As much as I live for Indian food, I kinda can’t believe I’ve never posted any of our favorites.  This is a nice, easy one that even I can handle.

Eggplant Bhaji

1 med size eggplant, sliced into finger-size strips
2 T. ghee or butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or minced
1 in. ginger root, grated
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 T. chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 c. canned tomatoes
1/2-3/4 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. garam masala

1. First, start a pot of brown rice on the stove.  It takes about 30 minutes, so it should be done in time.

2. Melt the butter or ghee in a wok or frying pan over med. heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft (5-6 min.)

3. Add the garlic and the eggplant, and cook briefly, stirring constantly.

4. Add all the spices except the garam masala, and the tomatoes with their juice.  Simmer uncovered for 15-20 min. or until the eggplant is very soft.  Check it about halfway and add stock if it seems like it’s drying out.  You want to have some sauce for the rice to soak up, so thin it to desired consistency with the stock.

5. Stir in the garam masala and shut off the heat.  Spoon it over rice, and garnish with a nice generous dollop of plain yogurt.  Cilantro’s a nice garnish on here, too.

Here’s a really nice tutorial on how to peel fresh ginger root, if you never have.  This recipe is slightly adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes.

3016632    ออร์โธปิดิกส์ปฏิบัติ    Practical Orthopedics

การปฏิบัติในภาวะกระดูกหัก ข้อเคลื่อนจากอุบัติเหตุ และการบาดเจ็บจากกีฬา

(Practice in accidental fracture and dislocation, and sport trauma.)

(3016632 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018650    การใช้คลื่นเสียงความถี่สูงทางสูติศาสตร์-นรีเวชวิทยา    Practical Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

การปฏิบัติในการใช้คลื่นเสียงความถี่สูงในการวินิจฉัยอายุครรภ์ การวิภาคของทารก ท่าของทารก ดัชนีน้ำคร่ำ ตำแหน่งของรก ความผิดปกติของทารกที่พบบ่อยและโรคทางนรีเวชวิทยาที่พบบ่อย

(Practical aspects of ultrasound for the diagnosis of fetal biometries, fetal anatomy, fetal position, amniotic fluid index, placental sites, common fetal abnormalities and common gynecological diseases.)

(3018650 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018652    การปฏิบัติในการวางแผนครอบครัว    Practical Family Planning

การปฏิบัติในการให้บริการวางแผนครอบครัว ตลอดจนการแก้ไขภาวะแทรกซ้อนจากการคุมกำเนิดวิธีต่าง ๆ

(Practice in family planning services and management of complications from contraceptive methods.)

(3018652 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018654    การปฏิบัติในการดูแลรักษาสตรีวัยหมดระดู    Practical Management of the Menopause

การปฏิบัติในการวินิจฉัย และการสืบค้น ข้อบ่งชี้ ข้อห้าม และภาวะแทรกซ้อนจากการให้ฮอร์โมนทดแทนในสตรีวัยหมดระดู

(Practical aspects in the diagnosis, investigation; indications, contraindications and complications of hormonal replacement therapy in menopausal women.)

(3018654 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018656    การปฏิบัติในการดูแลรักษามะเร็งปากมดลูก    Practical Management of Cervical Cancer

สาเหตุ การป้องกัน การวินิจฉัยแต่เนิ่น ๆ และการรักษามะเร็งปากมดลูก

(Etiology, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.)

(3018656 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018668    เวชปฏิบัติทางเวชศาสตร์เจริญพันธุ์    Practical Reproductive Medicine

ทักษะทางคลินิกสำหรับผู้ป่วยทางเวชศาสตร์เจริญพันธุ์ ได้แก่ การสัมภาษณ์ประวัติ การตรวจร่างกาย การให้เหตุผลทางคลินิก การส่งตรวจทางห้องปฏิบัติการ การสั่งการรักษาอย่างสมเหตุผล การบันทึกเวชระเบียน การให้คำแนะนำแก่ผู้ป่วยและญาติ

(Clinical skills for patients in reproductive medicine including history taking, physical examination, clinical reasoning, laboratory investigation, rational treatment, medicial record completion, education for patients and relatives.)

