Banana Muffins

~ Banana Muffins  ~

With all the hustle bustle and fast pace  life of  a metro, I sometimes

 deeply crave for  simple country life - deep blue skies, the gentle 
warmth  of morning sun,deep earthy aroma of wet soil and dew 
drenched crisp blades of wild grass.The city life enriches us with
 super luxuries and comforts but slyly keeps us away from the little
 joys of nature ...Amongst this city life my little green area aka
 the balcony of  apartment  is my best little hideaway and a perfect
 place to spend the  Sunday mornings with family and enjoy 
a cup of piping hot tea with some warm buttery muffins. 

Most of the kids in  northern India are enjoying a spring break or a
 change of new academic session break to be more precise, owing to which 
my lil one is at home these days. This weekend she was adamant to bake a
 treat for her dad . With a couple of over ripened bananas  on the fruit tray
  it had to be some banana muffins .....

Bananas are a wonder fruit, they are a rich source of  potassium n magnesium 

that aid in maintaining normal blood pressure , healthy heart and strong
bones. Being rich in soluble fibre they help in healthy digestion and nutrient 
absorption. Bananas are perfect anytime snack for little ones too. 
The overripe ones are great to bake muffins and banana breads !! 

I'm a sucker for pretty colorful stuff , right from cupcake liners to funky 
molds , tableware and baking accessories. Picked up these cute polka ones
 at a throw away price from  the  local market . 

These easy to bake buttery delights are a perfect accompaniment to any hot
 beverage. Add some choco chips or nuts or keep them plain ; eat warm or pack 
them as treats in lunch boxes - they are absolutely indulging. With almost 
equal measurements of flour , butter and  sugar this recipe  based on 
traditional pound cake  is simple enough for lil ones to remember and try 
their hands on. With loads of butter it is better to term these as divine 
indulgence and treats ....I love the smell of vanilla and  banana
 together but you can omit vanilla for a stronger banana aroma. 

Banana Muffins 

Ingredients- 
100 gms flour , 100 gms butter ( I used Amul), 100 gms powdered 
sugar , 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 2 over ripe bananas mashed, 
1tsp baking powder, 50 gms walnuts /choco chips .

Method
Preheat oven to 180C . Sift flour and baking powder twice and keep aside. 
In a large bowl cream( beat) butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Gradually add the eggs and vanilla .Mix well . Gently fold in the sifted flour .
Finally add the mashed bananas and walnuts/choco chips. Add  1-2 
tsp milk if required. Spoon the batter in lined muffin cups and bake in a 
preheated oven for 25-30 mins or till toothpick inserted in the centre
 comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and serve. 

Christmas-2

~Merry Christmas - 2 ~  

Dull gloomy days of winter are perfect to involve lil ones in 

DIY holiday crafts and keep them occupied. To ride out  cold breezy 

days with loads of fun and frolic we have been making lots of christmas 

crafts- santas, snowmen and  christmas tree both on paper and plate ...

These christmas themes salad plates are not only easy to make but

 also great to eat !! Even the smallest hand would love to get involved ..

HoHoHo Santa on the go ..

Guava, banana, black grapes , red pepper , cucumber , pea, cheese 

and savory stars. 

This year my little one  had taken the responsibility of decorating 

the Christmas tree. From the big box of last years decorations she 

picked out some of the vibrant pieces and tied them up all on her own. 

Truly kids grow up so soon .........

With delicious guavas in abundance , our second creation was also 

with similar ingredients .....but you can  replace the guava slices 
with juicy  pineapple slices too .

Frosty the guavaSnowman 

Sliced guava, cucumber, banana, black grapes, pea, red bell pepper 
and cheese (Use a piece of drinking straw to cut out tiny circles from
 a cheese slice) 

If you are planning a christmas party for kids these tiny fruity
easy to  make edible crafts are sure to be a hit !! 

Merry Christmas !!!! 

Underwater

~ The Sea Calls ~

The best part of making fun foods for lil ones is that you can 

run your imagination wild and  become a kid once again . You get full

 liberty to  play with the myriad colors , textures & flavors  creatively . 

The magic by which a simple plate transforms into a work of art and  

 wins the attention of even the most pickiest and  fussiest eaters 

is defiantly the best part of playing with food !!

Turn a watermelon slice into a jelly fish  and happily watch the little

sea monsters gobble , gobble,gobble .............

