The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

The story is set in Missisippi at the time when racism was at its peak in the US and the white kids were raised by their black maids. Skeeter after graduating from her college comes back to Jackson where her parents are. However, with her liberal thinking she finds herself a misfit for the small conservative town. The treatment meted out to the black maids by their white mistresses always irks her. She’s itching to become a writer and towards her goal, starts writing the daily housekeeping column for the local newspaper. Given the background, a white lady has little knowledge of housekeeping and hence she resorts to her friend’s maid Abileen to help her out with the tips and tricks. One day an editor of a popular newspaper advises Skeeter than if she wants to make it big in journaling/writing she has to come up with something nobody has ever thought of. Skeeter takes this advice to heart and comes up with the most radical plan. To execute this plan she needs the help of many black maids in her town, starting with Aibleen. This plan changes the map of her life. Even though it makes her lose her boyfriend and puts her and the maids’ life at risk, it gives all the participants a ray of hope. It is the only light in their life. The way she executes her plan and the secrets that unfold during the execution are the essence of the novel.

I think the author has done a brilliant job – while reading the novel you forget that it’s a piece of fiction, you get so engrossed. You’re completely transported to Missisippi and with every page, your eagerness to read the next only increases.

Bottomline: Love it!

Eggless Chocolate Chip waffles!

If you were to look at my last post, you would think that I’m on an eggless recipe hunt :). It’s just that I prefer to cook things which require ingredients that I already have and by using eggless recipe I avoid one more ingredient in the house, it is healthier and feels good. Though I’m not sure if I would be able to find recipes for eggless-everything :).

Anyway, before I found this recipe I’d tried making eggless waffles using another one from the net and it was so bad that I vowed to never try eggless waffles again. However, on coming across this one I couldn’t resist :) and had to try it! I’m glad I did because they taste absolutely delicious!! So much better than the regular recipe listed in my cuisinart manual. I can eat these waffles just like that, without any syrup/topping!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 level tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup milk
• Chocolate chips, according to taste. To give a rough idea, I must’ve used 1/4 cup or less.

Method:

1. Heat the waffle maker.
2. Mix all the ingredients together except butter and chocolate chips.
3. Add butter. If you add butter in the beginning, it forms lumps with the flour. Even after adding it in the second step, there might be small lumps, that’s ok; but remove all the big lumps, if any.
4. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Make the waffles as per the directions of your waffle maker.

Note: The original recipe asks to keep the batter for 2-3 hours. I never remember to do that but still like the taste of the waffles. I intend to try this next time.

Eggless Banana nut muffin

I found  this recipe at Saffron Hut and the muffin were delicious! I’ve a 6-muffin pan so I halved the recipe and the recipe below is for 6 muffins.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 3/8 cup sugar
• 1/6 cup melted butter
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• chopped walnuts, according to your taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mash bananas. Make sure to do it properly so that the bananas blend well into the batter.
3. Reserve some chopped walnuts for topping and mix all the other ingredients along with the bananas.
4. Line the muffin pan with muffin cups and divide the batter into the 6 cups.
5. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or till golden brown. You can do the toothpick test – insert a toothpick in one of the muffins and if it comes out clean, they’re done.

Hope you enjoy them!

Twilight and New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Well, I’m sure most of the readers must’ve already heard about these books and the author. The popularity of the Twilight series as been compared to the Harry Potter series and seems to be the biggest craze in books for the past year.

I’d long avoided reading this series because I never thought that I could like a book whose hero was a vampire. I mean come on – a love story with a vampire?!?! However I caved in and finally started to read the first in the series – Twilight; and I was hooked. Its such a deeply romantic story that you just can’t keep it down. Of course, being a "YA” (young adult) category there were instances where I felt that how could the heroine be so dumb but I was ready to skip over those places and complete the book.

The story begins with Bella, a teenage girl moving to a dull town, Forks, with her father. She disliked that place and had no idea how she was going to adjust to it; but she was in for a surprise. At her school she meets this young handsome boy, Edward, who’s just perfect – the dream guy you can think of – and then she couldn’t think of leaving Forks, ever! All she could think of now was him. However, loving a vampire is not easy – it has its own risks!

New moon: is the second in the series. Edward decides to leave Bella because being with him had endangered her life now and again. This leaves her heart-broken – to an extent which seems ridiculous to me! It is then that she starts getting more and more friendly with her native american friend Jacob. If you thought that the story was now more human-e then you’re absolutely wrong! The author just doesn’t believe in human romance :). Turns out that Jacob is a werewolf and werewolf and vampires are enemies. You can now figure out the complications that would result in Bella’s life!!

I like Edward’s character in the story but have no words for Bella’s character. She’s the most dumb, irrational, ungrateful and stupid heroine I’ve ever seen! But she doesn’t stop me from getting addicted to this series :). So now I’m waiting to get my hands on the third in the series :-).

To all those who don’t belong to the YA category, you must be ready to gloss over some of the stupidity and irrationality. Oh and not to forget, the script is not well-edited. I wonder how they manage to make so many mistakes in this age where we have software like Word. That was seriously very disappointing – considering the popularity of the series! An extra “to” here, an extra “the” there – pathetic!

Bottomline: I don’t why I’m so addicted to this series!!!!

Same kind of different as me

Author: Ron Hall and Denver Moore

This book was very engrossing as well as heart touching! It shows how much difference can just one person make in this world. It is a very inspiring story.

It’s a true story about a black slave, a woman who wants to make this world a beautiful place and her husband who has the midas touch. The story of the black slave is heart wrenching and his life, hard to imagine that it could be real. On the other hand, the husband and wife climb the social and financial ladder so fast that soon they have anything and everything one can think of; but the wife wants something else – to bring a smile on people’s face. So she, along with her husband, decide to distribute meals in their church once a week. Slowly and gradually their once-a-week commitment encroaches the other days of the week. It is then that their paths cross with the black slave and what follows is a story worth reading.

Bottomline: Must read.

Happy Ugadi and Happy Navratri!

Today is the beginning of the navratri and it is also the beginning of the new year - so wish you all a happy ugadi!

Donations

Just like food and yagya, donation can also be categorized as saatvik, rajasik and tamasik.

Saatvik donation is one where the donor considers it to be his duty to serve humanity. He never thinks about what he would gain from this donation either in this life or after. He doesn’t expect anything in return from the receiver. He gives to the appropriate persons, at appropriate places and in appropriate times.

Any place/person/time, in need of what you’re giving is an appropriate place/person/time. In ordinary cases, Kurukshetra, Haridwaar, Mathura, Kashi, Prayag, Naimisharanya and other pilgrim places are considered the most appropriate places. And eclipse day, full moon day, new moon day, sankranti, ekadashi and other auspicious times are the most appropriate times. Apart from needy people, giving to all those as prescribed in the scriptures is apt.

It is our duty to serve those who’ve helped us. So such a behavior should never be considered a part of giving. A true help can never be paid back so the least we can do is to serve them and to make them happy. If we consider that as part of giving, then we’re insulting the recipient.

Rajasik donation is one which is given with some expectation or in return for some help or with bad thoughts/actions. Expectation could be directly from the recipient, could be attain some karma points, to establish one’s reputation, to get publicity, to impress someone, etc. Giving donation to somebody with whom one is involved or expects some assistance in the future is not considered true donation – because one is doing it for one’s own good. Similarly giving to somebody because you there’s other way out – there’s some political pressure or any other kind of pressure – is of no good.

Tamasik donation is one that is given without honor, in a disrespectful manner, to an ineligible person, at inappropriate place/time.