Blog Retirement

 Dear readers, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I have not been writing very much partly because I've entered into the vanaprastha mode, but also many other reasons. And I have been thinking about deleting this blog for a very long time for reasons that I do not wish to go into here, but I will say I'm tired of the internet; I wish to get off completely. That means Google account And everything connected to it. Such as this blog.

Long story how I arrived at that conclusion. Let's just say it has a lot to do with health and has somewhat to do with privacy.

 But I realized from various requests over the years, some of the content may be of use to others. So I'm writing this in case one of you wishes to save anything. If so, please do so within the next 6 months.

But please do me a big favor- I wish to be anonymous.  

 Thank you so much for your support and kind encouragement throughout the years this blog has existed. It was a lot of fun.

Hare Krishna 

 

Vegetarian "frittata"

 I didn't know what the word frittata meant until a few days ago, but that's the word I'm going to use for what was put in an offering then. Instead of eggs we got arrowroot. It came out pretty good, so I thought it'd be worth sharing 

INGREDIENTS:

A handful of finely chopped or grated veggies (In this case, some wild chickweed) 

A handful of grated paneer

Spices (Here was a little ginger root,  roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, freshly ground black pepper, some hing cooked in a small amount of ghee first, and a dash of turmeric)

Salt, as desired

2 T arrowroot

water

ghee for frying

PREPARATION:

Combine all the ingredients and add the water a little at a time, until there's enough to mix everything together, but it holds together as a pattie.

Here a small cast iron skillet was heated very hot and then the ghee was added, enough to coat the bottom of the pan, and then the ingredients shaped into a pattie to fry.

Lower the heat. In this case. I added a cover also and cooked for at least 3 minutes. 

Check the bottom of the pattie to see if it's getting crispy. Or at least browned. Then flip it over. It's nice if you drizzle on a little more ghee first so that the other side will get crispy as well. 

Cook covered another 3 minutes on low heat. 

This is the first time I made this, so I'm pretty sure low heat will be best, but medium heat might make it even more crispy. I'll have to try that next time.

Offer to Krishna with a chutney or a bun (pictured is simply made from naturally yeasty chapati dough that was left to rise) with favorite toppings. Hare Krishna Jay Prabhupada 

"That System Should be Introduced"

Prabhupāda: Now there should be one rule that unless they are husband-wife, man and woman should not worship together.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: On the altar.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Strictly prohibited.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On the same altar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Different altars is all right, but not the same altar.

Prabhupāda: No, different quarters... They should not go to the...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They should not be brought before the Deities.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Alone.

Hari-śauri: In the kitchen or...

Prabhupāda: Man and woman together should not worship unless they are husband and wife.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Never be alone. So just because they are married to someone else, that is not... They must be married to each other.

Prabhupāda: No, no, they must be together, the man and the woman. The husband-wife can go, not others.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In most temples that is not the system right now.

Prabhupāda: No, that system should be introduced. The husband-wife together can go to worship the Deity. If they are not related as husband, they should not go.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What about a situation like this, where the husband and wife are worshiping but also some other brahmacārīs are also worshiping?

Prabhupāda: Still, that is some protection. The husband is there. The woman means her husband must be there. 

Consequentialism Defeated

On at least two occasions in the past, while attending morning Srimad Bhagavatam classes at a nearby temple given by two well-known sannyasi gurus, the term "consequentialism" was being explained. Basically, it was said that if we know that an action will produce unfavorable results, we should not act on it. Or as Wikipedia puts it:

"The ethical philosophy, consequentialism is a class of normative ethics, teleological ethical theories that holds that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for judgement about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right act (or omission from acting) is one that will produce a good outcome."

The prime example given in both classes was a criticism of Mahajan Bhismadeva for not breaking his vow of perpetual bachelorhood when Satyavati requested he unite with his late brother's wives and later on when Amba requested him to marry her. 

But how can one really know whether the result of an action will be good or bad? And if Bhisma had not kept his vow, would he still be as memorable today?  Would the battle of Kuruksetra between the Kauravas and the Pandavas really have been avoided? These are some of the questions that arose after the lectures.

