FOOD FOR THOUGHT | ART

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | We all art in our own ways.  Some create works that are nearly indestructible, that will well outlive the artist's lifetime.  And then there are those of us who find beauty in the awareness of the ephemeral.  Those who recognize the deconstruction of a creation is part of the art itself- that nothing lasts forever and the only promise in life is impermanence.

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS

There will be more to say later (but I'm excited to announce) that after 15 years of practice and 8 years of packing suit cases and attending teacher trainings to follow my bliss, I am finally a 1000 hour Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher.  When I say it in numbers it sounds like such a long time, but it's gone by in a blink!  I've taught in four states to friends, family, and strangers many of whom became friends along the way and I look forward to the next 15 years of my yoga journey as my path weaves with Ayurveda.  Stay tuned, and Jai Bhagwan!

UPCYCLE YOUR LEFTOVERS | DIRTY CHAI FRAPP

UPCYCLE YOUR FRAPP

(a poem)

A Dirty Chai Frapp

Left alone

Half consumed

And otherwise forgotten

Sat on a shelf

In the icebox

Wishing for more

I'm sure this has happened to all of us.  We get excited to order a fancy drink, choose the largest size possible to get your money's worth and just can't finish it.  It sits in the fridge overnight and maybe you take a sip out of it the next morning and think "Ugh, this is wayyyyy too watered down to drink."  Maybe your first impulse is to throw it away- dump it down the drain and toss the cup?  Maybe you try to force it because you spent the money and hate when things go to waste?

Why?  Why waste it or force it or feel badly about letting it sit?  So what!? You enjoyed something fresh from the blender, drank until you no longer desired to consume any more (which isn't actually a bad thing) and let it sit overnight.  The Frapp got weird.  Okay, SO!?  JUST UPCYCLE IT!

Here's an example:

Original drink: Venti Dirty Chai Frapp with Soy Milk (that's chai tea, soy milk, and a shot of espresso blended with ice)

Upcycled Drink: melted Dirty Chai Frapp mixed with Good Karma Foods​ Flax Milk, chocolate protein powder, a banana, and Running Pump Roasting​ Birthday Cake coffee and blended in a vitamix with coffee cubes made from Running Pump Roasting's French Vanilla coffee.

Experiment: SUCCESS!

How easy!  I utilized a few ingredients I had stocked up around the kitchen and created something entirely new and interesting from what some might see as trash.  And yes, of course I recycled the cup to be used again for this drink.  Why waste it?

THE RESET BUTTON

RESET BUTTON | Welcome to the new Peace, Love, Guacamole.  Sit back, relax, and watch it evolve as everything should and everything does... eventually.

Tell us what you'd like to see!

More dog?  More food?  More art?  More adventures?

Tell us in the comments!  That's why they're enabled!

ESSENTIAL EXPLORATION | GARDEN BLEND

ESSENTIAL EXPLORATION | Inspired by a day of gardening, this earthy and delicious diffuser blend was so scrumptious that we simply could not control our craving for pasta!  Fresh spices that mirror our essential oil blend wo

PHOTOSPEAK | GREATNESS

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us... Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do... It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Mariann Williamson-

SUNBUTTER COOKIES

VISUAL RECIPE IN REVERSE:

YOGA BLOG | NEED SOME YOGA IN YOUR LIFE?

We're so excited to announce the launch of TreeflowerYoga.com!

It's still a work in progress (but isn't everything?) but now we have a place fully dedicated to embracing yoga.  You're welcome to drop by and/or drop in for a class any time.  No experience necessary AND we provide all the props so you can show up in your comfies and enjoy!

WELLNESS BLOG | ESSENTIAL EXPLORATION | CITRUS ENERGY BLEND

ESSENTIAL EXPLORATION | Introducing: a citrus lover's dream of a diffuser recipe... 4 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil and 3 drops each of Lemon and Lime Essential Oils in 100mL of water. The intention was to introduce a zesty, uplifting aroma to motivate motion and productivity in the afternoon and this is indeed a happy scent combination!

What are you diffusing to keep energy up?

TEA JOURNAL | RASPBERRY HERBAL ICED TEA

TEA JOURNAL | Raspberry Herbal Iced Tea from Harney & Sons.  This blend of Raspberry Leaves, Hibiscus, Rosehips, Apple, Orange & Lemon Peel, Red Poppies, Spearmint and Peppermint with some added raspberry flavoring offers the taste buds a similar experience of tangy tartness to drinking cranberry juice cocktail but without the harshness of cranberry compliments of the sweetening elements which round out the flavor.

FOOD BLOG | UPCYCLE YOUR LEFTOVERS | BURRITO TO LASAGNA

UPCYCLE YOUR LEFTOVERS | Meeting up with friends in Park Slope, Brooklyn means grabbing Pink Lemonade Frozen Margaritas and enormous burritos from Rachel's Taqueria.  A favorite of ours is the Red Hook Special Burrito which is a meal enough for two filled with mesquite grilled skirt steak, black beans, and homestyle pico and then topped with chile verde pork and tons of melted cheese.  I have taken to ordering my own, eating roughly half and taking home my trophy of leftovers.  Leftovers mean an easy lunch OR an upcycled dinner.  I present to you: Mexitalian Lasagna.

Half a burrito turned into taco filling within seconds of turning on my kitchen ninja food processor and with the addition of sharp cheddar cheese and a bit of plain tomato sauce I had my lasagna stuffing. 4 lasagna noodles broken in half and cooked served as the perfect framework for a tri-layered half lasagna and we topped it all off with sharp cheddar to bake for 18 minutes on 425F. We then stacked each of our plates three pieces high and had an incredible upcycled dinner for two!

How do you upcycle your leftovers?

TEA JOURNAL | MATCHA MAKER

TEA JOURNAL | MATCHA MAKER WORTH THE MONEY?

YOGA BLOG | AHIMSA OFF THE MAT

YOGA OFF THE MAT | PRACTICING AHIMSA: The theme of Yoga Off the Mat this month is AHIMSA.  Ahimsa is the first yama (moral, ethical, and societal guideline) of Patanjali's eight-fold path of yoga. It is the practice of non-violence (non-harming) which includes physical, mental, and emotional harming not only toward others but also to ourselves.  I choose to use the word "harming" to replace the word "violence" in my definition to reinforce the idea that even small amounts of damage are still damage of some kind.  Overextending yourself and depriving yourself of sleep, for example, is not often considered "violence" but it is still harmful to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Ahimsa is the practice of compassion, kindness, and gentleness.  Sometimes it is easier to remember to be kind and gentle with others while we forget to offer ourselves that same gentle kindness.  Setting an intention such as "I will help others so long as it does no harm to my own health and well-being" is a good place to begin practicing compassion toward oneself and developing self-love.  It can become a mantra to anchor you into your practice.  Asking yourself, "Does this resonate with what my body needs?" or "Will this cause me unnecessary stress?" can also help guide your practice of ahimsa off the mat.

I have chosen this image as a reminder to myself and others to practice ahimsa and kindness to EVERYONE.  It can be challenging at times, but that's why it's called a practice.  What's your theme and what are you collecting to encourage you to practice your yoga of life every day?