Salad Recipe

Mango Salad
Red Cabbage sliced
Mango
Cilantro
Lime
Cider Vinegar
Sugar
Pepper


Kale Salad

* 1 bunch kale (ribs removed), chopped
* 4 scallions, chopped
* 3 carrots, shredded
* 1/2 cup toasted almonds
* 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 1 cup cubed baked firm tofu or fried tempeh
* 1/4 cup Veganaise
* 1/4 cup nut butter (I like almond)
* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1-2 tablespoon rice vinegar
* several tablespoon water

Directions:
Combine Veganaise, nut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Thin to dressing consistency with water. Toss with vegetables. This is a very versatile recipe, and you can add any additional veggies, fruit, or nuts that you like.

==========
Zucchini patties

5 - 7 cup peeled, grated, drained zucchini or
mixed zucchini (green, yellow, any shape)
1/2 Cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs or flour
1/2 Tsp salt
1 beaten egg
5 - 7 tbsp. olive or salad oil

1. Grate zucchini very finely and pour off the juice.
2. In a bowl, combine together flour, grated, drained
zucchini, salt, beaten egg.

3. Make patties from this mixture. Roll them in the bread
crumbs or flour coating them completely.

4. Add oil to skillet; Heat oil in skillet over medium heat,
rotate skillet to coat with oil. Add patties. Place over a
medium- high heat and when hot fry the patties for approx.
5-6 minutes per side or until done to suit your taste, or
until zucchini begins to brown and is tender-crisp. When
all patties will be fried, return zucchini patties to
skillet, heat through.

5. Serve with Tomato sauce, or Soy sauce. Very good with
sour cream on each patty.

==========

Refreshing Fruit Salad

* 1 green apple
* 1 red apple
* 1 orange
* a bowl of grapes
* raisins
* peanuts
Directions:

Peel the green apple and grate it into a bowl. Peel the red apple and chop it up. Peel the grapes and chop them up. Mix all of them together. Squeeze the orange juice onto the mixture. Crush the peanuts and add them into the mixture with the raisins. VERY refreshing.

Green Salad

* 1 carrot, finely diced or grated
* 2 cucumber, finely diced
* 2 onion, finely chopped
* 3 green chillies(depends on u), finely chopped
* 1 tomato, finely diced
* coriander leaves, a small bunch-finely chopped
* mint leaves (optional)
* ginger, optional
* a few lettuce leaves, finely cut
* a few cabbage leaves, finely cut
* juice of one lemon
* sea salt to taste

Directions:
Mix all the chopped items with salt and lemon and use as a good salad.

==========

Cucumber Salad

* 3 medium cucumbers, peeled if waxy, and thinly sliced
* sea salt
* 5 tablespoon (or less) vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup raw vinegar
* freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Toss cucumber slices with salt and set aside to "sweat" for an hour or two. Drain liquid. Combine oil and vinegar, and add to cucumbers. Grind black pepper over top, toss, and serve.

This goes well as a side dish on the rijstaffel.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes


====================
Italian Recipe

SALAD "DEL PREVOSTO"

Boil in their skins three good-sized potatoes, peel them and slice
them, then put them into a salad bowl, and pour over them one-half a
glass of white wine. Do this about two or three hours before they are
wanted, so the potatoes will have time thoroughly to absorb the wine.
From time to time mix them with a fork and spoon to let the wine
permeate. A few minutes before the meal make a good French salad
dressing, add some pickled peppers cut up, some capers, and some
chopped-up parsley, pour on the French dressing, mix up well, and
serve.

"ALLA POLLASTRA" SALAD

Chop up six lettuce-leaves and three stalks of celery, cut up the
remains of a cold fowl in small pieces, and mix with one tablespoon of
vinegar and salt and pepper in a salad bowl. Pour a cup of mayonnaise
sauce over, and garnish with quarters of hard-boiled egg, one
tablespoon of capers, six stoned olives, and some small, tender
lettuce-leaves.

Recipe!

DONNA HAY
SPICED COCONUT PRAWNS


Cheemy Chewy Argentinian & Fresh Oregano
Sherry Wine
Cloves
Salt
Lemon
Red Pepper
Unsalted butter (room temp)

soda lime & tequila
grapefruit, oranges, lime (all quartered)

Shivani's Recipe! Yellow Daal

Boil 2 cups yellow daal with about 4 cups water. Cook in pressure cooker – after first whistle, turn down fire. Ready after another 3 whistles. (about 10 mins)

Put mustard seed (abt 2 teaspoon) in hot oil till it starts popping, then add cumin seeds (abt 2 tspn)
Add chilli
Turn down fire and add asafoetida (this burns easily)

Pour in cooked daal
Add mango powder (1 tspn), salt
Add water for desired consistency
Turn off fire

Add coriander leaves.


