Live in the Earth

It's where green meets black. Where indulging in life exists harmoniously with respecting it. No compromises. What once sounded too good to be true, turns out to be surprisingly simple. If we are good to the earth, it can be very good back. The conscience and decadence!
Use Organics, why? Because it's mother nature made it and it's good for us!
Don't need always to eat! Eat to indulge your body, soul and mind! Don't live for eating and be food addict! If you're addict, it means you're junk, and what you put in it is junk. Our body needs only enough vitamins and nutritions not less, not more! Please, follow up!

Clean Kitchen

I know every women in the world wants to see their kitchen clean and fresh smelled, so do I. I have witnessed many people try to use strong cleaners and most of them enhanced with bleach which is harmful for our lungs, for our skin and etc. Here is few tips what you can do and how can you keep it under control when you have less time in our busy world. It works for me and I enjoy a lot when I'm at home and see my kitchen clean, sanitized and fresh like new home! I feel comfortable when my family including my pets adore being in the clean and fresh like flower kitchen!

-- Never use strong cleaners, especially with bleach unless it's your new home and after cleaning it you won't use kitchen for a week.
-- Always open a window (if you've one in your kitchen) for an hour mornings and 3 hours evenings, especially when you cook, and when you clean.
-- Keep potted indoor plants which doesn't need direct sun light, like bamboo, in your kitchen.
-- If you've disposal (I hate disposal and never shall have one in my kitchen, it's wasting of water and environment) use lemon to keep it clean and fresh. Once a month cut 1 lemon into 3-4 pieces and throw it to disposal, open the cold water and turn on disposal. Let it works for 10 minutes then turn it off and let cold water runs for 10 minutes more, and whola!!!
-- Microwave also need to be cleaned once a week. Cut lemon into 2 halves, add one half into microwave safe bowl dish and add water. Put it into microwave and set it 2 minutes high heat, then wipe clean with damp cloth, if it's necessary repeat one more time then clean. Always remember to keep microwave door 5 minutes open after use.
-- Floor need to be sprayed and washed with damp cloth once a week.
-- Clean your stove and oven after every use with damp cloth, but when it's already cool. Never touch the stove or oven when it's hot!
-- If you can turn off your refrigerator for a week it will save you money and it'll work better and shall have long life. In a year 2 times your refrigerator better be off and clean it when it's off with damp cloth thoroughly (you can rest by this way for not cooking 2 weeks in a year ;-) ).
-- Counter tops need to be cleaned everyday with damp cloth. Once a week sanitize it with antibacterial wipes after cleaning with soapy water and cloth.
-- Try to use small garbage bins and use light colour liners, instaed of black and brown colours, because dark colours attract bugs, especially cockroaches.
-- Recycle!!! Do you know why people use big bins? It's because they don't recycle. Average families with 4 persons have to have 4 litres trash per week if they recycle.
-- Always recycle glass, metal, especially plastics, plastic bags, paper, cardboard, bulbs, old clothes, old and broken furnitures and so on.. Do you know that when we recycle we save our environment, our mother nature, our atmosphere, air we breathe? When we recycle it's being used less energy for making same products too, which means we save water for future.
-- When you buy cleaning supplies read ingredients they used to make it and try to prefer Eco friendly products in you household. It is good for you and it is good for environment! Read instructions too, because you have to know is that product you purchase is safe for your family health?

I Hope These Tips will be Useful as They're For Me!!!

Dolma

Azeris have 3 kinds of Dolma: 
Dolma with Aubergine, Green Pepper and Tomato;
Dolma with Grape Leaves; 
Dolma with Cabbage. 
Dolma means stuffed when its made with aubergine, green pepper and tomato, and it means wrapped when it made with grape leaves and cabbage which is being wrapped. Turkish calls grape leaves Dolma "Sarma".

I have changed some ingredients in recipe in these Dolmas, and it became more delicious and healthy.

Grape Leaves Dolma: 
2 kg grape leaves (it can be fresh or marinated)
3 kg ground lean beef
500 gr ground lamb
1 tbs sea salt
1 ts black pepper
200 gr washed white basmati or short grain round rice
300 gr tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water spring water
Garlic and yogurt sauce or just yogurt for garnishing

Cooking Time:
30 minutes 95C
30 minutes 145 C
15 minutes 200 C (in this step you can add some boiled water if necessary for steaming).

