For a healthy glowing skin

There are several ingredients found in the home which are used in making beauty packs. ChickpeaFlour (Besan) is one such ingredient. It is commonly used in all households. It is primarily used as a food but it is also a great ingredient for enhancing beauty.
The powder made from ground chick peas or channa dal(lentil) is known as gram flour. We all know the beauty and health benefits of gram flour

Gram Flour or Chick Pea Flour Face Pack

It is used for several beauty treatments like the removal of Tan which is caused because of the harsh sun rays and sunscreen is not enough to prevent it. So, if you are suffering from tan then mix 3 tbsp gram flour with yogurt and a pinch of turmeric. Apply this mixture on the affected areas for 20 minutes and then wash it away; you will see the results in just 1 week. It will remove the tan and makes your skin glow.
It can be used as a Body Polisher and you can make one easily at home. Take half a cup of gram flour, half cup rice flour and make a paste with the help of raw milk and rose water. Apply this paste all over your body and let it dry. Gram flour exfoliates and removes oil from skin while the milk nourishes the body.
It helps to remove Facial Hair: Besan(Gram flour) is the considered to be the best facial remover.
Take gram flour and fenugreek powder in equal quantity and make a paste with the
help of water. Apply it on the face and let it dry, then wash your face with
cold water. Doing this every alternate days helps you in getting rid of unwanted facial hairs.
Gram flour has natural cleansing properties and that is why it is used in almost every face pack. You can make your own too by mixing gram flour with honey, lemon and rose water to make a paste. Apply this paste daily for 20 minutes for that instant glow to your face which is long lasting.
Long and Healthy hair are made possible with the use of gram flour hairs too. Take gram flour and almond powder in equal quantities and make a paste of it with the
help of curd and olive oil. Apply it on the hair and keep it till it dries. Then wash it off. This hair pack nourishes hair and is ideal for dry and damaged hair.
Our Knee and elbows are always darker then our hands but using a gram flour pack regularly can help you in whitening these areas. Just mix gram flour with lemon and
apply on the knee and elbow for about 15 minutes and then wash it off. You will see results instantly.

So gram flour is that wonder ingredient that enhances your facial beauty making it glow and at the same time getting rid of unwanted facial hair.
 https://www.rewardme.in/beauty
 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

Delectable Green Banana Koftas

Bananas are good for health. They are rich in potassium and this was the fruit advised by my sports teacher when I was learning to play football. According to him it was the best fruit to gain muscle power.
Then one day my grand mother made koftas or dumplings from boiled raw green bananas. Since that day I have become a fan of this dish of raw green bananas. It has a taste which is unique and unparallel in its flavor. I still remember that when ever she wanted to reward me she prepared my favorite dish made from the charming green bananas.
The Recipe
The dumplings (raw banana kofta) can be served as an appetizer or can be simmered in a rich gravy and served as a main course dish.  These koftas make for an excellent side with flavored rice or rotis. The raw banana kofta curry can be served with pulao and you have a special meal on hand.

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 45 min

Serves: 4

Main ingredient

1 raw banana

Ingredients

For Koftas:

Raw bananas - 2, boil in 3 cups water till soft

Paneer or cottage cheese - 3 tbsps (grated) optional

Onion - 1, small, very finely chopped

Besan Gram flour - 1 tbsp

Ginger - Green chili paste - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Dried mango powder - pinch

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Oil - for deep frying koftas

For the Gravy:

Cinnamon stick - 1"

Cardamom - 1

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Tomato - 1, large, pureed

Green chillies-ginger paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - pinch

Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Cashew - 10 (soak in 1/4 cup milk for 15 mts and grind to a paste)

Fresh cream - 1 tbsp for garnish (or malai/top of milk)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsps

Coriander leaves for garnishing

1. Method
2. Cut the end of the raw bananas then cut each raw banana into two pieces. Do not peel the skin. Boil them in 4 cups of water along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder on low to medium flame. It will take approx 20-30 mts based on the size of the raw bananas. Insert a knife into the raw banana and if it goes through smoothly then it is cooked. Turn off  the heat and drain the water. Cool and peel the raw bananas and grate them.
3. In a bowl, add the grated raw banana, chopped onions, grated paneer, ginger green chili paste, coriander powder, amchur powder, coriander leaves, besan and salt. Mix well and if necessary add another tbsp of besan to bind the mixture such that you can make small lime sized balls (koftas). Make small koftas and keep aside.
4. Heat oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium and place the balls gently into the hot oil. Deep fry to a golden brown shade and remove into a bowl lined with absorbent paper. Keep aside and make the gravy.
5. To prepare the gravy, heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom and allow them to splutter. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 6 minutes. Add ginger green chili paste and sauté for a minute. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt and mix. Add the tomato puree and cook for 8 minutes. Add cashew nut paste and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for 7to8 minutes or till it reaches the desired curry consistency. Turn off heat.
7. To serve the kofta curry, place the koftas in a deep bowl and pour the gravy over the koftas till submerged. Allow to sit for 7-10 minutes and serve warm. Garnish with fresh cream and fresh coriander leaves.

