A Vegetarian Thanksgiving -November 24, 2011

I know this posting is late, but better late than never, as I am really eager to share how I spent my Thanksgiving Day. I have included many photos so please be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them further.

My Thanksgiving Day was centered around preparation of a Thanksgiving lunch for me myself and I. The rest of the family was visiting my brother in Arizona while I stayed back home to look after the cats and the house.

For the past few years I have prepared a meatless Thanksgiving without the ubiquitous turkey that Thanksgiving is known for, so far as to even be known as Turkey Day. This turkey less meal came about because my brother in Arizona is a complete vegetarian and he has succeeded in persuading me to save the life of a poor turkey by forgoing the traditional turkey on Thanksgiving. The choice to go without the turkey  has been an easy one for me since on a day to day basis the meals in my home are mostly vegetarian, although  I do eat non vegetarian meals sometimes when I eat outside the home. So, instead of the turkey the vegetarian/vegan alternative to turkey that I cooked was Tofurky. Tofurky is made of tofu and tasted really good, it had the texture of turkey and was stuffed like a real turkey with wild rice stuffing and served with vegetarian gravy. It is available in the United States in most health food stores in the refrigerated section and came in the box pictured below: I bought mine from Trader Joes but I found it to be available at Sprouts and Wholefoods as well.

My complete menu for Thanksgiving was Tofurky with Stuffing and Vegetarian Gravy, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Winter Squash and Root vegetables followed by Pumpkin Pie for dessert.

Below are the fruits of my labor in pictures and words:

 Tofurkey roast with Stuffing and Root vegetables-Red Onions,sweet potatoes,carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, rutabaga and turnip-all ready for the oven. I basted the tofurkey and vegetables with olive oil. Dried Rosemary and black pepper has been added to the olive oil baste of the vegetables.

The finished Roast after approximately one hour 15 minutes in the oven is below:

I also made Roasted Brussel Sprouts, below are the brussel sprouts washed with the outer leaves removed and stalks  trimmed.

Below are the brussel sprouts split in half and rubbed with olive oil and garlic and placed face down on a baking sheet lined with with greased aluminum foil all  ready to go in the oven:

Here are the brussel sprouts and garlic after roasting in the oven, they come out brown and crispy.

Now that all the cooking was done I was carved the Tofurky to expose the delicious wild rice stuffing shown below:

The final product plated just before I was ready to dig in :) is below:

Last but not least is the pumpkin pie (below) which I reheated in the oven for dessert.I used a pre baked frozen pie that I had sitting in the freezer. I would recommend a Sara Lee brand frozen pie if you have to have a frozen pie. But the one in my freezer happened to be a Mrs. Smith pie which was okay as I am not that fussy.

I served the pie sliced with a topping of non fat whipped cream out of a can.

I would just like to add some final thoughts on the meal. I did not add any salt to the vegetables or the baste of  the tofurky as the tofurky already had enough sodium in it. Hot buns/rolls could also be served as an accompaniment to the meal but I went without as the variety of root vegetables and vegetables was enough to fill me up.

The root vegetables turned out really great. I had never eaten roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash ,parsnips, turnips or rutabaga but I wanted to use them as they are Winter vegetables and in season. They really turned out delicious roasted and are a good alternative to potatoes and have less carbs for those watching their diets.

I found that the brussel  sprouts according to the recipe I followed came out too crispy for my liking , so next time I would prepare them a different way or just have steamed or microwaved green beans or broccoli instead of the brussel sprouts.Sparkling apple cider or white or red wine would be good as the beverage to accompany this meal but I had plain old water as I am watching my calories :)

Gal Bangalawa -1971-Part 1

As you may recall from my blog posting in July 2009, I spent a year in 1971 with my parents at the famous Gal Bangalawa (Stone House) at Mahakande, Kandy. I was a small girl of only 4years at the time but I have many memories of the time we spent there. It was a carefree and happy period of my life. Overall most of the things I remember from that time are very pleasant. One unpleasant incident though that I still recall was when I fell down and hurt my knee on the gravel road leading back from a neighbor's house. I was wearing a red gingham dress and my knee was bleeding and I was crying.

I have put up a few pictures with this posting. Remember to double click on each picture to enlarge it.

Since we lived in the upstairs of this great big bungalow, my Father asked the University maintenance to add iron grills to all the windows for safety. I recall one day how our little black cat with the white nose, got stuck in the grills in the bedroom of my parents. Fortunately, my parents were able to get the cat freed. My Father was not keen on getting us a cat, as he thought that its fur might cause us allergies but after much pleadings he succumbed to our wishes.

The picture above shows me and my brother sitting on the steps of the front verandah of the bunglow.We are sitting with the two girls who were our household help. I am holding our black cat on my lap.

The picture above shows my brother on the verandah with a rattan basket full of vegetables.

For me and my brother who was three there were many things to explore in this house. The garden also was full of wonders. The immediate garden around the house had a lawn and on it there were certain weeds one of which had jagged leaves close to the ground and lavender flowers. I wish I knew what its name was. On the right side of the Bungalow, in the front garden I recall there was a little natural pond which was inhabited by tadpoles. Naturally, us kids found the tadpoles very fascinating and spent time observing them there and sometimes catching them in bottles when my cousins came to visit.

There were steps that led down from the garden onto the gravel road in front of the house which encircled a small hilly area of earth on which there were several anthills.We were told that cobra snakes inhabited the anthills where they probably went to eat the ants.

The pic below shows me  standing there on the steps leading to the gravel road as a 4 year old. That is my Father's old car which he sold soon after. I am standing on the steps next to my cousin who is taller than me.

Beyond the gravel road was the main flower garden of the house which was quite large. At the time, there were many different varieties of flowers growing there and the garden was well maintained by the caretaker, Martin who lived in the separate caretakers quarters located adjacent to the bungalow. Some of the flowers I recall are pink antignon, barberton daisys and a small tree with white flowers with pinkish centers. There was also a working water fountain at the center of the garden. Sadly, on my last visit to the Bunglow in July 2009 I found that the plants in the garden had long since disappeared and it was neglected and overgrown with weeds.

In the photo on the left you can see my brother and I

having a shower from the tap (water faucet) in the flower garden next to a bed of barberton daisys. I am squatting on the ground.Indoris is the boy standing there in the sarong. Indoris who hailed from my Aunt's village was with our househeld to help out for a short period.

I have other incidents that I recall at Mahakande Bungalow that hold a special place in my memory and about which I will be writing in the future. The subjects will be:

Visits from Relatives:

We had several visitors while we lived at Mahakande.

Vesak

Cod liver oil and Food memories

Follow up to the Royal Wedding-William and Kate

I did stay up as planned  on April 29th,2011 early morning to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. I  started off watching the BBC broadcast and then switched to the CNN broadcast which was quite entertaining with it's panel of commentators including Pierce Morgan and Anderson Cooper.

Everyone in the bridal party looked so happy and were all smiles including Prince William, the bride Kate and Prince Harry the best man. I couldn't help but notice how handsome Prince Harry looked lol, with his ready smile. I think the fact that they were always smiling and so relaxed made them really appealing to all who watched the wedding.

Kate was a vision of loveliness and her bridal gown fit so perfectly her svelte figure and tiny waist. Kate's sister Pippa also looked ravishing in her figure hugging gown as maid of honor. Next thing you know the internet was all a buzz as to how to get the perfect behind like Pippa.

The kiss on the balcony was just perfect and they even gave a repeat kiss which was even more perfect. A second kiss on the balcony being never heard of in the history of just married Royals.

After the kiss I decided it was time for me to go to bed by that time it was about 7a.m. my time.

I bought three commemorative magazines from Ebay for posterity that detailed the Royal Wedding with many photos. The first one was from the UK and was a magazine insert issued with the Daily Mail newspaper. I was hoping it had the official group portraits of the Wedding but it turned out it only had pictures of the wedding ceremony. Then I found the second commemorative magazine which included the official group portraits issued by US Weekly in the supermarket. I searched on Ebay and found the same magazine on Ebay at a cheaper price so I bought it on Ebay. The third magazine which I also found at the Supermarket was issued by Time Life which included a section about the Windsors and the Middletons and about past weddings. When I saw these articles included with some historical old pictures I just had to have the magazine. So I searched once again on Ebay and I found the magazine on Ebay for a cheaper price and I bid and won it on Ebay.

