13 Thursday Jun 2013
Posted in Cakes n Bakes
Its Mayank’s birthday today. I baked him this eggless banana almond cake and had a little cake cutting ceremony with the girls this morning. Its funny how the way we celebrate birthdays changes as we grow old. Mayank was not interested in doing anything special. He was telling Raina that old people dont celebrate birthdays. Raina asked cutely, “Who is old, papa?” ” Continue reading »
26 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Cakes n Bakes
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There is so much happening around me I need to find my feet. The summer holidays are almost over. It hit me just yesterday that my time of keeping my younger daughter at home, like a little baby, is actually over. She starts school tomorrow. In just a few more days both of my daughters will be away at school. It took me years of juggling both of them to get there. I am finally rewarded with a few hours in the mornings which I can use for shopping, cooking and other necessary jobs. It’s going to be easier to buy groceries, vegetables, visit the tailor, clean my wardrobes, etc. After this spree I can be more available to them when they return. Continue reading »
11 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Life's like that
I first heard about the Naadi Shastra Pandits from my mother. She said that they are Tamilian astrologers who have migrated to different parts of India. They read your life story from palm leaves that are nearly 2000 years old! That was a bit too much for me to believe. How could someone have written about me that long ago? I decided to pay them a visit the next time I went to my home town, Dehra Dun.
This summer the day finally arrived. I spent the first two weeks of April at my Grandparent’s home in Dehra Dun. After recovering from the hectic journey I took an appointment with the Naadi Shastra astrolgers. Continue reading »
21 Thursday Feb 2013
Posted in Cakes n Bakes
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Ok, ok my sweet tooth is getting the better of me. I’ve started baking yummy things to flatter my taste buds all the time. I can skillfully find an excuse to whisk up something sinful. I should try to keep my hands tied when I’m ‘free’ (when is that, anyway?). Guess how long it took me to mix the batter for this cake? Continue reading »
15 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in Curries
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Here is a dish that my family absolutely loves. It’s made in different ways actually. Some people stuff the tomatoes with a paneer filling and some with mashed potatoes. I chose a spicy mashed potato filling. I think this dish is actually quiet elaborate but eventually it’s worth the effort. I have had stuffed tomatoes a couple of times earlier but I have never really used naati or junglee tomatoes. The only reason why I used them here was their size – perfectly small and round. Usually when I buy these little junglee tomatoes I use them to make rasam (which needs no other souring agent after that). Stuffed tomatoes is another such recipe as the pulp of the tomato goes back into the filling thus making the over all dish tangy and yummy. Continue reading »
31 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in Cakes n Bakes
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Here is a healthy cake that you can give your kids in their snack box or in the evening with their glass of milk. The best part about this cake is that it uses ingredients like whole wheat flour (atta) and jaggery that are more nutritious that refined products that are usually used. Another thing I liked about this cake is that it was really easy to whisk. I used just about one mixing bowl and a spoon. Utensils required were minimum and my kitchen was left absolutely clean. The last time I felt that way was long ago, when I baked an eggless vanilla cake. Continue reading »
18 Friday Jan 2013
Posted in Beverages
Here is an absolutely refreshing drink that I submitted to the Mother’s World magazine for their November ’12 Edition. I remember while shooting this drink, the day was rather hot. After a few shots I got thirsty. It was not only the heat but also the chilled out maroon beauty that was tempting me through the tall glass. I decided to take a sip and I didn’t realize that it was a rather long one. When I got back behind the lens my jaw dropped. The glass was half empty! So I stopped shooting and sat down to finish the rest of the drink because in this case I couldn’t optimistically look at the part that was half full 
Continue reading »
02 Wednesday Jan 2013
Posted in travel
This winter break we made a trip to Bananki, a place close to Shimoga. We spent about 3 days at a home stay in the wild woods. The entire family made the trip with us. My mom, Mayank’s brother’s family, my sister’s family was there in full attendance. I think a home stay experience is best enjoyed in a big group. Luckily for the kids, Santa Claus had no trouble getting there. Wonder how he manages to find us , every year, no matter where we are. Continue reading »
18 Sunday Nov 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
Our 5-seater Italian Sofa Set needed help. The springs were broken and it was not possible for a person to sit on a seat without getting sunk in. So we decided to change its upholstery. After a week long research I thought of putting my notes down for those of you might be considering the same.
02 Tuesday Oct 2012
Posted in festivals
Ganeshji in mantap
On Sunday, Ganeshji left our home for this year. It was special this time as I made the Ganesh idol myself. The Think Green team in our apartment organized a 2-day workshop on idol making. They invited a person who is a graduate from a Japanese school in ceramic arts & pottery. I found the instructor very knowledgable and am glad I got to learn a few interesting techniques in clay modeling from him. Continue reading »
