Tuesday 15 September 2015

A CAKE OF JOY !!

Celebrations are very special moments in our lives. A happy occasion always brings our families, friends and well wishers together under one roof to rejoice and make merry of those wonderful moments. Any happy occasion is incomplete without food. And when it comes to special occasions, a sweet dish is a must!! Let it be birthday, a success party or anniversary..a CAKE is what makes it a party. Some of my friends ( I would call them beginners in cake baking) wanted to learn to bake an egg-less cake. So, here is a special recipe for my special friends.
 

Firstly, let’s just check out all the ingredients required for our cake. Since you haven’t decided what type of cake you want to bake, let me suggest it for you- let’s bake a simple egg-less sponge cake.
So the ingredients are as follows,
1. All purpose flour (maida)- 1 cup
2. Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
3. Baking soda- 1 teaspoon
4. Sugar powder- 2 to 3 tablespoons
5. Butter ( or ghee)- 1 tablespoon
6. Milkmaid condensed milk- ½ tin
7. Tuti – fruity (different colors)- as many as you like

Ok, now we have our ingredients so let us prepare the batter. In a big bowl, dust 1 cup maida to ensure there are no lumps. Now add sugar powder, baking powder, baking soda and mix them well. Add milkmaid and butter. Mix them well using a whisk or a spoon. Keep adding little water until the required consistency is obtained.  You need to make sure that the batter is neither too thick nor too thin. Now add the tuti-fruity and also any dry fruits that you want to add. Mix the batter well till it is free of lumps or any air bubbles.

The next part is baking. Take a big, round bowl such that if you fill the batter in it, it should fill only half of it. This ensures that there is enough space for the bake to rise. Apply ghee or butter in the bowl on all the sides. Fill the batter in it and shake the bowl a little or tap it on the table. This makes the batter sit equally in the bowl. Now heat the cooker on high flame for 5-8 minutes. Place a stand or a small bowl (smaller than the bowl containing the batter) and place the batter bowl on it.
Don’t pour water in the drum.
Don’t put any lid on the bowl.
Don’t put the gasket of the cooker.
Just close the cooker with its lid and simmer the flame. Bake the cake on medium flame for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, open the cooker lid, insert a knife (or toothpick) into the cake to check whether it is ready or not. If the batter sticks to the knife, let it bake for some more time. After you see it is ready, remove it from the cooker. Now run a knife along the edges of the bowl and overturn the bowl on a plate to remove the cake. You can garnish the cake with tuti-fruity or dry fruits of your choice. Let it cool for a while, you can also refrigerate it for some time. Now your cake is ready to be served !!


The basic procedure of baking any cake is the same. You just have to change (or add) the main ingredient, like for example, for baking a chocolate cake you have to follow the same above procedure but just add cocoa powder to it, and for a carrot cake, add grated carrot to it.  

Enjoy every bit and every bite of it. Share your cake..share your happiness :)

Thursday 6 August 2015

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE

A home filled with kids, laughter, and joy is the best place to live in. It is not just an erection of bricks but is an assortment of years of hard-earned money, emotions, and memories. But the thought of losing this home is worse than a nightmare. Technology has provided us with much advancement to make this world a better place to live in. Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life easier than once it was, it just takes one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on earth, we are still at the mercy of nature.

Over the past few centuries, we have seen many such calamities and devastations and we have also developed strategic steps to detect them. But the degree of havoc and loss of lives that these calamities have caused is still atrocious. What life has got in store for tomorrow is an unanswered question. What we have today is the truth of our life. Years of efforts give a family, a home to live in. And an uneventful and unwelcomed natural calamity can extirpate not only a single town but can shake a whole nation. 


A landlocked country between India and China, Nepal is known for its mountain peaks. The small country contains eight of the 10 highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. This beautiful country is an amalgam of flora, fauna, Himalayas, ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital of Nepal, the city with a rich history, spanning nearly 2000 years, Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism in Nepal.

This beautiful city was buzzing with activity and beaming with tourists from all around the world, until the most devastating earthquake shook the entire country, bringing all the activity to a screaming halt. 

A powerful earthquake shook Nepal on 25th of April,2015 near its capital, Katmandu, killing more than 1,900 people, flattening sections of the city’s historic center, and trapping dozens of sightseers in a 200-foot watchtower that came crashing down into a pile of bricks. The massive earthquake has left thousands of people homeless, hungry and torn down. It was estimated that 1,931 deaths occurred in Katmandu and the surrounding valley and that more than 4,700 people have been injured. But the quake touched a vast expanse of the subcontinent.

