My coffee mugs shelf

I love coffee/tea mugs. Any mug that catches my eye, I would decide to buy. But since rented house didn't have any space to display/keep these mugs I had put hold on my urge to buy any mugs. While mentioning the specifications to our architect, I had made sure something is build to display these mugs. We finally got this made in our house.

New addition to my vase

I had this vase gifted by my colleagues for our house warming ceremony. To this day it has been just lying in a corner surrounded by pebbles without any flowers in it. I always postponed the idea of buying flowers for it, thought I would do something myself for it. Finally I made something for them.
I had initially put some empty branches bought from my morning walk in it.


Later I made few paper beads.


Colored them with fabric paint


Fixed these to the branches.


How is it? The low cost flowers( really buds) made at home.

Pumpkins, too much of them

When God gives he gives in lots. This is so true in case of Pumpkins grown in our house. We never intended to sow the seed. Initially when it started growing we were not sure which creeper it was. I and my husband decided to wait and watch. But I had a doubt in my mind that it should be the sweet pumpkin. We didn't take out plant and just let it off to spread and grow in the neighbouring empty site. This is one advantage of having no next neighbours. Flowers started to bloom and after few days just thought to have a look. My god as many as 10 pumpkins were ready to be cut. Pumpkin not being one of our favourite, we take at least a month to finish off a single pumpkin. So P took them to his office and distributed among his colleagues and few were taken to relatives. Then after a few days a new problem started. A big rat started visiting our compound via this creeper and started creating a havoc. It started to dig a hole everywhere. Finally we decided enough was enough and to kill this creeper and we did it(I felt sad to do this). In the end we managed to get around 15-20 pumpkins. We had to dispose this off somehow. We were hoping that a nearby Hopcoms guy would take it but alas he refused to do so. We waited for a week and sold in the weekly Jigani market for rs 5 for a KG. It came to 48 Kg on a whole and instead got other vegetables for that money.

Quick Mango Pickle

This recipe is a quick one after the cut mangoes are soaked for day or two. Since the mango looses it's crispiness soon here, has to be consumed quickly or can be refrigerated for longer use.

Ingredients
Medium sized raw mangoes- 5
Mustard 3 table spoon
Salt 5 table spoon
Chilli Pwd 2 tb spoon(more if desired)
Hing 4-5 pinches

1. Peel the mangoes.
2. Add salt and keep aside for two days. The mangoes will emit water when salted.
3. On the third day take filter out the water in the mangoes and keep it aside.
3. Grind the mustard in the mixer to fine paste(without adding any water).
4. Take the salt water and bring it to boil for 5 minutes.
5. Soak the hing in this salt water.
6. Mix all the ingredients, chilli pwd, ground mustard, mangoes, salt water.
7. Add more boiled salt water if you want more thin consistency.

Book finished

I finally finished 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' by Ken Kesey y'day. For a while I just ignored my kids, husband and just wanted to read and finish it. Nice book. I had bought this last year while I was carrying, started reading but didn't continue. I felt the story might have some bad effects on me and the baby. Picked up again last week and finished it.

My first Warli drawing.

This was my first attempt doing a Warli Drawing(I wouldn't say painting since I didn't paint anything, just used permanent marker for filling the drawing). Not very bad for a first timer what do you say? I hadn't intended to frame it. We had to visit the framewallh for few other paintings that we bought, so I was little curious how this would look after framing. You can see unprofessional in the border.

Maavina Saaru

Posting here is a simple recipe to quench the summer thirst. This raw mango rasam is famous in Malnad and is a must have in lunch on special occasions. This is a good appetizer, consumed as it is or with rice. This recipe has many versions but this is my recipe.

1/2 Raw Mango
1/4 Coconut milk
Salt to taste
2 Green Chili
For tadka
1 tsp Jeera
2 pinches of Hing
1 Red chili
2 tsp of oil

1. Peel the raw mango and cut into tiny pieces.
2. Cook the mango pieces with the green chillies.
3. Grind the cooked mango and the chillies in the mixer.
4. Add the stock and the ground mixture and bring it to boil.
5. Add the coconut milk.
6. Give the tadka.