Coming to an End...

Hello Friends,

I am sure many of you have noticed that for more than one year, I have been on and off on the block, mostly off actually.

Somehow looks like I am either in that "block" everyone talks about in the blog world or just not finding enough time to do the cooking, shooting and writing about it. 

I still enjoy cooking and eating though, so don't get me wrong there, but it is the other parts that are not happening with me. Could be just the lack of will than anything else.

Thus, after much consideration and internal debates, I have decided to stop this blog right here.

What it means is I am not going to remove the blog or anything as obviously, it is a journal of my culinary journey and source of lot of good recipes I have tried and enjoyed with my family and friends, but I will now stop to write any more.

As you all know, there are 2 blog events that I initiated - Veggie/Fruit A Month and Healthy Me & Healthy Us. As I know all of us love these 2 events and I get continuous participation in these from all of you wonderful bloggers, I wanted to put them up for "Adoption". What it means is that, I want you to own it from here on and take it ahead. If you are a blogger, who would like to own the event from here on and take responsibility of it, please drop me a line and I will hand it over to you. Looking forward for my babies to be adopted and get a new home. It is sad and painful, but I am sure they will flourish in their home better.

Lastly, I have to thank each and everyone of you as without all of your kinds words and encouragement, I couldn't have done what I have. My achievement is more than mine yours. I also want to thank my husband and boys for their contribution in my blog and putting up with me :)

Thanks and take care everyone,
Bye,
Priya

Rush in your entries and sign up for guest hosting Healthy Me & Healthy US

Hello Friends,

This is just a reminder to rush all your entries to my Healthy Me & Healthy US event that I am hosting this month. 2 more days left.

In addition, I also want to welcome any blogger friends who would like to host it starting next month. Please email me with your interested month.You can check the guest host list for more details. If you want to host "April 2013", you have to really speed post your email to me :)

A New Beginning...

Hello Friends,

With a bit of delay, but here I am as I promised on the next episode from my blog. Let me give you a little bit of introduction or behind-the-scenes of this post before I barge into the topic.

I have always been proud of my immune system and overall health since when I was a kid. As a kid growing up till marriage (23 ½ years), I have been to doctor for health reasons may be 5 times total (that too mostly severe cold or cough and may be once for prolonged fever, nothing too serious). I did go to doctor a couple of other times with some injuries driving my bicycle or moped, but that was extent of it. Since marriage, I have had 2 prolonged doctor visits (I have been married 11 years, OK, now you all know how old I am, he he he) – one for UTI and one for some kind of viral fever, which due to negligence converted into a 3 day hospital stay, but nothing otherwise. So, you got the picture of my health.

But, in last 8 months of my life, I have been sick at least 5 times and have been to the doctor and had antibiotics to cure whatever I had, viral fever, toothache (first time in my life), wisdom tooth removal, a few colds, constant migraine attacks, a bacterial throat infection and now the final nail in the coffin was severe throat infection 2 weeks ago.

All this made me think as to what changed in my life in last 8 months or couple of years ago that has been attacking my immune system badly in last couple of months. I knew there was something wrong. On further analysis, I found that for last couple of months/years, due to busy life schedule, work, school, home, other activities, we have been putting almost “anything” in our body in terms of food and beverages. And, it is all just coming back to me and @ some extent my family too. My hubby has high BP, Cholesterol  Triglycerides and other related issues that come as a package.

While I was doing this self-analysis from the sick bed, I stumbled upon, these 2 wonderful videos: “Hungry for Change” and “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” that kind of jolted me eyes open and showed me what was going on in my family and may be in many of your families too. I will recommend all my blog readers to watch these 2 videos at least once. These videos showed me how almost everything we eat are loaded with hormones or pesticides or other chemicals that we don’t want to eat/drink. How much processed food, we are getting used to just because they are “easy” to get by. Our bodies are not getting what they need in this entire process and we pop ourselves with external vitamins and what not. And, it is a complete circle of eating a lot of processed food (it even includes overcooked food sometimes), not getting enough nutrients in the body, body craving for more food and us being overfed in turn and becomes over weight and obese and finally getting the diseases in a package deal at some point in our life.

I know it all sounds like “oh yeah, we know about it and we really eat healthy”. But, do you? really? Analyze your daily and weekly food habits and then maybe it is time to make some change.

