Kalicious Smoothie

First off, I'm sorry I've been off the grid lately. It's a combination of laziness and running around like mad these past few weeks. When I look at my schedule I'm not that busy, but I am. It's just not logical.

Second, I have good news to report! As of last night, Grandma Ruth was taken off the ventilator and is breathing on her own and very very unhappy to have to sit in a hospital bed. My father-in-law reports that she's literally kicking to get out of bed, but still has a lot of resting to do. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers yesterday. So many people here and on Facebook were diligently lifting her up and the Lord has heard our prayer as she was not expected to survive while off the ventilator there for a while.

Now onward, to a delicious smoothie recipe! You may remember the Kalicious smoothie we got when we went to Whole Foods a few weekends ago. Well, I search high and low online and couldn't find it on their site, so I made up a recipe of my own based on what we had, and voila!  I'm here so share it with you today.  But first some promises...

1) It's delicious and detoxifying. I'm not going to elaborate on how I know the latter. But I know it. Period.

2) You won't taste the spinach and kale, scouts honor.

3) You will never age as long as you drink this smoothie.

(Ok, that last one was a stretch...)

As it is, the smoothie is really great for you. Kale and spinach are both leafy greens high in vitamin K, A, and C. Along with other goodies like protien, calcium, iron, and B6.

To add a little boost to my smoothies, I also add GSE and chia seed. I put GSE in every smoothie I make. On it's own, it's one of the most disgusting tastes you have ever tasted. It's only saving grace is that the taste doesn't linger in your mouth once you swallow. But in a smoothie you can't taste it at all. GSE is Grapefruit Seed Extract and it is a nutribiotic. Basically it's properties naturally fight against bad bacteria and viruses in your gut that could cause you to get sick.

Chia is a seed high in omegas with moderate amounts of protien. A good additive if you are vegetarian or vegan to help get those omegas in your diet.

The Kalicious Smoothie
serves 2

1.5 cups apple juice
1 lemon, juiced
2 bananas
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale (middle vein removed, it's bitter...)
5-6 ice cubes

Optional:
30 drops GSE
1/2 tsp chia (up your liquid by 1/4 cup if you add chia...it absorbs TONS of water).

Place everything in a blender, and blend on high until smooth and frothy! Enjoy!

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite smoothie recipe?



Update

Please keep my husband's grandma and our family in your prayers. Grandma Ruth  is in the ICU and has extensive damage to her arteries in her lungs and a hole in her heart. She cannot breathe without the ventilator. The family is having to make difficult decisions about life support and such. It is a difficult time. Please pray for comfort and peace. Grandma Ruth is a Christ follower...and we can rest in that.

I Work For The Big Man

Last night I was up till the wee hours of the night (10:45!!) working diligently for Santa. I had quite a task at hand when he handed me my co-workers Christmas list. Three batches of different cookies all pretty-fied in baggies and topped off with string...I was going to be up to my eyeballs in flour!

I told Santa that I really appreciated him making me an honorary elf and I asked if I could come stay up at his place for a while, just to see their kitchen in action and get a few pointers. He said he'll think about it depending on how I do with next year's list. He says it's a hefty one.

North Pole vacation or not, I got to work on my cookies. I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cinnamon sugar cookies, and some pecan sandies dipped in white and red sugars. A feast for the eyes (and the mouth)! Right before bed I wrapped up 13 baggies and 2 large plates in preparation for the morning.

Santa said I could deliver them all by myself tomorrow...and if you ask me that's better than any tour of the North Pole kitchen...

Question of the Day:

What goodies are you cooking up for Christmas?

A Christmas Comic

Hey folks,

I was surfing around the 'ole webby debbie the other day and stumbled upon a new site. If you didn't know it already (and you probably don't because it's kind of my secret obsession) I love comics. Well, I love them as long as they are well-written, witty, and poke fun at life. I think that's supposed to be the definition of a comic, but it's amazing how many fall so short.

