Samosa Pie

It was my friend Mun's Annual Piefest. It's always in October, although my birthday would be perfect for Pies! Pies on pi day! I had to think of a pie to bring. I always like to make and bake my pie from scratch and try a new pie every time. Last year I took my delectable Beetroot Chocolate Cake Pie! Ok it's a cake but i called it a pie! This year I wanted to make an ethnic pie, its always a sweet European type pie or a baked dish or Chicken pot pie. Are there no pies in the Indian-Asian culture? What could be a pie? Naan pie? Samosa... Pie! Yes!

Ok so I googled and lo-behold there are a number of women who had addressed the "Samosa Pie" in the past. I mish-mashed recipes and I followed my inherent "Indian woman cooking instincts" and voila!

Samosa Pie:
What you will need:

• 3 -4 tbsp olive oil (healthier) or butter or ghee
• 1 onion, finely chopped (if you want, I leave it out cause Ryan doesn't do onions)
• 1 chili, finely chopped (if you like)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)/ roast chicken breast hand chopped and shredded / eliminate for veggie
• Approx 1 tbsp garam masala (or curry powder
• ½ tsp turmeric (Approx)
• salt, to your taste only
• 1½ lbs potato (about 2 medium russets), diced (instinct!)
• 1 - 2 cups water to boil the potatoes in
• 1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
• minced cilantro Approx 3-4 tablespoons (this little plant is so powerful mmm)
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (1/2 a 17-oz package) OR homemade single pie crust recipe (Pillsbury has pre-made baking crusts) 1 for top or 2 for base and then top. Will post the home made crust recipe in a different blog! :-P
• Tomatoes (drained of excess water).

What to do

Heat oil or butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, chillies, garlic, tomato (without the watery part) and sprinkle a bit of the other spices and cook until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Stir in ground chicken (if cooking chicken). If not then add garam masala, turmeric, little cumin, paprika, and salt (remember you will be adding salt to the potatoes as well, so split it a bit).

Boil the potatoes in water with little salt; stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain excess water. Add potatoes and peas into the chicken/ spice mixture. Wait 5 to ten minutes, check consistency. Taste, and adjust seasoning.

Place the dough as base if you wish. (the pie hold marvelously without the base too! (Just saying). Transfer filling part to a 8-9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle the cilantro on top before rolling out dough on the top. Cut a few steam vents.

Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Ryan loves it! For the future I've thought of layering it with cheddar cheese, to mix it up!

My silly Vine video on it here!

YUMM!!!!!

Breathe!

A Unique Leadership Workshop for Women

It was a long drive, through the countryside, and then a bit on the highway, back to the country side, to get to this place in the middle of nowhere Ohio for this workshop. It was a workshop for women called - Finding Your Voice; An equestrian assisted learning opportunity. This sounds interesting and unique, especially no previous horse or riding experience is necessary. I was excited about the horses, for I have a deep love for horses, but nervous because I knew no one there. Oh well, I will make new friends, am always good at these social things anyway.

I am the first one there, I left early cause I had no idea how long this would take. I was nervous, but met Carole, an amazingly friendly lady. She talked to me for a bit, until other ladies began showing up. I was so curious to find out more about these women, their energies intrigued me. A few in particular. The horses were gorgeous, 2 large horses, and 3 miniature horses. I was so excited, and had the urge to go get them saddled up to ride.

The program started after everyone got there. We were asked to write down our names, and two things we think we are very good at. I wrote down writing and hugs. After we went around in the circle, Carole, and Ginny (Ginny is the host and the equestrian expert in the program), asked us what we saw common in all of our skills. We pondered, and Carole pointed out that we had all listed soft skills, and men usually list hard skills, technical skills, aggressive skills. Wow! Eye opener 1.