Do you know that if we complete adapt “plant-based” foods and food products (unprocessed for most of it), we will be soon in a great shape and free of any medical issues? They have shown a lot of medical conditions getting reversed as well in this new life style.

Sorry for a lot of rambling, but I wanted to put forward what I came to know and realized and working towards for all of you and hoping some or all of you will be tempted, watch the videos, research more and make some lifestyle changes, as needed and suited to yourself and your family.

I am really happy and proud of my hubby too @ this point, as he was initially skeptical, but after watching the videos, he was totally with me and to begin our process we did a 3-day Reboot. You can get a lot of info and guidelines on Reboot with Joe website, but in nutshell what we did was 3 days, all 5-6 meals in the day, we had only veggie/fruit juices (without fiber), which gave our digestive tract some well deserved rest and time to settle down. Do you want to know a great side-effect of this? We lost 4 pounds each, isn't that great for something that we didn't even try).

After rebooting our systems, we are doing a 5 day eating/drinking only veggies, fruits and legumes. After completion of these 5 days, we will slowly introduce whole grains in our diet and try to stick to whole grains most of the time. We have also decided to do a 3-day reboot once every month.

Another very important thing which we miss most of the time is “moving” our body. All we need to do and I strongly encourage you to do is do a 30 minute brisk walk a day. It doesn't have to be one 30 minute walk. You can do three 10 min. walks and may be most of you do already – walking the dog, walking the kids to school and back, walking stairs in your apartment complex or in office and many such small things.

We are really happy with this change in our eating habits and hope to help you all do the same. I am sincerely expecting most of you to say that after reading this and going through the videos, you have decided to convert at least one or 2 meals (specially breakfast and afternoon snack or dessert) to just fruits and veggies. So, who is on-board?

Now, keeping this process and change in mind, I would like to introduce a new event that I am starting on my blog from March 1^st. It will be called “Healthy Me and Healthy Us”.

Wait for more details on this. I can bet it will be fun and yes, I will be looking for me fellow bloggers to guest host this in future.

On this note, I sign off. Take care everyone and stay healthy.

Priya

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Blog Baby

Hello Everyone,

I cannot believe it has been over 3 years (yes, it was on 10th Feb) since I started this blog. Of course, for last year, it has been pretty dormant (I am to blame), but since I couldn't just this milestone go like that.

So, without further ado, please sing the song for my blog baby,

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY MY BLOG BABY

So much has changed in my life and in the blog since I started. I had never tried as many recipes or even seen as many recipes, thought processes, events, programs, varieties in cuisine, ingredients, combinations and what not before I started this blog. I feel so blessed that I started this blog and got introduced to this new whole different world of blogging which has in turn enriched in so many ways that I couldn't have believed possible even if someone had told me before Feb 2010.

Before, I ramble further more, I would like to sincerely and from the bottom of my heart thank all my readers and my fellow-bloggers, who keep encouraging me in every way possible in keeping me going on and because of which I am still here, instead of raising a white flag and calling it the day.

I cannot keep myself from bragging that Srivalli Jetti chose traditional Rajasthani recipes from my blog to be one of the recipes for her recent Indian Cooking Challenge Contest. Did I tell that doing this, for this specific event, my recipes were listed along with Sanjeev Kapoor and Tarla Dalal's recipes? I am in 7th Heaven and cannot even tell how proud I felt for this honor. Thanks Valli, love you :)

All of you who are regulars on my blog already know on my event called Veggie/Fruit A Month, which I had started in June 2010 as I was celebrating my 100th post. I am so thankful to all my fellow bloggers who have kept the event going. For the month of Feb 2013, please don't forget to tune in to Apurva's blog *ing Strawberries.

I want to celebrate this milestone (3rd Birthday) by starting another event. It will also help me to re-focus on the blog. But, nope, no details yet. You will have to wait for my post. You will get all the gory details then.

Till then, take care and stay healthy.

Love you all !!!

And the winner is ....

Hello Friends,

I am sure many of you know that I was doing a giveaway of this wonderful book.

After a long delay, I am so happy to announce the winner. I had 7 people showing interest and following rules:

1. Hamaree Rasoi
2. PJ
3. Sara from Sara's Tasty Buds
4. Vijayalakshmi Dharamaraj
5. Priya Vaasu
6. Ritika Arora
7. Priya SrinivasaN

Drum rolls please. And, the winner is... 

PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds

CONGRATULATIONS PJ !!! I will be passing your information to the author Rinku Bhattacharya, and she will be contact with you to send the book.

Enjoy and hope to see some yummy recipes from this book translated into your blog posts :)

Take care till next post,
Priya

Do you know this spice blend?

Hello Friends,

How many of you recognize this spice blend?

Take care and keep guessing :)

View openings to host Veggie/Fruit A Month Event

Hello Blogger Friends,

I have a few openings to guest host Veggie/Fruit A Month event in the year 2013. If anyone is available and interested, please send me an email @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com.

Please book your spot :)

Take care,
Priya

View openings to host Veggie/Fruit A Month Event

Hello Blogger Friends,


I have a few openings to guest host Veggie/Fruit A Month event in the year 2013. If anyone is available and interested, please send me an email @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com.


Please book your spot :)


Take care,
Priya

Celebrating 300+ posts, with Cottage Cheese Sweet and Savory Pastries !!!

Hello Friends,


Another fun milestone. I have reached 300+ posts' mark. I just realized I am posting 303rd post already. I once again would like to thank all my loyal readers for continuously visiting my blog and thus encouraging me to post more and more recipes :)


Actually, I have to be honest, I didn't mean to make this recipe and post it for 300th post, but it so happened that I make this and what better occasion can it be for :)


These are an inspiration from Tia's Recipe. I am sure you will all enjoy these as much as we do. I made both sweet and savory version of this. I would say, perfect for get-together and potlucks. 


Cottage Cheese Sweet and Savory Pastries

Ingredients
For Pastry
All Purpose Flour - 2 cups (This makes 15-18 of these pastries)
Butter - 1 cup (at room temp)
Cottage Cheese - 1 cup (all drained)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
For Sweet Filling
Either Your Favorite Jam/Jelly or Nutella (for chocolate lovers like me)
For Savory Filling
Potates - 2 medium ones, boiled and mashed
Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Preparation

• Mix everything for pastry in a your kitchen aid mixer or any other stander mixer till it is smooth. It may not form a proper ball shape. So, don't try to achieve that.
• Wrap it in a plastic wrap and let it sit in refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
• For Savory filling, take a non-stick pan, heat oil and add onion to it. Once onion is translucent, add mashed potato and everything else listed for it. Mix well and let it fry for 2 min and keep it aside till ready to fill.
• Heat Oven to 350 degree F.
• Take the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it to about 1/4 " thickness.
• Cut the entire sheet in squares (big enough to fill and fold as a purse or any other shape you want). I could make about 15-18 squares of the size I wanted.
• Take individual squares, apply little water on the edges, fill it with a tsp of your favorite filling and fold it from all 4 sides in a purse shape or a triangle or any other shape you want to give it.
• Grease a muffin tray (it is best in a muffin tray than a regular cookie sheet) and then put these purses or any other filled shapes you made in individual muffin space and bake it upto 25-30 minutes, till it is nice and golden color.

Serving
It can be served as a dessert (if using sweet version) as well as a snack. But, whatever you do, try to serve warm as they taste better when they are warm :)


That's all for now. Take care till next post.

Holi Special Recipes - More in next posts

Hello Friends,


I cannot believe that in about 2 weeks' time, we will be celebrating the festival of colors, HOLI. It is my all time favorite festival as we get to play like kids with colors, water and what not. It was a blast as a kid and I still enjoy getting covered in color and enjoyed all those delicacies that we usually make for holi. 


I remember as a kid, we never cared about colored hands and all that and used to get in house (ours and friends', didn't matter), every few minutes (while playing colors) and just grab the treats and run away again to play further. We had a rule where we grew up, we used to play with wet colors during the day time and then around 3-4 pm (whenever it was time), come home, take a shower and then get some rest and visit friends' places with family and then it was a strict dry color only playing. The houses used to be mess for next couple of days and it was fun to even recognize each other for next couple of days, due to layers and layers of colors. 


I know it is not holi yet and I am already typing all this. It is because I am sending the following delicacies from my blog to my new blogger friend Vatsala's very first event called Holi Aayi Re.


