A Toast To Summer

Despite the hot and humid weather,we all seem to get highly exhilarated in the company of summer.The season brings with it the holiday spirit,goodwill and cheer.Although summer is noted for it's harshness,it has always been gracious to let me enjoy a two week vacation,every year,in my home country.As summer approaches,my family and I get very excited as we are homeward bound.It is during summer that we get the opportunity to meet the rest of our families back home.Interestingly, the whole ambiance  allows me to wholeheartedly embrace the warmth that sweeps across the bright summer day.It has always been a delight to give ears to the sweet chirpings of the birds in the morning,telling me that it's time to wake up.What is summer without the fun and the frolic! The sense of happiness it gives me  walking along the sandy beaches amid the lush greenery and the  blue sky. Summer time is leisure time  for my whole family .While the kids and my husband  love to take  dips in the pool  in the  hot afternoon,I seize the opportunity to demonstrate my gastronomic know-how to my young audience-my  daughters.I am inclined to try out various  new recipes and pamper their  taste buds. Summer is my most treasured season.It  acts as a stress reliever. It regenerates my   energy and makes me get-up-and-go.Simultaneously, with the hustle and the bustle, it teaches me to approach things in a positive manner.I wholly extend my gratitude to this phenomenal season for showering me with an abundance of blessings by bringing sunshine to my days and making  my vacations  so memorable.Oh Summer! What would I do without you?

Food For Thought

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley-

Thought For The Day

Let us all  hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and that in some not too distant  tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

-Martin Luther King Jr-

A Toast To Summer!

The family vacation maybe  over but the  holidays for the children is still on, as schools reopen only in September.Despite the fact that we all seem to be thoroughly exhausted in the company of summer,we are  in some way coping  the hot and humid weather.With the  prevailing  weather condition in this part of the world,there is n’t much outdoor  activities  to  get occupied  except take part in religious activities like  reading the holy book and offering   extra prayers as this is the holy month of Ramadan,which  by the way,will come to an end in the next few days.And soon, we can expect some fair weather.It is always the case during the latter part of summer time,when the holiday spirits begin to wear off and all that extra time that you hold so precious,seem to drift so soon.And almost immediately  you start to brood over the lost time.

Summer makes me wonder,ponder and  beyond.At the onset,as  much as the season brings with it  the  holiday spirit,goodwill and cheer, it also ignites a lot of physical strain on us during the closing stage.By the way  I am not  being unreasonable,I still  hope to enjoy the rest of the holidays in  optimism.

Looking on the bright side,it’s apparent that Summer has not  been very harsh on me.In addition to  the exhilaration of our three week vacation to the pearl of the Indian ocean( Sri Lanka),I am also ecstatic at some of the other  things that summer has freshened me up with.It has  enabled  me to  mentally remove a few  redundant anarchism and enjoy the rest of the season with a clear mind set.My sugar level  is  well under control and the daily exercising has  brought in  some good results.I have lost a few more pounds and have gained high  energy levels.So you can just  imagine  alongside the hustle and the bustle of summer,how contentedly I am marching around the house with equally energetic children.

This Summer I also tried my hands at new recipes catering to the family’s tastes buds.Some recipes came out quite well while a few didn’t turn out as expected.That didn’t give me a reason to sign.I gave the dishes  a new name and felt happy about my achievement.On the whole,Summer has taught me to approach things  in a positive manner and I am grateful for that.


Please feel free to take a peek at Summer Skies- pictures taken during the vacation

Celebrating Summer

Happy holidays-Have A great Summer!

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.
- John Lubbock-

A Trip To The Tea Country

The Tea Country is the most picturesque location of Sri Lanka with spectacular views of mountain ranges and narrow valleys, meandering roads and waterfalls. During our recent summer vacation, we had the opportunity of staying in a bungalow which was nestled amongst tea bushes, overlooking the Castlereagh reservoir. The beautiful Rivendell bungalow is set upon the crest of the tea plantations. The cool climatic condition was an added windfall to all of us who were trying to get away from the humidity in the capital city.The magnificent view from the bungalow’s balcony was breathtaking. The setting in the vicinity is  naturally embedded. The sight of tea bushes, waterfalls and a reservoir was refreshing and revitalizing.The whole ambiance in this location was a complete change. I think, for the first time in many years, we were breathing pure, fresh and clean air. This getaway was a great experience. We spent three lovely days here, with new things to explore and experience.We carry with us beautiful memories of Rivendell.

Tea plantation - Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is known for producing quality tea

The food served here was traditional rice and curry. In Sri Lanka, almost all the vegetables are cooked with spices and coconut milk.I got to indulge in some favourites too.‘Mallum’ green leaves  minced and eaten as a salad .I loved the sweet and spicy taste of red beets, which was finely cut into julienne.Mouth watering Thallana Battu (Thai eggplant) was cooked with a lot of spices and fiery condiments.

