Silence Sings

Hello Friends.....

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:21:00 PST

Hi friends, Remember me…..May be not as it’s an enough span of gap to forget a name or a person. But a hearty thanks in advance to those still remember me…First let me wish you all a Happy New Year, though its late, not so late to wish . Last year was so hectic and busy for me that still the busy schedule of those days trembles me with a feel of exhaustion. I got shifted form USA. Then got fully heads into decorating my small dwelling place. Working with various kind of workers here, is the most tedious job I understood, as time is not so important for them. Syncing each of the worker with the other and fit them into my schedule was really the hardest job I have ever faced. My hubby was then out of the country. All responsibilities were on my head. My daughter's school, the interior work progression and on the other hand, the preparation of my own sister's marriage in the same town, made me a machine to work like a maniac. But touch wood everything went nicely and I give some credit to myself as all alone I completed two big projects of my life yet - Decorating my home and arranging my sis's marriage.

So, Friends here I am back again. I can't assure about my regularity. But hopefully you are going to see me again in intervals.

Wish all happy Blogging.

The Tactile Aesthesis

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:09:00 PDT

Hello every body!!! How you all are doing???? I am not back yet in this creative blogosphere. Still struggling with the new settlement, hopefully this will be the permanent one, in Kolkata. I just wanted to make my lonely blog a bit active. So here is a short story for you. Hope you will enjoy it.

This is my daughter when she was just 2 & half days old.

Her old aching limbs needed earnestly a fresh air walk. She locked the door and went out to relax in the fresh breeze for a while. She had a small shaded trail guarded by big green trees in her apartment complex, which she felt the only treasure remained in this concrete world. The air was no fresher to inhale but still the trees worked as the catalysts to strain out the pollution and spread the freshness in the area. Burden of thoughts, leaned down her head and her eyes aimlessly followed the path and suddenly got stuck on a feather. A feather with a colour of yellow and black and the length might be a palm long. She knew this bird, but didn’t know its name. She often saw it from her kitchen window, humming in the trees, flying from one branch to the other. Her heart suddenly felt with joy and the 9 year old child jumped out of her and picked up the feather in no time. Her life within a fraction of moment dated 50 years back when she was a desperate feather collector and was awarded the first prize in her school project for her feather collection. She rested her body on a lonely bench on the side of the trail and felt her pounding heart which was though little bit exhausted with the brisk walk, much more excited on getting a suddenly found treasure. Her wrinkled and trembling fingers touched the soft surface of the feather. The delicate and smoothness of the feather just injected a weird kind of sensation in her whole body and it went straight and hit her heart. She felt a different kind of happiness and relaxation. A different kind of excitement started to run through her blood. She was holding the feather with the utmost care she could give it to. She didn’t want to distort the shape of the feather or any of its barbs. Her aged limbs were trying to gather all the power to give it the full comfort. The touch sensation of the feather infused new life in her senescing body. Again it took her to the moment when she first held her daughter in her arms. The little bundle of joy made her whole life blessed. Though she was young enough at that time, her hands were trembling too then. Her heart was beating fast with a fear that might be her touch would hurt her little soft baby. Today she was feeling the same first motherhood experience after so many years just after touching the feather. Her heart swelled with happiness and the joy flooded down her cheeks just alike what she felt that moment when she first had her baby in her arms. The two ages suddenly commixed with a new age and all her burdened soul, her burdened age energised with a new light of power to live life. She touched the feather in her cheek and closed her eyes, she felt like touching her newborn baby. She sensed the same joy and ecstasy. Her charged body headed towards home. Now her hands or limbs were not trembling nor were her limbs aching any more. She went straight to her room and grabbed for a secure place to keep the feather. The mere feather was not a mere feather to her anymore. It’s the source of power to live and sense the precious moments once again. Her excitement could not wait for a moment to share about her treasure and the tactile sensation with her husband, who would be back any moment from his job and her grown up married daughter who calls every day at night.

""Happy Blogging""

Truffle Shuffle

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:40:00 PST

Those who are shivering in the unexpected fall in the temperature, those who are imploring to get rid of the warm clothes soon and feel the warmth of the nature god, here, what I am going to say will surely wake up the green-eyed-monster sleeping inside the deep dark chamber of their heart. Here in Irvine, California, we are festively celebrating the 83 degree F in the middle of winter. Blessed we are not letting off the chance to enjoy the drastic change of climate to the full pit. The open malls and parks are worth seeing. You will just feel that the whole town has burst into one place with summer clothes on. The jovial and excited sound of the people playing the music of happiness and like a contagion it will directly rap your heart. And sooner or later your soul will feel the glory of that glee and feet tapping on the music of mirth . This is how a full bright smiling weather can change the whole spirit of the world. That what I realized today. For us, we are feeling too lucky to enjoy the summer line before we leave the Golden state of USA. People in the cold poles, are you not envying US ????

Day before yesterday I made Swiss Roll with cream cheese filling. A bit of the filling was left and I wanted to use it soon before the time comes to trash it. So I made this dessert, which hardly took 5 mnts to make, and tasted too good. I named it Truffle Shuffle to give it a poetic touch. Hope you will surely like the recipe. And this recipe is mainly consecrated to calm down the green-eyed- monster off screen…:P

Truffle Shuffle

(For 3)

Ingredients:-

Cream Cheese - Approx 4 ounce (room temperature)

Sugar- 1/4 cup

Truffle- 6 piece

Pink colour(optional)- a bit

Whipped cream for the topping.

Chocolate Syrup (optional)- for decoration

Coloured and chocolate Sprinkles- for decoration

Method:-

1. Cream the cream cheese along with sugar very nicely till both equally blends together.

2. Separate the cream cheese in two halves.

3. Dip a tooth pick just a bit in the colour and add the colour with a half of the cream cheese. Fold nicely to make the colour evenly blended in the mixture.

