When was the last time that you hand wrote a letter?

 I chanced upon a penmanship contest the topic of which was "When was the last time that you  hand-wrote a letter?" Sadly my handwriting skills have gone unused and have rusted. The topic interested me but with underused handwriting what chance did I stand? Today I generally only handwrite cheques and grocery lists. If the grocery shopper happens to be my better half, then the grocery list is often sent through  WhatsApp. Today, receiving invitations to celebrations on social media is no surprise.

There are many happy memories associated with handwriting and receiving handwritten letters. As a child, I wrote to my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins scattered across the country.  The schoolgirl in me practised what I had been taught,  paying great attention to punctuation, spelling and grammar when writing. So much thought went into the penning of the letter.   Then came the actual scripting in my best hand. If those blue inlands could talk...they would have quite a few tales to tell.  The treasure trove of memories also includes an excited little girl crafting that mandatory letter to Santa, Christmas after Christmas until she finally grew up.

There was always a stack of blue inlands and a half-a - a - dozen or so postcards lying around the house. Mom and Dad wrote to their parents, siblings and relatives.  

 

 The letter-writing continued all through college and extended to college friends too. We were a bunch of crazy college girls living in different parts of the city, hanging out together and writing letters and postcards to each other during vacations telling of the movies we were watching, the books we were reading and other chit -chat.   
I wrote to my mom when I took up a job outside my home city. Then was the odd letter to friends and relatives after marriage in the mid-nineties. It was around that time that the hand-written letter began to lose ground. 

I don’t quite remember when I completely stopped hand writing letters but after I tied the knot and the boys came along the letters were few and far between. 

I have as precious keepsakes a bunch of handwritten letters that see me skipping down memory lane.

When was the last time that you wrote a letter? 

Hidden Treasures

 

 

On a faraway hill, close to the deep blue sea

Stood a towering mansion

Belonging to Uncle Lee

Which he generously left to me.

 

I approached with trepidation, the palatial structure

But also excited about what I would see

I unlocked the heavy oak wood door

My eyes adjusted to the gloom

Wishing that there was more light in the room.

 

I switched on the lamps

Basking in their golden glow

The ornate furnishings were just so beautiful

I could never let them go.

 

I wandered through the many rooms

Admiring all that I saw

Looking for treasures that I’d hoped to have and hold.

Alas! No gold, silver or diamonds did I find

Only upon a wall had Uncle Lee scribbled

Love and be kind.

 

Uncle Lee cared not for

The mansion his father had built

Being loving, gentle and kind

Was what was always on his mind.

 

This post is part of the Blogchatterbloghop weekly prompt. 

Image credit - Pixabay. 

 

 

Food As A Language of Love

 

Food goes beyond being a means of sustenance. It brings people together. It fosters bonds of love, care and kindness. “The way to man’s heart is through his stomach, said somebody and thus wrote my Father to my mother, “Your every dish is a poem," in a recipe book that he gifted to her.

How does food create a language of love?

§  Cooking Together – Preparing a meal with someone, whether it is parents cooking together or parents and children or siblings or friends or newlyweds - Amidst the cleaning chopping and stirring, a rapport is built and bonds are strengthened.

§  Sharing meals – Family meals spread positive vibes and bring the family closer. Leaving behind or even sharing the rants of the day, family come together to share and bond over food. It is also an opportunity to thank the one who prepared the meal which is often the mom.

§  Cultural connection – Food celebrates cultural diversity. The lunch hour in workplaces resembles a restaurant with different cuisines to relish. I fondly recall the school lunch hour where we ate from each other’s lunch boxes meals so lovingly prepared by our mothers. Devilled eggs, Jhaal Muri and endless cups of tea were among the food items over which we created and strengthened our bonds of friendship in the college. 

§  Occasions – Birthdays anniversaries, and milestones all call for celebration and what is a celebration without food? Food may be an integral part of a memorial service celebrating the departed's life. As a birthday remembrance, a lunch was organised to celebrate the life and times of my recently departed mother–in–law who incidentally, cooked some awesome food.

§  Comfort food – Comfort food may not always be healthy but it is connected to love and warmth that you may be in dire need at some point in your life. 

Food is therefore a fantastic language that speaks of love in so many different ways.  

 

Image Credit - Freepik images

#Blogchatterfoodfest

 

Sattu: A Superfood.

 

 

I was introduced to Sattu at a healthcare programme and have grown fond of it. I try and incorporate the food into my diet in various ways.

Popular in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar Uttarakhand, and even some parts of Pakistan Sattu is a protein-rich, plant-based flour made from dry-roasted Bengal gram or chickpeas. This recently recognized superfood is said to have originated in Tibet where it is called TSampa.It is also available in different forms, such as wheat, barley or Jowar.

