Wrapping Up a Blog Challenge With the Month's Most Read Posts

Today wraps up my second month of participation in The Ultimate Blog Challenge. Our task was to publish 30 posts in 30 days and read and comment on other participants' posts. It's a bit of a time suck to do so much reading and writing every day but I really enjoy the creative boost I get from having to come up with content every day and seeing what everybody else is up to. I'm relived to be done with the challenge but excited to participate again next quarter.

These were my five most read posts of the month:

Amsterdam by Bike

Having the Courage to Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals

10 Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Beet, Orange, Mozzarella, and Aragula Salad

The Very Unusual Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam

And, honorable mention goes to this post that wasn't the most read but it received a lot of positive buzz:

Daily Journaling for Joy and Appreciation

Thanks to my fellow participants who read my posts and inspired me with the things they wrote!

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Tomato Soup with Halloumi Cheese

I saw a recipe for tomato soup on Pinterest that looked really good but it was full of butter, flour, and half and half.  I made it over to using cornstarch instead of the butter and flour roux and I of course made it vegetarian.  I forgot to put in the onion but it tasted great anyway.

I was introduced to Halloumi cheese in Turkey and I loved it.  It's maybe just a bit more flavorful than mozzarella but what makes it special is that you can grill it or heat it in a skillet and it doesn't melt.  This makes it great for adding to warm dishes when you don't necessarily want gooey cheese, like soup.

Tomato Soup with Halloumi Cheese

Servings: About 8

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
3 medium carrots, finely diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
1 225 gram package Halloumi cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
Directions:

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

While soup simmers, whisk corn starch and cold water together until smooth. Set aside. Brown the Halloumi in a seasoned cast iron skilled until brown. Set aside. After carrots become tender add cornstarch mixture to soup.

Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in warmed almond milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. If you'd like a smoother consistency remove from heat and pulse with an immersion blender. Serve, topping with the Halloumi and basil.
Nutritional Info:Calories 215.4 Total Fat 15.2 g Saturated Fat 7.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g Cholesterol 7.6 mg Sodium 1,080.7 mg Potassium 181.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 14.4 g Dietary Fiber 3.1 g Sugars 5.5 g Protein 7.6 g

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English Language Movies in Nuremberg

As soon as I finished reading The Hunger Games Trilogy I raved about it in a blog post and I told my friends about it. After they devoured the books we agreed that we would go see the movies together.

It took us awhile to find it playing in English and get our schedules coordinated so that we could go together but tonight we made it happen.

We went to Cinecitta in Nuremberg. The original language films are buried in menus so just follow my link to see what's playing in English. There was plenty of parking nearby and next time we'll allow time to go out to dinner. The Indochine Restaurant pictured above was very charming. It was located on the water right next to the theatre.

Going to the movies is a little bit different in Germany. You walk into the lobby and there are masses of people lined up in multiple lines that seem to go on forever. Luckily they moved pretty quickly. We got to select seats when we bought our tickets, much like you would expect at a stage theater production. The movie complex was in at least two buildings and there was a little coffee shop set up inside of our building. My friends bought sandwiches to go but their drinks came in real glasses that they had to return after the movie.

I was nervous about how things would work out. I wondered if the movie would indeed be in English and I hoped I would be able to navigate the city okay. Everything worked out. We had a delightful time!

 

 

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White Chocolate Raspberry Banana Bread

On Valentine's Day I realized that I love the combination of raspberries and white chocolate chips.  I knew I wanted to change up Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe for banana bread to include this combination.  She is known for her healthy desserts so I was pleased to put my own spin on the recipe, though I wish I had access to healthier white chocolate chips.  Next time I think I'll add some nuts.  This bread was well-received for dessert and breakfast in my house.  I was pleased because it used four bananas.  Typical recipes call for one or two.

Servings: 2 medium loaves, about 16 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cups almond milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 2/3 cups tightly-packed, ripe mashed bananas, about 4
3/4 cup raspberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients (through bananas) and mix into dry mixture. (Mix by hand, and don’t overmix.) Fold in berries and white chocolate chips. Pour into two medium greased loaf pans and cook for 20-30 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover with foil if the top browns before the center is cooked.

After removing from the oven, let cool for ten minutes before slicing with a very sharp knife. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Info:

16 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 165.3 Total Fat 3.8 g Saturated Fat 3.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 225.9 mg Potassium 132.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 33.7 g Dietary Fiber 2.7 g Sugars 17.5 g Protein

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Roadmap to Discovering and Reaching Your Biggest Goals

In yesterday's blog post I wrote about having the courage to set Big Hairy Audacious Goals. This form is a tool you can use to start setting those goals and creating a plan to reach them. Feel free to use this post as a jumping off point for your brainstorming, or if you'd like to fill in this form on Google Docs and share your plans you can get to the form here.