4. Take three shot or small glasses. Pour the chocolate syrup in thin lines in the walls of the glasses.

5. First 1 table spoon of white cream cheese in each glass. Pour a truffle and then 1 table spoon of the coloured cream cheese. Pour some coloured sprinkles and another truffle. Top the glass with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The divine dessert is just ready in a minute.

Note:-

I used store bought truffles. But If you want to make homemade truffle Here is the easy recipe.

Sending this to the Lets Celebrate Sweets- Chocolate hosted by Veggie Hut and started by Nivedita.

Simple Vegetable Pasta Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:04:00 PST

“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.”

Louis P. De Gouy, ‘The Soup Book’ (1949)

Among all kind of foods, I consider soup as one of the most healthiest, tastiest and the easily made dishes. I am not talking about the canned or the ready-to-make soups but purely the homemade ones. After a tiring day, a bowl of hot healthy soup makes our day to start over again. It helps to regain the power of energy which we have shaded all day long and gives the taste of heaven in just a single sip. Of course if it is a tasty soup indeed.:)

Our dinner will not be completed if a hot bowl of soup is not served. In my parents house, I could not recall a day when a bowl of soup was not served. My mom is a wonderful cook and I should mention my dad too, whose cooked food make you smacking your fingers and the plate till the end. My mom's way of cooking or rather its better to say the motto of cooking is "Less spice makes healthy foods". Dad's motto of cooking is "More spicier more tastier". From my mom, we (my sister and I) learn the traditional Bengali cooking and from dad, we learn the fusion style of cooking and also at the same time we are introduced with the different tastes of the world which our dad loves to experiment in his free times and we love to devour them in no time.

So my sister and I are grown up in the custom of gutting all kind of foods and both us, for this reason, grew up a passion to taste and cook any kind of food. But this tradition, of having a bowl of soup before dinner, vanishes for meanwhile when I got married. In my In-laws' house a bowl of soup is more fancier than a habit. So after I became little quondam in there, to introduce my own choices, the first thing I started the soup before dinner. Now it has become a wont for my hubby and for my daughter, to make their meal satisfied if they have a bowl of soup prior to the main course meal.

When I was going through my recipe list I found no soup recipe is listed yet. That means no post on any soup. So today I am going to post a soup recipe which is very easy to make, filling, refreshing and comforting in anytime.

Simple Vegetable Pasta Soup

Ingredients:-

Vegetable Stock/ Water- 3 cups

Boiled Pasta- 1 cup

Assorted Vegetables cut in to small pieces - 2 cups (Like- Green Peas, Beans, Carrots, Bamboo shoot, spinach, etc. )

Spring onion/Scallion separated- 4 sticks

Garlic chopped- 1 table spoon

Ginger chopped- 1 tea spoon

Salt , Sugar and pepper- As per taste

Vinegar- 1 tea spoon

Oil/Butter- 1 tea spoon

Method:-

1. In a deep dense pan pour the stock/water, the vegetables and vinegar. Add salt as per taste and boil till the vegetables become semi tender. Take it off the stove and reserve.

2. In another pan heat the oil/ butter. Add the garlic, fry till it turns brown. And the white part of the scallion and sauté for 2-3 mnts. Add the ginger and the pasta. Fry for a minute. Add a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper. Then add the green part of the scallion and pour it in the reserved soup. Boil for couple of minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.

Note:

1. If you want make it a nonveg sopu then use chicken broth in stead of vegetable stock.

2. Add boiled chicken and fry it along with the garlic. And add an egg at the end of cooking the soup to give the texture of an egg drop soup.

3. If you want make it little bit hot add a finely chopped green chilli along with the garlic.

Sending this to Sameena's SOUP RECIPE event.

Salmon Florentine Phyllo Cups

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:06:00 PST

Wish you all Happy and Healthy New Year. Little late, but not so late to cheer. How did you start your new year? Did you wait till the midnight bell melodically sings the new year song? I missed the auspicious moment of the shift. But welcome the brand new year with a blast and with new promises. Last year the most remarkable thing and a long lasted dream had been fulfilled, that was, I tried Ice Skating. And on the same time I also promised to never wear the Ice skates again in my life.

From my childhood skating was one of the dreams which I always wanted to try for. But that never materialized as both my mom and dad are too scared with the thought that if I skate I am going to break my bones. I loved seeing the Ice skating ballets in the television and used to spend many nights dreaming myself skating and dancing with some elegant moves.

The Ice Skating Ring at Sea World, San Diego, California....

Any way, after coming to USA I felt my dream a bit closer and my husband not so rigid in this affair. Moreover he is also quite interested in Ice skating. Last year when the winter knocked the door and the artificial Ice Skating rings built up in various places, we decided to try our potentiality in this field. Last year the day before Christmas we went to Sea world (famous theme park for the sea creatures and shows) and the first thing we did, bought the tickets to Ice Skate.

My daughter and me in the ring....

Whenever I have seen people on the ring so fleetly skating, the moves gave me the feeling of a free bird flying in the sky. The gestures of the moves always made me to feel the taste of freedom. A freedom, free form every thing just tasting the beauty of life and the rhythm of romance. This kind of sublime feeling I always wanted to feel and taste.

Before starting this new action I am too confident and determined that when I am on floor I am going to win the podium. I will just turn in to a swan princess and will make everybody stuck dumb with the graceful dancing poses. But all the confidence and determination just went in vain within a second when I wore the Skate shoes and put the first step in the Ice skating ring. I stayed in the ring for less than an hour and was not able to leave my hands from the side bars. I never thought in my dreams that the floor could be so slippery. I never thought in my dream that I would not be able to step a single move without holding any thing. On the other hand my husband and my daughter they tried few steps without any support. But the over confident Me, skated many steps, only holding firmly the side railings. A weird scare was injected in my body, in my blood and all my limbs had a eldritch sensation which kept on giving me goose bumps and made me weak in every move. After coming out from the ring I felt like I got a new life again. I felt so relieved like I had survived from a great danger. I promised that not in my remaining days I am going to try this action again. But I will surely train my daughter in Ice Skating and will see me through her rocking the floor with majesty.

