happiness is...

happiness is...
kenya 2010

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

i think i'll survive! 5 days to go.

i just finished up day 9 of my 14 day nepal style eating (tweaked from the "dal-bhat-tarkari" resolution i started the year with) and so far, so good. i have regained my will to eat and am actually enjoying it again. that said, i will admit that it was brutal to attend our girl's night get together on monday night at a local mexican restaurant and NOT HAVE A SINGLE CHIP!! if i had been thinking straight, i would have at least aten some salsa with a spoon! 

i am still being true to nepali eating by only using ingredients readily available there. i spoke with a friend who lives in dadeldhura. he gave me an "easily found or easily grown" list and i have been using that. i did have to reluctantly give up using red bell peppers (whimper) since they only grown green in rural nepal. it has been all vegetarian so far, but once i started getting creative i haven't minded. i had 6 meals of mjeddrah (see my last post for the recipe) and i still wasn't gagging, so i highly recommend it! haha.

my niece had a good idea- i will list the ingredients, and if you have a recipe that would fit into those parameters, send it to me and i'll post. either comment here, or send me an email. i would love to add a little more variety, especially when i venture that direction. then i can think of you every time i eat it. :) it has been a great "diet" too- i feel great, and the pounds are starting to melt off.

"found or grown" ingredients available in rural nepal:
potatoes
onions
garlic
greens (spinach, chard, lettuce)
tomatoes
green peppers
zucchini
cucumber
cauliflower
carrots (limited)
hot chile peppers
rice
lentils
eggs
apples
oranges
lemons
bananas
mango (seasonal)
watermelon (seasonal)
mushrooms (limited at special market)
scallions
milk (can make yogurt)
spices- curry, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, paprika, red pepper, ginger (not sure about others but my friend said spices are easy to find in kathmandu and i can stock up)

so- if you have a recipe or an idea to share or file away for future use, i'd love to hear it!

p.s. update on other resolutions thus far- i have faithfully done the "no lights night" once a week since the first of january, and my house continues to be a chilly 64 degrees or below. well, it is 64 by the thermostat. somehow, it seems to be MUCH colder in the rest of the house! so far, so good. i hope your 2012 is going well.  :0)

6 comments:

  1. A breakfast scramble that includes eggs, spinach, onions and tomatoes.

    cucumber, onion, tomato, salad

    Kathy

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  2. yogurt? Consider making your own goat cheese? Cooking conditions?
    D.

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  3. cauliflower is in the cabbage family -- cabbage? broccoli (also in the cabbage family)? Can we send you seeds so you can plant your own little garden? We'll send soy sauce -- fried rice anyone?
    Fruit salad -- have a good recipe for lentil soup -- also cold watermelon soup ---
    mix your rice and lentils together -- season with curry or cumin, stuff your zucchini or your green peppers. Invest in a good vegetarian or vegan cookbook -- they are FILLED with recipes that include the above ingredients. Love, D

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  4. sounds delicious! i will probably have access to at least the corner of one of the other missionaries' gardens- but i have no idea about restrictions regarding sending/planting non-native seeds. i'll have to find out. he didn't mention cabbage or broccoli being available so for the time-being i am not going to use them in the "experiment". :0)

    i will have to experiment with making yogurt and goat cheese before i go. there is no way i'm going to do without cheese. NO WAY!

    also- let's go on the assumption that there will be a stovetop at minimum, possibly an oven, and likely NOT slow cooker availability due to sketchy electricity. may be on a generator.

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  5. HA! That list of food is basically what I eat all the time...minus any eggs or dairy. So, the soup I made last night could fit onto this list. It's soup time!
    Saute onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes (if available), garlic and zucchini in a big soup pot with water. (I use no oil when I cook.) Once that stuff gets a bit tender, add a whole bunch of water and tomatoes. (I use canned tomatoes, but I'm sure you could just peel your tomatoes and add them.) Then I add a bit of salt, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, and get that up to a boil. Simmer for at least 30 minutes to get all the goodies to come together in a lovely tasting soup. Once this is done, I pour it over a big bowl of brown rice and dig in! High carb, low fat, low protein, vegan soup will warm your soul!

    -Josh Atkinson

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  6. thanks josh! that sounds yummy. i will try it as soon as i make it to the store to stock up on veggies- i don't have a zucchini, but i think i have the rest (including a small chunk of sweet potato) in the fridge. can't wait. :0)

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