Jelly fish on my plate !!!!

Halved slice of a small watermelon, cucumber , carrot, grapes,  dill, & cheese. 

Don't forget to use  a blue napkin, an underwater themed  fork/ pick 

 &  a  blue glass of water  to make the sea come alive !!!! 

Bye Bye Mangoes

~ Adieu Mangoes ~

September is the time of the year when we

bid adieu to the ripe juicy mangoes. Although the

supermarket shelves beautifully flaunt some imported

varieties of the king fruit all around the year yet the

magic of the local sun kissed juicy aromatic varieties

are deeply missed during the off season .

Mango is a part of our culture . Besides being our national

fruit , it is believed to be favorite amongst the deities too.

The mango leaves & the mango blossoms are integral

part of the Indian ceremonies . Throughout the

centuries this divine fruit has won the hearts of millions.

Mangoes beautifully reflect the Indian summers.

Aamras or sweet mango pulp is one of the most loved

& easy to prepare mango delicacy. The pulp of the fruit

is churned , chilled & relished with Indian flatbreads or

rotis. Mango season is almost incomplete without it.

Aamras

Ingredients- 2-3 ripe mangoes, 2-3 tsp sugar ( omit if the mangoes

are very sweet & juicy) , chopped dry fruits (opt), 2-3 tbsp water .

Method- Peel & roughly dice the mangoes. Blend with sugar & water

till smooth. Chill for 25-30 mins , garnish with nuts & serve.

Mango Lollies

Treat the lil ones with these homemade popsicles , these

fruities on stick are great as an afternoon snack & are

packed with the fresh fruity goodness.

Just pour the prepared Aamras in popsicle molds & freeze.

De-mold & let the yummmm yummmmm begin .

Bye bye Mangoes we will miss u till the next season.

Adieu Olympics..

~ Adieu Olympics 2012~

While London was busy with the last minute

perfections for today's closing ceremony of

Olympics 2012 , I was busy in the kitchen,digging

through my pantry to create some quick thematic

Breakfast fun for my family . To add a zing to their

breakfast on a bright sunny Sunday morning ,

I just picked up some cookies , honey & fruits :)

These easy to make fruit cookies are our way to thank

the Indian players for the hard work & efforts they have put

in to bring laurels to our nation .

Using a small cookie cutter (a bottle cap will also do) gently

cut out circles from the centre of the cookies, use gentle

rotating motion or the cookies will break....

Ahh!!! these lil cutie leftovers , believe me kids will love

gulping these tiny circles much before you can think of

using these for something else!!!! )

Smear some honey on the cookie rings & top with finely chopped

fresh & dried fruits . I wish we got some blueberries in India :( :(

Anyways I topped the first one with some blueberry preserve &

a few blue sprinkles.Chopped black raisins (Sultanas) were

perfect for depicting the black ring , frozen maraschino cherries,

chopped pistachio & diced mango were perfect toppers for the

red , green & yellow olympic rings.

A cup of warm milk, cookie rings topped with energy

boosting fruits ,loads of fun & laughter , what else do we need to

make a weekend perfect :) :)

Melon Pops

~ Watermelon Pops~

There is nothing better than having a slice of juicy

watermelon on a hot summer day...relished by young

and old alike this delectable thirst quencher is

a concentrated source of vitamins A&C, lycopene

and powerful antioxidants . Inspired by the luscious

watermelons , dripping juicy pops & Sweetest occasions

these divine pops will surely leave your little

ones asking for more. Pick a few wooden skewers

& get ready to transform the magical summer booty

into a heart winning healthy treat .

~Summer on a stick~

Watermelon pops

Watermelon slice, few sticks /skewers , few mint leaves

Cut 8 wedges from a slice of watermelon , skew on a wooden

stick & refrigerate for a few minutes. Top with a mint leaf .

( go ahead & dab a drop of honey if the mint doesn't hold on

to the chilled treat)

A hot Summer day & some

Vegan Watermelon Onion salad

For this dairy free version - Chop a large slice of

watermelon into bite size chunks , mix in a sliced onion ,

a tsp of lemon juice , a tsp finely chopped mint & season

with some sea salt & freshly crushed pepper

Chill for few minutes & enjoy the juicy goodness.

