T-minus 5 Days Until We’re in Nicaragua!

  It’s that time of year again where we say goodbye to Central Oregon winter and hello to Nicaraguan sunshine. This go around we will be adventuring up around Matagalpa and Esteli before heading down to San Juan del Sur. I promise to take LOTS of pictures… Steve just got me a new camera for Valentine’s Day, so I’m super excited to take it out and play with it. This trip is another half play/ half work trip. We will be checking out Finca Esperanza Verde for a possible future yoga retreat then heading down the coast to check out Aqua Wellness just north of San Juan del Sur. This year I will be hosting my second yoga retreat in Nicaragua at Costa Dulce, which I’m super excited about. I love how it feels like you’re at the edge of the world, just you, a handful of other yogis, and the ocean. It pretty much rocks. I hope to post … Continue reading

Nicaragua Yoga and Surf Retreat

I finally get to combine my favorite activities: yoga, water, travel, hiking and food!!! Steve and I will be hosting an All-Inclusive Yoga and Surf Retreat in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua February 28- March 7, 2015. We’d like to … Continue reading

Lobster Mushroom Bisque

  OMG…. Heaven in a bowl!!! I seriously couldn’t get enough of this stuff. When are we going mushroom hunting again??? Unfortunately lobster mushroom season is slowly coming to an end in the Pacific Northwest. This was my first season … Continue reading

Big Slide Lake

So this past weekend Steve, the pups and I went on our first backpacking trip of the season. We usually get started with our backpacking season earlier in the year, but this spring we went on a trip to Nicaragua … Continue reading

Monkey-ing Around At Sepilok

Steve and I spent a night in Sepilok on our way to the Kinabatangan River. And I’m so happy we did. We stayed at Sepilok B&B which was adorable AND it had AC!!! Not a whole lot of food options … Continue reading

The Anti-Green Juice

  Us yogis and foodies are always blabbing about the benefits of green juice and green smoothies, but what about purple juice, orange juice, or pink juice? I made a pretty rockin’ orange juice today….with no actual oranges in it. … Continue reading

Central America Packing List

On of our favorite places to travel to is Central America and fortunately we get to spend time there every couple of years. It is, after all, where Steve and I met. Sometimes our trips are short ten day trips … Continue reading

T-minus 5 Days Until We’re in Nicaragua!

 

Nicaragua-yoga-retreat-sunset

Every single night we were in Nicaragua last year we were blessed with a beautiful sunset.

It’s that time of year again where we say goodbye to Central Oregon winter and hello to Nicaraguan sunshine. This go around we will be adventuring up around Matagalpa and Esteli before heading down to San Juan del Sur.

I promise to take LOTS of pictures… Steve just got me a new camera for Valentine’s Day, so I’m super excited to take it out and play with it.

This trip is another half play/ half work trip. We will be checking out Finca Esperanza Verde for a possible future yoga retreat then heading down the coast to check out Aqua Wellness just north of San Juan del Sur. This year I will be hosting my second yoga retreat in Nicaragua at Costa Dulce, which I’m super excited about. I love how it feels like you’re at the edge of the world, just you, a handful of other yogis, and the ocean. It pretty much rocks.

I hope to post pictures soon! In the meantime here are a few pics from last years epic yoga and surf retreat.

 

Nicaragua Yoga and Surf Retreat

I finally get to combine my favorite activities: yoga, water, travel, hiking and food!!! Steve and I will be hosting an All-Inclusive Yoga and Surf Retreat in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua February 28- March 7, 2015. We’d like to extend the invitation to all of our Fat Girl Does the World readers.

We’d love for you to escape the winter blues and join us for our 2015 All-Inclusive Yoga and Surf Retreat in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. You will experience secluded beaches, invigorating yoga, epic surf breaks, and the best food in Nicaragua! You’ll step into spring feeling calm, well-balanced, and full of energy when you treat yourself to this amazing all-inclusive yoga retreat.

We are ecstatic to be hosting our All-Inclusive Yoga and Surfing Retreat at Costa Dulce Beach Bungalows in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. This all-inclusive eco-retreat will allow you to fully step away from the outside world. Here you will find a beautiful tropical paradise that will rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. Let all your stress slip away as you enjoy twice daily yoga sessions, delicious healthy meals, and plenty of scheduled downtime to surf, read a good book, soak up the sun, and practice hammock asana.

