Mango cornflakes milkshake

Healthy breakfast in 10 mins - want to give your regular cornflakes and milkshake a simple twist? Try this! It's thick, goey, healthy and gives you energy to kick-start your day even in a rush. Follow up with my recipe and do let me know how it turned out for you!! 
Happy cooking!

Preparation time - 10 mins

Serves - 2-3

Equipment required- blender

Ingredients required:

Milk - 2 glass

Cream - 1 cup (optional)

Condensed milk - 1 cup

Ripe medium size mango - 1 

Corn flakes - 1 cup

Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

Sugar as per your taste (depending on the sweetness of your mangoes)

Method:

Soak the cornflakes in milk for about 5 mins.

Peel the mangoes and put all it's pulp into a blender.

Add condensed milk, cream, cardamom powder and sugar to it. Make a smooth puree. 

Next add milk and cornflakes mixture to it and blend again. Pour it into glasses and your breakfast is ready!

Garnish with some more cornflakes on top for the crunch.

(P.S I have used strawberry cornflakes to satisfy my exotic taste buds! :)

The girl who survived!!

What's the point of coming out of it alive,

When breathing in itself is an everyday strive;

In an attempt to end this suffering and the pain,

I took a jab at the pulsating vein.

The knife turned out to be just like the humans,

Mocking at me after looking at the ruins,

Another failure was added to the list,

With signs of defeat bleeding through the wrist.

Indecisiveness it was or was it the lack of courage,

That I only had the strength to create a stirrage,

I still don't know whether it was a boon or a bane,

I still can't see the losses from the gains.

There are nights that turn into mornings,

Filled with endless sobs and growlings,

There are still days when I question my existence, 

The will to live peeking from a distance.

Never had the heart to hurt someone,

I guess that's what left the task undone, 

I know that I need to live,

But I don't have anything more to give; 

In search of a reason to make it worthwhile, 

Looking for reasons that can make me smile, 

Struggling to find my missing parts,

Cleaning the wounds of the devil's darts!!

-By Kritika Rai (guest blogger)

Rattlings of an empty mind

Hey all, I know it’s been a really long time since we have had a word. And this post is not really something related my cooking, baking, crafts or anything related to my hobby probably. This post is somewhat about me, more of an apology post you can say!

Since my life has changed so much from my last post till today, let’s begin all over again with a brief intro: I am finally enrolled in my masters program, International Business Economics and Finance, (not MBA, as some of you may have already started guessing but something close to it as I thought before), in Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, again one of the oldest, reputed college, to begin with. Its situated in Pune and yeah finally my hostel life has started as well but let me tell you, we are given a lot more freedom than I ever expected in my wildest dreams. (should I be happy or sad?).

So, basically, life has taken a 360-degree turn and I am pretty clueless where I am heading to, maybe just going with the flow. Committed a thousand mistakes, learned a hundred lessons, and to sum it all, this is just the beginning but one thing is for sure, “life’s changed, really changed” and I don’t know whether it's for better or for worse. I won't say I am enjoying every bit of it but I am happily adapted to it.

Honestly, if only I could spare enough time I have got thousand post on my hobbies, a hundred crafts I made, a thousand quick bits in my hostel and what not but then as you all know by now this blog has forever been ‘my-not-so-secret-diary’ and I just don’t want to limit this to restricted domains, now my every post is gonna be very unpredictable because you know what, at some point, life itself makes you realize its so unpredictable, so unique. You just have this moment to say the world all you had to and definitely, I don’t want to waste this opportunity!

A word of caution would be, please don’t judge me on my posts and most importantly I am not liable to answer any personal questions whatsoever it may be. So sincere apologies for disappearing into thin air like this. I have read all your kind wishes and messages, and I am really very grateful to each one of you who has motivated me to start writing again and further you can expect a post every week on a completely unexpected domain. Keep flooding your love throughout,

loads of love and gratitude

Ritu,

the unexpected blogger :))

The Small town Girl (Chota Nagpur Plateau, Netarhat, Jharkhand)

Netarhat being an untouched hill station in the Latehar district of Jharkhand is famous for its wilderness, lush green beauty, sunrise-sunset points and natural waterfalls. Referred to as the “Queen of Chotanagpur”, it is a popular hill station. Tourists from all over India and abroad visit Netarhat, whose name means Nature's, Heart. However, the place may have got its name from 'Netur Haat' (which means a marketplace for bamboo in the local language). It is at a height of 3622 feet above the sea level and is famous for picturesque landscape, scenic beauty and serene surroundings. The climate is pleasant here with the cool refreshing breeze and the breathtaking view of sunrise and sunset adds to the grandeur.  Apart from bamboo, the sky hugging trees of sal, simal, pine and sakhua planted by the British gives the area a lush green feel. The Koel river and its tributaries Amanat and Auranga flows through the region. The pear orchards being my special favourite since I got to pluck a lot of ripe pears and no one could even be spotted at a distance to restrict. HAPPYME!! :)

This place is also famous for Netarhat Residential School, as a centre of educational excellence. 