The next exercise was to go meet and greet the horses, after a quick safety drill - horses by the side are safe, in front they can not see, and directly behind is danger zone etc. We split int two groups, and some of us went in to meet the bigger horses. Once in the fenced in field with them, the horses came up to us, curious. They were huge and intimidating. I had not been so close to a horse, since my riding accident in 2007. I had fallen off a Tennessee Walker, after the gelding I was riding got spooked by the Stallion which another rider brought out. Disaster, and dumb on the part of the other rider. Anyway I had to face my newly awakened fear - horses. Horses also my passion. So, I met Wager and Gia, they were lovely and friendly, and they could tell by my energy probably that I was shy.

The miniature horses were amazing, and friendly and much less intimidating, although am sure a kick from their hind legs could send a grown adult flying. The power of horses! We then began the first exercise. The small horses were brought in with us, and the task was we had a minute to discuss a strategy on how to make the 3 little horses Dolly, Caramel, and Cookie, get to the bottom right side of the field, without talking or touching!

The horses had no leads, or bridles on them, everything was meant to be body language, creative problem solving, understanding behavior, energy, and team work. This is more challenging than one can imagine. Until tried, one has no idea how helpless and frustrating it can be, just like your day to day job. Truly a challenging situation.

The group of nine or ten ladies, discussed and plotted, to bring the horses down. We discussed using the balls, however it struck me they are not dogs. Majority won though. I thought we could hold hands and barricade them. This idea was applied later, when they realized balls didn't help. The balls frightened them, and made them run. They were distracted by the grazing opportunity and there was nothing we could do to get their attention. We decided we would use logs to barricade them and drive them down to the corner, after we had negotiated with the teacher to 1- use our voice, and then  2- when that didn't work we used touch, which failed also.

When we were finally successful, we learned that 1- building relationships and trust at the work place is essential 2- speaking up 3- group / team work 4- making a compromise to get the task at hand done especially when impossible. Men usually compromise on tasks and bargain more with their bosses than women do. Men also apparently speak up more often and are heard more than women. Using brute force or fear tactics to move employees/ subordinates often just creates chaos.

The second exercise was to get Wager (the course's namesake) to walk around a circle and stay at each of the 9 cones in the circle for 5 counts/ seconds. This was challenging, and we learnt that 1- giving directions 2- in a clear way and direct way 3- guiding 4- positive reinforcement 5- relationship building are all very important in dealing with clients, coworkers and subordinates. It was truly amazing to see the shift in energy in the group when we realized what we were doing the first time round didn't work. The helplessness, the frustration. Then finally a few of us stepped up to the plate, and made a method work, the others followed suite, an helped as well. It was a very interesting study in management, psychology and sociology!

I would definitely go back, recommend, and incorporate this in future endeavors, businesses, and work. It was so enriching, fulfilling, and confirming in different ways. I have so much growing and learning to complete yet, and I have to really speak up, step up more often. Horses don't lie, and they certainly didn't lie to me.

The instructors, Ginny and Carole, expressed the way people interact with horses can tell so much about them in the first few minutes. As a former psychology student, that was fascinating. The therapeutic use of animals for cerebral palsy, down syndrome, heart disease reduction, stress reduction, etc.  is proven already. However using them to bring out better qualities in us, is something so new, raw, but also age old.

Horses know their riders, and riders need to master their horses. In the old ages, when horses and other animals, were the sole modes of transportation we needed to bring out qualities conducive to mastering animals, lest we be mastered by them. We had more interactions with animals then on a day to day basis, than we do now. So coming back to the earth and animals, we can learn much about ourselves, than getting lost in the clouds... electric or geographic. Clouds blur our visions of ourselves and give us a different version, which might not even be true. Through this small workshop we can see reality in all its glory and dust once again.

Gia, a lovely horse, at Wager's Way

Breathe

Being, Being Normal, Being a Woman

Lately, I've been wondering, what would have life been like if I was normal, health wise.
Would my life have been easier if I was a man?
What would life be like if I had NORMAL periods?
What would life be like without Migraines?