Cabbage Dolma:
2 big white cabbages (cabbage leaves need to be steamed before wrap)
3 kg ground turkey or chicken
200 gr washed white rice (refer to grape leave dolma's rice)
1 tbs sea salt
1 ts red crushed pepper
1 can ( 500 gr) crushed tomato
1 small bunch rosemary
1/2 bunch spearmint
Greens have to be small cut.
2 cups spring water
250 gr extra virgin olive oil

Cooking Time:
Appr. 1 hour in medium heat.

Dolma with Aubergine, Green Pepper and Tomato:
4 aubergines
4 green peppers
8 tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
1 kg grounded and sauteed lean beef
150 gr washed white rice
1 cup spring water
1 tbs sea salt
1 ts ground black pepper
200 gr extra virgin olive oil

Cooking Time:
Appr. 45 minutes to 1 hour in medium heat.

Cabbage Soup with Brown Jasmine Rice

This soup delicious and full of nutritions. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and shall agree with me when you taste it.

Ingredients:

Spring water
1 kg white cabbage
1 yellow onion
1/2 stalk celery
1 cup / 250gr brown jasmine rice
6 garlic cloves
1 ts turmeric
2 tbs iodized sea salt
5 whole black pepper
2 tbs dried parsley
Fresh dill for garnishing (small cut)


Simply cut or chop all vegetables and add enough water so vegetables can cook thoroughly.  When it's cooked let it stand 30 minutes, then blend it (I always use BAMIX Immersion Blender so I do not need to transfer food to other dish and I don't waste the food). When it's done check it's salt and liquidity if necessary add some more water and let simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish it with fresh dill and Bon Appetite!

Pets

Pets are always welcome in our home and life, including turtle but excluded other reptiles. But we shouldn't forget that there are also live creatures who feels, have instinct, who needs love and care, and we must share planet with other live creatures, too. If you don't know how to care about pet it's better not to have it, if you want to have pet because it's fashionable you're heartless. We can talk and express our feelings and pain, but they can show it us by their touch and behavior, so it's better you love him/her to understand what they want, like your child, even more than your child, because "pets are never growing child who love us and feel us". You have to know how to wash them, how often wash them, what kind of food they like, in which part of home they like to sleep or rest most of the day. What they try to explain you by their touches or sounds. If you love you pet, but don't understand yet contact to specialist. Try to stay with your pet when they have veterinarian check up or having surgery or just normal vaccinations. I saw few videos in You Tube how they torture animals when they give shot, that is totally wrong. I have two beautiful and adorable felines and I know how to make them calm, be with them when they get shots that they never frighten and never will have any anxiety issues.

For further advices and questions please, do not hesitate to contact!

Bread

The way its simple ingredients come together to create something so much greater and more profound. The satisfying smell of it. The taste of it, warm from the oven, and the spell it weaves around your senses making you feel as though nothing on earth could possibly make you happier.

Since my childhood I liked to eat bread, just bread. Freshly baked, simple ingredients and that heavenly pure smell of it.

Baking bread is as simple as fried eggs, just you need to put your love in it too.

Here is some tips how to make your own bread:

1. Spring Water, Flour, Salt, Yeast, Brown Cane Sugar. Mix 1 ts sugar with yeast in hot water and let it stand for 10 minutes. Mix water with flour and salt in separate bowl dish and add yeast mixer on it. Mix the ingredients with bare hands around 20 minutes and let it rest for 2 hours or until dough  doubles in size. Then you can bake it how you'd like. 

2. If you'd like your bread have some onions, greens, ham, pepperoni and etc., you just cut fresh ingredients separately and add it to dough before baking it. You can flatten your dough and put ingredients in centre, then make a dough ball, and shape it how you'd like before baking. This type of bread usually being called loaf.

3. When you dough is ready for baking use some oil or butter on top and egg. Whisk a one egg thoroughly and spread on top of your dough. You can garnish dough with sesame, dill weed and saffron.

Enjoy!!!

