In order to stay more accountable to my new year's resolutions this year I am letting you all know my intentions for 2011. Normally, each year I have a list of things I want to accomplish - usually places I want to go, certifications I want to get, things I want to do - actual measurable achievements that act as a checklist. This year my resolutions are focused on becoming a better person. I have let go of the material, the intellectual, the physical and am focusing on the spiritual. This should not be too shocking since I am living at a yoga ashram!! I have realized these resolutions are much more difficult though because I can't just do it and check it off the list, I need to practice them every single day. I am going to type up exactly what I have written in my journal in hopes that it will inspire you in some way and also help me enforce these habits for myself. If you notice me straying off my path feel free to remind me!
January 1, 2011
I just wanted to take some time to reflect on 2010 before I fully assess the changes I want to make for 2011. This year I am proud of myself for:
*accomplishing the 200-hour Sivananda yoga teacher training course
*following my heart even if it may not be the most traditional path
*sticking with my one year commitment even though it would have been much easier to leave
*making a daily effort to become a better person and live a more virtuous life
*learning and growing from the past and others
From 2000-2010 I really grew up. I became more independent, confident in my decisions, aware of who I am and what I want instead of always trying to please others. Although I still have the habit of putting others needs way before my own, I am getting better at realizing that what I need is important and that is a major step for me! I got the glamorous career I dreamed of only to realize it was not all it was cracked up to be and it was a huge blessing to realize that I need a fulfilling life, not just a career. Some areas I would really like to work on for the future:
1. Communicate more, suppress less. I tend to be quiet and internalize things which can often create tension and problems with people because they tend to get uncomfortable when they don't know what is going through my head.
2. Balance in all things. Finding balance in helping others, exercise, yoga, nutrition, learning, family, friends, career and personal time.
3. Protect myself by setting boundaries. Take better care of myself. I often want to help everyone else and end up running myself into the ground. Stand up for myself when I need a day off, when I want something, or when I need help. Learn to say no.
4. Healthy Habits. Become more aware of what my body needs concerning rest, sleep, exercise, hydration and nutrition.
5. More discipline. This one sounds a bit strange since my life at the yoga retreat is scheduled down to the last minute of my day but I want to be more disciplined so that even when I am tired I still stick to my full asana practice, study, and meditate. This is a challenging one because I also need to find balance and healthy habits so determining when I just need to rest versus sticking to my discipline will be interesting.
6. Study more. Read and learn each day in order to contribute more to my students and loved ones. Understand yoga, ayurveda and massage deeper and apply lessons each day, in each situation. Turn the knowledge into wisdom.
7. Live in the present moment, not the future. Do not dwell on future plans, understand that things will work out the way they are supposed to. The only moment guaranteed is the present one so enjoy it as much as possible!
8. Complain less, accentuate the positive and state the facts not opinions. Finding the positive things in each situation and being grateful makes life so much better. If I work a twelve hour day there is no need to state that when talking with a friend, instead find all the lessons and wonderful things that happened over the course of the day and discuss that instead.
9. Don't be so stubborn, learn acceptance and surrender. Often times I get irritated when others try to look out for me by telling me what I need to do. I know that people are trying to help me in their own ways and be more appreciative even if it is not what I want to hear or do.
10. Radiate kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Unconditional love for all, not just friends and family. Remember this more immediately in difficult situations. All beings want happiness and to avoid suffering, even if they have funny ways of trying to achieve this! Most people are the cause of their own suffering but they still need loving kindness and compassion. A joyful smile or sincere compliment can brighten even a stranger's day.
I am happy that this year I didn't have to deal with the pressure of society to go out and party for new year's eve. I was able to take time to listen to some beautiful music, watch the fireworks on the beach and contemplate life. I have a great basis to make some positive changes and a blueprint to guide me. I am so blessed to still be alive, to be healthy and to have this year to myself. I need to make every moment count. It is going to be a fabulous year!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, September 26, 2010
So Corny
This morning I made a spicy vegan corn bread and a sweet corn chowder - here are the recipes!
Corn Chowder
4 fresh ears of corn or 3 cups drained canned corn kernels
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped celery or 3 1/2 cups cabbage
3 potatoes, chopped
2 1/4 cups soy milk
salt and pepper
1. If using fresh corn, scrape off the kernels with a sharp knife.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and saute the celery or cabbage over medium heat for five minutes. Add the potatoes and corn kernels and cover with water. *You can add the corn cobs to the liquid to improve the flavor or use the liquid from the canned corn. Half cover the pan and simmer until the corn is tender.
3. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender, discarding the cobs if they were added for flavor. Blend to a coarse puree and return the soup to the pot. Add soy milk, salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve.
Chunky Spicy Cornbread
2 Tbsp. flax seed
6 Tbsp. water
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C cornmeal
1/4 C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1 C soy milk
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 cup of corn kernals
1/8 cup jalapenos, chopped
1/3 cup of chopped green or red peppers
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease 8 inch square baking dish.
2. Place water and flax seeds in the blender, blend until it becomes a thick egg-like mixture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and black pepper until well combined.
4. Add the flax seed mixture, soy milk, and oil. Mix until smooth.
5. Add in the corn, bell peppers, and jalapenos.
6. Pour into baking pan. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Corn Chowder
4 fresh ears of corn or 3 cups drained canned corn kernels
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped celery or 3 1/2 cups cabbage
3 potatoes, chopped
2 1/4 cups soy milk
salt and pepper
1. If using fresh corn, scrape off the kernels with a sharp knife.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and saute the celery or cabbage over medium heat for five minutes. Add the potatoes and corn kernels and cover with water. *You can add the corn cobs to the liquid to improve the flavor or use the liquid from the canned corn. Half cover the pan and simmer until the corn is tender.
3. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender, discarding the cobs if they were added for flavor. Blend to a coarse puree and return the soup to the pot. Add soy milk, salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve.
Chunky Spicy Cornbread
2 Tbsp. flax seed
6 Tbsp. water
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C cornmeal
1/4 C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1 C soy milk
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 cup of corn kernals
1/8 cup jalapenos, chopped
1/3 cup of chopped green or red peppers
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease 8 inch square baking dish.
2. Place water and flax seeds in the blender, blend until it becomes a thick egg-like mixture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and black pepper until well combined.
4. Add the flax seed mixture, soy milk, and oil. Mix until smooth.
5. Add in the corn, bell peppers, and jalapenos.
6. Pour into baking pan. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
To Err is Human, To Forgive is Divine
Forgiveness is pardoning or overlooking a debt. It begins as a mental disposition but it is truly a disposition of the heart. If we don't forgive, we are the ones that truly suffer. We must learn to forgive ourselves before we can forgive others. When we sincerely want to become better we will be quicker to have insights that will allow us to forgive on a spiritual level. Remember your mistakes and learn from them but don't let them get you down. It is like the expression "Don't cry over spilt milk." You want to remember the lessons constructively and not destructively. Forgive and forget but learn.
There are many levels of forgiveness including mental, emotional, and spiritual. With mental forgiveness we arrange our thoughts in a way that allow us to forgive but this is extremely superficial. When you forgive on a mental level you will still have feelings of bitterness, it is superficial to just pardon someone. A seed of suffering will still remain deeply planted within us. With emotional forgiveness we arrange our emotions in ways that allow us to forgive. If someone hurts us it is because of the way WE see things. It is usually hurting our pride or our ego - a collection of thoughts we have about ourself. Spiritual forgiveness comes with insight we learn from the experience. It allows us to see the Divine nature of things and our hearts are full of compassion. There is no trace of emnity and forgiveness is real and not superficial. Real forgiveness is very rare; it comes from mercy and compassion. Love others as they are and don't be a fault finder. Most likely the faults you will see are your own. (It takes one to know one!) When you love others as they are it doesn't mean that you see their shortcomings and love them anyways, it means that you see them as Divine. Spiritual forgiveness is not instantaneous, it will take much time. The pain we experience when someone hurts us serves a purpose for us and the spiritual insight comes when you look upon the situation.
It is said that if you die and still have not forgiven a person then you will have to work out that karma in the next life. For example, if you die and are angry with you parents, in the next life the roles will be reversed and you will be their parents. When you are drawn to someone there is a karmic lesson waiting for you and it requires work. Most of us don't like work that much so people don't get very far and once the infatuation is over they say "bye-bye!". This causes the karma to remain instead of being worked out.
Practice forgiveness and you will become mentally strong, noble, and slow to anger. Mental strength is the amount of stress we can handle without becoming irritable. Forgiveness is the antidote for anger because it destroys it at the root. You will become slow to anger because you will not be looking for others faults, a trait that can trigger anger. When we ask for forgiveness we are actually trying to ease someone's anger. Once you forgive, truly forgive so that it cannot be recalled again - there should be no resentment.