Angry Birds

~ Angry Birds ~

The Angry Birds fever has gripped my family too....

hubby n little one are obsessed with the birdy puzzle

game. Being not a a video/ computer game person ,

I happily sink my head into books and magazines

while the daddy- daughter duo are hooked to their

game. The cute looking vibrant colored birds of all

shapes n sizes are something that I totally love ....

The Giant Red Bird from the game is the inspiration

behind this fruity version .....Little one had so much

fun helping & eating it too......

Big Bird on my plate !!

Sliced Watermelon (small size) topped with cucumber,

olives & Canary melon/yellow melon beak .

An apple a day

~ Apples :the Next Superfruit ~

( A preview to Washington Apples)

How many times have we heard the old Welsh saying-

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" truly the number

would be uncountable for most of us .

Flowery Apple Salad

Slices of Red Delicious Apple sandwiched with fresh green spinach

& topped with some vanilla honey , fresh lime juice & raisins .

Apples are one of the most relished fruit in our diets today. The

disease fighting profile of apples provides a multitude of health

benefits right from teeth, gum & bone protection to reducing

one's risk for age related cancers , heart disease and cognitive

illness. Owing to their versatile flavors Apples are great for

salads, baking , cooking, snacking or eating right out of

hand. To get the full nutritional benefits associated with

apples at least one should be eaten every day.......

Washington Apples - No other Apple comes so close

Washington Apples are known worldwide for their wonderful

taste & crispness . Few days back the company called out for

a media & food bloggers meet at The Oberoi for an exclusive

display and tasting session of the seven varieties of the

Washington Apples for the first time in India with

Ms Rebecca Baerveldt Lyons from the Washington

Apples Commission.

The date of the event coincided with my daughter's annual

function coz of which I was unable to make it ,but the Washington

Apple Commission India office was kind enough to send me

all the information on the varieties & usage along with a

gift box of the samples .

The colorful varieties of apples set my creative juices a fire ... the crisp

& juicy divinities were perfect to be relished as snack or turn

into a cool summer salad . Their mellow flavors & juicy inner flesh

could not resist me from some healthy baking too ......

Apple Muffins

Apple muffins ( used Granny Smith & Fuji for baking) topped

with Red delicious, Granny Smith & Golden delicious

decorations.

Major Varieties

The mild, aromatic n distinctive flavors of each of the varieties

made it difficult for us to choose the favorite , each of the

seven pampered our taste buds unanimously .

I bet you'l have to pick up some wonderful Washington Apple

to know how the juicy Red Delicious, Tangy Granny Smith,

Crisp Galas, Aromatic Braeburn, blushing Cripps pink,

tender Golden Delicious & sweet Fujis taste like ......

The crunchy flavor of these tasteful divinities will leave you

craving for some more of tangy juicy healthy & above all a

guilt free snack.

To know more about the goodness of Washington Apples ,

wonderful Apple recipes & tons of apple info visit their site

www.bestapples.com

Flower power

Flower Power

The thing I love most about winters is the bounty of

colorful flowers, fruits & vegetables that it brings along.

The season offers the widest choice in fleshy fruits, leafy

vegetables & colorful tubers. Bright red & purple maroon

carrots swiftly overtake the orange colored English carrot

market, the harder variety of summer guavas are replaced

by their soft n aromatic white & pinkish fleshy cousins .

The colorful scenic vegetable & fruit markets constantly

remind that spring is not too far .........

Floral Inlay Salad

(Inspired by the Indian floral marble inlay designs)

Sliced guavas & carrots on a cabbage leaf

(Using a flower shape cookie cutter cut out flowers from the centre of sliced

guavas & carrots. Replace the flowers of carrot with guava & vice versa)

Sun festival

~ The Sun Festival ~

The co- relation of cosmic events with individual life

& values is one of the most astounding traits of Indian

culture. Makar Sankranti or the Sun festival marks the

transition of Sun towards the Northern hemisphere .The

celebrations beautifully signify that as the sun beats

the chill & spreads warmth may we mortals too spread

the warmth of love & happiness . Kite flying , Sweets

made from jaggery & sesame , khichdi (rice cooked

with lentils) , fresh fruits & popcorns are the main

attractions of this festival .

Fruity Offerings

Sliced orange topped with black grapes, cherry , spinach

(moustache) Guava ( rays & clouds),apple, papaya & lettuce(greens)

To make guava triangles for rays - divide a slice of guava into 8

segments n arrange around the orange slice.