In this new year I made a new dish which I have never made before and would liked to share with everybody.

SALMON FLORENTINE PHYLLO CUPS

(Recipe adapted from www.athensfoods.com)

Ingredients:-

Salmon Fillet- 1/2 lb

Spinach chopped- 1 cup

Tomato chopped- 1 medium sized

Tomato - 12 sliced in thin pieces

Garlic chopped- 1 tea spoon

Ginger paste- 1 tea spoon

Onion chopped- 1/2 cup

Vinegar- 1 tea spoon

Plum Sauce- 1 table spoon

Salt , Sugar and Black Pepper- As per taste

Oil- 1 table spoon

Shredded cheese- 3/4 cup

Phyllo sheet- 1 packet

Method:-

1. Boil the Salmon Fillet with little bit of salt and the vinegar. Drain the fillet and reserve.

2. In a skillet heat the oil and then add the chopped garlic. Sauté it till brown then add the onion. Let the onion fry till it turns brown add the tomato and the garlic paste. When the tomato will become soft add the spinach. Cook it until it gets tender.

3. Mash the salmon fillet with a fork and add it to the spinach mixture. Add salt, sugar pepper and plum sauce and cook till it gets a dry texture. Cool it and then chill.

4. Take the Phyllo sheet. There are two rolls in the packet. Unroll the sheet. I cut each unrolled sheet in six squares. You will get total 12 squares.

5. Pre heat the oven in 350 degree F.

6. Take a muffin pan. Grease it and gently put each phyllo square inside the cups with a light press. Now put the Salmon filling in each cup with an approx measurement of 1 table spoon. On top of each cup put a sliced Tomato.

7. Bake for 25mnts. Then take the trey out and put the cheese on the top of each cup and again bake for 10-15mnts more till the phyllo cups turn brown.

8. Serve hot with sauce and salad.

Note:-

1. I have done a mistake. I put the cheese right in the beginning, I started baking the cups. For that reason the cheese became over cooked and didn't get the melted creamy taste. Please make sure to put the cheese before 10 mnts of the total given baking time.

2.You can serve it as snacks or starter and you can also devour it as the main meal.

3.Please read the instructions well on the packet of the Phyllo sheets before using it.

Chocolate Ganache Topped Cheese Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:08:00 PST

Another hearty healthy feast has gone. But the festive spirit is not yet flamed off. Rather it is getting energized to welcome a brand new year. Christmas is the indication to wind up a year and to welcome another year. But wrapping and unwrapping gifts are all not done yet. It's still to welcome a bunch of new gifts and grand party with your near dear one to toss the glasses in celebration of the new year .

For us (my husband and me, daughter is too small to feel), the festive scenario is quite different. From past three years we end a year in packing and start a year in packing and moving to another land. We hardly feel the enjoyment of the new year. We hardly feel the spirit of shopping, buying gifts, et al. As for us, we keep on trashing things and weighing the suitcases to avoid the over weightage fine. Last two times we spent a huge bulk of money in giving fines as we are bound to make the suitcases over weight. This time we are determined not to spend any extra buck in fine. So we are just keeping on trashing all our favourite and unfavourite things with a loaded heart every day. Our house is not getting decorated to welcome a new year. But We are taking off all the decorations to completely clean our house before we leave. May be some of you will think that it’s a great fun to spend each year in a new land. But its not a boon to us at all. Mainly when you have a lil kid at home. We always keep crossed our fingers in the anxiety how our baby and her health will react after reaching to a new country. But this is what we call Life. A challenge that we have to accept every time.

Any way, Now let me come to the recipe which today I would like to share. This is one of the most favourite desserts of my family which I am bound to make every week. Very easy to make and the taste is truly divine. I adapted the simple Cheese Cake recipe from Cooks.com and then added my twist with a layered Chocolate ganache on the top which gave the taste of the tangy cheese cake a sweeter version. Each bite melts down in your mouth and give an ultimate satifaction of a chocolaty creamy penchant.

Ingredients:-

For the Cheese Cake-

1.Cream Cheese- 8oz /1 packet (room temperature)

2. Eggs-2

3. Sugar-1/2 cup

4. Vanilla essence- 1/2 teaspoon

5. Ready made pie crust

For chocolate ganache-

1. Heavy cream- 1 cup

2. Milk chocolate- 1 &1/4 cup(grated or morsels)

Method:-

Cheese Cake:-

1. Pre heat the oven in 350 degree F.

2. Beat the cream cheese until soft. Add sugar and vanilla essence and mix all together nicely. Add egg one by one and beat till all the ingredients and nicely get mixed and turned in to a creamy texture.

3. Pour the mixture in the pie crust and bake for 40 mnts or till a tooth pick pricked in the cake comes out clean.

4. Take it out and leave it to cool down.

Chocolate ganache:-

1. Heat a pan and pour the cream. When the cream will become warm add the chocolate. Keep on stirring on a low heat until the chocolate melts and mixes in the cream nicely. Let the sauce make semi thick and then pour it on the cheese cake as a top layer.

2. Refrigerate the Cake over night to set. Decorate as you wish and serve.

Note:-

1.I got small bowls of ready made pie crust which are perfect for the party treats.

