Local, Seasonal and Fresh – The Best Way To Eat!

I recently got home from a family trip to Lake Tahoe and I can safely say that there is nothing that says summer quite like sunshine, long days and freshly made meals, like the one below, which was perfect since I got a lot of squash in my CSA box. CSA (community supported agriculture) members or subscribers pay to receive fresh vegetables and fruit from local farms, and often times it can be delivered to your doorstep.

I am a big proponent of CSA programs because I aim to eat organic, healthful produce, I love to support local businesses and everything tastes so much better in season! Here is a link to CSA programs across the nation if you are interested in one near you. 

I especially like that they deliver items that challenge me to step out of my comfort zone and get creative with my cooking.  You can only grill zucchini for so long until you need something a little different, which is why I was so happy to find this recipe, by our very own Chelsea Dinsmore at Food-Life Balance.  

Zucchini Pasta

Average time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 packages of cherry tomatoes (16 oz total) - set aside a few raw for garnish

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 zucchini (or any summer squash), thinly sliced lengthwise (I use my vegetable peeler) and cut into 1/4 in strips
1/3 cup torn fresh basil, plus leaves for garnish
Chili flakes (optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil and salt and pepper. In a pan, sautee in until tomatoes cook down and garlic is fragrant - 10 or so minutes.

2. Toss with raw zucchini and garnish with basil, chili flakes and left over cherry tomatoes. 

Enjoy the final days of summer!

-- Jill

7 Ideas On How to Practice Patience

Since our focus this month is on patience, we thought it might be helpful to give you 7 ideas of how to practice patience. You have one for every day of the week so no excuses!

1. Pick the LONGEST line at the store and wait patiently for your turn.

2. Give someone a hug but make sure it lasts for 10 seconds. See a post here about the benefits of hugging.

3. Cook a meal… from scratch… and then savor every single bite!

4. Let someone go ahead of you in line at your local coffee shop. I know you NEED your coffee but that’s why this is a practice :).

5. Truly listen to someone and do so without interrupting. When your mind starts to wander towards “When that happened to me…” or  “I know someone who…” just stop and remind yourself to listen. No opinions, no feedback, just listen.

6. When you want to give up in class bring your attention to your breath. Start to notice how your inhalations and exhalations sound and feel in the body and plank will be over before you know it!

7. When the chaos assumes in life - like your dog escaping out the front door or your child not being able to find their shoes - when you’re in a HURRY.  Stop and take 3 slow, deep breaths before reacting or acting.  We promise it will make the situation better.

-- Jill

Patience

Whenever I think of the word “patience,” I recall my mother telling me that she believes that perhaps the sole reason we have kids is to be taught patience. Well, maybe….but I feel that having patience is a challenge in all aspects of life, not just when parenting. I truly feel that practicing patience is a big part of having a healthy, balanced, happy life.  That’s why I chose to focus on patience as the TDM word of the month in August.

Having patience with myself is one of the hardest things.  It is not always easy to slow down and take the time to learn something new or to have patience with myself when I make mistakes, even though I know that I learn the most from mistakes. It is so important to slow down, especially when we are feeling like it just isn’t possible -- it is. It's not about getting through the class, the day, the meeting, the witching hour, whatever.  It's about enjoying it, or even sometimes just not losing it, and having patience helps tremendously with both of those goals! 

Throughout our Dailey Method practice it is important to be "patient" with our selves and our bodies.  For new Students patience is key because it takes time to understand the alignment cuing and new exercise positions. They cannot expect to understand this method after one class but time will tell how effective this class truly is if they take the time and breath to stick with it.  Also there are often times that the most experienced Students need to practice patience with their bodies and minds.  Sometimes it’s important to slow down and truly listen to what’s going on in order to ingrain the perfect posture, get deeper into a position and to truly make the mind body connection.

Be patient with yourself first and foremost - you deserve it and so does everyone around you!

Happy August!

-- Jill