cherry, teardrop, or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
    4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    2 small or 1 large head butter lettuce, or other soft greens
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
    1 cup crumbled Fluffy Macadamia Feta (page 288)
    Coarse sea salt
    Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and place in a medium bowl with the tomatoes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the corn and tomatoes on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 1 hour.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the lettuce leaves and toss to coat. Add the corn, tomatoes, marjoram, feta, and salt and pepper.

Fluffy Macadamia Feta

    4 cups raw macadamia nuts, soaked 1 hour or more
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    1 green onion, white and 1 inch green, minced
    2 teaspoons sea salt

  In a food processor, thoroughly grind all the ingredients, but leave it a bit
  chunky. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and
  dehydrate at 115°F for 4 to 6 hours, or until dry on the outside and still
  tender on the inside.

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Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

Two Green Smoothies

Don't hate on my overly ripe banana! That's how I like them...with lots of brown spots. (I just wanted to get that out the way! LOL!)

These are two green smoothies from Green Smoothie Revolution. I can't give out the exact recipes, but the first one, as you see has kale, banana, ginger, apple, and water.

This one is watermelon, banana, lemon, and romaine. This is surprisingly sweet. I think it's the lemon that gives it a kick. I would definitely make this again before summer is over.

Love,

Althea

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Two Green Smoothies

Black Rice and Fitness Chicks

Black Rice w/ Pineapples and Avocados

I had never heard of black rice before I read about it in the April/May issue of Living Without Magazine (the mag for people with allergies and food sensitivities).

From the magazine: "Striking Chinese black rice, also called "Forbidden Rice" because lore says it was reserved for emperors to promote longevity while common folks were literally forbidden from eating it, contains especially high levels of antioxidants, including the same anthocyanins found in blueberries, according to scientists at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center."

Wegmans sells it in its bulk section. Two cups runs about $2.50.

I followed the recipe in the magazine. I added coconut milk, pineapple, and avocado. It was okay.

No disrespect to the author ("Bowled Over": Wake up to a gluten free breakfast made of whole grains by Matthew Kadey), but I think my version is WAY tastier:

Black Rice Cereal
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
non-dairy milk of choice
apples
bananas
raisins

• Place 2 cups of water, rice, cinnamon, and ginger into a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in honey and vanilla. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
• To serve, add milk, raisins, sliced apples and bananas. This makes a very tasty breakfast. I use this recipe for oatmeal and millet as well.
• The only thing with black rice is it will stick to your teeth. So look in the mirror before you leave the house!

Also, a few months ago, I catered my first event. Fitness Chicks, a local Baltimore group, asked me to make vegan food for one of their meetings. I did a "Southern Dinner Party." Christina, that night's host, who was very gracious, made a picnic basket:

 I made potato salad:

 Macaroni and "Cheese", Kale Salad, Buffalo Tofu & Ranch Dip, Barbecue Beans:

And, of course CUPCAKES! They were the hit of the party! I didn't tell anyone they were vegan and gluten-free until they ate them. I'd even gotten my first cupcake client because of the party!

 And this is all of us together:

 Thank you, Fitness Chicks!!!

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Black Rice and Fitness Chicks

Kripalu - Big News!

    

Me and Maya Breuer

Okay, so I've been laying low for a while. I'll just get to the awesome news!

I'm going back to Kripalu next year as a TEACHER!!! Maya Breuer, legendary founder of Yoga Retreat for Women of Color, asked me to be one the presenters next year!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!

This was completely unexpected, but something I'd wanted to do since 2004. That was a super rough year. I've had a lot of those, but 2004 stands out. I'd gotten the presenters application from Kripalu that summer. I filled it out, but never sent it in.

I had imagined that Kripalu would be my first time teaching on a national stage. And it came true! I'll be one of a few women teaching that weekend. I get 75 minutes. Maya asked me to focus on food, since that was obviously my passion.

And what is so wild is that I was supposed to leave on Sunday, June 3. I stayed another night because I was so wired from the weekend with Snatam Kaur. I had no idea Maya would even be there. I saw her and fellow teacher Sherry's seminar, and said to myself, "Oh, Maya is here. I'm going to introduce myself and ask her some questions, if I can."

I saw her for a hot second Sunday night. She said, "My class is about to start, but find me at breakfast tomorrow."

Breakfast at Kripalu is always silent. If you want to talk, there's a separate room, or you can go outside to enjoy breakfast. Maya found me. Me, her, Sherry, and a few other women shared a table. We talked for about two hours.

At the end of our conversation, Maya says, "I'd like you to be a presenter at the Women of Color Retreat next year."

I nearly fainted.

Seriously. My dream had come true. I could not believe it. I've spent the past month wondering if it all was a dream. Yesterday, Maya asked me for my headshot, bio, etc. That snapped me back to reality. Yes, it is real! All because I was moved to go to Kripalu that weekend! All because I stayed an extra night!

The process of manifestation is awe-inspiring. Sometimes, you have to sit back in wonder in how the Universe does answer your deepest wishes, be it good or bad.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Facebook page: Yoga Retreat for Women of Color ("like" it so you can stay in the loop!)

Love,
Althea ◦

Kripalu - Big News!

Back from Kripalu

I'm back!

I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to share from my time at Kripalu.

I took the Mantras for Spiritual Warriors workshop given by Snatam Kaur Khalsa. And it was AMAZING. Magic happens here. And more magic happened, all because I stayed an extra day.
I'll post everything in chunks, because is was a lot to take in.

This was my view from my top bunk. This is what I woke up to every morning!

More to come!

hugs,

Althea

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Back from Kripalu

My Bikram Yoga Experience

Hi. I'm Mat.

So I tried Bikram Yoga on Mother's Day. I wanted to try something new. (That's what this year is about!) I got Bikram's book. I went online and read about the good, the bad, and the ugly about this type of yoga. I got a Living Social Deal for 5 classes for $25 three days before my class. I packed my gym bag. I even cut my toenails. My husband was like, "Is it that serious?" Yes. I need something new.

Boy, did I get it.

THE GOOD:

• My teacher, Lauren Kaye, was AWESOME. Skipping to what happened at the end of class, in short: I cramped up. All ten of my fingers and my jaw (yes, jaw) locked up. I could barely carry my yoga mat out of class. I could talk, but I couldn't move my jaw. That scared the $#^! out of me because I've never experienced that before. I sat in the lobby and managed to get someone to grab Lauren. She said, "You need electrolytes. " She was on it like green on grass. Sarah, the owner of Bikram Yoga Hampden, got me a Vitamin Water and told me to drink it all. Lauren never left my side. She talked me down off my emotional cliff. That jaw cramping freaked me the hell out. I am not going to lie.
• I learned my lesson: next time (not so sure about that) drink coconut water, Vitamin Water, whatever, just keep the electrolytes coming.
• The studio was beautiful.
• The in-studio shower was a relief.

THE EXPECTED:

• That class was the hardest physical thing I have ever done, outside of giving birth naturally to two big-headed boys. No joke. I knew it would be. That's why I did it.
• If you don't know about Bikram Yoga, it's 26 poses done - usually twice - in a room heated to 105 degrees. It is the original Hot Yoga.
• I rested when I needed to do so. Again, Lauren was very encouraging.
• In the locker room, when I took off my clothes, everything was dripping wet. It was like I had swam in the ocean. I am not exaggerating. I could wring the sweat out of my clothes.
• My fellow students were cool too. I really did like this studio.

THE BAD and THE COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED:

• Here is where it gets weird. I'm been practicing yoga since 1999, and taught since 2000. I always feel better after a yoga class, no matter what style. Post-cramping, I felt great. The next day, I felt great. I was planning my next visit.
• Then I hit The Great Wall of China.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I felt completely NUMB. I could not feel ANY emotion. You talk about scared....I was scared, my husband was scared for me.
• I know depression. It's something I've suffered from off-and-on since college. But that was Situational Depression. I can point to major events and see why I reacted the way I did.
• This was Clinical or Chemical Depression. It was like the pilot light was shut off in my brain. Last week was a great one. I paid for my Kripalu reservation; my kids got wonderful news about their progress. Things were fantastic. Yet, I wasn't just sad. I felt ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No joy. No pain. No sadness. No nothing. I was disconnected from everyone and everything. Feeling disconnected from humanity is headed toward the realm of mental illness.  I know I got issues, but damn!
• On Friday, I spent an hour outside in the sun. That was when I started to feel like myself again. Friday was a sunny 80 degree day. It was beautiful.

THE LESSON???:

• The beautiful thing about life is that we can observe our own behavior. I believe in the "self" and "Self." Or the "personality" and "soul." Whatever you want to call it. My "Self" could see that I, Althea as a personality, was way off emotionally. I was drinking electrolyte drinks trying to come back into balance. I got back online to see if I could find if anyone else had had this same experience. I did not.
• But when I searched "Bikram Yoga" depression, a result came up "can Bikram Yoga cause depression." That's when I knew I wasn't the only person who had experienced this phenonomena.
• Will I do it again? I'd say no. If I did, I would not push myself as hard. I'd rest more during class.
• One benefit was that I'm pushing myself harder in my home practice. I'm working on The Sun Salute A and B from the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series. I did 5 rounds of each this morning. I said to myself, "If I can get through 90 minutes of Bikram, I can certainly do this." And I did.

Should I go back? Should I not? I'd love to hear other people's experiences.

Love,
Althea

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My Bikram Yoga Experience

I'm Going to Kripalu!

So why am I leading off with a photo of a Vanilla Raspberry Cake? I'll get to that in a second :-).
After 11 years, I am FINALLY going back to Kripalu, Center for Yoga and Health in a few weeks.
And I'm going ALONE! Hol-lay to the you-lah! Those of you in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, if you see a sister with long locs driving with the window down singing Beyonce's "Love on Top" at the top of her lungs, that will be me!!
I'm doing new things in 2012. I'm actually checking off my bucket list of things I want to do. I've wanted to go back to Kripalu forever, and I took the plunge. I applied for a scholarship and I got one.
I'm attending Mantras for Spiritual Warriors with Snatam Kaur and her husband. She is a singer with the voice of angel. If you've never heard her sing, click on her name to be taken to her website. She is what Heaven must sound like. And I get back to a Kundalini Yoga workshop. I've been a lonely Kundalini Yogi here in Baltimore. I'm thrilled to be attending.

Another plunge I took was gluten-free baking. That type of baking was so foreign to me. Frankly, I was scared. After reading many books, I finally did it. I made a Vanilla Raspberry Cake from Sweet Vegan. I made the Vanilla Frosting too. For my first cake (and I haven't baked a cake, of any kind, in well over a decade) it came out perfect. 

Another view of the cake.

And then there's the chocolate cupcakes. This took much effort to get right. Sweet Vegan helped but I did alter the recipe a bit to make it mine.

Yes, they are as good as they look.

I've already had one client, Ms. Lisa Scott, from Fitness Chicks, a group I cooked for last month. (And subsequently joined!) I made more tonight for another friend. They'll be featured at her daughter's graduation party tomorrow.

If you live in the Baltimore area, and you want cupcakes (chocolate or vanilla), email me! I have worked very hard to pay off my Kripalu scholarship balance (and I have). I am earning even more money to travel with and am requesting your help. And if you don't live in the area, and would like a reading, let me know.

Thanks and love,

Althea

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I'm Going to Kripalu!