2. I am not sure whether cheese cake is available in India or not. But I was searching in the net and I came out with these tip. If we blend the cottage cheese, after straining of the water, till it turns in to a creamy texture, it can become a good substitute of cream cheese. I have not tried this tip yet. But will try it once I am back in India. One more thing to remember if your are using lemon to make cottage cheese then don't forget to rinse it thoroughly under cold water to get rid of the smell of the lemon.

Wish you Merry Christmas with Checkerboard Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:44:00 PST

Wish you all a very Happy Christmas. Hope some of you are having and some of you already have a gala Christmas Feast along with all the mouth watering dishes and surprised gifts from Santa Claus with your family and friends. Though the Christmas bell has started to ring few weeks back of the respective day, when the house started to become fully aromatic with the small of baking cookies and cakes, buying gifts and packing them with colourful papers and shifting them in to decorated bags especially for this very day. The decoration every where is worth seeing. Even for my lil daughter's sake we also bought an artificial Christmas tree, decorated it to feel the spirit whole heartedly.

This time I tried this Checkerboard Cookies which came out real nice and tasty, though the visual satisfactory part of the checkers are not up to the mark. But still for a first time attempt it's not that bad too. I adapted the recipe from Here and this video also helped me a lot to make this cookie.

Note:

I am not writing the ingredients and the procedure again only to save my time as I followed the recipe more or less the same way it said. But would like to mention the variations I made. I made all the measurement of the ingredients half to make a small amount of cookies. I didn't use the lemon extract. I added an egg. As long as you will keep the dough in the refrigerator it will be easy to handle.

Once again wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy new year in advance.

Pancake Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:19:00 PST

I prepared and took the snaps of the Pancake Roll, when Priya of Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes, announced the Pancake event, a decade back. And then I totally forgot to post it and to send it for the event. I am like this. Due to my forgetfulness I rarely participate in the events. Today while spending few moments with the old memories I suddenly found the snaps which I treasured very nicely in my web album. Before I forget again I am posting it right now. Priya this is for you. This is a very common breakfast at our home. Both my daughter and hubby like it very much. Very easy to make and taste too good.I think it is also common in your kitchen too. Let me share how I make.

Ingredients:-

Pancake:

• Flour-1/2 cup(approx)

• Milk-1/2 cup

• 2 eggs

• Salt- As per taste

• Sugar- As per taste

Filling:

• Chopped Tomato, carrot and cucumber-2 cups

• Mayonnaise- 1 table spoon

• Italian seasoning- As per taste

• Black pepper-As per taste

• Grated cheese -1/2 cup (optional)

• Salt & Sugar-As per taste

Butter/oil to fry

Method:-

1. Mix all the ingredients written under pancake and make a nice and smooth batter. If you feel its too watery then add little bit of flour more. Or if you think its too thick then add little bit of milk.

2. In another bow mix all the ingredients written under Filling. And mix well together.

3. Heat oil/butter in a non stick pan. Pour the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Flip the other side when its done. Take a spoon full of filling and pour in a line on the pancake. Then fold the right side then the left side in roll shape.

4. Serve hot with sauce.

Raspberry Quell

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:37:00 PST

Now before taking a big break from the blogging world I would like to share at least few of my favourite recipes which I enjoyed and loved to share with you all too. I don't have much time to spend a lot of time here. But I will try to post few of my favourite recipes and crafts which I enjoyed with my family. Today I am going to share this sweet after which is one of my daughter's favourites.

Ingredients:-

1. Raspberry- 2cups

2. Sugar- As needed

3. Yoghurt-1Table spoon

4. Whipped Cream for topping(optional)

Method:-

Mix all the ingredients except the cream and put in the mixer. Blend it until smooth. Put in the freezer for couple of hours. Then again put in the mixer to crush the ice. Serve it with whipped cream topping.

Note:

You can also serve it as a drink by adding little bit of cold water and a couple of spoons of yoghurt more.

Raspberry Icecream is also another very good option for a healthy dessert. Visit my Strawberry Icecream recipe. You can make it the same way as I made the Strawberry Icecream.

Colour Pencil Holder

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:01:00 PST

I announced for a break of week or so. But when I saw the date of my last post I was alarmed and ashamed. As almost two months were over. Time runs so fast every time. And our busy life travels in the time machine where in a wink distance we travel a long span. Last two months passed quiet in a busy schedule. Even now in future I am going to face much more busy days as now the time has come to pack our bag and baggage again and leave our this bohemian nest and to shift to another new country. The feeling is mixed- I am happy to see my mom, dad and sister after a long time, but I am sad too to leave this beautiful peaceful place forever. But the memories, for sure, will work as the nectar to sooth in my low days. Though I am back, can't promise to be regular. The load of packing is slowing making me crazy. And I am sorry that I am missing all of your wonderfull posts. Anyways, let me share something with you, with the hope you will like it.

Here is a small creation I made for my daughter few months back. The main intention of making this Colour Pencil Holder, is to make my daughter more colour conscious each time she is going to use her colour pencils. Every time she will use the pencils , will keep it in the proper place and come to know about the colour coordination and on the other hand it will slowly teach her matching the same things. Teaching colors to the kid is quite easy if you follow the simple prescript. Take one colour a day, talk about the colour and give the colour to your kid's hand and tell him/her to match the colour with the things around him/her. This way they learn very fast to identify the colours. Here is the small creation of mine which is also one of the best examples of Best out of waste.

Things you need-

1. Coloured papers

2. A hard board for the base

3. Empty yoghurt cans

4. Glue/cello tape

How to make:-

1. Cover the yoghurt cans with different coloured papers.

2. Stick them on the Base.

3. And your Colour Pencil Holder is ready.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:29:00 PDT

Again another week passed within a wink. And again here I am with my sunday hunt collection. This week's themes are:
1.Side Lighting

2.Jack o'lantern
3.Faces Formed in Nature
4.Sunset

5.Warm

And here are my interpretations:

1.Side Lighting

2.Jack o'lantern

3.Faces Formed in Nature

4.Sunset

5.Warm

Click the below button to view more collections from other talented photographers:

I will be not active for a week or so. Have some guests at home. Will be back soon..Happy Blogging...

