Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Granola

I love making granola, because it's a great way for me to make use of lots of things lying around in my pantry. It's also a great way to use your almond meal if you make your own almond milk. Plus, it's a great hearty, healthy snack for road trips. So, with my journey to New Mexico just days away, it was time to make some granola. Here's the recipe: Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Granola

Yields: a little more than 2 quarts

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup maple syrup (use less if you want it less sweet)

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 cups oats

2 cups miscellaneous nuts and seeds (I used slivered almonds, walnut halves, soaked chia, almond meal, sesame seeds, and cashew pieces)

1 cup raisins

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pan over med-low heat melt the coconut oil and stir in maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract.
3. In a large bowl combine oats, mixed nuts and seeds, and raisins. Stir in granola sauce until evenly coated.
4. Spread the granola onto baking sheets about 3/4" high. Bake until lightly browned. About 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The edges will brown faster, so watch them so they don't burn.
5. Remove granola from the oven and let cool. Once cool, add your chocolate chips. Patience is important here, I can't tell you how many times I've been impatient and added the chocolate chips to early leading to giant chunks of melted chocolate. Serve with yogurt, or milk, or eat plain. Enjoy!

The Road to Solstice

Prepping for a 10-day yoga retreat called Summer Solstice has me reflecting back to this time last year when I was doing the same thing, except that I was also preparing for a move to Colorado. Life was very chaotic for me and the role that Summer Solstice played in my life last year was extremely important. The Prep

Last year's Summer Solstice came in the midst of a huge transition in my life. I had decided to leave California and move to Colorado. My two roommates and I were all planning on attending Solstice and all had huge adventures to partake in afterwards. We all agreed that the retreat would be a perfect transition point for us. The months leading up to it were quite hectic busting my ass to make extra money, tying loose ends, and packing up my life. Our household was a roller coaster of emotions with lots of highs and lots of lows.

This was the state of our house the NIGHT BEFORE we left!

From that to this in one day, was a flippin' miracle!

The Trip

Once we were in the car, all of our stress started to melt away into excitement.

Now we could enjoy an epic road trip and an amazing yoga retreat. It wasn't just us anymore either, we caravanned with two other vehicles putting our total to 9 adult yogis and one baby yogi. We all met up at our first hot spring in California for some soaking and camping.

Our Yogi family

The kids (band photo)

Never in my life have I felt more like a hippy and I absolutely loved it.

We camped under the stars (sometimes just on the side of the road), swam naked in rivers, found every hot spring we could, pooled our money together to buy food, picnicked in local parks, and went everywhere we wanted to go, ending on a mountain in New Mexico for the retreat.

The Retreat

This experience was amazing and challenging and life changing. Summer Solstice is a special event. You come together with a community of people that are compassionate, giving, and self-reflective to practice together, learn, meditate, and to help each other reach new heights.

The retreat is based off of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. He was one of the first to teach the secretive Kundalini Yoga to the public in response to the hippies of the 60s and 70s seeking spiritual fulfillment using drugs. He knew that Kundalini Yoga would give them the same experience of reaching a higher consciousness while also healing their nervous system from the damage of drug use. Kundalini Yoga is an intense practice that matches unique breathing techniques with movement to create a feeling of bliss, connectedness, and clarity.

Based on his teachings the goals of Summer Solstice are to be "happy, healthy, and holy."

It's fun, but not easy. It requires a lot of self-reflection, discipline, and breaking down of barriers. Each morning you wake up at 3:30am to participate in Sadhana, a mix of yoga, meditation, and prayer. Yes, I said 3:30am!

The rest of the day is spent participating in service (I was a veggie chopper!), attending classes, workshops, and lectures, and participating in special events. Any spare time is spent reflecting, hanging with friends, or sleeping, which is why they have sleeping tents that block out the sun and heat of a New Mexican summer.

The delicious food they serve follows the guidelines of a proper Ayurvedic diet, the yogic health principles, that leave you feeling amazing.

The most challenging and rewarding part of the retreat are the three days of 8-hour meditations done with a partner. It's intense and profound. From holding poses for an hour to holding eye contact, it's deep stuff that has you reaching depths of yourself you didn't know existed.

After over a week of nourishing your body, mind, and soul, you're left completely renewed and rejuvenated.

When I went to Solstice I chose to spend the time meditating and focusing on my future and letting go of my past and anything stopping me from pursuing my dreams. Before Solstice, I planned to move to Colorado and find a job. After Solstice, I decided to move to my hometown and that it was time to realize my dream and open a business. I attribute the changes I made in my life to the time I spent at Solstice focusing on my vision and letting go of the things holding me back. I am so grateful for that experience and what it propelled me to do.

Solstice 2015

I had a million excuses why I couldn't go to Solstice this year, so I reluctantly told my fellow yogi friends that I'd try for winter solstice. Then, about two weeks ago, I woke up with Solstice on the brain and felt this ache that I needed to go. I'm eager to see what more I can learn, discover, and let go of. That's when I realized that I shouldn't let anything hold me back from doing what feels right. I set everything in motion and in a week and a half I will be on my way to New Mexico… it's all happening! I'll keep you posted on my journey!

Hiking the Upper Peninsula: Wetmore Landing to Little Presque Isle

Wetmore Landing to Little Presque Isle and back

Type of hike: There and back

Total miles: 3.2

Hiking difficulty: moderate (uneven footing)

Directions: From Marquette drive towards Big Bay on the Big Bay Rd. (Country Road 550) for a little less than 5 miles and turn right into the parking lot. There's additional parking on the left (this lot is more accessible in the winter). The parking lot is right after a guardrail and has a small turnout lane just before the lot.

This is one of my all time favorite hikes. It's the perfect blend of amazing scenery and views of Lake superior with a heavily wooded path.

I've done this hike a bunch of times in all four seasons and I'm still discovering beauty I haven't seen before.

After finding the parking lot (there is one outhouse available, so if you need to use the restroom, this is your chance), head down the path towards Lake Superior. Once you reach the stairs that lead down to the lake you'll see a sign depicting the hikes.

Follow the path to the left toward Little Presque Isle.  This path will take you around the coast of Lake Superior and is well marked with blue markers.

The first part is pretty rocky, but keep going until you see a small detour. You can either continue straight, which will take you to Hidden Beach or keep left towards Little Presque.

This trail will take you up a large flight of stairs, which is the hardest part of the whole hike.

Then you'll continue on the path with amazing views of Lake Superior until you get another set of stairs going down.

This will take you closer to the coast and you'll continue on that until you reach Little Presque Isle.

Then you're ready turn around and head back.

I usually don't love there and back hikes, but there's something about this path that when returning it seems like a totally different trail.

Enjoy the views, the lake, the trail, and the beach.

This trail allows you to have a little bit of everything.

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Fries

I love eggplant. I really really do. I know that not everyone feels this way about eggplant, but it's absolutely delicious. I love finding creative ways to use ingredients I love, so here I found a way to enjoy eggplant in fry form… awesome! I really like a good blend of sweet and spicy, but feel free to get creative and season them how you want. Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Fries

Serves ~4

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

Cayenne, to taste

A pinch of garlic powder

Sea salt, to taste

Olive oil, to drizzle

Honey, to drizzle

1/2-1 whole lemon zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the eggplant into medallions about 1 centimeter thick and then slice into thin strips, the size of fries.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and then season with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne.
4. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and slightly crispy. Adjust seasoning adding lemon zest and more sea salt and cayenne, to taste. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!