Tough Old Gym Rats

In this blog, I encourage and espouse consistent exercise. I truly believe that this is important for physical and mental health throughout our lives. But try as I might, I am not always perfect with my fitness routine. I have days that I just don't feel like taking a walk, or going to my zumba class. And I am good at making all kinds of excuses, like "I just don't have the energy today", or "it looks like it will rain, so I will hold off on walking today". Usually, these are not legitimate reasons for not working out. Actually, I decide to watch television, or eat a piece of pie when I could be working out!

Recently, I managed to drag myself to a zumba class, thinking that if I stumbled through the zumba, I might decide to stay for the strengthening class that directly follows. I amaze myself each time that I participate in two fitness classes in a row, thinking that is pretty good for someone my age. Before zumba class, I overheard a small woman who looked to be in her 80's talking with the instructor from the previous class. That class was a high intensity, circuit class that I have considered too difficult for me. This woman had already attended that class, and then stayed for the zumba class. I managed to look behind me several times, noticing that this little woman was dancing and jumping better than a lot of others younger than her. After zumba, the woman approached me and asked me what the next class was. I explained that it was a strengthening class for core and  arms. The woman was in front of me for that class, and did not even look tired after the class ended! This octogenarian is a rock star, I thought!

Inspired by this woman, I was pumped up the following week to go to the gym faithfully. I even decided to go to class on Saturday, a day that I will generally skip the gym. That day, another older woman was telling her friend that she had just finished doing a circuit class, and had done a TRX class earlier that morning. TRX is a suspension training and core class that, although I had wanted to try, was afraid that I would hurt myself and had thus avoided. She was then doing zumba! Again, an older fitness queen was kicking my butt!

These tough and super fit ladies were beginning to hurt my pride, and so I challenged myself to stay on my fitness schedule, and sweat through those activities in spite of the summer heat. Well, I thought, at least I can probably out dance them, That was when I received a link on Facebook from one of my dance instructors about a group of 80 year old women who participated in a group hip-hop competition! They were the oldest group ever to dance in the competition. And they were not just barely moving. One of them was doing an incredible moonwalk, that I could only do in my dreams!

So, I learned from these recent events that one is obviously never to old to be incredibly fit. No more excuses. I am going to try TRX, take that hip hop class I had been considering, and maybe even try a circuit training class. I will not be outdone by these superhuman gym rats! But I will keep looking at them for inspiration!

Summer Vegetables and Desserts: Zucchini and Rosemary Delights

Our summer garden has been particularly bountiful this year, especially with zucchini squash. I was excited about having the fresh zucchini and cooked the harvest almost every day. However, zucchini is kind of like having out of town guests - you are really glad to see them and happy they are there until a week later when the visitors become annoying  but you feel too guilty to throw them out! (Not visitors I have had, by the way!) We had so much this summer that I decided to look for creative recipes. Since I am a lover of sweets, I looked for desserts that used zucchini, and found some very tasty ones.

My first attempt was a blueberry zucchini cake. I thought it interesting that the recipe called for zucchini and blueberries, as well as the usual flour, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, and sugar used in standard cakes. The frosting consisted of powdered sugar, butter and lemon juice. This zucchini and blueberry combination was a 2 layer cake which was rich, moist and really yummy, with the lemon buttercream frosting complementing these wonderful flavors. I topped the cake with nasturtium flowers from my garden. The recipe made a huge cake and although we loved it, I ended up freezing part of it until later. And it was just as good later! This was a tasty way to use our extra zucchini, and I will definitely make this again.

I decided to make a zucchini bread, but one with a different twist. I made a chocolate chip zucchini bread that also included fresh orange zest. The recipe used walnuts or pecans as well, and this made for a filling and irresistible treat that was especially good for breakfast or afternoon snacks. Another good thing about zucchini bread is that is freezes beautifully, so that you can use a lot of that excess zucchini that is still laying around, make several loaves, and use for your out of town guests! This is another recipe that I will use again and again! While on the subject of zucchini, I did discover a couple of unique, non dessert recipes, such as zucchini lasagna, and they were delicious. Obviously, the Internet is filled with people willing to share "excess zucchini" recipes!

The summer also brings fragrant herbs. and I use fresh herbs in most of my dishes. I am fascinated by desserts that include herbs, and decided to make the "Rosemary Honey Shoofly Pie" from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by the Elsen sisters. This pie included ingredients like eggs, sugar, flour, milk, cinnamon, cardamon, honey, and rosemary - and interestingly , coffee! The pie was described in the book as tasting like coffee cake and indeed it does. It is great with our morning coffee. The texture is somewhat of a cross between pie and cake, and the hint of rosemary flavor is present.

So, these are my summer vegetable dessert creations. It has been fun to experiment with these, and makes me consider using other herbs and vegetables to satisfy my sweet tooth. A cucumber pie, perhaps? Maybe not, but you never know!

Searching for Yoga in All the Wrong Places

One would assume that finding a good yoga class in Asheville would be as easy as finding a hiking trail here. There is hot yoga, flow yoga, and restorative yoga, among others, and it seems as though there is a yoga center on every street corner. And Asheville is known for having experienced, skilled yoga instructors for all levels and ages. So why have I had such a difficult time finding a yoga class here that I consistently like and from which I benefit?