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:09:00 PDT

Sunday comes too fast and passes away within a fraction of moment. Anyway again I am ready with my collection for the Scavenger Hunt Sunday event. This week's themes are:

1.Pink

2.Book

3.Fall Colours

4.Leaf

5.Orange

And here are my interpretations:

1.Pink

2.Book

3.Fall Colour

4.Leaf

5.Orange

Thanks to Ashley for conducting this wonderful weekly event. Click the button bellow to meet more talented photographers through their snaps they clicked for the event:

Photo Challenge- Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:12:00 PDT

This click is off to the Photo Challenge started by Jessi. The theme is Reflection. Click the link below to see more talented photographs-

A Day, A World......

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:20:00 PDT

Picture Courtesy :Googleimages.com

Being an ex-student of Visva-Bharati University, founded by Rabindranath Tagore, (located at Santiniketan, India), what I treasure most apart from the highly cultural and creative value oriented educational system, is the Anandamela/Anandabajar( Ananda in bengali means Happy and Mela/bajar means Fair).Though each and every festival of the university is worth to value, AnandaMela is exclusively different. It takes place on the auspicious day of Mahalaya , when each and every student would wake up early in the morning almost before the sunrise by themselves and rush to the university campus to gather the iron railings and Bamboo poles to build their own little shop. And the evening will be an out burst of crowd and creation. This little fair is the heart of all the functional activities which the students of Visva Bharati cherish most. This little fair is the effusion of the hidden originative potentialities and energies of the all ages students.

The biggest and most auspicious festival of the Bengalis is the Durga Puja or Durgotsov. It is widely celebrated in all over the world where ever you will see a bengali community is gathered up. Mahalaya, an auspicious occasion which is also know as Devi-bandana, is considered as the first day of Durga puja, heralds seven days prior to the main Puja.

"Mahalaya is a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess to descend on earth. We bengali never can think Mahalya with out listening to the early morning radio program called “Mahisasura Mardini” or “The Annihilation of the Demon.” This All India Radio (AIR) program is a beautiful audio montage of recitation from the scriptural verses of “Chandi Kavya”, Bengali devotional songs, classical music and a dash of acoustic melodrama." (Ref: http://hinduism.about.com/cs/audiomusic/a/aa092003a.htm)

For the students of Visva- Bharati this auspicious day of Mahalaya is the most awaited cherishing moment prolonged with a planned project to be materialized on Mahalaya. This is a little fair where only students participate. The most glorious part of this little fair is that only homemade food and own handmade crafts will be sold. The students from the nursery to the college will be seen busy in selling their own hand made products. And all the fund comes out of this fair will be donated to the Poor Fund. It always takes place in the open area of Patha-Bhavan school campus, known as Gour Prangan.

Picture Courtesy: Googleimages.com

As the enchanting invocation of goddess durga gets over, the sun -rise starts to paint the morning sky, all the students will be seen running out of their home towards the school campus. A distant sound of Dhak(Click) will keep on spieling in the campus. The romance of the music will make the area spell bounded and every body will keep on forging in that rhythm. Each group will be first divided in to two groups, one group will go to collect the iron railings which are stood through the eternity holding each others hand and protecting the huge playground of the campus. This is the day those are departed from each other and travel for a while in the fair land. The other group will stand in the queue of a particular office of the university that will be supplying the bamboo poles. A spot is always reserved beforehand for each shop. So the next step is to build up the shop and decorate it. For each shop one teacher is always there to assist them. After the shop is built the shopkeepers will fly to their houses to borrow bed sheets or saris from their mother to cover and decorate their shops. And mothers are always ready in advance with all the handy material that will be called for. In decorating the shops the students will show their utmost art of creativity. They will make beautiful hoardings, price lists/menu cards, lovely crafts hanging from the top etc. After the shop is decorated then the turn comes to take some rest and have lunch. If it is a handicraft stall then it is quite relaxing. But if it is a Food stall then the mothers have lot of works to do. The moms will help the kids to prepare the dishes whatever have come to their part. In the late afternoon the stalls would start to shine bright with the creative foodie goodie crafts and the excited radiant shop keepers who are ready to trade. The residents of Santiniketan will all amalgamate in this fair to cheer up the new sellers. The romance of the evening is beyond explanations. The lights, the sound of the Dhak and the attractively dressed up people make the fair more gorgeous than ever. Food stalls are always very tempting that the crowd denotes. Mostly the crowd will bee around the food counters. But the handicraft stalls are more to be seen like an astounding exhibition. You will become amazed by seeing creative crafts mainly of the little brains. Small houses or cars or mini furniture made out of match boxes/card board, greetings cards, bags, dolls, wall hangings, etc . You will get endless ideas how many beautiful creative things can be made and out of wasted stuffs too. That day whatever crafts are made becomes too precious for everybody. All the shoppers would visit each stall and make the sellers face more bright by buying something. In the nursery stall the parents will buy their kids' hand made crafts and the teachers are amazing too who always remember which craft belongs to whom. The fair ends up counting the profit and giving the responsibility of the money to the teacher and return back to home after dismantling the shop and collecting their own stuffs to return safely to the mothers.

It will look like a simple fair organized by school and college students. But now I feel the truth hidden behind the purpose. It helps to work in a group and to make a united world. It helps to make strong bonding between the friends, with the teachers and also with the parents. Cooperation and coordination are hidden key tools of this fair. This fair diminishes the gender crises and show that both genders have the same capability to work. You will never feel forced to join this fair but your creative instinct will instigate you to build up a memory for you. Every year the fair will teach how to become more responsible and more creative. It infuses in the individual a kind of leadership quality to conduct a team and take decisions. A memory which in future you are going to share with the world.

