A Slice of Life: Smells like Spring! Cilantro, Snowmelt and More...

It's April 1st and the weather has been mild and forgiving in Vermont. All except for the massive snow meltage that has turned the back roads into a continuum of swirling mud. Last night Jayson and I dined at my mom's house for Easter with her boyfriend, Wayne, and my brother! The road was so nutty we parked my beetle at the elementary school and my brother shuttle us to the homestead, yeehaw! We had ham, baked pineapple (!!!), scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, cheddar popovers and pink bubbly.... wow. My mom also presented me with an Easter bag full of treats and love. Spring time is a great time to be reminded of family and abundance with the new life it brings. It also presents looming days of rain. Today remains dark even at noon with heavy clouds and showers in the forecast, a perfect day to spend in practice, both in the studio and out.

With Intermediate Series calling me I am trying to reshape my weekly yoga routine. Last Friday I went to the Friday morning class at YVT to start training towards the next series in the Ashtanga tradition. It's nice to be learning new transitions and movements along with the seasons, sometimes things just start to click. Today I teach Kids Yoga, attendance has been low but the kids really love to do yoga, so that's great! I've also been obsessed with watching videos of Pattabi Jois teaching the Primary and Intermediate Series. I warn you that the videos are lengthy, extremely inspiring and intensely powerful. Anyways, practicing everyday in the studio(s) feels excellent.

And beside that I've got a regular busy life at the restaurant and in my kitchen. This morning I made hummus with fresh cilantro, lime and garlic. I've been into buying fresh herbs so CILANTRO has been the pick of the week. Yum. Tacos, I even put it in the meatballs I made with mushrooms and onions, and there is still some left to be used! Keeping it fresh and waiting for spring!

A newer obsession has been unearthed in baking my own bread. I find it therapeutic and exhilarating all at once, very much like my physical yoga practice. There are such subtle changes in the recipes of breads that amount to very substantial disparities in the finished product! Now I'm not trying tog et all philosophical and yogic about bread making, but I do recommend giving it a try if you've got the time and capacity to make it happen. Here are a few ideas:

Free Form Sundried Tomato-Garlic-Basil Loaf

Pumpkin Oat Raisin Quickbread (in background of bagel boiling photo!)

Hand Rolled Onion (Mini)Bagels w/ Rosemary

And perhaps one of the more exciting things, mild temperatures have warranted OPEN WINDOWS! This is great for keeping things fresh AND entertaining the kitty who has never had such awesome exposure to fresh airs, smells, sounds, sights and squirrels! These pictures are mostly for you Laura!