California Avocado Toast

Mornings are usually a blur in my life. Let's face it, for most people who work traditional jobs (9-5, or rather 8-6 if you add commute times), mornings are a blur. 

However, the above is the result of a weekday morning where I took 10 extra minutes, slowed myself down and actually ate breakfast! Was it worth it? You mean was it worth not giving a damn about traffic, people at work watching the clock or my own brain not shutting up about being late? Abso-freakin-lutely! Here's why: the traffic was as usual, the drive took no longer, no one at work really pays attention, and my brain was so much more relaxed and focused after a happy stomach happened. 

So what exactly is that? That, my friends, is the result of having moved to southern California almost 3 years ago. That is an Avocado Toast. Doesn't sound very glamorous, but believe me, my mouth was throwing a party as I ate! And as I mentioned, Mrs. Stomach was a happy camper. 

Within 5-10 minutes I created this concoction: starting with a nutty multigrain slice of bread from Trader Joe's (toasted, of course), slices of half a hass avocado, generous sprinkling of lemon pepper, a thin layer of low fat cottage cheese, and finally a gentle sprinkling of this amazing Mexican spice I discovered recently: Tajín. It's one of those "umami" flavors - really hard to describe, but I'm pretty sure extremely hard to resist. It's a little sour, a little salty, a little spicy - I'm smacking my lips just thinking about it! The first time I ate it was outside a museum in downtown LA - it was being sold from a fruit cart - they cut up sweet mangoes and topped it with this spice, and boy was it a treat on that hot, summer day!

My 250-calorie breakfast was delicious, filling, quick, and the best part? It helped my morning off to a great start. I took a little while for myself - self-care - and it was beautiful. Self-care doesn't really have to be elaborate, you know - a few minutes here, a few minutes there, just a little bit of time and space just for you doing exactly that which brings you joy and happiness. Because really, true health comes from our heart and soul! 

Taste of the Himalayas

Salmon Tandoori @ "Taste of the Himalayas" in La Jolla, CA

As the year came to a close, we decided to trek down to one of our favorite spots in southern California - La Jolla (San Diego). A cool, misty mini-hike around the scenic bluffs of Torrey Pines got our energy high and our stomachs growling! So we made our way to downtown La Jolla and to our old time favorite restaurant: "Taste of the Himalayas" (https://www.yelp.com/biz/taste-of-the-himalayas-la-jolla-2) (http://www.tasteofthehimalayassandiego.com/)

We were eager to start eating so we ordered an appetizer of samosas - and though not greater than normal - something about the piping hot crispy, potato-ey samosas - especially on a chilly, gray afternoon - felt quite satisfying! After a few more minutes of waiting and the arrival of another so-so dish (Paneer achari - pickled sauce) - came out the sizzling platter we had driven all this way for!

I started making space on the table a few seconds before the dish (Salmon Tandoori) arrived - simply because my ears perked up and I could hear the sizzling plate making its way out of the kitchen. The bubbling hot cast iron skillet showed up and the vegetables at the bottom were still sizzling around browning themselves! The tender, perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned plump little pieces of salmon rested gently on top of the medley of veggies.

The hubby and I took about 5 seconds ogling the dish, grinning at each other, and dug right in! The succulent fish, the crispy carrots, sweet onions, and various other veggies melted in our mouths as we rapidly worked our way through the meal. Moments later we sat back - our mouths full, stomachs happy, hearts satisfied! What a great end to the year - what a great moment to look forward to a new year. I hope our days are always filled with such meals - delicious, soul satisfying, delectable delights!