Kitchen Tips

Reduce the burning sensation after cutting green chillies by keeping the fingers in a bowl of cold milk added with some sugar!

Never use metallic bowls to marinate meat - the acids (vinegar or lemon) can react with the metal bowls!Add a small amount of sugar when cooking carrots, peas, beets or corn - this will keep the flavour!

Add a pinch of salt while frying Puris or Pakoras - this will help absorb less oil!

Keep the Karela in water and add a pinch of salt in it for 1/2 hour to remove the bitterness of it!

Add a piece of coconut shell to a mutton dish while it is getting cooked, the meat remains tender and gets cooked much faster!

For soft idlies like a sponge do not stir the batter after it has got fermented.Pour the batter as it is!

Cleaning your grater after shredding cheese can be made easy by grating a raw potato after the cheese. The potato clears the gummy cheese out of the holes!

Placing Potatoes in salt water for 15 minutes before baking make them bake quickly. Salt also adds taste!To keep the chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing!

Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy!

When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated!

Add a pinch of sugar while cooking

spinach and green leafy vegetables, it will retain its green colour!

A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture!

Never cook mushrooms in aluminum pans because the mushrooms will darken!

Never store an apple near a banana unless you want to ripen the banana in a short period of time!

While frying Onions, add a little milk - this will help retain a rich color and prevent them from burning!

Fat can be removed from hot soup by floating a large lettuce leaf on the surface!

Sprinkle a bit of salt in the frying pan before adding chicken. It will cut down on the amount of grease splattering!

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry!

Add atea spoon full of vinegar in water while boiling eggs. Even if they crack content will not come out!

To get rid of the smell of eggs in the cakes, add one tablespoon honey to the cake batter while beating it!

To keep cauliflower white while cooking -add a little milk to the water!

Zen oil - Homemade Skincare Remedy IV

1/2 cup light olive oil

1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

1-2 whole clove buds

2-3 drops lavender essential oil

2-3 drops ylang-ylang essential oil

Place the lavender flowers inside a clean bottle or jar. Pour the olive oil over the lavender and add the drops of essential oils. Place a stopper or lid on your container and gently shake to mix the ingredients. Let the oil sit for one week. To use: pour into clean hands and massage into your skin. This is also a nice oil to massage into your temples to help you sleep at night.

Note: Ylang-ylang, or perfume tree, as it is sometimes called, is a large tree with glossy leaves and spicy Jasmine-scented yellow flowers. These trees are native to Southeast Asia and Australia.

Home Remedies For Dandruff

1. White Household Vinegar: Before applying shampoo, give your wet hair a vinegar rinse. Let the vinegar sit on your scalp for a minute or two before washing away then proceed to shampoo as normal. Do this every time you wash your hair. You could also try this in reverse: After washing your hair as usual, do a vinegar rinse.
2. Listerine (Original): Mix two parts of water to 1 part of Listerine and pour into a spray or squirt bottle. Working with a wet head, spray the mixture all over your scalp really well so every inch of scalp is covered. Allow to sit for 30 minutes then wash off. Do this every other day for one week then repeat as necessary.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar with water and pour into a spray or squirt bottle. Thoroughly wet your hair with water, pat down excess water, then spray the apple cider vinegar mix all over your scalp. Allow to sit on your head for about 40 minutes, wash out, shampoo as normal.
4. Tea Tree Oil: Pour 1 TBS Tea Tree Oil with 1 cup of warm water in a spray or squirt bottle, shake until well mixed. After washing your hair (shampoo, conditioner), spray a generous amount of the tea tree oil & water mixture all over your scalp, massage your scalp and let sit for a couple minutes. Pat the excess water out but don’t wash your hair again or rinse out. You can make a big batch of this at once if you like (so you always have some handy when you shower), but use distilled water if you do this.
5. Rosemary Tea: Brew a pot of tea and steep for 24 hours with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary. Strain and pour into a squirt bottle and use as a hair rinse. *Dark hair only
6. Peppermint Tea: Same as the Rosemary Tea method but use a handful of fresh peppermint leaves instead of the Rosemary sprigs. *Dark hair only
7. Peppermint Cider Vinegar: Boil 1 cup of water then add to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and a handful of fresh peppermint leaves. Steep for 2 hours, strain and pour into a squirt bottle. Apply to freshly washed hair, massage scalp, do not rinse out.
8. Aspirin: Finely crush 3 tablets of Aspirin then dissolve in a spray bottle of hot water, allow to cool. Apply to scalp (all over) then shampoo as normal. Shake the spray bottle before each use.
9. Lavender Vinegar: Use as a hair rinse, also adds shine. Dilute first and use 1 part vinegar to 8 part water ratio. Click the link to find recipes and info.
10. If you have bad dandruff and discover a successful treatment for your situation, make sure to keep all hair tools clean to help prevent a recurrence. Regularly soak combs and hair picks in a jar of Listerine or household vinegar and spray hair brushes with same.