What would life be like if I was naturally skinny, and had a naturally high metabolism?
If I had an American name, like Sally, would I be more likely to be hired?
What would life be like without any allergies? No food allergies, pollen allergies or any other allergies?

I am on the search for a natural cure for my endometriosis, fibroids, and other issues. For now I stabilize it with modern medications. Migraines? Unfortunately I need to ride it out, since the medications upset my tummy, and cause ulcers. Not fun. Regarding allergies spring always sucks the life out of me, and I never experienced it till I came to Ohio. Lactose, caffeine, green pepper, pollen, are other allergies I face, which if i didn't have I could enjoy the glory of Starbucks and Keurig, I could eat Mexican and other cuisines without worrying about the ingredients! If I didn't have it in my genes to grow horizontally, then I would love to be a foodie. If I didn't have problems with me periods, then I would do so many things, travel without a care, wear white clothes especially pants, more often... my period holds me back a lot. If I were skinny/ slender / thin then I would buy these amazing dresses I see, and hopefully they would look great!

If I had a name like Sally, well it would be hard for me to be interesting than the majority unless I was a Caucasian/ Anglo-Saxon Sally visiting in India. Otherwise I would have to figure out ways to be interesting. If I was a man, heck I'd join the boys club, pick up random hot girls at bars, who, all look alike- skinny, long straight hair, make-up, high pitched giggle. I'd also go to the gym, and probably get  a lot of raises and work my way to the top, because I'd work hard, charm the ladies, play golf with the guys, and voila!

Is it in my mind? Or is it just that hard to find a job these days NO MATTER who you are, name, race, sex, religion, culture, education, experience? Do they just look at my resume and think- oh no she probably needs a visa... scrap it! Studies say they only look at your resume for 20 seconds or less, maybe I should change my resume and put my experience and education on top and my name at the bottom? I don't know, but I've had trouble in the past while applying to jobs out of 20 applications I'd get only 1-2 interviews max.

Forget the NSA, is it true that HR managers will facebook search you on all social media sites etc. Privacy? What privacy? It's a fact you can't privately live your life in a digital age! Partying? Online social activist? Gay? Forget the job, you're a risk. If you do get hired, there's the office politics, and if you're a woman you better watch out; I've noticed a shortage of woman mentors at places of work. Instead of helping you up, they push you down... Why!? Why do we do this to ourselves?

I think we need to change all this and soon. Yeah, chucking thoughts about my period, migraines etc. out the window... we need to help each other as sisters. Yes we, as the "fairer" sex, have this issue of insecurities, jealousies which drive us to this competitive and ridiculous behavior, but we are in fact feeding the stereotype that women are gossiping b@#$es for lack of better words.

Focusing on changing things in the work place, changing things in our wombs... let us focus on positivity, letting go of resentment, anger, jealousy, and say we can rise up despite all challenges that are placed before us.

I am a woman, a brown woman. I have a long and hard to pronounce name. I am intelligent, and accomplished.

I have painful, long lasting periods. I will do yoga. I will find natural doctors.

I have awful Migraines. I will meditate.

I have weight problems. I will exercise. I will eat healthy.

I will work harder and go above and beyond for that raise.

I will be persistent in pursing my dreams, career, and goal.


I will work harder than the norm.




Breathe

Period

This is a topic which everyone seems uncomfortable talking about, even with our OBGYNs. All women experience it however. I'm glad I can talk to my closest female friends about this stuff. So I am just gonna write my heart out about it, for all those women who don't have someone to talk about it with, or think they are the only ones with awfully painful and icky periods!

Once a month, actually it used to be twice a month, I would feel the pain of being a woman. The cramps, migraine, back pains, bloating, irritation and lack of rationality, mood swings, comfort food binges, nausea, vomiting, depression, zits (pimples), crankiness, increased whining, feeling like your head's in a cloud... These are general period symptoms, and PMS symptoms. Not all women experience this, but many do. Many women have other complications... like endometriosis etc. Everyone knows there's all sorts of women out there, with different body types and shades, colors, features, personalities... we also have different periods!