This 7 night All-Inclusive Yoga and Surf Retreat includes: 7 nights accommodation, meals, beverages, twice daily yoga, a massage, surf lesson, guides and board rental, roundtrip shuttle from Managua (MGA) to the retreat center and a daytrip to Laguna de Apoyo. Pricing begins at $1175 USD.

Check out www.ambujayoga.com or www.nicayogaretreat.com for more details, images, etc. We’d love to have you!

 

Lobster Mushroom Bisque

 

pacific-northwest-lobster-mushrooms

Mushrooms infected by parasitic ascomycete fungus….my favorite!!!

OMG…. Heaven in a bowl!!! I seriously couldn’t get enough of this stuff. When are we going mushroom hunting again??? Unfortunately lobster mushroom season is slowly coming to an end in the Pacific Northwest.

lobster-mushroom-bisque-crusty-bread

This was my first season going mushroom picking and we had such a great time wandering in the woods! None of us got lost and we had a great haul (although we didn’t really get any of the really large chanterelles). We collected tons of yellow and white chanterelles, lobster mushrooms, and chicken of the woods. We pretty much ate mushrooms everyday of the week and we still have chanterelles in the freezer. The lobster mushrooms were definitely my favorite, but we had fun with the chanterelles and chicken of the woods too.

We made this lobster mushroom bisque from One Tomato Two Tomato with only a few changes… mostly just to accommodate what we already had in our kitchen. The bisque turned out fantastic! You would never know that their weren’t any real lobsters in it. Steve and I both went back for seconds! And the leftovers were quickly gone!

Ingredients

Serves 4.

3 lbs lobster mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
7 T. unsalted butter
1T. extra virgin olive oil
5 large shallots, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium-large yellow onion, chopped
2 T tomato paste
1⁄4 cup vodka
10 sprigs italian parsley, plus 1 T. Chopped (set aside)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large fresh bay leaves (3 if using dry)
2 cups Chardonnay
6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth (we used 4 cups veg and 2 cups chicken)
1 t. tabasco sauce
1 c. heavy cream
Kosher salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot heat the oil and butter on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until all of the moisture is released and the mushrooms begin to brown. Then add in the shallots, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for approx. 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked.

2. Stir in the tomato paste until mixed well.

3. Deglaze the pot with the vodka. Use a spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.

4. Bind the parsley and thyme together, add the bay leaves, wine and broth.

5. Simmer for up to an hour, allowing the mushrooms and vegetables to become soft.

6. Remove the bay leaves, parsley and thyme and then puree the soup in the blender in batches.

7. Add the puree back to the pot, add the heavy cream. And simmer for a bit longer.

8. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Note: We served ours with a crusty bread from the bakery and it was perfect.

The Case of the Disappearing Oatmeal Cookie

A few weeks ago I made a batch of oatmeal cookies. I was hoping I could put together a couple of really cute photos, but they disappeared. And this time it wasn’t Jedi (although he loves baked goods to a fault) it was Steve. He ate all of them!!!!

steve gremlin

You eat all the cookies before I can post about them….. I get to post a substitute photo!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or electric stand mixer beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and eggs (one at a time) making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
  4. In batches add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and then gently stir in the oats until combined.
  5. Scoop cookies onto a Silpat or lightly greased baking sheet a couple of inches apart. And cook for about 12-13 minutes.

Note: these cookies are more crispy than chewy or cakey.

Big Slide Lake

Big-slide-lake-mt.jefferson-view

View from the forest service road…not too bad

So this past weekend Steve, the pups and I went on our first backpacking trip of the season. We usually get started with our backpacking season earlier in the year, but this spring we went on a trip to Nicaragua and then we had the moms in town. Needless to say we were pretty pumped to be taking the weekend off to head up to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness. I think this is only the second hike I have ever done in Bull of the Woods, so it was nice to explore it a bit more. We took the Dickey Creek trail all the way up to Big Slide Lake where we camped for the night.

