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Thursday, December 22, 2011

braised brussel sprouts

On busy days at home (which day isn't?) the subjis are often simple. Here's a prime example and a family favorite:

INGREDIENTS:
  • brussels sprouts, sliced in halves
  • 3-4 T ghee
  • 1 t fresh ginger root, minced
  • 1/4 hing
  • 1 t ground coriander
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  • 1 t turmeric
  • water
  • salt, as desired
  • a squeeze of lemon juice 

PREPRATION:
  1. In a frying pan on high heat, chaunce in the hot ghee the ginger until browned. Add hing and then the coriander and pepper and turmeric.
  2. Add the brussels and stir fry a few minutes until they begin browning.
  3. Add water and cover. Cook on high heat until the water evaporates and brussels are tender and beginning to brown on the bottom.
  4. Add salt and a little lemon juice as desired and offer to Krishna.

Weaving with T-Shirt Yarn

The idea came from here to use some old T-shirts instead of throwing them away:  T-Shirt Weaving .  Something to do with the grandchildren during break. 

A good way to link the strips together without sewing is found here: Making Fabric Into Yarn.

In this case the T-shirts were cut straight across:


The loom was made from a large piece of cardboard, and the warp threads from collected string and yarn. A ruler and yarn needle made the weaving faster.
 

The result was a small mat or rug.


fried chickpeas

These are good especially at breakfast time. 

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 c chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 2 T ghee
  • 2-3 t fresh ginger, minced 
  • 1 t cumin seeds
  • 1/2 t mustard seeds (opt)
  • 1/2 t ground coriander
  • 1/4 t black pepper, ground 
  • 1/8 t hing
  • 1/2 t turmeric
  • 1/2 t fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 celery stick, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 small bell pepper, chopped (optional)
  • salt. as desired
  • fresh coriander leaves
  • a slice of lemon

PREPARATION:
  1. Bring the chickpeas to a boil with fenugreek seeds and then simmer until done. Drain.
  2. Chaunce in hot ghee the ginger, cumin and mustard seeds. Fry until the ginger is crispy brown and the mustard seeds stop popping. 
  3. Add the hing, black pepper, coriander powder, turmeric, celery and chickpeas with fenugreek in quick succession and stir until everything is well incorporated. Turn off the heat. Stir in fresh coriander.
  4. Offer to Krishna with a wedge of lemon.

Friday, December 16, 2011

moong bean soup

I often make this soup very simple but occasionally throw in some vegies.

 INGREDIENTS:
1 c whole moong beans, sorted, washed and soaked 6-8 hrs 
water
1 t salt
1 T ghee
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander powder
1/4 t black pepper, ground
1 t turmeric
Lemon slices

PREPARATION:
  1. Bring about 5-6 c water to a boil and add the moong. Bring to a boil again, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook about 45 minutes. The dahl splits and softens. Add more water if needed.
  2. Make a chaunk in hot ghee: Add the ginger and cumin until the ginger is brown and crisp. Then add remaining spices. 
  3. Immediately pour into the soup. 
Offer to Krishna piping hot with squeeze of lemon. Serve with rice or favorite bread. Good for breakfast offering with biscuits or parathas or banana parathas.

VARIATION:
Add chopped tomatoes after the dahl is soft.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

Time for a Revolution

Got this email worth sharing:


(Based on a talk given by Sripada Bhakti Vikasa Swami, available at http://www.bvks.com/2011/11/time-for-a-revolution/)
If you really want to see iskcon a lot stronger than it is at present, and if you are ready to take part in a grassroots revolution, here is a program for you. It is non-political and non-controversial, easy to implement, and with negligible cost, yet it will benefit the whole society of devotees worldwide. The program is that all members of the Krsna consciousness movement should read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Of course, many devotees are already reading Prabhupada’s books, but still, far too many are not. Numerous devotees who have been initiated for ten years or more, and are even brahmana-initiated, have not read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, and apparently have never thought of doing so. They are depriving themselves of the nectar of Srila Prabhupada’s association and guidance—maybe due to lack of time, a sudra-like mentality (being preoccupied with working hard and earning money), having little interest in philosophy, wasting their life watching TV or on the internet, or reading other books apart from Srila Prabhupada’s. Not that going to websites or reading other books apart from Srila Prabhupada’s is necessarily wrong, but the focus should be on Srila Prabhupada’s books.

It is Srila Prabhupada’s books that will change the world, and it is Srila Prabhupada’s books that give solid understanding of Krsna consciousness. It is particularly through Srila Prabhupada’s books that we can make positive advancement and gain the strength to overcome maya. Srila Prabhupada’s books tell us how mayaworks, and give practical advice for overcoming maya. For instance, it seems that nowadays many devotees do not even know that they should not eat food cooked by nondevotees. But by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, they will come to know.

Dear devotees, by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books you will get spiritual strength and a clear understanding of the mission and philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. If you are not feeling inspired in spiritual life, you will definitely gain inspiration by reading the books of Srila Prabhupada. You will also get inspiration to distribute those books and to preach Krsna consciousness.

Devotees enjoy hearing stories about Srila Prabhupada from his disciples, about how those disciples personally interacted with him. By reading Srila Prabhupada’s books you will feel intimacy with him, like that which comes from a mother reading to her child. Srila Prabhupada said, “If you want to know me, read my books.” By doing so, you will feel closeness to Srila Prabhupada, how he is personally speaking to you through his books.

Make Srila Prabhupada happy! He becomes pleased if you read his books. Here are just a few of the many quotes from his letters that confirm this:
I am glad to see how nicely you are reading my books. Please continue to do this. We need so many preachers who are soundly versed in the scriptures to convince the world to take to Krsna consciousness. (9 November 1970)

I request you to thoroughly study all of our literatures very thoughtfully and try to understand the sublime import of this Krsna consciousness philosophy. (4 January 1971)

I am very pleased that you are inclined to read and study our books with seriousness. Thank you very much. So continue it wholeheartedly. We want good preachers also. Preaching shouldn’t depend on me only. My disciples should become all good preachers, and that depends on studying the books nicely so that you can arrive at the right conclusion. (5 July 1971)

A commitment to reading Srila Prabhupada’s books will not only impart strength to the individual members of iskcon but will also give the whole movement the knowledge and potency to withstand maya and to take on the demonic atheistic civilization. (And if you didn’t know that this civilization is demonic and atheistic and that we are supposed to be taking it on, then you should read Srila Prabhupada’s books.)