Homemade Skincare III - Fragrant Bath

Acacia Bay Leaves

Cinnamon Cloves

Geranium Leaves Jasmine

Lavender Lemon Balm

Lemon Peel Myrtle

Patchoule Pennyroyal

Rose Petals Sandalwood Verbena

1. Place a large handful, or about 1/2 cupful, of herbs in a covered glass or enameled pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes to extract all the wonderful beneficial essence of the herbs. Strain the material and pour the liquid into your tub, or use the liquid as a last rinse when you shower. Use the herbs as a scrub. If you are bathing, try to soak in the herbal extracts for at least

20 minutes.

2. Buy a metal or, preferably, an enameled or china infuser in a store that carries kitchen specialty items. Half fill it with herbs and pop it into your tub. Infusers usually have a chain with a hook that can be attached to the faucet so the water of the shower or tub can run through. This is by far the easiest way to take a bath or shower.

Homemade skincare -II

Skin Freshener/Soother

Add pulp-free aloe vera juice to water in a spray bottle and spritz arms, legs, back and face.

Skin Astringents

Option 1:

Lettuce leaves

Water

Boil green lettuce leaves for 10 minutes in enough water to cover. Let cool and strain.

Option 2:

Vodka

Strong chamomile or mint tea

Mix 1 part vodka with 9 parts strong chamomile or mint tea.

Option 3:

b (sic) cup pure water

2 tablespoons vodka

¾ cup borax

Combine ingredients in a blender until borax is dissolved.

Option 4:

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup pure water

c (sic) cup vodka

Blend ingredients. Strain to remove pulp.

Hairloss remedy

Are we talking about hair loss today? Then lets talk Bhringaraj oil. Btw this is our 50th post and we are grateful for your continued support.

What is Bhringaraj oil?
In Ayurveda, 'Bhringa' means hair and so bhringaraj oil is one, that treats the problems of hair loss. Bhringaraj is an ayurvedic medicine that is prepared from Kayyonni or false daisy plant, that has the botanical name Eclipta alba. Sesame oil base is also used to prepare bhringaraj oil.

Bhringaraj Oil benefits
The most important benefit of Bhringaraj is, that it helps in the prevention of hair loss. In case, the hair has lost its color prematurely, it will regain its original color after few months of treatment. It is to be noted that every individual has three different types of 'doshas'. For instance, Vatha (mix of air and space), Pitta (fire and water combination) and Kapha (water with some parts of Earth). These three doshas form the basis of Ayurveda and once you know the elements (air, water, space etc) that suits you, you will be able to get the required medications. Bhringaraj oil for hair growth is the best option for people having problem of baldness at a very young age. Some other bhringaraj oil benefits are, that it is an excellent oil for massaging the scalp and head. It relieves the mind from stress and facilitates better sleep. Bhringaraj is also used with coconut oil, sesame oil, herbs such as amla and shikakai as hair conditioners. Read more on hair care and hair care products.

