Yuuuummmmyyy...

We have an amazing East Indian grocery store across the street from my apartment, so I wandered over and lost myself in all the exotica.  I decided to make some veggie/vegan burgers and wanted to get some incredible spices as well as some mung beans and lentils to soak overnight, for tomorrow's burger recipe.  Tonight, however, it's going to be more of a "quick", mushroom/brown rice affair (this is not that quick, really, even though a lot of the ingred. are pre-cooked).  Here's how it goes, and how it went : )

SPICY VEGAN VEGGIE BURGERS

INGREDIENTS:

Trader Joe's fully pre-cooked Wild Rice
Trader Joe's pre-cooked organic Brown Rice
Trader Joe's can of Garbanzo Beans
Trader Joe's ground Flax Seeds
Portabella (also called Portobello) Mushrooms
Crimini Mushrooms
5 cloves of Garlic
Half an Onion
1 Zucchini
2 organic Carrots
1 Box of "Chana Masala" spice blend.  (Contains: coriander, salt, dry mango, pomegranate seeds, chilli, cumin, musk melon, black pepper, black salt, fenugreek leaves, cloves, mint, nutmeg, dry ginger, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom seeds, caraway & mace).
Water &/or Veggie Broth
A handful of roasted or raw pepitas, or sunflower seeds, or crushed cashews
Salt
Olive Oil
3 or more TBSP of Brown Rice Flour or Garbanzo Bean Flour
Burger fixins: lettuce, tomatoes, whatever spread you like, whichever kind of bun you prefer; alternately, you can also just serve the patties with some heated Trader Joe's Masala sauce, and a side of mixed greens.  Finally, you can also make a super delicious wrap by adding the patties, fresh avocado, sprouts and some sauteed garlic and portabella mushrooms to an organic corn tortilla!!  Beyond yummy!

DIRECTIONS:

*Use about 1/4 of the wild rice package, plus one of the brown rice packets and empty into a saucepan with a bit of salt and either water or veggie broth - just enough liquid to cover the rice.  It really only needs to heat through, but I let it overcook a bit so it's easier to work with in the patties. I guess I let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
*Fill a little bowl with about 2 TBSP of ground flaxseeds and probably 6 or 7 TBSP of water; mix and set aside to let it thicken.  You may need to add a bit more water if the paste is too thick, like nut butter.  You kind of want it to be the consistency of egg whites, since they are essentially substituting for eggs in the recipe.
*Mince mushrooms and zucchini, & grate the carrots (squeeze the carrots when done to release most of the water) -- and set aside
*Drain the can of garbanzos and use about 1/3 to 1/2 the can.  Mash or chop the garbanzos, set aside.
*Mince onion & garlic, and sautee w/olive oil in a large frying pan for a bit, taking care not to brown the garlic or onions.  Add a generous sprinkling of the spice blend, mix well.
*Add in the garbanzos and mushroom & veggie mixture.  Add more of the spice blend - to your liking - I probably used about 3 TBSP.  Mix well and sautee for about 5 or 6 mins, til the zucchini starts to soften.
*The rice should be ready by now, meaning it should be soft and the water should have reduced.  Add it to the frying pan and mix well.
*Add in whatever nuts you might be using.
*Add salt to your liking.
*Turn off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minute, then spread it out on a large dish to help it cool.
*Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding either more salt or spice blend.
*When it's relatively cool, add the flaxseed paste and mix it up well.  This should serve to make it hold together.
*Cover and refrigerate for probably 20 mins.
*Take mixture out of fridge and mix the flour in.  It should get nice and thick-paste like.  Form patties and dip  them in a bit more flour.
*Fry them in olive oil, letting them brown on each side.
*Serve as burgers, or as patties with mixed greens, or chopped in a wrap.  Mmmmmmm :-)

Voila!

 

A Turn Of Phrase...

A beautifully written phrase does for me what music sometimes does - at times I have to stop at a particular arrangement of words and turn them over and over in my mind like a melody, letting them stir some deep mood in me.  I am in awe of writers that can create richly fluid, lyrical prose without unnecessary floweriness.  How do they know just how to put into words the very heart of a thing-- exposing the core of an impression, an emotion, a sense of something that would seem otherwise elusive?  When a phrase is beautifully written, it is like some hypnotic perfume that evokes colors, tastes, sentiments and memories of places and circumstances which I have never experienced before, but which nonetheless feel intimately familiar.  They are magicians, I think.
Though it feels strange to pluck out passages from the stories - as it would be to pick out favorite notes from a song - I'll randomly choose a handful here and there, and you can imagine that I'm just humming little bits of the tune to you - but really, I would wish that you could hear, all at once, the entire song of each story, complete and whole.  Today, I'm remembering how much Justine inspired me.

Justine, from Lawrence Durrell's incomparable The Alexandria Quartet

It takes place in the late 50's, in Alexandria, Egypt...