Food Addictives And Allergies

A few years back, it was distressing for my husband and I, to see our younger daughter fall sick, every time she ate some of her favourite food. She would either start coughing; a nagging cough which would linger for sometime or she would get itchy red bumps on her arms, sometimes on her face, (later I learnt the red bumps were hives.). We were clueless as to why she got them constantly.

After many visits to the hospital we learnt that it was due to an allergic reaction, but was not certain what triggered the “hives” on her. The thought of this, gave us many sleepless nights and constant worries, until one day our very own Sri Lankan Doctor, a paediatrician, who was attached to a reputed facility in Saudi Arabia, who on learning of our daughter’s condition helped us identify the root cause of her allergy. She was vulnerable  not only to certain foods like coloured candies and coloured drinks, but also to the strong smell of perfume, washing powder, bleach etc, all, with a considerable amount of additive compounds in them. Gradually, with much cajoling, we made her stop eating her favourite titbits like the multi coloured candies, chocolate chips and the luminous coloured drinks. After following the doctor's advice and guidelines, we saw a vast improvement in our daughter’s health. He helped us to keep a food diary and note carefully for any adverse reactions whenever she ate food. In the case of a sensitivity being identified, the practice was to eliminate all suspected foods from the diet and then reintroduce them one by one, to see which additive (or additives) caused the reaction. This was done under the supervision of this good-hearted doctor, whom we are ever grateful to. With the invaluable information on food allergies/additives, which my husband and I acquired, each time we accompanied our daughter, during the fortnightly visits to the doctor, we have become more selective in the choice of food we consume.

 Our distressing nightmare maybe over, but with four growing children and their immune system  different from one another, I sometimes  get the creeps to think,  what if , one of them  goes through that agony again.

( - This is an excerpt from my published article- )

Cooking Tapioca

The tapioca root

Tapioca is a staple food in some countries and is used widely as a thickening agent mainly in foods. This is a good source of food for people who are allergic to gluten.Tapioca is  free from gluten.It is widely known in my native land that tapioca and ginger (both are  kind of roots) are not compatible and could cause catastrophic results when cooked together or eaten on the same day.Whether this is a  fact or not, I still don’t know, but continue to believe this myth  to this day.

Whenever  tapioca is used at home , I make sure that ginger is not added to any other  food for a day or two.The last time I  cooked it,the children didn’t quite like the taste.I had simply boiled  and served it with scrapped coconut and a chilly sambol,something closer to a chutney. I always wondered how tapioca would taste if it was cooked in some different way,other than boiled, which is the usual  and the most common method of cooking tapioca  in my home country. So taking that into consideration, I decided to make something  different and exceptional  this time, when my husband bought some from the grocer.

I remembered ,a few weeks  ago, I had watched the making of kofta on TV, which was telecasted  in the  middle eastern food channel. Kofta is a middle eastern and asian dish . It, is made of ground  meat: most commonly  lamb or beef with a variety of spices added . It is  similar to meatballs. They can be eaten fried, grilled or poached. And that was the recipe I decided to try, ’topiaco kofta-minus the meat . With the vegetarian recipe  in mind,I reached  for the bag of tapioca and headed toward the kitchen.Once done, everyone relished them.

Flattened and shaped into patties

Sizzling in hot oil

All done and set to eat 

For the above savoury dish,I used mashed tapioca,onions,green chillies,red chilly flakes,salt and lime juice.Mix well and form round patties using the fingers.Chill them in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.The patties must be firm and not soggy.Then dip in beaten  eggs and coat with bread crumbs before frying in hot oil.

Tip: you can even replace tapioca with  good old potatoes.Mash coarsely the boiled tapioca,add butter,pepper and salt.

Summer Vacation

As summer approached we all got excited as we were homeward bound. ' But why only two weeks ', asked my children in dismay. Yes I knew two weeks was not adequate for a vacation in the native land, but due to my husband’s work commitment in his office here in Saudi Arabia, we had to get back as scheduled. We were going to meet the rest of our families back  home after a gap of two years . Our Home country, has many places of interest .During my schooling days, I had the opportunity to visit the historical sites of Sri Lanka,which was then organized by the school. How I wished ! My children too would get the opportunity to see all the wonders of our country. But then again..two weeks was all we had ! We could n’t tour all of those beautiful places , but one such place My husband recommended captured our hearts and the camera too!