(3018668 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018856    สูติศาสตร์ภาคปฏิบัติ    Practical Obstetrics

เป็นการศึกษาโดยประยุกต์ทฤษฎีมาใช้ในทางปฏิบัติในการดูแลสตรีตั้งครรภ์,ขณะเจ็บครรภ์คลอดและภายหลังคลอดรวมทั้งการฝึกปฏิบัติด้านสูติศาสตร์หัตถการต่างๆ จนเกิดความชำนาญสามารถนำไปใช้ปฏิบัติได้อย่างถูกต้องเหมาะสมและปลอดภัน

(Study and practice in the management of pregnant women during antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum period including all procedures in operative obstetrics.)

(3018856 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3018857    นรีเวชวิทยาภาคปฏิบัติ    Practical Gynecology

เป็นการศึกษาโดยประยุกต์ทฤษฎีมาใช้ในทางปฏิบัติ ในการดูแลผู้ป่วยที่มีโรคทางนรีเวชวิทยา รวมทั้งการดูแลก่อนผ่าตัด,ขณะผ่าตัดและหลังการผ่าตัด ร่วมกับการฝึกปฏิบัติการทำผ่าตัดทางวนรีเวชวิทยาจนเกิดความชำนาญสามารถนำไปปฏิบัติได้อย่างถูกต้องเหมาะสมและปลอดภัย

(Study and practice in the management of gynecologic disorders, during preoperative, operative and postoperative care including the management of family planning and human reproduction.)

(3018857 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3019602    เวชปฏิบัติโสต นาสิก ลาริงซ์วิทยา    Practical Otolaryngology

พยาธิกำเนิด พยาธิสภาพ พยาธิสรีรวิทยา ระบาดวิทยาคลินิก อาการและอาการแสดง การตรวจทางห้องปฏิบัติการ การวินิจฉัย การวินิจฉัยแยกโรค การสั่งการรักษาอย่างสมเหตุผลสำหรับโรคหรือภาวะที่พบบ่อยทางโสต นาสิก ลาริงซ์วิทยา รวมถึงหลักการดูแลรักษาเบื้องต้นและหลักการส่งต่อผู้ป่วย ทักษะการสัมภาษณ์ประวัติและการตรวจร่างกายด้วยเครื่องมือพื้นฐานและเครื่องดื่มพิเศษทางโสต นาสิก ลาริงซ์วิทยา การบำบัดภาวะฉุกเฉินทางโสต นาสิก ลาริงซ์วิทยา และการข่วยผ่าตัดทางด้านโสต นาสิก ลาริงซ์วิทยา

(Pathogenesis, pathology, pathophysiology, clinical epidemiology, symptom and sign, laboratory investigation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, rational management for common otolaryngologic diseases and disorders including principles of initial management and referring; skills of history taking, basic otolaryngologic examination and special otolaryngologic investigation; management of otolaryngologic emergency; and assisting otolaryngologic surgery.)

(3019602 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

Adam’s making stuffing for the Rensenbrink Family Thanksgiving tomorrow, so tonight he took out some thyme he’s had drying for several weeks and removed the leaves from the branches:

Here’s a major limitation of the blog: you’ll have to just imagine how amazing it smelled in our kitchen while he was doing this.

This is the first year we grew lots of different types of herbs.  Next year I hope we can get organized enough that we can dry enough thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc. to give some out as Christmas presents.  This stuff is amazingly cheap and easy to grow, and look how much nicer it is than store bought organic thyme:

In case you can’t tell, the one on the right is the homegrown.  The aroma is significantly stronger as well.

Adam was so inspired that he went out with a flashlight and dug more fresh thyme out from under the leaf mulch, so he can make sure he has enough dried to last all winter.  He uses thyme in many different recipes: all kinds of vegetable or meat dishes, and also anything Italian.  I especially like it on potatoes.  I also remember reading somewhere (probably Nourishing Traditions) that thyme has anti-inflammatory properties.

To dry herbs, simply pick a bunch, and tie them up with a twist tie, and turn them upside down inside a paper bag for a few weeks. The paper bag keeps them from getting dusty and catches any leaves that might fall off during the drying process.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  This might sound cheesy, but really, the thing I am most thankful for this year is having a yard that I can grow all this amazing food in, so that my family can eat well even if we are on a tight budget.

