Friday 23 July 2010

Back to Work

After almost one year of maternity leave i am officially back to work!!! Its been a week already and it doesn't feel too bad. I do get exhausted by evening but i have quite a support at home at the moment so it is all right to manage.Aayush has taken the change very nicely and enjoys his time with his grandparents. In the meantime these are some of the few things i did before starting my full time job:-
  • A Visit to V&A Museum on a rainy Sunday.
  • For the first time i had the chance to Vote and i did exactly just that.
  • Bollywood Movies seen -"Rajneeti" and "Housefull".
  • Attended a "Real Food Festival " at Earls Court and had lunch at "Masala Zone".We bought some very fresh Mozzarella Cheese;Real Mexican Salsa,Shahi Masala Mix and Kadai Masala Mix.
  • Aayush had his Mundan Ceremony and also we conducted a Satya Narayan Katha.Food made was Pooris,Chola,Imli Aloo,Shahi Paneer,Aloo Gobhi,Jeera Pulao,Masala Bhindi and Kheer.
  • I passed my Driver Licence Exam in the first attempt.... with only 6 minor mistakes.
  • Joined two Baby and Toddler Groups in my local area.I think it was a good decision as Aayush loves the place and also this has become a good ground for Nursery as this gives him exposure to different kids.
  • Made two friends out of these Baby Groups - Vaijenta and Jyoti.
  • Met my colleague for lunch at O2 and Thai Lunch of Vegetable Spring Rolls /Thai Green Curry with Rice.
  • Purchased an I-Phone for myself and downloaded apps such as Pedometer/Use your Handwriting.
  • Books finished reading - "The Gift " by Cecilia Ahern;"Motherhood" by Judy Reith;"Love Over Coffee" by Amrit N Shetty;"The Vine of Desire" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
  • Saw "Merchants of Bollywood " at the Peacock Theatre.
  • Tried loads of curries from Tarla Dalal "Desi Khana" - Ceylonese Curry;Cauliflower Curry;Mixed Vegetables-Patiala Style;Green Peas and Mushroom Curry;Tava Mushroom;Mughlai Aloo etc
  • Also made Pineapple Cake from Manjula's Kitchen Blog;Kutchi Dabeli from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Spicy Chaat from Tarla Dalal's Desi Khana;Mexican Rice Casserole from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Black Eyed Peas Vadas from Mahanadi Blog;Singapore Noodles from Good Food Magazine;Mix Veg Risotto ;Vegetable Pasta Bake etc etc.
  • Saw Shrek 3 D in my local Odeon Cinema and hated it.. The movie is too boring and doesn't capture my interest at all.
  • Did some clothes shopping for myself --- a motivator before joining work..Bought Skirts/Tops and Formal Trousers from Marks and Spencer and John Lewis.

Hopefully things will be fine for the coming weeks and i will be able to strike a good balance between my work and home...

Saturday 3 July 2010

Mexican Rice Casserole

This recipe is taken from Nupur's One Hot Stove Blog.I have made this recipe now atleast thrice and everytime i make it is loved by everyone.There is no doubt that it takes quite a lot of planning to make this Casserole but it is worth it.
Ingredients:-
Rice-3/4 Cup cooked in Vegetable Stock.
Peppers-I use the Sweet Bite Peppers which are available in my nearby Supermarket.
Black Beans- I used canned beans.
Vegetables-Onions/Carrots/Tomatoes/Squash.
Shredded Cheese
Method:-
I rubbed Peppers in oil and seasoned them with Salt and Pepper and broiled them for atleast 25 mts in oven.Vegetables were chopped coarsely and cooked with spices such as Red Chille Powder/Cumin Powder/Oregano.Sometimes i do buy Spice Blend available in Market for Mexican Cooking. Black Beans were mixed with 3-4 Tbsp of store bought Salsa.Then in a Oven proof Dish i layered Rice/Broiled Peppers/Black Beans/Vegetables and then Shredded Cheese.Baked it for almost half an hour and served with Yogurt mixed with Salsa.