Vegan Peanut Butter, Banana and Jam Ice Cream

The heat is on in Washington! I never thought I would ever hear myself saying this about the weather here, but man, it has been hot!!!

We've been enjoying the beautiful sun and gorgeous weather, but it is making us down loads of green smoothies, salads, and our new favorite, raw vegan ice cream!

The Little Boy and I have been having so much fun experimenting with different "ice cream" flavors like Banana & Cacao Chip, Honey Walnut, Vanilla Cinnamon, but this one, a spinoff of the Strawberry Banana Ice Cream we made a couple of days ago, is currently the Little Boy's big favorite!

Vegan Peanut Butter, Banana and Jam Ice Cream

1 frozen banana (in chunks)

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp strawberry preserves

1-2 pieces of frozen strawberries

Start off with just blending the frozen banana and strawberries until you get a creamy consistency. Once you have some creamy ice cream, add the peanut butter and the strawberry preserves and blend again, just long enough to make peanut butter & jam swirls in the ice cream! Enjoy immediately!!! ;-)

What I love about this "ice cream" recipe is that you don't have to be exact with any of the ingredients so feel free to experiment -- add more peanut butter if you want a nuttier taste, add walnuts or almonds for chunks, whatever makes it yummier for you! You can even substitute raw almond butter for the peanut butter and skip the strawberry preserves and just add a couple more strawberries to make this a completely raw dessert!

Ice cream for dinner? Why, yes, please!

 

 

The other day, our Little Boy had to go in for dental surgery and ended up having four (yes, FOUR!!!) of his teeth pulled out and getting silver caps on several more. The poor, poor boy.

I was very uncomfortable with the idea of having him sedated for the procedure. I just didn't love the idea of injecting a ton of sedatives into his tiny little body! So, we actually took him to three different pediatric dentists to see if we had any other options, but they all agreed that having him out for the whole procedure was our only choice if we did not want to traumatize him forever! :(

So on Tuesday morning, we brought him to the Center for Pediatric Dentistry in Seattle for the procedure. We were lucky enough to find this place because the staff here were just awesome. They were all so warm and helpful and were more than happy to talk us through the whole procedure since they knew we were a little unsure about the whole thing. They were also so caring and really went out of their way to make sure our Little Boy never felt afraid. They even let the Little Boy choose a stuffed animal to hug and keep before he went into the OR. And even if we were not entirely comfortable with the idea of the dental surgery at first, I'm just happy that it's finally over.

Anyway, with four of his upper molars missing, chewing has definitely been a challenge these past couple of days so we've been downing a LOT of smoothies for his meals. And since he couldn't really have anything too warm on that first day, for dinner, I made him a special treat (a reward for being so brave, too!!!) and made him fresh fruit "ice cream" for dinner!

I know ice cream has always worked wonders for soothing toothaches and sore gums and is always a part of any major trip to the dentist but I also wanted to stick to staying dairy-free, so I knew I wanted to make him homemade ice cream and this really easy, quick recipe was perfect!

Raw (and Almost Vegan!) Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

1 frozen banana (in chunks)

4-5 frozen strawberries

Put frozen fruits in the blender and pulse and blend until you get a creamy consistency, and that's it! I must warn you though that those frozen strawberries will give a good fight before it is completely blended into the bananas. I made the mistake of freezing our strawberries whole, so that made it take longer so next time, I'm freezing the berries in halves or maybe quarters. But other than that, it is super, super simple to make!!!

This recipe makes enough ice cream for two people though so after I gave the Little Boy his share, I added a couple more stuff to make a Mommy treat for myself! So, in addition to the banana and strawberries, I also added:

a handful of cacao nibs

and a drizzle of raw, wild honey (you can use agave syrup, too, but I LOVE the taste of the "caramel swirls" wild honey makes!)

...blend these into the fruits and top with walnuts and more honey or agave syrup! Or go crazy and top your ice cream off with anything you fancy -- pecans, sliced almonds, raisins, buckwheat groats, etc!

How often can you say that ice cream for dinner is good for you?! Well, this one is! And it made a perfect "I-jus-had-four-of-my-teeth-pulled-out" dinner for the Little Boy and it worked wonders in cheering him up. :)

Quick Raw Vegan Breakfast: Banana, Cacao and Chia in Coconut Milk

It's been a tough couple of weeks in our kitchen. Our Little Baby has been having tummy problems and getting eczema rashes lately and it's looking like it's because of what I've been eating. I've already kicked dairy completely out of my diet and that helped a little bit but the rashes are still showing up! :( It has been a huge struggle just trying to figure out what exactly this little man is reacting to and I could rant on and on about this but to cut a long story short, I have decided to cut out soy and wheat (two notorious food allergens!) from my diet for now, too. So, yeah... bummer. :(

And while at first, I was feeling a little depressed about how much I had to give up -- seeing that wheat and soy are in practically everything!!! -- I think I have come to terms with the fact that it'll probably do me some good to stay away from all the processed wheat and soy products I have been eating anyway. So looking at the bright side, at least I get to go back to my awesome raw whole food favorites now!

