Kicking off the new year right with a kick-butt pair of workshops offering a good workout, and a lot of laughter and fun!

Not a current student of mine? Anyone with ATS foundations, regardless of whether or not you study with me regularly, will find these workshops valuable for refining technique and exploring some new ideas.

-OR-

If you are a student of mine who has been away for a while, these workshops will be a fantastic way to return to the dance, brush up on your skills, and be introduced to some new changes and concepts since you last danced with us.

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ATS BOOT CAMP AND DANCE JAM
Monday, January 11, 2010
Phinney Neighborhood Center
6532 Phinney Ave N, Room 7

7pm-8:30pm Foundations Boot Camp - $15
8:30-10pm Dance Jam - $10
>> or pre-register for BOTH for only $20! <<
$25 for both at the door
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ATS Foundations Boot Camp
Get back to basics with this wham-bam THANK YOU MA'AM! refresher course. After a brief warm-up, we will review all the ATS foundation skills from the ground up, rockin' through the entire Level 1 course material to get the new year off on the right foot. Refine the foundations that are integral to becoming a stronger, more confident dancer at all levels.

If you are not a current student of mine, this workshop will be of particular value to get a feel for me as a teacher and for the class culture, to see if we would be a good fit for your further studies in tribal bellydance. We'd love to meet you!

Tribal Dance Jam
This workshop is ideal for Level 2 and up dancers, but is *open to all level dancers* who are interested in the challenge of trying new things. We will be focused on different formations and collaborative relationships within the dance, including duets, trios, one-two-triplet, and open chorus. ***We will also be reviewing the NEW foundation formation we will be using beginning in 2010, based in ATS tradition. You don't want to miss this chance to get a head-start on the changes!***

Registration and full details at
http://mandalatribal.com/workshops/upcoming

Sorry for the short notice, m'dears. Please register or let me know as soon as you can if you plan to attend!!

The next session of regular classes begins the week after MLK holiday, the week of the 25th. In addition to our regular classes, we will have a special session of HULA on Thursday evenings. You don't want to miss out! http://www.mandalatribal.com/classes/schedule

Happy New Year everyone!
-Shay

Okay, so since we're expanding what goes in this journal, I will share with you a recipe I made last night, which Facebook peeps were asking about. I made it up, and I don't remember the EXACT proportions of everything, but I will do my best!

I have never written down a recipe that required multiple things going on at once, so forgive me if this isn't as clear as it could be. In writing it, it sure sounds/looks more complex than it was. I mean, timing the three parts to it can be tricky, but since I was making it up as I went along, I just turned heats up/down as needed to speed up or slow down as I went along. I managed to do a load of dishes somewhere in here as well--not by choice, but a couple things I needed to cook with were in the sink mid-stream, so I unloaded and then loaded the dishwasher, then cleaned the things I needed and dried them. So if there was time to adjust for doing some dishes in the middle, it can't be that hard, right?! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think, and if you made any changes what they were and how they turned out!



Almond-Garlic Crusted Chicken Breast with a Mushroom-Basil Cream Sauce
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites (or just 1 egg if you prefer)
Handful of almonds (maybe 15), chopped finely
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
4 oz mushrooms of your choice, cut to your desired size (I quartered fresh creminis)
1 tsp dried basil
Dash or two of garlic salt
2 servings of fettuccine (whatever you prefer for a side dish portion)
Grated parmesan to taste.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.

2. Place chicken breasts between saran wrap layers and pound to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

2. In a saute pan, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat.

3. Add garlic and mushrooms to pan and cook gently for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until garlic begins to brown slightly, and the mushrooms begin to soften, but do not brown mushrooms.

4. As mushrooms and garlic cook, mix together flour and almond bits and put in shallow bowl.

5. Dip chicken in egg whites, then dredge in almond/flour mixture, coating evenly as possible and gently shaking off excess.

6. Turn up the heat on the mushroom/garlic pan to medium-high, remove mushrooms and set aside in an uncovered bowl for later.

7. Place dredged chicken breasts into pan with liquid and garlic bits from cooking the mushrooms and cook each side about 2-3 minutes, until the coating stays put and the chicken exterior is lightly browned. You will smell the almonds beginning to brown, and that will be a good sign it is about done on that side.

8. Line a small broiler pan with foil and place the wire rack on top. Put chicken on the rack and in place center of oven with meat thermometer in thickest part of one of the breasts. Cook approx 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature is 180 degrees. This may go faster or slower, depending on how thin or thick your chicken breasts ended up being.

9. Put saucepan of water on stove and begin to bring to a boil for fettuccine

10. Turn heat down on saute pan to low/medium low and add cream, gently stirring it frequently to reduce it slowly as the chicken is cooking, mixing in any bits of garlic and almonds that are left from the chicken and mushrooms.

Add dried basil and garlic salt (and parmesan if desired - I like to add maybe 1/8 cup of finely grated parm for flavor) and continue to reduce. Do not let this get too hot/reduce too fast. It should just gently bubble in the center to have it reduce at a slow rate and be finished at the same time as the pasta and chicken. If it gets done too soon, just turn to warm and stir it occasionally to keep it ready until the rest is complete.

