It is said that you can take an Indian out of India, but you can never take India out of an Indian. Many of the habits and passions we develop back home will stay with us for the rest of our lives, no matter which corner of the world we end up in. One such passion that every Indian carries in his heart is the game of Cricket. A single game of cricket can last anywhere from 4 hours to five days. Yes, that's right, days. And the country of 1.2 billion people suspends itself in a unison every time the men in blue step out on the ground! My early memories of cricket take me back to the days when the only access to the game was through a transistor radio. My dad would intently listen to the … [Read more...]
Asparagus and Pea Soup
Am I the only one who uses Google's search suggestions as a form of entertainment? You know how when you start typing in Google's search box, their system shows similar searches by other Google users..yep that can be a pretty entertaining feature. For example, I type in "aren't you relieved" and I see a search suggestion "aren't you relieved you're not a golem?" Wait, what? Why would there be people out there searching for that? Or you start typing "sometimes I like to" and the Google search suggestion shows up "sometimes I like to pretend I am a carrot meme". I guess I could be into that, I haven't tried! Well similarly, I know a lot of women out there are searching on how to get their … [Read more...]
No Bake Carrot Cake
Foreign Returned. Even now, some of the matrimonial ads in India use this phrase as a qualification of the prospective bride or groom. The crème de la crème of the society get to visit "the foreign", and it is something to be proud of. उनके फॉरिन मे बहोट कनेक्षन्स हेई - He has a lot of connections in "foreign". English has also been a status symbol in India, I am sure the roots lie somewhere in the British rule India a few decades ago and how only the elite got to mingle with the white folks. Needless to say, I was enchanted by everything related to this "foreign" culture as a kid growing up in India. My mom worked as a librarian and she would bring books and magazines for me to read. One … [Read more...]
Coleslaw with Coconut Milk Mayonnaise
Eat Real Food. This is the best advice I have received in my 15 year journey towards a healthier me. It has taken me years to know what real food is, and I admit it, I am still learning and discovering new things every day. The industrialization of food, along with the media sending a new fad diet our way every couple of months has made it so complicated to know what "real food" is! Let me give you an example, I was at the store buying eggs and instead of a quick in and out, I felt as if someone had asked me to solve a complex puzzle - Brown or white? Medium, large, extra large or maybe jumbo? With omega-3? Pasteurized, all-natural vegetarian or Organic? Cage-free, free-range? Do you ever … [Read more...]
Chocolate Truffles
I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze. But I think maybe it's both. Maybe both are happening at the same time. - Forrest Gump When my path crossed with Anup's 20 years ago at a high school in India, I was floating around like a feather in the wind. I was a carefree teenager who didn't know what love was. And yet, love was waiting around the corner for me; my destiny was finding me. Some might scoff at me calling Anup my destiny, but I am glad that I was crazy enough to jump in with both feet in the ocean of love that has swept me away and taken me places I had never dreamed of! What is it to be in love? Where do "I" end … [Read more...]
Healthy Gluten Free Breakfast
Piglet: “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh, what's the first thing you say to yourself?" Pooh: "What's for breakfast? What do you say, Piglet?" Piglet: "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said. Where are you at with your new years' resolutions friends? If being healthier was on your list, I hope you are on track! While minor hiccups are a part of any undertaking, if you take each day and each meal as an opportunity, you will do just fine! I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does breakfast get your digestive system reignited, but it also sets you up in a great frame … [Read more...]
Quinoa and Lentil Bowl
Anup and I always end every year in style! We celebrate our marriage anniversary on Christmas Eve (13th this time!) followed by the Christmas Day celebrations with friends and family. My sister's birthday is on December 26th, and then there is New Year's Eve! Because I preach natural foods on my blog, I stick with 100% natural Tequila shots that night! So after this last hurrah, the first week of January makes me feel like the vacation is over and it is time to go back to school. January brings with it the plethora of pressure to create the "New You". The television ads reminding you of the need to detox, eating healthy and shedding those extra pounds you might have gained over the holidays … [Read more...]
Almond and Coconut Truffles
Our condo is right across from the Metropolis at Metrotown mall, simply "Metrotown" to the Vancouverites. Wikipedia tells me that Metrotown is the largest mall in British Columbia and the second largest mall in Canada. What I don't need Wikipedia to tell me is that the mall is a zoo around this time of the year. This zoo has all kinds of animals. The Cheetahs who move from one store to the next at a dizzying pace, the cute looking Chihuahuas who defend their territory with all their might, and the sly jungle cats who will steal your cart - with your stuff in it. Anup and I, feel like lost puppies when we visit the mall around this time of the year. Remembering each individual that you … [Read more...]
Celery Root and Chickpea Soup
Before I started taking my health and the food I eat seriously, eating was like Facebooking - I would click the like button or just ignore the food completely. All my eating habits were developed around me liking the taste, without any thought to the time of day, the nutrient values, or challenging my taste buds to new tastes. This meant I was eating simple carbs paired with salty and spice meats - pizza, burgers, tacos. I was basically eating the same food every day presented differently. Eating healthy meant I was using seasonal ingredients either in raw form, or cooked lightly. This started the process of mindful eating. Instead of just saying I don't like the taste, now I was trying … [Read more...]
Chai Spiced Pumpkin Crumb Cake
"Where are you from?" A harmless question, no doubt. But the question is enough to throw Anup and I for a loop. The conversation turns equally painful for the person who asked the question. While he or she might be just making small talk; they now have to hear us yap about how we are originally from India, went to grad schools in New York and Texas, lived in California for about a year before moving to Florida, and then decided to move to Vancouver. Phew! The brave ones try to keep the conversation going and ask, "So is Vancouver home now?" No, most of our family is in India so we might decide to move back there. But we love the ocean too and have been itching to travel to the Caribbean … [Read more...]