Use this form to create a roadmap that will direct you to your goals. Most people can't just go out and run a marathon. They have to follow a plan and spend many weeks training so they can cross that finish line. You need a plan. Create it here.

If you didn't have to worry about time, money, ability or any other inhibitors, what would you like to accomplish? *Make your goal specific. Saying that you want to be a runner isn't specific enough. Choose a race and make that race your goal. If you're having trouble choosing something, think about the last time you admired or envied something somebody else accomplished. Say you met a guy at a party that is a chef and personal trainer and you really thought it would be neat to have that combination of skills. Maybe your goal is in that direction.

What fears do you need to conquer before you can reach your goal? Write down at least three. *Let's look back at the marathon example. Maybe you're afraid that your body just isn't capable of taking that kind of beating. Maybe you don't know how you'll find time to train. Maybe you're afraid of being embarrassed if you don't run the race after all. Fear often presents itself as excuses. What excuses are you making to yourself and others regarding your goal?

Fear #1 - What information is there available that you can use to address your fear? *We can help our fear go away if we face it straight on and attack it with information. If you are afraid you can't run a marathon because you have bad knees you could make an appointment with your doctor to talk about whether running a marathon is right for you. Problems like runner's knee can be managed with proper rest, appropriate mileage buildup, and exercises prescribed by a physical therapist. Is there a book, a friend, or a professional you could talk to to gather information about reaching your goal?

Fear #2 - What information is there available that you can use to address your fear? *Are you afraid you don't have time to reach your goal? You would be surprised about how things work out when you make your steps to reaching your goal a mandatory part of your day. Once people realize that you're serious about doing what it takes to reach your goal then they will support you. Talk to your support system to find out how you can carve out time to work toward your goal.

Fear #3 - What information is there available that you can use to address your fear? *Are you afraid of losing face if you quit? If you have chosen your goals carefully you will want to do everything you can to reach them. You are more likely to reach them if you've told somebody else about them. That way they can help motivate you and you have somebody to be accountable in those tough times when you feel like quitting. Talking to someone who has already accomplished your goal could help you determine whether your goal is realistic. Talk to another runner who made it through the marathon in spite of bad knees and a busy schedule. Other people are often pleased to share their successes and their mistakes.

What can you do this week to start working toward your goal? *You've done your research and you've started to believe that you can indeed accomplish your goal. Now that you believe that it's a possibility you can take steps to get it done. Start working on it right away while you're excited.

What can you in the next three months to work towards your goal? *Having a plan can keep you motivated.

What can you in the longer term to work towards your goal? *Some goals take longer to accomplish than others. Estimate the time it will take to accomplish your goal and come up with steps that you want to accomplish along the way.

What is the name of your biggest cheerleader? *Decide on a mentor or a positive friend that you can confide in along the journey to reaching your goal.

What is your next goal? *Accomplishing a big goal can leave us feeling exhilarated but it also leaves us wondering what's next. Plan your next success now.

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Having the Courage to Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals

Big Hairy Audacious Goal. That sounds scary. What is it? A Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is a business term coined by authors and business experts James Collins and Jerry Porras back in 1994. Wikipedia explains it fairly simply as a medium-long term goal which is likely to be externally questionable, but not internally regarded as impossible. It should have a clear finish line. At an individual level a BHAG can be something like running a marathon, going from obese to a healthy weight, or completing a difficult course of study.

I ran my first half and full marathons last year but my initial commitment was to start a dedicated training program because I thought it was highly unlikely that my body would handle the strain of all of the running. I didn't commit to that BHAG until I had done enough training to believe that it was a true possibility to finish and finish within the time constraints of the race.

The lesson here is that something important needs to happen to make the transition from dream to goal. We need to believe that our dream is possible regardless of what everyone else thinks.

How can we come to believe that our dream is possible?

In her Martha Stewart Living article Andrea Bartz writes, "No matter how big or small your goals, fear can hold you back in ways you don't even realize." Fear is the biggest hurdle to overcome when beginning to believe in the possibility of our dreams. I was afraid that my knees wouldn't hold out through marathon training. I was afraid of what people would think if I couldn't follow through on finishing. I was afraid of running so slowly that I wouldn't finish before the race closed. How did I get from sitting at my kitchen table talking to a friend about training to actually lacing up and beginning the training? That friend believed I could do it so I had the courage to start. Successfully completing a portion of the training gave me the courage to register for the race and to go on and finish well before the races closed.

