Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Folding Is An Art

Posted by terrepruitt on June 6, 2015

Many of you who attend yoga classes regularly might already know this, but then again, maybe not. Sometimes there is not always time in any type of group exercise class to get the tips and tricks that are widely known. As with me, I just recently learned this tip/trick. And, I actually haven’t even had the chance to use is since I learned it. This might not always be necessary even if you are using the same type of prop in a yoga class. There are different uses and needs, so you might not always need this trick. Recently I was in a yoga class and we were instructed to lie down on a specific configuration of blankets and blocks for pranayama. The blanket was folded length-wise into thirds and we were to lie on it length-wise, with it running from the bottom of our neck to tail. The idea is to allow the torso and chest to open. We were to lie there and breathe. As you may know, pranayama entails deep breathing and/or breathing specifically. I think the pranayama we were supposed to be doing was three-part breath (Dirgha). Where one is breathing into the belly, the rib cage, then the upper chest. Then the exhale goes from upper chest, ribs, then belly. Something I am just learning and that is not easy for me. So, like I said before, breathing specifically. Well, I could not concentrate because I was so uncomfortable. I couldn’t even take a full breath much less take it in from bottom to top and then breathe it out in the opposite fashion. The blanket was bulky on the sides and it was keeping me from breathing with ease. I couldn’t relax and let my chest open. I ended up having to discard the blanket and just lie on the floor.

After that portion of the class another teacher came in and explained how to fold a blanket to allow for maximum comfort. It is easy and made complete sense. Instead of folding it in halves or thirds like you would a blanket you are going to put in the closet, fold it like an accordion so that it is even. There are no sides that are thicker. When it is folded like an accordion it lies more evenly. This is a much easier, more comfortable support to lie on. When she demonstrated it, it looked perfect and comfortable. I wanted to use it to see if it felt as comfortable as it looked, but it was not the time to do so. And, as I mentioned, I have not yet had the opportunity to try folding a yoga blanket like that and using it.

I know, folding a blanket is an easy thing to do, but, as you may know, yoga blankets are very thick and sometimes they can be very bulky and bulgy when folded wrong. The blankets and other props are there to be used to make poses more comfortable and give proper alignment. Having it bulge and press on your body is not comfortable.

Do you use yoga blankets in your practice? Might you see how this type of folding technique could create a comfortable platform to lie on?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: Dirgha, Group Exercise classes, Nia Technique, pranayama, tips and tricks in classes, yoga blanket, yoga classes, yoga prop | Leave a Comment »

Church Yoga

Posted by terrepruitt on June 4, 2015

There are so many different types of yoga, it is out of my range to know them all or to even have HEARD of them all. There are “ancient” types of yoga and types that have been around for a very long time, then there are new ones. There are some that have popped up rather recently. I believe many ancient types of yoga have been morphed into different types of yoga. Then once you become aware of a type of yoga it can still be different from studio to studio and teacher to teacher. I recently became aware of a type of yoga I had never heard of. I read the description and I thought, “Ok, I’ll give it a try.” Because I have to teach throughout the week, I have to be attentive to my energy levels. I have no qualms about attending a class and, if it is more than I want to do at that time, not doing it at the level that is being instructed. So if it was more strenuous than I wanted I was planning on just doing it gently. But the description sounded like exactly what I wanted. So, I went to this class I had never heard of and I am not sure if the class was a little different because it was a holiday or what, but there was a lot of talking. It was Kriya Yoga.

Kriya Yoga – Low/Moderate

Kriya Yoga highlights the relationship between the breath and the mind.
Breath influences mind and vice versa. Breath control is self-control.
Techniques include preparing the body with stretching and bending
exercises, practicing meditation, and incorporating breath

The description of Kriya Yoga that I read on Wiki, had me thinking that it was the type of yoga where participants would be experiencing two of the eight limbs of yoga; asana and pranayama. But, the class focus or subject seemed more to throw us into experiencing about six of the limbs. It was memorial day, and I had stopped looking at Facebook before class because I wanted to go to yoga and have a relaxing time of breathing, stretching, and bending. I was avoiding all the war stories until after class, but I felt jolted by the homily. It was like yoga and church rolled into one.

