Posted by terrepruitt on November 27, 2020
I’ve posted this everywhere else (FB and Twitter) already, but I really love this picture so I wanted to have it here. The pumpkin was delicious. Stuffed pumpkin always is. Here is a picture of our dinner from a few nights ago for today’s Friday Photo!
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: Facebook, Friday Photo, Stuffed pumpkin, Twitter | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 25, 2020
May you and yours be safe.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 2020 Thanksgiving, COVID-19 Holiday, hands holding heart, Happy Thanksgiving, stay at home, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 23, 2020
Well, tonight I am making a stuffed pumpkin for dinner. And as usual I am getting a later start than I wanted. I was playing around with something on my website and time just slipped by. I even went down to start, but came back up to grab my phone for the recipe and 30 minutes later, I just put the pumpkin in. Then I got to thinking about all the recipes I like to cook this time of year. And I started thinking about all the recipes YOU like to cook this time of year. What are your favorite recipes that you like to cook this time of year?
I am going to list a few of mine here (with links) especially since I still have to try to fix my recipe page after WordPress BLOCKS came along. (Ugh!)
A Quick And Yummy Way To Use Cranberries (“salsa”)
Dancing With Persimmons (relish)
Awesome Salad (pear and walnut)
Butternut Squash Soup Adaptation
I have already made butternut squash soup and I am making the stuffed pumpkin tonight. The pumpkin came in our produce delivery. We also received persimmons so I am just waiting for them to be ready and I was hoping to get both the relish AND the chicken out of them. I am planning on having a version of the salad for Thanksgiving. I have to get my hubby to get me ingredients for pumpkin cookies. I should have had him do it the last shopping trip, but there was already too many other things he was getting. So next week. And then I hope to have Cheese Fondue for New Year’s Eve.
So, again . . . . what about you? What are the recipes you look forward to making this season?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: cheese fondue, cranberries, favorite fall dinners, favorite recipes of the season, heavy whipping cream, mushrooms, persimmons, pumpkin cookies, Sausage, Stuffed pumpkin, winter soup | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 20, 2020
I have never seen this before. I thought it was unusual and cute. Nessa often sits on the lower portion. It is a great sun spot. I have never seen Teagan sit on the shelf above. I am not sure, but I think it was Teagan wanting to be close to be able to take advantage once Nessa moved because shortly after this was taken Teagan was on the lower portion in the sun and Nessa was a little put out.
Here are my beautiful girls to today’s Friday Photo!
Don’t you think it is funny when pets do things different than normal?
Posted in Cats, Friday Photo, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: cat tower, Friday Photo, Nessa, Teagan, The Girls | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 19, 2020
Sometimes the day escapes me. I am not going out, but with all of the stuff happening online I am doing a lot of exploring of additional tools to use to make class registration automated, I am doing tests on Zoom for different ways to bring classes to students, I am having to move and rearrange our furniture on a daily basis . . . so a lot of time-consuming stuff. Not complaining, but explaining . . . explaining why I can’t keep up with my own self-imposed posting schedule. I should have posted this yesterday since I am offering a Pop-Up Class tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 20, 2020). This post has a dual purpose, to explain the difference between a Pop-UP and Pop-IN and to expound a bit on Yin Yoga.
POP-UP VS POP-IN
What is a Pop-Up Class? For me, it is a class that is not on my regular schedule. In many cases with many different things a Pop-Up can happen rather quickly – it pops up – but for me, I am usually talking about it a couple days in advance so it is not a quick spur of the moment thing, but it is not a regularly scheduled thing.
Now, the Pop-UP is different than the Pop-In. The pop-in is quick (under 30 minute). So far we have had three pop-ins where we reviewed katas in a song from a Nia routine and then danced the song. It isn’t something where there is the structure of a regular Nia class (or yoga class or stretch class). It is quick – you can just pop-in. I have ideas to do other type of pop-ins maybe a quick stretch or a yoga pose or two, but we will see. A Pop-UP is a class . . . with the actual class structure so popping in and out is not advised.
YIN YOGA
Yin Yoga has long holds in order to affect the tissue involved. It is not about the muscle but about the connective tissue. Since the connective tissue is not as elastic as muscles it take a bit longer to effect, AT LEAST a minute. When introducing people to Yin Yoga I generally will not hold most poses but for a few seconds over a minute.
In addition to the four Tattvas of Yin Yoga another very important thing to remember is to get out of the poses SLOWLY. In some cases if you feel the pose is too much, it could be just a simple matter of backing off, not getting out of the pose . . . if that doesn’t work and you feel you need to get out of the pose you must do it slowly. When instructing I allow for a transitional period and that could be just as long as the hold. Think of it like when you sit for a long time and how it might not work to jump up, ya gotta ease into standing or repositioning yourself. That is the same with Yin . . . you are in a pose for a long time so it requires a long time to get out of it. If you need to get out of a pose before the instructors instructs the class to do so, do it slowly just as if the instructor is walking you through the transition.
