Raindrops!!

Raindrops on a cobweb!!

Raindrops over a fallen leaf!!

Eggless Fruit Cake

Festivity is in the air!!

Here is my Christmas Baking for this year. I adapted this from Aayi's Recipe. Thank you!
This is an egg-less cake with some dried fruits and nuts that would make our taste buds want more.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour- 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tbsp
Butter - 4 tsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup

Fruits & Nuts - Chopped
Prunes - 1/3 cup
Dates - 1/3 cup
Raisin - 1/3 cup
Cashew - 1/4 cup
Almond - 1/4 cup

Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix them.
- Melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute and add the dried fruits to them.
- When it cools add it to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix them.
- Heat the milk in microwave for about a minute and add it to the mixture.
- This will give a mixture of a sticky consistency.
- Grease the baking pan and transfer the contents to it.
- Bake for 30 min until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool it in wire rack, slice and serve!

Merry Christmas & Happy Baking!!

Beautiful Blue

Shrubs on barren land

Shot with Miniature  effect.

A Pine Cone!!

A fallen pine cone, near Lake Tahoe.

Fall above me!!

Up above you were in green,

All the way sprouting dream.

Then the wind struck you hard enough,

And it hurt you bad enough.

You began to turn oldish,

And even gold-ish.

Changing colors all around,

And giving up on the ground.

Even at the pinnacle of life,

You are the beauty of faith.

Showing us in bounty,

That change is lovely

In all its style.

Two more to go...

                       No sooner we see Friday in our calendars, a big grin shines on our face from one end to another. We toil all over the week and wait for those two magical days of rest (which we assume) that crosses even before we greet for Saturday. Even after we know this dirty truth we still wait like dogs with their tongue hanging out for bones. We always to to extend the Friday as much as we can by going for a movie, taking to a friend after a long time, sitting idle in front of a television and stare at the clock to make sure it doesn't move further to Saturday (which it does devotedly). If I had two hours extra, I would be like this kid. :)

If only I had two hours extra, I would,.....

1. Talk to my friends with whom I have not been in touch with lately: We all dream to get back our college days, be amongst friends with our 11th hour exam preparation, surprizing friends on birthdays with cakes even though we never earned money. We were happily enjoying the bliss of life in between maturity and responsibility. We get busy with our lives as days pass  by, we earn and become responsible but never find time to spend those precious time with friends.

2. Be a company: Being with our parents is itself a bliss, they don't expect us to be a rich person, all they need is our presence. Even though I was near them for sometime I dint realize its significance, now I know how much I want to be with them just to chat our minds, helping mom in her kitchen, working on Sudoku with dad as soon as we get newspaper, read some books for my grandma.

3. Regroup: We are not always the ones we want to be. As situation comes we change our color like a chameleon. I would like to sit and think about my previous mistakes and make an attempt to set them right. We are all good, all it takes to be a really good is a little bit of courage to stamp our ego and move further.

4. Walk silently on a busy road to watch people get on with their work will bring varied thoughts in my mind. I would also go for a stroll at the beach just to stand and stare.

5. Would definitely spend more time with my hubby. Hope he gets the extra two hours too :)

6. I would like to contribute to our community by spreading the awareness about recycling and proper disposal, I found a video in which a team of youth were renovating a very smelly wall on roadside in Bangalore. I would love to do a similar job in the place I live.

When Surf Excel Matic - Get smart, gives us extra hours to relax is like a double bonus, never worry about our laundry stains and have peace for those two hours.

Healthy Hair Recipe

Health for us is not just the intake of right food at the right level, it also includes regular workout, care for our body, protection against danger and love for ourselves. As the topic for contest goes, " Love is a two way street: Love your hair and it loves you back! " it is our duty to care and nourish our hair.

First Step: Right Nutrients:


- Eat at least three fruits per day with vitamins, fiber and minerals.
- Reduce the intake of caffeine as it increases the excretion of water.
- Include nuts in your diet like that of almonds and walnuts.
- Drink 8 glasses of water per day.
- Adding cheese and yogurt to your diet will keep your hair shiny.

Second Step: Workout


- Regular exercise will improve the blood flow and pass the nutrients to keep hair healthy.
- Oil massage at least once a week will rejuvenate the root tips. 

