The potter and the teacup

The potter and teacup


There was a couple who took a trip to England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. While there, they shopped in a beautiful antique store; they both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups.
Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, 'May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful.'As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, 'You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My Master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Don't do that.' 'I don't
like it! Let me alone.' But He only smiled, and gently said, 'Not yet!'
'Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!' I screamed. But the Master only nodded and said, quietly,
'Not yet.' 
He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit Himself and then He put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. 'Help! Get me out of here!'


I could see Him through the opening and I could read His lips as he shook His head from side to side, saying, 'Not yet.'
'When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh,that felt so good! 'Ah, this is much better,' I thought. But, after I cooled, He picked me up and brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please, Stop it, Stop, I cried.' He only shook his head and said, 'Not yet!'


Then suddenly He put me back into the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew that I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced Iwould never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and He took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering 'What's He going to do to me next?'
'An hour later He handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!'


Quietly He spoke: 'I want you to remember,' He said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel,
but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there,you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and
painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'


Had the piece of clay known it's fate, would it have suffered less through the making? Would the image of the beautiful cup helped it go through the process with a much better attitude? It is the uncertainty in life that makes one anxious and nervous and cry out in pain. But, with a little glimpse of the outcome, the light at the end of the tunnel, the painful suffering will only make one more enduring and strong.


Why did the potter not tell the piece of clay about the end result,so that the tea cup could have rather enjoyed it's making than suffer through it? The potter expects some amount of trust from the piece of clay, once it is in his hands. This piece might have been lying there for some time but once it got into the hands of the potter, there is nothing more to worry about. No matter how much it hurts when he pulls in all directions and how much painful the process is, the Potter knows what he is doing, so a little amount of trust, trust which had come without even seeing the beautiful end product, blind trust which had come just by being in the hands of the potter, would have made it enjoy it's transformation.


Why does the Potter make the piece of clay go through in numerous sufferings while there are still others who have become beautiful tea cups without going through any of these? No cup is made without going through the entire process, it is simply not possible. But, how different pieces react to the same conditions/tests such as heat or fumes, differs from clay to clay.


There is one set of clay which thinks that the Potter is out there to torture and destroy them and go through the entire process screaming all the way only to stop until they see their beautiful reflection on the mirror. They are pretty exhausted by the time they become the cup and have very less energy to appreciate their beauty.


The other set of clay are confused and come into the hands of the potter with a little trust but lot of apprehension and scream now and then during the process, but endure it a little bit as well. When they
see the beautiful reflection on the mirror, they are taken by surprise and their trust in the potter increases hundred fold.


The last set of clay are the so called 'trusters', those with unflinching trust and confidence on the potter. They are anxious, tense, confused when they are waiting, but the moment they get into the potter's hands, rest at ease and let the potter take control. They totally surrender to the Potter's will and let him twist and tweak as
he pleases. They go through all the painful process, only with the endurance and faith. It is these pieces of clay that come out of the potter's hands as the 'most beautiful' cups ever made, due to their unfailing trust and cooperation with the Potter in spite of the terrible pain.


Wont it be splendid if all of us became 'the beautiful cup' at the end of it, right now, right this minute, ending the so long wait? But, isn't there just one potter out there busy molding one piece of clay at a time amongst the million others still in the line? The potter always has his eyes on all the million pieces of clay and yet one has to wait to get into his hands for the special molding. So, let's wait our turn and some day, this amazing potter, the Great God, will pick us up and make us one of the most beautiful cups there ever is and all he needs is a little bit of trust and cooperation from us.


Moral of the story:

We are all pieces of clay in the hands of the divine potter. We need to trust that all the agonies we are put through will make us stronger, better,wiser and tougher people and also making us more sensitive to other people's problems.


So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials;  try this…. – Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest teacup, sit down and think on this story !

What are you? A Carrot, An Egg or a Cup of Coffee

 A Carrot, An Egg and a Cup of Coffee

A girl went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.  Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to boil.   In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.  In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.   Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what you see?"   "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.  Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.  The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.  Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"  Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ...  boiling water.  Each reacted differently.   The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.   The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.  "Which are you?" she asked her daughter.  "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"  Think of this: Which am I?  Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?  Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I tough with a stiff spirit ?  Or am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?  How do you handle adversity?  Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean!

Quotes

I have health. I have a wonderful support system. I have the admiration
of millions of strangers, which I do not underestimate.
-Kathleen Turner

We drink one another's health and spoil our own.
-Jerome K. Jerome

"Health is not valued till sickness comes."
- Dr. Thomas Fuller .

Muscles come and go; flab lasts.
- Bill Vaughan

So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to
spend their wealth to regain their health.