Some of the poses we do in Yin Yoga are similar to the poses in yang yoga. I have probably mentioned how I used to be so frustrated that the Yin Yoga poses had different names then the Hatha yoga poses even though they are “the same” . . . but then I learned they are not the same. Yin Yoga instructors may even use the other name (non Yin) to help you get into the pose, but the intent is different. In yang yoga the focus is stretching and strengthening muscle but in Yin the intent is to affect the connective tissue and move the Qi. But so many people ask about Yin Poses I am going to say here – just to give people an idea – that we do poses similar to pigeon, sphinx, bound angle, and extended child’s pose, to name a few. Most Yin poses are done on the floor, so it is not as if you are going to be holding a Warrior II for five minutes.
Additionally, as a reminder Yin Yoga is not Restorative Yoga. Yin may be restorative like all yoga can be restorative, but it is not Restorative Yoga. Restorative Yoga is about relaxing and involves a lot of lying around. Yin is not about relaxing although it does require the muscles to relax.
Well, a really good way to see what Yin Yoga is like is to try it. For details regarding the Pop-Up Yin Yoga Class on Friday, November 20, 2020 please go to my website. Maybe I will see you there! (Update 11.28.20: This class has already occurred, but do check my site because we plan on doing more because they are so FUN!)
Posted in Misc, Yin Yoga | Tagged: candle holders, classes online, Himalayan salt, katas, Nia, Nia class, Nia routines, Pop-in, Pop-up, stretch class, tea light, Yin and Yang, Yin Yoga, Yoga class, Zoom classes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 13, 2020
Even though I do have a ton of photos I could post, I still feel like I could benefit from getting out of the house to maybe take some other photos. 🙂 For now . . . here is another one of Nessa for today’s Friday Photo. There is an entire “series” of these I could post. Usually I like to show her green eyes, but this is too cute!
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: Friday Photo, green eyes, Nessa, series of cat photos, tongue | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 11, 2020
Recently my friend sent me a recipe and it had such an exquisitely simple list of ingredients and sounded so easy to make that I put what I didn’t have on hubby’s grocery list and I made it the next day. I only altered it slightly* and that was more out of necessity/ease than anything else. The pasta came in a larger sized package than was called for and we had more sour cream (but not enough to save) than was called for. Also, I used more onion and garlic because . . . well, it’s onion and garlic! I made it and it was DELICIOUS! It was good on the night I made it. The “sauce” was VERY watery so I decide that the next time I made it I was going to use less water. When I use “broth” I use Better Than Bouillon so I would be able get the same amount of flavor but use less water. But, as is often the case with pasta dishes it was even BETTER the next night. And the liquid had been soaked up and so I figured the next time I made it I wouldn’t use less water. AND . . . it was even BETTER on the next night.** Here is a super easy recipe my I-would-be-crazy-if-it-weren’t-for-her-during-this-shelter-in-place friend sent me.
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One Pan Easy Beef And Pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper***
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 4 cups water
• 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon/Roasted Beef****
• 12 oz. dry rotini
• 3/4 cup sour cream
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet (large enough to hold all the ingredients). Add the mushrooms to the pan and let them cook a bit, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep cooking until they are done to your liking. Then remove from the pan and set dish aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the ground beef and continue to cook, breaking up the beef as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the paprika over the top and stir to combine.
Pour the water in and add the Better Than Bouillon/Roasted Beef, stirring until it is incorporated, then add the dry uncooked pasta. Bring to a light boil then turn the heat down and cover. Continue to cook, stirring often, cook until the pasta is al dente, about 12-18 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mushrooms and sour cream.
Serve.
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There are a lot of asterisks in this post!
*Ok, shoot, as I was typing up the recipe I realized I changed a few more things than I thought. The recipe called for cremini mushrooms, low sodium broth, and fresh parsley. I didn’t use those ingredients.
**The leftovers were very good, especially since the pasta had soaked up the sauce, but I also added a few teaspoons of ricotta cheese. I heated the leftovers in a pan and stirred in the ricotta.
***I do not use pepper. I just left it in the recipe for those that do.
****I never MAKE the broth. No matter what I am making I just add the water then add the Better Than Bouillon and figure it all can get mixed up that way. I don’t add the Better Than Bouillon to the water and MAKE it broth before adding it to the ingredients.
