Woke up this morning with a bit of a head cold and wondering what to do with the piles of leftovers in our fridge. (Note on the head cold: I do have to say I am quite impressed that I’ve gone from being one of those people who got colds all the time, to not being able to remember the last time I had one…thank you, neti pot.) Sent husband and child out for a dad-daughter date so I can have some quiet time to myself. Came up with 2 things to address both problems of the day, and offer up a little post-Thanksgiving rehab:
Restorative yoga. I was perusing the Iyengar YOGA tome for restorative yoga sequences for head colds and found one of my faves: supported prasarita padotanasana. It’s a gentle inversion that eases mild congestion, and feels restful and recuperative. It’s interesting to compare how you can adjust a pose to either dial up the intensity or make it restorative. This picture shows the intense version, which is just to give you the idea; for the restorative version, get a big, fat pillow and put it under your head. A yoga block (or two) works just fine as well. Here’s the step-by-step:
- Stand with your feet approx 4 feet apart, toes turned in slightly
- Fold forward on an exhale and place hands on the floor shoulder-width apart
- Adjust your prop (block or pillow) do that it completely supports the crown of your head – make sure it is high enough
- Let your hands and upper body relax (don’t push the floor away) and keep the weight out of your heels
- Hold for 4-5 minutes, slowing your breath, and be sure to come up slowly and carefully when you finish
Leftover recipe from the November Gourmet. Here’s what we’re having for dinner – Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and blue cheese butter. Dig in fridge and find:
- blue cheese
- butter (soften in microwave)
- whole-wheat bread
- sliced cooked turkey
- cranberry sauce
- arugula (optional – this is not in our leftover pile and I ain’t buying it)
Mash blue cheese with butter (about 2 oz cheese to every tablespoon butter) and some black pepper. Spread on toasted bread and assemble with everything else. Simple yet decadent. A nice finishing touch to Thanksgiving.
Enjoy! Hope you are feeling full, happy, and restored.