Good article that explains the situation and the reasons of resistance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/opinion/friedman-postcard-from-turkey.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
I still do not feel like writing much else... Hope to be back to blogging soon...
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
A Nation's Quest for REAL Democracy
I normally do not write political stuff here but, 13 days ago a peaceful resistance was started to save a small park in Taksim Square in Istanbul. It has been met with police violence and all of a sudden my nation woke up. The small spark turned into a big yet peaceful resistance against the oppressive Prime Minister.
The resisters/protesters are not throwing stones or vandalizing anything but the police is and so are the provocators of unknown origin. IT IS A PEACEFUL CIVILIAN RESISTANCE against an increasingly oppressive Government.
I would be very subjective if I wanted to explain what is going on because I despise him and his politics. Therefore, here are a few links explaining what is currently going on in Turkey.
While these things are going on, I do not feel like writing much. I do not have many followers but, if anyone reads my blog that is what we are dealing with.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Shrinking Food
We all know all types of fresh produce and meat shrink when cooked but some shrink so much that, it is annoying.
In Turkey, we cook purslane just like we cook spinach,chard and leeks. We sautee onions and tomatoes and add the well washed and cut of purslane and cook it. Couple of days ago I bought three large bunches of purslane hoping that it would make 4 portions. It took at least a good half hour and a ton of water to wash it. It was so much that, for a while we thought, it would not fit in the pressure cooker, then it SHRUNK! We ended up with 3 portions of a veggie dish:( Spinach and chard are like that too.
I had also bought three large bell eggplants and they also shrunk to a 3 portion meal.
According to our meal plan we must have a veggie dish for one meal and a meat dish for another. The veggie dish portion is 8 tablespoons so, you can figure out how much the purslane shrunk.
Before I wrote this, I looked up purslane from the dictionary because I did not know the English word for it and found out that in the US, it is considered a weed and not eaten. That is an interesting fact. I like the salty and tangy taste of purslane. We not only cook it, we also chop it and mix it with garlic yogurt for a meze or a salad. Sometimes we also chop it in other salads as well.
It is annoying to spend a lot of time preparing and washing loads of vegetable only to end up with a few portions.
In Turkey, we cook purslane just like we cook spinach,chard and leeks. We sautee onions and tomatoes and add the well washed and cut of purslane and cook it. Couple of days ago I bought three large bunches of purslane hoping that it would make 4 portions. It took at least a good half hour and a ton of water to wash it. It was so much that, for a while we thought, it would not fit in the pressure cooker, then it SHRUNK! We ended up with 3 portions of a veggie dish:( Spinach and chard are like that too.
I had also bought three large bell eggplants and they also shrunk to a 3 portion meal.
According to our meal plan we must have a veggie dish for one meal and a meat dish for another. The veggie dish portion is 8 tablespoons so, you can figure out how much the purslane shrunk.
Before I wrote this, I looked up purslane from the dictionary because I did not know the English word for it and found out that in the US, it is considered a weed and not eaten. That is an interesting fact. I like the salty and tangy taste of purslane. We not only cook it, we also chop it and mix it with garlic yogurt for a meze or a salad. Sometimes we also chop it in other salads as well.
It is annoying to spend a lot of time preparing and washing loads of vegetable only to end up with a few portions.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Happy Moments
I belong to a group of seven ex-co-workers. We have not been working together for the last seven years but we still keep in constant touch and meet every month. This group consists of 3 guys and 4 ladies. We always have a good time together.
One of the group members took up mosaic art as a hobby during the last few years and we were invited to an exhibition where some of her work was also on display. Her art was sold for charity purposes so, the rest of the group chipped in to buy a piece.
After that, we went to have a quick dinner before gathering at another group member's apartment. He lives in a beautiful apartment right by the Bosphorus and there was a full moon yesterday so, it was a beautiful night. We chatted, laughed, listened to music and had a real good time.
I was the designated driver so I dropped three of my friends at their homes and by the time I got home, it was past 2:30 a.m.
I am not much of a drinker. I enjoy an occasional wine and a little raki from time time but, I like to keep things under control when we are out at night. Besides, now that I am on a diet, I should not be drinking at all.