Reading Srila Prabhupada’s books will also give devotees the insight to recognize deviations when they (inevitably) arise within iskcon and to not become bewildered by them. Or better still, if all devotees were fixed in the knowledge in Srila Prabhupada’s books, then deviations could not arise.

A campaign for getting all devotees to read Srila Prabhupada’s books is the best way to keep Srila Prabhupada in the center of iskcon. We could put Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana in the middle of the temple room and dance around it—which would be very good—but to put his instructions (as given in his books) as central to all that we do is the very best way to keep Srila Prabhupada in the center of his movement.

Encouraging all devotees to read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books is a very simple program. Individuals can take it up, and leaders can encourage their followers to do so.

Gurus, those who are awarding initiation, can instruct those who (having endured the horrors of mundane education) have learned how to read that they should read Srila Prabhupada’s books. Gurus could stipulate that before approving any candidate for initiation, the prospective disciple should have read a certain number of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Parents can teach their children how to read by reading with them from Srila Prabhupada’s books. Other obvious leaders, such as temple presidents and congregational preachers, can best benefit their wards by urging, coaxing, cajoling, or doing whatever is necessary to get them to read Srila Prabhupada’s books. Indeed, anyone who speaks about Krsna and Krsna consciousness to others can encourage everyone else to read Srila Prabhupada’s books.

As more and more devotees read Srila Prabhupada’s books, it will have a snowball effect. It is just a matter of resolving to do so and then making a habit of it. Reading should be done prayerfully, in a submissive mood of wanting to learn and to be purified. It should be done daily, and preferably a devotee should fix a time period within which to have read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Maya always provides something seemingly more important to do, but actually there is nothing as important as reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. And when you begin reading them, you will understand that all topics in the universe other than Krsna-katha, as delineated in Srila Prabhupada’s books, is simply superficial.

Once you start, you won’t want to stop. Careful regular reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books elevates us to an entirely different dimension in spiritual life. On the other hand, if we do not read—if we do not know why we are doing what we are doing—then our devotional practice is probably on the basis of sentiment, which is insubstantial and means that we cannot advance properly. Srila Prabhupada wrote:

All the devotees connected with the Krsna consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure. (Cc Madhya 25.278, purport)

Most of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples will not be in this world much longer, which means that soon the whole responsibility to transmit the teachings of the parampara will be with the next generation. If you have not gone very deeply into those teachings as received through Srila Prabhupada, then what will you give to others? If you have not immersed yourself in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, if you do not have profound faith in them, then you will not be a strong link in the parampara; and many weak links makes for a weak movement.

As previously stated, the cost of this program would be negligible. All one has to do is purchase Srila Prabhupada’s books. Every initiated devotee who lives in a home should have at least one full set of Srila Prabhupada books. If you do not, then get them.

This program can only be auspicious. Nothing bad can come from it.

Listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures is also a must for those who claim to be his followers. You can get all of Srila Prabhupada’s recorded lectures, conversations, and also kirtanas, in a set of DVDs. Absorb the pure sound of Srila Prabhupada’s Vaikuntha voice, from far beyond the realm of mundane illusion. Allow him to cut through all your anxiety, attachments, and misconceptions and to deliver to you what he came to give: Krsna. Hear how Srila Prabhupada preached—his clear delineation of the truth, piercing straightforwardness, transcendental humor, and sense of urgency to communicate Krsna consciousness.

Hare Krsna!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Devotional Service



Loving the Lord
Nine Ways to Stay Connected

An Example Given by the Acaryas 
or what we can learn from an unchaste woman

Horror Story or What I Learned from House Dust
You'll never see house dust the same way again

The Eternal Nature of Devotional Service
Never ending, ever increasing, ever fresh

Perfectly Imperfect
The nature of a jiva

banana puri



INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe bananas, pureed
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1 1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
pinches of cayenne pepper (as desired)
1 T ghee
atta flour
ghee for deep frying.

Pictured above is a banana puri made from atta and a little besan. Today, I only had atta flour, so various flours may be used.

PREPARATION
  1. Mix into the mashed bananas all the ingredients except the flour. Then slowly add and then knead the flour into the mixture a little at a time to make a nice dough.
  2. Knead well and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
  3. Deep fry in ghee in a wok or suitable container.
Offer to Krishna.These are great with a full thali or for take out.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Stuffed Dates

A simple treat worth making a note of.
INGREDIENTS:
whole medjool dates
almonds, blanched

PREPARATION:
  1. Deep fry the almonds or saute in a little ghee first. Cool
  2. Slice each date halfway open and remove the pit. Check to make sure they are fresh inside.
  3. Insert one almond per date and close shut inside. 
  4. Offer on Krishna's plate with His next meal.

VARIATIONS:
There are many, but a favorite is to stuff dates with cream cheese. Also cream cheese with carob sprinkles. Other nuts can also be used and combined with the cheese. Sprinkle on chopped pistachio or stuff with toasted walnuts. Almonds can also be soaked overnight, then ground into a paste with a little water to use as stuffing. Also try peanut butter and melted carob. Or pecans!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

An “If” for Girls

A reminder that a well rounded housewife can drive when necessary, swim, ride a bike through Mayapur traffic, blow a conchshell, lead a kirtana if asked,  easily talk to temple guests ... and also write.

By Elizabeth Lincoln Otis
(With apologies to Mr. Rudyard Kipling)

If you can dress to make yourself attractive,
Yet not make puffs and curls your chief delight;
If you can swim and row, be strong and active,
But of the gentler graces lose not sight;
If you can dance without a craze for dancing,
Play without giving play too strong a hold,
Enjoy the love of friends without romancing,
Care for the weak, the friendless and the old;

If you can master French and Greek and Latin,
And not acquire, as well, a priggish mien,
If you can feel the touch of silk and satin
Without despising calico and jean;
If you can ply a saw and use a hammer,
Can do a man’s work when the need occurs,
Can sing when asked, without excuse or stammer,
Can rise above unfriendly snubs and slurs;
If you can make good bread as well as fudges,
Can sew with skill and have an eye for dust,
If you can be a friend and hold no grudges,
A girl whom all will love because they must;

If sometime you should meet and love another
And make a home with faith and peace enshrined,
And you its soul—a loyal wife and mother—
You’ll work out pretty nearly to my mind
The plan that’s been developed through the ages,
And win the best that life can have in store,
You’ll be, my girl, the model for the sages—
A woman whom the world will bow before.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Sri Nanda-nandanastakam

Another favorite prayer to add to my collection. An ancient prayer by an unknow Vaisnava. Click on the video below for a lovely melody. Also this is for Gopi, who loves to sing to Radha-Govinda each Friday and Saturday when I put Them to rest:

Sri Nanda-nandanastakam 

1) sucaru-vaktra-mandalam
sukarna-ratna-kundalam
sucarcitanga-candanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose face is extremely delightful, in whose beautiful ears hang jeweled earrings and whose entire body is anointed with fragrant candana.

