Dress designing

Summer dress I stitched for me and my daughter.

About the Outfit:

This is a 2 way dress which can be work from front or back. Different design .Will post pic soon.

Shakes and Smoothies

Mango Strawberry Smoothie

Serves : 2 Prep time :10 minutes

Ingredients:

4-5 Fresh strawberry

1 Fresh ripe Mango

1 Cup thick yogurt

3 t sp Honey OR 3 tsp of sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup crushed Ice

1 cup Vanilla Ice cream (Optional)

For garnishing:
Chocolate sauce , whipped cream, chocolate (optional)


Blend all the ingredients in a blender , garnish with chocolate sauce and whipped cream (these are optional)
and serve it immediately.


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Mango Coollata

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves:  4 people
Ingredients:
2 Raw Mangoes
Spices: salt, black salt, Roasted Cumin (Jeera) powder, sugar
Ice cubes
blue berries / black grapes for garnishing
Process:
1. Peel and core the mango and add some water and boil until the mangoes softer.If you have pressure cooker. pressure cook it for about 10 minutes at medium heat aah about 2-3 whistles.
2. Let it cool .
3. Blend it with hand mixer and strain it so all the fibrous hair is removed from the puree.
4. Add all the spices to taste and let it chill.
5. Add Ice cubes and garnish it with blue berries or black grapes and Enjoy!
Very refreshing and this is a isotonic drink for summer.

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Iced Lemonade with a twist
Ingredients:
Fresh lemon juice - 2 lemons
Brown sugar - 6 t sp
Fresh grapes or Strawberries
Fresh Mint leaves
Water
Process:
1. Mix lemon juice,brown sugar and water and keep in freezer for 1 hr
2. Blend in a blender for 30 seconds  Add Mint leaf and crosswise cut grapes or diced strawberries.
Serve immediately!


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Very Berry Smoothie

Serves : 2 Prep time :10 minutes

Ingredients:

4-5 Fresh strawberry

1 Cup Blue Berries

1 Cup thick yogurt

2 tsp sugar

1 Cup milk

1 Cup crushed Ice

Process:
Blend everything together in a blender for 2 minutes and it's ready.
Serve Chilled.
Garnish:
Slide a fresh lime on rim of the glass; Put sugar in a bowl; turn the glass over on the sugar bowl allowing it to stick to the rim of the glass.
I used Orange Sugar, White sugar looks pretty too. 




Blue Berry Banana and Mango Smoothie:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Servings:  4 Medium glasses
Process:                                  
1 pint Blueberries
1/2 Banana
1/2 Sweet Mango peeled and diced
2 t sp Sugar Or  3 tsp honey
2 Scoops Vanilla/Black Raspberry/Orange/Strawberry Ice Cream (OPTIONAL)
1 Cup Yogurt
1 Cup or little more Milk to adjust desired thickness.
1 Cup Crushed Ice
Preparation :
1. Grind Blueberries, Banana, Mango with Sugar or Honey. 
2. Add Yogurt, Ice Cream. Churn for a minute.
3. Add Milk and Crushed Ice and Grind for 1 more minute.
Serve Chilled.


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Mixed Berry Smoothie with Whipped Cream!

Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry Smoothie:
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Servings: 6 Medium glasses
Process:                                  
1 pint Blueberries
1 lb Strawberry
1 pint Raspberry
2 t sp Sugar Or  3 tsp honey
2 Scoops Black Raspberry/Strawberry Ice Cream (OPTIONAL)
1 Cup Yogurt
1 Cup or little more Milk to adjust desired thickness.
1 Cup Crushed Ice
Preparation :
1. Grind all berries with Sugar or Honey. 
2. Add Yogurt, Ice Cream. Churn for a minute.
3. Add Milk and Crushed Ice and Grind for 1 more minute.
Serve Chilled.

Soup Recipes

Tomato Soup

Preparation time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 Medium Tomatoes on the wine.

1 Bay Leaf

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Cloves

1 and 1/2 t sp Corn Flour/Corn Starch 

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

1 T sp Cream

1/2 Medium Red Bell pepper

1/2 t sp Sugar

White Pepper - to taste

Salt - to taste

1 piece 1" by 1" square Paneer to display (Optional)

Mint Leaves - Optional for Garnishing.

Procedure:

1. Chop Tomatoes and Mix all ingredients except Paneer and Cream.

2. Add 4 cups of water.

3. If you have a pressure cooker, then pressure cook until 3 whistles on medium flame. If you do not have pressure cooker, then cook for about 30-40 minutes low medium flame.