 ...and is the first book in the series of 4. The other 3 are:

Here are some of the passages I love:

"The sea is high again today, with a thrilling flush of wind.  In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring. A sky of hot nude pearl until midday, crickets in sheltered places, and now the wind unpacking the great planes..."

"The pale lengthening rays of the afternoon sun smear the long curves of the Esplanade, and the dazzled pigeons, like rings of scattered paper, climb above the minarets to take the last rays of the waning light on their wings..."

"I am thinking back to the time when for the four of us the known world hardly existed; days became simply the spaces between dreams, spaces between the shifting floors of time..."

"The great prayer wound its way into my sleepy consciousness like a serpent, coil after shining coil of words...until the whole morning seemed dense with its marvelous healing powers, the intimations of a grace undeserved and unexpected, impregnating that shabby room where Melissa lay, breathing as lightly as a gull, rocked upon the oceanic splendor of a language she would never know."

"Her long uncertain fingers - I used to feel them moving over my face when she thought I slept, as if to memorize the happiness we had shared."

"...the graceful curtain breathing softly in that breathless afternoon air like the sail of a ship.  How often had we not lain in one another's arms watching the slow intake and recoil of that transparent piece of bright linen?"

"I recall the furtive languor with which we dressed and silent as accomplices made our way down the gloomy staricase into the street.  We did not dare to link arms, but our hands kept meeting involuntarily as we walked, as if they had not shaken off the spell of the afternoon and could not bear to be separated.  We parted speechlessly too, in the little square with its dying trees burnt to the colour of coffee by the sun; parted with only one look - as if we wished to take up the emplacements in each other's minds forever."

I hope you get a little hint of how mesmerizing and vivid his writing is, and I hope you get to read the story one day.

The beautiful Anouk Aimee played Justine in the 1969 film version of the novel -- I've not yet seen it, but she looks very much like the Justine that was in my imagination when I read it.

When You Believe & Allow...

Today has been a powerful day for gaining clarity.  I have been reading Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, and have been thoroughly enjoying the many examples of how easily one's right desires manifest when you entrust the manifestation to Universe/God (or Whom/Whatever you choose to call It) and practice unwavering faith in its deliverance.
The book is rife with example after happy example of what we would call miracles of manifestation that occur when desire and belief are lined up.
Anyway, today I went to see a reader that has on two other occasions given me sound spiritual guidance, and today was no exception.  I asked for clarity about a specific relationship, and before I went I imagined the sensation of leaving the reading with joy and deep understanding, and that's exactly how it unfolded.  So, all day today, I have had a bit of childlike giddiness at the blossoming knowing that if I desire something and just allow myself to know that God/Universe will take care of it, it will easily come to pass.   It has become less of an intellectual understanding and more of a soul knowing.
I have been a student of The Law of Attraction for many years now, but this relationship with God is actually somewhat new to me-- (I have only previously been comfortable saying Universe, because "God" has been so bound to religious dogma for me, but I am now finding more of an inclination to say "God," for whatever reason-- & I still remain happily separated from any religion, save for that of joy & love & inclusion) -- where was I...so, I have been a student of Law of Attraction for years now, but, quite suddenly, freshly & powerfully inspired by the many stories in Autobiography of a Yogi, I find the belief part much, much easier and more lighthearted.  And "God" now seems to me a more personal relationship than Universe, which perhaps also makes the believing part easier.
So, I came home filled with a sense of peace mixed with joyous anticipation, and a sense that if I were to move through life more often with this kind of easy faith, I would find my own life becoming more "miraculous" and playful.
As I came in my front gate in this mood, my landlord, who lives behind me, stopped me to talk.  I haven't spoken with him in a few months now, and we had come to lose "faith" in him as a responsible landlord (kind, yes-- but responsible, no) due to his repeated pattern of making excuses or disappearing when we have needed something repaired, so I was very surprised to see him, let alone for him to catch my attention.
He told me that he had just patched the roof (it had been leaking due to past rain, and had started to bubble the plaster on one interior wall of my apartment, to the point where a chunk of  wall had simply fallen out) and that on Monday he would send someone to repair the missing piece of wall!  He was so happy and smiley!  It had been at least a couple of months since the damage, and we had even stopped asking him about it.  How very cool and pleasantly surprising! 
Additionally, there was another matter that I hadn't yet been able to discuss with him.
They- he and his family- have a sweet little Chihuahua named Sassy-- kinda looks like this:

 

 that they keep eternally tied to a short rope out back, just outside my bedroom window, and one large dog, Cani, that they allow to roam the concrete yard.  Now, Sassy has a little dog house, but never goes into it, even when it rains, so I thought it must be dirty or blocked.  Our winter has mostly been very mild, but lately, it has started to get cold and rainy again, and Sassy's anguished cries on those particular nights had been tormenting me lately.  I had, for the past 3 days, been scheming to find a blanket or pillow that I could somehow offer to them for the little dog.  I also knew, though, that if, instead of fretting and suffering over the situation, I could simply allow my desire for Sassy to be comforted to exist, then move into a place of allowing about it, the situation would stand a better chance of finding remedy than if I allowed myself to get worried and negative.
In the past, when in a state of concern and worry, I have politely asked them to move Sassy's metal water dish out of the summer sun, they have ignored me.  I would also often hear them yelling at the two dogs, and very seldomly had I ever seen them being walked, so my confidence that they cared about the dogs' well-being was scarce.
Anyway, I had been feeling a mounting stress about little Sassy, and was even considering calling Animal Welfare, but at the same time, I was sincerely wanting to just trust that if I asked God to please help Sassy, He would answer that asking.  I stopped my silent monologues of resentment about my landlord and his family, and instead, made a mental list of all of the qualities I sincerely enjoyed about them, and listed the reasons why I loved living here in my little apartment -- and I talked myself into feeling soothed about the situation and the kind of decent people they really were.
Yesterday morning, after a night of cold wind, I realized that Sassy had been silent all night.  I looked out the window, probably half-expecting him to have not made it though another cold night, and instead saw Cani laying right by Sassy's doghouse, with Sassy sleeping peacefully & warmly on top of her as if she were a bed.  I laughed and felt so much love for those two dogs, as well as a sense of relief.  What a magical solution!  I still wanted to find a blanket for them, though.

So, tonight, after my landlord gave me the happy news about the roof, and knowing that it was supposed to rain tomorrow, I took the opportunity to ask him about Sassy.  I said that I had been wanting to get him a blanket because he had been crying so much when it had been cold & rainy out, and he laughed and said it was because Sassy wanted to be let inside.  He also told me that his daughter had just bought Sassy a basket with a blanket and that Sassy did indeed have access to his little doghouse.  I was so relieved and felt keenly that it was the Universe's way of letting me understand that when I move into a place of powerful trust and belief about anything, so many things that I have been asking for find easy answer.  I felt that it was a demonstration of the power of Faith, and a reminder that life needn't be so difficult, and that Faith itself will pave a way when you cannot yourself see the way.  As Abraham (of Abraham-Hicks) says - You don't have to know how it will come to be - you only have to ask for it and move into allowing.
Those two doggies, in concert with my landlord, were powerful teachers for me, and I'm so grateful.  I got the relief I had been seeking, the knowing that the dogs are better cared for, and my relationship with my landlord feels much happier and easier.  And most importantly, I believe that when I ask and trust, it is given.

Just A Little Aside...

I had meant to add this message from my guides to the post: "Resist Nothing," as they are the ones who gave me that mantra. (I journal with my guides-- others call them inner voice, angels, subconscious; I'll go into brief detail about that at a later date)
I had been feeling relatively good after my break up, but had happened upon a diary entry that had made me sad all over again.  The entry was from a few months prior, and it was recounting the night at a cafe when my ex and I had gotten back together - for what would turn out to be the last time before our final split.  I was so happy when I had gotten home, so dazed by the magic of the fact that he had said things to me he had never said before, things I had only privately longed to hear, pledges, vulnerable truths.  He had even cried and kissed my face, not wanting to let me go ever again; and later, in the parking lot, when I sadly wondered if the magic would last beyond that night, he assured me that it would, that we were awake and grounded and that it was real.  Then he called me "honey" for the first time and smiled in promise.  And I believed.
So, in re-reading the diary entry of that night, I wrote to my guides: "I was okay with this distance between ___ and I, but just now, reading what he had said to me at the cafe, I feel a pain, a sadness. It's not so much him, as the feeling that someone else loved me -- the memory of my hopefulness, sadness that the promise of that night was fleeting."
They, as always, immediately answered:

Resist Nothing.  Let the Universe deliver to you what it will.  Move all sadness and nostalgia out of the way - move into the flow and don't fix onto any pain - don't linger or grab onto things that impede your flow.  Trust.  Trust.  Sadness, depression, melancholy - all familiar ports but not happy ones - no reason to keep revisiting them.

Sadness is resistance.  Biterness, anger, resentment, loneliness, it is like stopping to stare fixedly at a car wreck rather than getting into the free-flowing lane and moving toward your destination.  Resist nothing.  Believe, allow, open, trust, let, surrender - let go.  Trim away the fat of your life.  Keep it healthful, joyful.

As they said this, I could feel what they meant. I could feel the energy begin to flow again.

Give It A Twirl...

I have been loving the layered ballerina-ish look lately (Los Angeles doesn't get that cold, so layers and sweaters work just as well as light jackets for our winter! Yay!)  I'm not talking about tutus and pouffy skirts, or even ballet flats-- rather, I'm talking about long lines and lots of layers: leggings, legwarmers; leggings or tights underneath knit shorts with legwarmers; wrap dresses with leggings + tall socks + legwarmers + heels + looooong, slouchy sweaters ...hair slightly unkempt, piled up carelessly or tousled; dramatic eyes (the imperfectly sexy, slept-in eyeliner/mascara look ), nude lips, warm flush to the face.  All that layering adds so much depth and interest to your style, and peeling them off one by one is also fun and sexy. Enough talk, enjoy the pics!