I find the more compassion you have, the easier it is forgive. Compassion takes time to develop but like anything else, practice makes perfect! When I awake in the morning I use the following meditation:
As I awake this morning, I smile.
Twenty four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully present in every moment,
looking on all beings with eyes of compassion.
Try repeating it a few times in the morning and see how it affects your day!
There are many levels of forgiveness including mental, emotional, and spiritual. With mental forgiveness we arrange our thoughts in a way that allow us to forgive but this is extremely superficial. When you forgive on a mental level you will still have feelings of bitterness, it is superficial to just pardon someone. A seed of suffering will still remain deeply planted within us. With emotional forgiveness we arrange our emotions in ways that allow us to forgive. If someone hurts us it is because of the way WE see things. It is usually hurting our pride or our ego - a collection of thoughts we have about ourself. Spiritual forgiveness comes with insight we learn from the experience. It allows us to see the Divine nature of things and our hearts are full of compassion. There is no trace of emnity and forgiveness is real and not superficial. Real forgiveness is very rare; it comes from mercy and compassion. Love others as they are and don't be a fault finder. Most likely the faults you will see are your own. (It takes one to know one!) When you love others as they are it doesn't mean that you see their shortcomings and love them anyways, it means that you see them as Divine. Spiritual forgiveness is not instantaneous, it will take much time. The pain we experience when someone hurts us serves a purpose for us and the spiritual insight comes when you look upon the situation.
It is said that if you die and still have not forgiven a person then you will have to work out that karma in the next life. For example, if you die and are angry with you parents, in the next life the roles will be reversed and you will be their parents. When you are drawn to someone there is a karmic lesson waiting for you and it requires work. Most of us don't like work that much so people don't get very far and once the infatuation is over they say "bye-bye!". This causes the karma to remain instead of being worked out.
Practice forgiveness and you will become mentally strong, noble, and slow to anger. Mental strength is the amount of stress we can handle without becoming irritable. Forgiveness is the antidote for anger because it destroys it at the root. You will become slow to anger because you will not be looking for others faults, a trait that can trigger anger. When we ask for forgiveness we are actually trying to ease someone's anger. Once you forgive, truly forgive so that it cannot be recalled again - there should be no resentment.
I find the more compassion you have, the easier it is forgive. Compassion takes time to develop but like anything else, practice makes perfect! When I awake in the morning I use the following meditation:
As I awake this morning, I smile.
Twenty four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully present in every moment,
looking on all beings with eyes of compassion.
Try repeating it a few times in the morning and see how it affects your day!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Karma, Karma, Karma
We have finished our talks on karma with the question "Is there free will or are we pre-destined based on our karma?" Here is a summary of the discussion and some little notes of my own:
Karma teaches us to evolve. We reap the fruits of our actions with precision but there is still room for Divine grace. Grace cannot be earned or gained, it is God, it is devotion, it is absolute freedom. All spiritual traditions claim that God is love. Grace is purely God's love, we know that we don't deserve it but it loosens the bonds of karma. Grace manifests through opportunities for us to grow, not as a result. Evolution has no short cuts so we must grow through experiences.
Today as I was running I was praying to God to help me lose weight, to give me perseverance, determination, and keep me injury free. In that same moment the wind changed and started pushing against me making the run even harder. Then, some huge waves came and I was treading through water. I started laughing, I was really hoping more for fat to melt off me in the middle of the night not for my run to become more challenging! It is a silly example but we learn and grow through experiences, not miracles. We have to put in self effort. A farmer does not know if it will rain but he plows the fields and plants the seeds anyways. Rain is like the grace of God, without it there is no fruit. But, if the farmer does not put in the self effort of planting the seeds then he will definitely not get any fruit, he will just get mud!
The fruits of past actions must be experienced but there is still room for us to change how we react to these experiences. We can work with the laws of nature to remove suffering. It may be your karma to experience disease and you end up with the flu but you have the choice to suffer through it or take medicine to ease the suffering. Fighting karma is an impossible battle but you can learn to react in positive and neutral ways to prevent planting more negative seeds. The say each second there are sixty karmic seeds planted, you better make sure they are good ones! Our karma that plays out in this lifetime is like inheriting a piece of land. The size, location, and climate are pre-determined but through self effort we can make the land into a beautiful garden or a filthy dump. Destiny is your own creation through your thoughts and actions. Make an effort to plant positive seeds!