This breakfast favorite was one of the things that had me looking forward to the big change! It's super simple and quick to prepare but it is super nutritious! And with the chia seeds and raw cacao nibs, it's an excellent way to get that much-needed energy fix in the morning!

Banana, Cacao and Chia in Coconut Milk

1 banana
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp wild raw honey or agave syrup
1 tbsp chia seeds
...and whatever good stuff you have on hand! (cacao nibs, walnuts, buckwheat groats, sunflower seeds, goji berries, raisins, etc.)

Mix coconut milk, raw cacao powder and honey or agave syrup (I either put these in the blender or put the ingredients in a jar and shake well to make sure I don't get whole blobs of cacao in the milk). Chop the bananas and put in a bowl. Add the chia seeds. Pour cacao-coconut milk mixture into the bowl and add all the other good stuff you want! (I always just put whatever I have on hand or whatever I'm in the mood for but I almost always end up with the following things in my breakfast: cacao nibs, walnuts, and raisins!)

And voila! A super easy power breakfast free of dairy, wheat or soy and just chockfull of whole, super foods! :)

Quick Breakfast: Banana, Coffee & Cacao Nib Smoothie

The Mister and I had a pretty rough morning today. First off, it's a Monday. That's always extra hard for us since Sundays (our only full family day in the week!) always seems to go by way too fast. Second, our Little Baby has been having problems sleeping through the night again. He's just discovered rolling over so he would roll over from his back to his tummy in his sleep and wake up shocked and frustrated! It's pretty funny, really! Aaand, he's teething. So, ya. It's been... fun. And this morning, we had to be up at 6AM (!!!) to bring the Little Baby to a skin specialist to have his darn stubborn rashes checked. So needless to say, we are both trying to stay functional today with just a couple of hours of sleep. Yay.

Oh and I know I said we HAD to be up at 6AM, but I think we hit the snooze button too many times today and ended up with hardly enough time for some much-needed breakfast before we had to go. So, smoothie it is for breakfast then!

You see, I love having smoothies for breakfast. Especially on mornings like this when there's just enough time to blend and gulp down a meal before you have to get out and face the day! The thing is, I love my coffee, too. Especially after having moved to the Pacific Northwest where mornings are always (well, ALMOST always) gray and chilly, I NEED to have my hot cup of joe! So every morning, it is always a battle between having a smoothie or having a "real" breakfast for the sake of having it with coffee. And this is where my current favorite breakfast smoothie comes in to save the day!

Banana, Coffee & Cacao Nib Smoothie

1 frozen banana

2 tbsp cacao nibs

1/4 cup brewed coffee

1 cup soy milk

1 tbsp wheatgerm

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

a drizzle of raw wild honey or agave syrup

Put everything into a blender, blend and serve!

Quick tip: Whenever I brew a pot of coffee in the morning, I always brew a couple extra cups for either iced coffee for that afternoon or for this coffee smoothie the next day! I find that brewing my coffee extra strong by putting a tablespoon more of ground coffee per cup makes this smoothie or iced coffee still pretty strong even with all the extra stuff! Just pop into the fridge after coffee has cooled down and use when ready.

even better in my pretty to-go mug! ;)

With the flaxseed and wheatgerm, this keeps us feeling pretty full for hours and gives us a good kickstart for the day and with the superpower combination of coffee and cacao, this really never fails to perk us up and has even managed to make today's potentially dreary morning into a pretty good morning!

Happy Monday and enjoy the rest of the week, folks! ;-)

Love, light and blessings,

Earthbound Faerie

Quick Vegan Meal Idea: Avocado & Vegan Coleslaw Bagel Sandwich

This summer, we get to enjoy outdoor family movies playing at the downtown park every Tuesday. Our Little Boy LOVES it! He loves being able to head out, help me “stake out” a good spot to lay our blanket out on, and just hang out until it gets dark enough for the movies. It definitely makes for a fun summer evening activity!

So the other night, I took the boys out to the park to see Happy Feet 2 (which I have to say is a great movie with a very real "the-planet-is-in-danger" message!). The Little Boy was so excited to see it and insisted that we NEEDED to have a pretty good spot close to the screen. Now to get a good spot though, we had to head out there very early so we decided to just make a quick sandwich to bring out to the park for a little picnic dinner before the movie.

