It has been ages since I blogged…decades since I read anyone’s blog…I apologize dear friends for being away and not reading and commenting on your blogs….how I wish Iland was the way it was earlier…sometimes change is not all that welcome but we have to adjust to changes…somehow i always prefer the older version better, full of warmth and so much personalized.

Dear friends

It gives me great pleasure to share with you a link to a blog by Mr. P. Venkataramana that will make each one of you proud to be an Indian. Do click on the link and leave your valuable comment.

http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/guest/entry/no_thank_you

Do spread the good word as the sad incident of 26/11 is about to complete one year. This blog is a dedication to those who lost their lives, their loved ones or were injured or affected due to terrorism. Kindly leave your comments on the link above, it will be a great pleasure. Thanks to all friends. Keep smiling and keep up the spirit!  

I have not been scribbling for quite some time and nor have I been active at iland but today I am sharing a story with you, which is not my creation but I feel proud sharing with all of you.

'

A date!
After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.
She said I love you but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER , who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
“What’s wrong, are you well,” she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
“I thought that it would be pleasant to be with you,” I responded. ” Just the two of us. “
She thought about it for a moment, and then said, ” I would like that very much .”
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s.
“I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting”.
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down,
I had to read the menu. Large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.
“It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said.
“Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation - nothing extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date ?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I could not do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: ” I LOVE YOU !” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.
Nothing in life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”
**********

Kassar

Ingredients:

250 Gms whole wheat flour (atta)

� cup ghee

2 tbsps powdered sugar or boora

� cup chopped almonds

Fruits like apple and banana diced into small pieces

15-20 tulsi leaves

Method:

Put ghee in a wok (kadhai) and melt it on medium flame. Now add whole wheat flour to the melted ghee and roast the flour on low heat till the wheat flour (atta) changes into a light brown colour. Keep stirring to avoid flour sticking to the sides of the wok and giving a burnt smell. Once the colour of the flour changes to brown and it gives a nice roasted fragrance, remove the wok from fire. Add boora or powdered sugar and chopped almonds. Once the roasted flour cools, add the chopped fruits of your choice.

MEWA MODAK

Ingredients:

250 gms whole wheat flour

50 gms powdered sugar

� cup chopped almonds

� cup chopped cashew nuts

� cup shredded coconut

� cup raisins

50 gms gond (edible resin)

150 gms ghee

Method:

Coarsely powder the gond (edible resin) in the mixie. Warm the ghee in a wok. Deep fry cashew nuts and almonds on low heat and then remove from the wok and spread it on a tissue till the excess ghee gets soaked. Now fry the coarsely powdered gond and drain it on a tissue. After gond, roast wheat flour (atta) in the wok (kadahi) till the flour changes its colour to light brown. Roast the flour on low flame and keep stirring gently to avoid burning. This will also ensure equal roasting of the flour. Once the atta is roasted, remove wok from fire; add chopped cashew nuts and almonds, shredded coconut and raisins. Also add powdered sugar to it and when the whole mixture cools a bit, make the modaks with palms while still warm.

GULDANA

Ingredients:

250 gms. White urad dal (dhuli urad dal)

750 gms. Sugar

400 gms. Ghee

2-3 drops yellow food colour

5-6 strands of saffron (kesar)

METHOD:

Wash the dal and soak it in drinking water for 4-5 hours. Then drain the water and grind urad dal to a paste form. Now beat this paste well with a beater, spoon or fork. (This requires a bit of muscle power if done with spoon or fork). The dal paste will rise and become smooth and light when beaten well. On the other hand add about one or one and half glass of water to a thick bottom pan, add sugar, yellow colour and saffron. Let this syrup boil till it forms one string syrup.

One the other burner put ghee in a wok (kadhai) and heat it on high flame. Once the ghee becomes hot, reduce the flame to minimum, take a flat spatula with big holes (usually used for frying) and pour the dal paste onto the holed spatula. The dal paste drops from the holes into the kadhai forming small balls. You can fry this at high or medium heat, till it changes to a golden colour. Remove the golden balls from the wok and drain on a tissue paper. Now soak these balls in the sugar syrup for about 1-2 minutes; remove from the syrup and spread these balls on a big steel plate and allow the guldana to cool. (You can also put chaandi ka varak on them but somehow I avoid that.)

KHEER

Ingredients:

1 litre milk

� cup sugar

� cup rice (you can use � cup rice too if you don�t like too much rice in kheer)

� cup chopped almonds (soaked and slithered) and pistachio nuts.

