PONGAL 2021 - Traditions & Recipe

PONGAL Traditions & Recipe

🙏Thai Pongal was unfortunately not celebrated by Christians - though may own paddy fields & thus harvest. The Hindus only Celebrated regardless of profession. We used to get quite a lot of Pongal servings from teachers & student families living nearby. We the children grade them according to our liking.Traditionally, men are supposed to put the rice in the pot with milk to boil. My mother had convinced me - it is not a religious tradition (as we were made to believe ) and we should be celebrating the Paddy Harvest. Since, I enjoy/ Celebrate Thai Pongal!

New Clay Pot 

-placed on Three prong makeshift fire-place in the middle of "Kolam ( design made on the courtyard floor - with colored Rice flour & shredded coconut)

Boil Cows milk Or Coconut milk

Put washed Red Rice ( made from first bunch harvested from the fields)

Add Roasted Mung bean

As Rice cooks & softens and milk over flows... towards the rising sun 

                                          ( slightly lowered towards East)

Add Coconut or Palmyrah Jaggery

Raisins & Cashew nuts

Cadomoms & Nutmeg

A scoop of Ghee or Butter (AU or Irish)

Serve on Green Banana Leaves - 

First to Honor the SUN

Then Ancestors - in Prayer room

Then Children, Family & Friends

ENJOY!

💝Happy Thai Pongal🌟🙏

 Copyright©2021VeeraMahal Franklin

Favourite Things @ Christmas

Favourite Things

                                                                                                                                                                      BonBons, 

Yule-log Cake, 

Mutton Rolls, 

Rib-Eye Roast, 

Brown-Rice Noodles/Singapore Street noodle style, 

Liquor Filled Chocolates.... 

These Are A Few of My Favourite Things!

 Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin

The Backyard Migrants

 

Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin

Cairns Meditation

CAIRNS MEDITAION - Poem & Photo by VeerajaR

"Cairns: Stacking or balancing of rocks... of different shapes, size & colors. Cairns building takes a lots patience & focus. I do find it very meditative... as every rock presents a challenge. It is a delicate process and the whole structure can come down collapsing. If you are very attentive you can build taller cairns. Though unpredictable at every step, the structure is beautifully unique every time. The more I can stack the more AWE I feel... Just like Challenges we face in Life bring out our inner strength - our Souls to experience Life (stack/build) the real JOY of BEING & LIVING!" - VeerajaR  

 Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin 

Butter Your Bread

  Spread the Butter... Share the Love for Family, Friends & Yoga!!! 
 Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin

 

Pandemic Foraging - 2020

PANDEMIC FORAGING 

We are the ignored...
We are the long forgotten 
Dandelions, Chickweeds, Amaranthus & many more
Come find us & the treasured secrets of Life - we hold

We were brought across the oceans

Bound & tossed aboard the ships

in pouches & satchets

We held the aroma of motherland

close to our breast

We nurished the lonely hearts

of the early sea farer

We healed the aching wounds

of the foracious land-stakers

We were Food,Tea &Tincture

for the settlers as they called themselves

Now history of settlers & immigration long forgotten 

Modern farming with no balance

No bulls to plow or graze or recycle, yet 

Suburbans kill anything other than grass

Weeded out & thrown away

As intruders in the current scheme of civilized world

We still persist and thrive peacefully

Take root by the wayside or anywhere we could

For it is GOD's will...

That we the forgotten should not forget

How important we are

For the survival of Humanity

For the sake of Mother earth

We shall prevail with patience

Though blamed as the undesirable intruders

Weeds or immigrants!

-by VeerajaR

 

 Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin

Leafy Leaks On Kitchen Window

During pandemic every bit of food item is precious. Especially, fresh green vegetables... Here is how I grew leaks from the cut out stump we normally throw out. All you need is patience, water & preferably kitchen window sill or Florescent light would be fine. 

Note the roots & the growth above the cut end of stump, almost a foot after 1&1/2 weeks. You can use it to flavor your soup of if you prefer, you can plant it in a pot. it can provide you regular size leaves and even flower and bear seeds to expand your garden

 Copyright©2020VeeraMahal Franklin