EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #200NOTOUT I joined FoodieMonday/Bloghop in March 2016 when their #31st theme was Fusion Thandai Recipes. I remember I was really struggling to figure out what to prepare for the theme and also how will I portray myself as a new member. What I found very quickly was that the members of the group were very friendly and helpful. Today we’re on our #200th theme and I’ve come a long way, more confident, have improved on how I write my blog posts, how I take photographs of the prepared dish, learnt about other Indian cuisines and also know the members and a bit about their families. Many old members have left and new ones have joined. With some its now a lasting…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME:#192 ONE SPICE INGREDIENT When Sasmita who blogs at First Timer Cook was suggesting themes for #192, I wasn’t paying much attention as I thought I wouldn’t be able to participate. It was when I got back to my hotel in the evening and saw over 50 messages on the group’s WhatsApp, is when I began reading them out of curiosity. With One Spice Ingredient as the chosen theme, I immediately remembered that I had a recipe in the draft that fits the bill. I was about to post this recipe for the minicake theme but changed my mind. I now know why this one got saved. Sasmita has a wonderful blog with a huge range of recipes from Odia dishes to more…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME:#190 MINICAKES RECIPE: THANDAI MUFFINS Thandai Muffins baked with thandai spice mixture make a delicious treat for the Holi Party. Both kids and adults love them along with chilled thandai drink. Eggless, these muffins come together in no time. Bake them a day ahead, they stay fresh for a couple of days. Just before Holi, I had baked some thandai muffins to share with my neighbors. The recipe did not make it to the blog on time for Holi. I kept it in the draft file thinking that I’ll use it next year. Yeah, I know its a long time to keep it, but I’m quite good at storing stuff 🙂 FoodieMonday/Bloghop Theme When Preethi suggested a few themes for the #190, I opted…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOPTHEME:#189 GAJAR KA JALWA Once again in a few days I’ll be on the move. So the routine has begun, packing my suitcase (I hate packing!), time to wind up the kitchen, close the house. Last minute tension, as I’ll be attending two weddings and have to make sure have all the wedding saris, jewelry etc. Always get the feeling, ‘am I forgetting something?’ However, I calm down for a few hours as I remember what my kaka (chacha, uncle) always use to say when we’d travel by flight alone to get back to boarding school. He’d say as long as you have your passport, ticket and some money, you’re fine. Traveling often, does that make me an expert at packing my suitcase? Not at…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : A DISH BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER F RECIPE: FIG AND AMARANTH COOKIES Fig and Amaranth Cookies are gluten free, delicious, melt in the mouth kind of cookies that can be enjoyed on Fasting Days. Amaranth flour, a bit of butter and sugar with chopped dried figs, these cookies are so easy to make. No baking agent is used as I am not sure if baking agents are allowed during Ekadashi, Shivratri and Navratri Fasting Days. What is the A- Z Challenge? Well, we’re a Facebook group and every alternate month the participants make a dish with the  relevant letter. The group was started in May 2018 by Jolly Makkar and Vidya Narayan. Jolly blogs at Jolly Homemade Recipes.…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME:#184 PEGAN DIET Nope, its not a spelling mistake the word is definitely PEGAN. When Veena who blogs at Veena’s Veg nation suggested the theme, I too thought that she made a spelling mistake as the nearest I could think of was vegan. She quickly clarified that it was Pegan and sent a link for us to read. Last Monday was the day when we all, except Veena of course discovered a new diet Pegan. I think after the theme was announced most of us spent the evening reading about it and discovering what its all about. Also what followed was endless discussions and I think all of us were trying to figure out what the others are going to make, but all guarded…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: HEALTHY WELLTHY CUISINES THEME: 60 HWCG #TwistWithBiscuitHW Twist with biscuits is an interesting theme as its so easy to include biscuits or cookies into making a quick dessert. Everyone on the group was wondering what to make. Some suggestions came along like using savory cookies or biscuits for bhel, or a no bake cake etc. I had made up my mind to make an easy dessert recipe as its really dear to my heart. Mind you, I’m eagerly waiting for the biscuit bhel recipe. My eldest son did his Hotel Management and Administration from a Swiss Hotel Management School. When he came home after his first semester, his fingers had so many cuts. Being a mother, my heart hurt that his fingers were hurting.…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME:#179 FOODMAGBEST When Seema who blogs at Mildy Indian suggested the above theme, I didn’t even want to know what the other choices were. I like something that jolts me from my comfort zone and this was just the right theme. Basically for this theme we could prepare any dish and then work on the photography or presentation, pretending that its for a magazine cover. How exciting would that be in reality. In reality I would not be the one photographing the food or working on the presentation. I would have to just cook the recipe. Well, we all can wish for anything dear to our heart. Before I go into the recipe, I must mention that Seema has had the opportunity to stay…
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Continue ReadingEVENT:FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOPTHEME:#176 FRUITSANDFLOWERS Wishing all my followers and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. As Edna Ferber, a famous novelist and playwright quoted ” Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” She was so right. Whether you celebrate Christmas as a religious festival or just as a festive holiday, the whole world gets encompassed in this joyful event. Its a reminder that good can prevail over evil, giving to others is a joy, we all can coexist together in peace and harmony. Come December and people appear more happy, more at peace, more forgiving. January is different, we all return to reality, sadness, daily life struggles, evilness around, hate, war and general gloom. The last theme for 2018, Fruits and Flowers was…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: GINGERBREAD CRINKLE COOKIES Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies are slightly soft, a bit chewy, warm with spices and a must during Christmas or the Holiday Season. Sugar coated cookies with cracks or crinkles look so festive. Â What are Crinkle Cookies? Crinkle cookies are cookies with cracks in them. They are intentionally baked in a particular manner to get the cracks or wrinkles. The crack effect with the sugar coating makes them look very festive. The sugared parts reminds one of snow capped mountains. There are so many varieties of crinkle cookies, chocolate, lemon, strawberry, peanut butter, red velvet, pumpkin, sweet yam, coffee and so many more. Â Why I baked Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies? I love baking ginger cookies during Christmas time. Reminds me of the…
