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.

Tentative Parenting : Building Resilience

"Success is not final, Failure is not fatal : it is the courage to continue that counts"

               K2 with his Robotics team, they qualified for State already 💪

K2 has been driving himself hard - from full days at theater where he played the lead (we finished the season to rapturous applauses and a massively sold out show...so to say I am proud is an understatement!), to basketball, violin, robotics and national geographic tournaments...I keep reminding him to pace himself yet I see him on the go at all times at school and activities...and then he comes home and it's zombie time. So a lot of our arguments and discussions have been around - it's ok to scale down...I would much rather you be happy and healthy with just the right degree of extra-curricular activities (doing your chores at home  like walking the puppy) vs. pushing yourself (yeah...not a tiger mom me)...the reality is I would rather he take the time to smell the roses, take a walk out in the bay and just live life a little bit fuller...bottom line is once you start working, get married, have kids and have some sort of a career...life automatically becomes full.

Yet, K2 seems happy with his rather full schedule and with my rather full schedule these past two months I am too scared that he will soon say - Ma, it's like the pot calling the kettle black 😧...anyhoo with all these mental travails and my lingering cough the past 5 weeks, I am exhausted and can't wait for the winter break : time for elaichi (cardamom) chai , long walks with the puppy, DVRed shows, good take-out food and warm cozy soups/stews in my Instant Pot...just one more trip to get through this week in Iowa...(yeah yeah! don't do the really Iowa thing on me...it's beautiful). I am in love with the beautiful "Women of Achievement Bridge" which honored the women in Iowa who paved the way...it's another story that I corralled my colleagues on this little adventure with me (their smiles of tolerance said a lot 😇)

        Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge 

I cooked for K1 and K2 and they have Mushroom Curry and Kheema Matar to keep them company while I am out and about in Iowa. My Kheema Matar (and I am not one for rhapsodies) is a work of art - took me less than 10 minutes to put together and there is enough to last them 3 meals ( my secret weapon - I stuff Kheema Matar in a whole wheat sourdough sandwich with some chopped onions, tomatoes and cheese...and pack a fancy panini for K2 for his lunch box, I also add it inside a puff pastry to make chicken puff...easy stuff that makes you look pretty spiffy!)

Chicken Kheema Matar

What's in it?

• 1.5 lb Ground Organic Chicken Breast (Whole Foods Pro Tip - Boneless Skinless Chicken breast was on Sale and I had them grind that for me vs. buying the pre-ground meat - saved me $4/pound)
• 1 bag of Organic Petite Peas (365 Brand)
• 4 Oz Bhuna Masala ( click the link for how to make it!)
• Whole Spices : Cumin, Red Chilli, Crushed whole cardamom, Cinnamon Stick
• Shaan Kheema Masala
• Salt, Tomato Ketchup, Cinnamon Powder (to taste)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbspoon Avocado/Olive/Canola Oil

How I made it?

• Put the IP on Saute Mode, Keep the frozen peas on the side to thaw
• Add the Olive Oil, till there is a shimmer, add the whole spices and let them blossom in the hot oil
• Now add the bhuna masala, the Shaan Kheema Masala (I used 2 spoons) and the ground chicken- saute for 2-3 minutes
• If you need more liquid add the 1/4 cup water/ stock
• Put the IP on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, No Release
• When you open the IP, turn the IP to Saute and add in the peas - saute for 2-3 minutes till the peas and warmed through and mixed into the meat mixture (and some of the liquid evaporates)
• Now add Salt, tomato ketchup and Cinnamon Powder to taste 
• Garnish with Cilantro or as I did with the red chilli (we didn't eat those!) and enjoy with Roti or Pav/Bread.

I wanted to leave you with a saying my father always shared with me : I want to be that person that you look up to - the person you think of when you think of the word "Bapa" or "Integrity" and "Love". I lost him 5 years back but I sure do think of him anytime someone mentions parents or role models - he was mine.

