#edible camphor

[gangotricamphor]

What is the difference between edible camphor and normal camphor which we use it for puja purposes? What are its benefits?

Edible camphor and normal camphor are chemically identical, but they are produced and used differently.

Normal camphor is typically made from synthetic camphor or from the natural resin of the camphor tree. It is commonly used in religious ceremonies and for its aromatic properties. It is not safe for consumption and should not be ingested. Find camphor manufacturers in India

On the other hand, edible camphor, also known as Pachai Karpooram or Borneo Camphor, is derived from the edible gum of the Dryobalanops aromatica tree. It is a white crystalline powder with a strong odor and a pungent taste. Edible camphor is commonly used in Indian cuisine as a flavoring agent and as a natural preservative for sweets and snacks. It is also used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for its various health benefits.

The benefits of edible camphor include:

Digestive aid: Edible camphor is known to improve digestion and relieve gas and bloating.

Respiratory health: Edible camphor is a natural expectorant and can help relieve coughs and congestion.

Pain relief: Edible camphor has analgesic properties and can be applied topically to relieve joint and muscle pain.

Skin care: Edible camphor is a natural antiseptic and can be used to treat skin conditions like acne and eczema.

It is important to note that while edible camphor is generally safe for consumption in small quantities, it should be used with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Overconsumption or improper use of camphor can be harmful and can cause serious health problems.

buy camphor tablets online from Gangotri Camphor. [Note: Camphor manufactured by Gangotri is not edible.]

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Arthropoda - Diplopoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Animals in the class Diplopoda are commonly called “Millipedes.” They comprise the orders Glomeridesmida (“Slug Millipedes”), Glomerida (“Northern Pill Millipedes”), Sphaerotheriida (“Giant Pill Millipedes”), Platydesmida (“Flat Millipedes”), Polyzoniida (“Camphor Millipedes”), Siphonocryptida, Siphonophorida, Julida, Spirobolida, Spirostreptida, Callipodida, Chordeumatida (“Sausage Millipedes”), Stemmiulida, Siphoniulida, Polydesmida, and Polyxenida (“Bristly Millipedes”).

Millipedes are detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter, making them important for cycling soil. Some species eat fungi or drink plant sap. Most species protect themselves with various chemical secretions, but they will also coil into a ball to protect their legs and vital areas when threatened. Polyxenids lack poison and a hard exoskeleton, so their defense involves barbed hairs that detach and stick to the mouths of predators.

Millipede heads are generally round and flattened, consisting of a pair of mandibles, a plate-like “jaw lip” called a gnathochilarium, a pair of small sensory antennae, and simple compound eyes. Some species have secondarily lost these eyes. Many species also have a pair of sensory organs called the Tömösváry organs at the bases of their antennae, which may measure humidity and/or light levels. Millipede bodies may be flattened or cylindrical, and they can be anywhere from 2 mm (1⁄16 in) to 35 cm (14 in) in length, and have from 11 to over 300 body segments. The segment behind their head is called a collum and is legless. The second, third, and fourth body segments are called haplosegments, and each have a single pair of legs on their underside. The remaining segments are called diplosegments and have two pairs of legs each. In some millipedes, the last few segments may be legless. The final segment is called the telson. It is always legless, and contains the anus. Some millipedes (those in the superorder Nematophora) have spinnerets as well, creating silk chambers in which to molt or lay their eggs. Though their name means “thousand feet”, only one species of centipede, Eumillipes persephone, has over 1,000 feet.

Millipede reproductive behavior is diverse. Bristle millipedes reproduce similarly to centipedes: depositing spermatophores onto webs they secrete, which are later picked up by females. Other millipedes have direct reproduction, meeting up to mate. Courtship may involve tapping antennae, the male running along the back of the female, offering gifts of edible glandular secretions, or even “chirping”. Males have one or two pairs of modified legs called gonopods which are used to transfer sperm to the female during copulation. A few species are parthenogenetic, having few, if any, males. Most species simply deposit their eggs on the ground, but some construct nests of dried feces or silk. In most species, the female abandons the eggs after they are laid, but some species do provide parental care for their eggs and young. Young millipedes usually hatch after a few weeks, bearing typically only three pairs of legs. Their development is anamorphic: adding on segments and legs with each moult. Some species can live up to 10 years.

Millipedes first appeared in the Silurian period. The most famous extinct millipedes, the genus Arthropleura of the Carboniferous, grew up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) long, making them some of the largest arthropods ever known.

Propaganda under the cut:

What is the difference between centipedes and millipedes? Centipedes are if a tiger was small, long, and venomous. Millipedes are if a cow was small, long, and poisonous. Hope that helps.

Mentioned above, Eumillipes persephone can have over 1,300 legs!

Millipedes have a vast array of chemical poisons to ward off predators, varying between genera. Polydesmid Millipedes produce Hydrogen cyanide. Motyxia species not only produce cyanide, but are also bioluminescent.

Despite their chemical defenses, many species prey on millipedes, some even benefiting from the poisons. Some poison dart frogs eat millipedes, converting their toxins into their own poison. Some lemurs use millipedes to self-medicate against parasites, or just to get high!

Many species have formed symbiotic relationships with millipedes. Some millipedes live only in ant colonies, while many mites use millipedes for transport to new areas. The Moss Millipede (Psammodesmus bryophorus) grows multiple species of moss on its back for camouflage, subsequently aiding the moss in dispersal.

