What's your Prograaaaam???

"So..the long weekend's coming up,what's your program??"

Is it necessary that every holiday you get you have to go somewhere to prove that you enjoy life and you know how to have a great time??

A friend of mine who recently settled abroad casually mentioned to me that I need to take a "break".Like them for example,every weekend,they take the car and drive around and go places.She makes sure every single picture they take during the trip reaches me and several other friends ceremoniously.More often than not,she asks me how did I find the pictures..excuse me??You send me 250+ pictures and expect me to go through them one by one and comment on it too??Oh come on..:):)

For the record,we are taking a break my dear friend,going to Mahabs for a while and then to Bangalore[which btw in that friends opinion is not a holiday since we are going to Ajay's house:)]

Wish you all a Happy weekend..so whats your program??:):)

Please leave us alone!!

Venue-A Cooking class I attended.

Each one of us were introducing each other,informally.Before me 2 others introduced themselves.One was an HR executive and the other was in the Tourism industry.My turn came and I said,I am a house-wife,stay at home.Pat came the next question-Just married huh??I smiled.Not giving a hint whether I agree or disagree with them.

If I told them,I was married for 7 years,immediately other questions would follow and I didn't want to delay the class.

Oh yeah,it happens all the time.Come Birthdays,Anniversaries,I get tensed to share our joy and share the sweets.People just can't stop asking.

Some of them -

"So,how long you been married..isn't it time you welcomed a bundle of joy now??"

"Hmm..you are not getting younger by the day..still on family planning huh??"

"All of your cousins/friends have kids..why are you delaying??"

In between,I tried and lost few kgs,some more followed.

"Oh..you lost weight and all that,now you would delay your pregnancy further no..there's more to life than being thin!!"

Earlier,one of these comments used to spoil my whole day.I would sit and sulk and feel terribly sad.But then life goes on and now I have learned to brush it all aside now.

God has been eluding that ONE happiness for us since long.We have waited long enough for it and still are.I wonder why people do not realize that fact and just leave us alone.They can't be more bothered about it than we are.

Don't even get me started with those who sympathize and suggest Doctors and Temples..!!!

Rain rain come again:)

It rained in Chennai whole of yesterday evening and slight showers during the night.I loved it and wish it continues today..:).

P.S-I hate the smell of wet clothes hung to dry inside our house though..!!

I wonder!!

A while back my dear blogger friend M posted about how her contents were plagiarized.Her post on Vishu sadya was flicked totally by another blogger.Despite asking that person to remove the contents,they remained there for a long time.I haven't checked it recently,so I don't know whether that content is removed.

A similar thing happened last week.M posted about how her posts or rather one particular post was plagiarized.I felt really bad for her and while commenting I saw an anonymous comment asking her how sure was she about the post and asking her whether her mom had plagiarized the recipe.First thing,I dislike anonymous commenters,hell,if you can't own up to what you say,keep quiet..shhh!!I reacted quite strongly to that comment as well as to the so called plagiarizer.

I was curious,so were a lot others to know who that person was.

While going through some more comments I saw the name of the recipe which supposedly was the one M was mentioning.I googled to see what the name brings up,got lots of links to several blogs-many of which I blog-hop and had trouble believing those people/bloggers would copy stuff without giving credit.But I left it at that.

Two days later,I got a comment on my post-which I didn't moderate and rejected promptly,giving me the exact link to the post with the bloggers name.As I said before,her's was one of the blogs I hopped on to and I couldn't believe it.I went through the whole post but I couldn't decide whether that post was copied or the contents were copied.There was another post on her blog where she said the recipe mentioned was her own and she has not copied it from anywhere.I felt bad for her for all the accusations thrown on her-though there were not any names taken anywhere.

But I wonder..M is not someone who would do all this for nothing.She is a very talented blogger who has posted some traditional and authentic recipes from Kerala.Of course one cannot say any traditional recipes are their own or created by them.But I also don't think that she would accuse someone without proper reason or proof as she says.

Food blogging is something we do out of a passion and love for it.So I hope these two bloggers sort it out on their own.Both of them are talented and gifted and I hope they continue posting many more delicacies.

