Red Beans and Rice on Monday is a tradition in New Orleans.  It was made on Mondays when everyone did their laundry, because it was an easy dish to prepare which didn’t requite a lot of  “minding”.  While this household still does its laundry on Mondays, Tricia prefers this lentil and rice dish, which is delicious and a great source of protein.

Monday Dal

1 cup split red lentils, soaked in water a couple of hours (this will hasten the cooking time)

 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (or regular butter if you’re in a pinch)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek)

1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup ginger garlic paste

2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

4-5 curry leaves

Melt the ghee in a pot over medium heat and add the cumin and methi seeds.  Saute the spices in the ghee until they release their aroma and are lightly browned.  Add the onion and saute until the onions are almost translucent.  Add the ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, chili, Garam Masala, turmeric and curry leaves.  Saute this mixture until the tomatoes soften.  Drain the lentils and add them with about 2 cups fresh water to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes.

Red Lentils

Methi and Cumin in Ghee

Use a ginger grater to make ginger garlic paste

Saute tomatoes with ginger garlic paste

Spice Box

Skim off residue from tomatoes

This is a good consistency

 Coconut Rice

1 cup rice (basmati and jasmine are good)

1 cup coconut milk (lowfat is good)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Bring the coconut milk, water and mustard seeds to a boil.  Add rice and coconut, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and let “rest” for a few minutes before serving. 

 

Ingredients for Coconut Rice

Maybe I'll add a little extra coconut for Eden...

 

Ready to serve

Yum!

Satisfied customer

I sometimes forget that life is a series of changes.  We are not meant to stay the same.  Just when things seem unbearable, I burst from my cocoon into a new and beautiful phase.  I’ve learned to listen to the inner dialogue – which unfortunately has been an irritating and deflating critic for the better part of my life.  Having burst from that cocoon, I now see life as a series of opportunities.  How much more fulfilling is that!

And so it is with Dance.  Just when I found that I could barely stay motivated to practice between road trips to Houston, I was given the chance to start fresh with new teacher.  Miss Sunanda has wisely encouraged me to “move forward” and “keep going”.  And Miss Shanti, my new teacher, has taken me on – this 45 year-old white chick.  No sooner had I discussed with Miss Shanti my abject fear of performing, than I found myself practicing 6 days a week for an upcoming Diwali performance.  Oh yes.  On October 25th, I will be onstage with four other dancers, performing in front of a crowd which will include a former President of India!  I am relieved that I won’t know most of the people there, much less the Guest of Honor!

Putting my fears and self-doubt aside now….  What an amazing opportunity!  The song we’re dancing to is exhilarating!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1UgUpKz3Lc

I am grateful to my new teacher for taking me on.  I love being part of a dance community again.  There are times when I am driving to Kenner for class that I feel a pang of nostalgia, and I think I’m driving to Miss Sunanda’s house.  When she used to live in Kenner.  Before Katrina.  I pull up to Miss Shanti’s house and am greeted by her warm smile.  I take my place on her dance floor with my classmates, who used to also dance on Miss Sunanda’s dance floor.  There is incense.  There is gorgeous music.  There is the talam urging me on.   The Dance takes me over, and there is no time, no space, just Bliss.

Now there’s another dancer practicing in the house!  On October 24, Tricia will participate in a worldwide dance event where people all over the globe will dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller: www.thrilltheworld.com

Tricia’s a pretty good dancer already, so she’s got some of the moves down.   Here’s a particularly informative site that she found on learning the dance: Learn the Thriller Dance

“For no mere mortal can resist the evil of the Thriller”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8

We’re encouraging friends and family to join in!  I remember watching this video in 1984, when Damien was a baby.  There was quite a buzz at that time about how dark and eerie the video was.   What I saw was an amazing dancer who moved like no one else.  The dancing zombies and scenery were interesting, but Michael Jackson dancing in his red outfit was simply unparalleled.