Brinjal and potato dish

Put mustard seed (abt 2 teaspoon) in hot oil till it starts popping, then add cumin seeds (abt 2 tspn)
Turn down fire and add asafoetida (this burns easily)

Pound the following together and then add to the hot oil above:
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Coriander
• Chilli


Then add large portion of chopped onions to the above

Add diced tomato

Add dry mango (1 tspn)

1 tspn garam masala

add salt

Pour in potato and bringal pices

Add water and simmer for about 15 mins.

-end-


Naked Chef's Recipe!

Coriander Dip

To blend:

Natural Yoghurt
garlic
ginger
green chilli (de-seed)
coriander
salt


Lemon Zesty Dip

To stir fry in order:
Oil
Mustard seed
Curry leaves
Lemons (small quarters)
Chilli powder
Black dhal (some)
White vinegar
salt

(lemon becomes sweet when heated)


====

Pineapple with Sweet Mint Sauce

Sliced thin ripe pineapple
Mint leaves pounced with sugar (to dehydrate)
Sprinkle over pineapple to serve!


=====

Curry

Oil
1 tsp Mustard seed
Curry leaves
* garlic bits
onion (finely diced)
ginger (2 thumbs)
6 tomatoes (diced)
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup water
coconut milk
salt to taste


=====

Sauce for Basmati Rice

Oil
Mustard seed
Black dhal
curry leaves
lemon skin (scrapped in slices)

Squeeze lemon juice on steamed basmati rice
salt to taste
coriander


=====
Green Mango & Beans Salad


Garlic
Dried shrimps
Green chilli (de-seed)
Lime juice
Fish sauce
raw Green Mango thinly sliced
Palm sugar
raw long Beans (in 1 inches)
raw Tomato

+++++++++++++++++++

Thai Recipe!

THAI STIR FRY RICE NOODLES - very quick dish

Fry together in order:

Dried prawns
Shallots
Beancurd (strips)
Preserved radish
Egg
Rice Noodles
Stock Water
Lime Juice
Fish Sauce
Sweet Tamarind
Spring Onions
Bean Sprouts
Crush peanuts
Dried Coconut
Coriander Leaves

====

Thai SPICY CRAB

Stir fry in order:

Shallots & Onions (pounced and crushed for juice)
Crab pieces
Roasted chilli paste & eggs & light soya sauce & chilli oil
Chillipadis
Chinese celery
Spring onion

======

Refreshing Beans

Stir fry In order hot Peanut oil:

Garlic & Chilli chopped & Fish sauce & paste (pounced)
Green Beans 1 inch
Prawns (de-shelled) (optional)

++++++++++++++++++

My Lesson In This Life

I have asked myself this question off and on. Ad hoc. I check up. See if its real. See if its influenced by fear whatsoever. If its ego self centered. If its solid. If its true to me.

At this moment, i'm repeatedly told that my lesson in this life is to remember that Change is the Only Permanence.
I'm here to remember that attachment can come in every form.

Sense emotions
Family ties
Friendships
Relationships
Opinions
Beliefs
Superstitions
Dislikes
Wanting to live
Worry Thinking
Things Stuffs
Knowledge
In control
Security
Love
Joy
Fear

When death comes knocking, it seems only then, I will truly breath, truly live, truly love, truly have urgency.
So i must remember that the death bird is sitting on my shoulder, anytime, anytime, anytime. I may even be living on borrowed time.

When I die, my wish is that my breath pace, my mind focus, my heartbeat, is all at peace and unshakable within. No fear.
I need to maintain my practice to gain this peace.

N.

Whenever you miss me

Whenever you miss me, kiss the rain

My Poem ~ Being You, Being Me

In life, no matter what age, rank, situation or experience...

We grow with each other,
We learn through each other
We teach each other.

We are channels to deliver Truth.
We are also here as a witness.
Joy will be in us, just being us.

