Easter

~ Easter 2015 ~

Easter is just around the corner and I am
 sure lil ones at your house too are hopping around
 and  enjoying their easter/spring  break. The earthy
 smell of spring ,with a hint of summer in the air,
is totally divine. Warm  sunshine has bid adieu to
 the last winter blooms. The  chrysanthemums 
and charismatic dahlias have been taken over by 
vibrant hibiscus and soothing periwinkles and 
of course ruby Easter lilies are blooming all over. 

Easter Bunny 

Multigrain bread topped with peanut butter , apples 
banana, strawberry n grapes. 

Easter is incomplete without Easter eggs, chicks n 

bunnies.With Easter crafts and egg painting 
activities  almost dying in schools these days, I 
decided to involve my daughter and pep up some
 easter fun for the two of us at the breakfast table
 today. While she happily applied some peanut 
butter to bread I quickly chopped some fruits. 

  
Easter Chick 

Multigrain bread topped with peanut butter , apples 
banana, strawberry n grapes. 

Easter surely takes me back to my childhood 

days when the school canteen was filled with 
 pastel coloured sugar eggs with intricate 
royal icing patterns on them, the most exciting
 part of these eggs was to split them open and
 find an array of candies.We used to call these
 sugar eggs as golden eggs that laid candies. 
Although that old world charm is not
 available at bakeries anymore but this 
power breakfast with some eggs,milk and
 loads of my old world  stories surely added
 a zing to the breakfast.

Happy Diwali

~Happy Diwali~ 

Diwali, the festival of lights is certainly the biggest and 
brightest of all Indian festivals. This ancient  five day festival,
spiritually signifies the triumph of good over evil. As per 
the Hindu mythology ,it is believed that Lord Rama returned
to his native city Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years ,to welcome 
him the entire city was lit by clay lamps and beautifully  decorated 
with colorful flowers and buntings. 

There is a festive atmosphere everywhere, the houses are cleaned 
days in advance and  decorated with colorful lights and tiny clay 
lamps called Diyas. Diyas also called a Deepam, deep or deepak 
are the most integral part of Indian celebrations. These tiny 
terracota/clay lamps are filled with oil or ghee (clarified butter) n 
lighted in temples and homes alike. It is believed that the  flame of 
these diyas is divine and illuminates not only the surroundings but 
also cleanses our  mind, soul and spirit. 

People worship the idols of Ganesha & Laxmi and pray for peace, 
prosperity and happiness .Huge colorful patterns called rangolis
 alpanas or pookalams  are made on the floor while  the threshold is 
decorated with the most vibrant yellow marigolds and betel leaves. 
Tiny clay lamps are placed all over the house. 

Over couple of  days , I have been juggling time between work and 
festival preparations. While daughter has been happily helping me 
with all the festive decorations and traditional sweet preparations 
it was my turn to add fun to the snacktime yesterday. Thus made 
some diya on stick pops to adore our table and a few cheesy diya 
topped crackers for a light evening snack . 

Diya on Sticks 

Halved cucumber slices and carrot topped on a satay
stick. Use a tiny piece of spaghetti to attach the carrot
 flame to the diya. 


Easy peasy  Diya appetizers 

These Diwali appetizers are super easy to make, perfect for 
a quickie kiddo party too !!

Smear crackers ( I have used Britannia cream crackers) with some 
flavored cheese spread , sprinkle some oregano/zatar or  chilly flakes 
top it up with a veggie diya of halved cucumber and carrot.
Bunting- Red & yellow pepper triangles. 

May these little diyas light up your life with peace, prosperity and 

happiness !! Have a wonderful and  pollution free Diwali !! 

Happy Dusshera

~Happy Dusshera ~

Vijaydashmi commonly known as Dusshera is one of the 

most important festivals celebrated with great enthusiasm 

throughout India. The day  is celebrated to commemorate the

 victory of Lord Rama over the ten headed demon king Ravana.

 Besides this, the day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga

 over the demons. The festival of Dusshera spreads the 

message of victory of truth and goodness over evil. 

Ravana - the ten headed demon 

As per the Hindu mythology king Rama along with his 

younger brother Laxman  and a huge army of monkeys headed

by monkey deity Hanuman fought a great battle to get Sita, his 

abducted wife back from the demon. The entire narrative is 

beautifully  recorded in the religious epic Ramayana. Several 

plays and performances known as Ramleela are performed

 throughout the fortnight. Actors dress up in colorful masks and 

attire and beautifully enact the life and chivalry of Rama.

Ravana, the primary antagonist of epic Ramayana was a great

 scholar, his ten heads depict his immense knowledge and power

but his unethical desires and proud transformed  him to a demon. 

His 10 heads depict lust, anger, delusion, greed, pride , envy ,

 destructive mind and intellect ,  ill will and ego. Huge effigies of 

Ravana are burnt to remind the mortals that it is very necessary 

to channelize our five senses and five bodily instruments into 

the right direction. 

