Monday, January 24, 2011

Solstice Restaurant Provides Healthy Options

Solstice Restaurant & Lounge, located on 911 Green St. in Greensburg has an extensive menu with healthy options. Executive Chef and Owner Gary Klinefelter submitted these recipes - try your hand at home, or visit Solstice and enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable “Burger” with basil-infused extra-virgin olive oil


Amt Ingredient

2 large portabella mushrooms, gills removed
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
10 asparagus, cut 2-3 inches long
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, sliced

to garnish:
• red cabbage and microsprouts
• basil-infused extra-virgin olive oil (recipe below)
• balsamic syrup (recipe below)
as needed extra-virgin olive oil to brush vegetables
to taste salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Procedure:
• Brush vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.
• Arrange vegetables on a medium-hot, clean, well-oiled grill. Allow to cook approximately 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until just barely cooked through.
• Using a small round cutter, cut two rounds out of each portabella mushroom. Place a portabella round on the bottom of plate. Arrange vegetables cut to size in alternating layers. Place portabella mushroom round on top.
• Garnish with red cabbage micro sprouts. Drizzle basil-infused olive oil around vegetable “burger,” then drizzle drops of balsamic syrup around basil oil.

For the Basil-Infused Olive Oil:
Amt Ingredient
2 bunches fresh basil leaves
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 qt. water

Procedure:
• In a small saucepot, bring 1 quart of water to a rolling boil. Quickly blanch basil leaves approximately 5 seconds, then shock them in ice water immediately. Drain water and squeeze excess water from basil leaves. On a clean dry towel, pat basil leaves dry.
• In a blender, combine basil and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Allow to sit overnight. Strain through cheesecloth.

For the Balsamic Syrup:
Amt Ingredient
4 liters good quality balsamic of Modena vinegar

Procedure:
• In a medium-sized saucepot, bring balsamic to a boil. Reduce to a light simmer and continue to do so until reduced to approximately 1 quart. Cool immediately

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Moonglow Yoga Expands Class List This Year

Types of classes at Moonglow Yoga

*The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice will always evolve and change, so it never gets boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relationship to them will. Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don't feel like you are very flexible or very strong. These things will develop over time. Another great thing about thinking about "your practice" is that it encourages the noncompetitive spirit of yoga. One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day.

In addition to practicing the poses, yoga classes also include instruction on breathing, meditation, or an inspirational reading by the teacher.

We offer different types of classes at Moonglow Yoga. Here are the different styles of yoga classes offered:

Spellbound™ Yoga: A compelling, non-heated vinyasa flow (linking movements with breath) class set to hypnotic rhythms and beats. Gentle cues and flowing movements set to a softly lit studio.

Moonglow™ Prenatal Yoga:
Learn to breathe deeply and relax, which will help you face the physical demands of labor, birth, and motherhood. The breathing technique known as ujjayi requires you to take in air slowly through your nose, filling your lungs, diaphragm and belly, then exhale, releasing the breath completely. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead. Modified yoga poses will keep you limber, tone your muscles and improve your balance. Please bring a mat and a blanket to class. Blocks, chairs and bolsters are provided.

Gentle Stretch Yoga:
Soft movements and easy flow focuses on elongating muscle groups, relaxation and breathing. Great for people of all ages.

Spellbound™ Meditation: Slow hypnotic music, blended with soft guided cues will guide you through a series of unique meditation practices. Each week will be slightly different. Please bring a blanket and pillow for your comfort during class. Chairs are provided, if you choose to sit in a chair.

Hot Vinyasa Yoga: An all-levels class linking movement and breath. Class begins seated with warm ups, then to standing series poses linked with sun salutations. Class is held in our heated yoga room, with temperatures around 105°

Hot Yoga with Weights: Blocks, light dumbells and straps are used during class. Class is held in our heated yoga room, with temperatures around 105°


For the spring, we will be offering workshops for:
• Yoga for Men
• Pranayama – Breathwork
• Yoga + Chocolate
• Introduction to Yoga
Dates for these will be set soon. Check the website for more information.