When I got home I discovered there are some descriptions online that describe Kriya yoga as the “spiritual yoga”. That could explain why I felt as if I was in church.

The class is normally an hour, but this class was an hour and a half, so I don’t know if the extra time was used for talking or if the talking is part of the class. I have not been in regular attendance in classes where talking and thinking about deep subjects are involved. It was very interesting. It was not the type of yoga I had been hoping for, I think it was a bit different than the description. I am not sure I will have the opportunity to get back to it because of scheduling conflicts and the location. But we will see. As I said, I think the regular class might be different, but I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind going back to see. The next time I will be a bit more prepared and not have the idea in my head that I will just be able to relax and focus on the poses.

I am planning on trying more types of yoga!

Have you ever heard of Kriya yoga? What types of yoga have you heard of?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: ancient yoga, asana, breath control, church, different types of yoga, Eight limbs of yoga, Facebook, Kriya yoga, modern yoga, Nia Technique, pranayama, preaching, sermon, Western yoga, Yoga class, yoga studio, yoga teacher | 4 Comments »

Have A Klip And A Smile

Posted by terrepruitt on June 2, 2015

This past weekend there was a festival in one of the cities near us. It was the Milpitas International BBQ & Festival. It was very small which was kind of nice because it wasn’t as crowded as some of the festivals get. There was a stage at each end. One stage had kids performing. It was really cool. The first band we saw as we walked up to the festival looked as if the singer and two guitar players were kids, but I think the drummer was an adult. The other band we saw as we were walking out looked like only the singer was a kid . . . but I only glanced up quick once and didn’t stop to look. But I was impressed by the kids. So, I just wanted to mention that because I love that the kids have a place to perform. But what I am really writing about is one of the vendors was selling animal ears. On my first pass, I thought they were cute, but I thought an almost 50 year old should not be walking around in animals ears. Also, I didn’t want people to think I am a furry. I don’t dress like an animal. I don’t pretend I am an animal. I don’t want to be an animal. I don’t want an animal avatar or persona. So, I walked right by the booth. But . . . as I was walking around I kept seeing them. At one point I looked up and for the smallest fraction of a second I thought the woman walking past me had “real” furry ears. The vendor did a tremendous job of matching the ears to the woman’s hair. And she did that with most of the women we saw. So, I went back and got some ears.

I was amazed at how well the vendor matched all the different hair colors. There were little girls who went for the brightly colored sparkly ones, but it seems as if the teenagers and up, opted for ones that matched, blended, or “went with” their hair.

If you see pictures of me with ears on, I am not a furry. They are just cute. They are fun to wear. It is just like if I wore a flower in my hair that does not make me a plant. 🙂

When I first saw them I thought they were a headband, but they are not, they are separate. The ears are sewn onto those bendable barrettes. To hold them on more securely you put a bobby pin across the barrette. I wore mine teaching two separate Nia classes on two separate days and they stayed in place each time. I had to adjust some of my arm movements though because I am not used to having furry ears. My hand had to go very wide around my head in that move where you circle your head with your hand!

I found that after wearing them, once I take them off my head feels lighter.

I get a kick out of driving and seeing the corner of my right ear in my rearview mirror.

They also compel people to talk to you . . . so that is nice. It is fun to see their faces, for a split second their face seems to register confusion — just the quickest second — then their eyes light up, possibly with the silliness of it or the fact that for a second they thought a woman had furry ears. Then their face breaks into a smile and it almost seems like they are speaking before they realize it. Strangers sparking up a conversation is fun.

Today I wore them to my Nia class. Afterwards I went to the store. I would HIGHLY recommend getting some ears. I was walking down the aisle and a young man working at stocking a refrigerated case looked at me and smiled – it was a nice friendly customer service smile, but then just as he was turning away he turned back doing a double-take and his face broke into a HUGE smile. Again . . . not sure if it is because he didn’t notice the ears at first, then he did or what it is. But it is WAY worth any type of feeling of I-am-too-old-to-be-sporty-fake-furry-ears.