The share of Dusshera ...... 

We are currently enjoying a Dusshera break here !! While my 

daughter was busy playing with her friends I decided to 

treat them the Little Food Junction way. Watching the tiny hands 

sharing ,eating and laughing is definitely festivity at its best. 

 Garlic and white bean dip ,crackers and veggies.

Eyes- cheese and capers ( use a small piece of straw to cut tiny 

circles), moustache and brow- radish greens, hands- carrot and olives , 

dress - red bell pepper, ground - cucumber shavings (using a peeler)

May Almighty keep showering his blessings upon you, 

To make  your life  prosperous and trouble free throughout.

Happy Dusshera to all my dear readers !!!  

Facts ref - Wikipedia.org , goindia.about.com, indiadivine.org   

Preserve Ozone Day

~World Ozone Day ~

The International Day for the Preservation of Ozone layer

 is celebrated on 16th of September each year. This date has

 been designated by the United Nations General Assembly to 

commemorate the signing of the protocol on substances that

 deplete the ozone layer. Few days back my lil one and I 

were working on a Save the Ozone project for her school, while 

explaining her how the ozone layer protects us from the harmful

 UV radiation from the sun and how we can save our planet 
we thought about doing some weekend activities. We scribbled
out some ideas and finally lil one made an informative poster. 

Today on the Preservation of Ozone layer day I decided to 

transform her poster into an edible version. 

Save the Ozone layer 

Earth- Brown bread topped with mayo mixed with a drop 

of blue food color, greens ,cheese, olives ,carrot and bean. 

Sun - Orange with cheese, olive and cucumber.  

 We contribute to protect the ozone layer by keeping our 
air conditioner clean, walking for short distances, maintaining
 our shopping list to reduce the use  of vehicles,by buying energy
 saving bulbs and gadgets & taking care of our plants after all 
 each drop in an ocean counts 

Teachers Day

~ Happy Teachers Day ~

I am indebted to my father for living,

but to my teacher for living well.

- Alexander The Great

September 5th is celebrated as Teachers Day in India.

The day commemorates the birthday of the great Indian teacher

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for his contribution towards

our education system . Today's post is a tribute to all the

efforts & love our mentors have put in to shape our

careers & make us what we are today .

Say it with Flowers

Flowers are the best way to say Thankyou ,better still

if they can be touched , smelled & also relished till the

last bite. These edible flowers on stick are quick to make.

Gift them as individual sticks or bunch these into a beautiful

edible bouquet. The little ones will surely enjoy creating

these gifts of love.

Truffle Flower sticks

Makes 8-10 truffles

Ingredients - 8-10 seedless dates, 4 regular cookies or any of your

favorite chocolate cookies crushed coarsely with a rolling pin, 2 tbsp

finely chopped nuts ( almonds, cashews, figs, raisins , apricots -

the choice is yours) 2 tsp nutella or any other chocolate spread .

For dipping & decorating - 100 gms chocolate & few colorful

sprinkles, some lollipop sticks or skewers .

For assembling - colorful craft paper , scissors, cling wrap & some

non- toxic craft clay, some florist tape & paper leaves ( opt)

Tip - adjust the Nutella as per requirement , buttery cookies will

require less while wholegrain / low fat cookies need a bit more.

Method- Grind the dates till pasty. Mix in crushed cookies, nuts &

Nutella. Roll into small balls & keep aside. melt the chocolate in a

double boiler or for 30 secs in a microwave. Dip one end of the lollipop

stick in it & skew in the prepared truffle. Refrigerate for a min .

Remove from the refrigerator , hold the stick & dip the truffle into

melted chocolate, gently tap to remove excess. Top with sprinkles

& refrigerate for 5-6 mins or till chocolate sets. Cling wrap .

For Assembling - Cut out flowers from craft paper .Pass the wrapped

truffle stick through the centre of the flower. Put some craft clay below

the flower to make it stable. You could also cover the stick with some

florist tape & stick a few paper leaves.

If lack of time bothers you pick up some market made candy

lollipops , dip in chocolate & put sprinkles or skip the dipping part ,

just cling wrap & proceed further .

Truffle Card

For making a truffle card- Stick the flowers & leaves on a

thick sheet of paper . Put some double sided tape on the center

of the flower & stick the cling wraped truffle balls . ( Skip the sticks

for this version )

If you have still not joined me on Facebook , this is especially for you.

Check out my fun food article- Treats For Tutors in Hindustan Times

Live Mint ( click to read the e- paper) Sep 1st , 2012 .

Fathers Day

~ Happy Fathers Day ~

I love you , Dad and want you to know

I feel your love wherever I go .

Whenever I have problems , you are there to assist,

The ways you have helped me would make quite a list .

