Collected Cooking Tips, Part II

Working smarter rather than harder. (For more collected tips, click here  and here)

DIY "SLOW COOKER" for overnighter cooking. 

NO PANEER OR POTATOES Try nuts and seeds for fillers. Pictured is almonds and sesame seeds with bok choy. And pecans with green beans.

READY TO USE, PRESOAKED CHICKPEAS- Keep in the fridge until ready to use. Long term they even start to sprout. Especially good tossed into a salad or stir fried. If they ever get a little slimy just rinse and they are ready to use.

READY TO USE CHAPATI DOUGH

Make dough first thing, then use, as needed, throughout the day(s)

READY TO USE PANEER Make ahead and can store in fridge also. Stays good at least a few days.

READY TO USE SHUCKED CORN- Whenever corn cobs are prepared, shuck any end pieces, and then refrigerate until needed.

NOT JUST FOR DISHES A dish wand makes a good stove cleaner, too.

EASY WAY TO KEEP PRASADA HOT Keep water in a larger pot underneath hot with a low flame. This way foods don't dry out like when keeping something in a warm oven. This also works better for reheating leftover prasada you want to keep moist.

QUICK AND EASY HOMEMADE "GREEK" YOGURT Let yogurt strain in a finely wired sieve while you do other things. And you can save the whey to add to a lassi or use it to curdle milk for paneer. WARNING: This will not work if you stir the yogurt first. It must be freshly made yogurt. You'll see the whey and it will easily separate with this method. Stirred up yogurt or store bought will not drain out any whey.

ALL THOSE VEGETABLE SCRAPS such as the heart of a cabbage or the stem and leaves left from a cauliflower or kale. Chop them fine and add to soups and kichari to cook until tender and flavorful.

QUICK WAY TO PEEL ORANGES Score into sections, Then peel

SOFTENING WITH SALT  For cooking dahls faster, especially those split peas that seem to take forever to soften, add a pinch or two of salt to the cooking water. Ditto getting veggies to soften and cook more quickly. But be careful. It's easier to salt them at the end because they will shrink.

STRAINING GHEE Sometimes it is slow to drain from regular piece of cotton cloth, so twisty ties can be handy. This can work for finding a place to hang mung beans to sprout, too.

KEEP SPINACH LONGER Put a towel on the fridge shelve and take the spinach out of it's plastic bag and unwrap any twisty ties so the leaves can breathe and stay on a dry surface such as a terry cloth towel. If the fridge is very cold, you can even wrap the greens with the cloth for extra protection.

Fresh coriander, string beans, kale, spinach... stay good longer this way too. Some may wilt over time, but will stay good at least a week or so.

NO MORE MOLDY GRAPES As soon as they get to Krishna's kitchen from the grocery store, get them out of the plastic bag and tucked into an absorbent, cotton cloth. Be surprised how much longer they'll stay fresh.

Update: to keep the coriander from wilting, it is now wrapped in cloth and then bagged. Even better is the bag the produce came in with a label on it. You may want to check the cloth after a few days and exchange it for a dryer one. Also look for any past due pieces so they don't affect the fresher one. In this way, coriander will stay fresh for at least two weeks!

BRAISING VEGETABLES

Vegetables gently boiled in soups or steamed in subjis are good enough, but this occasional cooking method can bring out extra flavor for a special kick. Simply braise the veggies separately in their own juices before adding them. First heat some ghee very hot in a cooking pan, add the vegetables and stir fry a few minutes to start the browning process.

Next, cover the pan and reduce the heat to very low and let the vegetables continue to cook until tender. No extra water is added, they simply simmer in their own juices as they emerge from the vegetables.

Add the cooked vegetables to subji or soup, etc, and then pour a little water in the pan to get the last bits of browned vegetable goodness coating the bottom of the cooking pan and add

HOW TO NOT WASTE MILK
Fridge broke down? Turn milk into paneer or yogurt.
Yogurt got overheated and the dead culture produced no more yogurt? Boil the milk and the dead culture is still sour enough to turn the milk into paneer. Assist with a little lemon juice if necessary.
What to do with paneer whey? Use it in chapatis and baked goods.

What to do with cream skimmed off of yogurt? Churn it into butter an buttermilk....

TO BE CONTINUED

Better Butter, Part II

More adventures in the buttermaking that first got posted here.

