Ommmmmm....

I like working out. I used to run, but ever since I was hit with the MS stick, I've shied away from hopping back on my treadmill and flying for two or so miles.

Instead I've taken up yoga. Currently, I'm taking a Iyengar yoga class at the Lawrence Arts Center. I'm seriously hooked on yoga. I tell everyone I meet with a ailment or adversion to breaking a sweat...take yoga. Seriously. I can go into a class with a headache and leave with the greatest sense of self-worth, relaxation, and calmness...headache gone too.

The downside is that yoga isn't cheap. One class can cost anywhere from $10-$15. But I try to keep the price in perspective. Most instructors spend years learning. Why shouldn't I pay an instructor well for a gift they've taken years to perfect (or close to, as we know that perfection is the end to all things, possibly even life)? But on a cost-saving note, I'm trying to create my own home practice. Going to a class is easy. Staying at home and creating the same calmness within yourself while sitting in the midst of what's bothering you (dust bunnies, laundry, bills, etc.), well, that's exactly what yoga is all about...reaching beyond yourself and letting go.

Namaste.

Oh sweet edamame

I've been eating a lot of edamame recently (a.k.a soybeans). I love the flavor, the crunch, and the vibrant green color.

This is a new veggie for me. I was first introduced to the green beans in their pod form as an appetizer to sushi. It wasn't love at first sight, but when I spied the shelled frozen version in my supermarket, I figured I should try em (a girl can only eat so many carrots). I was hooked.

This super bean got me to thinking...what meals could use a little dolling up with edamama?

My next quest is to take recipes I think could use a bit of crunch and flavor of the soybean. My first thought is a salad, so I'm starting there. I'll let you know what I cook up.