The keys to my success were encouragement from just one person, finding a plan, and sticking to it. Bartz writes, " Your brain won't allow your feet to move until it knows where you're going." Finding a training plan allowed me to move forward to the point where I could set a crazy goal and ultimately reach that goal which I initially regarded as impossible.

The trick to finding the courage to set those Big Hairy Audacious Goals is to gather enough information to make ourselves feel comfortable enough to overcome our fear and move forward.

I have some dreams I'd like to turn into goals so my next step is to gather some information. I'd like to write a book, have my own yoga studio/cafe, and I would like to travel teaching yoga and encouraging people to create a rich life. The way to completing a marathon was written down for me in a training plan. All I had to do was complete the runs and have faith that my training would see me through. These dreams are a little more challenging because I do not yet see the path. That's what the research is for.

What are your dreams that you'd like to turn into Big Hairy Audacious Goals?

 
More reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Hairy_Audacious_Goal
http://www.andreabartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/fear.pdf
http://www.thedailydetails.com/2011/07/running-2011-konigsschlosser-romantik.html
http://www.thedailydetails.com/2011/04/running-prague-half-marathon-2011.html
 

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From Mixed Tapes to iTunes Playlists - 1 Hour Yoga Playlist

Back when we were dating in high school my husband used to make me mixed cassette tapes. Now he makes me playlists on iTunes for my yoga classes. He puts together a draft and then I go through and approve and veto. I'm glad music is a hobby of his!

In the early days of my yoga practice music was never played in class but I'm starting to find it more and more. At first I resisted it. I thought that music, and certainly music with words, was not appropriate in yoga class. Now that I'm teaching in an Army gym I've come to recognize that a diverse mix is indeed appropriate.

Gyms can be noisy. Music can help drown out distracting background noise. Today, the change of command rehearsal didn't bother me until the final song played for Savasana. It was too quiet and I could hear loud patriotic music downstairs.

And the mix? Who would expect a Guns N' Roses song in a yoga playlist. I would never have dreamed of it. But, it was an interesting twist. I think it's nice to offer a little something for everyone especially since you're going to find a more diverse mix of students in an Army gym than you would in a dedicated yoga studio.

Do you have some favorite songs that you use for your yoga practice? I'd love to have some suggestions to pass along to my husband. Or, if I get enough maybe I'll put together my own mix.

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10 Ways to Reduce Anxiety

I have a confession to make. In spite of all of the running and yoga that I do, I sometimes get so anxious that my breath shallows and my heart races and I stop thinking clearly. It's really unpleasant, but I've focused in on the trigger so that I can begin to recognize when my anxiety might get the best of me and I've come up with some good ways to cope. Ten of them are listed here.

 

My biggest anxiety trigger is time. I like to be prepared and prompt and if I feel like I don't have enough time to get things done well or if I think I'm going to be late then I start to get anxious.

 

The last time I really got anxious was just before we were leaving for our trip to Cyprus. I hadn't finished packing. I had committed to myself and a friend that I would go running. My car was in the shop and I needed to figure out a way to get there to pick it up. Nothing was particularly urgent but I started to feel like I wasn't going to be able to get everything done by the time we said we were going to leave, an artificial deadline. I was starting to panic and then something happened that helped me regain some perspective. My car broke down on the way home from the shop. It stopped and would not go forward at all, not even enough to find a safe shoulder or side road. After I called roadside assistance, put out my warning triangle, and called a friend to pick up my daughter from school, I stood in the grass on the other side of the guard rail and laughed. When presented with a more urgent situation all of the other things that were worrying me fell into perspective.

 

With that perspective came thankfulness and calm. I was thankful that it wasn't pouring down rain or freezing cold like it had been earlier in the day. The Germans stand a safe distance away from their broken down vehicles regardless of the weather. I was thankful that our flight left early the next morning and we really didn't have to leave for the hotel at the airport at a particular time. I was thankful that I had a friend to call to pick up my daughter. I was thankful that there are still strangers that will stop to see if a stranded woman needs help.

 

How an attitude can change with a little perspective! Having the instinct to be prepared and prompt makes me hard-working, high-achieving, and conscientious, all excellent qualities. However, I'm not doing myself or anybody else any favors if I let it get out of control. Here are some things I do to try and manage the pesky clock and the worry that it brings.

 

• Exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, those feel-good brain chemicals and it can help take your mind off of your worries.
• Ask for help. I misplaced my wallet yesterday and it was going to be a big deal. It (unwisely) contained all of my ID, Stateside driver's license, official and tourist passports for my daughter and me, military ID. It was going to big deal. After looking all the places it could have been but before canceling my credit and debit cards, I asked my husband to take a look in my car. I thought I had looked in all of the pockets of my new gym bag but I hadn't. He found it. Asking for help can instantly help relieve the stress of a situation.
• Know how long things take. We're a military family so we move all of the time and we don't have the comfort of knowing exactly where everything is in our area. When I receive an invitation to an event at our current location I can usually assume that everything is approximately half an our away but sometimes I'm surprised. It is better if I map out the address way ahead of time so I know how much time to allow to get to a new destination.
• Plan ahead. I can avoid last-minute scrambling if I spend some time on the weekend planning ahead for the coming week by putting things on my calendar. It's particularly important to include that don't happen regularly like school hot lunches and in my neighborhood trash/recycling pickup. I use the calendar on my iPhone and I also like the Todo app.
• Be realistic about what you can accomplish. I am in charge of my own schedule and I choose to pack it full, often hoping to achieve much more than I possibly can. I've started identifying the three things I absolutely must accomplish in a particular day and letting the rest be optional.
• Get up before the rest of the family. I love having some time to myself in the morning to settle into my day before anybody needs anything from me. I check my calendar, my email, and Facebook to see what's going on and what it means for my day. I also get my daughter's lunch and snack made so that when she comes down I'm ready to eat breakfast with her and get her out the door. If I could just get her to put her shoes away in the same place every day things would be great!
• Take deep breaths. Breathing from the diaphragm rather than from the chest can help bring a sense of calm. Often with long, deep breaths I'll repeat a mantra that I learned from an Army chaplain in the Soldier 360 Yoga Training, "Right here, right now, just this, not that.". Repeating positive words helps bring peace to active thoughts.
• Make a list. Free your mind from the pressure of having to remember lots of tiny details by making lists. When I run out of something or see that I'm starting to get low I immediately add it to a shopping list so I'm not caught off guard without toilet paper or a kitchen staple. I like the Shopper app for grocery shopping.
• Mise en place. It's tough to cook dinner with interruptions so I prep my ingredients and equipment before I begin cooking so everything is ready to go. If I'm having a particularly organized day I'll prep ingredients ahead of time so dinner gets done faster.
• Use community resources. If you're really struggling, talk to your doctor, religious leader, or the Military Family Life Consultant for military folks. They can help give you tools that you can use to help with your particular situation.

For more reading see:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place

 

 

 

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Daily Journaling For Joy and Appreciation

This month I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  We're to post 30 times in our blogs and also read and interact with other participants' blogs. Sheltered Becomings by Raven Ellen is one of my favorite blogs that I've discovered during this challenge.

First thing this morning I read her post A Humble Parent's Reflection on Moments that Would've Been Lost.  I was especially moved by what she wrote to close:


As time goes by I’ll have a solid and beautiful collection of the reasons I’m blessed and in that I’ll know more and more the rarity and specialness of being who I am. I’ll know, because a life well lived will be displayed in front of me, day by day.
This collection comes from daily journaling five things that she's grateful for and three moments from her son's live.

I want to have a tangible display of my life well-lived.  That daily expression of things I'm thankful and grateful for will bring joy that sometimes gets overlooked in the details of every day life.  And, I want to remember the small details of Sophia's life.  She's only seven but her attitude is growing with her body.  It's easy to get caught up in the negative details of trying to parent her but there are so many good moments too.  I want to reflect on and remember those good moments.

This technique will bring joy and appreciation because I'll have to be looking for moments all day long.  I've experienced this with the photo challenge I'm participating in.  We're to post one photo every day for one year.  All day I keep my eyes open for things that could be my photo of the day.  This photo challenge also lets me know that I'm capable of keeping up with something every single day.

Committing to doing something daily is tough.  Some days are busy and it will be hard to do one more thing every single day, particularly when there's no social accountability.  But, it will be worth it.  I have an amazing life and a wonderful family and I want to appreciate everything more.

To make this challenge easier I'm going to use the Momento app for my iPhone.  I always have my phone with me.  I'm going to add to my list throughout the day so I don't forget things and so I don't have the burden of doing it when I'm tired just before bed.  Momento is really great.  I have it set up to import posts from this blog, Facebook, and Twitter so content is filled automatically.  I can even add photos if I like.  Data can be backed up and exported.

