Ethiopian Food

Ethiopian food is some of the best food on the planet. It is so rich in flavor and texture, as well as visual appeal. I love the Injera bread made with gluten-free teff flour, with it's slight tartness and spongy feel. I tried out two Ethiopian restaurants recently and was dazzled by the delicious food and lovely decor. My first stop was Queen of Sheba Restaurant in Tampa.

Here they have a lunch buffet with all manner of delicacies and I made my own plate of vegetarian choices.

What I love about Ethiopian food is not only is sooo delicious, but its vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are abundant and extremely satisfying. The vegetarian combo usually consists of yellow split peas with turmeric (Shiro Alitcha), spiced collard greens (Gomen), stewed cabbage (Atkilt Wot), spicy red lentils (Misir Wot), mushrooms sauteed with onions (Ingunday Tibs), a green salad (Salata), a lemony chickpea blend (Buticha) and a potato/carrrot/green bean mixture (Fasolia). I ordered a bit of red pepper sauce (Berbere) on the side, because I like it extra spicy!

The beauty of this restaurant is exquisite. All the art work and tapestry wrapped itself around me as I dined.

 

Back in Orlando, the food is even better at the Nile Ethiopian Restaurant. The chef obviously cooks for an Ethiopian palate and the food is very spicy!

I had the vegetarian combination as usual and the flavor of each dish was distinct and outstanding.

Many Ethiopian restaurants make their injera using a mixture of teff and wheat flour. I always request the 100% teff grain injera as it's gluten-free. While enjoying my food, I was cocooned in a traditional style Ethiopian eating area, surrounded by a grass reed enclosure...

 ...and wonderful artwork.

I may try my hand at preparing Ethiopian food at home. I found some great tips at healthygreenkitchen.com and the lovely cover photo as well!

Acupuncture

Yesterday, I experienced an exceptional Acupuncture treatment with Dr. Shin-Yang Chen in Melbourne Beach, Fl. 

I have had acupuncture before, but never like this. His healing energy was palpable the moment I met him and things just got better and better. The key to acupuncture is that there are points along our body meridians that, when stimulated, balance the flow of energy or chi within us. This balance is equal to optimal health. When we don't have it, our chi is stuck and our blood stagnant, hence we experience disease and ill health. 

Dr Chen took the traditional practice a step further by incorporating Electro Acupuncture where each needle, after being inserted into the appropriate points, is attached to an electrode. A subtle current is turned on and runs through the energy points, further stimulating proper chi flow and balance. It is not painful, though you do feel a pulsing sensation.

As I lay there with those currents pulsating through my body meridians, I truly felt like I was floating off the table. Then, when I thought I could not reach a peace greater, Dr. Chen removed the needles and began a massage of my neck, temples and shoulder blades with deep penetrating strokes and Chinese herbal oils. I can only say that you must, when in town, go and see him. It was profound.

Later, I was given a cupping treatment that just put the icing on the cake of the whole experience. This is a suction method where cups are placed on your back and then, through heat or manually, a vacuum is created with your skin that draws out impurities by increasing blood flow. 

According to www.cuppingtherapy.info, "Cupping therapy or Hijama has been utilized for centuries to cure illnesses. Hijama was used for thousands of years by Pharaohs and ancient Egyptians. It was also used by ancient Chinese, Greek and all old civilizations. The oldest recorded medical textbook, Ebers Papyrus, written in approximately 1550 BCE in Egypt mentions cupping." 

Our ancestors knew so much intuitively and spiritually that today's scientific research cannot even begin to understand and decode. The way I felt when I got up from my full treatment, is indescribable. The wisdom of the ages had granted me a healing opportunity of a lifetime. I am still glowing and charged and filled with joy from the lightness my body achieved, due to these detoxifying and balancing procedures. I left with an herbal medicine made for me on the premises by Dr. Chen's wife and an appointment to return next week, not to mention the most exuberant, lithe, happy and peaceful body, mind and spirit. Here I am at the ocean after my treatment.

And here is my delicious dinner.

And the best milk imaginable, non-dairy and organic Brazil Nut Milk!

