Life’s Good

When you have mom’s gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding) by your side, a spoonful or two to relish each day. Yummmmmmmmm….

KidZania - I want a world like that too!

Yes, I sooo want a world like KidZania  but wait, before I explain what kind of a world I’m referring to, let me tell you what KidZania is all about.

KidZania is a world dedicated only and only to children. Here these little hearts can do everything that they cannot do in the real world – so they have their own bank account, they can choose a job that they fancy and earn kidzos (the currency of KidZania) for doing that. And after a hard day at work, the boys can chill at the – read carefully – gentleman’s lounge while the girls go pampering at a salon or at an arts and crafts store ;D or wait both boys and girls can chill together at a discotheque. 
 

 

It’s simply amazing – there’s umpteen number of jobs to choose from for the little ones – reporter, photographer, ramp model, pilot, airhostess, fireman, entertainer, beautician, radio jockey, television presenter, nurse, doctor, painter, construction worker, baker..the list is endless. And where ever children go, they dress up for the job in cute uniforms and get trained with tools needed on the job. They earn money too which can later be used to redeem some really cool prizes.

The boys will love being firemen – there’s a hotel that burns every hour and the firemen come in their vehicles with alarm on to contain the fire, control the crowd – its superb. The girls will be thrilled to be dressed like a supermodel and walk down the ramp or be a cutesy little Emirates Airline hostess. The whole thing is truly an awwwwwwww experience : )

So back to the kind of world that I was talking about – a world where adults can go crazy as kids can in KidZania, where they can unlearn what they have learned and start a new chapter, try something new, just for a few hours and then return to reality :) Aah well…

For more information on KidZania and details on opening time, ticket prices, follow this link.

Quick & Cheesilicious Olive Bread

It’s really funny – every time I discover a heavenly new food blog, I’m as excited as a little child is when she gets a new toy – all thrilled to discover what it’s all about. A couple of days back while browsing through Deeba’s blog, I accidently stumbled upon Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman.

And oh my God – the cooking section is a divine treasure – each recipe better than the other – each recipe so beautifully explained, pictorially, step-by-step that you’ll want to run to the kitchen and get cracking on one.

So I wasn’t surprised, not one bit, to find myself in the kitchen a few minutes later looking for ingredients I could transform with the magic wand I had just discovered ;D. I made this delicious very quick and easy cheese olive bread.

I didn’t have the French bread at home then and neither the cheese mentioned in the recipe so substituted them with brown and mozzarella respectively. 

The result – I’ll let the pictures talk :)

Click here for Ree’s recipe.  Happy discovering  my new discovery!

The Delicate Work-Life Balance

(Via)

On my way back from work today, was listening to the Tonight Show on Dubai Eye 103.8 and the host was discussing about Michelle Obama’s recent talk about work-life balance and how she encourages corporates to bring in flexibility for their employees.

I wonder why is it so difficult for companies to do that – while I’m sure they have their reasons, I’m sure some kind of flexibility will do both parties more good than harm.

As stated in the Washington Post article, Michelle Obama says:  "I found that as I've managed staff, the more flexibility and opportunities that I gave them to be good parents, the more commitment they made to working with me, the less likely they were to leave because they wouldn't find the same sort of situation somewhere else. So this isn't just about family balance. This is about making work places stronger and more effective, and keeping and attracting the most qualified people. This research is critical to empowering employers and is politically -- particularly important during our current economic climate."

I second that – question is when are more and more companies going to think like the First Lady of the United States.

(Via)

I’m Experimenting

with baking :)

God, like I’m the sort of a person who likes to follow recipes to the T, so playing around with ingredients, a dash of this – aaah why not that - is just not me.

And so my surprise at not just exercising my imagination but also the following success of my yummy eggless nutella walnut mini muffin recipe :)

Ultra Chic Tissue Box

Saw this fab, super trendy tissue box at a friend’s place and so want one. Anyone going to Bangkok and finds one, don’t forget me ;D 

From One Heart to the Other

Do you have any plans yet for Valentine’s Day? Have you started thinking about what to buy, what to do or is this not your cuppa tea?

Sinful Nutella Cake – The Eggless Way

Nutella – OMG yummy yummy :) I was introduced to this lip smacking spread from my friend N’s lunch box in school. Her mom would pack these nutella sandwiches for her, only to be relished by us.. er.. only me I think :)

I was reminded of nutella once again a couple of weeks ago when I came across this Swirl Cake with Nutella recipe by Sandra Avital. You have to check her blog out to see just how tempting those pictures are. One look at them and I was dying to get my hands on to an eggless one.