Last news is that William and Kate, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting Hollywood, California in early July 2011. Hopefully, I will get to see them in person :) if not I can watch them with the rest of you on celluloid.





Wedding of HRH Prince William to Kate Middleton

The upcoming wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton is something I'm looking forward to with excitement. I am planning to watch it live on CNN television early morning on Friday, April 29th when it airs on the west coast of the United States. Hopefully I can wakeup at that unearthly hour, but I'm going to record it in any case..

The Wedding of William and Kate brings back lovely memories of the magical wedding of Prince Wiliiam's parents, the then Lady Diana Spencer to Prince Charles back in the Summer of 1981. I was a school girl 14 years old at the time. We did not have live coverage of the wedding in Fiji where I lived , as TV had not come to Fiji as yet. Videos of the of the Royal wedding's coverage by Australian TV  were soon available for people to rent from video stores. I remember first seeing the video recording of the wedding at a family friend's house. Later they showed it at our all girls school as well. The wedding was beautiful,exciting and happy.

Immeditately after the day of the wedding the local Fiji newspapers headlined the wedding on the front page with extra photos inside. The Australian Women's Weekly had a souvenir edition of the Royal Wedding with beautiful color pictures. The magazine was sold out in no time and I was not able to secure a copy, much to my disappointment. It was only a few years later when I went to Australia to study that I was able to purchase a used copy of that special souvenir edition.

Currently the TV stations are airing count down programs to the wedding of William and Kate. They range from how Kate met William  to prior Royal weddings. It is a time of excitement and anticipation. What will Kate wear? How many bridesmaids will she have? What will the guests wear? What will Prince Harry say in his speech to his brother Prince William? What will Kate wear when she goes away? What will the bouquets look like? What will the cake look like?

I have not been a Royal follower since Princess Diana died but the Royal wedding is something special and it has brought my attention back to the British Royal family.

Mini skirts

Guys and gals, what are your views on mini skirts? Do you think its decent for a woman over forty to wear one? :)

Aluth Avurudu-2011

So how do you guys feel about Aluth Avurudu? Do you still follow the customs and traditions? Is it a special time for you?

Hey I'm still here, lurking!

It's me again! I'm sorry haven't been able to update my blog. But I still love my blog. I am currently working on some postings! See you guys soon!

Dietary changes in 2010 and revived interest in Cooking

During the latter part of the year 2010, I've done a lot of experimenting with new recipes and I've revived my interest in cooking again. The reason for this has been due to some health problems that I've had to deal with since April 2010. The doctor recommended that I should reduce my salt intake. I looked online for a diet that had reduced salt and found one from the Mayo Clinic.

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Using the Mayo Clinic guidelines I have made some major dietary changes. These included eating less salt, drinking more water and no longer being able to eat bananas and oranges due to their high potassium content. I have also reduced my carbohydrate intake which for me has been mainly rice. I now eat rice and vegetables in equal portions and I measure my food at every meal. I have been eating parboiled rice and brown rice instead of white rice. I have found how to cook brown rice successfully in the rice cooker. I have also been trying to eat some fruit each day. These have included apples, canteloupe and honeydew melon. Ideally I am supposed to eat a cup of fruit at each meal , something that is hard to do as I have always been lazy about eating fruits.

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I have also started eating raw foods from time to time. If I eat sandwiches I always use raw tomato, cucumber, bell peppers and red onion in my sandwiches. I also eat raw carrots. Sometimes its easier to just eat a sandwich than cook a curry! I have begun making fresh salads consisting of diced red onions, carrots,cucumber,green chillis and tomato seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

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According to recommendations from the Mayo Clinic, the overall changes in my diet were to incorporate more vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils and nuts and reduce my rice/ carb intake. The diet is mainly vegetarian but fish was to be eaten about 4 times per week.