6-7 strands of saffron

METHOD

Wash and soak rice for � hour. Take a heavy bottom pan or kadhai and add milk to it. Boil the milk. Add soaked rice and simmer the flame and let the rice cook in the milk on low heat till the milk becomes little thick. Keep stirring the kheer off and on to avoid burning. Add saffron too and let it cook with the rice in milk. Keep stirring until the rice boils. Mash the rice with spoon so that the kheer gains a thick consistency. Once it�s done remove the kheer kadahi from fire and then add sugar, stir well. Then add chopped almonds and pistachios.

COCUNUT BURFI

Ingredients:

1 litre full cream milk

75-100 Gms sugar (according to taste)

25 Gms. Ghee

100 Gms. Fresh coconut grated

5-6 strands saffron

Chopped Almonds and pistas

Method:

Boil milk in a wok (kadhai). When the milk starts boiling add grated coconut and saffron strands and reduce the flame to low. Let the coconut and saffron cook in boiled milk for sometime on low heat. Stir in between while it cooks. When the milk begins to evaporate and the mixture starts sticking to the sides of the wok then add sugar to the mixture in the wok. When the sugar melts add ghee alongside the pan and cook the mixture well, till it stops sticking on the sides of the wok. Remove the wok from gas burner and keep aside. Turn a thali and grease it with oil. Then spread the coconut mixture on the upside down greased thali, spread chopped almonds and pistas over it and then roll a rolling pin over the mixture so that the burfi sets evenly. Once it sets, say about an hour, then cut into square pieces.

PUDE (GULGULE)

Ingredients:

250 grams atta (whole wheat flour)

250 ml water

250 grams gur (jaggery) or you can also use sugar instead

4-5 pods of green cardamom- opened and seeds separated

1 tsp saunf (fennel)

Oil to deep fry

METHOD:

1. Soak gur in water for 1 hour.

2. Add all the ingredients except oil to the gur water. Mix well. Adjust the water to get pakora (fritters) batter like consistency. Beat well.

3. Heat oil in a karahi (heavy bottomed vessel). When the oil is sufficiently hot, turn the heat to medium. Drop the batter by hand or by tablespoonfuls. When 1 side is cooked, turn over and fry from other side also. Fry till they get reddish brown. Drain on an absorbent paper.

 ps: I have not tried all. I read these recipes and typed it out to share with all you celebrating Navratris. Wish you a Happy and Blessed Navrathri and may Devi Maa fulfill all your wishes. All those not celebratring Navratri, try these recipes for your sweet tooth, Try experimenting and creating your own new recipes. God Bless All! 

DIRECT 4M MY BRAIN

Finally this blog comes from my brain, the lines highlighted in blue are by a brain cell and pink ones represent me. 

Knock, knock, knock!

(No reply)

Khat, khat khat

Who is it???

Me

Who me? Speak up fast

A teeny weenie Brain Cell

eeeeeeeeo �a brain cell!� Who�s brain cell?

Yours, you duffer!

I don�t believe this, I do have brains yippee!

Ok ok what do you want jaldi bolo, I am too busy with my heart cell

I was wondering�

Aha, my brain cell wonders too!

First listen you impatient lady, tell me what happens when a person or any living thing dies?

Hmm, we simply change bodies that�s what our Hindu mythology says!

And who takes care of where the soul will be posted to?

Whoa! I can�t believe this, are you sure you are my brain cell?

Yes yes yes (the brain cell glows like a 100 watt bulb)

Oh boy, you got me thinking too much, huh! My mind�s racing fast�

OMG! The answer is GOD! But most important point to note is the amount how much work God does and HIS versatility�first he strikes arrows or ties a knot to allow man and woman to fall in love or get married or etc. whatever and then gets them to copulate and then �.skilfully accommodates the soul of the person! Oh my! That�s what I call a real smarty, a real GENIUS-  Insaan bhi khush, Bhagwaan bhi khush. He takes care of the minutest activity done by us(well, not just the one I just mentioned above, the list is endless�). He shows us the path at every step, it�s on us whether we see it or not, he knocks every door with an opportunity, it�s on us whether we open the door or we don�t. All He wants is to see everyone happy, especially the good ones (hmmm, I�m wondering, which list do I fall under- good, bad or so-so�) 

Just let me check this from my heart cell�

Wooohoooo!!! I fall under the section �good one� guess why �obviously ya, because  I am in love with God!�

Oh, no wonder, that man called you a weirdo!