About 3/4 gallon of cream was turned into yogurt. Then chilled. Then churned with a stand up mixer on low speed if you are busy doing things, or higher speeds if you are close by.

But this is what can happen when you are close by on high speed but not paying attention:

All cleaned up again. Look at that nice butter. Makhan. What Krishna loves to eat:



Next, the buttermilk gets strained out.


Then the butter is packed into containers or patted into balls to wrap and refrigerate or turned into ghee right away.


3/4 gallon of cream made this amount of butter and buttermilk:

Some nicely buttered chapatis are now with Krishna's offering.



YOU CAN ALSO MAKE BUTTER, BUTTERMILK AND LOW FAT MILK FROM NON HOMOGENIZED MILK
Daily save the cream that pours out of the non-homogenized milk carton when you are using non-homogenized milk (And what's left is non fat milk!). A lot of times it'll already be butter because it got jostled around in the milk jug on the way to the market. Use the days collection to add to your daily yogurt making or whenever you are making another batch of yogurt (hopefully pretty often).

Next day you'll see the collected cream or butter has floated to the top of the yogurt. Skim that off and collect it in a jar until you have enough to churn and separate any yogurt from the cream and already formed butter.

After churning, strain out the buttermilk as usual. Here is how much got made from a three day 

collection. It made 1/2 cup butter: 

Timesavers, Part II (Using Electronics)

I wrote some favorite timesavers many posts ago. Here's part two about using electronics:

 First of all, my computer and and iphone are very Krishna conscious. They have links to so many awesome Krishna conscious web pages and videos and lectures and so on to view and or listen to. It's especially fun to look up information about our Vaisnava acaryas on holy days, visit holy places you are curious about or take in a devotional video now and then (I got to see the entire awesome latest Mahabharata serial on YouTube with special effects before someone took it all off as a copyright violation!) And then there is all of Srila Prabhupada's books in audio to listen to while working.

Also electronics are so helpful in keeping organized, communicating and sharing with others, finding information and ideas and likeminded people and so on. I had many opportunities, for example, to share Krishna consciousness with others, such as an Open Diary many years ago before that got closed (It was better than AOL chat rooms because I actually got banned from there for distributing Prabhupada's book links).

But sometimes I get a little carried away reading all kinds of stuff. I mean, it's like having an entire library in your home! Or an art gallery! Any nerd will understand. But then I get so mad at myself forgetting about everything else.


So over the years, I came up with a few ideas to try and control my reading and writing and info addiction.

SET A TIMER
I decide beforehand how much time I need, and then when the timer goes off, I know I must get off and at least take a break long enough to realize I have other things to do. A timer also works well for focused japa, house cleaning and so many other things I need help with to stay on track.

ASK A HUMAN BEING
I try to ask a human being what information I am seeking rather than Google, but honestly, it's can be hard to find people that are knowledgeable enough in the area of interest I am seeking. Not exactly a timesaver. On the other hand, I've experienced online that no matter what the topic, there are so many opposing opinions you don't know what to believe except what we hear from guru and sastra and sadhu. In that case, everything else is becoming a waste of time.

ASK SOMEONE ONLINE
Asking for assistance online whenever it is available is a good idea. Such as when you visit a website looking for something and they have live help.

HIDE IT. OR AT LEAST COVER IT. OR LEAVE IT BEHIND
I've covered my computer or packed it up for the closet a few times. Out of sight, out of mind. I especially like when I am traveling and forget about going online for a stretch.

MAKE A NOTE
If a burning desire to look something up takes place, jot a note and then do the info search at a designated time.

POST IT
I made a list of exactly what stuff I will use each electronic device for. And when. For example, using my phone for info and texting and calls only and using the computer for blogging. Texting I wanted to reserve for weekends. So far, this idea hasn't worked.

SHOP LOCALLY RATHER THAN ONLINE
This is something I can do lately because I'm in a super crowded city with every store I need at walking distance. This is similar to the "Ask a Human" idea. It is more personal and store clerks are there to get things quickly rather than searching for something online without help.  And you get to see what you are buying rather than it being like a blind date, not knowing what exactly will show up at you door via the delivery service.

USE WHAT YOU KNOW AND HAVE ALREADY
It occured to me a few times that greed can be at the heart of impulsive, unregulated computer usage. Not often thought about like lust or anger, but greed can be a big obstacle for westerners in our pursuit of Krishna consciousness. Otherwise, why do we keep searching for that perfect bedspread when we have a few nice ones already? Perhaps from drooling over hundreds of pictures full of beautiful home décor? But then when you get it, you are still not satisfied and want something else. And greed isn't just about stuff, either. The greed to know more and more and more about stuff you'll forget about in just a few hours. And who wants to be a know-it-all anyway?