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I actually began to use a cup to measure how much rice I ate and also how much vegetables I was eating. After making the changes to my diet it turned out that I was eating equal measures of rice and vegetables at each meal. I also increased the cups of water I was drinking per day and kept track of my meal times and how much fluids I was taking during the day. I have reduced my salt intake, I do not add more than a teaspoon of salt per pot of cooking. I have started squeezing fresh lime juice over each dish I make which makes up somewhat for the reduction in salt.This lead to many complaints from my Mother who said the food had no taste! But she also is now acknowledging that we had been eating too much salt in the past.

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Within a month or so of my new diet I started losing weight.It was quite amazing over a period of 6months I lost a total of 19pounds! I can now say I know the secret to weight loss. I want to lose another 10 pounds and I think I can do that if I incorporate exercise such as walking into my daily regimen.

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The Mayo Clinic had given sample meal plans and recipes for a heart healthy and reduced sodium diet. So I tried some of the recipes they had listed. Also at that time my Mother was away in Sri Lanka and I had to be responsible for all the cooking and packing my own lunches for work. A friend suggested I should try making my own sandwiches. So I went ahead and bought myself a ziploc container with compartments as a lunch box and took a ceramic bowl to work to heat up anything that needed heating like rice. In the past I had been putting plastic lunch boxes in the microwave to heat them. But I was now afraid of the plastics leaching into the food. I had never really experimented with making sandwiches. When I was a school girl my mother used to pack me sandwiches with jam and butter and later luncheon meats. However I no longer could use luncheon meats as I was watching my sodium. So instead I made healthy sandwiches such as tuna sandwich and Vege burger sandwiches. I had been taking the lazy way out by eating Vege delite sandwiches from Subway but that was costing me an arm and a leg each day.

For my own sandwiches I used a the same veges in the Subway Sandwiches: green capsicum, red onion, tomato, lettuce and cucumber. I used a non fat Mayonnaise for the sandwich as I was also watching calories. I should have included lettuce but I found it spoilt very quickly even when kept in the fridge so I omitted it from my sandwiches. I wanted to buy some cheese for the sandwiches that was both low in sodium and low in fat. I found a grated mozzarella cheese that was fat free however it had virtually no taste. The next best alternative was Swiss cheese which had 4g of cheese per slice and was low in sodium. In my new diet I was supposed to drink 3 cups of non fat milk or eat the dairy equivalent per day. I have been managing to drink about a cup of milk per day, better than nothing !

This diet also recommends eating fish 3 or 4 times per week, small fish like sardines are the best which I sometimes eat. I can no longer eat karawala (salted fish) due to its high sodium.

I also wanted to try making chicken salad sandwiches, so I bought chicken breast which I baked first in the oven and later made into chicken salad with mayonnaise and onion. For the bread I used a multi grain whole wheat bread.

This diet has also lead me to a love affair with beans and lentils. It has been exciting to cook a variety of beans/lentils such as kadala(garbanzo). black eyed beans, red kidney beans, whole green lentils and red lentils.I love my beans & lentils they have so much texture and taste wonderful as curries.

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I have also rediscovered pasta and have started cooking it from time to time. I always cook whole wheat pasta and never add salt to the cooking pot. Almost all of my pasta sauces have been vegetarian.

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Below are some of the new recipes I have tried so far.The majority of the recipes have been from the internet sometimes with modifications to the recipes according to my taste.If I had the time I would have loved to photograph the dishes and to do a separate posting for each of them along with the full recipe.


Wholewheat pasta with asparagus

Oven roasted red potatoes with asparagus

LowFat_Spaghetti_Carbonara

Date_walnut_cake

Cucumber raita

Black eyed peas with mushrooms

Chole Chickpea (kadala) curry

Jamaican-rice-and-peas

Wonton Samosas

Cucumber-sandwiches

Egg and Cress Sandwich

Vegan Steamed Wontons with Tofu, Bean sprouts & Baby bokchoy

Blueberry Muffins from a Betty Crocker Cake Mix

Rajma (Red Kidney bean curry)

Red Split Lentils With Cabbage

Green lentils with spinach and ginger

Aloo Methi (Potatoes with Fenugreek leaves)

On my to do list for the future are more pasta and bean dishes. My goal is to use up all the beans that are stored away in the house.