And yes,any anonymous comments hereon would be promptly deleted.

Why do we blog?

Sometime back,while my routine blog hopping,I came across a yummy & do-able kind of a cookie recipe.I was crazy about cookie-baking those days and I instantly bookmarked the recipe.Few days later,when I posted another cookie on my blog,a dear friend sent me a link to this particular recipe which I had bookmarked and asked me to try it out since she had tried it and it came out delicious.I immediately donned my apron and baked the cookie.Needless to say,it came out excellent and we loved it.

Next step was to blog about it.I gave a very clear link[in bold letters] to both the recipe author and to my friend who forwarded me the link.Next thing I get is a very straightforward,[so straightforward that it felt almost rude to me] mail from that person asking me to remove the recipe instantly from my blog since she was the Creator of that particular recipe and she doesn't like her recipes to be published by any one else.She also reminded me about the strict copyright rules on her blog.I told her that I have given a link to her blog,but no,she wanted me to keep only the pictures I took of the dish and edit the recipe,aka remove the recipe part.I did so immediately-no questions asked.Even now,you can find only pictures and not the recipe in that post of mine.

If you ask me,I would be delighted if someone tries out recipes from my blog and blogs about it.I would be content with a link[a small one will do,not even in bold letters:)]But then,I blog about regular Konkani fare which is vast and varied in itself and anyone can Google search and get the recipes.My baking recipes are all from Recipe books,Internet and other food blogs,so no hope there too:).

Which makes me think..what is it that makes you blog[Food blogs,in particular].Is it just to record your family recipes and recipes which you eye-balled and created on your own?Or is it to post about your cooking and you would like to share the recipes and tid bits?And how do you feel when someone tries out a recipe of yours?

Blogging..how it started!!

I remember the first time I read a blog.Years back a dear friend had sent me a link and asked me to read it.She wrote lovely poems,so I was sure her blog would be an interesting read.After a while,I somehow lost the URL and hence stopped reading the blog.My re-entry into the blogging world happened thanks to Orkut.On a boring afternoon,I was hopping from my friend's profile to another[profiles weren't locked back then]and I came across a link on one of the profiles.

It felt like clicking open a treasure hunt.I had just entered into the food blogging world.I used to read food/cooking based sites but this was totally new to me.Someone-like me had cooked something in his/her kitchen and was blogging about it.I was hooked.Day and night[Ok,only day] all I did was to hop from one blog to another.I tried many recipes from the blogs I regularly checked out and I was loving it.

I wanted to start one too,but as usual,I was not sure whether I would be able to live up to the expectations of my own.My cooking skills were average and my photography skills were limited to aim and click.Less said about the photo editing knowledge,the better.But I was willing to learn and hence took the plunge and created a blog.

I took pictures of the food I cooked.But none of the recipes nor the pictures were appealing to me and I kept delaying posting my first post.Later,I thought-unless I start posting,I wouldn't know how or what I should improve.I posted my first recipe-Broccoli Stir fry.Then the next one..and the next and I was hooked.

Slowly,I started getting comments.One by one,they were coming and my blogging just got more interesting.I realized that the appreciation and encouragement we get in the form of comments was more dear than any awards.

Today,after a year and a half and about 250 posts,I still get excited when I do a new post and wait for the comments from my dear readers.

If not for the encouragement,I don't think I would have come this far.Thank you folks..:)

Just like that!!

Come to think of it,I was quite down yesterday and hence the Ugh post:).Now even though I'm still affected by it and not feeling so good too,that one sounds like a very sad post to me and given my style of posting in this blog,I doubt I'll be updating posts regularly.Hence,I don't want the last post to be such a sad one,so I'm here with another post,hopefully a happy one!!

I was always prompt in getting new posts ready for my other blog.Sometimes,the draft folder overflowing,I've wondered which one to post first!!But these days,I've slackened a bit there.I've been quite lazy,but that aside,I've not been cooking much too.I mean,not anything new.Just the regular fare.I don't like it a bit and I'm trying to get back to active blogging soon.So gotta try new recipes and then the usual drill-dress it up,take pics,Picasa them and upload:).

So thats it,this post ends with a hope:)

Ugh..:(

Why do people only think about themselves and don't pause to think about others feelings?

