Piccolo Amore

Have you ever thought about how certain words provoke particular associations? Probably not if you speak only one language. But for a bi—or multi—lingual individual this could be a daily practice.

I first started thinking about this a little while ago while interpreting one of the conversations from English to Russian and back. The lady said “Я поела огурец”//”I ate cucumber” and as soon as I heard the word “огурец”, which is Russian for “cucumber” I had an image in my head of a crisp, cool and watery—this is how I remembered cucumbers from the childhood—green vegetable, associations that are so strong I could almost feel the cucumber on my teeth!

Word “cucumber”, meaning of which is quite clear to me, still does not awake such associations as its Russian translation.

Now the word "pickle" brings yet another association, quite different too.

I know the song isn't about pickles but about love. I love pickles, always have. And this year, I braved to make my own.

The process turned out easier than I though. And the outcome was out of this world! And by “this world” I mean this side of the globe—I have never eaten such pickles here. But I was indulging in store bought varieties, so it’s no surprise.

Another way we experience associations is trough our taste buds. Once I took a bite of these home made pickles, I was transported in time back to the street markets of my hometown where old ladies were selling semi-sours from the large buckets.

Pickles Lacto-fermenting

You will need:

A 5 gallon paint bucket with lid (new, never used for paint, buy it in the paint supply aisle of your home improvement store)
A large pot 8 or 12 quart
10 pounds medium pickles (4˝ to 6˝ long), washed
6 quarts of water
1 cup minus 2 T spoons pickling or kosher salt
About a dozen fresh grape leaves—they keep the crunch
1 bunch of dill weeds, washed
1 head of garlic, peeled
1 T spoon coriander seeds
1 T spoon dill seeds
1 T spoon black peppercorns
5-6 dry chili peppers (optional)

*Keep cucumbers in cold water overnight for freshness*

• In the bucket, layer washed grape leaves on the bottom to cover. Put in washed pickles, dill, garlic and spices.
• In the pot, bring water and salt to boil. Slowly pour boiling water over the pickles into the bucket.
• Close the bucket and keep it in a dry cool place. In 5 days you can open and skim the pickles as well as sample some semi-sours.

And that’s it for Piccolo amore!

The Cook's Soul

I love proverbs and saying from different cultures and in different languages. In Russia, we have yet another saying "Вкладывать душу" that literally translates to "put {one’s} soul in {something one does}”.

An imaginative little child that I was, when I first heard this phrase I tried to imagine how a person would put a piece of his soul in his project. It would look like a little cloud, emanating from the chest area, gently descending on a man's work, growing and smoothly enveloping the new creation, illuminating it from within.

As I matured, this saying became my guide. No matter what I do, I believe that a little particle of my soul always passes on to my work. On a bad day, when I complain about my daily rut, I remember that hologram I once had in my imagination when I was a child and instantly my perspective turns around. Because when you put your soul into something, you illuminate your creation as well as the process itself. I believe that you give or rather share life with your endeavors.

I also believe that soul is a flow of energy and everything has its own energy. When we touch the surface, we pass our own liveliness, creating a ripple effect. If we touch with kindness the ripples are smooth and soothing. We have an effect on everything we touch.

Now think about how we affect the food. When we cook, we pass our energy to the dish. That’s why it is even more important to pour your soul into your cooking. The food with soul is alive and potent whereas the commercially prepared food is weak and dead for most of the part. No wonder when we eat commercially prepared food, a.k.a. processed foods we often feel tired and sluggish.

When we cook, we get to share our soul, our heart and love with our dear ones. Machine has none of the above-mentioned qualities, at least since the last time I checked!

My dad’s cooking is a perfect example. He doesn’t cook often but when he does, he gives in wholeheartedly. Ever since I was little I enjoyed watching him cook: with love and kindness, he would carefully prepare the ingredients on a chopping board, making sure that each piece is equal to another. Then he would attentively combine everything over the element, creating a delicious dinner. It looked like he was in meditative state of mind. We always liked his cooking better than my moms, however, when confronted we were hesitant to admit it! He still cooks, alas even less often then before, but approaching his task with the same significance as ever.

