Marital Therapy

Marital therapy (sometimes termed as couples therapy) is designed to help couples who feel that their marriage is worth to save. In this context, there is a controversy, whether the feeling is both-ended or single-ended. In addition, marital therapy also works to the extent where depression, anxiety, etc took place in relation to marital problem.

In the United States and many other countries, as per statistical report, more than 50% of all marriages now end in divorce. Moreover, the marriage rate has fallen down significantly in recent years. But one thing must be kept in mind that keeping people in joyless marriage or mutually destructive relationships is definitely not a goal of this therapy.

There are mainly two types of marital therapy - one type of behavioral marital therapy focuses on the communication problems by promoting improved communication including many ways like role-playing and real eye-opened, for example. The other type of marital therapy helps clients to gain an insight of the problem in their marital life rather than only skill training.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:07

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How suicide can be prevented?

Suicide is one of the threatening problem of 21st century, though it is not exclusively related on time and space. Though common myth says those who declare to commit suicide hardly do so, whereas research proves just the opposite. So don’t take any suicide threat lightly, even if it seems so. Research regarding suicide prevention suggests following three steps that may be helpful on this aspect –

1) Accurate assessment of the individual’s risk for suicidal behavior and identify the most threatening risk factors;

2) Help to resolve the immediate crisis that involves any of the most threatening factors identified; and

3) Provide treatment to help persons at risk for suicide recover by conveying positive message and inspirational words as well as help the person to identify the potentiality lies within.

The most obvious thing to say about these steps is “It’s easier said than done”, as the mental status of the persons at risk for committing suicide often are not readily identified, and their depression plays a significant role in blocking their mental structure for a given time, resulting their unwillingness to improvise their own condition, both at emotional and cognitive level.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:09

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Agoraphobia

The term ‘phobia’ came from the Ancient Greek word for fear (fobos). Phobia depicts a number of psychological and physiological conditions that can range from common fears to minor eccentricity to serious disabilities.

Agoraphobia implies an intense fear of specific situations especially in public, where individuals imagine that they will get an embarrassing event without any intervention of actual help. Agoraphobia usually takes the form of acute fear of public places, open places, traveling, even in aero plane – in single word, they don’t feel comfortable out of their home.

Though, till today, scientists are just unable to find any concrete and specific cause behind the development of Agoraphobia, but research suggests that social skills training, exposure therapy and cognitive therapy play a crucial role in treating Agoraphobia.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:23
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Psychoanalytic account of love

Freud considers love to be developed as the outcome of sexual drive. According to him, love as well as sexuality is rooted in infancy (Freud, 1905). As he believed that a person's first love object is the mother. Moreover, he also included that the mother's breast acts as a source of sexual pleasure more than providing nourishment and this is the sexual pleasure what compels an individual to seek from his adult lover.

Furthermore, Freud saw love as the coexistence of “two currents”:

• Tenderness/affection, and
• Sensuality.

While the former begins as an infant pursue the care and nourishment received from parents or any other caregiver, Freudian theory affirmed that the latter is related to sexual energy, or libido. And happy love is the fusion of these two currents. The absence any of either can cause conflict which may affect the individual throughout the life-span. The sexual instincts are said to have a gratification-seeking endeavor. And interestingly Freud believed that the inhibition of this aim results sexual desire being transformed into affection in long-term relationships such as marriage.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:24

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Kinesthetic System

The kinesthetic system primarily is used to help a person stay balanced and coordinate his or her movements. In other words, it helps us to get information of our body parts and their associated movements. It is very important to us as without it we might not feel our body area, just watching them associated with us. Kinesthetic information comes from receptors in joints, ligaments and muscle fibers (Matlin & Foley, 1997). It calculates the rate and direction of movement, and hence conveying the message to the corresponding brain area. It helps us to understand the movement, position as well as direction of physical body by using our sense organs. A person suffering from the loss of the kinesthetic system would be a very slow in his movement as well as being flabby. If you become curious about your own kinesthetic system, just close your eyes, and try to touch the tip of your nose. May be you miss first one or twice. This implies that initially the brain was lacking information because of your closed eyes, whereas, very soon, it started mapping it by imposing balance in movement. You wont have any problem in open eyes, as the brain gets proper kinesthetic information using your sense organ, i.e., eye.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:26

