mayurisjikoni

Dusting The Cobwebs Off The Cookbooks   When Poonam, who blogs at Annapurna  suggested Cook from a Cook Book as our #135 theme for FoodieMonday/Bloghop group, it was definitely time to get those books off the shelf. As fellow member Amrita commented, it gives us the opportunity to do some serious reading. I have so many cookbooks but majority are by Tarla Dalal. I was so tempted to just open one of the books and cook from her collection.However, I had to deviate from my comfort zone.     As I was going through the books, I came across Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book. How could I forget this book? It was one of the first cookbooks I had  from my family which had International dishes. At 18 I would stare at the beautiful pictures (modern cookbooks have better photos these days) of the dishes prepared. Some names I had heard for the first time and some were familiar. Can you imagine the joy of owning an International Cook Book back then? When I got married, the bo...

Healthy Dessert For Kids Theme: Kid's Delight BM#85 Week 3 Day 3    During my last trip to Montreal, during the weekend we decided to go to the Old Port area. It was bustling with people, it was a very hot sunny day, many food trucks were around selling food, desserts etc, stalls selling hats, sunglasses, souvenirs, and so many things. While most of the Canadians and tourists were enjoying the sweltering sun, I was looking for some place to sit under the shade. I  cannot bear really hot weather. It just zaps all my energy and I feel so sluggish. I finally found some place on the bench under a tree and right in front of the truck selling chocolate dipped frozen bananas. The choice was to stand in the long line in the sun to get that or just sit under the tree. However, I so wanted to try the frozen banana dessert. Never had it before. The foodie in me got the better of me and I waited in the sun patiently for my turn. The wait was worth the while. It was so cooling, health...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder    Every Tuesday, the members of Foodiemonday/ Bloghop group wait in anticipation to see what a fellow member will suggest as a theme for the coming week. We all take turns in suggesting the theme. For the #132nd theme Mallika who blogs at A Foodie Housewife had to decide the theme. She suggested Edible Food Art and also gave us some examples. So some of us said no to the theme and some of us immediately said yes. Usually the majority win. All who said yes immediately, slowly began sending messages that they are not artistic and have no clue how to go about this theme. I was one of them. What came to my mind first was a pretty shaped bread, but then I do that now and then. Then I thought of cookies and seriously couldn't go through the stress of icing in my super hot kitchen... yes its just too hot in Mombasa! Finally, I decided to challenge myself with a nicely arranged food shapes which normally all mothers do to make their kids eat. ...

Double Treat Theme: Kid's Delight - Chocolate Dishes BM#85 Week 2 Day 2    I often bake chocolate cakes, cookies and muffins for my niece and nephew. Whenever hubby and I visit his uncle, I take either cookies, muffins or cakes for the kids. For my nephew its the more chocolatey the better. I still remember when he was in hospital with dengue fever, he wanted to have chocolate cake and asked me to put chocolate pieces in them. That's how much he loves chocolate. The next few days the only food he'd eat was cake. My niece now tries out some of the cakes that are on my blog. Its such an overwhelming feeling; the niece that I used to bake for now bakes for her family.     When I chose the chocolate theme, I didn't have any specific recipes in mind. I then realized that though I bake a lot of cookies, I don't have  chocolate chip ones on the blog. I baked these cookies and immediately took photos as they were fast disappearing. I had to hide some of them for my...

For Little Angels Theme: Kid's Delight - Chocolate Dishes BM#85 Week 3 Day 1    Its the first time that I'm actually making something with kids in mind. Mine are all grown up and now treat hubby and me like kids! Don't do this, don't travel alone, call us when you're going out, etc etc. Does that sound familiar? Are we getting a dose of our own medicine? My daughter in this respect is just too over protective. Sometimes I feel good but sometimes get irritated when she thinks I can't think for myself. However, when she automatically holds my hand when we're crossing a very busy road, I feel so loved. When my sons ask me if I need anything, its such a comforting feeling. When my son in law calls me mum, I feel joyous and when my daughter in law gives me a tight hug I feel as though my happiness cannot be contained.          I made these nut and fruit clusters and shared it with my neighbors kids. The two year old who is not into anything sweet, refused t...

A Belated Happy New Year    A belated wish is better than none, so a belated Happy New Year to all my friends, family and followers. I've been on a no blogging much required vacation. Sometimes its truly relaxing just to turn your mind off from blogging and any blogging related activity.     Hubby and I were supposed to spend Christmas and New Year with my son, daughter in law and her parents. We were on our way to Bali when we received a message from my son that Elodie my daughter in law had met with a motorbike accident. The remaining 4 hours of flight were stressful as we had no idea what had exactly happened. On landing at Denpasar, Bali, we had to head straight to the hospital. After tests, scans and whatever procedures were required, she underwent five hours of surgery. Her jaw was fractured into 5 pieces which the surgeon had to put together without damaging her nerves. However, looking on the bright side we got to spend a lot of quality time with them an...