And finally answered, for me at least, when this purport came up during my daily reading at home:

"Although Vrtasura was on the verge of defeat (in fighting Lord, Indra), he was not at all affected. He knew that he was going to be defeated by Indra, and he voluntarily accepted that, but since he was supposed to be Indra's enemy, he tried his best to kill Indra. Thus he performed his duty. One should perform his duty under all circumstances, even though one may know what the result will be"

Another example is Lord Krishna's father, Vasudeva. He didn't try to run away and hide his first born child. Instead:

"After due course of time, Vasudeva and Devaki gave birth to eight male children, as well as one daughter. When the first son was born, Vasudeva kept his word of honor and immediately brought the child before Kamsa. It is said that Vasudeva was very much elevated and famous for his word of honor, and he wanted to maintain this fame. Although it was very painful for Vasudeva to hand over the newly born child, Kamsa was very glad to receive him. But he became a little compassionate with the behavior of Vasudeva. This event is very exemplary. For a great soul like Vasudeva, there is nothing considered to be painful in the course of discharging one's duty. A learned person like Vasudeva carries out his duties without hesitation." From Krishna book, chapter 1

Sattvik Sambar

Over the years cooking has been quite a challenge for me, not only to make something nice for offering Krishna at home, but also something that my discriminating husband will honor. He cannot eat nightshades, among other things such as vegetable oils, and toor dahl (what is used in this recipe) itself has a flavor disagreeable to him unless it is masked with things like coconut, molasses, tamarind, etc, 

So this recipe does not include chilies. And that's probably what stands out the most compared to the usual sambar recipes cooked by Indian chefs. So this version could be considered a little more sattvik. Thus the title.

(For those who desire a little more zing, however, you can always keep a shaker of cayenne pepper handy. :))

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c toor dahl, washed and soaked overnight.
• water
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 c coconut, soaked overnight then finely ground
• 1 T fresh tamarind pulp
• 2 T molasses
• 2 t sambar masala powder (see recipe below)

For tempering:

• 2 T ghee
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 1 T fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 t hing (the yellow kind)
• 1/4 t black pepper 
• 1/4 t fenugreek seeds
• 10 curry leaves (if available)

To make the sambar masala powder:

Roast in a hot skillet the following until some slight smell comes out and or slightly browning:

• 1 T chana dahl 
• 1/2 t urad dahl
• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 t cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
• 3/4 t black mustard seeds 
• 3/4 t sesame seeds
• 1/8 c fresh curry leaves tightly packed

Add these next and keep roasting a few seconds more:

• 3/4 t white poppy seeds 
• 1/4 t black pepper

Turn off the heat. Immediately pour the contents into a cool pan. Then add and stir well: 

• 1/2 t cinnamon powder

Garnish finished dahl with:

• 2 t fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped (or parsley)

NOTE:

Nowadays, fresh tamarind may be available at your local Walmart, as well as fresh coconut. If not available, you can opt for the types of tamarind available in Indian groceries and prepare as required. 

Also Walmart has organic, unsweetened, dried coconut as a substitute for freshly grated.

To finely grind dried coconut, a spice (coffee) grinder can do the job. If it's fresh coconut, use the fine side of a grater.

To prepare the fresh tamarind, just remove the outer shell in each pod and let the fruit inside soak overnight. Next morning, push the fruit through a sieve to easily remove the seeds, etc., So that all your left with is pulp.

PREPARATION:

1. Cover the soaked toor dahl with water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that collects on the surface and discard. 
2. Add the salt and the coconut and bring to a boil again. Then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the dahl has broken apart and looks well cooked.
3. Add the molasses and the tamarind pulp. Continue to cook on low.
4. In a small pot, heat the ghee.
5. Add the mustard seed. 
6. When the mustard seed finishes popping, add the ginger and stir it around a little until it's browning.
7. Add the remaining ingredients in quick succession and pour the contents into the cooked dahl.
8. Stir in the sambar powder. And about a quarter teaspoon more salt or as desired.
9. Garnish with the fresh coriander
10. Offer to Krishna. Traditionally this is served in South India with iddli or rice. Breaking tradition, goes well with chapatis with avocado salad.

An important life skill

 Sometimes you see those lists of what people consider to be "life skills". If I made such a list, one of the skills would be knowing how to handle a bad mood!

