Category Archives: Poems

Jan5

Treading Lightly

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While you tread lightly my heart pulls away

Barriers built for years to protect

Only broken with regret

Feet itching to bolt, head making me stay

Breathe the small voice says

Shudders ripple down my skin

Take a deep breath, and let it begin

The Qi begins to smooth the way

The wires spark, the signal transcends

A jolt to the heart, disperses away the sin

Whispering winds wash it all away

Darkness burning into light

Electricity turning into love so bright

The warm inviting yellow light behind her head

Draws you to her arms as she leads you to bed

                                                                                                                                         Gidyean

As I was standing on a train platform by Columbus Circle, tired but quite satisfied with how the evening went clutching my shopping bags full of shiny new purchases, a delicate scene was unfolding right in front of my eyes but being completely ignored by oblivious no-nonsense New Yorkers. 

 A couple was standing waiting for a train too yet you could tell they wished that the train would never come.  The guy was pacing back and forth ever so slightly, his gaze is darting to the girl’s face for a second and back down to his feet, eyes full of desire and hesitation drawn into a struggle and a balancing act all mixed in one. The girl held his gaze composed and sure as if the chosen path has already replayed in her mind and felt so right, as it had happened already. But dare I say, she had her own battles deep inside her, yet she continued whispering in his ear some soft words that ignited him even more, and he lifted his eyes to look into hers and just say “yes”.

You can guess that perhaps they just met and led by their instant passion got lost in a circle of doubt and want, but one of them had to find a way to get them both out and on a road to possibly share something wonderful.  And as the girl continued to smile and stepping closer and closer towards him, the guy seemed to be resolved to silence his doubts at least for a second and concede to his desire as he also stepped forward so they can share a brief but passionate kiss.

When my train came,  leaving them back at the platform, I dropped on my seat, the whole scene is still replaying in my mind, and wishing that those two would figure it all out before their train comes too. But if you ask me, I think the girl will lead him to bed… :)

What’s Cooking This Week

Sometimes you look at certain foods and combining them together is not the first thing that automatically comes to your mind. Or maybe you have presented them together and are now tired of the same old ways. Perhaps those two on a train platform were not meant to be together as a conventional couple, but who is to say that following their passion and not their common sense will produce a less meaningful or even less important in their lives relationship?! Sometimes you simply have to follow where your heart takes you. And combine old things in a new way to create interesting flavors. Just make sure you tread lightly. :)

Cranberry Rice Stuffed Delicata Squash

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2 delicata squash

1 cup of uncooked rice

1/2 cup of dried cranberries (I used dried whole berries)

1 Tbspoon of oil spread or butter (I used Earth Balance Coconut Oil spread)

1 Tbspoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 tspoon of nutmeg

salt, pepper, lemon seasoning

mint leaves for garnish

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Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, lightly rub the insides with salt, pepper and lemon seasoning, wrap each half in foil and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or untill the knife easily runs through.

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In a mean while, cook the rice according to directions in salted water, then stir in oil spread/butter, nutmeg and dried cranberries.

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When both the squash and rice are ready, let them cool off a bit and then stuff the rice inside each squash half. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with chopped mint leaves.

A wonderful healthy meal that could serve as either satisfying lunch or a dinner side dish.

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Enjoy!

May17
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Picture Puzzle Piece

One picture puzzle piece

Lyin’ on the sidewalk.

One picture puzzle piece

Soakin’ in the rain.

It might be a button of blue

On the coat of the woman

Who lived in a shoe.

It might be a magical bean,

Or a fold of the red

Velvet robe or a queen.

It might be the one little bite

Of the apple her stepmother

Gave to Snow White.

It might be the veil of a bride

Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.

It might be a small tuft of hair

On the big bouncy belly

Of Bobo the Bear.

It might be a bit of the cloak

Of the Witch of the West

As she melted to smoke.

It might be a shadowy trace

Of a tear that runs down an angel’s face.

Nothing has more possibilities

Than an old wet picture puzzle piece.

