Beating the Heat - Naturally

Summer is ON. We are in the peak period of the season known as 'Agninatchatram' or 'Kathiri veyyil'. Let us see how we can beat this summer.

1. Lemon Juice + ground mint leaves + blacksalt + sugar = excellent summer cooler
2. Panagam is also good (jaggery water + elachi powder + Dry ginger powder + lemon juice)
3. Buttermilk
4. Pazhayadhu
5. Tender Coconut is the nature's best energy drink
6. Soak methi seeds overnight and have it along with curd in the morning
7. Milkshakes, smoothies using fruits
8. Cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon are good
9. Fresh juices
10. Gulkand (made using good quality edible roses)
11. Root herbs like nannari in sherbet form is available in the market
12. Onion is very good so can include that in raita form (raw onions)
13. Ice apple (eng) / nungu (tamizh) / Tari (hindi) / Tadgola (marathi) and the Juice called Nira (marathi) or Padhaneer (tamizh) is also very good to beat the heat. The juice is pungent hence you can dilute it adding water, add in some sugar and drink. (check wikipedie for more info Borassus flabellifer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

• Bathe twice a day the bath before you hit bed will give you a nice sleep.

• If you like short haircuts, go for it as this is the best season. Easy to clean & maintain.
• use cotton dresses. Try to avoid wearing tight wears. 

 

• Keep a towel always handy to dry your hair if you sweat excess. this will also prevent from catching cold during a hot summer day.

• Ladies, Minimise your time in  the kitchen by bringing in raw salads, easy to cook receipes, fruit shakes, sandwiches,  Raita etc into your menu which will save you as well as healthy for your family.

• Always carry water bottle with you so that you will not get dehydrated and this practice will also prevent you from waterborne infection that may be caused as the outside water source is not known.

•  Use good sunscreen lotion to protect your skin and also you can give it some luxury treatment by rubbing cucumber / tomato / curd to the skin

•  You can add some rosewater to your bath tub

•  Carry an umbrella with you (preferably cool shades like blue & green colours)  

 

• Spray your favourite deo in your hankie, lighly moist it. While walking in hot sun, use it which will cool the skin on your face.

• If you can tolerate, dip a towel in water, squeeze, put in on head on afternoon hours for sometime, which will also leave you cool

• Apply coconut oil to hair before taking hair bath, few drops of castor oil on the centre of your head daily, will cool you.

• If you don't have air conditioner then dip an old saree in water, dry it inside the room. You can even tie it around your bed like musquito net, let the fan on and sleep cozily inside it on a hot summer afternoon.

•  Use a good quality goggles      as they also filter bad rays and will make your eyes comfortable while walking under hot sun. 

• In an earthen pot pour good drinking water, two whole lemon. This will give you nice flavour to the drinking water which not only quenches your thirst but also the flavour will leave you feel fresh

•  Select some cool colours  & shades for your upholstery and Bedcovers. 

• Bring in some nice potted plants that suits an indoor living to brighten up the scene with some living greenery.

• Try to spend evening hours in an open ventilated area like park or a garden which will be refreshing for you as well as save some electricity with the natural breeze.

Don'ts

1. Avoid going in hot sun wherever possible
2. Never drink cold water after roaming in hot sun. Water at room temperature or Hot water though may not be liked by many quenches thirst on a hot summer day. (ushnam ushnena shanthi is a saying
3. Avoid carbonated drinks

geared up?!! 

Ivy Gourd/Tondli/Kovakkai Soup

Ivy Gourd, aka Tendli (Marathi), Tindora (hindi),  Kovaikkai (tamizh), is rich in betacarotene. sharing with you the link (http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2005/05/01/4276/ivy-gourd/)  which tells about health benefits and its use in traditional medicine that I came across while surfing net. 

I have seen the leaves used in blackening the blackboard in schools along with charcoal in olden days. It is a creeper which grows fast and yields a bulk quantity of the vegetable.

It is cooked in different methods to make different dishes and also makes a healthy soup when parboiled retaining its essential nutrients.

How to choose and pick ivy gourd? :- Ivy gourd if over ripen will turn red inside and the seeds will be hard & difficult to chew. This will spoil the recipe.  Hence always pick the tender & slender ones which are nice green in colour avoiding the bigger & pale ones.

Ingridients :-

1. Ivy Gourd - 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Water

 Procedure :-

• Wash and cut the ivy gourd into two. 
• Add water and par boil it
• Strain, cool and grind to nice paste.
• Reheat it adding salt
• Using pepper is optional. I prefer it without pepper.
• A simple but healthy gourd soup is ready!

Acqua Wall Decoration

Summer is at its peak. So decided to add some aqua life to the plain wall for a change. Got the idea of using inexpensive items for wall decor from my pal Suriya . Saw her works and found it beautiful & cheap too. So tried some aquatic living things in cartoon form.

Persenting it to you for your eyes. Sharing the work with you at its present stage.

Drew the figures in a chat, coloured them, cut and highlighted the border with dark colours.

Pasted them using fevistick (which can be peeled smoothly from the walls).

Carrot Soup

Carrot is a common & popular vegetable which is available in all seasons. Those who are trying to lose weight can start their meal with a bowl of healthy soup made using par boiled vegetables (to retain the nutrients)

• Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, K, C and potassium. 
• It can be eaten raw as well as in cooked form. 
• The beta carotene (an antioxidant) helps prevent cell damage thus slowing down the aging process.
• When chewed raw, it helps the mouth to produce more salaiva and in the process cleans the teeth
• Helps detoxification
• Studies say the soluble fiber in it helps in lowering blood cholestrol levels

Invite you to have a cup of hot carrot soup

Ingrideints :-

1. Carrot - 2 Nos.
2. Tomato - 1 No. (Small) (optional)
3. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or as preferred
4. Sugar - 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste

Procedure :

• Wash, clean and Dice the carrots and tomato (tomato gives you light tangy taste which will make your soup more interesting)
• Boil water and put the veggies into it
• Parboil it, allow to cool
• Grind to a smooth paste in a mixer by adding the water in which it is boiled.
• Transfer to a vessel, add pepper powder, salt, sugar, mix well
• Bring to boil
• Hot cup of delicious healthy carrot soup is ready

Variation :

To bring in a slight flavour, you can add chopped coriander leaves before the final boiling process.