Nicola Yvette

Writing in a journal lets the noise of my mind fall outward onto paper. It becomes a ritual, ink sticking to the side of my hand (lefty) while those pages fill up with words and drawings. There is freedom in the process and in turn I no longer have to let those thoughts swirl around once they pour out. I just let the journal absorb the language and then I can clear my mind for new experiences, thoughts and the chance to be fully present.

Journalling becomes a way for me to express myself creatively. I try to bring this to my classes, both yoga and Pilates. All the poses have a new element to initiate curiosity. They never get bland for me and I strive to share my personal curiosity with my students. Socrates said, "Wisdom begins in wonder." How elegantly simple and true. 

Summer Vacation August 28th until July 7th 

#Vegan #Gluten-Free Beet Carpaccio with Mint Dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice beets with a mandolin, food processor or if you have mad skills take it under a knife. The key is the thin slices so the bites melt in your mouth. Lay the beets flat on a rack in a deep baking dish so that the juices don't over saturated the beets. Cook for 40-55 minutes. The beet juice will steam the beets from underneath the rack. I have modified this recipe from Epicurious to be friendly to my diet. 

Ingredients:

6 large beets (you will have leftovers for your salads the next day!)

Mint Dressing (place ingredients in a food processor and let marinate while beets cook):

12-15 leaves of fresh mint 

2 TBSP of minced shallot

1/3 cup of rice vinegar

4 TBSPs of olive oil (add more if you like a thinner dressing)

1 TSP of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 TBSP of raw sugar

1 TSP of sea salt

Lay out the beets on a plate, place #vegan cashew cream cheese in the center and pour on the mint dressing. It's a great appetizer for a party but also perfect for dinner. I had leftovers so I added beets to my salad and got creative with them for a few days. The dressing is so delicious you can add it to whatever needs to extra flavor.

#Vegan Raw #Gluten-Free Daikon Pappardelle with Arugula Miso Pesto

Pappardelle noodles are my favorite, unfortunately the flour in the noodles doesn't love me back. Even gluten-free pastas make my tummy unhappy. I needed an alternative to the floury goodness for which I used to indulge; enter daikon radish strips.

This meal takes 20 minutes to make and was inspired by Why I Consume Art Blog . She has beautiful food and healthy recipes.

Ingredients:

1-2 Daikon Radishes 

Arugula Miso Pesto:

2 Cups of arugula 

1/2 Cup of sunflower seeds 

2 Cloves of garlic

2 TBSP of white miso

2 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil

1 TSP of rice vinegar

Sea salt, lemon, red pepper flakes and pepper to taste

Daikon Radish Prep:

1. Wash and trim the top root

2. Peel the radish by starting on one side, peel from top to bottom, repeat 4 times and then rotate the radish one quarter. Continue to rotate and peel until you are done. 

3. Soak the radish in a bath of cold ice water for 20 minutes while you prep pesto. Then strain and add pesto.

Arugula Miso Pesto:

1. Toast the sunflower seeds in a pan on medium heat. I spray the pan with minimal olive oil and watch the seeds turn from grey to a lightly toasted brown color. Takes 3-7 minutes.

2. Mix the arugula, toasted sunflower seeds, garlic, white miso, olive oil and rice vinegar.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes with Fruit Salad

I woke-up Sunday craving pancakes, since I am gluten-free internet recipe research was required. I always search for recipes that have the most natural ingredients (preferably nothing with xanthan gum) and whatever I can use in my kitchen. I came across this recipe from Cookie+Kate and modified it slightly. Long story short, this recipe makes the best pancake I have ever had. 

Here is what I changed:

Instead of 3 bananas, I used 2 and then 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce to the mixture.

I also added Fruit Salad which makes it taste oh so good.

Fruit Salad Recipe:

1 Pink Lady Apple (or whatever is in season) chopped into bite size pieces

1/2 Avocado chopped into 1/4 inch squares

1/4 cup unsulfured apricots, sliced into thin pieces

1 TSP of flax seeds

1 TBSP of fresh mint leaves chopped

1 TSP of fresh lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve it on top of the pancake. Adds texture and helps flavor the entire dish. 

Quinoa Pineapple Bowls

After my yoga retreat in Ojai, my friend and I concluded the event at a Vietnamese restaurant in West Hollywood where we devoured an amazing pineapple rice bowl. The dish inspired me to make it at home because WOW! The dish is so fresh, healthy and perfect for summer. Here is my initial attempt to repeat the magic.

Creates 2 pineapple bowls, takes about 30 minutes.

1 pineapple (cut lengthwise and gutted of fruit with an ice cream scooper)

2 cups of red quinoa (you'll have some leftover!)