One of my favorite dishes my dad cooks is a ragout of nightshades. We didn’t have a name for it until one day my husband told me that in Arabic cuisine they have a similar dish and its name is … The Cook’s Soul. Isn’t it poetic?

This time of the year, the nightshades are making appearance in the local gardens and farm markets. The nightshades are tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes. The latter one’s fruits aren’t eatable, of course—but it’s a story for another blog post …

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The Cook's Soul

Serves 6

½ pound eggplants (2 medium)

½ pound tomatoes (3-4 medium)

½ pound bell peppers (2 large)

1 jalapeño pepper

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 T spoon tomato paste

2 T spoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Prepare the eggplants: peel the skin if desired and dice the eggplants. I peel it with a julienne peeler (I think it’s the name of this gadget) so it is easier to cut through the skin. Put the diced eggplants in the colander and pour 1 teaspoon of coarse salt over to let the bitter juice run off.

2. Prepare the tomatoes: score a cross on the top of each tomato (the opposite pole from where the tomato is connected to the vine) and pour an entire teapot of boiling water over the tomatoes. Let cool and peel the skin starting at the incision. Put whole peeled tomatoes aside.

3. Prepare the peppers: cut the top off, remove seeds and membrane and then cut the pepper in 8 and then slice across. Slice it with the inner side up so knife goes through the pepper’s flesh effortlessly. Otherwise, the skin will be in a way. Repeat the same with jalapeño pepper, with caution, if using.

4. Chop onion and carrots and crush the garlic.

5. In a large skillet heat oil and add onion, carrot, garlic and peppers. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let it all sweat for 10 minutes. Remove the cover; add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Add diced eggplants. Mix it all together, cover and let it sweat for another 10 minutes.

7. Meanwhile dice tomatoes, preserving the juice. Use a serrated knife but if you don't have one, you can use a stake knife to easily cut through tomatoes. When eggplant is almost all translucent, add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix it, cover and let cook for another 10 minutes until all comes together and eggplants are completely cooked—they will not have any white left inside.

8. Serve with bread, rice, or another nightshade representative—boiled potatoes.

Here’s a piece of my soul in the Cook’s Soul!

School your children, but learn from them

In Russian, there's a saying "Старики, как дети", in English: "Old people are like children". This means that the old people behave like children. But if you think about it and consider different understanding, it could mean that for us, adults, old people are as valuable as children. We have to take care of them both, we have to protect them both, but most importantly, in my understanding, they both can teach us life lessons…

It is clear how one can learn from an elderly person, whose stories are brimmed with life experiences and valuable lessons. But, with all due respect to the elders, today I want to talk about children and what they can teach us while we're so busy schooling them.

Las weekend, we had a sleep over and there was seven children in my house for two joyful days. I couldn’t help myself but devote my entire Sunday to my amusing little guests. And I have to admit, I had the best time in so long!

They reminded me how it is to be a child; how to be imaginative; how to be innovative; how to give into the moment wholeheartedly.

Have you ever noticed how children look at the world around us? Everything is new, everything is exciting, and everything brings joy. Why do we stop viewing the world through the looking glass of our inner child?

You might say that as we grow older we become more responsible. And I do agree. But look at the root of this word: response. How can you response to or for something that you don’t even pay full attention to, something you do in autopilot mode?

The kids look at things they encounter in life with their full attention. A genuine interest is what becomes a little propeller for their little ever-inquiring minds.

Why do we stop inquiring? Is it because we think we have acquired?

As we mature, we loose these valuable skills, disregarding them as “childish” and “immature”. But our inner children never give up, waiting patiently for another chance to come forth, to remind us of simple joys and how easy it is to be happy.

