Books I am reading this week

New Castle county library .... I heart you in many many ways.You have the best and diverse collection of reading materials.Here is a short stack of books I am reading this week.I am mentioning the one's I like

1. Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren  - Move over "50 shades of Grey" , beautiful bastard is here to stay.Does anybody else think that the 50 shades trilogy is so over-rated and may I even say a tad boring? Introducing beautiful bastard - its another twilight fan fiction offspring and trust me its actually much better than 50.Its on the same lines of a corporate romance but let me tell you , my heart was in my mouth no thanks to all the public places they indulge their "romance" in , for want of a better word.More exciting and also from a dual point of view, its a more M & B ish book.I like the heorine's sass ... 4 out of 5 stars.Image courtesy www.christinalauren.com
   
2. Ghouls gone wild by Victoria Laurie - Seriously , I am hooked on to the series.Even as I type, I am reading the third in this series. The premise is a gang of ghost busters who are working on a TV show called ghoul getters and travel around the world busting ghosts. Imaginatively and creepily written, its just what you need to shkae out of your slumber.Its fast paced and has a nice mystery angle to boot.This book is about a centuries old curse and some vengeful witches. Enjoy it along with a chocolate cone .An engaging read.Read one and read all by this author .5 out of 5 , it does spook me out at times.(Image courtesy www.amazon.com)
   

Home made Pav's or Dinner Rolls

Scrumptious , Luscious and yummilicous .Yes , you can call these dinner rolls or pav's any of these adjectives and more.The scent of the baking bread permeates your house and causes your mouth to water and trust me its an easy recipe with a few steps which are so worth while.These are amazingly versatile and can be adapted to any taste - sesame seeds, italian herbs etc etc.The original recipe can be found here.Here is the recipe and the method

Ingredients

1. 3 cups Bread Flour ( Do not substitute )
2. 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast (2.25 teaspoons)
3. 1 cup milk (Lukewarm)
4. 1/4 cup water (Lukewarm)
5. 1 egg + 2 pinches baking soda.In case you dont want to use egg just use 1 teaspoon baking soda 
6. 1 tablespoon sugar
7. 1 teaspoon salt
8. Milk / Butter / Beaten egg for wash / glaze on buns
9. 3 tablespoons melted butter
10. Assorted toppings like sesame seed, italina herbs (optional)

Method

1. Combine bread flour , melted butter and mix into a crumb like consistency .Add yeast , salt and sugar and mix. Add baking soda or egg .Start kneading a pliable and smooth dough with the milk and water .Knead it will the dough becomes smooth and without cracks
2. Use 1 tablespoon olive oil and coat the utensil and the dough.This avoids any crust formation.Cover with cling or a damp cloth.Now the dough will prove for at least 30 minutes and the yeast action will lead the dough to become almost double.This is extremely important.
3. After an hour or so remove the dough from the bowl and knead it .Now roll it around the palm of your hand to make a smooth ball.The dough will yield 12 balls. Place them in a parchment paper lined  or greased pan leaving a little space between them.After the second rest they will puff and come together. Use milk or egg for the wash/ glaze using a pastry brush.Add any additional toppings.Cover with cling and let rest in a warm place like an oven or a microwave for at-least 2 -3 hours .
   
4. Preheat oven at  375 degree Fahrenheit and remove the cling and bake 25-30 minutes till they are nice and golden brown
5. Remove and immediately brush with butter for a nice shine

What we are reading this week

When you have a wild and wacky toddler dancing on your head in the summers , the library provides its largess to entertain your toddler for hours.I love , love , love the library here.Our library at newcastle county is a treasure trove.Where else can you find legos, puzzles and even a doll house to entertain your toddler ?Lets not even get into the friendly staff that recognizes me as the person who puts 40 holds on at once.It has amazing resources , i have checked books out of each genre.Each and every time that I check out books , I am in awe of the library ...
This week we are reading

1. Richard Scarry's All the colors of busytown- Richard Scarry needs no introduction and is a much loved kids book author.His simplistic style of prose and the illustrations are adorable.In this book we are introduced to a world of colors in fact a rainbow of colors .I like this book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars for composition, words and illustrations. Sanskriti enjoys it.
2. Dinosaur Trains- Big and Small - How many , many episodes have I seen of dinosaur train? Did I mention that my daughter has a princess craze but adores dinosaurs as well ?What I marvel at is how 2 year olds can pronounce and recognize Argentinosauraus , stegasoraus and a T-Rex.Based on the wildly successful exploits of  the Pteranodon Family , this book lets the children expolre the concept of big and small animals and how each one is special no matter what their size is .5 out of 5 for illustrations and putting the message across.
3. The Bernsteins Bears New Pup- This is a level one reading book with an easy theme of the bears adopting a dog who is naughty and badly in need of potty training.Trust me , I can soo empathize with the Mama bear who finds a calling card (code word poo) .My toddler is making us undergo the same and trust me its not pleasant.More on that later 

Read , read and read to your kids no matter how big or small they are and you will find life much more enriching.

Haul for the Toddler- Some summer essentials

Who says toddlers don't have a sense of style...In fact my toddler is 2 yes 2 and has a definite girly sense of style.She wants nail polish on her toes, flower nail art and yes dresses.She combs her hair and tacks on a few pins and proclaims herself a little princess.She also likes to have an admiring audience.It could be her papa or even random people in the store who admire her pink prettiness.Here are a list of things we bought since summer is here

1. BabyGanics Smooth Moves extra gentle daily lotion with SPF 15 - It glides on so and whats not to like.Its babyganics so free of all the chemicals and the parabens ,sulphates etc.Its soo soothing , gentle and moisturizing and she takes to it so.She will actually stand for sunscreen as it is lights and goes on easily.Leaves no white marks and no icky fragrances.Easy to reapply and comes in a generous size of 12 ounces.5 out of 5 stars 
2. Burts Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder - Its talc free and 100 % natural.Its particularly nice in the sweaty summers.Has a light fragrance and is hypo-allergenic hence no allergy issues there.Perfect for summers and gentle for baby .5 out of 5 stars
   
3. Gymboree Hair clips - Love , love , love .I got the cutest gymboree hair clips and one is even shaped like a pink pony .OMG ...Pinkfest. They look so cute and are often demanded by my TOT.Find many more here
4. Target Haul - ooooh Target ,How I love thee? I can sing chapter and verse about target , i can dream and even provide for target in my will...I love it so...Ask me no questions and you will get no answers on how much I like shopping at target and how much I actually do shop at target .Here is a sneak peak and some summer essentials at target- Some T's , leggings and shorts ....Cheeers 

Grill -Fest and how to be beautilicious while grilling

I finally managed to attend my first grilling party and let me tell you , I was hoooookked..
All the credit goes to my friends who managed all the food and supplies.This memorial day , the weather was kind to us and in the 70's.We had an utter blast.It was 5 continuous hours of combined cooking , gossiping , grilling , playing , eating and then eating some more.
It was a feast to the senses - sound , smell , sight, touch , taste...And yes the jeans were tighter but hey that's what its all about.  The pictures are from my amazing friend Sivaranjini's camera . I claim no ownership but do claim some participation in the fun.
On the menu were some amazing grilled chicken legs and some out of the world paneer and veg kababs,

Here is the amazing grill with the coal fire all stoked up

Yummy Food.

Here is the recipe for an all purpose marinade which can be used for paneer tikkas or chicken.The recipe is basically from the everest spice mix recipe and actually turns out to be pretty good.. Mix 4 tsp ginger/garlic paste, 4 tsp Everest Tandoori Chicken Masala and 6 tbsp strained (thick) curd. Marinate overnight for a deeper flavor.For chicken or paneer thread onto skewer with vegetables and spray with non stick spray .

Now for then crux of it all - Beauticilious products to keep you feeling fresh even in the high heat of grilling

• BB Cream - The "Baap " of all creams. Lets face it , you will be grilling when the summer is fine and hot and you will be spending the majority of the day out.You need an all purpose to keep you "with it" and protected all the time.Enter the BB cream. The Maybellline BB cream is perfect as it has broad spectrum sun-creen and all the other magical ingredients to keep you looking like a princess.

(Image courtesy www.target.com)

• Anti antiperspirant - Trust me you need an antiperspirant which does not wear off while grilling or you will smell the eau de toilette eek.Secret antiperspirant works well for me.It dries on clear and is long lasting .. try it .(Image courtesy www.target.com)

• Water proof mascara - A mascara is a woman's best friend but you need a mascara to keep up with you and not run away from you.Choose a light weight waterproof mascara that wont end up making you look like a raccoon.Image courtesy www.target.com

• Long lasting lipper -  Whats a cookout without glamour and drama.You cant be having a grill fest without looking like a queen.Choose a long lasting lipstick like the one that sticks around for 24 hours.Image courtesy www.target.com .
  

Above all else remember to hydrate and to replenish your sunscreen and rock the  party.Many many memories will be made and you will cherish them forever.

Zee Moral of the story is to be creative but not forget to floss

You don't have to brush your teeth - just the ones you want to keep.  - Author Unknown

How aaravi wished that someone had said that to her .Let me introduce Aaravi. A lissome 22 year old who is an avid and aspiring baker. In fact she lived, breathed and obviously ate all her luscious creations. Aaravi’s sweetheart unfortunately went “saat samundar paar” to complete his MBA in the USA and the different time zones meant that Aaravi was up literally all night.

Now Aaravi’s sweetie loved her for herself as much as her scrumptious baked goodies. Feeling home sick and love sick they would coochie- coo the nights away in the company of iced cakes, cookies and other baked goods. It was another hot and sticky night and aaravi and her plus one were having a marathon chat session while aaravi baked cookies (chocolaty, fudgy and gooey).She had to taste test many many of them as she was trying out a new recipe and the sweetie demanded all the description about the aroma and the taste of her marshmallow fudgy cookies.

Aaravi had been the dutiful girlfriend and baked many a night away to keep her sweetie company. Exhausted she would fall asleep without brushing out the sweet nothings from her teeth. Over a period of many days, this habit continued. She would often have tooth aches and twinges which she dismissed. She would feel tooth sensitivity which again she dismissed. It became so bad that she would have teeth pain when she would bite down on the cakes and cookies.

Finally goaded on by Mom, she visited her dentist who denounced a cavity and warned her about not brushing her teeth prior to sleeping. He read her chapter and verse on the importance of dental hygiene and flossing. Aaravis wished that she had heeded to all the small symptoms .Well the love sick swans continued their mid night conversations but flossed and brushed afterwards.

The moral of the story is that you should brush and floss and take care of your dental hygiene to avoid any cavities etc. Also aaravi  should have heeded the symptoms and visited the doctor earlier

This post is an entry for the moral of the story contest on indiblogger.in .Dental health tips and information can be found at http://www.myhealthyspeak.co.in/