Common Measurements for cooking

1/2 teaspoon = 30 drops 1 teaspoon = 1/3 tablespoon or 60 drops 3 teaspoons =1 tablespoon  1/2 tablespoon = 1 1/2 teaspoons 1 tablespoon= 3 teaspoons 2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup  4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup 5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup 10 2/3 tablespoons = 2/3 cup or 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons 12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup 16 tablespoons= 1 cup 1/8 cup= 2 tablespoons 1/4 cup= 4 tablespoons 1/3 cup= 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon 3/8 cup= 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons 1/2 cup= 8 tablespoons 2/3 cup= 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons 5/8 cup= 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons 3/4 cup= 12 tablespoons 7/8 cup= 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons 1 cup= 16 tablespoons

Melting Moments

Ingredients:-

(Makes 20)

• 110 g butter, softened
•  1/3 cup (85 ml) granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• few drops vanilla extract
• grated rind of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) self-rising flour, shifted

Buttercream filling

• 110 g butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) icing sugar, shifted
• grated rind of 1/2 orange
• few drops orange food colouring

PREPARATION:-

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar and beat until dissolved. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla extract and lemon rind. Fold in sifted flour gradually to form stiff dough. Divide dough into 20 walnut-sized balls.

Place cookie balls on greased baking sheet, flattening slightly and spacing to allow for some spreading. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before sandwiching cookies together with butter cream.

To make filling, cream butter, add icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add grated rind and food colouring. Spread cream on flat side of 10 cookies and sandwich together with remaining cookies.

(Self-rising flour- flour which contains a leaving agent. You can make your own self-rising flour by adding 2 level tsp (10ml) baking powder to 1 cup (250ml) all purpose flour.)

Scrubber

Materials-
Some left over yarn
Crochet hook- 4.5 mm
UK Stitch Abbreviations

Ch = chain
Sc = single crochet
Tr = treble
Sc2tog = insert hook into st and draw up a loop. Insert hook into next st and draw up a loop. Yarn over, draw through all 3 loops on hook.
Method-
Round 1- Ch. 21
Round 2- sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc in each ch. (Total 40 sc).
Round 3- ch 3 (count as a tr), 1 tr in each sc from back loop, turn.
Round 4 to 7- repeat round 3.
Round 8- sc2tog till the end. (20 times) Fasten off and leave a long (12-inch) end for sewing.
Finishing: With wrong sides facing, use a whipstitch to sew up the side seam of scrubber catching only the inside loop of the last row.
Loop the needle through every 2nd sc all around the top of the scrubber and pull them tight Insert the needle through to the other end of the scrubber and repeat on the bottom side.

Stripy Scarf

Material-
150 gm. Vardhman millenium yarn.
Hook size- 4.5 mm
UK Stitch Abbreviations

Sl st = slip stitch
Ch = chain
Tr = treble
Sp = space
Rnd = round
Method-
Round 1-  ch 4, sl st in 1 st ch to make a ring.
Round 2-  ch 3(count as 1st tr), 6 tr, ch 2, 7 tr in ring, turn.
Round 3-  ch 3(count as 1st tr), 6 tr on next 6 tr, ch 2, 7 tr in ch 2 space, turn.
Repeat round 3 till desired length.
Make one more strip and join them.

For tessels- join the yarn from strip and make 26 ch.
3 tr in 2nd ch from hook, *3 tr in next ch* repeat till the end. Cut the yarn. Make 3 more tessels leaving some distance.

Toe Slippers

Material-
25 gm. green double knit yarn
25 gm. white double knit yarn
Needles- US-4   3.5 mm.
Method-
Cast on 51 stitches from white yarn.
Row 1- purl all stitches.
Row 2- purl 6, knit 39, purl 6.
Row 3- purl all stitches.
Repeat Row 2 and 3 till desired length. Change color after every 6 rows.
Now devide stitches into 16 and 35 stitches.
First knit 16 stitches.
Row 1- knit all stitches.
Row 2- purl all stitches.
Row 3 to 16- repeat Row 1 and 2.

now pull the yarn through all the 16 stitches and tie it tightly.

