Ugadi Naivedyam

We have invited couple of our friends for lunch to celebrate the Ugadi festival today. And for the Bhakthi ending with the bhukthi, I have prepared the traditional Ugadi naivedyam:

Hope you too had a wonderful day. You know how food tastes so good when shared with others. Would you like to share what you have made for meal today?

Dear family, friends and the readers – Ugadi Shubhakankshalu and Happy Gudi Padwa!

New Year during spring always gives a fresh refreshing start. Best wishes for a wonderful and successful year to you all.

There is a very important part of our daily life that we quite often take very casually or overlook very conveniently. That is “food”. We are made of what we eat. What we eat and how we eat dictate whether we thrive or survive. When I read about Indus Ladies call for entries to celebrate the International Women’s Day, I thought I have an opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you, because they apply more to women than they apply to men. Even in this age and time food is still predominantly a woman’s domain and only a healthy woman can make a happy family and thus a happy world.

Eating right food in right portions during the day would pave the path for the activities of that day.

I was not able to understand how adversely our eating habits would affect our learning ability in our childhood. Some parents start the day by offering greasy or fried items for breakfast and send their kids to school. As soon as the kids reach school, they would feel sleepy and would not be able to concentrate on what was being taught. I was not an exception; I also had such sleepy days in the class while growing up. I realized the effects of food to some extent by the time I got into college and stopped taking greasy and hard to digest kind of food for breakfast. Children at school age need a light, energetic and easy to digest types of food.

Food is a double edged sword. If you read more, you learn more. If you work more, you earn more and probably save more. This analogy would not apply to food. If you eat more, you spend more, you lose health, lose relationships etc. It’s a hard to digest fact in this convenience is the queen atmosphere but shortcuts in food handling invariably lead to longer stay under hospital care. To gain the benefits of food: 1. Eat moderately. 2. Eat minimally processed or cooked food. 3. Choose from the bottom of the food chain – concentrate on vegetables, fruits and whole grains, etc. – maintain a minimal intake of meat, poultry or dairy. 4. Don’t be afraid to spend few extra minutes in food preparation and always pay attention to what is going into your body.

Eating healthy will also create happy and successful families. Majority of the health problems adults get are due to improper or bad eating habits. Illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems are due to bad eating habits. Of course, our physical activities also play a role but that is secondary. As adults, if we get unhealthy, we would not be able to spend quality time with our kids and these problems show ripple effects even in old age. Parents who eat healthy would have a higher chance of creating a healthy family.

More important than anything, conscious eating and compassionate living will create a sustainable environment for everyone. We should not consume more than needed, just because we have more buying power by virtue of earning more money. The most important organ in our body is the brain. A strong mind needs strong body and strong body needs right portions of nutritious food. Think about it – utilize food as a blessing to empower yourself, your family and your world.

February Blooms ~ Succulent Flowers from My Indoor Plant Kalanchoe

My top three choices to give and receive

Flowers
Books
Kitchen stuff

What would you like to give or get as gifts?

When you plan a party, giving your guests, particularly to the little ones party favors that will be appreciated is a nice way to say ‘thanks for coming.’ This budget friendly and fun to assemble candy train is always a hit with the kids. We need a packet of life savers, double mint, and few Hershey varieties. Attach them with a glue stick for body, wheels and whistle of the train. And, hear the delighted squeals.

Magnolia Serenade ~ A Needlepoint Design

A soothing sunset serenade. That is what I had imagined when I started this needlepoint design. It took me nearly two months to complete the 16″x18″ project, and now decorates our home in a homemade frame. The pretty lady serenades us to sleep with her gentle harp playing.

Cold, computer breakdown, and couple of days in LA have kept me away from the comfort of the Mahanandi for the past few weeks. Thanks to the Pacific Ocean air and the promise of a new laptop, I feel refreshed and ready for the real and virtual life again.

Here are some photos we have taken during our trip to LA.

Pink Perfection ~ Camellia in Bloom

You know how some first impressions last a lifetime? First time I saw a camellia in bloom was about 20 years ago, during a college trip to Kodaikanal botanic gardens. It was a quick glance, may be few seconds but I remembered those palm sized big beauties and their endearing perfection. It was on my must have plants since then, and I was finally able to plant camellias last November. The variety photographed above is called Pink Perfection and is in full bloom this winter. The flowers are so gorgeous; I think the photo really does not do justice to this pink perfection.