Some women have a short period, no pain, they barely know it happens. Some women experience ghastly periods,  long painful, heavy. Others have medium periods. There are also all sorts of pads, tampons, and eco-friendly feminine hygiene products to use. Some women just use a thin, tiny panty liner, others use a tampon, other use a thick pad, some women have to use a combination due to super heavy flow.

As lovely as we are as women, beautiful, elegant, we can turn into that loud mouthed, outrageous, obnoxious, rotund auntie every now and then... then again some of us don't. Some women have their period like it's any other day. I envy those women, however at the same time, the pain and bleeding I go through reminds me of how difficult it is being a woman. Yeah it's difficult for me, the pain is crippling, my emotions a mess, and all the PMS symptoms and then some. It's just my body is different and I have to come to terms with it. My hormones levels, uterus shape, etc. are different from other women. No to uterus/ hormone levels are same, and none are perfect! On my period days, it's hard to go to work, hard to even walk sometimes!

The period is a beautiful thing cause it reminds us about the miracle of birth, and the joys of giving birth...or not! Yeah if the period is this bad, how much better can the birthing be? People say the baby is so worth it, I'm not convinced yet. I'm sure my time of "realization" will come, don't push it on me! It's just not now, not today. Yeah the miracle of the human body is what comes to mind, though: how the body knows when to shed the lining, to release the egg because it hasn't been fertilized, let it go... let it flow... breathe!


Women who have problems with their periods, endometriosis, fibroids, PMS, etc. means definitely something is whacky with the hormones. Which means the doc puts you on "the pill". which regulates periods through hormones, and helps out with other complications. Which basically means difficulties in weight loss and other complications are in the books for you by the age of 30. Did you know some women take oral contraceptives, the pill or birth control, just so that they can alleviate period symptoms due to under lying health problems, which are untreatable other than surgery, or so my OB/GYN tells me. Which isn't helpful cause then you are on pills till you want to pop out babies, and then - hysterectomy! So when people are up in arms about paying for birth control, due to religious or health insurance purposes, they need to experience MY PERIOD. Then they will shut up. Forget rape, periods are bad enough!

My Period: it's painful, makes me crumple up in a ball and cry; makes me crave comfort foods, and depression just a few of the things I experience. My period makes me get angry at the ones I love at the drop of a hat; I can from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde, sweet elven princess to an Orc, I am not kidding. Other than that I loose huge amounts of blood, and have been anemic on account of this. Not to forget that sometimes there are clots, and sometimes messes occur if I don't keep an eye on the clock. Oh how many clothes, and bedsheets I've had to wash/ or ruined. Drinking makes the flow heavier and the mess happens sooner, however the pain becomes easier to ignore. My period has humiliated so many times due to red patches on my white pants, when it sneaks up unexpectedly- breakthrough bleeding! Why does that happen? Apparently due to stress, life, and the body just felt like period-ing. High blood pressure sometimes can be a side effects of periods, which doesn't make sense because you are losing blood. Bloating up and feeling like Jabba the Hutt for 3 days. It's nice cause after that you feel super skinny, plus apparently during menstruation you burn more calories. Nausea and vomiting at the slightest smells, and the olfactory glands change or something... it's like pregnancy almost. Migraines, oh yes with Aura too please! A headache like no other, vision affected, skin sensitive to touch, sensitivity to light... all while your lower tummy area is bloated and aching very much. The last few days its like a crunching, crumpling pain, like its squeezing the remaining stuff out. The first days its a scrapping pain, and the lower back hurts a lot. Throw in a fibroid, endometriosis, and a retroverted and retroflexed uterus: this makes it a little more painful. The shape and positioning of the uterus is hereditary, from birth and it's just the way the body is. I'm glad I can take a medication that makes this a once in three months only thing. It sucks to go through it 12 times. At one point my body was like "oh once in two weeks seems like a good schedule to have a period." I pleaded, "please that's not fair, my other friend has her period lightly once in 5 weeks, why can't we be like her?" My body told me "we're just different, deal with it." I couldn't deal with it for a long time, besides wanting to have a different shaped body! My period has always controlled what I do, wear, my emotions at times even, and my life! So birth control, or "period control" pills were such a dream come true, especially since they will not perform a hysterectomy on a 28 year old, and not even on a 30 year old who hasn't had kids yet.


