recommendation: themed party ideas

Still completely obsessed with the royal wedding and Katherine & William (proof is in the $6 collectors stamp I just bought on USPS! Ha!), I came across this great theme party on HostessBlog.com and thought a lot of the ideas were useable for other parties so had to share it. I'm a HUGE fan of themes and matching everything that you can (thanks to my mom!). Not to mention I love the colors – maize & blue means… Goooooo Michigan! Using different signage or perhaps colors, some of these ideas would be great for a graduation party, bridal shower, or birthday party. Here are my recommendations:

- Flower balls in a teacup – I love it! These would be great décor for a bridal shower (My mom did floating flowers in antique teacups for mine!). There are a lot of luxe flowers in these arrangements but daisies and mums would work great as they are inexpensive. Spider Mums and gerber daises are larger flowers that would work well if you want to pop the heads off and float them instead.

- Ornate Picture Frames for Drink and Food Menus – these would work great for any party that has a complicated menu that needs to be displayed. Are even great for weddings. I think its a quick and easy way to step it up and show that you put some thought into decor and theme-ing your party. If its a shower, you can frame the invite, or a picture of the couple. I saw frames like this recently at Target – hurry over!
- Izzy soda’s – these have always been on my recommended list – they are great for kids and adults, have fun flavors (I’m a fan of apple) and are pretty for a tabletop

- Liquor Specific to the event – for the British Wedding they went with Pimm’s.
Pimms is actually a great summertime liquor - its refreshing, you can mix with sprite, ginger ale, soda water, lemonade or iced tea and you can add lemons, raspberries or cucumbers... We made it for a family BBQ and everyone went for one!
- Mini cupcakes - these are easier for people to eat. I've never made them, I would think they are pretty easy, but if you need a quick way out - Trader Joes has some cute vanilla ones. Mini ice cream sandwiches, brownie bites (try sweet moments!), or a small assortment of cookies would work well too. By giving small sizes, people don't feel as guilty trying one of everything!

recommendation: growing a garden on a high-rise balcony

last year I mostly did basics for my ‘garden’ aka one metal tin with holes poked in it and one plant potter. I did basil, jalapeños, and a tomato plant. It went well, considering it was my first attempt at growing anything. The basil was insane and I could not keep up with it, I only used like a forth of the ONE jalapeno that produced (which took all summer to grow). Tomatoes were good but they often split before I got to them as I didn’t tend to my garden as lovingly as I should have.

Well – new year, fresh start, this summer is a different story! My mom & dad gave me a mint plant which took off, so that inspired me to have a whole slew of herbs out on my balcony. I found these fantastic potters at Marshalls, they came in two sizes, and look great and simple on the balcony. I did a lot of research of what to plant that will grow well on a balcony in a pot and here’s what I did:

- Cilantro
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Basil
- Mint
- Eggplant
- Yellow Pepper
- Roma Tomato
- Patio Tomato
- Banana Pepper
- Habanero Pepper (for my cousin who’s taste buds can tolerate any and all heat)
- Radishes

The radishes were a last minute addition since I realized I had an extra spot in my planter and they have been growing well. I can’t wait! Other items that are

supposed to grow well on a balcony are: carrots, lettuce (bibb, spinach, arugula), bush beans, parsley, chives, and green onions. There are 'bush' varieties of several plants which work well in pots.

All articles I found said to make sure there is drainage in your pots, this is a MUST. Also to make sure the pots are big enough so that roots can grow and spread, otherwise it will outgrow its space quickly and die off. Some items work well together too, ask the store you are buying your herbs/veggies at. Lastly, make sure to get proper soil - I bought the Miracle-Gro Potting Soil and my plants seem happy. I accidentally bought garden soil and it says all over the bag - do not use in containers/pots, so I returned it - why risk it? Be patient with your plants - herbs will grow quick (and will need to be trimmed b/c of this) but vegetables will take a while so don't expect instant results! Sit back and make a cocktail with those fresh herbs(raspberry mojito with the mint, strawberry basil vodka, thyme and lime, etc) and enjoy what you have while you have it.

I made my first dish using my own grown herbs – sicilian pesto for a chicken dish yesterday. Would use one clove less garlic but was delish – enjoy!

