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May 30, 2011

Larry - The Baby Snail

Presenting a new entry into my Ami Family "Baby Larry" the snail.

I don't follow any specific pattern. Saw this photo while surfing for ami patterns & made it looking at the photo, ofcourse after few trial & errors.

She is having a nice time with ellie. she now occupies bumble bee's favourite place, the tulsi plant.



Baby Larry with her friend Ellie


Larry has occupied Baby Bumble Bee's favourite place.




May 29, 2011

Romantic Roses & Candle

Presenting you a perfect decor piece for your dinner table "Romantic Roses and Candle". Are you cupid striken? get set go and set your table for a Romantic Dinner. All the best!  


 






May 26, 2011

K for Keechu - our pet cat with blue eyes

We had a pet cat few years before, we named her 'Keechu'. Why keechu?! She meows in a shrill (keech) voice. She was a white cat with blue eyes. She came to us when she was only few months old (don't know how she roamed & crossed a big group of bully dogs to reach our doorsteps). She was hyperactive and kept biting us but still was very adorable. I sometimes became very jealous of her for stealing the leisure times from my dear Husband.

She hid herself in any small place available and used to scare me by suddenly pouncing out.  She liked the 'hide 7 seek' game very well.  When i used to crochet, she loved playing with the yarn ball of different colours. She was a greedy eater too. As she was small, we fed her only milk. Then the neighbour who was also a pet lover started feeding her with fish pet biscuits. Then she showed no interest for the milk we give. Many a time, she will visit the neighbour for those tit bits.  My dear Husband was a frequent tourer (official) that time and Keechu kept me absolutely busy with her pranks making me forget even my DH! But DH used to enquire first about keechu while calling me, who earlier used to enquire “How are you Darling”!!.  I was little bit envying her catching my Dear Husband’s attention. She used to come & curl herself between us which seemed a very cozy place for her.

After keechu grew little big, she started wandering away but returned home atleast by evening.  If i delay to open the door, whe will meow continously & clawed the door. Slowly the frequency reduced and one day she didn't turn up. Our frequent calling "keechu"  looking at all directions for several days went in vain. We have put words to all known persons there to tell us if they spot Keechu.

Someone might have adopted her seeing her cool blue eyes or she got killed by a passing vehicle or by the bully dogs?  Prayed to god 'not that way'. Had she met her mate? Many questions raised in our mind. Her disapperance is still a mystery. But she is still green in our memories with her lovely gleaming blue eyes. We miss 'keechu' very much. Finding it difficult to tolerate such grief of separation.  That was the first and last pet so far in my life.

Mira's Talent Gallery: Mira's Kitchen

Mira's Talent Gallery: Mira's Kitchen: "In this section, you can see the recipes prepared by me. Indian food has its own flavour of aromatic spices with Indian Touch. Let me share ..."

Green Peas Curry

For this dish, you can either use Fresh Green Peas or the Dried green peas which can be soaked for 6 hours and then pressure cooked. I used only 4 tsp of oil as we use coconut too, to make it little low in calories, hence it has to be stirred continuously to saute it in low flame. I use coconut oil for this recipe as the flavour is liked by everyone in my family.

  • Green Peas         - 1 Cup
  • Grated Coconut  - 2 tbsp
  • Cloves                - 2 Nos.
  • Garlic Pods        - 4 Nos
  • Cinnamon stick  -  1/2"
  • Cardamom        - 1 no.
  • Curry leaves      - 1 sprig
  • Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
  • Bay Leaf           - 1 no.
  • Fennel (Saunf)  - 1 tsp
  • Onion               - 1 no. (big)
  • Oil                   - 4 tsp
  • Salt to taste





Procedure :-
  • Boil fresh peas, adding little salt & sugar (sugar helps retain its green colour) drain and keep aside.
  • Finely chop onions
  • To make a fine paste : Grated coconut, chopped Onion, Garlic pods, coriander leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Fennel seeds.
  • Heat Oil in a kadai, put Bay leaf.
  • Add the ground masala paste & saute till the raw smell goes.
  • Add the boiled green peas, curry leaves, required salt
  • Cook for 5-10 minutes in low flame
  • Green peas curry is ready to serve


PS: It goes well with rice, chapathi, vellai appam and puttu.

































May 25, 2011

Boondhi Laddu

BHOONDHI LADDU
This is a traditional recipe made for giving as 'seer' during functions viz., Engagement, Marriage, Seemandham, Naming ceremony, etc. in our family.