2) sudirgha netra-pankajam
sikhi-sikhanda-murdhajam
ananga-koti-mohanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose eyes are more beautiful than the fully bloomed lotus, whose head is beautifully adorned with an arrangement of peacock feathers and who enchants millions of Cupids.

3) sunasikagra-mauktikam
svacchanda danta-panktikam
navambudanga-cikkanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, from whose beautiful nose hangs an elephant-pearl, whose teeth are immensely effulgent, whose bodily complexion is more beautiful and lustrous than a fresh rain cloud

4) karena venu-ranjitam
gati-karindra-ganjitam
dukula-pita sobhanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose lotus hands hold the flute, whose lingering gait defeats even that of an impassioned elephant and whose dark limbs are beautified by a yellow shawl.

5) tri-bhanga-deha-sundaram
nakha-dyuti-sudhakaram
amulya ratna-bhusanam
 namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose threefold-bending posture is exquisitely elegant, the effulgence of whose toe-nails puts to shame even the moon, and who wears invaluable jewels and ornaments.

6) sugandha-anga-saurabham-
uroviraji-kaustubham
sphuracchri-vatsalanchanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose body exudes an especially beautiful fragrance, and whose broad chest is adorned with the kaustubha jewel and the mark of srivatsa.

7) vrndavana-sunagaram
vilasanuga-vasasam
surendra-garva-mocanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, the expert lover of Vrindavana who performs immaculate pastimes and who is attired in clothes which are suitable for those pastimes and who pulverized the pride of Indra.

8) vrajangana-sunayakam
sada sukha-pradayakam
jagan-manah pralobhanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, who as the lover of the Vraja gopis perpetually delights them and who enchants the minds of all living entities.

9) sri-nanda-nandanastakam
pathed ya sraddhayanvitah
tared-bhavabdhim dustaram
labhet tadanghri-yugmakam

Whoever regularly recites this (Sri Nanda-nandanastakam) will easily cross the seemingly insurmountable ocean of material existence and attain eternal residence at the lotus feet of Krsna.

Noodle Stir Fry

Spaghetti noodles would be best for this dish, but I often have homemade lasagna noodles left over from the buffet. So I break them into bits and use them with whatever vegetables are available such as carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, broccoli. Below is one example:

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2-3 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2-3 carrot sticks, chopped small or grated
  • 1/3 of a cauliflower, chopped.
  • 1 cup broccoli or broccoli stems, chopped
  • 1 chili, seeded and minced
  • 1/4 t hing
  • 1/2 t ground black pepper
  • 4-6 T ghee
  • noodles, as desired
  • water to boil the noodles
  • salt, as desired

PREPARATION:
  1. Chaunce in the ghee in a large frying pan or wok the chili until lightly brown. Add hing and then the black pepper and then all the vegetables.
  2. Stir in the ghee on high the vegetables until they soften a bit.
  3. Add a cup of water and leave on high, covered until the water evaporates. (Or leave the cover off if you prefer extra crisp vegies.
  4. Meanwhile, boil the noodles 7-10 minutes in water until al dente (just cooked). You may prefer salted water, but I usually do not salt it.
  5. Drain and add the noodles to the cooked vegetables. Stir in salt and offer first to Krishna.

Evening Prayer

These prayers, or part of them, are chanted by pujaris after any altar service. They make very nice prayers to remember before bedtime, too. From the ISKCON Deity Worship Handbook:

mantra-hinam kriyä-hinam bhakti-hinam janärdana
yat püjitam mayä deva paripürnam tad astu me

O my Lord, O Janärdana, whatever little püjä or worship that has been performed by me, although it is without devotion, without proper mantras, and without the proper performance, please let that become complete.

yad-dattam bhakti-mätrena patram puspam phalam jalam
äveditam nivedyan tu tad grhänänukampayä

Whatever has been offered with devotion-the leaf, the flower, the water, the fruit, the food offering-please accept it out of Your causeless mercy.

vidhi-hinam mantra-hinam yat kincid upapäditam
kriyä-mantra-vihinam vä tat sarvam ksantum arhasi

Whatever has happened without the proper chanting of the mantra, or without following the proper procedure, kindly forgive all that.

ajnänäd athavä jnänäd asubham yan mayä krtam
ksantum arhasi tat sarvam däsyenaiva grhäna mäm

Whatever inauspicious things I have done out of ignorance or unknowingly, please forgive that, and accept me as Your insignificant servant.

sthitih sevä gatir yäträ smrtis cintä stutir vacah
bhüyät sarvätmanä visno madiyam tvayi cestitam

Let my normal condition be service, let my movement be holy pilgrimage, let my thought be remembrance of You, let my words be glorification of You. O Visnu, let my activities, with my whole mind, body and soul, be engaged in You.

aparädha-sahasräni kriyante 'har-nisam mayä
däso 'ham iti mäm matvä ksamasva madhusüdana

Thousands of offenses are performed by me day and night. But thinking of me as Your servant, kindly forgive those, O Madhusüdana.

pratijnä tava govinda na me bhaktah pranasyati
iti samsmrtya samsmrtya pränän sandhärayämy aham

O Govinda, Your promise is that Your devotee will never perish. By remembering this over and over again, I am able to retain my life-airs.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Quick Radish Parathas


INGREDIENTS
  • 2 daikon radishes (mooli), grated
  • 1 t minced fresh ginger root
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  •  1 t roasted cumin powder
  • salt, as desired
  • fresh coriander leaves,chopped
  • dough made from atta flour and salt (and also ghee if desired, optional)
  • ghee for frying

PREPARATION:
  1. First, squeeze out excess juice from the grated radish (this can be used to make the dough). 
  2. Add the ginger, pepper, cumin, salt and coriander leaves and mix well.
  3. Instructions for shaping and cooking parathas can be found by clicking here. There are two ways I've seen and this method is my preference. Not difficult if one takes the time to roll carefully. 
  4. The more filling you can get in there without breakage, the tastier the paratha. Some breakage is inevitable in this preparation, because juice is made when the lemon juice and salt interacts with the grated radish, but does not effect the final cooking. You can squeeze out juice a second time, but that also squeezes out salt, etc. or you can sprinkle a little flour on the broken areas, but it is not necessary. Just allow it to squirt out a bit at the edge and keep rolling, dipping into flour as needed.
Another way I've made paratha with mooli is to mix all the ingredients directly into the flour and then make the dough. Then roll our like regular chapati or plain paratha.