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Homemade Toothpaste

Many people ask me, "Can I make my own toothpaste?" and the answer is "Yes, certainly you can". Here are few tips for you, and you may choose whichever you find best suitable for you.
Take 1½ tablespoon of baking soda, 2½ tablespoon of dried lemon peel (or you may use dried orange peel of same amount), 1 teaspoon of salt. Now process all the ingredients into a food processor till you get them blended as a fine powder. Put it in a jar with lid. Wet your brush and dip into the powder and brush!
If you want the above in a paste form, mix it with ¼ teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and make the paste. Brush as usual.
Take one tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with ¼ teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide. Now add 1 drop of peppermint oil into it. Mix it thoroughly to make a paste. Brush!

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Originally published in Blurtit.com

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Italy – the world of beauty with aristocracy

Trevi Fountain, one of the most adorable tourist attractions located in the rione of Trevi, holds the honor of especially interesting legend of coin throwing. It was fabricated by the great architect Salvi in 1735 and decorated with the help of several talents from Bernini’s school.


Trevi Fountain

Duomo of Milan

Duomo stands for cathedral church. It is a generic Italian term. Most probably, Milan Cathedral is known as the best duomo, however, there are various well-known duomos such as Saint Giovanni duomo in Rome, duomo in Naples, and many others.

Perhaps the travel seems incomplete if someone visits Rome, but never seen the magnificent Coliseum. It accommodates 55,000 seating arrangements in the form of vast amphitheatre. Built in 72A.D, this glorious structure consists of 80 entrances. Some Coliseum lovers claim it to be the ultimate travel spot in the world.

Cheaperthanhotels.co.uk offers good value hotels in Italy. You can enjoy the excellence in service in many ways. Their price may start from as less as EUR 35 even in a last minute offer.

Coliseum

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel, built between 1475 and 1483, reveals the combination of art and authentic beauty. It measures 13.41 meters wide and 40.93 meters long. Visit there to become the witness of wonderful creations of Michelangelo. He painted the 12 Apostles and several ornaments on the ceiling between 1508 and 1512. It had been further designed by different talents artists during 15th century.

Vatican City is an independent state and consists of non-hereditary, elected monarchy governed by the Bishop of Rome – the Pope. The Pope is the official head of the City. The current Pope is Benedict XVI, who was appointed on 11th September, 2006.

Vatican City

If you visit Rome, you must visit these places; otherwise your vacation will be incomplete. You can take the benefit of making your stay more comfortable in Rome, if you count on Cheaperthanhotels.co.uk for selecting hotels for you. They offer luxurious hotels in Rome in affordable price range.


Romancing at the side of the canals of Venice is a lifetime experience. Imagine a situation when you and your beloved are sailing through the canal on a moonlit night and soft music is playing in the background…Isn’t it wonderful? In Venice you can see 150 canals creating the streets. Everyone has to travel either by foot or boat. There are 400 pedestrian bridges connecting the small islands of Venice.

Canals of Venice



Teatro La Fenice is an example of gorgeous Italian architecture. It is located in Venice, Italy and considered as one of the most popular theatres around the whole world. This opera has burned two times and been rebuilt again.

La Fenice

Palazzo grassi

Palazzo grassi is the white marbel palace located on the Grand Canal of Venice. The designer of this exquisite structure was Giorgio Massari. It was built between 1748 and 1772. It consists of a 600 seat outdoor theatre.

You can take the advantage of the service of excellence offered by Cheaperthanhotels.co.uk while traveling in Venice and looking for quality Venice hotels. They are successfully working in hotel reservation business since 1996 and maintaining their eminence service in more than 130 countries worldwide.

Artificial Intelligence

According to John McCarthy, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is “…the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable”.

IBM research suggests that, “AI is inherently a multi-disciplinary field. Although it is most commonly viewed as a subfield of computer science, and draws upon work in algorithms, databases, and theoretical computer science, AI also has close connections to the neurosciences, cognitive science and cognitive psychology, mathematical logic, and engineering”.

Hence, AI is the capacity of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot device to perform tasks commonly associated with the higher intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. The term is also frequently applied to that branch of computer science concerned with the development of systems endowed with such capabilities (James Hendler, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; University of Maryland).

