Remains Of The Day

Thought I'd share with you the remains of my first attempts at kulfi making! :)

Decided to try my hand at this dessert to mark the Bengali New Year Day last week. Despite the power-cuts the end result was rather yummy!

The recipe is easy enough so you can try this out yourself:

1. Boil full-cream milk on slow heat, and bring it down to less than half of the original quantity.



2. Add sugar to taste and a spoonful of cornflour for thickening. Remember to stir constantly at this stage else the sugar sticks to the bottom of the pan.



3. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.



4. Add grated cashews and cardamoms to the thickened milk.



5. Soak pistachios and almonds for half an hour. Meanwhile churn the thickened milk for 2-3 mins in a blender or mixer.



6. Now set the thickened milk to freeze after garnishing with chopped pistachios and almonds.

Hope this kulfi helps you keep cool through the scorching days! :)

Fairy Queen Express

My second post on trainspotting is special because it brings you the oldest running steam engine in the world! :) Bringing you the original chug-chug train from yore, the Fairy Queen Express that runs between Delhi Cantonment and Alwar stations.

Read more about this historic train here.

The Fairy Queen locomotive was created way back in 1855, and this was one of the first exhibits of the National Rail Museum.

Our advantage: being located close to the Western Railway track helps sight such vintage beauties as they go by, blowing blue smoke quaintly through its chimney, and hooting away in a shrill shriek that is very distinct from the whistles of modern-day engines.

This special train operates every year between October to March. Pity that this year's last trip was scheduled for 27March, which is when we managed to click the above pictures. So you have to wait till October before catching a glimpse of the Fairy Queen Express chugging away again.

Housescapes

We just completed a whole year of living in this house so guess can't call it new anymore! :)

As the months went by, the seasons changed, the garden changed, and the house itself went through its own quiet metamorphosis.

Here is a pictorial journey to celebrate the year gone by through some of my favourite shots in the house.

Of cool, dreamy mornings...

Ending in fiery, brilliant evenings...

Our children enjoying in their splash pool in the summers.

My jade plant against the blue monsoon sky with wisps of clouds gently floating.

The Buddha bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun adds to the charm of an autumn evening.

Interesting shadows thrown up by the sharp winter sun.

Finally, precious spring blossoms bringing the year full circle!

Hope you enjoyed our journey through the year as much as we did! And looking forward to many more such years...

Our Special Neighbours - VI : Feathered Friends

One of the joys of living in suburban areas is the sheer variety of birds you get to spot everyday. Some roam around the neighbourhood while some actually visit us daily.

Today I'll introduce you to the ones I've seen around the neighbourhood. The actual visitors coming home will be covered in a later post.

I don't even know all their names but let us go and meet them one by one. And you can let me know if one of them looks familiar, or I've identified it incorrectly.

Red Vented Bulbuls


Unknown Bird (Finch?)


Green Bee Eater


Brown Rock Chat


Magpie


Hoopoe


Rufous Treepie


Kingfishers


Crane


Unknown


Indian Robin

Shine & Glitter

Added some shine and glitter to the kids' bedroom last weekend through these suncatchers.

I love how their room evolves ever so often, with new stuff getting added every now and then. I change their art display also, creating a brand new look every few days. Ups the 'interesting' quotient, like it should be in kiddy space!

Evok Shoe Rack

We bought this shoe rack from Evok last month. Thought I'd share my experiences with the brand, associated as it is with a company as big and old as Hindware.

I found the Evok store quite expansive and well-appointed. And I especially liked their designs with its clean lines, and eye on utilitarian detail.

However, some of their staff were a little disappointing. They seemed not too conversant with product knowledge, and were somewhat overwhelmed attending multiple customers. For a company trying to build a brand, their website is also a dampener. Too many dead links, especially on the Products page. Hardly the place one would like to falter, don't you think!

What I did like was their online catalog that they check every time you request a specific product. This means that even if the product is not on display at the moment, they can source it for you. Their post-sales service is also pretty good, as their service personnel come home and assemble the knock-down furniture for you.

Hope you find the review useful, and it helps make better choices!

More Springtime Snapshots

Some more snapshots from my garden to feast your eyes on! The spring blossoms are getting better by the day, and we as a family are enjoying the ambience thoroughly. :)

Brilliant cinerarias that are the pride of my sit-out!

Even my succulents are sprouting forth.... simply love the bell-shaped flowers.

Some more cinerarias in the kids' balcony.

Black Face (remember the guy?) has some lovely company these days.

Pretty little verbenas flowering in bright bunches.

Railway creeper back in business after the winter hibernation.

Red salvia completes the scene (though it isn't in its element yet).

Hope you liked the virtual tour through my greens.

Though I dislike winters, the anticipation of my colourful florals keeps me going through the chill. Pity it is warming up already and soon most of these beauties will get replaced by the summer crop.