240 hours in Zimbabwe || Christmas in Africa - [Part 1]

On  the afternoon of the 19th of December 2013 I flew from Amsterdam to Zimbabwe for an amazing 10 days visiting my family, friends and country. There was so much I wanted to do and had to do in only 240 hours. It was intense. It was amazing and I absolutely loved it!

I arrived on Friday the 20th at around 2pm. The flight was long because I had two lay-overs in Cairo, Egypt and in Johannesburg, South Africa.When I arrived, it was so wonderfully warm! I felt so lucky to have some extra days of summer in DECEMBER! That weekend I spent it mostly with my family and catching up with friends from highschool and friends from church.

During the Christmas week, my family and I were going to be travelling a lot to see new places and visit our  extended family all over Zimbabwe. So on Christmas Eve's eve we did the present opening. Santa came early ;) !

Our first trip was to the villages in Masvingo. We were going to have a huge family reunion with the relatives from my mum's side and see  my amazing Mbuya (Thats 'Grandma' in Shona. Shona is one of the three official languages spoken in Zimbabwe.)

That morning we woke up early. Packed our things and we were off!

My sister was ready to go!

On our way to Masvingo we drove through smaller towns and cities.

After 6 hours of driving and a couple of stops along the way, we finally arrived at my Grandma's place in the villages! The rest of the family was already there. There was so much hugging, laughing and joy!We all stayed up so late into the night talking, laughing and eating. It was great.

We all went to sleep late, but the next morning was Christmas so everyone still got up early.

 To finish off Christmas day, we decided to got to the river with my sister and cousins. On our way there, we stopped by my grandma's shop. Her shop is the local village grocery store.

There was this gorgeous model just hanging out in the store ;) . (haha the "model" is my sister).

Right opposite the store there is the local pub. About 200 meters away was a church. In most villages or small towns there is always a grocery store, a pub and a church. It's funny to see that.

After our short visit to the store, we continued on our way to the riverside.

We stayed until sunset and took loads of pictures with my cousins and sister. It was so fun! As you can see a lot of my pictures ended in mid laughter or accidental snaps. haha!

That evening we had a huge Christmas dinner and early the next morning we were said our goodbyes and traveled back to Harare (the capital city of Zimbabwe).

We arrived late afternoon and all we wanted to do was rest. Mostly because we knew that the very next day we were travelling again. This time we would be going to the villages in Nyanga to visit my other Mbuya from my Dad's side of the family.

This not even halfway through the week so there's still more to come. See the rest of my 10 days in Zimbabwe here. I visit the beautiful Nyanga villages for the day (Part 2). Then over the weekend we go to the Lion and Cheetah park (Part 3)!

Thanks for reading!

Xx

Rati :)

Sushi Madness!

I love Sushi! I could eat it all day, EVERYDAY!. Making Sushi Maki is surprisingly easy. I remember the first time I made it at a friend's house about two years ago. It was so fun making the Maki roll from scratch and adding the kinds of fillings I wanted. It is a perfect way to spend time with friends or family. It is also an easy way to make something special for your special someone.

Usually Sushi Maki is made by using white rice as a base. At certain restaurants, I know it is possible to request your Maki with brown rice. I decided to give my Maki a new and healthy twist. I very rarely eat rice, so I wanted to find a way to make yummy Maki without using rice. I tried my luck with different kinds of bases in place of rice and on my first try I found that hummus was such a good base for a yummy and filling vegetable sushi Maki.

YUM! Just look at how delicious that looks!!!

 And trust me it tasted just as good. Its really very simple, easy and quick to make. The 3 key things to everything I make ;)

Equipment:

• Blender
• Spoon
• Sushi mat
• Knife

Hummus Ingredients:

• 1 can Chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon  Red Pepper
• 1/2 -  1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• A pinch of Sea Salt
• Juice of half a medium Lime/Lemon
• 1 teaspoon Parsley
• 1 Garlic Clove (optional, for the Sushi Maki I prefer my humus without the garlic)
• Water or Juice of humus (add as much as needed for the desired consistency. I find for the Maki base, the thicker the mixture the better.)

