SAVE OUR EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT

The Earth has already become a dangerous place to live in for the animals and birds. Soon it might be our turn. So let's pledge to save our beautiful planet so that you and your future generations can live happily and peacefully ever after.

Here are some tips to save our earth:

• There is a cute small round press button at the bottom right corner of almost all monitors:Please make use of this

• Stop printing out Harry Porter, Jeffrey Archer and other e-books. This is a classic example of paper wastage.

• If you have forgotten to give double-side prints, make sure you make use of the empty sides as scribbling pads or for your kids' imposition

• Take two minutes from your busy schedule before hurrying back home to shut down the computer.

• All of us are big time Googlers. Have you heard of the Blackle search engine? Blackle (Google powered) is a search engine designed all in Rich Black so that your system consumes less power. So change your homepage.

• Plastic bags these days indeed come in bright and flamboyant colours and tempt us to take them home with us. But the saying, "Appearances are deceptive" holds true for these plastic things too. Next time, hold back or go prepared to counter temptation with a cloth bag.

• Roses, Jasmine, Hibiscus and Peas; All these saplings cost hardly between Rs 10 - 20 each. Can't we afford to plant these in and around our houses? Also, more importantly, caring and maintain them as they grow?

• Try to segregate the different kinds of waste into Bio-Degradable (Fruit or vegetable waste) , Recyclable (waste Paper, paper products) and Electronics (Floppy disks, CD-ROMS ). Once you have segregated your thrash, look for specialized trash cans to throw them away.

• Try to minimize the use of horns. Honking has drastically increased and this adds to the noise pollution and does not provide a conducive environment to live in.

• Use rechargeable batteries though it's an expensive product, it's one-time purchase. Recharge when required. (Same applies to cell-phones, MP3s, iPods and Laptops)

• The best pens to use would be ink ones. Though if you have to use a ball point pen, buy refills instead of buying new pens. Pencils are much better for rough use! (That's why we used it at school!!!)

• Remember to close water taps before preening in front of the mirror. Of course you are beautiful, but Water is a precious resource!

• Let's not just wake up and walk out of finished meetings and conferences with a sigh of relief, let us remember to turn off the lights and projectors too.

• Take few minutes to learn about topics like 'Global Warming' , 'Air / Noise /Land / Water Pollution ' etc apart from constant surfing of News, Latest Gadgets, Movies and Music.

Spread this message to your friends and colleagues. They too can make a difference.
Save the Planet

Running a half empty machine, taking a bath instead of a shower or leaving the light on for no reason destroys the planet.

 Remember: turn your monitor off along with the computer, unplug chargers if you don't use them and use water wisely.

A bit of attention can go a long way!

CONTRIBUTE TO A NOBLE CAUSE

Note: This nice article was received by me as email from one of my friends.

THE SEVEN C’s OF SUCCESS by Brian Tracy

   

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.

Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined.

(Source:http://www.briantracy.com/)

Now let us hear what he says about the Seven C's of success.

After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 35 years, I’ve concluded that these unique men and women, have in most cases, mastered what I call the Seven C’s of Success.

Clarity: 


Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

Competence: 


You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

Constraints: 


Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it.

Concentration: 


The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.

Creativity: 


Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle; if you don't use it you'll lose it.

Courage: 


Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

Continuous learning: 


Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring email, sending messages, going through websites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.

The most unique dish I have experienced -MasterChef India 2 Contest

In any functions held in South India, the menu for the feast will be incomplete without 'Payasams'. If we attend the marriage ceremonies in Kerala, not one or two but several varieties of Payasams will be served.
What is Payasam?


Payasam (Sanskrit: क्षीर/Ksheer)(Hindi: खीर, Punjabi: ਖੀਰ, Khiri (ଖିରି) in Oriya, Urdu: کھیر/kheer) also known as Payasam (Tamil: பாயசம்) or Payesh (Bengali) (Malayalam: പായസം) (Kannada:ಪಾಯಸ) (Telugu:పాయసం) is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish. It is made by boiling rice or broken wheat with milk and sugar, and flavored with cardamom,raisins, saffron, cashewnuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or also consumed alone as a dessert.
(Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kheer)
By now you must have  guessed what my favourite dish is.:-)


My favourite  and Unique Dish:

Last year on a Saturday evening, I  went to dine out with my family. After discussing various options, we decided to go to the Rasam Restuarant , a venture of the famous KrishnaSweets in Purasawalkam,Chennai. It is located in Raja Annamalai Rd, Purasawalkam , Chennai near Dharmaprakash Kalyana Mandapam.

Rasam Restuarant in Purasawalkam

In the Ground floor Krishna Sweets is functioning and Rasam Restuarnat is in the first floor. On entering the first floor, you will be surprised to see the serene environment of an Old Bungalow of yester years decorated with beautiful pictures.

                                              Thali Meals

This restaurant is famous for  the delicacies of Kongunadu like Murungai keerai Rasam(Drumstick soup), Nellikkai Rasam(Goosberry Soup) Vazhapoo vadai(Vada made of Bannana Flower),Kuzhi Paniyaram,Idiyappam, Vegetable briyani,  Paruthi Pal Halwa,Ilaneer(Tender Cocunut) payasam etc. They serve only thali meals for lunch. There are two options – a regular and a special. The regular thali has fewer items than the special but its quantity is far more ideal. Though the items are priced on the higher side, the taste of all the items are very good  and the items are made with less oil.  

We ordered for Murungai keerai rasam,Vazhapoo vadai, Kuzhi Paniyarams(both sweet and hot),Vegetable Briyani, and Ilaneer Payasam. It was the first time I tasted Ilaneer Payasam which was a Unique food item at that time. The taste was very good and later on  whenever I visited the Restaurant with my family, we never forget to order for this dish. I organised a get together of (about twenty persons)my college alumini friends (Loyola College, 1970 batch), in the restaurant and after tasting all the items my friends had a special word of  appreciation for Ilaneer Payasam.   

Now a days in most of the marriage receptions, this delicate item is included without fail. 

How to prepare Ilaneer Payasam?

Ilaneer Payasam

Ingredients:

Tender coconut kernels - 2 cups
Tender coconut water - 1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk - ½ a can
Milk - ½ cup
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Ground green cardamom - ¼ tsp.
Cashew nuts - 5 (whole)
Raisins - 8
Ghee - 1 tsp.

Method:
In a bowl mix tender coconut water, condensed milk, milk, coconut milk and ground cardamom.
Cut the tender coconut kernels into bite sizes and add to the liquid.
Fry the cashews and raisins and add to the kheer.
Enjoy and it’s good to eat it immediately.

(Source:  http://www.nandinisfood.com/2010/04/elaneer-payasamtender-coconut-kheer.html)

(Courtesy...Google Images for the pictures in this post.)

Enjoy tasting my favorite dish Ilaneer Payasam