Offer to Krishna. These make a nice breakfast offering served with mung and spinach soup on a cold morning.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Potato Soup

Another basil inspired post.
Because its so busy around here, I don't always post a recipe right away and therefore may forget the exact measurements. In any case, this soup is hard to not come out good. Super simple to make; its especially nice for a light supper on a cool autumn evening.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)
  • 10 medium potatoes
  • couple big handfuls of freshly picked basil leaves (if available, otherwise use dried basil)
  • 1/4-1/2 t hing
  • 1/2-1 t black pepper
  • salt, as desired
  • ghee

PREPARATION:
  1. Peel and cut potatoes into large chunks
  2. Add water until potatoes are covered and a few inches more.
  3. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.
  4. Gently mash. The result should be soupy.
  5. Chaunce the ghee with hing and black pepper .
  6.  Add to the soup with basil and oregano.
  7. Simmer about 15 minutes more to incorporate all the flavors.
  8. Offer to Krishna with freshly cooked parathas or wedges of leavened bread.

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Why I'm a Vegetarian


For more reasons, check out the web site: totalveg.com.  Has many good looking recipes from devotees!





Cauliflower Tomato Subji with Fresh Basil Leaves

Fresh basil straight from the garden was the inspiration for this dish for Lord Krishna's satisfaction, using whatever vegetables were available. Carrots, which are alkaline, were added to help neutralize the acidity* of the tomatoes. If my memory serves correctly, this is how it was prepared a few days ago.

INGREDIENTS:
a handful or two of fresh basil leaves, whole with large stems removed
about 12 plum tomatoes, blended
1 large cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 large carrot, chopped
4-5 T ghee
1/4 t hing
1 t coriander powder
1/2 t ground black pepper
salt

PREPARATION:
1. Chaunce on medium high heat the hing, black pepper and coriander in several tablespoons of ghee (or as desired). Add the basil leaves, stir them a few seconds and then immediately add the blended tomatoes.
2. Add the vegetables.
3. Stir and cover. Cook on medium-low heat until vegetables are tender as desired.  About 45 minutes..
4. Add salt, as desired.

VARIATION:
For enhanced flavor and faster cooking, stir fry a few minutes the vegetables in a frying pan in about a tablespoon or two of hot ghee. Add a splash of water, cover and cook on high until the water evaporates. Add to the tomato sauce and cook few minutes longer.

*A pinch of baking soda to the tomato sauce while cooking also helps cut down unwanted acidity, but not my favorite option.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Motherhood Supreme


Had a fantastic Janmastami weekend. Found this inspiring picture to save here. Srimati Yasoda Mata ki Jaya!!!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Carob Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 1/4 c atta flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 c organic sugar
  • 4 heaping tablespoons of yogurt
  • 1 t vanilla  (non-alcohol)
  • 2 cups carob chips
  • 1 c finely chopped almonds or walnuts
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
  1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. 
  2. Beat the butter and sugar in another bowl until creamy. 
  3. Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix well.
  4. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, carob chips and nuts. 
  5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
  6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. 
Cool a bit before offering to Krishna with a glass of cold milk!

The original recipe came from here: Toll House Cookies.
The recipe says 1 t salt, but it was too much for my taste. 1/2 - 3/4 t is better.
The yogurt is what replaces the eggs. Sour cream would be good also.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

moong bean sprouts

I thought I had added this already, but can't find it! Making moong sprouts is easy. Makes a good addition to salad or stir fry.  Here's one way to do it:
  • Start with a cup of moong beans and soak overnight.
  • Drain and leave in a cheese cloth (or clean, thin cotton cloth) in the kitchen hanging where you will see it.
  • Each time you see it add water and let it drain. 
  • In a couple days they'll start to sprout. 







Continue to grow until they begin rooting into the cloth. Finally, leave them in a light source such as a sunny window, so they can manufacture chlorophyll (in other words, turn green), but be careful to not let them dry out.

Here's a favorite recipe:
SPROUTED MUNG SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
1 c moong sprouts

DRESSING:
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c sesame seeds
1 large cucumber
juice of one large lemon
1/4 t yellow hing (1/8 t regular)
1/4 t dried dill weed
salt (1/4 t per cup of finished dressing or as desired)
black pepper (opt)
sour cream (opt)

PREPARATION:
Blend all the above ingredients for the dressing
Pour over servings of moong sprouts or mix together for a sandwich filling


salad season


Heavy or light, salad is a delicious addition to many meals and very healthy. And in summer time especially, salads are refreshing. What to put in your next salad? Here are suggestions to create various combinations from. These can be chopped, sliced, grated...

Various salad greens.Its nice to have a variety
Broccoli, the stems can be peeled also to get to the softer core and grated or finely chopped
Cauliflower
Alfalfa sprouts
Mung bean sprouts, Click here to make your own.
Olives, including green olives
Sprouted chickpeas
Chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Fresh corn
White radish
Carrot
Fresh Peas
Cucumber
Zucchini
Celery
Bell pepper
Sunflower seeds, toasted
Paneer chunks
Avocado chunks
Cooked beans

All these help to create tasty, nutritious salads for offering. Various dressings make them complete. A few have been posted earlier. A favorite is simply olive oil and lemon juice, with salt and pepper and perhaps a little fresh or dry dill weed.

home improvement month

Along with extra sensitivity and a tendency to clam up, the sun traveling through the sign of Cancer is a great time for home improvement projects. Its a good time to get the clutter out of that bedroom and go for some new colors. How about some sheer satiny curtains? This particular set were made from a sari passed on to me. Simply fold and cut two pieces the same. With matching or complementary threads, sew at the top a casing big enough so the chosen curtain rod easily fits through. Hem stitch at the bottom.

The color casts a golden glow to the room and I like to watch the gently billowing curtains, caught by the breezes passing through the window. I also like how they didn't cost me a cent to make.

Next project will be a new coat of paint, probably a creamy white tone along with a summery colored duvet and pillow casing. An afterthought, I wish I could have made these curtains much longer and the curtain rod above the window casing for a more dramatic effect...

seva savings

(or how belief in reincarnation makes better parenting)

In response to a note I received, there are reasons why devotees of Krishna don't have to force their Vaisnava beliefs while raising their children. First and foremost, the Bhagavad gita says and Prabhupada has also explained that whatever a child does in devotional service, no matter how seemingly insignificant or simple it may be, such as saying Krishna's name while playing or helping change the water cups on the altar or just bowing his head to Krishna...any little thing, Krishna is so kind that He NEVER forgets it.  Therefore the activities in Krishna consciousness accumulate in what Prabhupada called our "spiritual bank account" and what this Gita verse confirms also.

