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Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
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subset: commoncrawl


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To install an addon you simply have to download the .teaa file and place it in your game's game/addons/ folder, unless the addon explicitly gives special install instructions.
How to create new addons
See addon uploading page of the wiki.


text:
Friday, September 19, 2008
Mixed Signals
Friday, September 19, 2008
A screaming baby paired with "congratulations"? Ah, that's subtle sarcasm at its snarky finest.
Here's a tip gleaned from years of family reunions: the second Mrs. Klass asks "What's that supposed to mean?", it's time to leave. Trust me.
Of course some cakes are more subtle, like this one:
"We'll wish you luck, but we don't have to be happy about it."
Or just baffling, like this one:
I'm not sure if this guy is supposed to look afraid of being eaten, disapproving, or in pain from his "shades" melting onto his face. Say, there's a bit of unintentional ironic realism for you: sunglasses melted onto the face of the sun. Heh.
If Mr. Future's-So-Bright's feelings are ambivalent, though, these cookies are clearly ticked off:
Poor angry cookies. At least their pain is my sugary gain - and I get the added bonus of talking smack to my food. "What, you lookin' at me, punks? Huh? How's about I drown you in some milk before biting your heads off, then? Yeah, not so puffed up now, are you, tough guys?"
And finally [smirk],
All that black - and black roses, no less! - makes this look more like a final retirement cake, if you catch my drift. It gets double Wreck points for the "Retiremet" misspelling, too.
Brittany M., Elizabeth G., Jessica C., Linda N., Monique R., and Jill C., many "thanks".
108 comments | Post a Comment
I wonder if I am the "first" to post? I "doubt" it though.
I hope someone will identify and translate the language on the unhappy cookies, which look a wee bit piratical to me. Arrr! (It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day). I'm guessing it's Czech or Polish, am I close? - September 19, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Damn, I haven't left enough space for the whole word. I'll just leave out the "n"--bet no one will notice.
- September 19, 2008 at 8:57 AM
All right first picture... Close you eyes and think Mario... Open them. That's a heck of a mustache on that baby... DA DA DA DUN DA DAH!
- September 19, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Carolyn said...
Hey I love that baby cake. It looks quite well done! And I'm all for keeping it real when it comes to babies and kids. Better to let that new mom know what she's in for! (This is a mother of 5 speaking!)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:06 AM
- ChatRabbit said...
Ouch- that first one looks like a circumcision cake.
Congratulations, indeed! - September 19, 2008 at 9:10 AM
- Cindy said...
Maybe I'm weird, but if there was a cake like the "Good Luck Jerry" cake at my going-away party, I'd be touched. I'm seeing that they really are wishing Jerry luck, but they can't smile about it because they don't want him to go. Snf.
The sun cake looks like the decorator put a smile on, then either decided or was told that the smile looked too small and needed to be wider, so she added a bit of icing and voila! Painful grimace! - September 19, 2008 at 9:12 AM
I would pay double for angry cookies. I'm inspired to make them...
- September 19, 2008 at 9:17 AM
- The Courteous Chihuahua said...
Make of it what you will, but when younger brother was born, Mom made birth announcements that looked just like that first cake.
I think the unhappy cookies are Romanian. The cost converts to approx. $2.90 USD. If anyone makes a trip to Romania, I'll pitch in to bring some back. - September 19, 2008 at 9:19 AM
- Hyla said...
Hahahahahahahaha! lmao!
http://earthyfinds.blgospot.com - September 19, 2008 at 9:22 AM
- Unknown said...
Romanian. :)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:24 AM
- April said...
Hah! I love the image of you talking smack to a cookie right before you bite its head off. You should do that in public then report back here. :)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:28 AM
- kerrie said...
Actually, that baby cake is really funny and quite well done. I'm still not thrilled with the idea of cutting into a baby cake, but … this one is pretty cute.
And those cookies are awesome. Hope they taste good. - September 19, 2008 at 9:32 AM
Arrrgh! Can't believe I forgot about Talk Like A Pirate Day!
Anyway, I really like the first cake--as a childless-by-choice woman, it makes me smile. And it's done very well, too.
On the other hand, that "ball and chain" cake just looks like "pile o'poo on a rope." I can see the hostess now--"Who wants extra poo??" - September 19, 2008 at 9:35 AM
- Brenda said...
Maybe that "retirement" cake is really supposed to say, "Happy Interment" ?
- September 19, 2008 at 9:36 AM
- Andreea Mirea said...
It's Romanian. Weeper Cookies (I think fancies would be a more appropriate term) with Jam. :)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:38 AM
The language is Romanian. :-)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Oh, and for the words: "Sportul" is the brand name. Under that, the words on the top of the circle say say "fancy cakes with jam", and underneath, "weeping". (The price label says "weeping fancy cakes.)
Binevenit! :-) - September 19, 2008 at 9:46 AM
- The Brain Twinkey said...
Great stuff! I love finding blogs like this. Anything that makes me laugh is good quality fun! I'll be back.
http://braintwinkey.blogspot.com - September 19, 2008 at 9:48 AM
about the pirate jelly cookies - the language is Romanian, "Plangacila" = weeper and they are also called EmoCake ;) (cost ~$3/package)
- September 19, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- clueuin said...
Too Funny!
And the baby cake well that's realism for ya! ;)
Ball and Chain, yep makes me want to go out and get married! Hyuk!
Hey! And on the frownie cookies, just imagine the fun you have smashing it into crumbs if your having a bad day!
Clueuin - September 19, 2008 at 9:53 AM
I think the first two are actually pretty funny. I don't know if they're really "wrecks" so much.
- September 19, 2008 at 9:54 AM
- Zitny Clan said...
Awesome! You take DOWN those cookies! Tell 'em who's boss girl! Yeah!
- September 19, 2008 at 10:03 AM
- sues2u2 said...
On that baby cake? I love that the "congratulations" is on the baby's diaper! Is this to congratulate the new parents on the numerous disgusting & no doubt smelly things to come their way?
The rest of them? Hilarious as usual! - September 19, 2008 at 10:04 AM
- Hotch Potchery said...
I am glad that was a screaming baby....when I first glanced at the picture (I usually like to read your commentary before I look carefully), I thought that baby was gagged...eesh.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:06 AM
I guess the language on the cookies is romanian,sportul studentesc is a romanian footbal club.
anyhow this blog is offers me everyday a laugh so thank you very much:-)
Ale - September 19, 2008 at 10:07 AM
- Annalee said...
The screaming baby is AWESOME!
- September 19, 2008 at 10:17 AM
- *Michelle said...
While the first two are great wrecks - the angry cookies just might be my favorite!!
- September 19, 2008 at 10:24 AM
- abc123 said...
It is Romanian. Plângăcilă is the brand name. Fursecuri cu gem means Cookies With Jam.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Maybe the "Retiremit" is German. For...something.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:33 AM
- MetalNoir said...
Hey--I'm LOVING these appropriate cakes, being a cynical guy (the "Congratulations" cake, the ball-n-chain wedding cake, and the poopy-face "good luck" cake are all great).
A word on the unhappy cookies:
In Pittsburgh where I live, the Eat 'n' Park Family Restaurant chain makes what they call Smiley Cookies. They've been doing this for decades now. Here's what one looks like:
King's Family Restaurant, a competing chain, began making Frownie Brownies a few years back as an answer to the Smileys:
I'd rather eat a brownie than a too-sweet iced sugar cookie any day. - September 19, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Actually, I think they spelled it 'retiremit,' as there is a dot by the 2nd 't.' BTW - Isn't cake supposed to represent happy times?
- September 19, 2008 at 10:34 AM
That baby one is pretty cute, even if the poor kid is crying. I think that unlike the other baby cakes, this one would at least be edible given the cartoon nature of it, right?
As for "retiremet," I'm happy not to be ready for it if it means that a sad picture of me is going to be immortalized in fondant and black frosting roses. I mean, really... BLACK?
As always, hilarious. - September 19, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I think there needs to be a cakewreck special on black frosting. Even on the baby cake, ew. That's up there with the electric blue as far as unappetizing.
And those angry cookies look so familiar. WHY? For some reason I remember cookies with a face like that and I'm associating that with delicious. Google won't translate it, but it appears to be Romanian. - September 19, 2008 at 10:41 AM
- Sabina E. said...
so um... is the "Good Luck Jerry" cake supposed to refer to cancer or something? Sure sounds like it.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:42 AM
- Amber / Obsidian Dragon said...
