Baked Spaghetti Squash With Tomato Sauce and Olives (Recipe)

One of my favorite recipes!  Don’t be intimidated by the length of time it takes to cook the squash.  It’s worth it!  Leftovers heat up well!

~By Kim Musgnug (pictured with her daughter, Elizabeth)

Baked Spaghetti Squash With Tomato Sauce and Olives

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/4 pounds)
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup minced fresh onion
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• dash of crushed red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 TBSP capers
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

What is Yoga?

Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant, but the approach to them varies depending on the tradition in which the teacher has trained.

Yoga is a scientific system of physical and mental practices that originated in India more than three thousand years ago. Its purpose is to assist individuals achieve their highest potential and to experience enduring health and happiness and improve the quality live.

Evolution of the Spirit

Evolution of the Spirit  Evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris has written that stress is what creates evolution in nature: Plants grow through pruning, and human beings grow the same way. When we’re faced with a situation that we can’t control or change with our current level of understanding and skill, evolutionary stress arises. The stress impels us to question the situation, seek guidance and answers, practice what we’ve learned, and eventually take a leap out of our comfort zone into a higher level of awareness.

For most of us the stress is uncomfortable and disturbing. But in science and in spiritual life, important breakthroughs are often preceded by a period of intense frustration or impasse. The scientist has assembled his data and performed innumerable experiments, but he is unable to crack the problem; the answers aren’t coming. His passionate quest for answers and his frustration about not receiving them build to a white-hot intensity. In this impasse, frequently while he is resting or taking a walk, the answer emerges from his momentarily still mind. Often it takes the form of an insight, like a download from the Source.

– Article by YogaJournal

Pilates Helps Correct Posture

In Pilates, we pay a lot of attention to how our body parts are lined up in relation to each other, which is our alignment. When we stand or sit, we usually think of our alignment as our posture, but good posture is a dynamic process, dependent on the body’s ability to align its parts to respond to varying demands effectively. When alignment is off, uneven stresses on the skeleton, especially the spine, are the result. Pilates exercises, done with attention to alignment, create uniform muscle use and development, allowing movement to flow through the body in a natural way.

For example, one of the most common postural imbalances that people have is the tendency to either tuck or tilt the pelvis. Both positions create weaknesses on one side of the body and overly tight areas on the other. They deny the spine the support of its natural curves and create a domino effect of aches and pains all the way up the spine and into the neck. Doing Pilates increases the awareness of the proper placement of the spine and pelvis, and creates the inner strength to support the natural curves of the spine. This is called having a neutral spine and it has been the key to better backs for many people.

For more information about Pilates, please visit us on at www.PilatesCoreCenter.com