Author: nishtha toshniwal

Ganesha Chaturthi : festive season that lasts for 10 days

Ganesha is known to be the most popular God in Hindu religion and Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated on the rebirth of Ganesha across the country. Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. On this auspicious occasion lord Ganesha is welcomed all over the country and confer his presence on this land. Ganesha is popularly known as the god of prosperity, wisdom and good fortune. It’s a tradition in India to worship Ganesha at the start of any new project, wedding ceremonies or during the tours.

Ganesha Chaturthi is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi in some places. It is celebrated on the Shukla Cahturthi which falls during the season of Bhaadrapada. The festival is celebrated across the country for the period of 10 days and it ends on the day of Anant Chaturdashi. It generally falls in the month of August or September. During these 10 days there are several customs and traditions that devotees follow. During the start of the month people start their preparation and start decorating their houses and shops in a very creative manner. They also go to the market and select perfect idols for worship. When they finally bring those idols in their home, they follow several rituals which are called as Ganesha Staphna.

Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated with full enthusiasm all over the country. A month before this day preparation starts. In the market, you will find various creative clay models of Lord Ganesha for sale. These are prepared by expert artists. They are beautifully created and adored with ornaments. These idols vary in their sizes and creation. These idols are purchased and installed in the houses on the very first day of this festive season. People collect money from various funds and construct pandals where these statues are installed. These are decorated with flower, lights and various other decorative items keeping in mind their religious themes.

The priests are called for the chanting of mantras and they dressed themselves in red dhoti and shawl. Through these mantras they try to invoke the lord Ganesha in their souls and this is known as Pranapratishtha. After this jaggery, coconut and modaks are offered to them. After this, these idols are smeared with the paste made of kumkum and sandalwood. While the priest is doing these Shhodashopachara people sitting behind them are chanting Ganesha Stotra. During this festive season various cultural activities can be seen in Pandals like street performances, singing and dancing, orchestra etc. Along with these various camps for medical check-up, blood donation, etc. are also organized in the respective cities.

There are several different methods and rituals to perform this worship and this varies from one state to another. Like in Maharashtra individual families bring these idols to their homes and perform the rituals according to their tradition. After the end of this season they take these idols in a procession to rivers or the sea. This procession involves bands and people walk all over the procession shouting Ganpati Bappa Maurya, Purcha Varshi Laukariya. This means they are requesting Lord Ganesha to come early next year. They are worshipped their near the coast and finally immersed into the water. But due to environmental factors these immersion is now carried out in an eco-friendly manner. In Tamil Nadu, this festival is celebrated in a very ostentatious and grand manner. Here they decorate the idols of Ganesha with Bermuda grass and garlands. People go to the temples every day and offer ladoo and modaks to Ganesha. Here idols are made of clay and sometimes with coconuts too, as plaster of Paris is banned in this state. On the last day they are immersed in the Bay of Bengal.

Not only in India, this festival is celebrated out of India with the same devotion and enthusiasm. To have a feel of Hindu culture several Indians reside in the UK celebrated this festival first time in London at the Hindu Temple. Finally, after the 10 days the idol was immersed in the Thames River. This celebration attracted 18000 devotees across the city. In the USA, a Hindu organization tends to organize several events on these occasions to mark their culture. In Philadelphia, this occasion is celebrated in at the Bharatiya temple where different devotional events and cultural programs are organized.

Puja is always incomplete without sweet dish. During this festive season Modak is the main dish that is admired across the country. It is generally prepared with wheat/rice flour involving grated coconut stuffing in it. Some people also mix jaggery and other dry fruits in it according to their taste. Then it is fried and ready to be offered to Lord Ganesha. Another dish is karanji which is almost similar to modak but it has semi-circular shape. Along with modaks ladoo, panakam , vadapappu, chalividi, Vundrallu are also offered during the worship. In Andhra Pradesh there is a tradition where a plate containing modak and other twenty one pieces of sweet dish are offered to Ganesha.

So celebrate this festive season with full enthusiasm and joy this year. ..!!

November 21, 2014
Yoga for Everyone!!

Yoga, a thought itself creates a grotesque, twisted pose in our mind, but do you people know what actually yoga is apart from these senseless thoughts. Yoga is much more than these weird poses. Yoga has derived its name from the word yoking together, which means yoking of body and mind. It is a physical and mental exercise which aims to present our body and mind to the new world. It has originated since from the time of pre-Vedic traditions and now it has become a part of this Western world in the form of spiritual practices. This is often referred to as Hatha Yoga. Yoga described human as a combination of three bodies along with the five sheets which controls the energy flowing through the channels.

