Finally summer is here! And so has the BBQ’s , Cookouts, Backyard bash’s and Soriee;s outdoors. So as everyone is trying to compete for the best outdoor gear, here’s one that I truly love and is on my wish list. This is an Elephant Umbrella Stand! How exotic and unique!! Love this! and of course with an Elephant with its trunk up is always great, because in Indian and some Asian cultures it is a symbol of good luck. So for $89.95 its a great good luck charm for your outdoor bash to be a success and gurranteed to be the object of conversation at least if I had it – it def will be.
http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-5536-21-elephant-umbrella-stand.aspx
Now I do know its white and it can go with any palate since its neutral but if your pretty handy with paint you could also color it to match your plate set or general design of your backyard. I was playing around with Paint and envisioned what I could do or ask someone else to do since my painting skills are pretty bad on my own.
Enjoy its Wednesday!
Categories: Entertaining Tips
Tagged: Asian Outdoor Stand, Desi Outdoor Stand, Elephant Stand, Elephant Umbrella Stand, Exotic Umbrella Stand, Unique Outdoor Stand, Z gallerie
I watch the Food Network & Bravo Channel for all the different cooking shows and I admire each one of the chef’s chopping skills.I always wonder if I was ever on a challenge would I be able to finish, the answer yes if my chopping skills were better ,but I guess I would probably have to go to school for that.
So for now, Ill stick to the slow pace except for those dreaded ONIONS! I cry buckets everytime and believe me its not a pretty sight!.Hence I was looking online for something that would help, and behold ONION GOGGLES !! I would probably call it the “Tear Buster” and that my friends will help me win alot of challenges or pretend challenges at home against the TV.
http://www.broadwaypanhandler.com/broadway/product.asp?s_id=0&pf_id=rsvp_onion_goggles for $19.99 or http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=onion+goggles&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=1124260121&ref=pd_sl_2gsp6taxv7_b for all sorts of varieties and price ranges.
Believe me I’ve tried everything, put the onion in the fridge,in cold water, chop near the stove so that the vapors will get burned or something like that. Nothing works.
If anyone has tried these, do tell.I’d love to hear some feedback.
Categories: Gadgets
Tagged: Amazon.com onion goggles, Broadwaypanhandler.com, Onion goggles, Onions, tear buster
I think by now everyone knows my obsession with the Kati Roll Company in NYC http://www.thekatirollcompany.com/. In hopes that someday they would decide to land a place in the Nation’s capitol. But since that has not happened, I have decided to take matters into my own hands for a temporary fix. Before we go any further, let me put a disclaimer that I am not the expert here since it’s not something I grew up on but it’s this is a pretty darn good interpretation for the everyday working professional.
Since the closest supermarket is Giant that where I decided to get most of my ingredients.
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2-3 Tablespoon Giant brand non-fat yogurt
Mission brand 8” Soft Taco Carb Balance Flour Tortillas
Tiger Tiger Tikka Paste http://www.tigertiger.info/
Mint – Cilantro Chutney - I have both readymade versions in my fridge all the time but I’ve included the recipe to make from scratch too
1 White onion- I would prefer red onions but forgot to pick it up!
Olive Oil
1 Can Amy’s organic red beans (Optional as a side dish)
First take the chicken and chop it up into small cubes and then take 2 to 3 tablespoons of yogurt, add salt and add a couple of tablespoons of the Tikka paste till all the chicken is covered with the flavors. You can always add some more chili powder to make it spicier than the paste since it’s usually medium or mild that available in the local supermarkets. Cover the chicken and place it in the fridge for about an hr – 2 hrs so that the flavors soak in, the longer you leave it in the better it is. ( I had it marinate for an hr while I did errands).
Take the chicken and spray some oil on your baking dish so that they do not stick and leave it in the oven for about 400 degrees for 30 mins. During this time chop the onion and sauté them till they are soft and slightly browned with some olive oil. Check on your chicken so that it’s not too dry or under cooked then for the last 5 mins turn on your broiler and it will help crisp the surface of the chicken to mimic the grill. Ideally if you have a grill put it on skewers and it will be fantastic but if its rainy like it has been in the DC metro area or simply you don’t have one, baking is the only option.
Mint & Coriander/Cilantro Chutney – Whenever I’m at an Indian Grocery Store or local grocery store in the International aisle, I stock up on this. It goes with a lot of things and can easily bring a lot of flavor with some fresh lemon juice or with yogurt or even with mayo. But if you have time or grow these plants in your backyard it’s easy to make too – Here’s the recipe from a blogger love4cooking and from wiki how!
http://love4cooking.blogspot.com/2007/03/mint-coriander-chutney.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Mint-Chutney
Last step, take your tortillas and heat them with some olive oil on a pan and then assemble them with Chicken, Chutney and Onions.