Here are some other resources I used for my garden:
- Home Depot - bought most herbs here
- Gethsemane Gardens - bought my strawberry plant and my cousins habanero plant here
- Gardening Tips from GOOP (Gwyneth Paltrow)
- Vegetable Plants Suitable for Containers
- 12 vegetables you can grow in a pot

recommendation: make Indian inspired food

As a follow up to my post the other day on fake-making Indian food, I did find two awesome recipes (which lead to me discovering this awesome website!) for Indian-inspired oatmeal and Indian Mango-Pineapple chutney. Lets do breakfast first.

This Indian oatmeal uses steel oats which I got from trader joes. I’ve never made them before, they are quick cook ones, but were easy enough! I mixed in all listed ingridents and at the end when they were ready, I stirred in 3 heaping tablespoons of ground flax seeds to get a little extra nutrition in there.

Since I don’t eat fish (it’s a texture thing, and yes, I have tried, and will keep trying. I want to like it!) – I need to get my omega-3’s somehow and my friend Evie started taking pills which inspired me to do something myself. Baby steps. Anyway, I portioned it out and put them in the fridge. I also separated out slivered almonds and raisins into snack size baggies, and the coconut milk into containers. In the morning I grabbed my portions for my lunchbox, and quickly heated my hubbys up for the car ride in. Easy enough, and super tasty. I would say this is more of a ‘spiced’ oatmeal vs ‘indian’ – I suppose it’s the ginger. I left the cardamom out b/c I was scared, I’m sure that would Indianize it… Definitely a way to switch up your morning meal and add some fun flavors.

Next up, we’ve got mango-pineapple chutney. Finding this recipe was great timing since my dad bought me a case of mangos! I always keep canned pineapple in the house so this was easy. I served it on the side with tandoori chicken but as other comments mention on Budget Bytes Blog, I think it would taste fantastic with a white creamy cheese. Then yesterday we ate it with pork tenderloin – it added a great flavor and sauciness to the pork. I’m sure this chutney recipe can be adjusted with different fruits and can be used in a million ways.

Recipes for both can be found on links on item names in above paragraphs. Enjoy!

recommendation: “make” Indian food for dinner

as you can tell by now, i’m a big fan of TJ’s (trader joes). i’m half Indian and my husband is always requesting that i learn how to make indian food… so this is my (temporary) solution.

it’s a great way to try Indian food if you’ve never had it before and are nervous about what to order at an Indian restaurant. Its also great because there are a lot of vegetarian dishes, and if you get a bunch of things to try, its fairly inexpensive. Best of all, since its all frozen it cooks very quickly so it makes a great quick meal for nights when you were on-the-go all day. My TJ Indian favorites are:

Frozen Section:
- tandoori naan – regular or garlic are both great, whatever you prefer. low fat, cooks in oven in 2 minutes (I don’t add the butter to it)
- chicken tikka (tee-ka) masala (ma-sa-la) – this is my fav for main course, not a lot of chicken but its ok b/c I make so many other dishes with it. It comes with rice but I make more rice on the side
- paneer tikka masala – my husbands favorite, paneer is a fresh Indian cheese (like fresh mozz but firmer like tofu), this comes with spinach rice
- brown rice in a bag (or Jasmine if you prefer white) – it comes 3 to a box and cooks in less than 5 minutes. You only need 1 packet for a meal for 2 diners

Aisles
- Daal Makni – my dad’s favorite type of daal, so therefore mine. It’s a darker daal (like bean soup) that tastes great by itself or over rice
- Channa Masala – this means chickpeas (same thing as garbanzo beans). Spicy dish. Looks oily but not thaaaat bad for you (ok not thaaaat good for you either) and super tasty.

I also normally make raita too, cools the

mouth down and just takes a few minutes:
Lowfat plain yogurt – 1 individual cup per person, or you can get a larger container if you are making for more:
Ground Roasted Cumin (jeera) – you can buy this at the store, McCormick makes it, or make it yourself which is what I normally do. Roast cumin seeds in a hot pan until they begin to brown, be careful not to burn. Cool seeds and then grind in a coffee grinder. Store at room temperature in jar for future use. BEWARE, when you grind the seeds, your coffee grinder will smell like cumin for long after. We have a second grinder for spices & herbs only.
Cucumber – I normally grate mine and then squeeze it in a papertowel or strainer to get excess water out, but you can just dice up a cuke too.

