Cooling summer recipes from Bengal

 Summer is here and the best way to beat the heat is through one's diet. It is the time to let go of fatty foods and greasy gravies, and instead switch to light meals and seasonal veggies. You will be amazed how easily your diet choices can help you stay refreshed throughout the season. And who says summer meals need to be boring? summer recipes from bengal

These traditional summer foods from Bengal cools down the gut and is cooked with a minimalist approach.

Fresh seasonal vegetables are prioritised in the summer menu. Summer is known for jackfruit, sojne (moringa flowers, leaves, drumsticks), neem leaves, gourds and mangoes.

Including seasonal veggies in the diet is an age old practice that ensures the body gets the best nutritional value, but in modern times we are slowly forgetting that.

Here are some healthy gut cooling recipes from Bengal:

Raw Mango Dal

Raw Mango Dal is traditionally known as Tok Dal. Aam Dal or Tok Dal is an authentic Bengali recipe of summer which is prepared in almost every Bong house. It is immensely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Aam Dal recipe is a refreshing sour and salty lentil soup with a hint of sweetness. In this preparation, green Mango slices are cooked with Moong Dal (Yellow Lentils) with some mustard seeds and dry red chillies. This summer delight is served at lunch with steamed rice. It requires minimal ingredients and gets prepared very quickly without investing much time and effort. Mango dal Bengali recipe is a perfect balance of taste and health. It can be a great addition to your regular diet during summer.

Bitter Gourd & Bottle Gourd Dal

Bengali Lau Die Tetor Dal recipe is a traditional Bengali Dal usually made during the summer season. This Dal recipe is a great way to include the goodness of  bottle gourd and bitter gourd in your diet. Lau Die Tetor Dal is a very healthy and light dal made without onion and garlic, but is flavoured with green chilies, ginger and mustard oil.

Shuktoni /Shukto

Shukto is Bengali's pride and prejudice both. A plethora of vegetables, cooked in the most unique spices with creamy milky gravy with the slightest hint of sweetness and a core taste of bitterness, even describing the dish is such a pleasure. The Bengali style mixed vegetable or Shuktoni is a soothing rustic curry which clears your palate perfectly before you dig into the countless courses which comprise a typical Bengali meal .

Sojne Shaak Chorchori

Saag chorchoris are common everyday dishes in many Bengali homes. Sojne shaak (Moringa leaves) chorchori is a medley of stir fried vegetables, like drumsticks, eggplants, red pumpkin and potatoes, together with the moringa leaves, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti- oxidant properties, with a dash of mustard base. This dish keeps one hydrated and safe from heat strokes naturally.

Neem Begun

Fried neem leaves with brinjals. In accordance with Ayurvedic practices, a Bengali meal typically starts with something bitter. And love for bitter food does not start and end with bitter gourd only. To begin with we have neem leaves and many more bitter flowers and leaves that we regularly use in our daily meals. Neem or margosa is loaded with anti viral, anti microbial and anti oxidant properties that can boost our immune systems. So, eating neem begun during the summers highlights that very thought and philosophy of clean eating in accordance with Ayurvedic practices.

Posto/Poppy Seeds

That quintessential Bengali summer meal of kalai dal and posto, as no discussion on summer lunches are complete without posto, the white poppy seeds which has bestowed Bengal with a unique and rare culinary gift. Posto is one of those cooling foods and together with onions (another cooling food) is a perfect match made in heaven, and so is the pyaz (onion) posto jhuri. This one is my favourite accompaniment during summer lunches but we Bongs can be so creative, we can dish out even a complete full course menu with posto only. Bong's love for posto is simply undeniable. Click here for the bengali summer meal of kalai dal and posto.

Ambol /Tok

An ultimate summer favourite. Ambol is a thinner and less sugary version of Bengali sweet chutneys. A very thin soupy preparation of sour fruits like kaccha aam/raw mango, kul/Indian jujube, aamra/hog plum, jalpai/Indian olives, chalta/elephant apple and tamarind etc. This is usually served at the end of typical Bengali meals and also acts as a palate cleanser, before moving forward to dessert. The uniqueness of this dish is that this can also be prepared with fish as well.

These Bengali light summer meals are mild in flavours and cooked with a minimalist cooking approach. They are healthy-easy to cook wholesome recipes.

Be Hydrated: Delhi is having a 'fiery' weather

 For the past few days, Delhi has been witnessing high temperatures. Monsoon, this year will take some to arrive and if the present weather condition keeps on continuing then many health issues will probably occur.

CitySpidey talked to Dr Mudassar Amin, Physician, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, to know how a person can protect themselves from these extra sunny days.