I actually think that the first one is hilarious. Oh, irony.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Unhappy cookies and a depressing retiremit cake. Ahh, irony.
~Amy - September 19, 2008 at 10:59 AM
So as for the 'angry cookies'....they are actually the crying cookies, they are Romanian...need I say more. And and they are layered cookies with a layer of jelly or jam in the middle.
- September 19, 2008 at 11:02 AM
- Amanda said...
That baby looks more like he's been muzzled than screaming. Maybe its congrats for finally getting the baby to shut up?
Kudos to kitchenrefugee for celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day! - September 19, 2008 at 11:07 AM
- Dea said...
Gotta love a frilly pink cake with a big ol' black ball and chain - with sprinkles, because THOSE make it FUN!
These are cracking me up - I want to try the angry cookies! lmao - September 19, 2008 at 11:12 AM
- Temperance said...
I like the sarcastic edge to the first two. But the cookies are adorable.
- September 19, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Too much black icing...I'd hate to go to those parties and have "blackmouth syndrome" after getting stuck with the piece with the black icing!
- September 19, 2008 at 11:17 AM
- Ray said...
Kudos for whoever recognized that was a screaming baby, because it kinda just looks like a diseased kidney laying across its face
- September 19, 2008 at 11:24 AM
"I'm so hoppy to be retiring!"
BTW, I posted an entry on my site about Cake Wrecks a few days ago. - September 19, 2008 at 11:26 AM
I must admit though, the baby likeness of the first cakewreck shown is not so bad!! Props for that!
- September 19, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Do people actually BUY the cakes from bakeries when something is misspelled? They would have to offer the cake to me for free AND give me another because I wouldn't dare put a cake like that in front of my guests! That is just so unprofessional.
People, people, people, if you aren't sure how to spell something, there is this wonderful word book called a "Dictionary", ever heard of it?? - September 19, 2008 at 11:29 AM
- Chris Casey said...
I want my food to be happy about being eaten damn it!
Those cookies remind me of a really bad Stephen King book based movie. "Yhe Langoliers?" Maybe - September 19, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Okay what is that black thing supposed to be on the Mrs. Klass cake? It looks like a pile of ants...
- September 19, 2008 at 11:33 AM
- Unknown said...
I enjoy Mr Retiree's shirt in the photo. It looks like a cake wreck all on it's own!
- September 19, 2008 at 11:34 AM
- Mongoose said...
Oh, that first one is just too good. If I had kids and they or their girlfriends got pregnant, I'd get them that cake. And then inside the cake would be an envelope with a 30-day eviction notice from my house.
I guess it's lucky I don't have kids, eh? If I ever get pregnant, I'll buy me that cake myself.
And next time I bake cookies they're gonna be all kinds of angry! - September 19, 2008 at 11:35 AM
- Mary Lasse said...
I'm getting arch spasms just looking at how the baby's toes are curled in such an awkward way.
And, it kind of looks like "Hoppy Retiremet" to me, which doesn't mean anything, but certainly adds to the, uh, uniqueness, of the cake? - September 19, 2008 at 11:47 AM
- Unknown said...
I love the first two cake, I don't think they're wrecks at all. They're well-done and hilarious.
- September 19, 2008 at 11:48 AM
I once made heart-shaped cookies for valentine's day with very jaded, cynical faces. My boyfriend loved them.
- September 19, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Looks to me like the baby was wearing a sleeping mask that slipped down!
And, YEAH I want some angry cookies!!
and um... BTW- AARRRGGHH! - September 19, 2008 at 11:51 AM
- joyce said...
No excuse---but was the "artist" trying to match the camo-hunting colors in the retiree's shirt to the piping on the cake??
And "congratulations" on the diaper--no wonder the baby is crying. - September 19, 2008 at 12:07 PM
- jenspirko said...
I see that Mrs. K's cake is supposed to be a ball and chain, and boy is that hilarious. That never gets old. Apparently.
But at first glance, I swear I thought it was a cartoon-style bomb (of the "Spy Vs. Spy" vintage. I guess that would be even more insulting. - September 19, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Avast! I want yon pissed off cookies to give to many numerous people...
emocookies - LOL Arrgh mateys... too funny! - September 19, 2008 at 12:21 PM
- Unknown said...
I love this blog, I check it often when I need a little pick-me-up! I think my favorite cake from this post is the baby. It also looks like it has something over its mouth! Funny stuff.
- September 19, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Re the sunglasses one, I have a theory/fantasy: The person who wanted the cake tried to write something to the baker in an online format, it was misconstrued as an emoticon, and got animated by the email programming code. Voila! Cake Wreck!
- September 19, 2008 at 12:30 PM
The baby cake is actually pretty cute.
Those mean face cookies are awesome. I need me some of those.
It took me forever to figure out that big black glob was supposed to be a ball and chain. I must be slow. - September 19, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- writtenwyrdd said...
I found your blog via Judge a Book by its Cover blog and spent an evening laughing my butt off! You're hilarious, and the pictures don't hurt either.
- September 19, 2008 at 12:47 PM
- Jenster said...
I just discovered your site and laughed so hard I might need a new lung! I rarely order professionally done cakes and now I'm soooo glad.
I want to let you know that I linked to your site so others can enjoy your wonderful blog.
http://visitorsday.blogspot.com/2008/09/free-straitjacket-friday-now-with-cake.html - September 19, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Is that supposed to be a pacifier in the baby's mouth? Why use black for a mouth or a pacifier?
- September 19, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Still making me laugh!! One of the funniest blogs I know!
- September 19, 2008 at 1:41 PM
I totally didn't think it was a crying baby. I thought it was a baby with a Tom Selleck Mustache
Greg - September 19, 2008 at 1:44 PM
The baby reminded me of something out of Charlie Brown cartoons, like when they get frustrated and yell. That could be an infant Charlie Brown!! He's crying because he has no yellow and black striped shirt!
- September 19, 2008 at 1:56 PM
- Unknown said...
I really enjoy this blog - some friends told me about it and it has me cracking up almost daily!
I can't help it - I now want a screaming baby cake (I am 8 mo. preg) It's hilarious in a twsited kind of way ;) (I'll pass on those creepy, headless baby-butt cakes - yikes!) - September 19, 2008 at 2:06 PM
- Amaocha said...
Aye my suspicions be right about ye emocookies. Romanian writing n' one. Me lovely wench confirmed it, she bein' a Romanian beauty n' all.
Can't say I dun appreciate cryin' babe cake and Ms.K's cake . - September 19, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Great. Now I'm going to have nightmares about furious/weepy cookies coming to seek revenge for all their brethren I've eaten over the decades.
Black frosting on cakes is a bad idea. A black frosting ball and chain on a wedding cake has to the one of the most appalling things I've ever seen done to pastry. - September 19, 2008 at 2:09 PM
The "Retiremet" cake is actually a wreck because of the mis-spelling. Might even be worth it to send it off to another similar blog spot...FAIL!!
- September 19, 2008 at 2:42 PM
- CaliGirl9 said...
Yarrr! Methinks I will be a bakery wench this weekend and bake me some frowny cookies in the galley! It be me mood after a busy week!
Avast mateys! Have a good weekend! - September 19, 2008 at 2:44 PM
that last one looked like "Hoppy" retiremet to me...
- September 19, 2008 at 2:58 PM
- readsalot said...
This blog makes my day better. Thanks for all the funny pics!
- September 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM
I think the baby cake is awesome!!
Are you sure that the ball and chain cake was done by a professional? There's aluminum foil on the board- not very professional!! :) - September 19, 2008 at 3:29 PM
- Duane said...
I would not want to be the one who ended up with the diaper part of the baby cake... especially if the case is chocolate :)
- September 19, 2008 at 3:30 PM
- JP said...
The baby is sort of cute. I like it :s
- September 19, 2008 at 3:35 PM
- Renee said...
oddly enough a friend of mine is taking a trip to Romania next month with some friends. I sent him the link and he has promised to bring me back some! I will report back.....
- September 19, 2008 at 3:50 PM
- Trevor said...
My Romanian co-worker has confirmed they are indeed Romanian. She says even she doens't know why they are so unhappy though!
- September 19, 2008 at 4:19 PM
- Lisa Wilson said...
