Dark Reader and Reader View

I am able to blog again with the help of Dark Reader! It darkens the screen of my computer wherever I go on the web and the result is less eye strain from computer lighting.

Dark Reader ki jaya!

Another great help is Reader View. I got this version: Chrome Reader View. Works wonders by eliminating everything but the text and photos and darkening the page . Cannot be used same time as Dark Reader, but it's easy to toggle between the two!

If you must use a computer, darken the screen! What a relief.

Candied Pecans

A quick and easy sweet for Krishna's offerings.

INGREDIENTS
Pecans
ghee
Sugar, as desired
Cinnamon, as desired
Salt (optional)

PREPARATION
Usually I just throw in a handful or two of pecans into a pan with a dash of ghee, toast them, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over them and with a little splash of water if needed to get the sugar to melt more easily and then cook until thickened. So until I get some actual measurements for this recipe, you can experiment on your own the proportions!

OTHER QUICK DESSERTS include honey on a chapati or fresh fruits like bananas or mangoes or dried fruits. These all go well with a full meal.

Bhaja Bhakata Vatsala Sri Gaura Hari

A classic song to play or sing for Lord's pleasure during His noontime bhoga offering! Written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

Prayers to Lord Narasimha

This video really helped me through a difficult time.

Narasimhadeva ki jaya!

Everything is Arcanam

Arcanam, one of the nice processes of devotional service, refers to deity worship and it's interesting how everything in this blog can be ultimately linked to arcanam or worshiping the Lorḍ. Whether it's referring to setting up and maintaining a home altar or keeping the house clean for the home deity to live in comfortably or shopping for bhoga and other sacrificial ingredients and cooking daily offerings or serving one's husband as prescribed by Lord Krishna or serving the people in your family or practicing hospitality with friends and other guests for the pleasure of the deity within everyone's heart and distributing prasada or keeping healthy and fit so we may continue on, it all has some connection to arcanam. And all the other processes of devotional service when you think of it are connected. For example hearing and chanting for the pleasure of your deities. An gradually you realize you have your own personal deity of Krishna within your own heart. He is personally present there in His deity form of Supersoul to witness all our activities, so we do them nicely, control our sense etc. His satisfaction should be our sole aim in life.

And Srila Bhaktivinoda sums up and strengthens this mood in a wonderful prayer when he dedicates his all to the lotus feet of the Lord:

 Whatever I am, whatever I possess, I offer at Your lotus feet, O merciful Lord. I no longer belong to myself. Now I am exclusively Yours. The soul inhabiting this mortal body has given up the false ego attached to the word “I”, and now the eternal, spiritual sense of being Yours has entered his heart. All my possessions - body, brothers, friends, and followers, wife, sons, personal belongings, house and home- all of these I give You, for I have become Your servant. Now I dwell in Your house. You are the Lord of my house, and I Your most obedient servant. Your happiness is my only endeavor now. Whatever piety or sins were done by me, by mind or deed, are no longer mine, for I am redeemed. My desire has become one with Yours. From this day Bhaktivinoda has no other identity.

Nothing remains “mine”. Father, friend, brother — You are even these to me. Those whom I called friends, wife, sons, and daughters are all Your servants and maidservants.

Whatever care I take for them is only as it relates to You.  If I continue to maintain my wealth, family members, home, and wife, it is because they are Yours. I am a mere servant.  For Your service I will earn money and bear the expense of Your household.  I know neither good nor bad. I merely serve. I am but a watchman who guards the properties in Your household.  The exercising of my senses — hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching — is done according to Your desire.  I no longer do anything for my own pleasure. Bhaktivinoda says, “Your happiness is the essence of everything”.

I have become supremely joyful by surrendering myself at Your holy feet. Unhappiness has gone away, and there are no more anxieties. I see joy in all directions. Your two lotus feet are reservoirs of immortal nectar where one may live free from sorrow and fear. I have found peace there now and have given up the fear of worldly existence. I shall render service in Your household and not endeavor to enjoy the fruits of that service, but rather I shall strive for whatever pleases You, fully devoted to Your lotus feet. Troubles encountered in Your service shall be the cause of great happiness, for in Your devotional service joy and sorrow are equally great riches. Both destroy the misery of ignorance. I have completely forgotten all past history by feeling great joy in my mind. I am most certainly Yours, and You are indeed mine. What need is there of any other treasure? Bhaktivinoda, diving into the ocean of bliss, devotes all his efforts for Your service and dwells in Your house according to Your wishes.

Excerpt from Saranagati,  Atma Nivedanam Songs 4-5 and 8. For the entire supremely relishable song, click here.

Roasted Beets Subji

Preheat oven 400 degrees
INGREDIENTS:
3 large beets, washed and peeled
beet greens, washed and chopped
1-2 T ghee, for greasing the roasting pan and for chauncing the beets
1/2 t fresh ginger root, minced
1 pinch hing
1 t coriander powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t turmeric

salt

PREPARATION:
1. Roast the beets about 30 minutes in a gheesed pan, preferably with a lid over iṭ.
2. Use remaining ghee to make a chaunce. Heat it very hot in a frying pan, add the ginger and fry until browneḍ. Add hing and coriander and pepper and turmeric and then add the greens in quick successioṇ
3. Stir fry a  minute or two. Add about a cup of wateṛ Cover and cook on high heat until water evaporateṣ
4. Chopped up the roasted beets and add to the greens for offering to Krishna.