- from Star Dad by Karl Fuchs

Today is Fathers Day , a day set aside to honor the

great man , and the pillar of the family , our Father .......

While half the world is busy celebrating the occasion

and the other half of the globe is still getting geared

up with the preparations -it still isn't too late to share

all the fun we had , making the dad at our home feel

the so very very special :) :)

We wanted to pep up the day with some cute DIY stuff ,

& surely our Moustachey theme proved perfect

to give him a good laugh & a lovely treat !!!

Moustachwich

Whole wheat bread , cheese, olive , cucumber & carrot

(Cut out a mustache on a piece of paper to serve as ur

stencil guide , place the cutout on the cheese slice & cut

out the shape using a toothpick( believe me its easier to

cut cheese into fancy shapes via toothpick), make

a few lines on the cheesy mustache for the hairy look . )

Moustacheookies

( or Moustache cookies :) : )

What about some funky cookies ?????? Not much time to bake .....

not an issue at all , these cuties just need 10-15 mins & jus 3

basic ingredients to pep up ......

Ingredients - Your favorite cookies, some tempered chocolate , a few

M&Ms or gems candy is all that you need ..

Sketch a few mustaches on a piece of paper , keep an acetate sheet on top .

Fill a piping bag with some tempered chocolate & pipe the chocolate all over

the drawing. Pipe a few circles for the nose too . Make tiny dots on the candies

for the eyeballs . Refrigerate everything for a couple of mins . Once

set , peel your chocolate art & stick on the cookies with

some melted chocolate.

Moustache chocopops

If you have some mustache shape candy molds go ahead n

have some more fun with all the Big n lil daddys !!!

Happy new year

~ Happy New Year 2012 ~

Little Food Junction wishes all its readers a very

happy & prosperous new year .

When it comes to spreading joy among your loved ones ,

there is no better way to do it than with flowers.

Spread the joy of the new year with these quick n

easy fruity floral muffin toppers. Kids would surely

love to ring in the new year with a bang n these

little sweet treats ...

Say it with flowers !!!

Muffin (recipe below)topped with a jam cookie ( Britannia

Treat Jim Jam) on a skewer , green apple wedges (for

leaves), red apple flower, & choco chips.

Apple , Carrot & Ragi Muffins

Ingredients- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup all purpose

flour (maida) 1/2 cup ragi flour ( finger millet ) ,1/2 cup powdered

sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup chopped apple,1/4 cup grated carrot

,pinch nutmeg, pinch cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp grated ginger ,

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce ,3 tsp oil/butter, 1 egg,

pinch of soda, pinch of salt , a handful

of dry fruits coarsly ground (raisins , almonds & walnuts).

Method- Sift together the dry ingredients . Whisk the egg along with

other wet ingredients . Mix in the apple , carrot & nuts . Do not

over-mix or the muffins will be tough. Pour the batter in a silicon cups

& bake at 180C for 20-25 mins.

Tip- Carrots can be substituted with pumpkin / zucchini .

Use boiled & mashed apples to substitute applesauce.

For a more nutty flavor do not grind nuts.

Ragi can be substituted with powdered oats.

christmas Time -2

~ Merry Christmas- 2~

Christmas is synonymous with fun , celebration &

surprises for little ones. This quick n healthy cheesy

Christmas pudding themed sandwich will surely

leave them craving for some more holiday delights ...

Puddingwich !!!!

Whole wheat bread, cheese, cherry tomatoes & basil.

Tip - Use a toothpick to cut out the fancy wavy shape, and

the ends of a drinking straw for cutting out tiny circles.

Tricolor

~ Independence Day ~

On the occasion of India's 65th Independence Day ,

Little Food Junction salutes the Nation and the

immortal National Heros for their devotion and

sacrifices. Hope peace , love and harmony reigns in

all the parts of the world today n everyday.

The Indian Flag is a combination of saffron,white

& green with a blue chakra &wheel in between.

Saffron on the flag symbolizes courage & sacrifice,

white - peace & purity & green- faith & chivalry .

The blue wheel represents the dynamism of a

peaceful change.

Happy Independence Day ...

Saffron flavored rice with carrot & peas .

Festival time

~ The Bond of Love ~

India is a land of festivals .Virtually celebrating each

day of the year ,there are more festivals here than

anywhere in the world .To celebrate the beautiful

bond of love n purity between brother and sister ,

we celebrate Raksha Bandhan .Raksha means

to protect and bandhan means a bond. The festival

is marked by tying of a holy thread adorned with

decorations by the sister on wrist of his beloved brother .

This thread called Rakhi is the symbolic representation

of the unspoken promise to protect the sister from

all evils .........The day will be full of treats & sweets

so a simple festive themed breakfast is a must to

Keep the lil one rocking

Food of Love

Flower shaped Jam sandwich with sprinkles &

shoestring licorice/jelly sticks ribbons.

Rakhi - the holy thread