Why do people think its "OK" to do something which they think is right,no matter whether its not OK with others?

Why oh why have people become so selfish???

A(d)s you like it!!

When I signed up for blogger and chose the template,the sign-Google Adsense and the info about it sounded quite nice to me.I mean,you are doing something which you enjoy doing and someone is paying you for it[don't mind however small te amount],I was drawn to it.I told hubby that once my viewer stats increased,I'd put up some ads from Google on my blog.After a month or so,I did.

I wasn't expecting much,but the amount which showed up in my account did make me frown:).I was not quite hapy about it and then totally forgot about it.Then,Foodbuzz happened.A friend of mine recommended it to me and I signed up for it.Nothing happened for a while but after a few months,I received a mail from them with the contract that I was expected to sign.Now I was feeling all important:).After three months,I got my payment from them on Paypal and this time too,the amount wasn't much but it did bring a smile on my face.At least it would cover the costs of my fancy crockery I keep buying for the blog:).

Many people react differently to Ads on Blogs.While some people,are very happy about earning money for something which they are doing anyway[like me] some feel that ads are not appropriate on blogs since it is a personal space.I would say,to each his own.I have also come across some blogs which take ages to upload due to the amount of ads and widgets installed.Well,make hay while sun shines,isn't it??:))

A great way to start your diet!!

After reading the Weightloss challenge Intro post,many of you had e-mailed me asking for the diet plan and ideas.I was apprehensive to post MY diet plan because of two things

1)My diet plan is personalised.My dietician sat with me for an hour and after noting down my height-weight-BMI,eating habits,family history and lifestyle,charted out a plan for me.It worked out well for me and now I've lost all the extra weight I had piled upon.
2)I am not sure if it would work for anyone else.I am not sure of any health problems one may encounter following my diet.

But still,people wanted me to share the diet plan.[A friend of mine told me that girls always want to lose weight,I fought with him fiercely that it isn't true;-)]

I'll start with a simple diet plan which all of us can follow.It would not play havoc with your lifestyle or eating habits,as it is just a start.

Start by dieting one day a week.I know,you may think-I may not lose any weight by simply dieting a day in a week.But hey..you can just try,you never know it might help you in the long run when you actually start dieting!!

When I started my diet,after a week or so I went through an emotional turmoil causing me to feel sad all the time.I felt I was being deprived and I needn't do it at all.That is what happens when you cut down your favorite foods from your diets instantly.Usually,all diets call for immediate giving up of Chocolates,sweets,fried items etc.You'll be asked to go for a morning walk or to the gym-which in fact may make you least interested to follow it after all.

So here's a one day diet plan-

Start the day with a cup of warm water with a spoon of honey and half of a lime squeezed in
OR
Have a cup of Black/Green tea without sugar.

For breakfast,have cut fruits.Papaya,Watermelon,Apple,Banana or any whole fruit.Try to avoid Mango and Chikku as they have a high sugar content.Wash it down with a glass of low fat milk[without sugar].Or have a glass of fresh fruit juice or lime juice with salt.

For lunch,have steamed or boiled vegetables-Cauliflower,Carrot and Broccoli steamed with salt and pepper tastes great and fills up your stomach real good.You can include any veggies of your choice.Include a whole fruit too,like Apple or Orange.Have a bowl of low-fat yogurt[prepared with skimmed milk]or again,a glass of lime juice with salt.

For tea-time,have a cup of Tea,Coffee or Milk.Use Demerara sugar or Sugar substitutes for the tea/coffee.Have 2-3 slices of toasted whole wheat bread or 2-3 wheat crackers or 2-3 Marie biscuits[any one of these].

If your mind is occupied with food thoughts[like it may happen sometimes-you start dreaming of Pizza or Burger or Biryani when you are hungry] try taking a stroll,call up a dear friend and chat or listen to music-whatever keeps your mind occupied and happy.

For dinner,have a bowl of soup with lots of vegetables.You could also opt for the same option that of lunch-boiled/steamed veggies.Have a cup of warm milk and go to sleep early.