[haggishlyhagging]

The original "medicine men" in history were actually women. Briffault writes on this subject, "The connection of women with the cultivation of the soil and the search for edible vegetables and roots made them specialists in botanical knowledge, which, among primitive peoples, is extraordinarily extensive. They became acquainted with the properties of herbs, and were thus the first doctors." He adds:

The word "medicine" is derived from a root meaning "knowledge" or "wisdom" - the wisdom of the 'wise woman." The name of Medea, the medical herbalist witch, comes from the same root.... "The secret of the witch," said an Ogowe native, "is knowing the plants that produce certain effects, and knowing how to compound and use the plants in order to bring about the desired result; and this is the sum and essence of witchcraft." In the Congo it is noted that woman doctors specialise in the use of drugs and herbal pharmacy. In Ashanti the medicine women are "generally preferred for medical aid, as they possess a thorough knowledge of barks and herbs." In East Africa "there are as many women physicians as men." (The Mothers, vol. I, p. 486)

Dan McKenzie, in The Infancy of Medicine (1927), lists hundreds of ancient remedies, some of which are still in use without alteration, while others have been only slightly improved upon. Among these are substances used for their narcotic properties. A fleeting review indicates the astounding scope of these medicinal products. Useful properties were developed from acacia, alcohol, almond, asafetida, balsam, betel, caffeine, camphor, caraway, chaulmoogra oil (a leprosy remedy), digitalis, gum barley water, lavender, linseed, parsley, pepper, pine tar, pomegranate, poppy, rhubarb, senega, sugar, turpentine, wormwood, and hundreds more. These came from regions all over the globe-South America, North America, Africa, China, Europe, Egypt, etc. Not only vegetable but animal substances were made into remedies; snake venom, for example, was converted into a serum to be used for snake bites, the equivalent of today's antivenin.

According to Marston Bates, very little had been added to this remarkable ancient collection of medicine, until the discoveries of sulfa and antibiotics. "How primitive man discovered the ways of extracting, preparing and using all of these drugs, poisons and foods, remains one of the great mysteries of human prehistory," he writes (The Forest and the Sea, p. 126). But it is not so mysterious when we look in the direction of the female sex and become acquainted with the hard work, vast experience, and nimble wits of primitive womankind, preoccupied with every aspect of group survival.

Not only medicine but the rudiments of various other sciences grew up side by side with the craft and know-how of women. Childe points out that to convert flour into bread requires a knowledge of biochemistry and the use of the yeast microorganism. This substance also led to the production of fermented liquors and beer. Childe also gives credit to women for "the chemistry of potmaking, the physics of spinning, the mechanies of the loom, and the botany of flax and cotton" (What Happened in History, p. 59).

-Evelyn Reed, Woman’s Evolution: From Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family

[subir-astrologer]

DONATION IN VEDIC ASTROLOGY AS REMEDY

According to vedic astrology one goes thru rough situations due to the activation of the malefic planets in their horoscope. The activation results of a malefic planet are more effective during is mahadasha ruling period as its is the maximum period that a planet has for its ruling.

In order to pacify the negative impact of the malefic planet, in vedic astrology there are many remedies prescribed by the Great sages of past.

In vedic astrology there are many remedies to pacify a malefic planet and one among them is donations.

Donating items / things as per the planet’s significance will pacify that planet and donation should be done with pure and honest heart. It should not be done with an intension of doing it for remedy ( all though it is done for remedy ).

sun related donations are wheat, jaggery, copper, gold etc to a government servant hence donation should be done on Sunday afternoon

Moon related donations are water, cooked food, couch, milk, rice, silver, pearls to a motherly figure especially from the business community on Monday evening period

Mars is a soldier hence the donation to security force related to people who are celebrate even watchmen is good on Tuesday afternoon, donation related to mars are rewadi, patasa, red dal & cloth, copper, coral , tandoori roti etc.

Mercury is a child hence donation to young student of green cloth &vegetables, book, pens, moong dal etc on Wednesday evening.

Jupiter related donations are kesar, chana dal, haldi, yellow flower, banana etc to senior teachers , priests or respected person of your locality on Thursday morning.

Shukra related donations are silk cloth, ghee, makhan, white sandalwood, cow, camphor, sugar & cloths etc to young women on Friday evening

Saturn related to iron, leather, til, sarso, blue sapphire, edible oil, coal etc to working class poor old man on Saturday any time.

Rahu is related to shadow so umbrella black urad & til plastic sheet, fake coins, gomed, coconut, seesa (lead) on amavas evening.

Ketu is related to multi coloured cloth, blankets , multi or mixed grain food, cats eyes, digging equipment, mustard oil etc to roaming sadhu whenever you spot them or when moon is transiting in ketu nakshatra.

Donation should be done for functional malefic or natural malefic afflicting one’s horoscope and specially in their mahadasha ruling period.

[aadhunikayurveda]

Best Manufacturer of Aromatherapy products in India

Aromatherapy is an alternate plant based treatment one can opt for and improve health of the body, mind and spirit. Any goods like diffusers, inhalers, body oils, massage oils, hot and cold compresses, etc. are appropriate since aromatherapy primarily relies on the sense of smell hence are quite popular and preferred.

Aadhunik Ayurveda vitals is the best manufacturer of aromatherapy products because all the aromas like lavender, chamomile, sweet lime, orange, lemongrass, juniper, camphor, eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, curry leaf, basil etc. are made at Aadhunik Ayurveda's own distillery using the conventional steam distillation method. These smells are more than just the aroma; they are also the plant's potent volatile chemicals, which can stimulate the body to heal itself.

Best Essential oil Manufacturer in India - We produce the top notch quality as was produced in ancient India. You can select to obtain essential oils that are completely pure and natural and that have been painstakingly extracted in a sophisticated distillation facility in Himalayan foothills, India.  We use steam distillation to prepare the variety we provide using freshly gathered flowers. This is due to the numerous advantages and applications of the essential oil created by Aadhunik Ayurveda, including -

Essential oils were first utilized as antibiotics by allopath's

.Because it is edible, it can be used as a natural and healthy aromatic and flavoring agent in foods and beverages such cakes, kheer, salads, soups, and curries.