"In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." -Bg 2.40

In other words, action in devotional service is not used up like regular good karma from pious activities. "It is never lost". That means that even if one does not complete the path of devotion in this lifetime, then Krishna assures in many other verses of His Gita that the person is given another chance to continue further in the next. It's not that we glamorize reincarnation- it is best to strongly encourage not to come back while stuffing the spiritual bank account, but at the same time we know that Krishna Himself, seated in the heart of every living entity in His expansion as Supersoul is guiding. He will remind the living being from within, so that he may make further spiritual progress in the event of having transmigrated to another body. Thus one will automatically become attracted to such activities once again, picking up where they left off.

"By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles—even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures." Bg 6.44

This explains a lot why some people take immediately to Krishna consciousness, whereas others need more time.

Prabhupada also compared this concept to how a cloud accumulates water:

"They may come again. It will never go in vain. Just like this cloud. Cloud is meant for raining. Now it is not raining, but when there is sufficient cloud, it will rain. You cannot say there is no rain. There is, but it is not sufficiently collected. When it is sufficiently collected, then."
And in this regard he also said about children, "Never force a child or he'll take sadly"  or "If you feel you need to beat a child then you should be beat because you do not know how to handle the children properly!"

Also he said:
  "Don't say "no." But give a taste for the good, then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no" then he'll, they will rebel. The four "no's," that is very difficult. Still they are breaking. No illicit sex, they are breaking. But if they develop Krishna consciousness, this will be automatically "no." So don't bring many "no's," but give them positive life. Then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no," that will be a struggle. This is the psychology. Positive engagement is devotional service. So if they are attracted by devotional service, other things will be automatically "no."

And Gita 2.59 confirms:
"The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness."

The point is, we'd be a whole lot more fanatical about the whole thing if we thought this was the ONLY life, this is the ONLY chance for our kids or else the "loving" God will put the once-created -but -now -eternal- being into hellfire forever. That makes no sense, something that was created has to suffer eternally? It'd seem more merciful to just undo the dust sculpting process from the beginning.

 And how does something that never existed before, suddenly exist forever after? That the Bible interpreters cannot say, but Krishna explains in Bhagavad gita on the contrary:

"NEVER was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."- Bg 2.12

In Vaisnavism we are of the same spiritual nature of God; it has been forgotten only because we now identify with matter.


Krishna consciousness is so practical and sensible and open minded.

Another example is that one's family members may not be able to follow so strictly at this time, but Krishna says, "If you can't follow these practices strictly....then work for Me." along with other prescriptions. So Krishna and His entire Bhagavad gita teaching wants to help us, not hinder us.

My Search for a Life With Soul

 
Janmastami and Prabhupada's appearance days are still a month away. Yet, out of deep gratitude to His Divine Grace and encouraged by devotees to share, here's an account I wrote several years ago, the story of how I joined the Hare Krishna movement, so not to forget the great mercy shown me, a very fallen soul:

When I was nine, one day my little brother and I unwittingly discovered that year's supply of Christmas gifts hidden in a barrel in my parent's basement. We pried off the lid and happily played with all the toys until Mom came down to see what the excitement was about. Etched in my memory were her cries of disappointment and her explanation afterward, "Kids. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to tell you the truth...There is no Santa Claus."

"You mean...there's no Easter Bunny either!" my brother burst out in tears, his lips quivering.

 Although Santa and the Easter Bunny were revealed as false, I cannot remember thinking that there was no God. Quite the opposite was true.  By often answering my childish prayer requests, my faith in His presence grew. I was always a theist.

Actually, Mom was my first guru. She taught me how to pray and took me to church regularly. She also gave me a children's bible. Dad, too, sometimes read his bible to me, but he had a broader vision. He talked about "devas" or "nature spirits", something he learned from being raised in what was once the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, and - after spending a couple years of his childhood in a Japanese concentration camp and experiencing an OBE therein - he was pretty convincing when he'd tell me that I am not my body but a spirit soul or to practice non violence by becoming a vegetarian. I think we were some of the first people in Boulder, CO to eat barbecued tofu. Then there was the collection of yoga and occult books he kept within his basement. Even though I found Madam Blavatsky bewildering, meeting Earlyne Chaney disappointing, and my early attempts at meditation a flop, these and other experiences he brought my way became the backdrop for something I wasn't quite sure I was looking for, but keenly felt that I must.

Meanwhile, a realization had grown from playing with Barbie dolls since girlhood. I'd make them go to school, get married, eat, sleep, play, enjoy family life together, and send them out to make a living. When I grew tired of this, I'd throw them into the closet. After some time I'd take them out again, hoping to achieve higher levels of pleasure with the same bodily activities, but I could never reach any real satisfaction, and so the tossing into the closet continued. This made me feel that something was missing in my own life.
 I reached teen hood and the dissatisfaction became more acute. I wondered, "Is my life similar to a Barbie doll? Is death to be the ultimate reward for all my hard work? Why do I have to die? Why should I work so hard? The faith of my mother and father was too vague to turn to.

When I was about 16 I tried to verbalize to my mother the questions that plagued me about my existence:

"Mom, I'm in anxiety."

"Why?"

"Well, what's the use of going to school, working hard and so on, when all I'll end up is dead in the end?"

"Maybe you can talk to a psychiatrist. Would you like to see a psychiatrist?" was her reply.

"No, what good will that do?"

After some silence, Mom came to a decision. She reached into the nearby kitchen cabinet, pulled out a bottle of apricot brandy and set it down before me. "Here", she said, "This will make you feel better", and she left the room.

Some years later I read the following in the 5,000 year old Vedic scripture, Srimad Bhagavatam:
ko 'nv arthah sukhayaty enam
kämo vä mrtyur antike
äghätam niyamänasya
vadhyasyeva na tusti-dah

"Death is not at all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?"

That's exactly how I felt! And the translator, a leading disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, commented as follows:  "It is customary throughout the world that a condemned man is offered a sumptuous last meal. For the condemned man, however, such a feast is a chilling reminder of his imminent death, and therefore he cannot enjoy it. Similarly, no sane human being can be satisfied in material life, because death is standing near and may strike at any moment. If one is sitting in one's living room with a deadly snake at one's side, knowing that at any moment the poisonous fangs might pierce the flesh, how can one sit peacefully and watch television or read a book? Similarly, unless one is more or less crazy, one cannot be enthusiastic or even peaceful in material life. Knowledge of the inevitability of death should encourage one to become determined in spiritual life."