 – Shel Silverstein

The possibilities are indeed endless, it all depends on what it is exactly you’re trying to build, but at the end, no matter how simple or complicated the puzzle is, all pieces are just supposed to fit together in a perfect union. Jamming in or pretending a piece will “just do” is not going to complete the task, you’re bound to either constantly rub against the sharp edges or simply fall apart at a slight touch because no real connection was holding it together.

Often though it’s hard to know where exactly you belong to and what your connecting pieces are as you’re not even sure what the theme of your puzzle is. You could, in fact, be a piece of a queen’s robe and trying to portray a mighty kingdom and a fairytale life. Or you could be a small tear on an angel’s face exhausted from completing all the good deeds needed for that day (yes, even angels get frustrated and tired). Or maybe you’re just a big white in-between piece that doesn’t show anything but is still holding an important job of being a connecting link between the neighboring pictures. If you don’t know the name of your story, you’ll never find where exactly you belong to.

And yet again sometimes you have no ways to find out the theme of your puzzle or you can’t see the big picture from the prospective of a tiny puzzle piece, or maybe you just want to create a completely new story even if you still have all the same parts.  Those are all valid possibilities, but none are possible to see any end if everything around you is already rigid and set in place. The only way becomes to completely break down the whole puzzle, shake up the pieces, maybe even sit in a rubble and grieve over ”what could’ve been” and ponder the reasons why certain roads could not be taken. There is no shame in breaking down, if you need a new theme, you’ll also need a new foundation, and that could only be reached if you dig deep inside.

And if you sit in a wreckage and have no idea how to connect any pieces together and what the whole picture should be, reach for the core, those are usually the biggest and brightest pieces, this is where the puzzle starts and what makes it unique. Then look for more pieces that complete, safeguard and nurture the core, without those, the core can’t be more than just a lump of colors and images. And even if you don’t know how to proceed beyond that point, and you do realize it may take you a long time to see the finished product, your puzzle is already alive, pulsating, like an embryo, with a vital energy and a loving light from within.

What’s Cooking This Week

Speaking of the core and finding the connecting pieces. Sometimes when you want to introduce some new ingredients, you need to “bridge” them with something more familiar and versatile. I love, love brussel sprouts, but they are the unfortunate step-child among other vegetables, hated by many, often camouflaged and served as punishment to misbehaving little children. It’s time to make them a true Cinderella and let them shine on their own :)

Roasted Chicken With Mushrooms And Brussels

8 pieces of chicken, any part you like, skin and bone-in   

1 small container of whole mushrooms (I used baby Bella)

1/2 container/bag of brussels

salt, pepper

dry herbs (I used Italian blend, celery seeds and cumin)

chopped fresh herbs (I used curly parsley)

olive oil spray

The recipe is quiet simple, everybody knows how to roast a chicken, I think it’s all about the herbs and spices that you use so choose the ones you like, I do like a combo of cumin and celery seeds to compliment the subtle bitterness of the brussels.

Cut the brussels in half and remove outer leaves and stems. Wash and dry chicken pieces, brussels and whole mushrooms. Spray a deep baking dish with olive oil spray. Place chicken and veggies in and season both sides with all the desired herbs and spices, arrange them in a single layer and bake at 400 for about 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clean and brussels are soft but not over-cooked. Garnish with fresh herbs. For a complete healthy meal, have some brown rice on a side. Enjoy!

Apr27
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The Double Rainbow

Once I saw a rainbow

Over the ocean blue

Encompassed by a shadow

Of every color and hue.

It was a double rainbow

Most beautiful to see

 And underneath the rainbow

Were two sails upon the sea.

 I think it was God’s message

 Quite old, and get still new

 It takes both rain and sunshine

 To make the lovely view.

As we go along life’s highway

 A lot of rain must fall.

 But we can find the rainbow

When the sun shines over all.

 So, if you feel discouraged

And don’t know what to do

Just trust for God’s own sunshine

To bring a rainbow over you.