Third Step: Protection:


- Protection against toxic chemicals and dirt is essential for a healthy hair.
- Wash your hair at least thrice a week.
- Use conditioner after every wash.
- Use thermal protectant while using blow drier and irons.

Healthy nutrition, proper care and our love will keep our hair so soft and shimmering that breeze will want to feel it.

Curry leaves powder (Karuveppillai Podi)

This is a link to my previous post of Curry Leaves (Karuveppilai) Kozhambu. This is a way to use Curry leaves for regular day-to-day use. This is spicy, yummy and can be mixed with rice or can be a side dish to Idli, Dosa or anything you like.

Ingredients:

Curry Leaves - a bunch

Urad dhal -1/2 cup

Chenna dhal - 2 tsp

Red chilli - 2 to 3

Garlic - 1 clove

Salt - per taste

Procedure:

- Roast the curry leaves in a tava, till the raw smell goes. Be careful not to burn them.

- Remove and grind it to fine powder.

- Roast the Dhals and chilli in the tava till color changes a little to brown and remove it to cool.

- Grind this along with curry leaf powder adding salt to it. Make it into to coarse or a smooth mixture as per your choice. A coarse mixture will be easy to intake as it wont create cough.

- Cut the garlic into pieces and grind it to the mixture. 

- Curry leaves powder is ready. 

Note: As per previous request I have added garlic to this. Thank you Ramy.

The leaves of the curry plant is used in indigenous medicine as a tonic, stimulant and antiflatulent.

Hope you Like it!!

Sunset is here :)

A beautiful sunset on my way back home.

I scorch you all day,

Leave you sweating your way

Here I leave to keep you cool,

And will be done by the moon.

Curry Leaves (Karuveppillai) Kozhambu

I have always wanted to add curry leaves in my diet but sometimes it gets dried so easily and gets wasted. So I am going to use this recipe to use the large amount of curry leaves whenever I buy them. I came across this recipe from a supplemental book of a Tamil magazine. Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:
Curry Leaves - A bunch
Black Pepper- 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Red chilli - 2-3 (as per spice level)
Asefoetida - a pinch
Tamrind Paste - 1/2 tsp
Oil- 1tsp

Method:
- Fry pepper, cumin seeds, red chilli, asefoetida in oil till a pepper splutters.
- Remove it and grind it with tamarind paste and curry leaves till it is a smooth paste.
- Add a little water and boil the paste till it becomes a kozhambu.

As we all know, Curry leaf helps to keep our hair black and helps in hair fall control.

Is it me or you?

Sometimes I wait for love,
But you never turned back.

Sometimes I give you love,
But you dint speak my language.

Sometimes I tried to be myself,
But you felt I was not right.

Sometimes I wait for you to approve,
But you just accept it.

Sometimes you have taken away what I deserved,
But you never cared for its significance.

Who is it?
Is it me or you?

Img source: educhoice.org

Change is here...

There have been times when you are popping up like a jack in the box on the arrival of your birthday. Going around telling people about your special day, showing off the new dress, talking about the gifts from parents, sharing chocolates. Those are the ages of ignorance with exuberance. Then you come across a few years where you feel weird before the celebration, a doubt of whether to boast about your birthday or to go unnoticed. This continues for a few years. Then you realize why do you get birthdays, why should we celebrate it. When you conceive this idea, it is the result of the effects of aging, but does it really means that we are aging or realizing about aging. Some people feel this even when they are in their twenty's and some don't feel even at fifty's. The notion has no effect on us but what we can do if we feel this at early age? Just wake up and be a kid again :)

Starbucks!! A Getaway friend :)

Am here to share my experience at a Starbucks near my home.

I have never been an ardent fan of Starbucks all these days. But it was a real comforting friend when I needed a change. It was a lazy Saturday and I was bored of being at home, so I walked with my curriculum book for a walk and a goal to finish my reading assignment. As you must have seen a glimpse of my neighborhood, it is an example of nature's serene beauty . I love to walk along the canal anytime of the day. I was tempted to enter Starbucks as I passed by though I don't drink a lot of coffee. Retro music playing at the backdrop and people forming a line every ten minutes, kept the service people busy. I found a spot for myself at the near corner of the room, cozy, comfortable, far away from hindrances. It was refreshing to watch strangers, placing their order, finding their new flavors. An elderly couple spending beautiful time together was a delight to watch. The best thing you can ask for is peace, which i could find amid-st the crowded atmosphere. And nobody will ask you to leave just as you finish your coffee. Reading a paragraph, sipping on my coffee, watching new people gave me a refreshment.

