Mental gymnastics.

I've been struggling with yoga lately. It's definitely my preferred workout of choice, but I'm just not getting out of it what I used to.  I was initially so drawn to yoga because I felt like it did a lot for both my mental and physical health, but recently, going to yoga has seemed like more of an obligation and has felt more stressful to me than relaxing. Probably because I have been so crazy busy this fall... but despite that, I have been trying to sprinkle in some other ways to maintain both my mental and physical health. Here is a look at how I have been trying to keep a balance over the last few months and find time to enjoy the fall (which apparently means random 90 degree days in November here...).

MENTAL HEALTH: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
As we speak, I am sitting on the couch drinking a glass of wine. And I skipped yoga today. It was rainy, chilly, and I was in a bad mood. The traffic getting to yoga and parking would have been terrible and I wanted nothing more than to feel cozy and cook some comfort food. Shocking I know, that cooking and eating mac and cheese relaxes me. But I needed it tonight. There is just something about dancing around your kitchen, listening to music, and making-up an ingenious culinary creation.  That's right, totally made this up and I am super proud of it.  (The recipe is at the bottom of the blog post for those who are interested.) Then of course, putting on fuzzy socks and eating a bowl of the stuff is pretty divine too.

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Heroes of Hope 5K
As many of you probably know from Facebook, I ran a 5k last Sunday with some girls from my sorority Alumni group to benefit brain tumor research. It was a great day to run on the beach, a bit warm, but really beautiful. This was actually quite a big accomplishment for me. Since breaking my ankle 4 years ago and getting hardware to repair it, I have really struggled to run like I used to. I have had a lot of problems with leg pain and sciatica and have been really frustrated and annoyed with myself and my body.  It was really great to balance running with yoga to train for this and I really focused on not pushing myself too hard, too fast (my main problem post-new ankle). I'm proud to say that I ran the entire 5k in 29:16. My goal was to run it in 30 minutes, so I was spot on. The best part is that I feel great and more pain free than I have felt after running in a really long time.  And all of my wonder friends and family almost doubled my fundraising goal for the race. THANK YOU to everyone that donated.  It means so much to me and of course to those who will benefit from the research that is being funded at all the major hospitals in the LA area.

This adolescent bear is quite proud of me.

MENTAL HEALTH: Hollywood on Tap


If Oktoberfest were an actual holiday, it would probably be my favorite. I love any excuse to drink good beer, eat soft pretzels and cheese spatzel (German mac and cheese, obviously), and dance and have merriment with a crowd of friends and strangers.  I was pretty devestaed when we missed our chance to get tickets to Oktoberfest LA this year. Luckily, Danielle found a fantastic alternative on the same weekend, Hollywood on Tap, a craft beer tasting at the New York, New York lot of Paramount Studios that was, get this, cheaper and unlimited drinks.  As expected, the event was awesome. Beer was good, music was grand, and we even managed to make new friends AND find a new mattress! Wins all around.

The Who cover band. Truly amazing.

MENTAL/PHYSICAL HEALTH: Habitat for Humanity in Hawaii
Way back in September, Mom and I trekked to Hawaii to do a Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build, where teams of people work to build entire houses in approximately 10 days. Mom tries do a build like this every year with the Blitz Home Builders group and this year, she invited me to join her.  It was a truly amazing experience and we definitely put in some hard physical labor to build a wonderful home for our family.

Little Hawaiian Taylor enjoying her new pink room and her
 C. Sale original Hello Kitty paintings

But, in the spirit of balance and being in Hawaii we found some time to relax too.

Welp, my life should be calming down, and I'm hoping that yoga will be able to fit the balance I crave once again when I'm not so busy and traveling all the time. And if not, there is always plenty of wine out here!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• One box (1 lb) of your choice of pasta noodle (I used shells this time, but orrachetti is awesome and I also really like twisty pastas for things like this too!)
• 1 can (15-16oz) of pumpkin
• Milk (add 1/4-1/2 of a cup at time, as needed for desired consistancy)
• 1 package (12-16 oz) Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Pumpkin pie spice or essentially nutmeg and cinnamon in a pinch- (to taste but I think I used about 2 tbsp? Maybe 3??)
• Cayenne- to taste (about 1/2 to 3/4 as much as the pumpkin pie spice depending on how you like your heat. Or none.  But it's really good)
• Salt & Pepper- to taste

Directions:

• Cook the pasta until it's al dente. If you don't know how to do this, google it. Drain pasta and leave in strainer.
• In the pasta pot, add the can of pumpkin. This will act as your rue!  (No butter and flower necessary!)
• From this point forward, try to keep the sauce moving as much as you can so it can mix, thicken, and not burn!
• Whisk in some milk, a little at a time, to form the base of the sauce. It should be a bit thinner than you would like, the cheese will thicken it up. When in doubt, stay thicker, you can always add more milk.
• Whisk in the cheese a handful at a time. I do use the whole packet, it rocks, and it's really not all that much cheese...
• Add milk as needed to get desired consistency. It will also thicken the longer you leave it on the heat.
• Add spices to taste.  I LOVE the sweet of the pumpkin pie spice with cayenne pepper.  It's a really cool balance. And do use salt and pepper, it makes the rest of the flavors pop.
• Check your consistency  It is perfect when the sauce can lightly coat a wooden spoon but leave an open space on the spoon when you wipe some away with your finger.
• Stir in pasta.
• Serve. Top with additional spices, bread crumbs, or cheese as desired!