Virginia M. King

Life is just like that, full of stripes. You get the bold ones, the pastel ones, the ones you like, and the ones that make your head spin. Yet they all fit perfectly together, and the rainbow would not be complete without any of them. Each stripe brings its tone, taste and the skills necessary to get through to the next one, it’s all a matter of adaptability, resiliency and faith that it will all work out at the end.

And it will. Maybe not in a way that we’ve imagined it or wished for, but where human perception is fickle and fallible, the Universal order is always precise. We receive the exact things to propel us forward on our unique path and just enough lemons for our own cup of lemonade. But it’s up to us to come up with the sugar amount.

I always said “I’m glad I had cancer” no matter how bizarre it sounds to other people. Yes, of course, I’d  rather go without the gruelling physical ordeal of the treatment and some lingering side effects that are still there 5 years later. But how else would I know how strong I can be, and that beauty is just the light that comes from within you and not the length of your hair, the color of your cheeks and a perfect body untouched by a scalpel that make you look in a mirror and truly love yourself?! How else would I know that you’re still a child to your mother no matter how old you are, and that you can feel little again and be sustained by a bond that is as old as life itself and just know that it will always be there within your reach even after you’re back into your “adult” life?! How else would I know how to love, comfort and care for another cancer survivor and when they say “the cure has been worse than the disease itself” you’ll understand what they mean?! How else would I know what life really is and what must be done to stay “alive”, both in your body and soul?!

How else would I know who I really am if I haven’t seen both sides of me, the rain and the sunshine?! Now it’s up to me to keep the rainbow up in the sky :)

 What kind of stripes have you seen?

What’s Cooking This Week

A rainbow of vegetables, of course. The sweet ones, the tart ones, some spices and juices and then some “binding” to hold it all together. It’s good for the soul. And your body will most definitely thank you too. :)

Low Carbs Stuffed Peppers

4 large peppers, tops cut off and insides cleaned          

1 lb mixed ground chicken and turkey

1/4 cup instant oatmeal

1 small yellow squash (or zucchini), grated

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup ketchup 

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 tspoon garlic powder

1 tspoon Italian herbs blend

salt, pepper

fresh herbs, chopped

Combine all the ingredients and stuff into peppers. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until peppers are cooked through. Pour some tomato sauce over peppers and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Apr19
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Life’s Tragedy

It may be misery not to sing at all,

And to go silent through the brimming day,

It may be misery never to be loved,

But deeper griefs that these beset the way.

To sing the perfect song,

And by a half-tone lost the key,

There the potent sorrow, there the grief,

The pale, sad staring of Life’s Tragedy.

To have come near to the perfect love,

Not the hot passion of untempered youth,

But that which lies aside its vanity,

And gives, for thy trusting worship, truth.

This, this indeed is to be accursed,

For if we mortals love, or if we sing,

We count our joys not by what we have,

But by what kept us from that perfect thing.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

What’s Cooking This Week

Today’s theme is imperfection, striking a balance and appreciating what you have. Leading a lifestyle that is devoid of the very common foods is very much all those things especially when it concerns convenience and socialization. When you’re in the very beginning of just having discovered that certain foods do not agree with your body or may even be extremely harmful, you inevitably go through a period of loss not only grieving over the very foods you can’t imagine your life without but also over some perceived lost connections and a lonely life void of any socialization.

In fact, none of these should necessarily happen, you can continue enjoying the dishes you love, but with certain substitutions and modifications. And you certainly do not have to give up your friendships, going out and continue visiting any social outlets you did before (but with some preparations).

Once going gluten free, dessert could be the most challenging part of any social outing, but really it doesn’t have to be. You can come prepared and enjoy it as much as the rest of you company.

Quinoa cookies by Andean Dream is my “to-go” dessert, it’s all natural, gluten free and vegan (and absolutely delicious :) ). It comes in two flavors, chocolate or orange, both are great, and each cookie is individually wrapped so they stay fresh. I usually carry a couple of these cookies in my purse, and any time there’s a spontaneous outing or even a planned party, I’m well-prepared and do not feel like I’m missing out on something when dessert time comes. Hope you enjoy them too!