These get togethers are something that we all look forward to and I think we should register as many happy moments as we can in our lifetimes.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
My pants are falling...
I am losing weight and last year's work pants are no longer appropriate to wear. I look like a clown in them. Yet, I am soooooo happy for this:)
I probably have different sizes of clothing to last me at least two sizes. I am currently traveling for work but when I go home, I will try all my pants to label them as follows:
Red: Too big. Wear no more.
Blue: Wearable at this size.
Yellow: Smaller sizes.
Tops are less of a problem because unlike pants, you can wear them a little longer without looking like a clown. Besides I was wearing most of my shirts with a tank top not buttoning them up since they were very tight fitting. Now, I can button them up and most will be OK till I lose at least 7-10 Kgs.
I wear jeans every day when I do not work so, I am wearing them out nicely and when I truly need new pairs of jeans, I already have three pairs in two smaller sizes. So, shopping is not on the horizon yet. After I am down two sizes, I may need some new clothes but I will keep my shopping at a minimum.
This time, I am determined to stick to healthy eating. I do not know what has clicked in my mind but, I am very mindful of what I put in my mouth. I no longer drink soda pop, diet or not. I no longer eat fast food of any kind.
I sometimes crave chips especially when I am going to have my period but eating a small bag of chips once a month should not be such a big deal.
I probably have different sizes of clothing to last me at least two sizes. I am currently traveling for work but when I go home, I will try all my pants to label them as follows:
Red: Too big. Wear no more.
Blue: Wearable at this size.
Yellow: Smaller sizes.
Tops are less of a problem because unlike pants, you can wear them a little longer without looking like a clown. Besides I was wearing most of my shirts with a tank top not buttoning them up since they were very tight fitting. Now, I can button them up and most will be OK till I lose at least 7-10 Kgs.
I wear jeans every day when I do not work so, I am wearing them out nicely and when I truly need new pairs of jeans, I already have three pairs in two smaller sizes. So, shopping is not on the horizon yet. After I am down two sizes, I may need some new clothes but I will keep my shopping at a minimum.
This time, I am determined to stick to healthy eating. I do not know what has clicked in my mind but, I am very mindful of what I put in my mouth. I no longer drink soda pop, diet or not. I no longer eat fast food of any kind.
I sometimes crave chips especially when I am going to have my period but eating a small bag of chips once a month should not be such a big deal.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Happy Mother's Day Mom!
I try to treat my mom like every day is Mother's Day.
She is;
Witty,
Funny,
Cool,
Smart, (no actually very smart),
Authoritative,
Extraordinary in many ways,
Loving,
Huggable,
and
Very very lovable...
Whenever I feel blue, I still want to be hugged by her. If she is not closeby, I like to hear her voice to find comfort.
She is not gullible. She senses if something is wrong and if my sister and I are hiding something.
She is a neat freak. She is a hard-worker.
She is my mom and I love her to the moon and back!
I pray God she will be around as long as possible with good health.
Mom, Thank You for Being My Mom!
She is;
Witty,
Funny,
Cool,
Smart, (no actually very smart),
Authoritative,
Extraordinary in many ways,
Loving,
Huggable,
and
Very very lovable...
Whenever I feel blue, I still want to be hugged by her. If she is not closeby, I like to hear her voice to find comfort.
She is not gullible. She senses if something is wrong and if my sister and I are hiding something.
She is a neat freak. She is a hard-worker.
She is my mom and I love her to the moon and back!
I pray God she will be around as long as possible with good health.
Mom, Thank You for Being My Mom!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Lost!
Today I weighed-in. I wasn't expecting any loss but, the dietician's scale showed a loss of 1,9 kg., a little over 4 pounds! Wooooo hooooo! Big pat on the back for me:)
I have lost a total of 5,6 kg., a little over 12 pounds since February 20th. It may not be a lot for some, but it sure is a major accomplishment for me especially given that I am now 6 days late with my period. Onwards and downwards:)
I have lost a total of 5,6 kg., a little over 12 pounds since February 20th. It may not be a lot for some, but it sure is a major accomplishment for me especially given that I am now 6 days late with my period. Onwards and downwards:)
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