BREAD FIESTA

The usual “UPMA” was getting outdated slowly into our home. Recently, we had bought “mix and buy any two Oroweat Bread” from Costco,US.
We had whole wheat grain and oat nut bread. One whole week we managed them with breakfast.
But since there was still half loaves in each remaining, I decided to do Bread Upma.
Bread Upma..not the usual “idly upma” style. But kinda Paav Bhaaji taste style!!
So lets turn on the heat and get cooking!!

Ingredients:

1. one week old Oroweat Bread Slices - 10 (White/ Brown/White & Brown)
2. Curd - 2 Tbsp
3. Chilli Powder - According to taste
4. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Onions - 2 (Chopped lengthwise)
7. Tomato - 1 chopped finely
8. Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup
9. Fennel Seeds (Sombu) - 1/4 tsp
10. Grated Ginger - 1/4 tsp
11. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Slit Green Chillies - 2
13. Cooking Oil - 3 to 4 Tablespoons
14. Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Cut Bread slices into bite size pieces.

2. In a large bowl, put curd, Salt, Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder,Garam masala powder and mix well.

3. In that mixture add the bread pieces and marinate for about 20 minutes.

4. Take a Big sized Non-Stick Pan, Heat oil and temper with Mustard and Fennel Seeds.

5. Now Add Slit Green Chillies, Onion and fry till colour changes and then add Tomato pieces.

6. Cook this for 5 minutes in Medium flame, now goes grated Carrot, Marianted Bread Pieces,Grated Ginger and cook in slow flame for 20 minutes or till crisp.

7. Garnish with Coriander Leaves.

Extra Bonanzas:

• Cashew Nuts can be added to give crunchy bites
• Garnishing with Lemon juice is optional.

QUICK BINDI MASALA

QUICK BINDI MASALA




Ingredients:

• Frozen Okra : 1/2 packet
• Onion : 2
• Tomatoes : 2 big
• Ginger garlic paste : 1 tsp
• Coriander powder : 1 tsp
• Cumin powder : 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder : 1 tsp
• salt : to taste
• Tamarind paste : 1 tbsp
• oil : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil,add cumin seeds.
2. Add onions,ginger garlic paste,tomatoes.
3. Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add salt,coriander powder,cumin powder,garam masala powder.
4. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Add tamarind Juice and bring it to boil.
6. Add frozen okra and salt.
7. Add turmeric powder too.
8. Once the okra blends with the gravy and becomes non sticky,remove from flame.
9. Serve with hot chapatis or hot rice.

MILLAGU KOLAMBHU

MILLAGU KOLAMBHU



Ingredients:

Milagu : 1 Tblsp
Curry leaves : 3 bunches
Toor dhall : 1 Tblsp
Urid dhall : 2 Tblsp
Red chillies : 3
Hing : 1 Tsp
Ghee : 1 tsp
Tamarid paste : 1 Tblsp
Gingely oil : 1 Scoop
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
jaggery : small piece (~ 1 tblsp)

Method:

Heat Ghee and fry Pepper,chillies,toor dhall,urid dhall,hing and some curry leaves.
Grind them after its cooled with little water.
Boil tamarid paste with little water,say 1/4 cup.
Add curry leaves.
Add the paste and cook for some time.
Add some jaggery towards the end.
Heat oil and season with mustard seeds and add it to the kulambhu.
My version as in the picture,is a little thick as I want to store it for a longer time.
This can be refridgrated and kept for days.
Good to be served with hot hot rice and Vadam.
Vathal can also be added.
This is an EXCLUSIVE PATHIYA SAAPADHU menu!!

BADAM CAKE

BADAM CAKE



Ingredients:

• Badam : 1 cup
• Sugar : 1 to 2 cup
• Milk : 1/2 cup
• Ghee / Butter : 1 Stick

Method:

1. Soak Badam in luke warm water for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Peel off the skin from the badam.
3. Grind badam and milk together.
4. Heat butter till it melts / Add ghee to the tawa.
5. add the grinded badam and sugar and start to stir the mixture.
6. Keep stirring it continusely for aprx 7 minutes.
7. If required, add ghee in between.
8. Keep stirring without stop else it becomes lumps.
9. once the cake comes to a state where it doesn't stick,pour it in a plate coated with ghee.
10. Let it cool for few minutes and cut them into pieces.
11. Pieces can be stored in an airtight container and served for guests and members of the family.

INSTANT OATS UPMA : HEALTHY FAST BREA...

INSTANT OATS UPMA : HEALTHY FAST BREAKFAST

Serving for: 2 – People.

