Berries Butter Cake

Mum bought me another recipe book named "I Love Butter Cake". Oppsss! that's not me, I don't really fancy about butter cake, but I've got to make it to show my appreciation to mum and of course it could be served to someone who is a big fan of butter cake. After read through the whole recipe book, I choose this Berries Butter Cake just because I love berries.

It's actually a recipe of "Apple Blueberry Butter Cake" but I feel like adding some leftover berries from my freezer. I used blueberry, raspberry and blackberry for this butter cake. For those who don't like the bit of seeds from the raspberries, better use apple and blueberry. I believe it will taste good too! For me, the soury and the bit of sweetness and juicy of the berries make the butter cake light and refreshing. Finally, I find myself quite like butter cake. Thanks Mum!

Recipes:

250g butter

200g caster sugar

5 eggs

200g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 green apple (peel, cored, diced)

100g blueberry

** 1 orange zest or lemon zest

Greese and line 20cm (8inch) baking tin. Preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Fold in shifted flour and baking powder, mix well. Spread batter into prepared tin. Sprinkle apples over the batter and spoon blueberry filling over the apples. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until cooked.

Vegetable Biriani - Version 2 (No Grinding)

VEGETABLE BIRIANI - VERSION 2

I wanted to prepare a quick and tasty biriani before my two month old grand daughter woke up from her mid morning siesta, and I wanted to achieve this without sounding off the pressure cooker or the electric mixer! This resulted in Vegetable Biriani-version 2. (Version - 1 has been published in the Blogger Aid Cook Book). Once the various groups of ingredients are gathered & prepared, and the pot is on the fire, you can enjoy this dish in just twenty minutes time.

INGREDIENTS:

GROUP 1 : (Rice)
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Black peppercorns - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1''
Cloves - 6
Curry leaves - 2 twigs
Cooking oil - 2 tbsps
GROUP - 2 (Green masala)
Spring onions - 4
Green chillies - 2
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
Mint leaves - 1/2 bunch
Grated coconut - 2 tbsps
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

GROUP - 3 ( Vegetables)
Cauliflower - 1/4
Beans - 1 fistful
Carrots - 2
Potatoes - 2
I used brocollini stems and baby corn too.
Group - 4 ( Red Masala)
Tomatoes - 2
Fresh grated ginger - 1 tsp
Grated garlic - 3 cloves
Red chilly powder - 1 heaped tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Curds - 4 tbsps
Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

METHOD:

1. Soak rice and keep it aside.
2. Finely chop the green masala ingredients and keep aside.
3. Clean,peel and chop all the vegetables length wise into 1'' pieces.
4. Mince tomatoes and keep aside.
5. Grate ginger and garlic finely and keep aside.
STEP -1
6. Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel and add the Group 1 ingredients - i.e. pepper corns, cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves.
7. When the garam masala sputters add curry leaves and then the soaked and drained rice.
8. Fry till the rice becomes translucent and sticky; switch off the fire.
STEP - 2
9. Heat oil in another kadai and add the Group 2 ingredients i.e. green masala and the coconut gratings, and saute till you get a very pleasant aroma.
10. Now add Group 3 - i.e. the cut vegetables and blend well with the masala.
11. Switch off flame and add the vegetable and green masala blend to the rice pot.
STEP - 3
12. Return the kadai to the flame and add oil.
13. When the oil is hot add the Group 4 i.e. grated ginger and garlic, and saute till it becomes golden brown.
14 . Add the chopped tomatoes followed by chilly powder, coriander powder,cumin powder and salt.
15. Cover and cook till the tomatoes become pulpy.
16. Mix in the curd and cook till the oil separates.
STEP - 4

17. Pour the masala into the rice and vegetable vessel.

18. Add 2 and 1/4 cups of water and stir well. 19. Leave it on high flame till it starts boiling.
20. When it reaches boiling point lower the flame and cook for 15 minutes, covering it tightly with a lid.

21. Remove lid and stir the contents evenly with a spatula, without mashing it up.
22. Return the lid and cook for five more minutes until done and switch it off when the aroma of biriani is overwhelming.

Roasted cashew nuts , fried bread pieces or slices of carmalised onion can be used for garnishing. A cold mint raita will be an excellant accompaniment.

Important Questions to Ask Before Signing A Plumbing Contract

Household plumbing problems can cause anxiety and stress for many homeowners. Leaking pipes, water back-up, clogged drains and drippy faucets are not only annoying, but they often lead to more serious trouble like water damage and mold. In a perfect world, we’d all have a reputable, trustworthy plumber on call any time of the day or night. But what if you don’t have that magic number taped to your fridge or printed on a business card stowed handily in your wallet?

Take some of the panic out of plumbing repairs and installation by devoting a little extra time to finding the right plumbing company for your job. If you’ve decided that you need to bring in a professional to work on your home’s plumbing, there are some important areas to cover with your plumber before you sign a contract.

• Get Prices Up Front. No one likes to be surprised by hidden fees and additional charges. A good plumber will provide a complete estimate free of charge before beginning a project and will get your approval for any unforeseen fees that pop up as work goes on. Generally, you can expect to pay for hourly labor, parts and travel time; extra charges are almost always tacked on for emergency service. Keep in mind, though, that cheaper isn’t always better when it comes to plumbing. The best way to keep costs under control is to get a ballpark number up front.

• Choose the Right Plumber for Your Job. Plumbers fall into two general categories: those who work on emergencies like burst pipes and water back-up, and those who do installation and renovation. Hiring a plumber who doesn’t have experience doing the kind of work you need done is like flushing money down the drain. Make sure the plumber you hire is qualified to do your job—even the trusted general plumber who never fails to come to the rescue when you have a plumbing emergency might not be able to manage a bathroom remodel.

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More Plumbing Information from Horizon Services:

• Horizon Plumbing Services
• Horizon Drain Cleaning Services
• Horizon Sewer & Water Line Replacement Services
• How To Choose the Right Contractor

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