Nourishing Spoon

Publish Post Favorite Fruits - That Wonderful Time in The Year Greetings! Summer is finally here.  Here's a piece from heaven - expressing gratitude for the most wonderful meal. I am so grateful at this very moment...I type while I munch on the sesame seeds from my cheung fun (rice noodles in center below).  Stopped for another bite...excuse me.  I feel the sweet taste of hosin sauce and enjoy the crunchiness of the seeds. The warm noodles are comforting my soul and I really feel in heaven.  In front of me is a bowl full of lychees and rambutan....yum... is not enough to describe the feeling.  On the other side, to my right, is an ice-cold glass of Chendol.  Didn't I say I was in heaven?  I wash down the sweet and sour taste of the hoisin sauce with another happy gulp of Chendol.  Today, I have resorted to comfort food, oh dear, I have given in to the 20% of the 80/20 rule!  That's when you are good 80% of the time, a...

Didn't have time to soak your steel cut oats last night? Ran out of bread for toast? No worries, here are some simple steps to prepare breakfast in a flash, anywhere at any time! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it provides the energy to keep you ticking through the day.  If you start your day with a well-balanced meal, you'll avoid the binges later on. When I received my shipment of gluten-free (GF) rolled oats, I was inspired to prepare my own muesli. Muesli was used in 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for his patients. The rolled oats are rich in fiber and help lower cholesterol, while the nuts and seeds provide Omega 3's and minerals. The best part is that you can personalize it to your favorite nuts, seeds and fruit and it's easy to take with you anywhere.  2 cups gluten-free rolled oats 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup walnuts Handful brazil nuts 1/4 cup flax seeds 1/4 cup dried...

What does a gluten-free, vegan do when she doesn't have enough time to prepare her lunch in the a.m.? Two options: a. Go hungry; or b. Contribute to the abundance of the national economy by eating out!  There's hope - being Cinco de Mayo, I was craving for something Mexican, but that was short-lived when my friends were too busy.  So I opted for the next best - something spicy, something close by and with PROTEIN and not saturated with FAT.  I went to Chickpea.  I like that name, sounds like a cute baby store or something of that sort.  Their falafels are BAKED - not fried! Yum!  Love those little spinach-broccoli ones. They are full of flavor and texture and go so well with the basil hummus or tahini.  I got the falafel nuggets sans pita.  The tahini and hummus are vegan and dairy-free. The basil hummus simply melts in your mouth! If you are ever looking for a quick snack, a side order of five falafel bites is onl...

Happy New Year Dear Readers!  I extend to you my warmest greetings on this fr-e-e-zing cold day!  It was 4F when I left for work this morning but it felt like spring when I returned home as the temperature had climbed up to 19F! Thank God!   I have been blogging in my mind everyday, but was determined today to post something. My delicious dinner gave me the push to post about it.  My son had mentioned that he had made some spaghetti earlier and that had brought on a desire for some pasta - yes, my body was asking for some comfort food. So I quickly boiled 2 cups of gluten-free pasta.  I discovered that I still had some dairy-free cheese in the refrigerator; however, I couldn't remember when I had opened the packet. I sniffed to see if there was any odor and crossed my fingers while I made sure there was nothing blue (mold)!!!  The angels were looking after me today! I was in luck! I was going to have Penne with Cheese! Yeah! Why the exclamation and exci...

The holiday season is a time of meeting and greeting, feasting and drinking, buying and spending!  We stress over purchasing that perfect gift, decisions between pink or green, small or medium, merino wool or cashmere, UGGs or Hunter!  Decisions, decisions...more decisions.   Our inbox is blasted with emails - "Final Day for 40% off," "Buy one, get second half off," "Take an extra 30% off and Free Shipping."  Such temptations!  Amex and MasterCard must be doing a happy dance. I was surprised to see After-Christmas sales emails on Christmas Day which enabled you to purchase online on Christmas Day for the new low, discounted price!   Shopaholics must love what technology/Internet has done to feed their passion. Christmas and the holidays have become so commercialized. We get all worked up with trying to give the best gift that will please those close to us, that we forget that the gift is just a token.  It is the feelings that...

Om Shanti, What a magnificent summer!  I've so much that I want to share about my terrific time.  I write while the waves slam the banks of the river and the winds beat up the trees - a storm is headed up the Northeast.  I'm being entertained by nature's symphony. I have done some workshops on natural remedies and green living with essential oils recently and wanted to start off by sharing this wonderful thought: Thought for Peace - Raja Yoga Center (HK) Like an incense stick Although your thoughts, attitudes, intentions and feelings are not visible, they do have an effect. They permeate the atmosphere and influence the mood in a room, like the aroma from an incense stick, curling through the air ... Negative thoughts and intentions or a less than generous attitude release a heavy pungent odor. Kind thoughts, beneficial intentions, or an understanding attitude create a fragrant aroma, uplifting the atmosphere. What atmosphere are you creating?

Happy Mother's Day! Google may be the best search engine, or go to site, but it can't compare to MOM, the best "search angel" or go to person, where you get personalized, individual attention/response and pampering!   Want to know to what to wear for the party?  Call Mummy Gold purse or silver purse -- maybe the black beaded one?  Call Mummy Want to know how many cloves of garlic to put in the dahl (lentil soup)?  Call Mummy Want to know what to do when the pudding doesn't set?  Call Mummy Need to have my blouse taken in?  Call Mummy Feeling frustrated and need to speak to someone?  Call Mummy Want to share the good news with someone?  Call Mummy In the old days, I remember exchanging aerogrammes with my mother.  In today's technology savvy age, believe it or not, Speed Dial 7-- Lucky 7 -- is for Mummy!  Mummy and I have not yet reached the texting stage.  Who knows, maybe I'll text her after...