Finger Printing with my Kid

We bought a book on Finger Printing in a Book Fair, that is some 2 months back. All these day, it was sleeping in my Book shelf. Suddenly thought about it and took it out. Me and My Kid, got our fingers dirty and tried out some prints from that. It was Fun. Lot of Fun!!!!!

Step by Step Neat Instructions in the Book

The Book Title "Ed Embereley's Finger Print Drawing Book". It is so damn good. Very detailed instructions, Good Fun for Kids. Starts with simple prints and goes on to create to Vehicles, Animals. People!!!!Gives you a great start in Finger printing.

These are prints we tried from the Page "In the Garden"

Putting things together, to get a Garden

I m running a Blogging Marathon with some of my Blogger Buddies, Please Do check out their Recipes here Srivalli, Priya, Suresh, Jay, Monika, Reva, PJ, Azeema , Ayeesha ,Veena , Usha, Soumya and Gayathri.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

A wonderful memory of being with my friend’s family. I am talking about Bob (Robert) and his wife Hema who are in Cincinnati OH. I met them when I was in Ohio. On a Saturday we decided to cook a full lunch menu for Sunday and Bob would do the dessert while myself and Hema would do the main course.

I was very excited to taste his Pumpkin cheesecake, because I did never taste one. Basically I never liked Pumpkin at all, but after eating his cheesecake I changed my mind. The Cheesecake was wonderfully done right from scratch and it tasted delicious and Yum O! just as it looks.

I was able to eat only a small piece of it, cos I had a heavy lunch, so I packed half of the cake and had it all through the week sharing with some of my other friends. They all liked it very much. Thanks Bob! for your tasty Pumpkin Cheese Cake.

Ingredients:

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For Graham Cracker Crust:

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2 Packets of Graham Crackers (crushed to powder in mixer)

5 tbsp melted Butter

For Filling:

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1 Can Pumpkin Puree (we are going to use only half of it)

1 Cup Sugar

5 Eggs

3 Pckgs of 8oz Cream Cheese ( room temperature)

1 small pcakage of crushed Walnuts for garnish

Method:

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To Make Crust:

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1. In a 9" cake pan Spring Foam pan.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. In a bowl mix all the crust ingredients and mix well

4. put all the ingredients into the pan and press it with a fork, first to flatten the bottom and bring the rest of it to the sides up into u can get it.

5. Bake it for about 5-8 mins or until the crust turns to golden brown.

6. Remove form Oven.

To make the filling:

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1. Mix all the filling ingredients except the eggs in a blender to make a smooth paste.

2. Add the eggs and mix again slowly just until it's mixed well. (Note: don't mix or blend too much, else it will make the cake too mushy).

3. Now pour this fillng mixture into the crust, sprinkle the walnuts over the top and bake it again for about 50-60 mins.

4. Once it's done, off the oven and let the cheese cake stay in the oven and keep it for about 2-3 hrs so that it can cool and come to room termperature. (Note: for good Pumpkin Cheese cake u can see some cracks on the top as in picture)

5. Enjoy this Yummy Pumpkin Cheese cake!

Vegetable Pulao - One Pot Meal

One pot meals make a quick and filling lunch or dinner. Since its winter here, its mostly phulkas for dinner. Once in a while, I make this pulao for dinner. Pulao when served hot with a side of pickle and chips is always welcome. A medley of vegetables and spices with rice cooked in a pressure cooker makes a quick meal too.  I don't stick to this recipe every time I make pulao. But this is the basic recipe and I make changes according to my mood like adding some coconut milk or tomato puree etc. The vegetables that go in also add up to the taste of the pulao. The aroma when the cooker is opened, is enticing enough to bring your family to the table.

You need

• Long grain rice/Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Chopped Vegetables - 1 cup (carrot,french beans, potato, peas)
• Red chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
• Salt - 1/2 tspn

 To ground to paste

•  Green chilly - 2 nos
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Coriander powder - 1 tspn
• Garlic - 2 pods
• Onion - 1

For Seasoning

• Ghee/butter - 1 tblspn
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Cloves - 4 nos
• Cinnamon -1" stick 2nos
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tspn

Method

Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water for half an hour. Make a paste of the ingredients under to made to paste. Don't add water. Moisture from the onion is enough to make the paste.

Heat a pressure cooker. Add ghee or butter. When hot, add the seasoning ingredients. When the seeds turn light brown, add the ground paste. Saute till the raw smell goes. Tip in the chopped veggies and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the water from rice and reserve the water. Add rice and continue to saute. Add chilli powder and salt and the reserved water. Stir well. Close the pressure cooker and cook for two whistles and cook in the lowest flame for 5 minutes or till another whistle blows. When the pressure is fully released, gently fluff with a fork. Check salt and add if needed.  Serve with some chips or raitha.

To make it more rich,you can add  julienned  and sauteed onions till brown, roasted cashews and raisins too.