So, dinner had to be quick, portable and light (to make room for the free popcorn, of course! ;p) and after a quick fridge check for what we had, we decided to make vegan coleslaw & avocado sandwiches!

Inspiration came from a sandwich that I absolutely LOVE having at our neighbourhood café. We live just down the street from Gilbert’s, an almost-legendary deli in Old Bellevue that serves awesome sandwiches; so back when I was still having dairy, I used to order their Avocado & Pepper Jack Cheese bagel sandwich almost every other day for lunch. I would be so cranky if I didn’t have that for lunch (it was the pregnant hormones' craving, too)! So now that I can’t have dairy and now that I actually have more time to make our own food again, I decided to make our own version and “veganize” it!

my inspiration: avocado & coleslaw on poppy seed bagel at Gilbert's

Vegan Coleslaw & Avocado Bagel Sandwich

2 whole wheat bagels
2-4 tbsp Tofutti cream cheese
1 avocado
1 tomato
Vegan coleslaw:
          ½ cup shredded & chopped carrots
          ½ cup shredded & chopped cabbage
          1 tbsp Vegenaise or any brand of vegan mayo
          1 tsp white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
          1 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
          1 tbsp garlic salt
          Salt & pepper to taste

Start with the coleslaw by chopping & shredding the carrots and cabbage. (Now, I do have to tell you, this was made on a very, very lazy afternoon and I have zero knife skills so instead of “chopping and shredding”, I basically just hacked and murdered the cabbage and carrots we had on hand! And it turned out okay. I will have to say though, that when the Mister --who is a chef, btw! -- makes the perfect coleslaw shreds, it does end up tasting much better! I guess because the veggies are bathed in the dressing better when they’re chopped well? I’m not sure, but all I’m saying is that, if you have great knife skills, good for you! If you don’t, don’t sweat it! The coleslaw will still taste great! Just try your best to shred it as best you can! ;))

Put cabbage and carrots in a bowl and add the vinegar in and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk Vegenaise, maple syrup and garlic salt together. Pour into bowl with the veggies and toss again. Add salt & pepper to taste. (What I love doing to make it easier though... I’m telling you, this was a very lazy-friendly recipe! ;p ...is that I just put everything in a container with a lid so that I can shake everything up and that gets all the veggies covered in the dressing that way!) Put in the fridge for atleast 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cut bagels in half and toast them. Spread “cream cheese” onto each bagel. Layer avocado slices on top of two of the bagel halves. Sprinkle a little salt & pepper onto the avocado slices. Add the tomato slices over the tomato then add some of the coleslaw on top. Top with the other bagel half.  

Ta-da! Quick, portable vegan dinner! Enjoy! ;)

our homemade "veganized" version: avocado & vegan coleslaw on whole wheat bagel

Well, hello, stranger! (an apology for another long hiatus and a super easy, super yummy recipe to make up for it!)

WOW. Has it really been THAT long since my last post?!

Now, any other sane person, after going a full year and a half without a single word posted would probably finally admit that blogging is not for her and quit. But no, not me! The fighter in me says I can still make up for it. Besides, I've been having way too many adventures this past year and a half that I CANNOT WAIT to share!! So my guess is, there's no stopping me now (except of course when real life gets in the way and blogging takes the backseat again!).

So, to say that I got a bit “sidetracked” would be a gross understatement. Now I am not making any more excuses for neglecting this little blog of mine but let me just say, that the past year was officially THE MOST EVENTFUL year our little family has ever had.

Leave it to the Universe to throw us the best life surprises... Here's a quick rundown of the mighty BIG things that happened in just the past year:

.. we decided to close our cafe and give up being entrepreneurs for now

.. we  decided to finally check off one of the places on our MUST TRAVEL TO list and took our Little Boy on a three-week trip to Vietnam (one of our big dreams come true!!)

.. we decided to go on a loooooong vacation in the US to be with family and to see what's in store for us on this side of the world

.. we decided to stay and live in the US!!!

.. Oh, and somewhere along the way, we had a baby!! Another beautiful baby boy!

So in the span of a year and a half, our little family has gone from a family of three, living in the Philippines to a family of four, here in Washington State in the US. Big changes? Yes. HUGE changes.

It's actually been a little over four months now since our Little Baby joined us earthside and as hard as I tried to type down our birth story (especially before I forget all the awesome details!), life in a new country with a now 6-year-old and a little newborn baby just didn't make it easy. So while I let our beautiful birth story sit quietly in my brain for a little longer before I get it written down, here's a peek, courtesy of our amazing birth photographer friend: http://kaethejobinderphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/6/baby-rain-bellevue-washington-birth-photographer-kaethejo-binder-photography.

I WILL be posting more, I will. I think that after about four months of getting adjusted to all the big changes in our life now, I am finally, finally starting to get the hang of it.

