Flying isn’t just for dreaming

I think my yoga practice has done me a disservice in an area of of life. I don’t blame yoga, I blame the somewhat icky pursuit of balance. Different extremes perhaps being safely over explored in my yoga practice. Ok wtf am I talking about–right? I am talking about- not taking action. Yoga started out for me from a place of non-action, awaiting, meditating and grounding my oh so restless soul in a consistent practice, (or at least trying to.) We all are in need something at different times whether it’s a hug, money, home, community, health, sleep, food, god, laughter, space, closeness. So as  free bird, I came into yoga having worn my wings out. I came into yoga to chill the f*out and find space between my thoughts. On my mat, I found that- now I’m pretty chill, and grateful- and it’s time to test my wings again, safely. So I’ve decided to jot down what I would do, if I could do anything. If I could fly. What I came up with was this: 

Eat when I’m hungry. Move when I’m restless. Sleep when I’m tired. Travel when I want to see. Help where I’m needed. Cry when I’m sad. Laugh when it’s funny. Talk when I need to be heard. Listen when I need to hear. Go where I need to go. Trust money/ support will be there. Take care of myself. Take care of others. Feel healthy. Feel nourished. Feel warm. Feel rested. Feel peaceful. Love wholeheartidly. Be open to connection. Be kind. Trust my gifts are enough. Trust my intuition moment to moment as a guide leading me. Be present. Pursue that which I deeply want, deeply love, and deeply am invested in-  meanwhile releasing all the rest.

Sweetly, lovingly, patiently reminding myself over and over this is the unfolding of a life. 

Oh so I made some cookies, they are simple and yummier than regular chocolate chip cookies, gluten free so go ahead have one, hey have three with a glass of almond milk. I don’t have photos because my phone won’t upload them. But you can use your imagination. 

Sukha

I don’t know what my kind is.

You know the yogurt swirl machines that give you the chocolate and the vanilla swirled together? That feels like me most of the time. I like things new and old. I like to wear lipstick and hiking boots. I like the city and the woods. I like adventure and I dream of being home. I like the pulse of people and crave being solo and silent.

I don’t know a lot of the time because I feel I am a swirl of these contradictions. I want to explore every landscape there is while planting my feet long enough to watch things grow.

Lately I want to stay still. I want badly to sit long enough to not have to move. I want to show up for people and have them know I am not just passing through. I want to bake and to kiss cheeks daily. I want holidays to come and go and gardens to grow and storefronts to move, but me to stay here. I want to get bored, and survive it. I do not know if this is possible, I do not know what will come of me in all of it. Even if I would recognize myself afterwards.

Sometimes I eat a lot of sugar; sometimes I eat a lot of kale.

Sometimes I run races, sometimes I put on music and dance like a curly fry till I can feel my heart beat again.

Some days I want to bake and know that it is not the day for cake especially with all the kale I’m taking in.

Hands down the more things I eat directly out of the soil the better I am over all.

I made black bean brownies today. . Just to see what all the hype was about, and to contradict myself just a tiny bit more.

They were not good. I like beans in tacos. I like brownies with ice-cream. They do not need to be together, ever.

tired yogini

I’ve been a bad baker.. not like I messed up a cake..  I just haven’t been baking. I’ve been doing yoga, lots of it, entire days of it… yea it’s been a long week .. But I completed a training at a studio here in Portland ! I’m tired  last night was my first night to rest and the recycling guy came at 5:30 this morning dropping bottles on my head.I’m almost  that close to the garbage cans.. yea, I love how green we are , but can it wait just wait till 8AM ?

I wanted to blog, but I felt a little guilty without any goods to show you. Especially with all this holiday cheer.  So , instead I’m going to give you a tiny preview of what’s to come. I’m on it.. for reals.

One of my favorite questions to ask people is ; If it was your last supper ( yes, your very last meal on the planet earth) What would you eat? Seriously I get so excited to hear peoples responses! Tell me yours ..

Okay, MINE : Thanksgiving Supper the whole 9-yards , all of it including the canned cranberry sauce, not whole berried, the jelly! Which I bring myself because it never makes it to the table otherwise. Including desserts, plural, pumpkin pie  and some form of pecan something..

Not to be morbid , I don’t plan on this being my last supper. I’m just a little excited. So in my abode my two housemates are doing the food, and I’m baking .. Shocker.

I was thinking of doing three desserts , but I think I’m going to stick to two, because there’s vanilla ice cream and seriously this cake is intense. 1. Good Ol’ Fashion Pumpkin Pie 2. Butterscotch Pecan Cake- 3 layers…

So that’s the dilly-o . Isn’t this table pretty ;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and I’m making this one non- dessert ..

