a beautiful tote

Tote bag

I stitched this beautiful tote bag yesterday.

Even before it was completly stitched my daughter declared this is hers! :-)

She is very fond of footwares so I embellished the plain fabric with flip-flop patchwork using some jeans fabric n lace.
A small red bead is added to make the flip-flops attractive!!
Here are the pictures!!

Did I mention that? Ohh no forgot!!

This bag is stitched using fabric from old pants!!

 reuse,recycle,remodel your old clothes to something useful yet again!

A frock

A frock

I stitched yet another frock for my younger daughter. This is also a November 2015 project.
Hope u all like this.
Here are the pictures.

kantha work cushion covers

Kantha work cushion covers

I did kantha work hand embroidery on small cushion covers.
This is also one of the projects I completed in the month of November.

 

old saree to new

Reviving an old saree

I had this old saree of 6 years.For some reasons I have not worn this more than four times.I did not like the border much.It has been lying in the cupboard since a long time  and I am thinking what to do with this?
Should I donate it to someone?just when I was thinking what to do with this saree, I got this idea to attach beautiful n colourful lace to give it a new life!
This is my first try at making a designer saree you can say.Taking  little steps.
Along with the saree I also attached the lace to the sleeves of the blouse!
Walla....how beautiful n colourful  my saree looks now??
I just can't wait for an occasion to wear this now!!
Here are the pictures.

Old saree

Colourful lace bought for it.

Saree n blouse after the lace is attached

Projects for september

Projects for September

After stitching a frock in august and finishing small kutchwork cushion cover projects, I had to take up few sewing projects for this month of September just out of necessity. 17th was Ganesha festival of this year. My colony celebrates Ganesha festival for two days & several cultural activities are organised.one such activity was the skit 'samudra manthana'. my daughter Prachi was also a part of it .she was offers d role of parijatha flower which comes out during samudra manthana.
Now my part was to stitch a costume for the role. I had to stitch an orange color blouse & off white saree.
I bought orange color brocade material  for the blouse ,stitched it using some decorative laces.
For the saree I used my old off white saree .I cut it  & stitched a small  ready to wear saree out of it.
For my younger daughter shripriya's role of chandra ,I used off white gold striped blouse piece to stitch a sleeveless frock.She just stood on the stage at the end of the play .I am very thankfully to my colony friend Pallavi Rao for allowing me to use the video recording of the skit.please find the link to Samudra manthana .
Thanks Pallavi.
Another stitching project was a top for my daughter for her bharatanatyam class.
This was fast done in 40 minutes.
Here are the pictures of the costumes stitched for the skit and dance that sum up my projects for September.
Now thinking of projects for October!

A frock

A frock

It has been four months since my last post.Just as resolved- a project every month I have been posting my monthly projects till march.In April I conducted summer camp for my daughter and her friends.please find the links here. May was travel  and family time.June was again settling time as school reopened. I say it really takes time to get into routine after the summer vacations.As such I did not find myself doing any art and craft activity. In July I stitched a small frock for my daughter for daily use. The picture is posted below.

August is already here and I am happy that I have kept up my resolution of a project a month.I did  kutchwork embroidery on3 pillow covers.here are the pictures of the cushion covers :)

pillow case/cushion covers

Pillow covers

Look at the above square pillow!!( cushion). Isn't it very colourful? By now you can make out that this pillow case is stitched using bits of fabrics.

I have made a new year resolution to take up a new project each month and complete it and also to work with bits of fabric that have been lying filled up in a small plastic drum. As  a best out of waste project and to use the scraps this project pillow case was taken up in the month of January.

February was all baking as my convection microwave was servised and I could use the convention mode which had not been able to do for some reasons.

 I made 4 such colourful pillow cases which have become my daughter's favourite :)what do you think!?? 

March is all study.... n kids exam time ;)

coconut chutny type#2

Coconut chutny type#2

I have posted the simple yet tasty version of coconut chutny earlier. This is the second version of the different varieties of coconut chutnies I make.

This particular chutny is sweet,tangy and hot and goes well with idlis.I should make a point here in advance that this is bit sweet in taste ,every chat lover might like the taste as this chutny too has most of the flavours in chat, viz. Sweet,tangy,hot.However may not be for hot chutny lovers.

