Summer Austerity

On Sunday we performed the final last rites ceremony, or tarpan, for Purandar Acharya prabhu's father. Usually, tarpan is celebrated exactly one year after the first shraddha ceremony; the begrieved are obligated to perform tarpan before they can celebrate any joyful rites or rituals in the family. Sundar Gopal prabhu flew in to town to perform the fire sacrifice, but the entire occasion took approximately two weeks' preparation. We had to collect and prepare all the items: ritual paraphernalia, offerings, and ingredients for the concluding pizza party.
Initially we decided that, since it is a private family ritual, we would only invite close friends or relatives. Word spread about the pizza party, however, and many uninvited guests showed up unexpectedly. It must have been Sri Kṛṣṇa's arrangement because some invited guests weren't able to attend. We ended up hosting a much larger party than we planned; more vaisnavara were received and served pizza prasadam.
The fire sacrifice was beautiful; I was very happy and relieved to perform this ritual finally. It signifies that we (extended family) are no longer in mourning, and that we can observe joyful festivals now.  We will have to wait approximately three months before we can do any celebratory samskars due to chaturmas, but hopefully we will have good news to announce soon. I don't want to jinx it so I wait until we are certain.

Spring Update

Well it has been over a month since I last blogged and that is mainly because I've been busy with school work. I have less than a month to go this semester, and I'm really proud of myself. I still have straight As and I have made a lot of new friends with different peeople.

On other news, I have moved again. Actually, I'm right back to my old place. The house has more privacy in the backyard and the foliage also protects my plants from excessive sun exposure. The best news so far? No more roommates. Next on the agenda is a spring yard sale.
:)
Right now I'm working on a group assignment on e-Portfolio but I think I still have more to add.
Today I cooked palak paneer and posted the photograph to allrecipes.com. I'm a little upset that someone posted a photograph there that is obviously not my recipe with onions for garnish. Of course, it isn't my recipe exactly, either. Feel free to visit the webpage and try the recipe, if you feel inspired. Also, if you prepare the Palak Paneer, take time to rate, comment, and upload a photo if possible.

Homemade Sugar Wax

This homemade wax is a thrifty way to to look your best without the harsh chemicals, hot waxes and mess!
Let me tell you how to make it quickly and easily in your own home with few ingredients in ten minutes. 

First: You need a cup of sugar, two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of lemon or lime juice.
Bring your ingredients to a rolling boil on high heat for two minutes. 

Your mixture will have a lot of froth and will look like this. Reduce the heat to medium and cook it for another two minutes.

After four minutes on medium heat it will look like this. At this time reduce the heat to low .

Seven minutes on low heat. Thick, syrup-like consistency with a warm amber color. Keep cooking it for another three minutes.

At ten minutes on low heat it will start to look and smell like caramel. Shut off the heat and turn your sugar wax into a glass oven-safe baking dish or pan and sprinkle it with water.

Sprinkle it with water to cook and soften the wax and work it in with your spatula. Continue 'kneading' the wax adding very little water until it becomes soft and supple. Use your spatula not your hands because it is really hot!

Voila! You have got yourself an all-natural body and facial wax which is gentle enough for sensitive skin and strong enough for tough to remove body hair. You apply this wax in the opposite direction of hair growth and pull down. You can use this wax with or without strips, you can find methods for sugar waxing on youtube. Enjoy!

