Practice, Heat and Cooking

      Day 1 of attempting to focus inward on my practice turned out to be a bit more challenging than I imagined. First off, I stopped where I said I would, Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana, or standing Hand-to-Big-Toe Posture. It looks like this...

 And then this....

Back to this....

Then this....

      At least that is the sequence of the variations of the pose. This would normally not be so problematic but I'm finding myself in a bit of a bind. Balance is becoming an issue and I'm trying to find my balance since apparently my center of balance is shifting. This probably doesn't sound hard but it is. 

      Nevertheless, I finished my practice in Savasana, or for those who don't know it is basically a laying down position. I was trying to bring awareness to my right hip/glute area. I say right because it is on my right side as I am holding my right leg that I find I'm having the most trouble, and therefore, I feel as if I'm spending more time on that side. I'm not. It is just taking more effort on that side. I hate to be lopsided. After I laid there for about two minutes, I decided to get up. Sure I know, you're supposed to lay longer and bring attention back to the body and the breath and to relax but there was this big ball of heat baking into my black capris. 

      It was only 9 am and it was already beginning to heat up. Again, I know. If I'd get up earlier it wouldn't be so hot out. Sad thing is, when I walked outside this morning to begin my practice it was a bit chilly. From 8 to 9 it transformed from chilly to hot....... Enough said about that. The temperature rose drastically over the course of the day. My husband and I put up chicken wire around our tomatoes due to the chickens attempting to feast on out lovely little green tomatoes. They already ate all the blueberries, you'd think that they'd leave us some yummy tidbits. Apparently I was wrong. They like tomatoes just as much as the next person or animal.

      After that it was canning time and then preparation for supper. I like to prepare early. I started at 5 this afternoon but still felt frantic in the kitchen. Biscuits, bacon, sausage gravy, eggs, and tomatillo salsa!!! So healthy... or not. Oh and cake for desert. It turned out fabulous nonetheless. The sausage gravy was AMAZING, if I do say so myself :). The two most noteworthy appearances for tonight were the salsa and the cake. Tomatillo salsa and Better Than Sex Cake. Yummmyy. Not together of course. 

      The tomatillo salsa was made with tomatillos, of course, garlic, cilantro, roma tomatoes, lime juice, a bit of onion, and serrano peppers. Whip it up in a food processor and voila! Salsa. :)

Oh yes! It looks AND tastes amazing, refreshing, and has a bit of a kick!

This wonderful beauty on the other hand is the scrumptious and mouthwatering Better Than Sex Cake!

      This was a simply made dish as well. Devil Food cake, sweetened condensed milk, caramel, whipped cream, candy topping. Pretty much all in that order. You bake your cake, once it's cooled a bit you poke holes all over it. This is to allow the sweetened condensed milk and caramel to seep into the cake. So obviously you realize you must pour the sweetened condensed milk and caramel over the top of the cake (with holes punched, or maybe poked is a better word, into it). Once this is complete you smooth on the whipped cream and then top with your choice of candy. It's best to freeze said candy so that you can do some anger busting by smashing up your candy. You can either make it chunks or smash it more and make it crumbs. Either is perfectly fine and definitely delicious.