I'm posting daily challenges on my new Facebook page that is an extension of this blog.  Today's challenge is to start a daily journal with five things you're thankful for and three moments from your child's life.  Will you play along?  If you like the idea of receiving daily challenges, daily workouts, and more please like my Facebook page.

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The Daily Details on Facebook

I just launched my new Facebook page for this blog!  It's going to be a great way to add interaction to the topics covered here.

There are ideas that I'd like to throw out that don't necessarily belong in a blog post.  For example, I'll post workouts and personal development challenges that I'm doing and recipes that I'm cooking.  Perhaps we can all grow and be motivated by interaction on these posts.

Additionally, I've found through my participation on the Ultimate Blog Challenge that it can be somewhat time consuming to comment on a blog.  Perhaps the Facebook format that everyone is familiar with will encourage discussion and participation.

This blog, The Daily Details, is all about creating a rich life through fitness, good food, traveling, and more.  I would love it if you would like my page to get the conversation started.  The more the merrier!

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Beet, Orange, Mozzarella, and Arugula Salad

I have gotten into the habit of making salads, preferably with veggies and protein, for book club. That way I have at least one healthy, well-rounded vegetarian option. This is what I made last night. I posted a photo of it on Facebook and it generated a lot of interest so I thought I would share the recipe.

I was inspired by this recipe from Leslie Durso that I found on Pinterest.

Here's a link that shows how to prepare the oranges.

Beet, Orange, Mozzarella, and Arugula Salad

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

• 125 grams arugula
• 2 small cooked beets, thinly sliced
• 2 medium oranges, peeled and sliced
• 1 150 gram container fresh mini mozzarella balls
• Seeds from one small pomegranate

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• agave nectar to taste
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Arrange the arugula on a large platter. Place the beets and oranges on top in an alternating circular design. Arrange the mozzarella balls on top and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on.
Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Taste with the arugula. Add a little agave nectar if the arugula is pretty bitter.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad or serve on the side.

Notes:

4/18/12 - Book Club

Nutritional Info:

Nutrition Facts 6 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 289.2 Total Fat 24.2 g Saturated Fat 2.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 13.3 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 57.5 mg Potassium 206.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 13.8 g Dietary Fiber 2.7 g Sugars 5.8 g Protein 5.7 g Vitamin A 11.0 % Vitamin B-12 0.0 % Vitamin B-6 1.3 % Vitamin C 50.2 % Vitamin D 0.0 % Vitamin E 0.4 % Calcium 5.6 % Copper 1.4 % Folate 11.7 % Iron 2.8 % Magnesium 3.4 % Manganese 6.1 % Niacin 0.6 % Pantothenic Acid 1.2 % Phosphorus 1.7 % Riboflavin

 

 

 

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Doing What You Were Born To Do

I saw this flyer at the gym today advertising my first real gig as a yoga instructor. I was thrilled. After lots of preparation I'm finally going to start a new journey.
As part of my teacher certification I had to do volunteer hours teaching yoga to people who would otherwise have trouble gaining access to classes. I worked with Army wives with small children in my neighborhood who couldn't get to the evening classes offered at our gym.
One of those ladies told me that I was born to teach yoga and I was pleased and inspired by her praise. However getting to this point was perhaps an unnecessarily long journey. I could have taken a short cut had I listened to my intuition a long time ago.

Four Questions to Ask Yourself

When making career choices there are four questions you can ask yourself that will help lead you in the right direction.
 

1. What am I good at? You probably do the things you're good at in your spare time. Your family, friends, and colleagues probably offer sincere praise for the things you do well. Brainstorm traditional and non-traditional ways to turn your strengths into a career.
2. What do I enjoy? Pay careful attention to this one. You might be good at something you don't particularly enjoy. This could lead to a less than ideal career choice because you'll lack passion.
3. Can I make it happen? Dreaming is a wonderful exercise but sometimes circumstances make dreams impossible at least in the short term. As an Army wife that moves frequently I can't pursue the dream of having my own yoga studio with an attached café. It just is not possible right now.
4. What am I scared of? Sometimes you might see obstacles and barriers to the direction you'd like to take. Talk through your fears with a mentor in the field. Perhaps your concerns can be addressed, leaving you free to continue.

My Story

We are so very young when we have to make our first decisions about what we want to be when we grow up. I was 16 when I decided on what I would major in in college.
 
If you're lucky you are like my husband who always knew he was going to be a lawyer. There was never any question and he could choose any undergraduate degree he pleased, practical or not, because he was so sure. Today he is perfectly satisfied as a practicing attorney.
 