Quick Stats

Distance: 12 miles

Time: 4 hours each way

Difficulty: difficult, pretty steep in parts with loose rock, many logs to climb over, and a fun creek crossing

Permit: Yes, NW Wilderness Pass, get it ahead of time because there isn’t a pay station at the trailhead

Dog friendly: Yes, plenty of shade and creeks for cooling off in…and of course there is the lake too

Pros: Beautiful mossy forest, pretty lake and creek, trail wasn’t busy, wildflowers and rhododendrons,

Cons: steep and loose trail in spots, all uphill on day one and all downhill on day two, crowded weekend camping at the lake, people didn’t bury their poo

big-slide-lake-2

Our destination for the night…wasn’t quite warm enough for swimming.

It took us about three hours to drive to the Dickey Creek Trailhead from Bend. Our google directions had us take about an hours worth of gravel roads, which we didn’t really need to do, but it added to the sense of adventure, so why not? It took us the same amount of time to get home when we took mostly paved roads.

Big-Slide-lake-mossy-trail

Steve…trying to look outdoorsy..or contemplative… I’m not sure

The Dickey Creek trail begins harmlessly enough as it follows an old forest road, but don’t be fooled. You will have multiple opportunities to fall on your ass as the trail steeply descends into the valley. Have fun with it! I didn’t! It took me 20 minutes to get down the first steep section because I was being stubborn and didn’t want to get out my trekking poles…. I ended up borrowing Steve’s for this section. Advice: Pack your poles and use them. Other people camping at the lake commented multiple times that they wish they had brought theirs.

Thankfully, after the trail makes its initial descent into the valley via slippery slopes and some massive steps it becomes a beautiful hike through moss covered forest as it gently meanders by massive trees and over a few logs.

Big-slide-lake-forest

Where’s Waldo? I mean Steve?

Dickey Creek is absolutely gorgeous at the creek crossing. Make sure to cross on the logs, it’s way easier than crossing on the mostly slippery rocks. I tried both… because I’m a glutton for punishment. I had my Tevas with me so I kicked off my boots and slipped into my Tevas for the first creek crossing and just walked straight across. I thought the water felt amazing, Steve thought it was frigid.

Big-slide-lake-dickey-creek

Dickey Creek at the Creek Crossing.

After the creek crossing the trail climbs up and up and up with no relief. I happen to enjoy uphill way more than the downhill slip and slide, but when you go up you must go down too. Eventually the trail splits (at a Y); veer right at the Y and head downhill to the lake and another easy creek crossing.

Blue skies

Blue skies

The lake is beautiful. It’s supposedly a great place for fishing, although we didn’t see any trout. We did see a ton of Salamanders swimming around though.

Big-slide-lake-island

Good morning!!!

I bet the water in the lake gets pretty warm during the summer. It looked pretty shallow all around….next time I’m packing a pool floaty.

big-slide-lake-june-wildflowers

June wildflowers along the trail.

And the wildflowers. I love all the wildflowers this time of year. I’m not a flower buff and I don’t know the official names, but I do appreciate the beautiful color.

big-slide-lake-sal-morning-swim

Sal hunting for salamanders….

So that’s Sal in picture above. He is our SUPER hyper-active pup, who’s not actually a pup anymore. He’s always game to play, whether it’s frisbee, ball, fetch, hunt for salamanders, jumping, climbing, acrobats, or rolling in nasty things. He has more energy than any other dog I’ve ever met.

Like I said in the Cons for this trail, most of the sites were already taken when we arrived at the lake. The only two sites that were still available were wedged between a group with two “dog aggressive” dogs and a group with a little girl, aged about 7, the type that Sal likes to eat for dinner. SO needless to say our sites were perfect (note sarcasm)!!!!

The first site was slightly more private, but as we were unpacking our backpacks Wonder Dog (Sal) found a lovely pile of unburied human feces and anointed himself with human shit; all over his face, neck, back, collar and harness. So we packed up and moved over to the tiniest site I’ve ever camped in…. but atleast it was further away from Sal’s poo fest. People please bury your feces…and don’t poo 15 feet outside of camp. I mean really???? I do not like having to bury other people’s poo and I’m pretty sure Steve didn’t enjoy washing someone else’s shit off of Sal.

big-slide-lake-trail-indian-paintbrush

indian paintbrush…. that’s probably not its real name

After cleaning up and setting up our micro-site we rewarded ourselves with some cabernet, thank god we packed it…. and it was well deserved. Neither of us lost our tempers… and we had a good laugh after the fact. I really wanted to call this hike Fecal Matters, but Steve vetoed it.

big-slide-lake-rhododendrons

Wild rhododendrons blooming.

