Some filmy Gupshup!!

Hello friends……So here I am back after a very refreshing weekend!!  Ralish n Shinju, our very close friends came to our house, we spent some nice time together, dinned outside, went to Lulu hypermarket and watched movie..Yup!!! Movies, my ever favorite subject to talk about!!!I m a die hard fan of this bollywood world…….I enjoy all that related to bollywood!! No matter whatever it is!!! But the clash comes when we need to choose between Hollywood and Bollywood..Yeah !!!you caught it right…My hubby loves Hollywood movies more than anybody I know…So finally we have decided to see one H after one B..And it worked well too..Guys!!! you got to see the movie..2012!! Directed by Roland Emmerich. With John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor. An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world  Its just unbelievable..I don’t know how can I convey the true mood of the movie..…Man!!! its tooooo gooood..It will take us to the great memory of prophet Noha and his survival during the great flood!!! You got to see it, It’s simply awesome!!! No need to say, now my eager eyes are behind Hollywood world too….Whoaaa!!!!!

This morning I just finished watching “paa”…I must say Amitabh Bachchan is an incredible actor. His body of work proves it. The actor continues to surprise you to this date. Auro the character of Amitabh is born with a rare genetic disorder called Progeria wherein a child ages fives times faster than his actual age. So at 13, Auro physically looks and functions like a 65 year old though he is mentally as young as his real age. If Big B is outstanding, then Abhishek brings to life the young, uncorrupt leader who speaks straight. Vidya Balan proves herself again with a character that’s a strong, desi woman.Believe me the movie is simply outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I finished with the movie as usual I just browsed through my inbox, to my surprise my inbox received a mail on Amitabh’s make over for “Paa”..Thanx Shinjus for forwarding me the mail…

Please have a look!!!

The most Herculean task about the latest release PAA was transforming a 67-year old Amitabh Bachchan into 13-year old child Auro, suffering from a rare disorder called progeria. So come let’s take a short run-through over how Amitabh became Auro. The prosthetic makeup, as we know, has been done by Hollywood ‘s Christien Tinsley (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, CATWOMAN) and Dominie Till (THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY). According to the reports Bachchan’s make-up cost 10 per cent of the total budget. It is learnt that it used to take four to five hours daily for Amitabh Bachchan’s makeup to be done for his film PAA. Not only this, if it used to take four hours to put on the make-up then two hours to remove it. There are eight different layers of clay which has been put in his make up in the film. While applying the make up he cannot eat, drink and talk for four hours. Most of the performance comes out because of the make up. Big B wore specially designed dentures so as to effortlessly replicate the voice of a 13-year old child. He gets a lisp and his speech pattern gets altered because of the extra teeth. He wore the dentures throughout the film’s shooting and also had them on while dubbing. Infact he has also sung a song in his voice wearing these dentures, which sounds like a child. But Big B never ever showed a sign of panic, on the contrary he was always co-operative, patient, cool and full of enthusiasm.

Common Cold

 Causes:-

 1. Exposure to the virus.A common cold results from exposure to the virus. Its intensity, however, depends upon the state of health of the person and environmental factors.

2.Low vitality, exposure to cold, lack of sleep, mental depression, fatigue, and factors such as sudden changes in temperature, dust, and other irritating inhalations are important contributory causes
Home Remedies

Common Cold treatment using Lemon

Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.

Common Cold treatment using Garlic

Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. The soup can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever. Five drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk two to three times a day. This has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of common cold.

Common Cold treatment using Ginger

Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. About ten grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.

Common Cold treatment using Lady’s Fingers

Lady’s fingers are highly valuable in treating irritation of the throat and a persistent dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay irritation, swelling, and pain. About 100 gm of lady’s fingers should be cut into pieces, and boiled down in half a litre of water to make a decoction. The steam issuing from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.

Common Cold treatment using Bitter Gourd Roots

The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or holy basil leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for colds.

Common Cold treatment using Turmeric

Turmeric is an effective remedy for colds and throat irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk, and taken once or twice daily, is a useful prescription for these conditions. Turmeric powder should be put into a hot ladle. Milk should then be poured in it and boiled over a slow fire. This mixture should then be drunk by the patient. In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.

Common Cold treatment using Tamarind and Pepper

Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for a cold in South India. Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot clarified butter and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day. As one takes it, the nose and eyes water and the nasal blockage is cleared.