I feel proud when I say I belong to this amazing world. Every year this day of Mahalaya makes me cry. I miss my friends, my teachers, my parents and the enchanting Anandamela. I am not sure when again I would be able to visit the fair. And I feel too sad that my daughter will never be the part of this world. But I also know this that my creative instinct will always try to show her the parts of this world everytime. A world where the self potentiality is always scooped out in an unusual manner with out knowing that ever existed within us. The world would infuse creativity in your blood and your education will be shown up not as a bookish knowledge but the noesis which you have learned from the nature. I have seen my husband how he misses those 4-5days of Durga Puja. He will always keep on telling me about the gorgeously decorated pandals of Kolkata, the huge Idols of the Gods and Goddesses, the extended rituals, the food etc. But I have only one day to treasure and would love to share that gives me all the spirits of Durga Puja. Durga Puja means to me Mahalaya and Mahalaya means Ananda Mela.

Shubho Mahalaya & Happy Durga Puja to all of you...

Sending this to Pree's Beyond Five Days of Durga Puja .

Simplicity Challenge-Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:58:00 PDT

This week's theme of the Simplicity Photo Challenge is Flowers. Here are my collections-

Click the below link to view more mindblowing Photographs-

Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:07:00 PDT

Now it's a Recipe time. In the recent weeks suddenly our car needed to visit the car service station due to some internal problem. Though it's quite annoying and frustrating if the check engine light starts to blink, for me it became a healthy boon. During the time the car got checked I confronted with a great recipe idea from one of the magazines lazily laid around the center table of the sitting area of the store. Nowadays I am proned towards making healthy recipes mainly where a wee bit of oil or no oil is added at all. I found a recipe of crispy chicken nuggets which is coated with cornflakes and more pleasingly it's Baked. I borrowed the idea, googled for more recipes alike after coming home. The next day I made this Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet. I never thought even in my imagination that Fish Fry can also be made with out oil. To be true you will not get the exact pleasure and taste what a deep fried stuff enhances, but I bet too you will not regret after tasting it. More good is you will never suffer from the nightmare that next how much calories you have to shed. You can have it as a starter or as a dinner with some dips and salads. Following is the recipe:

Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients:-

Marinade:

Tilapia Fillets- 3 large

Ranch/Salad dressings- 2 tbspoon

Vinegar/Lemon juice- 1 tbspoon

Mayonnaise- 1 tbspoon

Parmesan Cheese- 3 tbspoon

Salt+pepper+Italian herbs- According to taste

Coating:

Cornflakes- Approx 2 cups (crumbs) [Note: I will suggest to make extra crumbs and not to use all at same time. The extras can be saved and used later if stored in a airtight container.]

Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup

Method:-

1. Pre-heat the oven at 350F degrees.

2. Mix all the ingredients nicely with the fillets, listed under marinade and keep for 10-15mnts.

3. Put a silver foil on the baking tray and grease it nicely. (lining foils make easy to clean the tray.)

4. Mix the cornflakes and the bread crumbs and coat the fish gently. Lay them on the tray. Now spread some crumbs on the top of each fillet and press it little bit with your palm. Gently turn each fillet and do the same process.

5. Bake for 10-15mnts. Then turn the fillets and bake for 10 mnts more.Serve hot with bread, salads or dips.

Variation:

I also tired with chicken. I marinated the chicken breasts with Shan's tandoori Chicken masala and yoghurt and coated them with cornflakes and bread crumbs. Baked them at 375F degrees for 35-40mnts. This one also came out perfect and too tasty.

Note: I am not satisfy at all with the snaps. The snaps are taken in a hurry struggling a lot with the hungry tummies. Hope you can understand.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:11:00 PDT

This week's Themes are:

1.Golden

2. Smell

3. Fruit

4. Simple

5. Sport

Here are my collections:

1. Golden

2. Smell

3. Fruit

4. Simple

5.Sport

These clicks go to the Scavenger Hunt Saunday event. Please click the below button to view more collections:

Voice Against Plagiarism- The First step

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:27:00 PDT

Dear Friends, Thanks for the support and I am glad to see your enthusiasm. So inspired by you all I have created a site- Voice Against Plagiarism. I have just taken an initiative. But now we altogether have to start this journey and fight.

The site needs few Board Members who will internally work and help to improve the site. So if you are willing to join as a board member then please send your email-ID to voiceplg@gmail.com. The board members will have the authority to post in the site and take decisions about the site. Please read the About section of the site.

I have just temporarily designed the blog only to make a boat through which we can start our journey. Now it is up to you to make it a ship to sail on the sea. Come join the site and make it a powerful site to kill the crime. Pls free to give your opinions and ideas to improve the site.

Attention Please!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:27:00 PDT

Picture courtesy: knol.google.com

Today I thought of posting a recipe as it has become a long gap since I have posted any. I have so many to share and all are standing in a queue, shouting for an attention. But today it's more important to share something else with you all .

Recently two of our blogger friends raised the voice against plagiarism when they suffered terribly with this infection as their posts were been reposted without their concern in some other blogs. In simple language their Posts and Photographs were stolen. Jaya and Pree both are the victims of this awful crime. But in no time anybody can be the victim of this plague. Even we don't know whether our works are already been stolen or not!! Then why we still are sitting idle and waiting for to see more plagiarist victims !!

We blog because we love to be get connected with people through the works which we cherish in our lone and creative hours. We are blogging not to earn money through it or there is no obligation that we have to blog because of some grand fortune. This is a kind of blood and breath for us when we inhale a peace of breath through our blogs. It's like a baby for us whom we are nurturing so gently, with so much care to feel a pacification mainly when you can not go out. It gives you a way to get connected with people. It gives you satisfaction when you get appreciated by any of your creative work. It is also a way where you can get a recognition which is earned entirely by your own hard work.