Sattu ki Kadi 

owar.  Sattu is especially beneficial during the summer because of its cooling properties. Sattu is unique to Bihari cuisine and Litti Choka remains a popular dish even among non-Biharis. Litti is a whole wheat dough ball stuffed with a spiced mixture of sattu and served with a veggie mash called chokha.   The littis are traditionally roasted on charcoal fires but in homes they are generally baked in an oven.   

My favourite dishes with Sattu are a Sattu summer cooler, sattu ki kadi,  I also enjoy Sattu pancakes, and sattu ladoos    You can even mix it with the flour that you use to make your rotis and parathas. I’ve recently begun indulging in a sattu-mango smoothie that I discovered on the internet.  

 

Why is Sattu good for you?

 

·       Maintains blood sugar levels – Sattu is high in fibre and this helps maintain blood sugar levels.

 

·       Aids digestion – The large quantities of insoluble fibre aid in constipation and acidity issues.

 

·       High nutritional value – Sattu is rich in protein, fibre, calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium and the dry roasting process enhances the nutritional value of the flour. With its high protein content, it serves as a good alternative for vegans and vegetarians.

 Two of my favourite recipes: 

Sattu -mango smoothie

Blend one mango, 1/2 cup curd, 4 tbsps sattu, any sweetener of your choice, 1-2 glasses of chilled water.

sattu -mango smoothie

If new to you, kindly consult your healthcare provider before consuming sattu. 

 

 Do you have any favourite health foods? 

 

Bottle Masala : A Flavourful East -Indian Spice Blend.

 

During the 19^th century, Bombay Christians were glad to be employed by the British East India Company but decided to differentiate themselves from the Goans and Mangloreans who also headed to Bombay seeking employment. Thus these locals from the western coast of Maharashtra called themselves East -Indians.  East Indian strongholds in Mumbai include Gorai, Vasai, Versova, Bandra, Colaba, Thane and Mazazgon.   

 I am an East –Indian and as a schoolgirl, I spent several summer vacations in my grandma’s house in Mumbai. One memory that has stayed with me is of a group of women coming to my grandma’s home almost every summer to pound at least 20 plus spices, sun-dried for a few days into a fine crimson powder called “Bottle Masala” unique to the East – Indian community. The women spent the entire afternoon pounding the ingredients in Grandma's garden. They pounded the spices in a huge wooden drum with long, wooden sticks.  The masala is not pungent but flavourful and fragrant. It is used in the preparation of meat, fish and vegetables.I even use it in my preparation of channa masala. 

 Once the masala is ready, as was and is the practice it is filled into dark beer bottles and pounded down firmly with a wooden spoon. Then it is distributed among family members or sold. The quantity made usually lasts the entire year. I remember Mom carrying away her stock of Bottle Masala to far off Jamshedpur.

The masala is called ‘Bottle Masala’ because it is stored in dark beer bottles, to protect it from light that could alter the colour and taste.  The beer bottles must be properly washed and dried because moisture would cause mould.  The masala women are not a very common sight today as many families grind the spices in a mill. The recipe may vary from family to family. On a lighter note, families may hold back that one secret ingredient but every East Indian will swear by that magic in a bottle.

What is the secret sauce of your community? 

Image credit: Pinterest.  

 #BlogchatterFoodFest

Social responsibilities you became aware of as an adult

 Being an adult is not all fun and games. I may enjoy a certain kind of freedom but adulthood also brings with it certain duties and responsibilities that must be taken seriously or I am still a child in the garb of an adult. As an adult, I am expected to behave and speak in a certain way and I list below my social and personal responsibilities. 

 

·         Managing Finance  - I must have my finances in order as I budget and invest. I must contribute to meeting household expenses if I am employed and live with my parents; my husband and I both did. 

·         Accountability – I am accountable for all that I do and say. Playing the blame game within the family or community doesn’t speak well of me.

·       Living in harmony – I am part of a larger community. Hence I must strive to live in peace and harmony with my neighbours and resolve conflicts.  Being part of a community also calls for respecting the rights of others, and being tolerant, trustworthy,  self–disciplined and helpful.

CCaring for the environment – My responsibility as an adult would certainly extend to caring for the environment. I ‘need to incorporate ‘Reduce, reuse and recycle into my lifestyle while educating others about the same. Conserving water, using less plastic, and being a plant parent would be on my list.      

MMaking decisions on my own - When it comes to matters of the heart or decisions regarding career choices or finance, I listen to suggestions and advice, but at the end of the day, I have to take the final call. 

W

What would figure in your list of responsibilities? 

Image credit - Google images

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