The baby cake (on top) looks like a sleeping eye mask is over the baby's mouth. It doesn't look like it's screaming. Weird.
- September 19, 2008 at 4:35 PM
- Kopperhead said...
The baby cake is kinda cute, other than that scary black mouth. I never got a retirement cake. Oh yeah, I fired myself twice before finally retiring! Love the cookies.
Celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day
http://blackwordswhitepaper.blogspot.com/2008/09/aaaaaargh-ten-things-you-need-to-know.html - September 19, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Noticed the vertical swipe on the ball and chain cake. You mean they fixed it and this is what they WANTED it to look like???????
- September 19, 2008 at 5:22 PM
- Risk Taker said...
I saw a link to your blog on another blog that I was reading and I couldn't stop looking at all the different cakes you have on here. It's just funny! I didn't know people actually made crazy cakes like this.
- September 19, 2008 at 5:25 PM
- Tara said...
My 2 yr old just stared at the screen saying, "Sad cake. Sad cookie..."
- September 19, 2008 at 5:39 PM
- Sheri said...
I would have been quite sad if my retirement cake had black roses and black trim. How positively...funereal.
My coworkers did a beach theme for my party when I retired this May, so the cake MAY make you a little seasick, but here it is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheriava/2529447932/ - September 19, 2008 at 6:24 PM
I agree about the baby cake -- it looks like the baby's mouth has been covered with black tape! Maybe the baby is being held as a hostage...
- September 19, 2008 at 8:06 PM
- Amy said...
That retirement cake looks like it was from Wal-Mart so no surprise that it was spelled wrong. I will never buy another cake from Wal-Mart after having my cake not get made last time.
- September 19, 2008 at 9:19 PM
- KT said...
Did anyone notify Cliff Huxtable that this man stole his sweater???
- September 19, 2008 at 9:26 PM
So why do Romanians enjoy weeping jam cookies? There has got to be an explanation!
- September 19, 2008 at 10:31 PM
I was thinking the "Jerry" cake was for Jerry on Big Brother 10.... And in that case, it's perfectly appropriate.
- September 19, 2008 at 10:58 PM
- Chris said...
I have to laugh at the smiley faces, especially the frowns. LOL And I like the angry cookies. Where can I get me some?
- September 19, 2008 at 11:20 PM
- fug estate said...
Oh goodness, that baby cake makes me shudder. The mouth is bigger than the word "congratulations". With that much focus on the screaming, maybe the designer should add "and Good Luck!"
Those pissed-off cookies are the best. I know of a few birthday parties where those could be put to good use. - September 20, 2008 at 9:48 AM
- Kat Mortensen said...
If they HAD to put a photo on that cake, you'd think they could have got one with the husband in something that looked a bit less like a road map.
Kat - September 20, 2008 at 11:30 AM
- John said...
i think jerry is getting a vasectomy.
- September 20, 2008 at 1:59 PM
- Jenny Trout said...
Oh no. What is going to happen to Jerry?
- September 21, 2008 at 12:47 AM
- Marketing Gurl said...
Love Love love the baby cake!
- September 21, 2008 at 6:58 PM
- Unknown said...
If those unhappy cookies have chocolate in them I want them.
- September 21, 2008 at 7:54 PM
- faunablues said...
I think some chocolate ganache underneath the fondant diaper of the Sarcastic Baby Cake would be a nice touch.
- September 23, 2008 at 12:15 AM
- Unknown said...
Oh my gosh Jen! This one kills me. I'm laughing at all of them of course, but then I get to this one. I can't help it. The angry cookies?!?! And then the Retiremet cake?!
Hilarious. Thank you!! - September 23, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Is it just me, or does the "a" of "Happy" look more like an "o"? Or am I raising more inappropriate questions by trying to figure out what a "Hoppy Retiremet" really means?!?
- September 24, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Nothing wrong with black roses.. i had a red rose that was spray painted half black when I graduated from high school.. it matched my dress perfectly!
- September 25, 2008 at 11:56 PM
I just have to say I found it funny that the ad at the bottom of the page (for me, at least) is for diaper cakes, which seem like a worse offense than a meat-and-sushi cupcake-cake made to look like a realistic baby with a misspelled inscription with unnecessary quotation marks. Seriously, why would you make something that appears to be a cake out of something that's not only inedible, but is going to end up with an unspeakable "filling"?!?
- October 1, 2008 at 6:12 PM
- southernmyst said...
I love the baby cake! Thanks for making me laugh out loud this morning!
- October 6, 2008 at 6:35 AM
- Bronwidge said...
I don't think thats professionaly made. Does anyone else see the maceys (or wal-mart?) bakery sign on there?
- October 9, 2008 at 10:29 PM
- Libilu said...
When I looked at the retirement cake the first thing I saw was "Hoppy Retiremet." What, If I might ask, is a retiremet, and why would you want it to be hoppy? Just wondering. Anyways, I didn't even see the black roses until I glanced at the paragraph underneath the photo. Yup, it's late, and yes, I'm blind!
- October 26, 2008 at 2:07 AM
I'll admit, as someone who has survived 3 children so far, I'm loving the first cake.
- November 8, 2008 at 8:14 PM
- Sr. Mina, BSP said...
The screaming baby cake... are you sure its not a "Happy First Diaper Change" for the father?
With "congratulations" written on the diaper and the fact the baby is crying/screaming, I'd guess its the baby's first poo and I can't imagine a mother getting this cake. - January 5, 2009 at 10:45 PM
If i look at the first one too long it looks like someone put a black bandanna over his mouth to stop it from screaming. Either way, wrong message.
- March 25, 2009 at 5:52 PM
- Just Ducky said...
The confusing sun cake looks like it was inspired by the intro to Look Who's Talking. At any moment, I expect to hear Bruce Willis voice come from the cake.
- August 15, 2009 at 1:09 PM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
I like the sarcastic edge to the first two. But the cookies are adorable. Love em! lol
- October 7, 2010 at 4:41 PM
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- Inappropriate, Much?
- Is This a Wreck? You Decide.
- Don't Do It, Billy!
- The Cake Head Diet Aid: Killing Appetites Since 2007
- The Painted Cake Cometh
- I Think I've Just Been Punk'd
- Fan Wrecks
- A Purrfect Pair
- Promises, Promises
- Mmmm, Chest Hair.
- Rather Good Cake Video
- Wrecks on Display


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(by Gretchen R. Crowe, OSV Newsweekly) Ready for some Catholic sightseeing? Based on culture, history, physical landscape and spirituality, the following list of Top 10 U.S. Catholic Cities — listed in no particular order — highlights American hubs with a Catholic pulse. Each location, whether it be large or small, east or west, contributes to the richness of Catholic life in America.
Should these locations be next door, across the state or across the country, OSV Newsweekly hopes this list will prove useful and inspiring when it comes to incorporating the Faith into your travel plans this summer.
New Orleans
From its earliest moments, when Robert Cavelier de la Salle arrived in the Mississippi Valley and claimed the land for God (and King Louis XIV), the area that would become the city of New Orleans had a Catholic heart. With its "parishes," saint-named streets, more than 40 Catholic churches and rich Catholic culture, New Orleans is a quintessential U.S. Catholic city.
The roots of New Orleans Catholicism took hold in 1699, when Father Anastase Douay celebrated the first recorded Mass on Louisiana soil near the mouth of the Mississippi on Mardi Gras. Since then, worshippers have gathered regularly — most consistently and notably at the Cathedral of St. Louis in Jackson Square.
Originally built in 1789 but greatly rebuilt in 1850, this grand cathedral sits on the site where worshippers have gathered since the earliest colonial churches in 1727. The sacred space, considered the oldest continuously functioning cathedral in the United States, houses a monument honoring Venerable Henriette DeLille, known as the "servant of slaves," who founded the Sisters of the Holy Family still present in New Orleans.
Three shrines are worth a look when visiting New Orleans. The National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos is located inside St. Mary's Assumption Church, and it includes the tomb containing his relics, a museum and a gift shop. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, patroness of New Orleans who is believed to have helped the city defend itself against a British attack in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, is located on State Street, on the same grounds as the Ursuline Academy and residence of the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union. Also noteworthy is the International Shrine of St. Jude.
In October 2004, New Orleans opened the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center, which includes a museum at the Old Ursuline Convent — built in 1752-53 and considered the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley still standing — and St. Louis Cathedral.