Also, we live near a fire station and the store we go to is frequented by Firemen. They have never talked to me before, but today they did. I had just taught two classes, so I was not looking very “fresh” – let’s say – but who doesn’t want to talk to a person wearing furry ears?

So . . . there you have it. I have ears and they are basically a hair accessory, to add some fun. And they are bringing smiles to people faces and that really is one of the BEST things ever.

So . . . have I talked you into it? Are you going to order some ears?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: art and wine festival, conversation starter, festival, furry animal ears, hair accessory, kids bands, kritterklips, Milpitas International BBQ & Festival, Nia class, Nia Technique, summer festivals | 4 Comments »

Shredded Beef – Crockpot Cookin’

Posted by terrepruitt on May 30, 2015

We have these roast in our freezer. HUGE chunks of meat I have no idea what to do with. I am not a “roast” fan. The hours of cooking so the fat can melt and seep into the meat, just does not appeal to me. I have never liked the texture of roast and one day while flipping through channels I paused on America’s Test Kitchen (love that show, especially back in the day when it hadn’t yet been “glammed up”). They were cooking a roast. One reason I love that show is they explain the science behind the cooking or at least the reasons why you do what you do. So they explained that the reason a roast is low cooked for hours is because the fat needs to melt into the meat. It makes it tender and flavorful. Yeah, snort! I didn’t like it before and that REALLY made it unappealing to me. But . . . . this beef is more lean, I believe. I have also grown a little bit more tolerate of roast and have actually had some that were yummy. But, cooking one? Another story. I can’t remember exactly how I came across a recipe for Cuban Beef. I wasn’t looking for it, I think I might have just happened across a blog and it was on there? I don’t remember, but I have had a recipe for Cuban Shredded Beef on my desktop for almost a month now. So I decided to try it. Well, not really. I had read through the ingredients but not the instructions. I started to read through them the night before I was going to cook the roast and I decided I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to throw the thing into my crock pot and let it cook. So, I started with her list of ingredients and went from there. I bet it would help a lot if I were more familiar with the science behind cooking a roast.

_________________________________________

Shredded Crock Pot Beef – “Cuban Style”

3.5 pounds pounds of roast, trimmed**
salt
1 bottle lime beer
2 T sherry
1 cup orange juice
juice from 1 1/2 lime*
zest from 1/2 lime
3 teaspoon garlic
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 of an onion

You will use some of these ingredients in the crock pot and some in the oven.

Coat the roast with salt and let it set while you prepare the crock pot liquid.

For the crock pot:

1 lime beer
2 T sherry
1/2 cup orange juice
juice from 1/2 lime
zest from 1/2 lime
2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
a small portion of onions, sliced thin

(Salted 3.5 pounds pounds of roast, trimmed)

Mix the above ingredients together, pour them into the crock pot, then put the salted roast in the crock pot. If the liquid does not cover the roast and you have a few minutes, let it sit, then flip it over. Then put the sliced onions on top. Let it cook on low for three hours.

Then flip it over and turn it to high for an hour. Then turn the heat to low and let it cook for another two hours.

**this was a grass-fed roast. Grass-fed beef tends to cook quicker so keep that in mind.

For the beef after cooking in the crock pot

1/c orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic
juice from 1/2 lime
onions

Mix all the ingredients. Shred the beef (I used my blender), spread on cookie sheet, pour the liquid over the beef, stir it so all the beef can get some of the liquid. Then put the cookie sheet in the oven for 20 minutes on 425° F. You might want to cook it a bit longer if you want those crispy bits of beef. You decide.

_________________________________________

I served it on bread. A sweet submarine roll for my hubby and sliced sour dough for me. I don’t really know how you are supposed to serve Cuban Beef. I don’t know what Cuban Beef is. I just made a “regular” sandwich; cheese, mayo, and onions. I put quartered limes on our plates and we both ended up squeezing it on the meat.

*I am going to use more lime in the recipe itself next time.

This was very good. I like the lime flavor. It is zesty and a step away from our normal flavor palate. It was nice. I will probably do it again with one of the other roasts we have.

