Month: September 2014

Different Lemonade Recipes
In the hot summer season all that comes to our mind is cooling and refreshing fresh lemonade. It is a life saver in these hot and lazy days. You just need to have a good juicer and 10 minutes and after this all that you have is Fresh homemade Lemonade in your hand. It is very easy to prepare the basic lemonade, but when you have many options around like fruits, mint leaves, vanilla beans, etc. Then what’s the harm in trying some of its variants. So firstly let’s have a look at the basic lemonade which is the most basic step and then move on to some of its variants.
- Basic Lemonade Recipe:
This is the most easy and basic recipe to prepare this fresh and healthy lemonade. It is like the first step towards success. To prepare any of the variants of lemonade everyone has to prepare this and then follow the next step. The recipe you are going to see is for about4-5 servings.

Ingredients:
- Lemon
- 1 cup of sugar (according to your taste)
- 7-8 cups of water
Preparation:
- Initially take all the lemon and squeeze them properly to obtain lemon juice.
- Now add lemon juice and sugar together in a pitcher.
- Stir this solution well so that all the sugar in it is easily dissolved.
- After the sugar is fully dissolved, add the water in it and keep it in a refrigerator so that it gets chilled.
Some tips on how it should be served:

If it is the time of summer season then use one cup less water as the lemonade itself will become diluted because of the ice. You can also put the lemonade into the plastic container, plastic jug or any other plastic bottle and allow it to be frozen. Take this container out of the refrigerator before some time so that it becomes slushy before being served.

Now there are various variations and options that you can mix up your lemonade and make it more appetizing and soothing drink.
- Raspberry Lemonade:
Ingredients:
- Fresh raspberries
- Fresh basic Lemonade
- Chambord Liqueur
- Grenadine (1 tbsp)
- One ounce vodka
Preparation:
- Initially prepare the basic lemonade with the help of the above recipe.
- Now take a few raspberries and leave the rest of them for garnishing at the end.
- The raspberries which we have saved must be immersed in the Chambord for about one hour.
- Add these raspberries to grenadine. After this they both must be added to the lemonade that we have prepared at the beginning.
- Before serving put a little bit of vodka in each glass.
- Then add the ice cubes along with the raspberry lemonade.
- You can decorate your lemonade with the help of extra raspberries to make it more lucrative.
To prepare Raspberry Vanilla lemonade, add vanilla syrup into this lemonade. Also add some amount of soda to obtain the little amount of fizz in it. This is a new variant of this lemonade.
- Vanilla Bean Plantation Lemonade:
Ingredients:
- Fresh lemons
- 1 cup of sugar (according to your taste)
- 7-8 cups of water
- Vanilla bean
Preparation:
- In this you have to prepare basic lemonade in a different way. Exclude one cup of water and sugar into it
- With this sugar and water we have to prepare the syrup.
- Now prepare vanilla infused syrup with the help of vanilla bean added to the mixture of water and sugar (make sure seeds are removed from it).
- This mixture must be boiled till the sugar gets dissolved.
- After this allow this syrup to be cool and add this to the lemon juice and water.
- Stir this solution very well and finally this is ready to be served.
Enjoy your summer with this delicious treat.
- Mint Infused Lemonade:
Ingredients:
- Fresh lemons
- 1 cup of sugar (according to your taste)
- 7-8 cups of water
- Mint leaves
Preparation:
- In this you have to prepare basic lemonade by omitting one cup of water and sugar
- With this sugar and water we have to prepare the syrup.
- Now prepare a syrup with the help of mint leaves added to the mixture of water and sugar.
- This mixture must be boiled till the sugar gets dissolved.
- After this remove the mixture from the heat and allow this syrup to be cooled.
- In a pitcher add this mixture to the lemon juice and water.
- You can garnish it with some mint leaves.
- Finally, this is ready to be served.
- Pink Lemonade:
Pink lemonade is the best choice for thirst-quenching drinks for kids and adults both.

Ingredients:
- Fresh lemonade
- Grenadine
Preparation:
- This is same as basic lemonade, but to get a pink color you have to add Grenadine (one tablespoon).
- Stir this solution very well to get a bright pink color.
- Add less grenadine for soft pink color.
Enjoy this summer with these fresh lemonade and have a superb and refreshing day..!!
September 14, 2014
Tales served in a plate!

Have a big party to host too soon? But are too bored of the clichéd party menus available (Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Indian or Mughlai)? I have just the thing for you, that will surely elevate your stature to the “PARTY KING/QUEEN” and give you and you’re fiction-fellas the best time of their lives! Yes, give way to your literary gastronomy as I bring forth a list of fictional literary food items that you’ve read about in novels or watched your favourite characters sip or bite onto them in movies and TV series!

1. Butterbeer (Harry potter series):

“Why don’t we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it’s a bit cold, isn’t it?”-Hermione Granger.
Ah! The reveries of sipping through the clouded peaks of tankard-full butterbeer, on chilly December mornings ,while crouching over the wooden benches of The Three Broomsticks, or Leaky Cauldron, has enticed us since our ripe days of innocence( and they still do). So, why not relive those days, just not in reveries but in reality! Set up old shaggy benches, restrict the light source to quivering candles, and Cheers!
INGREDIENTS
• Cream soda- 2 litre
• Butter extract- 2 tbsps.
• Rum extract- 2 tbsps.
*add drops of the extracts into a 2 litre bottle, put on the cap and slowly rotate (not shake) until combined.
• For the crème topping- 17oz container of marshmallow crème
• Whipping cream- 1 cup
• Rum extract- 1 tbsp.
METHOD

• Add all the items together in a blender and combine until smooth
• Pour the butterbeer into a glass and drizzle with the cream topping and Enjoy!

