Where was I and Nanizza!!!!

Some of you might me thinking - why this blog is not being updated for almost a year now! Well, I have a reason, and pretty good reason for that!

A new member has been added to our family by the most gracious Allah (swt). After a wait of six long years, I found out I was expecting in December last year! Our bundle of joy arrived on August 22. A baby boy, born at 11:14 PM, weighing 6.13 pounds, and 19 and a half inch long. Our little bundle is so adorable, precious, and lovable. Sincere Thank You to everyone who prayed for us and gave us their best wishes. 

After a very long time, last night I made this delicious snack. I do prepare regular food but something innovative was done last night after almost a year. I one leftover naan that  I had ordered for a dinner party at our house and didn't wanted to waste it so I tried using it as a pizza base and it came out so good. 

Ingredients:

1. One leftover naan
2. One fried chicken (or any leftover chicken)
3. Half onion - cut in large slices
4. Half bell pepper - cut in medium pieces
5. One mushroom - cut in medium slices
6. Two tablespoon chili sauce
7. Cheese - your flavor, I used yellow American Cheese, two slices
8. Chat masala - optional. 
9. Oil - one tsp

Process:

1. In a small pan, heat oil, add in chicken, onion, bell pepper, mushroom and chili sauce. 
2. Mix well and let it cook for 6-7 minutes. Keep stirring every once in a while. 
3. Preheat toaster over to 350 degrees. Spray baking tray. 
4. Place naan on a baking tray, spread chicken and veggie mixture, spread cheese. 
5. Toast for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 
6. Sprinkle chat masala and serve hot!!

ENJOY!!!

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Chili-Garlic Bread/Toast

Hello all beautiful people out there... 

It has been crazy busy with the tax season. I get home at 7-7:30 leave at 8:30 in the morning. Working Saturdays and Sundays!! But, it is much more peaceful, since I am working for myself now! Yes! I am my own boss and it feels so good! Now I always think, why I didn't do this earlier. But anyways, its never too late!

Coming to my quick and easy snack, yes I need a lot of these kind of recipes for the busy season. This is one of the best tea time snack, I have came up with so far. You have to try it to believe me... 

Ingredients:
1. Three slices of bread, sides removed.
2. Two tblsp (each)- green, red, and yellow pepper - finely chopped
3. Three cloves of garlic - finely chopped
4. Two tblsp - butter at room temperature
5. Red chili flakes - per your desire (optional)

Process:
1. Mix together all the ingredients from #2 to #5 above.
2. Spread it on the three bread slices.
3. Toast in it mini oven for 5-6 minutes.

 

 

ENJOY!!! 

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India ka Rs. 8 Wala Pizza



I cannot tell you how I had felt almost 15 years ago, when I first tasted a pizza in India. Yes, 15 years ago... (I feel old :( :( ) I had a pizza with my cousins in Law Garden of Ahmedabad. It tasted like a hard naan, with ketchup, veggies, and cheese. Then a year later, I came to US and tasted the regular cheese pizza, soft crust, pizza sauce, and "melted" cheese. At that time, I liked Indian Pizza better than US Pizza.

Then I stayed here in US for 14 years and started to develop a taste American Pizza and started liking this over Indian Pizza, but my recent trip to India changed it all over again. I know I sound like I am all over the place... but I have this thing with Pizza, I only like certain types, certain combos, etc...

So, what's up with Rs 8 in my post title. Well this time when I went to India, I kept tell my hubby's sister (didi) that I want to eat "Rs. 8 wala Pizza" and she kept telling me that there is no such pizza. I told her that I had it in Law Garden 15 years ago, so she took me there but all pizzas over there now had melted cheese and they all had started using a mini oven to make pizzas. I kept describing it to her that the cheese should not be melted and crust has to be kinda hard. We went to almost five different vendors at different places with no success in finding my Rs. 8 wala Pizza.

So, then one day, we went shopping and we were shopping for over 5 hours and we both started to feel hungry. She took me to a small cart in the shopping area which served sandwiches, chaat, and lots of other stuff. The cart menu (on the cart itself) said that they served Pizza as well. I was going to come back to US in less than a week. So I told her I will get a Pizza, she insisted that I get something else otherwise I will be disheartened again. I said no I will have a Pizza. And GUESS what, it was my Rs. 8 wala Pizza. When the guy came with the plate, I jumped with so much excitement that he thought I have lost it and kept staring at me instead of serving me :)...

