Arjun turns FIVE :)

If I start the post by saying..."but isn't it yesterday I shared the good news of his birth to all of you",it would be a cliche.But it's true.Time seems to have flown by so quickly that I still cannot believe he's five :)

There are a few things which haven't changed though..he's as cute,charming,smart{of course I'm his mom and I'm biased;)}kind,thoughtful and naughty as ever.His teachers from school tell me the whole class is in his friends circle and he loves going to school and playing with his friends.He has a wide circle of friends in our apartment too and I'm happy about that.

Every year,I look forward to baking his Birthday Cake.I have to say this,Arjun just like his dad,does not have a sweet tooth.He's crazy about chocolates but other than that,nothing.He likes his cakes and cupcakes to be plain and without frosting if he ever eats them,that is.So when I asked him,he said he wants a chocolate cake with lots of sprinkles and a giraffe.

I'm no fondant expert and my giraffe hardly looked like one but he loved it.

Eyes sparkling with excitement and sloppy kisses are proof of that :)

We had a small party at home with his friends and we had a blast :)

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Bakeware Online - A peep!

How many times have you come across a bakeware,liked it,wanted to bake in it but got disappointed because the product couldn't be shipped to India?In my case,many a times.I've ogled at Bundt pans and Ramekins for a long long time before someone offered to get it for me from the US and Singapore respectively.These days though,it is not so difficult to find stuff with stores stocking up many baking goods,thanks to the viral baking bug:).


I came across a few websites which ship bakeware to anywhere in India and found it quite interesting.


Love this Purple Baking dish - FabFurnish

Perfect for baking Pasta,Lasagna or Crumbles.

My Dear Bundt pan,where were you when I needed you the most?
Wonderfchef Cake Mould - FabFurnish

Funky Measuring spoons - FabFurnish

Lovely gift-shaped pan,for cake decorating challenged people like me:)

Wonderchef Cake Mould - FabFurnish

Such a pretty pan!

Blue Round Baking Dish - Zansaar

Springform pan - Urban Dazzle

Set of 6 Ramekins - Urban Dazzle

Square Muffin Molds - Urban Dazzle

Brioche Tin - Urban Dazzle

Disclaimer - This is NOT a paid post.I have not purchased any items from the aforementioned sites nor have I been asked by the sellers to write about them.I found the information useful and hence sharing it with you.I am not affiliated to any of the sites mentioned either.

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Salt n Pepper

I would have been terribly homesick had I seen this video while I was in Chennai.But no,I am taking a full one week break in Ernakulam with my family,two chubby and adorable dogs and last but not the least--the new member in the family--Krishnaa,my bro's baby girl:)





Since anything food catches a food bloggers attention like nothing else,I thought of sharing this video with you all.It is a promo video from a movie named Salt n Pepper.It mostly features dishes from Kerala.I don't know if I'd be watching the movie,but this video,yes again and again.The music is lovely too!!Enjoy!!

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Of Blogger Meets,Template Change,Recipe Index and a Looooong Break!!

I am sure you must have noticed the new look of my blog,so I'll start with that.I started blogging without a clue of what it is and html code sounded so Greek to me then[still it is:)].I had chosen a random template that Blogger provided and was quite happy with it too.Then,my Vanni suggested my blog should be a bit more colourful and then started my search for a template which was easy to use and looked quite good too.

As usual,I depended on Google God and got a decent looking 3 column template which I thought looked cool[then].I literally struggled copying all the code,widgets,pictures etc and transferring it to the new template and swore I'll stick with the same template,no matter what!

I was actually getting bored of seeing the same page again and again and when I posted a message on Facebook regarding template changes,I got lot of feedback saying the old one looked quite dull and I should choose something which was vibrant and clutter-free.

I chose the easier option this time.I went with the new feature that blogger has come up with and it is a much much easier process.Check your Blogger Dashboard for a tab named Design and follow the instructions and you could change the template without the headache of code-copying and widget transferring etc.