I was too fearful to pursue my strengths and the advice of one of my teachers. I was afraid of not being able to support myself or pay for an advanced degree if I didn't choose what I considered to be a highly practical degree.
 
In high school, I received a coveted school pin for writing the best short story in my freshman class. Sophomore year, my English teacher excused me from some of the regular curriculum so I could focus on writing poetry. He also gave me time to write and prepare a speech for a competition which I went on to win. Junior year we started taking interest inventories and getting career counseling. Everything started pointing me toward accounting and law so I started focusing on business and I went on to become a CPA, in the end rejecting law because conflict makes me uncomfortable. My government teacher tried to steer me toward the English department but I stubbornly refused.
 
I received my accounting degree and worked for several years as a CPA doing well and having my company pay for my MBA. I was often called upon to write procedures manuals and to learn new software so I could teach it to my coworkers. But when the time came for me to get married and move to Germany to join my husband who is a lawyer for the US Army I said goodbye to accounting and I haven't revisited it since, though I maintain my credentials just in case I need to find a good job quickly. I wasn't heartbroken to leave my career behind because I wasn't passionate about it.

 
Looking back on jobs and conversations I've had since then I recognize a pattern that would have dropped me off at the point where I am now had I listened to my intuition. And no, it's not necessarily the English department, thought writing this blog does play into my passion.
 
My passion is to help people reach their full potential. You can't find a job like that in the want ads. It's not very specific. But, I've done it through teaching quilting and scrapbooking, by teaching military parents how to be advocates in their children's educations, by leading a group of mothers with preschool age children, and now through yoga.
 
When I was still working as an accountant I told that guy who's now my husband that I wanted to teach yoga. I was a beginner so the process seemed intimidating. Later as a newlywed I brought it up again and he joked that he couldn't be the vegetarian guy with the miniature poodle, VW Bug, and the yoga teacher wife. Even though he would be supportive of what I wanted to do he said that I don't have to teach something just because I'm interested in it. I agreed with him.
 
But, I was still thinking about it and 10 years later I am now a yoga teacher and I regret not listening to that little voice that was pointing me in this direction all along.
 
If I had found a way to let go of my fear about not being financially secure perhaps I could have done a course of study that would have been more appropriate for me, that I would have been sorry yo leave behind. Or, perhaps I would have gotten an earlier start at teaching yoga. But then, perhaps life itself is the best teacher and I needed the cumulative effects of all of my life experiences to bring me to this place. I'm thankful that my husband provides a good life for us so I can be free to explore the things that make me happy even though I'm not the moneybags he thought I was going to be. Perhaps the money will follow the passion.

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My Yoga Online - A Great Resource for Home Practice

I've been a loyal fan of Yoga Today since they started as a free Podcast.  I've also enjoyed some nice audio sessions with Yoga Download.  But neither of them works perfectly with my iPad.  The videos aren't compatible.  I don't have a lot of room in the living room of my current house so I practice yoga in my bedroom with my iPad.

I was almost ready to pull the trigger on a yearly subscription to Yoga Download thinking that it would be okay to just use their audio sessions and not worry about using the video.  I talked it over with Kenny and he said they're just not ready for prime time if they can't make it iPad compatible.  So, I thought I'd shop around a little bit.

My Yoga Online has iPad compatible videos and it is fantastic.  They of course have yoga classes but they also have Pilates and meditation programming.  They have whole health programs like Eliminating Anxiety, Energy Boost, Get Lean and Healthy, and more.  They have informative articles on a variety of topics.  They have an interactive community.  It is a very rich site.  And, I loved my yoga practice this morning.  It was a 75 minute class focused on relieving anxiety, something I needed today after getting back from a long spring break trip.  I feel achy from all of the traveling and anxious about all of the things that need to be done RIGHT NOW.  I felt ready to face my day as well as an increase in flexibility after just one session.

If you're looking for something to enrich your home yoga practice I recommend this site. You can get a free trial week by using this invitation.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

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Lunch, WWII Sites, and Old Friends in Nuremberg

We got home from our spring break trip last night but we had one last day of site seeing today.
Our friends Steve, Amanda, and their beautiful little girl Reagan were in Nuremberg for the day. When Steve and I took world history together in college I never imagined that we would tour some of the sites many years later with our daughters in tow. Our professor told us that we would have to come up with and correctly spell the long German words on our exams and if we didn't think we could do it then we could just drop the class right away. He made an impression!
They are vegetarians too and it is tough to find vegetarian food in Nuremberg unless you want to pick up a falafel to go. So, the only place to take them was Chesmu. We were a little bit apprehensive about taking them there because the last time we went it took three hours to get our food. Their daughter is 17 months old and that's a long time for a little one to sit in a restaurant. This time we were hurried through because we didn't have a reservation and they were busy. There was a large group celebrating a first communion. Kenny and I both had the tofu, potato pancakes, and a salad. Sophia had the carrot and peanut soup with a salad. The food was delicious and we were in and out quickly. Sophia got ice cream on our walk back to the train station.