Common Cold treatment using Vitamin C

Regular intake of vitamin C-75 mg for adults and 35 mg for children-will prevent the common cold. If, however, a cold has already appeared, large doses of this vitamin will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. He estimates that one to two grams (1000 mg to 2000 mg) per day is approximately the optimum amount of this vitamin for this purpose. His advice is to swallow one or two 500mg tablets of vitamin C at the appearance of the first sign of the cold and continue the treatment by taking one to two 500 mg tablets daily.

Home Remedies for Stuffy Nose

Inhale turmeric fumes, for this tie some turmeric in a clean cloth and light it. Boil some water and allow it to cool, now add ¼ teaspoon table salt to it. Put 2 to 3 drops of this solution in your both the nostrils before meals and going to bed. Mix natural apple cider vinegar and water in equal parts. Boil this solution in a pan, when the fumes rises lean over the pan and inhale the fumes. Prepare a solution using 4 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and Pine Essential Oil, 3 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil and 7 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Inhale vapors of this solution by putting it on a cotton ball or an aromatherapy diffuser.

Dietaries for Common Cold

During the acute stage of the cold, when fever is present, the patient should abstain from all solid foods and only drink fruit and vegetable juices, diluted with water.Well-balanced diet of seeds, nutsAfter the acute symptoms are over, the patient can gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet, consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.Avoid meat, fish, eggs and starchy foods

Carrot Capsicum Mezhukkupuratty

Capsicum!! My favorite veg..I never miss a chance to use it while cooking. I never care whether it’s a success or failure I go on with my attempts. Thoran is a must for our lunch and this time I wanted to make something new, obviously with my caps and the result is here. I must say this time it was a sure thumps up!!! Liked by all including my conventional hubby………

Ingredients:

1. Carrots – 2 nos
2. Capsicum- 1 big
3. Shallots – 10 nos
4. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp full
5. Jeera or fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp
6. Turmeric powder – one pinch
7. Green Chilly – 4 nos
8. Curry leaves – one strand
9. Salt – to taste
10. Coconut oil – 1 table spoon

Method:-

Using a food processor roughly chop carrots, capsicum, shallots and green chilies together. Do not make them too small. In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds and jeerakam. When you hear the spluttering sound of mustard, add the chopped veggies, salt and curry leaves . Mix well, cover it and allow  to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes on low flames. Serve warm with rice.

Amazing Technology From Japan

Look closely and guess what they could be. ..

Are they pens with cameras?

Any wild guesses? No clue yet?

Ladies and gentlemen… congratulations!
You’ve just looked into the future… yep that’s right!

You’ve just seen something that will replace your PC in the near future.

Here is how it works:

In the revolution of miniature computers, scientists have made great developments with Bluetooth technology…

These are the forthcoming computers you can carry in your pockets. 

This “pen type of instrument” produces both the monitor as well as the keyboard on any flat surface from where you can carry out functions you would normally do on your desktop computer.

Can anyone say, “Good-bye laptops!”

A Short Story

Ramya was about to leave office after finishing her work. She got a call from her husband Karthi,

RAMYA(R): “Hello, yes Karthi”.

KARTHI(K): “Ramya, can you open my gmail and get a print out of the mail from that USconsultant I forgot to take it in my office”

(R): “Yes, I can, I need your password”
(K): “jeni22091980”
(R): “Ok fine”

She takes the print out and logs out. Some thought struck her mind now.
JENI happens to be his college mate. Hmmm…

She decides not to discuss this with Karthi. She simply opens her mail box and changes the password from “mohan143” to “karthiramya” and leaves for home!

MORAL OF THE STORY: Change your password! NOW!

Puttum – Meen Porichathum

You might have heard of puttu-kadala and puttu – irachi combinations but have you ever heard of puttu and meen porichathu? I came to know about thiscombination from my MIL for the first time.Basically I don’t like puttu much. I used to have the big, long traditional puttu. Its sight itself fills my belly.I don’t know why I developed some sort of dislike towards this dish. So when my MIL announced this combination for break fast I was thoroughly disappointed.

My MIL is a wonderful cook, who treats cooking as an art. I always envy her for her energy and her ability to do things with such a speed. Whenever she cooks something, I play the role of taste checker, and this time also she asked me to try a bite .To my own great surprise, I could not stop until I finish one full puttu and fish fry!!Here comes my MIL special recipe for my readers!

Ingredients:-

1. Rice Flour – 2 cups2. Grated Coconut – 2 cup
3. Water – as needed (almost 1/2 a cup)
4. Salt – to taste.

Method:-

In a wide bowl take the flour.

Add ½ of the grated coconut and salt to it. Mix thoroughly with hand.

Pour water little by little to the mixture and mix it well

The mixing should be appropriate such that all the rice grains should be damp enough for steaming.

