Xmas time

~ Merry Christmas ~ 

When temperature dips and teeth begin to 
chatter we know that Christmas has finally
 set in !!! It appears that  the advent calendar
 and Indian winters seem to share a wonderful 
bond.... From the very beginning of the month
 the mercury starts dipping and by the Christmas
 eve the weather becomes freezing cold . While 
the  extreme north gets enveloped in snow,we in
 capital city enjoy cold foggy mornings and 
bit sunny afternoons. 

Xmas tree Salad 

Sliced cucumber, grapes, blanched beans n bell peppers .

Our Christmas tree was already up and 
dazzling since early this month  but we were
 still in mood to decorate some more .......
 thus while drawing and crafting various
 paper versions we came up with this super 

easy idea !! While I sliced the veggies n fruits , 

daughter arranged it on the platter...

To  ride out cold breezy days and keep lil one

 occupied we have been  baking some festive treats, 

nurturing our little balcony garden , capturing the 

gorgeous reds and greens of the local market n

 spending time creatively in loads of  xmas crafts. 

The winter season here is synonymous with vibrant 

flowers and luscious juicy fruits and veggies -

heaps of strawberries, grapes, pomegranates, kiwis ,

 winter cucumbers, colourful bell peppers, broccoli 

and cherry tomatoes  flood the local  markets, making 

it truly a veggie lovers paradise. Each visit to  market
tempts us to fill our our grocery bags up to the brim !!  

After making loads of  Santa cap cards and 

gift tags  for friends and family we decided to 

treat ourselves on one too !!! The firm strawberries 

made way to salad while the extra  pomegranate
 arils made way to the  juicer . It was the day of xmas
 salad .....  and holidays surely have this magical 

way of bringing out the child in all of us !!! 

Santa Cap 

Diced Strawberries, pomegranate, cucumber 

Spring Rain

~ Spring Rain ~ 

April has already stepped in!! Its difficult to understand how quickly 

time flies , its hard to  believe that the new year and christmas bells

rang more than 3 months back! Seems like a few days back  we were

 decorating the Christmas tree and now easter and summer both are 

gradually stepping in. The colorful spring flowers are in their last
 blooms but wait there is something really unusual about this spring,

 its has been raining quite a lot this time , undoubtedly  the sudden 

showers refresh us but it adds to the plight of the poor farmers 

who have already faced much damage to their crops.  

Owing to the  sudden thunderstorm and downpour in the evening , little 

one could not go out to play with her friends. While she was busy admiring 

the pitter patter of the rain on the leaves and spring blossoms, I decided 

to capture the scene on plate. 

The sudden thunderstorm and weather disturbance filled the market place 
with oranges and  I stocked up (as much my refrigerator could hold) a few
 dozens for juice and fruity ice lollies. The berries were driving me crazy!!

Spring is also the season  to dig into unlimited berries too. 

 Along with the fun salad I made a big bowl of refreshing fruit salad too.

Luscious strawberries, cape gooseberries, cherry tomatoes, kiwi, grapes 

all tossed up with some lemon juice,mint  and black salt .

The garden and  the plants thoroughly enjoyed the sudden shower and 
 the lil one her themed salad. 

Orange, grapes, banana , parsley and toasted sunflower seeds. 

Rainbow

~ Life is a Rainbow  ~

 Almost a fortnight of 2014 is over  and surely too late a  time to wish
 all you lovely readers a happy new year but I definitely remember some
great quote that  aptly revolves around the fact  that 'Good wishes and joys of
life are not bound by times ' hence its never too late to extend the warmest
greetings of love, well being and prosperity today and forever and nothing
can symbolize these good wishes more than the vibrant colorful rainbow.
A couple of ongoing projects hardly left anytime for my blog. The post that
 was scheduled for the first day finally comes up now. 

The magic of rainbow

The spiritual symbolism associated to these myriad colors of joy is surely divine .
The beauty of rainbow signifies that even after the roughest storm and hardships
of life things get better- The dull gloomy days  are conquered by happiness
 and joy. The seven colors of the rainbow although different in wavelengths
 and vibrations link together in the perfection of balance and  harmony.

What could be better than extending the warmth and good luck via these 
rainbows and sunflowers . As per the Chinese mythology sunflowers a 
considered auspicious , they deal with long life , vitality and prosperity. A
 true  symbol of happiness. 


Rainbow on my plate 

Herbed mashed potato clouds with pepper & olive . Bands of red
 cabbage, peas, corn, carrot and cherry tomato .

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 !!!! 

Merry Christmas

 ~ Merry Christmas ~ 

Sesame crackers with Tomato apple  relish 

Jingle bells jingle bells , jingle all the way , 

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh...

Christmas is in the air ..Chill wind and  fog has engulfed the northern
 part of the country, the mornings are biting cold but the afternoons 
are slightly  better. The markets have  transformed to tiny santa lands
 with the wide array of colorful displays ,beautifully decorated
 christmas trees, shimmering  decorations and gorgeous red 
Santa ensembles ,the streets seem to radiate in a sea of red n green  .
With just less than a week on the advent calendar its time to 
gear up with the holiday goodies. 

Christmas is synonymous with  hearty heavenly baking. Sugar cookies , fruit loaded 
rich buttery plum cake, gingerbread houses and marzipan encased petit fours ....ah 
the list is endless ....but  we decided to start the festivities with some savories.

Winter season brings in rich luscious tangy apples and ripe juicy tomatoes too. Their
 abundance in the market was truly a perfect excuse for some culinary experiments. 
While lil one was busy decorating the christmas tree with cute lil santa , bells and 
baubles , I was in the kitchen kneading the cracker dough . 