So . . . what is “Cuban Beef”? Do you have a recipe for Cuban Beef?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: America's Test Kitchen, crock pot recipe, Cuban Beef, dinner recipe, grass-fed beef, lime and cumin, Nia Technique, roast beef, roasts, sandwiches | 2 Comments »

Following Up, It’s A Tradition

Posted by terrepruitt on May 28, 2015

Sometimes I post things that are not in the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or even what inspires me. Some things I am just sharing. Some things I may write about, because of that “thing”, when you write about it and the act of writing is like therapy. Sometimes, once I bring something up I feel that it is good form to post a follow up of said “thing”. In April I wrote a post sharing that I was kind of sad because I was ending a tradition that had been going on for about fourteen years. It was a collection type of tradition. Where I was a subscriber to an annual ornament. The ornaments were spectacular when we started buying them in 2000, but since then the quality has gone down considerably. In all fairness, I do believe that the price has remained the same or close to it, so I guess that is something. But, the way they are made, now, it is no longer worth the price. I had been thinking of cancelling for a few years, but I was reluctant to let the tradition go. Our Christmas tree is full of Lenox ornaments and it was a joy to collect them. So I was sad to feel the need to stop, but the last ornament I received was THAT bad. I sent the company a letter of cancellation explaining how I used to love their product and I thought it was well made, but that stopped being true years ago.

Here is the reply. They acknowledge having received my request for cancellation. But then the letter goes onto say they are happy that I am still interested in their company and product. They extended an invitation for me to visit them online to view thousands of gifts and things. Ha, clearly they didn’t read the reason for my cancellation. I don’t think that I would be interested in buying something from them for a gift considering I think the quality is bad. If I bought something from them for a gift, I would hope the receiver never read my blog otherwise they would know that I bought them a gift of poor quality. I believe, sadly, that they just have this form letter they send out no matter the reason for cancellation. So, I guess it all goes together. The quality of their product has declined over the years and it seems pretty obvious that they do not care what their departing customers think.

I can imagine that they know the quality has declined so they don’t even bother listening to people expressing that opinion. Of course, that is just a thought. I don’t know. All I know is that their reply did not address my opinion on the quality of the ornaments I have received from them in the past few years.

Oh, well, there are many, many, many other companies that make beautiful ornaments. So . . . that is where I will go to spend my money for gifts and ornaments.

Well, that is it, I was just giving you the update.

Have you ever been the recipient of a form letter that seems to indicate your communication was not actually read?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: Christmas ornament, collections, Lenox, writing therapy | 2 Comments »

Our Version Of Taco Salad

Posted by terrepruitt on May 26, 2015

What do you put in your taco salad? Do you eat taco salad? Taco salad is one of my favorite meals. It is probably one of my favorite meals for several reasons. One reason is it is raw veggies and meat with tortilla chips, that is just a winning combination to me. Another reason is when we have it, it usually translates into at least two meals — you know I love leftovers. And another reason is, usually when we have it my husband has made it. I had taco salad with my friends once and they laughed at me because the only thing “taco” about my taco salad is the tortilla chips and the “taco seasoning” in the meat. Since I was the one that started making the taco salad in our relationship I have “infected” my husband with my idea of or the way I make taco salad. We do it a little different.

___________________________________________

Taco Salad

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 package of taco seasoning
tortilla chips
lettuce
shredded cheese
olives
onions
pickles
bell peppers
cucumbers
broccoli
carrots
sour cream
salsa

Cook the meat with the seasoning. You can use the directions on the package or not. I don’t, I saute some onions then add the meat. While the meat is cooking I put in the seasoning. My hubby follows the directions on the package. Whatever works for you.

The lettuce is chopped or the kind from a bag. The olives are chopped or sliced, either by you or that is the way you bought them. The onions . . . I like red, but whatever color will do, even scallions. Whatever they are they are chopped.

Pickles are chopped. So are the bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and carrots.

Then you just layer it in your individual bowl. My husband and I do ours individually since we both like different things in our salads. We also do our layers differently. Then he adds salsa and sour cream. I don’t add any of that. We both crumble our tortilla chips on top. One time I forgot them. I remembered them after I was half way through eating my salad.