Bhringaraj Herb Benefits
Besides bhringaraj oil benefits, bhringaraj herbs also have various benefits. In today's urban lifestyle, where eating habits of people have changed drastically, problems of liver are very common. Liver and kidney are the two prime organs responsible for elimination of wastes and purification of blood. Under functioning of either of these organs has adverse effects on other parts of the body. The digestive power (or what we call 'agni') of the digestive system is restored by bhringaraj oil and so, it facilitates digestion. Smoking, alcohol, betel leaves chewing, excess of tea-coffee, increase the pressure on liver and it tends to slow down in its functioning and secretion of bile juice, however, bhringaraj oil causes ample secretion of bile juice and thus, helps the liver in its functioning. In order to improve the tone of liver, spleen, stomach, fresh juices of bhringaraj leaves can be taken on an empty stomach for a few weeks.

Herbal Sleep Pouches

Looking for homemade gift ideas for christmas to go with your actual gift to give a personal touch. Herbal sleep pouches are the way to go.

Materials needed:

1/2 cup lavender buds
1/2 cup lemon balm leaves
1/4 cup flax seed

3×5 light fabric pouch (ie. muslin)

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Sew a 3×5 rectangular pouch, leaving a small opening to insert the herb mixture.
• Fill the pouch with herbs, hand sew the opening shut. Don’t pack the pouch too tightly, you want the herbs to have room to move around and release their fragrances.

How To Use

• Insert the herbal pouch inside your pillowcase at night to help relax and fall asleep easier. To help the herbs last longer, store the pouch in a ziploc bag during the day and place in a drawer out of light, take out and insert in your pillowcase each night.

Homemade skincare remedies I -Rose water

Rose water is applied on skin in order to make it smooth and fragrant. Here s how you can make it at home.

Gather about 2 lbs. of scented petals before they fall. The fresher the better. The actual ratio of Roses to water depends on the color and fragrance desired. You can start with about 2 cups of rose petals firmly packed to a litre of water.

Place in an enamel saucepan or preferably earthenware pan. Cover with cold soft water (preferably rainwater). Bring almost to a boil. Let cool. Strain. Be careful not to scorch.

Red Roses cause the water to turn a pale pink. Other color roses turn the water a brownish yellow muddy color.

The water will remain scented for a good two days.

Refrigerated it lasts longer.

Thoppukarnam / Super Brain Yoga - Ring a bell?

We recently came across a youtube video on Thoppukarnam being very useful for brain development and concentration. For those who haven't heard of Thoppukarnam, it is a form of sit-up with two hands each holding an ear in a criss cross fashion.

Aren't we Indians ( no offense to others) lucky to have such smart ancestors?

You can find more at http://www.superbrainyoga.org/

Falun Dafa - Truthfulness, Benevolence and Forbearance

Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong, or just Dafa) is a high-level cultivation practice guided by the characteristics of the universe—Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance.

"Cultivation" means continuously striving to better harmonize oneself with these universal principles. “Practice” refers to the exercises – five sets of easy-to-learn gentle movements and meditation. Cultivating oneself is essential; practicing the exercises supplements the process.

Over time, the principles of Dafa unveil the deepest and most profound truths of the universe. Following the principles, practitioners of Falun Dafa are able to reach very high realms, enlightening to the true meanings of life, and finding the path of return to their origins and true selves.

While the exercises have deep inner meanings, they also help to reduce stress and can bring great improvements in health and fitness.

We heard about it at the Independence day celebration at hatch shell, Boston downtown. Started to practise. Hope our readers will find it useful too...For more info, visit www.falundafa.org

You can read the website it many languages and also all the books and videos are free of cost...

Click to Lose weight

When you finally get five minutes to yourself, updating your Facebook status is way more tempting than looking up calorie counts, right? The good news is that tech-loving moms everywhere can log on and slim down at the same time -- for free! Check out our favorite apps and websites that make dropping pounds easier than ever.

If you're an iPhone lover
Try: Loseit.com
How it works: This app calculates how many calories you're taking in and burning off daily. Every time you eat something -- from a carrot to a mocha -- enter the name of the food and the portion size to see how much of your daily calorie budget's left.

