When I say giving 100% completely, it happens only when we put our soul, heart, mind and energy to work to its fullest. To complete the whole 24 hours in a day we need to go through the process, the whole day and the whole night, all the mood swings… morning fresh, afternoon rush and night to sit back and relax or the other way around for few night owls. It’s kind of like the same process an identity needs to go through to establish herself or himself. The four essential constituent, I think are Family, Friends, Acquaintances and the Crowd (we often forget about).

Family, the soul, the reason for our existence…the life, the most taken for granted part in our life, need to appreciate each bit of the feeling of belonging, the patience, responsibilities, care and above all The Unconditional Love…….not everyone gets it, “Purely a keeper.”

Friends or partner, the heart, the greatest  predominant, the other family without the DNA connection, but so strong that they can make or break anyone’s personality… The closet one being our partner…..business or life. This is exactly where our own world starts, The New Beginning of a New Family, which would be referred as soul for the descendants. Works wonderful with understanding, sharing, talking, being responsible, up for challenges, ready for changes , not taken for granted, respect for space and above all respect for each other. Building an empire or a family takes commitment and equal support from all the pillars.

Acquaintances, the mind, it is so very amazing, even if we don’t want them to board our ship, our ship waits to fill the empty seats. Free advice, free information and any information is always readily available. Some are so strong, they tend to occupy the temporary vacant friend’s seat and we misunderstand them for our friends. Don’t get carried away, though its good to make new friends, pick the right ones to go up the hierarchy…..

Crowd, WOW!!! , the energy indeed, this force is so powerful, it can change our course, make us rethink, steer us away from our destinations or goals. Though they don’t take equal importance, the influence is inescapable….RUN RUN RUN………………….”Be in the right crowd or start your own”.

“When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs, When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations, When you change your expectations, you change your attitude, When you change your attitude, you can change your behavior, When you change your behavior, you change your performance, When you change your performance, you have changed your LIFE !” …..Unknown….

Away from Home, Old friends and in a new place…… surely these factors had their effect, working my way up and helping my family to have the right attitude… not easy, but was not that herculean too!! I have my way around…. ;);)

Back to my comfy place from all this chaos, lets make something rich (totally on the nutritional value) and delicious, I would suggest this item to be added to the weekly menu for at least  twice a week.

Kale and spinach fry:

Kale and spinach, nothing can go wrong with color green, rich in nutrients, these are one of the healthiest vegetables around and the best way to enjoy the maximum benefits and flavor is to cook it properly.

Kale can provide us with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if we cook it by steaming. It’s risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. It is also recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body’s detoxification system.

Spinach can protect us against inflammatory problems, oxidative stress-related problems, cardiovascular problems, bone problems, and cancers at the same time.The wealth of vitamin K provided by spinach is important for maintaining bone health.

Ingredients: Makes 6 servings

• Kale                          16 oz
• spinach                    16 oz
• mustard seeds        1 tsp
• cumin seeds            1 1/2 tsp
• urad dal                   1 tbsp.  (split black gram)
• dry red chilly          4
• curry leaves            few or 6 leaves
• Garlic                      5 garlic cloves
• onions                     1 big
• green chilly            4 or as needed for spice level
• tomato(optional)  1 big
• salt                           as needed
• turmeric                 1/2 tsp
• oil                             2 tbsp

Directions:

Pick fresh greens, wash and chop them. Peel and slice or chop the onions and the garlic cloves. Slit the green chilly and keep aside. (if you plan to add tomatoes, chop then fine too).

Heat oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, wait till they crackle, now add cumin seeds and urad dal, wait till urad dal turns light brown, then add dry red chilly whole or in small pieces, garlic, curry leaves and green chilly, sauté for a min then add the onions, fry the onions till they are light brown. (this is when you add the tomatoes)Add turmeric and salt, sauté the whole mixture for a min then add the chopped greens. Mix them well and cover the vessel with a tight lid. Cooking in steam….. will take 10 mins with occasional stirring or little more depending on how tender the leaves are. Taste for salt.

This nutritious piece of art can be eaten with Rotis, rice, oatmeal and or quinoa.

Remember, be in the right crowd……ENJOY !!!!!!