‘Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done’- A hymn that I love!
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| Here I am with my parents! |
This is exactly what I decided to do this Thanksgiving 2011 and with a flourish I started penning down the countless blessings I have been showered upon!
First and foremost, I thanked God for my life, my parents and my childhood.
I thanked God for my five younger siblings who have been a huge moral support and a lifeline for me all along!
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| With my 4 younger siblings |
My beautiful grand mom-the sweetest, gentlest, soft spoken and the kindest of all grand moms- I love you so with all my heart!
My husband of 40 years and my in laws, especially my brother in law, who we lost a year back. It was wonderful knowing him.
I thanked God for blessing me with 3 beautiful children. The happiest days of my life belonged to the time when they were at home and I was the center of their lives!
I’m grateful for my beautiful home and garden, my computer and the game Farmville (my companions in my empty nest)!
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| The youngest spoilt brat!:) |
Above all, I thanked God for health. Health is wealth indeed. What is wealth without health?Nothing!
As I was half way through writing out my blessings, I realized that I could hardly remember my troubles (of course, there are many!) and it dawned on me that the power of counting blessings is unmistakably real ! I was absolutely soaked in positive energy, positive emotions, vitality, and optimism. Counting my blessings and reliving happy memories made me happier, grateful and above all put a smile on my face. It is indeed an effective mood booster! Maybe we should call ‘counting blessings’ a ‘gratitude exercise’? I am regretting for not doing this ‘gratitude exercise’ more often! It would have done me a world of good by annulling my negative thoughts when I've been in dumps.
This gratitude exercise also made me to reflect how I had always reacted when I had been under the spell of either positive or negative thoughts. When in a positive frame of mind, I’d be bubblier, laugh out louder and my eyes would shine brighter. But then, when in a negative mindset, I don’t think I had ever been pleasant- always grumbling, moody, stressed out and whatever! Yes, this is an eye opener for ME !
Our positive thoughts do reflect in our body language and we attract more people around us with our warmth, friendliness and exuberance. To have a positive thinking mindset we need to have positive thoughts constantly on our minds. It may not be easy but we can try and question ourselves frequently what we are thinking about? Is this thought positive or negative? Would it help us improve our lives or whether it is pointless? Over a period of time thinking positive will become a habit!
The following verses ‘season for everything’, from the Bible, Ecclesiastes,Chap3, have always been very powerful for me.
‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance….. A time to get, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away..
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.’
These verses have always been a perfect antidote for my negative thoughts and depression.When things go wrong, I always think that it is a season and I feel the positive energy flowing back into me. Yes, there is an appropriate time for everything. Surely rainbow will follow each rain!
Finally, I thanked God for showing me the power of counting blessings and to have a positive attitude and a positive mind set in whatever situation.
Happy Thanksgiving 2011! :)
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| My 3 babies-a son and 2 daughters |
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| My beautiful grandmother-I dedicate this Thanksgiving 2011 to my grand mom | |
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| My precious teapot-belonged to my grandmother |
Teapots! The awesome pot with a spout and handle! Why do teapots fascinate us so? Maybe, we love tea? Or could it be that they are so pretty by themselves? No wonder teapots have become tremendously popular as collectables. Moreover, weren't we imbibed with teapot awareness right from childhood? Who does not remember the teapot nursery rhyme even after many summers and grey hair?
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| My Collectables |
"I'm a little teapot,
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!"
Of course we all know that it takes just a tea bag and an electric jug to make a cup of tea! But then, that won’t do for real tea lovers! Tea lovers love their cuppa brewed in the pot with a beautiful tea cosy thrown over it. Sounds so very quaint!
‘Strange, how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.’ ~Author Unknown. So very true and spot on!
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| My corn teapot on my microwave |
Teapots have become a collector’s delight and collecting teapots is not a storm in the teapot! Not only do teapots come in many styles but also in a range of textures like cast iron, stoneware, bone china, porcelain, glass and brightly colored ceramics. Above all, the imagination, ingenuity and humor in crafting teapots have made teapots a collector’s dream. Certain teapot designs mirror the taste and history of a particular era as well!
There are innumerable awesome collectible teapots for every season - Valentine’s Day teapots, Halloween teapots, Mother’s Day teapots ,Easter teapots, Thanksgiving teapots and Holiday teapots . Christmas teapots make the most beautiful Holiday décor. They look so decorative and festive anywhere, whether perched on your microwave ,fridge, kitchen cabinet or in the nooks and corners of your dining room or kitchen. There are even miniature Christmas teapot ornaments and teapot serial lights to add a touch of charm to the Christmas tree.
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| My fav white pot |
Whatever the array of teapots , be it vintage or new, seasonal or functional, Victorian or modern, Asian or Chinese, they are all so appealing, fascinating and enthralling. Hence,it’s really quite hard for an avid tea drinker like me , to resist the allure of TEAPOTS!
