Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar's Blog, page 5

1 Smart Strategy to Stop Rehashing

On my way to the car, I was stopped the look on my friend’s face. We were drenched in sweat after sixty minutes of non-stop movement, led by her enthusiastic Zumba alter ego. A few minutes after class, however, her face reflected a heavy heart. As we chatted, I was reminded of my journey through […]

Sunday Supper: Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

The axiom, “you are what you eat”, may be true, but another truism I’ve discovered is that you are influenced by what (and how) your friend’s eat. Lately, since mine are heading into the mid/late 30s, healthy eating has become our focus. Several friends are also now certified Zumba instructors which means instead of lunch, […]

Wordless Wednesday: From the Arab to …. Mighty Arabs?

In their efforts to combat racism, a high school in California has gone from their mascot, “the Arabs” to “the Mighty Arabs.” With belly dancers as cheerleaders, and a costume with stereotypical features, this raises even more questions about the role of mascots in popular society. Innocent? Or Unacceptable? Watch the video and see. Post […]

What No One Tells You About Domestic Violence

      The recent suspension of star Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, has caused a furor both on and off the Internet. Rice was suspended for 2 games before a video was made public by none other than the gossip outlet TMZ. I watched the video. I have skipped over the ISIS beheading […]

Sunday Supper: Spicy Shirmp Stir Fry

If you like shrimp, stir fry and Sriracha sauce, this is the recipe for you. While a half cup was lost in the making of this yummy dish (my youngest can now reach items at the table edge) pouring out another dose was well worth it.

3 Ways to Make Sure Your Birthday is not Ruined

I was raised as a Hindu child in Christian America. We did not celebrate Christmas or Easter, nor the more food oriented Thanksgiving or 4th of July.  Far from India, and away from the Indian centric metropolises of Orlando or Pittsburgh, even the Hindu festivals did not receive communal pomp and circumstance. The Hare Krishna […]

Sunday Supper: Easy Leftover Rice and Black Bean Soup

My birthday party meant cups and cups of leftover rice from catering. I’ve made lots of things with them including baked rice and cheese balls (arancini), fried rice, and black bean veggie soup. This soup was so easy, once I tossed everything in there and put the lid on, it literally cooked itself. With fall’s […]

If You Want to Look at Nude Photos, Look in the Mirror

Women’s bodies are their property. If they want them to appear in advertisements, or as fictional movie characters, that’s their business. Don’t look at unauthorized photos of anyone, male or female. Whether Kate Middleton or Jennifer Lawrence: looking at leaked photos supports so many ideas antithetical to how you want your mother/sister/wife/daughter/friend/self treated.

5 Rules for Reading Gender in Arab Pop Fiction

As many of you know, I am a professor of literature and writing. Last week the fall term began with exciting new developments: I am teaching a new course, called Gender in Popular Arab Fiction. I love literature, both reading and writing it, but often am teaching first year composition. The opportunity of developing a […]

Sunday Supper: Baked Goat Cheese Starter

Experimenting with a baked goat cheese recipe moved this  item to the top of my appetizer list. Roll a log of goat cheese in any combination of nuts and dried fruit, then drizzle with honey (I used cranberries and lime chili cashews). Bake at 180C/350F for 7-11 minutes (depending on how spreadable/gooey you want the […]