The first site we visited was Courtroom 600 where the Nuremberg Trials were held. The museum offers audio guides with different programming for adults and children with the entrance price. Sophia was surprisingly interested in the site because she wanted to know what happened to the bad guys in Anne Frank's Diary. We toured her hiding place just a few days ago.








Next we saw the unfinished Congress Hall, the largest preserved national socialist monument. It is an imposing structure even though it is incomplete. It seems strange that the spring fest with its celebratory atmosphere was just outside.








We walked around the lake to get to the grandstand where Hitler used to address the crowds. It was strange to have my daughter stand there.
We said goodbye to our friends, happy that our paths could cross briefly in our crazy lives as military families.




We popped into the fest for a quick ride on the ferris wheel so that our day did not end on a melancholy note. We didn't have time for any fest treats because we had to get back to our train, but Sophia got some gummis and I got some tea from a vending machine on our platform. I love that vending machines here spit out tea. Don't know that I would find that in America.
And with that Sophia's spring break is over and it's back to real life tomorrow.

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Trash Chic in Cologne

Trash Chic in Cologne is a pub that offers casual vegetarian and vegan food.

I felt a bit strange taking Sophia into the dark smoky atmosphere. No smoking was allowed during the time we were there but you can light up after a certain time.

I had to let go of my healthy eating plan for an evening but the food was tasty. Kenny wanted to take a picture of me eating my big Hawaii veggie burger and fries for blackmail. Kenny had a BBQ burger and Sophia had a veggie schnitzel.

The food was inexpensive but the lingering smoke bothered me so I think next time I'll ask for my food to go. It makes me wonder what kind of people are vegetarian smokers. Seems crazy.

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Keukenhof Gardens

Using public transportation to get to Keukenhof Gardens from Amsterdam is a bit involved. Kenny thinks it's a racket to try to funnel tourists to the tour companies.

We stood in line at the tourist office just outside of the main train station. They offered a package deal including transportation and garden tickets.

The trouble was that the transportation involved a train ride to the airport and then a bus ride to the gardens. We were also supposed to buy Sophia's train ticket inside the station because the tourist office didn't sell the reduced fare tickets. We don't have a pin number for our credit card and our debit card wouldn't work in the machine. The line at the ticket counter was prohibitively long so we decided to just take our chances with Sophia and it wasn't a problem on the crowded airport train. The whole process just seemed a little difficult for a wildly popular tourist destination.





Finally we got there and I was able to take a deep breath and enjoy the spectacular gardens. I know how difficult it is to try to keep my own small garden in order so I could appreciate the effort involved in maintaining such a huge garden.








There were of course lots and lots of flowers, but there were also sites to surprise children like a maze, a petting zoo, a playground, a windmill, and stepping stones in water.











Sophia was happy for about an hour and then she said she was bored and didn't want to walk anymore. How did I get a sullen teenager for a 7-year-old? I didn't think it was likely that she was tired like she claimed. She walked all over New York City without complaint when she was four and countless other cities since. We went ahead and sat down to an overpriced lunch to try to regroup. She pulled it together a little bit but was still crabby and we still had a lot to see. I needed a brilliant parenting trick to save the day and happily I found something that worked. I let her use the small camera to take pictures of whatever she wanted. Suddenly the gardens were intriguing to her and she had a fabulous time. Pfew.



We enjoyed the rest of our time in the beautiful gardens, happy that the sun came out to enhance our view.

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Restaurant Betty's in Amsterdam - A Must for Vegetarians

Restaurant Betty's in Amsterdam is a must visit for vegetarians or people who just enjoy good food. It has a tripadvisor rating of 11 out of over 1,000 which is great for a vegetarian restaurant.

We were if course delighted to find more excellent vegetarian food, but Betty's offered a unique dining experience as well.

The rustic tables, spice-filled shelves that line the walls, and the casually dressed couples were deceptively laid-back.

As we walked in Kenny got the impression that seven-year old Sophia was not necessarily welcome so we made sure to order a lot.