If you're a web-surfing whiz
Try: 50millionpounds.com
How it works: Snag some 'net inspiration from the 50 Million Pound Challenge hosted by Ian Smith, M.D. (don't worry -- that's how much he wants the whole country to lose!). Joining gets you a 30-day meal plan, complete with shopping lists, healthy snack ideas, and even videos of the hot doc himself.

If you're an online chatterbox
Try: Livestrong.com
How it works: Biking champ and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong created this site to inspire people to achieve healthy goals -- from weight loss to quitting smoking. You'll find exercise videos and a supportive community who cheers you on as you tackle challenges like "Do 100 pushups by 2010" or "Eat fewer carbs."

If you're a Facebook fanatic
Try: Tickerfactory.com
How it works: While you're catching up with your junior-prom date and playing Scramble, you can also track your fitness goals by adding a cute ticker to your home page. Upload a design to your Facebook page; plug in your workout regimen or weight-loss goals, and update it anytime for an instant reminder of how far you've come.

Some more tea?

Everywhere there is a talk about green tea and many people want to know the health benefits of green tea. Green tea comes from the leaf of camellia sinensis plant. The youngest two leaves and bud plucked from the plant, are used for preparing green tea. China is the first country to know the merits of green tea and started using it. Now, in India, green tea is very popular. Why green tea is special? It contains epigallo catechin gallate which serves as an antioxidant and prevents the growth of cancer cells. Not only cancer, it protects us from many other diseases and gives us energy in day to day life.

How to prepare green tea?
To get full benefits of green tea, it should be processed properly. The leaves are to be steamed briefly, to prevent oxidization of epigallo catechin gallate. After steaming, the leaves are to be taken out and the liquid in slight green color is green tea. The sliced ginger, honey and lemon can be added and hot green tea can be served. The green tea may be made as a cool drink by allowing it to cool and adding fruit juice and ice. The green tea should be taken regularly and some fruits rich in lycopene, such as watermelon, papaya, tomato and guava are to be included in our food daily, to protect our health. The green tea gives us the energy to perform physical exercises

Benefitsof green tea:
It is believed that green tea prevents many diseases like cancer, high cholesterol and heart diseases. Green tea helps for skin care and dental care. The green tea burns more calories and thus helps for weight reduction. The green tea which is rich in polyphenols helps to fight against heart diseases. It lowers the risk of death due to heart problems. After meals if we take green tea, the fat is converted into triglyceride, which helps to keep away from heart disease. The catechin prevents blood clotting also.

Women can save themselves from breast cancer and ovarian cancer by drinking green tea. To keep healthy habits we can drink at least 3 cups of green tea daily. Those who had heart attack already,can make it a practice of drinking green tea to safeguard their health. The green tea ensures speedy recovery of organs from damage. The blood pressure is controlled by drinking green tea. The epigallo catechin gallate in green tea performs anti cancer actions. As the cancer cells divide and spread, green tea makes the cancer cells to self-destruct. The risk of getting stones in gallbladder and gallbladder cancer is reduced. The green tea fights against lung cancer also. The green tea attacks cancer cells only, leaving the healthy cells.

Other health benefits of green tea:
The green tea helps to prevent diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The green tea saves us from kidney diseases, damages to the liver. It helps to increase bone-mineral density. The green tea helps for fat loss and the persons suffering from obesity can drink green tea. The green tea catechins protects nerves also and save us from the risk of damage to brain cells. The iron accumulation and protein called amyloid beta in brain causes Parkinson and Alzheimer's diseases. The green tea removes excess deposit of iron and helps to decrease free radical damage and reduces the formation of protein called amyloid beta. The memory, concentration and attention while performing an activity is increased.

If you have not tasted green tea, please start tasting it from today. The green tea makes us mentally sharp. The green tea keeps us alert and well-being. The green tea helps for relaxation and maintaining body balance. The pregnant women and breastfeeding women have to consult doctors, as green tea contains caffeine, tannic acid and catechin. Still research is going on to analyse the benefits and side effects of green tea.