Malpua - 1

Kathal/Aloo Ki Sabzi

Dahi Vada

I have few more that I need to post and so will send them later.


So, what are you waiting for, send your holi specials as well for  her event and help her make her very first event a big success.


That's all for now. Take care till next post.

Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes Blog turns ONE - Celebrating with Ghevar - घेवर

Hello Friends,


Wow, I was only dreaming to be writing this post when I used to read other people celebrating their milestones. But, here it is, time flies. It seems like just yesterday that I started this blog and already 1 whole year has passed. 


I have to start this post by saying thank you to all of you, my regular and some not-so regular blog readers who come and encourage me with your great words and motivate me. If you were not there, I wouldn't have seen this day and might have lost interest in it completely after few posts. Thanks Rupali for asking me to check out her blog which inspired me to start my own.


Let's see what else, a few milestones and other things I achieved that I would like to list.


My First/Second Post (first post was just introduction) - Choorma
My 100th Post - Started an event called Veggie/Fruit A Month, which has been a great success due to all my fellow bloggers
My 200th Post - Celebrated with Kesariya Peda


I started my very first event Veggie/Fruit A Month event in June 2010, then started an event called Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday on 3rd August 2010, which I now co-host with US Masala, who is a wonderful friend of mine. I hope to receive your continuous encouragement and feedback on everything I blog about and I will not let you down and make you visit me again and again.


It is now time to celebrate it with something I made. Everyone usually makes sweets for celebrating. I wanted to make something Rajasthani, whether sweet or not. But, then I was like why not go for sweet itself as that seems to be the trend.


I am not sure how many of you have even heard of it. It is called GHEVAR. This is the most made sweet, actually not so made at home at all, as it is little tricky and you get it very commonly anywhere. So, people celebrate festivals by buying this. It is a sweet you MUST try, if you ever visit any of the cities in Rajasthan. Don't come back without trying it.


I have tried this recipe (of course I had to use a recipe from someone as I probably could not even dream of making it from scratch at home all by myself, know what I mean) from a blog I am very fond of called Nisha Madhulika. Please do visit her blog for video of how to make it as it is a bit tricky. I am just going to re-write the recipe as I want it to make it part of my blog and efforts too. Visit her blog as she has answered lot of questions from readers like mine and you will be benefited, if you really want to try making this.


I envy many of you who have great cameras and wonderful photography skills. I have good camera but, not so good at imagining and placing my food properly with appropriate props. So, here is what it looks like.

Ghevar - घेवर (A Western Indian Fried Sweet made with All Purpose Flour and Milk)

Ingredients
For Ghevar Batter
Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 1.5 cups
Milk (cold or room temp) - 1/2 cup
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1/2 cup for mixing the batter and about 3-4 cups for frying ghevar
Water - 2 cups
For Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 1.5 cups
Water - 1 cup
Preparation

• I used my Kitchen Aid, but feel free to use your hand and whip or your mixer or anything to mix the batter.
• Take milk and 1/2 cup ghee and mix (whip) nicely for 2-3 minutes
• Now, add all purpose flour and mix well till there are no lumps.
• Add water little by little and mix it well into a smooth consistency. If you take in a spoon and try to drop on a plate, it should be thin (check Nisha's video).
• Now, heat the rest of the ghee in a small pan (usually the size of the ghevar you want to make). 
• While the ghee is heating, make the syrup in the side and let it cool.
• To check if the ghee is hot or not, drop little batter and make sure, it immediately comes on the top.
• Now, take a big spoonful (about 1/3 cup sized) of batter and slow and steady start poring it right in the middle of the pan with ghee. You will immediately start seeing lot of bubbles, let them all subside.
• Now, add another spoonful (only after bubbles are subsided, about 45-60 seconds) right in the middle and let bubbles come and subside.
• If the middle of the pan is crowded by now, take a very thin spoon and with its end (or if you have a knife set, you can use the knife sharpener) and push the batter from the middle of the pan to the sides.
• Continue this process till you have reached the desired thickness of ghevar. I only did 5 spoonfuls for one ghevar.
• Now, reduce the flame to medium and let the ghevar cook till nice golden color (about 2-3 min.)
• No need to flip it, as soon as you see golden brown spots on the top, drain it on a paper towel or plate. Keep it slanted to get rid of excell ghee.
• Once it is slightly cooler, dip it in sugar syrup (for about 5-10 seconds) and drain it on another plate. Continue this process for all ghevars. I could make 4 from my batter quantity given above.
• Once all syrup is drained, feel free to save in air-tight contained and use it for upto a week or so.

