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Appalachia Day 5

Jane Bauer

Day 5
It rains all night. This prompts me to wake up early and fumble around in the dark making oatmeal and packing up my tent. I am motivated because about 7 miles away is a store where I can shower and have a real cup of coffee! To get there though I need to cross Blood Mountain which is a lot of rock slabs and could be slippery with the rain.

Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of 4,458 feet. It is worth it though for the beautiful view and the sun comes out. Snap a few pics up top and then descend the two miles to the store where I dry out my equipment. Walk another 3.5 miles that afternoon to Bagg’s Creek where many of the people I had met were camping. Everyone was in good spirits after the recharge at the store. The light at this campsite was amazing- check out the majestic trees!

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Appalachia- days 3 and 4

Jane Bauer

Day 3
I left Stover Creek fairly early thinking I would hike just 5 miles but ended up hiking about ten. I stopped at Justice Creek- this place is magically beautiful with a wide flowing creek and a jungle vibe. It is my first night setting up my tent and I manage to not make a fool of myself. So far I am loving this walk- tiring but exhilarating!

Day 4 took me from Justice Creek to Lance Creek- about 10.7 miles. I usually walk until I find other people at a campsite since I am nervous to camp alone. Lance creek is a trickle of a stream but enough to cool my feet and fill my water bottles . Reunite with Nick from Stover Creek and joined by Amber with her dog Suga, Victor, Mike and Tripp who I will cross paths with for the next 5 days. I had expected a lot of alone time on this trip and the sense of community and connection is a bonus.

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Appalachian Trail Day 0,1,2

Jane Bauer

It’s May and the perfect time to get out of Huatulco! To kick off this travel season I flew up to Atlanta to embark on the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail. Now I am not a very experienced hiker or backpacker, but it was amazing!

Day 0-
Flew to Atlanta via Dallas. Made friends with a Buddhist monk at the airport- an auspicious start to my adventure.

Day 1- Uber to Amicalola Falls and start my 5.7 mile hike to the Hike Inn Hotel. Sort of worried about how it will feel to carry my 33lbs. The Hike Inn is beautiful and dinner is warm dinner rolls, sweet country ham and green beans- delish! My pack is heavy but I manage.

Day 2- I hike to Springer mountain and the official start of the Appalachian Trail. I make it to the Stover Creek Shelter where I spend the night.

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Living, Mexico, Uncategorized

3 Yoga Poses to reduce anxiety

Jane Bauer

I often remind people during the classes I teach that it doesn’t matter if your pose isn’t perfect- afterall it’s just yoga. We are doing it to help us relax- not cause additional stress because our downward dog has room for improvement. We all have anxiety and stress that slips into our everyday life. Take a few minutes and drop into one of these poses the next time you feel anxiety creeping in.

Here are 5 poses I like to revisit time and time again to ground me in what really matters when it comes to my practice:

Tree: The name says it all. Trees are grounded and connected to the earth below them and yet their trunks and branches sway freely- we could all benefit from emulating a tree. The secret to an awesome tree is to stretch your toes. I even like to draw a pencil between my toes before practice to energize and wake up my feet.

Stand tall. Focus on the grounding connection of your feet with the floor. Hold for three minutes while focusing on the breath. Don’t worry about swaying or the waves of balance that come and go… trees sway. Focus to reduce anxiety: “I am grounded.”

Half-moon: Come into a triangle. Allow the hand that is on the bottom to come to your knee without putting any weight on in. Lift up your back leg, flex your foot and open the hips. Extend your arm and open your heart. I wonderful modification to give you more stability is to use a wall for support. Focus to reduce anxiety: “I am open.“

Seated Forward Bend: Sit and extend your legs out in front of you. Flex the feet to keep the legs strong. Extend the arms overhead and inhale deeply. As you exhale bring your belly towards the thighs. Soften the head down to feel the stretch in your neck. Observe the difference between the right side and the left side of the body. Soften the shoulders and surrender to gravity. Focus to reduce anxiety: “I surrender and let go.“

Join me for my latest retreat and transform your life: http://www.yogahuatulcomexico.com/we-are-water.html

Food, Living, Mexico

5 Ways you will Benefit from a Retreat in Huatulco

Jane Bauer
  1. Heat! Huatulco has sun 300 days a year. This means you will get your dose of Vitamin D which helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. The warm climate will also help relieve arthritis!

2. Healthy Food! An abundance of local fresh fruits and vegetables. Huatulco’s clean ocean also means fresh locally-caught fish!

3. Nature. Even just looking at the ocean or a light walk through the jungle will lower your blood pressure and stress levels. We will be surrounded by marina life, waterfalls, and birds.

4. Movement- Our retreat includes daily yoga and meditation adjusted to your level and needs. Reconnecting with your body is an amazing tool to heal your mind.

5. Cleansing- Our itinerary will lead you through a series of activities to bring flow into your life both physically and emotionally.

We Are Water Retreat: Unlock your inner strength and learn to flow
March 20th-25th, 2023

Huatulco, Mexico is the perfect backdrop to reconnect with yourself.

Join Jane Bauer and Kary Vannice for an oceanfront 5-night women’s retreat in paradise. This retreat includes daily yoga and meditation, gourmet healthy meals, excursions into nature for all fitness levels. Facilitated workshops and connection with other participants will help you come closer to your true purpose and allow you to embrace more joy.
You’ll return home feeling relaxed, restored and ready to move forward.

Jane Bauer has been teaching yoga since 2006. She is a restaurant owner and cooking school instructor.

Kary Vannice helps women with personal transformation, a positive mindset, and self-acceptance at Get Your Vibe Right.

