Store your baby's teeth in a Stem Cell Bank

Today, I learnt a new thing from one of my old buddies. All those baby teeth and wisdom teeth which we happily render to the tooth fairy, can now be donated to the Stem Cell Bank for tooth or bone treatments in the future. 
So...next time, do not throw your baby's teeth!
It all began in the year 2000, with the discovery of dental pulp containing adult stem cells. One of the major advantage of having your own cells banked, or those of your children, is that you do not have to worry about the possibile effects of immune suppression.
The stem cell, extracted from baby teeth, and deposited in stem cell banks are used for:

• treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
• treatment of various dental diseases
• tooth pulp regeneration and vitalization
• infarction myocardial tissue replacement
• regeneration of bone after fractures and osteoporosis

Note: The tooth pulp stem cells are used in therapies, and for transplantation only to the person who did the harvesting. Research is also going on for these stem cells to be used for other people in the same family.

You must be wondering - What are dental pulp stem cells?

Well, these are cells that has the ability to transform and replace other cell types in your body. It is similar to bone marrow.

Some of the treatable diseases include:

1. Bone marrow failure disorders
2. Sickle cell disease
3. Inherited Immune System Disorders
4. Histiocytic Disorders
5. Leukemias and Lymphomas
6. Inherited metabolic disorders
7. Plasma cell disorders
8. Myelodysplastic disorders
9. Malignancies such as Neuroblastoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma,  Testicular Cancer, Ovarian cancer
10. Others include: Evan Syndrome, Chronic Active Epstein Barr, Thymic Dysplasia.

Enough of diseases and treatments for today! I am already feeling sick:)...

A cheescake for a dull Tuesday!

Today, I was feeling so bored staying at home. And, suddenly all the bulbs of my brain started glowing...:)
Why not prepare a cheese cake??? I ran to my kitchen to check whether all the ingredients are present. Luckily, everything was there, and I need not go out to buy the stuffs from the grocery store. Yippy!

This would be my second time preparing a cheese cake. The first one was a double layered chocolate cheese cake. But, this time I prepared a single layered cheese cake with berry toppings.

What you need:

• 2 cups of crushed cookies
• 1/2 cube butter
• 4 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2  cup berries

Preparation:

• Pre-heat oven to 325degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix the cookies crumb and butter. Press onto bottom of foil-lined pan.
• Bake for 5-10 minutes.
• Beat the cream cheese gently.
• Slowly, add the sugar, flour and vanilla. Beat the mixture in a mixer until well blended.
• Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix at low speed, after adding each egg.
• Pour the mixture over the baked crust.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center is almost set.
• Cool completely, and then refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Use the foil to lift the cheesecake from the pan.
• Cut the cake into small rectangular pieces and then top with berries.

Easy way to prepare Kalakand

Kalakand is a very popular Indian sweet dish, and is very easy to prepare. I must admit, it's not a rocket science. The ingredients are readily available and requires less effort.
Here is the recipe:

Ingredients required:

• Milk - 2litres
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Citric acid/ lemon juice - 1/2 tsp.
• Almonds/ Nuts - finely chopped
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
• Rose water (optional) - 1 tsp.

Preparation:

                                                                                           

• Boil half the milk in a bowl. Once it starts boiling, add the lemon juice/ citric acid solution to it.
• As soon as the milk curdles, switch off the stove/gas. Let the mixture/chenna settle down for a minute with occasional stirring.
• Sieve the mixture/chenna through a muslin/cheese cloth and press out the excess water.
• Wash the mixture/chenna again under cold running water. This helps to remove the tanginess/ sourness of the lime. Once the excess water is pressed out, press it down under a plate. Do not knead.
• Pour the remaining milk in a heavy pan and start boiling.
• Continue to boil until the milk reduces to half of its volume.
• Add the chenna and continue to boil till the mixture thickens. Do not forget to stir continuously.
• Add cardamom powder and/or rose water. Stir the mixture.
• Add the sugar and stir all the time until it forms a soft lump.
• Spread and set it in a greased tray.
• Sprinkle the chopped almonds/ nuts. Press gently so that the nuts stick to the sweet.
• Allow the sweet to cool for atleast two hours in a refrigerator. 
• Once set, cut into small square pieces and serve.

Useful tips:  

• You can use condensed milk instead of whole milk to add the chenna. Condensed milk has a unique taste. It makes the sweet much more tastier. I have also tried mixing milk and condensed milk together. It turned out to be great. However, if your using only condensed milk, do not add sugar. But, if you have kids at your place, or you like more sweet, then go ahead. After all, it's a sweet, and sweet should taste sweeter. :)
• If you want to save some time and effort, use ricotta cheese / readymade paneer instead of preparing the cheena.
• It is better to add some amount of water before pouring milk in the heavy pan. This prevents the milk from burning at the base.
• Try using a round greased plate/tray instead of a rectangular one. This will help in extracting nicely shaped Kalakand.