Back in Manila!

I'm back and *guess what* I didn't get to practice any yoga while in New York. Traveling without a nanny put a damper on my yoga schedule, but you'll get no complaints from me. It was a great bonding time for our little family of three.

What we did get to do though was EAT. Thank God for child-friendly restaurants.

Momofuku Ssam Bar 

The Milk Bar

Savoy (oops, not so child-friendly as the kitchen wouldn't accommodate our daughter's request for scrambled eggs)

Shake Shack

Bouchon

And yes, I was reunited with my favorite Whole Foods Cranberry Couscous Salad. This time I was able to get the ingredients list so hopefully my next recreation will be closer to the original.

Shopping, though limited, was still successful. Got some Elisabetta Rogiani crops. Visited the Lululemon showroom on East 66th.

Took our daughter to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. This place was a madhouse! But our little girl was thrilled to see Dora, Diego, Boots and the rest of her cartoon entourage. Made an excursion out to the Bronx Zoo. Beautiful place well worth the trip across the bridge. 

Looking forward to Damien De Bastier and Andrea Drottholm's visit to Manila. Details here. This means I have about a week and a half to get back into the groove. Good luck to me!

Have Mat, Will Travel

It's vacation time! Woohoo! My family and I are heading out to New York for 2 weeks and I am looking forward to walking on Fifth Avenue, eating a burger in Shake Shack and trying out the many studios the Big Apple has to offer.

Shake Shack

Which leads to my dilemma. What yoga gear do I bring? With a suitcase already busting at the seams, lugging my mat all the way to the States doesn't seem like a bright idea. 

Inefficient packer

Some options:

Using studio-provided mats. The easiest solution, but some studios may not have them and actually require students to bring their own mat.

Manduka eKO SuperLite Travel Mats. These provide traction but no cushioning for jumps and landings. Probably best used in carpeted hotel room floors.

Manduka eKO SuperLite Travel Mats

Toe Sox. Traction in sock form. This is the lightest and least bulky option but as with the travel mat, zero cushioning.

Help!!!

Chicified Yoga Bag

I finally found a yoga bag that fulfills the following criteria:

• Roomy enough to fit mat towels, a change of clothes, my water bottle and other yoga paraphernalia
• Made of a light enough material so that it doesn't add more weight to my daily commute 
• Can take you from the studio to the office, to lunch or to the mall
• Differentiates you from the runners and gym jocks :P

Available from Chicify.com. Proudly Filipino-made

Recipe: Cranberry Couscous Salad

When I was a student in Chicago, I lived next to a Whole Foods.  During the winters when going out of a heated apartment was near suicide, the organic grocery across the street was a lifesaver. One of my favorites is their Cranberry Couscous Salad. Though I could never find the original recipe online, I invented one that (I think) is close enough to the original. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
Couscous, 1 cup uncooked (I prefer the pearl variety, but any kind will work) Cook according to the package's instructions *
Olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
Thyme, 1 handful, crushed
Dried cranberries, 1/2 cup
Walnuts, crushed, 1/2 cup
Spring onions, 2 stalks, chopped
Salt and pepper 

* I cook couscous with chicken broth and butter 

Directions
Fluff the couscous once cooked. Remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, mix together olive oil, thyme, cranberries, walnuts and spring onions.  
Fold the couscous into the bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!