Dash of salt and sugar to taste
Dash of paprika for color

Mix yogurt, cucumber and ground roasted cumin together. Sprinkle with dash of cumin and paprika for color. Sorry no measurements but I normally do it by look and taste. Can store in fridge until ready to eat.

For some easy to make Indian dishes like spiced peas or tomatoes and chunna (chickpeas, remember!) - check out my sister’s blog Vegonomic$

My Dad and his sister Rani are the best Indian chef's I know, hopefully I will absorb a little more so that I can eventually make some of these dishes fresh! In the meantime - TJ's to save the day!

p.s. there is a box of veggie samosas in the pic - i do NOT recommend those. they didn't taste very Indian to me at all.

recommendation: listen to your father…he really does know best

Life’s lessons – they are there for a reason. Listen to them. When I look back on the latter part of my teen years, I think I was kind of rebellious (those who know me know that in truth this actually means slamming doors, yelling that life wasn’t fair and the silent treatment, none of which really qualify as true teen rebellion). I can’t imagine the horrible times I put my parents through as they tried to teach me right and guide me through all of the experiences of growing up. My dad had strict rules and I never thought they were fair. He held high expectations and only for the best reasons, so I could succeed and become all that I was possible of. Looking back, I wish I had followed more of his advice, or at least listened sooner…. luckily a lot of it stuck with me. Here are some recommendations passed down, to both me and my lucky husband who has a father who has dealt with his fair share of teenage rebellion.

The basics of being a kid:
Sudhir: Hold your pencil right
Paul: The mitt can be used to catch the ball AND protect your face.

How to get around in the kitchen
Sudhir: Put in double the amount of water as rice, boil, and simmer for 25 minutes
Paul: Anything you have in the house, no matter how random its seems can be made into a meal with the right spices and a little creativity

The Secret to Success:
Sudhir: The key to being successful in life is knowing proper English and grammar
Paul: Having a happy and healthy family can make you the richest man in the world

Real Life Lesson:
Sudhir: It never hurts to ask
Paul: Always be compassionate

Advice from both fathers:
Sudhir: Do what makes you happy
Paul: Do what makes you happy

We all went to a wedding yesterday and the priest spoke of two families joining together to support and be present to witness the love of the bride and groom, how the bride and groom knew love (the happy hand holding love, and the how to be there for each other during a challenging time kind of love) because of what they learned from their parents and loved ones. My husband and I are fortunate to say that we have always felt loved. That is not something we ever had to question. Whether it was a hug, an approving pat on the back, a look or the actual words, we have always known deep down that our dad’s love us and will always love us. And in our lives together, we continue to learn about love from our father in-laws as well. They teach us about their life experiences so that we can learn and grow to be all that we can be.

So ears perked, pencil ready, listen to your father. He’s got good advice to give you and it’s all because he loves you.

recommendation: friday obsessions

Well, its been a while since my last post. Not because I don't have anything to talk about or nothing exciting is happening - in fact, I have three topics that came up in the past week or so that I have good recommendations for! Indian grocery shopping and cooking; planting a garden on your balcony; and hosting a supper club! But alas, what has slowed down my posts is pure selfish laziness. I've been coming home from work and immediately changing into my PJ's, eating my dinner in bed and finding the girliest movie possible on TV until my hubby gets home from class (ie/ Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. yikes.)

So I ask you to hold tight an anticipation that I have lots of lovely recommendations to come... and in the meantime... here are 5 things I cannot stop thinking about that I want to share!

1. blush blazers worn by Kourtney & Khloe on Kardashians – cant find shot from the show but it was a boyfriend jacket and looked something like this – I want one!

2. David Burke's Primehouse Pop-Up Ice Cream Shop - Jove T's Big Daddy Kone Ice Cream Shop, 3-5pm at JBar - 610 N. Rush. $5 for jumbo cone, goes until it runs out, every friday through summer. The two flavors this week are:
PEPPERMINT COOKIES & CREAM- Fresh Peppermint Ice Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream, Mint Chocolate Meltaways, Chocolate Mint Cookies
CARROT CAKE- Cream Cheese Ice Cream, Carrot Cake Chunks, Pineapple Sherbet, Candied Walnuts.
YUM YUM YUM. Good thing Friday's are my workout days!!!