It set off avalanches around Mount Everest, where at least 17 climbers died. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck shortly before noon, and residents of Katmandu ran into the streets and other open spaces as buildings fell, throwing up clouds of dust. Wide cracks opened on paved streets and in the walls of city buildings. Motorcycles tipped over and slid off the edge of a highway. Four of the area’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites were severely damaged in the earthquake: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a temple complex built in the shape of a conch shell; Patan Durbar Square, which dates to the third century; Basantapur Durbar Square, which was the residence of Nepal’s royal family until the 19th century; and the Boudhanath Stupa, one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in the Himalayas.

The most breathtaking architectural loss was the nine-story Dharahara Tower, which was built in 1832 on the orders of the queen. The tower had recently reopened to the public, and visitors could ascend a spiral staircase to a viewing platform around 200 feet above the city. When the earthquake struck, the one and a half feet thick walls made of brick came crashing down, killing about 60 people.



The loss of all the rich heritage of the country has left the whole world in grief. The howl of thousands of people who lost their home, their kids, family members, their wealth and everything, shook the hearts of millions of people witnessing this misfortune. Nothing can replace the lost ones. Nothing can undo what has happened to the country. Nothing can bring back the lives of those innocent people who got crushed under the rubble. 
The entire nation is grief struck.



The world has just seen the richness of a country turning into rubble. Let us all, keeping alive the spirit of humanity, extend a hand to Nepal, to help them rebuild their nation. Let us pray for all those departed souls to rest in peace.  

Friday 31 July 2015

RELAX AND REJOICE

It has been a tiring week. Loads of work to finish, deadlines to meet, projects to complete and the list goes on. We can hardly pull out some time for ourselves and our family. This is how most of the people spend their lives that are always preoccupied with work. And when we actually pull out some time, we don’t know what to do to feel relaxed and happy. Well, there are always these five things which everyone love to do and are so far believed to be the best ways to make one feel relaxed.


#1 Your favourite song.



When the right song rattles your ear drums, the entire meaning of life seems crystal clear. However tiring the day was, when you hear your favourite song it instantly lifts up your spirit. Music is always known to be the best stress reliever. So where ever you are, whatever you might be doing at that instant, if you are in need of some boost, just play that number.


#2 Your best friend.



Your best friend is the only person who knows how to make you smile even in the worst situation. Talking to your best friend about every tiny thing that’s going on in your mind is one way to let go of the burden on your head. This may not be the solution for your problems but this will certainly help you find a way out of because now you have person whom you trust the most to help you with it.


#3 Shopping with your mom.



This is one thing that every girl loves to do. Going out with your mom and spending time with her not only makes you feel relaxed but also makes her happy. She is the one who misses you and your company the most. Another advantage of shopping with your mom is she knows what suits you the best and she is also the best critic. Some wonderful time with your mom, shopping, eating out and those unstoppable giggles, I am sure no one would like to miss these things.


 #4 A walk with your pet.



Pets can prove to be the best companions when you don’t have people around to hang out with you. An evening walk with your pet along the empty roads is one best way to take a breather. Just let that cool breeze take away all the stress out of your mind and body. And your pet is already there to keep you in pace and give you a nice exercise.


 #5 Your favourite novel.



Books are our best friends, aren’t they? Be it mystery, romance or drama, they have always kept us involved and interested. A novel by your favourite author is just another thing that you would wish to have to keep cool. An interesting plot and good language accompanied by a nice coffee are enough to hold you for the next few hours. This is bliss!! These are just those simple things most of us would love to do when we have some free time for ourselves. It is all about doing something that can bring back your smile and keep you happy and contented about the way of your life.
Life is not just about reaching your goals. It’s about enjoying every bit of it. Every moment of
your life is memorable, every person in your life is special and everything that you do is a
memory. Achieving one’s goals is important and at the same time spending some time for
yourself and your family to relax and rejoice makes one’s life better.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST


The beauty of a woman lies not in her looks but in her courage, is what acid attack survivor Lakshmi has proved to the world. This 24 years old braveheart is an inspiration to many women who have become victims of the malicious acts of some ruthless people. But Lakshmi does not consider herself as a victim but she has emerged as a fighter. 