Knit Days, Rasam Nights

Just back from New Orleans, I decided to keep myself occupied until school starts. I added length and half-sleeves to my chevron stitch cardigan this week. For those who need it the pattern is available for free at milobo.wordpress.com, it's a top down yoke and really versatile pattern. I couldn't get a photo of the adjusted sweater because I'm wearing it and I can't find my camera for the life of me. (Actually, I'm sure its right in my desk but I'm still in denial about the mess down there and I'd prefer not to look.)
I promised to post my version of the patiala salwar and I'm getting to it as soon as I find three yards of spare fabric laying around. :)  In fact, I have a ton of saris laying around but since they are Bengali handloom saris, they are much too thin to make salwars with. I can make a bunch of lined gopi skirts or ghagras with the thick slips inside instead and I'll post those as well.
I've been practicing my knitting again and this time I decided to use a bulkier yarn to make a simple scarf. I swear I'm a crocheter not a knitter. I also said knitting was for losers but I also forget that I'm stubborn as a mule and will not submit to the knitting gods. I shall master knitting! SOMEDAY!
Lately we've been having a lot of rasam, its easy to prepare and it tastes like tomato soup's kick-ass Indian cousin.  The first time I tried it, I felt nauseated all day and swore it off for my lifetime. But again, I forgot that I'm stubborn as hell and would not let a little nausea defeat me. The other day, (I forgot which day it was supposed to be below freezing again), we went to Maharaj's house to drip all the faucets and open the cabinets when I spotted a package of Rasam powder in his kitchen. I knew it was a sign, I hadn't yet been able to get down to the Indian market to fetch me some and last time I totally forgot to pick it up and I ended up with two packs of fish curry masala instead.. I was annoyed by my absent-mindedness and so I yanked the powdered spices. This winter there is gonna be a lot of frickin' Rasam  because it is so quick and  easy prepare that you could feasibly make some right away and have it within a half hour! All you need is some tomatoes (3), grated ginger, spices (curry leaves, mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon rasam powder) and oil or ghee for frying. Boil and peel the tomatoes and blend it along with your ginger, a few curry leaves and water. You can also add a green chile for more heat. Heat some oil or ghee in your saucepan and fry the mustard and fresh curry leaves. Add the tomato puree, spices and salt and boil for five minutes. Add more water and boil it for another five minutes. Offer and enjoy!
I never had rasam before because it smelled too  pungent, it usually contained onion or garlic and each time it was usually on a train. Apparently Indian Railways likes to gorge their passengers on Rasam and breadsticks and I had no idea that such a combination was even possible! In my experience its usually not a good idea to combine spicy meals and travel; I never personally made this mistake because 1) I'm not an idiot. 2) I don't eat garbage from a plane or train or otherwise 3) I'm not naturally inclined toward spicy foods but I learn from others' mistakes well. Now that I've discovered rasam and confirmed that it is not decidedly gross as I thought from my previous railway encounters, I'm a fanatic. It really helps open up my sinuses and clearing up colds, its perfect for those cold evenings when you need something to really warm you up but it is really acidic so take care not to over indulge if you have a weak stomach! 

Pondering and such

 Well, it's been a really long time since I blogged last-- exactly a month. I'm sorry I've let my blog sit for so long but if it's any consolation, I haven't been writing in my journal either so you know there isn't anything worth mentioning even in passing. I've been pretty busy these past couple of weeks with class and preparing myself for more classes. I don't want to take on too much at a time as I don't know what my capacity for coursework is, how stressed out I might become or even if I'll be able to manage my time wisely. Besides that, there is nothing really going on in my life.

I've been thinking more about my education and where I want it to take me, career-wise. I am more lost and confused about a career path than I was fifteen years ago. I can honestly say my twelve-year-old self had a more defined sense of purpose in life. I guess my general interests have changed but specifically, the only thing that's really changed since then is my spirituality. When I was twelve, I was trying to distance myself as much as possible from crochet and crafts, as it was no longer 'cool' and instead obsessed about violin and violin mastery. I was really obsessed, I mean, I used to write poems and make artwork about my instrument, music and violin.

  I don't have that one-pointed vision anymore and, though I'm glad I've broadened my general interests, I still wish I had that yogic mental prowess I had then. It's laughable if you really think about it carefully. I was strong-willed, determined, patient, and extremely mature in my musical endeavors. I wonder if I still have that energy and enthusiasm in me. Can I focus my energy and enthusiasm towards a higher purpose and reach my goal?

I guess you're wondering if I'm going off topic and I wonder that too. I write in cryptic and vague language, sometimes alluding to different topics or even writing in hidden and double meanings. I know, I've been doing that a lot lately but I'll let you figure it out.