Final Verdict, it was yummy not quiet really a Kati roll since I used tortillas, but it’s my version of Kati Roll in an American world.
Categories: Menus
Tagged: baked Kati Roll, Giant Supermarket Brand, healthy kati roll, Homemade Kati Roll, Indian Street Food, kati roll, Kati Roll recipe, kolkatta street food, Mint Cilantro Chutney, Misson Soft taco torillas, Tiger Tiger Indian food
I think we as a society go through phases really quickly these days - because one minute we loveeeee -heart-eat 24/7 frozen yogurt chains like Red Mango, Pinkberry, Tangysweet and so much more. The next, we are going through a cupcake phase where there are shopes, clubs and a ton of blogs for recipes for humans & dogs maybe even cats?
One of the most recognizeable name in the world of modern cupcakery is Magnolia Cupcakes in NYC(http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/) which opened in 1996 . Btw its just as magical as people say it is - its like going to sugar heaven in there. And there are plenty nowadays opening up everywhere including the latest opening of one in DC Red Velvet Cupcakery(http://redvelvetcupcakery.com/) in the Penn Quarter. Its everywhere that I feel like cupcakes are to Americana food as Petit Four is to the French Pastry. Very recognizeable and delicious in all the many flavors and types. I mean its so popular that even the Donald Trump is getting on the bandwagon by having the Celebrity Apprentice premiere as a competition of cupcake champions. (Sent home by Frosting).
There’s even a special carrier for cupcakes Cupcake Courier http://www.cupcakecourier.com/index.asp that you can get to carry your special cupcakes anywhere around the world.You can also get them alot of stores like Target, AC Moore or on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cupcake-Courier-36-Cupcake-PlasticContainer/dp/B000XPOPXA
For little girls too they have this cool cupcake club – where they have books, games and recipes- so go out there Moms and sign your daugthers to be a V.I.C – Very Important Cupcake.
http://thecupcakesclub.com/index.html
http://www.zillycakes.com/Obama_.php
Even with the past year elections one baker out in Buffalo, NY named Zilly Rosen with her bakery of ZillyCakes went all out with their 1200 cupcake masterpiece of our President Barack Obama.
So Cupcake have taken over our world – from Inaugrations,Birthdays, Baby& Bridal Showers, Weddings, Summer BBQ’s , Birthday parties – they are everywhere these days and this is a phase I will always love forever.:-)
Categories: Lifestyle
Tagged: amazon.com, cupcake courier, cupcake lover, cupcakes, frosted cupcakes, little cakes, Magnolia Cupcakes, the cupcake club, ZillyCakes
February 27, 2009 · 1 Comment
I am horrible at drinking water but over time I have become better at it. During the work day I usually just have coffee and tea which is pretty bad but my new goal is to cut it down a lot more and drink more water.
So I started to do some research with all the articles about the environment and BPA leaching from plastic bottles and with a family member allergic to foods reheated in plastic containers.I thought it was time to find other options that are not only good for the environment but also good for you. Plus it beats buying dozens of plastic bottles of water when I don’t even know if it really came from a water spring? But I have to admit I still buy water by the dozen because sometimes you need some when you have guests over or for emergencies.(the end of the world). So maybe I’m a bit of hypocrite but really its lower my exposure, recycle , save money in the long run and tricking myself into drinking more water in a cool bottle. These bottles are sturdy and will last a long time for $25 a pop or less( see deals online i.e. Amazon.com), and less plastic bottles ending up on beaches or parks.
This is my current bottle but there are plenty of options on their website http://www.mysigg.com/
Another website to buy is of course Amazon.com, which is where I bought mine.
http://www.amazon.com/Sigg-Lifestyle-Water-Bottle-1-0-Liters/dp/B000RI4ES4
TGIF:-)
Categories: Lifestyle
Tagged: 100% Recycleable Bottle, Amazon.com Siggs, BPA Free Bottle, Cool Water Bottle, Made in Switzerland, Non Plastic Bottle, Recession Friendly, Siggs, The Orginial Swiss bottle
I finally caught up with my DVR and saw this episode on Man vs. Food. And I recognized the place – it was an Indian restaurant we have been too a couple of years back and their food was yummy and did not spare in the spices category. ( I love spicy food) - Check out the Phaal Challenge on the Travel Channel Man vs Food and maybe you can take the Phaal Challenge at Brick Lane Curry House in NYC —>http://www.bricklanecurryhouse.com/
The Episode-
http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/01/the-phaal-challenge-at-brick-lane-curry-house-on-man-v-food-video/#more-8368
Categories: Restaurants
Tagged: Brick Lane Curry House, Indian Food, Man vs Food Show, NYC Indian restaurant, Phaal, Spicy Curry