As for Thanksgiving this is about abundance and gratitude.. Yea we got.

Lucky we are.

Happy Thanksgiving. Eat good . Love More.

Lake Tahoe

This week we went to Wanderlust, a 4-day Yoga Festival in Northern Cali. We volunteered to get into the festival  We worked recycling aggressively with a group called Zero Hero. We camped near Lake Tahoe a couple miles from the festival, yes… we camped… and this is a baking blog… WE baked on the campfire!

Ladies & Gentlemen it happened. Believe this !

Two bad ass girls baked a CAKE on a campfire!

It took only two tries the first one  shown above a little too well done, shown below

the perfectly cooked cake.

It went from Pinapple Upside Down Cake to Peach Upside Down Cake because the 7-Eleven only had canned peaches. Hey, we’re in Tahoe practicing yoga all day, going with the flow…

This is where we went wrong the first time. We cooked the cake on the fire pit in a dutch oven , you gotta let the fire get super hot so give it a good hour before putting the cake in. The first time we cooked the cake according to the recipe, but way too long, obviously.

It made a good frisbee.

Coconut and Fresh Pinapple (or Peach) Upside Down Cake:

Cake :

1  1/3 cups of flour

¼ cups of sugar

1 ¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup of sweetened flaked coconut

2 large eggs

Topping:

1/3 cup of butter

¼ cup of sugar

2 cups fresh pinapple chunks

1. Make batter. Whisk dry ingediants

then add the wet and mix.

2. Prepare the fire .

3. Make the topping : Line a 4 QT. Dutch oven with aluminum foil up the sides. Melt the butter in a dutch oven rotating to coat the sides sprinkle sugar on the bottom and scatter pinapple or peaches on the bottom of the pan then top with the batter.

4. Cook the cake rotating the pan every 5 minutes. Cook about 10 minutes take out to test with a knife.

After eating half of it ourselves. We brought the rest to the Girl Talk Concert we were volunteering at that night to share with all our new volunteer friends. They were pretty impressed.

I mean we were all kinda speechless.

Saratoga

week 1:

Saratoga, NY.

I could not have asked for a better first baking date!

a  rainy indoor cozy sweatpants kinda day,

with the  sweetest couple of cake connoisseurs to bake with me.

I went to Saratoga Springs to see some friends. Dan who is a carpenter and Jennilee a yogini globe-trotter … I truly didn’t know if they would be interested in this experiment of mine, they not only were interested, but thrilled and dedicated to cake this. Dan sat on the edge of his stool for hours mixing and stirring his heart out. We laughed and caught up and as a team baked our very first gluten-free cake. The plan was dinner with another couple, who are completely gluten-free. I am not one to ever bake without flour, so this was seriously outta my comfort cake zone. I was intimidated by all the flours I couldn’t pronounce, and while shopping we were falsely led to stores unnecessary… (Heads up xanthan gum is not found in the candy store !) I was not sure what the outcome may be.
Without sounding too pretentious , this cake totally ruled. It was moist and delicious, and dripping with coconut frosting and love ..

I slept on their couch that night as their 4 doggies rolled around upstairs still sugar buzzed and full. I fell pretty hard for this cake, I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

I did not have it for breakfast, although I wanted to.

I left it in Saratoga , that is part of kitchen crashing (by the way) goodies stay with crashers !

Thanks Saratoga , you two were ultimate sweetness.

Margaret’s Chocolate Cake:  

2 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour mix

1 1/14 tsp. xanthan gum

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. egg replacer

1/2 tsp. salt

4 squares (4 ounzes) semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup hot water

2 sticks of butter

2 cups of sugar in the raw

4 eggs

1 cup of plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Coconut Frosting:

1 cup of evaporated milk

1 cup of sugar

3 egg yolks lightly beaten

1 stick of butter

1 tsp. vanilla

the cake:

preheat oven to 350 * . Butter two round 9” cake pans and dust with flour.

In a medium bowl whisk flour , xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, egg replacer and salt. set aside.

Place water and chocolate in a double boiler and over boiling water and stir until chocolate melts. Set aside.

In mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy . Add one egg at a time beating after each addition. Pour in chocolate and blend.  Add the flour alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla in two additions. Beat on low until well blended. Spoon into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes .

oh yes that frosting:

In medium sauce pan combine milk , sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla. Stir while cooking over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Beat until frosting has cooled and put in fridge until ready to ice.