Eat Less. Pray more. Love all.

To eat less, pray more and love all was my New Year resolution and I realised I never got around to putting it to practise. But I guess it’s never too late to start midyear. It’s not like the year is over yet.

Eat less: This always holds true for me. Whenever I cook a lot I eat less. I become satiated by the process. Also the simple joy of serving the food just fills me up. I would gladly go without a meal if there were enough people eating from my table.

Pray more: I had gotten so busy with life...that I was hardly looking up to Him. You know talking to Him, about stuff...like I used to. Let’s just say I forgot that he was driving my car called life. Past one week I just began to tire out thinking I was driving it the whole while....What a laugh! How vain we are. Us humans. We think we are in control of everything. But the truth is we are not in charge at all. “Why, even all the hairs on your head have been counted!” by Him. So He says “Stop being afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows." “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Love all: To love is to live. There is no other way to live other than with love. Like my dad says - to love is a decision one takes anew every morning. And anyone can take that decision to love anyone in any circumstances. So what could be possibly stopping me from loving all?
Therefore today I choose to bake a carrot cake. It’s healthy and has a lot of goodness. I usually bake it for Christmas. But I feel Christmas is here already. New realisations have been born in my heart. THats what Christmas is all about, isn't it?

This carrot cake is made with grated carrots and dates or raisins. You can try it too...
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup chopped dates or raisins

Preparation:

Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, grated carrots and vanilla. Sift together
The flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; gradually add to
Carrot mixture and beat to blend well. Fold in chopped nuts and dates or
Raisins.
Bake in a greased 10-inch tube pan at 375° for about 55 to 65 minutes.
A wooden pick inserted in centre should come out clean.

Whole wheat pizza made me realise how important family is.

I was looking out for a pizza recipe as my son was asking for it a whole week. But I was too busy nursing a bruised heart. What a drama queen i have turned out to be. It wasn't the end of the world at all. But I just couldn't let go of my disappointment and hurt. Anyway..thanks to good friends. A particular friend teased the hell out of me. He said grow up and move on. And at 36 it's about time I grew up and out of all this.

So i decided to make pizza for my son. While surfing the net for recipes, without thinking or any deliberation I seemed to be sorting out 'healthy' options. I am cooking for family..I am cooking for my son. He needs to eat healthy. So I chose this whole wheat pizza base recipe which read simple.

Here it is:

1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let it stand for about 10 minutes.

Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole flour and 1 cup of all- purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto the surface floured with the remaining all purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of the dough becomes smooth for about 10 minutes. Place dough in a oiled bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with towel and let it stand in a warm place until doubled in size, for about an hour.
When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out into a floured surface and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust or leave the whole to make one thick crust. Form into tight ball let it rise for 45 minutes
Preheat oven to 220 C. Roll out the dough until it will not stretch any further. Then drape it over both of your fist and swing it high.
I let mine land flat on the dish. :-)

Spread the garlic rich, herb infused tomato sauce. Arranged some chicken salami, grated some mozerella and parmesan. Also some sundried tomatoes topped the pizza.
baked for 20 minutes. Served hot with a glass of passion fruit juice.
My son hugged me tight.
What a reward! what a healing !