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:27

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Some Recent Photos

This is another picture of my sweeeeeeeeeeeeeett husband! :) His name is Saikat. We got married last year (29th December, 2007). We do really believe that marriages are made in heaven. We didn't even know each other on October, 2007. Our story is really exciting. I will share it with you one day.

This is me after sindoor khela. As I posted you last day that I was very excited because it is for the first time in my life I am participating this type of festival. I really enjoyed it. Look at my face, it is sindoor all over it. I am looking bit tired, right? Actually the saree was too heavy and I was wearing so many ornaments. I hardly wear any ornaments.

This is another picture taken at the same time.

As you know, this is my husband's photo. He is sitting on the balcony and looking outside. May be, he is searching some beautiful girls outside, who knows! :D Or may be, he is also wondering how these nice moments are always hugging us together... :) Anyways, he is always my favorit in whichever stand he takes.

In this picture, you are watching my husband and two of my favorite daughters. Yes, they are our daughters. We consider it that way. Because of no ideal age difference, we can't adopt them legally, but we know that these two girls are our daughters. Both of them are studying in class VIII and both of them are very good in their studies.

Thanks for stopping by in my blog.

Hope you have enjoyed your staying here.

Thanks and best regards,

Sudipa

We enjoyed a lot in this puja. Basically, I dont like moving inside the crowd, rather I enjoy watching them from outside. So we did in this puja. This puja is the first one after my marriage. I simply loved it.

Emotional Quotient (EQ)

EQ, stands for Emotional Quotient, is defined as the value indicating the level of tolerance, empathy and compassion, resilience to bounce back from emotional ups and downs. The concept of "Emotional Intelligence" was first coined by John Mayer and Peter Salovey in the 1980's.

EQ can be more important than IQ. Smart people, children as well as adults, may not achieve success and happiness in life if they lack of EQ, whereas they may be high in IQ. There are plenty of examples available in various famous personalities possessing a very high level of IQ, but comparatively lower level of EQ, resulting different life-problems, especially in inter-personal and social.

Psychologist Danial Goleman's 1995 book "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" has brought to the world's attention that it is our emotions, not cognitive skills, that affect our level of relationship satisfaction, health and happiness, and effectiveness in life.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:28

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Causes of Dandruff

Dandruffs are actually dead scalp cells that come out in the form of flakes. This is a common problem and is quite prevalent in the entire world population. Dandruffs can turn into a serious problem as it may lead to secondary complications like acne or rashes over the skin. Dandruff is the most widely accepted cause for hair loss. It decreases the quality of hair. Dandruff may cause itching sensation that may eventually leads to the development of secondary complications such as bacterial or fungal infections.

Dandruffs may be caused due to hereditary problem. That is, it may be carried over through successive generations. Sometimes, not having adequate nutritious food or intense dependency over junk food may cause dandruffs. Environmental pollution may also contribute to the development of dandruffs. Intense dryness of the scalp or oily condition as well may cause the problem. Inadequate rinsing after doing shampoo is also responsible for experiencing dandruffs. In addition to this, improper and over use of hair colouring products and hair curlers may heighten the risk for experiencing dandruffs. There are psychological factors as well such as stress, anxiety and tension that may contribute to the problem.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com

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Again ... We are waiting....

Durga Puja is over. This year I really enjoyed. I guess this is for the first time in my life I enjoyed so much during puja festival.

This puja didn't bring any extra luxury to me, rather the materialistic plane was not so abundant during this puja. But it offers me the emotional security that I was longing for last 16 years of my life.

Pandal hopping and dinner were the main elements of my puja. With my sweetheart, my darling husband I spent a quality time during puja. Indeed all the memories are really valuable to me. I love you sona.

Today, I will go to my local pandal for Sindoor Khela. This is for the first time in my life I am doing this. Although I am not expressing any excitment, but I am very very excited, you know. Ssssssshhhhhhhhh.....don't share it with my husband, ok!

Appreciate your staying at my page!!



Thanks a lot.



Regards



Sudipa

Altered States of Consciousness (ASC)

An altered state of consciousness is characterized by an alteration in one’s both the mental content generally functioning of the consciousness, which is generally observed and experienced others watching him. This is not a single state, but it is said that it is basically a continuum of states though which an individual basically enters into the deepest trance, a sleeplike condition.

