Persimmons: A Tomato and Capsicum Look-a-Like Fruit?

This fruit is called persimmon, aka Ramphal (divine fruit) or Kaki in Hindi. I remember last year in Dehradun, around October end, we had our first encounter with this fruit. And knowing that Banu likes to try new things, we bought a kilo of it for Rs. 80. We didn't know what it is, we didn't know how to eat it. We just brought it to our friend's home (where we're staying at that time). When we tasted it? Ughhh, so sappy/fuzzy and I didn't enjoy it. We even tried eating it with salt to no avail. It was a strange fruit...and it was not ready to be eaten! How it looked? - As big as a big capsicum, some are even shaped like capsicum!

So when we arrived home, Banu did some "search and learn" operation on the internet. And there we have it, its name - PERSIMMON. What is it? Click this for more information!

Well, we were left wishing we should have taken some with us! 

Just a week back, while coming back home from a 3-day trip at Kathgodam, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, we found this fruit again. And this time, we knew exactly what it is and how to eat it. The only difference this time is that they are small, much smaller than last year's persimmons. Must be a different variety! They even resemble tomatoes (see pic below).

Our place, Gauchar, lacks a variety of fruits. So, I took the picture above and shown it to our fruit vendor last night and hoping he could get it for us. His first reaction? "That's tomatoes!" Haha! Just wonderful...lol! We know that the chances of getting this fruit here are bleak, not even possible! Even this guy, who gets us some items that are not so in demand, won't be able to get it for us. People here are strange. No taste for variety and new things...as if this fruit is new or imported when it's not!

Anyway, the trick in eating this fruit is that you have to let it ripen so much that it becomes really soft. When you remove the calyx out, it lifts so cleanly and you can split the fruit easily, then it's ready to be eaten. It is sweet and delicious! It somewhat tastes like ripe chico, except for the sandy texture that a chico gives.

While writing this post, only two persimmons left out of a kilo we bought. We regretted only a kilo we took that day thinking it gets spoiled from 6 more hours journey back home from Bowahali, a place where we bought this fruit for Rs. 100/kilo.

By the way, according to Wiki, we will be getting 127 calories for every 100gms of persimmons. Guess we just finished 900 gms of it!

Well, if this fruit is available near you don't hesitate to grab a kilo or two and choose the riper and ripest/softest ones. You'll enjoy it. Eat its skin, too.

~Slices of persimmon, along with its seeds, 2016 bought~

An Update: (November 8, 2015)

Well, it's persimmons' time again and determined to get a hold of this fruit, we decided to do some marketing at Pauri, Garhwal (19kms of winding road from where we are right now-Khirsu). Luckily, among a handful of fruit shops at Pauri, at least there was one shop who sells persimmons. Unfortunately, the displayed persimmons were already rotting. It looked like nobody dared to even taste one. But we were delighted! Huh, a place like Pauri? Impossible! But they were there. So we took 7 kilos of persimmons for Rs.60 per kilo. We chose ripe, riper and ripest. We are eating around 10 persimmons a day. They taste sweet and juicy! 

Never miss Persimmons!

Another Update: (November 6, 2016)

So we know that persimmons' time has already begun a long time ago, 

but unfortunately, no vendors around here even know the look of the fruit. So as usual, 

we carried a picture of them to show to vendors. Last Thursday, 

while my husband was coming from a medical camp he stopped by at our 

usual marketing place (B.Puram, Tehri Garhwal) to do some shopping and voila!, 

persimmons were there, just getting offloaded from the goods truck. Without hesitation, he told the shop keeper that he wants everything. It was a crate of persimmons, about 17 kilos 

including all the pressed and damaged ones which the shopkeeper 

wasn't planning to sell. So, yeah, when he got home, he and the ambulance driver 

were carrying a crate of persimmons. He got them for Rs.100/kilo, after some negotiation for it was to be sold for Rs.140/kilo, but since we are regulars and that too, buying in bulk, Rs.100 per kilo was settled.

Hope there will be another round of crate before the season is over.

See the picture below.

(This variety can be eaten even when its calyx is hard to pluck out,
just make sure that everywhere the fruit is soft.
And it seems like, when ready, its color changes
from orange to red-orange)

Pineapple Suite Hat: A Crochet Summer Hat

When I started crocheting, one of the many projects I had in mind was hat -summer and winter hat. So I started searching for free patterns, which are in plenty and easily available on the internet you just know where and what to look.

