“Dreams don’t work unless you do.”~ Maxwell

A crazy week of food photo-shoot at Isha yoga center, and I am back home…finally.

With no running around carrying heavy loads of props and no more shots to plan for the days, it feels good to relax & enjoy a bowl of home-cooked ‘Poha’ and ginger tea on my swing.

Hmm… it has been 4 years since I started my first food styling shoot for Brown Tree.

I now have successfully completed more than 15 projects for well know companies and brands of India.

Not so long ago, mornings at home used to be quiet and slow. There was ample time to go for a brisk walk, get fresh vegetables en route, sit back, read newspaper and relax with a cup of tea.

And yes, there was absolutely no temptation to check the social media status, answer emails or to update the blog either.

Five years of online journey and suddenly life has become so fast-paced. I find myself  chasing ‘time’ with thousand dreams each day. Times when I feel how much media causes to miss out on simple pleasures of life.

Whoever said that,, “Media has a trade-off between its usefulness and its ability to waste your time.”

Here are a few easy yogurt based recipes from my treasure of ‘time-management in kitchen’. These recipes make sure that my cooking time is saved without compromising on the nutrient quotient of the food I prepare for my family.

“Hey, turn back and see who is sitting right behind you” hubby spoke to me in hushed tone during a special cocktail dinner party organized for the senior officials of his company in Leela palace last night.

I gently turned around to see a dashing young man in body-hugging white shirt and tight fit blue jeans behind me.
I used to wonder whether opposites really attract and do they make a perfect couple?  But after being together for the last 20 plus years with him, I know for sure they do 🙂

“Madam, would you please come and grace us by lighting lamp and inaugurating the food fest in our restaurant?”

“Errr…may I know whom I am speaking to and how did you get my…”

“I got the contact details from your editor friend of xyz magazine” The voice on the other end interrupted me and replied without pausing.

“Thanks for the invite, I will be there” I replied politely and cut the line thinking this may be another gag to get the food bloggers involved in marketing their brand. But a personal invitation from the concern person who did not know about my blog proved me wrong.

Reminiscing upon my online journey as food blogger makes me feel humble every time. And all I do is to close my eyes and count my blessings!

A delicious meal is great, but a dessert is even better. A handful of fresh fruits, few biscuits, a little yogurt or cottage cheese and you are in for a refreshing and healthy treat everyday. Dessert recipes that are easy on the stomach are preferred anytime in my home to heavy & creamy ones. Nothing is more  rewarding than to see my children appreciating & preferring these home made healthy desserts over store bought ice creams.

These two desserts are now a regular feature on our dinner table, just that the fruits and the biscuit/cornflakes base keep changing to bring in more variation in the recipes. Cottage cheese and yogurt give that feathery touch and extra freshness to the recipes.

A moment that lasted an eternity.….It was a weekday when I got a call from the talented & inspiring co-author of two wonderful cook books Mrs. Pratibha Jain.  She invited me to be on the panel of judges along with some of the industry bigwigs and renowned chefs for a culinary event. The event is being conducted by a group of enthusiastic youngsters from Rajasthan in India, who are working towards many social causes in the city. I received my formal e-card invitation from the organizers and was given a warm welcome by the ladies wing chairman Navaneet and other members of the group.

After years of endless cooking and constant blogging, hubby declared that I am serious about my work! And finally I get a new toy to play with and Lite Bite goes digital. Whats more is that this sophisticated gadget as a gift is combined with my 43rd birthday. He is one happy lot now-a-days, for he escaped buying a separate gift for me and is temporarily relieved from his nagging wife 😯 who henceforth will be busy dabbling with her new found love (so says he).

As if PHP’s and HTML’s were not enough to break my head, learning photography, composition, lighting, food styling and all is giving me sleepless nights, all for the love of blogging. Have been bugging friends, reading manuals and  online journals like a zombie to get comfortable with my camera. But then as I read somewhere ‘ Develop a passion for learning. And if you do, you will never cease to grow‘…and learning I am…

Flax seeds are making news for good reasons. A popular source of Omega-3 fatty acids this super food which was known as cattle feed and only to the paint industries is now gaining entry into the kitchens of many households. Flax seeds are a boon to vegans and vegetarians who find it difficult to get Omega-3 in their regular diet.

A little bigger and harder than sesame seeds, flax seeds have shinny yellow or brown color skin. The seeds can be eaten raw or ground and added to various food products. It imparts a lovely earthy aroma to baked goodies.

A bowl of creamy wobbly Panna Cotta soaked in juicy fresh fruit compote is a best bet for an easy, quick and exotic dessert for any day! Panna Cotta means “cooked cream’ in Italian and this simple dessert is served with caramel, chocolate sauce or any fruit compote. Compote is a sort of thickened sweet sauce cooked with stewed fresh or dried fruits mainly berries in sugar.

It is really hard to switch over from the incredibly addictive cream based panna cotta with  yogurt and coconut milk. But then a look at the health benefits of yogurt and coconut makes it a wiser decision to do so. Panna Cotta cooked with coconut milk which I make often takes the recipe to different levels. I made two batches, the one set in the ramekins are with cream & yogurt combo and the other in the glass is just plain yogurt panna cotta. And no, I did not miss the creamy culprit from my recipe 🙂