Back to home-made food

Note:
Wrote this post a few weeks back, but didn't publish it. Now, I don't have full time help anymore :( 

Remember when you were little, and craved hotel food? Well, I always wanted to eat from outside home. And those days, one hardly ever went out to eat. So what did I do when i grew up? Ate from hotels as much as I wanted! And never thought that I'd finally see the day when I'd say, enough. Let me now eat at home. Ladies and gentlemen, that day has finally come.

I savour home-made food now, either my own, or someone else's. So much so, that I am cooking regularly now, and enjoying it to the hilt. Of course, having full time help is a major factor. Add to that the fact that I don't need to clean up now after cooking! Nice.

So what have I cooked in the last few days?

1. Mac n cheese
2. Salad (cannot technically be called a 'cooked' dish, but i did prepare it!)
3. Egg roast
4. Ragi dosa
5. Keema Paratha

Howzatt for a healthy new year, even without making a new year resolution. If I keep this up, you may even see me soaking rice and urad dal soon for dosa!!!

Small Step into the Big World

My baby started school today! And I am going through a mixture of emotions. On one hand, thrilled that she is big enough now to go to her school and happy for her independence... and on the other hand, feeling that little tug at my heart-strings. Logically I know that this is just one of the many steps she and her sisters have to take to achieve glorious womanhood, but emotion is totally out-riding logic here.

Hmm.


God bless you little T, as you forge your own path through life. And here is a Gaelic Christening blessing, the words of which hold true for you...


Dearest Father in Heaven,
Bless this child and bless this day
Of new beginnings.
Smile upon this child
And surround this child, Lord,
With the soft mantle of your love.
Teach this child to follow in your footsteps,
And to live life in the ways of
Love, faith, hope and charity.

Gardening Ideas

Does it happen to you too? That you get an idea in your head and until you execute it, you feel incomplete? I live by that credo! And for the last many weeks, have been meaning to visit this interesting sounding place called Sunshine's Garden Boutique, close to home.

And today, finally I did! Yippee! Came away from there with not one dent in my wallet. Cos if had to buy something, that dent would've been almost a crater! Talk of being expensive! Whew!

But I did come away with lots and lots of ideas. And am now itching to get going on crafts with the kids which I can use in my balcony garden patch. Will definitely keep you updated on how this stream of ideas flows...

Here is the link to Sunshine's Garden Boutique, if you want to take a virtual tour. Enjoy!

Food Again! Apple Crumble

And here I am, back to food. Wanted to share with you my latest creation - Apple Crumble. This is what it looked like...

And here's the close-up...

And my inspiration? The Purple Foodie. A gal who blogs with such passion that I feel like eating the screen when I read her posts and view her scrumptious pics. Here's the recipe I followed. Only left out the walnuts cos I didn't have any at home.

Added later:
Just thought that I'd put this recipe here too. In case you wanted to follow it. Thanks Purple Foodie!

Crispy Apple Crumble Recipe

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 tbsp Brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp / 30g / 1oz. cold butter, cut into cubes

Topping:
½ cup oats
½ cup flour
1/4th cup granulated sugar
1/4th cup brown sugar
1/4th cup walnuts, chopped
5 tbsp / 75g / 2.65 oz. cold butter, cut into cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. In a bowl, toss together apple, brown sugar and cinnamon, until well coated.
3. Grease an ovenproof dish with butter and transfer the apples to it. Dot with cold butter. Set aside.
4. In another bowl mix together the ingredients for the topping. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter. Refrigerate this for about 10 minutes if you’ve got the time.
5. Spread chunks of the topping mixture over the apples and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples are done.
6. If the apples are rather juicy, you might have to drain off the excess juices halfway through baking.
7. Serve the apple crumble with vanilla icecream with caramel sauce or even better, Dulce de Leche.

I ate 2 bowls of this already. And tell myself that at least I am eating apples hehe.

My Little Garden

This blogging is getting to be mighty addictive, I tell you. And so here I am again. To share my little gardening experience with you.

I've never been a great gardener, by any stretch of imagination. But always liked to have a few plants around the house, which would prosper for a few weeks, then die. This time, however, the gardening effort has continued for some time and I haven't killed too many poor plants. So here is a glimpse of my little balcony garden. Will keep you updated of changes.

The Erst-while Shoe Stand now carries Greens!

Marigold, Daisy and Parsley

Close up of the yellow flower (don't know name) which sleeps at night and blooms to its sunny glory when the sun is really hot!

Day ?

And I fall off the wagon in even blogging about what I ate... If you want excuses, there are umpteen... I had dehydration/kids not well/laziness/too much socializing and so on. But if you want the truth, it's that I can't seem to find that discipline to write every day. And to be frank, I myself got bored detailing my diet, so imagine how bored you would have been reading about it hehe.

So now have to find something new to write about. Will wait for that bolt of inspiration to hit me. Or will wait for a slow story to unfold....

Till then, adieu...

Day 4

Thursday, September 22

Pre-breakfast: One cuppa kaapi
Breakfast: Quarter cup of lychee yoghurt and Chocolate Muesli in milk
Mid morning: 2 guavas and 1 cup tea
Lunch: Kerala red rice, dal with snake gourd and beans thoren
Evening: One cup milky, sweet hot strong coffee
Late evening: Half a boiled cob of corn
Dinner: One brown bread grilled cheese sandwich and salad on the side (green capsicum, carrot and lettuce; dressing - little mayo, honey, hp sauce and olive oil)

Isn't my usual diet so varied? So very mallu on one hand, and so very "foreign-food" (as bekah calls it) on the other!