New Orleans also was home to the first Catholic hospital in the United States, Hotel Dieu, operated by the Daughters of Charity.
New Orleans facts
Founded: 1718
Population: 369,250 for city, 1.23 million for metro area
Did you know?: Although known as the birthplace of jazz and blues, New Orleans was also the site of the first opera performance in the United States back in 1796.
Emmitsburg, Md.
Located at the base of the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland, the town of Emmitsburg could be considered the seat of American Catholicism. It was in Emmitsburg where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American saint, and her three daughters arrived in 1809 from Baltimore. It was there where Mother Seton established the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first congregation of religious sisters to be founded in the United States that turned into the basis for several more religious orders. And it's there where she is buried at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. CNS photo
Notable sites at the shrine include the Stone House — originally built in 1750, it later housed the first headquarters for the Sisters of Charity; the White House, a one-room school built in 1810; and a cemetery, basilica and chapel tomb where Mother Seton often prayed.
Two miles south of the national shrine, off Route 15, is Mount St. Mary's University and Seminary, where many priests are formed. On campus is the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the oldest known replica of the beloved French site.
Emmitsburg also was home to St. Joseph College (originally St. Joseph Academy), which was founded by the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in 1809 and closed in 1973.
In 1812, Emmitsburg became the home of Father Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Remur who taught and ministered to the community so effectively at Mount St. Mary's that he was nicknamed "Angel of the Mount." He also served as Mother Seton's spiritual adviser.
Father Bruté stayed in Emmitsburg until 1834, when he was appointed bishop of the new Diocese of Vincennes, Ind. The cause for Father Bruté's canonization was opened in the fall of 2005, and he is now known as Servant of God. Mother Seton was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
Emmitsburg, Md. facts
Founded: 1785
Population: 2,852
Did you know?: Emmitsburg is located just 10 miles south of Gettysburg, Pa., site of the largest Civil War battle.
Bethlehem, Conn.
Settled 100 miles northeast of New York City, the town of Bethlehem, Conn., might seem like a strange pick for a top U.S. Catholic city. But the presence of the Abbey of Regina Laudis lends Bethlehem and the surrounding area an undeniable aura of Catholic culture. Founded in 1947, the abbey houses a community of contemplative Benedictine women who are, according to its website, "dedicated to the praise of God through prayer and work." The nuns and other volunteers work the 450 acres of land, yielding an array of products ranging from pottery and candles to honey, vinegar and perfume.
Regina Laudis
Vespers at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Photo by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle
While not every part of the abbey is open to the public, visitors are welcome to the Abbey Church Jesu Fili Mariae, the Lower Monastery Chapel, the Monastic Art Shop, and the 18th-century Neapolitan Crèche, which is believed to have been made for Victor Amadeus II, the king of Sardinia, for his coronation. Beautiful hand-carved Stations of the Cross, carved out of a cherry tree by Abbey artist Reverend Mother Placid Dempsey, line the walls of the Lower Monastery Chapel.
Mother Dolores Hart, former actress and author of the recent autobiography "The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows," serves as prioress of the abbey. Maybe it's her Hollywood background or the nuns' long-standing tradition of Gregorian chant, but the arts thrive at Regina Laudis. The abbey has appeared in two documentary productions: "God is the Bigger Elvis," based on Mother Dolores, and "The Cheese Nun," on Mother Noella Marcellino. On abbey grounds sits The Gary-The Olivia Performing Arts Center, which sponsors an active local summer theater.
Located outside of Regina Laudis is Church of the Nativity, which was established as a mission church in 1884 to serve mostly immigrants including Canadians, Irish, Germans, Italians, and Eastern Europeans, especially Lithuanians. And one little piece of trivia: Thousands of visitors flock to Bethlehem in December to postmark their Christmas cards.
Bethlehem, Conn., facts
Founded: 1787
Population: 3,422
Did you know?: Bethlehem is believed to be the location of the 1949 movie "Come to the Stable," starring Loretta Young and Celeste Holm, in which two French nuns come to America to found a children's hospital.
St. Louis
Known as "the Rome of the West" because of its rich Catholic history, St. Louis was pivotal in spreading Catholicism into the western half of the United States. Its "Old Cathedral," the Basilica of St. Louis, King, was founded in 1770 and is the first Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi River.
The "New Cathedral," formally known as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, is a sight to see in its own right with its Byzantine revival architecture and what is believed to be the largest collections of mosaics in North America. According to the cathedral's website, these mosaics were designed "to remind all of us that God reaches into our earthly lives."
St. Louis
Basilica of St. Louis, King, is also known as the "Old Cathedral." Shutterstock
St. Louis also is home to the St. Patrick Center, an action-based service provider of housing, employment and health services for the homeless or those at risk for homelessness. The St. Patrick Center assists more than 9,000 people each year.
A shrine to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne — a French sister of the Sacred Heart who brought formalized Catholic education to Missouri in 1818 — is located on the outskirts of the city in St. Charles. Her school for girls was the foundation of not only the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, but Catholic education as a whole in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
St. Louis is the hometown of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, and has a long list of archbishops and cardinals to its name, including Cardinal John Carberry, who died in 1998, and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, in St. Louis from 2003 to 2008, who now serves as the prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura at the Vatican.
St. Louis also is home to the cloistered Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters (often called the "Pink Sisters" because of their rose-colored habits) at Mount Grace Convent, who have been in perpetual adoration since 1928 — a remarkable 85 years.
The adoration chapel is open to the public daily and identifies itself as a place "where heaven and earth meet in the heart of the Church and where prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is an oasis of peace for all who seek God."
St. Louis facts
Founded: 1764
Population: 319,294, 1 million in St. Louis County
Did you know?: The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, in nearby Belleville, Ill., is the largest outdoor shrine in the country.
With a growing number of Catholic institutions present, Denver is fast becoming a major Catholic city. Much of the renewal of faith in the "Mile High City" can be traced to its being the site of World Youth Day in 1993.
During his World Youth Day visit, Blessed John Paul II celebrated Mass in downtown Denver at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. That alone makes it a "must-see" site — but the cathedral is a masterpiece in its own right with its 210-foot spires, altar, statuary and bishop's chair made out of Italian marble, and 75 stained-glass windows that hail from Munich. The cathedral was consecrated in 1921 and elevated to a minor basilica Dec. 25, 1989.
Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception CNS photo
Also stemming from John Paul II's 1993 visit is the St. Augustine Institute, a fast-growing Catholic graduate school that, according to its website, trains students "to proclaim the Gospel with 'new ardor, method and expression' as Blessed John Paul II insisted."
Much of Denver's Catholic activity centers on the John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization, a space that houses both the archdiocesan offices as well as St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Redemptoris Mater seminary, the Religious Sisters of Mercy convent, an outdoor Stations of the Cross and a renowned Cardinal Stafford Library — not to mention large soccer and softball fields. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the center once was known as the St. Thomas Seminary; the name changed after World Youth Day.
A shrine to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (though not the national one, which is in Chicago), is located just outside the city limits in Golden, Colo.
Denver's surrounding environs also serve as home base for Catholic News Agency (Englewood, Colo.) and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (Golden). The city will host the 2013 Catholic Media Convention in June.
Denver also has a large Hispanic population. Upon being named archbishop in 2012, Samuel J. Aquila said: "I entrust this new beginning to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who has always covered me with her mantle of love and protection."
Denver facts
Founded: 1858
Population: 634,265 (for Denver County)
Did you know?: Margaret Tobin Brown, better known to the world as the Unsinkable Molly Brown, was a Denver resident who helped raise funds to build Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
San Antonio
According to the Texas State Historical Association, the Catholic Church has been part of Texas history since 1528. The Catholic history and culture is so prevalent that the San Antonio Missions are considered a National Historical Park, which preserves four out of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio. These locations were established to spread the Catholic Faith to Native Americans in early American history.
San Antonio
Mission San Jose is one of four San Antonio missions main- tained by the National Park Service. Shutterstock
The most popular, Mission San Antonio, was established in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares and was later converted to the "Alamo," a military fort that was sieged in 1836 ("Remember the Alamo!"). Visitors can take in the entire experience by driving, biking or walking down a 10-mile Mission Trail.
One of the most striking structures in San Antonio — and certainly the most historic — is the San Fernando Cathedral. Founded in 1731, it's the "oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the state of Texas," according to its website. It's also the oldest standing church building in the state.