Another example is given by Prabhupada: One may have some very nice pudding to eat, but if there is sand in it, there can be no real enjoyment. The pudding is the sweetness of life, very attractive since it is the all-attractive Lord's material energy, and the sand is the time factor. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad gita, "Time I am, destroyer of worlds." Time is what messes everything up. But for a reason.

Also in relation to my above Barbie doll realization, I read this in Prabhupada's translation of Bhagavad gita: "A conditioned soul tries to enjoy material happiness again and again. Thus he chews the chewed. But sometimes, in the course of such enjoyment, he becomes relieved from material entanglement by association with a great soul. In other words, a conditioned soul is always engaged in some type of sense gratification, but when he understands by good association that it is only a repetition of the same thing, and he is awakened to his real Krishna consciousness, he is sometimes relieved from such repetitive so-called happiness."- Bhagavad- gita As It Is, 18.36

Finally, I felt understood! So, how I met Srila Prabhupada will be explained in the next post.

How I Came to Krishna Consciousness

 Sort of like those BTG stories, this is part two of my search for a life with soul or how I became involved in the Hare Krishna movement:


After much searching for answers to my spiritual questions and concerns, I began to think that maybe I'll never know - or not until I'm "dead (!)", as one priest told me. But most importantly was that despite my annoyance, and the fact that I went on a three year spree of  hedonism and rebellion against materialistic society, making me the fear of good mothers for their children- I did not turn away from God. I like how Lester Burnham ("American Beauty") said it:

"It's hard to stay mad when there is so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst. And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold onto it. And then it flows through me, like rain, and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life."

I was fortunate to land jobs in both the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the Alaskan wilderness- two places that invoke such appreciation. Then one day, standing by a stream where I was living in a tent on Alaskan soil, 30 miles from the nearest town, I put that feeling into a prayer. It was like, "I give up. You don't have to show Yourself...Hello?"  But I remember most of all what I said at the end of that prayer, "I just want to spend the rest of my life thanking You."

I didn't know then that in the Vedic scripture (the Ramayana) the Lord says, "If one surrenders to Me sincerely saying, 'My Lord, from this day on I am fully surrendered unto You', I always give him protection. That is my vow", but about a week later my life started rapidly changing. My friends at work had to return home further north, so I decided to follow them. We lived in a small town outside of Anchorage. There I felt restless like never before, surrounded by a bunch of people who did not take life seriously. They seemed to only work all day and party most of the night. I filled my glass with soda pop or plain water and laughed at their jokes. I didn't want to smoke or drink anymore, and I was slow to start a job again. I started keeping a dream notebook, thinking maybe there'd be some insight there. Shortly afterward, I had a most amazing dream.

I don't remember having seen the Indian swami before*, but he appeared in my dream sitting cross-legged, and I heard him speak. His exact words were, "You should associate with these people."

Now in those days the word "associate" was not big in my vocabulary; I hardly knew the value of association, but then I looked around me in that dream and I noticed standing near a very long table laden with all sorts of food preparations, there were many people who were wearing what looked like long robes. One of them handed me a plate full of foodstuffs.

Next, I heard the swami say, in exact words, "You have a class", and at the conclusion of our meeting he said, "On Thursday."

But that was not the end of the dream. Suddenly I saw a person I knew from Anchorage. He was wearing his down coat, but it looked like something was stuffed underneath it. I angrily followed him thinking, "He's stealing something from these people!" I followed him up a long winding staircase and saw him disappear through a door at the top. When I opened the door, I found myself outside in broad daylight on a city sidewalk that had money scattered on it everywhere.

I don't remember now what day I had the dream, but I remember that it was on a Tuesday afternoon sometime afterwards (because I was listening to that song title by the Moody Blues on the radio) that I had an overwhelming urge to just run away from that place. Leaving most of my possessions behind I headed toward the nearest road and stuck my thumb out for a ride. The first man who drove by stopped and said, "Where you headed?"

"Anchorage."

"That's where I'm going," he said. We approached near the city when he asked, "Where to?"

"The airport",  I had decided, because inside my coat pocket I was carrying a ticket to Hawaii that I had purchased before heading north, but with no clear idea when I would ever use it. And I told him this even though I didn't have a suitcase. I was feeling this utter detachment, and like a feather letting the wind carry it wherever it must, I was ready to let the universe take me wherever it was that I should be.

"I work at the airport", he said, and so there he dropped me off.

A few hours later, while I was waiting for my flight, I saw him transporting luggage. He stopped and asked me, "Are you alright?" I just nodded, dazed after having heard the song "Tuesday Afternoon" play a second time on the airport's loud speakers.

After some delay (long story), I finally found myself on a "Thursday" morning in the Honolulu airport where I got stopped by some Hare Krishna devotees. They gave me a book and asked for a donation.

At first I refused, but when I heard the airport loud speaker announce that they did not endorse these people's activities of "soliciting flowers (and books) for cash donations", it was like reverse psychology worked on me then; I just had to give them a donation. I thought about the old woman in the Bible who gave her last farthing and was blessed. "I hope to God something will come of this", I said to myself as I handed over whatever cash I could spare.

A woman devotee smiled at me and said, "Hi, my name is Sukhada. What's yours?"

I responded and asked, "What does 'Sukhada' mean?"

"'Sukhada' means 'happiness'."

Gosh, I remember so clearly how happy she looked to me. I'd never seen a person so effulgent in my life! She literally glowed.

The Bhagavad gita says, "The manifestation of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge."

In fact, all the devotees glowed, and I felt like they knew something very special and that I wanted in on their secret.

So, when they were leaving around noon I accepted their invitation to a vegetarian feast since it was "Thursday", Thanksgiving Day, 1979. They took me to Waikiki beach where, similar to my dream, I saw a long table spread with food preparations, and I saw people there wearing long robes that turned out to be Indian dress. They gave me my first bites of Krishna prasadam.

Later that day I went to their temple in Honolulu and was ushered to the main temple room. I followed the manner of the devotees I was with by bowing my head to the floor. When I looked up there was the Indian Swami from my dream!

