Herbal Tea

Tea is commonly called as Chai / Masala Chai. Tea is one of my addiction in life, and I need at least 2 cups for my soul to be happy.Tea is the refreshing drink taken in the morning and when tired or stressed out.

I start my day with herbal tea and if I don't drink a cup of tea then for sure my day will be lost with headache. I can bet that most Indians have tea in the morning and most of us use herbs it to make it more healthy.

I am typing this blog post from my flat on May 26th 2014 one of the bank holidays in UK and it is called spring bank holiday. But the weather over here in UK is like Indian monsoon, is raining non stop for past 12 hours now. It is nice to see rain through window but rains pulls out the laziness out of your body.

I personally dont like Dip tea if I am at home and I make Indian Herbal tea. I wonder I have it everyday what took me so long to share this Indian Tea recipe with all of you. The herbal teas consists of simple herbs, which you can grow in your backyard. The aroma and taste of this Indian Herbal tea is awesome do try this.

The kind of herbs one can add in a herbal tea depends upon their medicinal value as some of the herbs like ginger, cloves will produce a lot of heat in the body whereas some herbs like mint, tulsi (holy basil), rose petals are cooling. on a cold climate you can have the tea hot. 

The herbs which I used for my herbal tea :

1. Ginger (sliced/grated)
2. Two  cardamom
3. Cinnamon powder (sometimes)

If you don't herbs in hand I would suggest  Tesco Finest Fragrant and Spicy  Tea it has same same effect. Try out local brands of spicy tea.

If you add Ginger to your tea it relieves nausea, combats motion sickness, inflammation, helps digestive processes, limits flatulence and minimizes symptoms of common cold, allergies and other respiratory conditions.

Tips:

• Do not remove the peel of cardamoms as they impart good flavor and have lots of medicinal values.
• Never add cold milk and then heat the tea it spoils the taste of tea.
• Correct practice is adding milk to tea not tea to milk this way the amount milk can be regulated without spoiling the taste of tea.
• To get the complete flavor of herbs and spices boil the water for at least 5 min.
• Lastly don’t forget to add some love while making this tea.

There are many other varieties of herbal teas hope below pic helps you to try out the different herbal teas.

Nice Quotes

Happy Saturday !

May 17th 2014 
London.

This post is a random one on a special day of my life.
This wasn’t planned or expected and there is special thanks  to family for sharing ! Loving me ! and reminding me we are a family ! even though we are miles away.
.............
Today I wanted to write about one of my favorite quotes which applies to me.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Suess

I think the problem with many people my age is that we can’t be ourselves. And I’m not saying I’m not involved in this because I am. People think too much into what other people think about them. And they shouldn’t. You should be yourself. Don’t live to impress others.

“Say what you feel.” I admit sometimes I am afraid to say what I really feel. And so is everyone else. It makes sense. What if we say something wrong? What if people make fun of us? What if they talk about us? We need to just stop worrying about it all. In my personnel experience I lost some years of my life because of this fear. 

I know I or you can't changes things in one night, but if we need to change some thing, the process should start within yourself - your mind. If you can't imagine the change or can't imagine what you want to be in life , no body can't help you.
There will be small or big windows opportunities in your situations, open your eyes, catch the opportunities and move forward.

If you act like yourself, people will judge. People will hate. You cannot please everyone. If somebody doesn't like you for you, makes fun of what you say, then they aren't worth talking to. Don’t over think the people who mind what you say. Don’t change yourself to show off to somebody else. It doesn’t matter what others think. But dress up properly or do things matters based on your location.

My fear of others keep reminds me of a funny cartoon of PUGH.There was a  time in my life that I used to cover my face with books, or near by newspaper in public places and colleges just to get rid of the people I dont like / scared of what they say.

I am sure you will also have this kind of funny moments in life, share it and we will have a laugh together :)

Today, I turn 31.

When I was little, I used to think people in their 30s were really old. Now that I’m in my 30s, that perspective has quickly shifted. Life is short. Live it the way that will make you happy.Thanks to all friends and family who wished me, let us thank technology for making this happen.