Feeling Thankful

"Feeling Thankful and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it"

This week I wrote something that will show up in my son's theater program flyer to  support our 12 yr old in his first theatrical venture - my son took his proverbial "leap of faith" in September. Here's what I wrote for him :

Dear K2, 

Close your eyes.Soar up high.Feel the vast, cloudy skies. 
Let the fear go, Set it free.Fly your way to confidence and success.
Spread your wings.Start to sing.Dance like you were meant to...
When you are on the stage, You have already won, Our hearts, soul and happiness.
                               Love, Mumma & Daddy

We are really looking forward to his theater show next week! And we are hoping all goes well with it.

We had a quiet "Turkey Day" at home this year - I am still recovering from my laryngitis which has become a full-blown sinus infection, so I got out the big guns - Antibiotics 😟😟😟 But staying home with the boys was nice - I binge watched Flash (all done with Season 4), watched a couple movies I wanted to catch up on, went to Zumba classes and cooked some. We didn't roast a turkey but I did make a turkey dish in my Instant Pot that turned out amazing!

Kheema Cholay

What's in it?

• 1 lb Ground Organic Turkey (Whole Foods)
• 2 cans  of Organic Garbanzo Beans
• 4 Oz Bhuna Masala ( click the link for how to make it!)
• Minced Garlic
• Shaan Murg Cholay Masala (1/2 Packet)
• Salt, Cinnamon Powder, Tomato Sauce (to taste)
• Cilantro to Garnish
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbspoon Olive Oil

How I made it?

• Put the IP on Saute Mode 
• Add the Olive Oil, till there is a shimmer, now add the minced garlic and the ground turkey - saute for 2 minutes
• Add the 2 cans of Garbanzo beans ( washed) and the Bhuna masala. Mix and saute for another 2 minutes. If you need more liquid add the 1/4 cup water
• Put the IP on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, No Release
• When you open the IP, Mix and add Salt, tomato sauce and Cinnamon Powder to taste 
• Garnish with Cilantro and enjoy with Roti or Pav - super yum!

Lost my Voice...found my mind!

Northern California now has the worst air quality in the world, thanks to wildfire smoke...My heart goes out to all the families in our area with losses.

Last Friday the smoke in the air gave me the worst throat ache and I haven't been able to talk for a week. It has gotten worse due to the cold and the persisting smoke in the air. 

Yet losing my voice in the past week has been a wake up call of sorts for me - a time for me to shut up and listen (listen to others and my inner voice...no no not the critical one, the other one!) - Quieten the monkey chatter in my head and put the fears to rest...and listen to that "little" voice which is trying to make sense of all this nonsense. This article by Beth Comstock (CMO, GE) helped me at work quite a bit...I had the luxury of not talking and listening more...it gave me a different perspective which was refreshing. True that she said : My lesson: Soaking up a conversation shouldn’t be a luxury. Stop, listen, ask.

I also focused on the task of getting better and for that I turned to my handy dandy Instant Pot and made a - mixed vegetable sweet corn soup.

What's in it?

• I used pre-chopped vegetables -  1 big bag of frozen vegetables from Whole Foods (use the one you fancy...I got the one with peas, carrots, corn, beans...)
• 1 can of creamed corn
• 2 32 Oz of Chicken Bone Broth
• Grated Ginger (small knob)
• Water - 2 Quarts 
• Bragg's Liquid Amino
• Worcestershire Sauce (to taste ~ 1 tbsp)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Chopped Spring Onion Stalk for Garnish

How I made it?

• Put all the ingredients above in the Instant Pot (except the salt and pepper)
• Manual on 5  minutes (no release)
• Stir...add Salt & Pepper to taste
• Garnish with Chopped Spring Onion Stalk ( I had it at home almost close to wilting, so was happy to use it)
• Sit Back - Turn on the TV or pick your favorite book and ENJOY!

Servings

This is about 8 servings. 

This soup  has < 150 calories and > 6 grams of Fiber and about 10 grams of protein.  True is the saying  "Soup is Cozy"