Again, this was sooooo good, I had decided to make it again this week. I did more adjusting and now my mouth is watering thinking about it. I love this recipe because it is super simple and the return is a super yummy dinner, but I will probably make it the way I did last night from now on. I will post that recipe later. And you can share with me how you made it. So easy, so many things you can do with it.
Don’t you LOVE easy and tasty recipes?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: beef, easy dinner, one pain dinne, pasta, sour cream, stroganoff | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 9, 2020
In June, I believe we had three baby crows that visited our yard. I don’t know for certain because to me young birds (“babies”) look very much like older birds. Actually, young birds often look larger than adult birds, at least in the case of blue jays. From what I have seen in the past the young birds still have their fluff so they sometimes look larger. The fluff isn’t always easy to discern so originally I thought the larger birds were adults. We used to have baby blue jays in our yard every year and watching them it was clear they were not adults. They were so awkward and silly, whereas the adults were very precise. These three birds we had in June were silly. They liked to take bathes — as did all of our blue jay babies in the past. These crows seemed to play and explore, then one by one they were gone.
I had never seen a crow in the bird bath so it was really exciting to see these black beauties hop around and in the bath. They were really gone too soon for my liking.
I know the pictures are not great, sorry, but I took them through screens and windows because the crows would stop their antics when they noticed us watching. In a couple of shots you can see that they noticed me.
Maybe they will remember it was a safe place and they will bring their babies here.
I love our yard birds. Do you have yard animals?
Posted in Birds, Misc | Tagged: baby birds, bird bath, blue jays, crows, young birds | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 6, 2020
Here are some roses from April as today’s Friday Photo. I love our roses!
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: Friday Photo, red roses, yard roses | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 4, 2020
I keep hearing new teachers ask about teachers’ setup. In this post I am specifically talking about Nia. Since Nia has started conducting training online we are just getting a wealth of opportunities to meet (via Zoom) and learn various things. I feel as if in every meeting there is one question about the Trainers’ set up. I am posting this because when I hear the question about set up posed to a TRAINER the answer usually is $$$$$$. I have been Zooming classes for seven months. I started using a borrowed microphone. It is an awesome mic, but it wasn’t GREAT for movement classes because it, the computer, or Zoom would decide what was “noise” and needed to be canceled, sometimes my voice and/or the music would get silenced. Students need to hear both. I just want to share about my set up because it might help someone get online. Once online and teaching one can upgrade from there.
Some Nia teachers work in studios so they have a lot of equipment available to them. Some Nia TRAINERS are the same. But some Nia teachers, especially ones just starting out might want to keep it simple (less expensive) at first. It is a HUGE investment to spend $400 on a microphone. That was the cost of what one trainer shared she was using — and that didn’t include all of the equipment needed to make it work.
We are all doing it differently and we all have different needs, so I am not here saying anything is better than the other, I am saying that if you are new and you want to jump on Zoom and start teaching and you don’t want to invest in an expensive microphone and all that equipment (mixing boards, cables . . . I don’t even know) it requires, there are other options.
I am borrowing a laptop and a monitor with a camera in it. I am using my ION Block Rocker. I bought a wireless mic. And my husband bought me a cable so the computer can be directly connected to the router (all the way across the house) and not use wireless.
First of all, connect directly to the internet . . . in other words avoid using wireless if you can. If you can’t then try to make sure your device is in “line of sight” of your router. I found doing that made a difference.
The wireless microphone I purchased came with a splitter. The splitter connects the wireless microphone transmitter to the computer AND it has a place for the AUX cord for my speaker. My speaker is wireless, but I want to eliminate any factors that can cause lag so I connect via an AUX cord. The speaker is also battery operated, but I plug it in. My music is playing from iTunes via Zoom directly to the students, the speaker is for ME to hear the music.
For Nia I used a big monitor with the camera. It is easier for me to see my students when I am moving around the studio (ie. living room with white curtains as back drop). For the yoga and stretch classes I teach I use laptop and its camera. Since I am more stationary in yoga and stretch I can see my students fine on the laptop.
Since I am not teaching a lot of classes right now the Kimafun Wireless Microphone I bought works great. As time goes on and needs change so may the equipment, that is usually the case, but for now, I am just sharing, in my opinion, to start out you don’t have to spend a lot of money. It is kind of like teaching, starting small . . . keep is simple with the option to expand as you go.
What are you using? Do you have any advice for new teachers? Do you have any advice for teachers new to online/Zoom teaching?
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I do hope it helps someone!
Posted in Online Classes | Tagged: affordable wireless mic, Block Rocker, Kimafun Wireless Mic, new Nia teachers, new to online teaching, Nia, Nia trainers, Nia training, online Nia, online stretch class, online yoga, wireless microphone, Zoom | 18 Comments »
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