Upon inquiry I discovered that he, Srila Prabhupada, had left our material vision in November 1977, so it was his lifelike deity form I was gazing at. Seeing him in that beautiful, still form, I then realized why in my dream his lips had not moved when he had spoken to me. And the following morning I attended my first "class" on the Srimad Bhagavatam, as had been predicted in my dream. Interestingly, the class was about the awesome transcendentalist, Sri Narada Muni, described in the first canto, and I was initiated with the name "Narada dasi", servant of Narada Muni, not long afterwards.

From that day forward I stayed at the temple and began daily chanting my sixteen rounds. Sadly, dreams of Srila Prabhupada afterwards until the time of my re-initiation by Jayapataka Swami in 2008 had been rare, but whenever they did occur, vivid personal exchanges, instructions, words of comfort and even chastisements took place which have sustained me throughout my life in ISKCON. In the meantime, I discovered that I can always find Prabhupada's association immediately by reading his books. As acarya Bhaktivinoda Thakur said:

"He reasons ill that Vaisnavas die, while living still in sound.  A Vaisnava dies to live, and while living tries to spread the holy name around."

Oh, and I wanted to add what happened to the person who also appeared in that dream with the down coat. Well, my friends in Alaska did wonder what had happened to me, since I had suddenly taken off the day a big blizzard hit their town. I figured they would be worried, so I kindly called to say I was alright and I was in Hawaii. One of them arrived a short while later and stayed for a whole year at the temple, urging me to go back with him, but, as in the dream, this person had to finally leave because he was caught stealing.

And the money on the sidewalk that I also dreamed about? Well, one of my first services at the temple was to sell Srila Prabhupada's books (via tourist sales) on the bright and sunny Kalakau Avenue at Waikiki and collect cash donations.

Tuesday afternoon,
I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way.
It doesn't matter to me, chasing the clouds away.


Something calls to me
The trees  are drawing me near, I've got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear, explain it all with a sigh.


I'm looking at myself reflections of my mind.
It's just the kind of day to leave myself behind.
So gently swaying through the fairyland of love
If you'll just come with me you'll see the beauty of
Tuesday afternoon
Tuesday afternoon.
-- lyrics from The Moody Blues

* More recently, after writing this article, my earliest recollection surfaced regarding how I may have encountered Srila Prabhupada, at least his picture, before the above described dream. I was maybe 12 years old and remember standing in the Stapleton International Airport in Denver because my mother got stopped by a devotee. I saw him sell her a copy of Bhagavad gita As It Is that she later left on a shelf in our dining room. I don't think she picked it up again, but I remember puzzling over the illustrations, especially the one of Krishna killing Kamsa. Perhaps this stuck in my mind because my father was a pacifist after living in concentration camps.

When I was 19, I began seeing Prabhupada's Bhagavad gita more and more often, in thrift shops and various places but made no connection that it was the same book on my Mom's shelf nor did I feel any special attraction for it. Then one day it was right in front of me on a coffee table of a Forest Service Office I worked for in Alaska. I leafed through it and read, "One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person cannot perform yoga." I guess being born under Virgo influence, I was attracted to the practical advice towards self-improvement, enough to ask if I could borrow the book, but with no success.

Although I checked it out in a nearby library the next chance I got, i didn't get around to reading it, and ended up going back to the library several times to try and check it out again. Strangely, the (small town) library was always closed from then onward for renovations, and thus my hankering to see the book again greatly increased! Srimad Bhagavad gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada's books ki jaya!

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Prayer to Lord Jagannatha


At this time, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra ride once again on the ratha yatra carts. For many days, the Lord has separated Himself from His loving devotees. Their love and affection for Him increase unlimitedly in separation. In the following prayer, the devotee yearns for the Lord's darshan and reflects upon His causeless mercy.

"Alas, this is certain: Lord Jagannatha bestows His lotus feet upon those who feel themselves fallen and have no shelter in this world but Him. May that Jagannatha Swami be the object of my vision."

Jagannathastakam (Eight prayers glorifying Lord Jaganntha.)

kadacit kalindi-tata-vipina-sangitaka-ravo
mudabhiri-nari-vadana-kamalasvada-madhupah
rama-sambhu-brahmamara-pati-ganesarcita-pado
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

Sometimes in great happiness Lord Jagannath makes a loud concert with His flute in the groves on the banks of the Yamuna. He is like a bumblebee tasting the beautiful lotuslike faces of the cowherd damsels of Vraja, and great personalities such as Laksmi, Shiva, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesh worship His lotus feet. May that Jagannatha Swami be the object of my vision.

bhuje savye venum sirasi sikhi-puccham kati-tate
dukulam netrante sahacara-kataksam vidadhate
sada srimad-vrndavana-vasati-lila-paricayo
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

In His left hand Lord Jagannath holds a flute, on His head He wears peacock feathers, and on His hips He wears fine yellow silken cloth. From the corners of His eyes He bestows sidelong glances upon His loving devotees, and He always reveals Himself through His pastimes in His divine abode of Vrindavan. May that Jagannath Swami be the object of my vision.

mahambhodhes tire kanaka-rucire nila-sikhare
vasan prasadantah sahaja-balabhadrena balina
subhadra-madhya-sthah sakala-sura-sevavasara-do
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

On the shore of the great ocean, within a large palace atop the brilliant, golden Nilacala Hill, Lord Jagannath resides with His powerful brother Balabhadra and His sister Subhadra, who sits between Them. May that Jagannath Swami, who bestows the opportunity for devotional service upon all godly souls, be the object of my vision.

krpa-paravarah sajala-jalada-sreni-ruciro
rama-vani-ramah sphurad-amala-pankeruha-mukhah
surendrair aradhyah sruti-gana-sikha-gita-carito
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

Lord Jagannath is an ocean of mercy and as beautiful as a row of blackish rain clouds. He is the storehouse of bliss for Laksmi and Sarasvati, and His face resembles a spotless fullblown lotus. The best of demigods and sages worship Him, and the Upanisads sing His glories. May that Jagannath Swami be the object of my vision.

ratharudho gacchan pathi milita-bhudeva-patalaih
stuti-pradurbhavam prati-padam upakarnya sadayah
daya-sindhur bandhuh sakala jagatam sindhu-sutaya
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

When Lord Jagannath moves along the road on His Ratha-yatra car, at every step large assemblies of brahmanas loudly chant prayers and songs for His pleasure. Hearing their hymns, Lord Jagannath becomes very favorably disposed toward them. He is the ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the worlds. May that Jagannath Swami, along with His consort Laksmi, who was born from the ocean of nectar, be the object of my vision.

para-brahmapidah kuvalaya-dalotphulla-nayano
nivasi niladrau nihita-carano 'nanta-sirasi
rasanando radha-sarasa-vapur-alingana-sukho
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