During the last few minutes of reducing the sauce, add the mushrooms back in to heat them through and boost sauce flavor once more. Keep warm until chicken and pasta is ready.

11. When water comes to a boil, drop in fettuccine and salt the water. Cook to desired doneness. Drain.

TO PLATE:
With tongs, make a nest of fettuccine in center of each plate. Place chicken breast on top, then pour mushroom sauce over the top. Sprinkle parm and a pinch more dried basil on top if you like. Serve immediately.

I should add that it was a hit for both me and hubby--two yums up!--and his only feedback was

a) he wanted the mushrooms cut smaller (he doesn't like em fat and juicy like I do), and

b) he wished I had lightly tossed the pasta in with the sauce before nesting it on the plate, so they were at least coated some before the chicken went on top and the sauce was poured over all.

Hope it y'all like it!

I have been thinking a lot over my holiday break about what it means to be truly *passionate* about something, and in particular, what it means to be a passionate teacher. It is more than showing up and conveying material in a clear and professional manner. It is conveying an EMOTION, it is about building enthusiasm, and demonstrating that enthusiasm, in the work you do and share with your students. And they in turn reflect that joy and commitment in their expression of what you have taught them.

Greg Breniburg is such a teacher. "Mr. B" as he is called by his students at PS22, is a true inspiration not only to his students and fellow staff members, but to the world at large. And personally to me as a teacher, I find him an amazing example of the teacher I want to be. He has taught kids more than music, and demonstrated more than what it means to teach. He is an example of *passion at work*, and I am duly moved. Enjoy!

http://www.beyondtheordinary.net/greggbreinberg.shtml
http://ps22chorus.blogspot.com/

My paternal grandfather was from French Canadian descent. He married my grandma who was very very Italian. We had some weird mix of foods sometimes at dinners, but it was because they were into honoring traditions, which I adore them for.

Every Christmas, grandma would cook up a traditional French Canadian meat pie, called tourtiere. Grandma pronounced it "tootcare", but that is clearly not the French pronunciation. Maybe she picked it up from the way we kids would say it as children. In any case, my siblings adored it, though I never liked it and still don't eat it. But I am pretty sure that when and if I have a family of my own, I will be making it for them. And so it goes...

Since grandma's passing, my sister Evelyn has taken up the mantle of making it for our family holiday gatherings, and the recipe she uses is from memory from Grandma. It still isn't quite perfect in its implementation, and needs more tweaking. But if you Google for "tourtiere recipe", you will find many more examples of this traditional French Canadian dish to cross-reference to find the perfect balance for your palate. Recipe behind the cut.


3 lbs ground pork shoulder
2 large russet potatoes
1 large yellow onion
1 to 1 1/2 tbl. Summer Savory (roughly)
2 tsp. Salt (roughly)
1/2 tsp. Pepper (roughly)
Pie crust (separate recipe)


Dice onion.
Combine pork onion, summer savory, salt and pepper.
Cook on medium to high heat for 10 min.
Reduce heat and cook for an additional 30 min

Meanwhile......
Pre-heat oven to 375
Prepare pie crust and pre-bake the bottom crust
Peel potatoes and cut them into small cubes
Boil until tender but not soft
Strain then add to pork mixture
Cook for an additional 15 to 20 min

Strain off about 50% of the liquid and place in the pie crust.
Place top crust on pie and vent the top crust.

Bake for 30 min or until top crust is fully cooked and browned.

So a new student and friend, Kelly at Seattle Yogini, called me to action with her idea of a 2010 Wishlist. Oh I love this! A 2010 WISH LIST! I, like Kelly and I am sure others, resist the idea of resolutions, because they have become something to almost be mocked because they are so often broken. I don't want to make promises to myself I won't keep, which feels like a further self-defeating practice. Wish Lists sounds like goal setting without breaking promises! Thanks, Kelly, for the great inspiration!

As for my list, I will have to meditate more on it, but however cliche, I know being more healthy is high. I have eaten and DRANK wayyyyy too much in the latter half of this year, and my continued issues with my knees, foot, and back are surely exacerbated by weight gain. I want to feel strong again, most of all, and more fearless! Those were things I always valued in myself throughout my life, and I want to preserve that "Sharonness" through my late 30's, 40's and beyond!!

I also want to re-examine the role of my dance in my life, both in teaching and in performing. I know I adore it, but identifying more specifically what I adore about it, and how I can keep those aspects of my love for it without burning myself out. I want to help my students stay enthusiastic and connected, and that relies on ME staying enthusiastic and connected. Finding the right boundaries and creative motivations, and knowing when and how to let go seems the key.

Being more organized is always on my list. I can be stubborn with myself, and resist "busy-work" when it comes to my home and my finances. I would like to nip that in the bud with some new daily habits for self-care and simplifying.

Spending more time with new friends, and specifically friends who are creative, childlike, and fun-seeking like me, is another goal. I have loved nurturing my crafty relationships in the past couple years, and feel my dormant creative self re-awakening as of late, and I want to keep that momentum going, both inside and outside of dance.

Okay, now you!! What is your 2010 Wish List?