The children can show us that there is so little needed to be happy. They don’t really care about having many toys or things they just want company. The rest is easily falls into place when they turn their imagination on! I barely dare myself to give anyone a parenting advise, but I must say, stop overwhelming your kids with acquisition so they can go on inquiring! Give them something they can do/make, or better yet create, not just have in possession. Give them an experience! It applies to us, adults, too.

This past Sunday, we filled our day with just joy and laughter. One of the girls came up with idea of DIY water slide. We cut up a wide strip of heavy duty plastic (I used a pool cover bubble plastic) and laid it on a sloped part of our backyard. We have arranged two garden hoses, one at the beginning and the other one in the middle, to create a fun water slide, as good as any store-bought one! I think it was a genial idea! (My body thought otherwise, waking up all beaten up next morning, but who cares?!)

When we got hungry, another guest of mine proposed we make pizza for lunch. As I was making excuses to why I can’t make pizza right now (don’t have yeast, can’t go to store with all of them, etc.) she said that we could use pita bread. And so we did.

I set up a pizza making station and we started to create our own culinary “masterpieces”. I chopped any veggie I found in my fridge or garden, shredded some mozzarella cheese and got the tomato sauce.

Kids layered the ingredients on top of the pita bread, finishing with some garlic powder and ground black pepper. We grilled the pizzas on the gas grill for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese was melted. Then, impatiently waited for it to cool down, enough to be able to chomp on it… it was good!

Find time in your life to let your inner child out of it’s “naughty corner” of our daily rut and you will gain a new, fresh, and happy perspective on life!

Blog must go on!

I have been aloof from the blog, from the Internet altogether. While floating in a pool of hot summer days, fresh local vegetables, long lazy days I sometimes submerge into depths of my own thinking.

I was thinking about my blog. Why did I start blogging? What was my initial idea? What was the ‘hook’?

Popping like soap bubbles, these questions can easily qualify as rhetorical in my own mind, but not this time. Am I losing purpose?

I let myself get even deeper in the thinking process…

A while back I had this message inside my head, sealed in an enveloped, addressed and stamped. Every time I tried to send this letter it would return to the sender’s address or it would be tossed in a junk as an unsolicited mail. I had to find an alternative to the direct mail from one brain to another.

And the message that I want to ‘transmit’ is: do it yourself.

At first, I was going to blog about things around the house that can be made at home in lieu of being purchased in a store. But somehow I got stuck in the kitchen, cooking dinners.

It was inevitable. This is the place where I spend most of my free—and not so free—time. The kitchen is my office, my art studio, and my retreat.

But again, food wasn’t the primary subject I had in mind. I don’t mind writing about food and recipes. I do mind, however, to be called a foodie. In my understanding, foodies are the people, who cook food, eat food, talk food, breathe food—they live food. I’m not one of them. I’m not judging, I wouldn’t dare, it is just not me.

Think of it this way: foodies and their recipes are the Haute Couture of cooking; my recipes—an everyday wearable collection.

So, my recipes are usually call for the same ingredients, and the ingredient list doesn’t include exotic products. My recipes call for simple, local, seasonal, preferably organic, familiar ingredients. Yes, that is exactly the word: familiar. I’m all for trying new things, but I will not build a recipe collection for everyday cooking with something that has to be hauled across the universe to make it to my table.

Allow me to say couple of words on organic food. On one hand I agree wholeheartedly that it is better for you. On the other, I understand that an average family may struggle to afford organic produce since the prices are still polluted with a high markup. That is why I don’t say in my recipes what’s organic what’s not. It’s up to you to decide.

It is great if you can afford but when you can’t, substitute with locally grown produce. A local non-organic apple is more affordable and perhaps even ‘greener’ than an organic one from Argentina. (Unless you live in Argentina, that is)

A word on Vegetarianism: I personally prefer to eat fruits and vegetables any day, but I do occasionally eat and cook with red meats and poultry, which I get from familiar trusted sources.

