Celebrating Birthday with Strawberry Ice Cream

~"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”~

-Abraham Lincoln

....and another year added to this short span of life and I grew a year older today....Happy Birthday to me.

I never thought that I would ever hate to grow old, but now I am. I am in fear of growing old in each passing years and I am in fear to face the mirror to see that I am growing old indeed. I truly believe that each phase of life has its own charm and beauty. So do I enjoy this phase of life where my days are exploring the childhood once again with my little one. But still, sometimes a hidden aspiration raps my mind, making me totally dunned. In my first twenty years I wished to god, might be every day, to grow old soon. But as I stationed to the Thirty I wished to travel back to the early tracks to enjoy my childhood, student life, college days again and again. Am I the only one to think like this or you are also on the same boat wishing to sail back to the realm of innocence once again!!!

This is the eternal philosophical humdrum, cycles in the human minds in the anticipating fear of getting old. I am no exception nor you or anybody. Today is my birthday and I don’t want to make my mind melancholic any way with this perpetual truth.

In my every birthday, I gift myself something special. I consider my birthday, especially a day of mine, when I am not only special for everybody but very very special for me too. The day of stepping in the world, I love to share specially with my mom, dad and sister. But now it’s not possible as they live on the other part of the world and I am on the other. Thanks to the tele-communication that still made the distance shorter to at least by sharing the voices or watching each other through the webcam. I specially miss my mom, dad and sister on this day too much. Today early in the morning my mom, dad and sister called me and sang the Happy Birthday song and my day became brighter than ever. And when my little daughter gifted me a beautiful card which she made by her own hand with the help of her dad, I got the best gift I owned ever.

So now I have two more special people in my world. The birthday celebrating responsibility now is taken by my husband and our little daughter (who thinks each birthday, whether it’s her mom’s or dad’s birthday, as her birthday) assists him in full of vigour and she will keep on saying –“It’s my birthday party today”. That is the most innocent phase of life, which makes our days brighter and brighter even the dark days too. They gave me a beautiful lunch and dinner outside and a bunch of sweet gifts, include chocolates, tiny little model cars etc.

This time I made Strawberry Ice Cream as a birthday present to me. I wanted to make a cake for me. But all the Ice cream recipes in my favourite blogs made me esurient to take a challenge to delve in the world of frozen afters. This is for the first time I am making Ice cream at home. I was restricted to the fact that Ice cream can’t be made without an Ice Cream Maker. But when few of my fellow bloggers posted mouth-watering Ice Cream recipes on their blogs, I was not able to resist myself to try it out in my kitchen. Luckily I got two boxes of strawberry, in a bargain price of each $.99, where the regular market price here is $ 2.99. I wanted to use them before they start to get pale and rotten. So I decided to make Strawberry Ice Cream. I gone through a bunch of Ice Cream recipes and finally I turned up with a combination recipe of my own taking ideas from there. I bought some colourful mini cones from the market and served the ice cream on them to make more appealing and attractive to my lil one. After making the ice cream, I never thought that Ice cream could be made so easily. So I am too proud to get such a lovely and delectable gift from me, a challenging successful creation which tastes so heavenly and melts down to the mouth leaving a tart sweet creamy savour to grab for the next bite. Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:-
Strawberries- Chopped 3 cups (approx 24-25 medium size )
Condense Milk- 1 can

Yogurt- 2 table spoons

 

 

Method-

1. Blend all the ingredients in to a smooth puree.

2. Freeze for two hours. Then again blend the frozen puree in the mixer. Do the same in every two hours for 3-4 times.

3. Then keep in the freezer over night. You will never believe then that ice cream can be made so easy.

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Now the time is to share few awards with you all. I am too honoured to receive a bunch of lovely awards from Nivedita, Gouridi and Umm. I would love to thank them for sharing these awards with me. I would also like to share these awards with all of you who love and enjoy my blog and encourage me with your inspiring feedbacks on my each post. Please collect the awards from the Award page. Thanks again...Happy Blogging.

