Indian General Elections 2014 with Social Mobile Apps

General Elections 2014.
Looming over the horizon is one of the most important responsibilities of every citizen holding a voter ID card.
We , the citizens of today are the lucky ones.
We are witnesses to a change.
We are witnessing India and Indians change.
Till a few years ago we never really had a choice.  Voting meant choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea . Either way was a recipe for a disaster.  The country and the people were treated as someone's personal fiefdom  and many a fortunes made.
I say this with great disdain and authority. I am reading about all the mismanagement and thievery that has been done in the name of the progress of the nation since independence.  I  am reading and researching as I must be responsible enough to pass on correct information to the 105 children I teach.
The election results for the Delhi assembly 2013 vindicated my desires. I live in Jalandhar and so was unable to cast my vote ,but rejoiced when The AAP or the Aam Aadmi Party got way ahead of the Congress.
Arvind Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi today, he has a mammoth task ahead of him. For once , his methodology will be tested. Many are hoping for his fall while those who have suffered and wish for the development of the nation are praying for his success.
I am one of them.
What the AAP has achieved in a short one year time period has been like a tsunami...sweeping aside the corrupt and the corrupted.
AAP held rallies and jan sabhas to gauge the mood of the Indian public and act accordingly. Besides the loss of time imagine the administrative headache it must have been for the traffic cops and the police.  Many would have had to miss a days work...or more.
That is where social media and networking and smart phones and technology comes in.
Indians are smart.  We use computers and the Internet to buy and sell vegetables at the vegetable and fruit mandi. The gram panchayats  are using them too.
All and sundry are using mobile phones ,irrespective of their social or economic status.
This is the best time to initiate a revolutionary process in choosing our next government.
By using social media Apps like WeChat and the likes.
An effective leader can send his inspiring words in the form of messages to people. Even the illiterate or the working majority can be reached. Imagine how easily the politicians can stop bribing people to attend their political rallies. There would be no bandhs or overloaded tractor trolleys and trains during the month preceding the general elections 2014.
WeChat is an excellent idea ...
A harbinger of the times to come. People would be free to choose and make intelligent decisions.
A new India.
A better India.
Technology will lead.
I am lucky to be able to play a dual role. As a teacher of social sciences ,I can motivate the 14, 15 year old teenagers I teach to be a part of informed discussions and also convince their families to exercise their franchise, and bring about a change.
As a blogger, I know I am a food blogger but I believe it's time to stop cussing and criticising and act.
I'm going to be blogging about this and reaching out to my readers.  After all, one gets the government one deserves.
We may not have given this much thought earlier ,but it's better late than never.
So the time has come to use a change to bring about a change.
Even if we just have to use social mobile apps. 

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Gifts to my Child-A Mother Speaks...Blogadda and HDFC-1001 Gifts

Its that time of the year again...
The time where one must begin to count ones blessings.
For me,this time is special...
Its time to plan Sweet Child's birthday that comes up just as the new year begins. Its time to remember the birth pains and the moment of joy as I first held him in my arms. That tiny bundle of joy is going to turn 14 soon .Certainly not tiny anymore , that bundle is quite painful very often. But all that pain notwithstanding, the love just deepens.
And the desire to do ever more for him and shower all my blessings on him is overwhelming some of the time.
I'd love to shower more than my blessings on him...
Hubby dear and I have done all the necessary planning and the child insurance stuff ,but then there is always a thought,have we catered for enough?
There is so much more I can give to him...


1. A secure home,Confidence, self esteem and the guts to stand up and ask.
    I wish to gift to my child the belief of coming from a secure and a happy home. His trust in us,his parent's love for each other and him will make him a wholly confident and complete person. Only then will his self esteem be high. Only then will he have faith in himself and in his fellow beings. That confidence and faith in himself will ensure that he never has to bear any injustice or witness any injustice done to a weaker being in front of him.I want him to be strong and honest and fearless.

2. An Education and a thirst for knowledge.
    I wish to gift Sweet Child the access to quality education. an education he can bank upon. an education that will help him grow in life. An education that will help him advance in his career, or to step away from the beaten path and maybe enter a profession different from the run of the mill. I wish to gift him a thirst for knowledge that is insatiable. His need to know more should not stop when the chapter ends. I wish to gift him that little niggling desire to know just a little bit more, and like a number line,I wish that it never has a last point.