2. Scooby Snacks (Scooby- dooby doo series) :

Our very own beloved stoner mates of childhood! Remember the eternally hungry Scooby and Shaggy, who were always lured to chase the villains using this snack!
INGREDIENTS
• Dry oatmeal- 1 cup
• Flour- 2 cups
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Eggs- 2
• Butter- ¼ pound or ½ cup
• Walnut extract- 1 tsp.
• Vanilla essence – 1 tbsp.
• Cocoa powder- ½ cup
• Finely ground cannabis- 1 oz.
METHOD
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir continuously.
• If the consistency becomes too thick or tight making it difficult to stir, then add a tablespoon of milk into it, and mix.
• Taste the batter and adjust the sweetness according to preferences.
• On a lightly greased cooking sheet, place them in scoops or bone shape cut-outs and bake for 8-12 minutes ( depending upon the size of the cookies)
• If you wish to bite on to dry and crispy cookies, bake for longer, but if chewy and soft is your thing, a shorter time span for baking them, is fine.

3. Hotpie’s Wolf Bread (Game of thrones):

Does this ring a bell? In Season 3, this becomes a parting gift for Arya by Hotpie, remember? Of course you do! So, now imagine, breaking pieces from this Wolfbread we’re about t0 make and dipping it in the Virginia Woolf’s Boeuf en Daube (in the next point) , ah, heavenly delicious, and such a intermingled literary hotchpotch! Well, let’s proceed.

INGREDIENTS ( makes 3 breads)
• Coarse meal- 2 cups
• Wheat flour- 3 cups
• Egg(beaten with a little water, for the wash) – 1
• Baking powder-1 tsp.
• Baking soda- 1 tsp.
• Butter- 6 tbsps.
• Honey- 4 tbsps.
• Pinch of salt
• Buttermilk or sour milk
METHOD
• Combine the dry ingredients and rub in butter
• Then, stir in the honey, buttermilk, and fold in a soft workable dough
• Roll it out around 1/2″ thickness, and skilfully cut out the dire wolf shape with a knife by placing the template(below) over it( template given at the bottom)
• Once satisfied, transfer it to a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Brush all over it with the beaten egg
• Now, for 20 minutes, let it bake at 250 degrees F, until it’s tinted in lovely golden brown colour. Enjoy!

4. Boeuf en Daube (To the Lighthouse):

Direct from Virginia Woolf’s imaginative kitchen, this recipe is a star for any party especially if the dwellers are meat lovers. Known to spell magic with her words, Woolf in ‘To the Lighthouse’, one of the best English novels of the 20th century tickles the gastronomic sensations of her readers with her vivid descriptions of this delicacy. So let’s have a look at the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
• Primed beef (can also use mutton), cubed and trimmed of fat- 5 lbs.
• Peeled shallot or onions- 8-10 pieces
• Burgundy wine- 750 ml
• Olive oil- 1-2 tbsps.
• Fresh thyme- 1 bunch
• Garlic cloves( peeled and chopped finely) – 4-6
• Bay leaves- 2-4
• Lardons (or smoked bacon pieces) – 1 lb.
• Orange peel( dried) – 6-8 pieces
• Soft brown sugar- 1 tbsp
• Cepes( a type of mushroom), soaked for 1 hour- ½ ounce
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Sun-dried tomatoes (drained and chopped finely)- 2-3
• Cognac – 2 tbsps.
• Corn flour – 1-2 tbsps.
• Tomato sauce- 2 cups
METHOD
• In a bottle of red wine, marinade the beef with herbs, shallots, and garlic overnight. Drain and keep the wine aside.
• Take a large frying pan, pour olive oil and sear and brown the beef pieces over high heat, till nutty and golden brown.
• In a cast iron Le Creuset Casserole Dish, or a crock pot, place the beef. Fry the lardons or chopped bacon pieces until crispy and golden brown. Drain and add to the beef.
• Then, brown-fry the garlic in the bacon fat and add to the beef and bacon.
• In the crock pot, add all the ingredients including the reserved wine except the corn flour.
• Cook on high flame for 4 hours and low up for 6 hours. Or, preheat oven to 175 degrees C or 325 degrees F n cook for 4-6 hours, slowly. The meat must become extremely tender.
• Once done, stir in the corn flour and cognac into the stock encased within the crock pot.
• Serve with Mashed, steamed and pureed potatoes, and green beans, or with French bread, salads and pasta! Try and make it on the day before the party, it tastes better. Best for main course!

5. Turkish Delight (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe):

Remember Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, who after inhaling the Snow Queen’s Turkish Delight had betrayed his sibling?! Yes, disgust for the character seeps into your veins at this nostalgia, but never mind he learnt his lesson, right? And, the Turkish Delight, is surely a delight!

INGREDIENTS
• Water- 1 ½ cups
• Cold water- ½ cup
• Corn-starch- ¾ cup
• Orange juice- ½ cup
• Orange zest- 3 tbsps.
• Granulated sugar – 3 cups
• Light corn syrup- 3 tbsps.
• Unflavoured gelatin-3(.25 ounces) envelopes
• Vanilla extract- 1 tbsp
• Pistachio nuts( chopped)- ¾ cup
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
METHOD
• Take a large saucepan, place it over medium-high heat and add water, sugar and corn syrup to it and bring to boil. Stir continuously until the temperature reaches 115 degrees C or 240 degrees F, on a candy thermometer. Set aside and keep hot
• Stir in the orange juice and zest, and sprinkle with gelatin and set aside. Take a small bowl and pour in ½ cup of cold water, dissolve the corn-starch in it and stir into a hot syrup, over medium flame, until thick.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla essence, pistachio nuts and a little more of the orange juice. Sprinkle an 8×8 inch pan indulgently with the confectioners’ sugar. Pour the Turkish Delight into the pan and let it cool (do not refrigerate) until set, for 3-4 hours approx.
• Once cool, now sprinkle on top another thick layer of the special sugar. Cut them into 1-inch squares and dredge each well in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in room temperature in an airtight container! Serve with tea, coffee or just as welcome sweets or even as end-of-the-meal desserts!
Set the mood with the right décor, music and games, and the rest, leave it to these scrumptious delights to handle! Rest assured, just dig in!!!

September 14, 2014
Unique cultures that exist around the world

A culture is said to be unique if it is said to have different types of food habits, traditions, clothing and culture when compared to other cultures.If we travel around the world, we can explore unique cultures and traditions.As culture represents geography, identification, lifestyles and much more,if we study about various cultures around the world we can encounter unusual things too.

1.Mourning of Muharram:

Mourning of Muharram

Mourning of Muharram is one of the odd and unusual cultures seen in Muslim communities.This takes place on the death anniversary of Husayn Ibn Ali.On this day, a number of Shia Muslims go out with whips having knives and blades attached to them and they start beating themselves continuously with them.Few people cut their own heads using these knives.This tradition may look awkward but it has been blindly passed over to their descendants from generations.One of the interesting thing about this culture is people participate in this weird culture voluntarily.

2.Carrying Pregnant Women Over Coal:

carrying-pregnant-woman-over-coal

This is one of the weird Chinese culture.According to this culture, husband should carry his wife over burning coal before he enters into their home for the first time.They feel that following this custom will ensure that the bride will have an easy and successful delivery.They also feel that reading a good literature during pregnancy has positive effect on the unborn child and on the other side, it is very bad for the pregnant woman to gossip or laugh loudly.

3.Tossing the Babies:

Tossing the Baby

The phrase Baby tossing itself says that it is a wired culture.This unusual culture is visible in Solapur village situated in Maharashtra state.According to this culture ,the new born babies are tossed from a height of 50 feet terrace.People stay at the foot of the terrace holding sheets to catch the baby safely.It is believed that following this culture gives their children good luck, long and healthy life and they also believe that they will grow smart.

4.Hanging Coffins in China:

Hanging Coffins in China

In China, we can see lots of hanging coffins on the chillingly steep cliffs along Yangtze River, China.Few people in China known as Toraja follow this ususual culture.According to this culture, people bury their family members in coffins after death and hang them over some cliffs.These coffins are usually hung at a height of 33 to 164 feet and few coffins are hung as high as 328 feet above the ground.It is still a mystery how these coffins were placed at such great heights.This type of weird culture is not only seen in China but also seen in some parts of Indonesia and Philippines.

5.Kanamara Matsuri of Japan:

Kanamara Matsuri Festival of Japan

Kanamara Matsuri is one of the weird festival celebrated in Japan.This is a festival of steel penis that is celebrated on the first Sunday of April every year.People celebrate this festival by holding a giant wooden phallus.Holding this phallus people march around the town.People believe that celebrating this festival will bring regenerative abilities on the local crops and also ensures the fertility for everyone.But most of the people wonder about this culture that an entire festival in Japan is dedicated to Penis.

6.Kidnapping the Bride:

Kidnapping the Bride

This is a unique culture followed by Romanian people.This criminal tradition has been carried out since centuries.According to this culture ,some of the friends of the groom decide to kidnap the bride.In exchange they demand for bottles of whisky or something more romantic.The guys who kidnapped the bride mange through phone call.This is a harmless tradition and is celebrated on marriage occasions.

7.Living with the Dead:

Living with the Dead

This type of odd culture is followed by few ethic groups in Indonesia.According to this culture people wrap the dead in special grabs and keep it safe in the house they live.People believe that their loved ones soul will be preserved until they are buried.

8.El Colacho Baby Jumping:

El Colacho Baby Jumping

This is one of the odd traditions that is existing in the world.This old culture is followed by the residents of Spain since 1620.This culture was mainly organized to keep the devils away.According to this culture, children are laid on the mattresses in the street and heavy crowd gather to watch.Usually the jumpers wear traditional costumes to look like devils. During the jumping some injuries takes place but this culture is still popular in Spain.

9.Walking Dead:

Walking Dead

According to this culture, as funerals are sometimes costly and some of the families can’t afford an initial proper burial.So, such people place bury the dead body in a temporary coffin and when they are having enough money to do the burial, the corpse is raised from the dead and walks to its new resting place.

10.Monkey Buffet Festival:

Monkey Buffet Festival

This unique festival is celebrated in Thailand.This is fun and strangest festival that still exists in the world.In this festival people set up fruits, flowers, cakes and candy on the tables in the downtown area and all the monkeys are attracted by this food and hop all over the tables entertaining the viewers.This monkey buffet festival was started in the year 1989.Thousands of tourists visit Thailand to attend this festival every year.This festival is usually celebrated on 25th November every year.

September 14, 2014
Chutneys are Yummy! Part 1
Often while having food, you find that the dish lacks a certain punch. A flavor so to speak. You wonder how to solve this problem. Well, worry no longer. There is a solution at hand which will leave your taste buds tingling in the process. What can that be you ask? One word we say in reply. Chutneys!

Chutney (also translated as chatney or chatni) is a family of condiments mainly associated with South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spice(s), vegetable(s), and/or fruit(s). Chutneys may be either wet or dry, and can have a coarse or fine texture. There are various types of chutneys.

The name “chutney” covers a wide variety of foodstuffs. The common element which makes them all “chutneys” is that they are added to meals to add flavor; the best English “translation” of “chutney” is “relish”. As such, they can be, and are, eaten with a wide variety of foods.

The word “chutney” is derived from the Sanskrit word caṭnī, meaning to lick. The first chutneys in India would have been sticky fruit based preserves. Sugar, although available in India, was not widely cultivated and honey would have been used to sweeten dishes, this leading to the chutneys being used as more of a dipping sauce rather than a condiment. It is written differently in several North Indian and South Indian languages.