Since it is made from plants and doesn't include any chemicals, it has excellent medicinal effects when inhaled.

Topical application, or application to the skin's surface, aids in skin hydration and healing.

This essential oil has only been steam distilled hence it is highly therapeutic.

The greatest quality essential oil is produced through a time- and labor-intensive procedure that involves obtaining raw materials, such as fresh or semi-dried herbs, directly from farmers and transporting them to Aadhunik Ayurveda's internal distillery. The best recognized method of steam distillation is used by Aadhunik Ayurveda to manufacture more than 40 different types of essential oils.

We are aware that the medicinal value and safety of essential oils depend on their quality. Nonetheless, we use tried-and-true techniques, procedures, and activities to create premium essential oils. All of our items undergo a rigorous quality check before being handed to customers.

A team of quality assurance specialists carefully examines the elements, such as plant species, processing, packaging, and storage, that may have an impact on the quality of essential oils. Highly recommended for use in aromatherapy and medicine as these are ISO-certified goods. 

Custom formulation Aromatherapy products - We can distill any herb of your choice using our world-class facility and on-site distillery to provide you a distinct competitive edge in the market. Working with us is quite easy; from comprehending the requirements to moving on to prototype creation, doing compatibility and performance tests, to working on packing, designing, and labelling.

The leading manufacturer of skin care, health, and wellness products is Aadhunik Ayurveda Vitals, which has a sophisticated network for obtaining top-notch agricultural input from farmers to produce top-notch products. At Aadhunik Ayurveda, everything is done to ensure that the items you receive are of the highest quality and are free from adulteration. Get in touch with us through our email aadhunikayurvedavitals@gmail.com

[blessed1neha]

What does Krishna eat?

Krishna can eat the whole universe but fearing that some would criticize Him for being a glutton, He eats only a little of each food preparation that is offered to Him. Let’s see the detailed preparations that Krishna eats.

Many different types of excellent preparations are made using pumpkin, potato, kachu, and radish. One preparation uses mustard, ginger, and bitter leaves fried in mustard oil.

Small pieces of eggplant are also cooked with Mung dal patties, ground ginger, and pieces of coconut fried in mustard oil, to produce a tasty dish.

Small pieces of eggplant, yam, kakarola, banana flower, mana-kachu, patalo, and white pumpkin are dried, skewered, and deep-fried to make another dish.

Eggplant, green banana, coconut, chick peas and mung dal patties are mixed and pepper and sugar are added to produce two different dishes, one spicy and the other sweet.

A soup with excellent aroma is also prepared from beans mixed with coconut and prthu root, mixed with lots of ghee, hing, ginger, and raw sugar.

Finely ground coconut is mixed with sugar syrup, milk, and mung dal to make one another dish, and cardamon, clove, pepper, hing, and ginger are mixed to make mung soup- a second soup.

Another soup (third soup) is also made using skinned mung beans, boiled and mixed with milk, and spiced with cardamon, clove, pepper, hing, and sugar.

A fourth soup is also prepared from husked beans and chopped radish with lots of ghee, hing, and pepper.

Another preparation involves selecting the hearts of the best banana and chopping the banana flowers finely, discarding the fibers. It is then cooked with milk, hing, and pepper. This dish is called Marica.

Chopping up arbi and radish finely and skinning unripe jackfruit, another dish is prepared. It is then cooked with dal patties, hing, pepper, and other spices.

Bottle gourd is sliced in long fine strips and is boiled in water and milk, while continuing stirring, till it thickens. Adding sugar, pepper, cumin, hing, and other spices, another delicious dish is prepared.

Taking ripe pumpkin and chopping it finely, frying it in mustard oil, spicing it with ginger, hing, and anise, and mixing it with thickened buttermilk, a sour yogurt dish is also prepared.

In another preparation, radish and puru are cut in circles and cooked in yogurt and black sugar. Mixed with tamarind, another sour preparation is made.

Chickpea flour, yogurt, turmeric, and citron juice are mixed and formed into soft, attractive balls known as kanjika-bati.

Green mango mixed with mustard seeds, and fried in ghee, produces another sweet preparation. Ripe mango mixed with water, sugar, and milk produces a sweet and sour preparation.

Roasted sesame mixed with dry mango produces another sour preparation and toasted sesame with cinnamon makes another dish. Green and ripe mangoes are mixed with sweetened milk and hing to produce more sour dishes.

Cakes are prepared from coconut, rice, roasted sesame, and milk. Warm filtered water is poured over these and are left covered. Then, condensed milk is added. This preparation is called Chitra.

Cream mixed with pepper, camphor, and raw sugar is formed into huge balls known as sara-dugdha-kupi. Using mund-dhal and other ingredients, various pistakas are made.

Sweets such as jilavika, mathahari, puru, pupa, gaja, nada and saraswati are also made. Also are made kharcura, dadimaka, sarkara- pala-mukta, and ladduka.

Laddus are made from condensed and curdled milk. Manohara, hamsakeli, sobharika, daibada, ghola-bada, attakeli, and veni (wheat noodles cooked in milk) are some varieties of Laddus.

Chandrakanti, lalita, amrtapuli, and other sweets are also made. Yogurt, butter, buttermilk, milk, sarabhaji, srikhanda, and other edibles, and many excellent drinks are also made.

All these food preparations are served with rich aromatic white rice, soaked in ghee. All these are served with ghee, slices of lemon, pickles, ginger, mango, mustard sauce, and other such condiments. Huge jugs of water are also served which is scented with camphor.