Serving
Usually, it is served as is. It tastes better, when it is slightly cold. Or, as Nisha suggested. top it with some nice rabri (reduced and thickened milk) and nuts serve. I like to eat it with warm milk, tastes superb :)


Sit back and enjoy and please keep visiting me again and again. That's all for now and take care till next post.

Bragging about few awards, some tags and celebrating # of followers

Hello friends,


This post has been in my drafts forever. I want to firstly apologize to everyone who shared an award or gift with me and I could not post it. I just had some bad and some worse days in last couple of weeks. Let's leave it to that. It is better late than never, right?


So, here I am ready to brag about it :)


Thanks Savitha, Akila and Kavitha for sharing this award with me. Isn't that a really Stylish award. I feel so good with this. It lifted my spirits right up :)

Vanessa and Sonu shared this nice lovely award with me. Thanks dears, I feel honored :)

Now, here is the last but not the least award from Aipi, who shared this award with me for participating Veggie/Fruit A Month event.

Now, I have to tell I have been tagged by not one or two but 7 of my dear bloggers - Malar, Priya, Savitha, Shobha, Jagruti, Kurinji and Dr. Sameena. I feel so blessed to be remembered and tagged by so many of my dear virtual friends. Thanks everyone. A few set of tags, so be patient and here are the questions and answers.



Set 1


1. What is your take on organic food , is it a big deal for you ?
Not really. If I can get my hands on organic food for cheap, I will go for it. If not, I am ok with regular food. I do try to get organic milk for sure for my kiddos.


2. Do you time your breakfast,lunch & dinner or eat when you are hungry ?
I try to time it as much as possible as I believe in routine. But, yep, when we needed, we also hear to our tummies and eat if we are hungry :)


3. What inspired you to write a food blog ?
I used to look for new Rajasthani Recipes as I am sure many of you know by now that I am born Andhrite (born and raised in North India though) but married to a Rajasthani guy and wanted to cook his kind of food (though I cook 99% north Indian cuisine due to how I was raised). But, when I used to look for recipe, I never found a lot of options, so started my own blog and with my SIL's help, learnt recipes and now sharing with you all.


4. You try a new recipe and it does not turn out good,what will you do ?
My first thought will be to see if I can do something to make it good (after following the recipe and not have a good result). If it is totally inedible, of course it goes down the drain.


5. Name three ingredients you consciously avoid or eliminate even when the recipe calls for it ?
I don't think I have anything like this. I try to use the exact recipe and I substitute only if I don't have it, not because I don't like it.


6. Name three things you have to use in most recipes ?
Onions, Tomatoes and Garlic (My mom and SIL tell me that I practically cannot cook without these)... lol


7. How important is eating meals together as a family to you?
It is important, and so far thankfully it hasn't happened that we ever had to eat without everyone being present. So, so far, so good. But, I wouldn't stay till midnight or not eat if my family is not with me... know what I mean... (wink, wink).


8. You do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant,what will you do ?
I will not order (if I know in advance). If I ordered and then realize it is not good, I will not eat and surely make a point to let the chef know what it lacks.


Set 2


1. Are you a vegetarian, or have you thought about being one? 
Yes, I am a vegetarian, I eat eggs only if used in baking.


2. Who inspired you to cook or bake?
I think it was more of a necessity than inspiration after marriage... lol


3. How do you celebrate Christmas?...or a favorite holiday of your choice?
Don't all our favorite holidays celebrated the same way. I like to wear festive traditional clothes and make lots of goodies and enjoy them with friends and family.


4. Do you prefer to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and/or family, or prefer to ring in the New Year quietly, and privately, at home? 
I like to celebrate it with friends and family. I hate staying alone.


5. If someone were to ask you to bring dessert to a party, what would you bring? Store bought, or homemade, and if you were to make homemade, what would you make?
It depends on what kind of party it is. I like cooking Indian desserts a lot and also now venturing into Western desserts. One thing is sure, I would like to make one instead of store-bought, if I can.


6. How will you celebrate your next birthday?
Not sure yet.


7. Do you have a New Year's resolution-and will you be sticking to it?
I try not to make resolutions and only make goals for next years and I will try to work towards achieving them :)


OK, now here are my set of 8 questions, followed by the friends I am tagging. Go ahead and answer them guys :)

1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

2. Who is your best critique for cooking?

3. What is your favorite food? If you one in each category, please mention.

4. What are some of the foods that has amazed you in someone else's blog? Name 2 to 3 with links, if possible.

5. Who is your inspiration in blog world or who do you look upto ro want to be like (any specific blog)?

6. Would you prefer a cold sandwich and sald or a hot panini and warm soup for lunch?

7. Are you obsessed about anything when it comes to food, may be a process or igredient that you have to use or love to use?

8. Have you ever thought about or approached by or tried for cooking something up for a TV or a newspaper? Would you like to do so, if not done already?

I am tagging the following fellow-bloggers with the above set of questions. Go ahead and answer them guys and pass them on to 8 more bloggers with either the same set of questions or prepare a new set :)

1. Reshmi from Rasoi

2. Revathi Madan from Kaarasaaram

3. Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook

4. Roshan from Roshan's Cucina

5. Pushpa from Taste As You Cook

6. Lavanya from The Diary of A disPlaced HouseWife

7. Kanchan from Kitchen Gossip

8. Sushma from Authentic Food Delights

Now, to the final part of this post. This blog baby of mine is now being followed by 200+ readers and I am on ninth cloud, I didn't realize that so many people actually regularly read my blog and I am sooooooooooooooooooo thankful to everyone who leave encouraging comments and feedbacks on almost each and every post as those are the words that keep me going. This has become my virtual world, with which I cannot be parted now. I love you all my readers.


That's all for now and take care till next.

Happy New Year 2011 !!!

A Very Very Happy New Year to all my blog readers and their loved ones. May this year bring LOVE, HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY in all our lives.


I haven't made any resolution as I know they never work. But, just wish and hope to do a lot more good in new year and spread love and peace. Help people more and enjoy my life with my lovely family !!! :)


Take care all of you till next post and stay healthy and happy through this year and many more years coming.

Calling all LA Area Food Bloggers

Hello friends,


Just want to send out a shout to all my fellow LA area Food bloggres who will be interested in meeting other fellow food bloggers and get to know them and have fun. This does not only include LA County, but also includes San Bernardino and Orange County food bloggers.


We just had one meet this past Saturday (December 4th 2010). We are planning our next one in Spring 2011.


Please visit LA Foodie Bloggers' Meet blog for more details and send out an email to me @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com, if you are interested. We already have 12 bloggers in the group.


Looking forward for more participation.

Foodies Unite - December 4th 2010

Hello Friends,

Here is a little but exciting update from our Foodie Unite Meet :)

So, finally the day came and brought too much excitement. Unfortunately, lot of girls couldn't make it due to prior commitments or last minute plan changes. We missed them very much.

Few days ago, we had decided to meet in a common and comfortable place for all of us, which happened to "Rajdhani" Restaurant in Artesia (Norwalk, CA). I am sure, people living in LA area, who are fond of Indian food are familiar with the name of this restaurant. They serve mouth watering, all vegetarian, Gujarati, Sit Down Buffet. Yes, little different and untraditional for American culture, but pretty common per Indian traditions. It is kind of all you can eat buffet, but you nicely sit in comfort of your chair and they serve you whatever you need from the menu of the day.

Anu, Divya, Priya, Shubha and Hetal all showed up almost on time. It was surreal to meet everyone finally in person. We had talked a lot over emails and some even chat. But, to meet in person, was just wonderful. We met, talked about ourselves, our blogs, gossips and then of course food. All over a wonderful lunch. We talked, talked and talked. The only person who didn't talk much was Divya and we will make sure next time, we reserve some time for her to open up further and talk more... lol. Divya, next time you better talk more girl :)

Anu and Divya were really sweet to bring the rest of us some wonderful and of course delicious gifts. Thanks guys :)

We separated promising that we will soon meet each other. After all, the blogging is all our "me" time and we love and cherish the friendships we have made through this passion of ours, food and blogging.

Love you all girls and hope next time all of us can make it and we have even more people joining our group.

Note: I am trying to upload pictures, so please bear with me.

Taking A Short Break !!!

Hello friends,


I have been telling in my last few posts that I am going to go to India. So, here it is. We are leaving in few minutes and will be gone for 5 weeks.


You all stay safe and healthy. Will try to bring lots of recipes, pictures from India :)


Take care till next post.

CSN Giveaway @ Lav's Blog, please do check !!!

Hello friends,


Please do check out a wonderful CSN giveaway at my dearest friend's Lav's blog The Diary of a disPlaced HourseWife at your earliest convenience and participate :)


Take care, that's all for now !!!

Happy Vinayak Chaturthi and Eid Mubarak to all my readers

Hello friends,


First of all, I am so happy that this is a festive weekend. I always like these. 


Happy Vinayak Chaturthi and Eid Mubarak to all my readers from my family. May God Bless everyone with all the love, happiness and prosperity this festive season. 


For Hindus, this marks the beginning of festival season which then is thought to end with Holi in Spring.


I am also sharing a new possession of mine which I bought last month. These are Rachel Ray's Ramekins that I ordered from QVC, a set of 5 ramekins, perfect for Individual size. I will soon be using them to bake our Sweet Punch recipe of October, Molten Lava Cake.

Have a wonderful and joyful weekend.

Thanks for wishes and Sharing Few achievements in my garden

Hello friends,


I have been little lazy in cooking last few days. Just cooking and eating anything, nothing special.


I also would like to thank all my friends who wished me on my birthday yesterday. It was overwhelming. I am so glad that I have blog and made so many blogger friends. Loving every minute of it. Had a subdued birthday, nothing much. Visited temple with both my boys and that was the highlight of it. Now, you will ask why. It was because my older one has been sick for last 4 days, cough/cold with fever and since Saturday morning, my husband has been sick with severe ear pain (accompanied by fever). So, nothing much to celebrate. But, surely all your wishes made my day :)


OK, now as the post title say, just sharing some wonders from my garden. My very first cucumber and one big giant zucchini. I have never bought this big zucchini from the market. It was almost a foot long. Can you believe that? This is the first zucchini that naughty, bad squirrel let us get from the plant. Yep, that squirrel has been troubling me a lot, s/he is digging trees, and eating all fruits/vegetables everything, bad bad, squirrel.


Anyways, I am happy with whatever I got :)

And, please don't forget to send your entries for Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday event tomorrow.


That's all for now. Take care till next post.

My small backyard garden !!!

Friends,


I know I have posted 2 recipes with ingredients from my garden and many of you think I have a great big garden. I do have a good garden, but not too big, just something I have started with many mistakes of course, like I didn't think my first crop of Carrots and few other vegetables, which is kind of a mess, so I plan to harvest and then re-plant few things. 


Here is a small pic of some of my veggies. I am growing Zucchini, Cucumber, Cilantro, Mint, Spinach, Carrots, Beetroot, Peas, Snap Beans, Green Chillies, Bell Pepper, Okra, Eggplant and Tomato. I know that sounds like a lot, but everything is just planted, so a long way to go and only few plants per veggie as I don't have enough space for big rows and lot of plants and I don't want to crowd it all. 


From left to right: top row (cucumber, zucchini), bottom row (tomato, bell pepper)

I also have planted Lemon, Pomegranate, Orange, Avocado and Papaya about 2-3 months ago, so it will take about 2-3 years before I can see any fruits on those. I am dying to get Guava and Mango, but couldn't find any plants. If anyone has any ideas on how to grow them from seeds at home, let me know.


From left to right: top row (papaya, carrots), bottom row (zucchini, strawberry)

I also have few flowers in my garden like Roses, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Azalea, Sun Peasant and Star Jasmine, just few, again at an early stage, so hopefully, by next year this time, they will be beautifully blooming.


From left to right: top row (hibiscus, bougainvillea), bottom row (dahlia, dahlia), center (rose)

From left to right: top row (rose, chamathi), bottom row (rose, hibiscus)

I am a big enthusiast of home gardens and want to have a big garden, but, that is the disadvantage of living in a big city where you cannot have very big backyards.


I just thought I will give a sneak peak at my veggie garden, that I have been boasting about. I welcome all suggestions and tips on new garden. I like to plant my stuff on soil instead of pots.


That's all for now. Take care till next post.