Tag Archives: mango lassi

Some Last Moments

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Hello everyone! It seems you all are excited about the giveaway. I am too! The giveaway ends June 19th so if you haven’t entered remember to check it out right over here: “Must Have Been Something I Ate” by Peggy K Giveaway! Oh, and remember that recap I mentioned earlier? Well, it’s about time I share it before it becomes archival.

I invited some of my closest friends to one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond.

It was one of my friend’s first time eating Indian food so I knew I had to take her to  my favorite Indian restaurant ever. They have this incredible buffet that is constantly changing daily. If you’re trying Indian food I’d say going to a buffet is the way to go because there are so many different flavors that it’s hard to simplify and describe when someone asks “what does it taste like?”

We went on a Monday night so we could enjoy their dinner buffet + UNLIMITED MANGO LASSI!

They were my favorite before the unlimited mango lassi, but now that they have this deal… they are definitely at the top of my list! My friends and I got refills, and sometimes it’d take awhile because they were making another batch in the kitchen. Fresh mango lassi of course.

M’mm I love Indian food.

Sadly, they didn’t have my absolute favorite dish out on the buffet spread, but the owner told me that if I call beforehand and tell them what I want they can make it and add it to the buffet. My favorite dish is their paneer pasanda which is “fresh homemade cheese cubes cooked in a creamy mango sauce with almonds and raisins.” Not what you usually find on an Indian restaurant’s menu, and that’s one of the things I love about this place. Great food, great service, and so many unique dishes. We all left with happy bellies, and surprisingly we didn’t feel like giant beach balls that could just roll away.

Things at my place were more simple–almond butter and apricot jam on sourdough.

 I had found this interesting recipe on CHOW’s website. That’s where I usually find interesting ideas for things like grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dinner to go!

I roasted a Japanese sweet potato, and sautéed it with beets, spinach, and a splash of balsamic. Then I topped it with a cannellini bean puree and goat’s cheese.

We made sure to see each other before I left Richmond, but we’ll be seeing each other again. I know it!

Who knows where!

My other dear friend wanted to take me out to lunch to “a place I’ll miss”

Hmm.. I had already gone to India K’raja and Cafe Gutenberg, but then I remembered one of my other favorite places! I usually come to Balliceaux to hang out or for dinner. It was interesting to go there for lunch, but I knew they’d still have their great and seasonally-changing menu.

Contemplating what to order.
First, we got the mezze platter as an appetizer.
It came with edamame hummus, tabbouleh, marinated market vegetables, chickpea salad, and grilled pita.

Everything was deliciously fresh and flavorful! The marinated market vegetables were jicama, green beans, and something else I can’t remember. The tabbouleh was the best I ever had and very unique. The edamame was alive with flavor, and the chickpea salad… gosh I just want to remake it all! All together with warm grilled pita bread–yum!

I ordered the heirloom veggie burger made with beans, seeds, and grains, served with tomato and garlic mayo.

I also got a side of greens aka super spicy vegan southern style collard greens. There was something in those spicy greens that just made me want more despite the runny nose.

My friend got the falafel flat bread wrap: roasted eggplant, lettuce, tomato, garlicky tahini, pickled onion and carrot.

He was so thoughtful to get the roasted eggplant on the side since I’m allergic. We ended up splitting our meals in half so we could each try the deliciousness!

At the end of our meal I was sad to say bye bye to Balliceaux.
Later that day I went to a potluck, which was Indian themed and someone brought mango lassi!
My last week in Richmond also involved packing of course.
Which resulted in a stuffed minivan rental!
Passing through Georgia we stopped to pick up some peaches.

These peaches are so juicy that you can eat them over the glass and have peach juice leftover~

We also stopped at a gas station and it happened to have this place called Fresh.

They gave us a sample of their avocado dream smoothie: avocado, banana, coconut cream soymilk, and yogurt. I was honestly surprised that there was a menu like this at a gas station. Usually stopping at a gas station means it’s potty break time and nothing else. But this time it also meant “get some dinner time”.

And it was tasty!
I got their Apple Harvest Chick’n Salad, which used Gardein.

The salad was very ‘meh’, but better than dipping cold toast into a tub of hummus. I also realized that albeit this is a salad, the volume kept me fuller longer. I don’t know why but my stomach is hard to satisfy on road trips. It’s definitely not out of boredom either because my stomach starts growling. Anyone else get super hungry on car trips?