In this way, innumerable preparations with enticing aromas are prepared, arranged, and served beautifully on the dining table, placing them on jeweled and golden trays for the pleasure of Krishna. Mother Yashoda and Rohini arranges to serve food in proper order and Krishna eats them in that order. Whatever Krishna begins tasting, He is unable to resist eating it. And though He wants to eat all of the preparation, and has the ability to do so, out of fear of onlookers and criticism of being a glutton, Krishna tastes only a little of each preparation.

Lord Krishna begins by eating payasa (sweet milk rice). By eating this payasa, Krishna silently says in His mind ‘’Delicious, Delicious!’’. There are many preparations in huge quantities and Krishna wants to eat them all. He thus takes some amount of all the preparations and thus starts eating the main course, beginning with spinach.

While eating, Krishna makes His companion laugh with His sweet humorous words, saying ‘’Eat, eat, don't leave anything’’, thus giving deep pleasure to each one of His associates.

Taking a little rice, Krishna eats each vegetable prepared with it. But His greed for each item cannot be satisfied. While praising each of His favorite cakes and milk sweets, He eats them all and pretends to be satisfied.

Though Mother Yashoda and Rohini say, ‘’Eat more, Eat more’’, He gives a show of being full, though internally He is never satisfied. Finally, washing His lotus feet, hands, and mouth, and then wiping them, Krishna takes tambula and spices and lays down on a soft bed for some time.

I hope, you got a basic idea of what Krishna eats. Finally, special credit for all this cooking goes to Srimati Radharani and Her close associates.

May one who reads this with attentive faith and devotion develop pure love for Krishna. These confidential descriptions are mentioned by the confidential associate of Lord Krishna- Sri Kavi Karnapura, in his Sanskrit Kavya ‘Krishahnika Kaumudi'. The english translation is offered by H.H. Bhanu Swami. I have thus shared these details, as mentioned by our acharyas.

[chaitanyavijnanam]

శ్రీ లలితా చైతన్య విజ్ఞానము - 559 - 3 / Sri Lalitha Chaitanya Vijnanam - 559 - 3

🌹. శ్రీ లలితా చైతన్య విజ్ఞానము - 559 - 3 / Sri Lalitha Chaitanya Vijnanam - 559 - 3 🌹 🌻. లలితా సహస్ర నామముల తత్వ విచారణ 🌻 ✍️. సద్గురు శ్రీ కంభంపాటి పార్వతీ కుమార్ సేకరణ : ప్రసాద్ భరద్వాజ 🍁. మూల మంత్రము : ఓం ఐం హ్రీం శ్రీం శ్రీమాత్రే నమః 🍁 🍀 114. తాంబూల పూరిత ముఖీ, దాడిమీ కుసుమప్రభా । మృగాక్షీ, మోహినీ, ముఖ్యా, మృడానీ, మిత్రరూపిణీ ॥ 114 ॥ 🍀 🌻 559. 'తాంబూలపూరిత ముఖీ' - 3 🌻

సామాన్య రతి నుండి శివానుభూతి వరకు కూడ తాంబూలమునకు ప్రాముఖ్యత గలదు. తాంబూలమునకు ప్రధానమగు వస్తువులు తమలపాకు, సున్నము, వక్క, యాలకులు, లవంగములు, పచ్చ కర్పూరము యిత్యాదులు. కొనుగోలు చేయు మిఠాయి కిళ్లీలు తాంబూలము కాజాలదు. తాంబూలమును ఆహార స్వీకరణమునకు తదుపరియే గైకొనవలెను గాని తోచినప్పుడెల్ల తినరాదు. అట్లు జేసినచో జీర్ణావయవముల యందు పుండ్లు పడు అవకాశ ముండును. తాంబూలము గూర్చి తర్కించ��టకన్న శ్రీమాతకు ప్రియము గనుక తాంబూలము గైకొనుట భక్తులు చేయవలసిన పని.

సశేషం...

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

🌹 Sri Lalitha Chaitanya Vijnanam - 559 - 3 🌹 Contemplation of 1000 Names of Sri Lalitha Devi ✍️ Prasad Bharadwaj 🌻 114. Tanbulapuritamukhi dadimikusumaprabha mrugashi mohini mudhya mrudani mitrarupini ॥114 ॥ 🌻 🌻 559. 'Tāmbūlapūrita Mukhi' - 3 🌻

From ordinary intimacy to spiritual union with Śiva, tāmbūla holds significance. The primary ingredients of tāmbūla include betel leaves, lime, areca nut, cardamom, cloves, and edible camphor. Commercially available sweet paan cannot be considered true tāmbūla. Tāmbūla should be consumed after meals but not frequently, as excessive use can lead to ulcers in the digestive system. Instead of debating about tāmbūla, devotees should offer it to Śrī Mātā as it is dear to her.

Continues...

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

[goodbfoods]

BASANT PANCHAMI SPECIAL KESARI HONEY RICE

Celebrate the vibrant festival of Basant Panchami with a delightful twist to the traditional rice dish. GOODB brings you a special Kesari Honey Rice recipe that combines the richness of saffron-infused rice with the sweetness of honey, creating a delectable dish that is sure to be a hit during your festive celebrations.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice

2 cups water

1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 cup cashews, chopped

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

1/4 teaspoon saffron strands

1/2 cup warm milk

1 cup GOODB Honey (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

A pinch of edible camphor (optional, for added fragrance)

Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions:

1. Rinse and Soak the Rice:

Wash the Basmati Rice under cold water until the water runs clear.

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes to allow it to absorb moisture.

2. Prepare the Saffron Infusion:

Warm the milk and add saffron strands to it. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes, allowing the saffron to infuse its flavor and color into the milk.

3. Cook the Rice:

In a large pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water.

Cook the rice until it is 70-80% done, ensuring it retains a slight bite.

4. Drain and Set Aside:

Drain the partially cooked rice and set it aside.

5. Saute Nuts:

In a separate pan, heat ghee over medium heat.

