Pressure canning with Christine Manning

Thursday morning was a busy time. The kids were off to summer camp. My mother-in-law and I got busy tidying up the house for a private class on pressure canning "Spaghetti sauce". The kids had spent the previous evening washing up 15 pounds of tomatoes in the backyard while I washed the mushrooms and herbs ( basil, oregano and parsley) for the next day.

Christine (of Manning Canning) was at our door a few minutes earlier than expected. She brought with her all the equipments, pressure canner, knifes, cutting boards, a large steel plan and every else that we would need. We got busy with cooking and chatting for the next 4 hours.

The end result was 5 bottles of authentic, yummy, flavorful "Spaghetti sauce"!

Baby Blue Herons

I see the beginnings of Fall. The days are getting shorter. The first colors on leaves are here, some yellow, some bright red. I had reached the end of the trail where there is a small swamp in a secluded area. I have seen the Blue Heron here several time. Today, I saw two birds flying over the swamp. From their flight and the pointed feet, I instantly recognized them. They were baby blue herons. Just slightly larger than a pigeon. It warmed my heart to know that the adult Herons had a successful mating season this year. The babies are thriving and I will see them around.

Caramel Candy ( aka Caramel Rava Laddu )

Yesterday my dear friend Pooja gave me a bowl of leftover caramel syrup that she had made to drizzle over brownies. With my daughter having such a sweet tooth, I am a grateful recipient of the sweet treats that she makes. She suggested that the kids could have apples dipped in caramel syrup as a snack. I didn't have apples so I used pears instead.

I wondered what else I could do with the extra caramel syrup. I turned to my mother-in-law who came up with the idea of making Rava laddu with the caramel syrup. She made it today and rolled it into small brown balls to fool the kids into thinking this is candy. This is what it looks like.

Brilliant idea isn't it! Now lets see if the kids get fooled :)

A wonderful sight : Caspian Tern diving for fish

Today as I walked along the lake, I noticed a Caspian tern flying high above the lake looking for fish. The tern can easily be mistaken for the common gull unless you notice the distinctive orange beak and a black cap on its head. It flew several rounds scanning the surface of the lake with its beak pointing downwards. I stopped on my track and watched.

Suddenly I got to witness the tern do a swift dive into the lake and up it came with a small fish on its beak. What a breathtaking sight. It made my day! Here is a picture I got from www.robertbotts.com

The Impact of Plastic

I came across this picture and felt that I should post it.

A Gift of Food is a Gift of Love

There is something beautiful about sharing a home cooked meal. It is an expression of love and friendship. 

Yesterday evening my neighbour's son Zamin brought us a tray full of food. A plate of warm basmati rice and chickpeas, sweet dates on the side, a glass of pink faluda and a small plate of sliced cake soaked in custard and topped with strawberries.  It was the Ramadan Iftar meal, the evening meal when muslims break their fast at the time of sunset. Knowing we are vegetarian, Saba my neighbour sent us only what was vegetarian in the Iftar meal.

I was touched by this sweet gesture. It was a gentle acknowledgement of our friendship. With every mouthful, I was conscious of the time and love that went into making this meal.

Rhubarb Brandy Jam this time

After two days of enjoying the outdoors, we spent a lazy afternoon yesterday making Rhubarb Brandy Jam. It was a family event with my 5yr old daughter Smriti helping me wash up the rhubarb, dad chopping rhubarb and mom and grandmother doing the cooking and canning. My 3yr old son helped by sleeping for most of this time.