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| MY sister's collection of teapots |
Check out the fascinating collection of teapots at Our Store.
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Bilberry! Never heard of it, till my daughter’s friend gifted me a jar of homemade Bilberry preserve from Kotagiri in Nilgris (a hill station in South India)for Christmas last year. It was the most awesome berry preserve I‘ve ever tasted!
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| Bilberries |
Bilberries are related to Blueberries, but are smaller and darker in color and since the bilberry plant is difficult to grow, it is seldom cultivated and are collected from forests in hilly regions. Here in south India , Bilberries are found in Nilgris, they have tremendous antioxidant properties which are considered very effective in improving night vision, lowering blood pressure and for diabetics. Armed with this information, I wanted to buy Bilberries when I went to Nilgris for our school reunion in the first week of September2011. To my disappointment, I was told that Bilberries are never available in shops and moreover the harvest season had just got over (between July and August). I was crestfallen. Anyway, the day we were to leave Nilgris, being Sunday, we went to a very cute Church in Coonoor and after service there was the church sale. Guess what I saw on a table? Bilberries! I could not believe my eyes and I nearly jumped for joy! I managed to get just one kg of bilberries and here is the Bilberry preserve I made and trust me, it is the yummiest of all preserves.
The difference between a preserve and a jam is that, with a preserve the fruits are preserved whole in their own jelly whereas with jam the fruits are mashed up into a spreadable consistency.
Bilberry Preserve
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| My home made Bilberry Preserve |
¾ kg sugar (you can reduce the quantity of sugar ) ¼ cup water Nip the tiny stalks and wash and clean the berries thoroughly. Put it in a vessel along with water and sugar. Simmer for about 45mins to 1 hour till setting consistency is reached. Be careful not to break up the berries while stirring . That’s it! Done! Your Bilberry Preserve is ready!
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| Bilberry Preserve on bread |
To test the setting consistence -Chill a plate in the freezer for 5 mins. Pour a tsp of the preserve in the chilled plate. After 30 seconds, tilt the plate. If it moves but does not run, it is done. If it runs, continue cooking for some more time.I prefer it a little runny , as it thickens in the refrigerator and it is much easier to use as toppings for ice creams and desserts.
Bilberry Jam
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| My Homemade Bilberry Jam |
1 kg Bilberries
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| Bilberry Jam |
¾ kg sugar1 lime
Wash the Bilberries, put it in a pan and mash it well with a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice, sugar and simmer.Just before setting point, ladle out a cup of jam and run it in a food processor for just one whirl.Put it back in the pan and simmer till setting consistency .While warm bottle it.That’s it.
Absolutely delicious and scrumptious as toppings on Ice creams, yogurts, pancakes and desserts .
The Church in Coonoor
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| The cute church in Coonoor |
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| My Ice cream maker |
Of course I’m an Ice cream maniac! My family knows that only too well! Hence, when my sister came down from USA she carried a huge parcel for me as a belated birthday gift. When I unwrapped it, guess what popped out? Cuisinart’s Ice cream and Frozen Yogurt Maker! Wow, was I thrilled? Yes and yes. (This ice cream maker is not available here in India.)From now on, no more store bought unhealthy ice creams - only nourishing and wholesome frozen yogurts with fresh fruits and frozen sorbets will do for me! I made Vanilla Frozen Yogurt and Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt the very next day I unpacked my Ice cream Maker. Here is the simple refreshing tangy fresh frozen yoghurt I made : Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Recipe
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| Frozen yoghurt with Bilberry topping |
2 cups strained Yogurt or Greek-style yogurt or Hung curd
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
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| Churning away |
Pinch of salt
Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla essence and salt. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour it in your ice cream maker and run the machine. In 20 minutes your frozen yoghurt is ready!Yum!
Tip:
If you do not have an ice cream maker..no problem! You can freeze it in a tray in the fridge. For softer consistency, when partly frozen, take it out of the freezer, beat it well with a wooden spoon and freeze again. Done!
How to make 1 cup of strained yogurt :
You need-
2 cups - good quality plain whole milk yogurt.
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| Strained Yoghurt |
Take a strainer with very fine mesh, and balance it on the rim of a bowl. Put the yoghurt in the strainer, cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next morning, the liquid from the yoghurt would have drained on to the bowl and the curd in the strainer is thick and creamy. Your strained yogurt is ready for use in any recipe of your choice.
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| Vanilla Frozen Yoghurt |
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| With Strawberry topping |
Suggested toppings- I love to have my frozen yoghurt with : · Homemade Strawberry Preserve , · Homemade Bilberry Preserve · Chopped fresh fruits particularly bananas.
Enjoy! :)
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