PRIORITIES FIRST
I've tried this many times, to do what is important before doing anything online. Problem is, when I tend to regular business, I find I have so much to do I rarely get around to doing anything else! Such as blog writing.

UNPLUG. REGULARLY.
I can barely remember life without electronics. All I know is that I did live that way in the past. So I've tried different things. To. Just. Stay. Off. About the only times I was successful, I had taken a vow before witnesses to stay off a week or so. When you tell others your decision to stay off for a time, you'll be embarrassed if you cannot stick to it.

I can't even describe the thoughts and feelings that took place during those times I successfully stayed off this way. It was like life suddenly slowed down. I didn't feel rushed. It felt almost crazy. Or like I was cheating.  But so far I haven't been able to do this regularly.

FIND ALTERNATIVES
Go the old fashioned route of using a notebook, writing letters instead of email and using a calendar, address book, a timer, a clock and so many other things computers and phone do for us nowadays. This is generally not a timesaver, but it may be if it saves time from being tempted to stay on a device too long. 

As a side note, here are
MORE BENEFITS experienced when unplugged, besides saving time:

• You will have more time for what really matters. More time for the people around you.
• You can get more things done and get better at the things you do.
• There is less nonsense to read that agitates the mind such as politics and frivolous stuff. In this case, ignorance is indeed bliss.
• If you do find someone knowledgeable, you can watch how they do something personally rather than watch on YouTube. And then you can get any questions answered right away.
• You will set a good example for your children, that it's possible to live without electronics. Of course, you need to have plenty of better things to do, so you won't miss it so much. If needed, make your list of alternatives and goals.
• Lot's of times you'll find it better to take a nap than go online. You'll do everything better in the long run by making sure to get sufficient sleep.
• Excess use of electronics is verified by Ayurvedic people to disturb vata and disturbed vata can lead to a host of problems, not just sleeplessness. Things like memory loss, dizziness, blurry vision, anxiety and headaches. You'll be healthier and have better eyesight staying off.
• And life gets simpler with less vibrations, opinions, ideas and other stimulation.

Breakfast Sides

 Here's ideas for deity breakfast offerings to go along with offerings of kitchri, veggie rice, upma, urad dosa, atta dosa, uttapam, oatmeal, pancakes, curry sauce, mung dahl soup and so on:

AVOCADO

These go well with many dishes, especially with  urad dahl dosas avocado can be served in various forms. A quick and easy way is to simply slice the avos in halves, score them into chunks ready to scoop out, and then sprinkle on lemon juice, salt and pepper.

APPLESAUCE Goes well on top of pancakes or atta dosa or as a side with upma or veggie rice...  And it's a good way to use up apples and pears that are getting a bit overripe. Just peel and chop and cook. Play around with spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander and nutmeg, along with some sugar or brown sugar. 

PRUNES I just soak these and the water saved makes an excellent beverage. So far I've served these with veggie rice and upma or oatmeal...

                                                 

CORN ON THE COB

I cut these down to a little more than half the cob, saving the end kernels for other preps. That way they aren't overly filling. Offer steaming hot with butter or ghee and salt. So far I've offered this along with kitchri, veggie rices, soups...

MORE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE:

CHICKPEAS with potato and thick yogurt or with mashed avocados

POTATOES- roasted, stir fried, hash browned...or smothered in thick spicy yogurt

SWEET POTATOES

BREADS -Parathas, stuffed parathas, biscuits, cinnamon rolls or banana bread!

FRUITS bananas and mango aid digestion

DATES AND YOGURT or other dried fruits. Or NUTS

to be continued

Where Laksmi Lives

Edited 8/30/24 

Laksmi devi, the goddess of fortune, who was born from the ocean of milk while it was being churned by the demigods and demons while the Lord was in His form of Kurma, and so on, is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

There one learns why Lord Vishnu is called Laksmi pati because Laksmi accepted Him as Her husband.  Naturally, since He is the best of all persons. And She is the Lord's agent for providing all necessities in the form of natural opulence. Not only in the material world but also in Vaikunthas the Lord is served. so by developing our bhakti for Her Lord, we automatically satisfy Her.