So this post is from my iPhone. The WordPress app seems pretty good.

Rock-And-Roll!!

Oh man, this is making me go way back with the corny slang. Does anyone recall, “Tubular?” I think we can thank the Ninja Mutant Ninja Turtles for popularizing that one.

I think it’s obvious that I’m liking this idea, lots. My ribbon and string finally will have a safe place to find rest, until I cut them with my scissors. Hmmm…

Original YouTube vid found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2QtU8EYz0

I saw this little lovely at the Container Store today:

Container Store: elfa spice rack basket - $12.99

+ love bracket-y things with modular pieces that clip in. This elfa system is pretty solid, the parts I saw are made in Sweden, and they can accommodate shallow and deep shelving…with pull outs!

+ like that the shelf space is adjustable in small increments; guessing 1″.

- don’t like that anything you put in there needs at least half itself in clearance in order to get it out.

- my cabinet doors are pretty thin, maybe 1″ maximum, so the over the door clips wouldn’t work, and I don’t want to drill into the wood cabinet. Also, I don’t know if the 1940’s hinges could support a lot of weight.

3142502    ปฏิบัติการซีรั่มวิทยาทางการสัตวแพทย์    Veterinary Practical Serology

ความรู้พื้นฐานด้านวิธีวิทยาการและหลักการทดลองทางซีรั่มวิทยา การตรวจวินิจฉัยโรคทางซีรั่มวิทยา การอ่านและแปลผลเพื่อใช้ในการวินิจฉัยและประเมินสถานภาพโรคติดเชื้อในสัตว์ รวมถึงการใช้ผลการตรวจด้วยวิธีทางซีรั่มวิทยาในการประเมินสถานภาพทางภูมิคุ้มกันของฝูงสัตว์

(Basic knowledge of the methodology and principles of serological test for diagnosing animal diseases; interpretation of the results and data for evaluating immunological status of herd animals.)

(3142502 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

I mention broth on here all the time, but I’ve never really posted the how-to.  The good news:  it’s really easy.  The great news:  it adds immeasurable flavor and nutrition to everything you make.  I’ve adapted this very basic recipe from Nourishing Traditions:

Basic Stock
1 chicken or turkey carcass, or 1-2 lbs of beef soup bones
Water enough to cover the bones
2 T. vinegar or acidic wine
1 onion, roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 of carrots, roughly chopped (optional)
Parsley, bay leaves, other herbs that you like (also optional)

Take a chicken or turkey carcass from a bird you’ve roasted (hey, I just realized how timely this post is), or some raw beef bones.  You can also use raw poultry, but you will have to pull the meat off the bones later after it’s done boiling.

Place your bones and vegetables in a crock pot and cover with water.  Add the vinegar.  Cook on low for 12-24 hours.  Add dried herbs like bay leaves when you have a 2-4 hours left.  Add fresh herbs like parsley with 30-40 minutes left.

Turn off the crock pot and let it cool for an hour or two, so it will be easier to handle.  Strain it through cheesecloth or a fine strainer (this is very important with poultry because of all the tiny little bones).  The vegetables will be pretty much mush by now, but that’s OK since you were mostly after their flavor anyway.   Place the strained broth in a bowl in the fridge until cold (several hours, or overnight).  Skim off fat and impurities from the top, then freeze in ice cube trays.  5-6 cubes = about 1 cup.

Here’s how we usually do it: we roast a chicken for supper.  We remove the drummies and wings completely, then cut off as much meat as we can from the carcass.  We get the broth going in the crock pot and leave it all night and let it go all the next day, too.  When Adam gets home at 4 p.m. or so the next day, he shuts off the crockpot.  Then that evening we strain it and put it in the fridge.  The next morning we skim it and put it in the ice cube trays.  That night we transfer the cubes to freezer bags.  So yeah, it’s a long process, but each step only takes a few minutes.