3. A world that is free of disease and poverty and war and faith in the Almighty .
I wish I was Bruce Almighty for a day...
I'd remove all traces of disease and poverty from the earth. Just so that my child could believe that God is actually like a parent,looking out for all,ensuring that all the children of God have enough on their plate and enough faith.And then this would ensure that Sweet Child's faith in the Almighty never falters.You know, faith can move mountains.

4. A gift of the ability of discerning how to use his TIME well.
A commodity more precious than money. A commodity that rules they way yo must lead you must lead your life. A commodity responsible for your well being and stress free life. I wish him the time to prioritise his life and live it accordingly. I wish that he is able to define what is most important to him and live accordingly. I wish that he does not make his studies and then his career and his drive to be successful the most important thing in his life. I wish his dedication allows him to be true to his goals and focus and also take the time to smell the roses. I wish he follows Aamir Khan's pearls of wisdom from the "3 Idiots" - "Success ke piche mat bhago...Excellence ko haasil karo...Success jhak maar ke tumhare piche aayegi".I wish he works for that excellence...Success will follow in his footsteps.

5. I wish him Satisfaction and Peace and Happiness and the will to Share.
There is no end to desires. No end to wanting and no end to wishing. I wish that he always has that hunger to attain more but is able to restrain himself and know when to stop. Over indulgence will only cause health problems...
I wish him peace and happiness and the ability to share with his fellow beings... because problems are reduced and happiness multiplied when shared. I wish him the ability to share his blessings...


And maybe some day look back on these indelible marks that I leave behind for him on the Internet and smile, maybe wish the same for his children to come...

This one little bit that I keep on my smart phone is a snippet I took from pinterest. A little regret that I never spent all my happiness with my child...
I keep this as my new year resolution this year and know that I will at least go 20% of the way that this little poem says and make happier memories with Sweet Child for us to bank upon tomorrow .
After all warm hearts are made of things like this.

A poem from a mother to her son.

If I had my child to raise all over again

I'd build self esteem first and the house later.

I'd finger paint more and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I'd care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I'd be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power, 

and more about the power of love.

Chief Dan George

Thank you blogadda for this little opportunity to count my blessings and wish for some happiness.
This post is a part of the 1001 Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda


So what are you looking forward to in the new year???

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Whole Wheat and Jaggery in my Gingerbread Man (without Molasses)

The Gingerbread Man is ubiquitous...Every blogger is overdoing the Christmas fever and the Christmas cookies.

And sweet child has been pestering me to let go of the red pen and the answer sheets and bake...
The whole wheat is just to add some extra goodness into my gingerbread cookies.  No molasses available off the shelf in Jalandhar so honey was the only recourse . And brown sugar is at least 5 km away from my house...
Jaggery or Gur (we used Gur ki shakkar or powdered Gur to make mixing easier) is healthier than plain white sugar ,mind you.

Home made White butter and refined vegetable oil took the bite out of the butter.
The first batch of cookies were studded with heart shaped sprinkles before baking , but that was a bad idea as the sprinkles melted into nothingness.
The next batch was plain, with more ginger powder and royal icing frosting and pretty sprinkles.
Other than the extra sugar high, the cookies were awesome with green tea.(I have to be prudent -cookies and coffee would ruin my diet plans...so a sugar free watery green tea is a perfect accompaniment to my gingerbread men).
Restraints are difficult.
Ask me...that's how the cookie crumbles and that's what sweet dog prays for.
Try these. ..
The cookie cutters are available easily, the dough is easy to make and roll and the cookies take only 12 minutes per batch.
Well worth the un-effort.

For the

Whole Wheat and Jaggery in my Gingerbread Man (without Molasses)...

You need

2 cups plain all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar or Gur ki shakkar
1 1/2 cups  butter -I used 1 1/4cup butter and the rest refined vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda or baking soda
4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg and clove powder -I used all spice powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla essence

In a bowl mix well all the powders. Whisk or use a blender not a sieve.  There are people who have dissertations on why dry ingredients must be mixed and not sifted.
In another bowl blend the butter ,oil and sugar or Gur ki shakkar well.
Add in the egg ,honey  and the vanilla essence and blend well.