1 white onion (cut 1/4 inch)

6 celery stalks (cut into 1/8 slices)

10 sprigs of fresh cilantro

5 slices of fresh ginger

3 TBSP of curry powder

2 TBSP of Bragg's Amino Liquid 

* Prep the pineapple after the quinoa is cooking. Cut it from the bottom to the top of the leaf part, this will be your bowl. Grab your ice cream scooper and scoop the fruit. I cut the scoops into smaller pieces and placed it into a bowl until Step 3. 

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the quinoa on medium-high and add a dash of olive oil to prevent sticking, 1 cup quinoa to 2 parts water, reduce heat to simmer after it boils for 1 minute. Takes about 15 minutes to cook thoroughly.

2) Pour 2 TBSP of olive oil to a large pan on medium-high heat, add ginger and then saute onions. After 3 minutes add curry powder to create the base of flavor. Coat the onions in the curry and don't let the onions soften, keep the firmness.

3) After 7 minutes add in this order celery, quinoa, pineapple chucks and juice, cilantro and Braggs. Mix well and transfer into the pineapple bowls. 

4) Bake the pineapple bowls for 10 minutes.

Spring Cleanse Drink

My spring cleansing routine is the simplest drink combining water, fresh ginger and apple cider vinegar. I continue to eat healthy foods and just add this into my diet; I don't endorse dieting or detoxing that is not something I can get behind. This drink cleanses your palate, while at first the taste/smell is pungent but it becomes so refreshing you might want some pre-made for a post workout drink. The benefits of apple cider vinegar are numerous (Google it!) and wow do I feel more energy after I drink it. 

Here is the recipe:

4 cups of water

2-3 TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar (unfiltered)

2-4 TBSP of freshly grated ginger (peel the skin off)

Add a few drops of lemon for freshness

I made this gluten free vegan banana bread, its so delicious that there is almost none left. I modified this recipe from the Ambitious Kitchen. Its relatively healthy and great for a snack or breakfast.

Ingredients (as modified and taken from Ambitious Kitchen):

3 cups of oatmeal 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

2 frozen overripe bananas

1 TBSP olive oil

1/3 cup of turbinado sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2/3 cup of raisins

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

2 TBSP flax seeds

                        Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

1) Put the 3 cups of oatmeal in a food processor, turning it into flour. Place the oat flour into a mixing bowl and add baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.

2) After oat flour is cleared out of the food processor, peel and mix the frozen bananas with olive oil, sugar and vanilla. Once the mixture is creamy and whipped thoroughly add it to the oat flour.

3) Fold in the raisins, walnuts and flax seeds. Pour the mixture into an oiled bread pan add a topping of oatmeal and sugar on top for flavor. Cook for 35 minutes. 

My winter moisturizing mask is ground oatmeal and honey. It takes my skin from dry to glowing. Here is the recipe:

2 TBSP of oatmeal 

1 heaping TBSP of honey

Take a small bowl and pour hot or boiled water directly into it, let it warm while you prep the oats. Turn the oats into powder by using an old school mortar and pestle (yay for old school green-style!) or with coffee grinder, blender, food processor etc. I am sure anything with blades will do. Dump the water out of the bowl and then mix the honey and oats together in a bowl. The warm bowl will help everything congeal better.

Green Recipes for Household Cleaners

I imagined that going green would inhibit my current lifestyle however the reality has been quite the opposite. It has been more of a downsizing and reorganizing effort more than an overhaul. There are simple ways to ease into ‘green’ without cramping your style. The easiest one starts with the departure of chemical household cleaners.

Household cleaners purchased from stores are not necessary. Many of us have come to equate the smell of bleach with sterile cleanliness but there are more natural ways to achieve the same results with less harm to the environment. Purchase the following items to get started on a green mission:

Spray bottles (or recycle the ones you already have)

White Vinegar

Dr Bronner Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (choose your favorite scent, I like peppermint)

Hydrogen Peroxide

Baking Soda

Rubbing (isoprophyl) alcohol

Lemon 

Reusable cloths (I bought great ones from MU kitchen)

Making your own household cleaners is easier than going to the grocery store and a fraction of the cost. Purchase the materials up front and you’ll notice that you only have to replenish your stock once every six months (if that!). Here are my favorite recipes to replace your current household cleaners with more environmentally friendly ones.

  All-Purpose Cleaner

¼ cup white vinegar

¾ cup tepid water

½ juiced lemon

1 tsp Doctor Bronner’s Castille Soap

Mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle, in the proposed order and shake. I use it for bathroom cleaner, tile, sinks and kitchen surfaces. Dr Bronner’s soap mixed with just white vinegar creates a waxy substance that congeals, so add the soap last and shake the bottle to mix it around.