Bhapa Sandesh In New Attire

Nowadays my daughter decides the menu what I have to cook for her. She has her breakfast and lunch at school. But the evening snack and the dinner should be after her choice. No need to say, in the holidays, she will start her choice, right from the scratch, deciding her breakfast. And I would always respect her choice, unless and until it’s not OKAY with me, to avoid the hassling situation. So a few days ago suddenly her sweet craving forced me to make the Bhapa Sandesh.

You can get the recipe from here, which I posted earlier too. This time I made a  bit of variation by adding 1 tea spoon of Cocoa powder in the ricotta cheese and condense milk mixture. After baking the dish I shaped each in small balls, rolling few in cocoa powder and the left in confectioners’ sugar. Placed them on a serving plate and drizzled few drops of chocolate syrup which made them more attractive and tempting, like truffles. Do I have to mention that the little one gobbled it in no time!!!! Enjoy the snaps and the recipe HERE.

Little bit info on Bhapa Sandesh:-

Bhapa Sandesh is one of the famous Bengali sweets which is available in all the sweet stores in Bengal at any time. Bhapa, a Bengali word, means Steamed and Sandesh is a dry sweet, mainly made out of Chhana or Khowa in Bengal. I am not sure from where it originated and how originally it gets cooked. But as the name denotes it’s made using the steaming mode. And we the new generation always love to take the advantage to give anything an easy option and a short time taking version. So here is our version how we make Bhapa Sandesh with the minimum ingredients and shedding less energy at the same time.

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A No Name Dish

I earnestly requested him to name the dish, but the reluctant husband lazily stated to let the dish without a name. I didn’t want to take the honour to name the dish and on the contrary, my philosophical mind grabbed the pride to invite a no name dish in the world of flaunt where name comes first then the body. So this dish became famous in our menu as a “ no name ” dish. Whenever my taste bud needs a change, I would request him -“ machher oita banao na.”(Make that dish with fish). So It will be worthy to say that the dish got commonly noted as “Machher oita” (That one by fish) in our menu. Today I am going to share this special dish, which doesn’t own a name officially, from my Husband, Mr.P’s virtual kitchen book, which is entirely written in his mind and tried and tasted in our kitchen. Spilling of the outcome- it’s totally an outstanding dish which made me survived on, during the pick time of my pregnancy.

No need to tell, all the proud moms have a different story about their pregnancy, mainly when we limited our discussion on the ‘switching taste buds’. The moms only know how the nine months passed in facing the changes of moods and tastes. The first annoying part starts when you go through the morning sickness in the early few weeks. You will never know which smell is going to make you sick and purge. I feel lucky as I had a very limited period of morning sickness and very less things were there in my list which used to make me barf. During that period, I used to hate green peas, corn, cheese and Mexican food, which I was always, lusted for. I became too much prone towards spicy fried food. I still remember, I used to spent days after days only on white rice, plain lentil soup and besan coated capsicum fry. Plain fish curry or chicken curry used to make my face changed as if some vapid dish was served to me. In the foreign land we had to devour whatever food was cooked in the kitchen by two of us. So each day was then, an experimental day to cook a dish, which would be very nutritious, healthy and also delighted the mom’s taste. One day when I became totally exhausted of experimenting the verities of recipes on fish the husband saved me and took the charge of the kitchen by making this delectable dish.

After we got married and shifted to this foreign land, Mr.P made a rule that the weekends would be my rest day and he would cook. So usually in the weekends my husband rarely used to visit the kitchen and took me out for meals, trying out the different flavours of the world in the restaurants around the city. But this gaiety time, devouring outside food, constricted to more homemade healthy foods when we were getting ready to welcome the new guest of our life. Then the would-be dad became more responsible and started visiting the kitchen more often to help the would-be mom.

