In the air again

I'm on the way home from teaching meditation (thebrightpath.com) in London, Ontario.
In Toronto. Just has lunch downtown and took the ferry over to the airport.
It's only been a weekend retreat but I feel like I have been away for at least a week. Time disappeared. I made new friends for life! I am flying home shortly on Porter airlines. I love looking out the windows back to the city. Sitting peacefully having a latte and all the noise and bustle outside of me. Just like meditation and my thoughts.

Mother's Day meal

Thanks to all the people who remembered their mothers today.
Love to Minna and Jonathan, Tiina and Trevor, Laura, andJesse. Without you I wouldn't be a mama.

This is what I made tonight for dinner. Easy for a mama to make.

The salad:

Everyone gets to make their own.

Toss spring mix or any salad greens with your favourite dressing.
Add toasted pecans, white kidney beans mixed with pesto (I had some frozen left from summer), grape tomatoes, artichokes from a jar, and well, that's what I had today.

The wings:
Pour over chicken wings:
Mix together 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp ketchup, some ginger grated or powder, 2 cloves minced garlic.
Place in oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees, turning once.

Make some rice.
Make some wild berry crisp to pop in oven as you are eating the main dish.

Practice some yoga while food is in oven. Sit down to eat when ready.

Green chai

I have been looking for an alternative to coffee. Something that is full bodied and rich and satisfying - well, like coffee. I like this hot drink.

1.5 litres (6 cups) water
8 slices fresh ginger
12 whole cloves
1 star anise (star aniseed)
1/4 tsp fennel seed
7 cardamon seeds, opened
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 bags green tea
500 ml (2 cups) milk
4 tbsp honey

Bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to simmer and add the ginger and the spices. Let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes.

Add the milk and honey. Strain the tea and serve hot or cold.

So, that is the original recipe from the book: Cooking With Foods That Fight Cancer by Beliveau and Gingras of Montreal. A very good cookbook despite the title.

I haven't found star anise. I use way more green tea and a loose tea - gunpowder tea.
A half recipe makes 3 medium mugs of chai.

Enjoy!

Spinach pear smoothie

We bought a vitamix. What an awesome machine!

Up ro now my green smoothies have tasted like squeezed out lawn mower clippings. So I've decided to use a recipe. This is good and good for you.

Spinach pear smoothie

3 cups spinach
1 pear
1/4 cup parsley
1 cup celery juice (I used some water and 5 stalks of celery)
Juice of half a lemon

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Where do you get ready made celery juice anyway?

It's a beautiful spring evening

The calm of Lake Superior.

Try this the next time you read

The next time you read a book, turn the book sideways and read it from there and then turn it upside down and continue reading. It doesn't take long to get better at it.
When you turn the book right side up notice how it changes how you read.

I love variation!

Winter weary. Winter warmth.

I am winter weary. This morning I wanted to just have a day where I couldn't see any snow. I guess that means I wanted to stay in bed. Not to sleep but to stay warm and cozy.
And now as I am back in bed this evening, all warm and toasty, the toastiness is from the people I have met up with today.

I had two separate people tell me about how I was a catalyst for change in their lives. Years ago. I was surprised when they shared with me. I had no idea. We can never know what impact we have on anyone. We do what we do and then surrender the outcome. And if you ever hear about it later it is all the sweeter.

I was in Scribbles today. It's a little coffee shop and lunch counter inside the new Lowery's, a local business supply, electronic, and copy store. It is lovely in the new store! I chatted with the girl who served me in the store and in the coffee shop and they turned out to be amazing conversations. Strangers sharing a story about their lives. I notice that as I say something new and fresh that people respond with genuine warmth and are happy to chat. Sometimes you can tell a stranger things you don't wish to share with family or friends. I think it's because you sense that the stranger can see you new and in the moment. There is no past with them.

I bought a pair of shoes today. Nike Free. They make my feet feel free. The clerk was a young man who shared a few stories of his brother buying shoes and also how long it takes for women to buy shoes. I think he felt compelled to make me feel good because Don was telling him that if he was rich he would give him, that is, the clerk, $50 if he could sell me a pair of shoes in 15 minutes.

With winter warmth there is no more winter weary.

Oops

Often after final relaxation in a yoga class people are sooo mellow. Everything feels right in the world! Aaah.....! No worries. Nothing is taken seriously!

And this can happen on the way to class on an early Monday morning. See photo :)

Good night