মাদ্রী দেবী দাসী 

Shraddha samskar

I'm so exhausted from running, shopping, cooking, organizing, socializing and feasting that I hardly have the energy to stand. I just wanna go to my room and immerse myself in ruffles and possibly prameya-tattva, if I feel up to the intense mental strain. Everything else can go away until I come out of my cloister. Another feast is said and done and I have to say it was a huge success. My dear god-brothers are an inspiration and performers of great feats. Sripati prabhu and Srivas prabhu cooked, Sundar Gopal prabhu preformed the fire sacrifice, Divya Ratna prabhu yakked on the phone incessantly and Chandaneswar prabhu barked out orders to everyone like nobody's business. They were in and out of here like a special weapons and tactics team of culinary sciences and so forth. Now Dallas is bereft of the clamoring from this weekend. Many devotees arrived on the bus tour; talented, charming and humorous youth from all over North America came. We were fortunate enough to serve them prasadam during the lunch feast in honor of Purandar Acharya Prabhu's deceased father. Surely serving so many devotees during his shraddha ceremony will be to his spiritual benefit, I can only pray the Lord will shelter him now. I really wish I had spent more time with them when I visited, not only was the environment ideal, pristine and serene but the villagers were by far the humblest, most hospitable and honorable people I've encountered. I want to go back there right now. I feel comfortable and at home with Purandar's family, they are incredibly sweet and loving, it's hard not to feel like you've found yourself among old friends.I have just one meditation aside from living in the holy places, I know of no better abode within this material sphere. I will make sure to spend more time in their village on my next trip to India. God, I miss India.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Park

Today I woke up early, cooked, offered, worshiped my Lordships, had a quick pancake breakfast, packed a picnic lunch, some supplies and left early in the morning toward Glen Rose, Texas listening to kirtan the entire way. It's been my desire to visit this lovely town again for a couple years, mainly for the riverbed fossil digs and it's awesome wildlife park-- Fossil Rim. It's been many years since I went there but I still vividly remember the lovely nature walk, feeding wild animals in close proximity and the sheer adventure of not knowing what you'd dig up next. Picnics, walks through the state park, wading in the river. ::sigh::
 Krishna Chandra is totally in love with the place, I'm even considering a membership. Chandaneswar is excited to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park; next time we plan on rising even earlier and heading straight to the dig and then hit up Fossil Rim after an outdoor picnic to feed the variety of horned creatures. I can wait to visit again! I have photographs of all the exotic, endangered and near-extinct species from all over the world but I'll upload those later.. when I'm feeling more inclined to deal with that. Right now, I need a relaxing shower, sringar, some Bengali padavali tunes and electrolytes because tomorrow is Ekadaśi and I absolutely must recover from today's wildlife excursion. And to wash some of that soft water off of me. : p 

Potatoes, Potatoes, Potatoes...

This morning I was preparing the Ekadaśi staple of the day, potatoes, while Chandaneśwar prabhu transfixed on something else than me when I started thinking carefully about my actions and suddenly asked him, "Isn't it horrible how I'm stabbing this poor potato all over? Do you think he feels pain? I mean, the scriptures say that plant-life have consciousness though extremely diminished. Are they aware of their suffering the way we're aware when in pain or hurt?" My husband joked around about it then became very somber. "Maybe he feels it like... acupuncture." He chuckled lightly then became very grave and the room went quiet, "They don't feel anything the way we feel; they're alive but not conscious, like in a coma." I thought about it "Coma?" and reflected on terminology I was well-acquainted with from my past, 'vegetative state', 'diminished brain function', 'paralysis' and rephrased aloud, "They're alive but barely, not aware of their surroundings, their entire existence is pain, they don't know anything besides suffering." I felt bad again, not because I was stabbing potatoes, rubbing them with olive oil and sea salt only so I could foil them up and throw 'em in the oven but because I realized how variegated were the consciousness of  living entities and how we interact with each other. "Jiva jivasya jivanam. What choice do I have, it's a dog eat dog world... " thoughts of the food chain sped around my brain like a twister through a trailer-park. It unnerved me but then I caught myself. I was only looking at this situation from the material perspective. What about the spiritual perspective? The only thing I could do to survive is eat another living entity, how I go about it is my choice; Krishna is here, in my home, waiting for me to offer whatever I have with love and sincerity. How could I be so upset with myself, when in reality I was taking the potato out of his miserable existence and offering it back to the Supreme Lord? Whatever suffering he's undergone is in the past, maybe that soul will be reunited with Krishna in the very near future, maybe I can pray for that jiva to find his way back home. Maybe that jiva can put in a good word for me, too. Maybe I need that jiva more than he needs me... who is benefiting whom exactly?