Add chopped cashews and sliced almonds, sauteing until they turn golden brown.

6. Combine Rice and Nuts:

Gently mix the partially cooked rice with the sauteed nuts, ensuring an even distribution.

7. Add Saffron Milk Mixture:

Pour the saffron-infused milk over the rice-nut mixture, stirring gently to coat the rice with the aromatic saffron flavor.

8. Sweeten with GOODB Honey:

Drizzle GOODB honey over the rice, adjusting the quantity according to your sweetness preference. Mix well.

9. Flavor with Cardamom and Edible Camphor:

Sprinkle cardamom powder over the rice and add a pinch of edible camphor for an extra layer of fragrance. Mix gently.

10. Simmer and Steam:

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld, and the rice to fully cook.

11. Garnish and Serve:

Once the rice is fully cooked and aromatic, garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Serve the Basanti Panchami Special Kesari Honey Rice hot, bringing the essence of the festival to your table.

Conclusion:

Enjoy this delightful and aromatic Kesari Honey Rice made with Basmati Rice, adding a touch of sweetness to your Basant Panchami celebrations.

[satgurucreations]

Any edible camphor which is derived from tree/plant/weeds is called Pacha Kapoor. Thus Pacha Kapoor is umbrella caegory and all edible camphors fall under this. Since Bhimseni kapoor is derived from tree named Cinnamomum Camphora or Kapoor tree it is also Pacha i.e edible camphor. It is best for medicinal and religious purposes and Ayurvedic texts refer to this camphor. But not all pacha are Bhimseni there is Baras Kapoor derived from weeds found in Malaysia. This kapoor is getting imported in India since 15 th century and is also used in medicines. Non edible camphor or synthetic camphor is what we get nowadays. This camphor is derived from Turpentine and is in fact Camphene. It is water insoluble and should not be used for dietary or medicinal purpose. It can be cheaper substitute for edible camphor in Surma, Kajal or Vaporub hence amost all commercial topical products use synthetic camphor and of course it being rampantly used for religious purpose.

[desibasket]

Natural Hair Color with Henna for Hair Dye from the Best Store

American culture is not like Indian culture, and thus people shifting to the US have difficulty coping with the process. Whether you want to Buy Henna for Hair Dye or get the Amla herb powder for the hair – they bring it all!

[cowperviolet]

A Fantasy Writer’s Guide to Entremets

Ok - I know that fantasy worlds don’t have to be medieval-influenced. However, most do tend to have historical elements from different eras worked into them; so why not entremets, especially since they have their origins in the feasts of antiquity, and have been deployed through the Middle Ages and Renaissance both? 

If anything, they fit the Rule of Cool. 

So, what are the entremets? To put it very simply, they are the elements of the feast that do not, strictly speaking, belong on the menu. They can be statues, performances, automata (I guess I should put steampunk in the tags), tableaux, even edible-stuff-that’s-just-really freaky. 

Here are some examples (most are drawn from the Burgundian court, because it was the most Extra one):

(Technically) edible stuff:

A lamprey burrowed into a river bottom - that is, a lamprey meat is roasted, then covered in a thick sauce made from combining its blood with spices and vinegar to create the effect of mud.

Cigne revestu - a cooked swan redressed in its skin and feathers.

Doreures - poultry is stuffed with a mixture of pork, bacon, eggs, spices, pine-nut paste, and currants, then roasted; the leftover stuffing is made into balls and roasted as well. Then everything is covered in gold and silver leaf. Because they can. 

Coqz heaumez - a stuffed roasted hen is seated atop a piglet and given a helmet of glued paper and a lance. These should be covered with gold- or silver-leaf for lords, or with white, red, or green tin-leaf, depending on the hen’s station in life, I guess.

Statuary:

The portrayal of the story of the Swan Knight - a wooden box with wheels is constructed; water-filled lead coffer holding a minever-covered parchment boat and a swan sculpture tied together with a golden chain are placed within.A cloth painted to represent water is then attached to hide men who are going to move the box around underneath. 

The Cleveland fountain - an octagonal Gothic tower in three tiers of gilt-silver. Liquid (can be perfumed/rosewater) rises through the central tube and issues from the mouths of the four animals at the top. Then it cascades down each level through spouts in the forms of human and animal faces. The water jets turn a series of wheels attached to bells, making everything whirl and ring.

Something I am going to leave as a direct quote, because I can’t even - ‘At a special table there was a high pillar, on which was seated an ymage of a young woman, nude except for her long blonde hair which covered her back to her waist; on her head was a rich hat; [she was] wrapped, so as to preserve propriety, in a cloth like a fluttering veil with Greek letters on it in many places, beautifully written in violet; and this ymage jetted hippocras from her breasts the entire duration of the supper. And near her, braced against the dresser, was another pillar, not as tall, but a little thicker, like a platform, on which was attached, by an iron chain, a very beautiful and entirely alive lion, as a sign to guard and defend the ymage; against his pillar was written on a charge in gold: Do not touch my lady’. 

A (thank God) fake fire-breathing lion - the sculpture’s mouth is lined with brass-lined mouth, with paper teeth glued within. Camphor and a little cotton are put there, and lit just before it’s presented to the guests.

A ship - such as a miniature anchored carrack laden with various merchandise, with miniature figures of sailors to complete the picture.

Spice-carrying miniature figures of animals -  these could be large elephants carrying castles, dromedaries with large baskets, unicorns, stags, etc. The animals would be bedecked with gold, silver and azure, their coverings decorated with gold thread and silk. Each of them carried the arms of a lord subject to, in one particular case, the Duke of Burgundy, with the name of the town or lordship. But really, any overlord fits. 

