Thoughts & Tears For Colorado

My heart has been heavy all day with the news of the Colorado shooting at the midnight showing of the new Batman movie. I don't live in Colorado and I don't know anyone involved, but still I grieve along with so many others.

At 11pm last night I said goodbye to my three teen boys as they headed out to our local midnight Batman showing. I've never seen teen boys so excited, they were practically pacing the house all night watching the clock. I gave them my usual instructions - have fun and be careful. I knew I wouldn't be waiting up for them so I told them be sure to wake me when they got home.

After all, what could possibly happen in a movie theater only ten minutes from my house?

And then this morning I woke up to the news out of Colorado. My first thought was how many other moms waved goodbye to their kids last night with the same thought. What could possibly go wrong? Just wake me and let me know you're home.

There but for the grace of God go I.

It's been hard to avoid the news and analysts today. All the talk over whose fault this was - politicians, gun control, Hollywood, society. No. This was the evil work of a mad man pure and simple.

And I can't imagine that the grieving mothers tonight give one hoot about political parties. They just want their child to walk through that door and say "Mom, I'm home."

Thank You Starbucks!

As of tonight I don't care if anyone ever again calls me a Starbucks junkie or an iPhone addict. Tonight Starbucks and the iPhone saved my kid from starvation!

OK, he probably wouldn't have starved, but still, he was hungry.

Kid 2 left Atlanta today after a week away at rugby camp, If everything went according to plan, he would be dropped off at the Atlanta airport, I would finish work here in Memphis, zip over the airport to pick him up and then we'd go have dinner somewhere. 

Except his flight was delayed by 20 minutes. And then delayed an hour. And then cancelled. And then back on but delayed 90 minutes. And then delayed indefinitely. And then... you see where this is going right?

I told him, no worries, I'm sitting in the Memphis airport and I'll sit here all night until you get in.

"But, I'm starving," he said.

So go get something to eat. You have money left right?

"No. I've got like $2 that's it."

You only have $2 with you? What were you thinking travelling with just $2 cash?

Oh come on, he's 15 years old. He was thinking mom will buy dinner when I land in Memphis. And there have been times I have recklessly travelled with not much more than $2 in my pocket. Sorry, kid, you're going to have to have a growling stomach until you land.

After yet another hour or so of delays, Kid 2 calls me again.

"Hey, if I download the Starbucks app on my iPhone can't I use your account and buy something here?"

Hmmm, my little computer hacker might just be on to something!

 

Go for it, try it! While he downloaded the Starbucks app I reloaded some more money on to it from my end. I texted him my user name but had no idea what my password was.

Within a matter of minutes, called back. He had food and drink in hand! 

So thanks to Starbucks and a hungry but tech savvy kid, his five hour delay was made at least a little more comfortable. 

Now I just have to remember to change the password on my Starbucks mobile app before he has sudden hunger attacks here at home too.

Not Sure If I'm Alice or The Mad Hatter

Sunday Supper - Stuffed Zucchini

I grew up eating my Nana's stuffed peppers so when I saw this recipe for stuffed zucchini I was definitely intrigued, especially since zucchini is one of the few vegetables everyone in my house will eat without complaining.

Bell Squash

But, since I can't leave well enough alone, I decided to make a healthier version of stuffed zucchini. My first dilemma though was it was going to be a total pain in the a** to stuff cut rounds of zucchini. Then on a trip to the farmers market this weekend I discovered these little beauties - the farmer called them Bell Squash - but really they are just bell shaped zucchinis! Perfect to just cut the tops off and stuff!

I also decided to make two versions of the recipe - a healthier meat version for the kids and a vegetarian version for myself.

I used a spoon to scoop out the zucchini bells
leaving a flat bottom. The insides were used
to bulk up the filling.

The most obvious way to make the meat version healthier is to cut out how much ground beef I used. I read through the recipe twice to figure out what she did with all the zucchini meat she cut out of the zucchinis. Why would you be wasteful and not use it? So I cut the amount of ground beef in half and used the extra zucchini meat to help bulk up the stuffing.

Also, two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese? No. I used one cup of a lower fat colby jack blend - less cheese but more taste.

For my vegetarian version, I skipped the 90% lean ground beef altogether and instead used an equal amount of pre-cooked quinoa. I also chopped up some asparagus I had in the refrigerator that needed used.  Next time I think I'll also add in some diced cauliflower. Yes, I realize the cheese is the only thing keeping these from being vegan. I'm OK with that.

For some reason the little kids liked the
boat shaped stuffed zucchini more than
the round ones. I think they just
liked saying they were eating zucchini boats.

