I did promise that I 'll write more frequently. But somehow this gets pushed on the 'back burner' frequently. Too many things need my attention- the yard, various programs of grandchildren, the tiredness that I am still fighting etc. etc. etc. By the way, I am feeling better in general than what I was going through a couple of months ago. Now, if only my hair grew a little faster, if I could stay away from all 'fatty' foods, if my knees felt a lot better so that I could walk.......................



Some of you have been asking me to write some of my recipes in here. So here is the first one.



Mint is growing in many yards at present. It may be a good idea to make some mint chutney with some of that. This is an versatile easy recipe. Feel free to change it around to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

Approximately 5 cups of mint leaves, washed

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoon sugar-brown or granulated white

1 cayenne pepper, deseeded and chopped(optional)

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

Water- as needed- to make a paste



Put all of the above in a blender except the water. Add water water gradually stirring frequently to make a smooth paste. Add more water if you want the chutney to be more 'liquidy.'

This can be used as a dip for chips, vegetables, or fritters.

It will stay in the refrigerator for a month.



Let me know what you think of it.



More later.

I just noticed that I have not updated my blog for a while. There are of course valid reasons why I have not done so. I was incapacitated with an illness for a while and am just now getting back on my feet.

In the meantime we have started a new year and have a brand new president in Washington who happens to be black. That is a record for this country! Already I have noticed welcome changes being made in few spheres of our lives.

Personally, I find that my faith has undergone some changes too. I have become more acceptable of circumstances in which I find myself at the present. Do not have much of a choice on that any way. I have a new hairstyle- very, very short at present. But I have been told it will grow eventually. Though I am still undergoing treatment I find that I have become stronger, more patient and flexible. I am also looking forward towards the future with more energy. That is appropriate with advent of Spring all over the world.


This is when I think of my motherland every year. Around this time in India we celebrated the 'festival of colors' or Holi. Though this is a major Hindu festival it is celebrated by people of other faith too. It is always celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March. People sprinkle each other with bright colored water and colored powder with abandon. It's almost like every one wants to bring color back to the world after a dreary winter. Of course there are many stories why this festival is celebrated- the main one being that dark skinnedLord Krishna complained to his mother why his skin was so dark while his playmate Radha was so fair. In answer to that his mother told him to spray her with colored water to make her look more like him.

Well, it is April already and I find that I still have not updated my blog. Well, I am still on the road to recovery, feeling a little bit better every day. I am back to doing the usual things around the house. And I have gone back to adding new recipes to my cookbook again.

That is all for today. I will try write more frequently in future.