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink
what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.
-Mark Twain

The first wealth is health.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.
-Albert Schweitzer

Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental
health, because if we're scurrying to and from appointments and
errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need
to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list.
-Michelle Obama

Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and
appreciate until they have been depleted.
-Denis Waitley

Effective health care depends on self-care; this fact is currently
heralded as if it were a discovery.
-Ivan Illich

Kokum

Kokum

I first tried kokum sherbet when I visited Goa. They sell kokum cordial (kokum syrups) in bottles. All you need to do is take some syrup, add water and enjoy the red sherbet. It indeed was such a tasty drink that I wanted to know more about it. Found ou the following:

Kokum is a fruit of the Mangosteen family which has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. It is widely available in the kokan regions. Its fresh fruit is eaten as it is during the season and the dried fruit is used for cooking. It is used in place of tamarind to give a sour tang to curries. Kokum cordial/syrup/juice/sherbet is available all year around.
Kokum is a refreshing and cooling drink for summers. Its medicinal value includes-

-has rich amounts of anti-oxidants
-has a cooling effect on the body and shields the body against dehydration and sunstroke.
-used to relieve acidity and indigestion.
-Ayurvedic medicine also uses Kokum infusions to treat piles, dysentery and infections.
-strengthen the cardio-vascular system
-stabilize liver function
-appetite stimulant
-helps in suppressing the skin related ailments
-brings down the fever
-reduces burning sensation

If you want to know more about kokum and see the pictures have a look at:
http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2008/04/27/kokum/

Here Shilpa has explained about the kokum fruit very nicely with many beautiful pictures. Really lovely...

Curd/Yogurt

Yogurt/Curd

Yogurt, also known as curd or dahi is a custardlike food with a tart flavor, prepared from milk curdled by bacteria, especially Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. It is the part of milk that coagulates when the milk sours or is treated with enzymes.

Our grandmothers always encouraged us to eat curd regularly.
Curd can benefit our health in a variety of ways.


Calcium
Since curd is a dairy product, it is very high in calcium which is beneficial for teeth and bone health. It reduces the risk of osteroporosis which affects women .People with a risk of osteoporosis should eat at least one serving of yogurt per day.

Strenghtens immune system
It has also been shown that the bacteria found in curd can strengthen the immune system. Daily intake of curd helps the white blood cells fight off disease.It defenses the body has against viruses. Studies have also shown that yogurt can help fight against bacterial infections as well, namely slamonella or food poisoning. It has also been claimed that yogurt may protect against some types of cancer but more investigations are needed.

Aids digestion
Some people have trouble digesting lactose, a carbohydrate in milk and milk products, because of the deficiency of enzyme lactase in the body. Live yogurt cultures produce lactase and break down the lactose. Yogurt is a healthy way to get the nutrient the body needs, for the people who can not tolerate milk products.
They encourage the right kind of bacteria to multiply in the gut. These bacteria help to digest food and prevent stomach infections.

Fights yeast infection
Yeast infections can also be helped by the bacteria in yogurt. Yeast infections are caused by a fungus that lives in the vagina suddenly multiplying, causing itching, burning, and other uncomfortable conditions. Consuming yogurt seems to keep the healthy balance of natural bacteria found in the vagina, not allowing the fungus to thrive. A study conducted at Jewish Medical Center backs these recommendations, showing that women who frequently had yeast infections dropped their rate of infection significantly by adding a cup of yogurt each day.

Anti-diarrhoeal food
It is the safest food to prevent and treat diarrhoea. Eating curd may also help recover faster from diarrhoeal infections. The bacterial cultures in curd inhibit the ability of infectious bacteria to survive and thrive.

Anti-ulcer
Yogurt maybe helpful in the battle against ulcers. Ulcers are now known to be caused by bacteria living in the stomach, which is usually treated with large doses of antibiotics. However, some evidence shows that eating lots of live active culture yogurt keeps ulcer-causing bacteria under control. When yogurt is consumed, the beneficial bacteria take up residence in the digestive tract and begin to compete with the harmful ulcer causing bacteria.

Other gastrointestinal conditions
Yogurt with active cultures may help a wide variety of gastrointestinal conditions, including lactose intolerance,constipation ,diarrhea, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, H. pylori infection etc.


Eating Curd/Yogurt

Yogurt is quite popular and ingested in nearly all areas of the world. People in several regions utilize lots of yogurt in their food.

In India,various regions make use of curd in some form or other and make a tasty dish. For example-

Shrikhand in maharashtra
Lassi in punjab
Kadhi in gujrat,punjab,rajasthan
Curd rice in south india
Mishti doi in bengal

Many people in India end up their meal with some curd or buttermilk. It balances out all the spices and creates a cooiling effect in the stomach.


