There seems to be a cosmic traffic jam of planets transiting Vrishabha (the placement of Taurus) at the moment! Hosting such great leaders of universe as Guru (Jupiter), Ravi (Sun), Shukra (Venus) and Budha (Mercury) is not a small task for a bull! Especially when the shadow planet known as Rahu in the Vedic astrology, is playing mischievous tricks among the honourable guests by causing solar eclipses and alike! The meeting taking place in the eleventh house of social assembly and gain in my birth chart, has kept me busy beyond belief for the past three, four weeks. But busy is good when the marketplace is filled with mentors, elders, networks, aspirations, realizations, regains and arrivals. It is a convention of progress and profit.
Desires can be devious because they tend to fructify sooner or later, often to our great surprise when we have already forgotten them. To keep myself on the safe side, I have internalized only one dear and valuable wish, which is unfolding in small but intense clusters during such periods of focus as now. The only gain I hope to be blessed with is the association and loving guidance of saintly persons and, with their permission, the right to enter deeper into the secrets of devotional reality.
I’m not the only one in the phase of renewal. Nature is suddenly dressed in green, except for the fruit trees that are blooming in pastels. Dandelions, violets and wild strawberry flowers are singing with clear voices in the forest choir. The harvest of rhubarb has launched the garden season. Growth is inevitable in all species of life. As human beings, we are so fortunate to have the facility of intelligence as a compass of discrimination. We are able to grow – not only in size, age and good looks :-) – but internally as a reservoir of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
Having been busy working with the micro- and macrocosmic parallels and philosophizing :-), I’ve neglected the blog more that I’d like admit. My apologies. I find it challenging to write about food from the point of view of my lifestyle in a way that would be relevant, both, to me and the readers. Food is, firstly, a cultural indicator. Because of the variety of values, a common language is not obvious.
How would you like me to improve the blog content? I hope not to sound grandiose, but is there a topic you’d like to hear my opinion or thoughts about? Is there something in my way of life and philosophy (please see the introduction) you would like to learn more about? I would appreciate your help in building a more personal and interactive platform of sharing.
Now that I have pushed the responsibility on you, take a deep breath and relax :-). Have a visual bite of the strawberry and rhubarb pie we ate yesterday. It turned out almost like a soft cake, because I added too much liquid into the dough as well as the filling. You may reduce the amount if using the recipe.
The recipe makes plenty of dough! From the rest of it I made small apple and pear tarts. They were served with chocolate sauce.
Thank you.
As usual, a beautiful post! Those pies look amazing. A perfect flavor combination.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
This is absolutely stunning! Love this!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, there is nothing better than cooking with fresh summer ingredients! I can't wait to make my first pie of the season...
ReplyDeleteI love your choice of photos to place adjacent to each other. The brush next to the heart cut-outs in the same color - truly inspired! Your blog makes the seemingly staid and simple look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pie!
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe Steaming Pot - funny you mention the brush: I didn't even think about it! I was obsessed with the single, curled hair (on the brush) that has a drop of buttermilk on it, LOL :-). It shows that everyone pays attention and sees different things.
Hello Lakshmi, your posts are really inspiring and I always feel happier after reading them.
ReplyDeleteI would be interested in food recipes you prepare before or after meditation, yoga and celebrations and how you think about it :)Best wishes Melanie
Refreshing post! I love the mug with the flowers bunched in it. I'm not sure how you could improve on your blog... it's truly wonderful, inspiring, and educational as is, and I look forward to each time you post. I love that you ask that of your readers though, it shows that you care :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. I love those little pies and your photos are superb. Happy thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI should be tucked in bed right now but am instead being mesmerized by your beautiful work and narration!
ReplyDeleteHello Lakshmi,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very recently, and only when reading about the sima, tippaleivät and the like, I realized we come from the same country : D
Greetings from Amsterdam, where the summer has advanced to roses, but is having a little chilly break today.
I absolutely love the way you are creating your blog at the moment. The rhythm and honest beauty of pictures & text, and the generosity of all the delicious recipies...I'm sorry but I don't know how to improve it more!