People usually considered yoga as the regimented method for accomplishing a goal. It is one of the well-organized techniques to control the mental and physical status of our body. It helps in the expansion of awareness and consciousness in our mind. It is controlled course to omniscience. It is a practice which helps us to enter into other bodies and simultaneously generate numerous souls along with the attainment of supernatural powers.

A yoga practice varies their meaning with the different types of religions. Every religion has its own beliefs like in Jainism it is known as the most spiritual practice which helps in self-realisation, attainment of salvation and provides complete freedom to our soul. It is a practice which keeps us apart from attachments and provides purity to our soul. It is broadly classified into Shukla Dhyana, Dharmya Dhyana and Raudra Dhyana. When we move on to Buddhism it is considered as the form of meditation which increases our concentrating powers and provide supernatural spirits in us. They regarded Yoga as a path leading to Nirvana and enlightenment.

Yoga carries a various different meaning like combination, connection, contact, application, method etc. For example chakra-yoga means locating the position of the thigh, guna-yoga has a sense of contacting with the cord, pum-yoga is for showing relations with a person, Bhakti-yoga is a path of devotion, Raja-yoga is a sense of controlling our minds etc. It is a complete way of living life which balances our body and rejuvenates each and every nerve of our mind.

Yoga is like a package which offers stress relief, weight loss, all-round fitness of our body, glowing skin like benefits to us. We misunderstood yoga and keep it limited to its poses, but in reality it is immensely involved in bringing our mind, body and breath together. Here are some benefits that yoga involves:

Fitness: As it is a known fact that health is wealth. You are truly fit and healthy when you are emotionally and mentally balanced. Health is a combination of expressing how enthusiastic and loving you are and here comes the major role of yoga in providing all-round fitness to our body with the help of meditation, several different postures and pranayama. It provides a hidden healing power to our mind and soul. It keeps our body away from any heart diseases.

Boost Immunity: Certain researchers found that there are various yoga practices that helps in boosting our immunity towards any disease. Yoga practices tend to change some gene expression when you are on the mat itself. When you breathe well, move well then the entire organ functions well. A small irregularity in our mind affects the overall functioning of our body and makes our body restless, so in such cases, yoga poses helps in strengthening our muscles and releasing stress from the mind. It provides immunity to asthma and relieve all mental stress.

Provide flexibility: Include yoga in your daily routine and make your body more flexible and strong. It stretches each and every part of your muscles and tone them. It helps in improving our postures while we stand, sleep, walk or sit. In turn, it helps in removing our body pain due to incorrect postures. It helps in twisting our body into various shapes and find inner peace.

Some of the best yoga poses are

Malasana: It is also known as Yoga Squat which helps in relieving backache and stretches our thigh and calves. This is just a squatting position with heels in, toes out and hands are in a prayer position in front of our chest.

Camel Pose: this pose helps in improving our lungs capacity and stimulates thyroid and pineal glands. In this you have to stand up on your knees, keeping your hips apart. Your hands must rest on the lower back or on heels.

Nostril Breathing: this pose helps in maintaining the proper functioning of our respiratory system. In this you must be seated in a comfortable position to provide balance in both the branches of the nervous system. It helps in relieving stress and worries and refreshes our lymphatic system.

So Yoga is a way of life and it aims to support you on that journey in an open environment…!!

November 21, 2014
Oils: The Most Basic Ingredient in our Dishes

High cholesterol is all what comes to your mind as soon as you hear or read about the oils. But do you people know without the oil no dish can be prepared. And the biggest misconception you people having these days is that you can use any oil in your dish and it doesn’t make any difference, but in reality this is the most common blunder you all are doing. So before using any oil just know about them. Two most common categories of oil are:

Bit-Player oils: bit-player oils are the main ingredients in your delicious recipes. They are the best choice when cooking is considered because they are highly resistant to heat. They do not impart any flavor to your food. So being flavorless, they are not a good choice for salads or sauces, but good ingredient in cakes, breads or other baked dishes. Some example of bit-player oils are:

Coconut Oils: This semi-solid oil has gone through the period of Renaissance. Once it was only known for its fattening effects, but now it is known to have its health benefits too. Whenever your dish is demanding high heat this oil is the best choice you can opt. In this about 90% of fatty acid are saturated and for this reason it has a high resistance towards heat. It is semi-solid in nature and can be preserved for about years in our kitchen. It contains Lauric acid, which helps in killing of bacteria and also maintains cholesterol level in our food. It also affects the process of metabolism in our body due to this fatty acid. This oil is mainly used for the preparation of curry dishes and also for frying too.