It's so important because, looking back to the early years of my marriage, I realize that maybe half the time that we had some conflict was because myself or my spouse or maybe both of us at the same time were experiencing a bad mood.

It could be anything that triggers it. You hear something unkind someone says when you're at the workplace or the temple. It could be some kind of memory that has brought up a bad feeling. Or maybe the day just isn't going right, you didn't sleep well, or there's some stress or some kind of frustration (Yesterday, I ate something that didn't agree with me and felt so heavy and... blah). And so we get into a bad mood. But worse, we might tend to project it onto our spouse! One might snap at him when asked to help with something, or grumble when we do it.

So it's important not to take a bad mood seriously and know how to deal with it. And the same goes when dealing with our spouse having a bad mood...

Don't take it personally!

Now I can look back at the many times when I did allow his bad mood to affect me, when actually my husband just needed to process a bad mood or vice versa. 

As for myself, nowadays I try to just look at it like "Oh I'm experiencing a bad mood" I just need some space to process it, to let it pass and turn it into an opportunity to practice things like patience and self control- especially controlling my tongue- so not to project it! 

In other words, this is one of the perks of practicing the bhakti yoga process. We learn to see the forest above the trees, become transcendental to the inevitable happiness and distress each one of us is due. Its the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Black Bean Soup

 INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 cup black beans, sorted and washed and soaked overnight.
• A handful of vegetables such as carrots and or celery, chopped 
• Water for cooking the beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 2-3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 t coriander powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
• 1/4 t ground black pepper 
• Slices of lemon 

PREPARATION:

1. Bring the beans to a boil in about 6 cups of water. Cover and lower heat to a simmer and cook. To shorten cooking time, start the beans early in the morning with salt, a few hours before it's time to cook the meal. Bring to a boil, cover and let them sit until ready to prepare the meal. Then cook about 1 1/2-2 hours (unless you have a pressure cooker) until the beans are very soft.
2. When the beans are nice and soft, add the molasses and the oregano and basil.
3. Next, in a small saucepan, heat the ghee until nice and hot and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard stops popping add asafetida and black pepper  and coriander powder and pour into the soup.
4. Offer to Krishna with rice and a slice of lemon to squeeze into the soup.

VARIATION:

Leave out the vegetables. Add a little more beans and cook until thick with less water. They should be cooked 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours until very soft.

Tulasi's Vacation

 

Usually in the spring, after all danger of frost has passed and until the first frost prediction in the fall, Tulasi gets a vacation outside.

 She doesn't like indoors very much. Especially the way our house is situated, it does not get a lot of sunlight. It was designed that way because we live in a very hot climate, and it helps to keep the house cooler. But it is not very satisfactory for Tulasi Devi during the cold winter months when she must come inside. 

So for the past few years I was putting some Tulasis in the ground and growing new ones from seed. That's when I noticed how huge she would get! Whenever she was out of her pot, she'd grow into giant bushes, noticeable to anyone who came by. 

The only problem was her manjaris became too difficult to manage, and soon I had wild Tulasis growing all around the garden area and lawn. I was told this is an offense to Tulsi because she may get stepped on or something mow her down or they'll all die in the winter. 

 I had been experimenting having the original Tulasi plantings in the ground close to the house, hoping she would survive the winters because the concrete house foundation warmed up during the day creates a microclimate in the winter. That's how our curry plants have survived all these past winters. But unfortunately, not Tulsi devi. Apparently she is extra extra sensitive to cold. 

So finally I got the bright idea, when I saw that Tulasi (pictured on the left) was getting pretty big while in the ground since spring, why not put her back in a pot before she gets too big to carry around the house during the cold season? She had a nice vacation and this move will spare her life (and with all those new leaves and growth, maybe she will have a easier time during the sparser sunlight in winter).

In this photo, you can really see the difference between the two Tulasis! They both were the same size in the springtime. The one on the left went into the ground then, and the one on the right remained in her pot. Now I look forward to transplanting Tulasi on the right into the ground soon for a new improved vacation, so she can get a little start on better growth before the winter comes and be happy. 

Her happiness is really what this is all about. 