September is here, and it’s a time of rebirth and gratitude.  Tricia and I are on our feet again after Damien and Natalya’s departure.  The Super Summer is over, and we are changed people.  Damien and Natalya’s influence appears in the books we read, the food we cook and the way we handle our money.  They gave us a useful tool in managing our money – The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: http://www.totalmoneymakeover.com/ 

Instead of the autopilot existence of consumerism, we are re-training our minds to enjoy what we already have.  Instead of engaging our cars’ autopilot feature of driving us to the “maul”, we are using our bikes for more fun – and refreshingly less expensive – ventures.

Impressed by Damien and Natalya’s goal of eating out only once a week, I’ve enjoyed more time in the kitchen.  Tricia is a willing taste-tester for new recipes.  Thanks to Natalya, we can have homemade pizzas and delicious raspberry brownies (that are allegedly low in fat) in the comfort of our newly minted dining room.  Cafe Colbert is by far our favorite dining spot.  Except for the occasional barking from the canine patrons, it is blissfully quiet.  And tips are optional.

I tried a new Indian recipe this week that we just loved called Chili Coconut Chicken, created by Monica Bhide:

Coconut Chili Chicken

http://books.google.com/books?id=2f5RaHunKK0C&lpg=PT98&ots=P6Zd_BKfAx&dq=chili%20coconut%20chicken%20monica%20bhide&pg=PT117#v=onepage&q=&f=false

If you are interested in cooking Indian dishes, this is a wonderful book.  There are several other recpies by Ms. Bhide that are now family favorites at Cafe Colbert.

The New Orleans influence is making an appearance in Provo as well.  Damien and Natalya hosted a New Orleans party for their friends.  Their guests were treated to delicious New Orleans cuisine, and games where contestants were asked to pronounce certain words in the proper N’Awlins style.  Oh, to be there to hear their attempt to reduce their crisp and properly pronounced “R” to the smooth crawl (not drawl) of the New Orleanian “Awe”!  Or the courageous attempt at ”Tchoupitoulas”.  As MawMaw predicted, Damien and Natalya drank the KoolAid and have fallen in love with NOLA.  I think the bug bit Damien 20 years ago, but he’d never hear that from me…

I am overjoyed to report that our “home teachers”, a.k.a. Damien and Natalya, are making a return appearance at Thanksgiving!  Gratitude indeed!

Damien and Natalya leave this Saturday.  I’m terrible with goodbye, and I feel the sadness coming upon me already.  Knowing that this is an exciting time for them outshines all that, though.  This is Natalya’s final semester, Damien’s senior year, and then they graduate together in the Spring.  If you would have told me 5 years ago that my son would voluntarily spend an entire summer with me (along with his amazing wife), I would have thought “it could have been, in a world where good things happen to me.”  (If you haven’t seen (500) Days of Summer, go for it!)  After all these years, I am happy to report that I am in a world where good things do happen to me. 

The summer started off with Eden coming in for her first JazzFest.  It was a luxury to have her here for two weeks!  Sally was also here for the Fest and my birthday.  What a tremendously special time!

JazzFest Memories

Refreshing Shower After Festing

Cinco de Mayo Birthdays

Great Mother's Day!

As for my office mate, she’s knitted some gorgeous scarves.  She also showed my niece Gracie how to knit:

Damien sports Natalya's Knitted Scarf

Natalya & Gracie Knitting

Besdies work, we did so many fun things this summer.  As always, Damien provided superb entertainment.  Here he is with his good buddy Caleb on the 4th of July:

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

The Original Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

We enjoyed having Natalya’s mother, Elizabeth, visit.  She’s a gracious and beautiful lady.  I see where Natalya gets her beauty and sense of adventure from.  We took her to as many good restaurants as we could fit into her short visit.  There’s always next time!

Natalya & Elizabeth

Cafe du Monde

We took a tour of Houmas House, where the famous movie Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte was filmed.  This place was magically beautiful!