Cost 1400 USD
(300 USD to reserve your spot)
Includes: 5 nights accommodation
All meals, excursions, and activities.

http://www.YogaHuatulcoMexico.com

Food, Living, Mexico

Chile Poblano Soup

Jane Bauer

11 poblano chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 liters of milk, divided
2 tablespoons powdered chicken stock
1/2 white onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white flour

Roast the chiles:
Gas stove or oven method.
Gas stove: place poblano chiles on the open flame and cook until charred.

Oven: Preheat oven to 425°F. Rub whole poblano chiles with one tablespoon of vegetable oil, and place on baking sheet. Roast 30 to 45 minutes, or until charred on all sides, turning with tongs.

Transfer to bowl, cover, and let steam 15 minutes. Rub off skins and remove seeds and stems.

Add the steamed chiles, 1 liter of milk and powdered chicken stock to blender. Puree until very smooth. Transfer to a large soup pot.

Make Roux:
Saute onion in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on low for 7 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add flour and mix well with a whisk until blended with the onion.

Add roux to blender with 1 liter of milk. Blend.

Add roux/milk to blended poblano in the large soup pot.

Bring to boil and then lower temp and let simmer 15 minutes.

Food, Living, Mexico

Shrimp Mousse

Jane Bauer

When using shrimp in a cooking class I always encourage students to buy shrimp with the heads, if they can. While cleaned and deveined shrimp are a convenience when you need to cook something quickly, there is something to be said for the meditative aspect of cleaning your shrimp, and ripping the heads off is a better release than squeezing a stress ball. In addition, the heads and peels are a flavorful base for seafood stock. Here is one of my favorite recipes using shrimp heads which showcases the versatility of a ‘waste not, want not’ attitude. Happy cooking and eating!


Shrimp Mousse

Ingredients:
10 shrimp heads rinsed in cold water
1 tomato
2 tbs. garlic oil
sprigs of dried thyme
1/2 dried guajillo chile- seeds removed
1 package cream cheese
Splash of white wine
Salt


Saute all ingredients on medium heat, except cream cheese, in a frying pan
for 10-15 minutes. Cool.
Puree shrimp head mixture with cream cheese in a food processor until
smooth.
Pass through a sieve to remove any pieces of shell.
Pour into a ramekin or teacup and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.
Serve with toast or crackers.

Food, Living, Mexico

Pork Belly Tacos

Jane Bauer

Christopher Columbus took 8 Iberian pigs with him on his 1493 voyage. After Hernan Cortes overthrew the Aztec empire in 1521 he traveled to Oaxaca and he brought pigs that were descended from the pigs Columbus brought to Cuba. Since then, the pig has been an important part of Mexican food culture. From tacos al pastor to cochinita pibil to lechon- there are many ways to cook a pig and it is almost always a feast for the senses.

While I love my pork slow-cooked, sometimes I just don’t have the time. So I have worked on finding a fast way to cook pork without losing the delicious flavor and pull away tenderness.

Here is my recipe for a fast cooked, yet tender pork.

Pork Belly Tacos

  • 1 pound (1/2 kilo) pork belly, leg, or shoulder with some fat attached
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 chipotle pepper from a can
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  1. Rub pork with minced garlic and salt.
  2. Heat oil in a deep pan or pot on medium-high.
  3. Sear pork until brown. Do not let the garlic burn. Add orange juice, chipotle, cumin and lime.
  4. Cover and turn heat to low-medium. Every 7 minutes turn pork over. After 45 minutes remove pork and slice thinly. pour left over liquid from the pot over top.
  5. Serve in tortillas topped with pico de gallo and salsa.

Provecho

Food, Living, Mexico

Salsa Verde

Jane Bauer

Salsa Verde is perfect the perfect topping to almost any taco. The tangy tomatillos pair beautifully with pork, chicken and fish. This salsa recipe makes quite a bit but you can freeze half if you won’t use it all in the next week.

Salsa Verde:

2 garlic cloves

3 serrano chili peppers – check heat levels and use more or less depending on how hot you want to go

1 kilo (2.2 pounds) small green tomatillos, husks removed

3 cups water or chicken stock

1 cup cilantro

½ cup sour cream

Boil the garlic, chili peppers and tomatillos in the water or chicken stock until tomatillos darken in color but are still firm. Place garlic, chili peppers and tomatillos in a blender. Fill half way with water or chicken stock and blend. Add cilantro and blend. Let cool slightly and add sour cream and blend. Transfer to a pot and simmer on low until reaches desired thickness. Taste and add salt if needed.

For information on taking a cooking class with me, in-person in Huatulco, Mexico or online:

http://www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com

chiles.chocolate@yahoo.com

Food, Living, Mexico, Uncategorized

Corn Bread Pudding with Poblano Cream

Jane Bauer

In last night’s online cooking class we made this sweet, yet savory, corn bread pudding with poblano chilies. I love this dish served with brunch or as a main served with salad. I originally came upon this recipe in a cookbook detailing Frida Kahlo’s favorite dishes.

For information about upcoming classes: http://www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com Contact me to be added to our mailing list: chiles.chocolate@yahoo.com

Corn Bread Pudding

  • 4 tablespoons butter *half a stick *room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1.5 cups of corn kernels
  • 1/6 cup of milk
  • 1.5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, separated

Mix butter and sugar together. Blend corn and milk in a blender. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and egg yolks together. Add corn/milk and sugar/butter. Mix well.

Beat remaining egg whites and when fluffy fold into corn batter. Pour into a oiled/buttered loaf pan. Bake at 175 C/ 350 F for 45 minutes.

Chiles in Cream

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 white onion sliced
  • 2 poblano chilies, roasted, seeded and peeled (If you cannot get poblanos you can use green peppers)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Sauté onion in butter on a medium heat for 10 minutes, add sliced poblanos and cream, turn heat to low and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Served corn bread pudding with poblano chilies in cream on top. Yum!