After Sal went for his morning swim we hit the trail. The morning air was nice and crisp and it was the perfect hiking temperature. Parts of the trail reminded me of the hike up to Snow Lake on the way into the Enchantments, but obviously on a much smaller scale.

big-slide-lake-trail

Many big slides…. I wonder how the lake got its name.

big-slide-lake-trail-sal

Parts of this trail reminded me of the Enchantments in Washington. (I think Sal is mean mugging me)

Sal loves to hike right on our heels, while Jedi is off in Jedi land with rainbows, glitter, and unicorns…. that’s why you don’t see any pics of him here.

big-slide-trail-3

Deep green forest.

The trail in the woods was really lovely, super soft for walking, not too many roots/rocks, BUT you do have to climb over probably 20 down trees along the trail…it’s a fantastic core workout!!!

big-slide-lake-trail-2

Day on the trail.

We will definitely head back to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness. It was really pretty and felt incredibly remote. I kept hoping to see a bear or other wildlife, but no luck.

Resources

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland: Including the Coast, Mount Hood, St. Helens, and the Santiam River

Summit Post

Portland Hikers

 

Monkey-ing Around At Sepilok

Malaysia-sepilok-orangutan-5

quiet contemplation for this little guy/girl

Steve and I spent a night in Sepilok on our way to the Kinabatangan River. And I’m so happy we did. We stayed at Sepilok B&B which was adorable AND it had AC!!! Not a whole lot of food options around Sepilok, so we just ate at the hotel. One afternoon one of the guests found a black scorpion in their room, so they put it in a container, so we could all safely take a look. In hindsight, we probably should have asked them to let it go. Also, some type of water snake had made it up to the property and there were a handful of kittens around….so there was essentially always something random to keep us entertained.

The Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is definitely a tourist trap, but it’s probably the best tourist trap I’ve been to. The orangutans aren’t restricted. They are completely free to come and go as they please. The Sanctuary gives them two feedings a day, so they can forage for food, but there will always be a meal for them. And how can you resist all of the monkeys…. I could have watched them for hours….we were definitely some of the last in the park the day that we went. Here are just a few of the hundreds of pics that I took.

Malaysia-sepilok-orangutan-6

Crotch shot and a meal on the run….still pretty cute though

Malaysia_Sepilok_Orangutan-7

This little guy was scoping out the feeding platform before swinging down for lunch

Malaysia-Sepilok_Orangutan-3

He looks like he is completely in love with that piece of fruit

Malaysia_Sepilok_Orangutan-1

This little macaque was a total opportunist. He knew exactly which orangutans would share their food with him

Malaysia_Sepilok_Orangutan-2

CHOW!!!

Malaysia-Sepilok_orangutan-4

Play time…

The Anti-Green Juice

anti-green-juice

Nothing green about this….

 

Us yogis and foodies are always blabbing about the benefits of green juice and green smoothies, but what about purple juice, orange juice, or pink juice?

I made a pretty rockin’ orange juice today….with no actual oranges in it. A little tart, a little sweet, a little bitter, and a little spicy.

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

2 servings.

3 ruby Red Grapefruits, rind removed
2 Nectarines, pitted
1 Sweet Potato
1 inch of ginger
2 carrots

Instructions:

1. Rinse and prepare your fruits and vegetables and then juice the hell out of them. I double processed mine to get a little extra juicy goodness….and I like the pulp.

2. Enjoy!!!

Central America Packing List

Granada

Granada, Nicaragua

On of our favorite places to travel to is Central America and fortunately we get to spend time there every couple of years. It is, after all, where Steve and I met. Sometimes our trips are short ten day trips and other times they are a month or longer, but what I’ve found is that you don’t need to pack more just because your trip is longer. Just pack smarter!

Our upcoming trip is both business and pleasure, but realistically there will be more business. We’ll be scoping out sites for an upcoming yoga and surf retreat. And we’ll be spending our time connecting with the local yogis and surf instructors, meeting with retreat organizers, and local business owners. So we will need gear for business and fun. I was really hoping to be able to take just a carry on backpack, but I will be taking yoga photos and unfortunately I will have to do my hair at least one day on the trip, so I’m begrudgingly bringing a hairdryer and straightener (which I would honestly never suggest bringing, who wants to blow dry their hair when it’s 90+ degrees out!). This trip I will be lugging around extras like: a yoga mat and yoga clothes, a camera, gorilla pod, laptop, phone…. you get the picture. I will be amazed and ecstatic if I can get it to all fit in a carry on bag. I believe in  MIRACLES!!!!

A waterfall on the Ruta de las Flores in El Salvador

A waterfall on the Ruta de las Flores in El Salvador

So I put together this Central America Packing List partially to help myself when it comes to packing for our trip, but to also help others with packing for their upcoming trips to Central America. This list is more geared toward those who will be backpacking/flashpacking in Central America or who will be going on a yoga/surf holiday.

Organization

First off let’s talk organization. If you can find a way to organize your stuff that makes sense you will spend far less time digging through your luggage and getting frustrated because you can’t find what you’re looking for. When I first started traveling I used ziploc bags, they’re super lightweight and they’re see-through, so you know exactly what’s in them. Now that I’m getting older, I’ll be 30 in just over a month, I’ve upgraded my organization system and I love it!!! Here’s what I use:

Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack(2)
Eagle Creek Pack-It Half Cube (1) and Pack-It Half Tube Cube(1)
REI small compression sack (1) for dirty clothes
Plan A Backpack: Kelty Redwing 40 Internal Frame Pack
Plan B Backpack:Gregory Women’s Jade 60 Backpack
Plastic folder for important documents, receipts, itineraries, etc. (1)
Crappy canvas beach bag (1)

The Sea to Summit bags kick major ass! They’re heavy duty. They won’t tear and they’ll keep your clothes dry even when the rest of your bag is soaked. In my opinion, they are worth every single cent. They’re a little heavier than some of the other dry bags, but really it’s negligible and they’ll pack your clothes down nice and small. If you’re getting one make sure it’s the right size. I usually use one for tops and one for bottoms. I’ll also be using my Eagle Creek half cube for all of my toiletries, sunscreen, etc. and my half tube for all of my little electronics and miscellaneous cords and chargers. This system worked perfectly for our Southeast Asia trip, so I’m assuming it will work just as well this time around.

Clothing

1 Pair of quick drying socks like Smartwool’s PhD socks
3 pairs of underwear, my faves for traveling are still ExOfficio Women’s Give-N-Go Lacy Low Rise Bikini
Bra (1)
Swimsuits (2)
Sarong (1)
Shorts (2) I’m packing my Roxy Board Shorts and my new Nike Women’s Boyfriend Shorts
Tank tops (3) (cheapies from Target)
Dresses (1-2) (lightweight, wrinkle resistant)
T-shirt (1)(lightweight cotton or wicking)
Long sleeve cardigan or zip-up (1)
Rain jacket/poncho like Patagonia’s Torrentshell (1)
Pants (1)(lightweight, quick drying); I’m loving my prAna Halle Pants

The fun part… deciding what clothes to pack. This is always tough for me because I like options, but then I end up wearing the same thing day after day. 3 pairs of underwear is all you will need for any trip (if there is water available for washing) and I still swear by ExOfficio’s Give and Go panties. They are ridiculously quick drying and they’re virtually stain resistant, which is awesome when you get traveller’s diarrhea… seriously accidents happen. And I still love my Roxy Fold-over Boardies….they’re so comfy…although not exactly practical for surfing…I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t stay on in a big wave. And if you’ve been reading my blog you’ve probably heard me rave about the importance of a sarong and it’s multiple uses: skirt, dress, towel, beach blanket, privacy screen, etc…. you get the picture. Don’t worry if you don’t have one…pretty much any major beach destination will have them for sale. Steve and I will be in Nicaragua during shoulder season, May unfortunately is the first month of their rainy season, so I’ll be lugging a rain jacket with me, although an umbrella would do the trick too. But I’m bringing a jacket in case we get caught in a rainstorm while hiking or something. I’m also packing one pair of pants, hoping that I don’t need to wear them. I’ve been loving my PrAna Halle pants…. they’re water resistant, can be turned into capris, and they don’t look as ridiculous as most “travel” pants.