Stocks are SO good for you.  Nourishing Traditions has several different stock recipes, and even calls for adding chicken feet if you can find them.  They add extra gelatin to the broth, apparently.  Did you know that gelatin is a huge boon to digestion?  Also, cooking bones like this draws out minerals from the cartilage and marrow, turning them into easily-assimilated electrolytes.  See the “Stocks” chapter in Nourishing Traditions for much, much more information.  This recipe is a very simplified version of the ones found there.

So many recipes that we make call for stock, and it used to be frustrating to have to buy a whole can or carton of it when I only needed 1 cup.  Now we just grab a few cubes out of the freezer when we need it.  Adam has started adding stock to recipes that don’t even necessarily call for it, because it adds so much depth of flavor.

Oooh, the folks over at Simple Green Frugal Co-op have a really great sauerkraut recipe, and an idea that hadn’t occurred to me before:  purposely fermenting your kraut at a lower temperature, for a longer period, apparently gives you better flavor.  Check it out right here.  This is going into the hopper for that magical time when my mini root cellar is complete (hopefully next fall).

Yesterday, I harvested the 2nd and last row of parsnips.  These were slightly better than the first:

Some of them were even almost perfect.  They were all tasty.  This was my final harvest for 2009 so the whole family got involved with putting a leaf blanket on the soil for the winter:

Rowan and Anneke used buckets; Dad used a wheelbarrow.

I spread the leaves out on the garden.  I’ve read that if you mix the leaves into the soil right away, they actually cause a deficiency in the soil as the microorganisms work to break them down.  However, leaving them on top means the decomposing happens on top of the soil.  I will look at them in the spring, and if there are still quite a few that haven’t decomposed I’ll actually pull those off before getting my soil ready for spring planting.  I might be creating more work than necessary here, but I hate to leave the ground bare and exposed all winter long.

(That orange power cord is for our Christmas lights, so we’ll have to pull that out later.)

By what Karma we are born first time and what will be our happiness and saddness? Which will be the controlling factor during first birth?

Improving Breast – Simple natural ways to firm your breasts

Look in the mirror, a woman has seen the effects of age and gravity on her breasts. There are of course surgical solutions, and the risks and costs are well known.

However, there are some real solutions, the evidence, to help firm sagging breasts, and the results, although not immediately dramatic, are in a period of time, very effective.

The solution is to daily treatmentmethod

• Special exercises

• The ice massage

• Once a form within weeks with natural products

To understand what is happening, the ligaments that support the breasts begin to stretch, and your breasts sag. The skin becomes less rigid, the milk ducts and fat replaces Shrink ducts. The shape and suspension system (so to speak) are changed. Then see how the program can get you looking good again.

Exercises:

There are two. The"Lady's" Push Up "and fly" dumbbell. "
The ladies push up is different from that of man. Firstly, it is on the floor on all fours "position. Hands instead of outwards, become, if the palms are facing each other. Now begins the push-up, with as many as you can comfortably do without becoming tense. This may be a minimum of 4 or 5. Thus, each day try to increase this number until you can do on a series of 20. Two sets are perfect.

Secondexercise, you will need two light (eg, 1 kg to 2 kg maximum) dumbbells. Then, lying supine on the floor, lifting a weight to each. Now extend your arms at shoulder height on the ground, palms up. The weight should be parallel to your body.

Raise both arms up the entire body, keeping your elbows slightly bent, so that the weight to meet over the chest. Now, return the weight to your sides at shoulder height as if you were drawing a semicirclethe whole body.
Repeat the exercise 8-12 times, rest, then for 1 minute. Repeat the exercise for the second time to rest again. Then repeat the exercise for the third and last.

This build muscle in the chest and finally create a report to help the muscles and ligaments support the breast.
Ice massage

The daily intake of two cubes of ice, and applied to your breast, moving semi-circles. This may feel a bit "weird at firstbut at least one minute. Do not apply this technique for over a minute, or if the ice makes you feel very uncomfortable. The effect is immediate, and in fact acts as a toner to the tissue under the skin.

Breast Mask

There are many formulas, but it is very popular is spas and applied by professionals is very expensive. Fact alone is very effective and inexpensive.

In a blender, grind a large cucumber, a few drops of high fatcustard egg white. The effect of the ingredients must be reduced to a paste.