Sri Lakshmi lives:

WHERE NOT A GRAIN OF RICE IS WASTED
When I first heard this, I was in some anxiety never to waste a grain because sometimes you can't just help it! That anxiety passed, however, to great appreciation for this teaching when I realized that if a person has trouble wasting even one grain, certainly they are not inclined to waste anything else! "Waste not; want not" is a saying that describes how frugality and wealth go hand in hand. Still, a devotee does not anxiously have to endeavor to never waste a thing in order to increase in opulence because not wasting becomes natural to him. An increasing love and care for the Lord naturally overflows to everything that is in our existence because everything belongs to Him!

However, not long ago I was faced with a grain-wasting test! I mean, literally. We had just moved from a very dry climate to a humid one and began noticing how the salt in the salt shaker is harder to get out. MH told me to add rice grains to the salt to absorb moisture, and so I complied. The thing we overlooked is that our salt shaker containing offered salt for those who desire more (a makeshift item that used to hold spices), had a top with holes large enough that the rice grains inevitably passed through. So husband said to get rid of the rice, we'll try something else.

I could have thoughtlessly tossed those grains away, about a teaspoon full, or at least feed them to birds or something...(I confess, I never can seem to waste anything!). Instead, I took the trouble to boil those grains separately and added them (because they had been mixed in prasada from Lord's plate) to my plate when we honored lunch prasada that day. Still, it took energy in the form of heat and water to cook that little bit than if I'd simply fed it to the birds! On the other hand, Krishna is not poor, so no real worries over a little extra heat and water. So, in conclusion, it was nice to honor Laksmi and Lord by not throwing away the rice, but at same time we don't have to be overly anxious about it.

WHEN THE HOUSE GETS SWEPT CLEAN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
This was brought to my attention by a common Indian belief that if you sweep your house in the evening, "Laksmi will not go there." A better way to understand this is that if you are so lazy and neglectful or disorganized that you don't get around to sweeping until night time or not at all, which is often the case, then sure, goddess Laksmi, and everyone else for that matter, may pass your house by. But if you are a very busy person, who has a tight schedule and can't always sweep first thing or have a helper to insure that it gets done, I can't see how you would be penalized just because its done around bedtime. Better late than not at all, or in other words, the actual point to be put across here should be: "Sloth is the way to poverty".

WHERE HUSBAND AND WIFE DO NOT QUARREL
This present age of Kali yuga is the age of quarrel, so it can be expected. Still, a good wife shows respect for her husband by refraining from quarreling with him. Simply put, it helps him to get a better perspective of the situation much more quickly, rather than simply reacting to her retaliation and then letting it snowball into a bigger problem. Problems can be worked on more calmly after the dark clouds of raja and tama guna have lifted and intelligence returns. This in turn saves time from missing one's duties because of an argument or hurt feelings and so on. And steadiness in duty, Bhagavad gita says, is the way to elevation, which includes materially.

I’ve personally witnessed how such a chaste woman, who knew how to control her anger and words, even while her husband was reportedly a spendthrift, lived in grand opulence. She had no outside income; she seemed to produce all necessities, as if by mystic power. 

And if you are a husband reading this, it is important to take care of your wife and be careful of her feelings, so that she feels valued and is therefore protected. A happy grha laksmi (a wife is another form of laksmi) makes Mother Laksmi attracted, too.

WHERE LORD KRISHNA IS WORSHIPED
Not only because Vishnu or Krishna is Laksmiji's all-famous husband, and She goes wherever her husband is worshiped, but also because by worshiping Krishna you become brightfaced due to great spiritual happiness. This in turn attracts others and they want to hire you or to be engaged in working with you, and then things get done, money is made, etc. It is all very natural how Laksmi is attracted that way! I've seen this more than a few times. One devotee in particular would miss going to work at least once a week, but his boss liked him so much, he would not fire him!

To be continued

Pizza

Yeast bread I have heard is not offerable to Radha and Krishna, so it is not a favorite for me to make. Still, on occasion we make and offer to Guru and Gauranga. Also, I generally do not buy anything canned or frozen or factory-made. Such things are known to inevitably be contaminated and old from sitting on a shelf. When we bhoga shop we try to buy everything fresh. One exception would be a can of olives for when we decide to offer pizza. I guess because they are hard to get uncanned(!) And to me, pizza just isn't the same without olives.

