Some Holiday Recipes for a delicious Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Wedges with Cider Reduction

ingredient list

Serves 8

• 2 cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
• 2 large sweet potatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

directions
1. Boil cider in saucepan over medium heat 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until reduced to thick and syrupy 1/4 cup. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush sweet potato wedges with oil, sprinkle with cinnamon, and place on baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown. Transfer to platter, and drizzle with cider reduction.

Butternut Squash and Duxelles Casserole

ingredient list

Serves 8

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms or mushroom stems
• 2 shallots, coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp. butter
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• (3 oz.), divided
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 (2.5 lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch slices

directions
1. Pulse mushrooms in food processor 20 times, or until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Place shallots in food processor; pulse 20 times, or until finely chopped. Transfer to same bowl.

2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add m ushrooms and shallots, and season with salt, if desired. Cook 10 minutes, or until mushrooms have released their liquid, most liquid has evaporated, and shallots are lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or gratin dish with cooking spray.

4. Bring milk, flour, and garlic to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook 2 minutes, or until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon, whisking frequently. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

5. Spread one-third squash in prepared pan. Top with 1/3 cup cheese sauce and half of mushroom mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 45 minutes, or until squash is tender and top is browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Soft Apple Spice Ginger Cookies

ingredient list

Makes 20 4-inch cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling cookies
• 1 large apple, peeled and finely diced (1 cup)

directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl.

3. Whisk together oil, applesauce, and molasses in separate large bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup sugar. Stir in flour mixture with spatula. Fold in diced apple.

4. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1/4 cup dough into ball, then roll ball in sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Place balls on prepared baking sheets.

5. Put baking sheets in oven, and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of cookies are dry and bottoms are golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Love,
Sue, Kaity, and Laura

Teacher Training Info Session Nov 20 @1pm

So you've been thinking about teacher training, and thinking, and thinking. You're pretty sure you might possible try to see if you can maybe look into committing to the idea of eventually signing up....RELAX! Come to our info session. Listen to the past experiences of graduates. Pick Kaity's brain and get your questions answered. Don't worry about not being sure. Just come and see. Come!

Go Cows Go! Funniest thing ever!

Try a new road to Health: Qigong with Sherry- Nov. 13 @ 3:30pm- You just have to experience it!

When I took the Qigong class during the Labor Day retreat I didn't know anything about it. During the sequence I definitely felt energy flowing through my body, especially in my core. Afterward I felt refreshed and cleansed in a way that I thought I would only achieve through Yoga.

Here is an article posted on www.care2.com that goes into more detail about the health benefits of Qigong. Just click here!

Bamboomoves Warrior Teacher Training Spring 2011

The Bamboomoves Warrior Teaching Training is almost here! It's a transformational experience that brings you in touch with your true nature and the underlying nature of all things.

• establish a person practice
• discover the healing aspects of asana
• explore pranayama, meditation, and chanting
• learn teaching methods and techniques along with class planning, sequencing and modifications to make yoga possible for all level of students
• Study classical yogic texts- The Bhagavad Gita and The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali

Besides being more grounded in their own practice Graduates will be able to:

• teach Bamboomoves Level 1 or 2 classes
• lead workshops, sessions, and retreats
• register with Yoga Alliance as a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher

If your interested in deepening your own practice, seeking your true potential, or have a desire to share the gift of yoga with others pick up your application in the studio and talk with Suzanne and Kaity today!

For more info click here!

Excited about AcroYoga this Saturday @3:30pm

Cleaning Out the Closet

Clothing: Did I buy too much or is my closet too small?

For years I have been blaming the closets of my pre-war apartment. People those days were not the consumers we are today. I have imagined that the occupants before me had some seasonally adjusted outfits to wear when they “went to business”, clothing suitable to wear to religious services, a fancy outfit to wear for parties, and sturdy clothing to wear everywhere else. They did not own workout wear, ski wear, hiking gear, and seven pairs of boots (three pair for various levels of snowfall).

Yes, the closets are small, but yes, I do buy more than I need.

First step: Stop blaming, start thinking

I took a hard look at what is in my closet. There were a lot of clothes that I liked and wore often. Some clothes I liked and wore once in a while. And there were some clothes that I have worn once or twice. Then there were the definite mistakes. For instance, the mail-order items that never fit well in the first place. What was I thinking when I bought that salmon colored sweater? The thrift store finds that had a great label. The expensive jacket that is out of date (maybe that cut will be back again?). Using a term I have heard in Yoga class, I became a witness. As a witness to my own closet, I became unattached to the emotions related to my faulty consumption practices. I was then able to sort out what I no longer needed to have.

Most of the clothes that I wear every day needed to stay. I have worn them every day for a reason. They fit well and they looked good on me. They were the go-to clothes. But how many burgundy cotton sweaters does someone need to own?

The items that I wore once or twice are the most difficult. Some skirt lengths were too long. Some pants were a little too tight around the waist. Some heels were too high to walk safely. Some items were purchased with a specific occasion in mind. Some were given to me (like my late mother in-law’s fur jacket that fit me perfectly). The long ones were taken up, the tight pants were history, the party dresses stay (for now) and well I can’t part with that jacket yet.

I will never wear the clothing that does not fit me. The tight pants became history.

The t-shirt and sock drawer deserve special mention. There were the t-shirts with sentimental value and t-shirts with stains and holes. I got brutal with those. I discarded the ones with holes and stains and threw out all the worn out souvenirs (except I did keep the one I bought on my first date with my now-husband). I love socks, but only ones that are not droopy, tight, or have that synthetic feel.

What do I do now?

After I took up the hems on the skirts, I discovered that they went with a lot more than I thought. It felt like I just acquired a few more outfits. I also experimented with new combinations using the old standards.

I packed up a few burgundy sweaters for my sister, who hardly ever shops. She loves my cast-offs. The high heels went to my co-worker who is brave or stupid enough to wear them. The rest of the wearable stuff went to Housing Works and Goodwill. The socks and t-shirts make great rags, with some exceptions. Synthetics don’t make good rags. In addition, I like my rags to be somewhat regularly shaped. I cut the toes off the socks and the sleeves and necks off the t-shirts. The synthetics, scraps and the really stained and worn stuff went to the textile recyclers at the Jackson Heights and Union Square Greenmarkets.

Is there a higher meaning in all this?

I think there is. I discovered that the high I get from purchasing clothes lasts a very short time and is not worth the anxiety of looking at a messy, disorganized closet. I also found out that I have not been a discerning consumer. I have bought too much stuff that I thought were too cheap to pass up, or settled for what was not perfect for me. I now shop for what I really need and occasionally something that I really want.

Contribution from our people-conscious student Rhea Varadi