Let’s have a look at some popular Indian chutney recipes!
- Peanut Chutney:
Peanut Chutney, a versatile and easy-to-make spicy chutney, is a must-have accompaniment in South Indian cuisine. It can be of two types, wet and dry. This recipe is for making wet peanut chutney for Dosa and Idli, and it can be used either as spread or as an accompaniment.
- Ingredients:
1) 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, skin removed.
2) 3 garlic cloves.
3) 1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste.
4) 4 dry red chillis.
5) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds.
6) 4-5 curry leaves.
7) 2 teaspoons oil.
8) 1/2 cup water.
9) Salt to taste.
- Directions:
1) Put the roasted peanuts, garlic, 3 dry red chillis, tamarind paste and salt in the chutney jar of the grinder.
2) Grind them together till a medium coarse powder.
3) Add 1/2 cup water to the mixture, and grind again until a smooth paste is formed. Transfer the paste to a serving bowl, and proceed to prepare tempering.
4) Heat oil in a small pan. Break 1 dry red chilli into two pieces. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add curry leaves and the remaining 1 dry red chilli. Sauté for 10 seconds and turn off the flame.
5) Pour the tempering over the prepared chutney paste. Peanut chutney is now ready to be served along with steamed Idli and Dosa!
- Tips:
1) If roasted peanuts are not available, then you can dry roast them over low flame in a heavy based pan for 7-8 minutes. Let them cool for 3-4 minutes and remove the skin.
2) Increase or decrease the amount of red chillis to make more or less spicy respectively.
3) You can avoid topping it up with mustard seeds tempering if you are going use it only for making Dosa.
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes.
- Cooking Time: 2 minutes.
- Servings: 2.
- Coconut Chutney:
Making South Indian Coconut Chutney for Dosa and Idli is very simple. Just blend fresh coconut with chillis, curd and ginger, and mix tempered mustard seeds. However, the real taste differentiators in this recipe are roasted chana dal, tamarind paste, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Follow this recipe and discover how good the chutney tastes. But yes, don’t blame us if you get addicted to it!
- Ingredients:
1) 1 cup roughly chopped fresh coconut.
2) 1 teaspoon grated ginger.
3) 2 green chillis, chopped.
4) 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal.
5) 1 tablespoon curd.
6) 1 teaspoon lemon juice or tamarind paste.
7) 1/2 cup water.
8) Salt to taste.
- For Tempering:
1) 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
2) 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds.
3) 4-5 curry leaves.
4) 1 dry red chilli.
5) 1 teaspoon oil.
- Directions:
1) Take chopped coconut in a small chutney jar of the food processor or grinder.
2) Grind it to make a medium coarse paste and transfer on to a plate.
3) Add green chillis, roasted chana dal and ginger to the same chutney jar.
4) Grind mixture to a smooth powder.
5) Add crushed coconut, curd, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 cup water.
6) Grind them to make a medium coarse paste. If required, add more water to get the desired consistency of chutney and grind again. Transfer to a bowl.
7) Heat oil in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add cumin seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves and sauté for 10 seconds.
8) Take the pan away from flame and immediately pour tempering over the prepared coconut paste. Mix well. Delicious Coconut Chutney for Idli and Dosa is now ready to serve!
- Tips:
1) Adjust quantity of water accordingly to make it thick or diluted.
2) Avoid the addition of green chillis while making coconut paste, and avoid dry red chillis in tempering while making white Coconut Chutney.
3) Consume fresh chutney immediately or refrigerate it, and use it for up to 3 days.
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes.
- Cooking Time: 2 minutes.
- •Servings: 6.
Watch this space for recipes of more mouth-watering chutney recipes. Coming soon!
September 14, 2014
Donuts: Not a healthy Choice…

In any shape or size, whether they are round, square or twisted, these deep fried snack is always appealing and keep us reaching for more. The beauty of donut make us fall prey for them and we just can’t resist it. So, you love Dunkin’ Donuts? Is it your favorite place to hang out? Well, think again, because Donuts aren’t considered as very healthy choice. For a breakfast, it’s a complete no! No. Obviously because it is sweet, piece of fried dough with all the creaminess and chocolaty content makes it a pack of calories. Nothing else. Yes, it is tasty, hell a lot, but still can’t be rated as healthy food. The fact that doughnuts aren’t good shouldn’t be a surprise, as of a fact, they are worse than many other snacks in the market. You can see a bag of chips have 260 calories and a small packet of cookies have 50 to 60 calories but a doughnut has not less than 300 calories making it such a unhealthy choice. With all the sugar, fats and other unhealthy ingredients, donuts can wreck a havoc on your health. Don’t believe me, just go through the list below and you will get an idea what kind of potential harm they can give;

Risk of Weight gain: this round fried confectionery or dessert food, called doughnut has full lot of calories. What’s the point in ignoring other food and your cravings but just can’t resist donut and eat one or two and then more. Even a single donut a day can put you at risk of gaining weight over time. A crispy cream filed raspberry donut or any donut with different fillings has near about 300 calories. Doctors say if you consume even only one donut everyday and do not even exercise regularly to cut down the calories, you are likely to gain 1 pound every 10 donuts. So, now, its upto you how wisely you eat those sweet rounds.

No Nutritional value: Doughnuts are unlikely to have any kind of food value because of so high sugar and calorie content. Also, the fried aspect of donuts makes it so unhealthy choice. Also, the main ingredient being white flour, a simple carbohydrate is what makes them a highly refined and highly processed food. Refined flour id close to no fiber and also there’s no whole wheat grain or any other natural healthy foods. Fiber is essential for anything to get a tag of healthy and to make you regular and also, it prevents colon cancer or maintains blood sugar, but donuts possessing nothing like this makes them all the more unhealthy.

Heart Conditions: Ughh, such a bad choice for your heart. Just not ideal for your heart and specifically for heart patients. Being fried, it contains lots of saturated and trans fats which by all means are known to have very bad effect on the heart. A research shows that doughnuts have more trans fat than peanut butter, chocolate bars or even chips. Just a single donut can lend you trans fat for whole day but the truth people rarely eat one donut. If you start eating it once, you find it irresistible and that’s where the problem starts with. So, if I have to be concise I should quote, Say no to donut for a healthy heart.

