Homemade Paneer

Ingredients:

1 gallon of whole milk
2 tbsps of white vinegar

Directions:

Boil milk in a pot uncovered. As soon as milk comes to a boil, add vinegar and stir continuously. The milk will begin to curdle and separate from the whey. Keep stirring until the whey is completely separated. Turn off heat. Let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Empty contents into a colander or strainer lined with muslin cloth. Rinse the paneer with cold water to get rid of the vinegar taste. After washing thoroughly, drain all the water from the paneer. Tie the muslin cloth and hang to drain all excess water. After about 2 hours, empty paneer into a big bowl and knead until it forms a ball. Mold "dough" into a rectangular shape and refrigerate to help solidify. After approximately 4 hours, the paneer is ready to use.

Guys, I am going.....

Last weekend I was at the Sacramento River with some great people, a few of whom are great swimmers as well. Everyone was having a stellar time since we had a tube that most of the swimmers took advantage of. I went about my regular routine, yes I do have a routine at the river. Stay in the shallows then go to the "deeper" end to play volleyball with everyone and then return to the shallow end and "attempt" to swim. Yes, you read correct. "Attempt". This island-born-and-raised girl does not know how to swim. So to be safe, I hang out in the shallows. My biggest mistake, I don't wear a life vest because its uncomfortable. Or should I say, I didn't wear a life vest 'til last weekend's incident.

So, I was doing the regular hanging out the "deep" ends, which is usually right up to my waist, and felt heavy waves coming along. Some jerk must have been going super vast in the slow, swimming zones. Well, first came one wave and I felt it pull me in. At this point I could still feel the bottom of the riverbed so I tried "swimming" upward. Another wave came rather quickly and pulled me in even deeper. At this point, I couldn't feel the "earth" below me, so I said to my dear friend and my sister... hey guys, I am going... Of course, not the best choice of words, but honestly I was going! They thought I meant, I was swimming. Now, I am going is quite vague so its totally not their fault.

Well, a few seconds later, I went under. It was then the swimmers with us realized, hey, she can't swim! I plunged under, came back up and looked at my friend Al straight in the eye. By this time he was already jumping in the water. Needless to say, he saved my life and today I have a new nick name. Quietest drownee.

According to my friends and family members, I am by far the quietest drowning person they have ever seen. I didn't panic, didn't scream and I defineitely didn't do the whole, oh someone save me, I'm drowning. According to an article on Yahoo, thats normal. I bet you didn't know that! The article said,

The Instinctive Drowning Response, a term coined by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people instinctively do to avoid suffocation when drowning. The responses to drowning are undramatic and surprisingly quiet.  Drownings are the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4. Even scarier is that in a small but significant percentage of kids' drownings, an adult will have watched the whole process, not having a clue what was happening. 

You can read the rest of the article here.  And, if you have children, I highly recommend you read it.

As for my knowledge on drowning, well, lets say I know first hand what it feels like and trust me, its not a good feeling. So, everyone, learn from my mistakes and wear a life jacket. Always. Even if you know how to swim.

Its Been Almost a Year...

It's been nearly a year since I first saw him. Our first conversation was weird in a sense that I was so preoccupied with the hustle and bustle I didn't really pay close attention to what he was saying but I still remember standing with him outside the temple in complete disbelief that he was actually enjoying the sunset... I had never met  anyone like him. I can say with so much assurance that he has taught me so much about life and about me.

I still remember the first day we spent together... It wasn't magical but it did leave me with many memories. What was magical was our first sunset together. The beauty that both of us saw through two sets of eyes but one soul. I'm not sure when I fell in love with his insightful traits... His depth... His simplicity but I do know that he makes me feel special. He is the first man after a long time that I can depend on. He has become my backbone. He has opened me up to the world like never before. All this in just one year... A year that changed me more than any other.