The long-term effects of altered states of consciousness vastly affect the perception of one’s self, world, and values. Altered states of consciousness may be induced by voluntarily or involuntarily including the occurrence of epileptic seizures to social behavior. Some religious groups encourage such inducing in the belief of gaining higher insight and value. The most dramatic examples of these states are mystical experiences, where one can feel a very pleasant sense of divine presence, and of the one and interrelatedness to all and significance of all things. This state can be induced by the use of drugs such as LSD, mescaline etc.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:29

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Nature-Nurture Debate

Nature-nurture debate is one of the most important debates in current century, which is concerned with the development of an entity. Nativists see development as arising from inherited factors, genetic structuring for example, whereas, and empiricists consider the environmental factors most important in development.

Nature-nurture debate has crossed a significant psychological journey by emphasizing their corresponding role in the development, whereas, a more acceptable theory is about, interactionists, who claim that, it is through interaction of gene and environment, the development is possible. There is a very few factors which can solely isolated under the shade of any one of them. For examples, we can say language is predominantly nurture factor, whereas, blood type is predominantly nature factor, but more importantly, height is an interactive factor.

Therefore it is quite evident, that we can’t ignore any one by emphasizing the impact of only the other one, rather it can be said that the two sources are interconnected, do not work as opposing alternatives – so the interactive part among them should be considered as the focal point of interest.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:30

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Essential steps of creativity

Creativity is defined as a process which allows an individual to come out with new innovative ideas along with solutions to a problem. The solution to a problem may be divergent or convergent in nature depending on the thinking style and problem-solving strategy of an individual. It may involve the following stages, though it must be remembered those are not exclusive and not to be followed in order:

Step 1: To clearly identify the problem along with the objective and the obstacles to pursue them.

Step 2: Build knowledge and gather relevant information.

Step 3: Brainstorm – evaluation of ideas without getting into details.

Step 4: Apply logic to isolate related from non-related one.

Step 5: Evaluate ideas and record relevant ideas considering problem.

Step 6: Put some new ideas again and cross-check for the better one.

Step 7: Control and alter ideas by changing variables and assumptions

Step 8: Look at ideas from third-person perspective and and also in different time and space (if required), may be it will work more better.

Step 9: Clear your mind for a while. Let your brain and imagination have some conscious rest, so that the mind can work better on your problem at the unconscious level.

Step 10: You surely enjoy the ‘Aha Phenomenon’, where a sudden radical solution to your problem will appear in your mind. But remember, till yet, no one can define the period. It may take from few seconds to long decades even.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:30

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Character Education

This is true that schools are not just for making ‘smart’ kids, their responsibilities may extend more than that – to make a child to a human being. The entity that we carry as human is sometimes not going with us in true sense, proving ourselves to be involved in various destructive negative activities that is harmful to our own self and thus eventually harmful to the society.

Character education describes a moral course where students are encouraged, inspired and conditioned to achieve values, compassion, empathy, etc through enhancing their positive qualities. It is observed in controlled research group that by doing so also provides a significant rise in the area of cognitive, emotional as well as behavioral development resulting a significant change in decision-making style, problem-solving ability, policy making etc. But research also indicates that this type of education must not be induced in superficial level as this may cause opposite reaction. Rather the students must be encouraged to know the feelings to be good by considering and assessing their conflicts and resolution in life.

The chaotic situation in today’s world, especially for young generation, character education seems to have a great importance if promoted carefully.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:32

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Placebo Effect

The placebo effect (also known as non-specific effects) is one of the controversial phenomenons where it is said that the belief system of a patient can heal or at least lessen the symptoms quite a length, if it is changed moderately and accordingly.

It is still controversial if a placebo effect exists. As some report that it is nothing but a pseudo mental condition that the sufferer create out of his willingness to show the gratitude to the caregiver and act that way, whereas no significant physiological change is observed. But in some cases, it is seen that one person suffering from acute pain in his body, get relieved after any ritual, for example.

Though studies still haven’t found any significant cause behind this behavior, but it has been proved in research that a significant neural activity is present during placebo effect.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 20:36

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Homemade Remedy for Treating Sun Burn

There are various homemade remedies available in order to get rid off from sunburn, you can choose whatever you find is suitable for you.