This no name dish is one of my favourite dishes cooked by him, which I enjoyed too much during my pregnancy and still now I would devour it whenever it is served in front of me, only the condition is, it would be made by my husband. The dish will give a commingled tangy, spicy and fried taste, which will make you wish for more and more to eat. This dish proved to us a very healthy nutritious pack for both the mom and the child. A few days back, the day before his birthday he cooked the dish as a return gift to me. We relished the dish as the same, in reminiscence of those golden days when we two were weaving the dreams, how to welcome the little bundle of joy of our life. And the little listener, recently turned 3, heeding the recollections like a fairy tale, savoured her daddy’s delicious cook.

Ingredients:-

Fish – 5- 6 blocks of less bony side/ from the belly side (Here the Rohu/Rui fish is used)
Potato- 2 small size
Tomato - 1 big
Onion- 1 medium
Ginger paste- 1 tea spoon
Garlic paste- ½ tea spoon
Turmeric Powder- ½ tea spoon
Cumin Powder- ½ tea spoon
Coriander Powder- ½ tea spoon
Red Chilli Powder- According to taste/optional
Green Chilli- According to taste/optional
Coriander Leaves- 1 cup chopped
Garam Masala whole- 2 of each
Cumin seeds- ½ tea spoon
Salt- According to taste
Oil- 3 + 2 table spoons (It may be increased or decreased)

 

Method:-

1. Tip the fish blocks in a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.

2. In a deep dense pan /non stick pan heat 3 table spoon oil. Fry the fish blocks and reserve.

3. Cut the potatoes in to medium pieces length wise. Roughly chop the onion. Chop the tomato.

4. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan (you can use a different if you wish). Temper with the cumin seeds and garam masala. Add the onion when they start to splutter. Fry the onion till it turns brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and the potato. Fry for few minutes more. Add tomato and fry till the tomato melts well.

5. Now add all the other ingredients along with the fish, except the coriander leaves. Break the fish blocks in to small pieces and mix altogether in a nice mixture. Cover with lid. Keep them cook in a low flame till the potato gets cooked. Keep on stirring in intervals to avoid the burn.

6. When the potato is fully cooked and the juice is dried up, high the flame and cook for few minutes more. Add the coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and dal. You will surely enjoy it.

 

Mango Pie

The dulcifying savour still smacks my lips. I tasted this dish in one of my husband’s colleagues’ party almost 4 years back. This was served as the dessert and everyone englutted it in no time. Being a newlywed bride my prime attention was then to feed my husband with new kind of viands. Cooking then became a passion for me and a ritual to ask for each and every recipe served in each party. And all the hosts got to get ready with their recipes handy before my arrival.

Mango Pie is one of the most challenging recipes till date for me which I failed to make two times and then quit 4 years back. I noted down the recipe properly but never understood the trick of wielding the Gelatin then. Both the times the pie was failed to jell. I dared to ask the recipe again as this was prepared by the colleague himself and all my research on setting a pie from the net didn’t work at all. So the best option I chose to relinquish. Now almost 4 years are passed and I have become the queen of the kitchen in moderate sense. In this long run, I crafted my hands in Jell-O making quite often. And two of my greatest achievements, the Layered Jell-O and the Broken Glass Jell-O gave me the confidence to try the failed recipe once again. No need to say this time when I defied the dish, it’s a grand success. You all should see the winning pacification on my face when I saw the pie congealed. This time I made a little bit of change by the addition of a layer of jelled condense milk, as I have to use the condense milk any way. With the addition of the layer the pie looked more colourful and tasty too.  The base of chocolate pie crust and two layers of a gelatinous condensed milk and the piquant mango pulp conflated with cream cheese, made a luscious twinge of delicacy. Both the kids and the adult would enjoy the dish till the last bite.