My dad always said "Women go to work, and they deal with it. You never see a woman taking a day off for her period do you?" When I skipped a class or stayed home from work due to tectonic movements in my uterus- Cramps! I always wanted to reply"you don't know that." or "maybe those women don't have my type of period", but after a few times of trying, I realized he wouldn't understand. Most men won't understand. A man has no place in making those calls whether it is contraception, rape or abortion. You don't have a vagina, or uterus... don't say anything!

I wonder though how many women would take a day off for the first or second day of her period (especially when Motrin helps sometimes, and mostly for a few hours. Also recent studies have shown prolonged use of motrin can cause deafness)? How many women go through such an obtrusive period that they can't do stuff they love? As a kid I remember girls wouldn't want to play sports cause they didn't like it and would use period as their excuse. I love sports, I love climbing, yoga, going to the gym, and my period really gets in the way of me living my life the way I wan to live it. Now a days I know a lot of active girls, how does there periods affect their lives?

Some people tell me, "have kids, get it over with", others would say "do what you have to"... but in the end it comes down to us women and our bodies. I don't think I need to pop out babies so I can get on with it. I will try the solutions available first. I'm super happy that I am in charge of my body, and I am even more in control of it now that I do yoga (I do not recommend yoga on the first three days of the period however). There have been times I have been off the pill, and have controlled the menstruation and flow through eating healthy (no alcohol, caffeine, sugars etc.) and exercise, but it is difficult... it's a whole system, just like losing weight. In fact the endocrine system has everything to do with weight loss- thyroid, ovaries, adrenal glands etc.! Sigh! So lets meditate and breathe into those organs that are out of balance or feeling ill. Perhaps through meditation and yoga I can get my period to manifest less "in my face" type and more subtle like - panty liner only (heavy and obnoxious flow versus, a light and less debilitating flow)! Then again this is what truly makes us the stronger sex putting up with so much!

I have a better picture of this... in fact in Donna Farhi's book there's a much better explanation.

Vagina Dialogues

It's election day, and as I see it the outrageous archaic views of women in USA and the world is one the the main issues in my eye. The economy, everyone is worried about the economy... China! India! The economy! The world will all settle down... there's a huge shift going on in USA, from manufacturing jobs to more specialized jobs, as more people are educated. It will be so hard to bring manufacturing jobs back here, especially since the top 1% rather hold on to their profits than pay people full time with benefits, give women equal pay, when they can cut costs by manufacturing so cheap in China (this is a different discussion altogether). The economy will eventually settle down, in fact that last few months have shown an improvement in unemployment, but what we can't let happen is go take a step back in our ideas regarding women.

The outrageous and often time laughable comments, so called "facts", ideologies and policies the republican party/ conservatives support, talk about and wish to see passed some day are really backward for the "greatest" nation in the planet. Comments on rape, contraception, woman's rights vs. the rights of an egg! I honestly felt like I i had gone back in time pre-women's rights movement, or a different country, or that I was taking crazy pills.

I do understand all of these views come from religious standpoint and what religion interpret is right, holy, acceptable. However did we not decide not to mix religion and government when we created the USA? Isn't that the reason people emigrated to USA from England, and other nations, was freedom from religion of the king? I don't care what religion you practice, just do not force it onto my body and my choices. I respect your beliefs, but I won't subject myself to it.