Now knit rest 35 stitches.
Row 1-  knit 16 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 16 stitches.
Row 2- purl all 33 stitches.
Row 3-  knit 15 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 15 stitches.
Row 4- purl all 31 stitches.
Row 5-  knit 14 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 14 stitches.
Row 6- purl all 29 stitches.
Row 7-  knit 13 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 13 stitches.
Row 8- purl all 27 stitches.
Row 9-  knit 12 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 12 stitches.
Row 10- purl all 25 stitches.
Row 11-  knit 11 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 11 stitches.
Row 12- purl all 23 stitches.
Row 13-  knit 10 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 10 stitches.
Row 14- purl all 21 stitches.
Row 15-  knit 9 stitches, knit 3 stitches together, knit 9 stitches.
Row 16- purl all 19 stitches.

Now bind off all the 19 stitches and sew from the front portion, inner sides of toes and upper portion till 18 rows and back side.

Deshnoke

 Deshnoke is a small town in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India, and about 30 km from Bikaner.The temple is dedicated to an early 15th century mystic, considered to be a reincarnation of Goddess Durga.

Deshnoke is famous for its 600 year old Karni Mata temple where rats are worshipped.This temple is quite famous for a large number of brown rats running around the temple complex fearlessly. It is believed that the souls of dead Charans (traditional bards, the devotees of Mata) reside in these rats. It is considered very lucky to spot a rat in the temple. During the time of aarti, these rats are offered sweets, grains, etc by the devotees.Originally the village was called 'dus- nok' meaning ten corners as it was formed by taking ten corners of ten villages.

Goddess Karni mata is worshiped by the royal family as well as general public of Bikaner and other parts of Rajasthan from old times.Ganga Singh, the former ruler of Bikaner, got the temple constructed totally of marble. Karni Mata temple, Rajasthan has silver and gold domes. Even the mandap and the panels above the image are made up of gold. The main gate of the Deshnok Rat temple, Bikaner has been intricately worked upon.

 

The Karni Mata temple is thronged not only by the Rajasthanis. Rather, devotees from all over India and even abroad pay a visit to the temple. At the time of Navaratri, a fair is held at the temple. Devotees from places far and wide flock to the temple at that time, some even on foot.

Fingerless Mittens

 Material-

25 gm. black double knit yarn
25 gm. white double knit yarn
Needles- US-4   3.5 mm.
Method-
Cast on 44 stitches from black yarn.

Row 1- *knit 2, purl 2* repeat from * to end of the row.
Row 2- *purl 2, knit 2* repeat from * to end of the row.
Row 3- *knit 2, purl 2* repeat from * to end of the row.
Row 4 to 29- repeat row 2 and 3.
now change the white color.
Row 30- purl 2, *knit 2, (purl 1, increase 1, purl 1)* repeat from * to end of the row, knit 2.
Row 31-knit 2, *purl 2, knit 3* repeat from * to end of the row, purl 2.

Row 32- purl 2, *knit 2, purl 3* repeat from * to end of the row, knit 2.
Row 33- knit 2, *purl 2, knit 3* repeat from * to end of the row, purl 2. 
Row 34 to 37- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from black color yarn).
Row 38 to 41- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from white color yarn).
Row 42 to 45- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from black color yarn).
Row 46- change the white color - purl 2, *knit 2 purl 3*repeat 2 times more, bind off 10 stitches, *knit 2, purl 3* repeat 2 times more, knit 2.
Row 47-  knit 2, *purl 2, knit 3* repeat from * to end of the row, purl 2.
Row 48 to 49- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from white color yarn).
Row 50 to 53- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from black color yarn).
Row 54 to 57- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from white color yarn).

Row 58 to 61- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from black color yarn).
Row 62 to 65- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from white color yarn)
Row 66 to 68- repeat rows from 32 and 33 (from black color yarn).
Row 69- bind off all the stitches.
Sew from the side. Make one more for other hand.