More recipes from Tuesday

Here r the other recipes.

Tex-Mex snack Mix:
1 bag microwaveable popcorn
1 can cocktail peanuts
1 pck nacho flavored cheese crackers
1 pck fun shapes pretzels
1 tbsp chilli powder

Pop the popcorn. Put it in a large bowl and chilli powder while still hot. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Toss to coat. Store in an air-tight container.

Recipe courtesy - Good Housekeeping magazine (Dec. 2007)

Fun variations:
#1 - Instead of chilli powder u may use other flavorings like paprika, garlic and onion powder, bbq flavoring etc. It's all your personal choice
#2 - Instead of cheese crackers u may add rice crackers and substitute wasabi peas for peanuts and u get an Asian version of snack mix.

GOOD STORE BOUGHT OPTIONS TO DRESS UP:

#1 - HUMMUS
You may buy either plain or flavored ( roasted red-pepper or garlic ) hummus. Add diced fresh tomato, bell peppers, onions and garnish with finely chopped parsley. You may serve it with whole-grain pita chips, fresh veggies or french baguette toasts.

#2 - ANGEL FOOD CAKE
It's very easy to dress up a store bought angel food cake. You need 1 can of frosting ( found in the baking aisle) and 1 tub of thawed frozen whipped cream topping. Cut the angel food cake in half horizontally (radially, says my scientist husband). Add some vanilla extract or pineapple extract and 1 can of crushed pineapple (drained) to the whipped topping. Spread this on the cut surface and put the top back. Now spread the frosting generously and cover the whole cake. Decorate the top with canned pineapple slices. For an added oomph factor, put maraschino cherries in the center of each pineapple slice.

Tip#1 - The basic ingredients are same - cake, frosting and whipped topping. The flavors that you want to add are all your own. You may add any extracts you may have on hand and pair it with any fresh, frozen or canned fruit of your liking.
Good options - strawberries, bananas, chocolate mousse etc.

Hope you try some of these. More recipes coming up. So keep checking frequently and do let me know what you think.

Tuesday 25th Nov. show

Namaskaar. If you have already visited here and found that I did not put all the recipes immediately, I apologise. Bhai thodi bhaga-daudi ho gayi thi. Is liye I could not write all the info from 25th's show till now. Par kahte hain na - der aaye durust aaye. So I am here nw with all the recipes u might need.
Firstly, the easiest one - Beer Bread

RECIPE FOR BEER BREAD:

2 2/3 cups Self- Rising Flour
12-ounce can/bottle of Beer ( whichever u have or prefer)

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the beer and stir till the flour is moistened. You'll get a loose dough. Put the dough in a 9 in. x 5in. 3in. loaf pan. Bake it in the oven for 50 -55 mins. till the bread is silghtly golden on the top. Serve warm.

Tip#1 : Serve with margarine or I can't believe it's no butter.
Tip#2 : If u don't have self-rising flour, u may use regular ap flour. Just do this - 1 cup all purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix together and use instead of self-rising.

Recipe courtesy - Good Housekeeping magazine ( Dec.2007)
Substitute tip courtesy - www.baking911.com

Today on EBC

Namaskaar. Today started out lovely and sunny but soon became cloudy and I saw some flurries too! Khair koi baat nahin, seasonal cycle hai, winter has to come. I do a radio show from 12:00 to 2:00 pm every tuesday on EBC 1170 AM. It serves the NJ/NY/PA area. It's also streamed live on ebcmusic.com
Well, today the topic was Organic food. I am including all that information right here for those of you who are here to check that out. The others can still see it and tell me if i need to add something. The information was collected from many sources available on the internet. I am not the original author. So here it is

Organic produce is either free of or has lesser amount of harmful chemical residue. The reason for this is that no harmful pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers etc. are used in their production. The same is the case with meat, poultry or dairy products. These animals are not given hormones or anitbiotics which might lead to chemical residue in meat or eggs or milk. That is the main reason why we should choose organic food over conventional. There are some other reasons given below
1)products meet stringent standards
2)Organic food tastes great!
3)Organic production reduces health risks - Organic farming keeps harmful chemicals and pesticides out of the food we eat and beverages we drink. It also prohibits the use of antibiotics in animal feed, which are routinely used in conventional farming and is known to create dangerous antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Organic farms also benefit the farm workers who have high exposure to chemicals and synthetic pesticides.
4)Organic farms respect our water sources - The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources. Organic farming reduces toxic farming runoff and pollutants that contaminate our water, soil and air.
5)Organic farmers build soil - Soil is the foundation of the food chain and the primary focus of organic farming. We’re facing the worst topsoil erosion in history due to our current agricultural practice of chemical intensive, mono-crop farming.
6)Organic farmers work in harmony with nature - Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem; wildlife is an essential part of a total farm and they are encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

FOODS TO BUY ORGANIC:

Meat, Poultry, Eggs and Dairy (especially milk)
Veggies and fruits include - Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries

IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO THEN:
Veggies and fruits include : Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples.

Breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, other packaged foods such as canned or dried fruit and dried vegetables.

DON'T BOTHER TO GO ORGANIC W/ THESE:

Seafood and Cosmetics.

The above information was taken from 2 different websites. I'll put the names here asap. Till then I hope that I've given you something to think about. TRY TO GO ORGANIC.

First blog

Namaskaar. Welcome to my blogspot. This is my first post with hopefully many more to come. Here you'll find me - what I believe in, what I want and what all I know. I have always believed that I read a lot and therefore I have stored a lot of info in my gray cells! No, no. I'm not bragging. Just want to relieve some of my cells of the burden, ha ha ha!
How I wish I had a Pensieve like Prof. Dumbledore and pull out some thoughts when I grow really weary. But if wishes came true the world would be a very different place, because not all of us have pleasant wishes all the time. I remember hearing the story of Alladin and the Genie when I was small and the three wishes he was granted. Guess what my third wish was? Yep another three wishes! And I saw the possibility of an infinite loop in that scheme. ha ha ha. Now you understand what I mean by unpleasant wishes.
The bit of information for today - taste some Bubble Tea.