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Safflower Oil: This colorless oil includes a flavor in it. It is derived from safflower seeds. It is the best choice while salad is prepared due to the flavor it includes. It has one more property that it never gets solidify while refrigerated. It has a very high smoking point and due to this lady usually prefer this during frying.

Peanut Oil: this oil is derived from the peanuts. This oil also has a high smoking point, but it is slightly lower than safflower oil and that’s why it is only used for frying chicken.

Vegetable Oil: it is a combination of various different plants, seed oils and nuts. This oil is highly resistant to heat so this is the most common ingredients found in the every one’s kitchen

Sunflower Oil: this oil is used for all common purposes. It includes flavours in it which are highly strong. It is not suitable for baked dishes but good for salads. It is highly rich in polyunsaturated fats. Some amount of saturated fat is also present. To prevent it from rancidity, it must be stored in cool and dark places.

Star-Cooking Oil: this oil does not need to gain attention because its flavor is enough for this. This is one of the main ingredients in all the appetizing recipes whether it is baked dish or any culinary dish. Several examples of this oil are:

Olive Oil: Olive oils can be regular, light or extra-virgin in nature. Regular olive oil is deep gold in color and is best for cooking while light olive oil is very in calories. From the very first pressing of olives we get virgin olive oil, but after several more pressing the oil is converted to extra virgin which is low in its acid levels. Olive oil helps in maintaining good cholesterol and decreases the amount of oxidized cholesterol in our body. It is highly resistant to heat and that is the reason it is used in cooking. Always prefer Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it has high nutritional value and has a high anti-oxidizing property. Keep it in a dry and cool place. It has several different flavors and due to this it has been famous in cosmetics too along with culinary.

Sesame oil: this oil is mainly used in Chinese or Indian dishes. It is very thick and aromatic in nature. It includes flavor in it which is needed to make delicious sauces, spreads and dips. It has a high smoking taste that makes it usable in frying too.

Grapeseed Oil: this is the most expensive oil these days with a high smoking point. This is nutty in nature. It is the special by-product that we obtain during wine making. It is best suitable for salads, fried dishes and fondue.

Avocado Oil: This is a nutty oil with distinct flavors in it. This is same as the olive oil and can be used for common purposes.

Palm Oil: because of the monounsaturated and saturated fats this oil is the best choice for cooking. It has been derived and generated from the palm fruit. It also contains polyunsaturated fats in it. The unrefined type of this oil is known as Red palm oil. It is highly rich in nutrients such as Vitamin E, Q10, coenzymes etc. It does not cover the vast area because of some issues which were raised regarding its harvesting.

This is all general information about oil that you must remember before using it.

October 8, 2014
Under 30 Minutes Guilt Free Desserts Recipes
Nothing can be more pleasant and refreshing than starting your day with the desserts. Celebrate your season with this small package which can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Here are some of the recipes:

Soup with Creamy Banana Freeze:

Quite surprising soups can be cold too. Isn’t it?? This is a refreshing cold soup, which is full of nutritional value especially Vitamin C. During summers and late spring this frozen cream gives you a feel of an ice-cream. Recipe of this yogurt follows all:

Ingredients:

• 5 cups fruit juice of grape, apple and cranberry

• Pineapple juice

• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4 to 1 cup sugar according to your own taste

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 star cloves

• 2 cups water

• 3/4 cup mixed berries

• 1/2 tsp orange zest

• Chopped seasonal fruit

• Mint leaves

• Red wine (optional)

• 2 bananas (frozen)

• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients like fruit juice, pineapple juice, cinnamon, water, cloves, orange and lemon zest and sugar into a container and boil them.
- Boil these ingredients till it is reduced by one-half.
- Blend these prepared mixtures and frozen berries in a blender till it gets smooth.
- Put this into a refrigerator and allow them to be chilled.
- Now place the chopped fruits equally into 8 bowls and pour that mixture over these chopped fruits.
- Now prepare the banana cream by placing these bananas and vanilla yogurt into the processor and process them.
- Now take the scoop on this banana cream and put them into that 8 soup bowls.
- You can also add mint leaves if you want to and now soup with creamy banana is ready to be served.
Watermelon Cups with lime sorbet:

This is a perfect dessert you people can have during the summer’s night. This delicious dessert with the combination of watermelon and sorbet together makes your night and next morning refreshing.

