Another chapter has come to an end......but only to beging again...

Hi everyone, its the end of one chapter of the cooking for me...but i have yet to write the whole book......and this is the beginning of my cooking experience......come and join me again .....i promise you i will enthrall you at moments, and bore you to tears on others. Some chapters i will tickle your funny ribs, and even manage to jerk a few tears.........but i will never let you not be  part of my story....... my story is your story, just seen with different lenses..............namaste!

Comments  made for Blogs:

shilmoni said...

Hello Nic,
It is a wonderful to travel down your cross stitch journey. I am so touched to read about your gift for your brother's wedding. Its a gift that will stay forever......and that is priceless.
Cross-Stitch can be very strenuous for your eyes....so have you thought of any eye exercise to strengthen the eye muscles and keep good vision....you will need them for more gifts in the future!! Here are some tips and natural remedies that you can do.
Exercise for strengthening eyes -
1.Breathing in a right way is very important for being healthy. If you will breath properly this will also improve your vision. When you inhale the air, the air goes done to the bottom of the lungs and the air fills the lungs. This pushes the stomach outwards and as you slowly exhale the air, the air gets up slowly form the bottom of your lungs and it pushes your stomach in. This exercise will give soothing feeling to your eyes.
2.In order to improve your vision, you will need to learn to focus your mind well first. You can also reduce the stress on your eyes by placing your palms over your eyes. Sit on a flat table and lean forward. Keep your elbows on the table and close your eyes. Place your right palm on right eye and left palm on your left eye. Do this in such a way that your fingers remain on your forehead.
......well done and don't forget to look after your lovely asset Your Eyes!

26 October 2011 09:46

shilmoni said...

Hey Ju,......as i know you as a person...i understand your need to do something...i can relate to your need because i am like you too. Every minute is precious and an "idle mind is a devil's workshop" but also idle hands are wasted time...time that will never return. After all we express our love in many languages....and having the need to do something is our language ...i believe.....Creation is beautiful....well done you have done a good job!!

26 October 2011 09:58

shilmoni said...

Hi Keryn,
That is amazing, your gift for your nephew. He is a lucky guy to have a talented and loving aunt like you. Love like the way you are expressing through endless hours of scrap-booking and capturing memories is very special. You have a gift there, girl, keep up the great scrap-booking..... Have you thought of actually setting up a little personal scrape-booking club with a few friends.....i could join your group, and we could meet few other needs through our meeting and scrap-booking and share some quality time and build memories.......have a thought...you have a keen member..!! well done.

25 October 2011 14:08

shilmoni said...

Hi Heather,
As i have been following how diligently you have been following the diet...and i must say you are very good and i am impressed. I also feel that you are quite motivated by the diet. I think it is working for you in all levels, health wise, emotionally, confidence wise and feel good factor. That in itself is a good self-esteem builder. Maybe you can join other members online who are doing the Dukan diet and share some experiences. Great way to connect. well done!!

26 October 2011 10:18

References:

Careers in OT. (2011). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from http://www.caot.ca

/default.asp?pageid=295

Dul, J & Weerdmeester, B. (2008) Ergonomics for beginners a quick reference guide

(3rd ed.). Boca Raton, Fla.: Crc Press.

Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure, and the American schools.

New York: Random House.

Magpie, Y. (2011). Julia Child Quotes: A cook with a lot to say. Retrieved from http://yellowmagpie

.com/julia-child-quotes/

Vidlit. (2008). Julie and Julia [video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=

YybhuBmzhvA&feature=player_embedded

Ysp10182. (2010). I love butter [video]. Retrieved from Http://www/youtube.com/watch  