High blood sugar levels: Doughnuts are all about sugar and sweetness. Then, how come they won’t increase your blood sugar levels. For diabetic patients, they are like deadly food, that’s obvious. But even for normal beings, they aren’t prove to be good as of sugar is concerned. If you know, a single donut contains 5 tsp. of sugar and doctors recommend maximum of 6 tsp. of sugar a day and with one donut you had your requirement of day. This can give you idea how sugary and creamy donut can lead you to a problems with your blood sugar levels and erractic glucose levels in the blood. Only, solution be mindful and so some pre-thinking before you lend out your hand for a donut.

Not a breakfast choice: Doughnut are among the most fattening breakfast choice ever. With all the unhealthy stuff, a donut poses you risk of weight gain and a bulge in your belly, which I know no one likes. Eating something so early in the morning with such a calorie content and no food value is not something that you would ideally want to commit yourself to. Breakfast, being the most important meal of the day doesn’t deserve to be started by such a thing called, doughnut. Next time, you pick up that plate of doughnut, try to be resistant and put it back.

The whole idea to convey here is that though Doughnuts are awesomely tasteful your tongue loves it, but be mindful while eating them and eat them little and occasionally, just as a snack and not as a proper food as there is no nutritional and food value attached to them. Control your cravings for donuts and try to replace them with some other healthy food altenative like creamy flavorful cup of youghurt or anything else of your liking. But if you like to munch on doughnuts all the time or most of the time, think again.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

September 14, 2014
The Coolest Cucumbers!

The dark green, firm, cool cuke… cucumber which you just picked and put in your shopping basket is just miraculous for your health. This fruit is loaded with health benefits. Yes, I said fruit, because cucumber is not a vegetable but a fruit. I do know, that everyone knows well that cucumber is excellent for your body and is a must in salad. Heard this phrase, “Cool as Cucumber”. Probably Yes. So you can easily interpret the amount of freshness, cucumbers can deliever. Some may like it hot by baking or heating up in oil, but if not, then cool cucumber is for you, which can do wonders for you.

Do you know, the inside of cucumber, growing in the hot sun on a vine is about 20 degree Celsius cooler than air. Scientifically known as Cucumis sativus, it belongs to the same botanical family as melons, zucchini or squash. Being the fourth most widely cultivated fruit, with its mild, refreshing flavor, cucumbers are 90% water but still manage to give so many health benefits. Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, even bone building- managanese, potassium, magnesium, also possess infection fighting, vitamin C, anti-inflammatory Vitamin K. The fresh extracts of cucumber have been shown to have both antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. Also, the presence of unique polyphenols in plants with lignans, this health benefiting substance is research upon extensively in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and allium vegetables like onion and garlic. Cucumbers have three lignans which are known to have positive cardiovascular effects and reduces cancer risks, including prostate, breast, uterus cancers. They also contain an enzyme that breaks protein and helps clean the intestines and also are good for detoxification of body.

To choose from the whole lot of cucumbers, they are eaten green or under ripe. Choose the shorter, dark green cucumbers, which are firm and feel heavy, so always go for shorter, medium sized cucumbers. As, long cucumbers can be bitter and show that they are ripe. For getting the optimal nutrition and nourishment from your cucumbers while minimizing your health risk, you can choose organic grown cucumbers over conventionally grown varieties. Cucumber are mostly used in salads and eaten raw and very few people cook it like other vegetables. The cucumber is refreshing and gives crunch to the salad and is perfect diet snack and cucumber salads are prepared just before serving to retain the crispness. Eating raw cucumbers is what is known best by most of the people. However, they can be cooked, stuffed and mixed with herbs. Stuff cucumbers with feta cheese or cream by slicing it lengthwise. Though, most people prefer eating diced cucumber with some sprinkled salt and pepper. You can even grate the cucumber and add it in yoghurt with other veggies like onions, tomatoes, and sprinkle some salt and pepper and it will become a delicious raita with all the crunchiness. Have it with parantha or eat it as it is, as you like. For cooked cucumbers, you can google it and you’ll be surprised by so many recipes and suggestions. Now, let’s have a look on how cucumbers add value to our daily diet;

Keeps you hydrated: Drink enough water and munch on cucumbers, you daily dose of hydration is fulfilled. Moreover, detoxification is done automatically. They are the best substitute for water and are fully compensate if you are too busy to cater your drinking requirements. Just have some and you are healthy.

Awesome for skin and eyes: Cucumbers are just awesome for maintaining skin health. Obviously, when they are known to flush out toxins from body and have such a high water content, they will do all the good for skin. Also, having vitamins and minerals, they are good for eyes too. Moreover, not to mention, they are just too popular to remove under eye dark circles when used regularly and treats many skin and eye problems.

Helps in weight loss: For diet conscious and weight loosing people, cucumber and eating its sticks is favorite as a snack. Crunchy cucumber sticks dipped in creamy non-fat yoghurt is just too tasty and interesting. Enjoy cucumber in your salads and soups daily and enjoy the results.

Stabilizes blood pressure: Patients of high or low blood pressure, often feel that eating cucumber brings relief and helps in stabilizing the blood pressure to much extent. Also, it refreshes the mind and body and smoothen the blood flow, thus making the BP patients feel good.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits: Cucumber, loaded with so many nutrients and water content is very powerful antioxidant product and also possess anti-inflammatory properties. It includes Vitamin C, beta carotene, manganese and numerous flavonoid antioxidants.

Anti-Cancer Benefits: A group of cucumber phyto-nutrients known to provide anti-cancer benefits are its lignans, which is because the role of these plant lignans in cancer protection involves the role of bacteria in our digestive tract and therefore, there is reduced risk of estrogen-related cancers, including prostate, breast, ovary cancers, that has been associated with intake of dietary lignans from plant foods like cucumbers.