  Shuffling some information on Gelatin last night, I encountered with this fact, from which I was totally ignorant-

“Gelatin is a protein substance derived from collagen, a natural protein present in the tendons, ligaments, and tissues of mammals. It is produced by boiling the connective tissues, bones and skins of animals, usually cows and pigs. Gelatin's ability to form strong, transparent gels and flexible films that are easily digested, soluble in hot water, and capable of forming a positive binding action have made it a valuable commodity in food processing, pharmaceuticals, photography, and paper production.” 

(http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Gelatin.html)

 

Did you know that!!!!! If you want to read more about Gelatin go Here.

 Now come to the recipe:-

Ingredients:-

Instant Chocolate pie crust base- 1

The first layer of Condense Milk:-

Condensed Milk- ½ cup

Knox Gelatin- 1 envelops

Water-1 cup

Second Layer of Mango Pulp:-

Mango pulp- 1 cup

Cream Cheese- 2 table spoon (soften in room temperature)

Water- 2 cups

Knox Gelatin- 2 envelops

Method:-

The first layer of Condense Milk:-

1. Boil ¾ cup water.

2. Pour the condense milk in a bowl and add ½ cup boiling water. Fold nicely.

3. Pour 1 envelop of gelatine in ¼ cup of cold water, stir gently and leave for 2mnts to set. Add the remaining hot water. Mix well.

4. Add the gelatine to the milk mixture. Sir well.

5. Pour it on the pie crust base and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to set.

Second Layer of Mango Pulp:-

1. Boil 1 ½ cups.

2. Blend the Cream Cheese and the Mango pulp nicely. Add 1 cup boiling water.

3. Pour 2 envelops of gelatine in ½ cup of cold water, stir gently and leave for 2mnts to set. Add the remaining hot water. Mix well.

4. Add the gelatine to the mango pulp mixture. Sir well.

5. Pour it on the empty space of pie crust base and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to set. Best is to keep overnight to get the thick consistency. Enjoy....


Sending this to Indrani of Recipe Junction 's Summer Fruit event:

Broken Glass Jello- A sweet treat

Celebrating the 50th post of my blog with a sweet treat. On the auspicious day of my husband’s birthday my blog posts are glad to reach the half century. It’s a long run for me. But still I am happy to reach a cusp. The recipe, Broken Glass Jello, I have borrowed from The Food Librarian whose blog is full of magnificent recipes and I am literarily in love with her photography. When I first saw the recipe I was instantly moved by the colourful texture of the dish. And when I prepared it at home the dish didn’t take any time to vanish. Too easy to make and a toothsome bite both for the kids and the adults. My daughter got attracted with the colours and enjoyed it till the last bite. So without wasting any time let me share the recipe with you.

Ingredients:-

(serves 8,5oz cups)

2 package of Coloured Jell-o – 3oz each

Condensed Milk -1/2 cup

Knox Gelatine- 1 envelops

Water- 1 cup

Method:-

1. Prepare the coloured jell-o separately following the instructions given in the package. Refrigerate.

2. Cut them in to small cubes when they are fully set.

3. Boil ¾ cup of water. Add ½ cup boiling water with the condense milk. Blend nicely.

4. Pour the gelatine in ¼ cup of cold water, stir gently and leave for 2mnts to set. Add the remaining hot water. Mix well.

5. Add the gelatine to the milk mixture. Sir well.

6. Put the Jell-o cubes in the cups in equal measurements. The pour the milk mixture to each glass equally. Keep for at least 4-5 hours in the refrigerator to set. Enjoy them when they are fully set.

I would not be able to achieve this milestone if you, my fellow blogger friends, would not motivate and inspire me with your encouraging feedbacks on my each and every post. I wish and hope that you all will help me and will be by my side always to make this journey successful till end. Above all I would like thank my husband too, to inspire me a lot to continue this blog. This 50th post is a gift and tribute from me to my husband on his birthday- A small relic of love and respect.

I made some Layerd Jello too. Please find out the recipe Here.

This recipe is off to Pari's Only Kid's Delight Event. I am also sending the Chocolate Marshmallow Slices to this event.

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