Rangoli

Summer Fiesta !

I would love to host the coolest party in town...to bring tempers down ! Well,I would choose a poolside venue of a five star hotel.I would invite all my family ,friends & well wishers.The dress code would be casual summer wear...cool cottons.There would be pastel shades in clothes,even bright Kurtis & Kutrtas & handloom sarees,pajamas,salwars & patialas,flowy dupattas ,etal ! The party would be in the evening, after Sunset on a Friday, so that if we party late night ,the next day ,all can get plenty of rest.It would be a vegetarian party as I am a vegetarian & wish, the world follows suit !

There would be soothing music being played at the party venue...a DJ would play the choicest music....bollywood,Western,Jazz,Classical...Indian ,Western etal. Music will enhance the get together.Friends,family can all mingle & enjoy.The music will just create the right ambiance & soothe the nerves.

The party would begin with cool drinks..no alcohol ...I am a  teetotaler.The drinks would be watermelon juice with chunks of watermelons floating in ,rose milk ,aam panha & kokum serbet.These are all cool drinks & ideal to beat the sweltering heat.There would be appetisers like pani puris & dahi batata puris.I am sure, all will gorge on the appetisers which are favorites of many.Pani puris & dahi batata puris will make ample use of Tamarind & date chutney.

Then will be the main course.In this there will be phulkas & no puris as I am health conscious .Puris are totally unsuitable during summer as they are seeped in oil.With phulkas made from Aashirvaad Select & royis from Aashirvaad Multigrains ,I will ensure that the party food is as nutritious as it can be !There will an assortment of paneer curries....Paneer Malai,Mughlai Paneer & Darbari Paneer.These are very apt  for a vegetarian party as paneer is an excellent source of protein.The guests will just keep licking their fingers as these curries will just melt away in their mouths ! There will be aloo tikkis & cutlets  with a platter of mango chutneys  like Shredded Mango chutney ,Mango Jeera Chutney & Mango Garlic chutney.Raw Mango is an excellent coolant & these chutneys with their tangy tastes will tease the taste buds of all my guests ! There will be  plain rice to go with dal bhukara .There will be salads to add crunch to the dinner...like slices of cucumbers,tomatoes,onions,radishes,beetroots & there will be sprouts salads as well.Salads add freshness to food & sprouts are simply nutritious! There will be the usual pappads ...roasted & not fried.I am health conscious.I would prefer that my guests can indulge without worrying about their waistlines !



The dessert would be the cool Jodhpuri Moong dal halwa...moong is a coolant & this halwa is a personal favourite !

I am sure my party would be the coolest one, as all the gourmet dishes are sourced from the Kitchens of India.The best thing about the party will be gifts that will be take aways...all from the Kitchens of India.I will gift Hazoori Petha Halwa  & Mango Saffron Conserve ! These are cooling gifts as the ingredients of the gifts are natural coolants....perfect compliments  for the scorching summer !

I will try the Apple Cinammon conserve in baking eggless cakes in place of apple sauce .I am sure ,the results will be amazing ! I deserve this gift, for arranging the feast of feasts !

This blog post is my entry for "My Gourmet Party " on IndiBlogger in association with Kitchens of India .Kindly "Like " "Comment " & "Share ".

Chowkpurana

In praise of Maa........

I have always argued with my amma  on every topic under the Sun.I have been  my dad's pet .This all changed, when I became a mother.I am always whining about how my kid is bothering me.

I nurture my kid...means, I try my best.And yet am unable to do it, the way my mother brought me up.My amma continues to nurture me & now , my kid as well ! My kid & my mom get along so well that I feel left out ! Whenever ,I know my kid is impossible ,my amma makes it possible .She handles her with patience ,love & care. Amma makes her favorite dishes like aloo ka parathas,puris etal while I try out bread pizzas,bread pakoras & the like.In other words I do  shallow frying & amma,deep frying......my parenting skills ( if any ) are superficial ...they lack depth ? !

My mom with myself in glasses & my daughter....in this snap.