Remember to drink at least 10 glasses of water througout the day.If you feel hungry in between,have 2-3 almonds or walnuts.Also keep a box of Muesli with you-but take care not to eat too much-just a handful ONLY if you feel hungry.

Next morning,start the day with 2-3 Walnuts/Almonds and a cup of warm water with honey and lime juice.Make sure you have a filling breakfast too.Opt for Cereals or Whole wheat bread toasts with a fruit smoothie[without sugar,of course] and then start having your regular meals.

Hope it helps!!

*One day diet idea from Good Housekeeping mag.Diet plans from my diet.

A Train journey!

Train journey is a great timepass.Even if you are travelling alone,I doubt if you would feel bored in a train.You will find all sorts of people inside the train and spending time observing them is something we (me and hubby) enjoy doing.Whenever I travel alone,hubby asks me to OBSERVE..look for people who look somewhat out of place,look for tell tale signs of their behaviour.

When we travel together,we always opt for the side lower and side upper berths(yup,we are a short couple!)and we always get it since I doubt if someone ever chooses side berths!!That gives us the pleasure of sleeping at our own pace,we sometimes sit and chat for hours and sleep only at the wee hours of midnight-something which we wouldn't be able to do if we had the other berths-it is not at all nice to sit in a squeezed position and talk about our future!!

On our last journey though,we didn't have this luxury.We did opt for the side berths,but there was a "kabab me haddi" in between.Yup,the great Laloo Prasad Yadav-our railway minister had a great idea of increasing the berths in a bogie and included a middle berth for the already crowded side lower and side upper berths.Even though he regretted his idea and the extra berth is cancelled,the position of the berths remain the same and the one falling asleep on the side upper cant even lift his/her head even for drinking water!!

Moreover,the timings of the train was quite late into the night and we were very sleepy when the train started-after an hours delay at 12.30 in the night.We looked forward to a sleepy night as the train reached Chennai only by 7.20am.I happily got into my berth and slept immediately.I was woken up by a shout from the next berth-a girl was shouting into the phone,since I was quite sleepy,I didn't know what was going on.She was on the side upper berth next to mine so I could actually hear what she was talking,but here she was shouting and all the passengers sleeping around could hear it and most of them got up and peeped to see who it was.

I was starting to fall asleep and I again heard her shout.Now,most of the passengers were awake and were actually looking at her while she shouted.What did she shout-She sounded quite upset and said things like 'why are you ruining my life?,why are you torturing me like this?,I will kill myself tomorrow morning,you want to see me dead right?..I was quite shocked and felt sorry for the girl.What must she be going through if she actually forgot about the surroundings she was in and made herself the center of attraction,even though unknowingly.

After sometime,she was again speaking into the phone,this time softly.She was telling-"rascal,he's ruined my life,but I wont cry-I'll be brave and I will stand up for myself".I really felt bad now.After that shhe covered her face with her duppatta-perhaps she fell asleep or perhaps she was silently crying.

We saw her when she got down in Chennai.I saw that she was married-she had a Mangalsutra.She sat on her seat for a while with her hands resting her head.It was time for us to get down too.

On our way back home,we were thinking only about her.Who was torturing her?Her hubby?What kind of a man can treat his wife so badly that she lost her cool like that?Her ex-boyfriend?Why can't she give a formal Police complaint against him?We don't know what she must be going through now,it kind of reminded us about the Bell bajao ad going on in Tv against domestic violence.[While playing,some kids hear shouts and abuses in the house next to them and they ring the bell and ask for their missing cricket ball-when the hubby returns after searching the entire house,they have the ball in their hands,they were just in time-stop domestic violence]

I hope she is doing fine..

Be Indian,Buy Indian!!

I just got a forwarded mail and I thought I'll share it with you!!

Dear Friends,

GOOD MORNING AND GOOD DAY TO YOU
When you smile, not only do you feel happy, but you also bring a ray of light into the lives of others"

U CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE INDIAN ECONOMY BY FOLLOWING FEW SIMPLE STEPS.

Please spare a couple of minutes here... for the sake of India ... our country.
I got this article from one of my friend, but it's true, I can see this from day to day life,

Small example, Before 5 months 1 US $ = IND Rs 36
After 5 months. Now it is 1 CAN $ = IND Rs 50

Do you think US Economy is booming? No, but Indian Economy is Going Down.