There is so much to say, so many stories to tell, so many photos to share. But for now, as another peace offering for the long silence, let me leave you with a quick and super easy recipe for a sinful vegan chocolate dessert! I actually found this recipe in my current favorite vegan recipe book, The Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson but I made several changes to the original recipe (I used a ready-made whole wheat pie shell instead of making the chocolate cookie crust, added more chocolate, used vanilla extract instead of strawberry/raspberry liquer, etc.) to make it much easier (meaning more mama-with-babies-in-the-house-friendly!) and a lot more chocolatey!!!

Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Pie on Whole Wheat Crust

1 whole wheat 9" pie shell (I used a whole wheat pie shell from Wholly Wholesome)

2 1/4 cups of dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup soy milk

3 tbsp all-natural vanilla extract

about 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed and sliced in half or quarters (We used strawberries since we got a box of beautiful locally grown fresh strawberries from the Farmers' Market that morning but I would imagine that fresh raspberries would be yummy in this recipe, too!)

Prepare and bake pie crust according to package directions. Let cool completely.

For the filling, I made our chocolate "cream" in batches so that it's easier to melt the chocolate with the soy milk. You can do this on a stovetop or you can do it in the microwave. (I am usually so against using the microwave but really, it has been so good to us especially during our little newborn's first few months so it has been a friend lately. So yes, I used the microwave.) Combine 3/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup soy milk in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Pour in a tablespoon of the vanilla extract, stir and heat again for another 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir again until chocolate mixture turns smooth. Pour into the pie shell and top with a third of the strawberries. Make another batch of the chocolate "cream" with 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup soy milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract following the same procedures and pour on top of the berries. Put in another layer of strawberries. Repeat procedures for the last batch of chocolate "cream" and top with the rest of the strawberries.

Refrigerate the pie for a couple of hours or until all the chocolate sets and firms up. Be patient!

...

This was super easy to make (and super easy to consume, too!!) and really hit the spot with all the chocolate dessert cravings we've been having and it's incredible that it's dairy-free, too!

With so many other recent changes in our diet, we have come up with quite the portfolio of recipes so I imagine that this would be just the first of lots of quick, easy  "green" recipes that are in this little blog's future. And with a new baby and a new home, we really have a bunch of new stories to tell.. about everything from natural childbirth, breastfeeding, creating a pretty "green" home, natural parenting, etc etc etc. So I am VERY excited to be blogging again! I'm thinking it's not going to be any easier. I am still learning how to type while nursing or babywearing after all, but I'm getting there!

So yay! I am back and here's to hoping I won't have to stop blogging again! Wish me luck!

Love, light and blessings,

Earthbound Faerie

A Peace Offering: Raw Dark Carob Truffle Tart on Living Coconut-Walnut Crust

Raw Dark Carob Truffle Tart on Living Coconut & Walnut Crust
(recipe way below!)

And so I'm back from yet another long hiatus. As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't think I can ever be a diligent blogger. I try though. I try.

And I'm not making excuses so please consider this post more of an explanation, or actually better yet, just a narration of what I've been up to lately and what's been keeping me insanely busy these past few weeks.

This February, the Mister and I actually made real one of our long-term dreams: an organic, sustainable cafe. :) We are so very blessed and lucky, and truly very, very grateful for this chance. We decided to call it the Earth Cafe because really, as cheesy as it might sound, the Earth Mother and all she gives us was really what inspired us to create and open this cafe.

We plan to make the Earth Cafe, not just a place to get good organic, healthy food, but also a venue for educating or showing more people that there are lots of sustainable dining options for us all, if only we made a bit more of an effort. It doesn't even have to be an extreme change in the way we all eat. If I had my way, I would serve only vegan or vegetarian dishes, but we didn't want to impose that on everybody so we'll be playing around with our menu a lot, offering lots of sustainable options: free-range chicken, fish, gourmet vegetarian dishes! We try to make everything from scratch: bread, pasta, all our sauces, etc etc.! And we try to make use of only organic, natural and local ingredients.

It was a lot of work (it still is and will continue to be!) but we are so happy with what we have created so far. :)

But anyway, so that's what we've been up to. So you see? I wasn't just being too lazy to blog. :p

our brand spankin' new "green" kitchen! <3

Oh and apart from the cafe, we've also been busy "greening up" our kitchen! With the help of my very talented sister (who's about to graduate with a degree in Interior Design -- I am such a proud sister hen!), we now have a brand spankin' new sunny little kitchen! It's very open with lots of windows and sky lights to let the light in (we never ever have to turn on the lights except at night!) and also to let the breeze in so it hardly ever gets too hot. We have little pots for herbs that always find its way into our meals and we now have more space to make breads, pasta, and all sorts of stuff in! Needless to say, the Mister (who's a chef!) and I have been having way too much fun in the kitchen lately!