Lord Jagannath, whose His eyes resemble full-blown lotus petals, is the ornament on Lord Brahma's head. He resides on Nilacala Hill with His lotus feet placed on the heads of Anantadeva. Overwhelmed by the mellows of love, He joyfully embraces Srimati Radharani's body, which is like a cool pond. May that Jagannath Swami be the object of my vision.

na vai yace rajyam na ca kanaka-manikya-vibhavam
na yace 'ham ramyam sakala jana-kamyam vara-vadhum
sada kale kale pramatha-patina gita-carito
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

I do not pray for a kingdom, nor for gold, rubies, or wealth. I do not ask for a beautiful wife, as desired by all men. I simply pray that Jagannath Swami, whose glories Lord Shiva always sings, may be the constant object of my vision.

hara tvam samsaram druta-taram asaram sura-pate
hara tvam papanam vitatim aparam yadava-pate
aho dine 'nathe nihita-carano niscitam idarn
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me

O Lord of the demigods, please quickly remove this useless material existence I am undergoing. O Lord of the Yadus, please destroy this vast, shoreless ocean of sins. Alas, this is certain: Lord Jagannath bestows His lotus feet upon those who feel themselves fallen and have no shelter in this world but Him. May that Jagannath Swami be the object of my vision.

jagannathastakam punyam yah pathet prayatah sucih
sarva-papa-visuddhatma visnu-lokam sa gacchati

The self-retrained, virtuous soul who recites these eight verses glorifying Lord Jagannath becomes cleansed of all sins and duly proceeds to Lord Vishnu's abode.




spinach rice


Spinach is often combined with sweet spices such as coriander, fennel or garam masala. Also goes well with cooling bitters such as fenugreek and turmeric. 

Serves 3
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed at least 3x and chopped
1/2 c basmati rice
fresh green chili as desired, finely chopped (optional)
2-3 T ghee
1 T ginger root. grated
1 t cumin seeds
1t coriander powder
1 t fenugreek seeds
1/4 t black pepper (optional)
1 t turmeric 
salt, as desired

PREPARATION:
1.  Make a chaunce with hot ghee. Add the ginger root, cumin, chili and fry until browned. Add the coriander powder, fenugreek and turmeric. Add rice. Stir.
2. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. 
3. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
4. In a separate pan cook your spinach
5. Fluff the cooked rice and gently stir in the spinach.

Offer to Krishna immediately. Delicious with a dab of sour cream or yogurt.

VARIATION
For a breakfast dish I like to add cooked chickpeas.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Leaf Mold Gold


Doesn't look like much does it? When I first gathered last autumn's leaves together, the pile was much larger. At the time they were tough and loose and didn't seem they would do me much good in a hurry. So I kept them moist, turned them now and then and waited. Now the pile is an almost black mass that falls apart at the touch. I'm still learning about its uses. One is to continue layering it in my compost piles. Another is using it as a mulch. Mulch conserves moisture in the soil, making it possible to water plants less often and also keeps the soil from getting packed down when watering.


These activities respect nature. Instead of throwing it all away in the dumpster, they can be utilized. Collected grass clippings can be used as a mulch also.

How about that old Christmas tree the neighbors tossed in the alley?

It's good for acid loving plants such as roses.


 From out of decay comes new growth, new possibilities. This is Lord Krishna's perfect system.

Tasty Take-Outs

Kali yuga is very dark and yet we can sprinkle some light and love in the simplest ways. Take for example when a loved one must trudge off to an outside job everyday and yet come lunch break, in the midst of coworkers, he is able to open up a packed lunch that consists of home cooked items, including enough maha prasada from one's local temple to share.

Some good take out ideas are below:
Deity maha (especially sweets and savories for distribution)
Corn on the cob
Bean burrito with cheese, sour cream and salsa
Various chutneys to balance all six tastes (Ayurveda)
Stir-fried paneer chunks in a subji
Creamy and spicy paneer sandwich spread
Hummus with sprouts in a sandwich
Ground toasted sunflower seed sandwich spread (with salt, pepper, tahini, lemon juice, dill and hing)
Olive pesto for sandwiches or dip
Grilled cheese chapatis with spinach leaves and braised tomato
Homemade chips with sour cream dip
Samosas  or kachoris with chutney
Iddlis or dokla
Corn bread
Pizza slices
Homemade pasta in tomato sauce
Pasta salad
Seitan subjis
Fresh fruits such as mango or banana or cut up into a fruit salad
Potato salad (w/sour cream or thick yogurt, chopped celery, dill, salt and pepper)
Various veggie salads with simple dressing like olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper
A barat burger on a bun with lettuce, sour cream and sprouts (recipe upcoming)
Mung bean or urd dahl barats in yogurt
Tapioca and potato tikkis or paneer tikkis with tomato chutney
Cucumber raita, chickpea raita,
Stuffed paratha
Banana puri
Homemade nut/peanut butter and various fruit jams on bread/chapatis
Toasted bread seasoned with with butter and hing
Deep fried or baked bread sticks
Various desserts- apple crisp, cookies, muffins, cinnamon roll, cookies, fruit fritters, donuts, filled donuts, candied pecans…

Various pakoras and chutney
Bitter melon chips
Dried fruits
Spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce
Hopefully you are feeling inspired what to make next day. These can be mixed and matched into various combinations. And hot soups and beverages are the norm in a Stanley thermos to supplement with during cold winter months. Also bags and containers that can keep foods warm or cool are surely a good investment.

At first, it may take more time to prepare various homemade fare, but gradually as one gains proficiency, things won't take more than an hour tops. One way is by preparing ahead. One can spend half an hour the evening before doing prep work and half an hour next morning doing the actually cooking and offering. For example, the evening before I may put together a pancake mix and then only have to add the water and a little yogurt the next morning for breakfast. And for the next day's lunch plan, I could make chapatti dough ahead of time to use in the morning. I can also precut veggies and have them in the fridge ready to go. Prepare corn and also have the water in a covered pot with salt, ready to heat up in the morning and boil the corn. Another help is to start dahl the night before on an electric range and allow it to cook very slowly with a method I posted earlier (keeping on a rack above the burner, if the heat can't be brought low enough) or with a slow cooker (since a gas stove requires running a vent all night), so it will be ready by morning. My method works best if you are an early riser able to check on it. Or if you put a lot of water in the pot and then start boiling away the excess as soon as you rise..

Now don't forget to include maha tulsi leaves to further remind the lunch recipient of Krishna when he first opens his lunch!