?v=0QccHjp0xH0

Cooking is inspirational

Hello everyone.....today i am going to talk to you about the movie Julie And Julia......and how i thoroughly enjoyed the ideas Julie had about blogging about her cooking...the only thing in her life that she could have control over. Her life in the movie is pretty bleak...living over a pizzarea in a small apartment....and cooking from a miniscule kitchen!!! Her job not to mention was very impersonal and how shall i put it quite regimental!!! Stuck behind a desk with a machine to keep you company all day Julie's inspiration and motivation was at the end of the rung. Droning of voices, human beings expressing anger, boredom, frustrations and sadness all in  day in Julies ear-piece....as she sat there meeting an ends to a means...means to an end. She certainly did not find any joy in her career.......Julie's life was lack-luster....and Julie was dying a slow agonising death in her mind......when a light bulb effect caught her fancy in the form of Blogging about her other Love in her life Cooking!!! Cooking gave her a joy beyond imagination. she knew exactly how the chocolate sauce would taste after she cooked it and she had some control over her performance. She knew that if she was in the kitchen, amidst her pots and pans and her spoons and ladles she was a winner, ...a star. It brought meaning to her life. It brought the zest and sparkle to her life.....it was almost like watching a metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly.......so mesmerizing was the effect of her licking the ladle in her tiny kitchen. To watch the absolute ecstasy of her talk through her chocolate sauce!!!! Then a winner was, when she decided that she would blog about her cooking. Julie Powell comes up with the plan to save herself from the dread of her everyday existence. She undertakes to cook 524 recipes in 365 days. This is just an amazing experience...and like everything in life she goes through highs and lows, troughs and peaks of cooking, burning, chopping, hacking and sometimes murdering her ingredients and items to cook. It has a funny side and a gentle real side to the story.......................you should all go and watch it....you won't regret it.
I have some quotes for you all to enjoy from the movie........
The movie spoke to me personally as well. Last year due to the lack of time and a part time job that i could enjoy....i took up cooking. My friends in the community were always asking me for Indian recipes, and when m daughter went for play-dates, i sent some Indian food over with her to share with her friends............
One day, a dad said to me...." Gosh! that was so lovely,....i could eat 10 of them! have you ever thought of selling them. i could buy it off you!" I was dumb struck, never had i toyed with the idea of actually selling what i cooked, but i was persuaded into it....and i have no regrets about it. My friends mentioned that they would go and pick up some fish and chips for take-away dinners every now and then, and it was not the healthy option, but a change.... so i could do that and they would be happy to come and pick it up form my place. Therefore i decided to give it a try.... Thus began my story...Once upon a time,.....there was a poor princess....who found a magic pot and cooked Indian Curry and became Rich and Famous.....HA!! Ha!! That's just a big Joke!!  But that is how i started. I made a menu on a Monday, emailed it to a list of friends in the Bay. They would email me their orders by Wednesday or Thursday. I would do the shopping on Thursday, and all the prep work. After i got back from College, i would start my cooking on Friday afternoon. The pick-up time was 6pm. It worked very well. I was in seventh haven with the aroma and flavours...i didn't need to eat...i was already full. I was full of soul food! The little Indian Curry fan list grew longer and longer. My kitchen was a little meeting spot for neighbors and i had them sitting around my dinner table chatting and talking and it was a melting pot of cultural amalgamation. I can't tell you who enjoyed themselves more, the chappy customers or the very happy cook!!! It is a little gem of a memory i have since tucked away amongst so many more.....to share with you again another day!! Until then enjoy the quotes below......that i too immensely relate to!!!     

‘Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.’
‘It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate – you know someone’s fingers have been all over it.’

‘The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.’

‘Life itself is the proper binge.’

‘Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper.’

‘Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.’

‘Everything in moderation, including moderation.’

‘The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a ‘What the hell?’ attitude.’

‘Tears mess up your makeup.’

‘Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?’

Refernces:

 Retrieved on 25/10/11 from:http://yellowmagpie.com/julia-child-quotes/

The need for "Cooking"

I definitely have a need to cook....most often than not. I also cook Asian and European meals  every now and then as i do like a variety of food and also like to tease my taste-buds with different food, i cook dinners that would be exotic in my country. Almost a novelty to eat mashed potatoes with gravy and roasted pumpkin and Kumara....yes, that is right, you may ask any other Indian walking in the street, .....You will have to visit a 5 star restaurant and a European/Western restaurant to eat steak, mashed spuds, and roast veges........i am not joking. At least that has been my experience in India. I had to visit a very good restaurant who specialized in Western menus. Whereas you will get  tandoori chicken and curry in every nook and cranny in the city........that is the way of the world! Coming back to my need to cook is that i feel so much in touch and grounded with myself when i cook. Sometimes i even put on some Indian music and hum along to the tune......you can imagine that i feel bodily/physically transported back to my home country like Alladin in his magic carpet. My closest or my truest need to cook would be to feed my family and sustain life.....but the most joy i get out of cooking is the element of culture, color, smell and taste i derive form my Indian cooking, and also sharing something that is close to my heart with my family. All my senses are brought alive when i cook Indian meals. Memories from the past get resurrected, smells take me to flash-backs of yester years that are locked in my brain. All the happy hormones in the brain are released giving me an all good feel..... I also feel the nurturing part of me take control when i cook and i take the "Mother Earth Provider " and i like this role..............in speaking of roles...and the need to take on roles...i have been reflecting on is determined with life stage and the life experiences you have along the way.............the need and desire to do anything in life is how shall i explain.......expression of your spirituality and who you are as a person. Your creativity is a portrait of your personality, very unique and priceless. You don't have to be famous or rich with your creativity, but just something that brings a smile to you and joy to your soul......if you know what i mean!!! In line with what i feel about my need and life stage.... i like what Shakespeare writes in " As You Like It"     
All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrnces;
And one man in his time plays many parts;
His acts being seven in ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the bard,"..................and so on goes his ballad. (Christiansen 2010).
So much for tonight's blog..... always rejuvenates me when i blog..........

More on spirituality

Spirituality...the essence of who we are and who we leave behind.......the works of our hands and the mind are so intertwined, that it is hard to separate the two....and why should we...after all we are unique human beings and indiindividuals that have a purpose upon this earth.......
The need to belong not just to another but to the self finally defines and gives you a place on this earth. Cooking belongs to me and i belong to cooking in myriad ways that you can imagine....where i come from, where i m today and what i bring with me and take with me and leave behind when i go all reflects in my cooking. The need to cook, the why must i cook, the why shouldn't i cook are questions that make up my cooking history. The words of Ryan Dickson, speaks to my mind when he says, " The through his knowing and the work of his hands, leaves behind not only part of himself, but also part of his ancestors and those of the people-connection past to present to future, and people to people."  When i cook i bring in a little bit of my past and knit it with my present which will live on through my daughter in the future....my spirit lives on . I find this aspect of labour and craft and creativity surreal and worth while. Gives me meaning that i was born as a human being and leave the world a bit richer and a bit wiser(i hope). My little contribution in making a future for our children.........I may never, i am sure i will never climb the Mt. Everest or travel to the moon...or even be rich and famous and live in a mansion....(not that i have any such aspirations), but i will definitely connect to my spirituality via cooking and feeding and sharing and laughing, and chatting, and exchanging stories and recipes, and celebrating and crying and mourning and creating and experimenting and meeting and connecting and bonding and nurturing and developing all of this and  so much more..... i will soar like the eagle high upon the deep blue sky while cooking and connect to all the elements of nature.....free and uncomplicated.....
Spirituality is multidimensional. As explained and quoted from Poloma & Pendleton, " There is a robust connection between personal well-being and a concern with the spiritual. The " faith factor" emerges as a significant contributor to quality of life indicators such s life satisfaction, happiness, self-esteem, hope and optimism and meaning in life."

I love Butter

retrieved on 19/10/2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5K75Y3r43I&feature=related ...i love her steadfast determination and dedication....personally cooking does bring me a similar meaning and i can relate to her dedication.

Affordances-spiritualiity-Aesthetics-health

Food-cooking-spirituality-aesthetics-health......i believe that they all go hand in hand: 

We all cook at some point in life and eat everyday, some 4 times a day and others more...... so how is food connected spiritually? We all have different preferences in life and different value systems...... whats good for the goose may not be good for the gander!
The act of cooking food, the methods and procedures, the food itself and the ingredients, used for cooking and eventually the presentation all should be in great harmony with each other like a well rehersed choir. i remember my grandmother's words on some occassion, for something i can't remember....but these words have stuck with me ever since....." Even animals and birds gather food for themselves and their young ones.... the difference with humans and them"  is our power and will and creativity to present our food in a palatable way." I suppose i will alwys carry those words with me, because i can be a bit of a perfectionist, when i present my cooked food. Sometimes it may not be a very palateble item of food, but if i put it well together with garnishings and creativity, it looks attractive and people would love to eat it...it has happened quite a few times in my life, especially young ones.... when you disguise salads and other vegetables that would require a battle of wills to be eaten. I believe in cleanliness is next to godliness, and i live by these principles therefore i present my food in a clean and clutter free environment. We have a ritual to always light a candle and sweet smelling insence at the table for dinners.... for aspiciousness and mellow ambience. a symbol of beauty, olfactory pleasentness. In my house evenings are quite sacred, where we all gather around the table to eat, but also thank God for the day gone by and slow down from the busiess of the day. To be able to unwind from the business of the day, amidst sweet smelling candles and a lovely warm cooked dinner. When dusk falls upon the ground, and all creatures upon the planet find a resting spot, it is quite apt to come home and feel how blessed we are to have a home and food on our table and think of unfortunate beings who have nothing. This is why we think it is very important to say grace and include everyone in our prayers and thoughts who are lonely and suffering......so we do our little bit of positive thinking and breathe a love and compassion form our little corner of the world. Gives us a sense of well being and makes us grounded as people and humans. We are after all the superior and lucky beings that God has created, so i feel that it is but the least i can do to make this world a better place to live in.
We eat everyday of our lives...... form the moment we are born we cry for food, ...and it is a part of our survival to eat and drink. However, i do believe that we can be mindful eaters and like many things in life, consumption of food needs discipline. I do believe that it is me who is in control and not food controllig me. I try my best to eat consciously and i consider my body to be the alter to my spirituality, where God resides, therefore i would not like to defile it with over- eating or too much junk food. I am quite a mindful eater and i try my best to eat healthy. I like to cook most of my food, and its possibly my culture too, but i like to eat lot of lentils and beans and vegetables as i was brought up this way. Food aand cooking and eating draws most cultures together, and that is the beauty of eating together and community survives and thrives when there are communal gatherings like this.
Culturally speaking, as an Indian, my culture is famous for gatherings that take place due to religious reasons and there is always food involved in these occassions....and that is what  remember form my childhood......lots of people, copious amounts of food, people celebrating a birth or mourning a death ...food was quite a central part of our living....... which puts into perspective, if you are happy, we must eat, and then if we are sad we must eat..... so emotions are connected with the intake of food......!!! It is not surprising that there are health issues as well as eating disorders when people cannot cope they target food...... Either you are in control or food is in control!!
When i was a little girl growing up in my house, i remember my grandmother sneaking in some vagabond, beggar and raggedy people in the back yard , away form the stern eyes of my grand father, and piling great amounts of rice and left over curry on to their plates..... i suppose that was her way of caring for the poor and hungry and doing her bit to feed the millions of hungry in India. It was no surprise to me and my sisters  when we returned form school to come home to a beggar sitting in one corner of the garden eating hungrily out of a plate..... and then he used to be piled with ll our old clothes, and spare blankets , before he was sent away hastily, before my grandfather could say much.........those memories now mke me smile....and gives me a great sense of peace and pride...... i do carry some of those traits in my genes..... i believe, and there is no greater joy than giving...surpasses the joy of receiving....!!....well i think i will leave it at that for tonight nd blog a bit more tomorrow..... it is very relaxing to blog about your past and jog those happy memories........ i am happy to share them with you all......

