Hello my friends! Yes, today we are making home-made bath bombs. We are going to mix, tint, flavor, and perfume them. It’s that easy. I am not a crafty person; really, I am not. Luckily, these don’t require any major technique. If you can measure and stir, you have a bomb :).
I am quite proud of making my own lip balms, moisture bars and even soap bars. The best thing is that you know exactly what you use. What’s even better is that they are cheap to make.
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Oh, it’s Sunday! I really want to curl up on my sofa, laze around watching Netflix all day.
I slowly maneuver myself towards my coffee pot. I ask my little baby bear, who’s watching his favorite show, if he’s eaten something. He then issues a quick sweet demand: “Can you please make me pancakes?” Turning away from him, I let out an annoyed sigh, with eyebrows almost touching the back of my head. I feel sort of obligated to make him some, as I denied him pancakes even last week for the same reason: we didn’t have eggs. I didn’t have eggs today too. He has to go to his cricket practice at 9.00 a.m. I have to wake my mind up.
The next option was to make these Indian style pancake/crepes. He ate them and quickly gave me a kiss with a happy smile. Off he went to cricket.
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Coming down in the wee hours to a cold room, still not able to open your eyes is something I do look forward to. Smelling coffee beans and brewing a cup of hot coffee hot coffee is refreshing. My neighbor aunt calls to say that there’s a package outside, and that I should pick it up before I leave to pick up the boys. It’s so sweet. A friend just stops by to drop a big bowl of fresh fruits from her garden. Now that can’t be beaten.
The small things make a huge difference. An unexpected action is just a reminder that sometimes the small things do matter.
Cooking is like that right? The small things make a huge difference….
While in many places it’s snowing and freezing, late winter brings bright sunny weather in Northern California. I had to remind myself that it is winter as I drove around in 65 degree weather today. The excitement of winter is only when we drive up for a few hours to see the snow. After a few rash rains, the doldrums of January bring foggy mornings and warm yet cozy afternoons. The sun stays awake for as long as it can, as the fog gives us the perfect picturesque view on early morning walks. Living in the Bay Area sure has its beautiful moments….
This month was my whole grain month. As I measured out the barley to cook that morning, I did not realize that I had to be creative about how I made use of it for the next three days.
Little did I know that after you have a decent portion of this grain, you won’t be hungry for hours. But isn’t that a good thing? Oh well, maybe. For me, it was ok. So, long story short, I cooked 4 cups of barley which turned out to be around 8 cups of cooked barley. The kids were very apprehensive at the sound of the grain but it turned out they enjoyed it especially when I paired it with something they love….
Taste a good chaat, and you will soon know why it is not forgotten. Chaat is a jumble of flavors and textures. It’s sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, and quite wild in flavors. Ask an Indian about chaat, and you will see their face light up. It just does that. Chaat is traditionally eaten in between meals in India. It is just not like back home. There is something amiss in the authenticity of chaat we get here. I guess it’s because it has to be catered to people of different cultures.
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I have a great rewarding audience to cook for. We all share a common passion, food. Although hubs is not much of a kitchen person, his appreciation and knowledge of his food are admirably impressive.
I don’t have a strategy or agenda when cooking on most days. It’s even more experimentative when clearing the fridge and when I have nothing much going on. Sometimes, a meal comes from a place of annoyance and “Hey, I’m going to cook whatever…”
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
In many ways, our world is a small one. Sometimes it can be glamorous, and sometimes it can be a very laid back one. The familiar routine suits me quite well. The sameness of it all is a very warm feeling. There’s a security in knowing that the familiarity is around, and that gives me a lot of contentment.
This year, among all, I’m thankful for my beloved familiarity around me. The regularity is a luxury I am most happy to enjoy.
I truly feel blessed. CHEERS to a Healthy, Happy, and Contented Year!! Virtual Hugs to all of my dear blogger and non-blogger friends….
Using a recipe of a friend or family gives me the feeling of closeness. It’s like they are here with me in my kitchen guiding me. Do you feel that too?
As the evening sun is shining through the window, I hear the birds chirping, waking you me up from my nap. Memories of Sunday are quite beautiful. A nap after a good lunch of Biryani and pepper chicken put us in a sort of food coma. That didn’t stop any one of us from taking it easy the rest of the day. The biggest incentive for waking up were hot pakoras, maybe sweet bondas, jalebis or someone knocking your door to drop off something.
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Ka’ak. If you have not heard of them, it’s fine, I did not either until my neighbor dropped off some of them to me. It is a crunchy, bold-flavored wreath-like cookies. I have no reference or any sentimentality towards the cookies, but I must say they have become a favorite of mine since. It’s one of those cookies that has a very grown up taste to it. It looks and tastes very outside the box, sort of savory-ish (if that’s a word). After a bit of pestering and almost stalking her, I managed to get the recipe out of her. On a side note, if you want to protect a family recipe, do not make them for me:).
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