Quick Walnut Carrot Salad

At our house, we all love salads. This is one recipe thats a staple. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients -
Prep time - 15 minutes

Carrot Walnut Salad

Serves 2
1 1/2 cups of  baby carrots or regular carrots julienned
1/2 cup walnuts
2 pods garlic finely minced
8 grape tomatoes cut into halves
1 TblSpn Pomegranate seeds
1/2 onion or yellow onion finely chopped into strips
2 TblSp chopped Cilantro and green chillies to garnish
1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium sized lemon juice
1/4 tsp Organic Honey ( I got the Morganic one from our loccal FM)
Pepper as per taste
Salt as per taste (normally we just use lemon juice at home in place of Salt)

Toss all the ingredients in a salad bowl.

This can be served as a side to any flat breads or rice or pasta.
This can be prepared ahead and chilled and served.

Fat Free Decadent Brownies!

Who doesnt love Brownies!
Recently I came across a recipe on the site Eggless Cooking  by MadhuRam. Here is the linkie
I changed the recipe a bit and have to say the end result is fabulous!  See for your self.

This one is made of FAT FREE YOGURT and absolutely no fat or eggs.
The website calls for using 1/2 cup semi sweet choc chips. I changed my versions as follows:

Ingredients:
Dry Stuff
  3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour ( I used Bob's Red Mills)
  1/2 cup light brown sugar ( i used C and N)
  3/4 cup Ghiradelli unsweetened Cocoa powder
  1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda (A&M)
  1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
Wet Stuff
  1 cup Plain Fat Free Yogurt (Dannon)
  1/4 cup dark semisweet chocolate chips (Nestle)
  1 Tblsp white choc chips(Nestle) to sprinkle on top
  1/2 cup luke warm water

I mixed the dry ingredients after sifting them together. Then I melted the dark choc. chips in 1/4 cup water very slowly in increments of 10 seconds to not scald the melting chocolate. Then i added the yogurt to the melted chocolate (once it cooled). After that I added the wet mix to the dry ingredients by whisking simultaneously and little by little. I used the rest of the water to make a smooth batter.
  I used a glass 8X8 pan lined with parchment. I added the white choc. chips on top as garnish. This mix baked on a preheated oven for 350 degrees for 31 minutes. 

The result was 12 very fudgy medium sized moist brownies. Totally decadent and delicious!!

Me thinks, for future baking endeavors of this recipe, i will be letting the mix to bake for 35 minutes to make the end result less fudgy.

A Big Thanks to Madhuram for this great recipe!

So little little time!

I seem to have developed interests in quilting, felting and playing with polymer clay.

Unfortunately, I have only two hands and 1 hour a day to spend on my hobbies.

So we can safely say that these are in the interested but will probably be pursued once group.

In the meantime, i finally finished my blue bag basket. I wanted to make it a bag. But since this has been a wip for ever, i have made it a clutter control basket.

Also on my circulars is a simple knit blanket thats 75% done.

Ravelers Anonymous

Not sure if there is Ravelers Anonymous group somewhere, I would like to join one. 

I spend way too much time on Ravelry  everyday browsing the FOs and looking at the faved ones.

And looks like there are people there who seem to do that.  Hey i get it that its a free country and all. But...
These days there is a group for everything. Look at these group names - 
Lazy,stupid and godless

Post Mortem and Paranoid Thread Wanderers

Foul-Mouthed, Smart, and Irreverent

Er... I am sure you get the idea by now... 

Following through on my New Year Resolutions in July?

Today morning I came across my misplaced lost day planner that i have been hunting for every since February.
Every January I take out a new planner for the year. Somehow every year by February/March, that darn thing has again gotten lost. So when i got to it today I got to look at some of my Resolutions that were listed and decided to see where i am in July towards my lofty goals.

Re... #XXX (I am so not telling  inter webs the actual number) - following a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise
               Following the healthy diet has been great, and having  hectic lifestyle running around with my kids has been helpful along exercising.
Re...#XXX1 - Reading 52 books in 2010 - 
               I can safely say that yes i am there half way upto 20 books. Latest are  in Every day Crochet 
               , Mason Dixon the green book, Knitting without Tears
Re...#XXX2 - pursuing my obsession ... er, interest in fiber arts :  
               I am often never far away for a hook/needle
Re...#XXX3 - Maintaining a positive can do attitude:
               Everything is possible
Re...#XXX4 - Learning to write a new language( as in Tamil) :  
               Have learnt the alphabet
Re...#XXX5 - Take up Baking again : 
               Have been baking almost every other day for the past few months 

 

 

Bread and Jam

Finally, some photos of the wonderful homemade Mixed fruit Jam and Banana Walnut Bread

Toddler + Yarn =DISASTER!!

Just when I think everything is going fine... My lovely tunic getting a long fine -
what should happen... My curious 2 yearold found my ball of yarn and my current WIP in a very convenient spot.
The rest is unthinkable. So many days( read that as MONTHS) of work has to be ripped.
Result - I am starting over again.


