Grilled   Summer   Veggie    Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 head garlic, tops cut off
• Canola oil
• Salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 Eggplant , sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick slices
• 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick slices (optional )
• 1 red bell pepper, stem/top and bottom sliced off, then sliced around the core into 4 thin sections
• 1 red onion, sliced into ¼” thick circles (kept intact as much as possible)
• 2 cups sour cream
• ½ cup chickpeas 
• ¼ cup feta crumbles
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 3 green onions, green part only, finely chopped

 Preparation:

-Preheat your oven to 400°.

-Drizzle the two garlic heads with a little oil, and top with a pinch or two of salt and cracked black pepper, and wrap each head tightly in a square of foil; place into oven and roast for 40 minutes; once roasted, remove from foil and allow them cool until they can be handled, at which point you will squeeze the softened cloves out of the papers, and set them aside.

-In the meantime, heat grill while that heats, drizzle a little oil, plus a couple of pinches of salt and cracked black pepper over the sliced veggies.

-When the grill/grill pan is hot, add a batch of the veggies, and grill about 2 minutes per side, or until well-charred and slightly tender; flip the veggies over, and grill on the other side for roughly another 2 minutes; repeat until all veggies are charred/grilled, and set them aside to allow them to cool.

-Once the veggies are cool, chop them fairly finely, and set them aside for a moment.

-Into the bowl of a food processor, add the roasted garlic cloves, the sour cream, the chickpeas, the feta crumbles and the lemon zest and juice, plus about ¾ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of the cracked black pepper; process until smooth and well-blended.

-Scrape the sour cream mixture out into a large bowl, and fold in the finely chopped grilled veggies, plus the fresh herbs; check the seasoning to see if any additional salt or pepper if needed, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight for the flavors to intensify.

-Enjoy cold with pita chips, veggie spears, chips or crackers, or spread over toast-rounds.

                                                 VAADA PAV

• " Vada Pav - The Great Indian Burger" , must be one of the most loved street foods. Vada is a spicy potato mixture with a coating of gram flour, deep fried in oil. Pav is a special kind of soft bread, almost square or round in shape. The chutneys for this were very easy to make. I made all the three chutneys even though the green chutney and the red garlic chutney are the most frequently used ones. Sweet chutney is not always a part of it. 

Serves : 4-5 Portion
Preparation time : 40mins


Ingredients for Vada stuffing:


3 cups boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes (that is about 4 big potatoes)
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tea spn ginger garlic paste
2 green chilies
3-4 strands coriander leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
A pinch turmeric
Oil for frying
Salt to taste


Method:


1. Heat a little oil and add mustard, cumin seeds.
2. When it starts popping, add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, onions and fry till onions turn translucent.
3. Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt and mix well. If there are any big pieces of potatoes, add a little water and close and cook for few minutes, then mash and mixed well.
4. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix. Let it cool a bit.


Ingredients for Vada coating:


1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
1 tbl spn rice flour (added for crispiness)
1/2 tea spn chili powder
Salt


Method:


1. Mix all the above ingredients with water to make a smooth paste.
2. As soon as water it added to the flours, it starts becoming lumps, so mix it with hand to remove lumps or use a egg whisk.
3. Do not make it too thin, the coating does not hold on to the stuffing it is too thin.


Making Vadas:


1. Heat oil for deep frying.
2. Make a ping-pong ball sized round from the stuffing.
3. Dip the ball into the coating batter and deep fry in hot oil.
4. Take out on a paper towel.


Ingredients for Green chutney:


9-10 strands coriander leaves
Few mint leaves (optional, I didn’t use it)
3 green chilies
1″ piece ginger (optional)
Salt


Method:


1. Grind all to a smooth paste.
2. Do not make too watery.


Ingredients for Red chutney:


1 cup dried coconut (or dessicated coconut)
2 tbl spns chili powder
1 tea spn chopped garlic
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract or 1-2 pieces of tamarind (optional, added for tanginess)
Salt


Method:


1. Dry roast coconut and tamarind till it turns slightly brownish.
2. Grind together with all other ingredients.
3. This is dry powder, so do not add water.
4. It can be stored in air tight containers for about a month.


Making Vada Pav:


1. Take a Pav , Cut open the rolls horizontally, taking care one end is still connected.
2. Apply chutneys to pav as desired.
3. Slightly press the vada to flatten it.