Affordances- cooking-the endless lbour of love

Hello everyone, I better share my cooking story with you all……to begin with, last evening I blogged for about an hour taking you through the meandering pathway of my days in the kitchen….and as unexpectedly…or shall I add predictably my work was lost due to a technical glitch!! So that was that!!,

But I was calm and shut my computer and went to bed instead!! And here I am again this morning, trying to do damage control!! So bear with me and fasten your seat-belts , It’s  almost count down time to take off………10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0…………….!!!

Last week after a hectic day at school and picking my daughter up from school, we arrived to the comforts of home. There is certainly no place like the home. As I parked the car in the drive way, the cats came out bounding and leaping out from the garden bushes….. By the way,  even surpassing a wagging and excited dog, I must add; Our feline members have some traits that resemble dogs!

We marched straight into the kitchen, as is the custom in my house, and spread all our belongings on the kitchen table and take a breather to pat and cuddle the cats, before we begin the serious business of feeding and being fed!! The single most important survival task that human beings do. Over and over again in their life time.  In the olden days man hunted and gathered for food. They tilled and grew and harvested………….but nothing radically has changed from the past, in my opinion. We have been able to package, freeze, clone, hybrid, graft, globalize, transport food……..but food essentially remains the same and it is universally cooked in various forms and eaten, and digested and ……..Eureka! Man still lives on!!                                

I decided to cook “Sag Dal” (spinach, lentil) Sag Dal is a very popular vegetarian curry in India, and I have had fond associations with this very nutritious and wholesome food in my past. It is a comfort food for me and I want to share it with my family….so I proceed to cook this lovely aromatic, packed with goodness meal. My daughter and I begin with visiting our little vege-patch where we have grown some very healthy looking spinach, silver-beet, cauliflower, broccoli and onions, and other vegetables…all cramped in a small spot. We are in love with our humble  little “gold-Mine” and are very proud of our own fresh produce. ( Can you see us preening with pride??!! You would think we are Mr. Bill Gates himself, with a billion dollar IT industry!! ) ( No offence to Him, but we consider ourselves in par with him in wealth,…… and I bet you,  our wealth does not give us any sleepless nights…..but just the opposite!!) So much for the rendezvous in the vege-patch, which is no bigger than a  pocket-sized handkerchief. My daughter helps me pick some fresh, crunchy spinach. We pick a large bunch and head back to the kitchen.

