Old Sweaters Get a New Look Tis the Season...

Yup, its been a long time... DG, is still alive and kicking.
While she was gone she did many projects and some actually completed in timely fashion but she did not get them here on Lazies.

Material Required

Glass beads
Embroidery floss or polyester sewing thread
Fine beading needle
Sweater you want to jazz up
Time: 4-5hrs 

This project (green sweater) was started yesterday and finished today total time devoted was about 4-5hrs on and off.
Red sweater was done over three- four days while watching news.

These are pretty easy project start on one corner, secure knots properly and work the threads along with the beads by running it through the beads so you don't have them hanging out, this way it becomes seamless.

Happy crafting

Ever Ready Garlic-Chilly Flakes Seasoning

07/24/2013

Lazy people need simple tricks to have both style, taste and convenience all in one go. Though our first generation working moms would grind onion, garlic and ginger paste and freeze it in small batches to use during the week when they fixed our quick lunches or had a guest stay back for dinner unannounced they would churn this fancy meal in no time this pre made paste would be their Ginnie trick. This tip works even today, last week DG met a lady who always treats people to these fancy meals rather a sort of buffet her trick she told was, at the end of every summer she'll spend two days chopping 50lbs of onions and garlic-ginger fry it and freeze it in small ziploc bags for winter and spring. 

It is a smart trick works only in countries where you have uninterrupted power supply that will keep your freezer running through months and years. Also, it is little too much work for a starving lazy person who when hungry wants everything in one pot ready to eat mode. So here she has invented her own Ginnie trick inspired by Thai chilly oil.

Chop lots and lots of garlic, just be careful after chopping fingers do burn as it is alkalic in nature. Wash hands, chopping board and knife thoroughly.

DG uses extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil for cooking as it has high melting point and doesn't go rancid also there are good number of health benefits to it. You may use a oil of your preference, just don't use olive oil, it has very low melting point and cooking it means killing it. Just spare the olive oil. Like garlic get lots and lots of chilly flakes, rather in proportion to garlic or according to your preferences.

Heat generous amount of oil, add chopped garlic let it cook on low heat, turning few times to prevent charring.

When garlic is rust brown add chilly flakes and cook for a minute or two and turn of the heat.

When cool, save it in a clean, air tight jar and store it in refrigerator or otherwise will last for few weeks and months as per the usage.

Season your boiled dal or soup need not worry about tempering (chhonk, tadka).

Enjoy

Hari Mirch ki Sukhi Sabji/ Spicy Green Peppers

Ingredients:

 1lb or 1/2kg  Jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers or Banana peppers what ever is available you cannot use Thai chilies or Habanero peppers check the links and you'll know why.

Cooking oil                                                    1tbsp
Fennel seeds                                                  1tsp
Fenugreek seeds                                            1tsp
Mustard seeds                                                1tsp
Kalonji or Nigella (onion seeds)                      1tsp
Turmeric Powder                                            1/4 tsp
Mango Powder                                               1tsp
Salt                                                                  to taste

Wash and towel dry green peppers.
Remove stems and chop then evenly (for it cooks evenly). Chili peppers begin to rot from the stem removing stems before storing helps lengthen their shelf life.

In a flat bottom pan heat oil on medium flame.
One by one add all the seeds and lower the heat to minimum. The seeds ought to cook very slowly or else Fenugreek will taste poison and rest everything will taste burnt wood.

Once the Fenugreek seeds turn rust and fennel shrinks and looks tan add Turmeric Powder and stir for 30 seconds and throw in chopped peppers.
To hasten cooking and absorption of salt evenly add salt now
Let the peppers cook on medium-low heat because the fried seeds too have to cook and soften.
Stir regularly peppers should cook yet retain their shape in order to stay crunchy. Over cooked peppers loose color and shape.

Just before turning off the heat add mango powder and stir for even distribution.

This is a perfect as an accompaniment to other side dishes like dal and sabaji. It is preferred with flat bread made of wheat, chapati.and parantha. DG prefers it with rice.

This preparation is preferred in all hot climate territories of India. Each seed in the recipe has healing attributes, the most basic is they regulate body heat. The mango powder in the recipe balances the heat and makes the dish appetizing.

You can store this preparation in an air tight container and refrigerate it. If you use oil and mango powder liberally you can store it without refrigeration as both are preservatives.

Try it out and let DG know how did it taste. Just like her after few hits and misses you'll get the hang of it.

Saute Zucchini 

This is DG's favorite preparation easy and quick no ease loving person can by pass this.

Ingredients: Zucchini; crushed black pepper, salt and cooking oil
Preparation and Cooking Time: About 7-8 minutes

Wash and dice zucchini as per your need. Even dicing helps in even cooking.

Oil a pan with PAM or what ever cooking oil you use and turn on the flame under the pan. DG prefers her food cooked in Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil due its health benefits, just follow the link to learn more.

Throw a dash of crushed black pepper corn and add diced zucchini. You can also throw in the diced zucchini without crushed pepper corn.

On medium high stove setting saute the zucchini while constantly stirring until soft but still crunchy to quicken cooking throw a dash of salt.

Steaming hot saute zucchini is ready to serve with maximum nutrition preserved. If need be season with salt and pepper. It can be eaten as a main dish or as a side dish with steamed rice or couscous.

Green Smoothie

There are numerous versions of green smoothies all over the virtual space. There is no hard and fast rule what you can add or subtract in this blessed drink. There was a time DG was downing celery sticks with other greens and her friends were giggling. Then came a time it was just berries and greens then at another time apples were cheap. So it all depends what is available and what is convenient.

Wash and towel dry:
Kale, Spinach, Dandelion, Cilantro

Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana(peel the banana)


Greens come in huge bunches so you don't have to use everything at one time. Use few sprigs of each and save washed and towel dried greens in zip lock freezer bags to freeze for later use. I recycle all freezer, sandwich or what ever plastic bag has a zip on it. 

Blend fruits first for creating a base then one by one start adding greens along with little water at a time. Start from 1st button on the blender and keeping going until the last. This formula works every time coz' one doesn't have to think twice. 

Even if you use few sprigs there will plenty of green stuff. You can save it in Tupperware or mason jars and freeze it for later use.

A drink of 16 ounces of green smoothie should make up for 2-3 servings of RDA (recommended Dietary Allowance). Personally prefer drinking it as a nightly snack to make up for any missed servings of fruits or vegetables.

Enjoy.