Mini goals..Baby steps...

Everywhere you look these days, you see signs and posters telling you that you can do anything, you can be anything, if you just put you rmind to it.  Well, I have been thinking and dreaming about big changes in my life.  About being a better person, not just for myself, but in a way that I can make a positive difference in some one else's life as well. Like most of us middle class mortals, I have my daily trials and tribulations to deal with, and the weeks and months just zip by.  Most of all, I would love to do a one-minute meditation and  be transformed into an enlightened soul overnight.  To be rid of common evils such as anger and judgementalism.  To have complete control over my thoughts, speech and actions, and to throw myself into service towards mankind. 

Well, this is all very good, and seems quite possible.  But it takes time (a lot of it), and tremendous effort, and just the thought of doing anything more or different in a day where every minute is planned and accounted for, exhausts me!  So, I decided to do what a lot of self-help gurus advocate doing - take it one day at a time, baby steps, if you will, towards your ultimate goal.  For those of you who have been following this blog, we already have two things we do daily  - drink more water , and meditate for 30 seconds.  Cleanse the body, and the mind, easy, peasy! 

So, before we plunge into making a list of some of the things we would like to achieve in the near future ( I am one of those people who couldn't work without a list !),  I suggest taking another piece of good advice  - take deep breaths!  Now, calm and focussed, here is our baby-step list to becoming less frenzied and more "accomplished" beings (below is my personal list - please add your comments and suggestions - I value and love your feedback!) :

1)  Make weekly menu and shop accordingly in advance
2)  Keep car clean
3)  Exercise
4)  Have groomed nails, shiny hair and always accessorize to look well put together
5) Host tea party for friends

Okay, so I have a few more which are actually more like Big Foot steps and so I am going to leave those out for now, for fear of feeling overwhelmed just by reading them.  I think structure, focus and maybe even minimalism (zero clutter) will help me with the hefty ones, but let's start small and take it from here. 

I will keep you updated...don't forget to share your thoughts with me.  Cheers!

My new love...Grapefruit!

In an attempt to switch to a healthier lifestyle, I find myself hunting for great tasting raw foods, and I am  absolutely in love with grapefruit.  Most people I know always shunned them because they tend to be slightly bitter and/or sour.  I ,on the other hand, have always loved things with a slight bitter twist to them, like tonic water, for example (which is a no-no, since it is soda, after all).  Some prefer to eat grapefruit with a sprinkling of sugar. 

For those of you who 'd like to become fellow devourers (is that really a word?) of grapefruit, please feel free to indulge in some fresh grapefruit salad (recipe in one of my previous posts - Grapefruit Salad, this post also lists some of the myriad benefits of consuming this fruit).   Benefits extend to the peel, which is used for dual purposes.  Grapefruit peel oil is used for massages for it's anti-aging properties.  Grapefruit peel masks and scrubs act as great exfoliants.  Apart from all this, it comes in three great colors - white, pink and red.  So mix it up!

I always look forward to your comments on your experiences with healthy whole foods and your journey to a holistic lifestyle.  Do drop me a note sometime.  Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!

What's new in the New Year

So, at first, I dilly-dallied between whether the new year warranted one or more resolutions  (since it is so hard to keep 'em anyway!).   Now, after a whole month has gone by, after much thought and re-thought, I have decided on a new me!!  Yes, that's right - it's either no goals, or, a huge hefty ovewhelming one!  It is time for a new me - a more mindful, less stressed, much-more-pleasant-to-be-with me.  Which is not to say, I no longer care about my outward appearance, losing weight and looking great, but this time, I intend to put the focus on working from the inside-out.
Having said that (and, this is so much easier said than done...), I decided to launch a full blown attack on the best sellers out there on healthy living.  Also, I repeatedly pestered those people in my life who do nothing but support me (they may be very few, but I am so thankful to have them!), trying to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses, and how I could start on this journey to -ahem- 'nirvana'.  In my future posts, I am going to dish out advice on not just healthy food for the body, but also for the mind. For mastering the mind is mastering one's life, it is the only way to be truly happy (worded by yours truly after digesting several books and conversations on joy and peace!). 

To make sure I don't fall off the wagon without a fair shot at my new goals, I have decided to start off with easy and doable daily goals:

1) Drink plenty of water - Drink up, buttercup!   The benefits of drinking water regularly are many, including flushing the body of toxins, moisturizing the skin, increasing productivity and improving the immune system.

2) Half a minute of silence - This is not limited to observing a half-minute vow of silence, but also silence of the mind - to slow down it's galloping nature and rein in those endless thoughts of the past and future.  This helps us become aware of our inner self, our surroundings and feel at peace.  Half a minute sounds miniscule, but you will find that this is in reality a long long time to keep the mind still, at least when you first begin.

I am sure there are a lot of you out there that have similar goals and can relate and advise, and I urge you all to be a part of this excursion to attain peace and happiness.  Please feel free to post your thoughts and experiences and suggestions.