How to make curd at home

11 Healthy Ways to De-Stress With Food | Healthy Habits | Reader's Digest

Very interesting article on destressing foods- comfort foods.

11 Healthy Ways to De-Stress With Food | Healthy Habits | Reader's Digest

Almonds

Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts.
Almonds has vitamin E and it is a very important antioxidant.
Almonds forms a vital part of many tonic preparation in Ayurveda and unani medicines.

Here are the advantages of eating almonds:

Loose weight - Almonds can also help you lose weight. Because they contain fiber, protein and the good type of fat, they help keep you full, making them an ideal healthy snack.  It has even been noticed that almonds reduce the risk of weight gain, if taken twice a week.

Good for heart - Almonds are very beneficial for heart health. It reduces the risk of heart attack. You may decrease your risk by as much as 50 percent just by eating almonds five times a week!


Blood sugar- Almonds assist in controlling diabetes, by lowering blood sugar after meals.This offers protection from diabetes. Almonds also helps hypoglycemic people.

 Anti-oxidant- Almonds provide essential anti-oxidants and help in the clean up of the free-radicals in the body. They also contain lots of fiber, which is good for the system.

Good for brain-  Almond is a source of many nutrients which help in development of the brain. Almond induces high intellectual level and has been considered as an essential food item for growing children. In India, many mothers give almonds soaked in water to their children daily in the morning (2-3 pieces of soaked almonds are good enough ). It is highly beneficial in preserving the vitality of the brain.

Regulates blood pressure- Potassium present in almond helps to regulates blood pressure.

Good in pregnancy- Almond contains folic acid. Folic acid helps to reduce the incidence of birth defects in newborn babies.

Boosts energy- The presence of manganese, copper and riboflavin helps in energy production.

Prolong life- Almonds helps physical and mental health and prolong life. It helps in the formation of new blood cells and hemoglobin. It also helps in maintaining smooth physiological functions of brain, nerves, bones, heart and liver.

Loss of memory- Almond is valuable food for increasing memory, strengthening the brain and curing disorders of the nervous system.

Beauty aid-  Almonds are good for hair and skin health.
     Skin:  Face pack made from almond paste mixed with milk cream and rose bud paste is an effective beauty aid. It softens and bleaches the skin and nourishes it.
     Soak almonds overnight and then boil and blend them with whipped cream. This acts as a natural moisturizer and gives soft and supple skin.
     Hair: One type of food that can fight against hair loss is almonds. They are a good source of protein, and contain abundant amounts of iron and vitamin E. A teaspoon of almond oil mixed with a teaspoon of amla juice messaged over scalp is valuable remedy for hairfall, dandruff.

Actress karishma kapoor has been snacking on almonds since childhood. Maybe this is the secret of her ever glowing face!

Acidity and acid reflux - A few almonds chewed very well have been hailed as the new miracle treatment for acid reflux by some people. The oil in almonds helps neutralize the acidity in the stomach.

Teeth and bones-  The phosphorus in almonds helps build strong bones and teeth.



Disadvantage-
 But just like any other food, even almonds have their cons. They contain oxalates and excessive oxalates can cause crystallization. So people having kidney or gallbladder problems should avoid eating too much almonds.



How many almonds to eat:
The Almond Board of California  recommends eating 23 almonds a day for maximum health benefits.
According to Ayurveda about ten almonds a day is the general recommendation, but if you have a Kapha imbalance, then eat about five almonds per day.

How to eat almonds:
There are two ways of eating almonds. Either eat it as it is or soak in water, remove the outer skin and eat. Ayurveda recommends the latter.
According to Ayurveda, the skin of almond is hard to digest for some and to make it easy to digest we should remove the skin after soaking and eat. It is also said the almond skin can cause allergy for some so these people also benefit by eating with without skin. And I have found that a general belief in Ayurveda is soaking nuts makes it more nutritious and imparts a cooling tendency in the nut so they recommend pitta people to soak nuts and eat. But I am still somewhat skeptical about this! I have a pitta tendency too but never felt worse by eating almonds as it is. It is so tasty as it is:) why soaking and remembering to eat after few hours! Eat whenever you feel like. Moreover I think almond skin may also contain some nutrients and why leave that out! If anyone has any suggestions, recommendations or personal experiences regarding this please share. I would really like to hear from others.




Almond Halwa

Here's a very tasty recipe of badam halwa. The pictures look so yummy that you can't resist to try some. Its very tempting and why should you resist it when you now know that almonds are so good for you. This recipe is of Saffron from Saffron hut. Thank you Saffron!

http://saffronhut.blogspot.com/2006/10/good-nut-almondbadam-halva.html