UPDATE: Tulasi Devi, the one pictured on the right in the first photo above, had a shorter vacation than the others, but it still did her a lot of good! Here's a photo how she looks now after about 4 weeks in the ground and put back in the same sized pot:

Tulasi Maharani ki jaya!

Moong palak

 Moong palak is moong dahl with spinach. I've been using a type of wild spinach called lambsquarter. 

I have also used store-bought spinach and garden kale. But since the lambsquarter is free and abundant, I use it the most. I don't have to plant it either. It just grows. 

To prepare lambsquarter You just need to remove any tough stems. This isn't very hard. It just takes a little practice and you find a way to do it easily. Then you wash as usual. I usually wash the leaves ahead of time,  after visiting the garden, leave them on the counter on a absorbent kitchen towel to dry a bit, and then put them in a bag to store in the fridge until needed. 

INGREDIENTS:

A handful of lambsquarter leaves, or spinach of your choice, washed and chopped 

1 c whole moong beans

1/2 T ginger root, minced

1 t turmeric

1/2 T ground coriander

Water

2-3 T ghee

1 t cumin seeds

1/4 t yellow hing

1/4 t ground black pepper

Lemon slices or lime

PREPARATION:

Bring the moong dahl to a boil along with the turmeric, ginger root, and coriander powder. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

When the moong is soft and breaking apart, add the spinach of your choice, and let it cook about 10 to 15 minutes.

Make a chaunk: heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds are brown, add the hing and black pepper. Then pour the spices into the moong dahl. 

Offer to Krishna with lemon slices, rice and or bread of choice.

Note: Moong expands quite a bit. Just add water as you cooking it if it looks dry. Stir to to make it smooth. This soup can make at least six servings.

Banana paratha

INGREDIENTS :

4 overripe bananas, well mashed

2-3 T sugar 

1-2 T molasses 

1/2 t salt 

1/4 t ground cardamom

flour 

ghee for frying

PREPARATION:

Combine all the ingredients together except for the flour and the ghee.

Add flour until you have a nice dough. Knead well until smooth. Then let it rest at least an hour.

Shape into parathas and fry with the ghee.

flower beds and curry trees

 Inspired by the altar of a lady neighbor bedecked with profuse flower arrangements,  the garden over here has been expanding. We decided to start growing some other kinds of flowers, so we can offer attractive vases of flowers for our home altar, too!

And behind the new floral bed are two curry leaf trees. There's two more west of here. Curry trees grow well near the south side of the house because the warmth of the house in winter provides a micro climate so that the trees don't entirely die.

 Instead these trees die back during the cold winter months, but then they come up again in the spring and will again grow about as tall as the kitchen window. 

They supply a large amount of curry leaves for both cooking here at home and for bringing a supply to the temple kitchen down the road.❤️

Curry leaves can also be dried and made into a hair washing powder. We also plan to use them in our latest twig toothbrushing experiments. 

tostones (plantain chips)

 Tostones means fried twice. Made from green plantains. Here's a recipe: tostones 

The only recipe adjustments were using ghee for frying instead of vegetable oil and using hing instead of garlic.

 These can make a nice offering for Ekadashi, but in that case, omit the hing.

This was my first try at tostones. Still, they came out crip and delicious for Krishna's offering.

INGREDIENTS:

4 green plantains, peeled and sliced

2 c water

1 T salt 

1/4 t yellow hing (optional)

Juice from 1 lime

Ghee for frying.

PREPARATION:

Follow the directions for frying, dipping, and refrying the plantain chips.

Offer to Krishna piping hot.

 

okra sak with paneer

The okra plants in the garden needed thinning. The tender leaves of the new plants make a nice subji or sak, spinach dish. I use this recipe:

Zero waste- Okra leaf saag

And instead of feta cheese just used paneer cubes that were stir fried in ghee and added at the end. I also added the lime juice at the end.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T ghee

2 t ground coriander

1/2 t ground cardamon

2 large bunches of okra leaves, stems removed

Water 

Juice from 1/2 a lime 

salt

Paneer chunks and ghee to fry them

PREPARATION:

Heat the ghee and add the coriander and cardamom

Toss in the okra leaves, cover and cook with a little water until tender.

Cool a little. Then blend in a blender. 

Add the lime juice, salt and fried paneer chunks.