Today I want to share this recipe with you and hope that all of you would love it as much as I do.

 https://www.rewardme.in/food

 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

putting weight loss tips to test

Once upon a time I used to be thin and lean how ever with time weight seem to have become my best buddy.However hard I try it seems to get back with a vengeance.  Not being someone who would give up easily  I keep trying to win the battle against gaining weight and try my best to put it off as much as possible. In my quest for losing weight I stumbled upon the article https://www.rewardme.in/health/healthy-living/article/10-weight-loss-tips-that-work at the rewardme site.
 It gives an interesting perspective about losing weight. Earlier I was constantly checking my weight on the weighing scale but the author of this article lays emphasis on using a food scale to measure the food portions eaten by me. It says when eating out one should start with the appetizers but skip the entrée or if you order the entrée than share it. Since entrée is the dish  served  before  the main course.  I guess it is a good way to avoid overeating and over indulgence.

Another main point it focuses on is that one should eat more fruits. It suggests to take a fruit and keep it handy so if one has a craving for something sweet one should munch the fruit rather than biting into some man made sweet dish this way we give our bodies natural sugars and fibers instead of lots of calories.

Protein shakes find a place in the list of recommendations. When eating a low calorie meal. A protein shake which comes in a number of flavors can be incorporated in the diet.

I have the next point my self which I never knew is called Box your self in. This is something to be tried at the office cafeteria. This involves choosing the smallest container and filling it up with a serving. Then try to eat slowly and then decide of you need more. Perhaps this way we are telling our minds that we had a plate full of meals already and perhaps we should stop.

Brushing after every meal is also suggested as it tends to stop the craving for food after that so you would not crave for a mid night snack after you  brush your teeth.

Taking pictures at regular intervals is said to help you keep motivated every time you lose weight or help you check yourself if you are again beginning to gain weight .

Liquid calories is a point which draws our attention to a common pitfall that we all weight watchers face for we do keep a track of what we eat but at times tend to pick up a sugary packed drink, processed juice or a lemonade. The sugar it contains undoes the gain of following a diet plan. Instead a  glass of wine is a better drink as suggested by the author .

Getting back into skinny pants: Every now and then getting into tight jeans and clothes that once used to fit can be very motivational and helps us in following our diet charts and goals with renewed vigor.

Adding lemon ,cucumber and herbs to water not just adds flavors but also helps the body to remain hydrated.

Don’t eat the leftovers: After cooking your meal and serving yourself one should put the remaining food away in the fridge so that one does not over eat. I seem to agree with this point completely as we tend to overeat when we find food lying on the table close to us and we just pick it up and start eating without thinking much. Overall the article is not just an interesting read but also a great way to remain focused on following a regular diet regime without being too harsh to ourselves. 

The post that inspired me to write this post can be found here 

 https://www.rewardme.in/health/healthy-living/article/10-weight-loss-tips-that-work 

under the category  https://www.rewardme.in/health
 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

Home clean home

I am a working woman and my whole day is spent in preparing breakfast and meals and then rushing off to my office. It is not an easy life. My life is so hectic that my home is usually neglected. Things are never in order and when I come back home I find every thing in disorder and disarray. This further leads to my confusion and I usually do not know what to do and from where to start.
I talked to a friend of mine about this problem. She suggested that I am sure to find a solution on the internet. So I did a search on how to maintain my home in a clean state without much hassle and in the minimum of time. Within no time I had numerous answers and it was for me to pick up the right one and the one that suited me the best. My search led me to the Reward me website. To my joy the website had articles on various topics ranging from beauty, skin care, hair care, family life and nearly everything one would want to know about.
I came across an article under the topic Home Décor https://www.rewardme.in/home/home-decor
It talks of 10 easy steps to give your house a cleaner look and feel. I found this article to be very easy to follow and I felt confident that by following the mentioned steps I too would be able to keep my home clean and tidy.
 It suggests that we must create private and public spaces in our home. We must use the rooms near the entrance as public spaces like the dining area and the living room and keep these areas free of clutter that is no clothes, no mail, no papers, no storage areas. The rest of the house can be a mess, but cleaning the rooms that guests see, gives the whole house the appearance of being clean.
It advocates to do simple things like putting the dishes directly in the dishwasher or the sink in my case. Take the trash out every night, so there are no lingering smells. Throw dirty clothes immediately in the hamper, so there aren’t piles everywhere.

Anything on the floor should be put away or tossed out each day bare, unoccupied floor space gives every room a more open, airy, and less cluttered look I tried it and now believe me I have more space on the floor.
Make the beds. It gives the room a sense of order.

In the bathroom keep the counters free and store your daily use items in cabinets.
I implemented these tips in my daily life and now my home is all set to receive guests. Now my family too has become a part of the cleaning process and is in a way enjoying it as there is a race to see who does the assigned task first. The result -you have to come and see it for yourself.
https://www.rewardme.in/home/home-decor/article/10-simple-ways-to-make-your-house-look-cleaner-every-day
 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”