Residential school

Netarhat has several places of tourist interests including 

Magnolia Point (10 km from Netarhat, ideal site for viewing sunset), 

Upper Ghaghri Falls (4 km from Netarhat), 

Lower Ghaghri Falls (10 km from Netarhat), 

Koel View Point (3 km from Netarhat), 

Lodh Falls (60 km from Netarhat, the highest waterfall in Jharkhand), 

Sadni Falls (35 km from Netarhat).

Ghagri falls

MAGNOLIA POINT / SUNSET POINT:

sunset point

sunset point

"The Magnolia Sunset Point is an epitome of eternal love and sacrifice. The legends say that Magnolia, a British maiden, jumped off along with her horse, into the unfathomable depths of this valley, after failing to unite with her beloved, a local shepherd. The sight of setting Sun presents a breathtaking view from here."

How to Reach: 

By Air: The nearest airport, Ranchi, is connected by daily flights to all major Indian cities. Patna airport is around 250 road-km from Betla. Most resorts have pick-ups facilities. Jharkhand Tourism also arranges pick-ups on advance notice.

By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Barwadih Junction; it's 122 km by taxi or bus. The station features connections from Daltonganj, Latehar, Ranchi, Sasaram, Gaya, Patna, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Delhi and Amritsar.

By Road: It is 210 kilometres (130 mi) from Daltonganj or 156 kilometres (97 mi) west of Ranchi.  It's about 2-3 hour drive from Ranchi, the state capital.

Where to stay: 

The accommodation facilities in the tourist complex include a three-star hotel, the palamau forest rest bunglows, various tourist lodges with canteen, log huts and tree houses inside the forest with fully furnished suites. Jharkhand tourist Prabhat Vihar is by far the most popular, well-maintained accommodation that provides the best sunrise point as well.

The Small Town Girl (Chota Nagpur Plateau, Jharkhand)

Day1

It's already been 1 year of blogging and you'll know me a lot by now. A little briefing for all those who are new to my not so secret diary. I am born and brought up in heart of west bengal, kolkata, the ancient metropolitan city of India. Although this is not my first visit, I am totally naive about everything here. Do let me know if you find any glitches, your suggestions and comments would be highly appreciated :)
This series of articles is all about my little journey in Jharkhand.

I reached Ranchi on 21st of April 2017, and my first stop was the Hundru falls located at a distance of 60kms from Ranchi station. It is located at height of 98 meters, making it the 34th highest waterfall in India. It’s water source is Subarnarekha River, which flows through Subarna Rekha Hydal Project which is also a Tourists attraction. The speed of this gushing water in these dams was left to our imaginations. Also, this place offers a picturesque sunset and sunrise view.

Public and Private transport are available in plenty to reach these places. Private transports are comparatively better because the wind is really very warm and dehydrating but scenic view on both sides of the road just can't be compromised. It was an amazing 1 hour long drive through the woods and I was continuously reminded about one of my favourite poems by Robert frost:

“..the woods are lovely, dark and deep;

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”

We crossed a few small, deserted villages and life here, in these tiny huts, away from the market place looks challenging. These people are denied even the basic amenities and still they looked so satisfied and content, much contrary to my city beliefs!

The place has got some amazing waterfalls like the Hirni falls, sita falls, jonha falls, dassam falls, lower ghaghri falls, lodh falls, sadni falls and many more. But since we went during summers most of these falls were either dry or had very less water except Hudru falls which undoubtedly was the highest among all.

The spectacular scene of water falling from such a great height has been described as a sight to behold. The different formations of rock due to the erosion by the constantly falling of water have added to the beauty of the place.

During rainy season it takes a formidable form but in the dry season it turns into an exciting picnic spot. (pros of going during the summers, J) At the base of the Hundru Falls, there is a pool, which serves as a bathing place, and we had endless amount of fun here. Lows and highs of the rocks, splashing of water, searching for little fishes and much more will bring out the best in you, the child in you!!

subarna rekha hydal project

after 745 steps you finally get to enjoy the waterfall. getting down the mountain was nothing compared to climbing up 745 steps again. :(

the water is so clear, I can even spot some tiny fishes here and there :P

hudru falls in summer

top view of the hydal project

the picture perfect view

The Small Town Girl (Chota Nagpur Plateau, Ghumla, Jharkhand)

Day 2

My second destination after Hudru falls was 'Gumla', which is about 93.3kms from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand and  Dhoni's hometown too :P

It is highland region having been located in the southern part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau. Rivers like the South and North Koyel and the Shankh flow through this region.

