Sauteed Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

Wash and soak about 1 cup of yellow Garbanzo beans and a 1/4 cup of black Garbanzo beans over night. Cook them in a pressure cooker with a dash of salt and turmeric. This is the time to get salt in to it. So manage salt according to your preference. Strain and leave on the counter top to dry off the water.

Cooked, drained, and air dried mix of Garbanzo beans

In the mean time prepare the following for your saute.

Chopped fresh ginger, curry leaves, De-seeded Jalapeno peppers, red ionion

Black mustard seeds, Dried Chili peppers cut

black pepper, turmeric, crushed red chili pepper

Now heat about 1tbsp of Olive oil in a non-stick pan. First add Curry leaves, as you start to get the aroma from the curry leaves, add red onions.

Once onions start changing color, add the mustard seeds and dried red chili peppers. Mix-in.

Wait for the mustard seeds to start splattering. Now add a dash of salt and then add the ginger and Jalapenos to the mix. Stir.

 It's time to stir in the cooked Garbanzos

Then add your dry ingredients such as turmeric, black pepper and crushed red chili peppers. Saute all together. Garnish with un-sweetened coconut flakes.

The final product

Oh it's Monday

Was up from time to time with A coughing. He had to take his medicine 11:30pm, 2:30am and 5:30am. After doing multiple sessions of steam and following up with medicine on time he feels better in the morning. Planning to keep him home today to take him to the doctor to get his lungs checked. The advantages of not having to go to work outside home...letting sicknesses take it's own course. Rest and recover. Never liked dropping sick kids off to school when I had no other choice. I am thinking I shouldn't push my un-rested body into a major workout today.


Breakfast:
2 slices of toasted wheat bread with butter and polsambol (about 250 cal)
1 decaf with 2 tbsp of non-fat milk

Take A to the doctor. His lungs are clear! Yay! Since he is sick and home I decided to make him a healthy treat. I had 2 ripe bananas and some instant cinnamon apple instant oat meal that no one was eating. This is what I came up with: Banana Apple Oat Bars

Ran for 20 minutes. Walked for 10 minutes.

Snack:
2 pieces of home made Banana Apple Oat Bars

 Banana Apple Oat Bars

Lunch:
1 small bowl of Finger- Millet Noodles with 4 small pieces of fish
1 Rajgira brittle ball
1 tall glass of Sencha

Easy Healthy Banana Apple Oat Meal Bars

  Banana Apple Oat Meal Bars

3 pks Apple Cinnamon Instant Oat Meal
3 pks Original Instant Oat Meal
The above two should give you 2 cups of dry oat meal
2 Large extremely ripe bananas
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins
9x9 oven proof dish well oiled

Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl. Then add the vanilla extract. Peel bananas and place them in the same bowl. With a fork smash the bananas very well while mixing it with other ingredients. When everything is evenly mixed into a thick paste, Start heating the oven at 350 and leave the mix in the bowl covered for 10 minutes.
Take the oiled oven proof dish, pack the wet mix evenly so there aren't any trapped air. Back for 20 minutes. Take out. Leave the oven on. Run a knife around the edges. Turn upside-down. With a clean sharp knife cut in to any shape you like. Place them on a flat baking tray and bake for another 10 minutes until edges are crunchy.
Homemade simple healthy goodness at its best!

The Rest Day

Slept in. Woke up at 7:00am. Fantastic sleep! Not planning to exercise today nor do anything, period. House is quiet. No one has a schedule today. Hang out and enjoy each other's company. Yay! Little bit of a worry is A still has a cough. Boys want Quesadillas. Fruits for G.

Breakfast:
Bowl of Finger-Millet (Ragi) Porridge
Orange and Kiwi Juice

 Finger-Millet (Ragi) Porridge

Lunch:
A good day for soul food! Where else to find them other than with infamous Chettinad Cuisine. Anjappar Chicken Masala and Ceylon Egg Parotta for G. Egg Kotthu Paratha, Chicken Lollipop, and Onion Pakoras for V, Chicken 65 and Naan for A. Also G got some European Chocolates for dessert.
Have to note though that I managed not to binge as much as I love that food. Didn't order anything for myself. However, I tasted food ordered by other three.