Tableaux/mini-plays:

These are highly specific things, tailored to each occasion - whether, political, pious, marital or simply entertaining - so I’m going to describe particular instances that can be, however, easily dismembered into elements:

The entremet of the Holy Church was something presented by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy at his Feast of the Pheasant in 1454. It began with an armed giant in a long green silk robe with the turban on his head entering the room leading an elephant covered in silk. On the elephant’s back rode a lady wearing a white satin robe with a black coat and headdress (i.e. looking nun-like, but not quite). Addressing the noble company, the lady revealed that she was the Holy Church. As one does, she delivered a long complaint poem to those present, detailing her fallen state after the Turkish capture of Constantinople, and then asked for their aid. In the Ye Olde Photo Op, the Duke drew out a letter promising to aid his fellow Christians and had his herald read it aloud to the assembled guests. Having heard this assurance of aid, the Holy Church blessed him and was led out on her elephant. The evening culminated in the nobles offering immediate written vows to sign up for a crusade. 

The wedding of Charles the Bold and Margaret of York involved a series of carefully staged entremets chock-full of symbolism, given the touchy political nature of their union:

First, a man dressed as leopard came into the room riding a ‘unicorn’ caparisoned in a cloth painted with the English royal arms. The leopard held an English banner in one paw and a daisy in the other. Charles’ maître d’hôtel took the flower and presented it to the groom, saying: “Most excellent, high and victorious prince, my awesome and sovereign lord, the proud and awesome leopard of England comes to visit the noble company; and for your consolation and the consolation of your allies, countries and subjects, makes you the present of a noble marguerite.”

The second entremet was, in turn, dedicated to Margaret. A giant ‘lion’ entered, his covering painted with the arms of Burgundy.  Madame de Beaugrand, the dwarf of Margaret’s new stepdaughter Mary of Burgundy, rode upon it, accompanied by two noblemen. Madame de Beaugrand was dressed in a cloth-of-gold and violet version of a shepherdess’s garb and held a basket painted with the names of various virtues, a Burgundian banner, and a small dog on a leash. Then the ‘lion’ circled the room and sang a song welcoming the “beautiful shepherdess” who is “the source of hope, solace, strength, pride, peace, and safety for all the ruled lands.”

As a last note, possibly just to highlight the lavish and cosmopolitan nature of the court into which she has married, a highly realistic simulated camel saddled “in the Saracen manner” entered the room, with a man dressed in an Eastern fashion and two giant baskets on its back. He opened the baskets and took from them “birds strangely painted, as though they came from India,” and released them to fly around the room. They landed on various tables to the sounds of trumpets.

‘A marvellously large and beautiful stag entered the room, all white with large golden antlers, and covered in a rich covering of green and vermilion silk, as far as I could tell. A young boy twelve years old was mounted on the stag, dressed in a short robe of crimson velvet, wearing a little black slashed hat on his head, and shod in fine shoes. This child held on to the antlers of the stag with both hands. As he entered the room, he began on a song in a very high and clear voice, and the stag seemed to sing the tenor part, without there appearing to be any other person about save the child and artifice of the stag, and the song they sang was called ‘Je ne voy onques la pareille etc.’ [I have never seen her like].’ (Olivier de la Marche’s memoires, 1562). 

‘A watchman on the tower made as if to carry out his watch, and recognising that the tents and pavilions represented towns that were friendly, called for a fanfare of trumpets, which was performed by four boars from the windows in the tower. Then four lifelike goats appeared at the same windows, playing a motet on sackbuts and shawms; followed by four wolves with flutes, then four donkeys singing a song in four parts. For the fifth and last entremets, the watchman asked for a ‘morisque’ dance to entertain the company. Seven lifelike monkeys emerged along a balcony rail from a door in the tower. They found a mercer asleep by his wares and proceeded to play with them. They danced a morisque; then the tables were cleared and the guests danced’. (Ibid.)

[lavender-uses-study]

the rest of the story lavender history, folklore, literature & more

lavender flavor notes a penetrating aroma that is sweetly floral, some citrus and minty undertones; potent flavor is slightly camphor to taste, with bitter aftertaste.📷culinary uses for lavender It is important to use lavender sparingly in recipes. Great in both sweet and savory dishes, and visually resplendent as a culinary decorative device.household uses for lavender Of all the simples in the botanical kingdom, few hold such a place of reverence in the gardens and hearts of herbal enthusiasts as lavender. Its graceful beauty, peppery fragrance, and potent therapeutic properties have made this herb a staple in the kitchen and bath.lavender water recipe This basic recipe has so many uses! Use it to freshen linens, as an herbal air freshener, as a hair tonic, or as a facial spritz (try refrigerating it). ingredients 1 ½ cups distilled water ½ rosewater (available in pharmacies) 50 drops lavender essential oil Combine all ingredients into a clean spray bottle. Shake before use.📷 lavender usable plant parts flowers, leaf, whole plant (hedging)farming and processing Lavender is in the family Lamiaceae which is native to the western Mediterranean. It thrives with relatively little amount of water in sunny open areas. Lavender is grown in commercially on a large scale, mostly for its aromatic uses.Lavender stems can be gathered just as flowers open. Leaves can be picked at anytime. Process lavender by laying stems on trays or hanging them in bundles.

choosing your lavender When choosing which variety to purchase please consider: all are edible; all have the same aromatic value.