3. my new melemine serveware that worked

out so perfectly at our supper club. I got a mixture of geometric and floralpieces. They had a really pretty watercolor poppy design too.

4. Coconut water. I am only recommending the flavored kinds (except for the acai/pom one. ewwie). Plain is weird, pineapple is pina colada delicious. Try it when you are hungover, exhausted, or after you work out.

5. coconut oatmeal. Not sure what my obsession with coconut is yet, must be that its summer time. i got it from e.leaven which is right across the street from my work, so super convenient but it was too expensive. I'm dying to try it at home. Raw shredded coconut mixed through a creamy oatmeal (I'm going to try to mix in lite coconut milk!) and then toasted coconut on top. Possible mix-ins: raw sugar if needed, banana and mango!

TGIF!!!

recommendation: sweet bite-size chocolate treats

I feel like I just won the lottery. This find was better than finding a penny on the street or a $5 in your coat pocket. I have found something that will relieve a long day at work, satisfy a sweet tooth, cure the PMS crave, and perhaps even mend a broken heart (ok maybe I'm taking this a little too far). What is this secret I have? I will tell you but you have to promise me to practice some restraint…Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownie Bites. Layered Chocolate Brownie, not the diet kind, not the guilty kind, but the perfect in between. These things are amazing. 60 calories each (and ok, yes, 3g fat each but chances are if you are looking for something chocolate to stuff in your mouth, this won’t deter you).

They were purchased on a whim while I was grocery shopping past my dinner time (this is a practice never recommended by rani unless you have lots of cupboard space and some extra spending cash). I think the best thing about them is that they are cut in little squares and kept out of sight in the fridge – so unlike normal brownies where you can cut ‘just a tiny square more’ every time you walk past the pan on the counter, these are almost out of sight out of mind. I’ve decided I can treat myself to them 1. only in the evening 2. after dinner and 3. I’m not allowed to eat more than 3 (one serving size) in one sitting. These are feasible goals for me and the bag isn't that big so its a nice small sweet indulgence. Check them out, they are worth it! Mmm.

recommendation: way to use leftovers from your fridge for easy meal

Came up with the best recipe yesterday. Sunday lunches are normally made by cleaning out the fridge from the past week's leftover meal ingredients and seeing what we can make of it. I had bought quick-cook polenta on a whim (dying to try it) and it came in handy for this great meal. Here's what I used:

Polenta Base:
2 cups chicken broth (always keep a few cans of these in house, staple. also, can substitute veggie broth)
1 cup water
3/4 cup quick cook polenta
1/2 cup shredded parm (ok maybe I added a tiny bit more)

Bring chicken broth & water to boil, add polenta and simmer for 5 minutes while whisking till thick. Take off burner and stir in parm. Let sit.

Spicy Sausage Topping:
*this can be varied with anything you have in your fridge!
everything used was from meals during the past week:
1 jalepeno chix sausage from TJ's, sliced thin (comes in pack of 5, other 4 were used for pat dinner - 2 per person)
1 tsp italian spices
2 TBSP chopped onion (could have used more but was all I had left)
1 tsp garlic (buy the one in the jar with oil, so much easier for times like this!)
2 cups fresh spinach (leftover from salad)
1/2 cup Mids marinara sauce (leftover)
1/2 cup chopped pepper (bought yellow one to snack on but never cut up...)
extra parm for topping

Put 1-2 tsp olive oil in pan on medium heat, add sausage to heat. Once browned, add onion and peppers cook 2 min, add garlic. Add italian seasoning. Let cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach, let it wilt a little. Add sauce, stir all together.

Spoon sausage mixture over a few spoons of polenta, sprinkle with parmesan.

