I luv Handbags

I got 2 new vintage handbags. In my next blog, I will be uploading my handbag collection.

Brussels Sprouts Go Asian

Brussels sprouts. It's tasty and can be served over rice or pasta as a main dish or alone as a side dish. It comes together in minutes, too!

Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry

1 medium size bag of Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
Roughly 2 kg's shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
Small can baby corn, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. mirin (sweetened rice wine)
1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. seasoned rice wine vinegar (or regular rice wine vinegar plus 1/2 tsp. sugar)

Spray or brush a non-stick wok or large skillet with a light coating of canola oil. Heat over medium-high heat, and add the garlic and green onions; stir and cook for one minute. Add the Brussels sprouts, turning them cut-side down. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the red bell pepper, mushrooms, and baby corn, and stir well. Add the water and mirin and cover tightly. Reduce the heat and cook until the Brussels sprouts are tender but not overdone, about 5 minutes. (Add a little more water if necessary.)

Remove the cover and add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Cook and stir for about one minute. Add more soy sauce or rice wine vinegar to taste and serve hot.
I served mine over shirataki noodles that were boiled for two minutes and then tossed with 1/8 tsp. of sesame oil.Little extra protein and carbohydrates while I got a meal that was very light and delicious.

Black-eyed Masala Pea's

• 2 cups black-eyed peas
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida
• 1 tablespoon ginger-root, minced (or ginger paste)
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other red pepper (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomato
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

chopped parsley or cilantro, to garnish

Pick over the dried peas and rinse. Cover with water and allow to soak for 8 hours or quick-soak by bringing to a boil, cooking for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Allow quick-soaked peas to stand for at least 1 hour. Drain peas just before cooking.

Heat a large non-stick pot or pressure cooker. Spray the bottom with cooking spray (omit if pot is non-stick) and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until onions soften. Add the cumin seed and cook for 1 minute. Add the asafetida, ginger, and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.

Add the drained peas and all remaining ingredients. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a low boil.

If pressure cooking, seal the cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 7 minutes; remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally. Check seasoning and add more salt and garam masala if necessary. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend, and mash a few peas against the side of the pot to thicken the sauce. If all peas are not completely tender, cover but do not seal the cooker and simmer until peas are tender.

If cooking in a regular pot, cover and simmer until the black-eyed peas are tender (depending on the age of your peas, 30-60 minutes). Check seasoning and add more salt and garam masala if necessary.

Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro and serve with rice or roti (bread).

The garam masala blend I used in this recipe:

1 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green cardamom pods)
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. black peppercorns

Toast lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Remove from heat, cool, and grind in a coffee grinder or spice mill. Use immediately or seal tightly and use soon. Makes about 1 tablespoon

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 178 calories, 6 calories from fat, 0g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 517.1mg sodium, 519.3mg potassium, 32.8g carbohydrates, 5.8g fiber, 7.1g sugar, 11g protein, 2.8 points.

Mong Dal

Mong Dal-Serves 4

· 1 cups hulled and split mung dal

· 3.5 – 4 cups water

· 1/4 tsp. Indian chili pepper

· 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

· 3/4 Tbs. peeled and finely grated fresh ginger

· 1/2 Tbs. garlic, crushed to a pulp (about 3 cloves)

· 1 medium shallot, minced

· 1 1/8 tsp. kosher salt (scant tsp. fine sea salt)

· 2 Tbs. oil-Oilve or vegetable oil

· 1 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds

· 1/4 tsp. chili flakes

1. Wash the dal, then add to a 2-quart lidded pot, along with 3.5 cups of water. If you’re not going to eat the dal immediately, use 4 cups of water as it thickens as it sits. I usually soak it water for abt 10 mins for fast cooking. After that bring to a boil. Do not let them boil over. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon. Stir.

2. Add the Indian chili powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallot, and salt. Stir. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with the lid, and simmer gently for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the dal is tender.

3. Pour the oil into a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the mustard seeds and red chilies. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, empty the contents of the frying pan, oil and spices, into the pan containing the dal. Cover immediately with the lid to trap the aromas. Stir gently before serving.

My notes

I wanted to make mong and toovar dal but was out of toovar dal, as well as other necessary ingredients. This is my simplified, don’t-go-to-the-store version. If you want to veer back to the original, use 1/2 toovar dal, add in asoefetida, fresh green chilies, cilantro, and fresh curry leaves, and use whole dried red chilies instead of chili flakes, and ghee instead of oil.

I fried my spices in olive oil, because thats what I use. It adds specific flavor.You can add cilantro leaves or kasuri methi for garnishing

I would eat this with chapatti, naan, or cauliflower curry, yoghurt or any other vegetable curry dish. Add some rice and/or raita and you’d have a healthy, tasty, vegetarian Indian feast.