About My Blog

I always wanted to share my thoughts with others. I enjoy when I write my thoughts to diary or share with someone who needs it. I still write, but now I share it too.
I like my home clean, neat and accurate as same as museum. I always use only and only natural derived, organic, eco-friendly  products.
I like to be creative. Do something new, learn something that others cannot. I never repeat what others did and trying to make or do something almost incredible.

We have to eat to live, not to live for eating and food! You always remember this phrase and follow it, and every food you eat will indulge your soul.

I want through my blogger account contact to the world and can help people about everything what concerns home, to hear their comments, requests or even their complains if they have one.

When I created my Blog I just wanted to share my dish recipes, but than I thought that "Cooking goes as far as your Imagination goes or it's limited by your Imagination only" (French Proverbs). I still research and write about nutrition facts of vegetable, fruits, or some recipes which is very unique. As an Interior Designer I've decided to share every secrets and facts about our home, which I call my home My Sanctuary.

I'm thankful to Google for making such this opportunity for us to share our creativity, information with all world!

Bamboo Plant

Botanical Name:  Dracaena Sanderiana
Common Name:  Bamboo or Lucky Bamboo

• Straight, curly or spiral stalk
• Popular plant used in Feng Shui
• Flexible strap-shaped leaves

Bamboo "Dracaena Sanderiana" is known as a lucky plant is a grass which is can grow up to 8m height. Their care level is tolerant, and they like low light, which is they need 1-2 hours of indirect light per day. Bamboo needs frequent watering, temperature never should drop below 5 degree Celsius, and also if you have bamboo at home you need to fertilize it every 2 months. 
Bamboo generates oxygen, adds humidity to room air during dry conditions, creates healthier living environment and purifies the air of impurities.Can be used in offices, bathrooms, low light dining and living areas.
I designed to decorative vases with bamboo today which is one of them I'm going to put in my kitchen and another one I'll give present to my Yoga trainer.

My first project: I bought this vase in Baku, Azerbaijan from Chinese Exhibition in 2004, and I used 7 bamboo stalks for this project, 4 curly and 3 straight, and water.

My second project: I bought this tall glasses (2 glasses) before Christmas in 2009 and I broke one of it and I'm going to use another one for my project. I also used crystals, river stones, water, one curly bamboo stalk and red silk ribbon.

Please, contact me if you need any custom decorated plants for your home. Thank you for your interest in advance!

Fine South American Jewelry

My friend Vilma Pokorski is a Colombian. She' s importing fine hand crafted jewelry from South America and going to open her jewelry store soon in USA and asked me if  I could take photos of her products for catalog and I accepted. I took photos of jewelries today and edited. Everybody liked it! 

For any questions about jewelry and its quality, please, contact me at nurlana80@gmail.com. Thank you for your interest!

Coffee Glisse

If you love coffee, or are looking for an easy-to-make coffee drink for after dinner or a "stand-alone" dessert, try this coffee drink that is popular in between us Europeans.

Ingredients:

• Freshly Brewed Coffee (we prefer Italian Roast and Blonde Roast coffees)
• Brown Cane Sugar (if you prefer sweet)
• French Vanilla Ice Cream
• Hennessy Cognac  2tbs (you can make it non-alcoholic too)

Add sugar to the freshly brewed coffee, according to taste (or not at all if you prefer to have only the sweetness from the ice cream), allowing the sugar to dissolve completely while the coffee is still hot. You can cool the coffee in the refrigerator for a few minutes if you like to serve chilled, and/or you can directly add Cognac and on the top French Vanilla Ice Cream in tall glasses or coffee mugs.  You can garnish it with shredded coconut, grounded hazelnut or almond. 

Enjoy Your Dessert!

Note: This drink can be made with Nescafe Gold instead of freshly brewed coffee, too.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is known as a French food, but Azeri cuisine has 3 different way and name of this food: 1st is called "Badimjan Govurmasi" means Stir Fry Eggplant, 2nd "Ajab-Sandal" which is sliced and steam cooked vegetables, and 3rd is Fried Aubergine. Stir Fry Eggplant always serves with garlic-yogurt sauce. All this 3 recipes almost uses same ingredients. I'm going to briefly write all 3 recipes and cooking instructions.