I stand firmly for eating local and seasonal. I understand this cuts the variety of foods we eat in half, but I believe that the same set of vitamins in Acai berries is found in locally grown blueberries. Acai is for people of Brazil, we are happy with blueberries and other berries that grow naturally in our area.

Eat Local. Eat seasonal. Grow and cook your own food. And Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose!

Simple.

But I can’t tell people what to do, I can only do what I believe is right and hope others will get inspired…

I will continue tossing local and seasonal ingredients into wholesome recipes on my blog and add a new theme—repurposing that food packaging and other kitchen ‘waste’ in every day life. (I already have couple of post on this subject)

Show must go on? Blog must go on!

Chaos Vs. Order and Iced Coffee

I have been away, a way-way too long. I have been working on several projects at a time and contemplating on Chaos vs. Order dilemma and my vision have narrowed and focused on a certain point in space and time.

And this point became many, too many to keep in order. Sort of like a Monet painting: many chaotic brushstrokes, dots of different color freely dancing in an unorganized pattern.

Atoms, erratically bouncing inside the molecule of everyday life. And I am trying to focus on all of them at the same time, realizing this is a futile pastime.

I need to see the big picture. Like everything else in the material world we live, chaos has its limits. All you have to do is draw a line around, give it a shape, an outline. This outline will be the order that encompasses chaos. To see these shapes, I need to take a few steps back and focus on the big picture.

Now, from a distance, I can see the whole impressionistic painting that is being composed, brushstroke after brushstroke on the canvas of my life. I see the shapes, I see the order. An Order made out of Chaos. And it is as beautiful as it is impressive.

Chaos is part Order. Order is part Chaos.

Creativity is one of the manifestations of Chaos drawn into forms of Order. To be creative is to let your chaotic thoughts and ideas be incarnated in the organized shapes and forms. I have to remember to simply give my thoughts and ideas an outlet or outline to dwell outside my mind.

I'll continue on the path of creativity, no matter how chaotic it might become at times, giving it different shapes and forms.

There are several ways to stay creative and each individual has his own little tricks to stay connected to this force. I will not get into details, for my ways of staying creative are various and change often. One of them, however, quite carnal, I want to mention today: a good ole cup of coffee!

Although heat has relieved in our neck of the woods for the last couple of days, during summer I can't say no to an icy variation of a broadly welcomed beverage. But I find popular joints don't quench my thirst for a quality iced coffee. All they do is dry out my pockets. Thus, I make my own variation.

My father likes to 'upgrade' his cup of coffee with a splash of hard liquor. This inspired me to add vanilla extract to my glass. And my husband's family likes to drink cardamom spiced coffee and I also have grown a taste for it. I added another spice—cinnamon—and a teaspoon of heavy cream and in the end I had a fresh, simple home made and cheap but fancy beverage to get my creative juices circulating.

The purist in me wanted to roast and grind my own beans. This time I've took a shortcut and used already ground coffee. And it's OK!

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Upgraded Iced Coffee

for each 6 oz water:

1 heaping T spoon ground coffee

1 t spoon ground cinnamon

1 t spoon sugar {optional}

3 cardamom pods, crushed

1 t spoon vanilla extract

crushed/cubed ice

Milk, cream to taste {optional}

Brew the ground coffee in a coffee machine with crushed cardamon, cinnamon and sugar right inside the coffee machine.

While coffee is brewing, fill a 16 oz tall glass half way with ice, crushed or cubed.

Pour vanilla extract and milk/cream over ice.

Now when the coffee is done, pour it over the ice.

Give it a swirl and drink up.

Chaos has become Order once again: the coffee grinds, once disorderly and disembodied, orchestrated into one smooth beverage!

Gratitude

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude. With constant flow of information nowadays, this eternal virtue took shape of an bent cliché phrase, or many phrases.

Never the less, it is the Internet where I have encountered so much sincere courtesy, kindness and geniality. Most of the time from complete strangers.