4. Keep it on one half of the pav and cover with other half. Slightly press down.ADA     PAV
5. Serve hot with Green Chili

•                    Here    is     a    list    of    things   you   need   to    teach   your   Child(ren)   at    early    age:

• 1: Warn your Girl Child Never to sit on anyone's laps no matter the situation includinguncles.
• 2: Avoid Getting Dressed in front of your child once he/she is 2 years old. Learn to excuse them or yourself.
• 3. Never allow any adult refer to your child as 'my wife' or 'my husband'
• 4. Whenever your child goes out to play with friends make sure you look for a way to find out what kind of play they do, because young people now sexually abuse themselves.
• 5. Never force your child to visit any adult he or she is not comfortable with and also be observant if your child becomes too fond of a particular adult.
• 6. Once a very lively child suddenly becomes withdrawn you may need to patiently ask lots of questions from your child.
• 7. Carefully educate your grown ups about the right values of sex . If you don't, the society will teach them the wrong values.
• 8: It is always advisable you go through any new Material like cartoons you just bought for them before they start seeing it themselves.
• 9. Ensure you activate parental controls on your cable networks and advice your friends especially those your child(ren) visit(s) often.
• 10. Teach your 3 year olds how to wash their private parts properly and warn them never to allow anyone touch those areas and that
• includes you (remember, charity begins from home and with you).
• 11: Blacklist some materials/associates you think could threaten the sanity of your child (this includes music, movies and even friends and families).
• 12. Let your child(ren) understand the value of standing out of the
• crowd.
• 13: Once your child complains about a particular person, don't keep quiet about it.
• Take up the case and show them you can defend them.
• Remember, we are either parents or parents-to-be.

                              SOME          USEFUL          TIPS             YOU         MUST            KNOW

1. Having pomegranate’s juice daily is good for heart and useful for people suffering from low Blood Pressure 

2. One natural treatment for acidity is chewing a few Basil (tulsi) leaves after a meal. This not just works as an antacid as it helps the body absorb food but also prevents the formation of ulcers.

3. Sucking a piece of Clove after meal helps in reducing acidity problem.

4. A flake of garlic swallowed with water taken empty stomach daily in the morning can be helpful in solving many stomach & gastric problems.

5. Headache caused by summer heat is cured by consuming watermelon juice. Just one glass a day works wonders…

6. Eating an Apple on an empty stomach in the morning relieves one of migraine pain. This must be done for a few mornings. I have been a migraine patient for past 10 years and this one worked most for me.

7. Open 6 dates and boil in 1/2 liter of milk for 25 minutes over low heat. Drink three cups a day. This is ultimate dry cough remedy.

8. Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice. The concoction helps to expectorate mucus, providing relief for the common cold, coughs and sore throat.

9. Eat before breakfast half cup of cooked beets if you suffer from chronic constipation or indigestion.

10. Ayurveda cough syrup at home. Peel and chop six medium onions. Put the pieces in a container and add four tablespoons of honey. Cover and leave them in a water bath over low heat for two hours. Strain and take one tablespoon every three hours.

11. Grated cucumber applied over the face, eyes and neck for fifteen minutes is very much beneficial for acne and blackheads.

12. A simple remedy for Anemia or iron deficiency – Pound 3-4 soft dates with milk and add a little ghee in it. Eating this mixture will help to prevent Anemia.

13. Home Remedy to Cure Dark Circles- Tomato paste is one of the most effective remedies for dark circles. You can make it easily at home. Take one or two fresh tomatoes, one tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of gram flour and turmeric powder. Blend these ingredients nicely until they become a thick paste and apply it very gently around your eyes. Rinse it off gently with clean water after 10 or 20 minutes. Repeating this process twice or thrice every week will make your skin tone around your eyes lighter and will eventually make your dark circles go away completely.

14. Best natural remedy for sore throat is to gargle with turmeric and salt. Mix: ½ cup of warm water ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp powdered turmeric After you gargle, don’t drink or eat anything for at least ½ hr for the salt and turmeric to do their job of killing bacteria. You can repeat this as often as you need throughout the day.

15. A drop garlic juice into your ear helps to relieve the pain of an ear infection.

16. A mixture of baking soda and lemon juice applied underarms will reduce body odor.

17. Add a few fennel seeds in a pot of hot water, and then boil it for five minutes on a low temperature. Strain the solution and then drink it. You can also chew the fresh fennel leafy plants if you can bear the taste. Else you can take a mixture of fennel, cardamom and mint leaves and boil them in water to make a concoction that can help during stomach gas. This is very effective Home Remedy for Gas and Bloating:

18. Lemon is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C on the planet and it also contains nutrients like Vitamin B, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. Lemon juice with warm water can also help eliminate waste in your system and serve as a Liver tonic. Daily intake of lemon water has several health benefits: It keeps your stomach healthy; acts as cure for nausea, heartburn, indigestion, high blood pressure, stress, and depression.

19. When you suffer from a hangover ,a banana milkshake with honey can give you immense relief. Cold milk soothes the stomach lining and bananas with honey build up depleted blood sugar levels.

20. Home Remedies Treatment for Cough – For severe cough, mix tulsi juice with garlic juice and honey. Take 1tbsp. three times a day.

• Hi , I am glad that you all liked the face masks. Some of my friends have asked for hair masks. These days hair fall is a very common problem.Some of the main reasons for hair loss are Harmonal imbalance , Excessive physical or emotional stress , Deficiency of nutrition , Allergies , Use of wrong hair products , Heridity and Poor hair care.

HOW TO GET THICK HAIR NATURALLY:

1. EGGS:

Eggs have a lot of protein. Depending on the length of hair, take one or two eggs and beat them lightly. Apply on wet hair and allow on wet hair. Allow to sit for 30 minutes . Wash with luke warm water and shampoo as usual. Use it twice a week.

You can also mix a tbsp. of hair oil of your choice to the eggs with 2 tbsp. of water. Massage your scalp thoroughly with this and leave for 1/2 hour. Apply once a week.


2. OLIVE OIL:

Olive oil softens and strengthens your hair.Massage your scalp with warm olive oil and leave for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with luke warm water and shampoo. You can also leave it overnight ang wash in the morning.

You can also add some honey to the olive oil and apply to your hair. Use once or twice a week.


3. FENUGREEK SEEDS:

Soak 2-3 tbsp. fenugreek seeds ( methi dana ) for about 8 hours. Grind and make a paste of it. Add 2tsp. coconut oil to it. Apply this paste on scalp and leave for 30 mts. Wash hair with luke warm water.

You can also use the water in which fenugreek seeds were soaked as a hair rinse. This will also help you to get rid of dandruff also.


4. INDIAN GOOSEBERRY ( AMLA ):

Mix 1tbsp. amla powder in 2tbsp. coconut oil and bring to a boil. Cool and strain. Apply to your hair before going to bed. Cover your head with cotton scarf . Next morning shampoo as usual.


5. CASTOR OIL:

Castor oil coats the hair thoroughly and protects  against hair fall. It is one of the easiest ways to get thick hair.

Heat equal parts of castor oil and coconut oil. Massage your hair with this mixture . Cover with warm towel and leave for an hour or so. Shampoo as usual.


6. FLAX SEEDS:

Flax seeds are rich in Omega3 fatty acids and proteins.
Soak 1/4 cup flaxseeds in 2 cups water at night. In the morning boil them with the water. When it thickens and forms gel type, turn off the heat and strain. You can also add few drops of oil of your choice.Cool and use as hair gel.


7. ALOE VERA:

The moisture present in the leaves of Aloe Vera plant helps in hair growth.Extract the gel from 2-3 leaves  and rub the gel onto your scalp. Leave for 30 minutes , and then rinse your hair with luke warm water.

You can also mix in 2tbsp. coconut milk to it and then apply.

Include Milk , Eggs , Beans , Nuts , Seeds , Whole grams and fresh green vegetables to your diet.


           
                                 NUTRIENT   MASKS   FOR   HAIR


BANANA MASK:

Mix one Banana, one Egg, 3 tbsp, Honey, 3 tbsp. Milk and 5 tbsp. Olive oil. Blend in a blender. Apply to your hair and leave for half an hour.Rinse and shampoo.

You can mix one Banana with 1 tbsp. Almond oil and blend. Apply to hair and leave for half an hour. rinse and shampoo as usual.

OLIVE OIL MASK:

Mix 2 tbsp. Olive oil and 1 Egg in a blender. Apply to hair and cover with hot towel. Leave for half an hour. Rinse and shampoo.
You can replace Egg with 1 tbsp. Honey or can add both also.


                         SOME      MORE      TIPS       FOR         HAIR


. Mix 2tbsp. Beer with an Egg in a blender. Massage into wet hair and leave for half an hour. Rinse and shampoo. Gives strength to hair.

. Mix 1/2 cup Mayonaise and 1 Egg in a blender.You can also add 1/2 Banana to it. Apply to hair and cover with shower cap. Keep for half an hour. Rinse and shampoo.

. Whisk together 1 tbsp. Almond oil and 4 tbsp. warm Coconut Milk. Coat damp hair with this and cover with hot towel. Leave for half an hour. Rinse with warm water and shampoo as usual.

. Mix 4 glasses warm water and 1tbsp Honey. Great for gloss. Use after shampoo.

. Mix 4 glasses of water and 1/2 Lemon's juice. After shampoo rinse with this, leave for 2 mts. and rinse off again with water.

I hope all these tips will help u all. I will be coming up with some tips for frizzy curly hair in the next post. I will be glad to hear your commments. GOOD NIGHT.

 Friends i will posting some packs for ur face which r vry useful. The ingredients used can be found in ur kitchen.But believe me ,the results are amazing.


AGE DEFYING COCO FACE PACK:

.Tear a tea bag open and take out all its contents in a clean bowl.
.Add 3/4 tsp.of Cocoa powder to it and mix.
.Add a tsp.of Curd and a tsp. of honey.
.Put some fresh Aloe vera gel and mix together.
.You can add some more curd to get desired consistency.
.Apply a generous layer on your face & neck.
.Rest for about 20mts. and wash with warm water.
.Dab some Rose water afterwards.


GINGER SKIN NOURISHMENT FACE PACK:

.Take a one inch piece of Ginger and grate it. Squeeze out the juice from it.
.Put a tsp. of Honey in a bowl.
.Add a tsp. of Ginger juice to it.
.Add some Rose water drops to it and mix.
.Dip fingers in the mixture and Massage gently on your face in circular motion.

.Leave to dry
.Wash off with plain normal water.
.You can store leftover mixture in fridge to be used next day.


SKIN WHITENING PACK:

.Take one tsp.fresh juice of a Lemon.
.Add one tsp. Sandalwood powder to it.
.Add one tsp. Tomato juice to it and mix.
.Adjust the consistency of paste.
.Apply this paste on your face and neck.
.Leave for 15mts.to dry.
.Wash Off with warm water and pat dry.


ORANGE JUICE MASK:

.Mix a tsp. each of Curd and Orange juice.
.Apply on face and neck with finger tips.
.Leave for 15 mts. and wash off with warm water.
.Repeat for a month daily to get best results.


GREEN GRAM PACK WITH TURMERIC:

.Take 2 tsp. Green gram dal powder.
.Add 1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder to it.
.Add 1 tsp. Rice powder to it and mix.
.Make a paste using Honey / Curd / Milk.
.Apply on face and neck and leave for 20 mts.
.Rinse with normal water and get smooth n soft skin.
[Green gram is rich in vitamin A and C]


DEEP POUR CLEANSING PACK:

.Take 2 tsp. Multani mitti.
.Add 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar to it and mix to a smooth paste.
.Apply on clean face and leave for 20 mts. till dry.
.Gently wipe off with wet cotton cloth.
.You can rub ice cubed butter milk afterwards.


VITAMIN C MASK:

.Take 1tsp. powdered Vit. C tablet.
.Add 2-3 Vit. E liquid gel capsules to it.
.Add some drops of water to adjust consistency of paste.
.The mask will start foaming.
.Apply on damp face using finger tips and gently rub in circular motion.
.Apply on neck also.
.Let the mask sit for 15 mts.
.Rinse off with luke warm water and pat dry.


EGG YOLK MASK:

.Take the yolk of one Egg.
.Add 1tbsp. Curd and few drops Olive oil to it.
.Add 1tsp. lemon juice to it and mix.

.Spread mask over your face and neck.
.Apply another layer after 15 mts. and one more after another 5 mts.
.Wash off when a little bit dry.

7 Dangerous Acts After a Meal~

 

1. Don’t smoke ---- Experiments from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher)
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2. Don’t eat fruits immediately --- Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Thre fore take fruits 1 -2 hours after meal or 1 hour before meal.
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3. Don’t drink tea------ Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hundred thus difficult to digest.
............... .........

4. Don’t loosen your belt---------- Loosening the belt after meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.
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5. Don’t bathe---------- ------- Bathing after meal will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease, this will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.
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6. Don’t walk about---------- --- People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.
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7. Don’t sleep immediately---- -------- The food we intake will not be to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric and infection in our intestine.
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