Shoes

1 pair of trail runners/sneakers (old ones that you’d be okay with leaving behind)
1 pair of flip-flops (like Havaianas), Tevas or Chaco Sandals

I think these are pretty self explanatory: Old sneakers for muddy trails and climbing on rocks and sandals for everything else. The only downside to flip-flops is they’re not so great for climbing over rocks or on muddy paths. If you brought a pair of Tevas/Chacos, you could get away with not even packing sneakers (or socks for that matter). Awesome!

Toiletries

Sunscreen 30 SPF and 15 SPF
Moisturizer/after sun lotion
Shampoo
Ultra-moisturizing conditioner like Alba Botanica Hawaiian Cocoa Butter Conditioner
Minimal make-up (Diorshow Blackout Waterproof Mascara, NARS Duo Eyeshadow, eye lash curler, Burt’s Bees lip balm, Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer, blush) and know that you won’t wear it.
Body wash
Coconut oil for face, skin, and hair
Wide-tooth comb
Razor
Kiss My Face Moisture Shave (3.4 Oz.)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Tweezers
Compact mirror
Lunette Menstrual Cup
Alba Botanica Natural 3-in-1 Clean Towellettes or other gentle wipe
Nail clippers
Deodorant
Castille soap
Small first-aid kit
Pain meds (Arnica, Ibuprofen, Blue Magic, and Excedrin)
Bug Repellent
Hair dryer/straightener/curling iron (if you must)

Toiletries always take up more space than you want them to. Alba Botanica’s Cocoa Butter conditioner is AMAZING!!! It’s the only thing that has been able to tame Steve’s crazy frizzy curls. I love it because my hair actually feels moisturized after I rinse it out, silky soft and detangled!!! I don’t think I will even go back to Biolage. I hate wearing makeup in the tropics, so I’m kinda bummed that I will be packing it for this trip, but when I do have to pack it waterproof is definitely the way to go and I swear by the Diorshow Mascara and Tarte concealer…. and Nars always has nice color palettes and they go on so smooth. When I’m at home I use Alba’s pineapple enzyme face wash religiously, but I know that when I travel I can be a bit lazy when it comes to washing my face, so their wipes are the next best thing and they’re a lazy girls best friend. Kiss My Face makes the best shave cream, it’s the smoothest hands down and they make it in a travel size… lucky for us. And finally the Lunette cup…. this was probably my best purchase 0f 2013. I use it every single month now and I only use tampons in an emergency. The Lunette lets you wait up to 12 hours (although I’ve gone longer) before changing it, so it’s perfect for long travel days or even just spending the day at the beach….no more soggy tampons. Seriously get one!!!

Yoga Extras

My trusty million pound Manduka PRO Yoga mat (I might actually take one of my other lighter mats)
Hugger Mugger Eco Bamboo Yoga Towel
booty shorts like my Under Armour HeatGear® Sonic Shorties(2)
Teeki Yoga Pants(1-2)
yoga tanks (2)
sports bras (2)
Calvin Klein Seamless Thong Panty (2)
grapefruit, bergamot, clary sage essential oil blend

I’m torn on whether to pack my Manduka mat or one of my cheapies for this trip. My Manduka is definitely the most comfortable mat I’ve ever practiced yoga on, but I would be pretty bummed if it got lost/stolen…. and it’s pretty heavy. I think it will end up being a last minute decision for me. Between Steve and I we have three of the Hugger Mugger Bamboo towels…. and we need them. We both sweat a ton and they keep our mats from turning into slip and slides…. but they’re kinda bulky, so they may not make it in the bag either. I wonder how my sarong would work as a yoga towel? Under Armour shorties will definitely make it in the bag…. I love them, because they don’t show the cellulite on my butt, they don’t ride up in the front and they pack up nice and small. And I will pack at least one pair of yoga pants, probably my Teeki pants because they also pack up nice and small. And because I’m not quite down with going commando in public I will be packing a couple pairs of seamless thongs, so I won’t have panty lines in yoga class. And I am mildly addicted to my grapefruit, bergamot, clary sage essential oil spray..it’s so lovely and energizing. It’s an instant mood uplifter.