Whisk in the dry ingredients till your blender blades don't move no more, then remove all the dough from the blades and knead in the rest of the dry stuff.
Place in the form of a brick on al foil or film ,shape and pop in the fridge to harden.
The dough is soft so don't worry on that account.  All exercise in rolling dough must be done else where.
You'll need to roll out pieces of the dough between sheets of parchment paper or cling film to 1/3 an inch this. I like the cookies a little thick not like crackers.

Remove the top layer of film and cut out with flour dipped cutters placing the cookies on the baking sheet.
Re roll scraps of dough as you  haven't altered the dough by using flour to roll the cookies. ..
Brilliant.
Oven on at 170C /325 F
Trays in one at a time for 12 13 minutes. ..the cookie will be done and browning from the base but soft from the top...
Take them out...
5 minutes later with the help of a spatula or knife, place them on a wire mesh to cool.
In the meanwhile your second tray will be done...
Roll baby roll and do more cookies. ..
30 large cookies ir 45 small ones like mine. ..

Frosting is the blog post for tomorrow. ..

So what are you baking today???

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Christmas come early -Caramel Fruit Cake with Red Red Wine

Christmas has certainly come early here. What with the unhappy ,foliage full diet that I am on, I was just craving for some soul satisfying, alcohol drenched, sweet stuff. I have had enough of beetroot and lettuce and apples for now...
Real calorie dense and sweet Christmasey kind of cake.

One unfinished bottle of red wine and a bowl full of cashew nuts and raisins was all it took . We did munch through a lot of the macerated raisins so had to substitute that with tutti fruity. ..candied pumpkin. They dissolved beautifully into the cake and sacrificed their identity to glorious taste . The wine was every where and the flavour grew more intense the next day. To save myself the pain and torture of abstaining from the absolute pleasure of munching through the cake, I gave it away with a heavy heart. 

The cake was soft in the centre with an awesome crust and a dreamy caramelised wine flavoured raisin bottom. Easy to make and easier to eat. .

For the

Caramel Fruit Cake with Red, Red Wine-and Whole wheat flour...

you need

2 cups plain all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

3/4cup sugar for the caramel

1 cup raisins and cashew nuts or tutti fruity

1 tbs shredded candied orange peel

3 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon and clove powder

1/2 cup red wine

6 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 pinches of nutmeg

Best if you start the night before. Place the raisins , the shredded candied orange peel and the cashew nuts in

a bowl and add two thirds of the dry spice mix and pour all the wine over and allow to be soaked in at least

 for 6 hours.

Start with the caramel. In a heavy bottom pan place 3/4 cup of the sugar and place on the stove and heat. 

Heat ,stirring constantly till the sugar crystals melt and look like honey. Reduce the heat and stir till the sugar acquires a  coppery sheen. Quickly add 1/4 cup of water and stir. 

The caramel hardens but with tender love and a strong hand it will melt again. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature. 

Turn your oven on to 170 C and grease and flour and line a 3 pound cake tin with paper. I used a 2 lb and a 1 lb tin...

I now follow Rose Levy Brenabaum's theory that sifting is not enough, you need to mix the dry stuff together. So I whisked the flours ,the baking powder, the soda bicarbonate and remaining spices together with with a balloon whisk and set aside.

Whip up the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl.

Add in a third of the oil and then blend in a third oyf the flour mix. I use my  electric blender...my muscles are better built with the help of my yoga mat.

So...

Third time round you need to quit the blender and use  muscle power...the batter is now doughy,time to add the alcohol enriched fruity mix and the now thickened caramel. The caramel now feels like molasses...only a wee bit paler.

Tip the dough into the prepped tins half full and pop them into the oven.

At least 55 minutes for the small tin and around 75 minutes for the larger tin...We had a power cut for about 6 minutes so my big cake sunk a little in the centre,but otherwise the cake was amazingly soft for a fruit cake. Mine took 73 minutes -by the clock.