Apply the paste to the chest and let stand for 15 minutes. Because natural products there should be no cons stated, but does not apply to broken skin or if there are disorders of the skin. Wash in cold water.

There are two additional things that need to be recalled.

1.Wear always a good bra. They really help and

2.Never go in the sun without sunscreen, and is avery good idea not to go topless.

An organization will not begin the transformation until it is aware that the quality of the product or service must be improved. Awareness comes about when an organization loses market share or realizes that quality and productivity go hand in hand. It also occurs if TQM is mandated by the customer or if management realizes that TQM is a better way to run business and compete in domestic and world markets.

Automation or other productivity enhancements might not help a corporation if it is unable to market its product or service because the quality is poor. The Japanese learned this fact from practical experience. They could sell their products only at ridiculously low prices, and even then it was difficult to secure repeat sales. Until recently, corporations have not recognized the importance of quality. However, a new attitude has emerged—quality first among the equals of cost and service—the customer wants value.

Quality and productivity are not mutually exclusive. Improvements in quality can lead directly to increased productivity and other benefits. The improved quality results in improvement in productivity, capacity, and profit. Many quality improvement projects are achieved with the same workforce, same overhead, and no investment in new equipment.

More and more corporations are recognizing the importance and necessity of quality improvement if they are to survive domestic and world-wide competition. Quality improvement is not limited to the conformance of the product or service to specifications; it also involves the inherent quality in the design of the system. The prevention of the product, service, and process problems is a more desirable objective than taking corrective action after the product is manufactured or a service rendered.

TQM does not occur overnight; there are no quick remedies. It takes a long time to build the appropriate emphasis and techniques into the culture. Over-emphasis on short term results and profits must be set aside so long-term planning and constancy of purpose will prevail.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

208473     การใช้อิเล็กทรอนิกส์ในวิศวกรรมเครื่องกล     Practical electronics in Mechanical Engineering

อุปกรณ์ไฟฟ้าที่ใช้ทางเครื่องกล หลักการทํ างานของไดโอด แอลอีดี และทรานซิสเตอร์ หลักการเบื้องต้นของวงจรฟิลเตอร์ ไทม์เมอร์ คอมแพเรเตอร์และระบบดิจิทัล การนํ าออฟแอมป์และวงจรอินติเกรตมาประยุกต์ใช้ในการออกแบบวงจร การใช้รีเลย์ การอินเทอร์เฟสทรานสดิ้วเซอร์ การทํ างานของเซอโวแมคคานิซึม หลักการทํ างานของระบบต่าง ๆ ของโรบอติก

(Electrical instruments in mechanical systems; characteristics diodes, LED, and transistors; fundamental concepts of filters, time comparators and digital circuits; application and design us operational amplifiers, integrated circuits, relays, transdue interfacing and servomechanism; principles of robotic system.)

(208473 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

Adam’s brother Nigel got a deer last weekend, and gave us a really nice piece of venison.  Here’s what we made (this is adapted from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook):

Venison Pot Pie
1 pound lean boneless venison
2 T. oil
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup carrots, cubed
1 cup turnips, cubed
1/3 + 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp shortening or butter
1/3 cup milk

1. Cut meat into small cubes (about 1/2 in.) and brown in hot oil.

2. Add 2 c. stock, thyme, and a bit of pepper.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add vegetables and simmer, another 15-30 minutes.

3. Stir together 1/2 c. stock and 1/3 c. flour and stir into meat/vegetable mixture.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Pour into a casserole dish.

4. While your stuff is simmering, make the biscuits.  Stir together 3/4 c. flour, baking powder, sugar, and a good pinch of salt.  Cut in shortening or butter until it looks crumbly.  Add milk and stir just a bit.  Drop a couple handfuls on top of the meat/vegetable mixture in the casserole.  Bake at 450 degrees F for about 12 minutes or until the biscuits get all golden.

Serves 5-6 people

Here’s a picture of it in the pot.  Adam used our enameled cast iron dutch oven for the entire process.  That thing is awesome!

Variations:  you could substitute any root vegetable for the carrots and potatoes, and/or green beans instead of peas.