Business Stuff, Electronics, & Miscellaneous

Old Macbook Pro
Old Iphone
Business Cards
Digital Camera (Canon EOS Rebel; Point and shoot)
Kindle
Ipod Mini
Portable Speaker
GoPro
Chargers for all devices
Joby GP3 GorillaPod Tripod
Headlamp
Reusable water bottle
Knife (if I’m checking my bag)

I remember the days of electronics free traveling, but I’ll be working on this trip, so I have the privilege to lug around 20 lbs. of gear… okay, maybe not 20 lbs., but it will seem like it. We will have the cameras, GoPro and Gorilla Pod for yoga and surf photos/video and the Macbook for photo editing and blog/website updating, the Ipod and speakers for yoga music and the old Iphone for phone calls, meetings, reservations, etc. And I’ll be packing my kindle for chill out hammock time. Unfortunately, I think these will all be essential for our trip. Whatever you do don’t forget your headlamp!!! It’s Central America… the power goes out…regularly!!!

Travel Docs

Drivers License
Passport
Flight Itinerary
Hotel Reservations
Extra Credit Card

Copan Honduras

Copan Ruinas, Honduras

 

 

Blood Orange Roasted Tofu and Asparagus

Spring is here!!! Which means asparagus is super cheap at the market. I dug and dug all over the internet for an asparagus recipe that wasn’t the same old same and came across this recipe from Eating Well. I loved that it had some of the asian flavors already in the recipe, but I thought it would be fun to add even more by upping the miso and swapping rice vinegar for balsamic. I had a blood orange in the fridge that I wanted to use up and it was SO amazing in this recipe. I don’t even know if I would make it with a regular navel orange.

Blood_orange_roasted_asparagus_and_tofu

Blood Orange Roasted Asparagus and Tofu

Ingredients

juice from one blood orange
16 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch-1 inch cubes
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
3 1/2 T. red miso
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. rice vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely sliced
2-3 teaspoons blood orange zest
salt and fresh ground white pepper, to taste
chili flakes, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 the olive oil, 1/2 the rice vinegar, and 1/2 the miso. Then add the tofu to the bowl and stir until generously coated.

3. Line cookie sheet with foil and spread the tofu out evenly on top of the foil. Roast the tofu for 15-18 minutes.

4. While the tofu is cooking whisk the remaining olive oil, miso, and rice vinegar with the blood orange zest and blood orange juice.

5. Once the tofu has cooked for 15-18 minutes mix in the asparagus and roast for another 10 minutes, or until the tofu is golden brown and the asparagus is tender.

6. Remove the asparagus and tofu from the oven, place in a large bowl and pour the sauce over it, then add the fresh basil. Stir it all together until evenly coated. Add salt, ground white pepper and chili pepper flakes until desired flavor.

 

Blackberry Bliss

Summer is right around the corner and we’re excited for long sun-filled days full of mountain biking, hiking, SUP and maybe a little day drinking. I love fresh berries and mint is always so refreshing, so I combined the two into a mojito inspired vodka cocktail and I’m pretty happy with the results!

Blackberry_Bliss_vodka_mojito

Hello Summer fun!!!

Ingredients

Serves 2.

6-8 Blackberries
5 Large mint leaves
1 1/2-2 oz. simple syrup
1 whole lime, cut into 6 wedges
3-4 oz. vodka
club soda
ice

Instructions

1. Using a handheld blender puree the blackberries, mint and simple syrup.

2. Prepare a quart size mason jar by squeezing the juice from the lime wedges into your jar and then toss the wedges in too. Add the vodka, puree and ice. Give it a quick stir and top it with soda water…. if you don’t want to share just divide the ingredients into two pint glasses. This is just as delicious without the vodka too.

3. Enjoy at the park….or on your patio. This recipe is easy to scale up if you’re having a backyard BBQ and want a fun refreshing cocktail that isn’t too sweet.