Stanley BLD: Inspiration...Cultures of the World!

Sometimes when I write up these blogs, I feel the need to start it with some sort of funny story that's happened or a recent life event. But lately I haven't been as much into blogging as I have been some other things we have going in life. Things much more exciting and bigger. Well, something we think is bigger but I guess it depends on who you talk to. So today, I have no events to tell and I feel the need to keep the funny/embarrassing story to myself (believe it or not, I have some things I don't share with you).

This week we're making it cultural week around our house when it comes to the dinners...sampling out some new recipes that come from all sorts of cultures. We pulled upon our trusty go-to big namers and their online recipes to provide you with a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus a nice, long grocery list. Here ya have it...

BREAKFAST

*PaleOMG Mexican Egg Hash Bake with Sliced Grapefruit

(click the link above for the recipe)

*Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Drink/Pudding with an OEG (over easy egg)

3 mason jars

1 can pumpkin

about 2 1/2 C almond milk

pumpkin pie spice

2-3 tablespoons chia seeds

toppings (walnuts, almond butter, honey, etc)

Split up your pumpkin can into three of your mason jars. Pour your almond milk into each jar evenly. Stir well until mixed. Dump your chia seeds into your mix, put the lid on, shake well. Let it sit for a few minutes, then shake again before putting it into the fridge. Let it sit overnight and pull them out each morning. Put some of your topping ideas over the top of your pudding and enjoy! (Add an egg or two to finish off your breakfast and you'll be set!)

LUNCH

Dinner leftovers. Always leftovers.

Are you sick of me telling you that yet?

DINNER
"Caribbean"
(per wikipedia, my trusty guide today)

*AAG Pulled Pork (barbacoa) Lettuce Wrapped Tacos

+ sliced jicama

(click link above for recipe. Grocery list written for lettuce wrapped tacos, ingredients not on 

list for the tacos in this recipe)

"Italian"

*AAG Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash (primal)

(click on link above for recipe)
side salad with carrots, cucumber slices, & tomatoes

"Thai"

*Paleo Leap Tom Kha Gai Soup

(click on link above for recipe)

*I doubled this recipe, added 1-2 chopped lemon grass stalks, and piled more chicken into the recipe (it was heavy on the veggies and needed a little more protein for me).
Pick a fun new fruit for a side that you've never tried before!

"Indian"

*PaleOMG Indian Chicken & Rice

(click on link above for recipe)
+ "naan bread"

"Mexican"

*AAG Fish Tacos

(click on link above for recipe)

GROCERY LIST

(written for a typical layout of a Winco store)

2 limes

3 grapefruit

melon of any sort (add as a side to any dish)

grapes, apples, pears (add as a side to any dish or as a snack)
pick one fruit you've never tried before!

1 bag shredded cabbage
1 bag salad (your choice in lettuce)
1 small cucumber
1 tomato
1 carrot

1 small jicama

2 red bell peppers

3 yellow onions

1 white onion

1 sweet potato

4 avocados

1 head cauliflower

Butter leaf lettuce (for lettuce wrapped tacos)

1-approx 3lb spaghetti squash

1 bunch cilantro

1 cup button mushrooms

chia seeds (may or may not carry them)

shredded mozzarella cheese (can buy higher quality elsewhere)

ricotta cheese (can buy higher quality elsewhere)

parmesan cheese (can buy higher quality elsewhere)
salsa of your choice
1lb organic, grass fed ground beef
1lb chorizo
3lb pork shoulder (can buy higher quality elsewhere)
2lbs chicken (frozen or thawed)
1lb cod, salmon, or halibut (can buy higher quality elsewhere)
almond milk (unsweetened)
5 dozen eggs
1 can pumpkin
2 cans tomato paste
3 cans tomato puree/sauce
1 large box chicken broth
3 cans full fat coconut milk
1-2 stalks lemon grass (may or may not be at winco)
dried chipotle peppers (mexican section in a bag)

Side notes
*if you don't have almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, unsweetened shredded coconut,
ghee, honey or coconut sugar then you should add that to the list. They are great to have on hand!
*I did not include spices on this list as we have most of them. Be sure to look over the recipes to make sure there's nothing you may need.
*These recipes make enough for the two of us for dinner and lunches, which may differ for your situation

That does it folks! The list looks much larger as I type it out this way than it does when I make it on my phone for the trip to the grocery store. Heaven forbid I forgot something. Blame me if that's the case, but I'm hoping we've got it all covered. Don't forget to read all the side notes!

Enjoy!

♥T&C

The Monks of SE Asia

Can I just tell you all a few little things we are so thankful for...

1) world travel and the means to do so
2) life experiences such as these
3) cultures (the million of them)
4) traveling partners who were always up for adventures (Ty & Meg for me)
5) the memories, knowledge, and the sensitivity to the cultures thereafter

Ok, I could seriously keep going on and on about traveling, but I'll stop. I just can't be more thankful for everything that comes along with it. After we took our trip to SE Asia, I pulled our photos together to post a travel Tuesday or Thursday travels each week. I was going back through all the blog post drafts (those which I've prepped but not posted) and this was one of them:

The Monks of SE Asia.

I had an obsession with monks...their life, their religion, their devotion. I was partly obsessed with them. Ok fine, I was obsessed with them. I may not have gotten "that perfect photo" I was hoping for, but I sure got plenty. I felt like the monk paparazzi. How annoying I must have been, right?

Skim through the photos to see the SE Asian monks. I highly suggest looking
up more information on them and taking it as an educational experience on this Tuesday!

The Monks of Cambodia

the "traditional" morning alms is much different in Laos due to the Khmer Rouge many years ago.

Unlike the other countries where all the monks file in a line down the street in the early morning (you'll see a photo below), they tend to do it here and there and usually with themselves or with another monk.

Monks are not allowed to drive. They get rides from anybody willing.

Their garments can be all sorts of colors. I read that the color doesn't signify anything anymore and instead, it has more to do with what was donated at each given time.

alms in action down a side street in Cambodia

Monks don't necessarily like to be photographed (as you can see, I have a lot of photos of them behind their back or off to the side). However, every so often you'll run into some younger monks who are all for it. Plus if you catch a chatty one, he will tell you his life story....

each man comes to be a monk at all sorts of times in their lives. Some come and spend up to 5 days after a family member has died to show respect. Some come at a young age because they are either orphaned or the family cannot provide them with anything, so they send them to the city or a rural area to become a monk. And some make that choice on their own.

These kiddos lived out in a rural area and again, many of them were orphaned or were sent in by their families.

The Monks of Laos

typical morning alms

Morning alms was super early each day...and each day we almost missed it. It was a close call, but we made it in order to watch the process. As you can see, each monk carries a beautiful gold bucket or basin of some sort, hung around their necks with the orange fabric. Women must be on their knees to offer while the men can stand. Typically, food and money are given to the monks each morning.

The streets are very quiet during this time, even with all the foot traffic and people that early in the morning.

Every so often, you might catch them doing their chores between their studies, alms, and their normal routine in the temples.

you might even catch them not being so serious...

And who knows, maybe you'll catch one as we did hanging around in a hammock in a super rural area!

Unfortunately I can't seem to find the monks of Thailand, so these will do. Plus, it's probably an
overload of monks in their typical garments in nearly all the same types of photos.
I clearly couldn't contain myself and the photos. Obsessed, intrigued, call it whatever you want.

Hope you enjoyed a little piece of Tuesday Travels from our SE Asia backpacking trip.
Go find some time to do a little research on the monks. It will be worth your time.
Any knowledge is worth your time.

♥T&C