___________________________________________

As you can see there are no beans. I don’t like beans, so I have never put beans in my “taco salad”. And, like I said, since I have always made it like that my poor husband doesn’t get beans in his salad. I don’t know if he would like them, but we don’t think to get them. Also, I believe pickles are a weird ingredient for a taco salad. I cannot tell you how that started. It might sound odd, but it works really well . . . I think. For me it is a MUST, the pickles are a source of moisture for my salad since I don’t add any dressing, salsa, or sour cream.

I believe we have had tomatoes in our taco salad before. Basically any veggie that we would put in a salad we could add to our taco salad. The first nine ingredients on the list are the “must-haves”.

Do you eat taco salad? What do you put in your taco salad?

My Introduction To Taco Salad

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: easy dinner, leftovers, pickles, raw veggies, salad with meat, Taco salad | 2 Comments »

Outside Yoga – Easier Said Than Done

Posted by terrepruitt on May 23, 2015

I decided to go outside today to do some asana. I needed to get some sun on my hair because yesterday I put developer on it. I thought that I could get two things done at the same time: sun on my hair and yoga practice. Usually I think to do this when it is way too hot and my preparation for going outside takes longer than I actually last outside. Today, I kept that in mind. But I could tell there was a breeze outside, so I thought it would be ok. Also, it was the latter part of the day so the sun wouldn’t be beating down on me directly or for that long. So, I went outside. I had a list of yoga poses that I was going to do. It went pretty well, except for a few things.

The list starts out with standing poses. I realized that our windows would serve as a mirror in case I wanted to do some X-Ray Anatomy and check my alignment. Both proper alignment and improper alignment. Sometimes it is helpful for me to do the pose incorrectly so I can sense it and see it, and then teach to it better. So, the reflection was great today.

But . . . . my mat got hot. I would move to step into a pose and the mat was too hot. I could stay, it cooled down eventually, but it would leave my foot burning. A distraction I decided I didn’t want after a few poses. So I got a towel. Ok. Solved that little issue.

I did good on the standing poses. I was aware of the unhappy birds. I would see one come flying into the yard, and swoop out. I figured they had their eyes on the feeder and were heading in then they saw me and would pull up at the last minute. There was a bunch of tweeting, chittering, and squawking going on. I even managed to stay in Anjaneyasana longer than I intended. I was just about to move out of it when two little birds landed close to me. One on the bird bath and the other on the brass ornament we have out there. I stayed because I didn’t want to move and scare them. This was a momentary distraction. But I managed to stay pretty much focused.

The list of asana, then goes over some prone poses. Again, not too bad. I was able to ignore the bugs crawling around on the ground, while I was on my belly. . . for the most part. They were just ants. I was even so focused that I only allowed the multitude of strawberries to distract me for a moment. There are A LOT of strawberries out there. So tiny and bright red!

Then I got to the supine poses. As I was lying there looking up at the sky I noticed the wispy clouds. So I just stayed there a moment in Supta Baddha Konasana looking at them. As I watched they disappeared. I thought, “Well, that was so pretty, but I better get back to my poses.” Then I realized I could just stay in the Reclined Bound Angle and enjoy the sky for a bit. So I did. Then a cloud started to form and I thought, “Ooooo, what a cool video that would make.” So I jumped up to get my phone. I came back to my mat and got back into the pose and waited. Then I felt like I really wasn’t doing yoga or getting the point to it, if I were in a pose but holding my camera. So I put it down. I finished my list with focus.

THEN, I shot more video.

I am gonna share, you might not be able to appreciate the beauty of the day, but perhaps. The first one might even be able to be used as a little respite from a busy day.

The other two are me just pointing the camera in the general direction of the bird. I couldn’t actually see what I was videoing because of the sun. But it turns out in the second one, I actually captured the hummingbird on top of the stand. You MIGHT be able to see him. Then he flies toward the lemon tree, I think he was not happy that he had not intimidated me enough to go away. Then he flew off in a huff! Or he could have been upset because I moved one of the feeders.

