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My Heart Beets

About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for reading my blog!

We’re a two person team here at MHB. I’m the writer and recipe maker and my husband, Roby, is my taste tester. He tells me when my recipes are “blog worthy.” Roby actually has a tough job. Don’t believe me? Try telling your wife you don’t like one of her recipes 😉 Thankfully he likes almost everything I make – and if he doesn’t like something, you won’t see it on the blog.

Rob and Ash

Rob and Ash

If you want to know why I follow a real food diet/gluten-free lifestyle, you can read more here. But if you want to know more about our lives, read on.

Roby and I have been friends since high school. We both went to the University of Virginia and after a couple years of being just friends who would occasionally and awkwardly hold hands – he asked me to be his girlfriend. On our five year dating anniversary, he proposed. And a year later, we were married. Twice.

"I Do" x 2

“I Do” x 2

One of the perks of marrying Roby was learning how to cook Keralite food. It’s crazy delicious and perfect for those following the paleo diet. I come from a Punjabi family so it’s fun to be able to bring both northern and southern Indian dishes to the table.

I currently have a full-time marketing job that I really enjoy (update: as of July 2015, I’m a full-time blogger!). With Rob spending super long hours at the hospital, I decided to spend some of my free time recipe testing and blogging. I love it and I’m also learning a ton of skills in the process (seo, web development, analytics, etc). For me, cooking is a blast. There isn’t much I enjoy more than jamming to my Mariah Carey pandora station while trying to cook, sing and dance all at the same time. (Side note, I think it’s awesome that Mariah Carey is still relevant. I’ve loved her music since second grade).

So, when I blog, I tend to refer to certain people who happen to play a big role in my life – my family. I’ll introduce you to them now.

Here’s a picture of me with my awesome younger brother, Rishi. This was taken back when we were in high school. We’ve been told that we should be in toothpaste commercial together. Maybe one day it’ll happen.

good looks run in the family.

good looks run in the family.

These are my lovely parents. They’re a hoot. They party more at their age than I do now… I saw them a couple hours after this picture was taken. They told me they didn’t know there was alcohol in the jello that their friends kept giving them. I’m not even kidding. They also once tried to convince me that a mango wine cooler was just mango juice. Um, no words.

the parents

the parents

This is our dog, Sasha. Actually, she’s my family’s dog but since Roby and I don’t have a dog yet – I’m calling her our dog. She’s incredibly spoiled. My mom and her other empty nester friends get together to throw their dogs birthday parties. Basically, for all intents and purposes, Sasha is more like my sibling. Yes, her birthday cake in the photo below is literally on a silver platter.

There concludes the short summary of my life thus far – sort of, for now. Thanks for reading :) If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Now check out some of my recipes!

UPDATE: In September 2016, the Thomas family grew from two to three! You can read about our newest little addition here: The Best Thing I Ever Made.

Comments

  1. New visitor to your site and, may I just say, I love you. I was recently diagnosed with Lupus Disease and I’ve had a really rough time watching my diet. I have a gluten intolerance as well as an intolerance to many other foods thanks to my new pal, Lupus. I also LOVE Indian food. So thank you, from the very bottom and deepest part of my heart, for sharing all of these recipes with me! :) <3

    Reply

    • Kristen, thanks so much for the love! I promise you – the longer you continue to eat food that’s good for you, the easier it’ll be. Stay positive :) I’m super happy to hear that you love Indian food and I hope you’ll love these recipes just as much <3

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      • I just found your blog searching for paleo curry recipes. i LOVE YOU!! I ended up cooking all kinds of your recipes. I especially love making the naan bread! It is so easy to make! I just want you to know how much I love your stuff!

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  3. Hi, I found you through the book with stolen content someone published on amazon, and I’m oh so glad I did! I’m not paleo, but I have gluten issues (probably celiac, but that’s another story..) Your recipes are so inspiring! I put them into paprika, so I can put them in my meal planner. I can’t wait to see what shows up in my email :) Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Gina, I’m so glad you found my blog too! I haven’t heard about Paprika, but it sounds awesome – I’ll be sure to check it out. Let me know what you think of any recipes you make :)

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  4. Hey Ashley! I just had to check out your blog after seeing your tweet this morning and I’m so glad I did. It’s adorable! I love all the recipes and especially all the commentary haha!! Btw your parents seem like a great time haha good for them! Indian food is something I’ve been wanting to experiment with for a while now, ever since I tried a recipe for curried chickpeas and it was amazing! So I’m really excited to get crackin on some of your recipes – especially the Shakshouka – I was drooling over the picture!! 😉 I’ll definitely be visiting a lot!
    Xo
    Kristin

    Reply

    • Hey Kristin :) Thanks for the sweet comment – just saw it and it made my morning! I love your blog too – love the name! Also, your pictures are amazing! Glad to have made a new blogger friend!