"Green" Tea

Did you know that when tea was first discovered, it was mainly used for medicinal purposes? Over time tea became better known as a daily beverage (it’s second only to water). In India, we drink tea a lot. We took some time investigating teas, sampling different blends and here’s what we’ve learned…

Tea,

• Helps prevent gum disease, plaque buildup, bad breath & cavities (tea contains fluoride)
• Boosts the immune system, resists infections
• Reduces risk of breast cancer & prevents other cancers
• Lowers the risk of heart disease
• Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol (HDL) plus prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries)
• Helps with weight loss, raises the metabolic rate, burns calories and speeds up fat oxidation
• Helps fight against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
• A great way to stay hydrated and meet the daily water intake requirements

Tea isn’t meant to replace fruits or vegetables, but tea leaves contain more antioxidants than many antioxidant rich produce. The antioxidant activity in two cups of tea is equal to seven glasses of orange juice, five medium-sized onions or four medium-sized apples.

There are plenty of studies done that suggest many more benefits of drinking green tea daily, you can do some research online for more information.

The plant Camellia sinensis is where tea comes from and it’s made into four different kinds of tea: Black Tea, Oolong Tea, Green Tea and White Tea. Although they all come from the same plant, each tea is different in flavor, aroma and color. This is mainly due to how the leaves are prepared.

Black Tea (fermented)

• Yields a hearty and more pronounced flavor of tea
• Has higher caffeine content
• This is the most popular type of tea and one that you’re probably most familiar with
• Black tea is a reddish-orange color

Oolong Tea (semi-fermented)

• This tea is pronounced as “woolong”
• The flavor and caffeine content is between the black tea and the green tea
• Oolong tea is a light brown tea with delicate flavor

Green Tea (unfermented)

• Goes through less processing than the other varieties of tea above, therefore it has more health benefits
• Produces a tea that is pale greenish or yellow in color

White Tea (unfermented)

• This is the purest form of tea since it undergoes the least amount of processing
• Contains the most amount of anti-oxidants
• Contains the least amount of caffeine
• This tea is handpicked in early spring, making it limited in quantity

Each of the four types of teas are separated by leaf quality, region they were grown in, how it’s harvested and may be flavored with oils or herbal blends–each giving a different taste experience. That’s why you’ll find many different varieties of Green Tea, White Tea, Oolong and Black Tea. It’s quite an adventure to sample all the different teas available!

Herbal teas are an infusion made from ingredients other than the Camellia sinensis plant. They’re made from herbs and plants (such as mint or chamomile). Although the benefits of drinking herbal teas are different than green teas, you’ll still find drinking herbal tea a good choice.

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea is gaining in popularity as a beneficial beverage with health qualities compared to green tea, but it’s not a true tea since it doesn’t use leaves from the Camellia consensus plant and comes from the South African shrub Aspalathus linearis.

• Is reported to dissolve and prevent cholesterol buildup (preventing heart disease)
• High in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
• Contains no caffeine
• Is favored as both a hot and cold drink
• Low in tannin
• Is pronounced as “RoyBoss”

Herbs - a gift from nature

Herbs are useful in more than just cooking. They are good for our health. Below are the effects of some herbs on moods. Human moods rule the world. So to keep a check on the, the following herbs are useful.

I have a chamomile lavender massage oil that really does wonders.

Basil----------Love or Hate
Bay------------Victory or reward
Borage---------Courage
Burnet------Merry Heart
Calendula------Grief
Caraway--------Retention
Chamomile-----Patience
Fennel---------Praise
Horehound------Health
Lavender-------Acknowledgement
Lemon Balm-----Sociability, Sympathy
Lemon Verbena--Delicacy of feelings
Marjoram-------Happiness
Mints----------Virtue, wisdom
Rosemary-------Rememberence
Rue------------Distain
Sage-----------Esteem, Long Life
Tansy----------Hostility
Thyme----------Activity, Bravery
Wormwood-------Absence, Displeasure
Yarrow---------To sooth a headache