Anyway, in this recipe, ghee is used instead of olive oil because ghee withstands higher temperatures from cooking and baking. Still, you can add some olive oil at the end of baking. If you love it like I do. Just be sure you are getting the real thing rather than something that is labeled and looks like the real thing but isn't, as this article explains: Is Your Olive Oil Fake?

That said, here's a recipe I've been following for the past few bakes. Still needs a few tweaks, but not bad. Lots of recipes and further instructions for making pizza are on the web, so I only added a few tips that I learned after much trial and error at making that "perfect pizza". The most exciting of late is to use my twin cast iron skillets instead of going out and purchasing the much talked about "pizza stone". That will be explained more below.

Makes 3 pizzas.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CRUST:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 package of yeast
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2 T ghee 
• warm water

FOR THE SAUCE

• About 5 large tomatoes or 10 smaller Roma tomatoes, blended (4 1/4 cups), preferably with skins and seeds removed
• 1-2 T ghee
• 1/2 t asafoetida
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T sugar
• Salt

FOR THE TOPPING

• 4 cups of Rennetless mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice, grated
• About 2 cups of bell pepper, chopped
• Scant 3 cans (2.25 oz ea) of black olives
• Italian seasoning, at least basil and oregano flakes

PREPARATION:
FOR THE CRUST:

1. Sprinkle yeast into a small bowl of warm water and a little sugaṛ. Set in a stove top or other warm place for the yeast to activate
2. Stir remaining dry ingredients together
3. Whisk in the ghee
4. Add the yeast and slowly add warm water while making a dough
5. Knead the dough until smooth.
6. Place in a gheesed bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warmed oven for 40-45 minutes for dough to rise

FOR THE SAUCE

1. Chaunce the asafoetida and black pepper in the ghee
2. Add the blended tomato
3. Stir in sugar
4. Bring to high boil
5. Lower heat to a simmer
6. Simmer until tomato sauce thickens
7. Add salt

FINAL ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees for at least 15 minutes
A couple of cast iron skillets work great for baking pizza. You can leave them in the oven while it is being preheated (or keep warm on the stove top). Then take them out when ready to assemble pizzas. Spread a little ghee on each skillet. Next:

• Sprinkle sooji or flour onto a large cutting board
• With a little ghee on hands to prevent sticking, punch down and roll out 1/3 of the pizza dough onto a large cutting board. Shape the dough to the size of the cast iron skillet
• Spread on top of the dough a thin layer of the tomato sauce
• Sprinkle on generously the basil and oregano or favorite Italian seasonings
• Sprinkle on a couple handfuls of cheese. Not too heavily. Just enough to cover well.
• Sprinkle on a handful or two of chopped bell pepper
• Sprinkle on a handful or two of olives

Next, using a large spatula, slide the pizza onto the hot skillet and immediately put it in the oven

Bake at 500 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or when cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. It helps to have a lighted oven with a window!

Do not begin assembling the second pizza until the first one is done! Or else it'll get soggy from the toppings and begin to stick to the cutting board.

If the dough is too soft, it'll be hard to transfer to a skillet. In that case, roll it out, fold into quarters and quickly transfer to the skillet and unfold the dough. Then proceed with the toppings.

Repeat the above assembly instructions twice more.
Offer with a big salad and some kind of light beverage!

VARIATIONS:
One day I threw in some warmed up yogurt whey for making the dough and could swear the dough was puffier, chewier. I need to try this again to confirm.

FOR A NIGHTSHADE FREE VERSION:
Try dandelion pesto made from ground dandelion (or fresh basil leaves) and walnuts with hing, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

In Memory of My Mangala Sutra

Mangala means auspicious and one of the meanings of sutra is strand or thread. In this case, it's a strand of garnet beads. I got them on the day of my Vedic wedding. Guests gave gifts to the brides and grooms (It was a triple marriage). I remember getting this small stainless steel plate which I used for making offerings to my deities forever afterwards. And then I was given a garnet necklace.

I didn't know at that time what it was. Later on I learned it is something worn by married women. Had I known that earlier, maybe I would have been more careful with it because not long afterwards, I lost it but luckily it got returned. Then after I discovered what it was for and wanted to wear it daily, the strand broke a couple of times! It took me years between times to restring and put it back on.

Then one day, I had grown tired of waiting and carefully restrung it with heavier threads and added some tulasi because many of the beads had by then become misplaced. I was so excited!