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  5. Hi Ashley, I stumbled upon your blog looking for a recipe for ground beef, coconut and curry. So happy your site came up. The dish looks amazing and I love your story. Indian food is one of my favorites cuisines. I can’t get enough of it. Thanks for sharing your blog and your family.

    Sally

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  6. glad i found your website! i’m a filipino chica who tries to eat paleo which is harder when i visit my boyfriend’s parents for dinner, they are indian…and every time i eat indian food/bread/etc i get tummy aches esp i am lactose intolerant but i love paneer! anyway, i’m excited to try out your indian paleo recipes!! and share with my boyfriend and his family so they don’t think i’m weird not eating their food. :)

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  7. Thank you thank you thank you Ashley!! I found your site while looking up paleo recipe ideas, as I am trying to control my blood sugar (diabetics in my family) and am very sensitive to gluten. I *love* Indian food — I visited India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) with my husband in 2008 and it was one of the best (spiciest!) times of my life! I will look forward to making more of your recipes.

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  8. Wow! So excited to have found your blog. I’m just starting the Whole30 before beginning a paleo diet and I’ve really been looking for some delicious recipes. There are plenty of them out there, but growing up in the diverse Bay Area, all of the American food recipes were sounding quite boring. So happy to see recipes with so much flavor on your blog!! Keep up the great work!!

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  9. Love your site! Just made the naan bread so good. In my oven as I type are the empanadas. Which I fill with leftover roast pork. I just sent a picture of the naan bread to my Instagram. And I post your web site. Do u have a Instagram account?

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  10. Oh my gosh, you are amazing and I’m so happy I found your site! I’m new to the paleo scene and LOVE my Indian desserts….so excited to find versions of gajar halwa and kheer I can try!! Thanks so much for posting all these recipes :)

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  11. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been doing paleo since my daughter was born last June, and it’s really hard to find dishes that my boyfriend will also eat (sometimes he complains I don’t make enough ‘real food’) but so far EVERYTHING I’ve made from your blog has been a huge hit with him. You’re amazing! Thank you for doing the experimenting for the rest of us!

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  12. Love, love your blog!
    It is now on my “blogs to visit” and cook from list together with paleomg and Brittany Angel blogs. I haven’t tried any recipes yet. Trying to get all of the spices figured out. Butterchicken is the one I am going for, just need the fenugreek leaves. Here in Canada Indian food is so expensive at restaurants and not paleo. For how much we love the food, can’t go more than couple times per year (5 of us:)). Thank you for giving us options :)
    Cheers,
    Maria

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  13. Hi Ashley,

    You have great website. It is so easy to read, especially for foreigners like me. English is my third language, so sometimes it is hard. You are very friendly and nice person. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging? What is the purpose of your blogs?

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  14. Hi Kristen,

    I ran across your blog while searching recipes. I’m new to Paleo (about 2 months now) and find it to be the easiest way to eat (I won’t say “diet”). No funky diet foods, lots of flavor, and I’ve learned so much from paying more attention to what is in the food I buy. I’m reading ingredients before I buy anything and still trying to get over my horror at what I’ve been putting in my body!

    Your recipes include many foods I was concerned about missing, like naan, samosas, etc. I’m looking forward to making your peacha pie … and yes, I’m impressed with the name LOL. Thank you so much for all you’re work and experimenting to perfect your recipes…you are a blessing!

    Warmly,
    Tahirah

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  15. I found your website randomly through Pinterest and I’m so happy that I did! My husband and I recently switched to Paleo lifestyle. I’ve been tweaking my Gujarati recipes to the diet and I’m excited to add your Indian recipes to the mix!

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  16. Just found your blog and am really appreciating your Costco guides. I just wanted to say, you have the most amazing eyes! Hope you are having a great day!
    :)

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  17. Love your website! My doctor recently started me on a FODMAP diet and although not all the recipes work, they give me lots of good ideas! The Naan bread was super easy!!