Ingredients:
- A slice of watermelon
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 pint lime sorbet
- Basil or fresh mint
Preparation:
- Take a watermelon and cut it down into several slices. Remove all the seeds and cover from it.
- Now put these slices onto a cutting board and further cut it into four slices with the help of cookie-cutter.
- You are now left with four rounds of watermelon of 2-inch each.
- Now take the melon baller and scoop out from the middle of those four rounds. If you don’t have melon baller then you can use a regular spoon too.
- Take the fresh lime juice and sprinkle it over the scoops of watermelon.
- Also put ½ cup of lime sorbet into these bowls of watermelon and if needed garnish it with mint.
- Allow it to be chilled for some time and now this is ready to be served.
Peaches and cream smoothie:

This delicious smoothie is an excellent choice for all your meals whether it be snacks, lunch, breakfast etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen or fresh banana

• 5 canned peach halves or 15 frozen peach slices

• 8 oz. Vanilla low-fat yogurt

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 1/2 cups milk

Preparation:
- Firstly, allow frozen or fresh banana to soften slightly and then cut it into pieces.
- Also allow canned or frozen peaches melt slightly.
- Put peaches, banana, cinnamon, yogurt and milk into a blender and blend it till it gets smooth.
- Don’t open the lid of the jar and continue blending these until it gets creamy.
- When you found the mixture to be creamy and smooth, then pour the mixture into the glasses. Now this is ready to be served.
Minty Melon Balls:

Start your day with this fruit drizzled bowl which is just not healthy, but thirst-quenching too.

Ingredients:
- 1 honeydew melon
- 1 cantaloupe
- Lime juice
- Honey (2 Tablespoons)
- 10 chopped mint leaves
Preparation:
- Firstly cut honeydew melon into two equal halves. Remove the seeds with the help of a spoon.
- Take the melon baller and remove out the balls from the honeydew melon and repeat this method with the help of cantaloupe.
- Now next you have to prepare lime juice so take the lemon squeezer and squeeze out the juice into a glass.
- Add honey, lime juice and chopped mint together and combine them smoothly till you obtained a thick sauce.
- Now add melon balls to this thick sauce.
- Dessert is ready to be served.
Apricot Coconut Balls:

Apricot coconut balls are a sweet, crunchy dessert, which provides a piquant flavor to your tongue.

Ingredients:

• Orange juice

• Dried and chopped apricots

• Sweetened coconut

• Grated lemon zest (2 tbsp)

• Chopped pecans

• Lemon juice (2 tbsp)

• Granulated and powdered sugar

Preparation:
- Boil orange juice and apricots together in a pan for 10 minutes.
- Blend coconut and nuts together in a blender until they are finely chopped.
- After this add lemon juice and lemon jest into it.
- Mixture so obtained is shaped into round balls.
- Now roll these round balls in granulated sugar in case no humidity is there.
October 8, 2014
10 Food Items That Keeps Your Brain Active

Health is wealth..!! When our health is concerned, we have to see its physical and mental aspects both. Along with hearts, joints, brain also needs certain special nutrients for its proper functioning. So here is the list of food items that keeps your brain active and stable:

Instead of wine, eat purple grapes:

To prevent circulatory diseases, various doctors prescribe you to drink more and more wine. But simultaneously this affects our respiratory system in a very harmful ways. Now you must be confused what to do?? The best possible ways is to avoid intake of wine and start eating purple grapes. Purple grapes are the rich source of phytonutrient resveratol which help in providing proper circulation. By eating purple grapes they easily fulfil the demand for resveratol. They maintain the level of oxygen and nutrients by preventing our body to suffer from dementia. It helps to prevent blockage and keeps our blood vessels healthy. They also decrease the amount of bad cholesterol and increase the amount of good cholesterol. So avoid drinking wine and make a habit of eating purple grapes in your breakfast.

Have some oily fish:

Our body has a certain demand for fatty acid and it is essential to fulfil this demand through our diet. Though our body is capable of making fatty acids, but the level is difficult to achieve. Our brain needs omega-3 fats, which are naturally present in oily fish. There are various other sources of this acid like soya bean oil, linseed oil, walnut oil or soya beans. Oily fish is very helpful for proper functioning of brain, heart and joints. This fish contains ready-made DHA and EPA so that body can use this easily. If our body contains less amount of DHA then the risk of having memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease increases. The most essential sources of these are trout, salmon, sardines, kippers etc.