Badimjan Govurmasi


Ingredients: 3 medium size aubergines, 3 green peppers, 5 tomatoes, 1 yellow or white onions, 2 potatoes, 3 tbs olive oil, 1 ts salt, 1/2 ts black ground pepper and 1 ts sour grape juice for taste, 2 cups yogurt and 3 cloves garlic.
Cooking direction: aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, onion need to peeled, washed and cut into cube sizes. Aubergine skin can be totally peeled or some stripes or with skin, it's up to you. Add all cut vegetables to deep fry pan add salt, oil, pepper and 120 - 150 ml water and let it cook in medium temperature for 15 minutes, then add peeled, washed and small cut potatoes, sour grape juice and let it cook 20 more minutes. In separate dish mix mashed garlic and yogurt with salt and some water. Add sauce as garnishing when you serve food. It can be served with bread aside.

Ajab-Sandal


Ingredients: 3 medium size aubergines, 4 green peppers, 5 tomatoes, 2 yellow or white onions, 3 potatoes, 4 tbs olive oil, 1 ts salt, 1/2 ts black ground pepper, 1/2 bunch of basil. 
Cooking direction: All vegetables need to wash and cut into flat slices, then start to make layers from each vegetables and after each 5 layers (it's 5 layer, because we have 5 type of vegetables it means each of them one layer) add salt, pepper and chopped basil, then again start other layer until you finish all vegetables and on the top add oil and 100 ml water. This food can be cooked on stove top dish or in oven safe dish in oven. It needs to be cooked for 20-25 minutes.


Fried Aubergine


Ingredients: 3 medium size aubergines, 4 green peppers, 5 tomatoes, 2 yellow or white onions, 3 potatoes, 4 tbs olive oil, 1 ts salt, 1/2 ts black ground pepper, 1/2 bunch of basil and 3 cloves garlic.
Cooking direction: All vegetables need to wash and cut into flat slices except garlic. Start to grill sliced vegetables in a grill pan and put them to separate dishes. In fry pan stir fry chopped garlic with oil for 5 minutes, then set it aside. Start making layers in fry pan and between each 5 layers add some chopped basil, fried garlic, salt and pepper then start other layers until you finish all your vegetables. Cover fry pan and let it be in warm temperature for 15 minutes. You can serve it cold or hot in either way. It also can be garnished with chopped parsley.


BON APPETITE! 

Some Tips For Healthy Eating and Healthy Life

I always use Organic and 100% Natural Products. If mother Nature didn't grow it I won't use it in my Recipes ever. 
Wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before cutting and cooking. 
Try not to eat after 18:00 if you ate your breakfast and lunch. If you eat late try to eat some fruits, nonfat yogurt or drink 1 or 2 cups of green tea after food. 
For late dinner and supper use 1 glass of red, dry wine with food. Other good habit is to walk half an hour after late dinner and supper.
If you want eat less amount of food for your lunch, dinner and supper try to drink one full glass of spring or mineral water 10-15 minutes before food. 
Never try to buy home necessities, food, clothes and other items from first place. Try to check at least 2 other places before you purchase merchandise you want.
Colours are very important issue for relaxing, comfort and psychological affection ! Especially, shades and tones have to be match exactly or can be used at least 1 neutral tone in between.

Perashki

Perashki is a Russian food, actually it's kind of hand-made and fried sandwich. Please, use only Organic and 100% Natural Products as I do for maximum taste and freshness!

Ingredients: 

For Cooking:

• Grapeseed Oil

For Dough:

• Iodized Salt
• Brown Sugar
• Floor
• Water
• Yeast

For Fill:

• Baking Potatoes
• Yellow Onion
• Black Ground Pepper
• Iodized Salt
• Dill
• Coriander

Borcsh

Borcsh is a Ukrainian National Vegetable Soup. It's delicious seasonal soup or can say main course, because it's vitamin rich food. This Recipe has been modified and added extra ingredients for better taste and freshness.


Ingredients:

1. White cabbage - 1 mid size
2. Carrot - 5 mid size
3. Beetroot - 3 small or 2 big
4. Yellow Onion - 2
5. Garlic - 6 cloves 
6. Dried Lime - 4 
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 cup or 250 ml
8. Tomato Paste or Tomato Puree - 400 gr
9. Kosher Salt - 3Tbs
10. Crushed or Whole Black Pepper - 1/2 ts
11. Bay Leave - 4
12. Spring Water - 1lt or as much it needs
13. Potato - 2 mid size Idaho potatoes preferably
14. Parsley - 1/2 bunch

Beef (200 gr cubed) for Meat Lovers can be added (it's optional as this original soup is a vegetarian food)


Cabbage, carrot, beetroot, onion, garlic need to cut into small sizes and add it to pot and add its water, salt, pepper, bay leave, dried lime, tomato paste or puree and oil. Let it cook in mid temperature for 30-40 minutes, then add cubed potatoes, and let it cook for additional 20 minutes,  when it's done set aside and add chopped parsley. 


If you'd like food  with beef so you've to add meat from beginning with cut vegetables.


Enjoy your healthy meal!!!

Stir Fry Spinach with Steamed Rice

For Stir Fry:

• Organic Baby Spinach (500 gr/2 bunches)
• Leek (1 bunch)
• Yellow Onion (1 bulb)
• Garlic (5 cloves)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Turmeric (1/2 ts)
• Kosher or Iodized salt (1 ts)
• Crushed Pepper (1/2 ts)
• Balsamic Vinegar (2 tbs)
• Soy Sauce (1.5 tbs)

For Steamed Rice:

• Basmati Rice (4 cups)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tbs)
• Kosher Salt (2 ts)
• Butter (1 tbs)
• Water

Cut leek and onion into tiny slices, add oil and stir fry about 7-10 minutes, then cut garlic into small pieces add to fry and add washed spinach, turmeric, salt, soy sauce, pepper and vinegar. Let it cook about 15 minutes.
Bring water to boil in stock pot and add salt. While water boiling add washed rice and let it cook "al dente" which means "firm to the bite" from Italian, then drain it into colander. Return pot to stove top and add drained rice, add oil and butter and cover with lid. Let it steam for 15-20 minutes.

Hand Decorated Mirror

• Silk Ribbon (polyester) white colour or the colour you like and any width, because it's up to size of your mirror  (2 rolls)
• White Colour Thread 
• Scotch Tape
• CONAIR Plastic Mirror
• White Faux Pearl
• Glue

Photo will be available soon!!!

Turkey Loaf

For Dough

• "King Arthur" Unbleached Bread Flour (1.14kg)
• Organic Cane Sugar (2Tbs)
• Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast (2 packs)
• Spring Water (never use tap water)
• "Publix" Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt (2ts)

For Loaf

• "Boar's Head" All Natural Roasted Turkey Ham (500gr)
• "Organic" Valley Italian Blend Shredded Cheese (170gr)
• Yellow Onion (1 bulb)
• Powder/Crushed Pepper (1/2 ts)

For Garnishing of Loaf

• Organic Green Wise Butter (14gr)
• Turmeric
• Cardamon
• Saffron
• Shredded Cheese

Mix in bowl salt, yeast, sugar with water then add flour and make a bread dough. Cut ham and onion small cubes then mix it with pepper and cheese in separate dish. Put dough on oiled board and flatten it so you can put ingredients in it. After you put ingredients make dough oval shape. Take your deep dish and spread olive oil in it then put loaf in it and press dough until it takes dish shapes, then add on top small cut of butter, spread shredded cheese, saffron, turmeric and cardamon. Cook 30 minutes on the lowest degree of your oven, then 30 minutes in 300 F/150 C, then 8 - 10 minutes on 400 F/200 C. Keep it in oven until it cools down, then transfer it to the board and slice it. This recipe serves 10. Enjoy your meal! 

Celery Soup

- Water (as much needed for the ingredients to be cooked )

- Celery (3 bunches)

- Milk (2 cups)

- Rice (1 cup)

- Flour (if you've rice flour it's better) (1/2 cup)

- Sea salt (1 tbs)

- Onion (1 head)

- Garlic (4 cloves)

- Sherry Cooking Wine or Fresh Lemon Juice for taste.

Cut all veggies and celery and add water and salt and cook it in medium temperature. When there're cooked and looks as broth make temperature low and add milk and flour stirring occasionally until it creates thick broth if necessary add water or flour during cooking, then set it aside. If you've soup mixer you can add cooked ingredients and make smooth broth. You can also prepare broth any time you want and keep it in refrigerator.