Category: writing
Book Reviews
Notable Quotes
Added weekly
- “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”. ~Socrates
- “We don’t have to see past the fog to know there are stars”. ~ Fatima Farheen Mirza
- “Knowing yourself will lead you to the knowledge of God”. ~ Elif Shafak
- “The Path to the Truth is a labour of the heart, not of the head. Make your heart your primary guide. Not your mind. Meet, challenge, and ultimately prevail over your najs (false ego) with your heart. Knowing your ego (higher self / soul) will lead you to the knowledge of God”. ~ Elif Shafak
- “A woman is like a tea bayou never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water”. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones- the ones at home”. ~ Mother Teresa
Strawberry Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter ( 1/2 cup), softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs ( room temperature)
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries chopped and tossed in 1 tablespoon of flour

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, beat eggs using a fork. Add eggs to sugar mixture and beat until combined. Add mashed bananas and mix until combined.
- Sift all dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add sifted dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix until flour is just combined. Do Not Over-mix! Fold in floured covered strawberries.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake at 375f for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30 minutes until edges are slightly brown or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool completely before removing from loaf pans.
- Enjoy it with a mug of tea!
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is one of the world’s most popular health foods. It is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants. Indulge into one of my favorite Quinoa salads.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 15 oz black beans
- 15 oz corn
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (as desired)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 lime, juiced
- fresh cilantro, to garnish
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until softened.
- Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, quinoa, vegetable stock, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and top with the avocado, lime juice, and cilantro.
👩🏻🍳Enjoy!
Best Yogurt Parfait Ever
Ingredients:
- One 17 1/2-ounce container plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Assorted berries (or other fruit of your choice)
Directions:
- Pour the yogurt into a bowl.
- Then add the cream and vanilla. With a whisk, carefully stir until combined. It should be nice and thick.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the yogurt mixture. Do not stir the mixture. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and tightly seal the edges. Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to serve, place a small handful of berries (or other fruit) into a bowl or cup. Without stirring the mixture, spoon the yogurt over the berries. There will be creamy areas and brown sugar areas. Repeat the layers once, ending with berries on top.
Tuna-Almond Salad Sandwich
Ingredients:
- Solid White Tuna in Water – 3 can 7 oz
- Pomegranate Molasses – 3 tablespoons
- 4 big sticks of Celery chopped
- 1 tomato cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt (as desired)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Mayo “Just Mayo”
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoons of almonds toasted with 1 tablespoon of Vital Farms Unsalted Butter
Directions:
- In a glass bowl, mix the ingredients ( red onions, tomatoes, celery, black pepper, Himalayan, Mayo, pomegranate, tuna) together – Blend in the tuna by separating the big chucks.
- Scoop two tablespoons of the tuna-almond salad on a leaf of lettuce or on a slice of toasted bread.
- Sprinkle the top with toasted almonds
- Enjoy it with friends and family
Fig-Apricot Bombs
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or nut of choice
6 oz dried apricots
6 oz dried figs
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
dash of Himalayan salt
3 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes for coating
Directions:
- Remove fig stems
- Place the figs, apricots, nuts, chocolate chips in food processor.
- Blend until finely chopped.
- The chocolate chips will still have some larger pieces, but just keep them mixed with the batter.
- Transfer into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt
- Mix well and then roll into mini balls.
- Roll each mini ball in the coconut flakes
- Place on wide plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Enjoy with a cup of tea!
Happy Reading 📔
©️Kalida Corner
Bake & Toss
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes
1 medium red onion
15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons garlic, minced ( used garlic paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Himalayan salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3 oz mixed greens
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoons dried cranberries (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in small cubes and transfer on one half of a non-stick baking sheet.
- Peel and slice the onion.
- Add the chickpeas to the other half of the baking sheet.
- In a glass bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Pour half of the dressing over the sweet potatoes and chickpeas and mix with your hands until well-coated. Keep the chickpeas and sweet potatoes separated as much as possible.
- Scoot the chickpeas toward the sweet potatoes and add the onions to the baking sheet. Make sure everything is spread out evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Let cool for 20 minutes.
- Place the greens in a large bowl. Top with the roasted chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and onion.
Add the parsley, cilantro, and remaining dressing and toss to combine.Top with dried cranberries, if using.Happy & Healthy Summer⛱
©️Kalida Corner
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Almond Butter Ice Cream
3 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
¼ cup Coconut Cream 🥥
½ cup Organic Almond Butter – unsalted & unsweetened- Creamy
3 tablespoons Organic Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract (optional)
Almond Butter Swirl
• ¼ cup Organic Almond Butter – unsalted & unsweetened- Creamy
Directions:
- Add bananas to a Food Processor . Blend until crumbly. Add coconut cream and blend until smooth.
- Add ½ cup almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed.
- Pour half of the mixture into a freezer-friendly – used Pirex . Tap the container a few times to create an even layer. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of almond butter over this layer of ice cream in a large zigzag pattern, creating big pockets of almond butter. Keep it uneven for more chunky swirls.
- Pour the remaining half of the ice cream mixture over the almond butter swirl.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of almond butter over the ice cream. Dip a butter knife straight down into the ice cream, almost hitting the bottom of the container. Gently swirl the knife around the ice cream in a clockwise motion–starting near the edge of the container and ending in the center, creating pretty almond butter swirls. Do not over-stir, as that will fully mix the almond butter into the ice cream and remove swirls.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until completely frozen. Allow to thaw for 4 minutes before scooping.
- Sprinkle Cacao Nibs & Coconut Chips Toasted for a crunchy delight!
Happy & Healthy Summer⛱
©️Kalida Corner