Window and Glass Cleaner AND Whitening Whites

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup tepid water

or

¼ cup hydrogen peroxide

¼ cup tepid water 

For windows and glass, mix ingredients together in a spray bottle. Both recipes are incredibly effective and streak free. I bought a terry cloth specifically made for cleaning windows so there is no left over fuzz or streaks. Its an inexpensive investment and makes the glass gleam. For whitening whites add 1/4 cup to one load of laundry.

  Powdered Cleanser (replaces Comet or Ajax)

¾ cup baking soda

3 TBSP of tepid water or enough to make a thick paste

 Mix together in a bowl until it’s a thick paste. This can be used on grout to remove mold, apply it with an old toothbrush and gently scrub. It’s gentle on stainless steel and seems to cut through any dirt, mold or soap scum.

  Stainless Steal Cleaner

Rubbing (isoprophyl) alcohol – on cotton ball or terry cloth

I recommend using the All Purpose Cleaner on large areas that require cleaning-up spills but for grease that won’t go away this works like magic. It makes grease and fingerprints disappear.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by practicing unity, the yoking of community through yoga. We shall practice for those who cannot and in doing so we cultivate loving kindness for ourselves and others. See you on the mat at Laughing Lotus, for the 2:30pm class. The class is donation based with all proceeds going to charity; pay-what-you-can. 

History by Langston Hughes

2013 is the year of the snake in Chinese Astrology. The snake is a good omen in the Chinese culture; it represents prosperity in the household and wisdom. In kundalini yoga the snake is said to slumber at the base of the spine until awakened, then it travels upwards uncoiling into an expanded state of consciousness. For myself, this year has already been prosperous because I am filled with so much happiness.  

The previous year, I began small steps to simplify my life. The first, was disposing of toxic chemical cleaners, skin and hair care products, and of course the big purge - people! I want to take this year to share with you what I did to start and what I am doing to keep maintaining my lifestyle and all its changes. I am enjoying being simple and of course that means I can simply live. 

Going green with household cleaners has helped me become more mindful of my actions. When I read the household cleaner labels, I thought "what is all this?". I researched alternatives and found that most household cleaners became the norm post World War II; most of these cleaners contain harmful chemicals to the environment and us. There are great blogs that offer tips on how to clean without ever buying those harmful chemicals. My favorite new cleaners are white vinegar and baking soda. Save your money and go green.  

Finding natural skin and hair care products has been a huge challenge. It is almost impossible to find store bought products that are good for your skin or hair. Mind you that everything you put down the drain returns to via processing plants; what you put into the world, you get back. I currently use natural products in the purest possible form: jojoba oil, green tea spray and black soap. In the past year, I ditched all my expensive products, my skin has never looked healthier and my hair is soft. I will share my recipes with you soon.

Letting go of people who do not serve you or themselves is healthy. We can love everyone but that doesn't mean we have to like his or her personality. An energy vampire will suck you dry so don't linger around to be depleted. That person will be the same person with or without you in his/her life so you can drop the burden and let that individual's discovery begin. Please, love yourself enough to recognize that a friendship or business relationship is never worth the sacrifice of your happiness. 

Winter Vacation for Nicola Yvette is December 26 - January 1

2012 has been an incredible year, a special thank you to the incredible beings who bless my life. My loyal clients, you mean the world to me. I have received so many lovely words of thanks and I want to return the favor. Your dedication does not go unnoticed for it is my gratitude towards you that motivates me to teach.

Thank you truly and let’s have another wonderful year of movement and health. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! 

The thought manifests as the word;

The word manifests as the deed;

The deed develops into habit;

And habit hardens into character.

So watch the thought and its ways with care,

And let it spring from love Born out of concern for all beings.

Playlist for the week!

Teaching a yoga class today at Laughing Lotus, 2:30pm. It is a donation based class and all funds go towards Sandy Relief. Please come to celebrate yoga and your favorite sage. I will be dedicating my practice to my Grandma Norma, so I will tell you some fun stories about her.

Holiday Presents 

For a few years, I have been getting essential oils mixed for a scent that is entirely personal. Once I found out that the chemicals in perfume are linked to hormonal imbalances and kidney failure (to name a few of the many) I stopped wearing it. On the other hand, essential oils are natural aromatic essence extracted from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes and seeds. Not only do they smell wonderful but they have healing properties as well. 

In order to get your scent made just know what you like and what works on your skin. Sweet scents turn really sweet on me so I have to go more citrus and lavender. The mixologist will most certainly help you create your desired scent. Also if you have personal goals learn about what scent matches those goals. For example, if you need motivation working-out you should use peppermint, if you need to be more calm there is chamomile, etc.