Let us fully embrace with courage
All our adversity and challenges,
Knowing this.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?
~ Rabbi Hillel

Quotes

The goal of life is to manifest that Divinity within by controlling nature internal and external. Do it by Work or Worship or Philosophy or Psychic control, by one or more or all of these and be Free.

Come out into the universe of Light, Everything in the Universe is yours, stretch out yr arms and embrace it with love.
- Swami Vivekananda

Desire for truth removes all other desires;
then it dissolves and what remains is bliss.
- unknown

Crudo Recipe for healthy living

BASIC STOCK

2 large onions
2 sticks celery with their leaves
4 leeks, trimmed
4 large carrots, trimmed, peeled
3 tomatoes, quartered
2 sprigs thyme
1 large sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns

couscous with raisin


-----------------
http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/

SMOOTHIES
------------------
Ice to crush (optional), raw eggs (optional) Serves 1 to 2

Banana Smoothie — 2 bananas, 1 dragonfruit / kiwi fruits

Orange Smoothie — 2 oranges, 1 raw eggs

Papaya Smoothie — 1 ripe papaya, 1 raw eggs

TUNA YU SHENG
-------------------------
This can be made either with akami, the leaner, bright red cut of tuna or chutoro, the fattier, pale pink cut. Daikon sprouts, called kaiware in Japanese, look innoicent but have a pungent hot radish flavour. The ingredients can be found at Japanese supermarkets. Serves 2 to 3

Dressing:
3 Tspn of cold pressed mild flavoured olive oil
1 Tspn plum sauce
2 tspn lime juice
3/4 tspn raw honey
1/8 tspn ground cinnamon
salt and white peper to taste

1 small red grapefriut
1 small cucumber
200g sashimi-grade tuna, well chilled
2/3 cup loosely packed daikon sprouts

1. Whisk dressing ingredients untill smoothly blended. Set aside
2. Peel grapefruit and separate its segments. Remove all pith and membranes, break grapefruit flesh into small bits. Set aside.
3. Peel cucumber. Still using the vegetable peeler, shave cucumber into long, thin slices, stopping when you reach the seeds. Stack the slices and cut into thin julienne shres. Soak strips in cold water until needed.
4. With a very sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice the tuna as thinly as possible. Lay the slices out on a serving plate and drizzle dessing over them.
5. Pat cucumber shreds dry with paper towels and sprinkle over tuna with daikon sprouts. Finally, crush and sprinkle rice crackers over all. Serve immediately.

The flavours of this recipe are already balanced, but if you'd like to include a larger variety of compatible tastes and textures in the spirit of traditional yu sheng, you could add the following to the mix:
• julienned pickled ginger
• julienned green mango (not too much)
• pomegranate seeds
• sesame seeds
• pine nuts
• bits of pomelo flesh
• finely shredded Japanese shiso leaves

For pic go to http://siy-siy.buzznet.com/user/

Saucha: Purity/Clarity

A precondition actually to everything we manifest.

My favourite being Mona - refraining from talking for the day ; )

Did you know most thoughts we garner comes from external influence? Most of us hardly hear our own internal voice. The real voice that reveals truth i mean. ; ) Not the loud egocentred. Of course knowing the difference and finding it is a journey in itself..

So, those who haven't found their voice, saucha can sometimes help. Because only when we purify within & our habits, we can then recognise what is purity. (Bare in mind there's a difference being attached & obsessed in cleanliness too.)

Benefits for the lay: Being in touch with our highest (purest) integrity & values elevates our pure intent in the heart (tots & mind gels together as always) - to share complete love, joy, beauty of all things good. Exuding all this first must come from within. It clears away negative physical and mental states, in which most of us feel trapped in.

***
excerpt text: http://www.yogachicago.com/mar04/saucha.shtml
Every day we can practice purification in a variety of ways. Different faith traditions and cultures have their own purification techniques, but there are many common themes. In addition to our culturally prescribed bathing, tooth brushing and flossing, here are some other examples: mindfulness walks in nature (yes, even in winter), singing, chanting mantras, ringing of bells, smudging with sweetgrass and incense, blessings with water, rituals with fire, anointment with oil, use of the neti pot (to cleanse the nostrils), tongue cleansing, fasting from sleep or food, mona (refraining from talking for a day), abstaining from television, clearing out clutter and excess from our lives, recycling, surrounding ourselves with a bath of white light and even laughter.