The accident has taken away her beautiful face but has given her a new life and a new identity. Born and brought up in an impoverished family in New Delhi, Lakshmi like many other girls of her age had woven beautiful dreams. She was a wonderful singer. At a very tender age, even as a student a class 7, Lakshmi would spend hours singing but never felt tired of it. She recorded her songs and sent them to talent hunt competitions. She was waiting for a call from “Indian Idol”.


Lakshmi’s father worked as a chef in a South Delhi home. She became friends with a girl in her neighborhood and it was then when she got stalked by the girl’s 32 years old brother. He soon started proposing to her and sent her messages saying that he was in love with her and demanded an instant reply. Lakshmi ignored his messages. The result of her rejection of the proposal has left a permanent scar on her face. The man who had claimed of being in love with her had shown the most vicious form of a human by attacking her with acid while she was waiting at a bus stop located in the famous Khan market. He was in connivance with his sister who was Lakshmi’s friend. The duo ran away leaving the poor girl to die on the road. She screamed for help whimpering in pain but no one stepped forth.


The acid has melted her face and her ears very quickly. A politician’s driver came to her rescue and admitted her to a hospital where she stayed for the next 10 weeks. She has undergone more than ten major surgeries. The mental trauma that she has gone through for more than 8 years is scarier than a nightmare. She had to stay indoors all the time and none of her relatives or friends have ever come to see her. The beast who took away her beauty was let out on bail to enjoy freedom. He got married and returned to his normal life just within a month. But for what he had done to Lakshmi, even a lifetime wouldn't be sufficient to bring her to normalcy. She tried to pick up a job but got nothing but rejection. “People will get scared if they see you” is what she was told when she approached for a job at some places.

The world seemed so unwelcoming to her. With a hundred questions in her mind, she felt like all the doors have been shut for her. The only support system she had was her family, her doctor and her lawyer. She had received great help from the couple at whose house her father worked. They paid for her surgeries and are still with her giving her support and boosting her spirit. It was only when Lakshmi and her family were recovering from the attack that her brother came down with tuberculosis and adding to this grief, her father passed away. For the second time, Lakshmi faced a big blow and was totally shattered. She became the sole bread earner for the family.


Even after so many difficulties, fate must have played its wicked game but it could not dwindle her courage. She pursued her case in the court. Her lawyer filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking for a ban on the sale of acid. She thought of many other women who have gone through the same pain and agony that she had gone through. Slowly, she got in contact with other victims who lost their vision and hearing. They were poor and helpless, like her. They couldn't afford to buy a new face for themselves. The society had not accepted them and instead of helping them, they just made the world around them look darker for these victims. The undeterred young woman Lakshmi did not lose hope. She started an online petition and received great support when 27,000 people signed it. She submitted the form to the Home Minister and was successful in putting her assaulter behind the bars for a term of seven years. Her fight for justice is not over.


She has taken a vow to fight on behalf of every woman who has become a victim of acid attack. Her legal fight will continue until justice is done to every victim. The Supreme Court has ordered states to pay Rs.3 Lakh as compensation. But this wouldn't suffice the medical costs for the umpteen numbers of surgeries that these victims undergo. She started a campaign called “Stop Acid Attacks” and has received enormous support from public and also from many celebrities and political figures. Lakshmi was awarded the “International woman of the year 2014” by US First Lady Michelle Obama, for the great work she has been doing in the support of acid attack survivors. Lakshmi, is the Director of Chhanv, a support center for acid attack survivors in India.These women here are putting all their efforts to make their lives better. All they expect from this world is some support and a smile when we look at them. They have dreams like every other person and they also keep the courage to make their dreams come true. They are the superwomen of our country and every citizen of this country is proud of them.

Friday 23 January 2015

MY SALAD DAYS








So much to say
About the days
When I walked this way
And gave out a "yay"!!
A little desire
Filled in me the fire
And took me so higher
I could give my best
I am free of regrets
Know what I got to say
About the best of my days
Yeah, they were my salad days!!

I walked along a lonely street
No one to share my anguish with
You came up to me
To befriend me
Now when I turn around
I find happiness abound
Life looks so beautiful
Everyday is adorable

Yet there is so much to say
About the best of my days
Yeah, they were my salad days!!


Now that I have seen
what life has got to give
hear to me once
its out of experience
each day is a new day
filling our life with every ray
come along, walk this way
life goes on come what may
I shall remember these days
as the best of my days
yeah my salad days.