Sushi Maki Ingredients:

• Sushi Seaweed sheets (4)
• 2 medium carrots thinly sliced horizontally
• 3 celery stalks thinly sliced horizontally
• 1 big red pepper medium sliced horizontally
• Lettuce/Spinach/Kale
• 1/2 a medium avocado thinly sliced horizontally

Instructions:

1. Place all the Hummus Ingredients in the blender. Let the blender run until all the ingredients are mixed together. You want to have a lumpy and thick hummus consistency. Do not let it get too thin or too smooth.
2. Place a seaweed sheet on the Sushi Mat. Using the spoon, spread about two heaped tablespoons of the hummus on to the seaweed sheets. Make sure you spread it all the way to the edges. This is so that when you roll up the Maki it will stick and close properly.
3. Add the thinly sliced vegetables on to the hummus spread. Make sure you are placing the vegetables horizontal to the way in which you will roll up the Maki.
4. Add the lettuce/Spinach/kale on top of the sliced vegetables.
5. Roll up the Maki using the Sushi Mat.
6. Slice the Maki roll into sizable pieces.
7. Grab some chopsticks and enjoy this healthy yumminess!

Have fun with this. Experiment with different kinds of vegetable fillings. You can use this as part of a healthy lunch with some Zucchini noodles on the side (new recipe for this coming soon!).

Let me know what you think :)

Xx

Rati

For the Runners.

I know I need this encouragement when I run. Especially yesterday.

Training yesterday was overall good but it started off with me feeling so HORRIBLE. I wanted to just quit and sit it out. My body was feeling stiff. My legs felt like they were not responding and moving naturally. I just wanted to stop, give up and sit it out. But I kept on going. Eventually my body realized I wasn't stopping, I pushed through and by the end of the training session I felt brilliant.

Running is a mental battle. Yes your physical fitness and training play an important role in your runs. But to move from being a good runner to becoming a great runner your mental strength is what takes you there. Our bodies are far more capable than we think. When we take the time and effort to push our selves mentally, we begin to see ourselves accomplishing things we only dreamed off.

Do not always rely on how you feel. Feelings are fickle and can often be deceptive and limiting. Instead, look at your goals and keep going towards them; whether you feel like it or not. Develop the mental discipline to push through and be what you want to be. Of course it is important for you to use wisdom so that you make sure you are not pushing yourself to the extent of bringing harm to yourself.

Train hard.
Work smart.
Give it your all.

Enjoy it.

I wish you an amazing training week.

Xx

Rati :)

Spicy Zucchini "Pasta"

This is such yummy goodness, I cannot even fully describe or explain how good it is. The best part is... it is so EASY and QUICK to make. I had it last night for dinner and my taste-buds and tummy were thanking me.  

Zucchini is usually one of my vegetable staples, so I thought, "Why not make some Zucchini pasta!".
And I did.
And it was epic.

The thing that really makes this recipe so great is the sauce that you mix it with. I was feeling creative so I just experimented with the ingredients and spices that I had at home and it turned out quite fantastic.

So without any further delay, here is the recipe:

Equipment:

• Blender
• Vegetable Spiralizer (I got mine quite cheap on ebay. The one I use is a small hand held tool. You can buy it here.)
•  Knife and Cutting Board

Ingredients for "Pasta":

• 2-3 medium zucchinis
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 can of garbanzo beans (or 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans)
• 3 chopped long stalks of celery

Ingredients in the Sauce:

• 1 small red beet
• 1/2 large persimmon (or 1 medium peach)
•  Chili peppers (put as much as you want for the spiciness you desire) 
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or curry)
• 250 grams of ripe cherry tomatoes (or 1 medium ripe tomato)
• 4 juicy dates (optional. Also note that if the dates you have are a bit dry, soak them in water for some time to soften them)
• 1/4 cup of water. (Eye the amount of water according to the blender contents. Add or decrease the amount of water to ensure a good thick saucy consistency)
• 1/2 red onion (or normal onion)
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves

Recipe for "Pasta:

1. Spiralize the zucchinis
2. Mix in the chopped vegetables and set the plate/bowl aside

Recipe for Sauce:

1. Chop the red beet and persimmon.
2. Place all the sauce ingredients into the blender.
3. Blend all the ingredients together. remember to start out with a bit of water and keep adding until you reach the desired thick, saucy consistency.
4. Pour the sauce all over your pasta.
5. Mix it all together and leave it for about 10-15 minutes for all the flavors to mix and the zucchini to soften a bit.
6. Eat it all up

Serves: 1 person

Trust me, this pasta is really so yummy. It is a great way to replace actual pasta. The ingredients are almost all raw. Due to the fact that we use mostly natural foods, you will find that you can eat a whole big bowl of "pasta" and feel full and satisfied without the guilt of eating actual pasta. 

This meal is great for both dinner and lunch.

I will definitely be experimenting with different kinds of sauces for the Zucchini Pasta and I will share with you the yummy concoctions I come up with.

I hope the new year has started up great for all of you.