 I keep accusing my mom of pampering my daughter too much.I state, that because of her generosity,my kid expects the same magnanimity from her mom, which I am unable to provide.I want an identity apart from being a mom.My mom has never sought any identity.She is happily content,  being a housewife ,mom & grandmom. She opines  that she has got so much that she never ever dreamt about  ! She is thankful that the Almighty has been very kind & generous ! I am always demanding ...I rarely count my blessings !

While I worked out of home,my mom supported me completely.She was the one, who was most upset when I resigned.Whenever,I am depressed ,it is she, who assures me & pacifies me  saying that everything happens for the best !

Even now,when I have to go out for my chores,she never lets me do any  housework.She goads me to finish my tasks first, so that I can be at peace.She takes care of the cooking ,the washing ,cleaning etal that day.

She taught me cooking .She is very happy to notice that I am able to make so many dishes -some new ones which she doesn't know.I am yet  to learn so many traditional dishes from her.She is ever eager to  about new dishes from me. Her nutritious & simple menu has kept us all healthy. I am aping her now as my food is simple &  healthy.My mom takes pride, in  my cooking skills now.

She is fond of sweets & makes them for all of us .Though now,she is no longer allowed to enjoy sweets as before ,she has found a way, to enjoy sweets.She satisfies her sweet tooth by tasting sweets.She has managed to ward off illnesses by controlling her diet.
She urged me to join yoga classes which I had left a decade back.I am happy that I listened to her as I am a more contented person now.She urges me to eat & drink in moderation as control over food & drinks is the key, to good health.She goes for regular walks in the mornings & evenings.

She  have never hankered after money ,jewels or clothes.She  makes me  clean up my wardrobe & even my home  of old clothes,knick knacks & other stuff.She  taught me shlokas when I was young & I remember them all .This interest in praying ,which my amma  kindled in me, survives to this day.I have learnt many new shlokas & believe me, this has strengthened me ! 

My mom never pesters  relatives like some do.She opines that all have their  reasons for not reacting .She is the  the yogini  though it is me , who does yoga daily. Amma, is my search engine as she able to locate all our misplaced things...like passbooks,birth cerificates,keys,etal !

I need  to emulate Amma now, especially as my teenage daughter tests my patience.I trust, I will able to sail through this all, with a smile on my face, so much like my mom !

After all as one Hindi film song goes,"Hamane kabhi usko nahi dekha,arey iski zarrorat kya hogi,aey maa teri surat se alag bhagwan ki murat kya hogi.....!" Mothers are symbolic of the Almighty on Earth !

This blog post is my Tribute to Mom  in association with Parentous.com

Kolam

Health for all

Modern times are stress ful times.With increasing pollution levels, our lungs have to endure more smoke.If this were not enough ,many have taken up smoking & drinking to combat stress  ! This instead of reducing stress compounds our health all the more.Many youngsters are falling prey to diseases which affected our forefathers in old age.Nowadays,it is common to hear of a person in forties dying due to heart attacks,cancer & the like.And yet ,these affect  some & not large number of people.

Some health conditions tend to affect a large proportion of our population.Notable among these is the cataract. Initially ,cataract was operated in ordinary way .It needed a longer stay in hospital.Patients were unable to resume their daily activities like watching TV,reading ,walking ,etc for days.This has all changed due to LASER surgery for correction of cataract.The patient can go home the same day after LASER has been used to correct the cataract. This means no hospitalization. This reduces cost as well.So even though cost of cataract surgery could be up to Rs 25,000/ or more ,for the poor ,it is as low as Rs 2500/- only.This has become possible because of minimum invasive techniques which assist in faster recovery.For all this NGOs ,dedicated doctors & modern health care is responsible .India is home to 22 million blind people.Out of this nearly 80% are blind due to cataract.Under WHO sponsored program me Vison 2020,financial assistance has been provided  to restore sight to millions especially the poor & the disadvantaged in India so that they can see again.This is getting easier with modern extra capsular cataract extraction with intra -ocular lens implantation. Efforts of NGOs,dedication by doctors & government participation is helping many blind see again.

