Lemongrass and Ginger Infusion

At times breaking the monotony/the same old routine that you follow everyday is good for you, for your health, well that's what i did ...while ordering for groceries this time , I ordered lemongrass and Sunflower seeds, and in the morning I made some fragrant lemongrass and ginger infusion...

Early morning I was there in my kitchen chopping those heavenly fragrant greens of lemon grass, pounding this  aromatic ginger and dissolving the golden jaggery !! and i made something amazing :) 

To make this infusion I used:

Lemongrass

Ginger

Jaggery

Let's talk about the goodness of Lemongrass and Ginger:

Lemongrass also known as Citronella apart from being used extensively in Aromatherapy and an excellent insect repellant, it strengthens the immune system, is helpful in painful swellings, in menstrual cramps, obesity, skin conditions,it is an  excellent nervine tonic, and also beneficial in fever, cough and cold.

Ginger is effective in nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, painful conditions like arthritis and painful menses and it boosts the immune system.

The benefits of these two herbs are many and not limited to the few listed above...

Method:

chop lemongrass, pound ginger and add both to 4 cups of water in a pan with lid and bring to boil, when the quantity of water is nearly half i.e 2 cups, turn the knob off, give a standing time of 3-4 minutes...now in a separate pan  add few pieces of jaggery  in 3/4th cup of water and let the jaggery dissolve in it....add this jaggery water to the lemongrass and ginger infusion as per the taste....and drink the infusion freely!!  drink the goodness of these herbs!!

I choose jaggery instead of sugar, why?? because of following reasons:

Sugar has only sucrose whereas jaggery has sucrose with traces of mineral salts, iron ( as it is prepared in iron vessels) and some fiber , which makes it excellent choice for anemia or iron deficiency.

 Sugar being simple in nature, is instantly absorbed in the blood and releases a burst of energy, which can prove harmful for some internal organs like kidneys, eyes, and brain, whereas jaggery is digested slower than sugar so it releases energy slowly which provides energy for a longer time and is not harmful for the body. 

Jaggery is very good as a cleansing agent. It cleanses the lungs, stomach, intestines, oesophagus and respiratory tracts. Those who are exposed to dust or silica in their daily life are highly recommended to take jaggery.

and finally to the above infusion, I added a tsf of Sunflower seeds, 

They are rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which constitute more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good-cholesterol" in the blood.

Like other nuts, they are also a very good source of proteins with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).

Natural anti-oxidants, rich source of vitamin E, B-complex, folic acid, essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper.

This was the perfect start of my day...it was healthy , it was yum!!

Source of information:

Organicfacts.net
Webmd.com
whfoods.com
Nutrition and you.com

Kahwa and flax seeds tea and my learning today!!

It was a great day….I felt so energetic, so refreshed and full of life…why?? Because of many things:

Firstly I woke up at 7 rather than 9 which I usually do….I used my handmade soap for shower  and I felt so good… I thought I am so happy to see my creation put to good use…than won’t god be happy to see his creation (that’s me) so happy today…he will be thinking what a beautiful creation is this soul…so happy so cheerful, full of love, exactly the way i wanted it to be!! That’s what I actually thought!!

Secondly I read few chapters from the “Book of Woman” while sipping my fav Kashmiri Kahwa tea… (Infusion of kahwa leaves, cinnamon, saffron, and sugar) with 2 teaspoons of flax seeds…!! Adding the seeds was a new twist in the usual tea…why?? because:

Power packed flax seeds have a nutty taste…they are a source of omega-3 and omega-6, rich source of lignin, that’s flushes out the excess oestrogen from body reducing chances of oestrogen linked cancers like breast cancer. 

( Note: They should be crushed before use otherwise they will pass through the body just like that…once crushed they should be refrigerated because the oil  in the seeds will be oxidized thereby diminishing their nutritive value).

And thirdly:

I gifted Josna one homemade soap J, we had our casual discussion about life, how things should be actually and how we mistakenly perceive them to be…how life should move on, how our relationships should be…it is always refreshing to have such discussions with her… and every time we end up learning a thing or two…embracing the beauty of life’s mysteries with open arms !!

Sweet Lime and star Anise Tea

If you are always on the move (like me), cleaning the windows, doing the dishes, making the bed, and all that.... finding it hard to relax and " just be" then I will suggest,  after you are done with most of the household chores, just sit for a while, sink deep in the couch...close your eyes.. go back to your childhood...imagine it's raining hard outside...you walk barefoot and let the rain drench you, embrace you tightly...smell the flowers and breathe deeply....let all the worries, stress leave your body as you exhale and when you feel little lighter...open your eyes...head straight to the kitchen and make this amazing sweet lime and Star Anise tea. It will help you stay calm and lock that lost joy inside for a little while!!

Put few slices of a sweet lime and couple of star anise in a teapot…pour hot water and let infuse for 5-8 minutes. You can also add little sugar if you wish…I prefer plain… hold the tea in your mouth… feel the taste, awaken your senses... and let it in… drink freely.

 You can also refrigerate it  and then drink later on!!

Delish Banana pancakes

Everyday something new...well that's a lot of work to do. 

Today we made some yum yum Banana pancakes at home and vihaan seemed to be absolutely in love with them..I gave him 3 and still he wanted more :) , what can be more comforting to a mother's soul than that...I love you my boy...thanks for appreciating my efforts, "tisk tisk", getting emotional here...are we?? :P

And I also ate them...I was too clumsy to make lunch for myself, instead I made extras for me as well...pan was steaming hot anyway and batter was plenty too.. 

So  while somewhere far far away sleeping beauty was lost in deep sleep ,somewhere nearby Mom and a baby had banana pancakes and they lived happily ever after!!

Recipe for Banana Pancakes:

You need:

1 Ripe banana

Milk

Wheat flour

Vanilla extract (optional)

Butter

Method:

Mash a ripe banana, sift some wheat flour in a bowl, stir in the milk, add all 3 together and mix until you have a smooth batter. You can also add few drops of Vanilla Extract.

Now lightly grease a frying pan with butter, heat and spoon the mixture into the pan, spread the mixture with a spatula, and cook until golden brown on the both sides, turn them over carefully.

Cool to room temperature and serve the delight!!