You wake up in the morning and wash your sleepy face. While you wipe it dry with a towel, you see a glimpse of yourself in mirror, and give a groan. No, you’re not having a bad face day. It’s something much worse than that. It’s the biggest damn pimple you’ve ever seen on your life when you have a party tonight. Ugh! Where did you go wrong?

What causes a Pimple?

A number of things can cause a pimple:

• An improper diet that includes too many soft drinks, spicy and fried food and snacks with high iodine content
• Pores clogged by dirt or pollution
• Stress
• Hormonal changes due to menstruation
• Genes – blame it on the folks

Prevention is better than cure:

Wash Right
Wash your face regularly, not more than 3 times a day, unless you’re living in a highly humid and/or polluted city which requires more washing to unclog pores. The best way to wash the face is to first lather your face-wash in your hands, apply it to wet skin and rinse. Pat dry. Scrubbing only aggravates the skin and causes further problems.

Cleansing Routine
Stick to the Routine. Twice a day be sure to cleanse, tone, and moisturize your face in that order. Don’t skip the moisturising step even if you have oily skin – use an oil-free moisturiser if you have oily skin.

Exposure to the elements
Avoid exposing your skin to the harsh elements. If you are going for a long drive, roll up your window slightly, so your face doesn’t get plummeted by the wind, especially in polluted towns.

Water
Drink plenty of water to detox your system. Impure blood and poor circulation is one of the primary causes of acne.

Eat Right
Unless you are allergic to certain foods, eating junk food doesn’t lead to the formation of pimples. But overeating certain foods, especially heating foods like chocolates and mangoes, can lead to an overnight zit congregation.

Get rid of that zit – ice ice baby!
No! Don’t burst it! That’s the worst thing you can do! It may solve your problem temporarily so you won’t go to that party with a large white bud blossoming on your mug, but the scar will remain for a long, long time. Instead, try wrapping an ice cube in a thin muslin cloth and place it for about three minutes on a pimple that is just forming. It kills the growth of the pimple. Believe it, it is true.

If a pimple does burst accidentally (or intentionally!), wash the area with soap. Then reach for a lemon slice and squeeze ten drops into a cotton ball. Keep it on the burst pimple for about 10 minutes. The scar will vanish.

Lime ‘n’ Lemony
Lemon maintains the pH balance of skin, and it is a good idea to give your face a rinse of lemon water once a day (if pimples are regular). Just squeeze half a lemon into half a mug of water and splash it on your face. Rinse off the residue with regular water.

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Aloo Tamatar Sabzi or Potato-Tomato Curry is very simple, everyday dish regularly cooked in many North Indian kitchens. Boiled potatoes are cooked in a spiced gravy of tomatoes and onions and it makes a great curry with rotis and chapatis. My mother also make this sometimes as an accompaniment to a subtle flavored rice or steamed white rice.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes (boiled and slightly mash with hand roughly to form small chunks)
• 1 large onion chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1″ ginger finely minced
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillis
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 2 green chilli slit length wise
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust according to your choice)
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 3 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• 1 tsp jaggery or sugar (optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Now add red chillis and curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds till the flavors are released in the oil.
Now add onions, ginger and garlic and saute till the onions turn light brown. Add the green chillis and all the powders. Combine.
Add the tomatoes and stir fry till the oil separates and it gets mushy.
Add the potatoes and combine and keep covered with a lid on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook further for another 3-4 minutes stirring once in a while.
Add salt and enough water to cover the potatoes.
Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat till you get the desired curry consistency. Finally add the jaggery/sugar and combine. Turn off heat.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis/chapatis/steamed white rice.

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Ingredients:

4 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cups Water
1 cup Butter
2 cups Sugar
4 lg Eggs, separated
1 teaspoons Vanilla
2 cups Unsifted flour
1 teaspoons Baking soda
1 cup Buttermilk or strong cold coffee
1/2 teaspoons Salt

Method:

In heavy saucepan on low heat, melt broken chocolate with water; set aside.

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks, one at a time beating after each addition. Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla.

Sift flour with soda.

Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk or coffee to chocolate mixture; mix until smooth.

Beat egg whites with salt until very stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Spread into three 8 or 9″ round cake pans lined with wax paper.

Bake at 350-F about 30 minutes. Cool on rack 10 minutes; remove cake.

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Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: Nil
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Method:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth.
Serve right away.

Nutrition per serve: 230 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 gram saturated fat; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 44 grams Carbohydrates; 144 milligrams Sodium; 13 grams Protein; 3 grams dietary Fibre.

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Aaloo Samosa

Making time: 45 minutes
Serving: 20 pieces (approx.)
Shelf life: Best when fresh

Method:
For dough:
Make well in the flour.
Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.
Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.
Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.

For filling:
Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.
Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.
Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.
Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.
Cool. Keep aside.

To proceed:
Make a thin 5″ diam. round with some dough.
Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.
Join and press together to make a cone.
Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.
Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.
Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.
Drain on rack or kitchen paper.
Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.

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Ingredients:

Method:
Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep it aside.
Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
Peel skin and grind the almond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water.
Measure the amount of almond paste, and keep the same amount of sugar aside.
Cook the almond paste for 5-10 while stirring it constantly, till the flavor comes out.
Now add sugar and keep stirring.
Add the remaining milk, and boil for 10-15 minutes.
Add the soaked saffron and serve it cold.

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Paneer Pakode with Chatni

Strips of fresh cottage cheese (paneer) dipped in a mildly spiced chickpea batter and then deep fried.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Preparation:
Slit each paneer cube without cutting through. Apply the green chutney in the slit and set aside. Mix half teaspoon red chilli powder and salt in a plate and coat the sandwiched paneer with this mixture all over. Mix gram flour with ginger-garlic paste, carom seeds, soda bi carbonate, rice flour, remaining red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt. Add sufficient water and blend to make a thick and smooth batter. Set aside for ten to fifteen minutes. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Dip the sandwiched paneer cubes in the batter and deep fry till golden. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chutney of your choice.

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Preparation Time: 15 minutes (Excluding time taken to prepare hung curd)
Setting Time: 4 – 5 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Preparation:
Prepare hung curd in the Tupperware Handy Strainer (Alternatively, tie curd in a muslin cloth for 4 hours). Later, combine the hung curd, fruit puree, powdered sugar and vanilla essence in the Quick Shake and blend together to make a soft and smooth paste. Pour it into the small Clear Bowls . Top with mint leaves and lemon rind. Place the bowls in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 hours and allow to set.

Serve Chilled.

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Past couple of days have seen an increasing panic in Delhi, capital city of India, regarding Swine Flu. While some concerns are justified, awareness of the illness is more important than going into a panic mode. At the same time, casual attitude towards basic Flu symptoms and self medication is definitely not recommended in this environment.

What is Swine Flu?
Well, to cut a long story short, it is like any other Flu (common cold) that you get. The big difference is that since the virus has originated from bird and animals, we as human beings do not have any immunity to fight against it. The best part of any viral Flu is that it is self limiting i.e. it runs its course for 7 days and goes off on its own (like our normal cold).

What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?
Again the symptoms are very similar to any other Flu

1. Fever
2. Running nose
3. Sore throat
4. Body ache / Head ache
5. Sometimes, Diarrhoea or Vomiting

What should you be doing in doubt of Swine Flu?

1. First, it is important to note that since the symptoms are not very distinct from a normal Flu (common cold), you should take your illness a bit more seriously.
2. If you get even a mild case of  fever with cough and cold – do not go to any public places (including office, school etc). Restrict yourself to your home. This will help prevent spread of the virus.
3. Go to the doctor for treatment – Do not self medicate yourself by taking some pain killers or cold medicines.
4. If your symptoms are persistent or worsen, go to a Government Hospital to get yourself checked. This is especially true if you run a very high fever, your sore throat becomes worse or you have severe body ache.
5. Everyone should use extra hygienic care in terms of using proper soaps and using clean towels etc.

Is Swine Flu deadly?
Not really. As in any other cases of Flu, it is not deadly. The difference is that it can create complications especially in your respiratory tract (lungs), which can lead to severe problems if not treated early.

What is being said in the media about Swine Flu??
Please remember that one case of death we have had is an aberration and not a rule. But at the same time, we need to participate in being aware, and ensuring that we are not responsible for spreading the virus. Media will tend to report all possible news but we should use our own judgment for acting on such news.  I hope by giving you the above information, we have been able to bring some sense to this chaos.

PS:  The above information is just to bring awareness to you and as per my knowledge. If you need more specific information, please consult your physician.

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Ghaziabad is famous as a Industrial City. With progress of Industries the population of the city went on increasing. In 1972 Total population of Ghaziabad District was 13 Lacs 56 thousand. It was increased to 18 Lacs 43 thousand in 1981. In 1991 population went upto 22 Lacs and now in the year 2000 it is approx. 30 Lacs. 12 Lacs live within the Mahanagar (Municipal Corporation Limit) Length of Ghaziabad 72 K.m. Total area of Ghaziabad is 2590 Square meters. Ghaziabad is one of the best agricultural district.

If we don’t mention the name of Historical Sidh Peeth Dudheshwar Nath Math Temple of Ghaziabad it will be a great mistake. Rishi Vishveshar, the father of RAVANA (Ramayan) used to worship Lord Shiva at this temple. Later on Chattarpati Shiva Ji (Maharashtra) rebuilt this historical temple and performed “Pooja”. History of 550 years is written on the walls of this temple.

In 1997 when new District Gautam Budh Nagar was declared, Dadri & bisrakh went to Gautam Budh Nagar. Ghaziabad is an industrial city, with manufactures in railway coaches, diesel engines, electroplating, bicycles, tapestries, glassware, pottery, vegetable oil, paint and varnish, heavy chains, and typewriter ribbons. It is on the Delhi-Kanpur railroad, and many workers commute to New Delhi from there.

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District Bhiwani came into existence on July 22nd, 1972. It is situated between 28.19 deg. & 29.05 deg. North latitude and 75.26 deg. & 76.28 deg. East longitude. The total population is of approximate 170500. The main town of the district are Charkhi Dadri, Loharu, Bawani Khera and Tosham. The District has total of 442 villages in approximate area of 5000 sq. kms. District receives only 400 – 425 mm of rainfall.

Being the city of temples its also known as ‘Chota Kashi’. The name of city had been mentioned in Ain-e-Akbari. Earlier the name of city was Bhani (Name of Rajput King’s Wife Bhani), which changed to Bhiyani and subsequently to Bhiwani. One of its important cities Dadri was founded by the son of Legendary Rajput King Prithvi Raj Chauhan. District Bhiwani is connected to Rohtak, Delhi, Pilani, Jaipur, Hissar, Sirsa, Chandigarh by road. And by rail it is connected to Delhi, Mathura, Malda Town, Jaipur, Ferozpur, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Hissar.

It is the main center of regional politics and hometown to three Chief Minister’s of Haryana namely Choudhary Bansi Lal, Babu Banarasi Dass Gupta, and Shri Hukum Chand. Late Shri Naki Ram Sharma, Pt. UmaDutt Sharma, Pt. Ram Kumar, Seth Gokhal Chand Arya, Lala Ram Chandra Vith, Lala Noon Karan ji sore wale, Dr. Diwani Chand, Lala Mela Ram Moda are some of the known freedom fighters of the District who took part in 1922 Bardoli Satyagraha. This is mainly an agricultural district. Bhiwani had given so many brave soldiers to our country during the different battles and known as City of War Heroes.

Young people of this district actively represent the Haryana at the National and International level sports. From educational point of view Bhiwani has top most textile research institute of country named The Technological Institute of Textile & Sciences, established by the Birla Group besides it Board of School Education Haryana (Shikhsa Board) is also situated in the city.

If you know more about Bhiwani district kindly mention it through comments.

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