The Niroga Institute brings the benefits of yoga to minority and at-risk communities.

I stumbled upon this 2008 Ode Magazine article.  It is about the impact of yoga for minority and at-risk communities. Interesting. Check it out.

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/53/stretching-themselves-to-the-limit/

The Library....

I recently just re-discovered the library. I grew up going to the library almost weekly. I always left with stacks of books as a child. Then of course I used it in high school and then I spent a ridiculous amount of time there in college. I remember I had a college friend admit that he never stepped foot in the beautiful Paterno library the entire time he was in college. Not sure how that is possible or that I would admit that to anyone.

I couldn't wait to get my son into a story time program. When he was about 2 years old I called and was told that the story times for "Mother Goose Story time" fill up quickly and unfortunately it was full. I asked about the times so that I could be on top of it for the next session. They were in the middle of the day during the week. I guess working moms aren't interested in a story time with their child on the weekends.

Some time passed and we went here or there but not consistently. A few months ago I went with Miles because I wanted to start reading the Kindergarten suggested reading list with him. I fell in love all over again. Miles, who loves books wasn't interested in looking at them when we were there he was more interested in playing on the computers which was fine. I gathered his books and it worked out perfectly. Since then we've gone almost weekly. I also started checking out classic Disney movies for them. Which is great because they are free and then I can decide which ones they like enough to buy.Free is the other amazing thing. I buy books like some women buy shoes. Always building my collection. Not only for myself but tons of children's books have been purchased in the 4 short years my son has been here. Of course a great collection is important but this makes much more sense. Every book is not worth owning.

If you are not a frequent library goer, check it out. My library has an awesome website that allows me to hold books I want for myself and you can also renew on line. Super efficient. 

And I am happy to say that next weekend Miles and I will be attending our first story time together. Finally one on a Saturday!
     

My review of "The Lion & the Mouse" By, Jerry Pinkney

I decided to review a children's book.  Miles and I loved this book. It is the classic fable of two unlikely friends. There are literally hundreds of editions of this classic story. What makes this edition extraordinary is that it is word-less. The illustrations tell the story. We "read" it together and I may have enjoyed it more than Miles. There is nothing better than watching their minds at work. He was using context clues and making educated guesses about how the story would play out. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous.  We got this one from the library but it is totally worth buying. I would recommended it for any preschooler.  A younger child may also appreciate the pictures.

In honor of his day....

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Two of my favorite comfort foods which are perfect for this cold wintery weather.

My mac and cheese is my wonderful, amazing, fantastic cook, Gram Rae’s recipe. After she passed I started to make it from memory and this is what I came up with. Wow that was 14 years ago. I have realized over the years that we are very similar cooks. She used to prepare the entire Thanksgiving meal. Now I know why, she wanted everything exactly as she imagined and likely thought her recipe was the best for the things she wanted to prepare.  I will admit that I have been known to do that. I get it Gram.

Mac and cheese

1 1lb elbow noodles

1 lb American cheese (I use Land O’Lakes yellow American from the deli)

8 oz sharp shredded cheddar (I use Sargento)

3 cups milk (add more if needed)

2 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Put on a pot of water to boil the pasta. At the same time combine the milk, butter and both cheeses, salt and pepper in a sauce pan. Reserve a little of the shredded cheddar for the top before baking. Keep the temperature at medium low heat. Melt the cheese and the milk until slightly bubbling, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to boil over.

When the pasta is done pour it into a baking dish. If it is glass or ceramic, no need to grease the pan. If it is metal I would grease it with butter. Pour the cheese sauce over top. If there is not actual sauce in the pan stir in a little more milk until it is creamy and sitting in a little of the sauce. Sprinkle with the reserved cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes. Until the top browns a little and the edges and corners are bubbling.

 

This is my own recipe for meatloaf that I think I have perfected over the years. I like to make it for people that think they don't like meatloaf. My rule is that I don't use too many breadcrumbs. I want it to taste like a juicy burger not mystery meat.

