15 Marbles

Moments.Musings.Memories. ❤️Gathering little marbles from ordinary days and keeping them for our memory jar. ❤️

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  • Happy Gudi Padwa and Giveaway announcement.

    Wish you all a very happy Gudi Padwa.May the new year bring you health,wealth and all things nice.
    It was a usual day here in Aadyaland.I hate it when festivals fall on a weekday.That just sucks the excitement out of the occasion.
    Anyway,we just did the usual stuff..didn’t even have bath until late afternoon- there was just no joy.The only thing I did was clean up! After bath and failed attempt at putting Aadi to sleep,I decided to stop moping around and get into the festive mood…lit some agarbatti and decided to cook the usual festive meal and this time for dessert,I decided to make Shrikhand.
    I mean there had to be a reason why I picked up the sour cream.We had gone to Aldi,to just pick up milk and eggs and I just picked up a tub of sour cream…without a second glance,without a second thought..just picked it up.Nothing unusual about it..but seriously,since,we started budgetting…I don’t pick up anything just like that..I take a minute to stop and think..”am i really going to use it..”The fact that I did not stop to think that day,seemed like divine intervention to me!So,I made the sour cream Shrikhand.
    To me it was just like God’s way of telling me..that He is watching over us..and we are a part of HIS plan..It just made me feel a teeny-tiny bit better about our forever dwidling finances too.
    It started off as a mopey day,but ended on a high note…I am happy now..content too..and overfed!!
    Which brings me to the question of weight..I know you guys have been polite and not asked me,but about time I told you..
    As of last week,I have managed to knock off- 5 WHOLE KGS!!! And now struggling to maintain it..with all the baking thats going on here,its hard…but I am still doing quite OK! The scale is still not fixed..and punishes me for indulging,when I do…but,I push myself and get back on track.
    All excercise is stopped for now..late nights and later mornings-need I say more..But,tonight is the last night I stay up late..
    And now for the Giveaway announcement-

    Nima of Made to Treasure completed 100 posts and is celebrating it with a giveaway. Go on over and congratulate her,and while you are there,don’t forget to check her crafty finishes!
    I am off to bed now..Take care my lovelies,more later….

  • Happy Gudi Padwa


    Wish you all a very happy Gudi Padwa.May the new year bring you lot of happiness and prosperity.

    Gudi Padwa signifies the beginning of a new year,as per Hindu calendar.It is also known as Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.Growing up Gudi Padwa to me meant-New clothes all day long and yummy food.It also meant lunch(if it was a Sunday) or dinner with family friends.We were always away from family but there were more than enough honorary uncles and aunts to make it feel like family time.Mom sloughed in the kitchen to prepare delicacies and then,in the evening,after a good scrub,we donned our second pair of new clothes and waited our guests.
    To me a festive meal means Puri-batata bhaji-Masale Bhaat and koshimbir and a dessert. The dessert can vary,but it is not a festive meal without the other four. Batata bhaji or Potato subji has to be made in a particular way- Boiled potato pieces,tempered with turmeric,green chilies,mustard seeds,hing and garnished with corriander leaves.
    This year for Our Menu for Gudi Padwa dinner was- Puri-Potato Bhaaji,Masala bhaat,koshimbir and Shrikhand.DH loves Shrikhand and this is the first time I actually made it.I have had the recipe for a long long time..but just never used it. I think my friend,AP,passed it on,roughly and I eye-balled the ingredients.
    Here’s the recipe-

    You need-
    * 200gms of sour cream(I used low fat sour-cream)
    *2 tsp yogurt
    *1/2 cup sugar
    * 1/4 cup chopped nuts – run the nuts through a chopper till coarse.
    *1 tsp charoli (I don’t know what its called in english)
    *1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    * 3-4 saffron strands,soaked in 2-3 tsp warm milk

    Preparation-
    Add the sugar to the sour cream and mix well with a spoon till all the sugar is dissolved. Add the chopped nuts and charoli dana and the saffron milk.Stir well and chill for 1- 2 hours.
    Serve chilled.

    End Result- The shrikhand had a nice silky consistency.I added a little more nuts because we like nuts in our shrikhand. You can add a little more sugar to make it sweeter.

    DH opened the refrigerator to get something and saw the shrikhand kept to chill.He made a face and said,it looked like garlic sauce or raita.He dared to taste it,when feeding Aadi her lunch and closed his eyes with delight!!wowww!!..thats all he said!!:D

  • Party for the Butterflies

    “Party” is the new favorite word in Aadyaland..and when there is a party,there has to be cake!
    So,when these butterflies came visiting,here’s what happenned-
    First they kissed the birthday girl,Aadi


    and said,”Happy Birthday,Aadya” and they gave her gifts.(the pine cones)

    Then,Aadya asked them,their names and gave them some flower cakey. The butterflies ate the cake and then Aadya took them to Fly Fly with her. And then,when they were all tired,she sang for them.

    To make these butterflies,we used-
    *Scouring pads in blue,red and yellow colors.
    *sticky tape
    *Straws

    Fold the scouring pad in half and cut it into butterfly shape.Slit the top portion of the straw to make antannae and stick it to the back of the butterfly with sticky tape. Cut bits of the left over scouring pads and press these bits on to the butterfly.It should stay.We tried using glue,but,it didn’t work.
    alternatively,you can also make the markings on the butterfly using water color.
    And you are ready for your butterfly party!

    This is inspired from Aadi’s favorite show-Giggle and Hoot! This is going to be our entry for the Artsy-Craftsy March 2010.

  • Penne Pasta with vegetables in garlic infused white sauce

    Now,if the name,didn’t make you go,wowwwwww…and make you drool,this picture definitely would.

    And this is just the picture of the veggies..:)
    The white sauce recipe was shared by a cousin,when I was may be 17-18 and since then,it has been a family favorite.My dad who doesn’t care much for noodles-foodle,pasta-wasta(his words not mine!),actually took a bite,to make me happy the second or third time-well he didn’t have a choice,when my sister and I bullied him:D And he asked for seconds..Since then,this is the only pasta dish,he eats and relishes.As for my sister and best friend,any pasta/veg in white sauce,is good only if it tastes like mine..and coming from two VERY fussy eaters,this is a compliment.
    DH loves it too,and fortunately,so does the little one.

    (Not a very good picture..)
    Here’s my Penne Pasta with vegetables in garlic infused white sauce:
    You need-
    400 gms of Penne Pasta( you can replace Penne with Fusili or Macaroni as well)
    1 whole Red Capsicum,diced
    1-2 carrot-diced
    6-7 green beans-diced
    1/2 cup cauliflower or brocolli florets
    1 medium sized onion diced.
    1 tsp olive oil
    salt and pepper to taste
    For the Sauce-
    2 tsp butter(I used olive oil spread)
    1 cup milk( I used low fat milk)
    1/2 cup water
    1 tbsp all purpose flour
    3/4 cup grated parmasaen cheese
    2 garlic cloves,crushed.

    Preparation:

    * Prepare the Pasta,as per the instructions on the pack.Toss it with a tsp of olive oil and keep aside.Save a little water,from the pasta,in a separate bowl.
    * Saute’ the vegetables and keep aside.
    * To prepare the sauce-
    (Start with a fresh pan,to get the perfect white color) Take some butter in a pan and when it starts to sizzle,add the crushed garlic cloves.Pick up the pan and shake it gently,so that all the butter,gets the garlic flavor.Lower the flame.Remove the garlic,after a minute and add the all purpose flour.Keep stirring,so that the flour or the butter don’t burn.This is the most important step,if you want the right color.Keep the flame low.
    When the flour turns slightly yellow,add the milk and water.Stir/whisk vigorously,to avoid lumps. When this mixture,starts bubbling,add the grated cheese and stir again.Make sure,you maintain medium heat,till all the cheese melts.Add salt to taste.You can also add pepper if you like.

    *Once your Sauce is ready,toss in the veggies and the pasta and the water saved from boiling pasta.Mix it well and serve hot.You can garnish it with some cheese if you like.

    Serving Suggestions- Serve hot with Garlic Bread and crisp green salad.

    This is the first post on Project Lunchbox! I packed this yummy pasta along with some garlic bread and told him to sprinkle some water on the pasta,before heating it..(which I know he is not going to do!)