4. Once cooked, let it cool for about 30 minutes and the put it in blender.

5. Blend it for 2-3 minutes and then sieve the seeds.

6. Everybody has different sourness preferences. Before finally boiling it with cream taste the soup, if you think it is not enough sour then you can add some lemon juice( to taste) .

7. Now, boil the soup and in a small cup take some soup and mix the cream well before adding it to soup. This prevents cream from curdling.

8. Cut Paneer into heart or star shape using cookie cutters or edge of the knife.And Garnish.

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Super Quick Tasty Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

1. Tomato Basel Ragu Sauce

2. Fresh Basel leave/Dried Basel

3. Dried Oregano

4. 1/2 cup Sour cream

5. 1 C Cream

6. 1/2 t sp Sugar

Steps:

1. Boil these together - Tomato Basel Ragu Sauce, Fresh Basel leave or dried Basel leaves and Dried Oregano leaves.

2. Pour  2 Table spoon Ragu sauce in a bowl and mix sour cream and cream and mix it back with the soup. 

3. Add Sugar and let boil.

I prefer little tomato chunks. If you do not like them then you can blend it and then serve.

NOTE: I really like the Sweet Tomato Basel soup from Cosi's. I thought I should give it a try. It was very close.

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Spinach Tomato Soup

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Just Amazing Mexican Soup for parties

Preparation time - 10 minutes;Cooking time : 1 hour

Serves: 15 people.

Ingredients: 

1 Can black beans

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can corn

1/2 bottle Ragu Sauce (Garden style)

1 C Whipped cream

Salt

Chili sauce

Ketchup

Dried Basil leaves

Dried Oregano leaves

1 Tsp - Corn flour to thicken the soup.

Mix everything except whipped cream and corn flour and let it simmer for 1 hour.

Mix corn flour and water separately and then add to soup(This prevents the corn flour from creating lumps)

Similarly add little soup and whipped cream in a separate bowl and pour it in the soup.

Serve Hot.

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Just Amazing Soup for parties

Preparation time - 10 minutes;Cooking time : 1 hour

Serves: 4-6 people.

Ingredients: 

1 Potato chopped in squares

1 Carrot chopped in squares

5-6 French beans finely chopped 

1 Capsicum chopped in squares

1 small onion finely chopped

Ginger chopped very finely

1/4 finely chopped Cabbage

2 flowers of Cauliflower finely chopped

2-3 Taco bell sauce or 2 tsp Salsa

Optional - 1 Tsp - Corn flour to thicken the soup.

Salt to taste.

Pressure cook potato, onion, ginger, carrot, french bean, cabbage, water, salt, black pepper, clove. (except Cauliflower and capsicum). Just give one whistle. Empty the soup in a steel pan and add cauliflower and capsicum and boil . Now add Salsa or Taco bell sauce. Add salt if needed.

Serve Hot.

NAIL Art - Steps coming soon.

Sitting at home, Sunny Sunday no rain...Just perfect weather but the kids asleep so can't go out...while waiting for them to wake up why not pamper myself and share it with you all! Let me know what you think???

Glittery French Manicure

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Polka Dots with a twist

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Colorful Marbling

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Circle Mosaic

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Disco Lights

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Japanese flowers

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Oh so cute abstract

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Blue Green Polka Dots

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It's the time to Disco!!

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Blue pink and White!

View how I used various techniques of coloring my nails.
Items needed:
Base Coat
Different colored Nail paints
Top Coat
Glitters
Dotting tools like - Toothpick, bobby pin, Ball point pen)
Nail paint pens (Optional)
Thin Paint Brush
Nail paint Remover
Q tips( Ear buds)
Creative Mind and Steady Hand

Miscellanous

Waffle with Whipped Cream and Mango

Fasta Pasta

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Pasta; I used Peene but you can use any type

Maggie hot and sour ketchup 2 Tsp

1/2 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano Leaves

1/2 tsp Dried Basel Leaves 

Zucchini - 1 medium thinly sliced in circles

Onion - 1 medium thinly sliced

Tomato - 1 medium - sliced cross wise big chunks

Lemon salt powder or you can use fresh lemon and salt powder

1 tsp oil

1 tsp soy sauce

Grated cheese(optional)

For Garnishing - Mint leaf Orange slice (both are optional)

Prepares :2 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Method:

1. Boil 6 cups water in a pan add  1/2 tsp salt and 2 drops of oil. Once water boils add pasta and let it boil.

2. In a non stick pan add oil ,heat it and then add zucchini slices...saute for 3 minutes turning sides so it turns golden brown, add onions and saute for 3 minutes. 

