Yet another change in the style of my blog..sorry for the frequent changes..The thing is...I was just not content with the earlier one...This one looks more neat..no?
Time drags when you're waiting for something eagerly..in my case, I'm waiting for school to reopen...the kids' school..i.e. I'm at my wit's end trying to find things for the kids to do.
If I hear one more "I'm booored.." ..I swear I'm going to scream!My kids are basically quite nice, with a little bit of naughtiness thrown in..(a spadeful, actually!)But..too much of a good thing is no good.. So here I stand..pulling my hair out,trying to keep my home clean and fresh, trying to be a sweet mom...(and failing!)planning sneaky ways on how to grab a moment's peace from the three mini tornadoes...Poor things, they're as fed up of me as I am of them. Good thing school reopens on June 1st, 2009.
They're all excited about their new stuff.New text books, all covered in fresh new brown paper,new pencils, new bags, new pencil boxes, new umbrellas..(it took them more than an hour to decide which ones to buy!)(Give me patience, Lord!)
Me too, I am so excited about their going to school...aaah..the peace and quiet!!
I was thinking of posting a recipe for a nice stir fry which I normally have with chapatis or parathas. Easy to make, light and nutricious, it looks great too.
VENDAKKA MASALA
a.k.a., OKRA MASALA
Ingredients
Lady finger 100 gms chopped finely
Shallots
or button onions 4 nos. chopped
Oil 2-3 tbsp
Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 or 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 3 tsp
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add shallots and okra.
2. Saute well on high flame for a minute, then add all the spices and curry leaves.
Saute again on high flame for another 2 minutes till 
Hi there! long time no see and all that...I've been so lazy for so long that I began having a guilt complex...It's been vacation time here in malluland...and I hope you mommies out there will understand the trials and travails of a mom of three kids.. As of now, I've outlived a wedding, 3 parties , a funeral, and am shuttling between my house and my husband's ancestral house on a daily basis with the three minitornadoes trailing along behind me full time!!
My father in law passed away on the 10th of May and we're still recovering from the shock of how fast death can creep into our midst and whisk away a loved one.Uppa,as we used to call him ,was a big man, in both body and spirit, generous, gruff , overbearing ,loving,stubborn, ...In private, we used to call him a lion..and he was that too..a braveheart, his very voice sounded like a roar, his very stance was like a lion's..A friend of ours used to joke that whenever he called us at home on the phone, and Uppa picked up the phone, he would automatically stand up -even though he was actually hundreds of miles away in another state!!
Being quite a headstrong person myself, we often used to be at loggerheads on many issues..most of them being about the way I raise my kids. He was of the old school, and I was of the shiny new brigade with many modern ideas, pooh-poohing their old ideas and rituals as pure gibberish. It took me five six years, many personal experiences,and some maturity to accept the fact that sometimes it is better to listen to the wisdom of the elders. With maturity comes wisdom and grace...and I learned to overlook his grouchy behaviour to see the loving father who was hiding underneath that crusty exterior.
We all miss him ...but I know that the greater pain is yet to come..that will come when we walk into the ancestral home again and we see the empty chair in the front porch..it will come again when we wait for him to drop by in the evenings, and then realise that he will no longer be coming...it will come again in many other instances....
Remembering Uppa today, I'm posting one of his favorite dishes..Carrot halwa a.k.a.Gajar halwa
CARROT HALWA
Ingredients:
Carrots,grated finely 4-5 medium sized
Cardamom ,powdered 5 nos.
Sugar 1/2 cup
Condensed milk or fresh cream 3-4 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Ghee 6-7 tbsp
Saffron (optional) a few strands soaked in 1 tbsp hot milk
Method:
1. Heat ghee in a nonstick pan.
2. Zap carrots in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Add to pan,saute well on a low flame.
3. Add salt, when carrots are well wilted, add cardamom and sugar. Stir well.
4. This is a crucial time. Do not leave pan unattended or the halwa will burn and stick to the pan bottom. Keep stirring till the carrots and sugar is well mixed and of a pasty consistency.
5. Add condensed milk or cream, and saffron , stir till it all comes together as a halwa.(the mixture will leave the sides of the pan and collect in the middle.)
6. Serve hot or cold with almond slivers as a garnish.
Tip: Serve piping hot with icecream...yummy combination!!