Also not to be missed is the grandiose Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, with marble altar, stained-glass windows and hand-carved Stations of the Cross. In true St. Thérèse style, roses, too, are in abundance.
San Antonio is also home to the Oblate School of Theology, run by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who arrived in Texas in 1849. The school forms both future priests and the laity for ministry in the Church.
One thing not to miss: the statue of St. Anthony of Padua on the city's popular River Walk. The inscription reads: "San Antonio — for whom the city and the river are named — gift of Portugal."
San Antonio facts
Founded: 1718
Population: 1.36 million
Did you know?: San Antonio was given its name on June 13, 1691 — the feast of St. Anthony of Padua — when a Spanish expedition, which included Father Damian Massanet, came upon the river and named it Rio San Antonio.
Chicago's Catholic heart is based in its ethnic diversity.
As the Windy City became industrialized in the mid-19th century, immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe flocked to Chicago — joining the already present Irish and Germans — to become part of its workforce. Ethnic communities naturally formed, and ethnic Catholic parishes naturally followed. Today, more than 350 Catholic churches remain, many built in impressive European style.
Monstrance at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. Karen Callaway/Catholic New World
Three are designated basilicas by the Vatican: Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in East Garfield Park (home to the National Shrines of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Peregrine, patron saint of those suffering from cancer); Queen of All Saints Basilica in Forest Glen (the location of the signing of the Treaty of Chicago); and the Basilica of St. Hyacinth (with its 62 relics).
Always bustling is St. Peter's in the Loop, with its seven weekday Masses and confessions every day but Sunday. Beautiful artwork can be found at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Bucktown and, for those with hopeless causes to unburden, a small National Shrine of St. Jude is located inside of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the South Side.
Also not to be missed is St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, designated the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy by Cardinal Francis George in 2007, and its iconic (and quite large) Our Lady of the Sign-Ark of Mercy monstrance.
Paying tribute to the many immigrants who make up the fabric of Chicago, the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants, also can be found in the Windy City and was renovated in 2012.
The archdiocese is also the home of Mundelein seminary, headed by Father Robert Barron. Chicago also is the hub of the Catholic Press Association, the Catholic Theological Union and the canonization cause for Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton.
It also was the location of the 28th International Eucharistic Congress in 1926 — the first such gathering held in the United States and an event that attracted cardinals and archbishops from around the world.
Chicago facts
Founded: 1833
Population: 2.7 million in city; 9.4 million in metro area
Did you know?: The first Ferris wheel was built on the midway of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Church has a long history in the mountains of southern Pennsylvania. Jesuit Father Joseph Bonnechamps is believed to have celebrated the first sacraments in the area as he accompanied French-Canadian explorer Pierre-Joseph Céloron de Blainville along the Ohio and Allegheny rivers in 1749.
Now, Pittsburgh offers visitors a variety of beautiful churches in a diocese with more than 650,000 Catholics. St. Paul Cathedral, located in the Oakland neighborhood, is the diocesan mother church and, according to its website, "stands and shines as a beacon of hope." For a healthy dose of art, visit St. Nicholas Parish and take in its walls and ceilings covered in murals, including one depicting Croatian peasants in native dress praying the Angelus. Also nearby is St. Paul of the Cross Monastery, the U.S. motherhouse of the Passionist religious order, who have been in Pittsburgh since 1852. The monastery offers a rich history, a peaceful facility and an opportunity for retreat.
St. Anthony's Chapel contains more than 5,000 relics. Shutterstock
If relics are your cup of tea, you won't want to miss St. Anthony's Chapel, which touts the largest public collection of relics in the world. Located on Troy Hill and overlooking the Allegheny River, the chapel contains more than 5,000 relics, including a piece of Jesus' crown of thorns and a portion of St. Joseph's cloak.
The Pittsburgh Oratory of St. Philip Neri, located within walking distance of St. Paul, runs the Ryan Catholic Newman Center for the University of Pittsburgh. It offers perpetual Eucharistic adoration and is active in reaching out to young people on college campuses. Also affiliated with John Henry Newman is the National Institute for Newman Studies, a study and research institute developed to bring Newman's teachings to today's society.
The diocese boasts a long line of prelates with strong ties to the Steel City, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston; and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston.
Also noteworthy is that Pittsburgh is the seat of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, which governs all Byzantine Catholic churches in the United States. At the archeparchy's center is St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral, filled in typical Byzantine style with rich-colored iconography. The archeparchy also operates Sts. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary, which prepares priests for all Byzantine Catholic eparchies in North America.
Pittsburgh facts
Founded: 1758
Population: 307,484 in the city, 2.36 million in the metro area
Did you know?: Pittsburgh has 446 bridges — three more than Venice, Italy.
St. Augustine, Fla.
The beautiful coastal town of St. Augustine, Fla., offers a rich Catholic history, in addition to its patron saint-inspired name. According to the National Historic Landmarks program, St. Augustine, founded in 1565 by Spanish settlers, is "the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States." The first Mass was celebrated by Father López de Mendoza Grajales on Sept. 8, 1565, the day the Spanish ship arrived in the New World. A result of that settlement was its oldest parish: now the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Renovated in 1965-66, the cathedral, with its ornate exposed bell tower, was raised to the dignity of a minor basilica on Dec. 4, 1976.
St. Augustine
Mission of Nombre de Dios is located on the site of the first Mass in St. Augustine. Shutterstock
A natural vacation destination with its cobblestone streets and oceanfront view, St. Augustine also offers a place of spiritual renewal. The Mission of Nombre de Dios, and its accompanying Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, is located steps from the arterial waterways that lead to the Atlantic Ocean. The mission was established on the land where, according to its website, Father López celebrated the first Mass (an 11-foot statue of the priest stands adjacent to a nearby lagoon).
Also part of the mission are Prince of Peace Church and "The Great Cross," both built to commemorate the mission's (and city's) quadricentennial in 1965. The cross is 208 feet tall, weighs 70 tons and is made of 200 stainless steel panels.
In the center of the mission grounds is the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of La Leche, the first shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother in the United States. Established in 1615, Our Lady of La Leche (Our Lady of the Milk) is a popular destination for mothers to ask God to grant them a safe delivery and happy, healthy children.
St. Augustine facts
Founded: 1565
Population: 13,336
Did you know?: In 1887, Henry Flagler began work on three hotels in the hopes of turning St. Augustine into a winter resort for the rich. One of the hotels is the centerpiece of Flagler College.
Los Angeles
It might be best known for Hollywood, movie stars and Sunset Boulevard, but the City of Angels, home to 4.2 million Catholics (in the diocese), has a rich Catholic history dating back to the settlement of Spanish missions by Franciscan friars along California's coast.
Los Angeles
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Gerry Boughan/Shutterstock.com
San Gabriel Arcángel Mission, founded Sept. 8, 1771, by Father Pedro Cambón and Father Angel Somera, was the original mother church of Los Angeles County. The original altar was handmade in Mexico City, and surrounding wooden statues were carved in Spain.
Just to the north of the city is Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana, founded in 1797. Not to miss there is the elaborately carved altar, reredos and pulpit — handmade out of walnut. These pieces originally were installed in the chapel of St. Philip Neri in Spain, then were reassembled for use at San Fernando. The mission also is home to the Bob Hope Memorial Garden, the final resting place of the comedian and Catholic convert.
Juxtaposed with the traditional architecture of the missions, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the mother church of Los Angeles, is a massive, modern structure completed in 2002 to accommodate more than 3,000 worshippers.
The cathedral was built in place of more historic St. Vibiana's Cathedral, which closed in 1995 due to earthquake damage. The new cathedral is a permanent home to a piece of St. Juan Diego's tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe upon it, as well as the largest collection of tapestries hanging in a Catholic church in the United States.
Two other places of interest: the Monastery of the Angels just north of Hollywood, renowned for its homemade goodies; and the Church of the Good Shepherd in Hollywood, the oldest church in Beverly Hills. The church appeared in several movies, was the site of Gary Cooper's conversion, and hosted Frank Sinatra's funeral.
Los Angeles facts
Founded: 1781
Population: 3.82 million, 9.96 for Los Angeles County
Did you know?: Historians disagree on the first name. Some say it's El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles ("Town of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels"). Others say it's El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de Porciuncula ("Town of Our Lady of the Angels of Porciuncula").
