mayurisjikoni

Happy Holi    I'm not going to go into why Holi is celebrated as I've already mentioned that in my other Holi posts. However, I still believe that everyone can enjoy a more environmentally friendly Holi by not using artificial colors. Not only do those awful reds, blues, greens and yellows not come off our skin and hair for days but it affects the plants, makes the roads look messy and dirty. Its also a waste of water which is fast becoming even more precious than any metal on earth. At the same time please please please leave your pets out of this celebration. A hug should suffice and not coloring the poor creature's fur with all sorts of colors!     When I was growing up in Nairobi we went to the ceremony where a huge bonfire or pyre is burnt which signifies the power of Bhakti(faith).We would throw some millet or sorghum, sesame seeds and a coconut into the fire. After the bonfire or pyre dies, we would be given some popped sorghum (jowar) and the b...

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON -SEPT 2017 #80TH BLOGGING MARATHON THEME: PROTEIN RICH DISHES DAY:13    Plastic is becoming a mega concern world over as the land and oceans are getting littered with this 'we love to use it so much' product. Low production cost, easy to manufacture, versatile,impervious to water, easily moldable, has made this product so popular world over that its used right from pins heads to space ships. Its replaced wood, metal, glass, ceramic, paper, stone, leather etc. However, misuse of plastic has caused it to become as one of the major environmental threats to the world. Its alarming that minute particles are making their way to our food. Both land and sea animals are ingesting plastic and this in turn is landing up on our plates.    You might be wondering why am I talking about plastic here instead of food. Well, as some of my ardent followers know, my blog is not just for recipes but its also where I share news, my experiences ...

Baking is therapeutic    I nearly skipped the 96th #FoodieMonday #Bloghop theme Baked as I am just too busy and didn't have time to bake. Weddings are fun but at the same time stressful. Bangalore traffic makes the tension worse as one has to be on the road nearly 1 hour or more to reach the venue on time. I was feeling sad when Waagmi chose baked as the theme. I so wanted to bake something (I've missed the 2 cookies theme!) but knew it was not going to be possible.    I thoroughly enjoy baking. I find its so relaxing and fun. If all the ingredients are at hand, then its pretty easy. Baked goodies make great presents for any occasion, a nice treat for picnics, a tea time snack and they can be stored for later use.    So you may be wondering how come I have this post. Well a few weeks ago was my best friend's birthday and I had made these muffins for her birthday. I hadn't tried out a new muffin recipe for a long time and decided to try this one out. The ...

Anytime snack time       What is a snack? A snack is any sort of small amount of food eaten in between meals. It can be fruits, veggies sticks, to fried bhajias, baked goodies or even sandwiches. It all depends on individual tastes and requirements. When we were growing up, my mum would give us a glass of milk and leftover rotis with chevdo. We would put the chevdo in the middle of the roti, roll it up and it was the yummiest snack ever. In our house, bateta vada, bhajias, kachoris, samosas were mostly served at dinner time with parathas and vegetable curries.              Once a week we would walk with my mum to the Westlands shopping area.It was a day when we would go to the supermarket, go to the veggie market and a visit to the famous Oven Door Bakery was a must to buy some cookies, breads and some light yellow coloured rusks. I used to love those rusks. Back then we  were not allowed to drink tea or coffee but we would dunk the...

5th Blogiversary Above picture from Google  Yes, its a milestone achieved. Its exactly 5 years ago I started blogging. Back then had no idea how to take photos, add photos, link articles, and so much more. Over the years not only have I learnt so much in the technology world but also have learnt so much in the food world. I've made some very good friends over the internet and met a few. I've learnt so much by joining groups that challenge me to bake, cook, prepare different varieties of food. I can easily say that I try out a new recipe at least once a week if not more. Some have been total disasters and some not approved by family members.    I've thoroughly enjoyed being a part of We Knead to Bake, Bread Bakers, Shhh Cooking Secretly and FoodieMonday. Its unfortunate that other groups that I had enjoyed being a part of died, International Food Challenge and Home Bakers' Challenge to name a few.   I started blogging to share recipes that I had learnt from...