Tomato is an excellent product that can be used over skin for various purposes. It has the capacity to rejuvenate the skin by removing dark spots. Take a tomato, and scramble it to make 2-3tablespoon of tomato juice. Now mix the juice with double amount of thick milk. Mix well and apply all over the face and exposed areas of the body. If you are having oily skin type, you may add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice into the mixture. Leave it over for one hour and then wash off using fresh cold water.

Cucumber is another useful product that has the ability to lighten dark patches as well as it can also provide a refreshing effect. Take ½ cup of grated cucumber and apply all over the facial surface. Leave it for one hour, wash off with fresh cold water, and pat it dry.

Sandalwood is another enhancement product that aids in true beauty. For oily skin, apply a thin layer of sandalwood paste all over the face. After half an hour, wash it off with fresh rose water. For dry skin, mix the sandalwood paste with thick milk and apply. Keep it for half an hour and then wash it off with cold fresh water.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com

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Bystander Effect

The bystander effect or bystander apathy is a psych-sociological phenomenon where persons are less likely to get involved in an crisis situation when others are nearby than when they are alone.

Single individuals will typically intrude if another person is in need of help: this is known as bystander intervention. However, research shows that help is less likely to be given if more people are present. In some situations, a large group of bystanders may fail to help a person who obviously needs help.

An example which shocked many people is the Kitty Genovese case. Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in 1964 by a mentally ill man. The murder took place over a period of about thirty minutes, during which at least 38 alleged "witnesses" failed to help the victim. For this reason, the name Genovese syndrome or Genovese effect was used to describe the phenomenon at the time.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 19:49

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Lets talk about daikon...

The daikon is basically a variety of radish. The size is huge and it is mild-flavored in nature. Daikon is very popular in Japan and an essential part of Japanese cuisine. You can simmer it and serve it alone. Or you may use it grated as an add-ons in soup. You can also mix daikon along with Soya sauce in Japanese hamburgers to make it more delicious. It is quite obvious when you taste sushi, a very famous Japanese cuisine made of vinegary rice; you surely never forget to add some takuan with it. So you should know that daikon plays a significant role in the preparation of takuan. Kaiware, daikon radish sprouts, contain a hot-peppery flavor, which is simply a lovely addition to any kind of sandwiches, salads or stir-fishes.

If you love to taste daikon pickle at your home, there is a wonderful recipe for you to go ahead. It won’t kill much of your precious time, but in return give you a really hot-n-delicious yummy item, and it will be hard for you to resist your watery tongue, trust me! So take some chopped daikon along with some red chili in a mixing bowl and toss them for some time, add some salt to it to taste. Cover it and put it in refrigerator and watch water releasing from it. Take it after 30 minutes and drain all the waters and make it as dry as possible. Put it in the mixing bowl once again and stir it with vinegar, black pepper and sesame oil for some time. Refrigerate again for 12 hours. And the rest…well, leave the rest on your watery tongue!

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 02:52

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Lets talk about dandelions...

Certainly you can eat dandelions. Not just eat, but you can make such recepies with dandelions that can definitely bring a gourmet’s crown for you. But before going to any easy but interesting and tasty recipe, let’s have a little closer look on dandelion. Dandelion (scientific name: Taraxacum asteraceae), is basically a large genus of flowering plant, which is considered as weed by many gardeners, whereas, the fact says that it has a great contribution in the field of cooking and medicine. Dandelion leaves can be used in soup or salad, and flowers are used for preparing wine.

Now, here is a less time-consuming but very delicious recipe of dandelion, called Dandelion on Cream. Check it out.

Ingredients:

• ¾ lb fresh dandelion leaves
• 2 small cup of water
• 3-4 green chili (little-fried)
• 2 red chili (little-fried)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1½ tbsp butter
• 1 cup white cream
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Method:
Put neatly washed and well-chopped dandelion leaves into a mixing pan, add water and salt and allow it to boil for some time at low heat. Add butter in another mixing pan and let it gets hot so that it can melt out properly. Now add the flour into it and make a smooth paste. Add some salt to taste. Now mix the chilies, both red and green, with it. Now add the cream with it and mix it properly. Add the boiled dandelions with this mixture. Mix well and reheat if necessary. Serve it with meat in a large bowl, and don’t forget to add some more cream on it to give it real snowy look.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 02:53

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Original music albums published till 2000 by IRON MAIDEN

The very first Maiden released on 1980 from EMI music in England. The name of the album was 'Iron Maiden'. There were 8 songs in that album; some of them were stranger world, running free and maiden. The second release was 'Killers' on 1981, wrathchild, another life and killer were some hits of that album.