The Perfect Path

There are many angels walking along this perfect path of life that we have before us. Often, they go unnoticed; as all that glitters isn't gold. These individuals tend to be out of the spotlight, in the sidelines, quietly doing their good work without need of recognition or reward. There joy is in the random act of kindness which they look forward to offering at every opportunity. I had the privilege of being touched by one of these angels yesterday. 

I took a short trip to Dunedin, Fl which is one of top three most walkable cities in the U.S. according to walkscore.com. I am passionate about old fashioned community where residents walk everywhere, chat with neighbors and look out for each others children. So, off to Dunedin I went.

Filled with such excitement and joy, I did something I have never done before. I forgot and left my keys in the car door and happily trotted off to enjoy this lovely town. After enjoying the experience immensely, I returned to my car and realized my mistake. My keys were nowhere to be found and I took a minute to give thanks to the Most High for what I knew would be a perfect resolution, one way or the other. There was a hospital across from the parking lot and I imagined that someone may have taken the keys and turned them in to a safe place. Sure enough, when I inquired at the hospital security, my keys were waiting for me. An angel. All the dreadful things that could have happened in this situation did not. It was as if an angel had been following me, watching out and making sure. We are not alone here. Life need not be a battle. There is a higher force made manifest in many of those walking the Earth right now. They are everywhere and willing to perfect our path at every turn. Needless to say, I love Dunedin, Fl!

Every time someone walked by, they said hello! This town is beautiful inside and out.

A quaint place to stay while you're in town.

And to stop and smell the tropical flowers...

A few days after my experience in glorious Dunedin, I enjoyed a mesmerizingly beautiful day at Wekiwa Springs Park. Here you can rent bicycles, kayaks and go for a lovely swim in the natural spring. The water was quite cold but a truly welcome respite from the 98 degree heat! My trusty blue beach cruiser took me all around the meandering paths of the park.

These were the exquisite paths before me. 

 

Time for a swim...

And the pristine waters took me to another level.

The Watercourse Way

The Earth is a wondrous place. Everywhere we look we can find some beauty, vitality and peace. Despite the history of humanity as well as the present day, so littered with sorrows, suffering and despair, there is a constant reality of serenity and integrity that forever remains. Both the sky and the ocean stay out of judgement of our human horrors. The sun and the wind unfailingly give their offering to us no matter what injustices we may commit. The black earth and the stoic trees forgive us time and time again, regardless of the assaults. Even when children are murdered and good lives are wasted, the stars come screaming out at night, though silently and without reproach. We are so blessed, all of us, to live upon our Mother, she gives us her bounty even when she is drained, delights us on every turn, though often unappreciated and shows us the way we can follow if we would - the watercourse way, flowing, open and non-judgemental; traveling onwards with the current, harming no thing, simply allowing the wonders of spirit manifest on earth to be our guide.

By the Grace of the wonderful Creator of this magnificent Universe, I was led to Clearwater Beach this weekend. I cannot begin to express how overwhelmed I was with the majesty of this place. The water and the sky were beckoning all to come, play, rejoice, share and be enriched. I was awed by the warm, crystal clear aquamarine water, the pure white sand and the way the sky just smiled like it knew the view was out of this world.

 

The simple perfection of the ocean and the sea never cease to amaze me. 

The beaches in Florida are spectacular and it is such a delight to compare the Gulf waters with those of the Atlantic. I also visited Indian Rocks Beach on the eastern coast and it has it's own treasures.

 Namely, the beautiful shells abounding and the nearly empty shores.

Also, there is an amazing health food coop a block or two from the beach and they prepared this raw vegan sushi for me to enjoy by the water.

They also put together a box of organic goodies straight from the farmers'. Swiss chard, dandelion leaves, kale and pineapple all in one luscious box.

The mango literally blew my mind and transported me back to the joy of picking them from the trees in Jamaica. Hooray for Happy Healthy Human!

And here in Florida, you not only have the gulf and the ocean, but more lakes than you can name. Lake Eola is right in the middle of downtown Orlando and is brimming with its own beauty.

While lounging by the water, I had the opportunity to read, The Island Beneath the Sea, by Isabel Allende.This book is so brilliant. It's an historical novel that elaborates on the intricacies of the slave trade in a way I have not seen done before. Allende presents all the vicissitudes of man's inhumanity to man and how we fall into this, rise above it and continue to maintain our dignity, spirituality and ability to love. Again, it's the watercourse way.