Ingredients:

Oats :1 cup
Water :1 ¼ Cup
Green Chilies : 5 - 6
Onion: 1/2 (optional)
Salt : as per taste
Ginger: 1/4 inch(optional)

For Seasoning:

Oil:2 tbls
Channa dal: 1 tblsn
Urad dal : 1 ½ tsp
Mustard seeds:1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves : a few

Process:

Chop green chilies,curry leaves,onion and ginger. Keep them aside.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add and toast seasoning one by one like channa dal, urad dal, mustard seedsand cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds starts spluttering add curry leaves and green chilies to the pan. Stir fry and follow on frying by adding onions and ginger.
Add Water and salt. Allow the water to boil.
Once the water starts boiling, add the oats and stir occasionally till all the water is absorbed.
Garnish with coriander seeds if wanted and serve hot.

LOMBARD STREET AND CABLE CAR VISIT

Lombard Street is an east-west street in San Francisco, California. It is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of tight hairpin turns.

Route description

Lombard Street begins at Presidio Boulevard inside The Presidio and runs east through the Cow Hollow neighborhood. For 12 blocks between Broderick Street and Van Ness Avenue, it is a principal arterial road that is co-signed as U.S. Route 101. Lombard Street then continues through the Russian Hill and Telegraph Hill neighborhoods, breaks off at a point becoming Telegraph Hill Boulevard. That leads to Pioneer Park and Coit Tower. Lombard Street starts again at Winthrop Street and finally terminates at The Embarcadero as a collector road.[2]

Lombard Street is best known for the one-way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns (or switchbacks) that have earned the street the distinction of being "the crookedest [most winding] street in the world" (though this title is contested - see below). The switchbacks design, first suggested by property owner Carl Henry[citation needed] and instituted in 1922, was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade,[citation needed] which was too steep for most vehicles to climb. It is also a serious hazard to pedestrians, who are accustomed to a more reasonable sixteen-degree incline. The crooked section of the street, which is about 1/4 mile (400 m) long, is reserved for one-way traffic traveling east (downhill) and is paved with red bricks. The speed limit in this section is a mere 5 mph (8 km/h).

In 1999, a Crooked Street Task Force was created to try to solve traffic problems in the neighborhoods around the winding section of Lombard Street. In 2001, the Task Force decided that it would not be legal to permanently close the block to vehicular traffic. Instead, the Task Force decided to institute a summer parking ban in the area, to bar eastbound traffic on major holidays, and to increase fines for parking in the area. The Task Force also proposed the idea of using minibuses to ferry sightseers to the famous block, although residents debated the efficiency of such a solution, since one of the attractions of touring the area is driving along the twisting section of the street.

The Powell-Hyde cable car line stops at the top of this block.

San Francisco cable car system

The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last permanently operational manually-operated cable car system, and is an icon of San Francisco, California. The cable car system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, or Muni as it is better known. Cable cars operate on two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, and a third route along California Street. While the cable cars are used to a certain extent by commuters, their small service area and premium fares for single rides make them more of a tourist attraction. They are among the most significant tourist sites in the city, along with Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf.

It is the only transportation system listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The cable cars are commonly confused with San Francisco's trolleys, which operate on Market Street.
History

Beginnings

The very first successful cable-operated street railway was the Clay Street Hill Railroad, which opened on August 2, 1873. The promoter of the line was Andrew Smith Hallidie, and the engineer was William Eppelsheimer. The line involved the use of grip cars, which carried the grip that engaged with the cable, towing trailer cars. The design was the first to use grips. The term Grip became synonymous with the operator.

The line started regular service on September 1, 1873, and it was such a success that it became the model for other cable car transit systems in San Francisco and elsewhere. It was a financial success, and Hallidie's patents were enforced on other cable car promoters, making him a rich man.

Accounts differ as to exactly how involved Hallidie was in the inception of the line, and to the exact date it first ran. See the article Clay Street Hill Railroad for more information on this subject.

Growth

The next cable car line to open was the Sutter Street Railway, which converted from horse operation in 1877. This line introduced the side grip, and lever operation, both designed by Asa Hovey. Subsequent experience showed that the bottom grip was preferable because of the relative ease of dropping and picking up the cable.

In 1878 Leland Stanford opened his California Street Cable Railroad (Cal Cable). This company's first line was on California Street and is the oldest cable car line still in operation. In 1880, the Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railway began operation. The Presidio & Ferries Railway followed two years later, and was the first cable company to include curves on its routes. The curves were let-go curves, where the car drops the cable and coasts around the curve on its own momentum.

In 1883 the Market Street Cable Railway opened its first line. This company was controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was to grow to become San Francisco's largest cable car operator. At its peak, it operated five lines all of which converged into Market Street to a common terminus at the Ferry Building; during rush hours a cable car left that terminus every 15 seconds.