 I found a number of them including this one from free-crochet.com. So I downloaded the PDF file and at first I hesitated to start this project because originally the pattern is a decorative one and I don't have the exact materials that are suggested in the pattern. But then I thought, "it may not make a big difference if I use the materials I have", because I really like the pattern and I already had the idea of making it in light and dark yellow colors (quite a bad idea though for a decorative hat considering dust). Well, I did it anyway and these pictures show the finished Pineapple Suite Hat project.

To access or download the pattern, you must sign up first then you can dowload other interesting patterns, too.

~ the result is quite big ~

Here's what happened with the project:

Since I didn't have the materials described in the pattern, the result is pretty but not that good for use outside. Here's why!

I didn't use two strands of thread and the yarn (acrylic) I used is not what is suggested so the hat is not stiff enough that it sags and bounces when you wear it. So I added a floral wire, which I single crochet around, at the edge (as seen in the above picture -darker shade) to stop the rim from sagging or flapping. But still the result is not very good for outside use.

~ the pinapple-look is made of popcorn stiches ~

Therefore, if you make this project it is compulsory to use the kind of materials that are suggested in the pattern to have the perfect result. You can choose the color of course, but I recommend that you use a yellow shade for the pineapple and use a different color for the rest to give a better result.

As with this project, I might use it as a ceiling decor.

While writing this entry, I found the same project at Instructables and there the author suggested to boil flour with sugar to stiffen it. I will defintely try it and update you the result.

Crochet Flower Bag

This is the first crochet bag I have ever crocheted. The tutorial pattern of this bag is by Meladora's Creations. There are two separate videos for this tutorial, one is for making the flowers and the other is showing how to connect the flowers and how to do the handles.

This bag has 63 flowers in all because I made a bigger one. Each flower is about 3 inches. The finished connected flowers will look like a rectangle and so the longer side would be your front and back and the shorter sides would be the sides of the bag.

I think if you wish to make a much bigger than this one, you can just add 2 or 3 more flowers horizontally and vertically. What's important though is that when you start single crocheting the first row of the upper part towards the handle, be consistent! I mean, the number of single crochets in one side must be the same for the opposite side.

~ the button could have been covered but I think it looks good enough like that ~

This particular pattern requires an inside lining because it's "hole-ly". Aesthetically, this pattern is very nice but safety wise, not very much, unless the lining is really thick that you will feel comfortable enough to carry your wallet, cellphone, and other important things in it. It also cannot carry heavy loads.

The lining I used is my old wrap-around skirt and it's 23 X 29 inches so I have a good amount of space for stitching...I did hand stitch because I don't have a sewing machine with me.

Meladora also has a video on how the seamstress did the lining, which I followed. I also stitched a smaller pocket inside with a snap so I can put my phone there itself.

~ up-close image of the bag ~

It's made from acrylic yarn and I used an over-the counter steel crochet hook number 10, well that's what it says in the hook. I paid Rs. 8 for it.

You can try it out yourself!

Tablet Cover Case: Entrelac Crochet/Chess Board Design

Finally, a crocheted tablet case or bag for my husband's tablet. He chose the color combination without a design or a particular stitch in mind. When I consulted him about the design he suggested a design that would look like a chess board (he likes chess, he has downloaded chess applications like Fritz and Chess Genius and been playing against them in his free-patient time...sometimes he plays with his patient cum friend, Jagdamba Prasad, a 62-year old man who keeps getting us produce like sponge gourd, mushrooms, mangoes, figs, peach, etc.).

Anyway, a chess board like design? Well, it's internet so it must be there somewhere! One of the best things about internet is that you'll always find people who share knowledge for free. Thanks to them! 

So I kept searching.  At first, I found a set of crocheted chess board and pieces but patterns are not available for free so I continued looking. Until I stumbled on How To Entrelac Crochet by Mikey. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon his video...I just did. So I downloaded the video and started crocheting (a portion of my free time) what I call "chess board-like crochet design". 

Watching the video seems so easy but I find it quite difficult at first. Since I was using a 10 size steel hook the result of a few squares together was a little messed-up....the stitches are not even and the squares are small and I was thinking, oh no, it would take me months to finish the project and it may not worth the time (I only have one more hook and it's size 12), so when I showed the result to Banu, he felt the same so he asked whether I could make it bigger. Bigger? And my hook doesn't have a comfort grip, something that blocks the thread from going all the way, so it would be tough! 

But I tried anyway. The results, well, not perfect (because of the hook) but it looks pretty nice and Banu likes it. Jagdambaji likes it, too...and even suggested to add a sling to it. 