Karma teaches us to evolve. We reap the fruits of our actions with precision but there is still room for Divine grace. Grace cannot be earned or gained, it is God, it is devotion, it is absolute freedom. All spiritual traditions claim that God is love. Grace is purely God's love, we know that we don't deserve it but it loosens the bonds of karma. Grace manifests through opportunities for us to grow, not as a result. Evolution has no short cuts so we must grow through experiences.
Today as I was running I was praying to God to help me lose weight, to give me perseverance, determination, and keep me injury free. In that same moment the wind changed and started pushing against me making the run even harder. Then, some huge waves came and I was treading through water. I started laughing, I was really hoping more for fat to melt off me in the middle of the night not for my run to become more challenging! It is a silly example but we learn and grow through experiences, not miracles. We have to put in self effort. A farmer does not know if it will rain but he plows the fields and plants the seeds anyways. Rain is like the grace of God, without it there is no fruit. But, if the farmer does not put in the self effort of planting the seeds then he will definitely not get any fruit, he will just get mud!
The fruits of past actions must be experienced but there is still room for us to change how we react to these experiences. We can work with the laws of nature to remove suffering. It may be your karma to experience disease and you end up with the flu but you have the choice to suffer through it or take medicine to ease the suffering. Fighting karma is an impossible battle but you can learn to react in positive and neutral ways to prevent planting more negative seeds. The say each second there are sixty karmic seeds planted, you better make sure they are good ones! Our karma that plays out in this lifetime is like inheriting a piece of land. The size, location, and climate are pre-determined but through self effort we can make the land into a beautiful garden or a filthy dump. Destiny is your own creation through your thoughts and actions. Make an effort to plant positive seeds!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
If karma's a bitch then what are you?
I seem to hear this phrase a lot "Karma's a bitch" but I am not sure most people understand karma. Generally people think what goes around comes around but it is a little more detailed than that. Last night we began a three day discussion called "The Pathway to Happiness: Understanding the Laws of Karma". We started reading out of the Bliss Divine by Swami Sivananda and here is a summary of my notes from the lecture:
Karma means action, not merely on a physical level but thoughts are mental karma. We often feel that nobody knows our thoughts so why does it matter? Yogis believe that thoughts are our primary karma, thoughts are where action begins and where your character is molded. Our accumulated karma is our destiny, whenever we have a thought or perform an action it leaves an imprint in the mind. Look at the shallow part of the ocean on a clear day and what do you see? You will see ridges in the sand left behind by the under current of the previous waves. Thoughts leave the same impression on the subconscious mind. If you plant a seed a tree will grow, that tree will produce more seeds which will produce more trees and from one single seed you will have a forest! Karmic seeds start as a very small tendency, a single thought that will become repeated turning it into an active force in the mind. The active force will then become character traits and desires. Every thought, every action we do leaves a seed and in yoga these karmic seeds are called samskaras. Samskaras work in groups, when we have a negative thought all sorts of other negative thoughts will come to support that thought. We cannot say if a seed will manifest in this lifetime or the next because it needs certain conditions just like in a garden. When the mind is tamasic (lethargic, lazy, or depressed) or rajasic (overactive, hyper) it is more prone to mental suffering and provides the proper conditions for negative, painful seeds to manifest. Karma also means the consequence of an action. The action and the reaction are one. Lying within the seed is a potential tree, the reaction is within the action.
Karma works only on the internal level, it is only about the intention. Look at two nearly identical men in the same setting that slice another man open, one is a doctor and the other is a murderer. They may be performing the same exact action but the intention is completely different which means karmically the reaction will be completely different. If you look at creation you will see an endless chain of cause and effect, every effect becomes a cause which has the same nature. If you planted an avocado seed would you be surprised to get an avocado tree? No!! It is the same with intentions. If you plant a negative intention then it will bring suffering and pain, if you plant a pure, loving intention then it will bring happiness.
A woman at the lecture raised her hand and said "I do so many things to help others and have pure intentions in my heart but do not seem to be receiving any benefits or having more positivity in my life." and Swami Brahmananda replied "Look where you are. Just the fact that you are here at an ashram in the Bahamas is a very positive thing." We don't know when karma will come but it is like building a bank account. From what I understand, you have a bank account with all the positive and a seperate one for all of the negative. Being at an ashram is a sign of a great deal of positive karma, they say it is like being a karmic billionaire! The results of karma may not be in our hands but we can be like a gardener and prepare the soil. No link in the chain of life is unnecessary. Every single minute detail of life is absolutely necessary for us to be where we are right here in this moment. Every event has a definite cause behind it, nothing happens by chance - it is all cause and effect. Every thought we project and action we perform causes a ripple in the world and it comes back to us like throwing a boomerang. God does not reward the virtuous or punish the wicked, it is all our own doing and there is nobody else to blame. The law of karma is a law of compassion to help us evolve to realize that what we do is what comes back to us. When you act with the wisdom of karma your actions will become very powerful.