This is my suggestion for those who feel cluttered by everyday monotony, take a break, spend time alone with nature and novelty. You will be able to clear up your mind, start up fresh with a jump start.

Tomato dosa II

This is a varation of tomato dosa. I was inspired from a restaurant's recipe. When i ordered for tomato dosa, it was not the red colored one, instead it was with a tomato paste or masala spread on the dosa. It was delicious. This is easy and gets ready in no time and does not need any exclusive side dish.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter
Tomatoes - 4
Garam Masala - 1/2 tablespoon
Corriander powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Salt- as per taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon.

Method:
- Slice the tomatoes into small pieces and saute it in a tava.
- Add salt, chilli powder, garam masala, corriander powder to it and cook it in medium flame till it oils into a paste.
- Make dosa and when it turns golden color in the bottom and cooked on the top, apply the masala on to dosa, leave it for a minute, fold it into two and serve.
- There is no need to turn over the dosa here. We will have the golden color on one side and the tomato masala inside.
- Serve it hot. It is spicy, tasty an easy!!

Palak Paneer

Hi all,
This has been on a long wait, I had been planning to do this but, yesterday was its day. My first experience of making palak paneer. I found it from sailusfood.com. It looked so laborious, but the final taste was too good and worth the effort. I have made a few alterations from the source. Shall we roll...?

Ingredients: (for 2)
Palak(Spinach): one pack or a whole bunch
Paneer - 1
Ghee - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Ginger - a small bit
Garlic - 4 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
Green Chilli - 2 or as per taste
Garam masala - 1/2 table spoon
Corriander powder - 1/2 table spoon
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tablespoon
Salt - as per taste
Milk - 1/4 cup


Method:
- Remove the stem parts of spinach and boil it in water till it becomes soft. Mash the soft spinach to paste.
- Make puree of tomatoes by boiling them in water, peel it and crush it.
- Fry the paneer in ghee in medium flame till golden brown.
- Add cumin in the remaining ghee and splutter. Add green chilli, minced garlic and ginger.
- Chop the onion finely and fry them till soft.
- Add the tomato puree and saute till raw smell goes.
- Add chilli powder, garam masala and corriander powder and salt and leave it for 4-5 min.
- Add the smashed spinach and let it boil for 2-3 min.
- Add the fried paneer and close it with a lid as it will spill out while boiling.
- Add the milk and turn the flame in 2 minutes.
- Can be served with chapathi, naan.

Enjoy you Palak paneer!!

The Rays !!

The sky view on our way through Mojave Desert, Nevada.

The sunset coloring the sky line.

Happy Independence Day!!

Sixty four years of freedom

Mighty she stands as a nation

Though we trouble you as a prick

You bear us all with your love

You were trapped by invaders

Exploiting from the roots,

Were looted of your tenure, still

Were silent forbearing the pain.

We are building you to perfection

Balancing culture with technology

You will stand as a test of time

To care for your progeny.

Though far remote from you

Your name brings on a smile

Makes us walk head held high,

Wanting to be back in your arms.

Long live the Nation! Proud to be an INDIAN!!

“I am here for you “

We run for our lives, to make a living, to make a better living, to make more money, we are ready to leave our homeland for better prospects. It seems exciting at the beginning to survive until we encounter with a block or a little downfall.

In our busy lives, we sometimes forget the importance of relationships. Both husband and wife are working in most of the homes, as the needs have grown and toil day and night to make the ends meet. We take people for granted, hurt their feelings and don’t care for it until we are in need of their favor. When we are down with fever and unable to move even a muscle, a soul will be waiting beside you to touch your forehead and check the temperature. When you might feel it would be great if somebody cares for us, their eyes will reply you- “I am here for you”. This is what we ultimately need in a relation, their mere presence will give us strength and energy to shove away the blanket and take on our life.

Whatever life gives me

I will make it better for you,

I will make it easier for you

In times of distress and sickness

In times of success and happiness

I will always be here when,

you turn around in search of me.

P.S: A dedication to my loving Husband.

Mood swings?? It might be an idle mind!!

Are you getting angry over petty stuffs? Feel like taking on an argument for it? Are you hyperventilating? Digging your past memories to support your standpoint? RED Alert!!!

