Sunday, September 20, 2009

I Figure It Out

A new friend, upon learning that I like to cook, asked me if I know how to cook Indian food. It's a natural question. The brownish tint of my skin and the heart disease that runs in my family would lead one to believe I have Indian roots. But I found it hard to answer her question. Have I learned the right way to knead the chapati dough, or memorized the proportions of salt, cumin, red pepper, and turmeric to shake into a curry? Did I know how to make ghee or have my own proprietary blend of masala spices? Because the answer to all those questions is no.

But do I know how to cook any specific cuisine? I don't know how to roll out pasta for raviolis. I'd be a mess filling a pan with layers of phyllo for baklava. I was afraid to buy lemongrass for a Thai curry because it looks like a houseplant. I don't really know how to cook anything when it comes down it. But I figure it out.

Hell, I don't even know how to do my job but I do it every day and get paid for it.

The cooking process starts hours, days, weeks before any particular dinner. It starts when I'm sitting at the table eating another delicious meal and flipping through a cookbook. With every recipe I read, I picture myself not only eating but actually going through the effort of cooking it. And if, in my head, I get more pleasure from eating than pain from cooking, I write it down, mark it with a post-it, add the ingredients to a grocery list, and away we go!

Maybe the book I'm perusing is my Complete Book of Indian Cooking, which has so many different ways to cook chicken in it that I read the titles out loud for a good five minutes before my dad made me stop. Maybe I'll come across a hot dry meat curry or some lamb kebabs, and decide I'm making them whether I know how to mold ground lamb to a skewer or not. Sometimes "not" is okay, because my oblong lamb meatballs were pretty tasty sans skewer. And the seemingly dull cherry tomatoes and baby onions sprang to life when salted and pan fried.


I don't need to know how to cook Indian food for this to work, and neither do you.

Mini Lamb Kebabs with Baby Onions and Tomatoes (The Complete Book of Indian Cooking)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon garlic pulp
2 medium fresh green chilies, chopped, and 4 fresh green chilies sliced
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn oil
12 baby onions, peeled and trimmed (fresh pearl onions should be in onion section - do not use frozen!)
12 cherry tomatoes

Blend together the ground lamb, chopped onion, garam masala, garlic, 2 green chilies, cilantro, salt, and flour in a food processor. Process for about one minute, until mixture has a fine, blended texture. Break off small pieces and roll into balls or oblong kebabs. Place on broiler rack, with pan underneath to catch drippings. I like to line that pan with aluminum foil to making cleaning easier, otherwise burnt drippings can be a pain to scrape off. Baste the kebab meatballs with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place under broiler for 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, or until evenly browned. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil in a deep round-bottomed frying pan. Lower the heat slightly and add the whole baby onions. As soon as they start to darken, add the fresh chillies and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes begin to brown. Remove the kebabs from the broiler and add them to the onion and tomato mixture. Stir gently for about 3 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Serve with basmati rice and non-fat plain yogurt.

LEBARAAAAN

Selamaaaat hari Raya Idul Fitri 1430 H
Minal aidin wal faidzin
Mohon maaf lahir dan batiiiin :)
Semoga di hari yang indah ini, hati kita kembali suci (amiiiin)

What a great day!
GREAT!
Selain gue dapet tambahan uang jajan dikiit dari tetangga a.k.a ANGPAO, gue juga dapet kabara menggembirakan (buat gue).

Sebelumnya, mau ngucapin selamaaat buat kelahiran tetangga baru, anaknya tante iloh :)

Meskipun bobot 4,1kg yang artinya genduuut banget itu, semoga entar gedenya cantik kaya kakak-kakaknya, amiiin.

Hari ini hari yang di nanti...
Sayang gue harus melewatkan solat Ied dikarenakan dapet panggilan alamnya cewek-cewek. Cuih, sebut saja mens. (plis bukan mawar, mawar kusus psk)
Dan parahnya, saat semua orang solat, gue asik-asikan ngorok. -,-'
maaf ya maaa, parah aku baru tidur jam 3. hihi

Setelah sukses bangun di jarum pendek menunjuk angka 8 lewat beberapa derajat, gue mandi kuda.
Kenapa mandi kuda, karena cuma 10 menit. INI AJAIB BUAT GUE!!
MAN, GUE MANDI CUMA SEPULUH MENIIIIT! SEPULUH!
Bangga sekali gue. huh!
Berbekal sendal baru setinggi hmm 8cm heelsnya, gue bersilahturahmi ke tetangga.
Ngeeeeng, pegel ternyata!
Eh tunggu, bukan gue keganjenan pengen make high heels, itu sendal tante gue yang beli, dan enggak pernah gue pake.
Kebetulan enggak ada sendal yang senada sama baju gue, dan enggak mungkin ke tetangga gue make sepatu, jadilaaah tuh sendal gue pake.
Tapi asli, gue nyesel! Pegel gilaaa.

Setelah puas ngiter-ngiter komplek sampe mengklek mengklek, gue pulang dan langsung ganti baju dinas (celana pendek plus baju tidur-red)
PANAS abis! Gerah.
gue melipir ke tempat tidur, dan smsan. Masih seputar ucapan lebaran.
Makasiiih yang udah sms, maaf kalo ada yg kelewat. :D
Eh eh, gue baru sadar! SEKARANG, tarif sms m3 jadi mahal yaa?
Gila yaa, buat nge-sms 3/4 phonebook di hp gue, gue udah ngabisin 30ribu. buat sms doaaang. manstap.

Sampailah pada ketika, gue ngecek fb sebentar, dan gue kaget.
Kaget ngeliat orang nulis wall selamat lebaran ke salah satu 'teman' di fb gue yang gue kira dia kristen.
Karena selain sekolahnya di swasta yang setau gue rata2 kristen, dia juga punya nama yang kristen gitu di fb. Entaaah bagaimana kok pada ngucapin minal aidin gitu. Kaget dooong gue, ya kaaan?
Gue semeses lah temen gue yang satu sekolah sama dia.
berhasil gue dapet info kalo ternyata teman gue itu emang islam. yuhuuu!
Dan yang bikin gue tambah happy, salah satu teman dari si 'teman' ini yang keren mirip orlando bloom itu juga islam. senangnyaaaaah saia! hieeeeks.


La la la la la la la li li li li li li li li ....
gilaaa gue happy banget.
ngerasaaa bersyukur gimana gitu.
aneh yaa? Freak abis!


Anyway...
Salah enggak sih kalo seandainya gue beneran suka sama si 'dia'??

ahh gue mulai enggak jelas, jadi mending gue setop aje deeeh.

Yasudaaah, menutup perjumpaan kita mengenai pe-ramadhan-an
gue mau minta maaf untuk semua maki caci cerca dan keteledoran gue.
Makasih yaa semua *cium basah*

A little of this, and a little of that...


I'm excited about a lot today! I'm going to try several new recipes this week including: Orange Hoisin Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Baked Ziti Casserole. I'll post the recipes as I try them this week...and hopefully remember to take pictures before its demolished!


The weather in Tulsa is absolutely stunning! Lily and I went to the dog park and played HARD. She then requested a bath when we got home, and she is now napping/sunbathing in the yard, drying off. Rough life, eh? Unfortunately, I passed on a run this morning with husband because I have a late night hockey game. Just figures the weather is gorgeous and I exercise on a sheet of ice in 15 lbs of padding! 


Anywho, thank you to those who voted in the most recent poll asking what you enjoy reading most about on my blog. Research came out on top with recipes and my life's trials and tribulations surrounding nutrition and food coming in close second. I agree with you guys, the latest and greatest research is important, interesting, and nothing less than fascinating. I'll continue putting out a variety of topics so that everyone stays reading, happy, and most importantly, learning more about nutrition!

I tried a new Southaven Farms recipe this weekend -- Cherry Pie Muffins. These were BY FAR the best recipe I've made from Southaven Farms to date. They are delicccccious! My in-laws loved them!! Especially after 18 seconds in the microwave, says my father-in-law! They couldn't be any easier to make, too! I used the multigrain mix and the entire can of no sugar added cherry pie filling. The recipe made 18 really nice-sized muffins for approximately 95 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. And did I mention they are DELICIOUS!? I'm certainly looking forward to breakfast this week!



 
 Pre-baked

 
 All done! See the yummy, plump, sweet cherries inside!?





Also this weekend, I got to talking with my neighbor who is a drug rep for Lilly. We were chatting away, and it comes out that he sells diabetes meds -- specifically Byetta and insulin (Humulin, Humolog)! We got to talking about me being a dietitian working with diabetics, and he gave me oodles of  "Nutrition in the Fast Lane" pamphlets put out by Lilly in his stocked-full garage. The pamphlet includes nutrition information for common fast food joints...lots of them! How cool! He stocked up the back of my car with the pamphlets. My patients are in for a treat in learning the truth about all the fast food out there! Thank you, neighbor!