But on a more enthu front, my cooking is going great guns!! I made my first batch of pickled onions (the infamous pink onions that are a part of the Dhaba cuisine)
Must say, they were wonderful.

Ravelympics2010! Yoo! Hoo!

So finally this time around I decided to try to finish a top/tunic I started for my DD for some time back.
I have been keeping this as a WIP for a while and so the Ravelympics seemed the best way to get it done.

Soon hope to have photos and a tunic done for the DD

Yummy, Yummy Homemade crackers

So when my daughter kept insisting that she wanted some really really salty crackers for school, I was thinking why not try out my tried and kid tested(Loved) crackers.

A very simple recipe with ingredients that are at home all the time. For the recipe this time,

Ingredients :

Basic version
2 1/2 cup whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt to taste

I added -
1/4 cup Chickpea flour
1/4 millet flour
1/4 tsp Pepper powder (you can put red chilli powder if you like a hot spice)

I sifted all the flours. Then added the salt, spice and oil and kneaded the dough like for Rotis.
Then, flatted the dough to about 1 cm thickness or less. (Should be very thin. Bakes well and quick)  Then placed it on  parchment on a cookie sheet.

Also used a pizza cutter to cut the crackers.
Preheat the Oven for 350 degrees.
Then bake for about 8 to 9 mins. Thats all that it takes.

Now enjoy with any home made dip. The whole batch was over in a day.

Update on the To do for this week!!

So things accomplished this week!

One - Made my oatmeal squares/snack bars. Berry, very Yummy.

My inspiration came from the Food Network show by Giada.
So credit goes to her idea.
My version  has a lot of differences.

I used rolled oats(made of barley, rye,etc) and instant oatmeal mix, a nuts medley of pistachios, cashews and almonds. Half the butter and a bit of Virgin O Oil... Plus Honey for the sweetness along with almond extract and some dried fruits medley.
Have to say its just as good as the store bought version and healthier too.


Two - Finished one of the Saartje booties for R. The second one is half way done
Three frogged my sox as i didnt like it
Four -Made Buttermilk bread.
Five - made sugar cookies at home for the kids.
Six - made baked veggie chips with beetroot, squash, plantain,potatoes for lunch.

 

 

To Do this week!

This week is going to be getting all work around the house done.

#1 finish my socks
#2 finish lining the two bags
#3 Make granola
#4 Make granola bars

Made Mango ice cream at home that came out really well.

Used the following ingredients -

1 can evaporated milk lowfat
1 can condensed milk
1 pint whipping cream
6 mango slices from a can ( rinse the slices and do not use the syrup in the can)
2 tblspns of a nuts medley (pistachios and almonds)
Then mixed everything and blended the mix in my soooper blender( that makes icecream)

Then froze the mixture for 3 hours then again blended the whole things. Then finally refrigerated the mix overnight. Come morning - we have yummy mango icecream.

Team UFO Invaders on Ravelry!

To follow thru on my NY Res..., I decided to join the Ravelmpics 2010 team UFO Invaders to get all my UFOs completed.

I clearly need a timeline of when i plan to finish things.

I have two bags to seam together and also add linings to. Then  Three dishcloths to finish.
A couple of scarves to complete.
More updates tomorrow with photos.

New Year Resolutions for 2010

#1 Getting Bloggin again.
#2 Be active with my knitting and crocheting hobby

Back again!

Now that the younger one is older, its time to be back into the world of blogging.
Yipee!!! Happy New Year.

2007 a year of ups and downs

I have done it again! A nonblogging spree again!

Updating the books read list

More on the books read...
#8 One skein ... Had about 5 patterns that were crochet. The others were knit.
#9 Stitch n Bitch : Happy Hooker
#10 Sew with confidence for beginners by Nancy Zimmermen
#11 Crochet for Dummies
#12 Toilet training in a day
#13 Pottty training

more books for the challenge

#6 So cool crochet by Melissa leapman
#7 stitch n bitch - the knitting version

Borrowed these from the library this week.

knitty spring 07

Looked at the Knitty spring issue. IMHO...Must say some of the patterns I liked so so and some not so much.
Didnt like the bmp since I dont care for the skull/cat? pattern . The Carolyn would add 20 yrs to me.Liked the Tahoe but felt the neck was too deep for a sweater to ski...
The ribena seemed ok to me but would probably fit an ultra thin person( who I am not!)...
The torque would make me look short and fat.

Liked the top part of the isabella and of course the ester.the morestripes seemed to have a deep deep v neck. so wasnt sure if its meant a vest or sweater...
The monica and the vestee... loved it. liked the brair rose,the hey mickey skirt, the palette.
the dashing... so so. The PAPER BAG... Definitely not something I will ever try ... Bauble ... not something i would try out. the queen of cups, quill lace,clessidra not something i would ever try...
Sorry ... this is my opinion and not meant to offend anyone.

crochet me winter issue

I was just looking at the crochet me blog. Wonderful Baby, Its cold outside pattern there...
I've started one too with some modifications. I am thinking of a box neck for the front.

I found that they repeat old patterns from previous issues.

Button for my blog

Soon to be available a button for my site...

Coming SOON!!!!!!!!!