So taking my mum’s earlier cake recipe and a bottle of nutella, I set out to make this treat.

Recipe:

1. Follow the cake recipe from here, omitting the carrots and cinnamon and using 3/4 tin condensed milk
2. Grease the tin with butter and pour half the batter and even it out with a spatula. Spread a layer of nutella over this and finish off with the remaining batter on top
3. Take a toothpick or the back of a spoon and swirl around so as to give a marble cake effect.
   Tip: Do this gently and do not let the toothpick sink to the bottom else the nuttela sticks to the tin

The result: Indescribable.  Has to be tasted to know exactly what I mean :)  

Healthy Baked Veggies

It must have been the nth time I’ve called my mum for a recipe I’ve asked her a gazillion times before.  And each time I ring her up for one, she never looses her patience, only very glad to be speaking to me, to hear me, to help me out. What is it about mums – ever so patient with their children, their cup of life overflowing with love for us.  So blessed are we.

So mum has this recipe which is filled with the goodness of veggies that are masked between cheese and white sauce. As I took note of it today, I promised to keep it handy, in a place where I can refer back to it easily – and what else can be more handy than this blog :)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Mix of veggies of your choice – I used spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans, green capsicum, cabbage, mushrooms, boiled potatoes and corn – all diced
100 gms macroni, boiled
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 teaspoon oregano
salt as per your taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the white sauce:

2-3 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon fine wheat flour (maida)
1/2 glass water
3/4 glass milk
2-3 tablespoon shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes
2. Add spinach and cook till the water dries up a bit
3. Add mix vegetables and cook until water dries up and they are about half cooked
4. Add boiled macaroni and potato, ketchup, salt, oregano and cook for a few minutes. Keep aside
5. For the white sauce – add butter followed by flour and cook for about half a minute. Add water and milk and cook till it boils. Simmer for a minute and add salt, pepper and shredded cheese.
6. Add white sauce to the vegetables, mix and pour into a baking dish
7. Garnish with more shredded cheddar cheese
8. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts nicely

Your super yummy gorgeously cheesy veggies are ready to be served and savoured !

Bon Appetite!

Introducing Burj Khalifa

Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the newest proudest addition to the Dubai skyline.

It’s not just a structure – it’s a determination, a dream come true, a desire and the delight of a visionary, a city, a nation.

(Via: The National)

Tug of Emotions

To be happy or sad
To smile or cry
To be thankful or complain
To be in light or ignorance
To be or not to be

2010 Calendar

Do you have a new calendar for a new year? I’m still looking for a nice one for my desk – something like this would be perfect.

(Via)

Didn’t think calendars went beyond traditional paper to something so creative – would love to have something like this too.

(Via)

Spiced Eggless Sponge Cake with Carrots

The endless yum yum food blogs have always tempted me to post some of my mum’s cannot describe out-of-this-world recipes (:D)on the blogosphere, but despite good recipes never had good pictures to justify the yummy recipes.

This time was different though.

This time it was a Saturday - the time, the inclination, the ingredients, the urge to have a cake were all there and so I set out to make this recipe adapted from my mum’s eggless date and walnut cake recipe.

This one’s super easy and the cake is so soft you could never tell it’s an eggless cake. The ingredients are also ones that can be easily found in every kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 cup Fine Wheat Flour (maida)
100 grams salted butter, melted 
1 tin condensed milk (I held just a bit back)
1/2 cup grated carrot
3/4 tspn baking powder
3/4 tspn cinnamon powder
3-4 cloves crushed
1/2 cup milk 
chopped almonds to spread on batter

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven at 180c for about 10 minutes
2. Grate carrot and keep aside
3. Melt butter and mix well with 1 tin condensed milk
4. Add 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and mix again
5. Add 1 cup flour – little at a time to avoid lumps and milk simultaneously
6. Mix batter well and add the cinnamon powder and crushed cloves
7. Mix grated carrots and pour into a greased baking tin, spread chopped almonds on top
8. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180C depending on your oven

Tip: If you’re note sure the cake is done, follow the toothpick test - insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean, the cake is done :)

And now relish this delicious piece :)

P.S. This recipe is  my first entry to food events in the blogosphere. It’s going to Show Me Your Cake over at Dil Se and Cakes & Cookies event at Indian Vegetarian Kitchen