The required ingredients for making idli chutny are:

1.  Freshly grated coconut 1 cup
2. Roasted channa dal/ phutane/ hurigadale 1/4 cup
3. Green chilies 2-3 
4. Cleaned coriander about 1/4 cup
5. Tamarind 2 tsp  or 1 tbsp
6. Jaggery1-2 tbsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Water as required for grinding

For tempering/tadka:

1. 1 tbsp cooking oil
2. 1 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1/2 tsp cumin/ jeera
4. 1 tsp black gram/ udad dal
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric
6.  1/4 tsp asafetida/ hing

Method of making idli chutny:

• Put all the ingredients of list 1 to a mixer jar.First churn a bit without water until phutana is ground coarsely. Then grind to make fine chutny adding required amount of water.
• Take the ground chutny to a vessel.
• For tempering,heat a tadka pan,add oil,then add black gram.when black gram turns light golden add mustard seeds and jeera.when they crackle,switch off the flame.
• Add turmeric and asafetida.

 Pour the tempering over the ground chutny and mix well.

Serve with hot idlis.The kids sure will love this taste!!
You can always increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients to suit to the taste of your family.This recipe gives just an idea.

eggless sweet milk bread

eggless sweet milk bread

This is going to be my first recipe among the baking catogery.And I am very much excited to post my eggless sweet milk bread recipe under this category!

So far I have baked bread thrice ,thank the recipe source which is here white bread.

My first bread following the exact recipe from the source turned out to be good in texture,less sweeter and very Yeats smelling one.

So second time I made my own changes to the recipe and baked my second loaf using All purpose Flour and wheat flour.It turned out to be good,while kneading the dough I felt that adding wheat flour is going to make a dense bread and it requires more liquid than maida.Still I used 3/4 cup milk only and baked.The bread was good and the texture was just perfect to make bruschetta , which I eventually made for dinner.

I posted the picture of 2nd loaf in the social networking website group and friends put requests for the recipe.As such today baked 3rd loaf making the improvements and this one turned out to be excellent one!

In the above pictures, you can see the bread in the picture on the left side is very soft and spongy, whereas the one in the pic. on the right side is bit hard, it takes longer time to rise as the amount of milk used is less.

you can choose to make either of the breads,both taste awsome!

The ingredients for making egg less sweet milk bread are:

1. 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour(APF)
2. 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3. 1 tsp salt
4. 3/4 cup luke warm milk(1 cup for softer texture)
5. 3 tbsp sugar
6. 1 tsp active dry yeast
7. 2 tbsp oil or softened butter
8. 1-2 tbsp flax seeds to sprinkle on the loaf(optional)

some extra flour for dusting and some extra oil while kneading and greasing the loaf pan.

The process of making egg less sweet milk bread:

• dissolve sugar in the lukewarm milk,add 1 tsp of yeast(ADY)
• keep it for 10 mins.to proof or froth.meanwhile,
• add oil,salt to the flours.mix well.
• add the frothy milk to the flour and begin to knead.At this point the dough will be sticky or tight depending on milk used.(3/4 cup for dense texture and 1 cup milk for very soft texture)
• keep on kneading for 10 -12 minutes.
• keep the kneaded dough in a lightly greased vessel and cover with a damp cloth.let this rise double in volume which takes around 2 hours.
• take the risen dough, punch with your fist couple of times,take out of the vessel,knead a few more times and shape it into a rectangle to fit the size of a loaf pan.
• Fold the rectangle and pinch the dough to make a seam.Do the same on either ends and let the loaf sit in the greased pan.
• AT this point of second rising,depending on the amount of milk used let the dough rise.It takes about 1 1/2 hrs for 1 cup milk used and nearly 4 hrs for 3/4 cup milk used. the point is to see the dough rises double in the volume and then start baking
• when the dough has doubled in the pan,brush the top with milk and sprinkle flax seeds and very gently press them to stick to the dough.
• heat the oven 190 degree C (original recipe says 180 degree C) and bake for 30 -32 minutes.In my oven to get the proper colour I preferred 190 degree C.
• Take out the baked loaf from the pan immediately to stop the bottom of it getting soggy and let it cool on the wire rack for about 30.mins
• slice and serve.