But when we see a scratch on these babies' body it's really a heartrending situation for us. It might be healed in no time when we will just sigh and this will be a pastime regretting story for us. But what about those thieves?? Isn't there any way to punish them or raise a unified voice against this atrocious act. Blogging is not a silly joke or a minute's play which we do with in a second. Each post is a hard planned project where you involve your creativity, sources of knowledge to work it best as a magnet to draw the attention of the reader.

It is not a question of taking any legal action and sue the copycats. But let us make a unified world to fight against these offenses. Let us make a Forum on "Fake Bloggers" and highlight those weirdoes. Let us spread our voice and make everybody attentive against this malady. At least we can make them think twice before they steal any hard work to fulfill their own purpose.

We can not stop plagiarism but we can at list fight for it. Let us start the fight right now……..Who are going to join ??

I want to know your views.

The Glimpses of Laguna Beach- Out & About

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 21:25:00 PDT

The other day our tour minds destined us to Laguna Beach. We never thought that we were having such an alluring sight to view only in the 15mnts driving distance from our home. It caught my attention when one of the Orange County magazines awarded it as the best Editor's Choice Beach.

Laguna Beach, located in the southern Orange County, California, is mainly famous as a sea-side resort and artist community. You will just get moved by seeing the wonderful art Exhibitions lined around the beach. We spent a great time in strolling along the boardwalk on the main beach, walking the scenic overlooks of the Heisler Park and wandering through the shops and galleries in the downtown. Around the Beach you will have exiting trails to hike. Your long exploration may bump you into some adventurous caves. You can get a wonderful panoramic view of the whole city and the beach from some countless peaks accessible by the innumerable local hiking trails or you may spend hours mesmerized by the amazing diversity of the beauty of the marine life that surrounds the Laguna Beach. Here are some snaps to enjoy:

Just think how lucky they are, where the brains are getting intoxicated by the three S- Sound, Sight & Smell of the incredible Pacific Ocean.

Here is a proof where animals also cherish the beauty of the nature.

I was quite disappointed not to find a single sea-shell. But the seaweeds really enchanted me by their wild beauty.

Don't miss the creative Car- a proof that Laguna Beach knows to appreciate the artists.

Front of the Artistic Car.

One of my favourites. I wish to be there holding the other hand of my daughter, not behind the lenses and somebody is taking a natural family picture for us. The yacht is the dream may be someday come true.

Due to the cloudy sky we missed the colours of the setting sun. Anyway the cloudy sky also showed how much beautiful it looks and also powerful when it covers the sun.

The snaps are off the Simplicity Photography Challenge: Out & About

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 15:06:00 PDT

This week’s Scavenger Hunt Sunday’s themes are:-

1. Miniature.

2. Water droplet.

3. Bedhead.

4. Colourful.

5. Eyes.

Following are my entries:-

1.Miniature:-

2.Water Droplet:-

3. Bedhead:-

4.Colorful:-

5.Eyes:-

If you want to see more photographs on this event, then please click on the bellow button:-

Simplicity Photo Challenge - Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:32:00 PDT

Pensive

Courage

These pictures are off to the Simplicity Photo Challenge - Mood . If you want to see more pictures on Mood, click on the below picture-

Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:06:00 PDT

Karma was heading towards his office after a long vacation. The treetops had started to catch the fall colour. He had never seen the beauty of the fall in this way. They seemed to him like the newly wed bride getting the first blush on her face with the first touch of her husband. Then he had the second thought of the bride, getting the cachet of marital bliss on her parting line with the dispersed vermilions. A very contented smile spread all over his face. He was married now.

He had taken only a two weeks break, but it seemed to him a long vacation as he got married in these two weeks. Now he could proudly say,' I am married ' and would stop envying his married couple friends. Though the life of celibacy has its own essence, marriage has a totally different charm if one is married to a beautiful lovable lady. He always wanted to get married to the earliest and to love his wife from the core of his heart giving all the happiness of the world as much as he could provide. A romantic by heart he always kept on nurturing the life with a partner in his imagination. When he first saw her picture in a matrimonial site he fell in love instantly with the endearing smile stretched in Jinia's face. And he found himself then the luckiest man when the proposal proceeded and everything got fixed. Everything happened like a fairytale. They got married within 3months and returned back to Denver a couple of days back. Now it's a new journey of life with his beloved wife and to make the home a dream land where only the language of love will décor their nest.

His office was just in 2.5miles distance form his home. He had not yet reached his office, he started to eagerly wait for the lunch time, when he would go home and have lunch with his wife. He tried to think what she might be doing right now. Might be she was sipping the morning tea, sitting in front of the patio and admiring the beauty of the new land. Or might be she was arranging the kitchen in her own way and preparing herself what to cook for the lunch, or she was adorning herself in front of the mirror and gently combing her black silky hair or she….His office came. He parked his car and headed towards the office. He was feeling little bit of nervous to face the gang and the rummy tattles by them. And thinking of the devil there he was.

Joy spanked his back from behind and spreading a puckish smile all over his face, said:" Hey dude, got the magic?? Enjoying??? How is Bhabi(sister-in-law)?? ". Karma now started to blush and his nervous soul just gave a smile instead of saying anything. Silence is always the great saviour from anything. He slicked in to his cubicle as soon as possible to avoid the group. But the gang jumped on him with a big congratulation and had made him embarrassed more with the songs of connubial bliss. It didn't last long as the work pressure buried every body in a cracking silence with a rhythm of the tick tuck sounds on key boards which kept on echoing from this corner to that corner.