Love cucumber? It will love you back in all the ways. Just be regular with consumption or application of cucumber and see the difference in your life.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

September 14, 2014
How your Fridge can Save you Money!

I know fridge is something you love to look at whenever bored or hungry. Fridge is exciting, full of food and all the variety. They help in food preservation and keep it fresh. Our fridge has everything from drinks to fruits and veggies to icecreams to frozen food to cheese to left out foods to what not. We love food, so we love our Refrigerators.

If we love them so much and keep our dearest food items in it, why not to make better use of domestic freezers and fridges so that food last longer resulting in less waste. In fact, if you learn to use it efficiently, you can save loads of money if we all used fridges to store certain foods and lowered the temperature. Even the food remains fresh for longer period of time and is healthy for consumption. Cleaning your refrigerator regularly with simple and easy techniques is also important so that preservation is upto the mark. Do you know what temperature your refrigerator is set to right now? If not, you could be wasting so much of cash and wasting electricity. See, such a awareness can save your money to such a great extent. The new research report by WRAP claims that lowering your refrigerator’s temperature to 39 degrees Fahrenheit or between 0 to 5 degrees Celsius can keep food from spoiling quickly and help preserve food for longer and in turn saves up your money. The report claims that maintaining the right temperature helps food to stay fresh for three days after its expected expiration date. By lowering down the temperature, the bacteria growth is slowed down and foods stays fresh for longer. Also, don’t overload your fridge, keep it no more than 3 quarters full with space in between to allow good amount of air circulation. This way all the food inside it is cooled evenly. Just simply Adjusting the temperature of fridge wont ensure the prolonged shelf life, but still its good way to start if you want to cut out the grocery bills and is also beneficial. Alongwith, cleaning the shelves of refrigerator and bins every 2 to 3 months will disinfect the surfaces and food will be healthy and delicious as you want it to be. Let’s jot down some points to make it an interesting task;

Store leftovers Smartly: After dinner, if you are left with too many food, instead of dumping it in a large container, rather store it efficiently in small clear containers or transparent bags. It will be good if you ration them in individualized portions. These leftover food can be consumed from two to three days whenever you like. At least you will be having something to eat in case of emergency or for a change of taste.

Keep fruits and Veggies Separate: Most fridge come with two separate drawers, so it is better if you keep the fruits in drawer and vegetables in other to ensure the maximum longevity. Because, like peaches and apples which have high amounts of ethylene can prematurely ripen and can spoil vegetables. So, it is recommended to place them seperately in fridge. Also, don’t wash vegetables until you’re ready to use. Better to place them in fridge straightway after fetching it from grocery store and wash them nicely when you want to use them. This is because prewashing of veggies can reduce the shelf life of veggies.

Maximize the Shelf Space of Fridge: The nicely organized fridge is always lovely to see and easy to handle. The shelf space should be consumed for eatables which actually need to be put in and requires cooling. If something doesn’t need to be kept cold, it can be kept out of fridge. It is a very good tip to not to overstuff your fridge, as proper keeping with some spaces will allow air circulation and keep things fresh in the fridge.

Keep appropriate things in the door shelf: The doors are warmest part of fridge so keep store-bought products like ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, water bottles or some tonics with long shelf life in the doors. Generally, the foods that don’t require cooking to be kept at top shelves like leftovers or yoghurt. Since, the bottom of the fridge is coldest, use this part to store sea foods, meat that need to be kept coldest and is cooked at high temperatures. Keeping the important and readymade things at door will also make more space for other things. The key is placing the things in fridge mindfully.

After being going through all the above listings, you will be well aware about how fridge is not important for food perspective but can also help in savings. You can see how an Organized fridge can cut down on your so many worries. Just little organization and mindful keeping of fridge can change all this. Start with top and work your way down. Though, it may seem like daunting task at first, but when you put your mind in it, and have put a fixed time and planning into organizing it, you will be fascinated by the results, as it not saved money for you but also lots of time where dinner is concerned.

September 14, 2014
Ganesh chaturthi celebrations in India

Ganesh Chaturdhi Festival

Ganesha Chaturthi which is also known as Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated by Hindu’s around the world.It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha.This festival is generally celebrated in bhadra pada masa i.e., between mid August to mid September.It is celebrated with great devotion and with peace of mind.It is one of the grand festival celebrated in almost every part of the country.On this occasion, each and everyone place a clay model of Lord Ganesha in their homes and worship for seven to ten days with great devotion.The preparation of these Idols get started from 2 to 3 months prior to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.The size of these idols may vary from 3/4th of an inch to 25 feet and even more.

History:

History

According to Hindu stories ,Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Siva and Parvati.There is a saying that Goddess parvathi has created Lord Ganesha with the sandal paste that she used for bath and created a figure and breathed life into it.Then she said to that little boy to stand guarding at the door till she completes her bath.At that time, Lord Shiva who had gone out earlier returns back and as the little boy doesn’t know Lord Siva, he did not allowed him.Then Lord Siva got extreme anger and told his followers to teach a lesson to the little boy.But being born to Parvati, he is very powerful, thus defeated Shiva’s followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing.Thus Lord Siva got even more anger and cut the head of the child.Parvati after seeing this was furious towards Siva.Then Lord Siva promised that her son will be alive again.In search of that ,devas could not find the head of a dead person facing north,But they founded the head of a dead elephant facing north.They brought the head of the elephant and Lord Siva fixed it on the child’s body and brought him back to life.Then Lord Siva declared that from this day this boy would be called as Ganesha.

Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Maharashtra:

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in maharastra

In Maharashtra almost every Hindu family will establish their own clay statue in their homes and worship with great devotion.According to the people of Maharashtra ,their domestic celebrations come to an end after the completion of 1 day or 3 days or 5 days or 7 days or even 11 days.At the end of any of these days, people take the idol and immerse in large water bodies like rivers or sea.But due to some environmental concerns ,large number of families are immersing their statue or idol in a bucket of water at home itself.Later the clay from these statues are used for gardening.

Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Andhra Pradesh:

Ganesh-Chathurthi-celebrations-in-andhrapradesh

In Andhra Pradesh, clay Ganesha or Matti Vinayaka is mainly worshiped in each and every Hindu house.Few people worship Ganesha that is made out of Turmeric and few worship Plaster of Paris Ganesha.The festival celebrations will continue for five to ten days depending upon the family traditions.People believe that praying Lord Ganesha will fulfill their desires and wishes.He also blesses us by removing all the obstacles in our life.

Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Tamil Nadu:

Ganesh-Chathurthi-celebrations-in-tamil nadu

Tamil Nadu celebrates Ganesha Chaturthi very grandly.This is also known as Vinayaka Chavathi in Tamil Nadu.This festival falls after the new moon day in the month of aavani.In Tamil Nadu, the festival is celebrated in all homes by worshiping the idol of Lord Ganesha that is made out of clay.The idol of Lord Ganesha is decorated with flowers and garland.Few dishes like Modak, ladoo and other dishes are offered to Lord Ganesha.In Tamil Nadu we can find Lord Ganesha idols placed in public places during the period of festive days.The height of these idols will not exceed 13 feet and they are made out of paper and clay as Plaster of Paris is banned by the State Government.Some of the idols are made out of coconuts, fruits, rudraksha and other organic materials.After worshiping for five to ten days they are immersed in Bay of Bengal.The police department make special arrangements for celebrating the festival peacefully with great joy.

Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Kerala:

Ganesh-Chathurthi-celebrations-in-kerala

In Kerala Ganesh Chaturthi is known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Lamboodhara Piranalu.This festival generally falls in the month of chingam.During the festive days, the temples have huge crowd and people worship idols of Ganesha by offering nivedyam.Cultural programs are held at different localities and elephants are worshiped throughout Kerala.In Kerala ,on the day of visarjanam the large possessions the tall statues of Lord Ganesha are taken to the nearby water bodies and are immersed in them.The streets are fully decorated with flowers, lighting and rangolis.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Goa:

Ganesh-Chathurthi-celebrations-in-goa

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the very important festival that is being celebrated by the Hindus in Goa.The festival preparations begin a month before and the actual festival is on the month of Bhadrapada masa.On this day ,women worship goddess Gouri with lord Siva.Festive celebrations include Pujas, Arati, feasts and many more.According to the tradition of Goa, many classical music instruments are played on the festive day.In most of the places festival is celebrated for two days and on the second day the idols are immersed either in the sea,rivers or tanks and wells.

September 13, 2014
Culture of Delhi

Culture of Delhi

Delhi, the capital city of India has a unique culture.People from different parts of the country have settled in Delhi.So, Delhi has a mixed culture of all the states.It’s culture is considered as the culture of India as a whole.As it is the capital city of India, all the political discussions and decisions are taken here itself.Delhi is a mixture of modern lifestyle as well as old traditions and values.Different types of festivals are celebrated in Delhi.The Chhat puja of Bihar is celebrated grandly as the festival of Durga puja.The Muslim festival Eid ul Fitr and Punjabi festival Lohri are celebrated without any difference.In Delhi ,we can also see the cultures of Haryana, Uttarpradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab as these are the bordering states of Delhi.Different monuments, sculptures, places add additional beauty to the city.

History:

A pic showing history of Delhi

Delhi was treated as the capital of the Pandavas during Mahabharata.Delhi was considered as the cultural, political, and commercial capital of North-West India and the Gangetic Plains during the Delhi Sultanate era.During the period of Mughal empire,Shah Jahan built a new capital city named Shahjahanbad which is now called as old Delhi.During his rule he had built several gates like The Kashmiri Gate, Delhi Gate and Ajmeri Gate.In the year 1911,the Britishers have decided to shift the capital from Kolkata to Delhi.Then they slowly moved their capital to the partially built New Delhi in 1912.When the Britishers left India in 1947, New Delhi became the capital of India.

Architecture:

Sites-monuments-touristspots-architecture-of-Delhi

The city has the oldest buildings that belong to the early muslims.During the period of Khaljis, the Pashtun style has been indulged in the Islamic architecture.The typical features of their style are red stand stone surfaces with white marbles inlays and the windows are fitted with perforated screens.The best examples for this Pashtun architecture includes the Quwat-ul-Islam mosque, the Qutb Minar, the tomb of Iltumish and the Ala’i Gate.In Delhi ,the first Mughal architecture was the Humayun’s tomb.Later the Mughal architecture can be further seen within the red fort.It has massive red stone walls, entertainment halls, balconies, baths, indoor canals, gardens and also one highly decorated mosque.Jama Masjid is also one of the finest architecture bulit by the Mughal empires.Humayun’s tomb and Red fort are UNESCO world heritage sites.During the British colonial rule, they have built the President House (Rashtrapati Bhavan), Parliament and Secretariat buildings.After the Independence, India has aimed to develop its own architectural language in a synthesis between Western and local styles.We can see such type of architectural styles in the Supreme Court building, the Vigyan Bhavan (a conference centre), the Crafts Museum and offices of the various ministries.

Climate:

Climatic conditions of Delhi

Delhi has a unique type of climate.In Delhi the warm season lasts from the month of April to July with the temperature ranging from 25 degrees to 36 degrees.The cold season lasts from the month of December to February with the temperature ranging from 2 degrees to 18 degrees.Monsoon arrives at the end of June with an increase in humidity and the mild winter starts in late November, reaches peaks in January with heavy fog.The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 millimeters.Most of the rainfall occurs during the months of July and August.