Sprinkle the topping of nuts:

To prevent cognitive impairment intake of vitamin E in our diet is necessary. Nuts are the main source of Vitamin E. So double the toppings of nuts on your food items and enjoy its benefits.

Try some Avocado:

Avocado is basically known for its fat content. They are the main source for carrying oleic acid in our body. This fatty acid helps in building a coat of insulation, which is referred as myelin. Myelin is a matter which helps in providing information at the fast speed, approximate 200 miles in an hour. Without myelin the brain process information at a slow speed. Apart from avocado there are some other ways too with which we can include some fatty acid in our diet, but being so much smooth and creamy in nature they are preferred more. So, avocados are mainly an important source for providing fast speed and response.

Get some sweet potato in your diet:

Sweet potato contains Carotenoids, which act as antioxidants and prevent our cells from damage. As we know sweet potatoes contain less sugar than white ones. So always prefer food items which contain low sugar so that the level of glycemic index can be maintained.

Go for whole grains:

As it is well known that for proper functioning of the brain, it needs energy. There is a need of full concentration and focus and this all comes when there is an adequate amount of energy in our body. Energy is provided in the form of glucose to our brain. Glucose is provided to our blood when there is a regular intake of whole grains in our diet. This release of glucose into our body helps in decreasing our response time and keeps us alert throughout each activity. You can go for brown pasta, granary bread and brown cereals. When we talk about brown cereals we are mainly concerned with brown rice. Vitamin-B is the secret source of energy which is highly present in brown rice.

Add more and more vitamins in our body:

To reduce the amount of homocysteine in our body increase the level of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. With increasing homocysteine in our body the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and cognitive impairment also increases. Certain researches show that with increases the content of these vitamins in our diet the cases for brain shrinkage decreases.

Eat green vegetables:

It is the known fact that a small amount of green vegetable in our diet can do wonders. But when the brain is considered a handful of spinach can do this work. Spinach contains vitamin-B and folate which mainly helps in maintaining circulation of blood. Folate helps in forming neurotransmitters for learning and thinking process.

Open Sesame:

Sesame seeds are the richest source of zinc. This is the most important needed in our brain for proper learning, memory and development of our brain. Zinc is also needed for our defense system for providing immunity and balance.

Increase your learning with lentils:

These lentils are a good source of iron and this iron helps in the formation of myelin. With this myelin information is processed quickly and enhances our learning process. Iron also helps in the formation of dopamine, which controls our mood.

Take these food items and keep your brain healthy..!!

October 8, 2014
Healthy kick start

In this neoteric world, people are getting lazier and less healthy. They make plans each and every new morning, but stick to neither of them. You may think that it’s very difficult to control your eating habits, but in reality it is very simple and easy. Youonly need to plan your inexpensive, nutritious diet and stick to that. There are certain tips you must follow to remain healthy and start your day:

Prepare your healthy Snacks by yourself:

Everyone is health conscious nowadays, but when it comes to preparing your own meal you all take one step backward. Why is it so? The best way to keep your diet under control is making your own food and chooses by yourself what to eat and what not to eat. Your day starts with snacks so prepare your own snacks that are easy to eat and carry. If you are already late and don’t have time to eat, then you can go for some fruits, carrots, whole-grain crackers, grapes, low-fats biscuits or cookies in your bag. These items are in itself a package of nutrients. So, as soon as you feel hungry, you don’t need to run over the fast food or to some street vendors. This will maintain your calories level and money too.

Keep your refrigerator stocked:

As you have been starting your day with fruits and vegetables is the best way to keep your diet healthy. It doesn’t make any difference if you eat frozen vegetables or fruits; the nutritional value that they carry does not change. The amazing benefit that they carry is minimizing waste. You can eat whatever and in however the amount you want to and again seal the packet for later use. You can keep your fruits to get chilled in your freezer. You can keep your freezer full of nutritional packets like nutrella, healthy powders etc. For example, if you store blueberries in your freezer, then you can have an advantage of adding delicious flavor to your yogurts anytime. So keep your freezer full of these items and fruits and enjoy every part of your meal as a treat.

