Almond flavoured Oatmeal raisin cookies

I like the chewy,textured oatmeal cookies than the crispier ones.And i like almonds too .So here's are the cookies with the combination of almond's flavour and oatmeal's texture.Actually cookies use very little or almost no water which makes them not to raise so much and crispy.Using butter makes them very tasty but more crispy.So I added oil(normal vegetable oil).I found the basic recipe on a Oats box in the supermarket.I dont remember the name.I made a few changes to it.They turned out to be real goodies.

2.5 cups of old fashioned oats(slightly toasted)
1 cup of molasses (i ran out of brown sugar
so i substituted with molasses)
1/2 cup of granulated white sugar
(1/4 +3/4) cup of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon almond flavouring
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1+1/4 cups of all purpose flour

After two or three attempts I figured this is how to make good cookies out of this recipe:

Toss the oats with 1/4 cup of oil.Keep them aside for 1/2 hour.Toss them again with 1/4 cup of flour so that it coats the oats.Meanwhile,mix the molasses,3/4 cup of vegetable oil,flavourings.Add almonds to it.In a seperate container,mix the remaining flour ,sugar,baking soda,baking powder and salt very well.Mix both the mixtures.Fold the oats well in to that till it forms a round firm dough.
Using a rounded table spoon,scoop the dough into two cookie sheets.6 per sheet,equally shaped will be good i think.Preheat the oven to 350 F.And bake them at 350 F in the top and middle racks for 12 minutes(Change the sheets after 6 minutes).Cool them for a minute and then tranfer to a plate and cool them for 5 minutes.
Hot oatmeal chewies with almond flavour right to your mouth!!

Cafe Gratitude-Review

K and I were sitting there in the couch on a lazy afternoon with a cup of tea watching TV while watching some program referring to this awesome restaurant called Cafe` Gratitude in San Francisco.We didnt listen at first but what caught our attention was it is a raw food vegan restaurant and that they have a good selection of entrees which are all good.
So we both wanted to give it a try since it sounded different.We expected some sort of salads and soups and usual vegan soy stuff....on that day it was raining heavily and we were like 'it better be good'.But turns out that place is really EXCELLENT.We never thought that vegan food can be much more flavourful(we are vegetarians ..still) and the thin is they were all raw.We both adored our desserts.We ordered assorted crackers with olive,hummus and sourcream dips for our appetizer,indian pilaf and sushi rice bowl for main courses,some almond milk as drink,chocolate fudge and layered coconut cream pie for the dessert.
Everything was so good and the dessert was awesome.My Indian friends ,dont limit yourself to the indian restaurants around here and give this place a try if you ever happen to be in bay area.It is a little pricey but it is worth the experience for sure!!

After a long time...

Thanks to my friends for being patient and asking me once in a while about my blog.Itz been almost eight months since my last post...Eventhough I started writing for a few times in the past,i couldn't bring myself to finish it and i still cannot bring myself to accept the fact that my beloved grandmother is no more with us.I can never forget her image during her final days.
Starting with my wonderful trip to Yosemite with my dear husband till the loss of beloved grandma,i encountered almost all the possible emotions.
I was sitting nearby her thinking about the wonderful moments i had with her for i dont know how long and she was laying there without even a trace of movement.A mother of eight children,she was a witty and smart lady with a vibrant knowledge.She was a passionate cook,an elegant crafter and a lovable person.I think Perseverance is what kept her going through the tough times and the sufferings she encountered.She used to tell me cute and short stories for almost everything saying that it never occured to her to share them with her own children when they were young.
She was 63 years older than me and yes we had quite a few disagreements between us and yet we were able to get along very well.I have always considered myself as her favourite grandchild.Once I was explaining to her about how computers work with internet connection and told her that people can see or hear each other across the globe.Some years later when i was discussing a problem with my mom,grandma interfered and suggested me to use the video conferencing through computers...I was literally standing there with my mouth agape in total surprise at that 83 year old lady who came up with a solution within a matter of seconds..From telling me how to maintain a work relationship with my male friends till convincing me to marry K when my other family members were kind of thinking about sending me across the globe,there were numerous occasions i watched her with utter surprise.Being with her i learnt a lot of things..and along with her memories ,those things will always be with me guiding me.
I should share one thing else i will go sick.During her final days,I was helping my mom to clean my grandmother(she is my mom's mother-in-law)and as mom patiently continued cleaning the wounds,i could not tolerate the smell and got out of the room.A minute later when i returned my mother was still working with the same care and affection without even a tiniest reaction in her face.God knows how many times she did this during those days and everytime with the same care and affection.I was so ashamed of myself for being intolerant and i can never forgive myself for that.But I was and am still so proud of my mom for taking care of her in such an endearing manner.She took good care of grandma all those years but the finals days should have required a lot of endurance and patience coupled with passionate affection.I am ashamed to think of myself as her favourite grandchild for my mom was there standing beside her affectionately caring and feeding her while i ran out like nobody.When I heard that grandmother passed away after having her last sip of her meal from my mom,i was overwhelmed with various emotions.This post and the blog is dedicated to my wonderful mother and my great grandma.

