Myriad Musings

I take part in Cooking Challenges more to feel part of the bigger blogging community than because I actually like the challenge of cooking to a specific theme.  Or within a specific time frame.  In fact, asking me to cook something within a deadline is usually a guaranteed way of stopping me from cooking it.  At least until past the deadline. But this month's eggless baking challenge has me hyper-excited!  Gayathri says Orange Blossom - Pistachio - Apricot biscotti, but I am favouring different flowers, something local: lemon, rose, hibiscus or jasmine even. Unfortunately the lemon tree in my balconey is a baby, not flowering yet. My hibiscus is miserly, giving me one beautiful blossom at a time. My jasmine is hibernating, it feels the reasonably cool weather (31 deg C) is fit for sleeping only. I don't grow roses on principle.  They demand a lot of pampering, I have 2 kids a father and a husband for that already. There are quite a few hibiscus plants i...

Yet another weekday morning and I had no baked goods for my son's breakfast. I did however have 3 organic lemons, 1 avocado languishing in my fridge from the previous week's organic market and this months eggless baking challenge still pending- lemon coconut bread.   I had no coconut however and no time to buy 1, break and scrape at 7 in the morning with the day's work still ahead of me. I decided to make a healthier muffin with the same core ingredient lemon. I made a egged version soon after, so I offer recipe for both versions Ingredient list  1 cup pottukadalai finely powdered (successfully used previously) 3/4 cup whole wheat flower 1 tsp baking powder zest from 3 lemons 3 lemons juiced and juice divided 1 cup sugar (I didn't try brown sugar, worried it would overpower the lemon taste) 1/2 cup butter (recipe called for softened butter, I was in a hurry so I simply melted my butter; no harm done) 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk Or 1 cup y...

It is the hungriest of times, it is the busiest of times. My son finishes his classes by 2.30 and gets ready for an hour of badminton coaching.  (In school itself.  Thank God!  I don't have to chauffeur him with the bored younger one tagging along.) He needs to pick his school bag, lunch box, change into gym clothes and rush down 2 floors as soon as humanely possible for the sports club. The coaching itself is quite intense, working on his flexibility, speed of response and cardiac fitness in addition to learning the nuances of the game. It leaves his exhausted and hungry.  Though he never admits to either.  he thinks hunger and exhaustion is experienced by sissies and weaklings.  Like me.  It behooves upon me to give him something healthy, preferably high in calories to keep him content and the contrary devil in him asleep.  You know the one I am talking about.  The one which makes you argue over the silliest things and needle your youn...