Make fruits and vegetables handier:

Isn’t this sound quite interesting? As the week starts go to the market and pick all the fresh fruits and vegetables present there. Keep them as a stock in your refrigerator. Whenever you are free and got nothing to do then wash these fruits and cut them into slices. We know now a day’s generation is so lazy that they don’t believe in putting efforts and need everything ready in their hand. Easily accessible items are always preferred so this is the best way to make them handy. You can use airtight containers for putting these cuttings to avoid any contact with air and get oxidized. If these nutritious items are easy to grab then you will easily grab them instead of going for potato chips and candies.

Eat Frequently:

Do you people know there is an amazing secret lies behind a healthy diet? Healthy eaters used to eat frequently that means they believe in having small meals or snacks throughout the whole day. Researchers found that having three four time snacks in your day will avoid the problem of digestion and obesity. But you should have a healthy breakfast as it is the only reason behind the maintenance of calories in your body. With this technique you tend to eat more than your normal diet. So eat less but eat frequently.

Healthy cooking techniques should be used:

The food that is prepared with the help of steam is the best way to add nutrients to our body. Always prefer food that is steam cooked over baked foods as they helps in retaining all the nutrients and does not increase the level of fats in your diet. You can use Microwave Cooking bags so that the taste and nutrients remain unaltered. You must use non-sticky oil to prepare fried dishes and maintain the cholesterol level in your body. Make sure everything that you use must be washed properly before being used.

Eat nuts and eggs instead of meat:

As we all know meat is a high-fat dish and daily intake of this would harm your body indirectly. So why not avoid this and start intake of eggs and nuts in your main courses or meal. Nuts, beans and eggs are indirectly the replacement for meat. They are a source of low-fat and protein. They are less expensive than meat. So it’s better to try meatless proteins in your main meals or snacks and save money. There are some alternatives too, like you can buy a small amount of meat. To have a taste of meat in your meal you can stretch it out over your main course dishes which mainly contain vegetable and grains.

Try these and have a healthy kick start..!!

September 14, 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
Uniqueness of Chinese Culture

China was known as Middle Country in ancient period and is recently one of the largest countries across the world. China follows a single time zone, even though it is spread over five geographical regions with varying time zones. Chinese culture and tradition quite, quite complex as the lifestyles of Chinese people quite differ from one region to another. One of the most important reasons for this mysterious culture is various ethnic groups followed across the country. This country comprises of different religion and it would not be surprising to commit that these religions are the pillars of Chinese society. Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism play a vital role in making this Chinese culture, a prominent culture across the world.

When we talk about its art and language, then undoubtedly you will find the most innovative people in this society. All the initiatives and invention begins from this society and in the consequences they are leading the world in many different fields. Their creativity is shown by the invention of paper, gunpowder, compass and printing technology. They have expanded their innovative and artistic ideas in pottery, painting, music and literature too. Along with so many inventive practices they are well capable of managing their tradition in today’s world. The most exclusive part you will find in this culture is its language. The Chinese language is known to be one of the oldest languages which needed only small modifications till today’s time. The unique part of this language is the use of symbols without any phonetic value. Chinese culture consists of 292 living languages with one extinct language. ‘Mandarin’ is known to be the official language in the country. During the ancient times Cinnabar ink and brushes were used for writing and drawing.

Chinese culture is a mixture of different ethnic groups. So you will find different types of rituals and customs followed during the festivals. When we talk about the Chinese New Year which is like a Christmas in the country and is celebrated in February after the beginning of Gregorian calendar. People mark the beginning of this festive season by cleaning their houses and decorating the area with red ribbons and also give the blessing in the form of decoration. They also organize a family get together with appetizing meal. After this they all gather in their gardens or playgrounds for the fireworks which basically exorcise all the evil spirits from their soul and surroundings. It is the most adumbrative custom of Chinese people coming from the ancient time. Lantern festival shows the uniqueness of this culture. It is celebrated to mark the start of spring season. Large size lanterns are suspended on the streets and houses. Several performances like lion dances, lantern dances are organized for the people to enjoy in different areas. On this day rice dumplings and yuanxiao are the only part of their meal.