Crazy with Avacados

Thanks to my maami(aunt),this is an amazing fruit i got used to after coming here.Filled with mono unsaturated fat which lowers cholesterol and antioxidants,it is so healthy.Other than using in salads,thanks to my friend sowmya i tried thugaiyal and it was a good accompaniment to have with rice.
One day,i made idli and intended to make some chutney.When i saw inside the refridgerator all i had was 2 avacados and 2 carrots.I just wanted to make the carrot chutney but there was not enough.I half heartedly added the avacado to the chutney and Hurray...the chutney was so good and an instant hit.This is a great side dish for idli,dosa,dhokla,rice....This is a healthy food you can make instead of the coconut chutney.It can be used as a dip too.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avacado
2 carrots chopped or grated
1/2 of a medium sized onion
1/2 tsp mustard(kaduhu)
1 tsp of black and bengal gram dhal
(udaicha ulutham paruppu and kadalai paruppu)
3-4 dry red chillies(milahai vatral)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat a tablespoon of oil,add mustard,dhals,chillies and asafoetida in the same order after the mustard crackles.When the dhals slightly change their colors,add the onion and carrots.Saute until the carrots' color start to change.Remove from fire and let it cool for 3-4 minutes.In the meanwhile remove the outer skin and the pit of avacado.When the carrots are cool,grind them along with the avacado with the salt.If u want a thick dip,have it as it is.Or add 1/4 cup of water.Enjoy!
This is my second entry to WBB.

idli with avacado chutney and milahai podi

Almond ,date cake with honeyed raisins and walnuts

I wanted to try an eggless cake with spices and nuts and i read in a vegan site that both flaxseeds and bananas can be substituted for eggs.Two ripe bananas were in my refridgerator for the past one week and i was thinking of baking.I really was in the mood for baking and here is my Almond,date cake with honeyed raisins and walnuts.I added some cinnamon and nutmeg to give a woody flavor.

After 15 minutes of work and 25 minutes for baking,the outcome was quite pleasing and satisfying.The cake was good,moist and springy.It is a good thing to have as during a lazy weekend morning with a cup of coffee or remove the edge part,cut two slices,sandwich them with whipped cream mixed with sliced strawberries,pour some on the top as well and u have got a wonderful dessert.......

Here is the recipe,
2 ripe bananas,
1 tbsp baking soda,
1/2 tsp baking powder,
1 cup oil,(u can use melted butter too)
1/2 cup milk,
1 cup of sugar,
1.5 cups of all purpose flour,
1/4 cup of powdered almonds(i used trader joe's almond meal)
1/4 cup chopped dates
and
1/4 cup of raisins and walnuts
( soaked in 1/2 cup of honey for 15 minutes)

1 tsp of cinnamon and nutmeg each(u can use allspice powder too)

I whisked the bananas into a smooth paste,added the almond powder,baking soda and powder.Beat it until fluffy,add the oil,sugar and then the flour.Blend them well using the whisk.Then add the milk if its is tight.(It was tight for me).Beat until the mixture blends well and becomes flowy.

the mixture

Spread the chopped dates and pour the mixture in the greased cake pan,pour the honeyed mixture on top carefully.
Preheat oven to 350F.Bake for 25-30 minutes until the inserted fork comes clean.

fresh out of the oven

the cake

I am submitting this as my entry to WBB#12 Spice It Up.