Dr Amin said, “Day by day the temperature is increasing. During this time, people tend to get dehydrated rapidly. People face perspiration too. Especially people who stay in air-conditioned rooms perspire more and dehydration can really cost many complications later.”

These complications can cause a headache or chest pain. This happens because temperature really affects the circulatory system of the body. Also, it is recommended that people who have a history of migraine should not step out during the day.

When the temperature is very high, headaches and severe pain can lead to aneurysm. An aneurysm is a blood clot in the brain vessel that ruptures due to high pressure in the vessels.

Dr Amin said, “We have heard about many cases of sunstrokes in the last few days. This happened because many people were going outside during the day and did not take any precautions.”

Dr Amin recommended people to take enough amount of water in the daytime, to go out as little as possible and take the umbrella while going out.

Eating essentials during hot weather

“Eating seasonal food is really important because it is made for that specific weather. But people do not follow this but they eat what they like. Eating seasonal food is healthy and important for the body during that season of time,” said Dr Amin.

During summers you should have fibrous food like:

• Cucumber
• Orange
• Watermelon

And have more of these

• Daily consumption of three to four litres of water in a day time and one litre is enough after evening. You can take these beverages as well:
• Fresh fruit shakes
• Cold coffee
• Lemon juices

“Patients of heart, diabetes, and hypertension should have a very controlled diet during such times. Their problems can be aggravated due to this weather,” Dr Amin added.

Dr Amin said, “Some people have allergies from cotton, silk or any other fabric. So always remember to wear what is comfortable and suitable for your skin. Wear loose clothes, for example, a loose kurta. Nowadays people are still wearing jeans and tight clothes. But clothes have to be free and loose enough so that you do not get perspiration and rashes in the body.”

Gastrointestinal diseases are also prevalent in such weather due to hygiene issues and dehydration.

What you should avoid?

• Soft drinks
• Alcohol
• Smoking

So do not take your health lightly in this fiery weather. It is too dangerous. 

How to keep your home free from pests

 

Pests like cockroaches, spiders, termites etc are not only dangerous for our homes but are hazardous to our health. To control the entry of pests in our houses, pest control is an easy and effective option to follow.

Abhishek Ranakoti, Dynamic Pest Control, New Delhi said, “Pest control is a very neglected task in India until the damage is done by the pests. But it is a necessary activity to do. Nowadays wooden work is present everywhere, for example in houses and hotel industry. Once the wooden work is done, termite may start growing on it. People then forget about the pest control for wood until the wood is eaten by the termite. When people call us, we can only prevent the further damage but cannot bring that expensive wooded work back.|

Narpendra Singh, Bharat Pest Control Services, New Delhi said, “Pest control not only kills the pests but the viruses or tiny insects present in the houses.”

But before this, it is your duty to keep your house clean and disease free. So read the following tips carefully.

Always keep the kitchen clean

Keep your kitchen clean. Kitchen is that area of the house, where a variety of pests exists. Pests get attracted to the dirty atmosphere and if your kitchen is dirty, then you need to worry.

For regular care of your kitchen, clean the kitchen with an effective disinfectant. Never leave food crumbs on the kitchen slab and if you do, clean the slab with disinfectant. Wash both utensils and sink everyday.

This will help you to limit the entry of pests inside the house.

Ranakoti said, “Wherever there is food, the pest and rodents will attack. So to maintain the proper hygiene in the kitchen, timely pest control is required.”

Keep the bathroom clean

After the kitchen, your bathroom has to be clean and dry. It is very important to use toilet cleaner on alternate days. Wash the wash basin daily. Always check the drain, so that the bathroom is not clogged with hair and soap particles.

Make sure there is no stagnant water near your house.

If you are living in a locality where there are many open drains, then be careful. Dirty water inside the drains is the house of many mosquitoes, especially in the monsoon season. Also, all the buckets in the tubs have to be kept dry. If your air conditioner eliminates water, throw that water out every morning.

Ranakoti said, “Water clogging happens during monsoon. Flies and mosquitoes start increasing day by day and spread diseases like Dengue and Malaria. Pest control is necessary during these days to kill these pests and eradicate these diseases.”

Clean your garden

If you have a garden or the large area of your house is dedicated to plants, then take some time out from your Sunday and clean that area. Many insects are attracted to plants and grass and hence can enter your home.

Do not keep fruits and vegetables out

Whenever you buy fruits and vegetables, do not keep them on the dining table for a long time. Also, the rotten fruits and vegetables have to be thrown away as soon as possible because they attract ants and house flies.

Throw the garbage daily

Those who leave for the office early in the morning, make sure that garbage from your house is disposed off regularly. Garage can attract rodents and cockroaches in your house after its prolonged accumulation.

Throw the things you do not use anymore

Declutter, declutter and declutter!

If your store room is filled with unnecessary items, throw them out. The layer of dust will definitely attract germs in the house. These items could be toys, strollers, bicycles, bags, luggage, shoes, packaging material, old school books etc.

Ranakoti explained the following important points:

• Prices of pest control depend on the area and also on what kinds of pest control services one wants to prefer. There are services like urban pest control, herbal pest control, chemical pest control and others.
• Pest control standards are decided by the World Health Organization. Only WHO approved chemicals should be used. Always take services from a good pest control company as they will provide genuine services of government and WHO recommended chemicals.
• Pest control services should be done on a regular basis after every three to four months. Also, after pest control, maintaining hygiene is a people's responsibility. If they will not maintain the house well and keep it dirty, then there is no use of pest control. So maintain it.

Singh added, “People should stay outside the house for three to four hours after the pest control is done in their house, for their safety. Pests get killed after one or one and a half hours. Even if there are no insects and pests in the houses, always do pest control in the houses after three months. If the house is dirty and extremely dirty, do pest control monthly and weekly, respectively.”

So while decorating your house with the best decor pieces, think of pest control as well.

Lajpat Nagar's market shopkeepers find difficult to find feet after lockdown

Since the pandemic hit the city, many activities have been affected. Shutters of the shops were closed for a long time. After the first wave of coronavirus, businesses started operating normally but it was again halted with the second wave in the city. Now, the process of unlock has begun.

Many markets started opening again the national capital. However, the lives of local vendors and low wages people have never been the same. CitySpidey talked to local vendors of Lajpat Nagar’s Central market. Most of the shopkeepers said that after lockdown, their sales have dropped significantly and it is difficult to manage rent of the shops also the house expenses. Lajpat nagar market

On the other hand, shop helpers said that they are facing salary cuts as the sales of shops have gone down. They said that they are finding it difficult to manage their houses.

Shankar, owner of a mobile accessories shop said, “The condition of the market is not good after the second lockdown. There is only ten percent work in the market. Many times I didn't earn a single penny in a day. Shops are empty and after the second lockdown, there is no hope when the work will come on track.”

Kartik, owner of a garment shop said, “Before the second wave of coronavirus, the work was pretty good. We had enough earnings to pay the rent and for our daily needs too. Before 2020, the market used to be full of crowd but now the footfall is very less in the market. Due to this, our sales dropped significantly.”

Omprakash, owner of a mobile repairing and accessories shop said, “The sales have dropped significantly. Only 3-4 customers come in a day. Before lockdown, it was 30-40 in a day, due to this, we are not able to pay the rent of the shop. Most of the days, I do not have any earning.”

Vinay Kumar, who works at a garment shop said, “Many helpers of the shop are facing salary cuts as we are not able to pay the rent of the shops. The shop is in losses. The condition is worst than the first lockdown. The sales for a day have decreased by 90 per cent. Before 2020, customers used to be visit the market frequently. We all are hoping that good time will come soon.”

Footwears for summers: These will save you from tanning

It is not only always about the clothes but footwear too. In summers, we are worried about tanning the most. We tend to save uncovered body parts most of the time by covering them. Scarf for hair, full sleeves for hands, and shoes for feet. But aren't you all bored with wearing shoes? summer fashion

Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”

For workouts, we go and buy the right kind of shoes so that we can do the best workout and those shoes do not hurt us. The right footwear has the power to support your feet and make you feel comfortable.

Here are some of the right shoes that you should have.

Cut-Out Boots

Cut-out boots cover the major part of your foot, plus they have little heels to add some stylish element. Boots suits the best with dresses both long and short ones. More than black cut-out boots, the tan-coloured ones will suit the majority of your outfits.

Penny Loafers

Men always go with loafers, but they should choose penny loafers too. Not only with pants, but these particular loafers also look good with jeans, especially dark blue jeans.

Fringe Fringe Boots

Fringe Fringe boots look best with skinny pants and skirts. And sometimes with floral dresses. Not only in summers, long sweaters, skinny pants with these boots also make a completely chic look in winters.
Mules

Wearing mules has become an everyday fashion for women. But little heels on mules, paired with a side-slit long skirt make super cool bottom wear. Even when you are wearing loose shirts with jeans, mules suit the best then.

Crocs

Crocs are the go-to staples. Every household has this pair. True right?

A pair of crocs are accepted by all the people – elderly, middle-aged, youngsters and kids all across the world. Multi coloured crocs are trending in the present.

Juttis

Bollywood has been setting this trend of pairing up juttis with jeans for the past many years. But many people have not noticed that. But it is time to follow this trend now as this will give a bit of an indo-western look.

Do not forget to wear the best footwear which goes best with your look. Just remember if your footwear is not right, then the whole look gets affected.

National Doctors’ Day 2021: Celebrating life saving heroes

 

National Doctors’ Day was established by the Government of India back in 1991 in honour of the birth and death anniversary of the physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. Since then, July 1 in India is marked as the National Doctor’s Day to show gratitude to all doctors.

Doctors have been fighting a long war from the frontlines against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, saving lives at the cost of their own. To pay a tribute to the selfless work done by doctors and to honour their dedication towards serving humanity, the Government of India along with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a national voluntary organisation of doctors in the country, celebrate National Doctors’ Day on July 1 every year. With the pandemic still far from over, this day and every day is important to honour many doctors who have sacrificed their lives in the last year. 

Dr. Satya, a Delhi-based pulmonologist said, “The doctors and health workers have been extending their shifts. We have been working more than 16-18 hours every day since the pandemic began.”

“We did not have time to cry, we kept working like zombies," said Dr Ritu Saxena, head of the emergency department at Lok Nayak Hospital.

For Dr Saxena, working in the city’s biggest Covid-19 treatment centre Lok Nayak Hospital, it was the death of a colleague’s wife that hit the hardest. “When one of our own doctors came to the hospital emergency department, we realised that his wife’s oxygen saturation was also low. But they had a nine-year-old son, so she decided to go home and wait for her family to come before getting admitted to the hospital. She was admitted a day later with just 84% saturation. She died the next day in front of her husband who was in the same ward,” said Dr Saxena.

The second wave of the pandemic, she said, was like war. “The hospital was full; sometimes we had four patients sitting on one bed taking oxygen from a large cylinder because we had run out of oxygen ports. We had to triage; take in patients we knew would have a better chance of survival. We were taking in younger patients,” she said.

“When the oxygen crisis hit and we were asked not to take in any more patients, my doctors went outside the hospital gate without their coats and I drove around to see whether there were sick patients we could help,” she added.

Along with a gruelling day in the emergency department, she was also tasked with ensuring that all bodies were disposed of on time. She recalled a day when there were nearly 100 bodies at the hospital and she kept dispatching ambulances throughout the day. “I had deputed 20 ambulances, yet I kept getting calls for more. That night, I dreamed of having to carry the dead in my car.”

She said she had never faced a situation like the second Covid-19 wave despite the hospital being a high volume centre. Amid the entire crisis, there was no time to process grief. “We lost family members, we couldn’t even cry. We did not have the time. We just kept working like zombies,” she said.

Being trapped in the uncomfortable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for hours every day, treating Covid-19 and non-Covid patients, taking online consultation, dealing with the shortage of medical supplies and staff, keeping up with everyday developments in Covid-19 research, the pandemic has been hard on the doctors. During this long fight with Covid, the country has lost over 1,500 doctors to the pandemic, according to IMA. This includes 736 doctors during the first wave and 798 doctors from the first week of April till June 29. The highest number of deaths among doctors have been reported from Delhi (128), followed by Bihar (115). 

It is important to note here that the actual figure related to deaths of doctors during Covid-19 may be higher as IMA only keeps a record of its 3.27 lakh members. With an aim to dedicate the day to the doctors who succumbed to Covid-19, the theme of the day this year is ‘Save The Saviours’.

During his recent ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address on June 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed doctors for going out of their way to perform their duty. 

"A few days from now, on July 1, we will celebrate National Doctors’ Day. This day is dedicated to the birth anniversary of the great doctor and statesman of the country, Dr BC Roy. We are all grateful for the contribution of doctors during the Corona period. Our doctors have served us without caring about their lives. Therefore, this time National Doctors’ Day becomes even more special," the PM said.

Acknowledging the gesture, Dr JA Jayalal, president, Indian Medical Association, said that the PM has assured that doctors will be respected and protected. He said, "PM Modi ensured that doctors will be respected, protected and safeguarded. He also emphasised the need for vaccination. All the medical fraternity doing human service during the pandemic is celebrating July 1 as Doctors’ Day. We are so pleased that PM Modi greeted the medical fraternity for Doctors' Day."

In Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College organised a blood donation camp to honour the doctors. The Chhattisgarh Medical Teachers Association and Junior Doctors Association of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College also organised a blood donation camp on July 1. Some other hospitals conducted webinars.

Seniors Hub Dwarka celebrates Doctors' Day

 Seniors Hub Dwarka, a social organisation, celebrated National Doctor’s Day in a very unique way on Thursday. They personally thanked doctors on phone, followed by sending a specially made 'Thank You' card to them for saving the lives of millions of Indians and dozens of members during this pandemic.

As per them, the difficult times have once again reminded about the contributions and sacrifices made by doctors and the healthcare staff around the globe daily.

In honour of this noble profession, Doctor’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world. In India, it is being celebrated on Thursday.

Senior Hub Dwarka thanked doctors of major hospitals in Dwarka like Aakash Healthcare, Ayushman, Bensups, Manipal, Venkateshwara and Centre For Sight.

RK Jain, President of Seniors Hub said, “Capable hands and incredible courage of doctors gave us the moral support to fight corona.”

Ravi Jaitley, General Secretary of Seniors Hub Dwarka said, “In nutshell, Dwarka hospitals and their doctors were very cooperative and helpful to senior citizens. In fact, under Mission Vaccination, they got 120 members vaccinated at Manipal hospital. Doctors from Dwarka hospitals were giving us health talks online to overcome corona fear. They are next to God. At the cost of their lives, they gave new lease of life to their patients.”

“Doctors with their healing touch take away 50 per cent of our worries,” said Col AK Anand (Retd) whose wife and daughter were hospitalised.

Geetha Vijay, a Dwarka resident said, “They are true heroes of our country during this pandemic.”

This year is once again dedicated to all those doctors and healthcare  professionals who are serving in these trying times by risking their lives either in primary as well as secondary care set ups or in  dedicated COVID care facilities. 

Do you remember the postman?

 

Yesterday I heard my mother saying, “Do you still remember those days when you eagerly waited for the cycle bell of the postman?” Baba said, “Daakiya Bhai!”

Ten years down the line, we'd have a hard time explaining, to the future generation, what a landline phone is or what the job of a typist was. It's already difficult now. Another profession that's gradually ebbing away from our memory is that of a postman.

The tinkling of a bicycle bell that used to put a smile on faces. A bulky man in his mid-twenties, sweating profusely through his India Post uniform, handed love, care, exam results or even an interview card.

“Never forget to go to temple on Sunday. It's your birthday. Though I can't reach, my blessings will always be with you,” it was love and care passed by a father to his son, who is fighting at the border for his country.

Isn't it really nice? These letters are just signatures of emotions and tears of those loved ones who are staying far away or a secret box between two friends or a lovely piece of romance wrapped in a piece of paper. How many times have you waited at your doorstep for a letter that has not been delivered yet? Didn't it bring you tears and despair very often? Some people remember it as a beautiful spring while others may have tears flowing as rain, when they remember such messages. Yet, they were important in everyone's life.

While searching for an old book or magazine on a shelf, you may get such a letter. A nostalgic trip to old times when WhatsApp didn't exist. Unfold old letters in which the inked words may have faded a little, that small piece of paper may have lost its beauty and yet, it will be enough for you to bring your old college days and some of your memories back to life. Isn't it?

How many times have we read those lines repeatedly? How many memories have passed our minds? While reading those lines once again after years, it seems as if we are entering another birth of our life. That much far letters have gone away from us.

When people became too busy and new technologies like e-mail, chatting and mobile phones come into existence, everyone including me have forgotten letters. Actually when these things reduced the distance between people, the warmth of letters lost its charm. It is really a mere transformation according to the passage of time. But, an era or century was there, where letters from the inevitable part of each one's life. Really, an old letter in our hand can make us remember many lost things including lost relationships and faded young age or even early childhood.

Future generations may think, what an inconvenient thing was that letter of early times, where they had to buy an envelope or cover, write it on paper, go to the post office, fix stamps and post it. Again, it takes 2-3 days to reach the other person's hand. Then it may take one week or more to get its reply. Now, we are getting everything in just one mouse click at our doorstep. Not even needed to buy a postal card. Actually this thought has come into existence in the mind of every person now itself. Easy availability of many things has caused its loss of charm.

I myself as a child loved collecting stamps. The hobby of collecting stamps is often called “the hobby of kings and the king of hobbies.”

Now, letters have been added to our nostalgic things. When we lose our habit of writing, we have lost many of its emotions also. Our habit of opening our mind, romantic tenderness, flood of friendship thoughts, many promises given for a lifetime, we have lost all of them. I never feel that the intensity of emotions that we feel while opening a letter will be available while receiving an sms or opening our e-mail box.

When we are inking our pen to write a letter, what we fill along with it in our mind is the intensity of our love and emotions. Also, the time spent pouring words from the heart is really amazing. Actually, many of our hidden feelings including 'agony and anger', 'happiness and bitterness' and 'small mischief and complaints' are poured through ink from our mind to paper, thus filling our mind with only pleasure and feeling of lightness. When we are beginning with words like dear father, dear mother etc, they are really standing near us in our feelings and we are talking to them.

Very often, from illegible handwriting of the address itself, we identify the person and the emotion with which he wrote it. Even if his handwriting is not good, we just forget about it while opening the letter. Actually, we are reading his mind through his words written in an illegible way. All those things have now added to the past!

Once I spoke to Selva Raj, a lady who served as a post woman. She said, “The tinkling of my cycle bell was a tell-tale sign of my arrival. Eager heads would pop out of the doors in anticipation of news. The year was 1989. Major Prakash was in the Indian Peace Keeping Force. His young wife, pregnant with their child, would sit by the window around noon every day. More often than not, I saw the emotions of relief and anxiety war on her face. No news was probably good news yet it did not dissipate her fear. One rainy afternoon, I carried the ill-fated telegram that left her a widow. I had to experience the excruciating pain of reading it to her and watching her crumble right in front of me.”

Selva shared, “Like all jobs with its ups and downs, I was the proud deliverer to the joyous news too. Young men, who had completed their degrees and were waiting for employment, would buy me an extra biscuit to ensure that I came first to them as soon as I received an envelope from Madras or other cities. I did love my job.”

Ice cream flavours to make at home

July 1 is also known as Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day, if there's a food that brings more universal joy to the world than ice-cream, I've yet to find it. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to.

Whether you eat it in a bowl or a cone, on a hot summer afternoon or by the midnight light of the fridge, ice cream is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. But what about making it yourself? Does the idea of homemade, from scratch ice-cream fill you with radiant happiness? If it doesn't, it should.

History of creative ice cream flavour day

When people think about flavours of ice cream, they mostly think about what they can get off the grocery store shelves or from 31 flavours. When you take a moment to consider that ice cream was first invented  in the 5th Century BC by the Ancient Greeks, and from there they travelled around the world and through every culture, you realise that the smattering of flavours you’ve experienced in your life is just the  beginning. Somehow this seems like a perfect metaphor about our daily lives as well, don’t you think?

Do you like vanilla ice cream? Chocolate? What about strawberry? Chances are you love all these flavours, but have you ever considered saffron ice cream? What about rose flavoured? These are just some of the flavours that were possible in years past, and don’t even begin to cover the absolute rainbow of flavours that come from fruits!

Of course, most of these probably don’t seem all that unusual or creative, do they? That’s ok! If you’re truly feeling adventurous, you can try crab and oyster flavoured ice cream, or garlic flavoured (kidding)!

How to celebrate Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day

Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day is best celebrated by buying a flavour of ice cream you’ve never tried and giving it a whirl, at least if you’re feeling lazy and not at all adventurous. The truly daring will instead buy a simple ice cream making machine and start coming up with all sorts of gastronomically alchemy within.

The extent of the flavours is really only limited by your own flavour palette and sense of adventure. We suggest trying rosemary ice cream, pickle flavoured (sure to be a favourite amongst pregnant women), or even salmon flavoured! Try anything you can think of, Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day encourages you to give it your all.

It is also a good idea to do a quick search online to see if there are any dessert parlours or restaurants in your area that have embraced Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day. A lot of restaurants will celebrate days like this, coming up with unique ice cream treats for their diners to try on a one-off basis.

You may find that they have a special ice cream or sundae running for this day or week, and so you could book a table for you and some of your friends and try out this new treat. After all, you will find that most of them are limited one-off creations, and so there will be no time to hang around.
We bring you the smoothest and the creamiest concoction that can be made right in your kitchen. No fancy ingredients, but all the rich and creamy flavours. And the best part is that you can make each one of them without an ice cream maker. Phew!

1. Concord Grape Sorbet with Rosemary and Black Pepper

Rosemary, both herbal and floral, elevates the flavour of the Concord grape, while black pepper adds spiciness.

Ingredients

1/2 pounds Concord grapes, stems removed
1/2 cup honey
2 large sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

2. Boozy Piña Colada Ice Cream

Store-bought coconut ice cream gets a sunny, boozy kick from a pineapple and rum swirl in this easy ice cream inspired by our favourite beach-side cocktail.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/4 cup light rum
2 pints coconut-flavoured (not non-dairy) ice cream
Maraschino cherries (for serving; optional)
A 9x5" loaf pan

3. Vegan Banana Ice cream

Watching frozen bananas blend into ice cream seems like magic — no sugar  or dairy required. For extra flavour, stir in (cooled) toasted chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chunks for a easy spin on chunky monkey ice cream.

Ingredients

4 large ripe banana or frozen banana

4. Salted Caramel Ice Cream
This is one of the richest, saltiest, most delicious ice creams you'll ever have — and it only requires a few ingredients.

Ingredients

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
1 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split open, seeds scraped out

5. Peanut Butter, Banana, and Jelly Ice Cream

Bananas and peanut butter blending into ice cream seems like magic; pull out this trick at your next dinner party. Adding grape jelly makes it irresistible to kids and adults.

Ingredients

6 large very ripe bananas
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup grape jelly

Mouth watering much? Why to wait to go out in the scorching heat when you can make some amazingly healthy flavoursome ice creams at home? 

DCPCR helpline for child rights receives good response from citizens

 

Since the launch of all day functional helpline number three months back, the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has received nearly 4,500 complaints. Out of these, 2,200 were SOS complaints. As per the DCPCR, 85 per cent of the SOS complaints were responded within 24 hours.

The helpline number is 9311551393. On the helpline number, the citizens can register their grievance, share information or seek any information pertaining to rights of children.

According to the officials, the SOS complaints consisted of children/families who were in urgent need for essential supplies such as ration, medical emergencies, cases of abandoned children, covid testing related requirements etc.

A designated team immediately responded to the SOS complaints. They made sure that the complaints are resolved within 24 hours. As per the DCPCR, 85 per cent of the SOS complaints were resolved with 24 hours whereas the other 15 per cent were resolved within 72 hours.

Anurag Kundu, Chairperson, DCPCR said that overall in the last three months, the DCPCR Helpline has enabled the Commission to reach out to more and more children and their families and made the Commission more accessible and brought it closer to the children and their families.

As per the information, the Commission was able to trace more than 2,029 children who have either lost one or both parents due to Covid. Of these, 67 children are those who have lost both their parents whereas 651 children have lost their mother due to Covid and 1,311 have lost their father due to Covid.

The Commission has shared the details of the children with the Department of Women & Child Development for necessary action. They have also ensured the enrolling of the eligible beneficiary in the scheme notified by the Delhi government for children who have lost their parents due to Covid.

Kundu further said, “The launch of helpline is just a humble beginning. It has a long way to go to establish itself as a useful and reliable medium. The current trend of complaints shows that DCPCR has become accessible to ordinary citizens and commands their confidence.”

'Discrimination is everywhere but if you have a strong will no one can beat you'

CitySpidey had a live session with a 28-year-old trans model and social activist, Sandy Sair, who broke social barriers and came out openly as a trans woman. Hear her story on our Instagram page.

Talking about her struggles, Sandy said, “There is no smooth road or good path, everyone has ups and downs in their life. Many times I faced discrimination but it didn’t stop me. Since my childhood, I was feminine and girly. My father used to buy toys for me like robots or cricket kits. He even admitted me to a football academy but I didn't go because I used to play with my friends, who were girls.”

“When I was young, my family knew that I had feminine nature and after my 12th standard, my parents understood everything but they ignored me because they were more serious about my studies. After completing my graduation, they accepted me and supported me,” she added.

Sandy was born and brought up in Khongjom Bazar, Thoubal, Manipur. She has a double graduation degree. Sandy worked with Arbin Tonjam, Suraj Waheng, and Seema, these are famous designers who got selected in Eclectic Northeast Magazine.

When CitySpidey asked a question related to her school life, she said, “I was good in academics and participated in many co-curricular activities as well. That’s why nobody had a problem with me. I was very lucky to always have a good surrounding.”

On being asked why she wanted to become a model, she said, “Since my childhood, I wanted to do work for my community and I believe that any famous personality or a trans model could help the  LGBTQIA+ community for choosing a good path.” Later, she added that she likes to do shopping, dancing, and hanging out with friends.

While sharing the challenging moment of her life, she shared, “In 2017, I went to my parents' house where I had an argument and tried to convince them, what I wanted to be. They understand me but they never accepted me before.” She added that her parents are worried about how she will survive but later she got a good job in Delhi.

One of our viewers asked a question about the her difficulties in getting job, Sandy replied, “Not only transgender face discrimination, it will happen either for a male or a female. There are many people in your surrounding, who taunted you or done bitching in your absence but it doesn’t matter to your core. You have to be clear with your goals or what you wanted to be.”

Our other viewer asked a question, how does the fashion industry treat people from the pride community, she replied, “Discrimination is everywhere but everything depends on your personality, if you have a strong and fearful personality then no one can beat you.”

Fruit-infused water recipes to keep yourself hydrated

Was it two or three or even four litres that you've been aspiring to drink every day? Well, if keeping up with your daily water intake is a struggle for whatever reason, especially if you find it to be a boring or monotonous act, don't fret.

Infusing a few fruits, veggies and herbs can make your water sweet, spicy or just the way you prefer it to taste. The best part is that simple modifications can make your water intensely flavourful and  nutrient dense.

Is Infused Water Healthy?

In short, fruit-infused water is absolutely nutritional for you. In addition to adding more water to your diet, you’ll also be getting some of the vitamin content and antioxidants from the fruits you’re  using. Basically, we’re making your own “vitamin water,” but without the processed ingredients or high price tag. Here are several reasons why drinking water is so important:

Water helps with weight loss – if you feel hungry, it might actually be your body trying to get water – so drink some water and your hunger might go away!

Drinking water increases your metabolism which helps you burn fat.
Water provides extra energy for your muscles, and helps prevent muscle cramps and strains.
Water improves your judgement and thinking.
Water prevents headaches and minimizes illnesses.
Water improves your mood.
Water makes your skin look great.
And, everyone’s favourite, water keeps your bowel movements nice and regular.

Here are five simple water recipe hacks (some people even call it detox water) that will have you coming back for more:

1. Cucumber and mint water

Adding a combination of cucumber and mint not only adds a refreshing flavour to your water, it also increases the potency of vitamin B, potassium and magnesium in the body.

Add a thinly sliced cucumber, 8-10 fresh mint leaves to approximately two litres of filtered water. Stir gently and store it in the refrigerator for at least four hours overnight.

2. Strawberry, lemon and mint water

This is a refreshing drink that also works as an effective metabolism booster. The strawberry, mint and lemon enhances the potency of vitamin C in your drink and ramps up your metabolism, increasing your weight loss potential.

Add 1 cup of fresh strawberries, 2 limes (sliced or halved), 6 fresh mint leaves to 2 litres of water and let it marinate for 10-15 minutes before consuming.

3. Lemon lime mint water

A classic recipe, this is a basic but a must have if you're looking to add a refreshing zing to your water. Sure it doesn't taste like the sugary lemonade you get from the store, but it's got its own flavour too and is way better for your health.

Add 2 lemons, 1 lime, 6 to 8 mint leaves, 1 cup honey to 2 litres of water and refrigerate before consuming.

4. Mojito water

If you love ending your day with glass of alcohol opt for mojito water instead. Mint and lime along with a tad of sugar makes for an energising beverage that will leave you wanting more without feeling hangover.

Add a few slices of lime in a small pitcher, along with some mint leaves. Add water and ice to the pitcher and you're good to go.

5. Apple cinnamon water

This is match made in heaven when it comes to pleasing your taste buds. Apart from the standalone overwhelming beneficial properties of apples and cinnamon, it makes for an ideal meal for better digestion. It also makes for a great drink before and after a workout.

Combine sliced apple, 2-3 cinnamon stick and some pears or plums (for additional flavour to a pitcher) before adding ice water. Keep refrigerated to keep it refreshing.

I encourage you to find what works best for you. Let me know in the  comments any fruit-infused flavours you love that I didn’t mention and feel free to add any tips for how to drink more water that have worked for you!

Concretisation around trees needs to be sorted in Dwarka

The trees are getting damaged due to concretisation around its root in Dwarka. The issue was again raised after an incident which happened in Sector 6, where a tree fell due to concretisation. But within days, the issue was tackled where the tree was set upright with one JCB and two cranes.

Later, the residents raised their voices against more such trees in Dwarka that will get destroyed or will fall if concrete tiles are not removed immediately. For this, an online petition was moved by Dwarka residents which have been signed by 2,500 people till now, CitySpidey has been continuously writing about this matter.

Anil Kumar Parashar, Joint Secretary of Dwarka Forum and Head of Mission Clean and Green Dwarka said, “A couple of weeks back, the online petition regarding concrete trees was sent to the Chief Minister of Delhi and other authorities. The matter was forwarded to Environment Minister Gopal Rai. He informed that it was forwarded to the concerned officer. However, no further action was taken. The report is yet to be received.”

A similar incident was reported to CitySpidey on June 12, by Padma Jamwal, a resident of Shree Balaji Apartments in Sector 6. Two trees fell in front of PNB and HDFC banks due to concretisation around them. “We wrote about this issue on June 12 but sadly the situation remains the same,” said Padma.

She continued, “There was no progress, the trees are still in the same situation. But the trees are still alive and I am happy about it.”

Later, Padma informed Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist. Bhavreen further made some complaints to the concerned authority. When CitySpidey spoke to Bhavreen, she said, “I will speak to them again and also visit the place.”

The trees are still lying on the ground for the past 18 days but they are still alive.