Karma yoga teaches us to transcend karma. Negative karma is like being in iron shackles, positive karma is like being in golden shackles - but they are both shackles. As long as we perform negative and positive thoughts and actions we have to repeat this cycle again and again. Negative karmic seeds comes as suffering, positive karmic seeds comes as pleasure but pleasure always causes suffering. Pleasure causes attachment and we can never have anything permanently so we suffer either by having to let go of the pleasure or being worried about it. This means no matter what we do we will hit a wall and suffering is guaranteed. Karma yoga teaches us to act in a way that frees us from the shackles, to give ourselves selflessly to the greater good with pure intentions. But even to be able to practice karma yoga we need a pure sattvic mind with lots of good karma!
Any questions? Leave your comments!
Karma means action, not merely on a physical level but thoughts are mental karma. We often feel that nobody knows our thoughts so why does it matter? Yogis believe that thoughts are our primary karma, thoughts are where action begins and where your character is molded. Our accumulated karma is our destiny, whenever we have a thought or perform an action it leaves an imprint in the mind. Look at the shallow part of the ocean on a clear day and what do you see? You will see ridges in the sand left behind by the under current of the previous waves. Thoughts leave the same impression on the subconscious mind. If you plant a seed a tree will grow, that tree will produce more seeds which will produce more trees and from one single seed you will have a forest! Karmic seeds start as a very small tendency, a single thought that will become repeated turning it into an active force in the mind. The active force will then become character traits and desires. Every thought, every action we do leaves a seed and in yoga these karmic seeds are called samskaras. Samskaras work in groups, when we have a negative thought all sorts of other negative thoughts will come to support that thought. We cannot say if a seed will manifest in this lifetime or the next because it needs certain conditions just like in a garden. When the mind is tamasic (lethargic, lazy, or depressed) or rajasic (overactive, hyper) it is more prone to mental suffering and provides the proper conditions for negative, painful seeds to manifest. Karma also means the consequence of an action. The action and the reaction are one. Lying within the seed is a potential tree, the reaction is within the action.
Karma works only on the internal level, it is only about the intention. Look at two nearly identical men in the same setting that slice another man open, one is a doctor and the other is a murderer. They may be performing the same exact action but the intention is completely different which means karmically the reaction will be completely different. If you look at creation you will see an endless chain of cause and effect, every effect becomes a cause which has the same nature. If you planted an avocado seed would you be surprised to get an avocado tree? No!! It is the same with intentions. If you plant a negative intention then it will bring suffering and pain, if you plant a pure, loving intention then it will bring happiness.
A woman at the lecture raised her hand and said "I do so many things to help others and have pure intentions in my heart but do not seem to be receiving any benefits or having more positivity in my life." and Swami Brahmananda replied "Look where you are. Just the fact that you are here at an ashram in the Bahamas is a very positive thing." We don't know when karma will come but it is like building a bank account. From what I understand, you have a bank account with all the positive and a seperate one for all of the negative. Being at an ashram is a sign of a great deal of positive karma, they say it is like being a karmic billionaire! The results of karma may not be in our hands but we can be like a gardener and prepare the soil. No link in the chain of life is unnecessary. Every single minute detail of life is absolutely necessary for us to be where we are right here in this moment. Every event has a definite cause behind it, nothing happens by chance - it is all cause and effect. Every thought we project and action we perform causes a ripple in the world and it comes back to us like throwing a boomerang. God does not reward the virtuous or punish the wicked, it is all our own doing and there is nobody else to blame. The law of karma is a law of compassion to help us evolve to realize that what we do is what comes back to us. When you act with the wisdom of karma your actions will become very powerful.
Karma yoga teaches us to transcend karma. Negative karma is like being in iron shackles, positive karma is like being in golden shackles - but they are both shackles. As long as we perform negative and positive thoughts and actions we have to repeat this cycle again and again. Negative karmic seeds comes as suffering, positive karmic seeds comes as pleasure but pleasure always causes suffering. Pleasure causes attachment and we can never have anything permanently so we suffer either by having to let go of the pleasure or being worried about it. This means no matter what we do we will hit a wall and suffering is guaranteed. Karma yoga teaches us to act in a way that frees us from the shackles, to give ourselves selflessly to the greater good with pure intentions. But even to be able to practice karma yoga we need a pure sattvic mind with lots of good karma!
