Spring – Summer Special | My Home Mantra

Posted in Spring - Summer Special, Travelicious

Glimpses of Mt Shasta and Crater Lake

Blue clear sky, a canvas of lush green meadow with tiny bright yellow flowers, dancing with the wind, tall pine trees all around, snow topped mountains in the backdrop and the sweet chime of rushing water! The experience which will let you experience “bliss”! All my senses were awakened. Lying under the sun at noon turned into a joyful moment – at that moment I felt the connection with the nature. Pure happiness unfolded in my heart, that happiness was beauty, the beauty of the nature. The first unplanned trip we did which surprised us at every moment. The experience was worth sharing…

Posted in Desserts, Spring - Summer Special

Qubani Ka Meetha / Apricot Dessert

Qubani is an Urdu word for Apricots. And this dessert – Qubani Ka Meetha which itself translates to stewed Apricot dessert is a specialty of Hyderabad. It was the challenge posed by Roha from Hyderabadi Cuisine as part of SNC ( South Vs North Challenge), which as you might know is a brainchild of Divya from YouTooCanCook, you can read about it more here. When I first saw this in my inbox I was almost jumping with joy. Apricots are one of my favorite fruits. What I like about apricot is its distinct aromatic flavor. Currently farmer’s markets in the US are…

Posted in Smoothie, Spring - Summer Special, Superfoods

Almond Energy Drink

A drink that makes every morning a good morning! We seem to be sacrificing more of our time and energy to our high-speed wireless culture and as a result exhaustion has become a familiar aspect of our lives. All too often we forget to take care of ourselves. How many times you consider yourself an important part of your life? Making room in your frantic schedule for some downtime is equally important as intentionally replenishing your energy with healthy and wholesome food. Here is my recipe for an energizing drink, a perfect start for your day! It contains just 4 simple ingredients,…

Posted in Breakfast, Jams & Pickels, Spring - Summer Special

Homemade Pineapple Jam

Simplest Jam made with Exotic Ingredients When I was little, one of my favorite treats were fresh pineapple. A pineapple is a seasonal fruit in India so finding ways to preserve it for rest of the year was quite natural. The obvious was Pineapple Jam; still my most favorite! I like it crunchy and not spreadable like store bought ones. So I prefer not to blend it. If you plan to keep it for longer which is so hard since it’s so tempting, you can use some preservative. But for me simple sugar syrup works best. Many recipes ask for…

Posted in Desserts, Entertaining, Quick n Healthy, Spring - Summer Special

Blueberry Delight

Holidays are here and so is the season of sweets and extra-calories. When my friends came over last night, I wanted to serve them a quick healthy dessert. I understand Healthy & Desserts can not fit into one sentence but this was an exception. First of all it was a petite dessert made with ‘camouflaged’ greek yogurt mixed with homemade Blueberry compote and apple chunks. When it comes to dessert presentation is what matters the most, rightt? So, here is how I did it. [purerecipe] Happy Holidays!

Posted in Quick n Healthy, Snacks, Spring - Summer Special, Superfoods

Kale Chips

We all know we should eat green leafy vegetables. And I am sure you have come across Kale Chips too. Are they easy to make? Yes and No. They are easy to make for the most part, but can easily be messed up. When I first made Kale chips, I had no idea how Kale tastes. Its slight bitter taste does call for Indian touch like chaat masala or your favorite seasoning. If “green” and “leafy” do not strike a bell in your mind, here is why Kale is a clear winner when in comes to nutrition. Type of Green Calories…

Posted in Jams & Pickels, Spring - Summer Special

Fresh Strawberry Jam

It was one o’ clock and I had almost finished my shopping at the farmer’s market. I stopped at a stall which had only two big boxes of fresh organic strawberries and the seller was happily offering them at half the price. I instantly grabbed one box and started thinking of how to preserve these summer treats. There wouldn’t be a better way than fresh homemade strawberry jam! I returned home with the big box in my hands and a big smile 🙂 [purerecipe]

Posted in Desserts, Entertaining, Maharashtrian, Spring - Summer Special

आम्रखंड / Amrakhand / Mango Mousse

Alphonso mango with thick creamy yogurt – divine delight! Admittedly, my whole family has a sweet tooth – I just have the biggest! Whenever my mom asked my preference for dessert I answered with only one word – Amrakhand. Alphonso mango pulp mixed with very think yet very smooth yogurt and sugar with some cardomom and saffron, who wouldn’t like it? For me it’s simply a divine pleasure! It’s very famous in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. Gudhi padwa (Hindu New Year) was the perfect occasion to prepare this special dessert at home. Making this at home does have…

Posted in Breakfast, Quick n Healthy, Smoothie, Spring - Summer Special

Blackberry Smoothie

Nutritious yet delicious delight The easiest way to enjoy fresh blackberries is to have thick creamy blackberry smoothie. Add fresh washed blackberries with thick greek yogurt, honey and some milk and give it a quick whisk in a blender. Nothing can be more filling than a glass of sweet creamy blackberry smoothie loaded with antioxidants. Blackberry Benefits – 1. Blackberries are one of the top ten foods containing antioxidants. The anthocyanin, the antioxidants give blackberries their deep purple color help in memory retention and prevent the risk of hypertension. 2. Blackberries are packed with polyphenols helping to prevent cancer and…

Posted in Breakfast, Continental, Desserts, Jams & Pickels, Spring - Summer Special, Superfoods

Blueberry Jam / Compote

I look at Jam as a way to preserve summer in a jar 😛 Every summer my mom used to make mango jam at home. She did the same thing with strawberries last summer and now I am following her tradition with yet another awesome superfood of this planet – blueberries. Ingredients: 2 pounds fresh blueberries 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1/8 cup lemon juice That’s it. Wash blueberries and let them dry completely. No need to chop blueberries, they are so tender they break down easily once heated. In a sauce pan, mix blueberries and sugar and mix it…

Spring – Summer Special