Teacher Training : In February, we will be starting our second teacher training session. A nine-month program, to guide students through all of the aspects of yoga. History, philosophy, the poses, sequencing, and special studies for breathing techniques, kids yoga, meditation, prenatal yoga, how to teach yoga, and much more. We bring in invited speakers and guest yoga instructors who bring their experience to the teachers in training. We have more information about our teacher training program online at moonglowyoga.com.

Graduation for our Teachers in Training: In March, we will be graduating our first teachers from our yoga teacher program. We will be adding more classes to the schedule at that time too.



Benefits of Yoga:


Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips.

Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who suffer from back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which you can begin to address with yoga. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don't give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.


Mental Benefits
Mental Calmness: Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started. Read more about yoga for stress management here.

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Promote Your Business in WHIRL Magazine

Greensburg was featured in
the November issue of WHIRL Magazine.
The next issue will be March 2011
WHIRL magazine is again featuring an “Explore Greensburg” promotional section in the target months of March, July and November 2011. 
While the theme of “spring fashion” is obvious because of the high concentration of retail shops in downtown Greensburg, the editions containing the “neighborhood guide” and the “food issue” themes will provide the GCDC with additional opportunities to encourage the readers to “Think of Greensburg” as a community with cultural, entertainment, dining, and shopping experiences.  The March edition will be distributed to the subscribers and the general public on February 25th.   
The editorial content will include a description of the “experiences” available within the City.  These experiences include shopping at locally owned gift shops and retail stores, dining at an established or new restaurant, and being entertained at a cultural/performance facility. 
Greensburg businesses that participated in the November 2010 edition of WHIRL  experienced high value exposure to the large audience of WHIRL readers both inside the City of Greensburg, and extending into surrounding counties and city of Pittsburgh.
If you are interested in being part of the next Explore Greensburg promotional section, you will need to contact Kate Dimond, WHIRL Account Executive.  Dimond can be reached atkdimond@whirlmagazine.com or 412-431-7888. She can also answer any of your questions about this opportunity. 

Cultural and Shopping District Banners

For Shopping District and Cultural District Banners
contact the GCDC atgcdc@thinkgreensburg.com 
The GCDC and the City of Greensburg are entering the 4th season of banners placed on street poles within the cultural and shopping districts of the downtown area.
Businesses and organizations are invited to sponsor a street pole banner that is highly visible to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  There are 100 banners available, complete with a new design to enhance  visibility. 
The cost for sponsorship is $70 per banner. The money raised will be used to replace damaged and worn banners over the next several years.
The deadline for sponsorship is March 11.  Please contact the GCDC for an application or  with questions at724-689-0040 or gcdc@thinkgreensburg.com

Retail Storefront ready for occupancy in the Greensburg Shopping District

This property is a prime location
for a variety of businesses.

Property Profile: 16 West Second Street
This retail storefront is ready for occupancy with several interior improvements being made within the past 12 months.  The storefront is located within the center of the Shopping District and ideal for a new business or an established home-based business seeking a traditional storefront location.
 
Property Details:
  • Retail Space: 600 sq. ft. with a storage area (500 sq. ft.) accessable from the alley.
  • Price: $500 per month, all inclusive
  • Located within the heart of the City's Shopping District
  • Adjacent to retail stores, art galleries and restaurants
 
If interested in touring the space and learning more details, contact building owner Carol Gaffey at 724-832-8900 or cgaffey@aol.com 

Monthly Happy Hour @ Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Art on Tap 5.2.7 events are held
each month at the Westmoreland
Museum of American Art.

Art on Tap 5.2.7 at Westmoreland Museum 
 
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art schedules a monthly Happy Hour event titled Art on tap 5.2.7.  On the second Friday of each month from 5-7 p.m., the public is invited to start the weekend in style socializing with friends and neighbors while enjoying food, drinks, music, scavenger hunts and art in the galleries. Admission is just $7 and includes two drink tickets for beer or wine.
 
The next Art on Tap 5.2 7 event is scheduled for Friday, January 14th and will be held in the Robertshaw Gallery.  The chef and staff from Solstice Restaurant and Lounge are evening sponsor providing lite food. Upcoming dates include February 11, March 11 and April 8.