I use run keeper for these activities and this year I wanted to run but wasn’t sure how to monitor my heart rate while running and strength training. I want to maintain it at the desirable level. Don’t want to overstress myself. My main goal was to be in fat burn zone and to avoid palpitations. That’s when I found this beets blu HRM (Heart Rate Monitor). Beets Blu HRM is a wireless Bluetooth Smart technology HRM that pairs up with the workout apps....

The Cutest Way to Eat Dessert My last pumpkin dessert of the year (and what a perfect one, just in time for Thanksgiving)! I don’t know about you but I’m honestly breathing a sigh of relief. My kitchen has been overwhelmed with pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin cupcakes, and while Zach has been over the moon you guys know I’m not actually much of a pumpkin person myself....

There’s a lot to love about these raspberry scones. They’re tender, buttery, and have just the right amount of sweetness. Bursting with tart, juicy raspberries and topped with a dusting of sugar… they’re the slightly sweetened cousin to my biscuit recipe, and they’re absolutely addictive. My recipe makes six large scones (though of course you can cut into smaller portions) and it’s always impossible for me to eat just one....

I am not a big fan of store-bought ready to eat products. Though I know some of them are really good because they are convenient and tasty. I try to make everything from scratch. I keep stock of basic ingredients needed for most of the dishes and it doesn’t seem cost effective to buy ready to cook foods again. But life happens and these ready-to-eat products come in very handy when we are pinched for time....

How long it takes: 45 minutes Equipment you’ll need: soup pan or Dutch oven, immersion blender (optional) Servings: 6 Not all soups are created equal in this department. Just like friends, soup can be too assertive: spicy, garlicky, or uncomfortably rich. Some soups, like relationships, are too messy or demanding to be comfortable. They have long noodles, giant chunks that don’t fit in your spoon, or stringy tough cheese (I’m thinking of you, French onion)....

Calling all Chocolate and Wine lover for our MUST HAVE Christmassy drink ‘ Easy Red Wine Hot Chocolate Recipe ‘ which I’m calling a warm, comforting hug in a mug kind of drink. bBt the drink that’ll surprise you and is quite a refreshing change is this Red Wine Hot Chocolate. Now, I do love Hot Chocolate and must have tried dozens of different options but this ‘ Easy Red Wine Hot Chocolate Recipe ‘ is definitely my this year favorite....

I confess I’m not a gardener. My grandparents always had an amazing vegetable garden and every time we visited them, we went home with whatever they had picked that day. There was usually a bucket of green or yellow beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, or zucchini by their back door which we were encouraged to take home. How long it takes: 15 minutes, plus an hour chilling time Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, jars, large measuring cup or bowl Servings: x I love the taste of summer, don’t you?...

Let’s get excited about turnips… said no one ever. Even my mom who will generally eat anything was not excited about roasting turnips. However, she loves this warm kale salad with roasted root vegetables which includes carrots, parsnips, beets, and yes, turnips, too, so that may have won her over a little bit. How long it takes: 5 to 10 minutes to prep; 30 minutes to roast Equipment you’ll need: A sharp knife, mixing bowl, sheet pan Servings: 4 Turnips don’t exactly have the good press that heirloom tomatoes and fresh corn-on-the-cob gets, but if cauliflower can get a glow-up (hello cauliflower nachos!...

I would like to thank Smruti for sharing this ingredient. Yes, this week’s BM theme is the ingredient exchange, and yesterday I posted kulukki sarbath with basil seeds, and today it is the milagu orai. This recipe was on my to-do list for quite some time. I would call this recipe as a distant cousin of Ven Pongal. Unlike Pongal, we don’t use moong dal for this recipe. It is very similar to podi sadam/spice mix rice....

An extremely easy and flavorful Shrimp Ghee Roast recipe using ghee, shrimp, onion, tomato paste, vinegar, and Indian spices. Perfect for busy weeknights dinner or anyday meal/brunch menu. Serve with rice/pasta/quinoa or even a side of fresh salad. This Shrimp Ghee Roast recipe is an extremely popular Indian recipe that has slightly different steps/ingredients as you travel from south-north India, however, the one thing which is constant is ‘It’s Fingerlicking Good’!...

