Flowers and Bands!

Inspired by fascinators - a couple of crochet hair bands :) :) A few more to follow, for all the young ladies around me :)

Eat Out-Eat In!

Veg Kebabs + Chips with Chutneys
Shahi Paneer, Pindi Chana, Veg Karahi, Raita, Bread Basket & Pulao
Badam Kulfi for desserts :) :)

Holi Cooking!

Crochet - 2 Handbag

Crochet

Dahi Vada

Pizza

For some strange reason, this weekend I wanted to make a pizza - but I didn't have pitta bread or even normal sliced bread to use as a base. So the thought was sort of pushed back. But when I was looking through BBC (my daily dose of newspaper when still trying to wake up) I found this article about - 10 take away things you can make at home - and of course pizza was one of them :)

So here is an attempt on a thin crust veggie pizza. Made the base with plain flour kneaded with yoghurt and baking powder.
Toppings had - salad tomatoes, onions, capsicum, green olives and sweet corn mixed with oregano and chilli flakes. Cheese was cheddar.

Circus

In 2014, we have been lucky to be able to attend a few 'live' things. First it was cricket at Lords, then Shakespearean theater and now Zippos Circus (http://www.zipposcircus.co.uk/).

There was a strange contrast between the circus and the other 2 live 'performances'. While cricket and theater had the hype and hoopla of a high profile gathering and a bit of  'trendy-ness' about them, circus felt like a thing from the past. It probably is as old as if not younger than staged drama. But sadly people use phrases like 'dying' & 'no future' when it comes to circus arts.

In such a context, I found it really uplifting, that Zippos circus has tried to catch up with times. They teamed up with Amazon local to sell their tickets. I don't know about others, but for us, being sold on Amazon instantly added credibility to the event, and also some assurance about quality of content.
Well done Zippos for having thought of it :)

The show itself, though not houseful, had a decent attendance. It was 2 hours of pure fun - no special effects, no digital drama. Only human (& stallion) talent which kept the show running and audience captivated. It was heartening to see artists performing their acts and then helping out others during theirs, or even selling candy floss during interval.

I hope partnerships like this will be more widespread in future and circus will not die without an effort. I wish them all the success and fuller shows :) :)

Book Club Book - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window

It was the 4 book from my book club. The best so far I can say! 

I was absolutely loved the narrator's style of mixing political history with modern world. And just as I was typing this sentence, I realised why I loved the book so much! (Eureka moment :))

It is written in a style similar to Rushdie's Midnight's Children (One of my most favorite books till date). Literary experts call this genre magical realism. Where real life events of past are presented with the help of fictional characters. I have not read about this book online to find out if people noticed this similarity or not, but just now, I am feeling so much more connected to it because of my discovery!

The characters are all very simple and play their part in the bigger story - from World War I to present day American dominance. They all do their bits without mingling with the most important part of the book - world history. 

Definitely recommended for people who are interested in the world but can't tolerate non-fiction boring history books (& also have a free flowing imagination!) 

Well done Jonas Jonasson!!

Happy Birthday Krishna!

After almost all day of lazying around, we got into the spirit of Janmashtmi :) And here is what came out of it -

A Birthday dinner for Dear Baal Gopal!

Monsoon Special!

Pakode - Potato, onion, green chillies and bread cubes dipped in corn flour batter (corn flour, ajwain seeds, chili flakes, salt). Deep fried and served with sprinkling of chaat masala with hot ginger tea :)

Bhelpuri - Haldiraam's pre-packaged bhelpuri packet mixed with chopped coriander, onion, tomatoes, boiled potato and green chillies. Used tamarind sauce to give sticky texture :)

Mozzarella Cheese sticks - Mozzarella cut into cubes, green pepper cut into cubes, cherry tomatoes halved, a few coriander leaves marinated with black salt, black pepper, mixed herbs, chaat masala and lemon juice. Design your own patterns for the sticks :)

Family food!

 

Palak Paneer, Veg Pulao and Aloo paranthas

I found this template online. Simply LOVED the phrase - An ordinary day sprinkled with stardust! 

More than 1 reason to call this post family food :) :) :)

Dark Chocolate

I read Alice Munro's Too Much Happiness - the first book this year. I didn't realise that she is a Nobel laureate when I had picked up the book. I had not read anything in months, and just wanted to ease myself into reading by picking up something short, something thin. With a previous recommendation for the author's work, I borrowed this collection of short stories. 

The title makes you think that the book must be sad and tragic but the stories are not! Her stories have got a bitterness to them - second marriages, break ups, murders, infidelity. But strangely one does not feel the need to sympathise with the characters or get angry at them. They have all been created perfectly to match their actions.

Bit like dark chocolate - the taste of it lies in it's bitterness. I can only take it in small bites though. May be the author realises this, and hence the stories are all just the right length. She doesn't waste time setting the scene - it is always happening, always in action.

I am not a fan of dark chocolate, but I do like to try everything :)

Holi Special!

Gujiya preparation for the festival of colours!

Anniversary - Guest Post

I would have written a post myself but it just sums it all perfectly! ~~

"I think there was only that one moment when I first heard it when it was "really? Is this actually happening?" - before that 'moment' it was just 'we are all such good friends' that I didn't consider that, and afterwards, it seemed so natural! :D
Having said that - I LOVE to brag about you. When that topic of best friends comes up and I casually mention, both of them are in UK etc. etc. and end with "and they are married to each other".  The "oh! That's awesome " accompanied with the envious look is always a triumphant moment for me."

Thank you SSS :)

Of course, Thank you God, Thank you Parents & Thank you my dearest S!