Watching that Weight in the Winter

After a major relapse in diet and lifestyle (no surprises there!), I am finally back on the wagon, where I want to eat and live healthy.  The first step is always the cleansing stage, and nothing better than soups, salads and juices to help you with that.  Of course, there is also exercise and meditation, and all that good stuff, but it’s always a good idea to start small, and if I start now, I might be able to reach a reasonable resolution by the end of the year, and actually make that in 2012.  We shall see…

I decided to go with soup for today, ‘cos it's easy and nutritious, thanks to all the fresh veggies we throw in.  My heart (or tongue, or tummy) is saying ‘Gazpacho’, so here goes:

1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup yellow peppers
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste
1 cup water
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for spiciness)

Throw in all the vegatables into a slow cooker, add water and let their goodness simmer and blend.
This colorful soup is packed with fiber, Vitamin A and anti-oxidants.  It is great to have hot or ice-cold and can be made in so many different ways by adding different vegetables, even roasted tomatoes for a subtle flavor, and you can add all kinds of herbs for variety.

Healthy start to the Holidays

I have been thinking of flavorful but healthy recipes to make during Thanksgiving.  I am still thinking about all the different items to put on the table, and have yet to come up with a full menu.  We‘ll probably have friends over and visit others too.  Let’s start off with butternut  squash for a healthy start to the holidays. 

Bold and Beautiful Butternut Squash

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger/garlic paste

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tsp oil

Pinch of salt

Cilantro for garnish

Green chillies, finely chopped (optional)

Heat oil in pan/wok, and add cumin seeds.  When they start to sputter, add the butternut squash  and the salt ,minced  green chilies and  ginger/garlic  paste.  Mix well.  Cook covered for a few minutes until tender, then let simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes.  Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Variations: You can make zucchini , pumpkin or potatoes the same way.  Add lemon juice for a little tang.  Add your favorite herbs for a subtle flavor.

Wish you all Happy Healthy Holidays!!

Divine Diwali Dessert

With Diwali just round the corner, I am sure all of you are feeling the festiveness and getting all geared up for greetings and parties.  But what's Diwali and parties without delicious food? So, today I want to share with all of you the recipe for a yummy chocolatey sweet that can be made in about 10 minutes!  Every year I pack cute little containers with sweets and savory snacks and gift them to my neighbors and friends during this time.  I love putting up lights around the house and decorating the porches and patios with designs (rangoli).  This recipe is a contender for this year, for it's ease and taste.  It's also rather contemporary and has been a real hit so far.

Finally, here is the recipe for:

Charming Chocolate Burfi

1 pack Instant Dry Milk powder

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cup Confectioners Sugar

1 tbsp- Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

2 tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup

Mix milk powder, sugar and heavy cream.

Halve this mixture into two bowls, add chocolate syrup and cocoa powder to one and mix very well. 

Microwave both mixtures for 2 minutes, then fold in.  Repeat this process until mixture attains the consistency of soft cheese, firm enough to cut into bars.

Now, spread the non-cocoa mixture onto a baking pan, then layer it with the cocoa mixture, so you have a two-color sweet that you can cut into bars. Give it time to set , about an hour or so to cool off, before cutting into pieces.

Since this is milk-based, it should be stored in the refrigerator, but believe me, it goes fast when you have it out, so you may not need to store it at all!

Variations: You may add almond or walnut flour to this for a nutty flavor, and/or garnish with chopped nuts, or use food color in the white part of the dessert for a different look.  For a more festive look, decorate with a thin silver foil on top.

Keen on Kidney Beans

During my lunch hour today, I decided to look for fresh ideas on healthy lunches for school.  I have run out of meal contraptions based on wheat, salad/fruit and dairy.  So, I thought to myself, this leaves us with rice and beans.  Speaking of beans, I can feel my mouth watering just thinking of this delish curry with dark red kidney beans as the main ingredient.  To make this easier to prepare, I use two shortcuts.  One, I use canned beans (however, I would recommend soaking dry beans overnight and cooking them in the pressure cooker to get them to be exactly like the canned version, minus the preservatives).  The second shortcut is that I use store bought masala called Rajma masala (this is available in Indian grocery stores), for flavor.  Now, all we need to do is make the base of the curry using onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes.  It is so worth it!

Kidney Beans Curry (Rajma)

A can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Medium red onion - finely chopped
Medium red tomato (fresh preferred over canned) - diced
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste
1 tbsp oil
Rajma masala
salt to taste
chopped cilantro for garnishing
1/2 cup of water/vegetable stock

Heat oil in saucepan.  Add onions and saute until pinkish brown, then add the ginger/garlic paste, saute until done but not burnt.  Next, add the tomatoes and salt.  Saute for a couple of minutes before adding rajma masala.  Add beans and water, and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes till beans become tender.  Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan.  Inhale the aroma and dig in!