Have you ever had a moment where you stop and ask yourself “Is the cup half empty of half full”. There are times in life when the question just seems irrelevant. Either way there is something in the cup, right?
I stopped asking myself that question a few years ago, the eternal optimist that I am always came up with the same answer. Half full of course. Then I started thinking “Why can’t it be filled to the top?” What does it take to fill up the emotional cup of life and keep it full?
To sum it up in a couple of paragraphs would possibly make light of it all, but to say that experiencing a Surf and Yoga camp with women can fill it up would not be an understatement.

After recently spending five days with women who chose to step away from their daily routine of life I have been reminded that I am not alone in the quest to fill my cup to the rim.

These women set out to experience surfing, yoga and treat themselves to good food and a relaxing, re-energizing experience. I watched the transformation happen right in front of my eyes. There is confidence built by trying new things and great connections made with like-minded women as Yoga is practiced daily with the sounds of waves crashing nearby. Enjoying one another’s company and feeling free to just be is a gift we give ourselves when we stumble upon such experiences.

As the weekend ended and we said our good byes, I was reminded that part of our journey in life is to help others to first notice that spiritual and emotional cup we carry around inside of us and then when needed, to help fill the cups of those around us. We then discover that instead of reaching to outward sources when we are in need, we have all that we need within.

One fun way to nourish the soul is to share in some delicious food with friends. Here are some of the recipes from a recent Best of Both Adventures Surf and Yoga Camp:

Curried Chicken Salad with Dried Apricots - serves 4-6
12 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup light mayonaisse or salad dressing
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon curry powder
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve on a bed of organic greens or as a sandwich filling on whole grain bread.

Yogurt Stuffed Pineapple - serves 6-8 large or 3-6 small
Large whole pineapple
16 ounces low fat yogurt/ vanilla or plain
1 cup chopped fresh fruit such as papaya, banana, kiwi, etc
1 1/2 cup favorite granola
Maple syrup or honey

Cut top of pineapple keeping it for display
Core pineapple, scoring with sharp knife
Gently pull scored pieces from inside and chop for use in recipe
Scrape out all excess pineapple from inside, drain any juices into a bowl to mix with fruit
Gently toss all of the above ingredients and place inside ‘pineapple bowl’
Serve on platter with top in place or on the side!
Roasted Vegetable Stack with Roasted Garlic Coconut Cream Sauce
3 Eggplant
3 Zucchini or Summer Squash
3 Acorn or large squash
(or any of your favorite root vegetables will do!)
Whole Head of Garlic
12 ounces Light Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Sea salt and Cracked pepper

Slice all vegetables lengthwise, place in baking pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil and salt
Cut top of garlic head, drizzle with oil and wrap in foil,
roast for 40-50 minutes
Roast all vegetables until soft

Take roasted vegetables from oven and place on a warm platter. Scoop out roasted garlic and place in sautee pan with butter, mash garlic down and then add flour, as pan heats slowly add coconut milk and stir constantly to prevent burning. When sauce is the right consistency add salt and pepper to taste and pour over vegetables.
Serve immediately with organic, short grain brown rice.
Enjoy!

This entry was posted on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am and is filed under Happy spirit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.