About the project:

Yarn: around 2 1/4 hanks of yarns (1 1/4 peach and 1 grey)

brand and type, I think it's acrylic. 

                                   Hook: size 10 steel hook (over-the-counter hook)

Instead of 7 chains as suggested in the video, I used 10+2 for this project to make the square bigger. A little tough and need to do adjustments to make the square more even.

Back finish is  7 X 8 squares (each square is around 1 1/2 inches)

Front finish is 7 X 4 sqaures

Edging: single crochet around

Edging of the Front Flap: 2 rows of star stitch with single crochet in the middle of the rows to give room for button holes.

Edging of the Inside Flap: 1 row of start stitch

Buttons: From old clothings, crocheted covering, and I did it this way by artandneedlework. I would have used grey color for the buttons but I ran out of thread.

How I attached the two sides together: by single crochet around together the back or the underside of both sides.

Finish product size: 12"W X 9"L

I did it and in fairness, although it did take me quite a while to finish this project...3 weeks I think, it was worth it!

Make yours now!

Tungnath & Chandrashila Trekking Experience

As promised, here is the post.

While heading towards Chopta, we saw a gathering of Langurs (there were about 20 of them including one newly born) along the road. The moment our car stopped, they slowly moved farther away from us. When they saw our cameras out, they even ran away, which is a good thing actually because as much as possible humans have to appreciate their beauty and agility from a distance. And when we got out of the car, the only way to photograph them is to zoom our camera in to its limit. Anyway, this one seems curious enough not to fully hide himself...or was it a she?

~ Looks like flat but think again, this is just the beginning trek
of a continues ascent towards Tungnath and Chandrashila. There are plenty of streams, too, along the road.~

~ The gate through Tungnath & Chandrashila trek. This is the parking/waiting lot and also a place surrounded by small hotels and lodging houses . . . including scattered plastics, too, which is seriously offensive to someone who is a real and responsible trekker and nature lover. ~

~ Zigzag trail towards Tungnath as seen from the upper area of the same road. I think there were 3-4 small hotels/stores all the way to Tungnath. Tungnath, of course, caters lodging, eatery, and refreshment.~

~ Tungnath temple and other "business" buildings as seen from below ~

~Tungnath temple...we wanted to go inside but since we needed to remove our shoes
 right at that gate we decided not to. We are nature lovers who admire, respect, and protect nature itself. We also acknowledge the work of men,  and in this case, 
those who built this structure.

 It's really stupid to go worship a god and then all you can do is destroy the
 beautiful surroundings around you. 
If you've been into these kind of places, I hope you have noticed how dirty humans make these "holy" places are -
.......all sorts of garbage, particularly plastics, are all around (I have noticed Snickers chocolate wrappers all the way from the middle point to Chandrashila itself, whoever was eating it doesn't have the right to throw the wrappers irresponsibly, including of course those who threw their garbage without even a thought); 
.......fat/obese/overweight people (including priests -you would wonder how did they get fat) are in plenty; 
........and really these places are just business hubs aim at looting people, who, by the way, let themselves to be looted, too.~

~The beginning trail from the temple towards Chandrashila. It's quite narrow and precipitous. The place is a yawning fissure, a deep cleft in the earth's surface. When the mist was lifted for a while all you can see are chasms, broken walls of mountains, or split mountains -the sight would really make you feel like you'll be pulled down anytime. 

Standing on one of these made my legs tremble. Whew!~

~ The temple at Chandrashila peak. No one else was there, just the breeze trying to shoo away the evening mist.~

~Cairns: piles of rocks at Chandrashila peak, didn't make one though ~

~A mini-temple made of marble located at the edge of Chandrashila. Looking around was a spectacular and awe-dropping view despite the white background ~

~Well, it's me! That rock is where the above mini-temple is.~

~ Banu passing by swiftly the fallen half-side of the road.~

~A stairway to a temple? There were quite a few of them along the road~

~a charming pose amidst drizzling rain~

~a playful pose while going back, guess I was happier -no more climb!

 Descending is tough actually, you've got to have strong knees! ~

When we trekked Tungnath and Chandrashila, we took local apples to munch on the way.

 I also had Chomp chocolates -the wrappers, of course, came back with us to Gauchar. 

This video shows what to expect upon reaching the peak of Chandrashila. The peak gives an outstanding view of the Himalayas.
Take a look!

So basically, 

we came and left nothing but footprints; 

we took nothing but pictures; 

we kill nothing but time.

And I encourage everyone to do the same. It's best for our planet!