Could probably add artichokes, more peppers, other cheese or meats, anything else in fridge. Now that I think about it I had a ton of shredded mozzarella and some olives I could have used in it! Whatever you do, don't skip the parm cheese in the polenta base, that's what totally made it. I've made polenta before and unless you do something with it (pan fry it, cover it in sauce, etc.) it can be a little bland. Also, did I mention this recipe took 15 minutes to make? That's it!!! Original recipe calls for can of diced tomatoes instead of sauce.

enjoy!

recommendation: easy pancakes

Weekend breakfasts normally consist of brunching out or pancaking it in. It’s a nice break from the toast/oatmeal/cereal routine of weekdays. I’ve become a self-professed ‘pro’ at pancakes – but let me share my secret – Aunt Jemima Original Add Water kind only. Anything else tends to be a disaster.

The thing I love about these pancakes is you literally add water only and THAT’S IT. Stir together (do not overbeat! will make pancakes tougher!) and throw in a pan.

I use a square non-stick griddle pan that I bought at HomeGoods, I’ve found that no other pan works quite the same. Pancakes tend to stick pretty bad on a normal skillet. Recipe is on the box but here’s how it goes:’

2 cups of pancake mix
1.5 cups of water (I always add a little more so that they can pour easier)

Mix together.

Heat skillet to medium/high (5 or 6 on a dial). Test with a drop of water to make sure its hot enough, if it is, water will sizzle. Spray hot skillet with PAM or oil spray. Spoon on pancake mix. If you add a second ladle to the middle of the pancake, it will push it to extend bigger evenly.

Wait 30-60 seconds, use spatula to check underside, when golden brown, spray open space on skillet with more PAM, flip pancake onto this spot. This makes each side toasty golden brown. And yes, that means I cook one pancake at a time.

Keep cooked pancakes between two plates to keep warm. Serve with syrup..that is syrup in my espresso cups, not coffee… gotta make use of them somehow since we never manage to make espressos these days! Plus they are the perfect size. Pour syrup in and microwave for 20 seconds to warm up.

Best parts of this recipe are its quick, easy, and you can pretty much add anything to it. Today I made with a handful of chocolate chips. Here are other add in ideas:

- Bananas & Pecans
- Blueberries
- Chocolate Chips & Pumpkin (Take a spoon or two of canned pumpkin, stir into pancake mix & water… this will make the pancakes a different consistency, they will take a little longer to cook and are thicker but its super yum in fall!)
- Bacon (think sweet & savory)
- If I’m not adding special ingredients, I normally just add a few dashes of cinnamon to the mix to add a little more flavor.

I'm sure you could get super gourmet on these with fresh herbs and cheese with the bacon or different berries and vanilla or almond flavoring and powder sugar - this box mix is such a great base for building anything your stomach desires.

Bon Appetite!

recommendation: easy stuffed shell recipe

I am a big Italian food person – pasta is yummy and satisfying and filling and often easy. I came home from work last night late and exhausted and normally would not attempt to make a big dinner but this recipe is so easy I had it made and in the oven within 20 minutes (counting time for the pasta to boil). Find the original recipe here since I have made a few changes…


1 container (15 oz.) Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT Parmesan Cheese (grated or shredded)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I use Mids Meatless)
1 large tomato, chopped (I normally skip this b/c I’m lazy!)

p.s. I normally add a little fresh torn basil to the cheese mixture if I have any in the house.

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and seasoning; spoon into shells.

Mix sauce and tomatoes; spoon half into 13x9-inch baking dish. Add filled shells; top with remaining sauce. Cover with foil

Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining mozzarella; bake, uncovered, 2 min. or until melted.

Helpful tips:
From Kraft...
Make Ahead: Assemble recipe as directed. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, covered, at 400°F for 35 min. or until heated through.

Freeze Ahead:Reserve 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Assemble recipe as directed, but do not top with the reserved mozzarella. Wrap casserole in foil; freeze. When ready to serve, heat oven to 400°F. Unwrap casserole; cover with foil. Bake 55 min. or until heated through, removing foil after 30 min. Top with reserved mozzarella; bake 2 min. or until melted.

From Me...
This is a great recipe if you want to bring a dish for a friend who just had a baby, a relative who just got out of the hospital or even a potluck since they are individual shells! Reheats well too. Flexible recipe - can add a little less spinach, veggies or extra cheese too. Enjoy!