Don’t add more water than needed since it will turn the flour to dough.

The quality of the puttu lies in wetting the flour.

Add half of the grated coconut into it and mix well by giving it a two minutes turn in a mixer.

Before filling the mould, add 1 tsp of grated coconut then the flour, then again sprinkle some more coconut, and then close the lid

Keep the pressure cooker on the gas after filling 2/3 rd of it with water.

The mould can be fixed to the cooker, just after the steam is released

Detach the mould from the cooker when you see the steam coming out from the mould lid’s hole.

(Note:-Always keep Puttu in an air tight container,otherwise it can become dry.Also Dried Puttu can be made fresh by microwaving it after sprinkling some water .)

Kerala Fish Fry/Meen Porichathu

Ingredients

Fish – 6- 8 pcs (king fish or any other firm fish ,cut in to thin slices)

Ginger powder – 1 tsp

Garlic powder – 1 tsp

Black Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder-1 tsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder-1tsp

Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp

Salt- according to your taste

Vinegar-1 tsp

Water – for preparing the paste

Curry leaves – 1 strand

Oil for frying.

Method:-

Clean the fish thoroughly using salt and vinegar to get rid of the smell.

Mix all the powders and salt and make a smooth paste by adding water and vinegar.

Marinate the fish pieces with this paste and allow it to sit for at least half an hour in the refrigerator.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil and slide in the curry leaves followed by the fish pieces one by one.

Sprinkle a tsp full of coconut oil just before you take the fish pieces out from the pan if you are not using coconut oil for frying and still want to have its flavor.

Now your spicy, tasty, delicious fish fry is ready to be served!!!

The main causes for liver damage

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil.
As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver.
Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent this without spending much. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits.

Moru Kachiyathu (Using raw bananas)

The problem I face everyday is deciding on the curry. Most of the time it will be either fish curry or samabar since my husbad does not feel full without these items. He will be more than happy if I include fish curry in my everyday menu. Wanting to bring some change I decided to make moru curry, of course with fried fish for dinner. He surprised me by smacking his lips on appreciation.Yup, it worked!!

Ingredients:

Raw Banana (cut into small pieces) – 2 nos
Red chilli powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2tsp
Water – 1 ½ cups

For grinding:

Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Gralic pods – 4 pods
Curd – 1 cup
Green chillies – 3 nos
Grated coconut – 1 ½ cups
Salt

For seasoning:

Oil – 2 tbs
Mustard seeds – 1 ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 10 nos
Curry leaves – 2 strings
Whole red chillies (unakka mulaku) – 2 nos

Preparation:

1. Cook banana pieces along with red chili powder, turmeric powder salt and water until tender.
2. Grind all the ingredients with very little water to form a smooth paste.
3. Mix the cooked banana pieces and the grinded paste well together, and bring into boil.
4. Turn off the flames and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then add curd and mix well. Never mix curd to any hot dish since that will cause the curd to curdle.
5. In another pan, heat oil and add the seasoning ingredients one by one.Pour this to the prepared curry.

Note: You can also add a big pinch of sugar to adjust the taste, which is completely optional.

Spring Rolls: Oven Toasted

Hey friends, it’s winter time!!!! I love this season. Winter gives me the complete energy to experiment with new things. So this evening I tried something new, Oven toasted spring rolls. I always try to keep deep fried snacks away from my menu, but again the charismatic winter had done it again, I could not resist the carving for some snacks along with a steaming cup of hot tea and I rushed into the kitchen and tried this new version of spring rolls. Believe me !! It came out so well and I am sure nobody will opt the deep fried rolls over it. That’s my guarantee!!!!

Ingredients for filling

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, diced
1/4th of a small cabbage diced
2 carrots diced
2 green peppers
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
A handful of spring onions chopped

For wrapping

Package spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil

Filling:

In a frying pan add a tablespoon of oil and stir the egg first and then rest of the ingredients one by one, and let it cool.

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Now peel off the first layer of the spring roll wrapper from the stack, and spread onto a clean surface.
3. Place the cooked filling in a diagonal fashion.
4. Pull one side of the flap over to close the filling.
5. Fold the two ends, and proceed to roll the wrapper, pulling over the flaps to close the roll.
6. Place the spring rolls on a baking dish, brush oil over the rolls. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

YOUR HEALTHY SPRING ROLLS ARE READY TO BE SERVED!!

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITZ

 

 

 

 

One with the best brains wins the race .So why not care for its health??Here are some habitz that we should avoid to keep our brain healthy and active:-

1. No Breakfast

People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating

It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking

It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption

Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation

Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping

Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness

Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts

Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain