That’s what the email from Babyzone said.And I must say its rather timely.
Yesterday Aadi woke up with a runny nose and by night,she was coughing,hacking actually.And to think,just an hour before she woke up,I had sent up a little prayer,that please let her be fine,the next two weeks.My friend got an earlier slot and we decided to go to the market,this Sunday.And I still have a lot of things I want to finish.
Anyway,I am quiet baffled that how she woke up with a full blown cold.I swear,I just heard her sneeze may be 3 times,on all of the weekend..nothing on monday.
Anyway,this email is very informative,so,I thought of sharing it here.
It did save me from some wrinkles 😉
-
-
Sunday was Ganesh Chaturthi and how can we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi without making Ganpati Bappa’s favorite sweet,Modak?There are different types of modaks-
Mawa Modak-The kinds sold in the sweet shops.I think these are made of mawa or khoya ,sweetened with sugar and a hint of saffron.
Ukdiche Modak-the steamed variety of modak..a soft rice dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery mixture and steamed..yummm.But the one that I make are the fried variety.
For these you needIngredients-
For the filling-
2 cups fresh grated coconut
3/4th cup jaggery.
2 tsps ghee.Edited to add- 1 tsp cardamom powder.
For the outer cover-
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp Semolina(fine)
a pinch of salt
A 1:1 mixture of milk and water for kneading.
1 tsp ghee.Oil for Frying
Method-
Knead the all purpose flour into a firm dough.Finish off with the ghee.
Make the filling-
Put the jaggery and coconut in a pan,mixing constantly,till all the jaggery melts.Add the ghee and mix well.keep stirring and turn off the heat as soon as the jaggery starts bubbling.Allow it to cool.
Assembling-
Take a small ball of dough and roll it out into a small poori.spoon out a small amount of the coconut mixture onto the poori and make a small pouch,shaping by applying gentle pressure with the tip of your fingers.
Heat oil in a kadhai and fry the modak immediately after filling.Fry on medium heat.
Enjoy warm..But don’t forget to offer some to our beloved Ganpati Bappa.
I leave you with a picture of our Modaks
-
It was a good weekend.It really was.
Saturday started off early,since Sanj had to take the car for servicing..and Aadi was sleeping.So,I had the house to myself.I actually lounged around-stretched out on the couch,without having to share it with someone,without someone climbing all over me,wanting to see Mui(aaduspeak for movie) on the laptop..Just me and my cup of tea and my laptop..Ahhhh bliss!
She woke up about half an hour before Sanj arrived..we finished her brekky and then,we went out for breakfast.Nothing fancy just Mc.Cafe around the corner.
We were invited to a dinner party,followed by surprise midnight cake cutting.That went quiet well too.The birthday boy quiet surprised by the whole decorated house and cake..The dinner was at his place and then the husbands(who had been coached earlier) decided to go for an impromptu drink.In the meantime,we decorated the place,brought the cake out..etc.We came home at around 2.00 AM.
The next day was Hartalika and Ganesh Chaturthi.
Hartalika has a magical meaning for me.Its memories date back to my childhood.I remember being very excited because Hartalika marked the beginning of festive season.
The story behind this day is-Parvati wanted to marry Lord Shiva.She had started thinking of him as her husband.But for some reason,her father was not in favor for the match and didnt want to ask Shiva.So,Parvati,went to the forest with a friend and started praying there.She continued her penance for years before Lord Shiva answered her prayers and appeared before her.
This is just from my memory..you can find more about Hartalika on Google.
So,my memories:)
Yes,my memories are of- Mom waking us up early.Then,after bath,we would go to collect different flowers and leaves from the garden.Atleast 5 types of flowers and 5 types of leaves.
By the time,we returned,mom would have set up the pooja.
The Pooja was then,decorated with these flowers and leaves and fruits.Mom would fast fast whole day,eating only an occasional fruit or drinking a cup of milk at night.
I always loved this fast..because there was a story to it.There is the fact that with determination you can achieve what you desire..and there is that fairy tale romance factor.
I realised yesterday that I have been fasting on this day for over 20 years now..:)I started when I was 7.So,on Sunday,I finished the Pooja and then,started making Modaks.
And may I tell you,I got reconverted..I have been using frozen grated coconut for about 5 years now.But this year,I used fresh coconut..and the taste was wowwwwwwwwww.
So the Modaks were made and then we did the Aarti.And our own inhouse Ganpati,keptcreepinginching towards the bowl containing modak.It was like her fingers were itching to pick up one and pop it in her mouth.The shine in her eyes,when I removed the lid of the modak bowl was priceless.First time,we chided her gently,telling her,it was for Ganpati Bappa..and after we finished the Aarti,she could have one.
Ok she said with a sad face.Then,we started the Aarti and she slowly crawled towards the bowl again.We rang the bell in her face..She tried to climb her way up to Baba,asking him softly for one.Finally the Aartis ended..Thank Ganpati for small mercies.
The Modak was promptly handed over..a jig was done and the little Ganpati,took her precious treat to her favorite corner seat of the couch and dug in..asking for “some more” when that was done with.
Can I tell you how much it pleased my heart? 🙂
It was a nice celebration.I am glad Aadi is enjoying the festival and the Modaks as much as we do..
Ganpati Bappa Morya.
I leave you with a picture of the little Diva praying 🙂
-
First of all,I just want to thank all you lovely gals out there,who took the time to write to me,call me,hold my hand virtually.I am feeling much better now..But last week was the most hopeless..Sometimes,no matter what you do,you just can’t get brush off the sadness,that’s weighing your heart down..And that is what was going on with me..I was busy,doing other things,meeting friends but I just couldnt shake the gloom away.
Last night,I went for a workout..this time after a gap of 2 weeks..and that made me happy. So,this is what I was missing-45 minutes of hardcore Cardio!I just stopped for 30 seconds shifting from treadmill to the bike.And I was in such a good mood.
Today,I am in a good mood.I feel like there is so much to look forward to.For one,Sunday is Ganesh Chaturthi..And I am excitedly waiting for Ganpati Bappa’s arrival.We don’t bring the idol home,but,I make Modak and we do the Aarti.This year,it should be more fun,because Aadi loves her Ganpati Bapa and prays to him,every night before bed.
” Gampati Bapa,please help me shleep.Bless me,Gampati Bapa,Bless my Papa,my Mamma”..Ofcourse,we prompt her and if we forget she prompts us.So,when we told her that her Gampati Bapa is coming on Sunday,she is also excited..How we will explain his physical absence..I don’t know.
Another thing I am excited about is the Farmer’s market.A friend and I have decided to put up a stall in the local farmer’s market in two weeks time.Today I got the stuff that I had asked my sister to send me,from India..And I am soo thrilled.Whichever way it goes,it will be an experience in itself.
And lastly,Costco is open here!!!And we are going to check it tomorrow.Even if it seems silly,but seeing the familiar names like Cascade,Dreft,etc..just warmed up my heart..Will tell you what I think of Costco Australia.
See you in a bit!!
Ganpati Bappa Moryaaaaaaaaa!