Although I have started this blog in 2008 I was very timid in my beginnings. It is people from my virtual circle that have inspired me to cary on and here I am, still learning along the way!

I am utterly grateful for every click, every comment and every reply that I receive. One might find it silly, but for me the virtue of virtual kindness is very important.

Last week, I received and award, six to be exact, from a wonderful blogger, The Harried Cook. I was humbled to say the least. You can find them on my +1 Award page.

Now to sharing 7 things about myself:

1. I am proud of my ancestry [Circassian] but wish our cuisine was more omnifarious
2. My favorite flavor combination is sweet and sour. I don't take one without another.
3. I always envied people who know how to play musical instruments, but never learn to play on anything but my parent's nerves :)
4. I am forever curious, never nosy [well, maybe sometimes]
5. My first DIY experience was a set of earrings made out of paperclips when I was 11 years old :)
6. I still love to bend wire and bang on metal! [maybe this could be considered a musical talent?]
7. I use smily faces way too often :) [here it comes again!] but it is only because I really do smile a lot :)

Now to the winners:

1. The Harried Cook Marsha
2. Roberta, with way More Thyme Than Dough
3. Kate, cooking from Kate from Scratch
4. Nadia, who cooks delicious meals just For The Love Of Yum
5. Michelle, with thoughtful words of Encouragement for Moms
6. Olga, squeezing juice from Mango & Tomato
7. Kulsum, on her tasteful Journey Kitchen

I want to thank you for stopping by my humble blog and leaving your comments! Passing on love and awards!

Black and White

I often hear that life is a black and white pattern. One black stripe is followed by a white one. Lately, I have been fallen into this pattern and could only perceive the world around me as an old noir broken down into black and white lines.

But have you ever noticed how striped patterns tend to opalesce with opulence of colors through camera lens or TV screen? I think sometimes to see the colors in life and break monochromatic rhythm of black and white all we need to do is to zoom out, look at it from afar. And let the black and white stripes shine with interference of new colorful patterns.

Often we inclined to think that if it's not black than it's white. For example, if we don't know how to do something, we rather disregard it as something difficult without even making a single attempt. But most of the times all it takes is to step out of this Black&White pattern, zoom out to see if there's any grey, and later colorful area.

My intend here in not to teach of preach, but to give creativity a chance. Even if it comes to such simple and everyday task, such as cooking a meal or a favorite treat. Just look around: almost on every package there are myriads of interesting and inspiring ideas longing to be embodied. Once you unleash your creativity it will bloom and bring the sweetest fruits that will fully satisfy the hart and the soul.

My husband learned baking cookies by reading the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips package. After a while he let himself be more creative and added second kind of chocolate chips—white chocolate. That was a huge success with kids. Thus the Black&White Chocolate Chip Cookie was born…

I took the idea of Black&White further a bit and mixed up two kinds of flour: 'black' whole wheat and 'white'—all purpose. Just for the fun of it!

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Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 1 1/2 dozen large cookies

WET

1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 t spoon vanilla extract

DRY

1 1/4 cup white all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 t spoon baking soda

1 t spoon salt

6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

6 oz white chocolate chips

• In a bowl, beat butter with sugar until creamy, for about 2 minutes on high speed.
• Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla extract continuing beating to combine.
• Slowly add both flours, soda and salt, mix until all combined.
• Finally, fold in chocolate chips. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, spoon about 1/4 cup (big cookie scooper) of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

• Bake for 12 minutes, cool on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Pour a glass of cold milk and sink your teeth into a freshly baked big cookie. A perfect Black&White snack!

Spring Cleaning or Cleaning Out Your Wallet?

When I first bought my swiffer mop, it was a love at first application! What is not to love—it is always ready when you are. This sort of a commitment any mother can appreciate. What else is there standing by ready to be used as soon as need arrives? No fuss, no mess, nothing but squeaky-clean floors!

