Monday, August 13, 2012

Baby #1 is On the Way!


We’re excited to announce that we are expecting a baby in February of next year! Though the pregnancy came as a bit of a surprise to us, this child is a true blessing and we cannot wait to become parents and start our family together.

If you have noted a decrease in the frequency of posts on here recently, now you know why. We have been busy planning for the next few months and preparing for the arrival of a new person in our lives. (I have also been cooking a lot less these past few months because of first trimester nausea that has made it difficult to be in the kitchen for any significant amount of time!)

Though everything seems so new, exciting, and a bit scary right now, I am doing a fairly good job at keeping my mind at ease and remaining stress-free about all of the big changes happening in my life. When you accept change openly and are comfortable relinquishing some level of control over your life, you are able to live a simpler and happier existence. Working towards positive changes in life is important, but we should try not to “force” reality to conform to our every wish, or we risk ending up unhappy and dissatisfied. Many surprises in life are beautiful and I strongly believe that we often try too hard to control everything in our lives and that this just leads to more stress and unhappiness in the end (when things don’t turn out as planned). One of the biggest causes of frustration and sadness is the gap between how we want things to be and how they really are. Even if you don’t necessarily believe in some sort of deity or universal power having a say in how your life turns out, it can be amazingly freeing to just let go and allow nature to decide certain things for you. Remember that everything in life is temporary and that you will have to let go of everything eventually.

Though I think it is important to be in a committed and loving relationship before you start thinking about having kids, babies don’t always need to be “planned” or to fit perfectly within your “10-year plan”. The timing of our child may not be ideal in the eyes of some (we have a wedding to plan for next year, I have a new job starting this week, and perhaps we aren’t as financially ready as we should be), but we strongly believe the universe has a plan for us and that things will work out just fine in the end. Life is full of miracles and you may miss them if you are too busy trying to control every little detail around you. The only thing you have control over is how you respond or react to the circumstances in your life. We couldn't be happier. =)



“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
-Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Lentil Love!


I have always enjoyed the rich earthy taste of lentils. Besides being incredibly good for you, lentils are also known for being one of the more climate-friendly forms of protein out there (http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/10-food-rules-to-live-by) because their production and cultivation produces far fewer greenhouse-gas emissions than, say, factory-farmed animals. They are loaded with iron and fiber, and their high levels of folate and magnesium can help protect your heart.

Lentils can be prepared in many ways (soups, salads, dips…) but I find that my go-to lentil recipe is still dahl, a classic Indian vegetarian dish. It is is amazingly simple to make, flavorful, and nutritious. You can find really easy and delicious dahl recipes online, but the recipe I have below is slightly more complex and one of my favorites.

This recipe is adapted from an online Fine Cooking recipe I found a while back. It makes quite a bit, so it is better to half the recipe if you are only cooking for 2 or 3 people.

Spicy Red Lentil Dahl
(Serves 6)

-       1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
-       4 medium cloves of garlic
-       2 TBS peeled and chopped fresh ginger
-       1 jalapenos or Serrano chile, stemmed and chopped
-       2 TBS vegetable oil (I use grapeseed oil)
-       1 TBS curry powder
-       1 ½ cups red lentils
-       4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
-       2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
-       1 tsp ground turmeric
-       salt & freshly ground pepper
-       1 cup fresh cilantro (optional, but recommended)

In a food processor, blend the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile until finely chopped (you may need to add a little water). [Alternatively, you could also just chop these very finely and fry them for a few minutes beforehand instead of blending them, if you prefer.]

Heat the oil in large pot over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder, onion mixture, lentils, carrots, potatoes, turmeric, 6 cups of water, and 1 ½ tsp of salt.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro. Serve with basmati or brown rice. Enjoy!


"Vitality and beauty are gifts of Nature for those who live according to its laws." - Leonard Da Vinci