Ultra (743) has the most vibrant color and is good for visual purposes (cooking, potpourri, etc). Extra has a light blue/grey color and is less expensive, this makes it best for projects where color is not important as flowers will be hidden (making sachets, pillows etc.) Organic is, well just that, organic....

culinary uses for lavender It is important to use lavender sparingly in recipes. Great in both sweet and savory dishes, and visually resplendent as a culinary decorative device.

household uses for lavender Of all the simples in the botanical kingdom, few hold such a place of reverence in the gardens and hearts of herbal enthusiasts as lavender. Its graceful beauty, peppery fragrance, and potent therapeutic properties have made this herb a staple in the kitchen and bath.

lavender water recipe This basic recipe has so many uses! Use it to freshen linens, as an herbal air freshener, as a hair tonic, or as a facial spritz (try refrigerating it). ingredients 1 ½ cups distilled water ½ rosewater (available in pharmacies) 50 drops lavender essential oil Combine all ingredients into a clean spray bottle. Shake before use.

source: Monterey Bay Spice Co.

Lavender

[devitastyrecipes]

Wheat Rava Kesari with Jaggery| Goduma rava kesari | Wheat Rava Halwa recipe

#WheatRavaKesari #Sweets #Prasadam 

Wheat Rava kesari is a famous and healthy sweet recipe in South Inda. We offer this as prasadam for Gods on special  days. This is very quick recipe which can be prepared in 15-20 minutes. I prepared this with jaggery to  make recipe healthy.

Ingredients: 

#Ghee - 2 tbspn 

#Cashews - 10 

#Raisins - 15 

Broken #wheat rava - 1/2 cup 

#Water - 2 cups

 #Jaggery - 3/4th cup 

#Sugar - 1 tbspn 

Crushed #cardamons - 2 

Edible #camphor - 1 small pinch

[thegayfromrulid]

Hello! Congrats on 2k kudos!!!! I love your fic so much :) I’d like to request a YujiKiri one-shot (real life AU) where Kirito and Eugeo go on a date at a park. Kirito loves plants and he keeps excitedly babbling about all the flowers and Eugeo is just thinking to himself, ‘lol I love him when he talks about stuff he’s interested in.’ I’d also like to add an extra side of fluff with that. (P.S.: I really love your fic and you’re an amazing person)

Awwwe. You’re so sweet. You’re amazing, too, kiddo! This was very fun and cute to write! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! One-shot below the cut! 

           Certain places are the kinds of locations you’d expect to go on dates at—like sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, or, for fancier folks, maybe a dine-in playhouse. In truth, a date could be just about anywhere. Kirito’s choice for a date location was neither a grand cliché nor somewhere totally unexpected for a romantic afternoon: a walk through the park.

           It was a casual outing; I picked out an outfit that would be comfortable for outdoor strolls while simultaneously looking a little bit dressed up. I wanted to impress my date with my sense of style, after all. He’d probably compliment me wearing just about anything, but at least he’d appreciate some outfit effort. I hoped he was thinking the same.

           I met him at the park just after lunch. He waited for me by the park gates. When I made it over to him, we shared a greeting kiss. Kirito smiled and complimented my outfit—in turn, I told him he looked very handsome today. He blushed a little, then started to rub the back of his neck. I reached over and grasped his hand.

           “I’m only telling the truth,” I said.

           His blush intensified.

           “Shall we?” I asked, nodding towards the park.

           Kirito perked back up. He suddenly tugged me along the path, clearly eager to show me something. I wondered what kind of thing might excite him in a public park. He always had his head stuck in some kind of computer or machine; a park might have seemed out of character for him to the average onlooker. But I knew him better than anyone else, being his boyfriend. There was one thing—one simple little precious thing—that Kirito might want right here in a lush, open-air park such as this one.

           He dropped down onto a bench suddenly. I plopped down next to him, still holding his hand in mine as if he’d disappear if I let go. He pointed across the pathway to a tree, smiling at me with a curious sparkle in his eyes.

           “Do you know the scientific name for the camphor tree?” he asked.

           I shook my head.

           “Can’t say that I do,” I said.

           Kirito shifted excitedly, clearly happy that I’d opened up the floor for him to talk about this tree. This was his surprising side to anyone who wasn’t close to him. He loves plants. I was certain that after he gave me his bit about this camphor tree, he’d drag me down towards the garden to talk about the flowers.

           “It’s Cinnamomum camphora,” he said. “It’s mainly used for oils and timber.”            I chuckled.

           “I was going to guess it was related to cinnamon,” I said.

           “You probably shouldn’t eat that,” he noted. “Unless you really want to see me try?”

           I shook my head again. He grinned mischievously and pulled me up off of the bench to dash over to the tree. He made a show of mockingly going to bite it. I playfully whacked his arm, telling him not to get caught taking bites out of the trees. Kirito diverted his attention away from the tree for a moment to steal a kiss from me.

           His kisses were always as sweet as the scent of the flowers he liked to share with me. As he pulled his lips away to give me one of the best of his smiles, I felt a tug in my chest. I wanted to kiss him again. But he was already dashing down the sidewalk like an excited child. I did my best to keep up with him, if only to ensure that our hands never separated. I ran after him, drinking up the fresh, spring air and his pleasant aura all at once.

           He finally came to a stop at the edge of the garden. Spread out before us was a vast bed of flowers, arranged in such a way that they were a perfectly blended gradient of reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks. Their scents wafted over to us on the gentle breeze. A few people were milling about the garden, pointing into the sea of blossoms and speaking quietly to themselves.

           “The gardeners really outdid themselves, didn’t they?” I said.

           Kirito nodded.

           “It’s breathtaking,” he said. “You think I could ever make a garden like that?”

           Back at his place, he was trying to raise a plant for the first time. It was a pretty blue flower that was shaped like a star. He’d become quite attached to the gardening habit, even if it was just for the sake of his little blue friend. He seemed to be seriously contemplating having a much larger garden when he got a house. I pondered about that for a moment.

           Kirito, with a cozy little house and a largish garden out front, would spend part of his day working on his mechatronics and the other part tending to his plant friends. I couldn’t help but insert myself into this little daydream about the future—we were side-by-side in the garden there just as much as we were now. Just thinking about it made my heart flutter. I squeezed his hand gently.