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  18. I love your website and your recipes! I made Paleo chicken fajitas using your Naan Bread as tortillas and they were fabulous! The Naan Bread is so versatile and great tasting. Thank you!

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  19. Hi, I’m a new subscriber. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about Paleo and natural living – as natural as we can get in a modern world. I been on Paleo diet for 4 months. After spending an adult life trying every diet under the sun, except the cabbage diet, I couldn’t see eating cabbage all day, I stumbled upon the Paleo concept. The last diet I was on was Nutrisystem. I cringe at the chemicals I was putting into my body. It had boiled down to weight watchers yet again or Paleo. I chose Paleo. I have lost 42.6 lbs and love cooking. The cooking surprises me. I’ve never been too much on cooking, but now that I’m getting new recipes and ideas, I love it, I’m hoping by this time next year I will be where I need to be and feeling great. I’m looking forward to reading your column and recipes.

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  20. Hello, I am a new subscriber from Australia. I found your blog a few months ago and then as with many things, I totally forgot all about it. However I did remember that I had seen a recipe for Samosas so went looking for it again and made them that night. Oh my god, they were just divine. I have added the recipe to my Paprika recipe manager app so that I will never lose it. I have yet to try it as Naan bread, but as both my hubby and I love indian food I will be trying it very soon. Can’t wait to have a look at your indian recipes as I love making the dishes from scratch – hate those jarred sauces!!
    Looking forward to receiving recipes via email from you :-)

    Reply

    • Hi Glenys, I’m happy have you as a subscriber! Glad you liked the samosa recipe – I hope you’ll let me know how any other recipes you try turn out for you! :) Thanks for the comment!

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  21. Hello, I really enjoy your website. I have made some of your recipes and my husband and I enjoyed them immensely! I have been diagnosed having leaky gut and further testing is taking place next. Needless to say food has been an enemy for me and I have been very worried about what my future holds in what I can eat. I will say that finding your site has been a life saver for me. It’s given me hope where I didn’t think there was any. I have many medical issues and finding that food has been my enemy has been not only eye opening but traumatic. I have been going through traditional medicine and pill on top of pill. Now, I am turning to natural. “Physician heal thyself.” Keep the recipes coming. My food allergies are walnuts, bananas, asparagus, green beans, yeast, dairy, gluten, crab, pineapple and pecans. Everything I had been eating. All the best, Tammy

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  22. I just want to thank you for all your great recipes! I have been following Paleo for the past 6 months….gradually trying to omit grains, potatoes, rice etc from my diet. Your recipes have helped me so much……I am English and my husband is from Madras and we gave been married for 42years…..my Mum-in-law was the most amazing cook! I love my Indian food and you have made it possible for me too still enjoy it while following paleo. I love your naan recipe and also beetroot Thoran just to name a couple. Thank you so much ‘myheartbeets’!

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  23. I just came across one of your recipes for Paleo Naan on Pinterest and did a little jump for joy when I also saw a link to Paleo Samosas (one of the few things I will eat thats non Paleo cause I love them so much!) . I can’t wait to try your recipes!

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  24. Thank you so much for spending time sharing family and food. I grew up in the UK and spent my allowance money at every hole in the wall Indian restaurant I could find. My parents didn’t like ‘foreign food’. I have had a serious love affair with Indian cuisine for fifty plus years and to make it paleo just took it to a new level. Thank you again so much… I will be kitchen bound momentarily, okra in fridge right now heading to my face in minutes. You made my year. Good fortune to you and yours.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Martha! I’m glad to hear you’re such a fan of Indian cuisine :) And I’m glad to have you as a reader. I hope you will let me know how any recipes you try turn out for you!

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  25. I tried your nann, love indian food and was missing the bread, o.k. with the flavour but like a fluffier nann, is there something I could add

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  26. Hi Ashley

    I happen to find you on random.but I must say your site is very impressive.never been on a paleo diet before but I will definetly try your recipes. Keep up d good work

    Priya S

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  28. Ashley,
    I am absolutely in love with your website. For thee LONGEST time I have been trying to find Indian dishes to make myself, but believe it or not…it’s a rather difficult hunt. Perhaps that is because I am in the Midwest. That aside, I am so grateful you started this; definitely am looking forward to learning from these recipes!