In 1888, the Ferries and Cliff House Railway opened its initial two-line system. The Powell-Mason line is still operated on exactly the same route today; their other route was the Washington-Jackson line, stretches of which are used by today's Powell-Hyde line. The Ferries & Cliff House Railway was also responsible for the building of a carbarn and powerhouse at Washington and Mason, and this site is still in use today. In the same year, it also purchased the original Clay Street Hill Railway, which it incorporated into a new Sacramento-Clay line in 1892.

In 1889, the Omnibus Railroad & Cable Company became the last new cable car operator in San Francisco. The following year the California Street Cable Railroad opened two new lines, these being the last entirely new cable car lines built in the city. One of them was the O'Farrell, Jones and Hyde line, the Hyde section of which still remains in operation as part of today's Powell-Hyde line.


Rebuild

The number 19 car crests a hill with Alcatraz Island visible in the background

By 1979, the cable car system had become unsafe, and it needed to be closed for 7 months for urgently needed repairs. A subsequent engineering evaluation concluded that it needed comprehensive rebuilding at a cost of $60 million.[5] Mayor Dianne Feinstein took charge of the effort, and helped win federal funding for the bulk of the rebuilding job. In 1982 the cable car system was closed again for a complete rebuild. This involved the complete replacement of 69 city blocks' worth of tracks and cable channels, the demolition and rebuilding of the car barn and powerhouse, new propulsion equipment, and the repair or rebuild of 37 cable cars.[5] The system finally reopened on June 21, 1984, just in time to benefit from the publicity that accompanied San Francisco's hosting of that year's Democratic National Convention.

IKEA AND LIVERMORE TEMPLE VISIT

IKEA AND LIVERMORE TEMPLE VISIT



Yesterday, On President's Day, We drove to East Palo Alto to IKEA to take a look at the store and its innovations.

The store was not so crowded and the prices were all slashed for the President's Day.

We had a good lunch at home and started around 2 pm to the store.

The showroom floor was awesome and some rooms were closed as works were going on for newer innovations and decorations.

It took around 2 hrs to complete our shopping around the store.

After that we headed to Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple via Dumberton Bridge.

We reached the Temple almost to sunset. After offering our prayers to the Lord, having prasadams,we headed back home.

On our way back, they happen to have a chance to experience COSTCO Shopping as well as we have few purchases there.

By the time we reached home, it was around 8 pm.

Ok,that was the summary of our trip. Now here are the snaps to show you if they were all said right.

GOLDEN GATE VISIT

GOLDEN GATE VISIT

On Feb 14th, Valentines Day, We took Adhoo's Grandparents to see the Golden Gate Bridge.This is a MUST SEE Landmark in California.
The climate was favourable and pleasant,not like many other days where it is cold and shivering and you can't walk there without a jacket.
WE parked our car a little far from the bridge and made ourselves to GGB through a small trail.The view of SFO from GGB was so photographic!
We even visited the view under the bridge and even had a coffee break there.
We covered the distance on GGB till the first tower.By then the sun started setting and as we started back to our car it became little windy.
We planned to cover some sightseeing in SFO on the same day but it was not feesable as time and weather became too cold.
Adhoo was enjoying all the whole time with shrills and laughs!
Well I'll not bore you all with too much of facts! The rest of the trip,pictures will explain!

GRANDPARENTS VISIT TO HALF MOON BAY

It has been a week since Adhoo's Grandparents came from NJ,after having spent wonderful time with Tarun Pappa.
They miss him a lot as he was spending nice time with them. Not to
regret, Adhoo too is slowly releasing his naughtiness day by day.
At first, he was little fuzzy to share the backseat of the car with them as he got used to the fact that "The entire backseat is for me!!".
But nowadays its like he NEEDS COMPANY behind.
At since his important milestone WALKING started in the presence of family, he is eager to complete his mission.
This weekend happens to be a LONG WEEKEND...that's how people here in US call it when you get either a Friday or Monday along with our normal Weekends.
Monday here,happens to be Presidents Day.Most of the Stores are open with Special Deals and Offers.
Offices mostly are closed except for one or two.
On Saturday, We drove Adhoo's Grandparents to HALF MOON BAY.

Here is a little Fact about HALF MOON BAY(Courtesy,Wikipedia).


Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,842 as of the 2000 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea.


Geography

Half Moon Bay is located at 37°27′32″N 122°26′13″W / 37.458840°N 122.436848°W / 37.458840; -122.436848,[1] approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of San Francisco, 10 miles (16 km) west of San Mateo, and 45 miles (72 km) north of Santa Cruz. Neighboring towns include Montara, Moss Beach, and El Granada to the north and Purissima, San Gregorio, and Pescadero to the south. Primary access is via State Route 1 (the Cabrillo Highway) from the north and south and State Route 92 from the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²), of which, 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.