Do not continue to argue. Move out of the situation, drink water to cool you down, take a deep breath. Give it a break. Sit down and think what made you to argue over an insignificant situation.

There might be a lot of reasons,

• health related
• stressful life

but if it is not either of these, it might be an idle mind. This is what they call “An idle mind, is a devil's workshop”. Is it an end of a holiday? You might not want to get into the groove of routine. Make a pledge to work on something, to change your mood. There might be stuffs to be cleaned in the house, or a long pending hobby to be done with, or a call to a friend that has been postponed over the blame of routine. Involve these activities and when you are done, your mind will tell you why you reacted in that way.

Hope this works as a part of anger-management.

Be Happy!! Cheers!!

Can We? Yes we can!!

 

----->>>>>>

Killing time trying to find out what to do with my life had swallowed a couple of years in my life; It seemed to be an excuse to stay idle. It had been a long wait and there it was at a reachable height. I had to stretch myself to to meet the goals for a short time, I did and it was an experience to move out of my shell and explore the world. It was a fun period and I dint want it to end as every student would crave for the school to keep going on at the verge if final exams. I had a sense of accomplishment and am proud of myself. I and had something to speak for myself. Was waiting to meet my friends and share my experience with them. I loved doing this and I hope I experience fun, joy with responsibility.

All these time my blog was in hibernation and was waiting for me to wake it up. Though I dint find time to write down my thoughts, I could hear its call to revisit.

P.S: People who want to do something with your lives after a break, please don’t consider as an advise. See this as a spark which would give you ignition. All We need to do is to force ourselves to take the first step shedding our fear of accomplishment and inhibition. Then the world will open its doors of opportunities.

Capsicum Fried rice!!

Here comes a change from the usual mixed rice varieties. I found it from Food & Wine magazine last month. This can be customized to Indian cuisine by adding some green chillies, cloves, bay leaf. But i preferred to retain its Chinese touch with just pepper to spice it up. I dint expect it to come out so well. The aroma was so inviting but its taste way way beyond everything. A must try i would say! It is simple to make and takes very little time.

Ingredients: Makes for two
Rice- 1 cup
3 cloves of Garlic
A small piece of Ginger
Salt- per taste
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized
Capsicum- 1/2 Red, 1/2 green, 1/2 Yellow.
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:
- Cook the rice separately.
- In a pan add oil and fry finely chopped ginger and garlic.
- Fry onion till glassy.
- Dice the capsicum into small pieces.
- Fry capsicum along with rest and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Saute till half cooked and remove from fire.
- Mix the cooked rice and serve hot.

Try it and give me your feedback.
See you next time!! 

Enjoying the Breeze!!

The flowers swaying along with the wind along the canal.. 

Interesting Facts - Chilli Powder

According to me, chilli was just a spice to add taste to our cuisine. Or I have heard from our elders that too much of it will make us aggressive by behavior. But I came across a health magazine which had some interesting health facts about chilli powder. Here are those;

Lose weight faster with chilli powder:
                           This seasoning has compounds that will actually help to boost your metabolism. Add a sprinkle of these hot stuff to lose weight.!!


An ingredient for pedicure:
                         Relaxing with addition of chilli powder for pedicure can help you relaxe and revive from your ache. The “Capsaicin” in chilli increases blood flow to your feet and help to soothe and warm them.
Try this as your version for the spa's foot scrub,
1 tsp Honey
^1/8 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Epsom salt
1 table spoon of unscented Jojoba oil
Make the above to a creamy paste. Apply and rub for 1 minute, wrap in warm wet towels, leave until cool and then wash. Don't try this if you have a sensitive skin, which might cause burning rather than tingling sensation.


For tummy troubles:
                        Inclusion of chilli powder would help reduce the incidence of tummy troubles like indigestion and acid reflux. But over dosage might lead to ulcer.


Pest-proof in your Garden:
                       Sprinkle chilli powder around your pot or edge of your garden to repel insects and animals. The hot flavor will keep the insects and animals away.

Hope you found this post interesting!!!
See you next time :)

Best Marriage Proposal.. I think so too...