Sachin Tendulkar

Media all over the world has been sharing stories of how Sachin Tendulkar is saying bye to cricket. Emotional videos, messages, pictures are flooding social websites. Everybody has something to say about how it effects them. 

And deservedly so - Sachin Tendulkar is an icon, for cricketers, for spectators, for Indians and for Non-Indians. He has earned fame and respect from one and all through his cricketing prowess and his off-field humility. He has made Indians feel nationalistic on more occasions than any politician could do in past 65 years. 

Personally, I have made scrap books out of Sachin's pictures in newspapers and magazines. I have admired his ability to make it look so easy, I have admired his determination and I have admired his realistic personality - for as long as I remember. I am the generation who grew up with Sachin. 

All the news channels flowing with Sachin's retirement news, have made me avoid them in past couple of weeks. Two different (or may be related) reasons for this - 1. I don't want to be saddened, I wouldn't be able to take it - to watch him go. 2. I refuse to see this as Sachin's 'farewell'. He exists. And he will continue to - in his humanitarian projects, in his prospective role as a member of parliament, as a cricketing genius, as shining India's brightest star. He has just stopped playing - but he continues to be the man I have admired for many more reasons other than his profession. 

So for me, live on Sachin - I have not said good bye to you :) :) :)

A Window into the Unknown

Cosmic coincidence? Perhaps. 

In last few weeks I was introduced to the Jewish religion from more than 1 sources. First it was the BBC series - The Story of the Jews and then a birthday gift from S - The Marrying of Chani Kaufman (Eve Harris). 

It is fascinating - the concept, the ideology, the depth of history and sociology associated with the followers of this religion. Also, the fact that it is a closed community makes curious cats like me want to know more - what, why and how of Jewish people. 

As a student, I never read about religions - the closest thing to religion in our school curriculum was moral education - being virtuous! (which I think is one of the best things in our education system at the moment, and wish for it to stay as non-religious). And in my neighbourhood, though much diverse, I had not come across people following Judaism. 

So this was a road to discovery - an ancient world; brand new for me. It is enchanting and confining in it's archaic laws and rituals. There is a reason behind the rules, but in this modern age - to be able to see that reason and abide by it - must take complete and utter surrender from mortals. 

The Marrying of Chani Kaufman is slightly different from other immigration based novels as it talks more of struggles within the community than those posed by the outside world. However, the main thought is still of a submissive generation being replaced by a rebellious one. The dilemmas of conformity, the dilemmas of being accepted by your own as well as those outside. 

However, I am not entirely convinced of its place in the Booker Long List for 2013. Perhaps it is the first book to give an insider's view of a community so closely knit? Which would then justify the praise it has been bestowed. 

Here, it is not a rare sight to spot a large family with fully covered women and men in monochrome clothes and I would be lying if I said they didn't make me think who/why. At least the answer is not beyond comprehension now.

Pinch me!

It took a while to sink in - just the news!

The reality of it, the implications may even take months to settle down :) 

After a decade of knowing each other, a few years of courtship and a couple of years of marriage - S & I will finally move in (Amen) - at the end of this year!!!

It is as big a news for us - as the realisation of being together was :) :) :) But it means much more - a house morphing into a home, man and woman transforming into a Mr. & Mrs., dates becoming occasions and festivals finally becoming festivals. 

It sounds strange - that after all this time the idea of living with S still gives me butterflies in the tummy :D I know it may be far from it - but I wonder if a conventional bride/groom would feel the same? Being pushed into a brand new household with almost stranger husband/wife - trying to adjust - trying to accommodate each other's needs and desperately trying to not be 'not good enough!' So much pressure it is!!

Cliche it may be, but true as well - I have not seen a marriage like mine in my family - I have not seen husbands and wives being best buddies - life partners yes, but buddies - strangely not. So I do go around saying that my married life is quite different from most others. And now I think is the time to find out the truth! 

Thank you so much God - let the fun begin :)

Jalebiii!!

I thought I  had a ready mix at hand - but I didn't.

So here is how I prepared my Jalebis from scratch -

Batter - 8-10 heaped table spoons of plain flour, 3 table spoons of gram flour, 5 table spoons of sugar, 1 table spoon of baking powder. Add water to achieve cake-mix consistency (so that it drips of the spoon in strands rather than drops).

Syrup or Chaashni - 1 portion of sugar & 1.25 portion water - left to boil for about 1 hour, then cooled to thicken such that it coats the back of the spoon.

Process - Let the batter rest for about 30 min. Then fill it in a squeeze ketch up bottle.

Heat cooking oil in a wok (kadahi) on medium heat. Test if the oil is hot enough by 1 drop of batter - it should bubble and rise immediately. If the oil is heated enough then start squeezing small circles of batter from the bottle. Don't worry too much about the shape :)

Dip hot jalebis into chaashni for 20-40 seconds and put aside.

Yummy jalebis are ready :)

Jaana to hai...magar..JALEBII!! Iconic advertisement - cannot not think of it every time I make Jalebis :) :)

Preparation!

Sweetened with Syrup

Dig in!

Acknowledgement -

Bajiya's Cooking - Took the basic batter proportions from her recipe video.

Little Women

I have to stop this - the urgency of finishing a book over the weekend - it leaves no time for anything else during the much coveted weekend :(

The book - it is a pleasant read in most parts. Almost 70% of it can be read without any effort or skipping pages. But then comes the elongated 30% - which seems a bit of a drag and too predictable. 

I guess in 1860's when the book was written, it was not fashionable to surprise the readers with an anti-climax or keeping it sharp. 

Overall - a very good read for secondary school (Yes! I was delayed by about 2 decades :D)