Chocolate Fondue and Christmas.

'Tis The Season to Be Jolly and that means my little chefling will have her friends over for an evening of fondue and Christmas card making. There will be Christmas carols in the background, sparkling fairy lights, the Christmas tree standing tall and proud with ornaments both store bought and handmade, warmth of the vanilla candles, cider simmering on the stove and big smiles and fuzzy hearts.

She and her tiny friends will together “make” the fondue and then share it. Fondue is such a communal way to eat. The children will eat from a common bowl of chocolate, picking their favourite things to dip but taking care that they leave enough of everything for their friends. They will learn  that they need to be fair and equal and will go back home with the kind of happiness that only sharing can give them.

Plus the abundance of lots of tiny platters make it just the Christmassy thing to do.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

100 grams of dark chocolate broken into pieces

100 ml thick cream

50 ml milk

For dipping & coating use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

• Fruits of your choice: apples, grapes, pears, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, etc
• Sprinkles
• Chocolate curls
• Pretzels
• Marshmallows
• Dessicated Coconut
• Edible glitter

Instructions:

1. In a double boiler or heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate with cream and milk stirring, until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and light a candle (If your children are old enough this task too can be given to them, under your supervision). Teach them if it gets too runny, simply put more chocolate.
2. Depending on the age of the kids ask them to help you peel the banana, wash the rest of the fruits, separate the grapes from the stem.
3. Give them a child friendly knife and ask them to slice the bananas, chop/slice the apples and the pears and cut off the strawberry tops
4. Next ask them to fill all the little plates/bowls with the rest of the fondue accompaniments.
5. Pick up the skewers and dunk everything into the warm chocolate and enjoy. 
6. Little children with chocolate all over their faces and sticky fingers come free with this recipe.

Add some zing to the sauce by adding a splash of vanilla, a bit of orange juice, grated lemon /orange zest or mint extract.

Do you have more ideas on things that would be fun to dip?

Merry Christmas everyone.

Before I end this post, I wanted to share that a couple of us have gotten together for a Christmas Festival of sorts on our blogs. One post a day to inspire you to make Christmas cards, decorations, read Christmas  books, try out Christmas  recipes and make Christmas goodies with your little ones (Yes, that would be me:))

Hope to see you guys drop by everyone's blogs and share the love.

Images: If you like any of the pictures on the blog and would like to use those please write to me. I put in hours of work behind each post and would love to share it with you but it would hurt me if  use those without my permission. Just ask!

Come join a set of fabulous bloggers sharing their Christmas moments - Easy Holiday Crafts, DIY ideas, Recipes , Decor ideas and book recommendations with you .

Starting from today till Christmas and beyond, each one of us will be writing a post related to Christmas.
Participating blogs
ArtsyCraftsyMom - munniofalltrades - hfareensspace - roohiscollections - hellomommyhood - attachedmoms - totschooltotallyawesome - Themomviews - bumpsnbaby.com -
rugsoflife - oneandahalfminutes - shishuworld - ruskandtea - aspoonfullofideas - orangekitchens - obsessivemom - rachnaparmar - parentingmantras -
onboardthemommyship - kwikdekoblog - thekeybunch - momzspace - whatscookingmom - coloursdekor - happypeopleevents - fantastic-feathers - beingzoesmom

So sit back, relax and check out all the fabulous Christmas Bonanza posts from our participating blogs in the linky. Support us by sharing our posts using the hash tag #ChristmasBonanza


This Linky is for participating blogs only, but We would love to see your Christmas Crafts too. Come and link up your Christmas post at ArtsyCraftsyMom.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Diwali memories and eating fire crackers.

Three days to go and it will be Diwali. Diwali always evokes beautiful and cherished memories of childhood and home (especially now that we are far away from both home and loved ones).

Clay Diyas, mithais, strings of marigolds and mango leaves, rangolis, torans and more. Walking down the memory lane this Diwali (If you’ve grown up in India some of these will definitely take you back to your childhood).