Physicists say that 99% of matter in the universe is energy and space, invisible to the human eye. Those who practice saucha are more attuned to these subtle energies and often can discern the need for a brief ritual cleansing after experiencing negative energies. Using simple ways to clear our energies each day helps eliminate obstacles we cannot see. Practicing saucha is a way to increase our consciousness and spiritualize our everyday lives.

***
excerpt text: http://www.lakecenteryoga.com/html/saucha_-_purity.html
Saucha is cleanliness of body, heart, mind and environment. This involves making choices about what you take in as food, through all channels, mouth, ears, eyes and mind. Purity of body, cleanliness, good health habits, a clear and orderly environmen

Do you let any thoughts come in your mind at random, or anything to go into your mouth, or listen to anything that may even be disturbing to your being?

Practice evenness of mind, thoughts, speech and discrimination. Keep the environment clean and clear.

Practice orderliness surrounding the self and our thoughts. Orderliness of environment. Clearing of energy.

By the practice of mental purity one acquires cheerfulness, one-pointedness and vision of the self.

In an ancient Upanishadic hymn, a sage prays:
Oh Lord,
May my body become pure.
May I be free from impurity.
May I know myself as Divine Light.

Oh Lord,
May my mind become pure.
May my self become pure.
May I know myself as Divine Light.

Oh Lord,
May I realize You with my purified understanding.
May I realize the highest bliss with my purified understanding.
May I realize You who are the highest bliss with my purified understanding.

Namaste.

My Poem ~ Ode to Fear

Instead of fear, let there be Empowerment, Respect, Trust & Integrity.

In the moment of fear, this is what I heard,
"Those who fear are those who bully
Those who fear are those who forces
Those who fear are those who pretend & buy favours
Those who fear are those who are void & insecure
Those who fear are those who are bounded
Those who fear are those who are chaos within
Those who fear are those who are in reality, lost
Those who fear are those who's untrue, unwise, unwelcome
Those who fear are those who forget groundedness
THose who fear are those who never dare to walk alone
Those who fear are those who seek others' approval
Those who fear are those who cannot face truth
Those who fear are those who lack self trust
Those who fear are those who has no peace"

If only we knew that fear IS and will always be a simple matter of choice.

In every second of fear, there's a choice and chance to breathe fear out, just as much as a chance to breathe in courage, peace & love.

Where there is love, there is no fear.

In every breathe, there's an opportunity to let go of it.

In every breathe, there's an opportunity to let love in.


~N

is procreation an egoistic need?

proof me wrong please.

because no matter how I put/see it, it is still the same results.

few reasons why I would consider procreating, and the same reason why I don't want to, because it seems selfish and a self proclaimed will...

- to have younger ones to care for me/ partner when I'm ill, bedridden or weak
- to continue the good work of human kind if I didn't do enough of it within my life
- to carry my values for a better world
- to fulfill the wish of another to carry on their family name

i wonder if others who had procreated ever thought of these...

Poem ~ GOD has a good sense of humor

GOD has a good sense of humor

 Because He created you to Terrorize & Create Nightmares for others
He gave you the Voice to Whinge, Whine, Nag & Deafen others
He educated you to say Rude things to others with a Fake British Accent
He said ‘Bow to God’s Temple’ but you misheard it as Bow to Your Temper
He proclaimed Divine Truth, you mistook it as that’s Divine Me, Myself & I
He directed your Heart to work with your Brain but Forgot to Activate Both
He led you to believe the Biggest Joke that the World Revolves Around you Alone
He accidentally presses Rewind & Play instead of Erase & Eject …

 GOD has a great sense of humor indeed.

 ~ inspired by someone who is real, and hitler like in real life. for me, it is a positive personal experience to convert an unpleasant experience to something creative & positive ; )

Open Heart

Today, my heart is open. And thanks to the art of being in union, I have been able to focus on being open with less and less blockages - in physical, in mental, in emotional. it is a practice i would love to keep at.

Before my day begins, there is a gesture I could do, to direct the base energy to the heart chakra, and from the intellect to the heart as well.

In lay language, what i mean is, Intention & Motivation is one of the most important thing to set before we actively move in thoughts, words and action. THus, a chance to direct daily intentions and motivations towards our beautiful heart chakra.

That we may or could dedicate our pure heart & offer it to every being's benefits, in what we say, do or act.

Looking at life as a whole, I'd sum it up as:

When we die, we ask ourselves if we had lived and given with all our heart
When we are living, we seek so desperately to feel belong and yet need space to expand
When we are entagled in our own life cycle of self driven desires, we want so much to be free from pain derived from the natural formation of having desires.