He's been experimenting with all sorts of baked goods like whole wheat vegan cranberry orange muffins, whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookies, whole wheat bread, and lots lots more! I, on the other hand, have been going crazy, experimenting with all kinds of vegan, vegetarian and mostly living food recipes.

In the last week alone, our lunch and dinner menu at home have consisted of:

- Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms with Herbed Rice (vegan)

- Coconut- and Almond-crusted Tofu in Ginger Honey (vegetarian that's super easy to make vegan, just replace the honey with agave nectar!)

- Living Banana & Cacao Chip Ice Cream (raw, vegan)

- Spinach- and Feta Cheese-stuffed Mushrooms with Homemade Caesar Salad (vegetarian)

- Eggplant Tempura (vegan)

- Jicama, Papaya & Pomelo Salad in Citrus Mint Vinaigrette (vegan)

- Raw Buckwheat Crispies with Bananas & Blueberries in Carob-Almond Milk (raw, vegan)

- Spicy Potato Salad (vegan)

- Tofu Mexicali Scramble (vegan)

- Living Carob-Cashew Freezer Fudge (raw, vegan)

- Spinach in White Wine & Cream Sauce on Organic Penne (vegan)



homemade caesar salad with soy breadsticks,
spinach- and feta-stuffed mushrooms and
a glass of organic Chateau Guiot Rose



The reason I listed all the dishes down was definitely not to bore you all, but I do plan on using this post to remind me to post the recipes I used for all these dishes once I have the time. They all came out delicious and even the Mister is now considering going vegan -- still the single best thing we can all do to lessen our carbon footprints.

Most of the recipes I used came from Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen and Kim Barnouin's Skinny Bitch -- books I considered my food bible these past few weeks! The thing was, since these books are written in the US, not all of the ingredients the recipes require were available (or in many cases, affordable) back here in the Philippines so I did have to tweak most of the recipes a bit.



jicama, papaya and pomelo salad with a citrus mint vinaigrette



And while all the dishes came out yummy, there's a living food recipe from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw For Dessert that I tried that really stood out! I actually don't have much time to blog still and the only reason I'm putting off my errands for after this post, is really just to share this awesome recipe with you all! It is way too good to keep to myself!

The recipe in the book is actually for a Chocolate Truffle Tart. But I was running low on raw cacao powder and I had really fallen in love with the flavor of carob now so I made it a Carob Truffle Tart instead, just by replacing the cacao powder with carob.

Carob Truffle Tart

makes a 9-in. tart that serves about 8 to 12 slices (depending on how big your slices are!)

For the crust:

1 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 cup raw walnuts (unsoaked)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 pitted medjool dates (I soak my dates for about 10-15 minutes to make it a bit softer and easier to process)

Process coconut, walnuts and salt until finely ground, then add the dates and continue to process until mixture begins to stick together. Press crust onto a 9-in. pie tart and pat down firmly.

For the truffle filling:

1 1/2 cups raw carob powder

1 1/2 cups raw agave syrup (agave syrup here in Manila is so expensive! So I substituted 1/2 cup medjool dates for the extra 1/2 cup of agave syrup - came out fine!)

2/3 cup virgin coconut oil

a pinch salt

Process all truffle filling ingredients until smooth. Pour the truffle mixture into the crust and spread it evenly. It should have a toffee-like texture and a bit of a sheen from the coconut oil. Put the tart in the fridge for atleast 2 hours before serving!

I swear, this has been the best thing I have ever made, raw or cooked. Even my dad, who usually refuses to eat whatever I make since he knows it's mostly raw or vegan, loved it! The entire tart is supposed to keep for 5 days in the fridge but this one was wiped out in two days! (I ate most of it!). Do keep in mind though that it still is a very rich dessert (remember how much coconut oil you put?). The good news is that it's full of vitamins and enzymes that it's still much, much better than its cooked versions!

I love this recipe and can see myself making this every single week! It is THAT good and super easy to make! Probably the easiest raw recipe I have ever come across. It took me less than 30 minutes to make this, and only had to wait a couple of hours before we can eat it!

I'll be posting more yummy recipes soon! But for now, consider this a peace offering. I feel guilty for not having been able to post much lately but I do hope this recipe makes up for it. :)



Writing from Paradise ...

This week, I get to check off one more thing on my list of places to visit before I die. :)

I have always wanted to see El Nido in Palawan. I have seen way too many photos of its picturesque bays and limestone cliffs and all the empty beaches and islands, heard so much about its super clear waters and friendly fishes which makes it a great spot for diving or even just snorkelling, and I was really drawn to its sleepy town and the kind of slow days we can have and spend there. So, since we owed the Little Boy a “holiday trip” because we were working on Christmas Day and worked through the rest of the holidays; and because our last two weeks became the busiest, most stressful week we have ever had and we were in dire need of a quiet break just to rest, recharge our batteries and spend time with the Little Boy, we decided (albeit last minute!) to finally go and visit El Nido.