I wash and chop the leaves up and leave it to drain in the colander. Meanwhile the jug has boiled with water that I need to boil my lentils in. I wash the “masoor dal” (red lentils) thoroughly till all the water is clear and I put it in a big pot to boil. I add a big chunk of pounded ginger and a tea-spoon of turmeric. I close the lid of the pot and turn the stove to low heat. I have a panache for cooking food in low heat, as I believe that food tastes a lot better and the nutrients are preserved far better this way……now anyone out there,  an expert,  on food- nutrition…..please prove me wrong!!! But this is how I have learned to cook, and it is certified by my grandmother who is in heaven now!! Mean- while my daughter has been busy talking nineteen- to the dozen and I have been answering all her questions, so communication is strong between us….. as you can imagine. She has had a bite to eat by now and trying hard to wiggle her way out of doing some writing exercise with very valid reasons….mind you; ( but according to her only!)  Reluctantly she gets her exercise book out and decides to write 10 lines on the happenings of the day with lackluster effort. I leave it at that and try not to sound too condescending.  I hum a little tune instead, and praise her for her great decision, and assure her that she can play a little computer game after she had finished her writing!!! I lost the battle, but won the war……..( I am the mother here, you must understand….and mothers always  know  what’s best  for their children....well! most of the time anyway)…I suppose  as the evening progresses in my kitchen, and patience gets frayed and thin, it is hard to keep tiredness and weariness out on the bay,…..therefore when I hear her begin to moan and grumble just after a sentence, I snap at her to concentrate and get on with it. Phew! That was a close call in nearly losing my voice ……but I managed to remain calm and get on with cooking…….. I must be mindful here, I remind myself, and I do want to breathe positive, loving vibrations into the meal to be soul food….. ! A bit of REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy) and a bit of mindful, meditation always helps me to be who I am essentially or strive to be….. day by day.  The next step in cooking dal is finely chopping a large onion, few cloves of garlic ready for frying. I also open a can of chopped tomatoes, not ideally my favorite as I do not like canned food…not habituated from my childhood, I must add! ( I don’t know about you people there, but my household economy and my ethics will not allow myself to buy a kilo of tomatoes for $21….i just think it is ludicrous! Absolutely not! Therefore I resort to canned tomatoes for $2 a can.)  I would have liked to grow my own, but I have no glass house, and the ones I grew in the pot wasn’t satisfactory, in the past unfortunately…  I pour some oil into the frying pan, and wait for the hot fumes to rise before I add a  large pinch of “Jeera” ( Cumin seeds), Lal Mirch, Tej-patta !( dry red chili, and  a few Bay leaves ) I fry these Masala till they are golden brown and I can smell a fresh waft of spices drift from the ingredients. Then I add the chopped onion and garlic and fry them as well, till the oil separates from the masala. Lastly I add salt and a can of chopped tomatoes. I give it a good stir and put the lid on the pan and let it all simmer for 5 minutes or so till the tomatoes are all nicely cooked.  Now I must retract my steps backwards a bit, as I multi-task while I fry my masala for the dal. The jug has been set to boil a second time, and that hot water has been used to soak a rice-cooker full of rice after being thoroughly washed.  I leave it to soak for 2- 3 minutes, as the secret for rice to be fluffy and rise in the pan Is this step of washing thoroughly with warm water and soaking it in hot water before cooking. After the soaking is over, I drain out the hot water and add some fresh hot water to the rice, with some cardamom seeds( Queen of all spices as it is known, and it gives a heavenly aroma to food,)  and a bit of cooking oil. I set it to cook in the rice cooker, which takes about 20 minutes.  The dal has been slow cooking for about 10 minutes and it is time to add the chopped spinach leaves by now. I let it cook for about 2/3 minutes more as spinach cooks easily and I do not like it over cooked. The next step is to add all the fried masala from the frying pan into the Dal and sag mixture and stir it gently. All the lovely aroma and flavor’s mix together and turns the humble Dal Sag into a delicacy, and only those who have savored this delicious dish will vouch for it to be one of the yummiest dishes created  on earth. ( well! At least in my opinion,……I know everyone’s pallet is not the same….and thank goodness for that , otherwise the world would not have a culinary melting pot of different flavor’s )

 Welcome to my kitchen….boan appetite!! The Sag Dal is cooked…………and the rice is cooked…………..the child is happy  as she has graduated from her 10 lines of writing unto her computer game……..the cats are purring and curled up after licking their chops………and  it is 6 o clock, …..and I am dog tired and I need a cup of tea..!!!! …and I will do this again tomorrow and all the morrows that follow ……….as Green ,T.F. (1968), Work, leisure and The American schools so aptly states that, “ it is the fact that we are alive that brings bout labours, leaving nothing behind. Yet we cannot say, that it is futile, there is nothing more urgent than the need to provide adequate shelter and food.” She could not be more right than this!!

i can almost  smell the fresh baked loaves of bread…… and the earth beneath my feet…..how about you??

Photo of an old town bake oven still in use in Europe.

Retrieved on the 14^th/10/2011 from  http://www.chimkc.com/masonry_heaters.htm

Cucumber in a pot in my back yard!!

Pocket-sized vege-patchProudly owned by me!!

References:

Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure, and the American schools. New York: Random House

Retrieved on the 14^th/10/2011 from  http://www.chimkc.com/masonry_heaters.htm