pavandeep

I took some pictures of the Gurdwara in Philadelphia (Upper Darby) on Sunday. It was about 10 am when I took the pictures. Most people don't get there until noon. The "program" usually ends at 1:30, and then everyone eats langar together.

This is disgusting. Ewwwww. Yuck. Yuck.
"he's a handful of treasure" - NO! it's a handful of rodent. Why would anyone want a rat for a pet? Who in their right mind creates "shows" for rats?!?!??!

Someone asked if I had a recipe for eggless brownies. I was cleaning my apartment and found this recipe in my kitchen. It's the best tasting eggless brownie recipe I've found, but it's not perfect. You really have to add stuff to make the brownies taste good. I would definitely add the walnuts or any other type of nut. Also, add chocolate chips (try mixing a few types... white, semi-sweet, and milk). The flour "paste" prevents the floury taste many eggless baked goods end up with.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a heavy saucepan combine the 1/3 cup of flour and water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter. When butter has melted, add the cocoa and mix until smooth; set aside to cool. Beat the sugar and vanilla into the cooled flour mixture. Stir in the cocoa mixture until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the batter until just blended. Fold in walnuts if desired. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before cutting into bars.

9. THOMAS GRASSO, OKLAHOMA, 1995--The signature meal in "Last Suppers". Mr. Grasso devoured a dozen steamed mussels, a Burger King double cheeseburger with mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, a can of Franco-American spaghetti with meatballs, a mango, half of a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and a strawberry milkshake. But, there was a problem. Mr. Grasso had been served spaghetti and meatballs, but had actually requested Spaghetti-O's. He did not take this slight lightly, his last words included this complaint, "I did not get my Spaghetti-O's. I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this!"

Isn't that grounds for a stay? Should be.

1. ROBERT BUELL, OHIO, 2002--A single black, unpitted olive. Actually, Buell was paying homage to to Victor Ferguer, the last prisoner executed by the federal government until Timothy McVeigh. Ferguer was hanged in 1963. His last meal--an olive with the pit still in it. He told prison officials that he hoped it would sprout from his body an olive tree -- a sign of peace. Ferguer's body was unclaimed by family and was quickly taken away by a funeral home after the execution and buried. His unmarked grave in a barren corner of a public cemetery bears no olive tree.

He couldn't really believe that, could he? I'm sure everyone's swallowed a seed at some point in their lives. I remember the first time I did. I thought I would have a Cherry tree growing out of me. But I was 4!

More here.

My uncle told me that if he ever has the opportunity to do so, he would like to open up a school. What would this school teach kids? It would teach them "how to be desi". Usually, I am able to keep a straight face when talking to him, but when he said that I couldn't stop laughing. Who would send their kids to such a school? What exactly would it teach them... how to make butter?
He said a lot of other crazy stuff, and I was wishing I had some paper and a pencil handy.. but I didn't :(

I'm not very good at guessing which online petitions will get a lot of signatures, and which ones won't. A petition asking the US postal service for a 'diwali' stamp got 209,008, but one asking the world to stop horse slaughter only got 48 signatures.

best friends suck.

My dad told my sister to clean her room because people have been coming over and sometimes they decide to take a tour of our house.


It looks a lot worse in person, but her solution was to close the door and put up a sign:

My grandmother, who we called Bayjee, passed away on June 1st.
Bayjee did a lot of paaht... it was pretty much what she did all day. For as long as I can remember she would be up for Amritvela. Before I recognized the importance of Amritvela I once told her that she didn't need to get up so early, since she didn't have to go to school or work. She taught me the importance of simran. When I was a kid I shared a room with her, and I think I was crying one night (probably for something silly like my brother pulling my guth (braid) and not getting in trouble for it... such an injustice!) and she told me to keep repeating "Waheguru" until I felt better. After that she started teaching me paaht, a little bit every night.

Earlier this week, when she was taken to the hospital, we found out she had breast cancer. There was nothing that could be done, in terms of treatment. I don't know whether or not she knew she was sick, but I know she didn't have any faith in doctors... only in Waheguru.



Her funeral will be June 11th at 2pm at the 'Riverside Funeral Home'.