So after a flight to Puerto Princesa, a night’s stopover in the city and a very long, very uncomfortable van ride (more on this later!), we are finally in paradise that is El Nido.

We're actually on Day 4 in Paradise now and we have been enjoying it so much that we’re already dreading the thought of leaving in a couple of days. We haven’t really done much these past few days except for very exhausting activities like feasting on seafood and fruit shakes and fresh coconuts all day, and staring at the water and the views that we never tire of, and listening to the waves, and laying out on the beach, reading a book in a hammock, and the occasional island visits to swim and snorkel and say hi to El Nido’s friendly fishes… and it’s bliss. Spending time in El Nido and having days of doing nothing is such a welcome respite after a very stressful year that I felt went by way too fast.

Our only setback with this trip so far was a fever the Little Boy developed when we got here. We were supposed to spend just 4 days in El Nido, but because we couldn’t really head out to the islands on our first couple of days since we had to let the Little Boy rest, we ended up extending and adding a couple more days to our itinerary and I think and feel that it was the best thing that could’ve happened (Not the fever, of course! Good thing Little Boy’s okay now. El Nido’s Dr. Reyes made a house visit to see him and said it was just a case of cold and fatigue – probably from the 7-hour van ride! And that he just needed to rest and breathe in some fresh sea air.) The thing is, the Mister and I are so used to the “let’s-see-and-do-as-much-as-we-can-possibly-fit-in-a-few-days” kind of travelling, that the concept of not having any set itinerary planned for each and every day of our trip seemed a bit alien to us. Our usual mindset is: since we’re here, let’s make the most out of it and see everything that we could possibly see. But when we were forced to stay in town and in our rooms because the Little Boy had to rest, it made us appreciate the “art of doing nothing”. To be able to wake up in the morning to the sound of waves and fresh sea air, with nothing to do but stare at the bay and not having to worry if you’re running late for island hopping or a breakfast reservation is just refreshing.

Today, the weather seems perfect. It’s 7am and the skies are clear, and with the Little Boy feeling so much better now, I think we’re finally going to head out for some island-hopping today. Today, we finally get to see the famous lagoons of Miniloc, and a few other islands for snorkelling and just lazing under the sun. But who knows? The view is perfect from across our room’s balcony again and that hammock by the beach looks pretty inviting right now so we might just end up doing absolutely nothing again today and the day will still be perfect.

P.S. I realize that in one of my last posts, I made a promise to blog more diligently. Obviously, I haven't made good on that promise. :( And I do apologize. I honestly don't know what made me think I would have the time to blog through the holidays especially since it turned out to be a complete whirlwind for us -- easily the busiest, craziest, most stressful month we had in 2010. It's over now though and while I won't be making any more promises that I might not be able to keep again, I will atleast try to blog as often as I can, every chance I get since I definitely have soooo much more to blog about!

Loving Hot Yoga in Chilly Washington

When I was looking for a yoga studio near Kent where we were staying with family during our visit to Washington, I stumbled upon Hot Yoga Inc.'s website and hit the jackpot when I saw that they were offering a "10 for $10" introductory promo to first-timers at any of their studios. A dollar for a class!!! Unbelievable!!! There was simply no excuse not to enroll. Back here in Manila, I had been making excuses about classes being too expensive (with single class rates starting at P550+) and that I lived too far from the nearest studio. With Hot Yoga Inc.'s branch in Federal Way just a 10- to 15-minute drive from Kent, there was no escape!

Hot Yoga is basically just a series of yoga postures done in a heated room. It doesn't necessarily have to follow Bikram Yoga's strict series of the 26 postures, but most Hot Yoga studios still do anyway. At Hot Yoga Inc., you can choose either the Hot Hatha Yoga classes (60 or 90mins) which basically follows the Bikram Yoga series or the 60-minute Power Yoga class.