Sesame Crackers with Tomato apple relish 
A wonderful alternative to readymade crackers , these are perfect 
for holiday munching .

  
Ingredients for Crackers 

1 cup whole wheat flour ( atta), 1/2 cup refined flour (maida), 

1tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 

 1/2 tsp dried rosemary ( or fenugreek leaves for an indo version) .

1/2 cup warm water , salt to taste . And a star shaped cookie cutter 

Method

Combine everything and  knead to a stiff dough.

Divide into two large balls .

Roll out the dough , cut into stars and prick with a toothpick .

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 18-20  mins or till golden.

Cool on a wire rack and store in air tight box.

 Tomato apple relish 

Ingredients 

5 large tomatoes, 2 medium size onions , 1 apple, 2 tbsp sugar,

 2 tbsp raisins, juice of 1/2 lemon , 1/2 tsp grated ginger , 

pinch of pepper & cinnamon , 1/4 tsp rock salt , 1/2 tsp toasted 

sesame , 1 tsp vegetable/olive oil. 

 Opt-  2 tbsp finely chopped red and green bell

 peppers for garnishing 

Method 

Peel , core and  grate the apple . Chop the tomato and onions and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan , add ginger and onion and saute till pink. Mix in grated apple 

and chopped tomato along with raisins, sugar n spices. Cook for 10-12 mins till the
tomatoes are mushy . Add in toasted sesame and  lemon juice . Gently mash the

  pulp with  a ladle or potato masher. Cook for a min . Garnish with chopped red 

 green bell peppers for an added Christmas zing. 

Serve the dip with  crackers and  Cheesy Xmas trees . 

Warm Cabbage Salad

~ Warm Cabbage Salad ~ 

Loved by adults and mostly disliked by lil ones , the humble  cabbage 

is loaded with unique health benefits. These incredibly nutritious 

leafy greens are not only rich in  fibre and  minerals but also a very good 

source of Vitamin A and  C too (I know its hard to believe, but researches

 show that  it has a higher Vitamin C than oranges !!!) . Being  rich in iodine 

and sulphur it helps in growth and  muscle development owing to which it 

must be consumed well by the kids.

Besides making this warm salad,  I love sneaking in cabbage for stir

 fries, soups, cutlets, sandwich fillings, parathas , pancakes and even curries . 

With mothers day just around the corner what could be better than sharing 

one of my favorite recipes I have grown up eating !! Mom used to add tiny 

bits of tossed boiled  potatoes along with some mustard seeds(and serve it 

 as a side dish with lunch). But this tweaked version with colorful bell peppers 

and a hint of sesame can wonderfully double up as a warm salad too !!

I am a great fan of colorful bell peppers , the vibrant  red yellow and greens 

besides adding a gorgeous oomph to any recipe beautifully impart  a sweet 

peppery flavor too. I often cut the colorful leftovers  in strips n freeze them

 in Ziplock bags for being used in future (frozen availability year round 

makes life so much easier). 

The aroma of fresh curry leaves and nutty sesame imparts a beautiful crunchy

 and earthy flavor to the recipe . Serve the warm salad with a light lunch or some 

 lemon juice drizzled hot  Bottle gourd Rissoles .If you like some heat don't 

forget to throw in some hot red chillies and some coarsely crushed chilly flakes . 

Warm Cabbage Salad 

Ingredients -

 1 medium sized cabbage finely shredded , 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp urad

 dal ( split black lentil), 2 tsp sesame seeds, 7-8 curry leaves, 1/2 cup finely sliced 

colorful bell peppers , 1  dried  chili ( sabut lal mirch), 1 red chilli finely chopped 

or some chili flakes, salt to taste .

Method - 

Heat oil in a large wok / kadhai . Add  urad dal & dried chili n roast on 
slow flame till the lentils turn brownish. Put 1 tsp sesame and the curry
 leaves and roast for  another 15 secs. Add in peppers , cabbage and salt
 n cook on  high flame stirring intermittently  for 7-8 mins or till cabbage
 is cooked yet firm. Sprinkle some chili flakes and remaining 
sesame and serve. 

( Opt- Just before serving add some pomegranate pearls for an extra zing)

Tiffin Tunes

~ Three Little Birds ~

I have grown up hearing Bob Marley's eternal

optimistic melody - Three Little Birds & totally

admire its beautiful lyrics. 'Don't worry about a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right ....' The

musical version of this song by Connie Talbot is my

little one's all time favorite . Got an idea of making

this song inspired tiffin while watching the video a

couple of days back .....

Song in my Tiffin

Birds- Savory Lentil balls decorated with cheese, capsicum

corn & carrot to resemble a penguin, a chick & a green

billed toucan . Served with garden fresh salad

& some saffron flavored kheer (Indian milk dessert ).

Vacation Time

~ Vacation Time ~

Summer vacation is here ......Time to chill, kick back

n relax .We'l be heading off on holidays shortly so

probably won't be posting anything here for the next

one month . Feel free to browse the archives while I'm

away .Will catch u up by the mid of June with lots

of new posts ...... - Take Care !!!

A picture of my daughter's lunch box on the last day of

school, I had picked up this lovely tiffin box sometimes

back ... isn't it cute n perfect for the vacation mood ??????

Tiffin Time

Rice , salad, mildly spiced chick pea curry( chole) &

some twisted marshmallow candies in colorful silicon cups.

The silicon cup liners are great to use as small

food cups for keeping multiple varieties of foods in ur

lil ones tiffin box , make sure to cover them up with cling

wrap if the lil one keeps his tiffin up straight in his school bag .