In 1982, the album 'The number of the beast' released and created history. All the numbers became hit including run to the hills, the number of the beast, hallowed by thy name and children of the damned. It made Maiden one of the great bands. 'Piece of Mind' released in 1983 and became accepted world wide; 'the trooper' became the biggest hit in that time. 'Powerslave' released in 1984. In the year of 1985, an album was released in the name of 'somewhere in time' but it didn't get the expected success. The next Maiden album released after a gap of three years, it was 'seventh son of a seventh son'. All the numbers of that album were biggest hit of all time. The next was 'No prayer for the dying' released in 1990, with a change in band line up. 'Fear of the dark' was the very next to it, released in 1992, the biggest hit of all time.

'The x-factor' released in 1995 and the 'Virtual XI' released in 1998. In 2000 Maiden released 'Brave new world'. From 1980 to 2000, Maiden gave us twelve great music albums. Iron Maiden would always be remembered as a greatest band in the history of rock music.

Enjoy your stay here!

Regards,

Saikat

Madeleine Tin

A Madeleine tin is also known as Dariole moulds. It comes in a multi-coated steel material. This is used to bake cookies, cakes, biscuits, and other baking cuisine etc. It is available in various sizes and shapes to support cook’s passion and dream to create variety in his art. Apart from its various shapes and sizes, Madeleine tin is adorable for its strength and durability.

There are various companies in the world who manufacture this product. And it is considered as a very common and essential utility product in the whole Europe. The price of a Madeleine tin varies among USD $9.00 to USD $14.00 in general.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 02:58

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French calls it Daube...and you?

In cooking, the French use Daube to mean Marinated beef stew (Daube de boeuf), in which ingredients may vary for different recipes, but the output generally comes…just utterly delicious! The following is a wonderful recipe for such a mouthful dish…enjoy!

The preparation for this dish will take 30 min and cooking will take not more than 4 hours. To cook for 5 persons, the ingredients will be 2.5 lbs stewing beef in 1.5-inch cubes, 1 liter red wine, 4 sliced carrots, 2 garlic cloves, 3 chopped onions, 2 chopped shallots, 8 oz. diced bacon, chopped herb mix (thyme, sage, rosemary) to choice, 1 shot Armagnac or other brandy, 1 thick diced ham slice, 5 tbsp oil or butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Now start your preparation by melting butter or oil in a large pressure cooker and brown meat cubes on all sides. Then add bacon and brown, then salt and pepper. Add chopped onions, shallots, carrots, ham, and herbs. Mix them nicely. Warm the Armagnac (or other brandy) in a small pan for a little time, then pour over the meat and light it with a match and flame it. Now add crushed garlic. Again repeat this step with warmed red wine and pour over the meat and cover the pan tightly and cook over very low heat for 2 hours. Now turn off heat, but do not open the lid and let it be same till next day comes. The very next day, cook it on low heat for another 2 hours and serve hot. Don’t forget to give me a feedback.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:06

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Demerara - the best cooking sugar

The name Demerara sugar came from its motherland Demerara which is very famous for natural production of this sugar. Demerara is an organic name of specialty raw cane sugar, which is usually a common substance in home baking and sweetening of coffee or tea. It normally comes brown in colour, rich-flavoured sweetener, has long been enjoyed in Europe. It is also used to make yummy toppers on cookies, cakes and desserts.

Some of the sugar experts truly believe that using Demerara sugar can be considered as an essential ingredient to prepare the perfect cup of coffee. Its astounding smell with its rich, pure, shinning golden color and subtle but an active, luxurious aroma fulfills all coffee-lover’s heart and mind, including logic if we look into the nutritional information which says all essential natural mineral and vitamin content are present. So obviously it is a better choice and a more healthful substitute for ordinary table sugar.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:10

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Dim Sum

Dim sum, a Cantonese term which implies “order to one’s heart content”, is a light Chinese dish which is taken as a meal served along with Chinese tea during morning to afternoon. It usually contains meat, vegetables, seafood and fruit. There are many dim sum specialized restaurants which offers dishes of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats and soups as options, whereas vegetarian options are also on the stake.