Basically, the difference between the two is that when you choose the Hot Hatha, it follows the set 26 poses from the original Bikram Yoga series all performed twice plus the two pranayama breathing exercices (one at the beginning and one to close the class). At first, it seems so easy since it's not a flowing yoga where everything is done in a flowing sequence so you do get breaks in between postures. The thing is, the postures are very challenging, especially the balancing postures and you'd have to stay in the poses for longer periods of time. Often, I would find myself with my knees shaking and just wanting to collapse and sit out the rest of the class.

the reception area at Hot Yoga Inc. in Federal Way

The Power Yoga on the other hand would be a flowing sequence which won't require you to hold poses for too long. I didn't get to try this at Hot Yoga Inc. but I would imagine from previous ashtanga / vinyasa classes I've tried elsewhere that it would be made up mostly of sun salutations and basically, more of a workout than the Hatha since you'll be moving continuously. I wanted to try the Hot Power Yoga class but just didn't have time. The people I met there though kept giving me mixed reviews on it. Some people liked the Power Yoga more since it's only 60 minutes so even if it's a lot more physically taxing, it's over sooner than the Hatha. But I also got to chat to several people who still liked the Hatha class more since they feel like they get more from it than the Power Yoga class because the poses are a lot more challenging.

the heated studio to the left and the shower & changing rooms
at the end of the corridor

My first class at Hot Yoga Inc. was super exhausting and I almost didn't make it thru the end of the class! I used to go to Bikram Yoga in Eastwood but it had been months since the last time I went so the intense heat in the room and the challenging balancing postures took a bit of getting used to all over again. And I guess what makes it harder to do Hot Yoga in Washington is the cold weather. Doing Bikram Yoga back here in Manila is just like doing yoga on a hot summer day. I remember a few months back, when I was too lazy to drive down to Eastwood, I would just do the same 26 postures inside our house with no electric fan turned on and I would sweat buckets still - sometimes even more that I sweat off when I go to the studio. When you're in Washington though, your body gets used to the chilly weather so the heat inside the studio brings more of a shock to your body than it does back here.

After one class, I noticed that right after savasana, a lot of the people who couldn't stand the heat anymore just stood up and left to go out. When I finished my savasana and got out of the studio, I found several of the people in the class just walking around the parking lot with their shirts off in the cold and it was just a funny sight: half-naked men and women in their yoga shorts & sports bras just walking around in the empty parking lot, drenched in sweat!

yoga clothes and accessories for sale

What's great about the heat though is that it loosens up your muscles so much that it facilitates stretching more and lets you be more flexible with your body than you usually are without the heat. And because you sweat tons, it's a great way to flush toxins out of your body!

And that's basically what Hot Yoga promises. According to their flyer, Hot Yoga's Heat Therapy builds strength (check!), improves balance (half-check! I never did get to hold those one-leg standing poses for its intended duration! :s), increases flexibility (check! I can now touch my head to my thighs when doing the standing forward bend -- YAY!), relieves stress (check! Because your mind is so focused on making your body hold the postures, it really does let your mind forget about everything else and lets your mind rest from all outside stress even for just 90 minutes!), helps you lose weight (only a half-check! I know I could've lost a lot more weight if I didn't always find myself looking for a good lunch right after the class! Boo!), helps you release toxins (check!).

I love Hot Yoga. I'd keep going everyday if only there was a studio closer to our house. The first few classes are always the most challenging but one thing I also learned from Hot Yoga is super determination. I learned that if you really put you mind into making your body do something, it's possible even if you don't think you're flexible at all. Even I suprise myself sometimes with the postures I can actually do! I always leave Hot Yoga a lot more energized than when I came in. And as exhausting as the classes are, it always leaves me feeling fantastic all day!

Hot Yoga Inc.

31839 Gateway Center Blvd S

Federal Way, WA 98003 (p) (253) 528-0880
http://www.hotyogainc.com/federalway/

Back from another hiatus!

The universe works in the funniest ways.

The Mister and I had been dealing with some pretty heavy stuff lately and we were getting pretty burnt out when we got a call from his family in Seattle asking us to visit very soon since my dear father-in-law was recently ill and during that time didn't seem like he was getting any better. Of course, the immediate thought bubble was: "Wow, when it rains, it really does pour!". We were of course terribly worried, so we took our chances and tried to book tickets and in no time, we were booked for a flight that leaves in a couple of days and barely had time to pack and fix things at work before we had to leave.

So in a rush, we left all reservations, recipes and bilins to my family and our staff and packed and left for what was supposed to be just a two week-long visit to Seattle.

In the plane on the way to Seattle, I was already thankful for the time off and the extra time I'd have on my hands to spend with family and finally be able to read atleast a couple of the books that have been piling on my bedside table; experiment with more raw food recipes; do yoga daily; and was really looking forward to finally being able to post all my blog backlog from so many of our recent trips and green adventures. What made me think I'd have time to do all those things is beyond me now. Of course, no blogging happened. And as hard as I tried, I didn't even get to read a single page from any of the books I brought with me!

