Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here? Time flies when you’re having fun.. especially if your kind of fun is doing yoga on pumpkins, squash and anything else that seems like a challenge to balance on! At Yoga Centre, where I teach in SLO, the pose of the month is Urdhva Dhanurasana, or upward facing bow, and they encourage students and teachers alike to snap pictures of themselves in the pose for a chance to win a free month of yoga online.
That means you can take my class, or any other teacher’s, anytime, anyplace, and all for FREE! So get on Instagram, Facebook or whatever your choice of social media and have some fun trying yoga in/on new, unexpected places/ props, and see what comes of it! Since I’m about to use this pumpkin for a pie recipe I’m trying out for the holidays, I decided to slip off my shoes and get my feet wet balancing on this guy… here’s the first of many, you can be sure!
Tomorrow, I’ve been invited to a wine harvest party at Rob Murray Vineyards, who is a friend of Andy’s and mine. I circuit train/ spin with his wife Nancy in their garage and I’m always sneaking a peak into their wine closet… it’s unlocked and stocked! They have four labels including Stasis, Forces of Nature, Tooth & Nail and Amor Fati, and they are all equally complex and yummy so check them out! Nancy’s asked us to bring a dessert so I thought I’d create one in true Yummy Yogini fashion. It’s a harvest party so roll out the pumpkins!
I still had two sugar pumpkins to use and apples from my friend Lori M.’s “orchard” so I put two and two together and created a light, simple crumble using this new organic coconut sugar I found at Trader Joe’s this afternoon.. I’m a sucker for new products! It smells delicious as I pull it out of the oven but I won’t know until tomorrow because if I have a bite now, there many not be any left for the party! Oh! And check out these new dog treats too! Cute packaging eh?!
Pumpkin Apple Coconut Crumble- makes a 9×9 baking dish or a round dish
Ingredients:
-2 sugar pumpkins, de-seeded and roasted
-4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and de-cored
-2 T cornstarch
-1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
-1 tsp each of vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice
-1/3 cup organic coconut flour
-1 cup almonds, toasted
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the sugar pumpkin at the top, de-seed and place cut-side down on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. Toast the almonds for 5 minutes in the oven, with the pumpkins.
3. Peel and de-core the apples and cut in chunks.
4. When the pumpkin has cooled, scoop it out and place it in a large bowl.
5. Add the apples, corn starch, spices, salt, vanilla and sugar and mix well. Let sit for 20 minutes so it can thicken.
6. In your food processor, pulse the toasted almonds with the flour and baking powder.
7. Place your pumpkin and apple mixture in a baking dish and pour the almond crumble mixture on top.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until it bubbles. Enjoy!
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So the black bean brownies I created yesterday were a big hit with the yoga students and the hubby alike. Who knew beans could taste so good with a little chocolate? I’m hooked and I’m creating an Almond Joy-ish version of that recipe in my head as I type and you read. My Friday students requested food too since they never get any so this one is for them… I’m planning on making them arm balance away this afternoon so this will be a nice treat afterwards! And they won’t feel bad eating them because they’re gluten-free and sugar-free!
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Brownies- makes a 9×9 baking dish
Ingredients:
-1 15oz. can Libby’s pumpkin puree
-2 mashed bananas
-1 T vanilla
-1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice, nutmeg, baking soda
-1/3 cup almond butter
-1 egg
-1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
3. Add all of the other ingredients, except for the peanut butter chips, and mix well.
4. Fold in the chips last.
5. Place in a lightly greased baking dish for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Easy peesy!
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This weekend I’m planning on checking out the Butterfly Monarch in Pismo Beach. The area gets flooded with butterflies in the winter months and they will literally land on you as walk the grounds. It is so cool! I’ll post some pictures this weekend but until then, eat well, drink well, and most importantly live well. Happy Friday!