Centerpiece with plate and vase

Center piece for coffee table or dining table at a christmas dinner.

I have set up three small glasses, one red, other gold and another one is plain glass.  The colors I have chosen put out nice christmas vibe.

I have kept them in the center of the golden plate and spread colored petals around them that are green, red and brown in color.

I am using vase as centerpiece on a side table or a small dining table.

I have spread tiny stones at the bottom of the vase.  I then painted a pine cone green to stay with holidays theme and placed it on top of the stones inside the vase.

I bought some inexpensive christmas lights from IKEA that work on batteries and wrapped them around the vase.  A simple centerpiece is ready.

Christmas lights n old vases

Christmas lights are used for decoration in our homes. I have lot of vases just laying in my attic collecting dust.  I have an idea to convert those vases into party lamps by using christmas lights.

I have a red glass vase and a clear pot glass vase.  I have placed couple of christmas light strings into each of the vases and it feels like party time instantly.

Since it is clear and therefore bright, pot glass vase can be used as a side lamp.

And since it is dim red glass vase can be used as cool bed light.

Used glass bottle to a rustic flower vase

Flower vases are one of the finest decorative pieces in a house. Even a small flower vase can bring refreshed look to a room. I am going to show you how to create a rustic vase in an inexpensive way.

You need only 4 items to make this.  Used glass bottle, rope long enough to wrap around the bottle, glue and paint.

Apply glue to the rope and wrap it around the bottle in tight pattern starting from bottom to the top. Add a flower and that's it, rustic vase is ready. If you want you can paint the rope.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a great appetizer for any party. Not only are they easy to make and serve, they are also a healthy snack. For making stuffed mushrooms we need very simple ingredients. Come on let's begin the party.

Ingredients:

Mushrooms

Garlic glove

Small carrot

Coriander leaves

Small pieces of cheese

Salt and pepper

Method:

1.  First clean the mushrooms, take out stem and keep the mushroom cap and dry it.

2.  Finely chop the carrot, garlic, coriander and cheese. Mix it all together with salt and pepper.

3.  Preheat the oven or toaster for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Mean while stuff the mushrooms with the mixture made in step 2 and transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the baking pan.

4.  Bake the mushrooms in the oven or a toaster at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve to the guests and get their compliments.

Old batteries to new couples

I had bunch of used batteries left over when my husband replaced them with newer ones in my kid's toys.  Instead of just throwing them away I came up with this idea of painting them and using them as decorative pieces.  Eventually though I have to properly dispose them.

How to make goru chikudu curry/cluster beans curry

Goru chikudu curry is the one of my favorites curries.  Even though it belongs to beans family it's flavor is so different.  And if you cook with moong dal it will enhance the taste of the curry. Let's start the process.

Ingredients:
250gms Cluster Beans
50gms Moong Dal
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Spoon Cumin seeds
1 Spoon Urad Dal
1 Spoon Chana Dal
1 Spoon Mustard seeds
1/2 Spoon turmeric powder
1/2 Spoon Red Chili  powder
Salt for taste
4 Spoons oil

Method
1. Chop the beans and put it in pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistles.

2. Meanwhile in another vessel add moong dal and half glass of water and boil it for 5 minutes.

3. Heat another pan and add oil, urad dal, chana dal, mustard seeds and crushed garlic and cumin seeds to it.

4. After it is roasted add the boiled beans and moong dal to it and cook it for 5 minutes.

5. Add salt and red chili powder, stir it and cook it for another 5 minutes.  Put it in a nice bowl and serve with rice.

Coconut Chutney/Kobbari Pachadi

Coconut chutney is everyone's favorite chutney from north to south India. This chutney can be used as dip in idli ,dosa or with rice. We can make coconut chutney in so many different ways. I am going to show you guys one of the ways of how to make coconut chutney. Let's look at the ingredients.

Ingredients:
Half Coconut
3-4 Red chilies
3-4 Garlic gloves
3 Spoons chana dal
1 Spoon urad dal
1 Spoon cumin seeds
1 Spoon mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
3 Spoons oil
5 Grams Tamarind
4 Spoons yogurt or curd
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)
Pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste.

Method:
1. Cut coconut flesh into small pieces.

2. Heat the pan and add one spoon oil, 2 spoons chana dal, red chilies and roast it.

3. Blend coconut, roasted dal and chilies, cumins seeds, garlic gloves, tamarind and salt into paste with yogurt.

4. Then heat a pan, add 2 spoons oil, urad dal,chana dal, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves and spread it on coconut chutney. That's it. Coconut chutney is ready. Enjoy it with rice or idli.

How to make simple vegetable sandwich

Bread is the one of the commonly used item in most of the homes. In our home too we use bread for breakfast, deserts, snacks and sometimes as a lunch. Today I am going to show you how to make a very simple vegetable sandwich.

  

Ingredients
2 Bread slices
1 Onion
1 Small Carrot
1/2 Green Bell Pepper or Capsicum
Mayonnaise
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Chop the onions, carrot and bell pepper.

2. Mix with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Keep it aside.

3. Heat the pan and place the bread. Roast both sides. Repeat with other bread slice.

4. Then place a bread slice on the plate and spread the vegetable stuff on top of the bread.

 5. Place the other bread slice on top of the vegetable stuff.

6. Then cut the sandwich diagonally and serve with ketchup.

 

How to make a raw banana chutney/Aritikaya pachadi

Most people like bananas because they are very tasty and healthy too. I love bananas as well. From raw banana we can make so many varieties of curries. But not a lot of people do not know that we can make chutney too. Today I am going to show you how to make a very tasty raw banana chutney. What are you guys waiting for? Lets go to the kitchen and start.

Ingredients:
2 Raw Bananas
5 Green Chilies
4 Garlic Gloves
1 Spoon Cumin Seeds
2 Spoons Tamarind Juice
Yogurt for consistency 
Salt for taste.

For Tadka:
2 Spoons oil
1 Spoon Chana Dal
1 Spoon Urad Dal
1 Spoon Mustard seeds
Pinch of Turmeric Powder
Curry Leaves

Method:

1. Peel the bananas.

 2. Put them in pressure cooker and cook until you hear 3 whistles.

3. In a blender add garlic cloves, green chilies, cumin seeds, tamarind and salt to the boiled bananas and blend it.

4. After blending it into fine paste add yogurt to it.

 5. Then in a small pan heat the oil add all tadka ingredients and mix it with the fine paste, that's it. Very tasty banana chutney ready to be served with rice.