           “What are you blushing about?” he asked.

           “Oh, nothing.”

           He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and guided me over closer to the edge of the flower bed.

           “You see these orange ones on the left?”

           I nodded.

           “Those are tiger lilies,” he said. “Sometimes I wonder if the person who named them put a lot of thought into that or not. The brown speckles don’t make me think of tigers. I associate speckles more with leopards and cheetahs. But a cheetah lily might be silly, huh?”

           His comment made me chuckle. I didn’t think of any animals when just staring down at a flower, but someone along the line must have gazed down at this blossom and been reminded of a tiger in some fashion.

           “Well, if not a cheetah lily, what would you call it?” I asked him.

           Frowning in thought, he grasped his chin with his hand and stared off at some point in the distance. His forehead creased just a bit when he was in thought. The progression of him thinking to him stumbling across an answer was evident on his face in an almost cartoonish way. His eyes widened and his face lit up with a huge grin.

           “I’d call them fox lilies!” he said.

           I lifted an eyebrow at him and smiled.

           “Any particular reason why?”

           “Foxes are orange,” he said, “and keeping with the theme, they’re an animal.”

           When I started to giggle at his answer, he gave me a funny look.

           “What?” he asked.

           “I don’t think you had to keep with the animal theme,” I said, leaning over to press my shoulder against his.

           He raised his eyebrows.

           “Fair point.”

           I wrapped my arm around his so that our bodies were pressed up against each other. I skimmed over the flower bed, looking at all of the different shapes and colors. Kirito started to babble mindlessly about each and every one he could identify. I watched him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.

           This. This pure moment of Kirito enjoying something without a care in the world was what made me fall for him over and over again. He didn’t seem to know when his flip switched and he went from a cautious, on-guard person just trying to fit into the social setting to a carefree individual just excited to exist and share his love for something. Watching him pull down all of his walls and be himself without chains brought joy to my heart.

           Facts about flowers from seemingly out of nowhere spilled from his mouth. Some were about how they grew or where they preferred to be planted. He knew the histories behind some of their names, and wondered aloud to me about others much in the same way he had about the tiger lilies. He simple biology facts, flower meanings, and whether or not they were edible.

           He even tried to prove one’s edibility to me. I had to stop him. I couldn’t keep myself from laughing as he plucked one flower and stuffed it in his mouth to prove his point. Knowing I was already too late, I reached over and grabbed the stem that was sticking out of his mouth to remove the flower. He let me take it and toss it in a nearby garbage bin. When I turned back to him, he reached over and cupped my face in one hand.

           “Hey. Hold still a moment,” he said.

           I stood as still as I could manage.

           “What for?” I asked.

           “For this,” he said.

           He slipped a blue flower’s stem into my hair in such a way that it tucked behind my ear. I felt the weight of the flower in my hair and locked eyes with him. His smile was so soft. I wanted to lean forward and kiss him again. I didn’t have to ask, though. He took the liberty of touching his lips to mine without needing to be told. When he pulled back and gazed at me again, he brushed the hair on the other side of my head behind my ear and sighed.

           “That flower is a forget-me-not,” he said, in a voice like a whisper.

           His eyes looked slightly misty.

           “Is something wrong?” I asked.

           He shook his head.

           “No,” he said. “I’m just thinking about how well that flower suits you, both in color and in name.”

           I lifted my hand to the side of my head and contemplated touching the area where the flower was.

           “What do you mean?” I asked.

           He smiled, but it seemed different than before. This smile exuded a feeling that couldn’t quite be put into words. His fingers brushed along my bare cheek.

           “Undying love,” he said.

           He pulled me in to yet another kiss. When we parted, he started to talk more about the symbolism behind the flower. It was associated with lovers not just in the sense of undying love, but of growing affection, loyalty to one another even apart, reminders of one another, and a connection between two people that would last a very long time. His explanation made him sound like such a sappy romantic.

           “What kind of flower would you pick for me?” he asked.

           I thought about that. I wasn’t as familiar with flower facts as he was. There was one flower, however, that I did know the meaning of. While it wasn’t as deeply thought out as his example was, I knew it could still come across as meaningful.

           “I’d pick you a bouquet of salvia,” I said.

           He chuckled a little at the thought.

           “Is that because of the story of me and Suguha eating it?” he asked.

           I shook my head.

           “Salvia means healing,” I said.

           A curious expression replaced his laughter.

           “I’m pleasantly surprised you know that,” he said. “But now I’m even more curious as to why you picked it.”

           It suddenly seemed embarrassing to spout off what I’d been thinking of. His example had been romantic, for sure, but it was the kind of fluffy thing that one expected out of a casual romantic comment. My answer was much deeper than just flirting in the part. I felt my cheeks flush with heat just thinking about it.

           “Is it that embarrassing?” he asked. “I promise I won’t laugh.”

           I shook my head. He was right.

           “I…I just associate you with my own personal healing,” I said, staring down at the ground. “Before we met…before we were together…things were really hard. But then you came into my life and you take me out here, where it’s peaceful and beautiful…and I feel like the hurt and pain I was feeling have been healed just by you coming into my life and helping me to…”

           I paused and glanced over the flower bed. I took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

           “…to stop and enjoy the flowers.”

           He let out a small laugh and pulled me into his arms.

           “I’m glad I can share them with you,” he said. “You’re more precious to me than any of these flowers, and they’re even more special now that I can share them with you, Eugeo.”  

           I slipped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his shoulder. I don’t feel like I deserve Kirito. This boy who stepped into my somber, dull life just whisked me away to a garden every so often and opened my eyes to a world of color. I might never understand why he cared this much for me, but I am grateful. Because the colors didn’t just come from the flowers right here in front of us.

           They came from the garden in Kirito’s heart.