Blogger-meet in Chennai- Again thanks to Facebook,I happened to read a status message posted by Nithya calling for bloggers to meet up at a restaurant in Chennai.I had never met a blogger in person and badly wanted to,so I sent a message saying I was joining too.It was a wonderful afternoon,made more chirpy by Priya's lovely kid who made up for her[Priya's] quiet nature.I met Shanthi aunty too who was so lively and enthusiastic.Srivalli came in and went like a breeze and I was so happy to see her after all our plans to meet up failed:) and Nithya,an adorable girl who came with her SLR and kept taking wonderful pics,of all of us and the food.You could check any of our Fb profiles for the pictures taken during the meet!!

Recipe Index - I finally FINALLY compiled all my recipes in one place.Something that I had been meaning to do for so so long.It was a tough job alright but I am a very happy girl now!!

A big FAT break - As many of you already know,I am taking a long break for a month or so.I am going to Kerala to attend and be a part of my brothers' engagement and wedding functions.Both of my brothers are getting engaged and married in a span of one month and you could imagine all the hustle and bustle going on at home!I am thrilled for them and my parents who are looking forward to two adorable daoughters-in-law!

I hope all of you have a great time.See you in July!!

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Christmas Fruit Cake ~ Getting ready!!

Have you started your preparations yet?I think Christmas being just few weeks away,there is festive spirit all around.Bakeries taking orders for cakes and Christmas wreaths on doors,I love this festival which spreads joy all around.Me,well I wanted to make a Christmas Fruit cake and had planned to soak the dry fruits and nuts in rum long back.But of course,that never happened.As always,I am struggling to zero in on one recipe!!So many yummy recipes all over blogosphere and its just not possible for me to choose one..I want to make them all!!

Few months back,Raaga wrote a status message on Fb saying that she was soaking the fruits in rum that weekend for the Fruit Cake.I must have gone through her recipe a thousand times,I mailed her asking the details and she was quick to respond.She cleared all my silly doubts and YES,I am following her recipe this year.

So fruits and nuts are chopped,and soaked in Rum.
I just can’t wait to bake the cake and EAT it too:).

Here are some Fruit Cake recipes I had bookmarked-

Mishmash’s Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake-which I tried last year
Cham’s Fruit Cake/Plum Cake
Annita’s Rich Fruit Plum Cake
Maria’s Chocolate Fruit Cake

Anushruti’s Eggless Fruit & Nut Cake
Shilpa’s Eggless Fruit Cake

So many choices,which one are you baking??

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Happy Onam!!

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous Onam!!

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Few awards,a Tag,some info and just bla BLA bla!!

Let me warn you before hand,there's no recipe to share today.Now before you go "nahiiiiiiii" like a Bollywood heroine,let me assure,I might just add a food pic or a recipe below this post[there..I got you interested,didn't I?]

Its been a while since I did a non-recipe post here[I have too many recipes to share,I guess:)].I have been showered with awards and tagged too by few of my blogger friends and after a slight nudge,[ok,reminder] from one of those,I felt I have to give that sweet gesture its due credit and here I am with an exclusive post just for that:).

Ria of Ria's Collection-my tweet partner/confidante,Ramya of Simple Vegetarian recipes,Minu of Chettinad Fiesta,Mandira of Baking Buddies and Kanchan of Kitchen Gossip have passed on these sweet awards to me.Thank you folks,I feel as happy as a three year old who got her candy..Love ya people..:)

Prasu of Prasu's Kitchen and Sireesha of Mom's recipes have passed on these.Thank you so much and I appreciate the gesture..:)

Now on to the Tag-

1.What is your current obsession?
Baking has been an obsession for the last few months and then Twitter..:)

2. What are you wearing today?
A salwar kameez

3.What's for dinner?[I am doing the tag now,so whats for Breakfast would be more appropriate:)]

Idiyappam and Stew.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Some baking stuff-Chocolate slabs,Choco chips and baking tray

5. What are you listening to right now?
I like the songs from the latest Hindi movie Kaminay--dhan tana..;)

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I've been tagged by a wonderful bunch of food bloggers..:)

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Good ol' Ernakulam[count this too,I am obsessed about that place..;)]

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
I have summer all year through in Chennai...sigh.So cotton clothes..mostly salwars,FabIndia Kurtis..the works..;)

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Since Ernakulam would sound repetitive,I would say Bangalore??[yeah,I am quite boring;)]

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Sweet Marathi..:)

11. Who do you want to meet right now?
Ammaaaaa:)

12. What is your favorite colour?
Pink..:)

13. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My Sarees are precious,my favorites would be the cute t-shirts I recently got..:)

14. What is your dream job?
A Baker..??:)

15. What’s your favourite magazine?
Anything which would keep me occupied..Readers Digest & Good Housekeeping tops the list.

16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
I would use it to spend a nice and cozy dinner with hubby and probably buy something for him too..;)

17. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Wearing a size too small..!!

18. Who are your style icons?
My teen icon was Karisma Kapoor,I loved the way she dressed[post Raja Hindustani:)]

19. Describe your personal style?
Comfortable yet trendy clothes which suit me:)

21. What are your favourite movies?
I just cant pick one..

22. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Kajal,lipgloss and a comb..always does wonders..:)

23. Coffee or tea?
Coffee..:)

24. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Cry for a while[YES] and then talk it out with hubby[that always works for me],he is my punchbag and counselor..:)

25. What is the meaning of your name?
Spiritual..:)

26. Which other blogs you love visiting?
Soooooo many to chose..:)

27. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Chocolate cake with Ice-cream..;)

28. Favorite Season?
Rainy season..;)

29.Which is your dream destination?
Paris

30.Mandira's additional question-What is the one dish that you have tried and tried and still now managed to get right?

Butter Cookies..any which way I make them-without measuring-I sometimes eyeball the measurements,still it comes out perfect..:)

Some info-

I've been getting lots of mails/scraps regarding information about my baking and the stuff I use.Though I do not consider myself an authority to answer all those questions since I am a beginner baker myself,I feel if my answers help people to start baking effortlessly,then my job is done.

First and foremost - The oven I use- I bake in my IFB Microwave Oven.Initially,I did the baking in the microwave mode,but later on I started baking in the convection mode and I have got perfect results,almost like a normal baking oven.I have heard people say that baking is uneven[esp Cakes] while it is done in the MW,but I have never encountered such a problem.

Baking tins I use- I normally use metal tins for baking.Glass dishes don't work so well while baking in the convection mode.It always helps if you grease and line the pan before baking cakes.

Baking chocolate I use - I have not much experimented with this.I've used them to make chocolate flakes and then recently made ganache,thats all.I use a brand called Marco.It is a cheap alternative to the regular baking chocolates.However,if the recipe requires you to melt the chocolate and all that,best is to go for Morde or Selbourne.

Butter I use - I almost always use Aavin butter[unsalted] for all my baking needs.If not,Amul or even Nilgiris brand of butter works well.But Aavin is better and economical:).

Cream/Whipping cream I use - We only get Amul cream here,so can't much experiment with that one.It is hard to whip Amul to peak stage,but if the climate is cool and you chill the cream,the bowl,beater blades etc,you'll get near perfect results.I recently purchased a whipping cream powder which works like magic.Its hard to go back to Amul:).For ganache however,Amul works best.

Flour & other stuff I use - I use Maida or all purpose flour since self raising flour or cake flour is hard to find here.I use any brand,whichever is available-no brand favorites here.Baking powder is Weikfield and baking soda is a loose packet from Nilgiris-make sure you replace it every month-better if you buy it in small quantities.

Photo editing tool I use - Picasa and always Picasa.I believe I take below-average pics[:)]and I take help from Picasa to make them look appealing.Just google for help on how to use picasa and you'll get each and every info you need.Mail me if you need any more tips..;)

I hope it helps..:)

Now,here is the food pic I tempted you with in the first line.Food pics from a Cooking class I recently attended.I am still to try the recipes at home though..:)

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Best of 2008!!

I was thinking what to post for the last post for the year 2008.I felt a round-up,a sort of looking back on the year that went past would be a great idea.Even better if I can send it to an event,in this case Best of year 2008 event by Srivalli.

Technically,this December would be my first blog anniversary as I started this blog last December.I was too awed by so many food blogs where I was a regular and decided that I wanted to do that too.I didn’t think much about the name as it was done in a hurry.I wanted to have it named Easycooking-for the blog header as well as the URL.But Easycooking was already taken so divyascookbook came into existence.

I started posting by March and was so excited about it.I felt so good when people started reading my blog and appreciated me.Now,when I look back,I feel it is due to the comments/appreciation that I got that I am able to post regularly.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank all my fellow bloggers and readers.Without your support and encouragement,I couldn’t have come this far.Thank you folks!!

1.Top 5 Recipes of 2008


1.Zebra Cake – I came across the blog world while looking for cake recipes and this is one of the best cakes I baked so far.It looks so spectacular that people might think you struggled to get the stripes right,while its just the easiest thing to do.If you guys haven’t tried it yet take my word and go for it-Surprise your friends and family with this one!!

2.Masala Dosa with Ulli chammanthi – An all time favorite which saved my pride during my first cooking disaster.I make a small onion chutney which goes well with it.It has become a family favorite,one which my bro-in-law demand whenever they are in Chennai!!

3.Eggless Butter Cookies – Another one of my favorites-this recipe gives me the same result all the time.A favorite among my friends and family,I have made this at least a dozen times and everytime I get to hear people say..hmmmmm!!

4.Paneer Butter Masala – One of my ever favorite curry,I almost screamed Eureka the day when it tasted like my favorite restaurant version.It makes me nostalgic when I make this as this was one of those dishes which me and amma tried to recreate at home!!

5.Shevai – The Konkani version of the famous idiyappam.Though the process is quite difficult,the taste will make you forget all the trouble you went through to make it.One of our favorite breakfasts which my ma-in-law makes without fail whenever we land in Bangalore.

2.Best dish of the month

March – Dudhi Alchikeri~Pumpkin curry.I always feel nostalgic whenever I try to recreate the dishes I grew up on.One of my favorite curries served in our temple and I always crave for a second helping!!

April –Beetroot Salad.I started out with preconceived notions about this one determined to hate it since I was not much a salad person.But this one made me a convert.A healthy salad which features in our menu at least twice a week!!

May – Kadala curry Thattukada style.One of my so called masterpiece dishes..I always get compliments whenever I make it with Puttu.To think that I messed up big time making puttu-kadala for the first time..;-)!!

June – Puran poli~Ubbatti.Even though I blogged about it,my contributon to this was just clicking photos!!My ma-in-law and co-sis made this while we were in Bangalore and honestly Puran poli hot from the tawa is just irresistible!!

July – No fry Gobi Manchurian.My ma-in-law’s recipe which was perfected by my vanni(co-sis),we were almost licking off the gobi from the bowl,it is that tasty.One could never guess it was a no-fry version!!

August – Chocolate Yogurt Cake.Again,one of my vanni’s masterpiece recipes.I love the chocolatey flavor of this cake and it just doesn’t smell of eggs which I guess is one of its plus points and it is made in the microwave too!!You feel like eating this cake,it is ready in less than 15 minutes!!

September – Bread Pizza.Feel like having a pizza and can’t wait??Then this one’s for you!!Gives a satisfied feeling,almost like eating a pizza!!

October – Gajar ka Halwa.One of the most traditional recipes which is made easy.I love gajar ka halwa but absolutely dislike the fact that it takes up so much of your time.Stirring and stirring..not my kind of a sweet!!An easier version and tasty too.I would prefer this one over the so called ‘traditional gajar halwa’ anyday!!

November – Pineapple Upside down cake.The Recipe Marathon month where a bunch of bloggers took up the challenge of posting daily and completed the challenge successfully!!It is my birthday month too,so the birthday cake has to take the cake..;-)!!

December – Paal payasam.Again,a traditional recipe made easy.I felt so much like having a payasam and couldn’t think of standing next to the gas stove for hours and adding oodles of sugar and milk.I made this one using just a packet of milk and a cup of sugar..sheer pleasure!!

3.Top 5 recipes tried from other blogs

1.Vanilla Cupcakes – Thanks to Deeba,I have stopped buying cupcakes from Bakery,I make my own cupcakes now!!One of my hubby’s favorites-I have to even hide it sometimes to make him stop eating it!!Perfect recipe which yields exactly 18 cupcakes each and everytime!!

2.Cinnamon cookies – A cinnamony twist to my favorite butter cookies.I made this recipe following Lakshmi’s recipe and keep making it whenever I feel like munching on cookies-with a twist!!