Perhaps elaborate even more/deeply on your personal experience of devotion? Your blog is very inspiring.
Just enjoy the flow, at your own pace, let it all unfold peacefully. It is beautiful already.
Thank you!
Nina/Surya
Laksmi,
ReplyDeleteI would like you to make a post about your phtography and philosophy which goes behind it. You seams to see proportions and beauty in everything. Explain it more to us- how you aproche food when you want to photograph it- what is your secret to make so simple yet so mastered images.
Love Cin.
Beautiful, must be delicious! Some beautiful pictures, congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteKisses
I also don't know how you could possibly improve your blog. It already seems about as perfect as can be. It's the only food blog that I can think of that's educational in a non-food way. That's already a great accomplishment, I think. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you used a whole spelt crust and it's beautiful as always! Your tarts are so pretty and so are your strawberries. Strawberries finally came to Germany this week (before we only had the Spanish greenhouse type) and I'm so excited to put them to some use!
I just saw kinga's comment and agree with it 100%. I would absolutely love to see a post or even several posts about that.
ReplyDeleteI re-read the paragraph above over and over again : "I am not the only one in the phase of renewal...". Something about the way you wrote it is just so beautiful. I am at a loss of words to describe the feeling.. It's vivid and full of imagination..
ReplyDeleteAs usual, the pictures are simple yet perfect:)
What a great recipe. I always make rhubarb and strawberry crumble but next time I'll try this pie recipe for sure!
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos, really inspirational. I love that you served the pear tarts with chocolate sauce. That is a new favorite flavor combination!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so beautiful, and this pie sounds so delicious!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog posts so much. You always touch my heart with your profundity and spiritual sincerity. How about a post on the nectar of devotion or the devotion of nectar?
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful pie!
ReplyDeleteI love each and eve very new post on your blog. I would be happy if you share more photos of your surrounding, people, places, home, studio, kitchen etc... So curious to see of where you live and how you live :)
To mirror many of your readers, it's hard to say what can be improved upon.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it sounds as though there may be something you personally, need to shift to feel satisfied. Or maybe you are simply worried that we are not enjoying EVERYTHING you share. ;) The more honest you are about whatever is currently inspiring you, the more you will always inspire us. No matter the topic. I will say that I love all information steeped in your spiritual practice. Again, Thank You for an inspired post and stunning eye candy.
Namaste~
Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear more of ur thought on life and how cooking connect with you n your beliefs...
Also I wanna see ur kitchen and would love to get a peek into ur photography set up... There is so much I wanna learn from u.
This pies looks delicious.. Love the hearts the brush and the droplets of the cream everything!!
Incredibly pretty photographs and lovely words. Yum to everything. x
ReplyDeleteirresistible goodies, I see the recipe and try them this weekend seem easy to make
ReplyDeleteloved your post and your photos :)
even though I'm always paying your blog a visit (even through these phases that spending time on line seems like the least charming, meaningful & truly creative thing to do) I rarely comment. I enjoy selfishly keeping all the bliss I'm exposed to, to myself.
ReplyDeleteI come, free of any expectation and just sink in all the person that you are, which is so generously unfolding through your posts.
Today, somehow after reading the first paragraph, a very deeply felt smile started to form on my lips. I'm happy to know all this about you. I'm happy to have known you.
This place (however few might comprehend the extend) is only but a little manifestation of the grandiosity that lies in living a simple, centered, respectful & honorable life in the most humble of ways like you do.
I wish for myself to be finding my way in life in similar ways. And I start feeling very attracted to visiting Scandinavian countries like yours once.
Perhaps once, when I'll have evolved enough, I'll get to meet you.
Warm regards,
Iro
I've just discovered your blog. The photos are stunning! Where did you get your pie dish?
ReplyDeleteThe combination of rhubarb and strawberry is always delicious! I'm in Finland right now and enjoying the fresh rhubarb straight from my parents' garden :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback Melanie, Athena, Suzi, Madhu, Surya, Cintamani, Teresa, Erin, Visakha, Zita, Healthy Living Val, Amy, Leela, Chinmayie, Tiffany, Reem, Angela, Patrizia, Iro, Anonymous and Maria!
