|
October 2025 Newsletter Dear Friends, I have always loved Oscar Wilde’s quote, above, and when I was in Yoga Teacher Training, my teacher Stephanie illustrated this philosophy beautifully with an example from her life. She was talking to our cohort about how absolutes have no place in yoga and that we should listen to our bodies. She is a Buddhist and doesn’t drink alcohol or eat meat, however she let us know that a couple times a year, her body craves a juicy steak and a couple times a year her body craves tequila! This quote also pairs well with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the terms sukha and sthira, meaning ease and effort. What if your life were all effort? Or all ease? What if yoga were all savasana and no moving asana? Yoga, and LIFE, is about balance. I try not to eat a lot of sweets, but I sure love them! Halloween is coming, and I remember ‘stealing’ the fun size Snickers bars from my daughters’ plastic pumpkins. Lately, I’ve been making the following super simple Date Snickers recipe nearly every week. I honestly love them MORE than the original, plus they come packed with fiber, protein, and chocolate! This is my “balanced” sweet treat and I hope you try them, too! Date Snickers
Notice that even this recipe has no absolutes! Play with the recipe until it’s exactly the balance you crave. Ingredients: 12-15 pitted dates (I prefer Medjool because of their caramel-like flavor) 1/3-1/2 cup natural peanut butter* (If you can find the freshly ground kind, that’s a bonus, but avoid the kind with added ingredients like oil and sugar) *I’ve also used almond butter and it’s yummy, too, but less “Snickery” 1/3 bag or so of the darkest chocolate chips you can find (I like the Ghiradelli chips, but also use Lily’s stevia sweetened chips to minimize sugar) Optional toppings: Flaky sea salt
Chopped peanuts Instructions: 1.) LIne a loaf pan with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Leave the paper sticking up the sides of the pan so you can use it to lift the bars out later. 2.) Coarsely chop dates in a food processor and press evenly into the pan OR you may slice them vertically and ‘butterfly’ them, sticky side down, into the bottom of the pan and press until they create a somewhat solid base. 3.) Spread peanut butter over the date mixture with a spoon or spatula, according to your love of peanut butter! 4.) Stick pan in freezer while you melt the chocolate chips. I am married to a chef and he insists on melting the chocolate in a pan over boiling water, but if he is not around, I set the microwave on a low power setting and stir every 20 seconds or so until melted. 5.) Remove pan from freezer and pour melted chocolate over the peanut butter. It’s ok if it melts the peanut butter a little! 6.) Add topping if you like! I usually add a little salt. 7.) Place pan in freezer until set, at least an hour. When the bars are set, lift out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Use a very large and sharp knife to cut into squares and enjoy! I like them best when they sit out for a little bit. Store them in the freezer wrapped in the parchment or waxed paper and inside a ziplock back. May you find peace (and balance) in your yoga practice. Please remember that all are welcome on Sundays 4-5:30 PM EST for a free community Slow Flow to Yin practice. Sign up and I will send you a link about an hour before class. Keep scrolling to learn more about upcoming events!
|
