The AHA Moment!

“I believe that the ability to laugh at oneself is fundamental to the resiliency of the human spirit.” 

I will let you on to a secret about me...I suck at parallel parking...so here's how it all played out - I was driving out to a Yelp Elite event in Palo Alto...on a busy road...magically I got a parking right by the restaurant on the street...I tried very hard to parallel park straight but was unsuccessful...so kinda sorta gave up and left my car with it's behind slightly sticking out...there were these bunch of teenagers sitting and drinking boba tea who had this amused look on their faces, I looked at them and then looked at my car and I could have walked away feeling shitty and judged but then I looked at one of them - winked and smiled and said - I sucked at it right! They started laughing with me vs. laughing at me...I left that encounter with a note to myself -“What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. If I base my self-worth on what everyone else thinks of me, I hand over all my emotions to other people and become dependent on a source outside of myself for validation. Then I wind up chasing after something that I have no control over, and should that something suddenly place its focus somewhere else, or change its mind and decide I am no longer very interesting, I end up with a full-blown identity crisis...SO.NOT.HAPPENING. A true AHA! moment - I am badass and I don't need anyone else to tell me I am badass...

While I was having my AHA! moment I was also cooking up a storm - I made my Detox Cabbage Soup and made a south-indian version of my khichdi. It was super yummy and I had it with a karela pickle from the Indian Store ( Grand Sweets and Snacks - Pavakkai Thokku). 

South Indian Khichdi - Ven Pongal

What you need

1. 1 Cup Quinoa (washed in cold water and soaked with dhuli/skinless moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup  Dhuli/yellow Moong Dal 
3. 3 cups water ( I like my Khichdi to have a nice mushy consistency...add lesser water if you want it dry)
4. 2 tsp Ghee
5.   Mustard Seeds, cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida) - I used more than a pinch, Whole Black Pepper (most of it roughly crushed, keep some  whole for the garnish), curry leaves, a slight pinch of turmeric (optional)
6.  salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add turmeric and crushed black pepper and curry leaves.
2. Add the moong dal and the quinoa  to the instant pot and give it a stir 
3. Add  Water 
4. Put the IP on Rice Mode
5. When done open, Natural Release - add salt to taste

Enjoy with a pickle, sambar or chutney and remember your awesomeness and don't let it rest on someone else's opinion of you!

Evening Routine and a healthy Kheer!

"It's incredibly liberating to spend some time talking to someone and not caring about what you sound like. It's about understanding myself."

My evening routine is still work in progress but here's the rough sketch -

5.30 PM : Leave Office ( my commute is 28 miles each way - I call up a friend/husband/son on my way back home or do a work call)
6.15 PM :  Reach Home and get dinner on the table
7.00 PM : Done with Dinner
7.15 PM : Leave for the gym for a 7.30 PM Zumba Class ( M, W, F) - if no Zumba then my husband and I walk the dog and  watch some TV
8.45 PM : Get back home
9.00 PM : Hang out with my son after which he goes to bed
9.30 PM : Read a book on the kindle, Watch TV or some nights I have a 1 hr Engineering Meeting
10.45 PM- In Bed, Asleep

Here are some things that I have found help me in my quest for finding grounding and mindfulness in my life :

1. An acceptance that every day will not be equal, some days I will be bone tired and grumpy, other days I will be energized and ecstatic...yet I will treat every day with equanimity and try to get it to a good close
2. Eliminate Negativity - I find that when I keep my thought positive, hushing that inner critic, giving my son praises vs. criticism and by practicing gratitude for this wonderful life, I am able to end the day on a high note. I make a mental list of all the awesome things that happened to me  that day before I fall asleep (my mental gratitude journal.
3. Do at least one thing you love - I do  a LOT of things I love...I dance (I go to Zumba), I spend time with my son and husband by taking a walk with them, I play with the puppy and I read in the evenings...
4. Plan for the next day - Nothing is more discouraging than beginning the next day without a plan - I know by the time I go to bed what's for lunch for Krish and me and I have things ready in the kitchen for a quick in and out in the morning. I also plan out my work to-do list for the day in the evening.

I made a healthy dessert for the boys this evening (yay! for saturdays). It is  quick to make this  Kheer made with Palua or Arrowroot. Palua or Arrowroot is a medicinal root found in East India and I got my stock from the Adivasi Mela when I was down in India but you can find it on Amazon too. Palua is nutritive, and is used as an agreeable, non-irritating diet in certain chronic diseases, during convalescence from fevers, in irritations of the digestive and respiratory tract  and is well suited for infants - it's jelly has no peculiar taste, and is less liable to become acid in the stomach, and is generally preferred by young infants to all others. It helps with weight loss and heart health.

How to make Palua Khiri in your Instant Pot?

Ingredients

• 4.5 cups of 1% Organic Milk + 1/2 cup
• 5 tablespoons Truvia/ Brown Sugar Blend
• Crushed Elaichi (Cardamom)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of Palua or Arrowroot Powder (this thickens the kheer, so add based on how thick you like your kheer)

How To?

1. Mix the 1/2 Cup milk with the 1/2 cup of Arrowroot
2. Add 4.5 Cups of Milk+ Truvia + Crushed Elaichi plus the slush from step 1 to your Instant Pot
3. Set the Instant Pot for Manual 5 minutes (NR)
4. Once the pressure has naturally release, open, stir and taste 
5. If you are happy with the sweetness, go ahead and keep in glass/earthen container for it to set ((if not please add more truvia to your taste)
6. Once it cools down, you can keep it in the fridge. Garnish with almonds and savor this wonderful dessert which is actually very good for you!

Do you have an evening routine?

What's for Lunch?

“He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” 

5.45 AM : Wake up before my alarm goes off, do 5 minutes of pranayam, mental to-do list and top 3 things to get done at work and home.
6.00 AM : Morning Routine (Lunch Box for kid, Morning snack for kid, empty dishwasher, make tea and pack my own lunch bag, Check Emails/respond to urgent ones )
7.15 AM : Get ready, motivate kid to get up and get ready
8.00 AM : Head out, drop kid at school and go to work, either do conference calls or call mom on my way to work
8.40 AM : Reach work, meetings start...anywhere from 6-9 meetings/day
10.00 AM : Break my fast and have my ginger tea (I pack it in my lunch bag) with roasted peanuts
12.30 PM : Run downstairs to move my electric vehicle from it's charging spot in the garage, run back up and heat my Detox Soup and then it's back to meetings
6.00 PM : Head out home
7.00 : Dinner on table and eat dinner with family by 7.30-8.00 PM
8.00-8.30 PM : Walk the dog with the husband and catch up on day
8.30-9.00 PM : Organize around the house, prep for the morning
9.00-9.30 PM : Catch up with kid, he goes to sleep
9.30-10.30 PM : Work
10.30-11.00 PM : Me time - Read, watch TV and wind down for the day.

I am not sharing my schedule with you to elicit pity, sympathy or awe...this is what it is right now and it will probably get better over time as I get a handle on my commute (~ 45 mins-1 hr each way) and my work (still new)...it's just to say I understand you are busy but you can still put in some time for exercise, cooking and me-time 😊

This was today but Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get to squeeze some BollyX/Zumba into the mix and I am grateful that I am able to manage my schedule with work, kid, exercise and a healthy lunch/dinner though it is barely by the skin of my teeth...how do I manage... a big part of it is thanks to my two handy Instant Pots and Mason Jars &  Farmstead  . On weekdays, I order some of my grocery via Farmstead - it's mostly Milk (love their Strauss Milk), Bananas and some of the staple items that I run out during the course of the week and don't have the time to go to the grocery store for. This service lets me get locally sourced organic produce and grocery at a reasonable price with free delivery. How do my IP and mason jars help me - let me show you how.

High Protein Cabbage Detox Soup

What you need 

1. 1.5 Pounds Chopped Cabbage
2. 2 Handfuls Greens (I used Baby Kale)
3. Chopped Onions (1 small medium red), 5 cloves of Garlic minced, chopped cilantro/mint - 2-3 handfuls
4. Liquid Aminos, Salt to Taste, Turmeric Powder, Black Pepper
5. 2 32 Oz Pacific Organic Chicken Bone Broth
6. Olive/Avocado Oil

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add the oil and sweat out the onion and garlic
2. Add the turmeric powder and the black pepper
3. Add the Shredded Cabbage and let it sweat out for 2 minutes
4. Add the bone broth, Liquid Aminos or Salt (I added both to taste)
5. Turn the instant pot on manual high pressure,  NPR 10 minutes
6. Add the mint/cilantro and blend to a puree with an immersion mixer (taste test before serving)

 I took it to work and heated it straight in the mason jar and drank it. This was my quick fix to eating healthy at work and yes it is very hearty and filling. Here's a quick tally in My Fitness Pal of it's nutrition specs per serving - 100 calories, 7 gms carb, 2 grams of fat, 12 gms of protein and 5 gms of Fiber and 4 gms of Sugar

I really feel great about my lunches this week :)

The Scent of Green Papaya

Catharsis is a Greek word meaning "purification", "purging", "cleansing" or "detoxification"...

