LEISURE

I’m sure many of us never think of waste and rewards in the same breath :). When something is useless in our eyes, it just goes into the waste bin and then who cares what happens next. Well, I did start caring at some point and it was one of the most enlightening journeys of my life, in fact I credit it to be the beginning of my gardening journey as well! Once I started consciously thinking about the amount of waste generated by my household, it has never been a question of “Why we should manage our waste” but…

I’m sure many of us never think of waste and rewards in the same breath :). When something is useless in our eyes, it just goes into the waste bin and then who cares what happens next. Well, I did start caring at some point and it was one of the most enlightening journeys of my life, in fact I credit it to be the beginning of my gardening journey as well! Once I started consciously thinking about the amount of waste generated by my household, it has never been a question of “Why we should manage our waste” but…

It's been two months now since my husband and I started using jaggery (bella in Kannada) in our tea and coffee. This traditional sweetener, known by different terms in different languages, from gud in many parts of North India to chakkara or sarkkara in Malayalam and vellam in Tamil, lends a subtle and deeply flavourful taste to everyday beverages. Coffee sweetened with bella for instance, has a lovely aroma and tastes wonderful, especially in this chilly weather! Many friends of ours have also made the switch. Of course, some of them only use organic powdered jaggery (available in speciality stores…

It's been two months now since my husband and I started using jaggery (bella in Kannada) in our tea and coffee. This traditional sweetener, known by different terms in different languages, from gud in many parts of North India to chakkara or sarkkara in Malayalam and vellam in Tamil, lends a subtle and deeply flavourful taste to everyday beverages. Coffee sweetened with bella for instance, has a lovely aroma and tastes wonderful, especially in this chilly weather! Many friends of ours have also made the switch. Of course, some of them only use organic powdered jaggery (available in speciality stores…

Think of sugar and it brings sweet memories to everyone’s mind. Sweet memories of chocolates, payasams, laddus, cakes, milkshakes and all the lovely treats that are ‘oh so sweet’! Can you imagine a day without eating sugar? Not unless you are a diabetic. A day without sugar is something unimaginable for most of us. Imagine drinking that cherished cup of tea or coffee without sugar! Well, thankfully most of us don’t have to eliminate sugar all together, but what we need to do is keep a watch on the amount we consume every day. Back in 2009 the American Heart…

Think of sugar and it brings sweet memories to everyone’s mind. Sweet memories of chocolates, payasams, laddus, cakes, milkshakes and all the lovely treats that are ‘oh so sweet’! Can you imagine a day without eating sugar? Not unless you are a diabetic. A day without sugar is something unimaginable for most of us. Imagine drinking that cherished cup of tea or coffee without sugar! Well, thankfully most of us don’t have to eliminate sugar all together, but what we need to do is keep a watch on the amount we consume every day. Back in 2009 the American Heart…

Kitchen gardening has always been about growing my own food so that I know exactly where it came from, but along the way it also serves to give me a much deeper understanding of nearly every ingredient that comes into my kitchen. It started very simply for me – when my methi and coriander started flowering and then developed into seeds – it was an Aha moment – so that’s how the seeds form and the plant comes full circle. Just when I thought I knew how the seeds came about, I learnt about the lovely radish seedpods that are…

Kitchen gardening has always been about growing my own food so that I know exactly where it came from, but along the way it also serves to give me a much deeper understanding of nearly every ingredient that comes into my kitchen. It started very simply for me – when my methi and coriander started flowering and then developed into seeds – it was an Aha moment – so that’s how the seeds form and the plant comes full circle. Just when I thought I knew how the seeds came about, I learnt about the lovely radish seedpods that are…

As part of my “bite series”, I want to focus on the beginning – where it all starts. So, are dogs born biters or do they become biters? Do they learn to bite as they grow or are they born biters who learn not to bite? This question is a bit twisted. It’s like asking if a human learns to grasp another’s hand and break it or if a human is born with that knowledge. Most humans are born with opposable thumbs. They do have innate ability to grasp that they quickly learn to use in different situations. Depending on…

As part of my “bite series”, I want to focus on the beginning – where it all starts. So, are dogs born biters or do they become biters? Do they learn to bite as they grow or are they born biters who learn not to bite? This question is a bit twisted. It’s like asking if a human learns to grasp another’s hand and break it or if a human is born with that knowledge. Most humans are born with opposable thumbs. They do have innate ability to grasp that they quickly learn to use in different situations. Depending on…