Our Economy is in u'r hands
INDIAN economy is in a crisis. Our country like many other ASIAN countries is undergoing a severe economic crunch. Many INDIAN industries are closing down. The INDIAN economy is in a crisis and if we do not take proper steps to control those, we will be in a critical situation.

More than 30000 crore rupees of foreign exchange are being siphoned out of our country on products such as cosmetics, snacks, tea, beverages...... etc which are grown, produced and consumed here.

A cold drink that costs only 70 / 80 paisa to produce is sold for NINE rupees, and a major chunk of profits from these are sent abroad. This is a serious drain on INDIAN economy.

We have nothing against Multinational companies, but to protect our own interests we request everybody to use INDIAN products only for next two years.

With the rise in petrol prices, if we do not do this, the rupee will devalue further and we will end up paying much more for the same products in the near future.
What you can do about it?

1. Buy only products manufactured by WHOLLY INDIAN COMPANIES.
2. ENROLL as many people as possible for this cause.

Each individual should become a leader for this awareness.
This is the only way to save our country from severe economic crisis. You don't need to give-up your lifestyle. You just need to choose an alternate product.
All categories of products are available from WHOLLY INDIAN COMPANIES.

LIST OF PRODUCTS
COLD DRINKS:
USE: - LEMON JUICE, FRESH FRUIT JUICES, CHILLED LASSI (SWEET OR SOUR), BUTTER MILK, COCONUT WATER, JALJEERA, ENERJEE, and MASALA MILK....

INSTEAD OF: - COCA COLA, PEPSI, LIMCA, MIRINDA, SPRITE

BATHING SOAP: USE - CINTHOL & OTHER GODREJ BRANDS, SANTOOR, WIPRO SHIKAKAI, MYSORE SANDAL, MARGO, NEEM, EVITA, MEDIMIX, GANGA , NIRMA BATH & CHANDRIKA

INSTEAD OF - LUX, LIFEBOY, REXONA, LIRIL, DOVE, PEARS, HAMAM, LESANCY, CAMAY, PALMOLIVE

TOOTH PASTE: - USE - NEEM, BABOOL, PROMISE, VICO VAJRADANTI, PRUDENT, DABUR PRODUCTS, MISWAK

INSTEAD OF - COLGATE, CLOSE UP, PEPSODENT, CIBACA, FORHANS, MENTADENT.
TOOTH BRUSH: - USE – PRUDENT, AJANTA , PROMISE

INSTEAD OF - COLGATE, CLOSE UP, PEPSODENT, FORHANS, ORAL-B

SHAVING CREAM: USE - GODREJ, EMANI

INSTEAD OF - PALMOLIVE, OLD SPICE, GILLETE

BLADE:- USE - SUPERMAX, TOPAZ, LAZER, ASHOKA

INSTEAD OF - SEVEN-O -CLOCK, 365, GILLETTE

TALCUM POWDER: USE - SANTOOR, GOKUL, CINTHOL, WIPRO BABY POWDER, BOROPLUS

INSTEAD OF - PONDS, OLD SPICE, JOHNSON BABY POWDER, SHOWER TO SHOWER

MILK POWDER: USE - INDIANA, AMUL, AMULYA

INSTEAD OF - ANIKSPRAY, MILKANA, EVERYDAY MILK, MILKMAID.

SHAMPOO: USE - LAKME, NIRMA, VELVET

INSTEAD OF - HALO, ALL CLEAR, NYLE, SUNSILK, HEAD AND SHOULDERS, PANTENE

MOBILE CONNECTIONS : USE - BSNL, AIRTEL INSTEAD OF - HUTCH

Every INDIAN product you buy makes a big difference. It saves INDIA . Let us take a firm decision today.

