WHAT’S IN A NAME? WHERE IS THE GAME?
NEW LOOK. NEW DESIGN. UPDATED USER EXPERIENCE!
There is a huge update on the site! I revamped the whole site this year, with a goal to harmonize the various threads that I had branched off into over the years. To begin with, I struggled with a name. "Fork Spoon Knife" was succinct and to the point when I started the site in 2008. Over the years, as I grew in experiences, my site grew in complexity. I felt the strong urge to simplify it and create space and thus started a journey of an overhaul.
NOURISHED by Asha is an homage to both the feeling and the quest we all seek in some form in our lives. It also answered the underlying reason for the site's existence. It was my record and offering to you, of my journeys to nourish my self and others. In doing so, I was hoping to offer inspirations wherever you may meet me in this journey, on a specific path or through it all.
This monthly newsletter is also part of the update. My intent is to stay conscious of your time and make it a useful experience. So, instead of blasting an email every time I post, I will be sending thoughtful emails once a month, on the first Sunday, for your leisurely read. It will include pertinent announcements, new recipes posted and ideas to explore during the month, around the topics that the site covers. I also plan to pull from the larger community to provide you with inspiration, rather than recreate content that has already been well done!
There are a few new features you will find as you browse the site, and, I will explain more of it over the next few weeks! For the present, the big shift in the main journal is that I have functionally cataloged the posts into FOOD, TRAVEL and GARDEN. You can access the entire archives on the site at anytime. New posts will get a shout out on Instagram as and when they go up; be sure to follow me on my new Instagram handle, nourishedbyasha.
So, jump in and explore the new website. I hope find the latest version more relatable. Please feel free to drop me a note with suggestions and any feedback!
Every year, come Holiday time, I feel a rush of excitement swiftly followed by a wave of stress. There is so much that is expected to be done in this time - experiences to squeeze in, visits to family and Santa, foods and feasts to indulge in, gifts to buy, wrap and give. And, let's not forget document it all on social media!
Every year, I feel a desire to spend this time in slowing down, going within rather than out, resting - a desire to ground, cherish and root. So, this year, I decided, I just would do that. I am going to listen to what I and my family need and want and flow with that. That means, I may be baking scones with my kids because she wants to, not because I feel I need to bake something to post. Or, decorating the house over several days mindfully and/or not putting up many decorations at all. It means not spending money to create experiences but rejoicing in what we already have and holding together what matters most, intentionally. It doesn't mean I don't plan special projects; it means having the ability to let go of a plan when it doesn't feel right, and, to simply stay present and alive.
With that said, here are a few things I am looking forward to this month.
- Cookies that my husband and TF plan to bake together and TF2 and I will happily devour
- Evenings in front of the fire and possibly too many s'mores
- Cozy times cuddled under a blanket and watching movies and shows
- Baking with TF - whatever catches her fancy, anything to do with mixing by hand and whisking! Possibly a lot of bread. She loves to knead. :)
- Making fun crafts with TF - mindfulness for me, development for TF
- Watching the sisters be sisters through triumphs and trials!
What are you looking forward to this season?
P E R S P E C T I V E
It’s reality, isn’t it?! I am realizing a lot about how true that is. Two people can have such different realities and sometimes, If you are lucky, the other person’s perspective can just brighten your day, make you more compassionate and understanding. We often look to therapists for such insight. I argue though that kids inadvertently make the best therapists. Through their eyes do we see hope, through their trials on us, do we find inner strength and growth, through their song and dance do we often find our voice. Through them, we find uncomplicated JOY! ❤️✨
I wanted to make a boring pull apart bread. TF in her innocent, open wonder called it a ZEBRA BREAD!! 🦓
RECIPES FOR THE MONTH
All the recipes listed here are great for your family, and, in the spirit of the season, also make great homemade hamper gifts!
For your pantry - Mint + Sumac Marinated Goat Cheese, because they are easy to whip out and make a spread when someone drops in a visit or even to put in to a gift hamper.
A lemon curd that really is a versatile pantry item, to be used in pastries or dolloped on waffles and pancakes. Heck! Spread it thick and luxurious on toast. Besides, it is the season to make it!
Breakfast with Cocoa, Almond and Oat Muffins. These work around the year and especially now for strength and resilience! :)
Or, these delicious Cranberry, Cheddar and Thyme Scones. Scones are so cute for breakfast and they are a super awesome and easy bake to get kids involved in. It is really hard to get them wrong and their sense of accomplishment is return enough!
Simple and wholesome Tomato Soup. No matter how hard we try, we are going to feel some rush this month. This is a meal that come together with really no effort in between errands or getting things together, is warming to the belly and so satisfying.
Egg Puffs. Whether you are looking to host a fancy brunch, tea or just looking for a healthy filling snack, these are amazing finger foods for kids and adults. Butternut Squash No-Knead Bread. Homemade bread is both a beauty and a bane, especially when you have little kids. Enter the no-knead bread. It has the bite and flavor of sourdough, the oomph of homemade-ness, the resilience to involve kids and best of all is literally 5 minutes work. Time, oh time, is the precious ingredient and a passive one too. Even better, you can use up your mash and thick veg purees into making this by substituting the liquid volumes accordingly!
For when you have the relaxed desire for indulgent and long cooking, Mutton Biriyani with Biriyani Spice Marinated Lamb Chops with Lime and Mint Yogurt is a fabulous way to spend a weekend!
And another luxurious dish from the kings of luxury, the Persians! Koresht Fesenjen
And in the end, for the sweet -
Chocolate Chip Blondie Cake. If you are looking for rich and indulgent in small packages, this is it! The original inspiration for this was a cranberry squares that I used to make. Both are simply festive and fantastic!
And, my absolute favorite cake, the Torta de Pera, a study in simplicity and elegance while yet with so much depth. A true Florentine essence in every bite!
With Coffee or Cognac - Inspirations for the mind
Guilia's Cooking with an Italian Accent is delightfully authentic and relatable. Based in a little village in Tuscany, she brings together her childhood memories, larger Italianness and a global outlook gleaned from curiousity and experience teaching a lot of foreigners to cook Italian food!
Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? Most of us will shy away from asking those awkward questions that may just give us a new understanding if we knew the answers for it. Whether, it is a close friend or family or a stranger, apparently, not as many people take offense to being asked the question than we tend to imagine! What a delight! What will you ask of whom if you could ask anything without consequences?
A lady detective just at the edge of women's liberation? I am loving the Kate Shackleton series by Frances Brody. I stumbled onto her at my library, when TF picked out a mystery wrapped book and I have been hooked!
Aran Goyoaga's eponymous blog book, Cannelle et Vanille is riveting! Albeit written as a gluten free eater, the stories and recipes resonate warmly. It is the perfect book to pick up on a lazy afternoon, when the kids nap, and sift through with a cup of coffee, and inspiration sparks!
Finally, get a move on, and nourish your body with some movement and sweat! Rosie at Mamawellfocuses on pre and post natal strengthening but her free workouts on Instagram are amazing for anyone. A quick 30 minute ride on the endorphins train and a solid investment in yourself! She is currently running a 12 Days of Fitness series that is just what you do to stay grounded and focused within!