Think about it

Friendship day

Silence

Thought

To LOOK is one thing

To SEE what you LOOK at is another

To UNDERSTAND what you SEE is a third

To LEARN from what you UNDERSTAND is a fourth

To ACT on what you LEARN is all that really matters.

TAKE TIME

 Take time to  SEE,HEAR & LISTEN  it is the source of WISDOM

 Take time to  DRINK & EAT              it is the source of SURVIVAL 

 Take time to  DREAM                      it is the source of CREATIVITY

 Take time to  FORGIVE                   it is the source of PATIENCE

 Take time to  SMILE                        it is the source of your BEAUTY

 Take time to  LAUGH                      it is the source of  MUSIC

 Take time to  RESPECT                 it is the source of THOUGHTFULNESS

 Take time to  HONOUR                   it is the source of  HUMILITY

 Take time to  PRAY                        it is the source of  BLESSINGS

 Take time to  PLAY                         it is the source of  ENERGY

 Take time to  WORK                       it is the source of  SUCCESS

 Take time to  WALK                        it is the source of  HEALTH

 Take time to  TALK                         it is the source of  OPPORTUNITY

 Take time to  GIVE                          it is the source of  CHARITY

 Take time to  SING                          it is the source of  JOY

 Take time to  DANCE                      it is the source of  YOUTHFULNESS

 Take time to  READ                        it is the source of  EDUCATION

 Take time to  LEARN                      it is the source of  UNDERSTANDING

 Take time to THINK                         it is the source of  WISDOM

 Take time to  LOVE                        it is the source of  GOD

In Your Life

May  INTROSPECTION  be your INSPIRATION

May  FREEDOM             be your RESPONSIBILITY

May  TRUTH                  be your FOUNDATION

May  PEACE                  be your POSSESSION

May  HOPE                    be your STRENGTH

May  CONSCIENCE       be your GUIDE

May  LOVE                    be your DEEDS

May  NATURE               be your COMPANION

May  RESPECT             be your EDUCATION

May  FAILURE             be your STIMULANT

May  HEALTH               be your WEALTH

May  LAUGHTER           be your MEDICINE 

 

May  FAITH                  be your FRIEND  

 

May  WISDOM              be your BLESSING

May  HUMANITY           be your RELIGION

May  PRAYER                be your POWER

May  PARENTS              be your FRIEND 

May  GOD                      be your EVERYTHING

Masala Dosa

The famous south Indian dish, with high content of carbohydrates, gluten free basic ingredients of soaked and fermented rice and lentils giving vitamin C and B12, free from salt, sugar and saturated salts

The crepe made from rice and urad dal as in picture

The potato vegetable filling can be prepared with many other various ingredients you can use palak/tomatoes/beetroot hey just experiment

Its mainly a breakfast dish and it gives you a lot of energy

The Flip, now too impatient for the next wrap

Yes i am going to eat and enjoy this while you can do some more research on this amazing nutritive breakfast.

Rava ladoos(Semolina Balls)

500 gms rava (semolina)

450 gms sugar (powdered) for those who want very sweet can use 500 gms sugar

ghee100 gms

milk 1 cup

3 pinch cardamom powder

cashewnut and almond pieces

(raisins can be added too)

Heat ghee in a deep pan (kadai), fry the rava till light brown on low heat.
Add powdered sugar( a little salt),add cardomom powder, add the nuts,
you may taste the mixture and add sugar if required.
Allow it to cool a bit, then add half cup milk, grease palms with a little ghee and shape the mixture mixed with milk into ladoos.

you can add dry scraped coconut  or fresh scraped coconut but Mama doesn't prefer.

Marzipan with cashew nuts

Last year preparing marzipan was the best sweet which Mama enjoyed preparing, with Dada helping her too, that she said that she would make it all through the year.
Anyway this time while almost done doing the marzipan don't know what went wrong, could it be the cholesterol free label csahew nut packet we used which did not release the oil....Whatever it was.
Mama was determined to try again yes but not with the cholesterol free ones.


Ingredients
200 gms cashew nuts, 380 gms sugar (powdered)and 1 egg white

method
Grind the cashew nuts into a blender ,it should be fine like powder. Add the fine powdered sugar and mix well, add the beaten egg white mix well, keep on low heat. Stir continuously, the oil from the nuts too spread evenly. when the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, its done, put the mixture on a slab and knead it well though its hot.Oil your hands with ghee so your hands don't turn red. Make small balls and shape it into fruits,dolls,Santa or put in moulds

Mama mixing the sugar with the cashew paste

I quickly helped with this, but Mama said  she has to knead this mixture nicely.

 They look so delicate

They were indeed delicious soft,sweet and luxuriously nuts flavoured unlike the ones we get in the store.