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  29. Found your site a day or two ago (1 link led to another, you know how it goes). I’m mostly paleo and just starting a 2nd round of Whole 30 next week. ANYWAY, just read your bio above and I think I love you guys already! Looking forward to exploring your site and enjoying your recipes.

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  30. Just found your site and signed up for your newsletter. Delighted to find a paleo site with a real Indian bent as Indian food is my favourite cuisine. My son is spending a year in Bangaloru and while he grew up with my version of Indian food he is getting a chance to eat the real thing. I am so jealous. Your recipes look wonderful but I would like to alert you to a problem on your site – for some reason (I suspect one of your advertisers) isn’t loading properly and I get a ‘script has stopped working error’ on almost every recipe page. Every page takes forever to load and even after I cancel the script the site is very slow. Don’t know if there is anything you can do. As a clue I did go into the debugger on the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe page and a dotted line rectangle – long and thin – showed on the screen while the debugger was open and the line in the code was something about ‘getrect’. Hope that helps. I really want to check out more recipes but this problem makes it very hard.

    Reply

    • Miriam, so glad you found my website!! I hope you’ll let me know how my recipes turn out for you :) Also, thanks for letting me know about the ad issue. I’ll contact my ad network to figure it out but hopefully it’s working for you by now.

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  31. I am so happy there is a site like yours out there. My parents are from Kerala and sometimes when I am at work (shhh, don’t tell anyone) I look up Indian recipes. It is so nice to find a site that satisfies an Indian girl’s palate.

    Reply

    • Amy, thank you! And, lol, isn’t that what work is for? 😉 I’m glad you found my website – if you have a Keralite dish you want me to try and make, let me know!

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  32. Hi Ashley,
    Thank you for sharing your passion for cooking awesome, healthy food. I am new to your website and I am already excited about all I am going to learn about cooking. I have recently decided to follow a grain-free diet. I am healthy, according to my doctor, however, I don’t always feel good. I have occasional allergies and issues with pain in the joints…issues that can cause major problems down the road. Also, I am 15 lbs over-weight due to not eating right. So my goal is to eat clean, good food and I know that my body will take care of these issues by healing itself as I make smart food choices. Thank you for all the recipes you are sharing because it will make cooking fun and exciting for me to try new foods….I love cooking but I am not very creative in coming up with new recipes. I am about to make your 3 ingredient Paleo Naan. I have been craving bread but have managed to stay away from it…so I am excited to try your Naan. Have a great day!

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  33. I just returned from 8 days in India for work and thought I’d be tired of Indian food. But that didn’t happen! I made your Kofta Curry (from your cookbook) 2 days ago and it was a huge hit. The spices in the recipe made for an amazing flavor and the texture of the meatballs (pureed in the food processor) was very smooth. We loved the dish. Yesterday I again made your Sarson ka Saag in my crock pot. I’ve made it probably a half dozen times and love it each and every time. I use 1/2 mustard leaves and 1/2 spinach and add paneer in the final 2 hours of cooking time. With all these recipes, they taste even better on Day 2 as the flavors blend even more. With both dishes. of course, I served your paleo naan. I’m obsessed with your recipes! Thank you for creating and sharing them.

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  34. Hi Ashley! From your experience what would be the best oil to fry anything with? For example if I wanted to make somewhat paleo pakorey, I would probably prefer tallow but for vegetarians I can’t that. Any suggestions or have you experimented with avocado oil as far as deep frying?

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  35. I love cooking Indian food. My box of spices is like my alchemy set.
    Your crockpot goat curry was fantastic. I cooked it recently for my work buddies and they absolutely loved it. So easy and tasty. I have never cooked a curry in a crockpot before and was surprised how well it turned out. Thank you . Rob

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  36. Hi Ashley! Thanks so much for all these great recipes. I, like everyone else here 😉 made naan bread and it was delicious! I wasn´t sure I´d find an easy paleo naan recipe and voila, up pops your blog! Congratulations on the success of the blog. I´ll definitely be checking back to try more things! Oh and by the way, you´re a natural on video (must be that tv reporter background 😉

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  38. wow your so gorgrous to boot! stumbled across ur site love ur recipes going to try all the paleo breads, you both look terrific thanks for having such a great message and hope to see more! have totally bookmarked your site…