Travelers in interconnected series of routes traversed by caravan, called silk route, were fond of having tea after finishing their work in the afternoon. As they found that tea can assist in digestion of food, the teahouse owner of these silk route started adding variety of snacks with tea, and this is how the dim sum developed.

Along with varieties offered by many specialized restaurants, dim sum is available in grocery shops in most countries with Chinese population. This dim sum is prepared as ‘ready-to-cook’ or as ‘ready-to-bake’ at home.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:11

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Can you make cream?

Surprising but true, we cannot make cream without a cow! Yes, just like we cannot make apple without an apple tree or a coconut without a coconut tree, we are just helpless to make cream without a cow. The reason is that the cream is the butter-fat rich part that naturally comes on the top of non-homogenized cow’s milk. This is therefore not possible for us to make without the help of that particular ingredient. According to Wikipedia, “Cream produced by cows (particularly Jersey cattle) grazing on natural pasture often contains some natural carotenoid pigments derived from the plants they eat; this gives the cream a slight yellow tone, hence the name of the yellowish-white color cream. Cream from cows fed indoors, on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.”

Since the advancement in dairy industry allows cream to be separated from milk with the use of centrifuge (or separator), and in ancient tradition, it is done manually from the top of the pouring pan. We should not mix the concept of actual cream with that of evaporated milk which is thickened by removing its water content through evaporation. For single layer cream to be produced, it has to be collected from the top of the milk after 12 hours, whereas double layer is produced if it is not separated even after 24 hours.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:12
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Crème fraiche

Crème fraiche stands for ‘Fresh Cream’ in France. This is a heavy one and slightly soured with bacteria culture. This is originally from France, but now-a-days it is available in whole European market.

This cream is produced by Lactobacillus bacteria cultures while inoculating unpasturized cream and letting the bacteria grown till to make a thicker and sour, and then pasteurization takes place to stop the process.

Crème fraiche is used in various recipes including soup, sauce, salad, crab cake and many more where sour cream may be used. But the significant advantage it carries is that it can be whipped and it will not go off if boiled.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 03:13

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Dover sole

Dover sole is popular as one of the emperors among ocean fishes. This belongs to a flatfish variety. The flavor of this fish is too good and its texture is light, but firm to hold in hand, but it produces a protective substance in its body, which makes its body little slippery also. It lives in ocean-depth. Its size generally doesn’t exceed 75-76cm. It is very popular in European countries throughout the season.

The Main commercial sources for this fish covers the Eastern North Specific zone ranging from the Bering Sea to Baja California in Mexico. Dover sole is basically found in market in three forms, (1) fillet, (2) fresh or (3) frozen. But adding bones in cooking obviously add some great taste and extra flavor indeed. From the source of USDA, we get a nutritional information about this fish, which says that, per 100 gm edible amount per serving, it contains 1.18 gm total fat and 18.8 gm total protein altogether.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:18

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An exciting way to cook mushrooms

There are more than thousands variety of edible mushrooms in this world, and there are countless mushroom lovers (eaters) exists under the sky. So there must be exciting recipes to get through. Here is a little time consuming but delicious

Mushroom recipe for you, called Drenched Cold Mushroom. Here we go.

To prepare this tasty dish, all you need is 1 lb of mushroom with one cup of white vinegar, 2 tbsp mustard and 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic, and once you collect these stuffs, we may proceed to our next step. By the way, keep salt and pepper close to your hand, we will need both afterwards. So add all ingredients and blend well. Add a little teas-spoon of sugar just to avoid rich acid flavour. Place that mixture in a pan and add mushroom in it and marinade it for 2-4hours. Taste it. Yummy!

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:19

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How Durain smells?

Very contradictory. Or you may say, one of the most debatable paradoxes of the century. Some one just loves this taste and compares like, ‘custard’, ‘almond’, ‘cream cheese’, ‘sherry wine’, ‘ice-cream’, ‘banana’ etc, whereas, some points like, ‘unwashed socks’, ‘rotten fish’, ‘carrion on custard’, ‘decayed onion’, ‘garlic’, for example. Yes, this is one of the most fascinating puzzles in fruit-lover’s court to be sure.