Making of the Christmas wreath

we have been making homemade wreaths last 9 years at home,using thermocol round shaped rings or the rigid embroidery ring as wreath holders but you will be surprised knowing how we make it, yes it was indeed Mama's idea to use the cycle alluminium rims last 6 years. Pass a satin ribbon through one of the hole in the rim to hang the wreath.Now wrap a shining garland or streamer around it.

 Mama wrapping a shining garland /streamer around the bicycle rim.

Don't you think the wreaths looks pretty besides the most easy to make. You can wrap around more decorative strings, just as we did with the green wreath.

 A Christmas decoration given by my friend sharvari in our building 5 days before Christmas.We put this at the centre of the wreath.

 The wreath looked very nice at the centre of our ceiling of our living room.

We put this outside in our small garden

Mama put the crystal ball at the centre of the wreath.( Last year we had a larger rim borrowed from the cycle shop)

Making this wreath took a lot of time as Mama made bows and she used staple and thread to keep the bows and stars in place.

well this rose from the ribbon was made by me,which we put in the centre of the wreath.

The wreath on our front door.

We did make small wreaths to hang along the curtain rods at the centre too.

Shev

Ingredients
1 cup Water
4 cups Besan (Chana daal powder)
1tspnTurmeric Powder
4 tblspn Red Chilli Powder

11/2 tspn ajwain(Carom Seeds)

Pinch of hing(asafetida)

Masala

4/5 green chillies

1 small pod garlic

1tspn Jeera(cumin seeds)

 The batter

Oil for frying

How to prepare

• Mix oil and water in a container.
• Add Salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, carom seeds
• Grind the masala coarsely in the mixer and add
• Add Besan and keep mixing it well. (This mixture should be thick).
• Add this mixture to shev chakli maker.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and fry noodle like threads of shev using shev maker.
• Keep flame low so that shev does not burn.

Frying the noodles in oil

Ready to eat shev

Poha Chewda

With Christmas coming around Mama prepared thick poha chevda,
the way she prepared

2kg thick poha
500 gms peanuts
500 gms roasted chana dal
tumeric powder/chilli powder/powdered sugar and salt to tasteHeat oil in a deep bottomed pan, take  a fistful of poha and place in a fine metal sieve.
dip it in the oil once done put in a container add a bit of tumeric/salt/chilli powder and sugar.
like this keep doing till you are done frying the poha.
add the fried peanuts and chana dal mix well.
You can also add fried dried coconut finely sliced but Mama dislikes coconut in it

Once done, i took a picture and we enjoyed it with tea. as tasty indeed ,mama stored the rest away in a airtight steel tin.

Family members on our Christmas Tree

Aunt Julie had gifted us a set of photo frames as in picture, did some drawings with Christmas themes on the wooden frame. And we put pictures of our dear ones who are in heavenly abode.

My Grandfather (Nanaji) Domnick Fernandes

I will be there
Though you may not see
I'll smile and remember
The last Christmas, 
with you and me

My Grandmother(dadi ji) Milagrina Gonsalves

I stand by you all, just like 
an Angel, will be always there for you.

uncle Robert

Think of me as I will be thinking of you.  

              

My Great Grandmother

I'm never far away,
My memory will always stay













The memorial was the best ornament on the tree

Christmas decorations(candle making)

We had some stock of paraffin wax bought months ago,so we put the remaining to use to make candles.

Paraffin wax

Different shaped glasses

                                                                                                                                                                                               

the first one done

As seen in picture take a twig like this tie the wick. place the stick with the wick in the centre,.pour out the melted wax in the container We used our crayon shavings for color, one can use a liquid dye or wax chips preferably..

So now i am sure you are not going to throw away the leftover melted candle wax but reuse to make candles like these.

You can use bees wax,bayberry wax,gel,soy wax.

Pretty blue

Mama made these.

Christmas Decoration(Santa bags)

Mama made Santa bags for the Christmas Tree hangings. She cut in shape and hand stitched the bright red velvet material.Stuck decorative piece on it with fabric glue.You can make this yourself. Don't forget the stiching space for the hanging string. It definitely makes a beautiful hanging on the tree.

The Santa Bag on our Tree

Christmas Decoration(toran)

 

This year Mama made a different above door hanging,we bought this silver ribbon with cross design,there was not much of a choice at the store.Mama stitched bells and there our door hanging was ready, Used as a Toran, especially in Indian culture,to welcome a guest on  joyous festivals.

The Toran just above our main door

Christmas Bell

Mama said it's time to bring out the stored decorations and put up the Christmas Tree and decorate the home.As we sorted out we wanted to throw out some discolored bells. After an afterthought Mama suggested we could paint them. Aha that's what we exactly did.

The lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return. 

Kindly read this passage  (Exodus 28:31-35)  in the Bible  

our painted bells on the Christmas tree