Step by step pictures of making egg less sweet bread

left slice of bread using 3/4 cup milk smaller in size ,right side bread slice ,using 1 cup milk ,bigger and very soft

hayagreeva

Hayagreeva

Wishing all a very happy and colourful Holy!!

I know I am posting this a bit late,but better to be late than never!!By the way holy is celebrated till Ranga panchami day,As such I guess I am not posting too late on the occasion!!

On holi purnima day,(which fell on 5th of this month) usually puran poli(bele obbattu/hooraNada hoLige) is prepared.But me being occupied with some other things,was not able to do puran poli this time. :(

Usually it is either of puran poli or karigadabu at my home on most of the festivals,and whenever its not possibel to do either, the alternative is always HAYAGREEVA/MADDI/KADLE BELE PAYASA.

Being in hurry I prepared Hayagreeva today on the occasion of Holi purnima.Hayagreeva is one of the Pancha pakvannas, or the traditional,great 5  sweets.
This is easy to prepare.
The ingredients for Hayagreeva are:

1. chana dal (bengal gram)1/2 cup
2. grated jaggery less than 1/2 cup
3. ghee 1 tbsp
4. grated dry coconut 2-3 tbsp
5. dry fruits as required
6. cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
7. poppy seeds/gasagase 1 tbsp
8. rice flour 2 tbsp. 

Method of preparing Hayagreeva:

• wash the dal.Put in a cooker container.Pour water  just enough to cover the dal.
• cook upto 3 whistels.Let the pressure go down. mean while,
• heat a khadai,add ghee,roast dry fruits(dry grapes,cashew,almonds) and keep aside.
• In the same ghee put grated coconut and roast a bit,add poppy seeds and roast then add the rice flour and roast till the nice aroma is released.
• To this add slightly mashed chana dal.let it boil for some time.
• Add grated jaggery,cardamom powder and cook for a few minutes.switch off the stove and roasted dry fruits.
• Serve garnished with grated dry coconut.

Some times even edible camphor and diamond sugar is also added to this traditional sweet dish.

The rice flour added here will give a nice thick consistency and better flavour.

Hope you will like this.

HAPPY HOLY AGAIN!! 

green tomato chutny

Green tomato chutny

no onion,garlic,coconut,ginger, n no dals!!

This is a super tasty,sweet n sour chutny.This is my grand mother's recipe.So I am the third generation preparing this chutny.I used to help my grandmother grind this chutny in the black coloured,stone 'khalbatta' (mortor n pestel)that is still there.That way I remember the ingredients that were put in the chutney.
My grand mother's food always tasted the best  as she used to cook her everyday food on 'sigdi'.And I must say,there is some X factor adds to the taste of hand ground chutny. 
The unique thing about this chutny is that there is no ginger,garlic,coconut. even the udad dal or channa dal are not added to it.That gives a different taste to this chutny recipe!
This tastes best with hot rice and ghee,jowar roti,hot chapati.

The ingredients are:

1. green tomatoes 3.med. sized
2. green chilies,6-7
3. roasted groundnuts,a handful
4. roasted til or sesame seeds, 1-2 tbsp
5. jaggery 2-3 tbsp
6. salt as per taste
7. oil 1 tbsp

Ingredients for tempering:

1. 2 tsp cooking oil,
2. 1 tsp mustard seeds,
3. hing (asafoetida)1/4 tsp
4. turmeric 1/4 tsp

Method:

• wash and wipe clean the green tomatoes  and green chilies
• cut the tomatoes lengthwise
• heat a small kadhai
• add 1 tbsp oil
• add the chopped tomatoes and green chilies.
• saute till soft.At this stage it will be a very pungent aroma of green chilies all around. so to avoid it you can saute it covered.
• once the tomatoes n chilies are soft,switch off the flame and let cool.
• add the cooled stuff,groundnuts,til,jaggery and,salt  to a mixer jar and grind .some like the texture of the chutny bit coarse,some smooth. so grind as you like.

For tempering:

• heat oil in a tadka pan.
• add mustard seeds.let crackle.
• switch off the flame.Add hing(asafoetida) and turmeric powder.
• Add to the ground chutny.

In this chutny the dominating flavours are sweetness of jaggery,sourness of tomatoes and the aromatic hing!!
Try this and let me know how you liked it!