Do you ever find yourself saying “I have the best job ever?” out loud to no one in particular? If you don’t then I suggest you quit your job and seek out your true passion or dharma; Sanskrit for your “path of righteousness,” so that you’re able to find harmony! I can’t believe I got so many of you with my April Fools’ joke about quitting teaching yoga! Never in a million years would I do that! Even though just like any job, teaching yoga has its ups and downs, the students are what keep me doing what I do. Meeting new people, learning their names, bodies, practices and idiosyncrasies makes me so happy and I feel very rewarded at the end of each day. So yes, I really do say out loud to no one in particular that I have the best job ever; the smile is not fake! 

Case and point: I’m headed to San Francisco for the FIRST time this weekend, or as the Californians would say “The Bay Area,” to celebrate my 35th birthday, with my hubby in tow. We’re headed to the Bubblyfest Pop-Up at Firehouse No. 8 in Russian Hill. After all the fun I had at the festival in Pismo last fall, I jumped on the chance to experience it again! Two of my students, Louise and Steve, overheard me mention my plans and they surprised me with a gift card to a very fancy Vietnamese restaurant called The Slanted Door located in the Ferry Building. Andy and I love love love Vietnamese food and they are known for their high quality and sustainable menu. My students are the very best, see what I mean?

I bought this months ago at a thrift shop in anticipation for the trip! Cannot wait to be back in a CITY!!!!

Everyone keeps asking me how my Easter was. Really? Totally uneventful. I’m not five anymore so I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Judging from my Facebook though, which was over the top religious this year for some reason, every one of my friends with kids had Easter egg hunts, colored eggs, ate chocolate and ham too. Boy is Facebook becoming more and more like Your Kid’sBook. I mean I like pictures of kids, but what I really, really, really love are pictures of dogs!

So anyways, I spent my Easter reading, napping and snacking and I taught a yoga class. But this was not your usual class; my student Marie hired me to surprise her husband Kal, also a student of mine, with a private lesson for him and the family. Nothing says “I Love You” like the gift of yoga, eh?! This is what I mean about having the best students; not only are they supporting me outside of the studio but instead of buying material things that could very well end up in the trash one day, they’re giving yoga to each other  instead. These are my kind of people folks!

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Alright, let’s get to food because I still have to pack for my big trip tomorrow! Two of my friends were asking me how they can still eat Italian food without feeling so guilty afterwards. Of course I was like, “Um, do you read my blog? Italian food isn’t bad for you!” If you’re loading up on garlic bread, heavy pasta dishes, deep dish pizza and fried mozzarella sticks then yes, you will get fat from Italian food and quickly so stop eating like a pig! I LOVE baked ziti but it can go wrong before you even get the water boiling if you’re choosing the wrong products. Instead of using whole wheat or white pasta, choose quinoa instead. Not only is it better for you, but it’s not as filling so you won’t overeat it and you won’t feel overly stuffed. These are my favorite products from Trader Joe’s but you can absolutely find quinoa pastas wherever it is that you shop!

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Baked “Ziti” Quinoa- serves 2 or more 

Ingredients:

-2 cups quinoa pasta (dry)

-1/2 yellow squash, chopped

-1/2 zucchini, chopped

-1/2 red onion, diced

-2 cups tomato sauce (I used my homemade recipe)

-goat cheese

-olive oil or coconut oil

To prepare this simply boil your pasta, sauté the veggies, and then mix together. Crumble some goat cheese on top and toss in the oven at 350 for 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts! Mangia!

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Lastly, I’ll leave you with this short story collection recommendation by the one and only Mr. Raymond Carver. I first fell in love with his writing in college when I read the story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love in a Short Stories class. I was sold by his provocative and eloquent writing style and I haven’t read one thing I didn’t like by him. I’m in a reading challenge with my friend Katie and one of the categories is a “book of short stories” so when I saw this, I just about jumped up and down!