But Be wary that we very naturally speak from self driven desires.

One binds us, the other frees us.
One gives us a black face, the other makes us glow, shine.
One makes us feel heavy, rigid and stagnant, the other light and flowy like an open channel.

An Open Heart brings nothing but joy, happiness, warmth and love into our hearts. When we have loads of that lovely juice, we would naturally flow and expand that out. life will only be sweeeeeet.

How can anyone and who would ever want to resist this awe inspiring experience? Of course the one who taste the sweetness will keep doing it to get this selfish results too. ; )

Channel your thoughts, your desires, through your pure heart and to live your life's purpose, even if that means we would have to walk new paths, meet new people, let go of our past or serve those to whom we do not like, or walk the same road of others we do not approve off in virtue.

Every opportunity is an opportunity and platform to be this open channel, and to learn to remain our open self and be unshaken like a mountain - peaceful and steady on the inside. Strong and flourishing, on the outside. A sanctuary for many.

Namaste.

Application

What's the use of having All the Paper Qualification, All the Knowledge, All the Language, All the Right Books, when we don't know how to apply it for the benefit and abundance for ourselves and for others?

Excellence

Excellence. Boy, am I oozing fire on this topic! Now, let me start.

This reminds me of a book I read: There's No Such Thing As "Business" Ethics: There's Only One Rule For Making Decisions by John C. Maxwell

I liked and agreed with John.

THe summary of it is - If you behave in excellence at home, you would apply it in business. So, if its true, that would mean, if I am a liar, i'd be a liar everywhere. If I am rude, I'd be rude everywhere.

And being with/accepting double standard. DOES IT EQUATE TO INTEGRITY?

The level of integrity a person has equates to everything about him/her.

Otherwise, nobody would, should and will ever believe, and want to be any way related to him.

Let's think for a minute...A person WITHOUT integrity. Really, is that someone you'd like to associate with?

Now, let's bring that home to me and you. Habits - no matter how tiny, forms our daily thoughts. So, if I don't have an attitude for delivering excellence in one area, do you think I'd have it in others?

Perhaps, you'd argue, well, we have to be selective sometimes due to time frame, etc.
Acceptable if its within your own space. We are not perfect, not even Superman is.

But when we throw our second, third base, or worst attitude to others - do you think that's something excusable?

If it is intentional, i don't think so.

If it isn't, I'd say - accept it, apologize, and move on & forward.

I personally see BEING IN EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT.

A daily practice in mind, heart and spirit.

I had also build an opinion that I should walk my talk. And to be expecting excellence from others, I would need to BE IN excellence myself. ; )

Lastly, may I add, that just like everything else in life and topics, the level of excellence still depends on one's perspective and own experience in their own exposure/environment. Hence, one's level can differ from another - so effective communication between two parties are key important factors.

So, if we are coming from a Win Win, it's good and very important to see both sides of the story.

I know there's unlimited room for improvements. Let's do it together shall we!

Excellence = Mastery. My key interest of course...!!!

~ Namaste to my teachers along the way

MINT my fav balm

MINT'S IMPERIOUS
Courtesy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall kicks off a three-part series on favourite summer herbs - The Guardian, Saturday 23 May 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/23/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall

but in case they change sites:

This week I'm going mint-al with a little celebration of all things minty, part one of a three-part series celebrating the herbs of summer. And mint is deservedly first on to the chopping block.

It's hardly an exclusive passion - it would be entirely possible to draw a minty map that spans the globe, from our own, beloved mint sauce to the kofte of Turkey and the dolmades of Greece, to the teas and tagines of Morocco, the yogurty, minty sauces and tabboulehs of the Middle East, and the raitas and chutneys of India; from the pungent salads and dipping sauces of Thailand to the mint juleps of the American south. Mint is truly the herb sans frontières.

It's fitting that a herb that's used so prolifically and grows so promiscuously - rampaging over scrubby ground, pushing through cracks in paving and colonising spaces set aside for more rarefied and reticent plants - has humble origins. Its name comes from Minthe, the nymph who so captivated Pluto that his jealous wife, Proserpina, transformed her into lowly, humble mint, destined for ever to creep along the ground. Well, Pluto's loss was our gain, and ever since we've been enraptured by her fresh, fragrant, saucy charms.