Gretchen R. Crowe is the editor of OSV Newsweekly.


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Bengali Cuisine is very subtle, understated and not really very popular outside Bengal. Most Indians outside of Bengal think Bengali food is all about fish and sweets. The moment you are introduced as a Bengali to any one who is not, they will tell you "Oh, we love Bengali sweets" and they will wax about "how much they like Roshugulla" with what they think is a Bengali accent but is so not.
I am sure the same thing happens about food from any other region too. All we know globally about Indian food is Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka and Palak Paneer. Extend it a little more and it may include Masala Dosa and Idli. Even we as Indians know very little about food from other regions of our own country. My Indian colleague's will often ask me, so what is it that you Bengalis eat other than Fish ? Yeah, nothing actually, we eat fish and then sweets and then just keep repeating the pattern until we are full or in a state of malnutrition.
Growing up as a Bong kid, I paid little attention to Bengali Food. At that time Bengali food wasn't glamorized, no restaurants except the roadside ones, served a decent Bengali meal. It was solely home food and as a kid you pay little attention to home food.
Truth be told, I became aware and more conscious about Bengali Food only after stepping away from home and the bond grew stronger, the further I went. My friends here in the US are very diligent cooks, the ones who are Bong cook authentic Bengali food and they cook it very well. Their love for the cuisine kind of pushed me to cook more and more of the Bengali Home Food. It wasn't complex, a mix of spices here, a subtle pinch of cumin-coriander there, a dash of mustard oil as a secret ingredient and voila you have a subtly spiced dish with all the taste of all the vegetables in full flavor.
Myth#1: "Despite its uniqueness, Bengali food failed to grow beyond connoisseurs. Short-cuts are frowned upon by purists and innovative improvisations dismissed as unacceptable compromises. Traditional Bengali cuisine is gradually becoming a dying art, kept alive only by Anjan Chatterjee's chain of restaurants such as Oh! Calcutta, a few other eateries aimed at the diaspora, and caterers who still serve a complete traditional meal at wedding receptions." -- Chandan Mitra in Outlook
Though I agree in parts with the above article in Outlook, I think it is far fetched to say "Traditional Bengali Cuisine" is a dying art. Chandan Mitra wouldn't have said that if he saw my friend here who makes the authentic Chapor Ghonto with Motor dal er Bara or the one who insists her Sundays are not right if she doesn't make Luchi-Begun Bhaja. There is this whole category of modern, educated Bengali women, managing kids, home and work, and yet finding time to cook and serve a Bengali meal to her family, miles away from their own country. So while "Oh!Calcutta" is definitely trying to make Bengali cuisine popular as no other restaurant has done, it is these women who are keeping the cuisine alive.
Myth #2: Bengali cuisine is time-consuming, involves a complex blend of spices, is much more than just fish.-- same article as above
It is much more than fish but every day Bengali food is neither complex nor time consuming, unless all you cook is Maggi 2 minute noodles. It can get elaborate if you intend to go the whole nine yards and prepare a full traditional Bengali meal but you need not do that every day. With a little bit of planning and delegation, cooking everyday Bengali Food is simpler than making Pizza from scratch. If you can just ignore the purists and make your own adaptations, you will have a delicious, balanced meal ready which will serve you far better than the frozen box of Paneer Butter Masala.
This Palang Shaak er Ghonto or Spinach with a medley of vegetables is cooked a little different from my Mom's. Every home has its own little tradition of cooking the exact same dish and so taste of the same dish varies from one home to other.
While my Mom uses dhone-jire-ada bata, this one solely relies on Paanch Phoron and Roasted Cumin powder(Bhaja Jire Guro) to create magic. I had it at a friend's place and liked it very much. D says this tastes more like what was made at his home.
Spinach with other winter vegetables like radish and pumpkin makes it the perfect side for Dal and Rice on a winter afternoon. To make life easier I have used chopped frozen spinach and that doesn't mar the taste any way at all. But I would insist that you use Mustard Oil because that lends a magic touch to this simple preparation
Read more...
Peel and chop two potatoes in cubes.
Chop red radish in half about 1/2 cup
Peel and chop pumpkin about 2 cup
Defrost 2-3 cups of frozen chopped spinach.I just microwave it for a minute. If using fresh spinach, wash --> chop fine
Dry Roast and grind cumin seeds/jeera to make the roasted cumin powder. I usually make this in a large quantity and store.
Start Cooking
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a Kadhai/Saute pan. I use Mustard Oil to cook this dish.
Temper the oil with 1 tsp of Paanch Phoron and 2 cracked Dry Red Chili. You can add 1 small clove of garlic finely minced but sometimes I won't.
When the spices sputter add the potatoes and radish. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of turmeric on them and saute. Cover and saute so that the veggies cook faster. retaining their flavor and form.
When the potatoes turn a little golden add the chopped pumpkin. Cover and saute till pumpkin softens.
Add the chopped spinach and mix well. Saute everything for a minute. Sprinkle
1 tsp of roasted cumin powder,
salt to taste,
add 2-3 slit green chili/or red chili powder to taste.
Cover and let the vegetables cook.
When almost done add a little sugar(usually if pumpkin is sweet you can skip sugar) and adjust for seasonings. If needed add a little more of the roasted cumin powder. Add about 1/2 tsp of mustard oil, drizzled from top to bring out the best flavor.
Serve with Rice or just have a bowl of this vegetable medley.
Similar Recipes:
Pui Shaak er Ghonto


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Steps for returning an item:
1. Contact us immediately after you have tried on the dress if you wish to return. We cannot accept returns if you contact us 7 days after you receive the dress (receipt date will be based on tracking information).
2. You will be given an RMA number or reference number for the return, and you will need to ship the dress back as soon as you can.
3. After we receive and inspect your returned item, you refund will be issued.
Shipping fees are non refundable and it is client's responsibility to ship the item back.
If you received Free Shipping and wish to return the item, the shipping cost will be deducted from your refund. "Free Shipping is awarded under the condition of purchase".
Standard Size dress have a 15% restocking fee on returns.
*Custom size or dress with custom changes have a 35% restocking fee on returns.
**Special order dresses, custom made dresses including made to measure, crinolines and petticoats are not refundable due to their nature.
Exchange Policy
Unfortunately we are unable to offer exchanges at this time. You will need to return the unwanted item to us and then place a new order.
-All returned item must be in original condition.
-Please contact us prior to sending an item back, any item sent back without a RMA Number will not be processed.
Refund will take 3-5 business days to credit to your bank due to the processing time of merchant service company.
Order Cancellation
You may cancel your order after it's been processed, subject to the following conditions:
1. If your order has not been processed, your order will be cancelled with no penalty.
2. If the item you order is a ready to ship item and has already been shipped, you'll need to ship it back after receiving it and it will be processed as a returned item.
3. If you ordered a dress that is made to order, you may cancel within 48 hours with no penalty. After 48 hours, there's a 30% cancellation fee involved.


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Native to India, the small, beautiful gold-green mung bean is one of my favorite beans to cook with. Although Indian cooks most often cook with split mungs, I particularly enjoy cooking with them whole in a dry texture finish so that the plumb and tender legumes stand out by themselves — besides, they take hardly any longer to cook than the split ones, especially if you soak them ahead of time. Serve this simple but incredibly flavorful curry with vegetables, an Indian rice dish such as simple pulao rice or piquant lemon rice and an Indian flatbread for a complete and satisfying meal.
You may also wish to try one of my all time favorite mung bean recipes: mung beans with paneer cheese. It is a flavorful combination of buttery-soft and sweet mung beans, golden-brown fried paneer cheese, tomatoes and spices — a wonderful dish to serve to your dinner guests.
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal) |
Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on June 15, 2007 A simple, colorful and spicy Indian curry featuring mung beans Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 45 to 60 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients:


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The Google I/O conference kicked off earlier today, and some of the biggest announcements coming out revolve around its popular Android OS for smartphones and tablets. Google announced that it has surpassed the 100 million activations mark and it is activating new devices at a rate of 400,000 per day. In addition, 4.5 billion applications have been installed from the Android Market.
Google also announced that the launch vehicle for Honeycomb, Motorola's pricey Xoom tablet, would be the first to get an upgrade to Android 3.1. Android 3.1 includes improved application task management, USB host support, direct phone to tablet USB support, and widget resizing (vertical and horizontal stretching).