ReplyDeleteRegarding yoga, meditation & food, as suggested by Melanie, I will explore the subject more in the future. There will be a heart to heart interview by a fellow blogger that will reveal my approach to cooking, photography and blogging from a very personal point of view. As it will be uploaded next week, I will provide a link.
Regarding Chinmayie and Reem’s wish to peek into my living environment, kitchen and studio...I will see what I can do about it :-). It will be probably as surprising as the interview, and will, likely, disappoint many! We live rather unimpressively and austerely with my husband. By keeping it simple externally, there is more space to accumulate inner wealth :-).
Surya – I’m happy to meet you! I visited your natural perfume store online and admired your dedication to fragrance. I’m glad you’d like to hear more about devotion and bhakti-yoga. I’ll take to your advice and let it unfold peacefully at its own pace.
Tiffany – you are right: my concern is about how relevant the ramblings are to you, the readers, rather than my personal satisfaction. You have a valuable point about being honest. I appreciate you brought it up, thank you.
Iro – what can I say about your comment, other than, you are seeing good – even in places where there may be none – because there is goodness in you. You are a generous and talented person. I’ve known you for a couple of years and respect your gentle and open character. I would like to take a photography class from you, because your visual interest is consistent. Maybe that’s how we will meet one day :-)!
Anonymous – the pie dish is of HOUSE brand from Sokos, a department store in Helsinki :-).
Maria – Welcome to Finland! Isn’t it green!
I came across your beautiful blog and am speechless. It is one of the best blogs that I have come across. Each and every picture is breath taking...and am in love with your blog. Will keep coming. You are truly an inspiration to me.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb and Strawberry are a great combo...lovely recipe:)
Love the way you write Lakshmi... such profound things with humor and style :D Not sure about what I want to see here.. I already LOVE (and understatement) what you do here. everything about it! more about your photography set up? your photographs and recipes already shows your lifestyle and your look in life in many many ways.. but I would like to see a bit of how you photograph these (for the selfish reasons of improving myself). otherwise please keep on writing, cooking and presenting the way you do. The depth in you, your inner knowledge and its circumference is expressed very simply, sincerely and often in a tone that makes me happy and which I adore. love to you Lakshmi.
ReplyDeleteI might be a very infrequent visitor now that the summer break has started and the girls are home.. but I will read ALL of it when I come by.
I'm constantly inspired whenever visiting your blog, Lakshmi :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Nina, Soma and Kiran.
ReplyDeleteSoma - class dismissed :-) Have a wonderful holiday with the girls. I'll write about photography at one point...
What a wonderful post and a perfect pie! I need to admit, when I looked at those photos, especially the one with strawberries, I went back in time a few years ago when we traveled to Finland during a strawberry season. I had the tastiest strawberries! and the smell perfumed our room so deliciously good!
ReplyDeleteoh dear, this post brought such a good memories! thanks!
Simply gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI think you convey so much of yourself in the text and photographs of your blog. I always want to learn more about the people I read frequently, and I think there's a way to continue on in your special way of focusing on the food and revealing little about your life, but you might want to talk to your family about what you would like to share together and what you would like to keep private. You are doing wonderful things here, and you are inspiring. I hope you will continue to share.
ReplyDeleteI too hope that you will give us tips on photography. Visiting your space is like visiting a beautiful far off land and I would so love to learn from you!
ReplyDeleteHello Lakshmi,
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful blog. The photos, words and cooking process are all inspiring to me.
I would love to know more about he photographing process that goes into the making of the beautiful images. Much like the careful and thoughtful steps in cooking a lovely pie. I would love to know the steps to creating your lovely photographs.
Ths cake looks really delicious - crunchy and cosy... hmmmmm
ReplyDeleteThank you for superb ingredient. Freezing lasted therefore attained fabulous: -)
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog page utilizing treat excellent recipes ourselves if you're involved. I have a blog with cake recipes myself if you are interested. You can find it at http://recipes-for-food.com