Love Country Music :)

I love country Music.....falling for it...more and more.....day by day....would love to share few of my Favorite here. Hope you all enjoy the way i do....Have fun!!!

Sad Country Songs- What Might Have Been

Reba Mcentire - somebody

Reba Mcentire-What do you say?

Reba McEntire- He Gets That From Me

Love them all...wish you like them too :)

Peach Cobler

Last weekend we went peach picking, My son loved it and was very excited while picking peaches. It was fun while picking them but when i found so many of them sitting on my counter top it was scary cos i had no idea how to finish them up before they go bad. So i thought of making Peach Cobler. This Cobler recipe is very easy but tastes really good (especially if u have a sweet tooth). Choose the peaches which are a bit firm, this will make the Cobler taste better.

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced and peeled peaches.
1 and 1/2 cup Sugar.
1 cup All purpose Flour.
3/4 cup Milk.
2 tsp baking powder.
1 stick butter.
1/2 tsp salt.
3 tsp Lemon juice.


Method.

After slicing and peeling the peaches pour lemon juice on top of them and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Divide sugar as 1 cup and half cup. Add half cup sugar to the peaches and set them aside. Mix all the dry ingredients like Flour, Sugar, baking powder and salt, then mix the milk slowly into the dry ingredients and stir till everything is combined well. Melt the butter and pour it into a baking pan then slowly pour the flour mixture into the pan , do not stir after pouring the batter. Then on top nicely arrange all the sliced peaches and pour the sugar liquid on top of them, do not stir. Bake it for 35-40 min till it start to bubble. The peaches will settle down once baked. Cool it a bit and serve them warm or with plain vanilla ice cream, Either way tastes really good.

Happy Fathers Day!!!

Chocolate Cake

I just couldn't think of doing anything else other than a cake for the Fathers Day...This is for all the great and adorable Fathers who never said they are tired even at the end of a very busy day...and his kid comes to him and wants nothing else except to play ball...Aren't they great??

This is my version of a soft chocolate cake which i made for the Fathers Day. I love chocolate...but my husband is not too much interested in it... so i made an orange and chocolate filling inside the two layer cake....

Ingredients (all at room temperature)

3 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 stick butter
3/4 Cup sugar
1 and 1/2 large eggs
1/4 Cup buttermilk
3/4 Cup boiling water
1 cup or all-purpose flour
3 tblsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Method

First mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and then sift them all together. Keep this aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two round 8-inch cake pans, and coat the pans lightly with flour. Melt the chocolate chip in microwave for 30 second , stir and repeat till everything is melted. In a large bowl, beat the butter till it gets creamy. Add sugar and beat very well for 5-10 minutes until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one and mix well. Stir in the melted chocolate. Now start mixing the dry mixture little then the buttermilk then again the dry mixture. Beat the mixer well. After finishing all the dry ingredients and the buttermilk the batter will be very thick. Now slowly, stir in the boiling water until it is just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting....i went for a shortcut and did the chocolate frosting a store bought one...but i made the orange frosting at home.

Orange frosting:
Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 and 1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 and 1/2 tsp orange juice

Method
Bring the butter to room temperature and beat it well till it becomes creamy. Sift and put the confectionery sugar into the butter and beat it well till fluffy. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. This can be used as a filling or just on the top.



Cake assemble.

The assembling of the cake can be done by putting 1 layer of cake on the plate then spread the top of the cake with the chocolate frosting and then another layer of orange butter cream frosting. Then take the other layer and put it upside down on top of the first layer so that we have a smooth layer on top. Cover the cake completely with the chocolate frosting and serve.
I did some decoration with the remaining orange frosting. Enjoy!

Cold Coffee

I have always relished Cold coffee in the evening during summer...it is one of my favorite's. But it was always more better when it was made by mom...today i thought of giving it a try..and it turned out good...


Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup 2% milk
4 tblsp half and half
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1and 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tsp sugar powder( sweeten it to your taste)
some chocolate shavings

Method

In a blender put all the ingredients above except the chocolate shavings and blend it for 50 sec. Coffee powder can be added according to your taste and even the sugar powder according to the sweetness required. Pour the mix into a Glass and top it with chocolate shavings and serve immediately... Enjoy!!!

Rasmalai

I had invited my friend Smita and her family home for dinner and i wanted to make Rasmalai...but one thing about it, was that...i have never tasted or made Rasmalai in my life...but still i wanted to give it a shot...and it turned out really good...You can even get the Rasagulla from the shop and just make the rabdi at home..or else you can make everything from scratch..as i did...

Ingredients:

For Rasagulla

1/2 gallon milk
3-4 tsp lime juice
water and sugar as required

For the rabdi
1 tin Evaporated milk.
1/2 tsp saffron.
1/2 cup sugar(or according to your taste)
5 tblsp chopped pista and almonds

Method:

Bring the milk to a boil and when it starts boiling pour the lime juice into it and let the milk
curdle..and as soon as u see them get curdle put some ice on them...this will make nice and soft rasagullas. Then strain the paneer(the mix got from straining) in a muslin cloth and squeeze out excess amount of water from it. You can also hang the muslin cloth with the paneer for 1 hour so that all water is dripped out of the paneer...then slowly run water through the paneer to get rid of the lime flavor...again squeeze out all the water from it. Put the paneer in a food processor and blend it for 50 sec, first it will form like a crumble later on it will turn in a fine paste.
Heat some water and sugar in the cooker, the water should not be too sweet...just the right amount...like for 1 cup water i used 1/4 cup sugar....bring it to a boil and make small round balls out of the paneer and flatten it in your palms and slowly dip it into the water in the cooker...make enough paneer balls and make sure they have enough space between them in the cooker. Close the cooker and leave for 2 whistle. Finish off all the paneer by making in batches also add water and sugar as needed in the cooker...transfer the rasagullas from the cooker to a bowl with some sweet water from the cooker...cool and chill the rasagullas in the refrigerator.