I enjoyed my yard and got some yoga in. Oh, and let’s not forget, hopefully the sun helped my dingy hair color! Hopefully you will enjoy a bit of my yard, too.

Do you ever manage to get any yoga done outside?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: asanas, developer for hair, hair product, Hummingbirds, Low Lunge, Nia, prone poses, Reclined Bound Angle, standing poses, supine poses, X-Ray Anatomy, Yoga, Yoga Practice | 2 Comments »

Exercise For Migraine Sufferers

Posted by terrepruitt on May 21, 2015

Just yesterday I was visiting over on Twitter and I saw a tweet about cycling helping with migraines. That sounded very interesting to me. I, thankfully, don’t get migraines, but I feel as if I know a bunch of people who do. And a migraine is not just a headache, so I have great sympathy for migraine sufferers. I rarely get headaches and when I do, I do not like it. It is so uncomfortable. When I get a headache, since I rarely get them, I know there is a REASON. I don’t just GET headaches, there has to be SOMETHING that is making me have a headache. Most of the time I can figure it out and fix it. Sometimes I can figure it out but I can’t fix it, but at least I know why I have a headache. Headaches are awful. I know that migraines are WAY worse than headaches. Some have very severe pain, more than just “headache pain” and some migraine sufferers have additional symptoms like dizziness, blindness, vomiting, and more. So, as I said, I thought that “cycling for migraines” sounded interested. It was a video report.

First of all, I would call it “spinning” not cycling. But . . that is perhaps just me. I think of cycling as riding a bicycle and riding it outside. The video was about what many people call “spinning” as in riding a stationary bike in a spin class and the video does actually call it “indoor cycling”. I think that riding a bicycle outside is way different from riding a stationary bike in a class. One reason that spinning might be a good form of exercise for migraine sufferers is that the head can remain pretty much stationary. On a bike ride outside the could possibly be bouncing involved and jolting of the head might aggravate a migraine. So it makes sense that stationary would be better and could be good. It could be just be called “spinning” at the gyms and venues that I am familiar with.

So basically the video said that 36 million Americans suffer from migraines. Now I am guessing that the number stated are reported migraine sufferers. I bet there are a lot more people who don’t even go to the doctor or report to anyone that they suffer from migraines. So I imagine that is a low number. It also said that low impact exercise is good for migraine sufferers, because their head doesn’t move and there is not jolting.

The video also said that there was a Swedish study in 2008 where most of the participates showed improvement after being in a 3 month cycling program.

It ended the spinning segment by saying no one is saying that cycling (spinning) is a cure, but they are suggesting it can help people who suffer from migraines cope with the pain. Often time exercise helps people cope with pain and other things that are affecting them. It is a matter of finding the RIGHT exercise. Something that does not exacerbate the issues they are having. But movement helps so many areas of our being. I am always one to suggest Nia as an aide, but in the case of migraines I can understand how one might not want to move their head. I have never actually tried spinning. But I know in Nia we move the head a lot.

Do you suffer from migraines? Have you ever taken a spinning class?

Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: CNN, cycling for migraines, Group X San Jose classes, migraine sufferer, Nia, Nia Classes, spin class, spinning for migraines, Twitter | 12 Comments »

A New Goodie Jar

Posted by terrepruitt on May 19, 2015

So, so, so many things to go into my Goodie Jar. I think the last mention of it was in March. MARCH! Here it is, MAY! Well, I have been busy filling that jar. So much so that I had to move it to a different container. And I think since it is only May this one won’t last long. Perhaps when this container gets full I will put the papers in the original container, the pitcher and we will just put things in the new container. It is AWESOME to have to have more than one container to contain the good things! Wahooo. This time it is really exciting because my husband has been putting stuff in. He put things in the pitcher the previous years, but this time he is putting stuff in more often . . . . hence the need for a different container.

My hubby is using some of the ticket stubs and things of that nature as his documentation of the good things. But he doesn’t just put the item in the jar he writes on it to state why the ticket/used gift card/parking pass/whatever made him smile. He is doing a great job. It will be super fun this December 31, 2015 because it will be more stuff from him and not so weighted towards me and my smiles.

