Flowers in vases

Hi every one, let's welcome this February with flowers.  Valentine's day is on the way.  Best gift for a woman are flowers.  They are sure to bring a smile to any woman's lips who receives them.  Here are some flowers I arranged in different vases.  Enjoy ladies!!

  

 

 

 

Falling in love with Fall

  
Fall is season of colors as leaves turn into shades of yellow, red, green and even some purple.  This year we visited Vermont to enjoy fall colors before everything turned white with snow.  Vermont is one the best place for fall because this state has lot of mountains and huge farm lands.  Where ever you go the mountains follow you.  When the fall colors are at the peak the mountains are covered with tapestry of colors.

 

While in Vermont we went to a park where there were trees covered with yellow flowers, I mean leaves that turned bright yellow.  The path is also covered with yellow leaves. While walking on the path I felt like a celebrity being welcomed by these trees as the leaves fell on my head and shoulders.

Vermont is not only known for fall season but also very popular during winter, especially for skiing. There are plenty of farm lands where you can get fresh milk and eggs. Another must do when you visit Vermont is antique shopping.  You can find unique items at reasonable prices.

.

Our vacation made me fall in love with the Fall season.  Which is why I decided to decorate my dining table with fall theme.  This year we went pumpkin picking with my little pie.  He enjoyed it a lot as he picked up pumpkins and placed them in the basket with his tiny little hands.  I placed the pumpkins that he picked on the table along with fall decorating pieces.

Time to go prepare a Thanksgiving feast befitting this decoration.

Dum Biryani

Who doesn't know Hyderabadi dum biryani?  Not just in India but it is renowned world over.

Today I am going to show you how to make dum biryani the way I learned from my brother.

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken meat 

1 Kg rice

4 Spoons Ginger Garlic paste

1 Spoon Turmeric powder

     1 Spoon Red chilies powder

1 Spoon garam masala

Half cup yogurt

1 cup fried onions

Bunch of mint and coriander leaves 

Salt according to the taste

Biryani Rice Masala Ingredients

2 bay leaves

1/2 spoon  cumin seeds

1/2 spoon cardamom

1/2 spoon black pepper seeds

2 cinnamon sticks 

2 Nutmeg

2 Star anise

2 Mace

4 Cloves

Let start the process

First take the chicken, preferably thigh pieces (or any other fleshy pieces will do). Wash thoroughly and add turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, fried onions and yogurt.  Mix thoroughly and let it marinate for an hour.

Then start cooking rice by first adding gee or butter to rice cooker.  Add all of biryani rice masala items and roast for 3 minutes. 

Wash the rice, soak it in the water for 20 minutes and add little bit of salt. Add the rice mix to the cooker, cook for 15 minutes until the rice is half boiled.

Drain all the water out of rice and store it in a separate container.

Now start the cooking process of dum biryani.  Take a big container and pour 4 spoons of oil or butter, then add all the marinated chicken and cook it for 15 minutes. You can add more salt and chilli powder now according to your taste.

After the chicken becomes softer add fried onions on top of the chicken.

Spread the previously half boiled rice on the chicken.  Add mint and coriander leaves.  Cover the cooker with lid and let it cook for 45 minutes in low flames. To make sure that biryani is cooked properly check the tenderness of the chicken.

Finally dum biryani is ready, serve it with raita . Enjoy biryani with your friends and family members.