This morning at Jeff’s class at Powerflow, he asked us to dedicate our practice to something simple. Sometimes easier said then done. But I chose simple and decided to simply “Enjoy the Day”! Mission accomplished! I felt focused, strong, and fearless in today’s class. I decided to push myself just a little bit further in some of the poses that I have been struggling with (forearm balance & handstand scare the heck out of me!) and to remain focused on my breathing. My inversions are making progress and I believe I will tackle these poses when I least expect it…I so desperately want to be able to do forearm balance. As for the breathing, it felt natural, kept me balanced, and allowed me to go much deeper into my poses. Awesome!
Despite the fact that there is a chance my first Century Ride will be postponed this Sunday, because of Hurricane Irene, I still was able to enjoy the day and get through a good amount on my never-ending to do list…
- Early morning clients = Done
- Yoga = Done
- Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Almond Butter = Done
- 4 mile run = Done
- E-Mails = Done
- Mexican Salad for Mom and Me = Done
- Business Plan = Avoiding this like the plague! DOH!
We all know my obsession with nut butters, so it will not come as a surprise that I finally decided to try making my own. 
After searching on many blog sites, I finally found one that well, looks heavenly. Thanks to Ashley at the Edible Perspective (which has an abundance of healthy & delicious recipes), I made her Pumpkin Spiced Almond Butter. This was very easy and took me a total time of 1 hour. While the almonds were cooling down, I went for a 4 mile run.
Pumpkin Spiced Almond Butter
- 2c raw almonds
- 2T maple syrup
- 1T maple syrup
- 1.5T molasses
- 2t cinnamon
- 1/4t ginger
- 1/8t nutmeg
- 1/2t salt
- 1 1/2T canola oil
- Preheat your oven to 300*
- Spread the almonds on parchment, on a baking sheet.
- Pour on 2T maple syrup + 1T molasses. Stir.
- Roast for 30min, stirring once every 10min.
- Take out of the oven and let cool for about 30min.
- Dump into your food processor and turn on.
- Process + scrape down bowl as needed, until it butterizes. ~15min. [Past the stage where it has formed a large ball of dough]
- Add in 1/2T molasses, 1T maple syrup, 1 1/2T oil, all spices and salt.
- Process again until smooth consistency is met. ~5-8min. [If you want it even smoother, add another 1/2-1T oil]
I’ve already used a tablespoon of this in my Green Monster Smoothie and I will high-five myself, because it’s that good. Thanks Ashley for this recipe!
Make sure to check back on Friday for a 50 minute Back and Core workout. I did this yesterday at the gym and could feel my abdominal muscles during my run. Usually a good sign of a workout for me, when they are sore. I hope you all had a wonderful Hump Day and enjoy the rest of the week!
What is your favorite yoga pose? Why?
Pumpkin spiced almond butter is 100% up my alley. I love that mix of spices! (And I wish I was knowledgeable enough about yoga to name a favorite pose.
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My addiction to nut butters is pretty intense! But I tell myself there are worse things to be addicted to. I really liked how easy it was to prepare and good recipe to have on stock, when you have some free time and feel like baking. I also feel like making nut butters is a good gift to give to friends. Happy Friday!
Love that dedication, I sometimes need to remind myself to dedicate my practice to something small like that!
Sometimes when we try to dedicate out practice to something larger, we get distracted and loose focus of our practice. It happens to me a lot, so I try to keep it to one word, which seems to do the trick. Happy Friday and I hope the move is coming along well!
My favourite yoga pose is eagle, because it is strong and contemplative!
Eagle Pose is a great pose! How often do you practice yoga? My goal is to try to do 3 times a week. It helps me emotionally and physically. I’ve seen so many changes in my running and cycling. The benefits are never-ending. Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m glad you decided that your day was going to be a good one. Attitude is EVERYTHING! Hop eyou got everything accomplished that you needed to!
Hey Girl! I’m getting through my to-do list like you wouldn’t believe. It feels amazing to be crossing things off! Hope you are having a good Friday and have some fun plans for the weekend. I’m bracing for Irene…We’ll see what happens.
I’m glad you decided that your day was going to be a good one. Attitude is EVERYTHING! Hop eyou got everything accomplished that you needed to!
Hey Girl! I’m getting through my to-do list like you wouldn’t believe. It feels amazing to be crossing things off! Hope you are having a good Friday and have some fun plans for the weekend. I’m bracing for Irene…We’ll see what happens.
OMG….that almond butter sounds amazing!!!
I just started going to yoga classes a few weeks back & the instructor taught us “wild thing” this past week and I loved it!! Made me feel so strong & empowered!
Hi Kimberly! Thanks for checking out my blog! You totally need to try the AB. I honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was and now I’m hooked. A great alternative to buying nut butter all the time and also a good gift idea. Yoga is wonderful and actually heading to class in a hour. Keep it up and enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend!
Sometimes when we try to dedicate out practice to something larger, we get distracted and loose focus of our practice. It happens to me a lot, so I try to keep it to one word, which seems to do the trick. Happy Friday and I hope the move is coming along well!
Hi Kimberly! Thanks for checking out my blog! You totally need to try the AB. I honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was and now I’m hooked. A great alternative to buying nut butter all the time and also a good gift idea. Yoga is wonderful and actually heading to class in a hour. Keep it up and enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend!