Mint Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Pesto is an Italian sauce usually prepared with basil ,pine nuts,parmesan cheese and olive oil. I choose to add mint that's fresh from my garden and cilantro. And no cheese to keep it low fat and the lime and nuts added give this pasta a citrusy bite .
Cilantro Mint Pesto Pasta
1 lb Whole Grain spaghetti
1 big clove garlic crushed
1 inch fresh ginger root, chopped
1 green chilly
1/2 cup, pine nuts or macadamia nuts or roasted almonds
1/2 lime
1/2 cup cilantro or parsley leaves
1/2 cup Mint or Basil leaves
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

To make the Pesto Pasta
Blend all the ingredients except the pasta in a food processor until smooth.
Heat water in a large saucepan. Add salt and cook the pasta as per the package instructions . Reserve 1/2cup of pasta water and drain rest of the water.
Mix the 1/2 cup of pasta water in the Mint cilantro pesto mixture and toss along with the pasta and Serve warm.


This recipe is my entry for AWED Italian Hosted by Dk's Cullinary Bazaar.

10 things NOT to do at the gym (and 10 ways to deal with the jerks who do)

You can tell a lot about a person just by how they carry themselves at the gym, don’t you think? How people operate in a throng of sweaty (and probably cranky) people vying for limited equipment with limited time can be indicative of how they carry themselves in the real world. And it’s been my experience that people who are rude at the gym are usually rude outside of the gym.

Not that I have to worry about any of my Cool Broads…we don’t check our cool at the door. That’s why after each rule, I include a suggestion as to how to deal with the a-hole who’s violating that rule.

At the gym, Cool Broads…

1. Don’t cut in line.

This rule is for people who either a) didn’t graduate from preschool or b) are so worried that they won’t get their favorite spot, that their manners just fly right out of their ears. If you don’t get your favorite spot or all of the equipment is gone by the time you get to the front of the line, c’est la vie. Get to the gym earlier next time. If you disregard the line and bully your way ahead of others, you might get your favorite spot, but you’ll end up looking like an asshole.

If someone cuts in line: roll your eyes and make a mental note never to invite him/her to a party.

2. Respect people’s space.

Whether you’re in a class or the free weight room, don’t crowd those you’re sharing space with. When you put down your yoga mat, make sure that the person next to you has enough room to execute a perfect downward-facing dog. Despite what some may think, most people don’t go to the gym to get closer to others. They’re there to exercise in peace and would rather people not crawl up their bunghole.

If someone is crowding you: accidentally drop a dumbbell on his/her foot and then apologize by saying that you get nervous and twitchy when people get so close, but you and your shrink are working on that.

3. Don’t talk loudly on your cell phone.

If you’re waiting for an important call, put your phone on vibrate and excuse yourself before beginning the conversation.

If someone on the treadmill next to yours is carrying on a loud conversation: act like you’re listening and laugh hysterically when they say something only moderately funny.

4. Clean up after yourself.

I love sitting in a puddle of someone else’s bodily fluids (not). It’s gross and with staph infections making their rounds in gyms…it’s also potentially dangerous.

If someone didn’t wipe down the machine you’re waiting to use: wipe it down yourself, but as you pass by the offender, accidentally spray him/her with the sanitizer and then apologize by saying that you’re a little flustered because you just had to clean up some fat pig’s sweat.

5. Follow gym rules and use machines for allotted amount of
time (unless there are several similar machines free).

Rules are rules. Don’t be a putz.

If someone is taking up more of their fair share of time: Tell them that if you don’t get on the machine fast, your ass will get big and your pimp will beat you for it.

6. Put your weights back properly.

Apparently some people can’t read. The weight stand is marked 10 lbs. because they want you to put the 10 lb. weight there.

If someone can’t seem to put their weights back where they belong: accidentally drop one of the weights on his/her foot and then apologize by saying that after rearranging the weight stand, due to some idiot’s inability to put the weights back in the right place, your arms are like Jell-O.

7. Don’t smell up the place (excessive body odor, smelling of
garlic from last night’s dinner, flatulence, and too much
perfume).

Oy…this is never a Cool Broad offense.

If someone next to you stinks to high heaven: wave your hand in front of your nose and exclaim, “Jesus, do you smell that?”

8. Don’t camp.

If you need to take breaks between each set on the weight machines, step off so others can work in. Never sit idly on your machine and carry on a conversation with someone if others are waiting…this is so rude it makes me want to hurt myself.

If someone camps: Tell her that her ass won’t get any smaller just by sitting there…if it’s a man, tell him that you heard that men who sit on machines for too long without using them will begin to lose their hair.

9. Don’t stalk:

Breathing down someone’s neck while they’re using a machine is worthy of a restraining order. Respect their space and stand back until they’re done (don’t worry, they can see you).

If someone is stalking you: do an extra set (or three) or reps just to piss them off (you’ll pay for it later but, oh well).

10. Don’t be noisy:

If someone grunts loudly enough after every lift to startle you: run up to them and ask if they’re ok and whether you need to call the medic.

from: www.thatcoolbroad.com

Meeta's Ginger Mango Bread

I was look for something sweet to try from Meeta's blog before the T&T "What for lunch honey"? event ends tonight.With mangoes fresh in season at this time of the year , i found the Mango Ginger Bread very tempting to try and taste.I never used ginger before in my breads ,it was exciting to try this healthy ingredients in a bread recipe. I added few of my other favorites like Almonds,Olive oil and plump dried cherries.
Dry Ingredients needed
11/4 all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup firm packed brown sugar
2 Organic eggs
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 large ripe mango, cubed

1/2 cup Plump dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds



To make the bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Grease with cooking spray a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl sift the dry ingredients and mix well.set aside.In another bowl ,beat eggs ,oil and Sugar. Stir in the cubed Mangoes grated ginger ,nuts ,cherries and transfer mixture into the greased loaf pan.Bake in the middle rack until the crush is lightly brown about 70-75 minutes.Cool and before flipping the pan to get the bread out ,loosen the sides using a table knife. Slice and serve.

The cake tasted just delicious with chunks of mango and hint of ginger in every bite.