Few years later, when I had my last child I thought of reconsidering this magic wand. You see, being the youngest out of three siblings my baby son literary grew up on the floor. While I was tending my choirs around the house he would keep himself busy with toys on the floor and thus secure from any falls—you can’t fall lower then the floor. It was the safest place. Or was it?

Ever mobile crawling baby would venture far beyond his place mat and explore the housescape around him. Sometimes he would come across little flecks of food that he would vacuum adamantly, other times he would encounter even smaller specks that he wouldn’t even aware of—the chemicals, which he’d slobber up with an ever curious mouth of his.

Yes, the chemicals that were left by my wonderful loyal helper. I had to stop using the solution at once. I still had some pads left that I was trying to use dry or with a home made all purpose cleaning solution, a mixture of equal parts of vinegar and water and few drops of essential oils. It seemed I had a perfect solution!

However, being a mom I learned to be conscious about my budget. Moping floors with disposable pads seemed as ludicrous as cleaning with dollar bills. Another lesson taught by motherhood is a respect for environment. The three RRR—reuse, reduce, recycle—and my own interpretation—regard, respect, responsibility—had been my mantra for the past 5 years. I could not buy these pads any longer. Plus, for the same reasons I stopped using paper towels, replacing them with cloth rags and microfiber clothe, both machine washable, for dusting and cleaning surfaces.

And there I was with a useless carcass of a swiffer mop in a utility closet and messy floors around. There is no substitute for getting down on your knees to clean the floors, not even other mops out there, which scared me tremendously because of anti propaganda of bacteria that it carries, but who's got time to mop this way every day? I had to find something that would be easy to use, ready any time and reusable.

One day, I was shopping on etsy.com and came across these wonderful replacement covers and it clicked!

Now I am going to make my own by cutting up old jersey t-shirts into strips and using it as yarn to crochet the cover. You can also use machine washable microfiber cloths; just sew the edges so it can easily slip onto your mop.

As I mentioned earlier, you can make your own all-purpose cleaning solution. Mix equal parts of water and white vinegar, say 1 cup to 1 cup and add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. I like eucalyptus for its smell but sometimes use lavender. A small bottle lasts pretty long, too.

Easy to make, easy to use, easy for your wallet and easy on the environment!

Greatest gift of all

11 years ago I accepted the greatest gift that life has given me. Although I was scared and uncertain of what to do with the gift, I gladly took it into my hands. And I never want to let go.

11 years has passed like galloping wild horses, I'm still holding this gift close to my heart, as I forever will.

11 years taught me something I will never be able to forget: how to share myself with another, how to multiply my love by dividing my heart, how to be patient, selfless and how to set my priorities.

11 years ago I became a mother for the first time.

~◊◊◊~

Of all the treasures in the world

That could fall

Down to my feet

Most wonderful God had bestowed

It's you, my daughter,

You, my sweet!

~◊◊◊~

One year ago, I made this cake for my daughter's birthday. We were remodeling our kitchen and I didn't have an oven. Only a cook top. I was determent not to make this little obstacle to stay in a way of a home made birthday cake. You see, one of the best part of becoming a parent, you develop a problem solving skills. So I came up with a pancake layered strawberry short cake. It was good, to say the least. I might seem like a lot of work, but in reality it isn't and it worth the effort.

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Strawberry Short Pan Cake

1} Pancake mix:

WET

3 3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DRY

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 Tb spoon baking powder

1 Tb spoon baking soda

1. Mix WET with an electric mixer in on bowl, mix DRY in a sifter, mix WET and DRY together and beat until incorporated.
2. Ladle about a cup of the batter on a hot, non-stick skillet, fry on med-high to prevent burning until it bubbles; flip and fry while cooked through.
3. Repeat until you run out of batter. Stack the giant pancakes and make filling.

2} Cream filling:

8 oz heavy/whipping cream

8 oz confectioner's sugar

a drop of red food coloring (if desired)

Whip cream with an electric mixer in a clean bowl until peaks form then, slowly add sugar, continuing to whip and finish up with food coloring. That's all!

3} Assembly:

Few tablespoons of good quality strawberry jam

Handful of fresh strawberries, sliced lengthwise

{I use my egg slicer for perfect strawberry slices}

1. Smear generously strawberry jam on the first pancake, cover with the second one; smear generously whipped cream on top of the second pancake, cover with third; smear generously strawberry jam on the third pancake; cover with the forth, repeat...
2. Last pancake should be covered with whipped cream and crowned with sliced strawberries. Keep the cake and/or leftovers in a refrigerator.Many things changed since last year—we finished our kitchen and of course now I have an oven and all, but one thing will come back—this wonderful cake! I'm off to make it!

Eatless Mondays

It is not a typo in the title. Yes, Meatless Mondays is a term that is more familiar in food blogging world. At the expense of sounding hypocritical, I want to make a rather daring proposition: Eat-Less Mondays—let’s proclaim this day of the week, however difficult it might be, a day of fasting, or eating less.

That is exactly what fasting means. Not starvation or deprivation but rather a restrain from certain foods or ingredients or eating at certain time and eating in moderation. While long-term fasting can be difficult and even dangerous to some people—little children, seniors, pregnant women, and people on medications—short-term could be easy and safe to follow. Back in my home country, it is known as Razgruzochniy Den’ or Unloading Day.

Furthermore, the Christian Lent—a kind of fast—that lasts 40 days begins this week. While fasting for 40 days may seem a difficult long-term task, we can make an effort to do so at least once a week during this period and onward.

I find it very sensible that Lent falls on spring—after long winter of eating hearty and heavy meals, fasting is a Spring Cleaning for our bodies!

It will only benefit our whole health (unless you’re on some sort of treatment). In fact, fasting is a treatment itself, one of the most ancient, simplest and cheapest. It can tune up your body, mind and spirit. I think for this reason—cleansing of the spirit—almost all world religions rituals include fasting.

There are different ways to fast. Complete fast is a total refrain from any food and water. It is the hardest one. Then, there’s fasting only on water—no food—or fasting on raw fruit juice, plain yogurt, raw vegetables, raw fruit, etc. Most commonly known way of fasting nowadays is so called “cleansing” or “de-tox” diet.

Here are some benefits of short-term fasting:

• Fasting eliminates the chemicals in our bodies and this way helps balance our unnatural cravings or desires, when most of the time can’t even explain ourselves why we have them;
• Short-term fasting can also correct weight problems, naturally by generating energy from the back up sources, aka fat;
• It can also balance blood pressure for we will consume less salt and fasting thins our blood;
• Some may even rid of sleep disorders, depression and mood swings, nervousness, and other stress-related ailments;
• Fasting on raw foods—fruits and vegetables—improves your eyesight and hearing and the better functioning of your senses altogether. I remember last year when I first tried fasting on raw vegetables and fruits for one week, my sense of smell became so sharp as well as my hearing, I was amazed to notice this good change!
• In addition, fasting can balance our energy—instead of spending most of our inner energy on digesting, your body will focus on other areas of it that needs attention, like brain so you might also notice improvement in clarity of your thinking process and concentration.

First time you try one-day fast it might not show any tangible effects but it will certainly help. Frequent or repetitive one-day fasts (once or twice a week), or even alternate day fasting, will be much more effective.