Android 3.1 will be available today for Xoom users. Google TV will be upgraded to Android 3.1 later this summer.
In other Honeycomb news, Google announced that the sleek Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1" tablet will be launching within the next month. For those keeping score, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is priced at $499 and $599 respectively for the 16GB and 32GB models. There is no word on availability for the smaller 8.9" variant which starts at $469.
For those that are sick and tired of being left in the dark when it comes to OS updates for Android devices, Google has formed a coalition of wireless carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the U.S) and device manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, and Motorola) who pledge to make sure that customers are guaranteed prompt OS upgrades. Devices will be supported for up to 18 months after release under the condition that the underlying hardware supports the OS upgrade (that could be a major sticking point for some smartphones/tablets).
However, it's good to hear that Google is at least trying to tackle the "fragmentation" problem that everyone complains about (i.e. brand new smartphones launching with Android 2.1).
Perhaps the biggest news coming out of the Android camp is the announcement of Ice Cream Sandwich, which will be the next version of the Android operating system. It will be Google's "most ambitious" Android release to date, and will land in Q4 2011.
Google is a little light on details regarding Ice Cream Sandwich at the moment, but the big takeaway is that the OS will support a revamped UI, and will consolidate OS development so that smartphones, tablets, convertible devices, etc. all run on the same code base (think iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad with iOS).


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Find IP Address Information
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IP Address: 184.108.40.206Reverse dns: 18.104.22.168
Location information:
City: Dulles
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Time Zone: EST
IPv4 Network blocks
Add this map to your iGoogle page
Click the button below to add the IP geolocation gadget to your iGoogle page. The gadget will display your location and IP address and let you make searches.
This geolocation service is free of use and is given as it is, you are entitled to make 50 personal queries per day. IPligence assumes no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage or destruction caused by the use of this service and/or information obtained from its usage.


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
He is using the qt4 version, you are using the qt5 one?-golgoj4
seems like I can't get it to start. I received the update via playstore. Deleted the linuxmce folder on the sdcard...I see a green bar, but nothing is happening.Got an htc evo3d with ics
okay...I did a little follow-up on this thread...moved the skins to the android folder.Now qt5 dies upon starting. qt4 has now connected, but so far I only see the bottom menu:Advanced, power, sleeping...and exit
I deleted my LinuxMCE folder and then updated everything I could, ran the script you just mentioned, and I get a screen that looks like this:


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The Web Bethlehem
The City of Bethlehem uses an independent third party tool to provide automated language translation. As with any machine translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not fully translate text into its intended meaning. Therefore, the City of Bethlehem does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text and it should not be relied upon for anything other than informational purposes. We recommend that if you experience difficulty, or doubt the accuracy of the translation, you contact the proper City of Bethlehem department for the information you seek. Please note that some applications and or services may not work as expected when translated.
View Live Stream City Council Meeting


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Private employers added 166,000 jobs to their payrolls in September, a modest gain after slightly less growth the month before, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report.
Because of the partial government shutdown, the data from the payroll processing firm's monthly survey could be the only clues we get this week about how many jobs were added last month. The Labor Department has said its won't be releasing its September jobs report on Friday, as scheduled, if the shutdown continues.
According to ADP, which works with economists at Moody's Analytics to produce its monthly report:
-- "Service-providing industries added 147,000 jobs in September, down from 152,000 in August."
-- "Goods-producing employment roseby 19,000 jobs in September, a slight increase over its August growth rate."
-- "Construction payrolls added 16,000 jobs."
-- "Manufacturing payrolls increased by 1,000."
ADP also revised down its estimate of job growth in August. It had thought that private employers added 176,000 jobs. Now, it estimates they added 159,000.
In a statement released with the data, Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi says:
"The job market appears to have softened in recent months. Fiscal austerity has begun to take a toll on job creation. The run-up in interest rates may also be doing some damage to jobs in the financial services industry. While job growth has slowed, there remains a general resilience in the market. Job creation continues to be consistent with a slowly declining unemployment rate."
Bloomberg News says the jobs figure for September is about 14,000 less than what economists had expected.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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MONTPELIER, Vt. — Move over, pot brownies.
The proliferation of marijuana edibles for both medical and recreational purposes is giving rise to a cottage industry of baked goods, candies, infused oils, cookbooks and classes that promises a slow burn as more states legalize the practice and awareness spreads about the best ways to deliver the drug.
Edibles and infused products such as snack bars, olive oils and tinctures popular with medical marijuana users have flourished into a gourmet market of chocolate truffles, whoopie pies and hard candies as Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the past year.
"You're seeing a lot of these types of products like cannabis cookbooks," said Erik Altieri, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "They've always been popular among a subset of marijuana, but with the fact that more and more people from the mainstream are able to consume, there's a lot more interest."
Know your limits: Get educated about edibles. Eight tips for getting the right dose
Many pot users turn to edibles because they don't like to inhale or smell the smoke or just want variety. For many people who are sick or in pain, controlled doses of edibles or tinctures can deliver a longer-lasting therapeutic dose that doesn't give them the high.
And there's money to be made.
BlueKudu, in Denver, started producing marijuana chocolate bars for medicinal purposes three years ago. Since recreational use became legal this year in Colorado, owner Andrew Schrot said, the wholesale business has more than doubled its sales from several hundred chocolate bars sold a day through dispensaries to more than 1,000, at $9 to $17 a piece.
"There seems to be quite a bit of intrigue about the infused products from the general public and consumer, especially tourists," Schrot said.
Cooking classes have sprung up. One in Denver — led by a chef who has turned out chocolate-covered bacon and Swedish meatballs with a marijuana-infused glaze — has grown so popular that it will be offered every week in August. It's also part of a vacation package that provides pot tourists with a stay at a cannabis-friendly hotel (vaporizer and private smoke deck included), a visit to dispensaries and growing operations, and the cooking class.
THC potency in edibles: A how-to on calculating the THC dosage for home recipes
Students are advised not to smoke before they come to class because there's a lot to learn about the dosing and they will be sampling foods along the way.
"By the end of the class, everybody's pretty stoned," said founder J.J. Walker.
Mountain High Suckers in Denver sells lollipops and lozenges for medical marijuana users and plans to release treats for recreational users at the end of August. The company hopes they will take off.
"People are turning the corner and making lots of money in the rec department, and we expect to almost double the business in a year," said Chad Tribble, co-owner of Mountain High Suckers in Denver.
High Times, a 40-year-old monthly magazine based in New York, has always featured a cooking column with a recipe. At least 40,000 people attended its Cannabis Cup in Denver in April, a sort of trade show that includes judging of marijuana edibles, said editor-in-chief Chris Simunek.
"Like everything else in marijuana at the moment, it's sort of experiencing a renaissance where the more people get interested, the more experiments they do with it," Simunek said.
The magazine said its "Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook" is the top-selling title of the five it offers.
It's not just a hobby or business; there's a science involved.
THC, marijuana's psychoactive chemical, must be smoked or heated — as in cooked — to be activated. (See The Cannabist's lexicon definition of this process, known as decarboxylation.)
When ingested rather than inhaled, it provides a longer-lasting and often more intense feeling.
Users of pot edibles, such as cookies, are often advised to eat only a portion so they don't get too high. Education about proper dosing has become a priority after at least one death and a handful of hospital visits were linked to consuming too much of an edible.
At the New England Grassroots Institute in Quincy, Mass., Mike and Melissa Fitzgerald conduct cooking classes on the use of marijuana as part of the daily diet.
"We really don't do this to be high as a kite," said Melissa Fitzgerald. "You really have to take people's health seriously and have a purpose."
The Washington state Liquor Control Board adopted rules to require recreational marijuana products to be labeled clearly as such; to be scored so a serving size is easy to distinguish; and to be approved by the board before sale.
In Vermont — one of 22 states that allow the use of medical marijuana, along with the District of Columbia — the Legislature this year passed a bill that allows more people to get medical marijuana and called for a study of financial effects if the state were to allow recreational use.
Bridget Conry, general manager of Champlain Valley Dispensary in Burlington, Vermont, and of Southern Vermont Wellness, another medical marijuana dispensary in Brattleboro, is already creating infused olive oils, tinctures and a gluten-free cracker. She expects soon to be making pestos and other infused foods, in manageable amounts that allow people to control dosing.