I had a lot more stuffing than I anticipated so I pulled a couple regular zucchini out of the refrigerator and sliced them in half, scooped them with a spoon and made little boat shapes out of them to stuff. I didn't pre-cook the zucchini because I didn't want it to get soft or squishy. Mine only needed 15 minutes to cook ( everything in the stuffing is cooked so really you just need to heat the zucchini through).

Of course the test comes when I call the kids to the table. And the answer is...
Yes - they loved them. OK, maybe love is a little strong. But all six kids ate them and no one complained! That is a successful recipe in my house!  I served them with a salad and cup up watermelon (also from the farmers market) - a perfect summer meal.

Vegan option on the left. Meat option on
the right.

Stuffed Zucchini


Using a bit of olive oil, saute diced onion, green pepper and minced garlic. Add in diced asparagus or any other vegetable you choose. With just a minute or so left, add in the zucchini meat to heat through. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.

Brown extra lean ground beef. Drain grease.  Allow to cool slightly before adding to vegetable mixture. ( To make this vegetarian use quinoa instead of beef)

Add in a half jar of marinara sauce and a 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Stir all together.

Scoop into zucchini bells or boats. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Top with a dash more cheese and heat until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

The Apples Don't Fall Far From The Tree

Tonight as the sun was setting I sat on the front porch swing with my two girls; kid #4, who just turned 11, and kid #6 who will be 7 next week. Although they are both little minnie me's, the 11 year old is almost an exact duplicate of me.

This isn't always a good thing. The eye rolling, drama, competitiveness and mean girl tendencies are all too familiar to me. She has to be in charge of everyone and everything - and if you've read this blog for any time at all you know she gets that from her momma.

Tonight she was still excitedly playing with her iTouch that she got for her birthday. She wanted to play me a song she discovered. Well, not only was it not a new song, but it was a song I knew all the words to and used to sing out loud all the time.

At first she was surprised I knew all the words. Then the three of us sat on the swing together and sang the song. And then we sang it again.

I guess our neighbors thought we were nuts. I don't care.  Me and the girls were singing and putting flowers in our hair.

Yoga For Sinus Relief

Thanks to Jamie ( @saphiremist77) for requesting a yoga for sinus issues blog!

I'd never really had sinus or allergy issues until moving to Memphis - the number one city in the country for allergies. Yeah Memphis! When the cotton pops in September is usually my worse time, but year round I'm often blowing my nose in the middle of class.

Treating sinuses with yoga is a two-fold approach; 1 - relieve the pain and pressure and 2 - keep the sinuses clear and draining properly. Here are a few yoga remedies I use for my own sinus issues:

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath)
Bring your right hand in front of your face and lower the first two fingers. With your thumb, close the right side of your nose and inhale through the left. With your ring finger, close the left side of your nose and exhale through the right. Keeping the right side open, inhale. Close and exhale through the left. Inhale left, close and exhale right. Continue with the left-right-right-left pattern.
Have a tissue nearby to blow your nose when finished.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) 
I like downdog better than a full forward fold to allow the sinuses to drain without causing as much head pressure. Downdog also expands the chest allowing for deeper breathing.

Halasana

Halasana (Plow pose) 
Good to unblock the sinuses.

Bridge

Setu Bhanda (Bridge)

Good to unblock the sinuses and more accessible to most people than halasana.

Sirshasana (Headstand)

You might be unsure about going upside down if you have a sinus headache, but it really does relive the pressure and drain the sinuses. If full headstand isn't available to you, try this supported version on two chairs. Note: if you've never done a headstand, find a qualified teacher to assist you until you are ready to go upside down on your own.

Neti Pot Rinse 
Yes, I know it looks weird. And yes it does feel a bit weird at first. But if you have sinus or allergy issues, the neti pot will be a huge relief. I don't Neti Pot every night, usually only when I'm feeling stuffy, during cotton season, or if I've spent a lot of time outside. The secret to successful Neti'ing? As the water is flowing through your sinuses, whisper the letter "K". When you say the K sound the back of your throat closes and therefore no water can drip down your throat. 

Headache relief

Sometimes, the headache gets too intense and you need a restorative pose for relief. Please read my previous post on Head Wraps and Restorative Poses.

Head Wrap

Head Over Heels - For Good Summer Reading

My latest Elephant Journal post is up!

Head Over Heels: A Book Review

It is, if you couldn't tell, a book review of the second in a series of books set in a Los Angeles yoga studio. It's a fun, easy read. The perfect book to pack for your summer vacation when you just want to relax and laugh a bit.

Please also check out my other Elephant Journal posts.