What bothers me a lot is being a Woman is a preexisting condition.
What befuddles me is that contraception is looked at as a bad thing.
What shocks me is the notion that women should not get equal pay.
What  nauseates me is the new or old opinions of rape and the facts.
What angers me is old men thrusting policies on women's bodies.

What next?

It is so important to vote this election because people may say oh the liberals are saying these are the ideas of the conservatives, to fear people into voting for liberals. The fact though that conservatives HAVE said these things should be alarming to whoever believes we live in 2012, and not the 1800s.

I think it's important to vote for progressive ways of society because it's a message we send to other nations on how to treat women. We are no different from the people who rape women in India, Libya, Afghanistan etc. if we think its OK to classify different types of rape. I don't need to quote the various politicians who have said things, it has been all over the media, everyone has talked about it. If you haven't look ti up. "legitimate rape" is a term I heard for the first time. Who decides whether rape is legitimate or not? What happened to "No means NO". Rape is RAPE! Justifying it is once again looking for loopholes to take advantage of someone less powerful than you, to get YOUR means. Do we really need to reeducate women? Being a woman myself, perhaps even reluctantly so, wishing I was a boy my whole life, wishing to have the freedom and dominance that a man has... I know how it is to be a woman, have a vagina, and be taken advantage of. After many years I have come to realize it was never my fault, because I DID say NO. And I do not think God was making me go through it as a "gift". However God did help me survive through the dark time, and the evil.


I heard many a things about women this election time, about single parents, about single moms, about stay at home moms, about working/career women... Really? We are in 2012!!!! When we give these ideas power, and vote against our rights as women, we send a message to the rest of the world saying that hey it's ok to keep raping your women, its OK to not let girls get education, its OK to force women to stay at home and work. India is really having an influx of rape cases making headlines, all of them "legitimate" rape. However the trend seems to be with people who are not aware that women who go to bars, dress "western", have "careers", and are independent are women who are easier to rape. I see some parallels between both these countries and cultures and their "justifications" of rape. 

Being a woman is difficult, without even having to deal with rape. However being a woman is so lovely and beautiful, and yes we have the choice of baring children. Some women may choose to have many children, some of us women may not want to, may not be able to and some of us may have an unplanned child. Each woman is responsible for her own body, and abstinence will not work in a world where "sex" appeal drives everything. Why stop contraception, planned parenthood (which serves Women with more than just abortions, but choices, breast exams, ultrasounds, contraception, and education), why limit choices of women? What will they take from us next ... the right to work, and equal pay? Oh wait, that didn't exist to begin with. Well sisters, mothers, aunts, beautiful friends... what are we going to do about this to help each other?

Or do you just want to help you?


This is a choice that will affect the rest of the world.

Remember you have the right to vote today because sisters in the past fought for this right for us, amongst other rights. Let us not  go back to being treated as second class citizens.


GOBAMA!

People actually support and believe this guy... :-/ apparently his gynecologist gave him the facts.

(I don't know I wrote this out of pent up passion and emotion... I will have to read and edit it later, but this was over due. So glad to get this off my mind, heart and soul. Now just get off my body!)



Breathe!


Read this article Sex and the Indian Woman by Awanthi Vardaraj

Living on my own!

Its a bout time I finally moved out of my parents home. Yes finances will be tight, but I needed this. There is a difference between being all sheltered and waiting for the good thing to come by, than making your own effort. I love my parents deeply, but I was not growing. I really needed to do it my way, spread my wings, fly, leave the nest...
So, yes, I now have my very own apartment... two bedrooms, one bath, a tiny kitchen and a nice big dinning/living room. It is my space, my time.

So far its been nice having friends, and family support, however there are moments when i feel utter loneliness, which is natural. I wish i had a pet at that point. However it is a natural thing and I must face that emotion.

I can keep my thoughts to myself, and enjoy the silence: giving me time to write!

Also can't wait to be more active, and be outdoors in the nature soon in spring, do all the things I didn't have time for in the past. Will always keep family in my and heart though.

<3
 Sleepy