My Views and Ideas: Life and Parenting

Coconut Laddu or coconut fudge is the easiest ,healthiest, and tasty snack.Kids like it as well as adults.It is a grab and go snack which is very filling and looks pretty too. Here is what you are going to need to make these:- Freshly scraped coconut  -  one whole sugar - 1 cup(1/2 cup + 1/2 cup) whole milk - 1 and 1/2 cup Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon Ghee - 1 tablespoon Steps :- 1) Measure out every thing.Mix all the milk(1 1/2 cups)  and 1/2 cup of sugar in the grated coconut and grind in the blender once to get them incorporated. 2) Heat up a non-stick pan and pour the mixture (coconut + milk + sugar) in it.Also add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. 3) On a medium heat cook every thing .Keep stirring all the time.Non stick pan is very important here as coconut and milk tend to stick at the bottom and that causes the discoloration of the laddu.Where as coconut fudge or laddu look appetizing only when they are snow white. 4) After cook...

When ever I go to pick up my book from the hold shelf I always check what book other people have put a hold on.I make a note of it and try to leaf through the book and  next time if available I borrow a read it. I found one book which  immediately grabbed my attention.Book's name is "Wonder"  from R.J Palacio. As I started reading ,it kept getting more and more interesting to me. As I kept reading ,I realized it would be so nice if my girls also read this book ,because there are really some nice teachings in it.This book teaches kids empathy,kindness and above all think about the pain some people go through life without ever thanking your good fortune . We live  life without even thinking once that a slightest mistake  in our body structure can ruin our whole life.We take our flawless looks,our functional arms and legs,intact body for granted and live our whole life. When ever I read a book and I find it interesting ,I start talking about it to my girls ...

There are lots of things which are culturally different from country to country and region to region.But I did not know about the specific dental issue which I faced just recently.It was wisdom teeth extraction. When I was in  India for what ever reason, I had just one wisdom tooth removal.I did not pay much attention ,neither did the dentist talk much about the after care.And as far as I remember it got better just like that.It happened back in  year 1994-1995. I came to the U.S.A and got another wisdom tooth removal in around 2013-2014.That time also my dentist did not emphasize too much upon the importance of wisdom teeth extraction ,he just gave me the suggestion and I it extracted.After extraction the dentist just gave me some instruction ,I followed the instructions ,it got better in few days. Last time in 2016, I had another round of wisdom teeth extraction.But this time I had two extracted at the same time.By this time I had developed some awareness about the imp...

This chicken kabab is a very versatile recipe for me and my family.You can adjust the spices based on your liking.This kabab is a fool-proof recipe because you can not go wrong with it.Eat it with lunch, dinner or a big party.You can prepare ahead of time for the big party and cook whenever is convenient for you.There is nothing fancy yet it will taste like restaurant quality.That proves my belief that food can be cooked very tasty and healthy without making them fancy and using a whole lot of ingredients. Here is what you are going to need:- chicken breast(or tenders) - about 1 pound onion                                 - 1 medium size(chopped) garlic                                 - 3 cloves(peeled and crushed) ginger                             ...

You can make and eat all kinds of ice-cream at home or buy from stores,but eating the good old kulfi gives you the real satisfying feeling.This kulfi is one of those things after which you don't feel the heaviness that you normally feel after eating something cold and sweet. Here is what you are going to need:- Heavy Whipping cream - 1 cup cardamom - 3 pods Sweet condensed milk  - 1/2 cup                                                     Pure Saffron   - 1 pinch Sea salt - 2 pinces. Steps:- 1) Take a bowl and keep it in the freezer for sometime(10-20 minutes). 1) Crush  sea salt,saffron and  cardamom    together. 2) Measure out the whipping cream and add the crushed sea salt,saffron and  cardamom in it. 3) Take the cold bowl out and pour whipping cream in it and start whipping it with either a han...

Dried mushrooms boost the flavor in this pasta dish;the flavor is concentrated and intense and their texture is good and meaty.It is good for dinner,lunch,and specially for kids Lunch boxes. Here is what you are going to need:- 3/4 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms 2 and 1/2 cup to 3 cups  water 2 Tablespoon olive oil 1 small Red onion,finely diced. salt and pepper 1/2 pound dried elbow pasta 1 cup frozen peas 1/4 cup grated parmigiano Reggiano 2 Table spoon unsalted butter Few fresh basil leaves Steps to make:- 1) Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of water until they soften,about 10 minutes. 2) Heat the water in a sauce pan over low heat. 3) Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and chop them very coarsely.Slowly pour off the    mushroom soaking liquid in the  heating water,leaving any sediment behind.You got the mushroom broth ready. 4) Heat the oil in a large   heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat .Add onion,season gener...

Today my elder daughter turns 10 years old.Some times people say age is just a number.I dont believe when they in the context of older people but I do believe when people say the same thing for kids. My Daughter indeed turned 10 years old today but in her heart and action she is still a small 4-5 year old child.Small things makes her happy or sad,she gets excited as easily as a 4 year old kid gets. If you are around her you are never short on topics,she can always come up with something which will cheer you up instantly. The downside is sometimes she forgets that she should be more serious in certain areas like studies,and listening skills. Then again no matter what ,she is the joy of my life.She brings spark to my life .She has stepped in a two digit age number but for me she is still a baby who brought so much joy and happiness in my life 10 years ago on this day. May she always be healthy,successful  and happy in her life.