Houmas House

Houmas House

Houmas House

Bette Davis in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte

Houmas House

Houmas House

Houmas House

After returning from our tour, I had several messages on my phone that our house alarm went off.  While we were gone, my father-in-law came over to do some work on the house and didn’t realize our alarm was on.  He didn’t know the code, so he pressed every button.  The police, firefighters, and an ambulance showed up.  Luckily, he wasn’t carted off to jail or the hospital.   We also got a call from a friend saying that she feared she had the swine flu, and that since we’d been around her recently we might have it too.  Tricia hadn’t been feeling her best, so we took her temperature when we got home.  It was negative.  We were relieved because we had a party planned for the following night!

Elizabeth Baking for the NOLA Party

Pinata time

With our swine flu fears dispelled and a semi-successful NOLA party (family and dog drama notwithstanding, it was a good party), we set out on our next adventure – a road trip to Florida with friends Debbie and John.  What a great mini vacation!  Natalya hunted down a great place for us to stay.  Debbie and John brought walkie-talkies for the road trip so we could keep in touch.  Before Tricia and I knew it, we were in the car headed for the beach – on a workday.  It felt so decadent!  One of my favorite memories is seeing Damien swimming like a fish as he did when he was a child.   He and Natalya spent hours playing on the beach.  We saw some gorgeous art, and biked to a really cool town where the movie The Truman Show was filmed – Seaside.

Road Trip

Are we really NOT working?

Movie stars on the beach!

Aquaman

Biking to Seaside

Illegal in 50 states

No sooner had we returned to “work mode” and washed the sand from our clothes, then Gracie came to visit!  Sometimes when I glanced at her, I saw bits of Sally in her 17 year-old persona.  Gracie has a lot of her mom’s traits, but she is certainly an original!  She’s always been a dynamo – full of energy, life and sweetness.  So many opportunities are presenting themselves to her after a lot of hard work and dedication.  It was wonderful that she was able to get away from her busy summer and let off some steam in our beautiful city!

Gracie & Natalya at CCs in the Quarter

Time to shop!

Learning to knit

Setting G-Judy up with some tunes

Out with great friends

Cousins

Last weekend we spent a lot of time on Magazine Street – one of the best places to walk around in NOLA.  We stumbled upon a great t-shirt shop – Storyville.  Tricia and I are proud owners of Brad Pitt for Mayor t-shirts.  Natalya and Damien found a couple of NOLA-flavored t-shirts to take back to Utah with them.  We also enjoyed some treats at the lovely Sucre.  If you love dessert in a pretty setting, this is the place to go.

Now that's my kind of burger with fries! It's all cake!

Shopping at Winky's

Technology on Magazine St.

We also went to Dirty Linen Night in the Quarter.   Dinner at Muriel’s was wonderful.  Lots of great memories in this gorgeous place.

At Muriel's

Seance Room at Muriel's

We took Damien and Natalya to the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues the next morning.  I’ve wanted for years to take Damien and Eden there, so this was a special treat for me!  The music was glorious! 

HOB

HOB

Today we go to our last jivamukti yoga class together as a family.  Damien and Natalya are really good at it!  It’s quite a challenge, and we have a lot of laughs together.  Then we get to watch as our good friend and her son get tested at their Tai Kwan Do class.  Afterwards, we will attempt to conquer the Holy Grail of our summer feasting: The Tchoupitoulas at the Creole Creamery.  Maybe we can get our name on the plaque as a group.

Just two more days and then Damien and Natalya will be off to their next adventure.  What a great summer!