Economy:

Economy of Delhi

Delhi is considered as the largest commercial center in Northern India.According to 2013 the per capital income of Delhi was Rs.210000, which is recorded as the highest in India.According to the economic survey, the tertiary sector contributes 70.95 percent of Delhi’s State Domestic Product, followed by the secondary and primary sectors with contributions of 25.20% and 3.85% respectively.The workforce in Delhi has increased by 52.52% from the year 1991 to 2001.In accordance with it the unemployment rate has decreased from 12.57% in 2000 to 4.63% in 2003.The key services that are being provided in Delhi are information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism.Apart from them, construction, power, health, community services and real estate are also important to the city’s economy. Delhi is one of India’s largest and fastest growing retail industries.Manufacturing of goods has also increased considerably with the establishment of manufacturing units and headquarters in the city.

Cuisine:

Spicy street food in Delhi

Being the Capital city of India and centuries old Mughal capital, different food habits have been indulged in it and it is also a place where the Mughlai cuisine had originated.The dishes of Delhi like Kebab, Biryani, Tandoori has world wide popularity.The classic dishes like Butter chicken, Aloo chat, Chaat, Dahi vada, Kachori, Chole bhature, Jalebi and lassi are also famous dishes available in Delhi.Street food is commonly habituated food for the citizens of Delhi.Highway Dhabas offer spicy food at low cost which is popular among the residents of Delhi.Apart from them, we can see the popular restaurants like Karim Hotel, the Punjab Grill and Bukhara.A street in Chandini Chowk is particularly famous for food eateries since the 1870s.Almost the entire street is occupied by fast food stalls or street vendors.It has became so popular such that almost every prime minister of India has visited the street to eat Paratha at least once.However, other Indian cuisines are also available in this area.

September 13, 2014
Culture of Nepal

Nepal has a unique culture which has evolved since many years.It’s culture is greatly influenced by religion, architecture, music and literature.In Nepal, we can find various temples, churches, monasteries and many other religious buildings.There are many ethic groups, tribal and social groups in Nepal.Different type of festivals and practices are seen in Nepal.Nepal got its name from the Kathmandu valley as the founder of the nation established a capital there in eighteenth century itself.

Culture of Nepal

Geography:

The country is spread over an area of 381,200 square kilometers.It is surrounded by three Indian states on south, west and east whereas the north border is shared by Tibet.Most of the Himalayan mountain ranges are in Nepal, including the Mt.Everest.The country is divided into three horizontal zones which are: the high mountains, the lush central hills, and the flat region with low water levels in the south.The trade factor has influenced the ethnic groups.There are more than thirty six ethnic groups and over fifty languages in Nepal.According to 1977 ,the population of Nepal is nearly 22.6 million.As the birth rate is gradually increasing in rural areas, people are migrated to cities.This lead to over population in Kathmandu, at present it is holding more than seven Lakh people.

Geography of Nepal

Ethnic relations:

Nepal consists of many cultural, racial, linguistic groups, that are mainly divided into three categories.Indo Napelese, Tibeto Nepalese and Indigenous Nepalese.Since centuries, they were practicing Hinduism and people speak Indo-Aryan languages.Most of these people settle in lower hills and river valleys.The second type is Tibeto Nepalese who have generally Mongolian features and they speak Tibeto Burmese languages.These people reside in hills and mountain areas.Different groups under Tibeto Nepalese practice Buddhism, Hinduism.Later these ethnic groups fell into single caste hierarchy.The first and the top most caste is Hindus, second is Matwalis who are generally alcohol drinking people.Bottom are the untouchable Hindu castes.Higher caste people buy lands and enjoy political and economic privileges whereas lower caste people are far from these opportunities.Untouchable castes were not permitted to own land.We know that the caste system is illegal, but it has not disappeared in many places.Most of the posts like civil services, army and police were selected by the higher caste people only.

Different Ethnic relations of Nepal

Food:

Nepalese enjoy different food items that are generally hot, spicy and nutritious.Newari and Thakali cuisines are the original taste of Nepal.Generally Nepalese cooking style is influenced by both Indian cuisine and Tibetan cuisine.Nepalese staple food is daal bhat tarkari.Most of the tourists who visit Nepal like to have hot and spicy meat curries that are cooked in their style.The meal includes different varieties of food items and also pickle that is made out of fruits or vegetables are served.Most families eat from individual plates while seated on the floor.It is more common to eat food with hands rather than utensils.In Nepal, high caste people only eat vegetarian and do not take alcohol whereas other caste people may drink alcohol, eat pork and even beef.People of higher caste do not show interest to eat food that is prepared by strangers.

Food of Nepal

Industries:

In Nepal there was no industrial development till the middle of the twentieth century.The industrial development is accomplished with the help of countries like India, China and Soviet Union.With the abundant availability of minerals, industrial development is made possible in Nepal.The major industries focused on was of jute, tea and sugar.Manufacturing of brick, tiles, construction materials, paper making, vegetable oil extraction, sugar refining and many more industries are established in Nepal.

Industrial textile factory

Trade:

The trade of Nepal mostly depends on the neighboring countries -India and China.Major of the goods are imported from India.Goods transportation is limited by the terrain.Nepal import gold, machinery and other equipment.In Nepal although roads and modern transport are available, much of the country goods are transported by porters and pack animals.Generally this type of transport is used where landslides and flooding is more.Not only imports ,but Nepal is also famous for exports of goods like carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute, and grain.Apart from these, Nepal is famous for tourism which is another primary export.

Nepal trade with the neighboring countries

Medicine and health care:

Nepal suffers from malnutrition, infant mortality,respiratory and intestinal diseases.In Nepal, average expectation of life span is fifty seven years.Being very poor , unhygienic and lack of health care, the hospitals are available only in urban areas.But these hospitals are also poorly equipped and unhygienic.Few medicines are also not available in rural areas.There are few western hospitals, but the poor cannot afford them because of high costs.People still believe in religious practitioners and they approach them if they have any health problems.Hence, few people look at Ayurvedic medicines.As they think that illness is caused due to the imbalance of body hormones, they try to balance them using proper diet.Recently malaria is eradicated in Nepal.So at present, health development is concentrated on immunization, birth control, and basic medical care.

Health care services in Nepal

September 9, 2014