Karma called his wife to say that he reached office and wanted to talk for few more time. But the conversation just finished in 'ok' ;'bye'. Karma's impatient soul kept on tracking the time and when it's 12 noon , Karma rushed to his car and headed to home. He thought today at night he will give the card and the bracelet to his wife.

When he reached home he expected a warm welcome or he would give a hug to his wife. But instead he confronted a pale face and a gloomy atmosphere at home. The lunch was served very heedlessly. His wife was just in a different world not willing to talk to him at all. He thought, might be she was not well due to the long journey and that's why she was not in a mood in talking or might be she was missing her home too. Karma was not in a hurry but set off to office early to avoid the glumness of his wife and to give her more space by her own. Before leaving he told his wife that they would have the dinner out side today. He drove back to office. He consoled himself that everything would change when Jinia would get the bracelet and the card and he would tell her when and how he bought this gift of love and saved it all these years only for his love.

It was 2 years back when one of his female colleagues, wore a bracelet and showed proudly to every body at the lunch time that this was given by her husband. The bracelet was embedded with some colourful bids and stones. It's very simple but unique too. Karma noted down the gift of love and that day in the evening he went to the shopping mall and bought the bracelet in a hope that when he would get married he would give this gift of love to his wife. Romantic by heart he bought a card with a poem of love printed on it along with bracelet. He secretly treasured this in his closet all these years and finally it’s the time to gift them to his beloved wife.

The afternoon how became evening he was not able to follow as all the pending workload didn't give him a single moment to lift his head from it.

He was now feeling excited from the bottom of his heart and planning how to make the evening one of the most memorable evenings of their life. He tried to imagine when he would give his wife the first gift of love how she would react.

Karma waved goodbye to the office gang, promised to throw a grand party in the next week, hurriedly slipped in his car and rushed back to his home. He unlocked the door with the extra key and saw his wife sitting on the sofa facing towards the patio. The dinning table was in a mess with the dry unwashed dishes and bowls. He put his hand on his wife's shoulder, she jerked his hand and disappeared in to the bedroom with out saying a single word. Karma was not able to understand what had happened to her. First he thought she was sad for missing her family, then the second thought rose, she was angry with him. But he was not able to trigger out the reason. Karma followed Jinia to the bed room and saw she was crying covering her face with her hands. Karma rushed to her and held her in his arms and just about to ask the reason why she was crying, she pushed Karma away from her and said:"You liar, why didn't you tell me that you had an affair before??"

Karma seemed to fall from the sky and didn't understand how to react. He told:"I didn't get you what you are saying?"

"Yea I know now you will just deny the whole thing. But I get the prove of that you had an affair before."

"I am telling the truth. There must be some misunderstanding."

"What misunderstanding??" She showed him the card and the bracelet.

Karma started to laugh and said with a relaxed tone:"This one is a gift that I bought for you."

Jinia yelled at him:"You liar, liar, liar!!! Don't involve me in this awful game. You bought it two years back, I got the cash memo to prove that. You hardly know me less than three months. How come you could tell that you bought it for me. If I would know that I am going to marry a filthy fibber, I would choose rather to die.. "

Karma tried to convince her that he was telling the truth. But everything went in vain and she threw the card and bracelet at him and told him to get out from the room. Karma with a sinking soul picked up his treasure and dragged himself out from the room. He heard a bang of the door shut behind him. He just felt that all his energy was drained out. He never thought in his dream that the token of love could show him the bitter side of it. He felt that somebody had shovelled his heart in to pieces and put a big stone on it. Now the stone came up and sat on his throat. He was not able to see clearly as his eyesight had become blur and everything around him was getting hazy. Jinia came in and announced the final judgment:

"I want a divorce. I don't want to stay with a deceiver."

Today was the 12th day after they got married, they had just started their journey and now it had come to an end. Karma was not able to say a single word. The bracelet in his hand had fallen down on the floor in parts and the bids and the stones scattered around the room.

(Behind the scene: I have taken the snaps of the bracelet few days back and wanted to post it. So I thought of writing a story and use the snaps to make it more fascinating. So this is how the story of Bracelet took birth. All the characters here mentioned are fictitious and entirely plotted in the imagination of the author)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:49:00 PDT

Scavenger Hunt Sunday is another event on photography. This is started by the great photographer Asley Sisk. Visit her blog to know more about Photography and Events on Photography. I have become a big fan of her Photography and the way she sees the world behind the lenses. This Scavenger Hunt Sunday event has some rules:

1. Anyone can participate.

2.You're encouraged to take five new photos this week for the challenge.

3. If you get stumped, you may use one photo from your archive (although I'm not too strict about it - I do my best to take fresh shots).

4. Link up here on Sunday (or Tuesday at the latest) - you can use the button below.

This week's themes are:
1. Wish or Dream
2. Clean
3. Currency
4. Pair
5. Square
Here are my interpretations:

1. Wish or Dream

I wish to get back my childhood again.

2. Clean

I hate vacuum cleaners as they make a very annoying sound. But cleaning is also an inevitable part of life.

3. Currency

Do I have to give any interpretation at all..

4. Pair

This is one of my favourite snaps. The best pair to me is the reflection or the shadow of an individual. While photographing on my daughter, this snap caught a beautiful glory and perfect example of a pair.

5. Square

I was searching each square object of my house to shoot. Suddenly I got the best squares of my life with which I spent most of the time apart from my family.

Hope you enjoyed the photographs. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Macro Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Silence Sings) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:40:00 PDT

Photography is always a passion for me, but I always have taken snaps aimlessly. But now I am getting focused to know the tiny little things about Photography. So this is my first entry to an event on photography. You have to take a macro or a close up shot and to link it to the Macro Monday Event. Hope you will all love the clicks.

If you want to see more Photographs then click here: