Thursday, October 4, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
I am a SHOPAHOLIC........and proud to be one!!
For a shopaholic like me, today was a swinging-winging trip straight to heaven!! Stacks of gorgeous clothes (some of which, actually FIT!!)……oh-so-pretty shoes……perky little clutches and tons of other yummy knick-knacks!!......TRUE BLISS!!
Retail Therapy is a good thing (maybe a tad shallow, but what the heck!). It sure beats all those new-fangled “feel-good” techniques that seem to be raising their oily heads at ever corner.
Moreover I manage to squeeze in a bit of character study on these trips. (I like to think of it as grist to the writer’s mill!!!) If you ever desire a study in human behaviour……visit your nearest mall. You’ll find an entire palette of characters squeezed together under one roof. From the good, bad to the downright ugly…..emotions are in full Technicolor display!!
The ones that you would probably find everywhere and remain stuck in my head are:
1) The soul-deadened husband/ boyfriend who walks along with a glazed expression as his better-half flits eagerly from one rack to another. Like a pack-mule, he lugs along the ever increasing load of shopping-bags, rarely contributing to her excited chatter.
2) The over-large aunties with gigantic bosoms, providing fashion-advice to their wanna-shine ”babees” as the latter slinkers along on vertigo-inducing heels. Their main aim is to terrorize the timid salesgirls and generally ensure that they receive maximum exposure.
3) The usual motley crew of college kids…..who believe that the world is one big extended canteen and yammer away non-stop as they diss each other’s appalling fashion sense.
4) The super-sexy, stylish divas……who walk like they own the world and assume that all salesmen have been put on earth for the sole and dubious honour of fulfilling their every whim and fancy!!
5) The poor harried mom…..who has finally…..FINALLY got a chance to venture out into the land of the living. She does a stupendous job of turning a deaf ear and blind eye to her hyperactive toddler who’s bawling his eyes out and generally creating a nuisance of himself.
There are many more…including seemingly normal and boring shoppers, such as yours truly! But I’ll go down that road some other time.
For me shopping is a wonderful way of improving your poor disposition….and if you actually fit into a size smaller than usual!!! (could anything taste sweeter???)
Retail Therapy is a good thing (maybe a tad shallow, but what the heck!). It sure beats all those new-fangled “feel-good” techniques that seem to be raising their oily heads at ever corner.
Moreover I manage to squeeze in a bit of character study on these trips. (I like to think of it as grist to the writer’s mill!!!) If you ever desire a study in human behaviour……visit your nearest mall. You’ll find an entire palette of characters squeezed together under one roof. From the good, bad to the downright ugly…..emotions are in full Technicolor display!!
The ones that you would probably find everywhere and remain stuck in my head are:
1) The soul-deadened husband/ boyfriend who walks along with a glazed expression as his better-half flits eagerly from one rack to another. Like a pack-mule, he lugs along the ever increasing load of shopping-bags, rarely contributing to her excited chatter.
2) The over-large aunties with gigantic bosoms, providing fashion-advice to their wanna-shine ”babees” as the latter slinkers along on vertigo-inducing heels. Their main aim is to terrorize the timid salesgirls and generally ensure that they receive maximum exposure.
3) The usual motley crew of college kids…..who believe that the world is one big extended canteen and yammer away non-stop as they diss each other’s appalling fashion sense.
4) The super-sexy, stylish divas……who walk like they own the world and assume that all salesmen have been put on earth for the sole and dubious honour of fulfilling their every whim and fancy!!
5) The poor harried mom…..who has finally…..FINALLY got a chance to venture out into the land of the living. She does a stupendous job of turning a deaf ear and blind eye to her hyperactive toddler who’s bawling his eyes out and generally creating a nuisance of himself.
There are many more…including seemingly normal and boring shoppers, such as yours truly! But I’ll go down that road some other time.
For me shopping is a wonderful way of improving your poor disposition….and if you actually fit into a size smaller than usual!!! (could anything taste sweeter???)
Monday, October 1, 2007
"HEALTHY DESSERT" .......one of the most depressing oxymorons!!
I belong to the ol'school of thought whose strong belief is that a dessert should be rich, scrumptious, decadent, oozing with creamy goodness and loaded with calories. The concept of a healthy dessert is alien to me….shocking almost!
But going against the grain and not to mention, being bamboozled by my health-conscious dad……I decided to forego my staunch principles(!?!?!) and attempt a healthy “Banana Bread Pudding”. Swiped from an old edition of Femina…here’s the recipe:
BANANA BREAD PUDDING
Serves: Four
Time Required: 30 minutes
Ingrediants:
~2 ripe bananas
~300 ml skimmed milk
~4 slices whole wheat bread
~2 tbsp honey (or to taste)
~a few drops vanilla essence
~2 egg whites
~a few nuts and raisins
Procedure:
1. Blend or mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. Set aside.
2. Cut the bread slices into small pieces and then add the milk to them.
Cook on low heat till thick.
3.Add the honey and vanilla essence to the banana puree and mix well.
4.Beat egg whites and fold it into the banana mixture.
5.Add the bread-milk mix to the above and mix well.
6.Apply a little butter to a flat cake tin or a pie dish. (I went a bit further and used Amul Lite!!)
Pour the entire mixture into the dish.
7.Bake for a few minutes till the crust is slightly crisp.
8.Sprinkle a few nuts and raisins on top of the dish as an option.
9.Serve warm.
VERDICT: Warm and pleasant…..went down well with the health-nuts. Personally, I prefer the good ol’creamy version of Bread Pudding. I got a lo-oong lecture on the merits of healthy eating and how I don’t need every dessert to be an artery-clogging mass of cream, butter and white flour!! I nodded obediently. You could practically see my halo gleaming in the late-afternoon sun.
P.S. Did I mention that I add four heaped tablespoons of castor sugar to get just the right hint of sweeteness????
But going against the grain and not to mention, being bamboozled by my health-conscious dad……I decided to forego my staunch principles(!?!?!) and attempt a healthy “Banana Bread Pudding”. Swiped from an old edition of Femina…here’s the recipe:
BANANA BREAD PUDDING
Serves: Four
Time Required: 30 minutes
Ingrediants:
~2 ripe bananas
~300 ml skimmed milk
~4 slices whole wheat bread
~2 tbsp honey (or to taste)
~a few drops vanilla essence
~2 egg whites
~a few nuts and raisins
Procedure:
1. Blend or mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. Set aside.
2. Cut the bread slices into small pieces and then add the milk to them.
Cook on low heat till thick.
3.Add the honey and vanilla essence to the banana puree and mix well.
4.Beat egg whites and fold it into the banana mixture.
5.Add the bread-milk mix to the above and mix well.
6.Apply a little butter to a flat cake tin or a pie dish. (I went a bit further and used Amul Lite!!)
Pour the entire mixture into the dish.
7.Bake for a few minutes till the crust is slightly crisp.
8.Sprinkle a few nuts and raisins on top of the dish as an option.
9.Serve warm.
VERDICT: Warm and pleasant…..went down well with the health-nuts. Personally, I prefer the good ol’creamy version of Bread Pudding. I got a lo-oong lecture on the merits of healthy eating and how I don’t need every dessert to be an artery-clogging mass of cream, butter and white flour!! I nodded obediently. You could practically see my halo gleaming in the late-afternoon sun.
P.S. Did I mention that I add four heaped tablespoons of castor sugar to get just the right hint of sweeteness????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)