This is not a controversy among common people, but it always was a very sensational issue and discussable topic for well-known personalities also. The famous 19th century naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace, commented after he ate his first durian in Borneo, “A rich, butter-like custard highly flavored with almonds, but intermingled with wafts of flavor that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry and other incongruities. The more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop." It may signify one point clearly, that the more you eat, the more you learn about the taste, the more you will be identified with, the more you enjoy. So try, may be you will write a whole story about the rich taste of durian in a very near future, who knows!

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:24

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After a long time...

Ok, I am back to my own virtual space. Yes, after 9 days long :( I was terribly busy with my works and couldn't manage a single moment for my baby. This is really bad, I know.

Today, I am little free. This is the time when I am actually waiting for my assignments to come (probably at night). Right now, I am enjoying my online writing work with two wonderful fellows. Both of them are really nice and kind to me.

I never thought that I can make a U turn to writing once again, especially after being cheated with USD $468 by some f***** a********. I curse him whenever I get the time to do so. I know God must punish him back one day. I am waiting for the ideal time to come.

Today, I just come back to share one wonderful thing. After a real long time (say more than 2 years) I met with my little sister. Honestly, I haven't met yet, she sent me 'add request' through yahoo messenger, but soon we will meet. She is from Romania. Love you little sis! :) We have lots of things to share.

No more today. I am coming soon with lots of words.

Till then, ta ta

Sudipa

An exciting egg recipe

Egg is a very nutritious food to take. It gives 6.2gm of protein along with 8.8 gm of fat. Well you can make a unique egg-burger with an egg. Here is how to do it. You first break egg into moderately hot non-stick frying pan and stir gently to break yolk and mix a bit with the white part of it. Now put some salt and pepper to taste. When egg is ready, you please be carefully turn it and cook the other side. At this part you need to be little careful so that it won’t be broken. When the other side will get fried properly, put it out from oven and place it in a bowl. Now make a ham warmed and put some sliced cheese onto it. Then you make some long pieces of the egg item you have just prepared. Put those pieces above the cheese. Then put some round sliced tomato, lettuce, green pepper on it to dress up. Add some ketchup on the top. Just now you have prepared your very own egg-burger. Enjoy it while reading the newspaper.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 23rd September, 2006 03:26

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Lets talk about mushrooms...

There are numerous numbers of mushrooms available in the supermarket. Both cultivated and wild, though some mushroom-lovers’ preference runs with the wild one, as because of their wonderful luscious flavor. But one must be little careful while selecting their wild one, as some species are found poisonous sometimes. Well, there are bunch of mushrooms available in the market, below is a brief overview on some of them.

• Black Trumpet Mushroom: This contains a high rich flavor; especially dried black trumpet mushrooms are excellent.

• Blue Leg Mushroom: This has achieved beauty crown among the mushrooms. It looks more beautiful than its flavor, as it is delicious but mild in nature.

• Italian Brown Mushroom: Sometimes also known as Brown Mushroom. These are richer in the flavor than the common white mushroom available in the market.

• Egg Mushroom: Also known as Yellow Chanterelle, and is considered as the king of the edible mushroom kingdom because of its rich texture, beautiful color and of course superb flavor.

• Porcini Mushroom: These are very common as well as adorable in European market. It has a meaty texture and fascinating flavor. It is also little bit costly especially when it comes with large cap.

• Black Forest Mushroom: This type of mushroom goes well as a substitute foe meat because of their meaty texture. They are big in size, suitable for soup and contain an earthen wild flavor.

• Pioppini Mushroom: They are found on trees, very tasty and pepper-like flavor, nice to add in soup.

• Paddy Straw Mushroom: Very common in most of the supermarkets, comes in canned, but preferably, dried (not in can) is having more intense flavor, which can work well in any kind of Chinese cuisine.

• Velvet Foot Mushroom: Also known as Snow Puff Mushroom, contains an interesting but delicate fruity flavor, and appropriate for serving raw.

There are lots of other edible varieties available in market. Those mentioned here are few important among them.

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Originally published in Blurtit.com on 24th September, 2006 10:15

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