Refreshing, sparkling, tart … it’s hard to describe this champagne gin cocktail. Gin brings juniper and a certain spiciness, lemon juice adds bright tartness, maraschino cherries a unique sweet almond flavor, and the bubbly dry wine adds … well, bubbles. Shaken and served icy cold, this gin cocktail is just absolutely a party in a chilled glass. Garnished with a lemon twist and pretty red cherry, with a bright tutti-frutti color, isn’t it a pretty cocktail?...

Simple & Sweet Pumpkin Seeds If carving pumpkins is on your agenda this week, DON’T throw away your pumpkin seeds! Instead, save them and make cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds. These are quick, so festive, and absolutely irresistible! You may even find yourself buying a few extra pumpkins just to make them 😉 Pumpkin seeds are such a fun fall snack, and they’re especially fun to make with kids after carving your Jack O’Lantern!...

I bought coconut flour on an impulse years ago. At the time, I wasn’t even sure how to use it. I took quite a few failed recipes before I completely understood how to use it. Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is made of ground up, dried coconut meat and is completely gluten-free. It has more fiber than any other flour, making it especially filling and a great choice for those trying to lose weight....

I was initially skeptical about trying lentil tofu, but after making this lentil tofu curry recipe, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it turned out. I decided to turn it into a curry, and the texture was fantastic – crispy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside. It’s a fantastic protein alternative for people with soy intolerances or those seeking creative options. To achieve that umami texture in my lentil tofu cubes, I added a secret ingredient....

Baked beans are usually one of the most popular dishes at the party. They’re fantastic for get-togethers like potlucks or picnics because they’ll stay warm all evening in your crock pot. How long it takes: 4 to 8 hours, depending on whether you cook them on High or Low Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker (CrockPot) Servings: 12 It’s so true that “It’s not what you look like, it’s what’s inside that counts!...

Bora or fritters are made with a mix of red lentils and yellow split peas. They are traditionally deep fried but to make the dish guilt-free, I use the paniyaram pan or aebliskiver pan. This is a delicious recipe to serve with rice or even roti. About the Recipe Being a vegetarian, lentils are one of my favorite source of protein. I love using them in various dishes like this vegetarian kedgeree or this potato lentil stew or these Mauritian dholl puri....

This is a simple recipe which needs just a few ingredients and here I am sharing the recipe from my mom. Serve this minapa rotti with chutney or sambar. About the recipe I grew up eating Andhra dishes at home. And I love making them for my kids now. It is so satisfying watching them enjoy the foods from my childhood. Here is one such Andhra recipe that is now a family favorite (even my picky daughter loves it)....

Kokum Sharbat Nothing can beat water, the elixir of life. But at times we need to treat ourselves with some simple, delicious and refreshing drinks. I am back with one more khatta meetha sarbath and this time it is the kokum sarbath. :-) Kokum has lot of medicinal benefits and it is one among the widely used healing spices in Ayurveda. Also it is known as the cool king of the Indian fruits....

The month of Mega Marathon – April is finally here. Every year during the month of April and September, I along with other BM participants post recipes under certain theme for a month long except Sundays. I started participating in this month long marathon from 2015. This is my third year. This time it is quite a challenging theme, A to Z baking from multiple countries and we cannot repeat a country more than twice....

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes! Since I tasted mashed potatoes at my workplace ten years back, it has become a staple in my vegetarian Thanksgiving spread. I love the fluffy and light mashed potatoes with the veggie gravy; it’s a fantastic combination for sure. Now coming to the recipe, be it in Instant Pot or stove-top, it’s pretty easy to make. The recipe is very straightforward, but there are a few nitty-gritty things that you need to consider....

You can also choose to make my spiced syrup to pour on these fluffy vegan pancakes! Why Spiced Banana Pancakes? So, some time back, I kinda never understood the hype after pancakes. They did not taste phenomenal, and neither did they fill me up for breakfast. And it’s not that I didn’t try! I was curious to see why the Americans (and in turn all of social media) raved about it so much....

Summer is finally in full swing in Michigan and I am happy happy happy about it. We’ve been fighting summer colds, so I’m not super thrilled about that, but I’ll take the hot summer days nonetheless. The kids were both sick over the 4th of July holiday, and I was sick all weekend. Ben and I still managed to squeeze in a little fun over the holiday, thanks to kind in-laws willing to babysit so we can keep our plans, despite our kids being under the weather....

I posted about my gardening love in 2017, and after that, I couldn’t post much. Like a recipe, I want to be sure about my gardening practices as well before posting it here. So I took my time to start the series. Finally, I am happy to start the series with raised beds. Here is a picture of my raised bed that I took on a bright sunny day....

A Mediterranean Inspired One Pot Meal There’s so much to love about this Greek chicken orzo. From the well-balanced medley of flavors (bright lemons, salty olives, buttery artichokes, punchy onions, fresh herbs… I could go on!) to the fast cook time (just 25 minutes!). Oh, and let’s not forget that it’s a one pot meal! Why you’ll love it: Mediterranean inspired and so fun. It’s a nice change from your typical weeknight salmon or sloppy joes (though you know how much I love those too!...

How long it takes: 15 minutes to stir up, 50 minutes bake time Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl, two loaf pans Servings: makes 2 loaves, about 10 servings each This easy and healthy pumpkin bread is made with less oil and sugar, and whole wheat flour. One bite, and you’d never know that this moist tasty quick bread wasn’t completely indulgent. And that’s the best part (besides the fact that it’s pumpkin!...

Bake of the Day: Holiday Hoska Hope all of you are done with your holiday shopping and started preparing for the big day, which is only 1 week away now. I finally ordered almost all of the kids gifts yesterday – it is fun to shop online. I don’t think I fair well at going shopping especially at this time of the year when the malls and roads are crowded....

We are a Harry Potter fanatic family. Period. Please don’t ask me how many times I have read the book. :-) Like Ponniyin Selvan, I can keep reading and reading. My two favorite books. Now coming back to the butterbeer, I relished it in “The wizarding world of Harry Potter” in Universal Studios, LA. While the husband and I enjoyed the butterbeer, the kiddo relished the pumpkin juice. I wanted to try butterbeer at home for quite some time, but I was waiting for the kiddo to enter into his preteens....

How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 50 minutes to simmer Equipment you’ll need: large pot Servings: 6 (makes about 8 cups) Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Flavorful: I cook whole juicy chicken thighs right in the broth before shredding them to add back into the soup. Simmering bone-in chicken alongside the aromatics and veggies gives the soup base tons of flavor. Quick: This chicken noodle soup calls for a little over 30 minutes of simmering but tastes as though it’s been slow-cooked for hours....

Quick & Easy Garlic Knots So many recipes for garlic knots start with pre-made dough, and while I totally understand being in a rush, nothing stacks up to the taste of a completely from-scratch recipe. Maybe I’m biased, but homemade is always better! Especially with a recipe as easy as this one. Just like my homemade breadsticks, this homemade garlic knots recipe starts with my simple, from-scratch pizza dough. It’s a very easy yeast dough that’s great for beginners, so don’t be intimidated if you don’t often bake with yeast (like I was for the longest time)....

As I write this post, the weather outside is frightful. It really is. It’s the outside thermometer reads 5°F and the windchill is -9°F! BRRRR! About this White Russian Fun twist on the classic: This cocktail isn’t identical to a regular White Russian because it’s hot, and I also add extra coffee. If you’re liking the White Russian theme, try this really delightful twist: White Chocolate White Russian with vodka, white chocolate liqueur, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream liqueur....