I took photos:

          

But for some karmic reason, our happy union was just not meant to be.  About a week later, we made a major move cross country and I was so sleepy during one part of the drive that I didn't take it off when we pulled over and rested in the car. As you can see, it didn't have a very secure type of latch to keep the two ends connected. It must have slipped off into that parking lot situated way out in some snow filled countryside on the way to California, after I woke and walked sleepily to a restroom there in the middle of the night. Sigh.

So now all I have is a memory.

Actually, a few days ago, I noticed a few beads that over the years of not restringing the mangal sutra right away, had ended up on my restrung tulasi strands instead, and which I am still wearing. I had forgotten all about doing that.  I guess a few beads from the original mangal sutra is better than none!

Yoga on the Go

It may be challenging to take time out to do exercises, especially slow ones like yoga postures require space and time, but don't worry about that too much; you can do yoga on the go! For example:

Sitting in class kneeling, called "Vrajasana", as displayed by Maharja Pariksit in the image above or in a lotus posture as the sages of Naimasaranya are doing, requires some strength to hold the body erect to stay alert.

Bending over to reach something under the table while doing housework, you then can pause to hold a form similar to what is called "Adho mukha Svanasana".

Waking up regularly every morning, you may have discovered the pose called "Apanasana" or "Little Boat" that will help any yogi wannabe pass number 2 first thing in the morning when rising.  Now, don't stress about following the example given exactly because the trick is to simply get in the pose and then relax as far as possible. Without falling back asleep! Chanting prayers for waking, etc. helps avoid that.

While seated in a lotus position chanting japa, occasionally give your legs a break by sitting with them stretched out in front. This pose is called "Paschimottanasana", but no problem if you don't touch your toes (or hold a rope) because of holding your bead bag. This, too, takes strength to hold the form as straight as possible and relaxed.

Also while sitting, try to do the butterfly pose, "Baddha Konasana", for the same reason.

Paying obeisances during Prema Dhvani prayers at the temple each morning can be a simple variation of what is called "The Child's Pose", "Balasana".

And while relaxing or sleeping, there is the position well known as "Savasana".

So this is one way to keep exercise simple,(another way was posted here: "Housework Workout"), so to carry on with the real purpose of yoga.

"There are many systems of bodily exercise...and they help keep the body fit, reduce fat, and help the digestive system. Therefore there is no need to practice yoga for these purposes. The real purpose for practicing yoga is to realize that I am not this body. I want eternal happiness, complete knowledge, and eternal life—that is the ultimate end of the true yoga system." -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Thus, we can use all our energy in loving actions by doing it all for Krishna. That love is the highest meaning of yoga.

Srila Prabhupada did mention on occasion to disciples that they can do some hatha yoga to keep fit, and considering where we are at, spiritual advancement wise, some people really benefit at times in their life for a full on daily session of yoga postures to help develop their breathing, an ability to relax and let go and so on. It's called accepting what is favorable for our devotional service. Originally, this page was inspired while web surfing and found this article: Yoga for Addiction Recovery  at the "Yoga Journal" Website. It can make one realize how simple a yoga asana really can be!

Learning verses. And the Sanskrit

During an especially difficult phase of life some years ago, I started chanting Narasimha kavacha every night and was amazed in the morning that I was starting to remember much of it, so I thought why not try to learn some Bhagavad gita verses? So I decided to try and study the Sanskrit word for word transliteration more carefully and some how or other ended up learning the devanagari script, too. There is a saying, "To write is to remember." Funny, because not long before that Sanskrit just looked too scary, and so I never considered even trying to learn any of it besides what I would hear over and over in classes and reading and therefore mostly ignored it. But with the help of  Paramatma, of course, and then Youtube on how to write the letters and combinations, and especially by studying the letters and the pronunciation key in the back of the Bhagavad gita As It Is, and then simply copying the verses one by one, I now can read the verses without the help of the English transliteration. But what is especially nice is seeing how studying the Sanskrit helps in not only remembering things better, but also in understanding the meaning of the verses.

Actually, I first learned this study method from Ruth Beechick. She calls it the "Natural Method" taught by Charlotte Mason and used by Benjamin Franklin and others in learning how to write English prose and so on. Artists also use the method via copying other artists as part of their studies.

Now I wish to find time to learn the word for word meanings for all the Vaisnava prayers we sing or say in our deity worship every day.

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!