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  39. Hi Ashley,
    Your chicken curry recipe has become a firm favourite with my family. And they are picky! 😀
    Am exploring your other recipes as well.
    I love the 3-ingredient naan breads, although I am the only one in this case, lol. :3
    All the best from the Netherlands.
    Love, Ellen

    Reply

  40. Hi Ashley, so glad to have found your Blog, I do not know much about Paleo, but willing to learn. I am 83 years old, retired Farmer, do most of the cooking, and just recently got an Instant Pot, which, I just love!!!. gave one to my Son, and my Daughter, for Christmas present, and they both love them. Live in Southern Minnesota. looking forward to try some of your Instant Pot Recipes.

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  41. Thanks for this blog! I just used your chicken curry recipe. I didn’t have time tonight, but I can’t wait to try making paleo naan. I have celiac’s disease and haven’t had naan in 4 years!!!

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  42. Ashley,

    As an Americanized-desi girl looking for Indian paleo meals and recipes from another fellow desi I heart you! Your recipes are easy to follow and I really appreciate your diverse collection. Thank you for gracing the internet with your delicious recipes!

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  43. Hi Ashley, I just found your site and am so glad that I did. I have lived for years being gluten and dairy free but have just found out that I have so many more food intolerances (the reason for continued sickness and not enjoying anything I ate). I can now cook and bake a variety of tasty dishes that my husband will also enjoy with me. Thank you so so much!!

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  44. Hello Ashley,

    I just joined your blog on October 15, 2016 and am much impressed, love it. I too love everything food-wise from the Middle and Far East. My dear wife and I were both born in the Dutch East Indies, now the Republic of Indonesia. No, we didn’t know each other then. That came after WW II ended when we were repatriated back to the Netherlands and met in the school system. Long story there. I never liked it in Holland, too cold and wet, and I emigrated to the States in 1957. I got reacquainted with my wife to be and she come over to the States in 1962 and were married. I am a double cancer survivor and now cancer free for four years. In the meantime I have done a lot of research in nutrition and health and have adopted the Paleo lifestyle as best I can.
    I now automatically convert all my recipes to Paleo regardless whether they are Western or Eastern. Our most favorite recipes are Indonesian, Thai, Indian, Chinese – – – oh heck, we like most everything. Yes, I do have many Indian and Thai recipes but most are Indonesian. I was born in 1934 in the city Surabaya on Java Island and my wife was born in 1941 in Batavia, now Jakarta on Java Island.
    After my retirement we settled in Florida but miss our daughter and grandson who live near Pittsburgh, PA.

    Sorry for the long intro and if you like to know more about us please ask.

    With kind regards, Piet, the Flying Dutchman.

    Reply

    • Hi Piet! So happy to have you as a blog reader :) Thanks for sharing a little bit of your life with me. I love learning about my readers! I’m glad to hear you’re now cancer free – that’s wonderful news! I hope you will let me know what recipes you try from the blog and how they turn out for you!

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  46. Happy New Year, Ashley!
    Just wanted to say Thank You for the great recipes and I look forward to trying more. Also, I see that you and your husband went to the University of Virginia. I have been a professor at UVa (English department) since 2000. It’s too bad our paths didn’t cross! Best wishes!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Lisa! Happy New Year to you too! So sorry for the delay in replying to you! It’s too bad we didn’t have you as a professor – glad to see that you found my blog though (hopefully my grammar won’t make you cringe, lol). Let me know how my recipes turn out for you :)

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  47. Hi Ashley

    Do you have a weekly batch plan (meal prep) for Indian cuisine, preferably gluten free and dairy free. If you do, can you please let me know where to find it.

    Thanks

    Reply

  48. greetings from sunny south africa ashley, i am a south african indian came across ur blog looking for gluten free roti which ilove and use to make a lot of before i was diagnosed wit psorisasis 2years ago.imade some of your rotis las nite and dam!! they were good and i must say you look fab.in wedding pic love the red outfit.could you explain why the white wedding ?? which by the way you look beautiful aswell .

    lots of love
    godbless

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda! I’m glad you found my blog and that you like my recipes! My husband’s family is from South India (Kerala) and they are Catholic, which is why I’m wearing a white wedding dress :)

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  49. Hi
    Just cooked your goat curry. It was better than I could have possibly imagined. Thanks so much!
    Ian

    Reply

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