Have a good day folks... it is 23 degree's here in London, kind of warmest day of the year so far and most of all I am in my dream city of childhood.

Do you know this secret ?

It is so yummy to have chocolates after dinner.And I just finished my last Hershey's from fridge. Even though I follow diet I can't resist the temptation of Chocolates. You must be wondering why I am still thinking of Choco eggs and chocolates , yes there is a little secret behind it..

I was following diet and kept myself engaged with work and gym and games for past few months with great expectations that I will loose my weight and will reach my target of kg by May 31st 2014. (Jan 1st Resolution)

With few days to my target date I just checked my weights at my GP , general practitioner today evening and the  results made me upset I should say very upset. My weight is not even starts in 50's :(.

In one of the consulting section bupa dietitian asked me to write down all I had for a week and we analysed it together, yes I had lots of  food at odd times, no non veg, lots of caffeine, sugars, and chocolates, some spicy food etc.

So here is the secret , see how long you need to workout if you are eating chocolates just like me,

I am not against Chocolates or any brands but theses are my findings in day to day life.

Even though I exercise regularly my body kept absorbing the sugar in my diet and my exercise was not enough to break down already deposited fat in my body.

If I am stressed out or feeling cold / depressed I found comfort in my teas and I ended up having 10-12 teas a day with each tea having at least 20 gm of sugar per tea.

So dietitian advised to cut down the sugars, chocolates and donuts and cupcakes and fried items...

Advised to follow this diet more green colored vegetables and more fiber in food. 

My appointment with dietitian was linked to my Bupa Medical insurance from my employer, but there are many useful things in Bupa's site, please check yourself here http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/diet-nutrition/10-steps-healthy-eating-2014

Hope this helps you as well.

30 Things That Make The Perfect Daughter

ACCORDING TO MOTHERS,

1. Happy to confide in mum 2. Is honest on shopping trips 3. Calls regularly 4. Always available in a crisis  5. Goes on girly day trips/breaks 6. Sends daily text updates 7. Mucks in with family dinners 8. Waters the plants when away 9. Looks after the dog/cat/pets whilst on holiday 10. Offers mums frequent lifts 11. On hand for a cup of tea 12. Lets mum get involved in wedding plans 13. Watches the same soaps 14. Help mum pick clothes 15.Surprises mum with gifts 16. Sends funny things via Facebook 17. Takes mum for girly lunches 18. Writes thoughtful notes / cards 19. Chats about TV shows they both enjoy 20. Has a day that she always visits ie every Sunday21. Gets on with mum's friends 22. Helps with the housework when she visits 23. Takes flowers for the house 24. Recommends toiletries  25. Join mum and her friends on days out 26. Sends cute cards for no reason 27.Makes / buys personal gifts 28. Frequently invites mum around for meals 29.Lends mum clothes and accessories 30. Lets mum use her make-up

How to save google maps offline in Iphone ?

I am a google fan so I follow google with its updates. Google has rolled out a wonderful update for its google maps for smart phones last night in UK. I am not sure about other countries. It is very handy. Most special feature of this app update is we can save maps offline , upto 6 maps. Size of the map depends on how much your smartphone can accommodate. If your smart phone don't have space google will suggest to shrink the map to small year. 

I still remember when I came UK for studies 8 years ago, like any one coming in to a European country everything is beautiful and I easily get lost seeing beautiful places. 

At times my phones network speed was not upto my dreams and I had lost my way many times. 

Once me and one my friend Chikku had actually booked filim tickets and kept walking for the whole length time of filim, theatre was near by but we got lost in snow and round abouts, wish this update was there many years ago.

Every experience teaches you a lesson, even with a google map print out we could not reach theatre which is 20 min far away from hostel, next taxiiiiiii ;)

Any way that is past and now let me show you how to save google offline maps in iphone. 

If you are having Iphone/ any other smart phone  make sure you are having latest google map, latest version is 3.0.0

So once you have installed the latest version , make sure you have enough space in your phone to save offline maps.

Search for the place you want to travel and choose the mode of travel as well, it can by walking , cycling, or by car or public transport .

Once you finalised the to and from locations and mode of transport click on the small man in the corner.

In the next window scroll down and save the maps for offline use.

Some features in official terms of Google 😉

• Maximum download size: You can download up to 6 maps total as long as you have sufficient storage space on your device. There’s also a maximum size for the area you can download; if surpassed, you’ll be asked to zoom in to a smaller area.
• Storage capacity: When your device’s storage is at full capacity and can’t save the entire area, your phone will pause the download and show the message "Download failed. Storage may be full". You can resume the download after you’ve cleared some space on your device.

Self-Promotion

Hey Friends today I am quoting a wonderful article By Susan Wilson Solovic it is about how savvy professional women promote themselves. 

Susan Wilson Solovic is a women of many talents, she is an award winning entrepreneur, media personality , amazon top 100 bestselling author, sought after keynote speaker etc.

Solovic has written four bestselling books: “It’s Your Biz”, The Girls’ Guide to Power and Success; Reinvent Your Career; and The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business.

Perhaps you're one of those people who gets personal satisfaction out of a job well done. Maybe you sincerely believe that if you work hard and produce a quality product, the rewards and recognition will come. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.

Talent and brilliance alone won't get you to the top. You need to launch a personal marketing campaign for yourself. The goal is to "wow" them.

We women aren't good at tooting our own horns because we're taught that good girls don't brag. While boys grow up vying for the limelight and learning to one-up each other, girls are taught to share the glory. We aren't supposed to be the center of attention. Therefore, in business, we sadly watch as we're passed by time and time again for promotions, high-visibility assignments, committee chairs and so on because we don't draw attention to our accomplishments.

"One woman I used to work with was always tooting her own horn, and I didn't like it. Then, one day I realized that I was impressed with her track record. Subsequently, I realized you really have to do your own PR work. For a lot of women, including myself, that's hard. But you really have to do that if you want people to understand what your contributions are," says Juanita Weaver, a creativity consultant based in Washington, D.C.

"Nobody knows you better than you. There's nothing wrong with letting your manager or others know about your successes. But as women, not only do we fail to draw attention to our accomplishments, but we tend to downplay them," says Sharon Hadary, executive director of the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, based in Washington, D.C.

Self-promotion can be accomplished in an artful and tasteful manner. You don't want to appear too opportunistic, nor do you want to become a legend in your own mind. The best advice is to watch and learn from others.

Let the Right People Know

Does you boss's boss know what a great job you're doing? Does your sales contact keep his or her supervisors apprised of your company's performance record? Will anyone be aware of your accomplishments if your supervisor or company contact leaves or gets promoted? If you can't answer yes confidently to these questions, then you aren't doing a good job of marketing yourself. You need an action plan.

"What I try to do personally is document what I do, and let people know about it. You have to recognize that it's okay to say you're good at something, and by documenting things you've done, you can show them on paper," says Catherine Garda Newton, a former IBM executive. "I also regularly update my resume because it forces me to look back at what I've done and keep it firmly in my mind. I also can evaluate better whether I'm moving toward where I want to go."

Seek Ways to Tell Your Story

If your company has staff meetings, always be prepared to highlight your results. Utilize internal memos and weekly or monthly progress reports as methods of keeping associates informed of your accomplishments. Use opportunities to remind your customers of your performance record. Rather than bragging, you'll appear competent and professional for keeping everyone informed.

Be Generous with Your Praise

Make certain your business associates, employees or team members receive recognition for a job well done. When you're quick to sincerely praise the good work of others and allow them to bask in the limelight, they'll readily do the same for you. You won't have to say a thing about yourself because your associates will enthusiastically carry your banner.

Use External Sources

Enhance your credibility and stature by writing an article for a trade journal or business publication. Establish yourself as a resource with the media -- someone they can call when they need an authority to quote. Send out news releases announcing your business successes. Share published articles with business associates and customers. Of course, always make certain you have permission to copy printed materials so you don't infringe on a publication's copyright.

Write a Dazzling Bio

Create a personal bio that will wow readers. If you aren't a good writer, hire someone who can do it for you. Even though I've been a marketing professional for more than 20 years, I hire marketing professionals to write for me. These professionals have the objectivity to make me sound great. If you choose to do it yourself, make certain that you highlight your achievements and experience as well as any awards or special recognition you may have received. The goal is to look like the superstar you are.

There's a delicate balance when it comes to self-promotion, and you don't want to be guilty of overkill. But when used appropriately, a personal marketing campaign can create magic for you and help you get where you want to go. Marketing yourself is like marketing your business -- if no one knows about your product, who will buy it?

Evening Sky

Yet another weekend passed by peacefully with lots of rain and little sunshine in this spring. 

Every day is your choice it can either be regret or rejoice so pay attention to your outlook on life.

Do your best, smile and enjoy your life with challenges. Because challenges makes life interesting and life becomes more meaning when you overcomes it. 

I am weird in many ways , my close circle of friends knows me well, even though I am miles far away. 

Sometimes mind needs little more time to accept the events happening in life and understand how blessed you are and or the very fact that you did live through those times. 

No matter where you and how you live some one will be disappointed of you. So live a life or build a life you are proud of. And make sure you are not the one disappointed in the end. 

Here are some of the pics of evening sky from living room. 

Hope you guys like it ..

 Beautiful Sunset above and rain below ......

Happy Easter Everyone

Help yourself with mini Choco Eggs!!

UNICEF TAP Project

As you know I get involved in varieties of volunteer projects from across the globe and this is one of its kind.  Any one with smart phone and internet connection can volunteer for this project from any where in the world. This project is called  UNICEF TAP Project. It is an opportunity to support UNICEF year-round in raising awareness about water-related issues at your work, in school and among friends.

UNICEF Tap Project is working to help the 768 million people around the world without access to clean water. This year you can help by taking a challenge to give up access to something far less vital than water–your cell phone.

If ready for challenge access this link from here http://tap.unicefusa.org

I went 1hr without my phone & helped give 8 days of clean water to children in need. Take the challengehttp://uniceftapproject.org #tapproject

LEARN MORE

Random Clicks April 2014

Spring is here and I had a chance to walk around one of the beautiful places in my office.

Courtesy : iPhone

 And finally we from behind the camera

Quotes

An Open Letter

A mother passing by her daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then she saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the bed. It was addressed, "Mom." With the worst premonition, she opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:

Dear Mom: 

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new boyfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you. I've been finding real passion with Ahmed and he is so nice-even with all his piercings, tattoos, beard, and his motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Mom, I'm pregnant and Ahmed said that we will be very happy. He already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too. Ahmed taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and we'll be growing it for us and trading it with his friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Ahmed can get better; he sure deserves it!! Don't worry Mom, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grand children.

Your daughter,

 Judith

PS: Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbor's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. I love you! Call when it is safe for me to come home.

I am sure you will also have good memories when you take your progress report / marks card to mums for signature. Let us wish them  Happy Mothers Day with a smile in face and heart.

Table manners across the globe

Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages & Grilled Vegetables

It is lent season so experiments are progressing in vegetables and new spices 
The possibilities for this dish are limited only by what you've got fresh on hand, so don't hold back—add other summer vegetables, like peppers, eggplant, asparagus or sweet onions.


Cook Time :20 min

Serves :1

Ingredients:

Vegetables I Used:

1 Onion
2 Pickled pepper
5 Beans

Spices Used:

2 Table Spoon(tsp) Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp Basil 
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Main Ingredient:

Linda McCartney Foods - Vegetarian Sausages - 2 No's

Method :

• Heat up 2 tsp oil in a flat vessel , add Linda McCartney Foods - Vegetarian Sausages
• When it turns golden brown
• Add sliced onion, salt, basil, pepper and cook till it becomes soft.
• Mean while grill vegetables, I used #George Foreman Grill for by beans and peppers
• Grill vegetables uncovered over medium heat for 6 to 8 mins 
• Serve hot with Linda McCartney Foods - Vegetarian Sausages after sprinkling lemon.

Please try yourself and let me know feed back in your time.

If you are allergic to any of the ingredients please refrain from using it. 

Signing off..
Ann

Pic Courtesy: Iphone