I absolutely adore the "Whole Body Cleanse" System and indulge in a semi-annual detox with khichdi, lemon juice and honey and the whole body cleanse for a week...I feel refreshed, renewed and pun unintended "whole" again.

The organized me loves even better when I "spring clean"...throwing away things I didn't need that were not usable, donating or selling other stuff and generally cleaning house...I love the feeling of emptiness, organization and space that activity gives me - the busyness of things this year hasn't afforded me the luxury of this activity this year (yet).

The one thing I haven't been able to do is mentally cleanse my mind of attachments. ...it is very difficult to mentally detach oneself from one's ego, thoughts, aspirations, dreams and memories. I take a "baby step" towards cleaning shop - starting with the mind and body...it won't be easy or comfortable but I am definitely welcoming this new challenge.

For the body : I have really focused on zero alcohol and no added sugar the past two weeks...my weighing machine has been giving me positive reinforcement the past two weeks too...this to me is also spring cleaning

Detox Khichdi

What you need

1. 1 Cup Quinoa (washed in cold water and soaked with moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup  Moong Dal 
3. 1 cup Peeled & Cubed Green Papaya 
4. 3 cups water ( I like my Khichdi to have a nice mushy consistency...add lesser water if you want it dry)
5. 2 tsp Ghee
6. 1 small knob of ginger, 1 medium chopped tomatoes
7. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder
8. 1 whole lemon and salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the moong dal and the quinoa (and the cut green papaya) to the instant pot and give it a stir 
3. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
4. Put the IP on Rice Mode
5. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
6. Now add fresh lime juice and cut cilantro. 

Some of you might ask why green papaya - my mother cooked extensively with it. Here are some known health benefits of Green Papaya

Now with a clear head and an open heart - enjoy your meal...this truly is catharsis!

Finding Courage...

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear”

                                                                                ~Ambrose Redmoon

I have had a few turns this week to fight my fears and uncertainties both at work and home this past month.  It's that fear of letting go of those tiny hands that grasped your hands and tried to walk along side you...and you find out that somewhere along the way, that the little boy is now taller than you, wears a shoe size that is larger than yours and is ready to take a plane ride into the "big unknown" for an even bigger competition. While there is love and pride...it battles for a minute with intense panic. 

Two seconds before the start of an important presentation, it almost feels like the butterflies in my stomach would claw their way out...and then everything settles down...hard conversations, the domestic chores, the constant pain in my throat (like I am fighting off a chest infection) and the not-so-domestic chores...everything seems to need more than a little extra TLC this week. I am ready to just lay down and go to sleep...just one more hour but then plough through the day and the week...ironical that I feel down and out just before the most important coming out party for my team...

When things start to make me feel anxious and overwhelmed here is my little rule book :

1. Think about the situation in question.
2. Turn your attention inwards—focus on your breath, stop doing what you were doing, and just focus on breathing.
3. Imagine the situation playing out in your mind with a positive outcome
4. Now let it happen...let the situation play out!

This week was an interesting one in terms of food - I made the boy Matar Paneer  (yup! the matar paneer was made in my Instant Pot and served with hot Parathas. He looks up with sad eyes and says - Ma! why can't you give me something more yummy like Mac & Cheese (you can't win them all !!!). So last evening, I made an Instant Pot Mac & Cheese for K2(he was licking his plate clean!)

Instant Pot Mac & Cheese 

Ingredients

• Generic Mac & Cheese Box - I used  Good Citizen
• 1. 5 tablespoon of Unsalted Butter
• 1/3 Cup of Milk
• 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar 
•  water (as per directions in the box, it was 4 cups on mine)

How To?

1. Turn the Instant Pot on
2. Pour the mac and cheese pasta and water into the pot. 
3. High Pressure 3 minutes with quick release
4. Drain out the excess water
5. Put the IP on Saute...add in the butter and the milk and the sauce/cheese mix and whisk briskly till the sauce/cheese mix is incorporated
6. Now add the extra cheese and let it melt
7. Serve hot to a hungry kid.

