It was so interesting reading about some of your doshas! Laury had mentioned that one of her clients sees an Ayurvedic doctor who can tell what their patient ate simply by touching them. Wow! Imagine being that in-tune! I thought I’d share a link that you may find interesting, and who knows… it may help fill in some blanks: Ayurveda Info-center.
“The whole person-and the whole field of interpersonal behavior-can be spontaneously enhanced by the process of self-referral, or looking within to experience the Self. This is analogous to the natural process by which all the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit of a tree can be simultaneously nourished and enlivened by watering the root.“
I had some prepping to do last Friday, as we were having guests all the way from Germany. I didn’t want to stress out about it because first off, I didn’t have to! As I was cooking I made sure to have a clear mind, and good intentions. I just wanted everyone to be able to relax and enjoy when they ate. Not to mention, the whole house smelled divine!
- Pain D’Epice or French honey-spice bread
- This involved egg whisking.
- Anise!
- and other delicious spices and citrus zest.
- I also made a well for the whisked eggs and soy milk.
- Finger licking
- Oh that’s right! This has to go in the oven.
- Et Voila!
A deliciously sweet and aromatic bread–a bit burned around the edges but tasty nonetheless. I don’t think that many of you know that I’m quite the honey afficianado. I have honeys ranging in flavors from lavender to almond, as dark as molasses, local variations, and even artisanal raw honeycomb squares from Savannah Bee Company. It’s funny because most of these were gifts from friends.
- Then a mysterious package came in the mail.
- I have been eyeing these shoes all summer!
- I saw this as a sign to dress up and play hostess.
The guests would be arriving soon!
- And a goofy one for the heck of it!
- Our guests!
- Ivy’s sesame-coconut rice, yellow split pea dhal, and a spinach salad with avocado, blueberries, and lemon-balsamic vinaigrette.
This meal was so flavorful! My mom also made a coconut chicken curry with pineapple. The rice was my favorite though. I cooked some basmati rice with ghee and salt. Afterwards I fried the dried coconut and sesame seeds in more ghee. Once that was golden I mixed it in with the cooked rice. Wow! The ghee did so much for this dish. One of the guests said it was one of the best meals he’s ever had. Perhaps my good intentions really did work!
Spinach Salad with Avocado, Blueberries, Feta and Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette (I omitted the feta since I’m avoiding cheese for the time being)
- I made mango lassi for dessert!
- Cheers to a great meal m’lady.
- The next morning involved the French honey-spice bread topped with ghee + a bowl of Greek yogurt, fruits, and ground golden flaxseeds.
The bread reminded me of one of the Christmas cakes in Germany. Deliciously nostalgic.
- We also bought pan de bono, which is a delicious Colombian cheese bread.
- And one of my other favorites: arepa de choclo
Our guests fully enjoyed the breakfast! Actually, everyone did.
- Beans, beans…
“Soaking reduces excess dryness, calming the air element in foods and enhancing the water element. The added moisture supports the action of agni, digestive fire, on food, making foods easier for the body to break down. This beneficial Ayurvedic practice of soaking is used with beans, peas, nuts, some seeds, and dried fruits. Soaking is most often done overnight by simply covering the food with pure water and letting it sit, covered, until the morning.”
After soaking the beans for many hours, I cooked them with bay leaves. Once they were cooked I fried some onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Then added the beans and some sea salt. Simple, delicious, and very helpful for my liver.
- More legumes
I steamed some edamame, then sprinkled on some sea salt. I love eating them out of their shells.
- A bowl beaming with green!
This was a mix of kale and mustard greens. I massaged the greens with flaxseed oil, as Neela had suggested. This was very tasty and helped lessen the bitterness of raw kale. Speaking of kale, I found a really great recipe for kale and chard salad with blue cheese. Check it out!
“Kale contains sulphorane…which only becomes apparent when cruciferous veggies such as kale, cabbage and broccoli are chewed or chopped. But it’s what sulphorane does that’s important. It encourages the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, especially those connected to chemically-induced breast cancer and colon cancer.“
- I also massaged watercress and green cabbage shreds in flaxseed oil as well.
Watercress is in the same family as kale and mustard greens, so they have similar health benefits.
“Watercress juice is so concentrated with so much cleansing goodness that it activates the detoxifying enzymes in the liver for detoxifying a hangover.”
Watercress juice could be a party girl’s best friend!
Another interesting tid-bit I found from an article I read by Brendan Brazier about stress-reducing foods:
“Alkaline forming – leafy green vegetables, chlorella
Enzyme rich – raw fruits and vegetables
Hormone balancing – maca (Peruvian root vegetable)
High quality, complementary protein – hemp, yellow pea, brown rice
Rich in essential fatty acids – flax seeds”
Check, check, and check! I’ve actually been adding maca powder to my oats once they cool down due to my hormone imbalance; I struggle with too much testosterone. Right now, for me, I’m trying to eat most of my vegetables steamed or lightly (3-5 minutes) pan-fried with ghee to keep the nutrients. If I eat them raw, however, I massage them in oil so it’s easier for my dosha to handle. And it looks like I’ll be enjoying more yellow split pea dhal in my future!
Without further ado, here’s my video!
This man is incredible! I’m not sure how one human can have so much information coming from so many different places in his head, but he manages. Sometimes when he’s talking he closes his eyes, pauses for literally a good minute, gathers his thoughts, and then decides to say something.
So the temperature and baking time will vary for this because I used a toaster oven. I baked this at 350° F for about 35 minutes. I probably should’ve baked it at a higher temperature because the following day I re-heated it at 400° F and it turned it much crispier and better. My advice is to just keep an eye on it!
I chose an endive salad with pears, walnuts, roquefort and a sweet mustard dressing. I wish I knew how small the salad would be. It was not filling at all, but it was delicious! I’ve never had endives before. And you know me, I’m always up for trying something new.
Don’t worry I’ll include some more pictures of food later on in this entry hehe.
Remember how I said I would take this Florida trip as time to reflect and improve myself? One of the important things I take with me from Florida this time is that there is nothing wrong with being a confident woman! I think because I look younger than my age, and am a child at heart – I somehow got lost on the path towards womanhood. Also, I’ve found that for me being in Richmond and being in art school, I’m surrounded by a lot of young women who aren’t very… feminine. There’s nothing wrong with that. But for me, I don’t quite like downplaying the fact that I’m a lady. And I had been doing that. For awhile I really lost touch with myself. I admit, even showering became a chore because I didn’t care about myself enough. At one point I got so upset with my appearance that I would walk through the alleyways to get to my classes in order to avoid more contact with people. My life was so bland and depressing back then. I knew I had to stop those behaviors, because that just wasn’t me. Anyway, I’m much happier now and I feel like I’m finally growing into the young woman that I am.
