Superfood Blackcurrant Smoothie Bowls

Talented family all around! Forget Acai bowls, this morning mama and I had delicious and absolutely nutritious superfood ViBERi (my auntie and uncle’s business) smoothies in cosy and beautiful Miami Valley Pottery (Soroosh’s cousin’s business) bowls xx
Superfood Blackcurrant Smoothie Bowls
Serves two 

2 frozen bananas (using frozen bananas gives them a delicious ice-cream consistency)
3/4 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 unsweetened yoghurt of choice (I used coconut yoghurt)
2 heaped tsp ViBERi freeze-dried blackcurrant powder

Whizz together in a high-powered blender (might take a bit of patience if using frozen bananas) then top with favourites (I used Ceres Organics Paleo Breakfast Mix) xx

What Do You Treasure?

I was SO nervous!

Finally in Christchurch *love heart eyes*

First stop, Black & White Coffee Cartel where a little printed sign advised us there’d be no avocado (two words which should never be together) this season. Alas, our bagels were delicious and S particularly liked the NZ bacon nomnom.

Next, one for the bucket-list. Though rather simple, I had always dreamt of visiting the Riccarton Farmers’ Market with bae. It is truly one of my most favourite places in Christchurch.

If tea is a hug in a cup, porridge is a cuddle in a bowl, I say. Alll better. Full tummies and grateful hearts. I got the rsf, V, and df option and S ordered the spiced apple, toffee sauce, and walnut crumble porridge.

When S sent the above photo to his family group chat, his brother asked if that was an egg atop my porridge…Hehe nope! Just honey and yoghurt.


Things have been pretty surreal, neither of us can actually believe S is finally here. Last night we dined at Tutto Bene. The food was good and the company even greater. We had a lovely French waitress and S mentioned the wonderful paradox of having a French waitress, working at an Italian restaurant in New Zealand serving a table of Persian, Kiwi, and American diners. How beautiful is that? Unity in diversity.

I Need Your Help

Yesterday I had an idea. One that both frightens me and makes me excited. I thought, why don’t I compile a picture book of my time here? Wouldn’t that be the very best way of closing a chapter? No pun intended. Okay, pun totally intended. What do you think? With anecdotes and recipes and maybe one or two poems (because I hear poems don’t really sell). Not that money is a focus for me whatsoever. I swear to God, all I want to do is create. I have dreamt of publishing a book ever since I was a little widdle head-scarf wearing school girl. Won’t you please help? Any ideas, any contacts, any advice, anything at all because I really don’t know one thing about doing this. Will you buy it? Is it a good idea? What do you want to see in it? Who should I contact? How do I do this?

Eagerly awaiting your comments and messages,
Anisa

 

Honesty Is Such A Lonely Word

Until right now, only my immediate family has known this. Because I live super rural with no cafes, restaurants or humans around, I usually have nothing to do in the week-day evenings. As in, really nothing. When it isn’t raining I can go for a bike ride but after the sun sets about 7pm it becomes too dangerous to stay outside (bears).

Also, using my computer isn’t  much fun. This is because I’ve been on the damn thing and on my ass all day long. Don’t get me wrong, I do teach (sometimes) but it’s usually 2-3 classes which are only about 45 minutes long. Leaving me a good 6 hours of Facebook time. Joking, I mean research. Educational stuff. As for Japanese TV, I don’t understand it much. Also, it’s really weird (to me).

So back to the thing you don’t know and my parents do, for the past 7 or so months, I have been going to bed at 8.30 and waking up at 5. This has been my mechanism to stop myself from getting even more homesick during the lonely and quiet nights. As for the mornings, I always go for an hour or two walk or bike ride which is where I take these naturey photographs.

So, there you have it. From one direction, it is definitely a somewhat lonely life (though sometimes I do get invited to stuff) but from the other, a direction I’ve chosen to peep from, I am living the life. I mean, when else can I have a Persian-style breakfast for dinner at 5pm and wake up at 5am, blending a green-smoothie on super loud? Totes not when future hubby or future babas come around. Am I right? Or am I insane?

If You Get Out Of The Way

…the art will make itself. -Fred Babb

I Went To The Woods

because I wished to live deliberately. -Henry David Thoreau

Just kidding, I had no choice in my placement here.







This soba recipe is an easy adaptation of this soba recipe.

Do You Know What This Is?

My second DYKWTI article is up on Savvy. Check it out. Cook it up, and share it with EVERYONE. Sorry did that seem aggressive? It was meant to.

Look Closely

From my favorite follower (I see you Randy!) on my previous post:

There is joy in all. Look closely, and you’ll see the huge smile of the bread, the red-nose of the plum, and the cute famous Anisa date-ball eyes! The banana slice bread looks like teeth! Are you smiling yet (I hope…)? Theodore Geissl (aka Dr. Seuss) is one of my faves (I see your key ring)! (The places you’ll go and the things you’ll see…). I’m sorry you’ve had it. “This, too, shall pass…”

From top to bottom: egg face for Randy, nature finds featuring the world’s most beautiful rose and the world’s smallest FINEapple, thank you flowers from my yoga sensei (Miki), soba dinner featuring Coconut Boy (Sora), blueberry and lemon cake (recipe here) and last, morning’s of Anisa’s kitchen.



“Let others lead small lives, but not you.. Let others argue over small things, but not you.. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you.. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.” ― Jim Rohn

All Happiness Depends On A Leisurely Breakfast

Damn right John Gunther.

A Silly Post

This is as the title states, a silly post. Though still serious (and honest). Being both is apparently possible. So, I have a few things to say about yesterday and they’re all random so I’m just gonna go ahead and confuse you all.

1.My third post on Savvy Tokyo is up. You can check it out HERE. Side note: yesterday, I complained to my sister that no one even reads my work and next thing, 30+ of her friends have shared this article having asked their friends to read and share it too. So cheeky. I am so lucky to have such great people in my life. I love you big sis. Big big big shout out.

2. Yesterday I also went to Tottori. That’s the prefecture with Japan’s largest sand-dunes and also, my mother’s highlight of my parents’ Japan trip. It was awesome. I especially liked the new South American sand museum exhibition. I also went last year, it was German themed then. Each year they have a new theme and a new team of international artists. A definite must see when there. More info on the actual museum HERE.

3.Last week I bought my mama a pair of identical sandals to mine and sent them to her as a surprise. Yesterday she received them and sent me back a thank you text with a picture of her wearing them with these thick black socks. Very unfashionable. I told her to take her socks off and take a picture in them outside. She sent back a picture of her standing ON a picnic table. Before you think she’s completely insane, let me explain that this is because, back in NZ, I used to do all of my blog photography on this old abandoned picnic table in our backyard (see here here here and here). I liked the wooden background and its location always got natural sunlight. Nowadays as you may have noticed, I take all of my food pictures at the same spot. These wooden boards are actually the floorboard of my lounge, next to my  balcony’s glass door. It’s a silly spot but it has amazing light. Now, the brown boards have sorta become my style. Anyways, isn’t my mother hilarious?! I’ve included some of her other ridiculous (and sweet) messages to make you smile. Some context for the last image, during that 19 minute phone convo, I had continously whined  about being single and for so long. I love my mama.