                       Marriages are mostly arranged according to our custom and tradition. But with the influence of western culture, Love marriages are increasing exponentially. Here is an interesting video that i came across from Yahoo. I am not sure how many of you have seen this before my post. I really loved the way the guy proposed and was so dramatic like a movie, that it has gained the tag "The Best Marriage Proposal Ever". Though it was the western culture of proposal, it impressed me due to the guy's respect to girl's family. Hope this will make you smile wider and wider moving till the end. And this can be used by the guys who are planning to propose!! Best wishes all out there!! Get Inspired :)

Strawberry Shake !!

This is my first experiment with milkshakes. It has been a long wait for strawberry to quench my taste buds. Though it is one among the best in aroma and flavor, it might not impress a new-come by its taste. But after a few bites I fell for its taste too. It is rich in water content and has considerable amount of Potassium. Here is the best way to have strawberry, in the form of milkshake.

Ingredients:
Strawberry - 1 cup
Chilled Milk - 1 1/2 glasses
Sugar - 4 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1tsp

Method:
- Wash the strawberries and add them to mixer along with milk, sugar and the extract.
- Blend them till smooth and serve.

Flower Show for Pedestrians

Bhel Puri (Home made- 100%):

I have had bhel puris from shops nearby with the help of basic mix. Here is a perfect my version of bhel puri. It is very simple and spicy snack special for a rainy day accompanied by hot chai.

Ingredients:

Potato – 1 large

Onion – ½

Tomato – ½

Chat masala – 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder – a pinch

Pappad:

Rava – 1 cup

Maida – 1/2 cup

Salt – per taste

Water – to make dough

Green Sauce:

Pudina – 1 bunch

Corriander leaves – 1/2 bunch

Green chilli – 2

Ginger – A small piece

Salt – ½ tsp

Method:

• Dice onion and tomatoes finely
• Boil potatoes and keep the aside.

Pappad:

• Mix rava, maida, salt and water and make a dough.
• Make large roti with it and cut out smaller circles from them of desired circle size. Normally that would be a mouthful.
• Fry them in oil and keep them aside.

Green Sauce:

• Grind pudina, Corriander leaves, green chilli, salt and ginger into a fine paste.

Now comes the final makeover.

• Break the pappad into half or into pieces.
• Smash the boiled potatoes and add them.
• Add the dices onions and tomatos.
• Add salt, Chat masala and a pinch of chilli powder and mix them well.
• Add the green sauce on this and serve.
• Can also add ketchup to enhance taste.

Veg Puffs:

Have always wondered if we could make puffs at home during the school days where I used to grab a puff before getting on to the school bus to home. Here the conventional oven makes it easy to make all our crispy dreams come alive.

Though I have made this snack many times here, it dint survive long enough to tale a picture :) This time rolled my tongue till the photoshoot. Here it is; hope it tingles your taste buds too...

Ingredients:

Puff pastry sheets

Potato – 1

Onion – ½

Tomato – ½

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Salt per taste

Method:

• Cut the pastry sheets into three as per the folding. Two long stripes can make 4 puffs. You can make 6 out of them if it is a smaller puff.
• Boil the potatoes, peel their skin and keep it aside.
• Finely chop the onion and tomatoes.
• Heat the frying pan and saute onion till glassy. Then fry tomato by adding salt, chilli and garam masala for about 2 minutes.
• Add potato and mix it for a minute in flame.
• Now cut the sheets into two and fill it with masala.
• Close the pastry by wetting the edges with water and press it to close with a fork. It will look presentable.
• Preheat the conventional oven for 400F.
• Place the puffs on to the greased tray or covered with foil.
• Bake at 400F for 20 minutes till golden brown.
• Crispy, yummy, sizzling veg puffs ready to munch.
  
  
  
  
  

Amongst Lagoons !!

Be it sunny or gloomy day you would always be engulfed by the cold breeze pushing you to fold your arms in search of warmth. Just as it is cold, don't underestimate the sun; it is really efficient enough to bring on tans and sun burns. 

I Thee Wed !!!

There comes the royal newly wed from the Westminster Abby, waving at the ardent crowd. The most awaited wedding of the royal family has broken all the previous traditions of the royal family.