I want to leave you with a thought for this week "sometimes courage does not roar, sometimes courage is that quiet voice inside you which after a long hard particularly exhausting day, tells you quietly - never mind, let's try again tomorrow"

The Gifts of Imperfection & A Perfect Kheer

“Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
                                              Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection


I spent a better half of my Zumba class this morning beating myself up for wearing an XS pant...telling myself I didn't fit..."S" was my size and I looked terrible...then 20 minutes into that mental beating, I told myself I needed to focus on the awesome music, sweat it out and feel gratitude...gratitude for losing weight and keeping it off for over 6 years...and that is just what I did.

When I came home my son asked for a dessert...so as all moms do I invented a healthy recipe on the fly...it turned out so delicious  that I had to share...

Badam Phirni ( High Protein, Low Sugar)

Ingredients

• 4 cups of 2% Organic Milk 
• 1/2 Cup of Truvia Blend
• 1/4 Cup of Almond Flour
• 1/6 Cup Basmati Rice  (soaked in hot water 1/2 hour and coarsely ground)
• Crushed Cardamon Powder
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1/2 cup of water

How To?

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute
2. Add the ghee - gently saute the ground rice and the ground almond flour for a minute
3. Add 1/2 cup of water + 1/2 cup of truvia blend 
4. Add 4 Cups of Milk+ Crushed Elaichi (follow this order for adding the ingredients)
5. Set the Instant Pot for Automatic Rice Mode
6. Once the pressure has naturally release, open, stir and taste 
7. If you are happy with the sweetness, go ahead and keep in glass/earthen container for it to set ((if not please add either sugar, stevia or other sweeteners of choice to your taste)
8. Once it cools down, you can keep it in the fridge. Garnish with saffron or almond flakes  and savor it. 

I want to leave you with words from a book which has had a huge impact on me, that I read years back- “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old

Sometimes I'd like to quit

Nothin' ever seems to fit

Hangin' around

Nothin' to do but frown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

What I've got they used to call the blues

Nothin' is really wrong

Feelin' like I don't belong

Walkin' around

Some kind of lonely clown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

--The Carpenters

I think I have made this confession multiple times...I am "solar operated" - when the sun is out bright & sunny my outlook is bright and sunny...the last few weeks have been blah! with rains and gusts and fallen trees...Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and Sunday was again windy and rainy...however, I decided to make the trek out to the Farmer's market - haven't been out in a while now and met up with some of the vendors there...that's my happy place ( I have some other's like playing Trivial Pursuit with K2, or Zumba at Crunch or ahem! Pokemon in the park but then I digress.... ). I came back home with a whole bag of goodies and did my meal planning for this week. Huge batch of soup, Mushroom Subzi ( with the organic white mushrooms from Costco and red onions), Anda Curry  - should last us through Wednesday...and if I made it through Wednesday, then I made it through the week . For the soup this week , I made a detoxifying soup with Organic Power Greens and a huge bulb of fennel and cleansing organic Cilantro (the latter two from the farmer's market) - this will last me for power lunches in this week as I power through a medley of meetings...did I tell you I have lost 4 lbs since the beginning of the year (without really trying to diet 😉)

High Protein Cleansing Power Lunch

What you need 

1. 2 Containers - Organic Earthbound Powergreens
2. 1 big Bulb Fennels
3. 1 bag of baby Carrots (Trader Joe's)
4. Chopped Onions (1 small medium red), 5 cloves of Garlic minced, chopped cilantro/mint - 2 handfuls
5. Liquid Aminos, Salt to Taste
6. 2 32 Oz Pacific Organic Chicken Bone Broth
7. Olive/Avocado Oil

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add the oil and sweat out the chopped Fennel Bulb  onion and garlic
2. Add the carrots and greens (cook for 2-3 minutes)
3. Add the bone broth, Liquid Aminos or Salt (I added both to taste)
4. Turn the instant pot on manual high pressure,  NPR 15 minutes
5. Add the cilantro/mint and blend to a puree with an immersion mixer (taste test before serving)

Dolly Parton was definitely on to something when she said - The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. 

I saw two beautiful rainbows on my way back home from the Farmer's Market 😃...it's back to work Monday while the boys relax at home for MLK. Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.