Enjoy.

Xx

Rati :)

Half-Marathon Training: Any Idiot Can Run

I must say that, that is a very beautiful quote. I think, to a lot of people, running a half-marathon,or even running at all when there is nothing chasing you, is simply an idiot's idea of... FUN?!! I tell people I am training and some say: "Awesome!" and they really mean it, whilst others say: "Uhm... awesome?... Why? Is it for a cause?"

And though it is nice for those who have the opportunity to run for a cause, however, for me, I run because I like it. No, wait, correction... I run because I LOVE IT!

There is really no way to explain the joy and exhilaration that comes from running. You fall in love with the rhythm of your feet.
The sound of your breathing.
The movement.
The release.

Its an amazing feeling.

Sometimes the runs hurt and take more effort.
Other times the runs are all a beautiful experience.
But all the time, at the end of a run, I always feel a wonderful sense of release, happiness, confidence and accomplishment.

Yes, to me, running is fun!

I run in the rain. I run in the snow. I push through the wind and sweat it out in the scorching sun.

Of course if you are a new runner... your runs, at first, may feel more like a session of torture. But as you build your endurance and find your stride, running sessions become a strange and beautiful kind of pleasure.

So, I signed p to run the Den Hague ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on the 10th of March 2012. I am currently in week 3 of official training and its going real great.

Week1 and Week 2 were really good. They are all distances I am comfortable with running but, I think from week4, the long run distances will become a bit more of a challenge. In week 1, the run was supposed to be 4.4miles. But, well, i didn't "empty the tank" before heading out and I was feeling horrible by the first mile, I had to turn back. *Blush*

Note-To-Self: ALWAYS empty the tank before a run.

haha!

oh and also I ran my fastest km of 5:50 on thursday. YAY!

I hope everyone is doing great and that you are enjoying 2013 so far.
I definitely am :).

Below you can see my training schedule from week 1 and week 2.

61 MORE DAYS!!

Have a great start of the week.

Xx

Rati

Persimmon Lover

I just got a box yummy PERSIMMONS!!! Since the large part of what I eat constitutes of fruits and vegetables, I try to buy in bulk when I can. It is cheaper and it cuts down my trips to the grocery store.

I recently discovered a new fruit and vegetable market which happens every Saturday in my city. I am excited to go and see all the fresh fruits and veggies I can get at lower prices than at the store.

I hope you have all had an incredible 2012. Mine was definitely filled with so much adventure, the building and breaking of some dear friendships and incredible growth as a person.

I wish you all an amazing 2013. May it be filled with so much more joy, adventure, peace, laughter and love. May it be the best year of your life yet.

Enjoy the New Year celebrations.
Please be safe.

Many hugs and much love.

See you next year ;)

Xx

Rati

Fitness: Early Morning Inspirations

A few weeks ago I went for an early morning run. It was a day after it had snowed quite a lot and it was just so beautiful out. It was still dark, but I absolutely love running when its still dark.

The streets are empty.
The road is yours.
Its just you.

So, of course,  the run was great! I went for about an hour. I ran about 9km/5.5m at a nice easy pace. I just felt so good. Then it got me thinking, "I think I am about ready to start training and running for a half-marathon". And so that's what I did... I am officially registered to run The Hague, ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on March 10, 2013.

SOOOO EXCITED!
and nervous.
but more excited!

It has always been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but it has always felt so far off and too hard. So I just set the dream aside. Then in December of 2011, I decided to a set small goal and I signed up to run my first 10km race on the 18th of March of 2012 at the Limassol Marathon. I was as excited as I am now about the half-marathon, but I was definitely MUCH more nervous about it. I trained, and I had good weeks and bad weeks of training. But on March 18th, 2012, I ran my very first 10km race and I fell in love with the racing atmosphere, adrenaline and camaraderie among runners. The whole day was just good vibes.

But after that 10km race, I sort of felt I was done with training specifically for running. I wanted to focus more on general fitness. Which I did. I started weightlifting and I absolutely love it. I experimented with other sports like rock climbing and hiking. I experimented with all sorts of fitness, which I enjoyed very much.

I needed to give myself this change to challenge my body in new ways of fitness, but I would always go back to running. There really is nothing like the run. You catch the rhythm of your feet and push yourself mentally and physically beyond where you thought you could possibly go.

And so.. here I am, once again registered to another race. This time the race is a half-marathon. I am currently in week one of training and it is going really great. I will keep you updated.

My dream of running a marathon just feels so much closer. It can be a reality and it feels good!

I am so happy and prod of myself at how far I have come.