3.Pizza – One of our favorite,even though we try to restrict our Pizza outings owing to our diet.I made my first home-made Pizza base using whole wheat flour using Shilpa’s recipe-needless to say,her recipes are always a hit and this one was no different!!

4.Dates Cake – Again one of Shilpa’s classic recipes-this one takes the cake!!My first cake and one the famous and most loved too.I have made it several times and each time I get the same fabulous result which demands “more,more,more” from everyone who has a piece!!

5.Baked vegetables with Crumbs – I developed a love for exotic vegetables when I went on a strict diet.I have tried many dishes with veggies and this one’s the latest.Raaga’s recipes always give me great results and her recipes are keepers,always!!

4.Best meal of the year

Vishu Sadya.Even though we don’t celebrate Vishu,we make a sadya without fail..after all who doesn’t like to gorge on a sadya..??

5.New things discovered in the year

I started baking in the Microwave as I have one where I could cook/bake in the convection mode too.Saved me the trouble of buying an OTG.

6.Best post picture of the Month/Year

To sound clichéd,even though I take horrible pics,I love each and every one of them!!Posts,same as #2.Best dishes for each month.

7.New blogs discovered

I found out so many blogs and cooking sites and have benefited from each one of them.Made so many friends during the Recipe Marathon too,can’t name one in particular as there are so many!!

8. Cooking resolutions for the Year 2009!

Try out new arenas in cooking,in 2008 it was baking and in 2009??don’t know!!

One of my blogging resolutions though,is to post traditional recipes and yes,to post on a regular basis-at least 3 posts in a week!!

I hope you enjoyed reading through my Best of 2008!!

Wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous new Year 2009!!!

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Olympic Gold..?? I am in..!!

Accepting a challenge is a difficult thing..you never know what the outcome may be..but some challenges in life are to be accepted,just so that you would realize what your limitations are.I’ve always been amazed by bloggers who post daily,consistently and sometimes even without any challenges and events.It is something spectacular and deserves oodles of appreciation.

When I started blogging,it was with the intention of keeping a store-house for my recipes.It does give you a sense of satisfaction when we make something,click pictures and post about it.Another high is the comments from fellow-bloggers and readers.I’ve connected with so many people whom I haven’t even met!!

All this introduction is to let you people know that I have taken up the challenge of posting daily for Recipe Marathon2,hosted by DK of Culinary Bazaar.DK has given an optional choice of following a theme,but I don’t know whether I’ll be cooking and posting according to a theme..lets see.So folks,gear up for a daily marathon for the next 30 days..Hurray!!

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Diwali Celebrations

Thank you all for your wonderful wishes..hope all of you had a lovely time this Diwali.

We had a great time in Blr with hubby’s family.Burst a lot of crackers,lit a whole lot of diyas and ate unlimited amount of sweets and put on at least 2 kgs in a matter of 2-3 days!!But it was fun..I can still hear the sound of crackers as I am typing this..guess this is one festival which no one wants it to get over.

On Sunday(Diwali eve),it was Narakachathurdashi and according to the tradition,ma-in-law prepared fish curry and fry.Hubby was very happy as this was one festival where non-veg was a part of the festivities..!!On Diwali day,it was a typical Konkani lunch with Channe Ghashi,Puli Koddel,Phodis and Madgane.Had a wonderful time..!!

How did you celebrate Diwali..??

Another one for JFI-Festival treats!

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Awards Galore,two MeMes and an Event-full month!!

My dearest blogger friends have passed a shower of awards on me and I am happily showing them off.Here they are-

Bharathy of Spicy Chilly has passed on the Blogging friends forever award


The following rules apply to this award:
1. Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award
2. 4 of them followers of your blog.
3. One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to who ever gave you the award.

I'd like to pass on this award to these blogging friends-

Seema of My Randap
Purnima of Fantasy cook blog
Notyet100 of Asankhana
Sowmya of Creative Saga
Aartee of Nalabagham

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Bharathy has been kind enough to pass on 3 more awards to me..thank you dear!!

Best blog dart thinker

Beautiful site award


Brilliant Weblog award


Brilliant Weblog is a prize given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. The purpose of the prize is to promote as many blogs as possible in the blogsphere. Here are the rules to follow:

When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog’.
Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).

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Kitchen flavours has passed on the 'Wylde Woman Award' to me.


The rules of this award are:

1.You can give it to one or one hundred or any number in between - it's up to you. Make sure you link to their site in your post

2. Link back to this blog site http://tammyvitale.typepad.com/ Tammy can go visit all these wonderful men and women and remember the Purpose of the Award: To send love and acknowledgment to men and women, who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. It's been a blessing and an inspiration to meet all of you through your wonderful blogs.

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Sowmya of Creative Saga has passed me the Good Job award,thanks dear!

I would like to pass all these awards to

Divya Vikram of Dil se

Cham of Spice club

Dibs

Illatharasi

Purva

Priti

JZ of tasty treats

Ranji of rbcuisine

LG of taste of Mysore

Veda of Iyengars kitchen

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Suma of Suma's cuisine has tagged me for a MeMe-7 facts about myself

The rules of the tag are-

(a) List these rules on your blog.

(b) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

(c) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Work - I have worked as a TMO-transaction monitoring officer in Allsec technologies for a short span,my first job.

Education - B.A(English Literature) in Ernakulam,B.Ed and M.A in English in Chennai.

Friendship - I believe in friendship and have lots of friends in my life whom I can bank upon anytime and I love that.

Relationship - Each relationship in my life has taught me new lessons and I have loved every phase-being a daughter,a sister to a wife,a daughter in law and I am enjoying it.

Internet - Started my www love when me and my friends got into the world of chatting,it was an obsession;-).Then slowly,it came down to only checking mails and now again obsession-obsessive world of blogging!!

Fitness - Never bothered about being fit and thin..but now,I don't have a choice-I recently went on a strict diet-exercise regime and lost 10 kgs,still maintaining my ideal weight!!

Dreams - I dream a lot and hope that my nice dreams always come true and nightmares never do!!
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Another tag from Suma-

The rules of the MeMe are the following:

Pick up the nearest book.

Open to page 123.

Find the 5th sentencePost the next three sentences.

Tag 5 people and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

The nearest book that I could find was Tom Clancy's The Cardinal of the Kremlin.

1.These were not to help the troops on the ground,though they did have that effect.
2.They were to fool ground-launched missiles.
3.The manual said to deploy one every five seconds.

I would like to tag these MeMe to-anyone who's interested-Please take up the tag gals-if you haven't already-thanks!!

With August,I complete 6 months of joyous food blogging.To be honest,I never thought I would come this far.When I started,I wondered how my favorite food bloggers managed to come up with so many nice and interesting recipes one after the another.I had my doubts as to how long I would be able to post with the same enthusiasm as my first post.But I've been proven wrong and I am so happy about it.I look forward to this so much and I can easily say this has become an integral part of my life now.All thanks to you dear bloggers who have given me encouragement and appreciation.Thanks folks!!!

August has to be the month which saw the least number of posts from me.Just 15,including this one.When I started,I thought I will post anywhere between 10-15 posts a month.I have posted more than that every month,but this month is different.I should admit that I've been a bit lazy(;-)),is that allowed..;-)??I was trying to finish off posts from my drafts,but thats just an excuse.I've been logging in daily and spending too much time blog-hopping rather than blogging myself!!If not for the events going on,I don't think I would have posted even 15..!!Of the 15 posts this month,13 have gone to events..yup..so imagine if there were no events..??!!Lol..;-).So thanks to you people who conduct lovely events month after month..love you guys..you rock!!

Three cheers to all of us food bloggers..!!!

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Top 10 Meme

I had been tagged for this Top 10 meme by Maya of Konkan world.Sorry Maya,I took so long to respond!!! I really wasn't sure whether I had top 10 photos to show off because I am not so sure of my photography skills.Anyway,I decided to do this now and I hope I can do justice to the title!!!

1.Peanut Masala

2.Pomegranate Salad


3.Beetroot Salad

4.Ambe Upkari


5.Mashed Potatoes


6.Channe ghashi-Mangalore style


7.Kellya ambat


8.Idli with coconut chutney


9.Moong dal Payasam


10.Eggless chocolate cake

Since this meme has been doing the rounds of blogosphere for a long time,I request anyone who has not been tagged to take up this Meme-thanks in advance!!!!