My favorite Rum Dark Chocolate with 2 Tall glasses of Sencha Tea

Dinner:
A Pear

Self, stay desciplined!

G has a back pain. Not good for his work out! I usually have very hungry people in the house Saturday mornings. Planning to make potato hash with bacon, peppers, onions with cubed Parmesan toast for the guys.

Love early morning walks on Saturdays. No traffic. No people. Air smells fresh. Walk 30 minutes

Breakfast:
Papaya
1 Bran cracker
1 cup tea

Papaya with lime

Lot of driving and cooking today. A good day to feed everyone freshly cooked vegetables. V loves Okra, G loves Capsicum, and Banana Blossom. All super rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

My Lunch:
Stir fried Okra
Curried yellow capsicum
1 piece of oven crisped chicken

Stir Fried Okra

Curried Yellow Capsicum

 G's Lunch:

Red rice, Stir Fired Okra, Lentils, Curried Yellow Capsicum, Banana Blossom, Oven Crisped Chicken

Power walk for 20 minutes

Dinner:
1 soup bowl of Finger Milled (Ragi) Noodles
1 piece dark chocolate

Fish Hate...FryDay

Yay! It's Friday. Woke up at 5:45am. Fresh and energetic. This is what I love about eating well and exercise. Feeling fantastic mentally and physically.
I remember when I was 145lb in 2003 after having two kids very close to each other...I lost 40lb of that weight in two years just doing what I'm doing today. Eating food close to heart in moderation and regularly working it out. When it comes to food, most importantly I have the need to fill my soul. That food is usually the food I ate as a child(Sri Lankan home cooked goodness) or have developed a taste-for at a certain period in my life(Simple goodness of Japanese food). Small quantity of these make me feel immensely content thereby giving me no need to think about food for a long period of time.
In 2005 I weighed 105lb. 7lb less than my pre-pregnancy weight. Felt awesome! Then of course due to various reasons such as going back to a full-time work outside the home, etc. or not being diligent on my part, I gained 10lb back over the next 7 years. However, it's fair to mention I did stay active, did moderate exercises such as walking often, and was conscientious about what I was putting in my body.
It's time to get rid of 10lb I gained. I don't like how this 10lb make me feel than look most importantly. I like the lightness and the strength of 10lb less. I'm excited of the good start a week ago. Too early for a celebration though. No looking back now. I'm more than enthusiastic G has joined me too. From past experiences, when both of us are disciplined it works the best.

Breakfast:
1 High Fiber toasted English muffin with a poached egg
1 cup decaf with 2 tbsp non-fat milk
1/2 pk sugar substitute

Walk 30 minutes. Not a power walk. It was a walk to get weekly vegetables. Muscles are tired today. Decided against riding the bike. Elliptical only for 20 minutes.

Lunch:
1/2 cup mixed grain rice
3 small cubes grilled salmon
1 tbsp polsambol
1 coconut water

Dinner: 
Japanese Soba noodle soup...ooh the salty goodness after a long time
1 Avocado

Finger Millet (Ragi) Noodles

Super easy to make. Simple Ingredients, simple taste, healthy goodness!

Ingredients:

Finger Millet Noodles

Few carrots

Leaks

Celery

Red Onion

1/4 of a green chili

2 whole dried red chili sliced

Ginger and garlic

Curry leaves

Boil water with a dash of salt. Add the dry noodle. Turn off the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain the water and let the noodles air dry for sometime. The below picture show cooked noodles.

 Then prepare the vegetables as shown:

Heat about 1tbsp of olive oil and add curry leaves, then the onions and leaks.

Now add a dash of salt. When onions and leaks start to sweat, add the carrots, garlic, ginger, dash of pepper, celery and chilies. Saute well.

If you like your vegetables well done add a little water, cover and let cook. If you like them crunchy add the cooked and air dried noodles and mix well on low heat.

Just delicious on it's own or with a salad and grilled meat.

When I want another layer of flavor, I would add sliced almonds or cashew nuts, and raisins to the saute.