Busy bee-ing

This morning was Dvadasi, to break our fast we had kichuri in the morning. Purandar prabhu got up early in the morning to whip up a batch and offered before I was ready to even get out of bed! One of the perks of living with Bengali Vaishnavs is that they love to cook, especially on festival days, copious amounts of bhoga for the Lord, the downside being that a lot of the time, there is so much maha-prasadam left over that we can't finish it ourselves. I decided to go for something wholesome but not too heavy; I still had my yogurt and apple cider vinegar drink for a boost on my immune system. My throat has been a little sore and weak these past couple of days so I think I really needed it. Also, I experimented with the pickle spices and made a carrot and jalapeño pickle in mustard oil to go with that kichuri and alu bhaja. My latest idea was to leave the mixture out in the sun to cook (how they do in India) but I want my condiment now rather than in a week. I'm going to look around the Indian and Vietnamese market for good pickle ingredients like alma or kacha aam. I'm still not sure if I will ever find almaki, fresh, in USA but it is worth a good hunt. I remember finding green mangos at the Vietnamese market whenever my mom would take us up there but I haven't seen any in Dallas for a long time... maybe you know where I could get some alma or kacha aam in this town. Let me know, for sure.. cause I'm getting desperate.

Also, I'm working on a new project, a combination scarf of tunisian/afghan crochet and broomstick lace crochet. I really love these two stitches because they're beautiful and versatile, they're just so different from each other that I couldn't think of a way to combine the two. I love the density and texture of Afghan crochet but I also love the lacy, soft and pliable feel of Broomstick lace. Right now I'm experimenting with both stitches in this new lovely cotton scarf. I''ll take pictures and post them later, right now I have to get ready for the Sunday feast.. later!

Good News!

My bathroom floor is finally repaired, it is no longer a "wobbly" platform sustained by rotting planks beneath but the bad news is that the tiles are completely askew. It would surmise to say that it appears that a crack-head spider wandered in and spun a web of chaos and mischief in my lavatory. I think my two-year-old could have done a better job of re-tiling if given the grand opportunity; at any rate, we got what we paid for and we paid for dirt cheap... so I guess I can't complain. Besides... Maharaj will get a kick out of this when he sees it. It's beyond hilarious. The important thing being that the floor won't collapse from under me, one bright and sunny afternoon after having taken a soothing bath, and land me in a pile of debris and racoon droppings, at least I hope that it won't. Another thing, I wanted to tell everyone that there is an easy way to prepare dhokla at home, assuming that you already have the ingredients at home and steamer, you could get cracking on it right now and have yourself a piping hot semolina dhokla ready to offer to the Lord within half an hour.

First, oil a pan and boil enough water(about three cups) in the steamer. You can place your oiled pan on the steam rack and leave it there while your prepare the batter. You need:

1 1/4 c semolina "sooji"
1 teaspoon all- purpose flour "atta"
1 teaspoon chickpea flour "besan"
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of hing

Mix your dry ingredients well before adding your wet ingredients which are as follows:

1 tablespoon oil
2-3 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon grated ginger or chiles(optional)
1-1 1/4 c water

After mixing it thoroughly add
Two teaspoons of Eno fruit salt powder at the very end, mix it it well and pour the batter into your hot mold. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for twenty minutes in the steamer. Voila!


You can also fry some mustard seeds and sprinkle on top and add some chopped cilantro leaves and garnish. :) Remember to offer it to the Lord!