    

In Kandalama -My son posing for the camera-

My family and I took a trip to a holiday destination (a place in Sri Lanka ) called Kandalama , located in a historic area, secluded from the city. The journey took us about 5- 6 hours on the road..We spent three wonderful days in this breathtaking resort hidden amid a thick, woody jungle. The vicinity which is in a most exceptional site in sri Lanka’s cultural triangle's heartland and is closely hemmed in by the Sigiriya rock , a lake and a sanctuary to birds and wildlife. Even though this place was not bordered by the beach (our usual holiday destination ), we were captivated by it’s serenity , which would be interrupted only by the echoes of nature. Thus made our holiday even more meaningful.

                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                    

                                       
                                                                 - nurturing the young -


We experienced close encounters with Monkeys. We were warned that they could be a menace.I found them to be harmless .Their comical tactics kept us amused. It was evident that they became disruptive during our mealtime especially during the buffets outdoors! The waiters had to use some of their tactics to keep the monkeys at bay.

We also visited the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela. Here we had an opportunity to see them at close quarters. All the elephants here had been brought in from the wild, either abandoned by the herd or attacked by poachers or the local farmers , who are agitated by these beasts wandering across their fields and destroying their worthy crops .

    

In loving care

I ‘ve only read about our marvelous elephants that help produce paper out of their waste! Wasn’t I privileged when my husband took us to the site where this was being done. Although in an earlier discussion , I had told my children about this wonderful paper being created out of elephant dung ,I knew they wouldn’t have actually taken in the story .How surprised they all were when they got to see it in reality ! I even bought back a souvenir ,made of this paper.. My children loved every moment .I am so appreciative to my husband who planned and organized our 2 –weeks vacation and made it memorable for all of us.


 
                               

                                                      - note book made from elephant waste -

The Tale of Ellie Pooh

“Mom - You can’t be serious!” Cried out my daughters, when I recounted an incredible news scoop that I had gathered from the Internet. Although this was breaking news to me, I believe the story had been in focus for a while. Actually it all began, when I was browsing the internet looking for a picture of an Elephant for my eight year old son’s class assignment, when this bizarre caption caught my eye. It was beyond belief!

Curious to find out more, I went to the website, http://www.mrelliepooh.com/ and thus established the validity of the story. It may for some, sound highly amusing or ridiculous but I thought it was laudable!

Elephants have always been identified with a lot of appealing adjectives like majestic, magnificent, largest, huge or more often by the common term wild.

They have been a part of wildlife, responsible in maintaining ecological balance in nature. In one way or another Elephants have been useful to man! But now not only are they recognized for their mighty appearance but also for their bountiful resource that they provide, enabling a growth of a new industry. It’s incredible but true, when I affirm (thanks to my reliable source, the internet) that the waste they produce is being recycled into paper which is then fashioned into something more creative.

This renewed paper from the elephant’s dung promoted as “Mr. Ellie Pooh” paper, goes through several procedures before advancing to the craft stores! And mind you! during the recycling process, the smell of dung is completely eliminated.

I have been captivated by these magnificent creatures since childhood. For years, having lived within close proximity to the zoological gardens, we were fortunate enough to have had easy access to see these animals being fed and pampered by the zoo workers. What made me even more interested in reading about Ellie Pooh was the fact that the animals talked about, are the Elephants of Sri Lanka, which play a major role in this remarkable venture.

It is exclusively the dung of Sri Lanka’s Elephants that is transformed into paper, which is used for making of scrapbooks, cards, books, note books etc. What a whole lot of discoveries, reading about this project led me to. The entire recycling process takes place in the outskirts of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the recycled paper in Sri Lanka is known as Jumbo Poo paper. Ellie Pooh and Jumbo Poo are associates working together to bring about a friendly and pollution free atmosphere. It’s note worthy to cite, that one of the objectives by the people behind this endeavour is to bring harmony between the Elephants and the local farmers. This perception will significantly improve the relationship, no doubt. It would be no bolt from the blue when the uncontrolled hostility between man and beast subsequently dies down, by this out of the ordinary notion.

After that initial uproar, I caught my younger daughter snuffle the paper cluttered on our computer table, to distinguish the dung variety.Unfortunately we haven’t to date purchased any, but next time we shop for paper to scrap, I will, without a doubt mull over Ellie Pooh paper! I couldn’t ever have imagined that the Elephant’s dung was such a beneficial article of trade.

With the children on Summer Break, I was determined that this was the appropriate time for my daughters to divert their attention from their current favourites - Jodi Picoult, Cornelia Funke and Meg Cabot - to a different storyline, something dissimilar to the all time favourites: ‘Winnie the Pooh’, which they have all grown accustomed to.

Equipped with more facts in succession, I sat with my foursome and continued my recounting of the unusual saga of Ellie-Pooh!