Test the doneness of the cake with a skewer and if the skewer comes out clean,pull the tin out and leave it to cool.One tin was attacked as soon it was cool enough to tip over while the other one waited for 6 hours. Run a knife around the edges and turn out the cake. Peel off the paper-yes, that's why the paper was needed.

Slice and serve with coffee or green tea to balance the sweetness of the cake.

Awesome.

I took some to school and gave away some to the neighbours and a friend's...after all the diet would really suffer ...

Mine was mostly for the sniffing pleasure.

Caramel...

Sends notes of dates and walnuts and old days gone by. 

the raisins add just that hint of tartness to this very straight cake and the cashew nuts were just lost...I added really few,as you know,I'm not a nut person at all.

And the wine left an aroma and a taste of heady decadent flavours.

Christmas came early...

PS I had soaked much more than what was needed for the cake,and we ended up snacking on that...double duty of good nuts and good wine...

Way to go...

So more soaking of fruits...

This cake evokes good memories . Of a happy childhood and the aromas of mums cakes baking in the oven,when cakes were uncomplicated and wholesome and there was no stress to frost cakes. The character of the cake was in the flavour ...only the flavour!

This recipe may sound and look familiar to many...it is a mish mash of the recipes tried over a long time...

The caramel comes from my Egg less Date Cake and the soaking in wine is a result of an unfinished Red Wine Bottle- cant bear to waste good fruit...

And eggs are good for you...I like oil better than butter-its always there and saves the whipping up and waiting for softening...

Whole wheat flour is the best...

So go ahead and bake a cake with a good character.

And enjoy without too much guilt.Remember, if it has the tendency to sit on your waist...share it-let the next person work out.

So what are you baking today???

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Beetroot in all its glory- buttermilk ,Chaas or Lassi.

Sun shine and a lazy winter Sunday morning...

The prospect of three holidays-today being the first after a hard days work...its been three weeks for head banging, back breaking, throat scratching organisational miracle that all 800 children got on and off the stage without breaking their teeth or bones...
Two holidays are small compensation, but compensation nonetheless...
Lazy hazy day today...

Watching the parrots and pigeons and squirrels fight over a bowl full of Bird seed and watching the veggies grow in my farmville-esque patch...
Its beetroot time.

Beets  in all meals and now In yogurt.
Beetroot buttermilk or Chaas or lassi.
Purely organic and fresh from my veggie patch...
This is healthy to the extent of an overload.  You may dilute the beetroot puree with as much or as less yogurt as you desire. ..

For the

Beetroot in all its glory- buttermilk ,Chaas or Lassi 

You need

1 medium sized beetroot
1-2 cups of yogurt
1 inch piece ginger
2-3 cups of water
1 clove garlic
1 green chilli
Salt to taste. .I used black salt

For the tempering
1/2 tsp olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp chopped cashew nuts

 Wash the beetroot properly to remove all sand and dirt. Slice off the residue or the leaves and stab the beetroot a couple of times with a paring knife...
Baby, will it bleed or what. ..

Fresh out of the earth and just washed.
Don't bandage it yet. ...just pop it in to the microwave at full power for 5 to 7 minutes.
After it has bled some more on your plate allow it to rest in peace till it cools.
Prepare for the funeral. ..this backseat commentary came from the blood and gore loving sweet child.
Once the beetroot is cool you can peel off the outer skin and chop it roughly.

Place the pieces in your blender with the yogurt,ginger, garlic and the chili and season with the salt .

Blend this with the help of some of the water. Taste and add more water and or yogurt to your taste.
Strain through a soup strainer into a jug or a punch bowl.
In a small sauce pan or a tadka pan , heat the oil and let it smoke lightly add in the mustard seeds and let them pop,add in the curry leaves and the cashew nuts in quick succession.
Pour over the beetroot Chaas and allow the tempering to seep in and the flavours to merge. ..

If you intend drinking it in the sunshine. ..you can chill this or else have it warm...
Remember to share this with someone. ..too much of good red healthy stuff will make you wonder when you get off yhe thunder box or pot... in the morning...

Next, I'm planning to bake the beetroot in a cake Red Velvet the real way...

So what are you baking today???. 

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