BUY INDIAN TO BE INDIAN we are not against of foreign products.
WE ARE NOT ANTI-MULTINATIONAL.
WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE OUR NATION. EVERY DAY IS A STRUGGLE FOR A REAL FREEDOM.
WE ACHIEVED OUR INDEPENDENCE AFTER LOSING MANY LIVES.
THEY DIED PAINFULLY TO ENSURE THAT WE LIVE PEACEFULLY. THE CURRENT TREND IS VERY THREATENING.
MULTINATIONALS CALL IT GLOBALISATION OF INDIAN ECONOMY. FOR INDIANS LIKE YOU AND ME IT IS RECOLONISATION OF INDIA ......
THE COLONIST'S LEFT INDIA THEN. BUT THIS TIME THEY WILL MAKE SURE THEY DON'T MAKE ANY MISTAKES.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO LET A" GOOSE THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS" SLIP AWAY.
PLEASE REMEMBER: POLITICAL FREEDOM IS USELESS WITHOUT ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE .

RUSSIA , S.KOREA , MEXICO ..........THE LIST IS VERY LONG!!LET US LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE AND FROM OUR HISTORY. LET US DO THE DUTY OF EVERY TRUE INDIAN.

FINALLY: IT'S OBVIOUS THAT U CAN'T GIVE UP ALL OF THE ITEMS MENTIONED ABOVE,
SO GIVE UP ATLEAST ONE ITEM TO FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COUNTRY.

Weight loss Challenge-Intro

All over I hear people talking about being overweight and going on a diet.Sometime back,I wouldn't even pay heed to such talks,but now I sit up and take notice.

I was always on the plumper side during childhood.My weight never bothered me coz I never found any fault with being the way I was.Reality struck only when I finished my 10th and was about to join college.I was starting to feel bad hearing the comments,fatty-chubby-plumpy etc.See,I said I never felt fat,but people around made me feel so.I made up my mind to lose weight,if not for myself at least for the nasty commentators.And surprisingly,I did.Became slim and trim by the time I joined college.How,you may ask.Well,anyone can lose weight if you go on a crash diet and completely stop eating.Yup,I did that.Barely ate food,sometimes 1 banana and a cup of milk a day was all what I ate.

My mom was so concerned about my health.She would rather let me be fat that see me with any ailments.But I was not going to look back and continued with the careless eating pattern.

Slowly I started coming back to normalcy.By that time I had lost much of my baby-fat(euphemism,I know) and was feeling quite confident and raring to go.That phase continued for a while even though I had started eating normal food.And then Jaundice happened..which took further few more of my kgs..I had become mere 48 kgs and I was so so happy about it..;-).

I got married-let me tell you,that was a major catalyst on my weight coming back to me.As my hubby says,a girl can't be bothered about her weight after she gets married.Initially I fought with him saying it isn't true but lateron my weight pile-up made me silent.

I put on 12 kgs in a matter of less than 6 years.I was upset when it crossed 50 but did absolutely nothing about it.When it reached 55,I stopped checking my weight.When I was required to check at doctor's and when I saw the figure 60,I felt embarassed and ashamed.I was asked to lose all of the excess weight,I doubted whether I'll be able to do it.But some situations in life forces you to do things which you wouldn't have done otherwise and this was definitely one of them.

I met Shiny-Dietician & Nutritionist,Maverick Fitness Studio and she changed my life.

Mind block?

Its strange..I have so much to share about a dish other than its recipe.But when it came to sharing my thoughts,am stumped..absolutely nothing's coming to my mind and even when it does,I feel its not important enough to form a blog post!!!

I keep blogging in my head when it comes to my other blog.I mentally make note of what could be the starting line or which instance is related to that dish and more.I think of so many things while taking food snaps too(not that I take the BEST of snaps..but still).Even before starting Easycooking,I had plans to have a space of my own,to share my thoughts.But when I really have one I don't know what to share;-).

Lets see whether I can really come up with something..soon,I hope.

Welcome

Happy New year to one and all..!!

Another blog..why you may think..Well,I always wanted a personal space for myself and the cooking blog has completely changed my life.While starting the blog,all I wanted to do was to create a blog,thats it.I registered for the first available name and took it from there.I wish I had created a blog with a common name so that I could include other posts in it as well.I can't be posting about my thoughts in my cooking blog..;-).Anyway,all's well that ends well.

I hope to update this blog regularly and keep this blog alive and kicking,just like the other one..!!

Once again wishing all a very happy new year 2009!!!