This journey from Ranchi to GUMLA feels like the scene from “swades” movie and guess what even my playlist chose to play the same song for me. :P 

(don’t know why, but this song was stuck in my mind, all throughout the journey)

“yunhi chala chal rahi,

Yunhi chala chal rahi;

Kitni hasin hai ye duniya..”

Transport:

a) Roadways

Gumla is connected to Ranchi and Simdega via NH – 23. It is connected via State Highways to Lohardaga, Latehar, Daltonganj and other major towns of the State.

It is connected to the State of Chhattisgarh via NH-78.

b) Railways

Ranchi is well connected to all the other states in India. We reached Ranchi at 7:35 am after 7-8 hours of a train journey from Howrah junc. (Kolkata). From there we took an auto to the bus stand and after 2 long hours of bus journey, we finally reached our destination GUMLA. The other stations in proximity are Pokhla, Bano, Govindpur Road, Tori, Latehar, Orga and Mccluskieganj.

C)Airways

The nearest airport is in Ranchi and thereafter it takes 2 hours of bus journey to reach here.

Weather conditions:

It has a temperate, tropical climate, with an average high of 40 °C (104 °F) in summer and an average low of 3 °C (37 °F) in winter. This makes Summers the worst time to come here, and today it's 37 degrees. Humidity is very low. The warm winds are really dehydrating. I made this mistake by not carrying enough sunscreen, water and scarf!!

As a result got a little blood in my nasal tract and my body is sun-tanned. Average annual rainfall is about 1,450 m killometres (57 inches), but unfortunately I did not experience any during my stay. Missing kalbaishakhi badly! :(

Basic amenities:

  Infrastructure: The city is pretty developed in terms of Infrastructure. I could easily spot, public schools, hospitals, nursing homes and lots of small temples. But Hotels, guest houses and lodges are very few in number. Do make proper lodging arrangements beforehand and just don't forget to check their washrooms, half the time it's in a pathetic state. Also, for a tourist Public toilets are very also essential which this place really completely lacks. Banners about the construction of toilets are found everywhere but no work is done. According to the localities, the amount provided by the government is very less. Also, don't forget to check if they have proper power backup because power cuts are very common here.

Heat of the Plateau region in the morning and mosquitoes is the evening will not fail to leave a mark on you making electricity the most wanted but the least amenity here.

Life here feels challenging at times.

the only 'park'

Water:

It's mostly underground water that is being used. Wells (popularly known as borewell here) and hand pumps are mostly used to extract this water. The taste is very different and don't forget to carry a purifier with you because purified drinking water is something unheard of. Actually, you don't really need a purifier here, the water is cool, clear and absolutely fresh. The rain water seeps in through different layers and there is not much of pollution as well so water quality is pretty good. (though I haven't scientifically tested it).

 Food: Street food stalls are plenty and range from fast food like chow, gol gappe (fuchka) to fruit juices and aam ras etc. South Indian cuisine like dosa, vada, and idly are also found in plenty.

Though cafes, food joints and eateries are uncommon, few of them do exists and the food served is pretty good.

According to the localities, Dhuska (a type of fried idly), urad dal ka bara, and yummy mouthwatering jalebiya's are some recipes this place is simply known for. Don't forget to try them, and I am sure you'll love it. (just keep your calorie count aside, haha:D).

Dhuska

spotted these leaf bowls somewhere

my fun time

On further enquiry from the natives of this place (mostly the tribals), I found that the favourite drink here is the local wine made from the mahua flower. I have no intentions of trying it ever. Needless to mention how harmful local wine can be...

The best thing I found here are lots of fresh fruits and  vegetables, so food was not a problem at all. Infact the Curry's tastes better when garden fresh veggies are used. Tried my hands in gardening and was hurt badly by the thorns. No more gardening for me but I am still enjoying plucking those ripe Papaya's, Mango, Litchi, Cucumber, lemons and lots of flowers (which includes roses as well :))

Happiiiiee_me!!

Culture and traditions: Tribal people are among those devotees who never miss a chance to portray their devotion towards our mother nature. This occasional gathering to worship rain is termed as sarhul festival by the commoners. Folk dance forms the biggest attraction during these events. sarhul is celebrated for several days during the begning of the spring, making it the most favourable time to pay a visit here.

 Pocket Pinch: It is one of those offbeat travel destinations, which you can visit on a budget as low as 10k for two person. Fooding and lodging, site seeing, everything is very affordable compared to the other places. So, next time you badly need a getaway on a extremely low budget, this place can come to your rescue.

constant bird's chirp, something I don't find at all in my cities

found them in Netarhat, another popular tourist destination and which is also known as the 'queen of chotanagpur plateau'

till I visit here next time!!