“I have to tell you this crazy story.  I went for a run the other night, and FOUR guys called me while I was out!  I said, Whoa!  Slow down!”  This is Eden’s experience of the dating world post-graduation.  While she was bemoaning her full dance card to Natalya and I on Skype, her phone rang and she smacked her forhead with her palm and exclaimed, “It’s ANOTHER BOY!  Stop the madness!“  She looked at her caller ID and said nonchalantly, “He can leave a message.”  I informed her that, of course the suitors are showing up because apparently there are guys in Washington state brave enough to approach Her Most Loveliness.  To which she replied, “It’s just because I’m new.”  Natalya and I looked at each other and said, “Yeah, RIGHT!”  She has no idea what a catch she is!

What's up, Doc?

A commercial from my childhood often comes to mind when I share a meal with Damien:  ”Give it to Mikey – he’ll try anything!”  One of the most memorable food ventures was the bubble drink he got once in Vancouver, which tasted like Chinese barbequed chicken.  It was bright orange.  He was determined to not waste it, so he drank every drop.  Then he was ill.  That is often the case of when he tries the most unusual item on the menu … which is often the case.  Here is the scene of that particular crime:

Where's Damien? Probably throwing up in the bathroom...

So when we took him to our favorite Buddhist vegetarian restaurant in New York – Zen Palate – we thought he would love all the unusual items on the menu.  He hated it.  So did his stomach.  He was sick for a while.  Here we all are, with him wondering where the nearest bathroom is:

Damien's not-so-zen experience

In Florence, he just had to try the pasta with the baby octopus topping:

Baby octopus dish

If it’s weird, it’s on his plate.  His latest challenge:  beef tongue taco at Taqueria Corona on Magazine Street:

Beef Tongue Taco

See the look on Natalya’s face?  We all had that look.  Damien said it was gristly.

Today is the day that Michael Jackson died.  I’m in shock.  Such a talented person.  I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, and the Jackson 5.  I loved grooving to the Jackson 5 when I was a kid, and dancing to Michael Jackson’s music during my teens.  Just a few weeks ago, Damien and I were listening to his great music.  Here’s a link to one of the best Jackson 5 songs ever, and it’s how I like to remember Michael Jackson:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1DCv2JED0&feature=related

It all started in 2003, when I attended an ethnic dance performance at the Scottish Rite Temple in New Orleans.  While I waited for a bellydance routine to begin, several gorgeously costumed and bejewelled dancers glided onto the stage.  Then the ta-ka-dhi-mi rhythm began, accentuated by their stamping feet.  I was stunned by the exquisite beauty of the dance, and the complex music – none of which I’d ever seen nor heard before.  I thought what is this, and what do I have to do to learn it?  I almost stumbled over myself after the show as I looked for the dancers and their teacher.  I noticed a tall young lady in the middle of them who was not costumed, but wore a lovely Indian dress which I didn’t realize at the time as a sari.  I was surprised to learn that this person was their teacher – she looked like a student herself.  I was too shy to ask if I could learn, but I later found out her email address and translated in my best King’s English what is this, and what do I have to do to learn it?  The most I remember of my first class is that I was the only one there, and I couldn’t walk properly for about a month after.  Six years later, despite natural disasters like hurricanes, often being the only non-Indian student, often being the oldest student, I am still learning and am still stunned by the exquisite beauty of the dance.  It is my closest link to the Divine.

Guru ji and me

Varnam

Bharatanatyam Dancers

Bharatanatyam Dancers

Guru ji & Little Siya

Things were a bit lonely at my office before Natalya came to town.  It was just me and the pups working away at the kitchen island.  Then Natalya brought her sewing maching and set it up next to my computer.  While I type, she creates amazing quilts:

Step into Natalya's Office

Isn’t she talented!  I gained a daughter-in-law, and a coworker!  My office is a lot more fun these days!

We recently saw the movie Up, and I must say we all looked like movie stars in our 3D glasses:

Movie Stars at "Up"

On Father’s Day, we attended Damien and Natalya’s first crawfish boil.  Eden had her first crawfish boil this summer as well.  Natalya has been especially brave as she hasn’t been exposed to as much “ethnic” food as her husband and sister-in-law:

You want me to try what?

We survived our first Crawfish Boil!