WHAT'S ON TODAY's MENU # 4

Tomatoes are actually fruits, but being low in sugar they are usually eaten like vegetables. Ripe red tomatoes are rich in beta-carotene and the anti-oxidant lycopene. Tomatoes are High in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Some tomatoes are sweeter than others, depending on their ripeness and the variety of tomato. Use the ripest tomatoes you can. Added sugar will balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes, use more or less to taste.

Ingredients:-

1/2 gal. tomato juice

2 tbsp. sugar

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. salt Pinch black pepper (Adjust according to kids level)

Method:-

1) Put all ingredients into a large non-reactive pot (use stainless steel, not aluminum) except lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until mixture is completely soupy, about 25 minutes.

2) Mix all ingredients together and let it cool .Add lemon juice .After that blend it in a mixer .Sieve it and Serve.

I GO CRAZY WHEN I HEAR THE WORD...

"CORN FLORENTINE"

I still remember the first time, Shalini(my best frnd) compelling me with a spoon full of this (never heard of dish) corn florentine, forcing me to taste it atleast once and then, poor gal, she had to order another one for herself after that! lol! And now, u ask me wat's my favourite continental dish, everybody who knows me well wud shout out this name 'corn florentine'.
Shalini, This is a really special post dedicated to you dear(lol). Among the so many very-spl-moments that we've had together trying out new dishes at new places, EDEN and corn florentine will always bring a smile on my face and ofcourse YOU for "all the .......memories" associated wid eden! :P :P

Anyways, here's some real gud stuff about the place and dish for ur information!

Eden,

Harrisons Hotel,

Nungambakkam

Tel: 42222777

This one’s not for those on a diet. Or, for someone trying to go on one. The Corn Florentine celebrates everything cheese. Nuggets of crisp corn and fragrant spinach fight for space in this creamy baked dish.

The base is made of cream, milk, butter (lots if it) and flour and once the corn and spinach go in, it is gratinated with cheese. The end result is a glorious stand-alone dish that makes for great comfort food. It is served with plain toast. And, Indianising this Continental dish a bit is the addition of garlic and pepper. If you are terribly health-conscious, they do a version with brown sauce! Also available at the Besant Nagar (24460777) and Anna Nagar (26221010) branches.

@suda: dont forget to try this next time! :)

HAND BOOK FOR LIFE

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours. (or more)
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day.. And while you walk, smile. .


Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class

but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will Stay in touch,


Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful..
34. God heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

IF YOU HAVE TIME, PLZ READ THIS :)

Conversation with GOD so very beautiful...

God
Hello. Did you call me?

Me
Called you? No. Who is this?

God
This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me
I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God
What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me
Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God
Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me
I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God
Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me
Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God
Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me
Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God
Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me
But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God
Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me
But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me
If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God
Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience, their life become better not bitter.

Me
You mean to say such experience is useful?

God
Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me
But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God
Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me
Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

God
If you look outside, you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me
Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God
Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing your road ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me
In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God
Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me
What surprises you about people?

God
When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me
Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God
Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me
How can I get the best out of life?

God
Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me
One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God
There are no unanswered prayers. At times, the answer is NO.

Me
Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God
Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP QUOTES

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, But what is more
painful is to love someone and never find the courage
to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you,
only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be
and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with,
never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best
conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's
also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like
someone, and a day to love someone-but it takes a lifetime
to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that
fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a
smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you
want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the
things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,
it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a
timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you
were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so that when you die, you're the one smiling
and everyone around you is crying

WHAT'S ON TODAY's MENU # 3

Palak Paneer is a delicious, hearty North Indian dish prepared with spinach and Indian cheese.Its one of my favorites and i'm sure you would like it too. This is a very popular dish served in every Indian restaurant. The creamy texture of spinach with paneer is a very good combination.

Palak paneer ingredients:

• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Paneer - 200 gms ,cut into 1 inch cubes
• Tomato medium size -1 (puree)
• Onion small - 1 finely chopped
• Green chillies - 5
• Ginger garlic paste - ½ tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 15
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - ¼ tsp
• Red chilli pwd - 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala -1/2 tsp
• Kasuri Methi -1/4 tsp
• Malai - 1 tbsp

Method:-

Clean and wash the spinach. Cut the green chillies into 2 or 3 pieces. Take a pan and heat with 1 tsp oil. Add green chillies and washed spinach . Sauté till the leaves are wilted. Then switch off the stove. Leave it to cool for 5 mins. After 5 mins grind spinach and Green chillies to a fine paste. Now take a pan and heat with 1 tsp of ghee /Butter. Add Cumin seeds.After it starts to pop add chopped onions. Fry till transulent. Then add ginger garlic paste and coriander powder ,red chilli powder. Sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add spinach paste, tomato puree, a pinch of turmeric powder and cashew nut powder (if using). Add salt and adjust to taste.Add Sugar. Combine well and add little amount of water. Do not add too much of water. If you add too much of water then it spread like flooding river. Cook on medium heat for about 10mins or until flavors combines well. Just before switch off the stove add fried and soaked paneer cubes. Add malai, garam masala pwd and kasuri methi and mix well. Reduce flame, cover and cook for 2 mts. Now palak paneer is ready. Serve hot with roti, paratha or naan.

Tomato puree:

Boil tomato in hot water and peel the skin. Now mash or grind the tomatoes in mixer grinder without adding any water. Cashewnut powder: Dry roast and make a fine powder. Paneer cubes: Sauté paneer cubes in 1 tsp of ghee or deep fry till they are golden brown and soak in warm water with pinch of salt for 10 mins.

MTR and Ashirvadh have given us ready-to-eat dishes and its become so easily available these days but still home made food is always the best :)) so try this urself and let me know your comments!