Refreshing strawberry frozen yogurt which is great for the season. It’s low on calories and great on flavour. Looks very pretty too. HAPPY SPRING!!

From the original site: Spring is was until here three days ago, and then something happened. Before we could really immerse ourselves into it, we had a summer attack – almost 40C in North India already. That means power cuts, DUST, HEAT and whining kids! Strawberry Frozen Yogurt cheered us up!

Like seafood? Like pasta salad? Then this if for you. Seafood Pasta Salad. This recipe would be a great edition to you pot lucks and picnics or any occasion.

From the original site: I am sharing my husband’s Seafood Crab Salad. It was a big hit yesterday our Lenten church function.

Who doesn’t love Macaroni Salad? This version will be a hit at your next gathering.

From the original site: I had my Husband make up some Macaroni Salad for a church pot luck, being held now every Wednesday during Lent.

I decided to settle in for a classic- The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake. According to Ak, Nothing beats a Brown, unadulterated chocolate cake. The chocolate chapter in Nigella’s book also begins with this cake- she thinks this cake is the essence of all that is desirable in chocolate.

Special Instructions: I would use a little less sugar and little more chocolate

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Line the loaf tin with greaseproof baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together, with a wooden spoon or with a hand held mixer. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Then, fold in the molten chocolate, slightly cooled. Do not overmix. Add the flour+baking powder+cocoa, slowly, along with the boiling water until you get a smooth, liquidy batter. (I add the cocoa and chocolate chips, for that added chocolaty feeling!) Pour into the tin and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 170 degrees C, and bake for another 15. The cake is slightly damp, so the cake tester will not turn out completely clean. Let it cool completely before taking it out of the tin.
p.s. I used lesser baking powder- I should have checked prior to starting. It might be advisable to use about 2 teaspoons baking powder or better still- just use baking soda instead!
Also, I was slightly cautious, since the tin was a cm shorter in height, than the specified tin- I saved some batter and made 3 muffins instead. Could have avoided that- and maybe I would have got that perfect height.

About Me: Architect by Qualification.
Design Communications Consultant by Profession.
Baker/Cook, purely by chance. Absolute Serendipity.

Steamed sponge cake is one quickie dessert you can easily make your own at home. It’s presentable and delicious to serve at any occasion.

I was at the doctor’s office the other day when they offered me a flu vaccine. I declined since I was in a low risk category and my job doesn’t necessitate spending too much time around children or other high-risk groups more likely to be contagious. But, as luck would have it, my wife just got sick. Along with the usual complaints of congestion, headache, sinus pressure and more, she was experiencing stomach problems and a fever.

In an effort to fortify myself and give her something to combat the illness I decided on the standard home remedy—chicken soup. Chicken soup has been shown to help break up congestion and eases the flow of nasal secretions. Many say it also inhibits white blood cells that trigger the inflammatory response, causing sore throats and the production of phlegm.

It may do this because chicken itself contains an amino acid called cysteine that is released when cooked. This amino acid thins mucus in the lungs, aiding in the healing process. But since this was no normal cold, I wanted to fortify my soup with a few simple ingredients that also aid in fighting cold and flu symptoms.

I never need to go to a bar again (I never really wanted to go to a bar anyway). Just give me a bunch of great people, games, and potluck. Oh, and a little booze is nice too. I infused strawberry into vodka and bottled it into small flasks. I’m a lightweight and even I could drink this straight. Ok, I only had a few sips but I didn’t make that ugly this-alcohol-is-strong face. I can’t wait to try other infusions… I’m thinking maybe pear, pineapple, or ginger?

From the original site: Infused, bottled, and enjoyed. Strawberry Vodka.

A savoury cheese cookie that packs big-time flavor with a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

From the original site: But sometimes substitution can be a pleasant surprise. These Savoury Dill Cheddar Buckwheat Sables were a happy ending to one such culinary adventure!

My husband is allergic to nagging. It’s a condition where he considers my bare minimum of nagging to be his absolute maximum. I could do so much more nagging, he has no idea. So lately, rather than being either overly aggressive (husband, do this) or passive-aggressive (oh, I wish I had someone to help me with this), I start my requests with, “Honey, can you do me a favor?” Which follows by a long silence where I desperately want him to commit before I reveal the favor and he desperately wants to avoid committing. Finally I say, “Can you take the chili out of the fridge, quickly dump it into the trash and directly into the trashroom?” It was a job I’d been afraid to tackle for many, many weeks. The smell, the strangeness growing on top.. oh, this was a big favor. And much to my surprise, he said, “Sure, I can do that.” And, he did.

I thought I had cracked the code until dinner with friends on Friday when he revealed that he, in fact, had cracked my code. He laughed as he told them my new favor technique and he said it works because each time he thinks I’m going to ask something much worse so doing the requested task seems pretty harmless.

The truth is I can be a nag. Feeding him brownies is the best way to tell him I’m sorry for being so annoying. And then when he’s done with that brownie, I can say…. honey, can you do me a favor?

This is a decadantly rich Asian inspired recipe for short ribs. This is a perfect Sunday Supper dish!

From the original site: Two Words.Short Ribs

Not just any short ribs, but ones that have cooked down long and slow in a fantastic broth flavored with soy and cranberry. Then generously lacquered with a deliciously sticky and sweet cranberry teriyaki glaze. And finally served upon a luscious fluffy mound of browned butter potatoes.

Heaven, Beef Heaven.