Also, I have to give myself a little recognition for completing 10% (100 hours) of one-on-one diabetes education required to sit for the CDE exam as of Friday. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it took me 2 1/2 months to get those hours and I'm proud of each and every one of them! I hope to have 50% of the hours completed by July 1, 2010.

I was also contacted this week by a NuVal representative, after writing about NuVal back in June. I am in communication with Melissa, the NuVal representative, about gathering information to blog on specific NuVal ratings. If you were thinking Kashi was the epitome of healthy cereals, check out Melissa's post here on adult rated breakfast cereals. But first check out my June blog post on the NuVal system if you're unfamiliar with the rating system!



After many recommendations from friends, we finally tried KEO this weekend. It. was. amazing! I got the red curry and I should've taken a picture! It came with an option of white or brown rice (I got brown) and chose tofu as my meat. It was just incredible - the taste, the presentation, the reasonable portion size! I just can't rave enough about that dish and our experience at KEO. There are KEO locations also on the east coast for any readers out that way -- it's definitely worth taking a trip too! Sorry, no pictures...regretfully!


Last, I'm strongly throwing around the idea of going "diabetic" for 30 days -- the month of October. The 31st is Halloween so technically my 30 days would be over for trick or treating, right? Kidding, kidding. I just figure, if I'm talking the talk...maybe I could stand to walk the walk. I talk diabetic diets all day, maybe I should give it a go. More than eating a diabetic diet, it will take some adjusting to counting carbohydrates on a diabetic diet. Any reader thoughts or feedback on this idea?  

Also, does anyone else thing our Lily would make the cutest bumble bee for Halloween? Our neighborhood is packed with kids, many of whom know and love Lily. I think it's only appropriate our puppy participates!


Off to grocery shop...enjoy the reminder of the weekend, all!

Launching Out

“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught” Luke 5:4

It had been a long night. I mean what night wouldn’t feel like an eternity if you had been fishing and fishing and fishing and caught nothing? I’m sure Peter and the other fishermen would have been thinking the same line you or I would’ve in that instance – Why, oh why, didn’t I just stay in bed? I would’ve accomplished more there than out on this lousy lake where there just aren’t any fish!

I don’t know about you, but I would have been in a pretty sour mood that early morning - washing nets that wouldn’t have needed washing if I had just slept all night. And the last thing I think I’d want is a crowd of people coming down to the beach. Oh com’on! Just leave me alone!

Wait a minute though… Peter must have sensed something different in this Man who asked him to shove his boat off the shore a ways so He could be better heard by the crowd on the sand. Any other man and Peter probably would have told him to shove off himself! I’m afraid I would have – Get lost, I’m going home!

There had to have been something in this Man that caught his attention – even sleep deprived as he was – and made him think I better listen to this. Maybe he kept cleaning those “useless” nets for a while before he became totally focused on Jesus. This Man really had something to say!

And then, Jesus turned to Peter himself. “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught”. I know what I would have been thinking Awh man, I just finished washing these nets! What on earth do you think I’m gonna get when I was out there all night long? No way!

Surprisingly, and thankfully, Peter didn’t have that reaction. “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Wow! I think Christ was working in him already.

Due to his submission to Christ’s command and obedience to His word, “they enclosed a great multitude of fish and their net brake”! Wow again!

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord’. (Would’ve been my thoughts exactly.) For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken… And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”

What an amazing, true story! I don’t know about you, but I sure can relate to it. Sometimes it seems like life is just one obligatory, overnight fishing trip and the fish are out to make me one hungry camper. Try as I might, and no matter what I do, it seems that I just can’t get any farther in my spiritual walk with Jesus. In fact, sometimes I feel farther way than ever. Beginning to wish I had stayed in my nice, warm, cozy, comfortable “me zone”, I hear His still small voice saying, “Launch out into the deep and let down your net for a draught”.

Wow! What an invitation! Do I have the faith to take it? Will I say like Peter, I’ve been trying all night and I’m totally despairing, but okay Lord, I’ll do it. ? By God’s grace, Yes!

And then it happens. And it only happens then because, no matter how hard we try, we’re not going to get anywhere on our own will power. It’s only Christ’s power working in us that can fill us with the draught of the Holy Spirit and send us on a whole new journey for and with Him. That’s when our nets fill with God’s unlimited power and love and when our starving spirits can be quenched with the fulfillment of a life lived for Christ.