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Tirupati Laddoo

Back from Tirupati-had a great darshan,eventhough it was quite crowded(this time too).We have been going to Tirupati almost every year ever since I can remember.Every time we go, there are some changes made but one thing is constant-the rush-and it is growing and growing every year.The first time my parents went to Tirupati was after their wedding,in 1975.They say,during that time the entry was through the main gate,the front gopuram of the temple-a thing which is next to impossible now(unless you are a V.V.I.P).My hubby had never been there before and it was his first visit there after our marriage,in 2002.After we came out from the temple,the first thing he said was-"we stand in the queue for so long,but we cannot even start praying the moment we reach in front of the Lord because we are shoved away in a superfast motion by the volunteers".Something which we cannot help!!! I have found a solution for this problem-I start praying from my list(which I can assure is not a short one);-) the moment we enter the sanctum sanctorium,so by the time we reach in front of Lord Balaji,my list is over and I can pray with peace;-).This time,we had two darshans-one was Archananandara Seva and the other one was Kalyanothsavam.

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Celebrating 50 posts with a MEME

When I started this blog,I only had a few snaps of the dishes I cooked.I thought to myself,after posting that-What??What will I cook,how will I take snaps?Will I have enough recipes..??etc etc..I have completed 50 posts and I have touched only the tip of the iceberg,thats all I can say!!All thanks to you guys,because of your immense support and encouragements I have come this far.Thanks to all of you!!!

I have been tagged for the first time by my dear friend -Ranji for a meme.

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?
10,000 B.C

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING??
Just finished reading The Second Lady-Irwing Wallace.

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Scrabble.

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
GoodHousekeeping,Vanitha,The Week,Reader's Digest.

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?
Smell from my amma's kitchen..
Hugo boss,212 Sexy

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Listening to soft instrumentals while its raining heavily outside..with a cup of tea!!

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Being alone.

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Can I skip jogging today??;-)

9) FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Pizza hut,Dominos

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Haven't decided yet.

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
Shop shop shopping...!!!

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?
I don't drive at all.

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Nope.

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Cool.

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
That would be OUR first car and its a Red Maruti Swift.

16) FAVOURITE DRINK?
Cold coffee,Chocolate milkshake and of course Coffee and Tea.

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Finish all the paintings and crafts I bought long time back.

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Nope.

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
Burgundy.

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Cochin,Kerala.
Bangalore,Karnataka.
Chennai,Tamilnadu.

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Cricket,all variations of the game.Now IPL.

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
A great cook and a good friend.

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
Bedtime monsters???!!!;-)

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
Yes.

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Neither,I love to sleep.;-)

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Over Easy.

27) FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Home.

28) FAVOURITE PIE?
I don't like pies,So I'll add my favourite dessert and that would be Chocolate ice-cream.

29) FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR?
I just said that above,Chocolate-anyday.

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
No clue.

For this MEME,I am tagging-
Srivalli
Happycook.
Maya.
Purnima.

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Welcome

Hello all

This is my first post on the blog and I want to thank some of my fellow bloggers who are my greatest inspiration in starting this blog.Its been a long long time since I wanted to start a blog and I've been putting it off for quite some time now.Every time I read food blogs, I feel I should start writing one too,but at the very next second I feel I wont be able to pull it off.I am trying to overcome that feeling and I am going to start writing my first post.But before that let me thank the people who inspired me the most.

Shilpa of Aayis Recipes -Its from her that I learned to make authentic Konkani delicacies.Also she is my biggest inspiration for learning to bake cakes,thank you Shilpa.

Roopa of My Kitchen Treats-Hers is the first food blog I've ever read and she is the one who opened the doors of food blogs to me,thank you Roopa.

Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons-Reading her blog is like hearing your best friend talk to you!!I've tried so many of her recipes and all have turned out to be superb.Especially her Microwave dishes and North Indian ones.Mention Srivalli and how can I not mention her famous Paneer Butter Masala..??Thank you Srivalli.

Shn of Mishmash -Thank you Shn for your wonderful recipes and your story about the crocodile pool;-) which set me thinking -maybe I can start a blog too..?!

Injipennu of Injimanga -Thank you inji for your amazing recipes of Kerala food and your guess games!!

I once again thank you all for being my inspiration and I hope I can carry this blog forward a long long way!!

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