Mint is the common name of most plants of the genus Mentha, and there are hundreds of varieties. They hybridise easily, friskily, so it's sometimes confusing, but for the cook they can be roughly divided into two categories. Spearmint is the one we call "garden mint" or "common mint", and it's also the most usual "cooking" mint, the one we scatter over peas and potatoes. Peppermint is more fiery, peppery and spicy, but it has a soothing, cooling quality, too. It has more menthol notes, the chemical compound that stimulates cold sensors on your tongue, tickling and tricking your brain into feeling a soothing chill.

Commercially, the only kind of mint that's widely available is common mint, but it's easy and rather exciting to grow your own, more unusual varieties. Mint grows wonderfully in pots - in fact, given the herb's invasive nature, it's often best grown this way. If you do want to plant it in the ground, sink it into the earth in a large, bottomless pot, to limit its growth. Plant different varieties away from each other, too, because they can lose their distinctive flavours if planted close together. Chop back regularly to encourage fresh growth - younger leaves are more tender and tasty - and harvest before flowering when its oils are at their most potent.

Ginger mint is good in salads, with tomatoes and melon; spicy Moroccan mint is great in tea, and in yogurt and cucumber salads; chocolate mint, with its beautiful, purple-veined leaves, is delicious with, well, chocolate and other puds; pineapple mint adds its sweet freshness to fruit salads and drinks (it's the ultimate Pimm's mint); and Corsican mint really does creep along the ground, as Proserpina intended - you're not really going to cook with this variety, but if you can encourage it to grout its way along the cracks in garden paving, every time you walk along the beds you'll be rewarded with a menthol rush rising up from your steps.

Of course, we have long loved mint in jellies and sauces to accompany meat, most particularly lamb (much to the amusement of the French, who think it a rather barbarous habit), but it's also a perfect companion to spring and early summer veg. Asparagus, broad beans, peas and, later, aubergines and courgettes taste wonderful with a buttery kiss of shredded mint.

It's good, too, to try mint in place of other herbs, to ring the changes. Try a gremolata with mint in place of the parsley, or toss it over roasted or sautéed potatoes, or sprinkle it over lamb or pork. Later in summer, try usurping basil and sticking mint - lots of it - in your tomato salads.

And then, after all of that feasting, try a cup of fresh mint tea, the best herbal infusion there is. It's delicious on a hot day, lightly sweetened, cooled and poured over ice. As the kids would say, "Mint."
Cider apple brandy mojitos

My West Country twist on the minty mojito, using Somerset cider apple brandy in place of rum. Serves one.

10 fresh mint leaves, plus 1 nice sprig to garnish
About 2 tsp caster sugar, or to taste
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
40ml cider apple brandy
Ice
100ml sparkling water or soda water
Angostura bitters

With the handle of a wooden spoon, muddle together the mint, sugar and lime in a glass, bashing them well to ensure the leaves are bruised and combined with the sugar and lime. Add the brandy, then fill the glass with ice, top up with the sparkling water and add a splash of bitters. Stir, garnish with the mint sprig and serve immediately.
Mint and mascarpone ice-cream

Cooling and creamy, this is the perfect ice-cream for a hot afternoon. It also makes a delicious "after dinner mint" with a slosh of chocolate sauce or a dense, dark little chocolate biscuit on the side. Serves six to eight.

1 very big bunch fresh garden
mint, about 100-120g
200g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
200ml whole milk
200ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, split
200g mascarpone

Strip the mint leaves from the stalks and reserve the stems - snip them with scissors if they're very long. Put the stems into a pan with 350ml water and 100g of the sugar, and bash them a bit with the back of a wooden spoon. Over a low heat, stir gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a boil and simmer for eight to 10 minutes until syrupy - watch it for the last couple of minutes, to ensure it doesn't reduce too much. Allow the syrup to cool, then strain out the stalks.

Bring another pan of water to a boil, drop in the mint leaves, blanch for a few seconds, drain and refresh in iced water. Drain, pat dry, then blitz with the cooled syrup until you have a very fine, green paste.

Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and creamy in colour - this takes about five minutes in a mixer, 10 by hand.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the milk and cream, along with the split vanilla pod, and bring to just below boiling point, when a few bubbles appear at the edges of the pan. Scrape out the vanilla seeds and stir into the cream.