There is a famous saying in Chinese: ”Eating is the utmost important thing in life” so while discussing the Chinese Culture how could we forget about Chinese Cuisine. As we all know Chinese food needs no description. It is most popular and admired food all over the world. Chinese noodles, beans and rice accompanied with fish, vegetables (cabbage and peas) and meat is the most loved combination. Without Chopsticks this cuisine is incomplete. According to the geographical region the choices vary. Southern people prefer their meal being spicier and must include chili and pepper in it while northern people want ginger and vinegar to be the part of their meal. The Chinese tea culture makes this cuisine an exclusive cuisine as tea is served there on certain special occasion and it is like a ritual which needs to be followed. There are eight families of dishes in China i.e. Hui (Anhui), Min (Fujian), Yue (Cantonese), Yang (Jiangsu), Xiang (Hunan), Lu (Shandong), Zhe (Zhejiang), Chuan (Szechuan). There are four different styles in China, i.e. The Beijing, the Shanghai, the Sichuan/Szechuan and the Cantonese.

The most essential part of any culture is how the people are dressed up. So when we go through the attire of these Chinese people, then it varies with their social ranks. Silk Clothing is put on by the royal class while another wears clothes of hemp or ramie. The traditional Chinese clothing were pien-fu which means a two piece ceremonial costume, changshan means a long dress and shen-i means a long robe having long and loose sleeves. Padded clothes are seen during the winter season. Their clothing is generally seen with the different embroidery designs.

During the period of Zhou dynasty several national schools were established by the Chinese scholars for the training of children. A person belonging to Confucianism started encouraging people for private education. They also established various private schools which define and demarcate their own philosophy to the students. Men of this society are highly educated as compared to women as their education is only limited around the books which defines their duties towards women.

This is all about Chinese culture which represents its uniqueness all around the world..!

September 8, 2014
Meal is incomplete without Cereals

Cereals are the staple food in our meal providing unlimited benefits to our body and mind too. If one has choices available for healthy lifestyles, then cereals are the best choice you people can opt. The nutritional value of cereal is undoubtedly so high that no other food item can replace this staple item from our meal. It is highly rich in carbohydrate, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Cereals, being the main source of carbohydrates help in providing you with vigorous energy and increase the immunity of our body against cancer. It also aids in removing constipation problem and maintain the sugar level. Cereals are also supplemented with iron and fiber contents which keep your body away from any heart diseases and maintain the level of cholesterol in your body. Nothing could be better than having cereals in your breakfast as they are enriched with high protein contents. They are generally preferred to be accompanied with the glass of milk.

Cereals are also known as grains and are the most staple crops which belongs to monocot families. They are grown to gain the edible component of this fruit. The fruits are known as Caryopsis. It is largest selling crop grown all over the world and therefore it is farmed in huge quantities. The name has been derived from the word Ceres (Roman goddess of agriculture). It was firstly cultivated in South West Asia by the Neolithic founder.

According to the production statistics every country has its own staple food like wheat is mainly consumed in Europe and India; rice is famous in Japan, South East Asia, Pakistan and US; maize is widely popular grain in Africa and Northern America; millets are eaten in Africa and India.

You can find different types of cereals in your meal. It can be rice, brown rice, wheat, maize, millet etc. Let us discuss some of them. Rice is the most popular cereal eaten across the world. It is cultivated in tropical regions rather than cold regions. It is consumed in many countries with various different rice recipes prepared which are truly lip-smacking. Maize is the most staple crops found in South America and Africa. Popcorn and Cornflakes are the two other different forms in which this particular cereal is consumed. Cornflakes is counted in one of the healthiest snacks and popcorn is the favorite time pass during the movies. Wheat, this cereal needs no description. All the basic food items like bread, pastries, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, etc are incomplete without this cereal. It is mostly cultivated in agricultural zones. There are various different species of this cereal, which is grown all over the world.

Cereals are mostly eaten in breakfast meal. Breakfast cereal is a commercial food available in all the kitchens around the world. They are eaten as an individual item or sometime they are also accompanied with water or milk. According to our taste fruits are also added and some sweeteners too. Breakfast cereal is boiled or mixed with milk in order to make them soft before consumption. Some of the best examples of breakfast cereal are Corn Flakes, Porridges, oatmeals etc. Breakfast cereals are widely accepted in developing and developed countries, both as they are a single bowl of full nutrients. It provides you with full nutritional value while maintaining your health and weight.

Porridge is unconditionally the most nutritious breakfast anyone can have. It is fully rich in fibre and minerals. For making it sweet people use jaggery and it is decorated with almonds and raisins. Intake of this porridge in your breakfast helps in maintaining your sugar level. Poha is another version of rice which is generally prepared on every Sundays in the Indian households.

Cornflakes are the healthiest breakfast, loved by all the children. A bowl of this corn flake along with the milk fulfills the demand of all the nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and iron. Its intake is more effective during the time of monsoon as due to high moisture it becomes easy for your body to hold the water.