Fibroids are a pain for nearly 25 million women in India.Surgery was the only option earlier.Hence women were afraid of Nowadays non invasive method is used to treat fibroids. This is the Magnetic Resonance Imaging guided High Intensity Focused ultra sound.Ultrasound waves are passed which heat & coagulate the fibroid tissues.This is day care procedure & the patient can resume her routine  from the next day onward.  No anesthesia is needed & hence comfort level of patient is very high.The women need not worry about loisng their uterus which was the case earlier when surgery was used to treat fibroids. Since it is non-invasive,the dangers of side effects & infections is greatly reduced.This safe  facility  is available at Apollo Hospitals.Hence many women  can opt for this method to overcome the pain of fibroids.

Accidents cause untold deaths throughout India.As per the Report of the Working Group on Emergency Care in India,more than 1 lakh males & 1.25 females were killed in road accidents in India in 2009.This is like a jumbo jet crashing daily ! Hence trauma care is  the need of the day.Many lives can be saved if medical care is provided in time.For this,ambulance services with essential equipment is necessary.So also insurance cover which is a rarity in India.Medical insurance is a cover to assist in times sudden & costly medical treatment becomes a compulsion. For such trauma care,medical personnel have to be trained & hospitals need to be equipped with tools needed for treating  accident victims.Even transport of victims from remote areas is vital.Hence air transport by means of helicopters  is needed.A large medical organization like Apollo has made this all possible.It has a pan Indian network of  emergency services across nine cities in India.This is very admirable indeed.Many lives can be saved .In case of accidents,timely treatment is necessity& this is possible only if victims can be transported to hospitals in the nick of time.

Modern healthcare should aim to provide amenities to more & more people.Then only, will it have stood the test of time.For this it has to be cost effective & be available to all easily.It must be accessible to all.That is why "Bahujan Hitaya bhaujan sukhaye " .....welfare of all will lead to happiness for all ! 

Saathiya

Absent minded.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by 
BlogAdda.


As age catches up with me,I tend to forget where I have kept things.I meet people on the road & wonder why they look familiar.I realise later when it strikes me that they were friends.I am going from bad to worse, in remembering anything & everything.

Last year,one day ,the phone rang.It was my dad.He said ," Happy Anniversary."I suddenly realised that I had forgotten that it was my wedding anniversary that day.In fact ,I would like to forget that I ever got married .But then, there are people, who take pleasure in reminding you of aches & pains in life. I then rang up my hubby, who was out of town, to remind him about the blunder, he had committed years ago by getting married.I believe, that husband & wife should be together in pain, even painful memories.

I file papers & file them so nicely & securely that I often forget, where I have kept them.The papers are in the safest custody & at times,I have to employ all those at home. By that I mean, only myself as my daughter is a teenager & she thinks all searching is mom 's job.Even her lost things are unearthed by me.My husband is perennially on tour & so I am the one, on  search missions.That is why, of late,I have developed an aversion to filing.I mean, what use, is all this neatness if I cannot recall, where I have kept them all, when I need them ?

Many times,I am unable to recall where I have kept my mobile.Searching mobile is easy.I dial up the mobile number on the landline & when the cell starts ringing,I am able to locate it.Unfortunately, all things which get lost are not as easy as mobiles to find.

I tend to forget names & so I try not to ask anyone their names.There is no point in enquiring when I know ,I cannot recall it.This satisfies me as I can say truthfully that I did not know the name /s.In this age ,there are some conscientious persons like me, who swear by the truth & nothing but the truth.

I have made many friends on social networking sites.Some are my school friends who have been able to locate me.I have tried my best to recollect my memories about my school friends & failed.I can remember very few.I connected with many of them as they are able to recall me,my appearance in school days,my haircut in those days,etal.I am unable to recall their faces even after looking at the school photos which they have shared.Some years of my school life seem to have been blanked out completely from my mind. Amid-st all this scenario,a friend called me up the other day.She asked me ,"Do you remember so & so ? " I replied in the negative.I said that I have connected with her on the social networking site as she is from our school.My friend admitted that, even, she was unable to recall about that girl.My friend had been asking for her as she had wished my friend on her birthday.And then my friend dropped the bombshell.She said that she connected with that schoolmate as the schoolmate was friends with me on the social network.This was a double jeopardy.We both started laughing .We wondered & pondered trying to recall, which class she was in,where she used to stay while she attended school with us & yet our memories eluded us.  My friend just decided to thank her for her warm birthday wishes.