I was not very big when Indian T.V played "Mahabharat".I understood some parts and would contemplate over it for a long time.There were some episodes towards the end which was very hard for me to follow. Now that I am so big and old those episodes and stories are coming to my  mind in flashback and every thing makes sense to me now.It is because I have seen more world now and as you grow older the good or bad situations we face are more real than imaginary compared to the time when we are small. When Arjun was fighting with "kauravs" in the battle and ,he was in too much agony as he was killing too many of his own beloved family members and, his own brothers.Seeing Arjun in so much grief "Lord Krishna" preached him the wisdom of life which is very well stored in "Gita". family just gives you grief and agony nothing more than that.The family members you think once was so close to you become so distant and selfish that you wont belive once yo...

If someone  gives me a choice at this time and date of my life and ask me if I wanted to have  children, I will flat out refuse to have children ever in my life.Not because I don't like children or I am a big hippie ,or that kind who thinks the world is going in the wrong direction and is not safe for a kid to grow up in this big bad world full of corruption ,pollution ,crime and what not.I love my children with all my hearts and I adore all  kids.I think life without kids is not worth living.They are different shades of colors of my life.What would I do without them. It is so confusing but I don't want to ever have children out of sheer love ,affection and fear of separation anxiety. Apparently everyone who is born will have to go through this one day ,some more some little.But everyone grieves when they separate from their parents.That separation can be because of physical distance or death of parents. The phase of my life I am going through right now ,is so miserab...

Answer :- Language That is why Humans are the only rational animals who can argue as Aristotle said.Because Humans can reason. Language is :- 1)important 2)conventional 3)representational(language can not change the facts of the world.Just like calling the tail a leg, wont                                 make the tail a leg. 4)social(language evolves in social setup,following the convention not otherwise.)

- persuasion and justification are not the only reason for arguments. - We also give arguments to Explain. - Explaining is giving someone a reason why something happened(or why it is true) - when you explain something ,you and your audience both believe what you are explaining. The goal of explanation is to help people understand why something is true. Kinds of explanations:- 1)Causal- why did the bridge collapse?      Because there was an earthquake. 2)Teleological(purposeful)- why did Joe go to the grocery store?      to buy milk. 3)Formal- Why doesn't this peg fit in the round hole?         Because the peg is square 4)Material- why is the golf club so light?        Because it is made of Graphite. Some times for a single event all the above four explanation can work. - Narrative kinds of explanations are least effective. - Explanation in the form of arguments are most effective. - ...

- Strong arguments don't always persuade everyone. - even the best arguments can have disbelievers. - It is impossible to make everyone believe in what you believe.

- to persuade - to convince - to give someone a reason for his/her belief or our belief.      - to give someone a reason is not necessarily to convince them or persuade them or change their             belief. Justification - Showing someone a reason to believe the conclusion. - justification tries to give good reasons. - persuasion tries to change your belief or actions Questions to ask:- 1)Is the arguer trying to change someone's mind?     -if so then the purpose is persuasion. 2) Is the arguer trying to give some kind of reason to believe something?      - if so then the purpose is justification .

1) you don't win an argument by hitting some body on his head. 2) you don't win an argument by yelling at someone. 3) you can not win an argument by using abusive and humiliating language or words. 4) complaining wont make you win an argument either. 5) contradicting or denying(disagreeing) wont make you win an argument. Arguing is an intellectual process in which you give a proper reason for your view. An argument is : 1) a series of statements ,sentences or propositions. 2) where some are the premises . 3) one is the conclusion. 4) where the premises are intended to give a reason for the conclusion.

* No one wants unjustified beliefs. * No one wants arbitrary beliefs. - people want reasons for what they think and do. - people need arguments to express their reasons. - people want to avoid mistakes. - people want reasons for what they are thinking. good arguments = good reasons Steps 1) How to analyze arguments 2) How to evaluate deductive arguments 3) How to evaluate inductive arguments 4) How to avoid fallacies.

Case 1 :- F  is a   SUFFICIENT    condition for  G-In normal circumstances. Case 2 :- F  is a   NECESSARY   condition for G- In normal circumstances.

When I was growing up my grandfather had a picture frame in the living room  saying:- "Don't make a habit of eating anything unless you are extremely hungry". And we believed that without thinking much over it at all.We actually thought that this is a very profound and self improving slogan. As I grew up I did not think much about it ,but I was  not a big foodie anyway.I did not care much about food.Sweets were not my thing and I could care less how much chicken or egg I eat in a week.May be also because we ate non-vegetarian food very often.As I grew up ,I would actually dislike eating chicken more often .The reason was because  I had to cook most of the time and I did not like that. Later All of us grew up,found their own settlements ,parents grew older and eventually became vegetarians.Ironically in our society old people should become vegetarians as they become old ,because that is the  general norm for old people to do in the society.Such a show-off. Ama...