vegan-licious banana bread

Towhdayh Ih wahtwehd—

...sorry my mouth was full...

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite go-to recipes that I tend to make kind of regularly. I use the ripe bananas that I didn't use up for my acai smoothies throughout the week. When I see I have 2 or 3 bananas that are at the end of their yellow-ness I whip out this recipe, which is not only delicious, but also vegan!

VEGAN-LICIOUS BANANA BREAD

1/4 c earth balance veggie-"butter"

1/4 c natural apple sauce

1 c organic natural cane sugar*

3 Tbsp milk (almond or coconut)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 c all-purpose non-bleached flour

*If you have a preference, you can substitute a bit of the sugar with brown rice syrup. Here's a substitution I found for 1c sugar = 1 1/4 rice syrup plus 2 extra Tbsp flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda. I tend to just use an organic natural cane granulated sugar.

BONUS: you can also add some other healthy-boosters like a 1-2 Tbsps of flax or chia seeds- and then if the batter is a bit too dry add about 1 tsp of coconut oil.

Cream "butter", apple sauce, and sugar. Add milk, vanilla, and bananas. Add dry ingredients. Bake in greased loaf pan 350º for 1 hr or until done inside and browning on top.

EASY PEASY + extra good with a tiny bit of fruit preserves on top.

If you make it, please let me know how it went and if your taste buds thought it agreeable! xo

time for some updates...

SALUT! SALAM!

So we're back from the back-to-back yoga retreats in Marrakesh about a month ago, and also from a scouting trip in Provence, France. Looks like there is lots to catch you up on.

First of all - what an AMAZING time we had in Marrakesh. Peacock Pavilions was lovely as always, and the groups were so much fun! I should do an upcoming post just about the dishes we enjoyed each day - as there were many.

This time of year the air was so clear that you could see the gorgeous snow-capped Atlas Mountains in the distance. Such a strange and beautiful juxtaposition from the desert.

We enjoyed some relaxation (with Moroccan mint tea of course!) around the pool...

...while listening to the many songbirds sing away from the branches of the olive trees.

That is, of course, when we weren't out watching fire dancers...

Plus, something new since last time in September 2011 - the yoga tent now has a beautifully painted floor that we all got to admire during those downward-facing dog poses.

 Both groups were full of energy, laughter, wonderful spirits, and (newly made) friends!

Now don't miss out on the ONE SPOT LEFT for Sept 23-29 this year - and 2 weeks are on the site now for MARCH 2013!

http://eatpraymove.com

ps. I'll talk to you soon about the NEWLY ANNOUNCED retreat in PROVENCE, FRANCE after my time touring the area and getting details set up... stay tuned!

Happy GIVEAWAY Time!

Have you been to Morocco? Maybe joined (or will be joining) us on a yoga retreat in Marrakesh? Have you always wanted to experience the exotic pleasures of this faraway land but just haven't made it there yet?

Well now you can have a little piece of Marrakesh at home! Some of the beautiful colors, sights, textures, and patterns...

The beautiful Maryam of MyMarrakesh, and owner of the boutique hotel Peacock Pavilions, the location of our EAT.PRAY.MOVE Yoga Retreats in Marrakesh, has just completed a lovely book titled Marrakesh by Design, published by Artisan Books and set to be released in May!

AND YOU CAN WIN A FIRST-EDITION SIGNED COPY!

Or better yet, why not join us for a trip of a lifetime this year! Spots still available for Feb 26-Mar 3 and Sept 23-29.

FIND OUT MORE AND SIGN UP HERE

!

Read what one of our past guests had to say:

"I have always had a love of travel and a spirit of adventure, but as an almost 69-year old single woman, I believed my opportunities were limited and tame. Then, EAT. PRAY. MOVE came into my life and boy am I hooked! I signed up for the September ('11) trip to Marrakech and it was one of the finest travel experiences of my life. The accommodations were beautiful. The service. wonderful, The feeling of family and good friends surrounded us. Instead of being in a hotel, with the usual hotel culture, I was able to experience a true Moroccan lifestyle, including delicious food served on a delightful porch near the beautiful pool during the day and in a picturesque tent in the evening. The activities were fabulous: walking around in the walled old city with shopping galore, going on a day trip to a beach town including riding a camel. (I fantasized being Lawrence of Arabia.) and dining in exceptional Marrakech restaurants. We received henna treatments and spent an afternoon at a spa. Of course, there was yoga and meditation every day, too. It was a wonderful, exciting and affordable trip. I can't wait to see next year's schedule!"

- Bonnie

HOW TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

:

COMMENT on this post

with what exotic Mediterranean location you'd love to EAT, PRAY, and MOVE in! *Be sure to include your name, email (if not directly linked in comment), and if you completed the Facebook and/or Twitter additional entries*

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

• "LIKE" us on

FACEBOOK

• TWEET (copy and paste this exact message) "Enter to win signed book by @MyMarrakesh & Join us for #YOGA Retreat w/ @eatpraymoveyoga http://eatpraymoveyoga.com"

Contest runs until Feb 14, 2012 11:59est. Winner will be announced later that week and prize delivered when book is released in May 2012. *ONLY US &CANADA mailing addresses accepted*

To NYC with Love

So this past Sunday was the first mini "urban retreat" I hosted here in NYC with the company

SideTour

. Like I mentioned in the last post, SideTour brings together local enthusiasts and guests for interesting "experiential" tours. From beer-making classes and private dinner parties to graffiti art walks and intimate concerts - these tours connect NYC locals and visitors with a unique experience in the city - past the traditional tourist activities. Plus, the groups are small leading to a more intimate experience.

Carl Schurtz Park

The one I ran this past weekend was a combination of - what else - eating, praying, and moving! A handful of guests joined in from various parts of the city, and I even had one person visit all the way from Boston just for the event! She'd come on the Tuscany retreat last year and it was so nice to see her again.

Peter Pan - our meeting place

We started at the beautiful Carl Schurtz Park in the Upper East Side of the city. Here we enjoyed introductions and then I spoke about the practice of meditation before we headed to the water promenade to experience first-hand a time of walking meditation.

walking meditation along the river

Next it was off to a nearby yoga studio for a private small-group lesson to get our heart-rates up. Finally, we ended the afternoon at a lovely vegan restaurant where we each enjoyed some tea and a couple healthy courses before saying goodbye.

It felt like a small family for the day - like a mini version of the friendships forges on the week-long retreats. Everyone seemed to have a great time and I'm looking forward to more meetings like this locally. In the meantime...off to plan some new Mediterranean retreats...

au revoir!

Mini Urban Retreat

Calling all fellow NYC'ers, or even those thinking of visiting the Big Apple...I'm excited to announce that  there are now mini EAT.PRAY.MOVE urban retreats right here in the city.

The NY-based company

SideTour

 recently contacted me about teaming up with them with a health&wellness tour. I love their concept of offering experiential tours around the city with local experts. It's such a great way for residents to learn more about specific subjects or locales around the town, as well as a wonderful opportunity for visitors to dig deeper than the typical tourists sites.

I'm hoping that these ongoing mini urban tours will be a great way to introduce city-dwellers to a more peaceful way of living, as well as giving guests a way to indulge in some eating, praying, and moving during their visit.

Join me on the first tour where we'll start with a walking meditation through one of the city's hidden gems of a park, then on to a yoga class, followed by a meal at one of the top vegan restaurants including a small presentation on the benefits of a healthy diet.

Read more about the details & sign up

HERE

!