"We've always come from the perspective of like, who eats a quarter of a cookie?" Conry said. "We're trying to make our things portion-specific, because you know you want to eat the whole cookie."


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Well the Superbowl didn't have the outcome that I was hoping for, my team had too many turnovers, I wasn't a fan of the halftime show and the commercials weren't anything exciting, but the food was good at least. For me these soft pretzels were the highlight of the night.
Soft Pretzels
Recipe slightly adapted from Baking Illustrated
1 package rapid-rise yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour (16 1/2 ounces)
1 cup water, at approximately 110 degrees
Approximately 1 T olive oil
Baking Soda Solution:
Approximately 6 cups water
3 T baking soda
Salt for sprinkling on pretzels
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients for the dough. Make sure you are using rapid rise yeast, or you will need to proof your yeast before mixing. Mix on low speed until combined and then knead about 5-7 minutes on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Prepare a separate bowl by coating with olive oil, transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about one hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down, recover and let rise approximately 30 minutes more.
In a large low pan (a 12" skillet with deep sides or a small dutch oven will work perfectly) bring water and baking soda to a boil over medium high heat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Separate dough into 12 approximately 2 ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a long string, about 20 inches in length. Fold pretzels into shape, twisting the ends over each other and pressing lightly to seal dough into shape. Transfer pretzels, a few at a time to boiling water, cook 30 seconds on each side, turning with a slotted spoon, drain and transfer to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until all the pretzels have been boiled. They don't need much room on the baking sheet as they won't spread much in the oven. Bake approximately 12-14 minutes until dark golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve.
Jalapeno Cheese Sauce
1 T unsalted butter
1 T flour
3/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
1 cup Colby Jack cheese
1/2 -1 tsp cayenne pepper
In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine, cooking about one minute until smooth. Add milk, whisking to incorporate. Add garlic and jalapeno. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until thickened, about 15 minutes. The sauce should begin to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add cayenne pepper to taste.


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MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) — Google's stock price topped $800 for the first time Tuesday amid renewed confidence in the company's ability to reap higher profits from its dominance of Internet search and prominence in the growing mobile market.
The milestone comes more than five years after Google's shares initially hit $700. Not long after breaking that barrier in October 2007, the economy collapsed into the worst recession since World War II and Google's stock tumbled into a prolonged malaise that eventually led to a change in leadership.
Besides enriching Google's employees and other shareholders, the company's resurgent stock is an implicit endorsement of co-founder Larry Page. He replaced his managerial mentor, Eric Schmidt, as CEO in April 2011. Google's stock has risen by 36 percent since Page took over. By contrast, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 index has climbed by 15 percent over the same stretch.
Most of Google's gains have occurred in the past seven months — a period that has overlapped with a sharp downturn in the stock price of rival Apple Inc. The iPhone maker's market value has plunged by about $230 billion, or 35 percent, since late September.
"All that Apple money had to go somewhere," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.
Standard & Poor's Capital IQ analyst Scott Kessler concurred, reasoning that many investors who have abandoned Apple are gravitating to one of its biggest rivals.
Google makes and distributes its free Android software to Samsung Electronics Co., HTC Corp. and other mobile device makers looking to compete with Apple's iPhone and iPad. Since its 2008 introduction, Android has established itself as the most popular mobile operating system, partly because the free software makes it easier for device makers to undercut Apple's prices for iPhones and iPads.
Android is set up to feature Google's search engine and other services, giving the company a chance to sell more ads.
"If you are looking at Apple's peers in its space and see who seems to be really doing well right now, it makes a lot of sense to invest in Google now," Kessler said.
Despite its diminished luster, Apple remains the most valuable U.S. company with a market value of $432 billion. Google now ranks third with a market value of $266 billion, with Exxon Mobil Corp. holding the spot in between at $402 billion.
Google's stock climbed $13.96, or 1.8 percent, to close Tuesday at $806.85.
Analysts who follow Google still see room for some modest gains. The stock's average price target among analysts surveyed by FactSet now stands at $834.40. Five of the 37 polled analysts are predicting Google's stock will surpass $900 within the next year.
"There are probably even going to be people talking whether Google's stock can get to $1,000," Kessler said. "Never underestimate the excitement that can be caused by a rising stock market and a rising security."
Gillis warned that Google's stock might retreat within the next six weeks, based on historical trading patterns. During the first quarter in each of the past five years, Google's stock has declined by at least 10 percent from its peak price within the three-month period. The trend may have something to do with the opening three months of the year being a traditionally sluggish period for advertising, according to Gillis.
"I fully expect investors to have another opportunity to buy Google's stock at prices below $800," Gillis said. His price target on Google remains at $760.
The significance of crossing the $800 threshold is largely symbolic. If Google had its way, the stock wouldn't even be priced near these levels.
The company, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., had hoped to split its stock last year in a move that would have at least temporarily halved the trading price by doubling the total number of outstanding shares. But the proposed stock split was put on hold until Google resolves a shareholder lawsuit alleging that the stock split unfairly cedes too much power to Page and fellow co-founder Sergey Brin. Page and Brin have been the company's largest shareholders since its inception. A trial on the lawsuit is scheduled to begin June 17 in a Delaware state court.
Assuming more investors wouldn't have rushed to buy more Google stock just because it split, the company's market value probably wouldn't have changed from its current level.
There is little dispute among analysts that Google appears well positioned for many years of prosperity for these reasons:
— Its Internet search engine remains the hub of the Web's biggest marketing network;
— Its YouTube video site has established itself as an increasingly attractive advertising vehicle and could broaden its reach as more people get Internet-connected televisions;
— Its Android software is running on more than 600 million smartphones and tablet computers, creating new advertising opportunities.
Google already dominates mobile advertising, with its U.S. revenue from that business expected to approach $4 billion this year, up 84 percent from nearly $2.2 billion in 2012, according to the research firm eMarketer. Google commands a 55 percent share of the mobile ad market, based on eMarketer's estimates. Google doesn't disclose how much of its $44 billion in annual worldwide ad revenue comes from mobile devices.
Some investors have raised concerns that mobile ads have been commanding lower prices than ads on regular Web pages, reducing the average rate for ads. The company is trying to address that with a revamped ad system that will prod more marketers to buy mobile ads when they are creating campaigns for desktop and laptop computers. That, Google hopes, will raise demand and thus prices.
Opinions about Google weren't as upbeat a few years ago. Although Google weathered the Great Recession better than most companies, its revenue growth slowed and its stock plummeted to as low as $247.30 near the end of 2008.
Things looked so bleak in 2009 that Google took the rare step of re-pricing stock options that had been doled out to its employees to give them a chance to make more money when the shares rebounded. The program allowed Google workers to swap their old stock options for new ones with an exercise price of about $308. The employees who have held on to the re-priced options would make nearly $500 per option if they were to exercise them now.
Although he didn't receive any of those re-priced options, Schmidt is poised to pocket a huge windfall by selling 42 percent of the shares that he owns in the company during the next year. The 3.2 million that Schmidt, now Google's executive chairman, has earmarked for sale are currently worth about $2.6 billion. Google says the stock sales are part of Schmidt's strategy to diversify his investment portfolio so less of his wealth is locked up in the company.
Even after the economy snapped out of the recession toward the end of 2009, Google's stock began to lag the rest of the market. Investors began to wonder if the company was losing its competitive age as it morphed from a hard-charging startup to giant organization with thousands of employees working in dozens of offices scattered around the world.
At the same time, Facebook was emerging as the Internet's fastest growing company in a meteoric rise. The social networking company had some people convinced it would eventually become a more important advertising vehicle than Google's search engine.
Perceptions have changed since Page became CEO. Under Page's leadership, Google has streamlined its decision-making and operations while closing dozens of its less popular services. It established its own toehold in social networking with the 2011 introduction of Google Plus.
Meanwhile, Facebook Inc. so far hasn't lived up to the hyperbole that that made its initial public offering of stock one of the biggest in U.S. history. Since going public at $38, Facebook's stock has sunk 24 percent.
By contrast, Google's stock has never slipped below its August 2004 IPO price of $85.


text: Sports parties are the perfect opportunity to grab all your friends and gather around to support your favorite teams! With our party supplies and rentals, you'll find everything you need to create a fun-filled event! Get your team colors on and prepare to cheer your team on! Search here for Sports Parties in your local area.