Anyways, some of my favorite places to go to for a laugh are Hyperbole and a Half, Toothpaste for Dinner, Verbal Vomit, and now, The Oatmeal. I can get lost for hours and hours on these sites. Check out this Christmas comic from The Oatmeal and have a happy Christmas laugh!

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/christmas



A Traditional Iranian Breakfast

Good morning!

I mentioned yesterday that we went over to our friend Ali's home on Saturday morning for breakfast. Ali wanted to share a traditional homemade bread with us and show us how a good breakfast is done...Iranian style!

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew there was going to be bread, but that was about it. I was pleasantly surprised to find a delicious meal, and even more good friends- Navid and his wife Zhoobin!

By day (and sometimes night) Ali studies for his PhD in engineering from UCF. But when he has some time off Ali transforms into a master chef, cooking up some amazing meals! So far he has made us two other traditional meals and both were to die for!

Ali grew up in a family of women, and didn't learn how to cook until he moved to the US to study and had to fend for himself. I think it's done him well, and his mother and sisters would be shocked that he's such a professional!

This Iranian Barbari bread is made by hand. It is a wheat yeast bread and is sprinkled with sesame seeds for cooking. When you break off pieces to eat you can split the bread open (kind of like a thick pita) and fill it with goodies.

Traditionally, you fill it with Tabriz cheese... it's like a feta but much fresher tasting. (You can see the cheese above in the top left corner of the table.) Some other fillings were fresh butter, raspberry jam, and cream cheese. It was so tasty and I could have easily eaten a whole loaf.

Of course, no breakfast (or any meal for that matter) would be complete without cup after cup of Persian hot tea. It has become my favorite tea to drink and the spices warm and relax you as you sip. (I will have a Persian tea tutorial soon, just waiting to purchase one more bit of appliance to make it the real deal.)

From left to right: Navid, Zhoobin, Hannah, John, and Ali.

We had such a great time talking. We caught up on the last couple months of our lives, discussed languages and cultures and Iranian cuisine. Ali and Navid are both engineers (electrical and mechanical, respectively) and Zhoobin is an M.D. Many times I think John and I just sit there, trying out hardest to soak up their intelligence. It is always a delight to be in their presence and enjoy the mixing of our cultures.

There are many things I love in life, but nothing brings me more joy than sharing a meal with people so much different than myself, yet so much the same. Our governments tell us that we are enemies, that we should hate each other, and that we might one day be at war. But there we were, five people sitting in a room, sharing a meal, and laughing about the absurdity of it all with the knowledge that loving others and enjoying peace is as simple as pouring a cup of tea.

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite traditional breakfast from your travels?



A (Not Quite) Weekend Update

Hey Folks-

It's Monday. (Booo!) And not only that....it's raining. I'm not a happy camper. I like to start my week out with crisp weather, sun streaming in my window, with my "good morning!" smoothie in my hand. While I did have a smoothie in my hand this morning, I also had an umbrella. The two cancel each other out as far as I'm concerned. 

I've been a really bad blogger this weekend. I didn't take a single picture! Here's some of what we did:

1. Friday night we had a Harry Potter 7, part 2 dinner party with friends. It involved sangria and vegan rum cake. We were all very delighted.

2. Saturday morning with Iranian friends. Our friend Ali made a traditional Iranian breakfast of a bread called Barbari and cheese and jam. I'll be doing a post this week on it. Here's what the bread looks like...

VIA

3. Saturday day we got all our Christmas shopping done.

4. Saturday night we went to an "O Christmas Plant" party for plant-based food enthusiasts. Showed up knowing only the hosts but left with many new friends.

5. A great service at church Sunday morning about what it really means to "go home" and where our home really is for believers...in Heaven. I needed that reminder!

6. Sunday day, a lovely lunch with two of our financial supporters catching up on the past few weeks and getting to know them better.

Question of the Day:

How do you do in a crowded room of strangers? Is it exhilarating, or intimidating?

