Ahaa.. finally its here – the Summer Holidays, time we all look forward to year after year! Trip to home town, loads of  ‘me time’ to relax and also to complete all the pending tasks I have been procrastinating the whole year wearing the shield of ‘no time’

My euphoria is but short lived, the very next day of the holiday and the mom is busier than ever. Library, cricket coaching, dance classes, piano lessons…and repeat. Well, as a good mother I also need to keep my children engaged and make their holiday more productive. Till then..’me time’ can wait.

A pickle is to any meal what a smile is to a beautiful woman, both enhance the subject perfectly! If you happen to be in the colorful state of Rajasthan in India, your meal is incomplete without extra spoonfuls of ghee (clarified butter) and a dash of spicy pickle served by your generous host. Not to forget the yummy ghee laden sweets to wind up your hearty meal.

Pickled fenugreek seeds, Ker Sangari, Gum Berry, Athana green chilly, fresh whole green peas and the list of such unusual ingredients to make pickles is endless. Each pickle is unique for the spice mix that goes in it, by the way it is prepared or for the ingredients used to make it. Some of the food ingredients used to make these pickles are indigenous to Rajasthan and is difficult to get in other parts of India.

Versatile dips & spreads which could be made quickly and peps up a meal instantly are my all time favorite. Ubiquitous green chutney with fresh coriander & mint leaves in my refrigerator tops the chart by all means. Yes, I eat it with my flat breads, use as sandwich spread, on crackers, tarts, Khatti rolls, pizza topping…and so on.. Hummus is one another favorite of mine, a refreshing & healthy dip prepared with chickpeas or Garbanzo beans. The recipe is often twisted & tweaked to come up with yummy surprises..well..almost always

Strawberry is a fruit which brings smile to my face and saliva in my mouth ever time I see a pack in my supermarket. I just love the sight of these vibrant looking, dimpled chin Strawberries wearing curly green caps. As soon as I get my hands on them I start visualizing what will I be making with them…(if there remains some).

When I saw Scones on the Daring Baker challenge of this month by Audax, I knew exactly what I will be using my little babies for. And what a wonderful treat these Strawberry scones are to have it on my breakfast table!

Millet – these tiny pearls of wholegrain reminds me of the colorful Love birds we used to keep at home. I and my brother were assigned the job of  feeding the birds with a handful of Bajra (a millet variety) before leaving to school. The same Bajra was also hulled in a stone mortal and pestle by mom to remove the husks and use the grains for making Khichdi and other recipes.

But I am sure mom did not know that these tiny grains are a powerhouse of nutrients and one of the best gluten free foods. I wish she could read all the info regarding Millets and feel proud of introducing millets in our diet at such early stage, thanks mom

“No Pancakes, no Parathas, no Upma and no Sandwiches please…we want something different for breakfast tomorrow” my son made a demand last night. “We are ready to wait for a little extra time mom, so no excuses” my daughter informed with a blink. First half of the night was spent turning from one side of bed to other, thinking about that ‘something different’. Why not take one ingredient each from all the breakfast recipes and …Yes I got it, now sleep tight Zzzzz…

Wholewheat from parathas, semolina from Upma, yogurt from pancakes and veggies from sandwiches and here I am with this healthy yet ‘something different‘ on a lazy Sunday morning breakfast table…Tada! Big smile on their faces and I know that the effort of baking this delightful savory cake is really worth taking

Oh yes..you read it right..these are healthy pickle recipes infused with flavorful spices, less oil and packed with the goodness of green chili peppers! Rich in vitamin A & C, high in anti oxidants, low in fats & cholesterol the green chillies boast of many minerals as well.

What…not interested..Hmm..then these two pickle recipes will surely make you crave for green chili pepper! Very common in most parts of Rajasthan in India, these pickles are a savior recipe for many (including me) to serve those unexpected hungry guests So at any point of time you could find these two things in my refrigerator, a fresh coriander leaf chutney and this green chilly pickle.

I am on a Goji Spree, yes this wonder berry is omnipresent in all my meals. Goji on my breakfast table with oatmeal porridge, in lunch along with yogurt Kadhi and in dinner too with my pulav recipe! Goji berries which were evading me till date are now proudly occupying the most coveted place in my basket during my monthly trip to the health store.

It has been long since I invested in a good cook book. I have been collecting cook books from my college days and have more than 200 plus of them crying out for space in my shelf. Somehow most of the books are mere hard copies I hardly refer to for my cooking.

Recently I came across a cook book ‘Cooking At Home With Pedatha’ written by the wonderful duo Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain. The book instantly caught my attention with the elegant cover and the subtle colors giving it an aesthetic look. The simple grandma’s recipes with useful tips and perfect pictures to match up with easily connects with the readers at the first sight.

Breakfast recipes cease to change in many households due to lack of time or inability to adapt to new tastes. If it is traditional Indian flat breads or Parathas all year long in my mom’s place, Idlies or steamed rice cakes adorns the breakfast table in my In-laws house. To break the monotony I started introducing various grains and fruits in baking along with various healthy breakfast recipes immediately after my marriage. Today we all enjoy to feast on our breakfast of Muesli crumble, Ragi pancakes, barley scones or granola bars with the same enthusiasm.

“Oatmeal never tasted that great before!” is the comment from my son after having a bite of these Oatmeal and banana scones