Yeah, I am so excited about the compliment, I truly loved it!

Ah, I am so proud of you!

Whatttttt! Let me hear that again, I really wonder if you really are my brain cell�

Listen dear lady this time it�s me,

Who me?

!

!

!

Your Mr. GOD,     ta da!

PS: Though I wrote this blog in a humorous manner but it reads too much in between the lines, I hope you understand the serious aspect too. Wishing all lots of luck and happiness, keep smiling J

Yet again,this one is also not from my brain, I am just preparing you for something cropping and popping in my brain, until then enjoy this——————–

Jeevan me saphal hone ke liye 3 factories lagao:
1) Dimag me Ice factory.
2) Zuban par Sugar factory.
3) Dil me love factory.
Phir life hogi satisfactory..

Ek din sagar ne nadi se pucha:
kab tak milti rahogi mujh khare jal se?
nadi ne haskar kaha:
jab tak tujh me mithas na aa jaye tab tak
That’s “RELATIONSHIP”.

Dostana andaz Mujh se kisi ne pucha,
Tum sabko sms bhejhte ho ? Tumhe kya milta hai ?
Maine hass kar kaha, Dena Lena to Vyaapar hai,
Jo dekar kuch na mange, Wo hi to PYAR hai.

1 tree makes 1 Lakh matchsticks.
But 1 matchstick can burn 1 Lakh trees.
Similarly 1 negative thought or doubt can burn thousands of
dreams….Be Positive!

Chehre ki hasi se har ghum chupao,
Bahut kuch bolo par kuch na batao…
Khud na rutho kabhi par sabko manao
Ye Raaz he Zindagi ka, Bas Jite chale jao

Wah prabhu kya therri leela:
Chuha Billi se darta hai,
Billi Kutte se darti hai,
Kutta Aadmi se darta hai,
Aadmi Biwi se darta hai,
Biwi Chuhhe se darti hai

I got your mails saying, that the Jokes page was not opening, thanks for informing me, but the simple reason was that—- i deleted  it!!!

Here enjoy these unscrambled words, yeah, not from my brain, just pasted this to convey, I still linger here at times…

This has got to be one of the cleverest
E-mails I’ve received in awhile.
Someone out there
is deadly at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)!

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET’S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z ‘S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
I’M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

It has been a long time since I wrote or commented on iland. I miss scribbling on my board on rediffiland and miss all you wonderful blogger friends out there. I am sure each one is excelling in their field. I have been extremely busy with my web content writing project but I am enjoying the hang of work work work. The last blog that I wrote got an overwhelming response and all thanks to all my friends for taking out time and commenting on my blog. When I last penned my blog, iland went too dry…I witnessed many fellow bloggers leaving iland due to some reason or the other but now that I visited iland I was happy to see people back in form or atleast, half in form ok atleast the lazy ones like me showing up amidst my hectic schedule

(Big deal!!! everyone is busy, I know that’s what you guys might be thinking…) .

Today is friendship day and I wish all my friends on I-land a Happy friendship day.

Ocimum and Shivaja its really good to see you back, WELCOME!!!

What are friends for????

For being there at the time of need (even when not needed hehhehehehe just joking)

For pulling your leg (mind it, their intention is to see that you gain good height…)

For making you smile when days are blue (I see the blue sky everyday!!!)

For giving you a push when you are laid back (oooh who is this fella dishturrrbing me…)

For giving you lots of motivation even when they have none (boooooohooooo…m all sniff sniff)

Well well, jokes apart, all those who wish to do some writing on freelance basis send your resume to me. Though they are paying peanuts but will be a good start for those who wish to be writers. You need to copywrite for a Californian firm, based in Coimbatore. Its pretty easy and the salary will atleast take care of your basic phone bills :):)

I wish all the friends a HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY.

Treasure all your friends and stay happy always…God Bless All!

Misunderstandings come in every relationship but over a period of time we gain maturity to  avoid them or we empower ourselves with better understanding so that there is no room left for misunderstandings.

O God, may we all learn to overcome the petty and trivial tiffs, may we learn to keep quiet when another person is angry, may we not hurt others with harsh words and may we become more understanding and tolerant and see towards the brighter things in life. May the winds of happiness prevail…

Wishing you all, a bright sunshine, a rainbow, and a big big smile :)  :) 

-Shilpa

Picture courtesy: Suresh.