Wheat flakes are just the replacement of wheat porridge and is prepared using wheat. It is taken in the breakfast meal as it is highly rich in calcium. Oatmeal is best for those who are going through diseases like diabetes and cholesterol. There is no need to add sugar into the bowl of oats. It helps in exorcising depression from your mind. Muesli is the best choice among all the breakfast cereal as it consists of four types of grains along with almonds and raisins. It helps in the mental and physical growth of the child and keeps them fit and fine. The most amazing fact is it is served with yoghurt. Sometime people take it as their evening snack too.

Try some juicy cereals too for your child and enjoy all the nutrients in just a tiny piece of grain..!!

August 1, 2014
Biscuits:Easy-to-carry and Easy-to-store

In this neoteric world every person from adults to children is found to be a biscuit fan. A pack of variety of biscuits is always found to be in your handbags. The time you feel hungry and have nothing to eat around you then take this out and fulfil the demands of your stomach for once. They are usually known by their different names like cookies in Canada and United States and biscuits in Europe and India. It has derived its name from the two Latin words bis means twice and coctus means cooked (process of baking associated with them). It is the best option people used to carry on their long journeys as they are easy to store.

Biscuits or sometimes referred to as cookies are available in different sizes and shapes. They are manufactured by various different companies all around the world. The European or Indian variety is found to be more creative than English Variety. They are distinguished on the basis of sugar, cream, jams, butter, herbs, and cheese and so on while in the United States they are harder and flaky in nature. When we talk about its history the manufacturers used to create hardest cookies possible so that they can be easily stored in high temperature and during the time of humidity too. But now they are made as sweet as possible with a layer of cream sandwiched between the two biscuits to make them taste yummy.

Sweet biscuits are usually preferred in snacks in the morning time as they are made of wheat flour and oats. The taste of sweet is added with the help of honey or sugar. There a variation lies in their flavors like chocolate, jams, nuts, fruit etc. They are usually accompanied with the cup of tea. They are very hard to consume so people tend to dip this into their tea for a small amount of time so as to make them soft before consumption. It involves all the digestive biscuits and bourbon cream biscuits.

Savoury biscuits are the cookies which are consumed normally along with the meal or cheese. They are also known as crackers or matzos which involves water biscuits, cream crackers and crisp breads. These biscuits also contain some additives like melted cheese, onion seeds or olives. They are somewhat spicy in taste rather than sweet, but exception lies in Hovis biscuits. They are usually sold in the European supermarkets.

Digestive biscuits have several health benefits. They are very high in their fiber content. So if people are suffering from diabetes then they can take these biscuits and simultaneously avoid the increase of sugar content in their body. You can easily prepare these biscuits in your home too. Only a certain amount of extra ingredients like butter, brown sugar, oats, and baking powder will be required. They also help in digestion and bowel movement too. For example Nutri Choice which is high in dietary fiber is the best choice you can have.

Glucose biscuits help to address the deficiency of glucose in our body and mainly in children. The best choice is Parle-G. It is fully made of wheat flour and milk content. Parle Group is the largest manufacture across all over the world. Its nutritional value is very high and purchase cost is very low. It has several other products rich in nutrients like Krackjack which has a taste of both salt and sweet, Monaco which is a namkeen biscuit, hide and seek which is a mixture of chocolate and sweet both with chocolate chips endowed in it.

Ginger biscuits help in the treatment of nausea, vomiting and sweating. As we know ginger act as an anti-oxidants so intake of ginger biscuits helps to reduce the risk of cell damage and remove all the free radicals responsible for it. They are also preferred when glucose levels in our body are increasing.

Biscuits do have various advantages but their intake must not be so high. They must be consumed in a much planned way. Their consumption depends on the time when they are eaten. People tend to utilize them at the time of their meal sometime or sometimes as their snacks too. The best way of their consumption is they must divided into 2-3 pieces and then taken at their regular intervals during snacks or meals. Homemade cookies and cookies that are high in fiber content and low in fat contents are preferred. Before purchasing any pack you must check its ingredients and make sure that list involves whole grain, some natural preservatives and additives too. At the time of humidity you must store them in airtight boxes so as to prevent them getting stale. And if you are consuming canned biscuits, then make sure to store them in refrigerators.

Go on and consume this long-lasting item in your snacks or meal and have its all benefits along with the taste.

August 1, 2014