Happy Mother’s Day 💕

I was 35 when my son was put into my arms. Hugging, smelling him for the first time was like a watching sunshine after thunder. He is the one and only who made me a mom. Aria turns 16 this year. Memories..singing right now 😊🎼  Wow.. It was like a blink of an eye all the way we walked together.
Life is like making a cake. There are certain ingredients like flour or oil but in the end if you want to make a change , you have to change some ingredients, add or delete some. It depends on you..softer, more flavorful, replacing healthier ones, sweeter or making it more colorful.

Early in the morning I was doing yoga and he walked through my mat in silence (I felt it, just waited for him to get closer what ever his plan was 😁, because he never wakes up that early 😂 and opened my eyes. He had put a beautiful purple plant (matches well with the mat 😂💜) in a pot in front of me. He gave me a huge hug which is the best thing a mom could ask for.. he said ‘smile’. I already was so happy, impossible not to smile and got this shot. He made my day 😁.

This lovely lady is my mom! I miss her and will always love her!  Rest in peace mom.

My surprise for my son is a carrot cake. No pecan on top but added in it just the way he liked.

Carrot Cake

I hope you all having a wonderful Mother’s Day ladies. Sometimes a bunch of flowers they brought with a big smile on their faces, sometimes a phone call, hearing their voices, feeling love from the bottom of their hearts 💜 is the best Mother’s Day gift, isn’t it?

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe/ Step by Step

Homemade sauerkraut is one of the easiest and least expensive options to add probiotics to our diet. Plus, I just noticed that making sauerkraut is a great arm workout. 😁👍 Have you ever had the experience of making your own sauerkraut yet? All you need is cabbage, salt and a jar. I used sea salt. That’s all!

Basically, massaging shredded cabbage with salt (~10 minutes) The salt pulls the water out of it. Keeping it submerged under the liquid in an oxygen free environment without killing the Lactobacillus. The lactic acid fermentation allows the good bacteria to stay.
Perfect for layering into a sandwich. Delicious, benefitful and crunchy.

 

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage 

2 tbsp sea-salt 

Spring water (just a little if needed)

*Start with really clean tools and knead the cabbage with clean hands.
*Discard the wilted, limp, outer leaves of the cabbage. (Save one or two leaves for later)
* Shred the cabbage and transfer it to a large bowl.
* Add salt and knead, squeeze with your hands very well.
* Transfer to a jar ( two-quart)

* Press and make sure there is no air in the shredded cabbage.

* Be sure that the cabbage stays submerged in liquid.
* Add spring water if needed.
* Use the reserved leaves to cover and press down the shredded cabbage.
* Cover the jar with a clean cloth and use a rubber band to secure it.
* Letting the cabbage ferment at room temperature (for beneficial bacteria to grow)
* Keep the jar in a cool and dark place for the best result.
* Over the next 24 hours, press the cabbage every few hours ( I use a jam jar filled with rocks) or use a wooden spoon.
* Store the jar for 3-10 days. Make sure that the liquid level is high enough after 24 hours. If you need to add water, dissolve one teaspoon salt in a cup of  water. The kraut will continue to ferment and became tastier after.

*If you see a layer of mold on the outer leaves, don’t worry, simply discard it. Your sauerkraut is still ok. Unless it smells off.
* When you see bubbles, foam and white scum on the surface of your sauerkraut is normal, a sign of healthy fermentation. 👍

* Start tasting it after 3 days. If you think the taste is good, refrigerate it. You can eat it every stage of the process.

The sauerkraut will last for months in the fridge. So, let’s make a big batch next time 😁 

Creamy Green Lentil Soup

A bowl of homemade soup brings a bunch of benefits together to your body with natural ingredients. Can soups are high in sodium and often contain the chemical BPA. Nothing is better than a bowl of homemade hot soup to warm up in a rainy day. It was raining cats and dogs here, yesterday. We all love this soup! Do yourselves and your loved ones a favor, get in the kitchen, make your own soup and serve them a bowl of health benefits today 🍵

Ingredients
1 cup dry green lentil (rinsed)
1 carrot (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic gloves (crushed)
1 red potato (chopped)
4 cups of water,

2 bay leaves🍃
1/2 tsp black pepper,
2 flakes fresh mint/ chopped or
1/2 tsp dry mint

Sea salt
1tsp hazelnut oil (or olive oil)
1 cup milk 🥛  (regular or non dairy)
Cream for garnish ( or vegan sour cream)

 

Put lentil, potato, carrot, onion, garlic in a bowl and add water. Simmer until all the vegetables are soft.  Remove the bay leaves. Use blender to purée the mixture. Add milk, spice, oil, salt and cook until boiled. Serve into the bowls and garnish with cream. Easy, healthy, delicious 😋 nourishing and comforting. Mmmmmm 😋

 Being in the kitchen 

can be turned into joyful time 

spent alone.

Happy cooking!