I have had a lot of “student” stuff to put in the Good Thing Jar. Good things keep coming to them via movement . Today one woman told me that she is sleeping about two hours longer since starting Nia. Exercise is often praised for the help it brings to people regarding sleeping. Some times the help is in the form of better sleep and sometimes it is in the form of more sleep. I love that she recognized that her sleep benefited from Nia.

I have also had yoga people say this or that has improved. And, yes, again it is the exercise, the yoga that is helping. That is what is so awesome. Hearing people reaping the benefits of movement is definitely Goodie Jar Material.

Recently I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with my three girlfriends AND my hubby. That was a special treat. Our friend that moved away came down for a visit and spent the day with us. Spending time with my friends is ALWAYS a good thing . . . . so it goes in the jar. Ya know, anything that makes me smile.

After that, one weekend we dog-sat my husband’s “co-workers” for the weekend. That was a treat. That type of thing is a Goodie Jar item.

Oh . . . .just writing about the Good Things in the Goodie Jar is making me smile. I can’t wait to read it all . . . . but then, I can because that will mean the year is gone. I will stick to thinking about the smiles in the container.

Well, this is a share and a reminder. You can start a Goodie Jar anytime. If you are doing one, have you added to it lately?

Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: good things jar, Goodie Jar, Nia class, Nia students, Yoga class, yoga students | 2 Comments »

Lemons Out Of The Jar

Posted by terrepruitt on May 16, 2015

You might have read a little over a month ago that I put salt in a jar and filled it with lemons. (Click here for that post.) I had heard about it from a friend on Facebook. When writing the post for my blog I did a really quick search and learned that preserved lemons are a “gourmet food”. Also, after I posted about it two of my friends told me that they had seen jars of them at Trader Joe’s. So this is not a completely unique food. It is actually common in Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes. I sealed my jar on April 7th so the schedule was to open it 30 days later on May 7th. Well, I was making something on May 6th and decided to use the lemons for it.

I was making chard. I think of chard as bitter so I usually use a lot of seasonings when cooking it. I didn’t read the instructions when I prepared the jar, and true to form I didn’t read, or more accurately, I disregarded the instructions when cooking with them. I did not rinse the lemons. And on top of that I salted the chard as I was cooking it. So two huge errors. I used a lot of lemons because I wanted the greens to be very flavorful. But it is imperative that the lemons be rinsed! The chard was actually too salty to eat!

I was a bit sad because I thought these lemons were going to be a new “thing”/flavor I could cook and prepare food with. I did hold out faith that it was my bad decision not to rinse the lemons that made the lemons icky.

A few days after my chard disaster I made some rice. This time I rinsed the lemons thoroughly then cut them up and put them on top of the rice in the rice maker. Success! YES! It was sooooo yummy. The lemons gave just enough flavor but did not over power. It was good. Yay!

Since I had had success with the rice a few nights after that, I made some broccoli with the lemons. I used a tiny it of oil and a couple of slices of onion. I didn’t want to overpower the lemons so I didn’t want to use too much of anything else. Again, I rinsed the lemons really well, cut them up and then put them in the pan with the broccoli to cook. Again, yummy!

One thing about the lemons is they are so slimy. I don’t care to touch them because they are so slimy, but once you rinse them they are ok.

The information I’ve seen is that lemons, salt, and water is more common for is recipes in North African and Indian cuisine. The recipe I followed is just salt, lemons, and the juice of the lemons. No water.

As I said in my original post about this, I used a small jar. I was thinking after I tried it, if I liked it, I would make a larger jar, but, I don’t see the need for a larger jar for us. The small one is fine. If I were to start a new jar now, we would probably finished with the present jar by the time it is ready. I think I might try that, but this time add some other flavor.

Have you ever had preserved lemons? Have you have made them? What do you think of them?

Posted in Food | Tagged: Facebook, gourmet food, Preserved Lemons, Trader Joe's | 2 Comments »

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Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

I teach yoga, Nia, and stretch online!

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