Aid & Abet

“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words “make” and “stay” become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.” 

Tom Robbins

(Mr. Robbins is my hero! I've read every one of his books...a few of them twice!)

Rumi Inspired Sunday

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.

image via sophisticated-simplicities

Stuffed Bell Peppers

My man traveled home from NYC a couple of weeks ago, and we spent the weekend doing some of what we love...laying on the sand and cooking! Here's our stuffed bell pepper recipe! Enjoy! xo

1/4 c each white, brown and wild rice

6 medium bell peppers (red, yellow or green)

1 lb mild, hot or sweet Italian sausage

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 lb fresh small mushrooms, chopped

1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c grated Romano cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 eggs, beaten

olive oil

Prepare rice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash and clean bell peppers.

Remove sausage from casing and saute in frying pan.

Once browned, remove sausage from pan using a slotted spoon and place in bowl.

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms and parsley in sausage drippings.

Add vegetable mixture and cheese to sausage.

Stir together and add cooked rice, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and eggs.

Stuff bell peppers with sausage mixture.

Rub the outside of peppers with olive oil.

Place in baking pan, cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 1-1.5 hours or until peppers are tender.

Makes 6 servings.

Rumi Inspired Sunday

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

Warming Up!

It's been so warm here this week, and I'm beginning to think we've somehow skipped spring and moved directly to summer! I even spent some time on the sand this week. Now if only the water would warm up a bit!

Prayer to Artemis

Artemis, huntress of the moon, make my aim true. Give me goals to seek and the constant determination to achieve them.

Grant me communion with nature, allow me to live surrounded by plants and animals that I can grow, protect and nurture.

Allow me the strength and wisdom to be my own mistress, not defined by the expectations of others.

And sustain my sexuality to be as yours — wild and free as nature itself.

Heart Melted & Mind Blown

It's Tuesday night, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of the heart melting and mind blowing that was my weekend. For those of you who don't know, I was fortunate enough to spend Saturday and Sunday practicing Anusara in Hollywood with John Friend (Founder of Anusara Yoga). I have to admit that I was a bit nervous in the days leading up to the events, but after spending 10+ hours on my mat alongside a couple hundred incredible yogis...I feel totally inspired.

I know it's cliche, but yoga (In my experience, Anusara) is worth so much more than the 60-90 minutes spent sweating in the asana. I am by no means an expert in tantric philosophy, but I do know that through my practice I have experienced a unique beauty. Some of the most powerful concepts John so brilliantly alluded to this weekend involved intrinsic goodness, sensitivity and artistic expression. Essentially, our yogic acts help to honor the intrinsic goodness within all of us...through sensitivity (i.e. compassion, kindness etc.) and our own individual artistic expression (i.e. creating beauty for the world). These concepts are so simple and meaningful, but are so often lost in the hustle of everyday life. If there's anything I will take from this weekend it's a reminder to truly open my heart to experiences that will manifest goodness and beauty in this lifetime. I hope this weblog is the first step in an enlightened direction!