3. Add boiled and strained pasta and all the remaining ingredients except grated cheese.

4. Stir for 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve hot with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

Appetizers

Paneer Tikka Masala

Feeds: 4 people
Prep Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Paneer
1/2 Medium sized Capsicum of each color -Yellow, Red, Orange
1/2 Medium Red Onion
1 Tb Sp Oil
Spices:
Black Pepper,Red pepper, Salt,Chat Masala, Turmeric, Lemon Juice, Tikka Masala(optional), 1 t Sp soy sauce ; barbecue sauce (Optional)
For Garnishing :
Tomatoes, Onions, Fresh Cilantro leaves, Skewers (Optional),Roasted Pineapple slices (optional)


Method:
1. Cut paneer into 1 inch long or square pieces with a sharp knife.
2. Soak paneer in lightly salted warm water for 15 minutes and Pre heat oven to 375 degrees,while doing the rest of preparation.
3. Cut Onion and Capsicum length wise.
4. In a non-stick pan add oil ,once it turns little hot, Add onions and stir fry for 5 minutes add capsicum and stir fry - 5 minutes.
5. Add Salt and 1/4 t Sp Turmeric pd. Cook in medium flame for 5 minutes occasionally stirring.
6. Add all the spices except Lemon Juice and Soy sauce. Stir and mix spices with veggies.
7. Add Paneer. Gently mix with veggies and cook for another 5 minutes. Add barbecue sauce (Optional)
8. Now put all this in a baking tray and Broil for 7-10 minutes (Broiling time may vary depending upon ovens)
Note: if you don't want to use oven you could use Microwave and heat for 4-5 minutes.
9. You could use skewers and put alternate capsicum pineapple chunk and Paneer piece. or just Garnish with Fresh cut tomatoes,onions,cilantro leaves and roasted pineapple slices.
Enjoy!!


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Sprout Moong Chaat

Feeds: 4 people

Pre Preparation: 36 hours (to sprout moong at home)

Prep Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Cups Moong

1 Boiled Potato

1 Medium Onion

1 Medium Tomato (Should not be very ripe)

1 Pickle or Cucumber

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 lemon

2 small green chillies (optional)

1 T spoon Crushed Walnuts (optional)

Spices:

Black Pepper,Red pepper, Salt,Chat Masala, Lemon Juice, Kala Namak, 

For Garnishing :

Fresh Cilantro leaves, Mint Leaves

Method:

To let Moong sprout,Soak 2 cups Moong overnight in enough water. Remove water in the morning and store in a plastic container till next morning.

To Prepare the Chaat:

1. Next morning, wash the moong with water and boil it in 6 cups water ,add Salt and Turmeric powder

Let it boil for about 10 minutes. Then strain excess water.

2. In the other bowl add all the chopped vegetables(Onions,tomatoes,potato,cucumber,cilantro,green chilli and all the other spices. 

3. Once moong cools down add that to the vegetable mixture and add lemon juice. Mix well.

4. Add cilantro ,mint leaves and Walnuts for garnishing.

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Suji Dhokla

Servings: 4 

Prep Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Cup Suji or Semolina

3 Table spoon yogurt/curd

3 t spoons besan

3/4 tsp salt

a pinch of Turmeric powder

Just enough water to make paste of the batter.

1 tsp ENO (Do not add this in the beginning while soaking the mixture. This needs to be added at the end just before you are going to steam it.)

For Garnishing:

1 Table spoon Oil

1 t sp mustard seeds

1 t sp sesame seeds

1 t sp red chili powder

finely chopped cilantro leaves

green chillies

Hing powder

Method:

1. Add water and Soak Suji, besan , salt and yogurt for 5-6 minutes. 
(Note:-  a.) the batter should be idli batter consistency not very runny not very think as suji will soak water and puff up. 
b.) Do not soak it for long time else it will not have great texture.

2. Grease a pan in which you want to make the Dhokla, it should be flat surface. You would need a bigger pot to use as steamer for the pan being used for making dhokla.

3. In the bigger pot add about 1 inch water and heat.

4. Now add ENO to the batter and add little water over ENO and mix well quickly.

5. Pour in the pan and keep it in steamer(bigger pot with water).

6. Cover it with a lid and cook on Medium heat for 12 minutes.

For garnishing:

1. Once you take out the pan, sprinkle red chili powder and sesame seeds on top of dhokla with hot.

2. In a small pan add, oil and heat it, add mustard seeds, once it splatters, add green chili and hing powder

and spread evenly over the dhokla..

3. Now, cut in squares evenly and then add chopped cilantro leaves.

I learned this from Neeta Aunty. Really enjoy eating this for breakfast. I am sure you will like it too!!!

This is served with yogurt chutney. 