Now for the Rabdi...

Heat the evaporated milk with the saffron and sugar in a pan... bring it to a boil...then check for sweet. Cool the rabdi completely then slowly transfer the rasagullas by pressing the excess water from the rasagullas and dip it into the rabdi. Top it with chopped pista and almonds. Chill it for 3 hours and serve cold.

Lets Talk Music...

I just found out that i have developed a new love for Country Music....is it cos am in Texas or is the music really good....i think the music is really good... you can hear it 24/7.
You can hear them on and on and on....the music is lovely and the songs are delightful...and the accent of the singers....i love it....
Especially the song "Galway Girl" by Steve Earle....its going to be one of my all time favorite...if you can... do hear this song....you can find it anywhere online....

Anyone in for chinese??

I just tried making some Chinese and it turned out really good...so i thought of putting it here...its a non vegetarian dish...but u can also make it with just vegetables. When u do this with vegetables....i think u can add any of your favorite vegetable like cabbage , all kinds of capsicum and beans.

Ingredients.

1 packet noodles( i used a yellow ones)
1 capsicum( sliced thin)
1 small red onion(sliced thin)
2 carrots (cut in rounds)
1 chicken breast( cut in pieces)
1 inch piece of ginger( chopped)
3 tsp oil
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
salt to taste.

sauces:
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp green chili sauce (according to taste)
2 tsp hot sauce

Method:

Cut the chicken breast in small pieces and put them in a bowl add tumeric powder, 1tsp hot sauce and little salt to it.
Prepare the noodles according to the instruction on the packet just make sure that it is half cooked or else the noodles will get mushy. As soon as u drain the noodles smear some oil or butter to them so tat they don't stick to each other.
In a pan add oil heat it a bit then add ginger , chicken and saute well till the chicken is almost cooked then add all the vegetables one by one and saute them. Now add the green chili sauce, hot sauce and soy sauce and saute them well. Now is the time for seasoning with black pepper and salt. once everything in cooked you can add the cooked noodles and mix them well with two long spoons. Serve them hot and enjoy.

Trip to Corpus Cristi

Trip was lovely.... the main point of going there was to show Ronel(my son) beach....but every time he touched sand he ended up saying "Dirty" so we had to keep on cleaning him every time he fell...but he did liked the sea until a sea grass touched him which scared him a bit...

Another main reason for the trip was the Church...it was a beautiful old church we saw the mass by a bishop and one more good thing...Ronel Got blessed by the bishop....he is the first bishop who has blessed Ronel...I was very happy...probably i was on cloud nine.....

Everything was beautiful....loved every moment of it...

Rava Dosa

This time these dosas turned out really good...my husband enjoyed it...

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice powder
1/2 cup Rava
1/2 cup Maida(All purpose flour)
1 and a half tsp oil
1/2 inch ginger chopped
1/2 tsp mustard
few sprigs of curry leaves
1 tsp pepper crushed
salt per taste
water required amount.

Method:

In a bowl mix together Rice powder, Rava and All purpose flour and pour water little by little until u get a liquid consistency then add salt as per taste and keep it aside. Now make tadka in a pan by pouring little oil add mustard when mustard starts to splutter add ginger, curry leaves and pepper and pour the tadka into the batter prepared. Mix well and make dosas in the same way you make normal dosas...sometimes u may get a good shape sometimes u may not...but i think taste matters than shape... serve hot rava dosas with chutney or sambhar...

sweet pongal

In this recipe of sweet pongal i have used more sweet but it can be adjusted to your taste..



Ingredients

1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1 cup jaggery( melted and strained)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp cashews
1 tsp raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom (powdered)
3 tsp ghee

Method

Cook dal and rice together till done and keep them aside. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the cashews and raisins in it and keep aside. Then add 1 tsp ghee and the cooked dal and rice to the pan. Stir till ghee coats the rice. Now add milk and jaggery to the rice and keep stirring till it starts leaving the sides of the pan, then add the remaining ghee and stir for 2 more min. At last add the raisins and cashews mix well and serve hot.

Ven Pongal

I have tried pongal like 3 or 4 times but i think this is the best recipe till date...both sweet and ven pongal turned out good...

Ingredients
1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1 cup milk
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp whole pepper
1/2 tsp coarsely powdered pepper
1 tsp cashews
2 and a half tsp ghee
salt to taste

Method

Cook moong dal and rice together till done and keep aside. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a deep pan and fry cashews and keep them aside...now add the remaining ghee and wait till it melts then put jeera in it wait till it splutters then add the whole pepper. Now add cooked dal and rice to the pan. Stir a bit and add milk to the rice and keep stirring till everything is mixed well and till u get the required consistency then season it with salt and pepper. At the end you can add cashews and switch off the heat. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Sponge cake recipe

This is my first post on my blog...i was searching for a perfect sponge cake for a very long time...whenever i tried it was a hard sponge cake...but this recipe made my day..it gave me a perfect sponge cake with a little help from my husband.

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 and a half cup sugar
1 and a half cup flour
1 and a half tsp baking powder
half tsp salt
1 and a half tsp vanila essense
3/4 cup boiling water

Method
Beat eggs until frothy...it takes time....then add sugar and beat until lemony in color. Add flour, baking powder, salt mix well until blended. Stir in the boiling water. Pour it in a greased pan, probably in a glass pan and bake it for 35 min at 350 degree farenheit or till its done.