I told Didi that this is what I have been looking for. She gave me the strangest expression and goes, "THIS pizza". I go, "Yeah". She goes, "Oh this we get it at all these carts, not at a regular food place, you should have told me earlier; and you kept saying Rs. 8, Rs. 8, this Pizza is now Rs. 40". My Oh My.. time did change Big TIME!!!!

So here is to old memories and new ones that I will be making with this dear Pizza of mine...

Ingredients:

1. 7 inch Pizza Crust (available at any super market)
2. One tblsp Ketchup
3. Two tblsp Salsa
4. Three tblsp - chopped onions, coriander, green bell peppers
5. Shredded Pizza Cheese (your choice & amount)
6. Chat Masala - One tsp

Process:

1. Spread ketchup and salsa over pizza crust.
2. Add onions, coriander, and greed bell peppers.
3. Heat mini oven and bake for 5-7 minutes on 350 F.
4. Take out Pizza and sprinkle shredded cheese as much as you like.
5. Sprinkle chaat masala over it.
6. Serve hot.

This was loved by all at home and I am sure you will love it too. Whenever I eat this, I get a feeling for India or Nostalgic Feeling :)

ENJOY!!!

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Banana-Kiwi-Strawberry Smoothie

So for past two weeks or so, my older brother and sis-in-law went for their first Hajj!! As exciting the experience would be for them... It was equally exciting on my part as my niece stayed with us for the entire time. You will find more details on my niece here. She is the most adorable, cutest, naughtiest, and fun-loving kid I would ever know. So her being around the house, every now and then, I try to make something with milk, so she would drink it without any tantrums :).. I made this smoothie over the weekend and I know she loved it. How? Well......

Ingredients:

1. One banana - cut in cubes
2. Three-four strawberries - halved
3. One kiwi - sliced
4. One and a half cup cold milk
5. Sugar - about three tsp (you can adjust it according to your taste buds).

Process:

Grind together all the ingredients in a food processor. Serve cold!

ENJOY!!!

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My Princess (niece) turned a year old today & My first Award

Yummy Team has passed along an award to me... Thank you so much Yummy Team - their website is the one of the coolest that you will come across with a variety of recipes and mouthwatering pictures... According to the rules for this award, I am suppose to post my favorite picture and pass this along to my bloggers friends. Well as for the pictures.. they are all listed below... with a story (read that as my rantings :) ) to go along with... I  would like to pass along this award to all of my fellow bloggers: Sarah Naveen, Suja Sugathan, Nithu Bala, Divya, Preethi Rajiv, Suhaina Aji, Simply.food, Muskaan & Sadhana, Sayali, Pari, Swathi Iyer, Faiza Ali, Roha, Luli, Sangi, Cool Lassi(e), Latha Biju, Umm Mymoonah, Rach, Jagruti, Sanjana and Divya Vikram...

My cutie pie turned a year old today. Can't believe it's been that long... I feel like it was yesterday when I found out that my SIL was pregnant. Her nine months went by so fast (at least from my view :) ).. and then she was here... our angel... my parent's first grand child, my first niece, my bro's first child.. I will never forget that day.. if this is what I feel for my niece imagine what I would feel like when I have my own... he he he...

When we brought her home from the hospital, I would be sitting right beside her waiting for her to wake up so that I can play with her... but for about 2 months that's all she did - ate and slept... then came the fun part when she started to eat mashed fruits and vegetables... I had so much fun actually let me rephrase that we all had so much fun with her... she started learning more and more things every day...

She was/is such a big stress reliever... The kind of work that I do is very fast paced with deadlines hitting in one-two-three weeks. Very stressful and very demanding at the same time.. but everyday, by the time I got home, she would be there waiting for me to hold her and play peek-a-boo with her.. her smiles made all of my stress disappear in less than a second...

She lived with us in Boston for about 6 months and then my brother with his family (yes, including my cutie pie) moved to one of the other state, since he got a better job there... It was then that I realized how much I missed her...

They come over once a month for about a week. Once she leaves I can't wait enough for her to come back so I make few trips to their place in between... :) This weekend we celebrated her B'day in Boston...

 

May Allah bless her with all the happiness in this world and the hereafter, Ameen!

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