Yoga, Dinner and a Movie
Episode 10
The Little Princess: India Green Gems Spinach Patties: Reach For The Sun Simple
Stretch
The Little Princess
Sara is her father’s Little Princess in this classic heartwarming tale of a delightful girl
who must go to live in a boarding house, while her father is called to the war in Africa
circa the late 1800’s. Sara’s grown up in her beloved colonial India, with it’s wonderful
spices, colorful clothing, magic, lush greenery and a truly enchanted life. It’s difficult for
her to be away from India, but being away from her father is worse. Sara’s cheerful
attitude, however, is inviolate as she is determined to make the best of things. She soon
makes friends with one of the servant girls, which is not allowed and not too long after
wards runs afoul when the “alpha girl” on the scene decides there isn’t room for the two
of them. Next door in the other huge mansion is a kindly old gentleman who’s son is also
off to war. He’s got an Indian servant named Ram Dass with whom Sara begins a
kinship. It isn’t long before tragedy strikes and Sara hears of her father’s death in the war
and the loss of all of his assets. Sara must become a servant and live in the dark, cold,
roof leaking attic with Becky, the servant girl. Always in a positive mood, on a
particularly cold night when both girls are sent to bed without dinner, Sara conjures up a
dream breakfast and beautiful clothing and décor like she had in India. When the girls
awaken, the dream has become real with some magic help from Ram Dass, who has
managed to carry beautiful furnishings and food to decorate the room while the girls
sleep, across a very high, narrow beam. The headmistress is not happy when she sees all
of this and a dangerous pursuit to capture Sara and have her arrested ensues. While
escaping across the dangerous beam to the safety of the home of the kindly old gentleman
next door, she discovers her father, not dead, but having only amnesia, having been taken
in at the behest of Ram Dass. The old magic of India has worked again in this timeless
classic that reminds us to keep the faith, to feather our nests to reflect our true inner heart
longings and to be kind, above all else. Hungry after that daring-do? Let’s see what
Bela’s got for a great snack.
India Green Gems Spinach Patties
8 oz. Frozen chopped spinach, drain out excess water
2 slices bread, crust removed, cut into small pieces
1 cup breadcrumbs, flavored
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper powder
2-3 Tablespoons oil for frying
Pinch of Salt
1 egg, beaten. (for a Vegan substitute, use ¼ cup soft tofu and ½ cup chick pea flour or
Other Vegan binder)
In a skillet, heat the oil. Fry the bread pieces until light brown. Break into small pieces.
Add the spinach and spices. Continue frying until the spinach is dry. Let it cool
Add the egg or the Vegan alternatives to the Spinach
Add the bread pieces and form into patties (this makes about 12-14).
Roll patties in the breadcrumbs and fry until golden.
Sara’s Reach For The Sun Simple Stretch
This is almost exactly what Sara would do when she threw open the window from her
room to let in the air, sunlight and even the snow. Sara embraced all that was free and
beautiful and you can do, with this simple invigorating, hopeful, body aligning stretch.
Stand with feet about 6 inches apart, hand relaxed at your sides.
Stretch your arms wide and upwards from your sides as you inhale through your nose,
Bringing your hands up, over your head as if to touch the sun. Hands are 6 inches apart.
Exhale, arms remaining in position as you continue to breath, stretching more and more
until you feel that you have stretched your spine as much as possible.
On the last exhalation, also exhaling through your nose, return your arms back down to
your sides. Once is enough to invigorate the spine, lungs and to align the hips, shoulders
and spine.