Your mission if you choose to accept it....

Your mission if you choose to accept it is to create recipes for me to try. I will announce a winning recipe and there will be a prize!

Here are the guidelines:

Ingredients need to be found here locally. Below are common everyday items I can find in the market:

Veggies and other Staples:
Green Beans, Broccoli, Zucchini, Baby Sweet Corn, Corn on the Cob, Carrots, Lettuce, Tomato, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper, Onion, Sweet Potato, Regular Potato, Rice, Eggs, Milk, Cucumber, Okra, Pumpkin (small), lime, lemon, butter, cheese, basic pasta (spaghetti, bow tie, penne).


Fruits:
Bananas, Coconuts, Mango, Papaya, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Lychee, Pears

Below are everyday spices that are cheap and easy to find:
Ginger, Garlic, Curry Leaves, Curry Powder, Mustard Seed, Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Bay Leaf, Caraway, Sage, Saffron, Basil, Clove, Sesame, Tamarind, Turmeric, Thyme, Mint, Chili peppers, Masala

A few reminders…
I don’t have an oven (or a Crockpot) I’m talking basic stove top cooking.
Serving size 2 (or 4 and we can have leftovers)
I do have a microwave.
If you include meat it’s got to be chicken or mutton.
Remember that everything is raw and nothing is processed (for example, if I use coconut it's a whole coconut that I must break, drain, remove the flesh, and then grate---it’s not sweetened).
I’m looking for simple and easy recipes.
I’m not looking for Indian recipes but a taste of home.

Allergies: soy

I’m also looking for recipes for homemade salsa, dips (like creamy j), BBQ sauce, sour cream, maple syrup, icing, whip cream, anything from scratch that doesn’t use pre-packaged stuff or mixes. Non-bake dessert ideas would be helpful as well.

I will be accepting recipes through May 1st. I will announce the winner on Memorial Day. I have to have time to try out the recipes!

Please email recipes to bluebonnets4jasmine@gmail.com

Have fun!

My Diagnosis Was Correct!

I went to the doctor today. I was expecting it to be a bit more adventuresome. Alas, it was pretty routine. I was able to find my way there pretty easily (getting back home was a bit more difficult and strange...that's another story). I have Dyshidrotic Dermatitis.

The doctor gave me 2 creams. One cream I have to put on the effected areas after I shower in the morning. The other cream I apply in the afternoon and then again in the evening. The doctor also gave me allergy tablets to take once a day with dinner. I have to use a special soap. I'm suppose to avoid all other soaps and detergents. I have to wear gloves when I do the wash and if I wash dishes. Now I just have to find some.

The doctor confirmed that it's genetic---thanks mom! It's also chronic. It will come back and I need to observe when it comes back in order to avoid the triggers (at least the ones I can control).

The story about coming home...

The rickshaw driver agrees to take me for a somewhat reasonable price. Then he just pulls over about a third of the way there. He waits for another driver to come along. Apparently he didn't know where he was going. He has me get out and the other guy takes me home. He wants a ridiculous amount which isn't decided until we're almost to my flat. As we turn into my neighborhood we get run off the rode into a pile of dirt and almost get stuck. It messes up his auto (poor guy) and we can't go but at a snails pace from there (I could have walked faster). I bear with him and pay him his ridiculous rate b/c he's going to need it to fix his auto.

Something to ponder...

What does it say about a culture when they don't have a word for maintenance?

Hindi Alphabet

People have been asking what the Hindi script looks like...here you go. This is my alphabet chart with words and pictures to help me associate the letter and sound with a word that I hopefully know.

Where I Live...

Here's where I live. My flat is on the first floor (2nd in American terms). Go up the stairs and go to the left.

Here's the view as seen from our balcony.

This is what you see when you enter the flat.

Here's the side profiles.

That's our living and dinning room. Spacious!

Here's the view from the other side of the living/dining room. That's our comfy chair. It's a great place to curl up with a book or relax and watch a movie.

Here's the kitchen...it's one of those great hole in the wall places=)


Here's our typical marble sink. Be careful the drain doesn't get clogged. When you unclog it you might have a flood at your feet (especially if the lower drain is clogged). Make sure you scrap your plate clean!


Here's our lovely cabinets!

Our three range stove which runs off of propane (usually delivered by a man on a bicycle)

If you look at the top right hand corner you can see our stove. It doesn't work at the moment but we'll have it fixed soon. We do have a microwave hiding in the left hand corner!


Here's our very rare fridge with freezer. I was definitely not expecting this. Especially one this big. Beside it is our supply of water which we must use for anything that goes into our mouths (cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, etc.) We can only use the water from the tap to wash dishes, clothes, and ourselves.

Here's my bedroom....





My side of the room and the guest bed.


This is my bedroom window. It's great for keeping the heat out but I guess the view lacks something to be desired.


Here's where I keep my clothes and other things (mine's the one on the right).




Here's my bathroom.....


Here's half of my bathroom. Yeah! for a western toilet. I was expecting a squatty. The white bucket with the cup on the floor is what I use to take a bath when I don't use the shower in my roommate's bathroom.

Here's the other half of my bathroom. This is why I don't have a proper shower in my bathroom.


Here's the lovely view from my bathroom window...



Here's the shower in my roommate's bathroom. I included the famous geyser (which is pronounced geezer) which allows us to have hot water for our shower.

The bottom & top pics fit together (sort of)

That's my flat. I hope you enjoyed the tour.