Jun
04
2008
With a very heavy heart, I am appealing on behalf of food bloggers for a dear Friend, Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.
Our family had lost the most precious person in our lives to cancer and I know how much it hurts and how your life changes forever.
Not a minute pass by without thinking of my DAD. I cannot possibly imagine how it is to go through this pain. Bri please hang in there, I am sure you will find tremendous energy and support from your family and friends to give you strength and courage to go through this rough phase.
My dear Readers, Please read about our dear friend:
Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.
She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.
The team @ Jugalbandi is organising the JUNE edition of CLICK a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.
CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi and this month’s theme is YELLOW for Bri. Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.
The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.
The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.
There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site.
Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.
This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.
To ADD THIS CHIP-IN BUTTON to your site, click on ‘copy’ within the widget. It will generate the code which you can paste on your post or sidebar.
The LIST OF DONORS will be updated every two days HEREat Figs with Bri.
Image gallery of raffle prizes are HERE.
Donation page is HERE.Thank you my dear readers!!!
May
30
2008
I know know, you all are wondering I totally disappeared for couple of weeks and suddenly you see 2 posts a day.
U see, its Noel’s half term and I have invited his 4 friends over as I took a day off.
Kids are having fun with their game consoles indoors as the sun yet again hidden behind the dark clouds and wouldn’t come out at all. We have waited n waited and moaned and groaned for a sunny week so that the kids can have good time but we are still waiting… yesterday we had a glimmer of hope as the sun was playing hide n seek, the kids 6 of them could play cricket and football at the nearby park yesterday as it was one of our friends son Rohin’s Birthday. I feel when they are with their friends and having fun, weather doesn’t dampen their spirits at all. Good to see them enjoy.
For me I am off today, its so nice to take a break in-between to recharge your batteries and guess what I could post a couple on my blog today.
I cannot miss Jai and Bee’s event for anything in this world and I always send at the last minute. Its fun u know, you think about it all the time and never get a chance to click and suddenly you stand in the kitchen on the last day looking around to find what to click. Luckily I didn’t have to struggle this time as I planned kids lunch today as 3 bean soup as a starter and beef lasagna for mains.
So here we go my first picture is on its way to Beans n Lentils, Click Event…
Kids are already hungry and I promised them I will make a dessert for them so before its lunchtime I better start cracking.
Next week I am running for charity, Race for Life 2008 ~5km on Sunday so if you don’t see me blogging I bet you will see me running on the street rigourously preparing for this Race. Wish me luck!!
Apr
28
2008
The cool refreshing taste of mint lingers on most of the things I use, right from toothpaste, mint chocolates to wonderful cool icy minty teas.
I never knew there are so many different varieties of mint unless I saw almost all the varieties that are available at a famous garden centre, Wyevale in Woodbridge.Some of them had very starnge names like red, yellow, pineapple , lime and lemon.The common types being spearmint, peppermint and garden mint.
Fresh mint is best used for cooking, but when it’s dried, sealed and kept away from sunlight it holds its aromatic oils.
Did you know that the Latin name ‘mentha’ comes from Menthe an enchanting spirit who was changed into the Mint plant by Proserpine, the jealous wife of Pluto. It also does repel rats, mice and cats, relieves wasp stings and was even used by the Romans to whiten teeth.
As I love to use Mint in most of my biryanis, kebabs, salads and my favourite drink of all, Pimms, I picked few varieties for my herb garden. Now I have Mint, Sage, Thyme, Basil and a beautiful Bay leaf plant. Many more to be added sooon.
I am sending this first picture of refreshingly luscious mint leaves over to Jai and Bee’s Click event