An Example Given by the Acaryas

"We have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty-four hours a day, by chanting His names and molding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember Him always.

"How is this possible? The ācāryas give the following example. If a married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment for a woman other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores. In fact, she carries out her household work even more carefully so her husband will not suspect her attachment. Similarly, we should always remember the supreme lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and at the same time perform our material duties very nicely. A strong sense of love is required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him. But we have to develop that sense of love. " - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As Is Is, Introduction

reminiscing (garden 2018)

It's the dead of winter here, but found these images to remember fondly our last garden, while dreaming up the next one. A variety of plants were growing.

 Dug up two beds that were full of gravel over 5" thick (Found out this used to be a driveway)!

 Established a narrow stone tile pathway.

 Lots of composting was going on.

 Grew lots of marigolds for the deities.

Did a ton of weeding.  Lots of them were edible- purslane, lambs quarter and mallow, to name a few.  Also put in an area of new sod. It was leftovers when they put new sod in front of the temple across the street.

Also I got a feverfew plant from a neighbor. I'd always heard of feverfew and finally our meeting took place. I love meeting new plants, especially as fragrant and useful as feverfew. I potted up the tiny seedling she gave me to overwinter, and so glad to see it's grown quite a bit. It should be ready to put into the garden as soon as the weather is warmed up enough.

 But the best part was not only the pretty plants and sunshine and exercise and fresh air and the lovely sight of a garden each day, but especially offering the fresh produce from it to Krishna!

Homemade breakfast cereal

Got leftover banana, raisin or other sweet bread? Just break into chunks, put it in a pan and toast on lowest oven setting until crisp and crunchy. Easy peasy. And tastes way better than store bought, factory made cereals. Healthier, too. Also you can get creative, adding different offered nuts, fruits or dried fruits and seeds to serve with the cereal.

Sew a Mrdanga Cover

Don't ask me how I did this. I even made two of them.

There are books available that describe how to make patterns from finished clothing and the instructions can be easily applied here. I used one author's tip to place the separate parts of an already made mrdanga cover on top of a large piece of paper on top of a large piece of cardboard, section by section, and punch holes with pins along their edges. 

Remove the ready made cover and next connect with a magic marker the remaining dotted pin marks that you just formed on the paper(The purpose of cardboard underneath is simply to have protected any surface below while you did this). 

Next cut out the pattern that was drawn connecting the pin marks. 

Next, make sure it is symmetrical by folding the pattern in half. Redraw onto another piece of paper until it is uniform. I used large pieces of drafting paper. Then add to this at least a half inch border for the seam allowance. Then cut out your pattern on the cloth you'll be using.

Phew! I hope that made sense. I also machine embroidered some on the borders with another colored thread, but it is too fine to see in the photo.

DIY Grout Cleaner

1. Rub on lemon peels/juice
2. Sprinkle on baking soda
3. Moisten with Hydrogen Peroxide
4. Scrub
5. Vaah!

1-2-8 Wood Cleaner

(1 part olive oil, 2 parts vinegar and 8 parts water)

Murphy's Wood Oil Soap, move over! This is my absolute favorite recipe for cleaning woodwork, kitchen cabinets, doors, wood floors and furniture, and it works on the vinyl sofa, too. It also is my favorite plaster wall cleaner, along with occasionally a dash of baking soda.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
10-15 drops essential oil (Peppermint works really well here)

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
A clean squeeze bottle such as an empty dish soap bottle

PREPARATION:
Put all ingredients together in the squeeze bottle. Shake well before use.

Cornbread

INGREDIENTS:
1  1/4 c cornmeal
3/4 c atta
2  1/2 t baking powder
4 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3 T melted ghee
1  c buttermilk (or watery yogurt)

PREPARATION:

• Mix dry ingredients together.
• In another bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Add to the dry and stir lightly until everything is moistened. Pour about 1 inch thick into hot baking pans greased with ghee.
• Bake at 475 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until firmed up on top, slightly cracking and a toothpick comes out clean (unless you are adding cheese described below).

          OR:

• Steam the same way iddlis are steamed for 25 min. Super soft and moist and fluffy and delicious that way, too!

VARIATIONS: Add finely chopped jalepenos, bell pepper and grated cheese...

Serve immediately to Krishna with cranberry jam:

CRANBERRY JAM

• available cranberries
• half to an equal amount of sugar, as desired
• equal amount of water
• a pinch of baking soda (optional, tames the acidic content and flavor)

Bring to a boil and then cook the berries in sugar water on low simmer and lightly covered until thickened and the berries are broken and soft (Add the pinch of soda early on). Turn off heat and stir well.
 
Extra cornbread can be sliced and then fried in a little ghee, as pictured.