The Sun Came Out

This is why autumn is my favorite season. 
Just casually driving past FIVE helicopters HASHTAGMERICA.
This is Yellow Springs, charmful small-town USA.

“And one day the sun will come out and you might not even notice straight away it’ll be that faint and then you’ll catch yourself thinking about something or someone who has no connection with the past. Someone who is only yours and you’ll realise that this is where your life is.” (Brooklyn Movie)
I freakin’ LOVE this candy! One for me, one for Lavanya!

Am I American Now?

I was super lucky to be taken on an American road-trip featuring boiled peanuts, puppies, college football and more.



These were so good!


This is called tail-gating, I think. It’s like pre-drinks. 
Feels like Japan (people jam). 
Release of purple balloons. 
Up up and away.
Clemson Tigers.
Merica. 

Sweet potato fries with icing-sugar and honey at The Smokin Pig. AKA blocked artery (hehe).

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Finding myself on the other side of the camera lately ^.^


Some big market/fair in Franklin, Nashville.

Contrary to common belief, America actually has A LOT of healthy food options (Especially in comparison to Japan and Europe). Of course, fried foods are everywhere but so are pressed juice and quinoa salads.

Makin’ him cook ME eggs (tehe). And yes Lavanya, in regard to your Instagram comment, they were good! So so good with mushroom and spinach. And all organic!


Tis a never ending pumpkin-shoot.
 Persian breakfast, tick.

Healthy Living In C City

C city. Not sin city. Well, it’s up to you really. Anyway, I had the most wonderful day. Coming home is really something else. I can’t even explain it. Just feel so happy and so blessed. It really is true, you don’t know what you have until you don’t have it. Also, Christchurch is seriously booming after the earthquakes. Which to me, only solidifies that everything happens for a reason. First, breakfast and not just any breakfast but THE BREKKIE OF A LIFETIME at Little Pom’s. Grilled halloumi, sugar snap peas, smashes peas, avocado, broccolini, smoked almonds, poached eggs, multigrain toast, olive oil ($24nzd) which I shared with my mama. I loved this place. How could I not with such floral wallpaper?! Next, a walk around Hagley Park. For all my overseas followers, this is a very gorgeous and very large park right in the middle of our city and is beautiful at every season. Next, a wholesome lunch: roast veggie salad and green smoothie at Pure Cafe.

Autumn vignettes

So I watched Mistress America, the new Greta Gerwig film and this one quote really blew me away because it’s kinda, sorta, exactly how I feel at this stage:

“I think I’m sick, and I don’t know if my ailment has a name. I just am in love with everything, but can’t figure out how to make myself work in the world.”

Apparently good things take time. My vegan cheesecakes take 6 hours to set and getting to Tokyo disneyland from my house takes about 8. So, I guess that’s a fair statement. But, how long is it going to take for the right person to stumble upon my blog and make me famous? One year of blogging! One year! And does anyone (other than my mom or sister) actually read this? Sorry for the pessimism/melodramatics, I blame the weather. Actually, autumn is my favourite season and it’s especially nice here with the surrounding mountains but there’s something about fall which makes me ponder, apart from the freezing cold and the knee deep snow about to hit my village, “what’s next?”

Easy healthy delicious pumpkin loaf

Although I may have added “easy”, “healthy” and “delicious” simply for the sake of making my post more Google accessible, my loaf is nevertheless; super simple, made solely with wholesome ingredients and of course; delish (if I may say so myself). I’m sorry I didn’t have enough time to cut the loaf and take a picture of it alongside some strategically placed doilies or flowers or baby pumpkins or fancy cutlery or…I think you get the picture. I also didn’t get a chance to take 10+ photos of it from different angles.

2 free-range eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup raw honey
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp mashed ripe banana (for binding purposes only)
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree – I made my own by simply cooking some pumpkin(skin on) with a little water then mashing it with a fork.
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds for topping

Preheat oven to 180C

Grease a loaf tin with a little oil

Mix all ingredients together (first wet then dry)

Pour loaf mixture into loaf tin and top with pepitas (Espanol for pumpkin seeds)

Bake for 20 minutes then, loosely cover with a sheet of cooking foil – this is to avoid over browning

Bake for another 20 minutes or until the fork comes out clean