Friday Replay: Cross-Cultural Etiquette- Preparing a Meal

It's Friday Replay time again! Friday Replay is where I get a chance to replay some of the posts that I wrote back when the only people reading were my mother and husband. I chose this particular replay because of the Christmas season. Many of you may be hosting new friends, opening your home to students who have no families in town, or maybe a relative is bringing a significant other home for the first time. There's a chance (hopefully a good one!) that these people could be internationals living in the U.S. for such and such a reason. This post is a guide on how to prepare a meal for those with dietary restrictions unlike your own due to their culture or religion.

_______________________________________________________________

When preparing to have international friends over to your home for a meal there are a few things to think of.  If you are unsure of their dietary restrictions it is completely fine to ask them in advance. Even though the following tips may give a general outline, there are always exceptions to the rule. I’ve met Muslims who, while living in America, have decided to eat pork. And I’ve met Hindus who eat meat.  I guess the biggest lesson is to never assume. :-/

If Your Guests Are…

Muslim

As a general rule our Muslim friends will refrain from pork products and other meats that are not certified Halal. Also, alcohol is prohibited. When it comes to alcohol I always assume. Even if I’ve been offered alcohol while in their home, I will not offer it in mine out of respect for their faith.


A word on “halal.” I used to think that as long as a meal was pork-free it was halal. This is not so. Think of it as you would “kosher”. All kosher foods must be certified as such and in the same way halal foods must be certified. To be halal the animal must be blessed and killed according to that custom. Some Muslims will eat food as long as there is no pork and others will only eat meat that is halal. If your guest makes a point to tell you they only eat halal meat, run to your nearest international grocery or halal market for meat. In most cases meats that are certified kosher will also suffice if you live in a place without much diversity at the market.

 In Arab/Persian culture coffee and tea can play a big role for the night. If you have learned how to make a good Turkish coffee or yummy tea that can be a great end to a dinner. But keep in mind that little quirks can exist throughout Arab/Persian areas in regards to these beverages. In Jordan, for example, serving coffee can be a sign you want someone to leave. In Kazakhstan filling a tea glass to full may mean you want them to gulp it down and leave, whereas a half glass will let them know you want them to stay for refills. There’s no way to know all these things, and you shouldn’t feel bad about not knowing. But once you ask questions and learn these little things about other cultures it will allow you to be more hospitable in a way they will most fully understand.

Hindu/Buddhist
Many Hindus and most all Buddhists are vegetarians, with some Hindus just avoiding beef. Although your family may be die hard meat lovers it would be my recommendation that while having Hindus or Buddhist vegetarians over for dinner you choose to go all out with your beans and veggies. Cooking meat for yourself may be disrespectful, and the smell may make your friends lose their appetite. Alcohol is also prohibited.

That covers the three most common religions and their restrictions. Most others have very little restriction, and if you are unsure just be sure to ask them.

John and I with our Persian friends last Christmas.

 
Other things to consider…

1) Our Muslim friends fast one month out of the year during Ramadan. This means the will refrain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. This month may not be a good time to invite them over for dinner as they usually observe the breaking of the fast with family and fellow Muslims. However, if you do want to invite and they accept be sure to have them over after sunset and serve dinner soon after.

2) I’ve noticed that my friends from China have a very low tolerance to sweets. When thinking of desserts and beverages to offer be sure to choose something more mild.

3) Another thing to consider is what to cook for friends fresh off the plane. If your international friends have arrived in the US in the last week or two be very considerate of the fact that our typical American diet may be throwing them for loops. Try to lay off on the high dairy foods, high fat foods, and anything deep fried.

4) Make more than enough food.

5) Make more than enough food.  

6) MAKE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOOD. In most other cultures having plenty for seconds and thirds is just good hospitality.

A Tree Full of Memories

Good morning! Did everyone sleep well?

Today, I'm continuing the Christmas tree conversation over at Happily Ever Healthy. Hilliary was kind enough to let me spread some Christmas cheer to her dearest readers, so please go check out her blog today to read about my favorite Christmas ornaments and the stories behind them.

See you over here!