The bride who has earned the love of the people is not from a royal background. This change of tradition has gained this marriage an unforgettable place in the history of mankind. The fashion designers from all over the world waiting to get a glimpse of the bridal. The crowd went crazy on taking their first look of the beautiful bride's attire. Adorned by lace and beautiful custom made wedding dress, Kate wore the Tiara (crown) of Queen London, looked exactly like a doll and the couple could just be fixed on their wedding cake as a topper!! She made her own statement in her dress and that reflected her with a beautiful veil accessorized with the tiara . She proved to be a potential queen by keeping poise at all the stressful situation of the wedding and stepped out t wave at the citizens with love and not authoritatively.

The Price and his wife walked through the aisle after delivering their vows; the Dutch of Cambridge holding the hands of his mistress blushing on one cheeks and beaming with pride on the other; the duchess greeting the members of royal lineage as she joined her way with the royal descendant and shimmering with a sense of fulfillment. She truly enjoyed the love from the citizens and her showed the excitement when she entered the balcony for their first appearance as a couple.

This is a real-time fairy tale wedding which has been witnessed by the world and let the viewers' happiness bless them with an amazing life ahead to live happily ever after!! 

Routine life in a resort !! WOW !!!

It has been quite sometime since I turned the pages of my blog roll or attempted to write. Shifting to a new place is not like a breezy walk on a beautiful evening. It started with planning and execution for every little thing. The toughest part of the move was 2 weeks of separation from the world; I mean the absence of Internet at home due to shifting process. Unlike our country where cable, telephone are exclusive, here it is not the way. Internet is the only source for everything. If you have internet you have the whole world under your feet, if you don’t have it you have nothing.

That was really difficult to be out of the world. But the moving-in and moving-out duties kept me busy on my feet. Coming to this new place was exciting for every person who heard than myself, because it was California !!

Every stranger who heard the name praised about its climate especially. I dint anticipate it to be any dreamland but it was indeed. Green carpet laid as grass bordering the roadway, greenish water bodies let into the housing area as beautiful lagoons which had been maintained very well, flashy flowers and various kind of vegetation captivating us to take a closer look. Here is an image from the internet, as a preview.

Hook on to my page for the scenic beauty that would treat your eyes and take your breath away.

Our Brothers were Great!!

The cry of happiness ringing in the air around, crowd going crazy as each wicket falls down,India makes it to the World Cup Finals 2011. India has always been a pack of cards and you never know when the joker shows up. The semi-final made its mark in the history experiencing political pressure as we met our brothers at Mohali stadium. Right from the Prime ministers wishing the players good luck, India choosing to bat first, add its own spice and salt to begin the churn in my stomach. India has been one of the best in batting order, and proved to be good chasers. But this match proved India's wit and strength in fielding and bowling. The fielding by our team today was extra-ordinary, being watchful of every single ball.


Of course luck was also on our side giving the master blaster three lives, yet he was not able to make his century a record of the day. Eyes eagerly expecting his support at the crucial situation today too;but it was not Yuvi's day. Ashish Nehra proved to be a worthy pick of today; people were mad at him after the match against South Africa, thrashing him through face book status and comments. Every player had their own part to contribute for the victory. This was the best display of or fielding and bowling skills!!


It was great to see the Prime Ministers sitting beside each other and enjoying the mach as a game. Misbah-ul-Haq was the one holding the last chance of Pakistan's victory. He was the final tough target for India to declare its victory. He was one man against 11 players, made the wise decision of not running between wickets and extended the game with all his strength. Shahid Afridi was an excellent support for his team and a real sportsman. At last Pakistan couldn’t rewrite the history of winning over us in World Cup.


Go India Go!! Indiaaa...... India!!!


Sri Lanka is as strong as our team and they are going to give us the real fight and the real World Cup Finals!!
Saturday should be one of our lucky day to bring home the Cup!!


Awaiting on you Saturday!!

Carrot Cupcake with Vanilla frosting:

                                             
Finally hitting it right after persistant trials. Cupcakes has been my favorite for its beauty and of course taste. They are tiny and perfectly delicious snack. This is my first successful attempt in making a cup cake after many attempts of egg-less trials. This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart.



Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup shredded coconut, plus more for garnish

Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a muffin tin or line with paper liners.
- In a bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk it well until fluffy.
- Stir in baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour, carrots and coconut and whisk it for about 2 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
- Let it cool completely. Frost cupcakes, and garnish with carrots /coconuts.
 
Tips from my learnings...
- Butter will give softness than oil.
- If the whisking is insufficient the cake will besticky.
- Use fresh Baking powder and check on its expiry.