When I joined my gym here, I noticed the different yoga classes it offered, and wanted to try them. The first class I attended was taught by a lively young man who was obviously great at yoga poses. I liked his sense of humor, and has hopeful that I had found my class. The problem was that he never stopped talking! Part of what I appreciate about yoga is that it forces me to really focus, as some poses are very challenging for me. It seems fun to have your instructor cracking jokes, but in actuality, it was too distracting for me to get a good yoga workout.

So I decided to try other yoga classes there. I still consider myself to be a beginner, so I went to a level 1 class at my gym. Although I liked the style of this instructor, the class was too easy, even for a yoga novice like myself. When I am the youngest and most flexible member of the class, there is a problem! Since I liked this instructor, I decided to try an "all levels" class with her. There were different ages and levels in the class, but this class was a restorative type class - long held, mainly mat stretching which involved holding poses for 10 minutes at a time. The instructor read inspirational readings through the class, which I actually liked. But the physical part was just not the type of yoga that I wanted.

The following week, I decided to try a yoga class that was described as being a combination of yoga and core work. This time, I had a too chatty instructor who also made annoying breathing noises.It was impossible for me to properly focus, and I was more stressed when I left than when I got there! (this reminds me of my husband's first yoga instructor, who yelled at him when he was doing a pose incorrectly - talk about stress!)

I was getting frustrated at not finding the yoga experience that I was looking for, and was considering going to one of the many yoga studios in town. But my cheap nature wanted to try just one more class at my gym. This one had actually been recommended by one of my zumba instructors. It is called a flow yoga class, open to beginning and intermediate levels. The instructor is young, quiet, and obviously serious about her yoga practice. Class members tend to be in the 30's-60's range, and there is quiet music in the background and dimmed lighting. We do a range of different poses, both standing and on the mat. We hold the poses briefly and move on to another, but repeat some poses throughout the hour. This class is a workout, particularly the balance poses, which are always problematic for me. The instructors gives specific but not overly done instructions, and checks on us periodically to make sure that our bodies are at least resembling the pose we are supposed to be doing. Some things are above my level, (like head stands, which I will never do), but I stay focused and work hard in this class. After attending this class for three times now, I believe that I have found my zen experience!

So what I learned from my yoga class search is that persistence often pays off. If at first you aren't thrilled with a particular exercise class or instructor at your gym, there may just be another that you just haven't discovered yet. And a good instructor is essential! Yesterday I was settled into a nice pigeon pose when my instructor came over and gave me a short neck massage. How she knew that my neck was tight I don't know, but I will definitely be back next week!

The Tasty Pies of Summer: Blueberry and Peach

The sticky, humid weather has certainly been uncomfortable these last couple of weeks. My plants have struggled to stay cool in this mid-summer heat and physical activities outdoors have been challenging. But I find it important to continue my regular exercise, as I have been eating just as much as usual! Although some people claim that hot weather suppresses their appetite, I am not one of them, particularly with summer fruit coming in. Peaches and blueberries are my favorite of all, and I recently made pies that used them in delicious ways.

The "Lavender Blueberry Pie" is from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by the Elsen sisters. I had been fascinated by the mixture of blueberries and lavender, another summer treat. The recipe is basically like many blueberry pie recipes, with sugar (minimal) and fresh blueberries. But a few drops of edible lavender oil, Angostura bitters, lemon juice, grated apple, and allspice make this blueberry pie unique. Also, the thickener of choice with most of the Elsen pies is ground arrowroot instead of basic cornstarch. In this case, the arrowroot is the perfect thickening agent for the blueberries, as it keeps them naturally juicy. I must say that this may be my favorite pie from this cookbook thus far. The fresh blueberries from the farmer's market are at their peak and combine exquisitely with the lavender and liquor. Only two slices have been eaten so far, but then it was only made last night, and I am trying hard to stick with a one slice daily allowance! Otherwise, I will have to exercise more in the 90 degree weather. This pie is so good, though, that I am motivated and determined to grow those blueberry bushes that my neighbor gave me, so that I will have a constant supply of fresh blueberries next summer!

I have made several peach pies this summer, as peaches really are my favorite summer fruit of all time. In this case, I actually combined several recipes, using the crust from the Elsen sisters' pie book, and a combination of recipes for peach pie that I found online. I think that the most important ingredients for this pie are good fresh peaches. These should ideally be local peaches from the farmer's markets or grocery. My recipe also included cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and sugar. Cornstarch is a good thickener for peach pie, since peaches are so naturally juicy and the cornstarch makes the filling thicker and tasty. I have made three peach pies thus far, but have only enjoyed one, as one was taken to a Fourth of July party and another was made for a friend. It is probably a good thing, because the pie was as good as I imagined, and it would be hard not to eat half of this pie at one time! I will say that one should not go an entire summer without enjoying at least one slice of fresh peach pie.

Finally, I decided to combine my two favorite fruits and make a peach/blueberry pie. In this case, I again stuck with my trusty crust and combined several online recipes. This one was simple and consisted of the fresh blueberries and peaches, flour, allspice and cinnamon. We ate this one quickly, as it was refreshing and seemed to be a necessary part of our diet, particularly topped with vanilla ice cream. After writing about these great summer pies, I have suddenly remembered the lavender blueberry pie sitting on my kitchen counter. Literally right after I wrote that, my husband came into my office holding a slice of the blueberry pie and 2 cucumbers from his garden, saying that this was the perfect lunch! Now that is a creative use of summer fruit as well as summer vegetables!