JUNE-TASTIC!

Summer has started like a wonder whirl of adventure, sunshine, hard work, laughter and the great outdoors! June was one of the busier months I've had in a while... I've always loved traveling, but the more time I spend in Vermont the more I enjoy every day. To kick off June I spent the weekend in Long Island for a Capobianco family wedding. Jayson's cousin got married so we all drove down, took the ferry and spent the weekend together. Summer love and lots of family fun, we spent time at the beach, the pool, eating yummy food, giving hugs & kisses and taking lots of family photos!

Next was a trip to NOLA to visit the one and only Emma S-E. For five days we shared memories, drinks, outrageous scenarios, crawfish and loud music. Luckily we came up with an anthem, as we always do, listening to Blurred Lines enough to drive anyone crazy. I simply can't resist Pharell, and spending time with Emma was like traveling through time. I'm grateful to have such great friends, where picking up right where we last met is natural, full of love and a blur of happiness. We spent most of our time beating the heat, eating awesome southern cuisine (like fried chicken, ribs, crawfish, daquiris, etc), and enjoying an amazing vacation. New Orleans was perfect; full of life, lights, loudness, and love!

The ingredient of the month for me has been quinoa. On the next adventure of the month, Wanderlust, I brought a Greek inspired quinoa made with lemon juice and anything freshly local; peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onion, carrot, radish, feta?! I was lucky enough to spruce mine up with some freshly pick lemon-thyme from my brothers garden, yum. I also made another batch of black bean burgers using some quinoa to add nutrients an texture (I did not follow the recipe but used it as a loose outline)! Served up with kale and sweet potato it make a super-dinner that is so sexy and satisfying....

  

With not enough time or words to reflect yet on Wanderlust, I will leave you with some photos and lessons learned from one of the must amazing weekends of my life.

• Teaching Yoga with Horses is inspiring, exhausting, exciting, fun, invigorating
• Doing Yoga with Horses is breathtaking, challenging, uplifting, fun, beautiful
• Horses + Yogis = Harmony

We had a gorgeous weekend together in Stratton at the festival. A special thanks to the entire Yoga Vermont family and the horses! I can't wait to do it again... Lots of Love and Light.

Om shanti shanti shanti

Like a Lion...

Once a week? Once a month? Who cares!? I knew February would be a quick month but to already be a week deep in March is a bit of a surprise. Jayson was gone for a week due to an awesome conference in Syracuse and I seized the moment to spend time in the kitchen, a wild-woman I've become... I did spend a night out with my brother the The Black Krim in Randolph, a much loved place by the both of us. And Emma Sanford joined me for a much needed evening of wine and nachos, so I haven't been a COMPLETE dud.

Firstly, I thawed the rest of the fiddleheads we picked last Spring and made fiddlehead quiche, YUM! Next up was a classic, homemade macaroni and cheese. My mom's favorite recipe involves smoked gouda and is topped with freshly cut apples and it is to DIE for. I've added bacon and peas before but this time I tried something new, oven-roasted mushrooms. Even though they were a bit over roasted (crispy, for sure) I think it is my new guilty pleasure. And on a much healthier note, soup! First up was a loose recreation of Sarducci's own spicy black bean that I finished off with organic coconut milk rather than heavy cream. Another score from the freezer was mashed pumpkin from my brothers garden that I pureed with carrots, celery and onion, seasoned with thyme and serve with either a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. Finally chili, not vegetarian but grass fed beef, tons of veggies and BEER. Needless to say the freezer is restocked and I've been eating chili for three days straight.

This mac & cheese is good with red or white wine, so I tried both!









Here are some photos from what may possibly be my last snowshoe of the season:

I have been starting to re-pot my indoor plants and plant some herbs in hopes of freshness and life and in anticipation of spring. I now have a baby tangerine tree standing at about two inches and my thyme, dill and basil have all begun to sprout! Where does she find the time? Besides feeling slightly under the weather there have been many people in my life telling me to take a day or two off, so I listened. Somehow I've managed to survive financially with a full week off from work at the restaurant, but I'll be back to the grind tomorrow....

Thankfully part of the reason for my "time off" is the fact that I am teaching seven classes a week at the studio now. They are condensed into 4 days and I love each one of them. I am also planning an Ashtanga workshop with Emily (fellow instructor and teacher trainee) which will be a three hour evening event exploring the Primary Series. We would love for the workshop to grow into something we can hold a few times a year, constantly bringing in new material and revisiting basics! I've eased up on my trips to Burlington in lieu of not spending enough time at home with Jayson and Lola, exhausting my gasoline funds and hoping to attend one of the two David Swenson workshops this summer. The problem is that I miss Yoga Vermont immensely once I haven't visited for over a week :)

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, I just bought tickets to New Orleans to visit Emma S-E and Laura is planning to come at the same time. Isham St reunion in NOLA! I'm feeling incredibly grateful for the richness each day brings to life and the opportunities that lay ahead.

Om purnamidah purnamidan
purnaat purnamudachyate
purnasya purnamudaya
purnameva vashishate

This is full
that is full
from fullness, fullness comes,
when fullness removes itself, fullness still remains