Any questions? Leave your comments!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Granola Recipes
Granola is not the healthiest choice in foods but eaten in moderation it is a nice snack and I have to admit that I love it with my yogurt in the morning. I have three recipes that I use for granola - depending on the mood! Here they are, enjoy!
Peanut Butter Granola
2/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups of oats
1 cup of raisins
1. Combine the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add the vanilla.
3. Mix with the oats in a large bowl and bake for 35-40 minutes.
4. Place the raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let satand for ten minutes and then drain.
5. Add to the granola and bake an additional twenty minutes.
Coconut Granola
8 cups of oats
1 cup oat bran
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, oat bran, coconut and almonds.
2. Spread evenly on a baking sheet or two and bake for 7-8 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly toasted. Allow to cool and return to the bowl.
3. Combine the coconut milk, oils and honey in a saucepan while the oats are toasting. Bring to a boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Pour the syrup over the granola in the bowl and stir until completely coated.
5. Spread evenly over baking sheet(s) and bake for eight minutes or until fragrant and toasted. Let the granola cool and then add in the dried cranberries.
Traditional Granola
8 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups of raisins or cranberries (or a mix)
1. Combine oats, seeds and nuts in a large bowl.
2. Stir together salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir syrup over the dry ingredients to coat them evenly.
4. Spread the mixture evenly on baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir halfway through to prevent burning.
6. Cool and stir in the raisins or cranberries.
These recipes should get you started with making granola and once you try it a couple times it is fun to experiment with other ingredients. I like to line my baking sheets with aluminum foil so that it is less mess later on and I double the baking sheets to prevent it from burning. By reading the ingredients you can see why granola isn't the healthiest decision with the oils and sugars but making your own is much healthier than store bought versions with artificial sweeteners, corn syrup and who knows what else! Use granola as fuel - it is great before and during a hike or a workout. If it is hard to ration yourself to just a small portion break it into individual servings with tupperware or plastic baggies so it will be rationed out for you.
Peanut Butter Granola
2/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups of oats
1 cup of raisins
1. Combine the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add the vanilla.
3. Mix with the oats in a large bowl and bake for 35-40 minutes.
4. Place the raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let satand for ten minutes and then drain.
5. Add to the granola and bake an additional twenty minutes.
Coconut Granola
8 cups of oats
1 cup oat bran
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, oat bran, coconut and almonds.
2. Spread evenly on a baking sheet or two and bake for 7-8 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly toasted. Allow to cool and return to the bowl.
3. Combine the coconut milk, oils and honey in a saucepan while the oats are toasting. Bring to a boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Pour the syrup over the granola in the bowl and stir until completely coated.
5. Spread evenly over baking sheet(s) and bake for eight minutes or until fragrant and toasted. Let the granola cool and then add in the dried cranberries.
Traditional Granola
8 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups of raisins or cranberries (or a mix)
1. Combine oats, seeds and nuts in a large bowl.
2. Stir together salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir syrup over the dry ingredients to coat them evenly.
4. Spread the mixture evenly on baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir halfway through to prevent burning.
6. Cool and stir in the raisins or cranberries.
These recipes should get you started with making granola and once you try it a couple times it is fun to experiment with other ingredients. I like to line my baking sheets with aluminum foil so that it is less mess later on and I double the baking sheets to prevent it from burning. By reading the ingredients you can see why granola isn't the healthiest decision with the oils and sugars but making your own is much healthier than store bought versions with artificial sweeteners, corn syrup and who knows what else! Use granola as fuel - it is great before and during a hike or a workout. If it is hard to ration yourself to just a small portion break it into individual servings with tupperware or plastic baggies so it will be rationed out for you.
Keep Pushing
I have been running for the past four days at noon on the beach. The first day I ran most of the way but I had to take a few walking breaks before I could push myself to run again. The second day I ran the whole way in thirty minutes and followed it with four 15 second sprints. The third day I ran the whole way in twenty eight minutes and followed it with four 20 second sprints. Today I ran the whole way and had to tread through some waves and still increased my time to twenty six minutes and followed it with three 30 second sprints. I am getting stronger and stronger every day, in every way! No matter where you are on your path of exercise, just stick with it. Each day focus on the minor improvements and be grateful for them, let them help inspire you to push just a little harder. All you need to get great results is determination and consistency. If you have any questions that are exercise related, just ask!
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