INDIA New England News
By Sukant Deepak
New Delhi– Ruskin Bond will be celebrating his 87th birthday tomorrow writing a new story sitting on his old desk in a picturesque house in Landour which has become a landmark and a must see for tourists visiting that part of Garhwal. It has been a long writing voyage that started with his first story being published at the age of 16.
The ritual of starting a new story or a book will carry on this time too, “I make it a point to start a new story or book every time on my birthday. This year will be no different. Of course, that would not stop me from biting into cake and a hot butter bun,” he told IANS.
Heloise
Dear Heloise: I love scalloped potatoes, but sometimes make too much. So I like to take the leftover scalloped potatoes and turn them into potato soup in a big soup pot. Since the potatoes are already cooked and seasoned with chicken broth, milk, salt, garlic and onions, the whole recipe takes only a short time to prepare for dinner. I like to add finely chopped celery, carrots and maybe some diced ham if I have it in the house. The amount of milk you add depends on the amount of potatoes you have, but make sure it has that thick, rich taste. There are no exact measurements to this soup; you just experiment until you’re satisfied with the results, and the results are always delicious! Add a salad and some warm rolls to the dinner, and you have a healthy, hearty meal. April P., San Antonio, Texas
Hints From Heloise: Scalloped potatoes to soup - The Washington Post washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Erykah Badu
Penitentiary Philosophy
A.D. 2000
Green Eyes
A true tour de force, Mama s Gun is that rare sophomore album that shows a maturing artist at her best. Erykah Badu s voice was always her main attraction its unique sound has been compared to Billie Holiday and Chaka Kha.
more »n. Here, it s her skill with that voice that shines. Badu shapes her instrument to suit her material (all of it written or cowritten by her). A full range is represented: On faster, danceable tracks like Penitentiary Philosophy and Booty, she sounds gritty and funky. On softer, more introspective tracks, like A.D. 2000 and the single Bag Lady, she shows amazing restraint, letting her voice travel lightly over the notes, allowing the songs emotions to guide her performance. The high point of the disc is Badu s duet with Stephen Marley, In Love with You, easily the sweetest, truest love song of the year. That alone is reason enough to buy the disc and you won t regret having done