Who’s ready for some super easy and yummy Skinny Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Bisque cause that’s my recipe for this weekend nosh. It’s also popular as Skinny Butternut Squash Soup or Butternut Squash Bisque too. It’s been raining on and off this entire week (here in California) and I’ve been feeling so sad looking at all those grumpy-grey clouds, lifeless trees. And with rain forecasted for the entire week ahead, I really needed something warm, comforting and colorful....

If it was Gowri habba festive spread yesterday, then it has to be Ganesha spread today! That’s how it is in our household. I still remember my grand father’s annual ceremony/thithi also comes around this Gowri-Ganesha time. And my mom won’t miss any festivals or rituals and follows everything duly and prepares excellent meals effortlessly. My mom is my cooking guru, and I aspire to be my mom. But I have a long way to go....

How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: a measuring spoon and a small jar for storage Servings: makes about ¼ cup Easy Homemade Southwest Spice Blend Easy ingredients. There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to choosing spices for your homemade spice blends. Buy the best that you can get in terms of texture, flavor, color, and quality that’s affordable to you. Then, just mix them up!...

What is Chorizo? Vegan chorizo is a plant-based version of the traditional Mexican and Spanish sausage called chorizo. Typically, vegan chorizo is made using a combination of ingredients such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, seitan, or a mix of beans and vegetables. These ingredients are seasoned with spices like smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and garlic to mimic the bold and spicy flavor of traditional chorizo. Vegan chorizo can be used as a versatile ingredient in various dishes....

These ragi dosa turn out crispy and delicious. Serve them with potato curry or with some chutney and sambar. About the recipe Millets are whole grains and I love to incorporate them into my daily diet quite regularly. Like in this jowar idli or this ragi soup. Finger millet or ragi is one of my most popular millets available. You can buy them as whole grains or as flour. In this recipe, I use sprouted ragi grains along with urad dal and rice....

A Fresh, Naturally-Flavored Strawberry Frosting Today’s strawberry frosting is a sort of choose-your-own-adventure recipe. When I set out to write this post, I didn’t plan on offering two variations of this recipe, but after lots of taste-testing, I decided both versions were too good not to share. My strawberry frosting can be made using either fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried strawberries. No matter which method you choose, I guarantee it will yield an authentic, fresh strawberry flavor with a natural bright pink color, perfect for covering your favorite cakes or cupcakes (hint: pair it with my dark chocolate cupcakes for a chocolate/strawberry cupcake… yum!...

They not only taste delicious but also keeps you full for good 4-5 hours. I Everyone, hope you had a nice weekend and are continuing on your quest to achieve those New Year resolutions. Our weekend was mostly indoor due to rains and that means a lot of binge TV marathon, drinking hot beverages, talking to friends endlessly and absolutely no-cooking for a whole day. But, we didn’t divulge from our ‘Healthy’ New Year resolution as we kept on track with these ‘Functional Breakfast Burritos’ from SweetEarth which are made of: Veggies, Plant Proteins like beans, quinoa, tofu....

I wrote similar disclaimer for my postpartum recipes. India is known for its culture and history and the traditional medicines but all these medicines are not written down at all or at least I have no clue where to find all the references. It’s a sad truth. So now coming back to Thai Ingredients, Galangal Kaffir Lime Thai Basil and Lemon Grass These are key ingredients used in Thai Curries....

Your New Favorite Breakfast Muffin Today I’m re-sharing one of my favorite muffin recipes on the blog, and apparently, it’s one of your favorites too! With nearly 500 five-star ratings, this banana muffin recipe is so well-loved–and for good reason. These aren’t bland, boring, or basic banana muffins; they’re fluffy, moist, and loaded with banana flavor! And if that’s not enough, I recommend topping them with a crumbly, buttery streusel topping…yum....

If I had things my way, every cake and every cupcake would be be buried beneath a mountain of cream cheese frosting. Not buttercream — Never rarely buttercream — always and only cream cheese. For someone with such a rampant sweet tooth, it’s alarming the number of times I’ve turned down a slice of cake or a sky-high frosted cupcake because the buttercream just makes my teeth hurt (OK full disclosure I have a buttercream recipe coming up on the blog next month, and it’s delicious, but cream cheese frosting will always win over my heart, even over my favorite chocolate frosting)....