It’s a choice. It takes saying I don’t have it in me, I’m a pathetic sinner and have drastically come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). I need You, I trust You, I will obey You. It takes surrender.

One thing we have to be on the lookout for are anchors in the sand that are keeping us firmly rooted in the shallow depths. God has been pointing these out to me and I pray that I’ll listen and act on it! “Anchors” can be different for everyone and not limited to unhealthy, secular and sensual movies, magazines, books, internet, friends, conversations, and thoughts. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can generally find something in our lives that is not something we can do “all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)

If I’m at all like other humans out there, we all get “promptings” telling us we shouldn’t be allowing something in our lives, minds and hearts. It’s our conscience, or the Holy Spirit speaking in us. And it’s too easy to ignore it, brush it aside, and rationalize what we’re doing. It’s not that bad! All my Christian friends are watching it! It’s on the bestseller list in the Christian bookstore.

Do we really want to stay next to the beach though, making sure we can always touch bottom so we don’t get too scared? How much is it worth to live the shallow, mediocre existence with a dwarfed understand of God and His ways?

We can be walking on water with Christ! Now how much is that worth? I am convinced that God wants so much more for us than we can even comprehend - and it is worth everything! Here’s a sobering thought though – we never will comprehend it if we don’t cut the anchors and set the sails of faith!

Oh, God, give us the strength to launch out into Your deeps and fill our sails with the winds of Your Spirit! Light us on fire for You!

~ Sarah

Sahakiel and the Inglorious Basterds

Hi everyone! How's your weekend going? I hope that everything is ok for you all!

Well, i know, so... first of all... tadaaaaaaaa!


So, finally I did it! Me with my new hair, hehehe! I really like it, more than blonde!

On friday i went to the cinema just for see "Inglorious Basterds", by Quentin tarantino. I must say that I really enjoy the film; the story was quite funny; and I LOVE the aesthetics of the film, the clothes that the women were wearing was wonderful: hats, headpieces, shoes, suits ... I was really excited every time I saw one of them.

Yes, I really loved the character of Mélanie Laurent; she was my favourite!

And of course, we took a picture doing the dumb...


And yesterday night, I went out with my cousin Rocío and some friends; we had a lovely time. Rocío is moving to Berlind next weekend for a yera... I hope I could go visit her throughout the year!

T-shirt - Stradivarius Jacket - Pull&Bear Skirt - Vintage Tighs - Zara Boots - Mustang Hairband - Primark

And today,Sunday, I went with my mother to an antique market in Sabinillas, but there were few interesting things. I bought a pair of spoons thinking of Laia from Let me feel like a doll; to see if I do something with them for us! our obsession are gonna kill us, sweetheart!


What did you do on during this weekend?

Simple Lamb Curry: Lamb Rogan Josh

When deciding what to have for dinner last night, I realised that I hadn't had lamb for an unusually long period of time. I dredged through my memory therefore for the details of this simple lamb curry recipe, my version of Lamb Rogan Josh, and decided that this - accompanied by a naan bread - was just that for which I was in the mood.

The quantites used in this simple recipe are for one hungry person.

Ingredients

1/2lb diced leg of lamb
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp powdered coriander seed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander (known by its Spanish name, "Cilantro," in the USA)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp sunflower or corn oil

Method

Add the oil to a fairly large pot and bring it up to a medium heat before adding the onions and the garlic. Stir fry these ingredients with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until the onions begin to take on a transluscent quality. Add the four spices and fry for another minute or so, stirring continually.

Add the diced leg of lamb and turn up the heat, stirring to brown the lamb evenly. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the natural yoghurt and bring to a boil.

When the mixture is boiling, turn down the heat to the abolute minimum and simmer as gently as possible for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. Note here that I have in the past sometimes found that the liquid has almost fully evaporated before the rogan josh is ready. If this should be the case, simply add a little boiling water as required.

When the lamb rogan josh is ready, season to taste with salt, stir in the chopped coriander and serve with a warm naan bread.

Indian Cookery can often be thought of as fairly complicated, more than anything due to the number of different spices which are commonly used. Madhur Jaffrey is well known for her TV appearances demonstrating wonderful Indian cooking and currently has some instructional books on same available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Food Tip of the Day - Sunday, September 20th, 2009: Foods for Reducing Stress

It is a scientific fact that there are certain types of food which can combat stress and the effects which it has on the body. In these high stress times in which we live, knowing what these foods are can prove beneficial to most of us...

Foods for reducing stress