This is an interesting exert from an article I read online:

{One way fasting works is by shrinking or constriction. Your tissues and arteries constrict, loosening whatever garbage or material is stuck to its walls that is causing the problem. When you eat again, the tissues and vessels expand again and the material is forced out. Of course, if you wait long enough the body has its own (better) way of eliminating the waste. Also, during fasting, the blood thins as it expels its waste, and this is what causes the dizziness. This dizziness, however, goes away as the blood rebuilds or normalizes. Sitting before getting up from a lying position is recommended.}

How to fast? Well, as I mentioned earlier, let us start by once a week. We can choose a method/food type that is easiest for us. But there are certain helpful restriction points: no sugar, no caffeine, no salt, no alcohol, no heavy fats (especially animal), not to mention saturated fats, no junk food of course (it should be banned from your life altogether), no starch, no gluten, etc. I know it sounds harsh—but remember, it is only for your good and only for ONE DAY a week. And remember not to stress during fasting day for it may interfere with your overall well-being. Try to abstain not only from food but also from any negative emotion—but this is a good practice for every day, not only when you fast.

Samples of fasts:

• Complete fast (Muslim fast)—no food or drinks at all from sunrise to sundown;
• Full fast—no food, drinking water only;
• Juice fast—drinking only freshly squeezed vegetable/fruit juice throughout the day;
• Yogurt fast—eating/drinking only low/no fat plain yogurt (best if home made);
• Raw food fast—eating only uncooked vegetables/fruits + raw seeds/nuts;
• Daniel fast (the Book of Daniel)—no meat, no sugar, no bread—here you can eat grains and legumes in oppose to the previous fast.

There are might be more out there. Or you can create your own, say Apple fast—eating only apples throughout the day. Do your research and start with the one that could be easy for you to follow at fist, then one day you’ll be able to do more, I mean eat less for a longer period of time!

Quite contradictory for a person with a food blog, but everything needs a break—even our stomachs and bowel! And remember, fasting is a self discipline!

I am fasting today on yogurt! Yummy!

Пестики- тычинки

Принято считать, что женщинам, никогда не угодить, и что они очень требовательны. Однако, встретив мужчину своей мечты, женщина, как правило, успокаивается. Но у мужчин это не так—у них постоянная потребность как минимум в четырёх женщинах; и не нужно быть Фрейдом, чтобы понять, что всё это идёт из детства!

В младенчестве его окружает мать; это женщина, которая с рождения заботится, кормит и ухаживает, печётся об удобстве и благополучии, полностью посвящая своё существование своему чаду.

В начальной школе появляется учительница; это наставница, которая в нужную минуту, когда он сам в растерянности, скажет, что делать, как правильно решить задачу, наградит за отлично выполненную работу и накажет за плохое поведение;

В ранней юности—это подружка. Это женщина, с которой можно поделиться любыми секретами, планами и просто поболтать о насущном. Она всегда разделит его интересы, поддержит и даст дельный совет.

Ну а в юности—это женщина соблазнительница, воплощающая в себе всё его фантазии; она безпредрассудочна и креативна в интимных отношениях.

Один пестик, несколько тычинок!

Не удивительно, что во многих культурах практикуется многожёнство. Получается женщина, став женой, должна как минимум выполнять функцию четырёх; а если ей не удаётся, то муж будет искать на стороне! А ещё говорят, что мы, женщины, требовательны!

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It is believed that women are hard to please, and they are very demanding. Nevertheless, having met the man of her dreams, she is usually satisfied with her choice. However, men have a constant need for at least four women, and you don not have to be Freud to understand that all this comes from his childhood!

Being an infant he is surrounded by mother—a woman that from birth provides, feeds and cares, making sure of his comfort and well being, fully devoting her existence to his needs.

During elementary school, he has a teacher. This woman is his mentor that when the moment is right will tell him what to do, point him in the right direction, reward him for his efforts and punish him for his misbehavior.

In early adolescence, it is his sweet girlfriend. She is the one he can confide all his secrets, dreams and just have a profound conversation. She always shares his interest, supports him, and gives him a practical advice.

And of course in his youth, it is a beautiful seductress, an embodiment of all his wild fantasies; she is unprecedented and creative in intimate relationships.

It is not surprising that some cultures practice polygamy. It seems that once woman becomes a wife, she has at least four roles to fulfill; if not, he will start looking outside. And they say we, women, are demanding!