I am a runner and I love it!

xX

Rati

Sandwich on the Go!

Dear Avocados, I love you! :D

They are a creamy ,wonderful and healthy goodness. A gift to our taste buds. Hahaha! So yes you can see how much I love them. :D

I partly grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa. In our backyard there is an avocado tree. When they were ripe and in season, my brothers and I would always make sure the house was filled with avocados. It was wonderful to just be able to pick avocados out of the tree! Africa is such a gift in that way.

So having avocados around, I found many ways to use them. This is a really quick and very easy recipe. I know for a fact we all just don't always have time to make an extravagant meal and I don't enjoy spending numerous hours in the kitchen making a meal. But just because a meal is quick it doesn't mean it cant be absolutely delicious.

So here's a recipe to a quick  and easy lunch on the go.

Ingredients:

• 2 Slices of whole grain bread (or 1 slice, if you want to make an open sandwich)
• 1/3 of a medium sized avocado
• 1 handful spinach
• Thin Cucumber slices
• 2 tablespoons cottage cheese
• 2 slices lunch meat (It can be turkey, beef or chicken. Even meat leftover from dinner last night. Whichever makes your taste buds happy)
• Black pepper to sprinkle (optional)
• Parsley to sprinkle (optional)
• Sriracha Hot Sauce (optional)

Recipe:

1. Toast bread until tender and crispy
2. Spread cottage cheese
3. sprinkle black pepper and parsley
4. Add cucumber slices and spinach
5. Slice the avocado and place on bread
6. Sprinkle Sriracha on top if desired
7. Close the sandwich up and ENJOY!

So simple. So good. So healthy. So filling.

I hope you enjoy this simple yummy sandwich.

Xx

Rati

Black Bean Burger

Simply put, I love food.
Not all food.
I love good, wholesome, healthy, unprocessed food.
I love exploring new flavors and tastes.
And I love doing it the healthy way.

I am not a vegan or vegetarian. But I really really love and eat so many veggies.
I do enjoy a good steak or grilled chicken. But I feel there are more flavors and recipes and tastes to explore outside of meat.

Yesterday I made my very first Black Bean Veggie burger... SOOO GOOOD!!!
It smelt so good and I was so hungry so I took bite out of the pattie on the right just before I snapped a shot :D haha!

This whole meal is simple and easy to make. I have the recipe for you below.
It is both light and very filling.

Ingredients:

1 can of Black Beans (or Chickpeas or cook your own beans)
1 handful of diced mushrooms (whatever kind you like the most)
1/2 red onion diced (any kind onion will do really)
3 garlic cloves finely chopped(add more or less according to how much you like your garlic )
1/2 diced green pepper
2 tablespoons of sweet corn
1 cup oatmeal (you can also use flour)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (or any kind of cooking oil you prefer)
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Sauce (or any kind of hot sauce you like)
1 teaspoon curry
1-2  eggs

Recipe:

1. (If baking preheat the oven at 180C or 385F)
2. Drain the black beans. (Don't throw away the juice. you can drink it or drizzle of a salad later.) Mash the beans with a folk in a bowl and until its mashed pretty well. After mashing the beans, stir in the sweet corn
3. Put a 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan (or use a cooking spray). Add the onions, garlic, green peppers and mushrooms. and cook until onions are translucent. 
4. Whilst you wait for the cooked stuff to cool down a bit, mix 1 egg, hot sauce, chili, curry and mustard in a small bowl.
5. Pour the egg mixture, oatmeal and cooked ingredients into the mashed beans and mix it all together. The mixture should be sticky and stay together well. You may need to add more oatmeal to get to a good paste or an extra egg if it is too dry. Set the mixture aside for about 5-10mins for the flavors to really mix well and for the excess liquid to be soaked by the oatmeal
6. Whilst you wait you can make a quick spinach salad. just toss together a cup of spinach, some sweet corn, a bit of feta, cherry tomatoes and drizzle some balsamic vinegar.
7. Now take the mixture and mold it into patties. This recipe should make about 6 medium sized patties. 
8. If frying in a pan. Put a tablespoon of oil in the pan and place the patties in to cook on both sides.
9. If you are baking place the patty in the over for 20 minutes or until crispy on the outside. Flip the burger after 10 minutes.)
10. Then serve it with your spinach salad and, if you like, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top as a treat ;)

Note that you can always freeze the patties you don't want to cook yet for later. I made 6 patties. I cooked some and froze the other patties to cook later during the week.

You can always experiment with this burger by adding different kinds of cooked vegetables, but remembering to keep correct proportions.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Xx

Rati