 

Meatloaf

2lbs of ground sirloin

1 red bell pepper- chopped

1 small Vidalia onion- chopped

¼ cup of breadcrumbs (eyeball it)

2 eggs (beaten)

Ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Chop all vegetable and combine. You can use a green pepper but I find the red is nicer because it is slightly sweet and mild. When adding the cumin be generous. It offers a nice smoky flavor and you need more of it than you think.

I bake my meatloaf in a baking pan. I shape in into an oval shape and cover with foil. Bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes. I take the foil off for the last few minutes to let it brown.

These two recipes would be perfect enjoyed together with a side of some green vegetable. Kale, Green beans, Spinach or Broccoli would all be great.

Enjoy!

When the Christmas cards just don't make it out.

This digital greeting made with Smilebox  Who knew that the addition of one more child would frazzle me to the point that I can't even seem to get Christmas cards out. My daughter was 5 months old last year and around the week before Christmas I realized nope not going to happen. The first step is acknowledging you are in over your head right?? This year I thought for sure I will send Christmas cards to show of my 2 beautiful kids. And here we are 4 days away from Christmas with no cards in the mail. So rather than not show pictures of my kids again this year and miss the opportunity to wish my friends and family a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays I decided to do something different, E Cards!! I searched for ecards and  I found a lot of not so great sites and I also found Smilebox!! I love love love this site. It's convenient, easy to use, fun, cute, green and free!  If you don't know about it check it out. It has great designs for everything. Here is the Christmas card I created. Enjoy!!

Why Yoga practice in the studio is so important to me.

Oh how I love my yoga class. And oh how I love my yoga studio. It's my me time. Mommy's time out, Andrea time. A minute to think or not think at all. I have practiced yoga on and off for 8 years. But not until about a year ago have I had a love affair with it. Before you have children you may think you need to relax, you may think that "me time" is important but now that I have a 4 and 1 year old I realize that I had no idea what I was talking about! The first time I walked into my house after my first class in about 2 1/2 years I stood in front of my husband, dumbfounded and said OK.... Ummmmmmmm.... LIFE CHANGING!!! and I was hooked. Thursday's I now had a date at 7:00pm at Dew Yoga with Jen. The infamous "Jen" who was an awesome instructor and who's class I enjoyed more than any class I've taken in the past. My husband knew how important it was so he would plan to be out of work at 6:40 so I could make it. He knew it was something special and that I was a better person because of it. I really appreciated how much he got it.

I wasn't interested in practicing at home amidst scattered toys, laundry that needed folded and an occasional "moooooommmmmyyyyy!!" interrupting my zone. Dew smelled like yoga, sounded like yoga with the most perfect yoga groove mixes and was intimate and cozy. I often thought that I'd like to actually move in to Dew. Or at least I'd settle for the occasional sleepover over in the corner in front of the bolsters and yoga bricks. But Dew was more than aesthetically pleasing, it is the yoga education I've received that has been invaluable. I of course have learned many new asanas (postures/positions) because practicing with an experienced instructor is invaluable. The leading that takes place, the adjusting and guidance and the teaching cannot occur by looking at a magazine or book or on line. I've also finally learned how important pranayama(breathing) is in yoga. I may not be able to practice asanas daily but I practice pranayama every single day. Being in a class learning the proper techniques for various pranayama is essential to learn it properly.  And when anxiety strikes I call on my beloved pranayama. I've also learned countless life lessons thought yoga that I plan on sharing with the readers of this blog. And the sense of community is so important. If for no other reason than so you don't feel totally nuts doing some of these things!

I am now confident enough to practice at home and flow in a sequence based on my feeling my way naturally through. But that would not be possible without my studio time where I am enjoying myself yes, but also soaking up the invaluable life experience of my instructor.

Is it Thursday at 7:00 yet??