I did get to do so many other things though. Apart from the time we happily spent with family, I did get to enroll at Hot Yoga in Federal Way and was able to go to class almost daily (something I could never do back here since the nearest yoga studio is about an hour away!)... I also went gaga over how beautiful organic veggies and fruits in Washington are and how easily available raw natural food is so the Mister and I ended up cooking up a storm there and making and experimenting with more new dishes than we ever have back home... I was also able to finally fix my body clock and am happy to say that we sleep normal hours now, no longer going to bed way past midnight and waking up a little before noon; and basically, I was just happy for the breather that the Mister and I along with the Little Boy got from this visit.

beautiful fresh organic fall produce

a raw food dinner we prepared in Seattle

The best news, however, was that when we got there, my dear father-in-law was no longer ill and was just getting better and better each day and in no time, was back to his daily laps in the gym pool and watching football like he never even got sick at all! It was like the Universe just made an excuse to get us there for literally a breath of fresh air and a dose of positive energy.

Washington was gorgeous at the time of our visit, too. It was my first fall in the US and I was just amazed and overwhelmed by its beauty: the trees with their red, orange and pink leaves; the beautifully-shaped fallen leaves that still looked just as beautiful covering the streets and the sidewalks as they were when they were still clinging on to their branches; the gorgeous views of snow-capped Mt. Rainier from just about anywhere; the calm lakes and the sounds; and just how crisp and fresh the air was.

Of course, my lovely in-laws were such gracious hosts and took us to more wonderful places to see more of Washington's beauty. We went to Leavenworth for its little Bavarian village that makes you feel like you're in a fairytale; we visited Stevens Pass to make a snowman and throw snowballs; we went to gorgeous Snoqualmie with its trails & waterfalls; Alki Beach for a grand buffet at Salty's and the best view of Seattle and the Puget Sound; and just saw so many incredible places while we were there.



faerietales come to life at Leavenworth



our Little Boy's first snowman!

gorgeous Snoqualmie Falls

the view from Salty's at Alki Beach

On our own, we rented a cozy little apartment at St. John's in Capitol Hill in Seattle for a few nights and explored downtown and its many vegetarian, vegan and raw food cafes! We went for a full Vegan Happy Hour at Plum Bistro; a lovely vegetarian lunch at Cafe Flora; bought colorful organic fruits & veggies from Pike Place Market; had a deliciously spicy Thai vegan dinner at Araya's at the University District; tried raw nachos, yummy cacao tortes and smoothies at Thrive and more raw desserts and chai tea lattes at Chaco Canyon and Healeo. We also met Kelly of Seattle Raw Food and she gave us super useful tips & easy recipes and made us yummy raw treats like tacos, pizza and those carob fudge brownies that were just too delicious! While I am a pescetarian at the moment (I cannot give up seafood & fish just yet -- especially with all the salmon & clam chowder Washington has to offer!!), we did have a lot of full vegan days while we were in Capitol Hill and it felt great! We didn't even have to try so hard to look for full vegan meals because they were so readily available!

flying fish at the Pike Place Fish Market

more fruits and vegetables at the Pike Place Market

Vegan Happy Hour at Plum Bistro

raw nachos at Thrive

In a nutshell, that visit to Seattle (or Washington actually) was just what we needed! We were so happy in Seattle that leaving became a bit painful, so what was supposed to be a visit for just 2 weeks was extended to 3. And despite the extra work that we had to put in just to be able to manage work from the other side of the world and all its hassles, it was worth it! 

It really was amazing. At a point in our lives where were were at the brink of being just too burnt out and jaded, the Universe interferes and conspires to bring us to this place where we were able to regain a sense of belonging and balance in our lives again and gave us that much-needed inspiration and all this positive energy to go forth and live happy and passionately once more!

So, I am grateful. Very, very grateful. And as a means of expressing my gratitude to the Universe, to Washington and for all the beautiful people that sent us so much loving, positive vibes while we were there (whether thru actions, thoughts or thru their wonderful food), I am promising to blog a little more diligently now. I have so much to share about how green the state of Washington is in so many ways and what I've learned on eating sustainably that it would be a pity not to be able to share it with friends and more people. Not to mention all the amazing vegetarian finds we discovered in Washington that I MUST write about!

Also, some of the most important things I brought home from Seattle with me are my new raw food recipe books, a brand spankin' new blender and food processor (yay!) and all the natural raw food ingredients like nuts, carob powder, grains and seeds that I hoarded from the Natural Food Store's bulk section. So needless to say, I've taken over our kitchen now and have been experimenting relentlessly on yummy raw food recipes since we got back! So I've got loads of recipes to share, too!

raw stuffed mushrooms

raw nori shiitake sushi rolls

coconut carob fudge

So dear blog, let me get my recipes together first and starting tomorrow, I'll be posting recipe after recipe, and many other stories to tell, and blogging every day. I promise.

And again, dear Universe, for all your good energy, a big, big THANK YOU. :-)