I think ,I must try to keep things in the same place everyday if I do not want to waste time in locating them on daily basis.About names & faces,people etc...I still have no clue.I had read in a book, that one can tag faces,names ,people with things,letters etc.And still, this might lead to embarrassing moments as I may tag them with politically incorrect epithets like buffalo,fatty,skeleton,baldy,eyesore etc....If they come to know,they may be thankful, that I cannot recall them !

Muggu

The best day !

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by 
BlogAdda.


When I think about the day, which has etched itself in my heart,it is the day my daughter was born ! Wow what a day, that was.And so eventful !

I had got admitted to the hospital the day before as slight bleeding had started.The gynecologist got me admitted.Though nothing happened after that ,she said that I should stay in hospital as my delivery could happen any time.I lay in bed just looking around.There were many ladies who were there.Some who had delivered & some just like me, waiting for their tiny bundles of joy !

It was soon night time.I went off to sleep after a delicious dinner ,my mom had prepared & got for me. I got up the next morning.I was fine.I was not having any labour pains.The bleeding had stopped much before.The doctor decided to administer medicines to induce labour pain.I started wailing as soon as the medicine was administered.I twisted & turned & it would not go away.I refused the nurse or the doctor to examine me.The doctor was furious .With the nurse.She chided her, for not able to control me as the gynecologist needed to examine me to see if the baby was ready to come out.The doctor managed to examine me & went away.I continued twisting & turning .My  waist was paining like hell.It wold be in waves.The pain would go up & come down.I would feel better & then it would start all over again.

In the afternoon,I was informed that I must get ready for delivery.I braced my self up.My gynecologist had assured me that even if the baby was upside down ,she would do a normal delivery.I was wheeled on the    stretcher into the labour room.It was so bright & clean.I felt calm.I was surrounded by the lady gynecologist ,one of her male student ,two & three nurses.

Then it started ...the delivery process.I was told to keep breathing & try to push as hard as I could.I was panting & heaving .I tried hard & yet the baby refused to move out.I was getting tired.I felt I could not go on.And yet all ....the nurses,the doctor & the male student egged me on .My gynecologist said "Look,we are halfway through.Now,I cannot do a C section.So you have no option but to PUSH "...I felt that I am collapsing .I pushed again & again & again.Finally ,the baby was out - sorry the parts of the baby were out ! The gynecologist pulled the baby with  a pair of forceps & whew,it was over !

I was shown the baby...just a glance & it was taken away by a nurse.The gynecologist put some stiches & it did hurt.Then ,I was wheeled out.The baby was brought to me & I breast fed it...means I tried breast feeding it.This was a first for me & my daughter ! Yes, it was a girl ! I kept looking at her as she tried to feed herself. Within minutes, a nurse came & took her & put her to sleep in the small swing  kept next to my bed.She was tightly wrapped in a soft cotton bedsheet. Only her face was visible.She had thin brown hair.She was fair & so innocent.This ,I did not realise was a mirage.When I see her now,she is everything but innocent ! And a teenager  !


I slept away tired with all the push ups, I had done in the labour room.I got up after a blissful sleep & again breastfed my daughter.My husband  came with my dinner.I asked him if he had informed all our relatives that I & he had become parents to a lovely girl.He nodded.He kept looking at her.He was happy .And yet he felt afraid to pick her up.He felt he will not be able to handle her & she might get hurt.He refused to pick her up.He looked longingly at his kid.He kept staring at her,  for a long time.I had finished my dinner.He bade me good bye as he had office the next day.

My baby had woken up again.The nurse came & picked her up.She handed her to me.I breastfed her again.By the end of her feed ,she had slept away.I looked at her.She seemed to be a mixture of both of us.I hoped that she would get the best from us.And it has turned out that she has inherited all bad habits from her dad & good ones from me !  Thank God for small mercies !

I slept away again dreaming about my baby & the about her future ! It had been wonderful & was going to be so in the coming months .....& years.....