It is situated on a bay of the same name. Major local industries include agriculture (houseplants, floriculture, Christmas trees, pumpkins, artichokes), fishing, and tourism. Historically, Half Moon Bay has been known as San Benito and Spanishtown.

A popular spot at Half Moon Bay is the 'Jetty,' or as it is sometimes called, 'The Breakwater.' This is a man-made break with unusual waves shaped by reflections from the breakwater at Pillar Point Harbor. Streams in Half Moon Bay include Frenchmans Creek, Pilarcitos Creek and Naples Creek.

Climate

Half Moon Bay usually has mild weather throughout the year. Hot weather is rare; the average annual days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher is only 0.2 days. Cold weather is also rare with an annual average of 2.5 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. Typical of central California, most of the rain falls from November to April. The normal annual rainfall is 27.96 inches (71.02 cm). Snowfall along the coast in Half Moon Bay has never been measurable; however, snow flurries were observed on December 12, 1972, and February 5, 1976. There is often fog and overcast during the night and morning hours, usually clearing to offshore during the afternoon. Persistent sea breezes help to moderate the climate along the coast; farther from the ocean, in places such as Pilarcitos Creek, days are often warmer and nights cooler than on the coast.

January is the coolest month with an average high of 58.0 °F (14.4 °C) and an average low of 43.4 °F (6.3 °C). September is the warmest month with an average high of 66.5°F (19.2°C) and an average low of 52.0 °F (11.1 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in Half Moon Bay is 96°F (36 °C), which occurred on May 16, 2008.[2] It reached 94°F (34°C) on August 29, 1968; September 11, 1983; October 4, 1985; June 14, 2000; and May 15, 2008[3]. For many years the record lowest temperature in Half Moon Bay was 27 °F (-2.8 °C); on December 3, 1983, calm conditions, low humidity, and clear skies produced a low of 18 °F (-7.8 °C).

The most rainfall recorded in Half Moon Bay in one month was 15.70 inches (39.88 cm) in February 1998. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall was 5.33 inches (13.5 cm) on January 4, 1982. There is an average of 94.6 days with measurable rainfall.

That Saturday was even more exciting. Since it was a no moon day, the waves were so violent and roaring high up! The sea level which normally is below our eye level tends to match our eyelevel.

The waves were roaring to a height of 50Ft and above! Some waves pounded on to the land where people normally sit and enjoy. They were pretty unstable to say where the waves end, so we didn't risk ourselves by sitting on the beach.

After a couple of snap shots,as the sun was setting we headed our way back to home. The drive back home was pretty long yet awesome view on HWY 1.

Nature's Beauty speaks for its own! Words are so true!

We have shared a couple of snaps taken on the Beach with you all.

THAYIR VADAI

THAYIR VADAI

Last week,my husband made a special request for this dish.
He has always asked for it but I have never attempted to make one since I was a little weak in making "VADAI"
But recently,after the attempt to make "VADAI SAMBHAR" turned out excellent, I darely plunged into the preps for this dish.

So let me share this wonderful recipe that turned out superb that my husband was taking it for the whole week!!

For vadas:-


Black gram(Uzhunnu) - 1 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/2 tsp

Peppercorn - 6 - 8 nos

Ginger - 1/2" piece

Oil for deep frying



For curd mixture:-


Sour thick curd - 3/4 - 1 kg

Grated coconut - 1 - 1 1/2 cups

Ginger - 1/4 cm cube

Green chillies - 2 - 3 nos

Salt - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring
coriander leaves-as per desired
grated carrot-1

Preparation Method of Thayir Vadai Recipe

1)Soak black gram for 4 - 5 hrs.
2)Wash dal. If unhusked dal is used, remove the husks while washing.
3)Grind into fine paste sprinkling little water for easy grinding.
4)When the grinding is half done, add pepper, jeera, ginger and salt.
5)Continue to grind until the paste is fine and frothy.
6)While the dal is still being ground, heat oil in a large kadai over a stove.
7)Take a tablespoon of paste and flatten them into round cakes and drop gently into boiling oil.
8)In the meantime, grind together coconut, chillies, ginger and salt into a chutney.
9)Beat the curds and add the chutney into it. Mix well.
10)Heat oil in a small pan or kadai.
11)Splutter mustard seeds and saute curry leaves.
12)Pour it over the curd-chutney mixture. Mix well.
13)Drop the prepared vadas in it and use when it is fully soaked.
14)Refrigrate the dish if preference is to have it cold.

© 2010 SarathaRavi