This is a large recipe. It makes around 3.5 – 4 cups I think. I bet it would freeze well, but I haven’t tried it.

If you’ve never eaten mong dal. You can check the image, Its quite accurate.

How To Use LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook For New Customers

• You’ve heard it before: social networking sites are useful tools for finding and connecting with new clients. But what are the best ways to do that? How can you use LinkedIn,Twitter and Facebook to find new clients? In this blog post I’m going to let you in on a few secrets and give you a guide to getting started on these social networking sites.

  LinkedIn

  Linkedin is a powerful networking tool. If you spend the time creating a strong profile, joining relevant groups and participating in timely discussions, you willdisplay your expertise and garner respect and credibility from the community, which ultimately leads to influence.

  Use this guide to start using LinkedIn effectively:

  –Set your company apart from others in the industry with a detailed and interesting company profile. Include your company’s services, expertise, mission, interesting facts, etc. Show clearly what your company does for clients, how working with your company is different and generates results.

  –Join relevant groups and participate in conversations. By answering questions in your field of expertise you can help others while showcasing your knowledge of your particular industry in front of a wider audience. This will allow you to connect with interesting people and bring in new contracts.

  –Keep your connections strong. Write recommendations for people you have worked with, and request recommendations from people you have worked with and from clients. LinkedIn was designed for networking, so use connections to find new clients and business.

  –Stay on top of industry trends and news. A good way to do this is to join andparticipate in a discussion group. You can learn about events and conferences, leads and prospects, new products and services, and other information that will keep you current and up-to-speed.

  –Speed up your sales process by researching companies and individuals in LinkedIn. Review profiles to see if they’re a fit for your proposal and request an introduction through a common connection, or send an InMail directly to that person.

  Twitter

  Twitter is powerful tool for brand management and lead generation. To maximize Twitter as a marketing tool, you should be honest, genuine and respectful with each tweet.

  The first thing you need to dois determine who are your potential clients. Who are you trying to reach? Once you have determined who your target audience is, you’ll want to seek out the people in that market. You can use Twitter toolslike Twellow and TweetDeck to find relevant candidates.

  One of the reasons why twitter works so well to help you gain clients is because it provides you with the opportunity to share content. Developing and sharing content will position you as an expert in your field. Additionally, there are several opportunities on Twitter to encourage followers to contact you for more information.

  As a brand on Twitter, it is important to interact with users, and to be mindful of all of your brand mentions. Every Twitter user should be considered as either a customer or a prospect. The opportunities to respond to customer comments (brand management) or prospect questions (lead generation) on Twitter are great way to humanize your brand, develop customer loyalty and start conversations with prospects.

  Here are some tips for using Twitter to find new clients:

  • Follow people who are relevant to your industry and target market
  • Make sure your employees and colleagues are on Twitter, and refer to them
  • Answer your mentions
  • Search for your name/business name
  • Use Twitter to ask your customers questions…and get good answers

  There’s no refuting that this way of connecting and communicating is influential and effective, and increasingly important. Your business should be on Twitter now to get ahead of competitors and find prospects.

  Facebook

  Facebook is another social networking site you can use to establish credibility and expertise in your industry, and to find new business. Facebook marketing blends a combination of interactions with Fans and contributions to a community, rather than the broadcasting of promotional messages.

  Start by creating a corporate Facebook Fan Page and be social. A Fan Page is a way to connect with clients, prospects, communities and stakeholders, as well as to extend your brand’s reach, but it has to be interactive to succeed. Fan Pages offer a unique opportunity for brands to engage prospects and customers, provide ways to recruit new Fans, and create opportunities for Fans to interact. Companies should be social–creating content, posting status updates, adding photos, hosting events and contributing to the Fan community. Opportunities on Facebook Fan Pages allow companies to engage and interact with Fans in a meaningful way. The applications allow for brands to promote their brand in a way that users can connect with and appreciate.

  To use Facebook effectively for business, consider these other opportunities for building your brand and community:
  • Posting links to your business blog on your page
  • Accepting friend requests and reaching out to friends, clients, acquaintances, etc.
  • Exploring advertising through Facebook
  • Promoting your business through your personal profile

  LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are increasingly emerging as mandatory outlets for companies to utilize reach prospects. Including a social media plan in your marketing initiatives will help you gain momentum that will lead to new business.

  Editor’s Note: AJ Gerritson is the founding partner of 451 Marketing.

Social Networking bloging, tweeps, FB etc

Blog and me- yes I am starting one. Its interesting how social our political leader's and bollywood star's are becoming. Everyone seems to be writing tweets or blog's. Best part about social networking is you can connect with high profile ppl who seem to be unapproachable.