I am so immersed in researching Bali I am finding it hard to focus on much else right now! I keep forgetting that I have a final next week in one of my yoga classes and some papers due. I really need to get on top of that. I guess that’s what I will be doing this weekend.

You know what else I’m doing this weekend?

Trying on wedding dresses! 🙂

I also found pug wedding dresses. Look at these two chunky little love birds! They can hardly open their eyes!

Man I love pugs!

This weekend I am also going to do quite a bit of cooking. I am really excited because thanks to Pinterest, I found a recipe for “starbucks gingerbread loaf”. I love that stuff and I have been trying to copy their gingerbread for years. I hope it goes well this weekend and I have a good recipe to share Monday!

Here is some straight up comfort health food. I know it’s not the most beautiful dish in the world, but it is so simple to make and so easy on the stomach. Warming spices are really nice to eat this time of year and lentils are really high in protein. What is a lentil you might be wondering. A lentil is a legume and it is similar to a bean but less starchy. They take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked in which makes them really versatile in veggie burgers and soups. As I mentioned, they are a great source of protein! As a bonus, this is really fast and easy to make and it will give you lunch for a week. At least.

Red Lentil Dal

2 cups red lentils (dried)
5 cups water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Rinse the lentils several times to get them cleaned up. Boil the lentils in the water for about 30-45 minutes or until they reach desired consistency. Set aside, do not drain.
In a medium size pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle.
Add the cumin, garam masala, cayenne and salt and sizzle one more minute. Add the cooked lentils and stir. If you want to make your Dal a little thinner just add some more water. Mmmm, delish!
Serve with brown rice.