🦃Happy Thanksgiving! 🍂

🍁As another feast day approaches, I'm excited to gather with family and friends to celebrate the season. Last week, we got fresh apples from an orchard and I experimented with a sugarless apple torte recipe using monk fruit/erythritol blends as a substitute. While apples aren't sugarless, they are high in fiber. By eliminating added sugar, I can enjoy a sweet treat without empty calories.🍎

You can find the recipe below. I also tried making the crust with almond flour, but it wasn't a straightforward substitution. The butter leaked from the springform pan. If you're avoiding wheat, look for a reliable almond flour shortbread recipe. 🥧  

Wishing you a fantastic long weekend!

Accessing the Power of Gratitude
by Frances Adamson

CHristine in Yoga Class

The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.

But while we may acknowledge gratitude's many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time.

That's why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn't a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It's more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves, legs that work, friends who listen and really hear, chocolate, fresh eggs, warm jackets, tomatoes, the ability to read, roses, our health, butterflies. What's on your list?

Some Ways to Practice Gratitude

Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way.

  • Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures.
  • Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine.
  • Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.
  • When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.
  • Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude.

As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.

EVENTS
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Ready to escape the chaos of daily life and immerse yourself in a day of pure bliss? Join us for our upcoming Half Day Retreat on October 21st. Picture yourself surrounded by nature, enjoying rejuvenating yoga, savoring a delicious and nutritious meal, and setting intentions for a happier, healthier life.

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Don't miss out on this opportunity to invest in your well-being. Let's make October 21st a day of transformation together!

SWEET RESOURCE
Apple Torte 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 monk fruit/erythritol
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

filling:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup monk fruit/erythritol, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (about 6 medium)
1/3 monk fruit/erythritol
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in flour and vanilla until blended. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Pour over crust. In another large bowl, toss apples with cinnamon and the remaining sugar. Spoon over cream cheese layer.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 400°; bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle almonds over top; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove side of pan before slicing. Store in the refrigerator. 🥧

(adapted from from ‘Taste of Home’ )

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