Below is the recipe:

Yogurt Chutney:

1. Strain yogurt and add salt to taste and mix well.

2. In a small pan ,heat 1 t sp of oil , add mustard seeds and let it heat .

3. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, a pinch of hing , 2 curry leaves and pour on the yogurt. Just turn the spoon little bit (Do not mix thoroughly).

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Queso and Chips
1.A bottle of thick cheddar Cheese Sauce
2. Strained HOT Salsa(remove extra water from salsa)
Heat Cheese sauce in microwave occasionally stirring to avoid lumps. OR You can heat it on a double boiler.
Add salsa. 
Warm the Tortilla chips and Serve with HOT Queso.Yummy!!!

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Potato cutlets
Make potato cutlets.
Top with the mixture of -
Meethi chutney,Green chutney onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, boiled potatoes,dhania, chat masala.


Potato Balls
Mash boiled potatoes, crush moistened bread , add salt , green chillies and cilantro.
Make balls and deep fry.
Put them in toaster for making them more crisp until guest arrive.
Add chat masala on top before serving. 

Corn Chat

Canned corn washed
Chop Tomatoes, Onions, Cilantro.
Lemon juice
Chat masala
Poodhina powder
Black Salt ( a pinch) - optional
 Mix everything and add spicy bondi in the end.

Yummy Dessert

Rainbow Pudding

Strawberry Sundae

Ingredients: 
Fresh Strawberries, Premium quality Strawberry Ice-cream, Chocolate chunks or chocolate chip, 1 t sp Unsalted roasted and crushed nuts (your preference peanuts,walnuts,almond).
Assemble:
1. Add 3 scoops of Ice-cream
2. Slice strawberries and spread them in a fan shape
3. Put Chocolate chuck on one side of the Ice-cream or add chocolate chip on top of the ice-cream scoops.
4. Sprinkle crushed nuts 
Enjoy!

Chocolate - I Scream!

Ingredients: 

1 Cup Melt-able chocolate chunks

Your favorite dry fruits

Your favorite ice cream

Fresh fruits optional

Wafer Biscuit - 1/4 piece (if possible match it with Ice cream flavor)

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Setting time :1 1/2 hour

Procedure to Prepare:

To make the chocolate cups: 

1. Cut  4 - 4 inch square clean medium thin plastic pieces (like cling wrap). 

2. Melt the chocolate chunks on double boiler.

3. Turn 4 glasses upside down and keep them ready.

4. Using a flat spatula or a knife Spread out the melted chocolate on the plastic in a roughly circular shape.And place them on the flipped glass.It will form like a cup. 

5. Put this in refrigerator and let it set for an hour. Then in Freezer to prolong their shape in hot weather.

Extra Tip. Keep the serving items... like plate bowl in Fridge to let them be cool as well. 

When Cups are ready... Slowly remove the cups from the plastic sheet . Now, you gotta move little fast so the bowls don't melt.. Put Ice cream scoop and add all the topping you like. Enjoy!

Dates Rolls

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates,

Nuts of your choice(walnuts,cashews,almonds)

Saffron leaves (optional)

Sesame seeds or grated coconut

2 tsp ghee

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Setting time :2 hours

Procedure to Prepare:

1. In a non stick pan add ghee , heat a little and then add dates.

2. On medium -low flame, keep stirring dates until they are soft and can easily be mashed with the spoon.

3. In a food processor coarsely chop nuts of your choice.Do not make powder.

4. Put dates in the processor and pulse grind for 4 - 5 minutes.

5. Mix nuts with the dates. Roll it over shredded coconut powder or sesame seeds.

6. Put some ghee on hand to prevent the dates mixture from sticking to your hand make a long roll.

7. Put it on  the foil and wrap it up.

8. Let it set in Fridge for 2 hours 

9. Remove foil and cut into 1/2 inch circles.

Enjoy!!

Oh! So easy Sandwich Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Ice cream  - Your choice

8 Round little soft cookies - Chocolate chip or plain. (I baked cookies in the picture these using Cake mix -all ingredients as mentioned but no water for about 10 minutes at 275 degrees)

Decoration options : Sprinkle OR Grated Coconut OR shopped colorful Tutti Fruti OR Any Nuts chopped coarsely.

Preparation time: 10 minutes; Servings: 4

Procedure to Prepare:

1. Add 1 scoop of Ice cream on a flipped cookie.
2. Add another cookie on top of Ice Cream.
3. For professional finish, wet your finger in cold water and run it around the edge of the Ice cream between the cookies and roll it over the chosen sprinkle.
Very simple, very pretty , very tasty.

Rainbow Pudding