Serves : 15-20 Lemon sized laddus
Ingredients :

  • Besan (gram flour) - 2 cups
  • Sugar                    - 2 cups
  • Cloves (lavang)     - 10 nos.
  • Elachi                   - 8 nos.
  • nutmeg powder    - 1 pinch
  • yellow food colour - 1/4 tsp
  • oil / ghee for frying
  • water                   - 1/4 cup for sugar syrup
  • Sugar candy crystals - 1 tbsp
  • Cashew & raisins - 1 tbsp (roasted in ghee)
  • Laddle with holes for making bhoondhi




Procedure :
  • Mix sugar and water and make a syrup to 1 string consitency
  • Mix besan, food colour and make a batter (dosa batter consistency)
  • Crush lavang, elachi and mix with nutmeg powder.
  • Heat oil in a wok, pour the batter on the laddle with holes. the batter will fall through the hole like drops and makes the bhoondi. once they are crispy, strain them and put them on absorbent sheet to remove excess oil. 
  • Transfer them into the sugar syrup, sprinkle the lavang mixture on top. add roasted cashew & raisins,  sugar candy crystals and mix well - keep it aside to cool slightly. 
  • With a heavy pounder, mash the boondhis lightly so that you can make rounds easily out of them.
  • when it thickens a bit, start making the laddus. keep it for few hours to set (if you find them losing the shape then again press them tightly and they will set soon)
  • Your boondhi laddu is now ready to serve

GAJAR KA HALWAA

Pink Carrot is available during winter here. Unlike the normal carrot, this one is juicy and sweet too. It suits more to make halwaa.

GAJAR KA HALWAA
Ingridients-

  1. Grated Carrot (Gajar) - 1 cup
  2. Melted Ghee               - 2 to 3 tbsp
  3. Sugar                          - 3/4 cup
  4. Khoa (unsweetened)   - 2 tbsp
  5. Cardamom powder     - 1/2 tsp
  6. Milk                            - 1/2 cup
  7. Greased plate/bowl



Procedure :-
  • Boil milk and add grated carrot to it. when carrot is cooked, add sugar and stir well. 
  • When sugar melts and bind with it, add cardamom powder.
  • Add Khoa and mix well. 
  • Now add ghee little by little till it is abosorbed into the halwaa. 
  • When ghee starts coming out of the halwaa and doesn't stick to sides, pour it on a greased plate or bowl. 
  • Hot & yummy Gajar ka Halwaa is ready to serve.

Ratio for making south indian savouries


Tissu Box Cover (Green Sofa)

This was done some months back.




May 24, 2011

Crocheted Frock Bag

Recently i crocheted this bag. A bag looking like frock. Now i am enjoying my shopping  with this cute little bag which i carry with pride.

Here is the link for the pattern

Happy Crocheting

May 23, 2011

Mira's Talent Gallery: A picnic in the Garden

Mira's Talent Gallery: A picnic in the Garden: "Many village people who were acquaintances and friends visited them throughout the day as my aunt & uncle involved themselves in the s..."

A picnic in the Garden


Many village people who were acquaintances and friends visited them throughout the day as my aunt & uncle involved themselves in the service to the society by devoting part of their daily time. One such friend was Mr.Rao. He was in his late ‘50s that time. Everyone called him ‘Paint Mama’ as he had worked as a painter in the railways and there are so many uncles like him visited their place, we identified him as 'paint mama' . He did some painting jobs for my uncle & aunt too. He didn’t have children so he and his wife were very affectionate to all the children they came across. When I was in my aunt’s place for that vacation, my nephews and nieces (the grandchildren of my aunt) also joined us. Our Paint Mama visited us that day in the midnoon after lunch. We were playing, shouting and running in & out of the house. After his chat with my uncle and aunt, he called us and told that he was going take us for a picnic. Hearing the word ‘picnic’, we all shouted with joy and danced happily. Within few minutes we were ready with washed bright face, neatly brushed hair, wearing our chappals and ready for the picnic.

They had a small house in one corner of the town. We passed many small lanes, green fields, narrow streets and finally reached their house. It situated in a small plot housing two homes side by side. Paint mama has given the other one for rent where stayed a young couple with a few months old child. The houses were very old, red coloured tiles neatly arranged on wooden planks formed the roof. It had a living room and a kitchen. After the long walk we were rejoiced to see the ambience inside and outside the house.

In front of the house lied the Garden where a Mango Tree stood in the Corner, Next to it was the Jackfruit tree with jackfruits hanging (unripen). On the right side, near the compound wall grew some Tapioca Plants. Rest of the area was covered by other plants flowering as well as non-flowering the name of which I don’t recollect now. Under the Mango Tree, we saw few steps leading to a tap placed below ground level which supplied the famous ‘Siruvani’ river water which tasted sweet.

Paint mama, called mami and gave her some instructions. He then went to the place where Tapioca were planted. He had a tool (heavy thick iron rod with sharp end) in his hand and started digging for the root. We with our curious mind and eager eyes surrounded him to catch a clear glimpse of what he was looking for. Soon out came the tapioca root. He collected few and washed them thoroughly. Out came the stove, followed by other kitchen equipements viz., Kadai, Oil Tin, 5 Spice Box, etc. After our afternoon play and the long walk to his place, we were already hungry. So we guessed an yummy snack was getting ready for us.

Mama & mami set up a small kitchen in the shade of the tree. He cut the tapioca into small cubes, assigned tiny jobs to us (so that we could also take part with interest). I went & fetched the siruvani water from the tap, he washed the cubes & drained. Lit the stove, one of us kept the kadai. In went the oil, then mustard seeds which spluttered happily. Next went in the masala powders, tapioca cubes and haldi. He fried them well for few minutes giving us an opportunity of occasional stirring. Poured in some water, covered it.
To keep our hungry mouth & restless mind occupied, mami brought some raw mangoes, nicely sliced & coated lightly with salt & red chilli powder. That was tasting so good. Small story talks helped passing the time. Our eyes looked at the stove quite often as our stomach & nose kept reminding us of the yummy snack. Finally the nice aroma filled the air. Mama took the lid and declared that the snack was ready. We all shouted with joy, Collected our small plates and took our share of the yummy yellow tapioca cubes. It was piping hot hence we blowed at it to cool it off and slowly piece after piece the tender tapioca was popped in. It was very delicious – factors contributed to it viz., the hunger, fresh tapioca, the cooking ambience, the love of paint mama & mami, our contributions, Siruvani Water, interesting chit chats, etc.

With a content tummy, yummy taste still lingering in the mouth, a satisfied look lit up our face . We played some games , helped mama & mami to shift the things back into house. Then we started towards our place with mama after bading a sweet goodbye to mami. Mama took his bi-cycle, we all walked with him crossing the street, fields and lanes, finally reached the main road and then our Place. That night even after the lights were put off, we had our pillow talkson our small picnic till the elders who were disturbed by our whispers told us to keep quiet & sleep. With great difficulty, we kept our mouth shut and finally went to sleep.

This picnic became a most memorable one in my life day dreaming, still evergreen in my memory. Hope my nephews and nieces also remember it
daydream smiley, animated smiley, animation smiley, day smiley, dream smiley.

Crochet Toran / crochet Thoranam - 3

The thoran series 1,2 and now the 3rd are done few years back. Just remembered them, dug the box and out came my old works.


May 21, 2011

Mira's Talent Gallery: The Sweet Brinjal (Tenali Raman Story)

Mira's Talent Gallery: The Sweet Brinjal (Tenali Raman Story): "Tenali is a village in Andhrapradesh. Our Raman was from that village hence prefixed “Tenali’. He was a ..."

Mira's Talent Gallery: The Pot of Wisdom (Akbar & Birbal)

Mira's Talent Gallery: The Pot of Wisdom (Akbar & Birbal): "Once a foreign traveller visited the court of Emperor Akbar. He offered the gifts sent by the king of his..."

எருமை


எருமை என எளிதாய் திட்டுவது வழக்கம் ஆனால் அந்த எருமையும் பயன் தரும் பெருமையான உயிரினம். 

எருமை
 எருமைக்கும் உண்டு பெருமை  cow
சத்தான கொழுப்பு பால் தரும் அருமை
அதில் கிடைக்கும் 'லஸ்ஸியின்' குளுமை
எல்லாருக்கும் படிபினையாகும் அதன் 'பொறுமை'
அறியமால் எருமை வசைபாடுவது smiley எளிமை smiley4995.gif

May 20, 2011

Soorya Bhagwan

Lord Soorya in his Chariot with Aruna (The Charioteer) and the seven coloured horses to pull his one wheeled chariot. The names of the Seven Horses are Gayatri, Brhati, Usnik, Jagati, Tristup, Anustup and Pankti. I painted each horse with different colour. This is the painting that i keep in every soorya pooja on a 'Pongal Day' -The harvest festival of the state of Tamil Nadu, celebrated praying to the Sun God, the source of energy for all the living beings in the world.




Scratch Painting - II (A sparrow)

A sparrow in the field.


Scratch Painting - I (Thirupathi Balaji)

Scratch painting is done using oil pastels. First the colour of pastel of your choice is applied in the appropriate part, then the entire base it coated with Black Pastel. Using a used empty ball pen point, compass needle have the scratch the coats of pastels and create design. It is has to be done carefully as re-working will spoil its beauty.


Sceneary from a Greeting Card

One of my friend like this painting and asked me to drew one for her. Hope it is decorating her living room now.


Mary Mary quite contrary

Liked the smiling Mary. Another picture i drew from my sister's rhyme book.




Little Bo-beep

Drawn during school days from the nursery rhymes book of my Sister.

Little Bo-Beep

Sketch from an advt.

pencil sketch of a model featured in Toshiba Advt. in a daily.


Folk Painting - II


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