The restaurant has a unique concept. There is no menu, no prices, and you absolutely must have a reservation.

There is a set menu but you can choose how much of it you want to eat. We opted in for everything, drinks, appetizers, bread, the entree, and dessert.

The owner was the only person manning the front of the house. We had to wait a little while for our drinks but once we had his attention he explained our food in great detail. When our food came he brought spices and special oils to the table to let us smell before he seasoned some of the dishes.

We had only been seated for several minutes when a father and teenage daughter tried to walk in. They were turned away. The owner said they were fully booked though a couple of tables remained empty. Later a man tried to come in and he was told the kitchen was closed. As we left we saw a sign on the door that said the kitchen closed at eight.

After observing all of this I was reminded of something I had read in Paris regarding the perceived snootiness of restaurant employees. The book explained that showing up unannounced at a restaurant in France is like showing up unannounced at somebody's house and expecting to be fed. It's just bad manners. If you show up with no reservation you should be early, apologetic, and not surprised or upset if you're turned away. This restaurant practiced this philosophy more than any restaurant we went to in Paris.

If I were to have a restaurant I would like to employ this concept. I would cook what I wanted according to the season and what ingredients were fresh. I would want people to make a reservation so I would know how much food to buy and prepare. I would go ahead and list my prices though so people could eat and drink in comfort without worrying about the price of the meal.



So, the food. It was fresh, delicious, and not at all generic. The bread was a freshly baked whole-grain walnut bread. We were disappointed when it was gone. The appetizer was a lentil soup and a mezze-style platter with a fresh bean dish, cauliflower, and orzo with wonderfully salty pistachios.












The entree also consisted of several dishes. We had polenta with spinach and the white asparagus that is in season and wildly popular right now. We had a mixed greens salad topped with apples, tender dried cherries, and cherry tomatoes that were so flavorful that I was glad that winter and the accompanying bland produce is behind us. We had a Greek stew with broad beans, similar to what we had in Cyprus. And we had couscous with fresh peas.






We certainly weren't hungry anymore but we felt like we had to compensate for Sophia's presence and the desserts in the glass case looked delightful so we indulged in two. Sophia chose a mascarpone cheesecake with berries and I got a chocolate, caramel, coconut tart topped with hazelnuts which tasted like an updated version of dream bars. We of course shared with Kenny.

It was another wonderful meal. It made me forget about the earlier misery of getting drenched on our bikes. I'm glad that we are able to find a few places in this world where we can experience more than salad, pasta, and pizza when we're traveling.

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Amsterdam by Bike

Exploring Amsterdam on a bike was terrifying and thrilling.

There were moving obstacles everywhere -bikes, scooters, cars, trams, pedestrians- and I was never sure who had the right of way. I often say that Europeans require less personal space than Americans and I felt that on the bikes. People would crowd right in at stop lights or ride so close on my left that I was sure that I would run into them if I had to swerve to avoid a parked car.

It didn't help that my bike was big and bulky. It was too big and too small at the same time. My feet barely touched he ground, yet my legs didn't quite extend far enough when riding. I felt like I would lose my balance or run into something if I had to look over my shoulder.

But, even with the craziness it was an excellent way to get around. It's what the locals do so it was a way for us to experience the culture.



We got our bikes from Mac Bike at the train station. Sophia wasn't enthusiastic about doing a lot of walking so this was a great way to get her excited about our day.

We were initially disappointed that they were out of bikes her size however I became quickly thankful that she rode safely on the back of Kenny's bike once I saw how crazy the ride would be. She's a good, strong rider but she is only seven and surely lacking in the sophistication needed to manage these streets.



We found a flower market where I purchased some summer bulbs that I can plant in my garden when I get home.



We had lunch at Proust Cafe, just a little corner place that we happened upon. Sophia had a pancake. I had a beautiful goat cheese salad with roasted peppers and an olive tapenade. Kenny had a sandwich made with local cheese. It was a nice little stop.



And, we toured the house where Anne Frank hid from the Nazis. It was particularly sobering to visit with my own young daughter. We couldn't imagine being holed up in such a small, dark place for two years only to find that a much worse fate awaited. We were particularly thankful for our freedom today.



As we rode to scope out the restaurant where we were going for dinner the sky blackened and it poured on us. Another authentic experience. We found some shelter and decided we would ride back to the hotel to change before dinner. My jeans were soaked through and the hood of my jacket wouldn't stay on. By the time we reached the hotel my fingers could barely fumble with the elaborate lock that we have to use to secure the bike from potential thieves. We made some memories today for sure.

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