When I got back from my long road trip I went to the kitchen and discovered a new flavor combination.

In fact, I had it for breakfast the very next day! The delicious and satisfying combination is mission figs, fresh blueberries, and peanut butter.  You’ve got the density and sweetness from the fig, tart blueberries, and slightly salt and very nutty peanut butter.

Ah it feels good to be back in Florida. I miss my friends up in Richmond, and after years of living there… well my life was up there. But I’ve been the kind of person who’s been to a lot of different places and I don’t feel like I’m tied down by “what I’m use to”. Because I can get use to anything! Except for things like violence, rudeness, constant stress, and negative things like that. And the true friends that I make will always be a part of my life in some way or another. I believe that me and my friends are connected by our souls and not by our location. There are many things on my plate right now, and that part is making my head spin a little. I just need to talk about my plans outside of my head more so that I can get some insight and clarity on what I want.

And once again don’t forget to enter my “Must Have Been Something I Ate” by Peggy K Giveaway!

From My Heart to Your Belly

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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!

Yellow Split Pea Dhal

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!

Still Soaking Up the Sun, Con’t.

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I just realized that I forgot to reveal the truth! Drum roll please! Okay… so the truth is that I made out with one of the guys from my favorite band. Oh man, that is a long story to tell and I smile whenever I think about it. I definitely thought I was all that and a bag of potato chips after that hehe.

So back to the recap. The next day was cloudy and rainy so I decided to take Kelley to some specialty stores. But before that I whipped myself up a quick lunch.

Veggies, avocado, and a filled tortilla.

My parents had the sprouted tortillas which I’ve never tried before. I was surprisingly satisfied with these. Sometimes those kinds of tortillas taste too “brown” for me, you know what I mean?

Filled with the leftover curried fava beans my mom made, veggies, and Wisconsin cheddar

Then we hit the markets.

First we stopped at the Italian market. Look at all that pasta!
We also stopped by the Latin food store and I got some things for her to try: oatmeal milk and a sweet treat (cream with guava)

She really liked both of them! These are old favorites for me. Before my mom came home from work I decided to take Kelley to a secret location that a lot of locals don’t know about. I discovered the little spot back when I was learning how to drive and I was just curious to where this seemingly endless road would take me.

Who knew the everglades were so close to me!
Sunsets are beautiful here.
And watch out, you may bump into a alligator too.

Then we headed home for dinner.

Part of our dinner that night were some fried sweet plantains that we find at one of the markets.

And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but avocados are a staple at my family’s table! The next day my mom took off work and she wanted to make something special for us! She went through practically all of our cookbooks the night before to find some recipes to make.

She prepared an Indian feast for us, not leaving out the mango lassi of course!
Get in my belly!
We went to a museum to see our friends perform.
Two lovely ladies!
Goofy!!
We were happy that we got to wear our long dresses!
Dance!
They’re from Brazil and you can tell that they’ve got the rhythm and beats in their blood.
Samba! It’s actually one of my favorite dances.
They are such great performers.

I use to take dance lessons with the man in the picture. He’s so incredible and even knows how to belly dance! He knows how to shake his hips better than any one I know. But aside from that, this couple has so much love inside of them and it just radiates through their smiles.

Group shot!
Later that night we headed out with some more friends!
I was so happy to be with my two best friends–in the same place!!!
She came out to party with us even though she had work in the morning! She’s a trooper.
All of us, but my mom got cut out!
There she is!

Pilar ordered the Vesuvius Cake: Brownie Crust, New York Style Cheesecake, Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Truffle,and Chocolate Mousse Topped with Chopped Walnuts and White Chocolate Chips

You know I helped my homegirl out! The music was good and you know what means. It was time to dance. There was no one out on the dance floor, but who cares. As soon as we started shakin’ what our mama’s gave us, a crowd of people came and joined in on the fun. Seriously, how can someone just sit there when there’s music to be danced to and a dance floor? But at least it doesn’t take much to wake some people up!

My next post will be the final recap of my break in Florida. I miss it already! I’ve been calling my mom every night… actually that’s something I did anyway hehe. I hope everyone is enjoying spring so far!!! Don’t you just love seeing everything come to life?