Slowly pour the warm cream over the egg yolks, stirring all the time, until well combined. Pour into a clean saucepan and cook gently over a low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl or plastic container, and cover the surface with baking parchment to prevent a skin from forming. Cool, then chill in the fridge.

Beat the mascarpone slightly, then whisk in the custard and mint paste until smooth. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, then put into a plastic tub and freeze; defrost for 10 minutes before serving.
Lamb kofte with yogurt sauce

In many southern European and Middle Eastern dishes, dried mint is used in preference to fresh. Here we've used dried mint in the kofte and added an extra zing of fresh mint in the sauce. It's our version of double mint. Serves six to eight.

For the kofte

1 small onion, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1 rounded tbsp dried mint, crumbled
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 good pinch ground allspice
1 good pinch cinnamon
650g lamb, coarsely minced
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
90g fresh breadcrumbs
3 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for shaping the kofte
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Some long, mild green chillies - we used Carliston peppers (optional)

For the sauce

100ml plain yogurt
100g soft goat's cheese
12 or so mint leaves, chopped
1 good pinch sea salt
Pitta bread, for serving
Skewers (if using wooden ones, soak them in water for 30 minutes)

Using your hands, mix together the kofte ingredients, seasoned generously with salt and pepper, until well combined. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, then fry off a small piece of the mixture to test - adjust the seasoning as necessary. When you're satisfied with the taste, wet your hands first with water and then with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and shape the kofte into thin sausages about 7cm long. Now thread the kofte on to the skewers, along with the chillies (if you're using them), pressing firmly on the minced lamb so it's firmly attached. Put the skewers on an oiled grill over the hot coals of a barbecue or on a rack under a preheated grill, and cook for about eight minutes, turning once halfway through.

While they're cooking, make the sauce by stirring together the yogurt and cheese until fairly smooth. Mix in the chopped mint and salt.

Serve the kofte hot, with warmed pitta bread and the sauce.

• The River Cottage Handbook No 5: Edible Seashore, by John Wright, is out now at £14.99 (Bloomsbury). To order a copy for the special offer price of £8.99, go to rivercottage.net

Maya ~ Sankalpa ~ Sanyama

I'm reflecting.
my illusions ~ intention ~ my vow to break free

first, my blessings, my offerings, my prayers.

I am blessed with this awareness to claim centredness on my path. and blessed with so much positive energy around me from all i've crossed path with. with love through my parents, family, everyone who thinks good for me. for my enemies who are my lessons to detach to aversions, who becomes my best teachers. to my devoted guides, who imparts the wisdom.

My offering is always to Divine.

My vow is to achieve this through my sadhana and to remain focused, for this 2 months. The fruits will come and my practice will show in its form, and I will be able to be a fountain of knowledge to those who seek.

Namaste.

My Poem ~ Wipe every single drop away

Haunting sounds chills the cold still night
When the wind flute hums a lull-laby

How it must feel for those with none on their side
with no divine friendship in light, no family in sight

In the streets, come day or night
Kinship a plenty, but trust is shifty

But O' Behold ... when you look closely,
For there is a sign ~ a hope in sight!

For every tear drop, is never forgotten
For every tear drop, is interdependent

Sometimes when a blessing is in disguise,
It is hard to recognize

But there will be,
A very special night

when the full moon shines,
when the energy arise!

Joy glows at high tide
Peace beckons upon reflection

The years of tears now caresses the shore
Perhaps a thirst quenching oasis’ for all

If Thy raindrops could wipe
every single drop of your tears away

Let her fall, let her fall,
let her fall ...

Wise words

What you think is worth doing, is worth doing well.

The world does not care what you lack, they are interested only in what you can offer.

Leave some things to the imagination.

Don’t worry too much about life. Even an earthworm can find food to eat.

Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.

He who would be serene and pure needs but one thing, detachment.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
~ Meister Eckhart

Desire for truth removes all other desires;
then it dissolves and what remains is bliss.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. ~ Gandhi

Live now, the past is gone, the future has yet to come.
Live this day as if it is your last, you will discover the true priorities of your life - The Buddha

"The aim of education is to help the child develop their intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, moral, spiritual being and communal life…"
~ Sri Aurobindo~

All God wants of man is a peaceful heart.

Every creature is a word of God.

You may call God love, you may call God goodness. But the best name for God is compassion.

General practice is needed. God has given us discriminatory powers. Through that, you have to think of yourself. If there's no feedback try finding you from presentations what is wrong. And then decide what is better ~ BKS Iyengar