• Helping dad fix the electric “ladis” (fairy lights) a day before “Dhanteras”.
• Going out with mum and dad to get a silver coin on the day of Dhanteras.
• Polishing the brass lamps and candle stands with “Brasso” till they begin to shine like gold.  
• Buying new traditional clothes way in advance for the big day. Silk saree for mum, a kurta for dad and lehengas or churidar kurtis for us. Matching bangles too.
• Going to the local potters to buy clay diyas (smaller ones for the whole house and one large one that mum would fill up with ghee to last the whole night long).
• While at the potter picking up a clay urli to float flowers and a few terracotta lanterns too.
• Debating on which Ganesh-Lakshmi clay idol was the prettiest and choosing that with mum and dad.
• Picking up mithai dabbas for all the loved ones and wrapping them up in shimmery silver and gold gift wraps those that flew and were so difficult to handle if the fan was on. Switch off the fan someone would say and that helped.
• Gifts too. Thoughtful ones. Ones that our parents knew would make our loved ones happy. Sarees and shirts for the help at home.
• Spending hours making detailed grocery lists with mum for all the mithai to be made; laddoos, barfis, namak pare and more. She made the list and we just hung around dreaming about the mithai.
• Waking up on Diwali morning and jumping out of bed to make a rangoli. Sometimes floral, sometimes geometric.
• Making tiny feet (“S” with five tiny dots for toes) at the entrance of the house and all the way inside (representing Goddess Lakshmi’s feet) just in case the Goddess lost her way.
• Visiting the phoolwali mandi to buy ladis of gendas and aam patte by the kilos. Some loose flowers and two garlands for the pooja too, mum would always say.
• Filling up all the vases and nooks and corners with flowers of all sorts and getting that sense of pride looking at how festive and gorgeous “our” home looked and felt.
• Filling up the plates with mithai and bowls with almonds, cashews, raisins and pistachios in anticipation of all the guests and relatives who would visit us during the day and in the evening.
• Setting up the pooja place. Cleaning that white marble slab in our living room till it began to gleam. Placing the Idols (but wash your hands first, we would be gently reminded). Thali full of diyas , kacha doodh in a silver katori, tikka with grains of rice and a few drops of water, sandalwood agarbattis in the silver agarbatti stand, dhoop shaped into a cone, khulle phool, mala and the prasad.
• Carefully filling up all the clay diyas with ghee and oil and putting in cotton wicks way before the pooja.
• Singing the aarti together while waiting eagerly for the pooja to get over so that we could run out and light diyas and burn fire crackers.
• Making sure each and every corner of the house, balcony, verandah, even the window sills were lined up with the diyas.
• Dad bending down with us to light them all after the pooja with candles that were lit from the bada diya in the pooja thali.
• Melting the rear end of the candle with a lighted one and then sticking it on the window sills.
• Getting disappointed and frustrated when the lit candle would die because of the strong breeze.
• Writing my name in the air with the phooljhadis.
• Jumping over the chakris.
• Feeling mesmerized by the gorgeous streaks of fireworks from the anars.
• Cautiously bending over to light a bomb and running away from it at the first sight of spark.
• Covering my ears with my hands as someone lighted up the red ladi of bijli bombs.
• Filling up those obnoxious toy guns with dot bombs and irritating the hell out of my parents with its high pitched sound.
• Lighting up those “saanp” tablets and strategizing on how to throw them in one over the other to make the longest snake. Oh it was so gross but we seemed to enjoy it back then.
• Awestruck at the sight in the sky. Glimmer, glitter, sparkle everywhere.
• Walking down the road with mum and dad and looking at all the houses sparkling due to the brightness lent by string lights and the gentle flicker of the diyas.
• Wishing it could look this festive all year round.
• Coming back home to mum’s scrumptious and traditional dinner of kali daal, allu gobhi, shahi paneer, lauki ke kofte, dahi bhalle and more.
• Eating countless mithais till our tummies began to hurt. Then popping in one more for it was Diwali after all.
• Tired. Happy. Content. Finally getting into our beds with a prayer on our lips asking for blessings and thanking someone up there for illuminating our lives with love and togetherness.

Did these take you back to your childhood and your home? What are some of your much loved Diwali memories?

As we grew up we became aware how children our age and younger were being forced to make fire crackers since demand for fire crackers swelled during Diwali and ofcourse the pollution it caused and slowly fire crackers went away from our lives. Strangely we didn't miss them. For Diwali was always much more than burning a cracker.

One sparkler for “shagun” remained.

From observing my parents, celebrating in the house that I grew up in, learning traditions that my parents passed on I started making traditions of my own with my partner. Sara joined us a couple of years later. Now I make mithais and plan our dinner, he fixes the lights and she makes the rangolis and the cards. Just like that the roles have changed.

This Diwali my little girl will wear her pretty lehenga with a tikka on her head. Sparkly bangles are a must she says. We will get that one sparkler for shagun and watch her write “Sara” with it and celebrate this festival of lights.

Wishing you all a very happy Diwali. Sparkle. Glitter. Shine.

Oh and just because we are saying no to firecrackers doesn't mean we won’t be having any. We just ate some “Firecrackers” and they were delicious and made my little chefling squeal with delight. 

Fruit crackers 

Ingredients

For the fire crackers:

• Water
• Sugar
• Cinnamon sticks
• Cloves
• Star anise
• Vanilla extract
• A squeeze of lemon
• One peach, peeled but stem intact
• One plum
• One apple
• One clove
• Squeeze of a lemon or any juice
• Chocolate ganache to dip (I make mine with 70% dark chocolate, cream and vanilla extract)
• Golden star sprinkles (or any other glittery ones if you have on hand)
• Piping bag

For the matchbox:

• Pretzel sticks
• Chocolate ganache to dip
• An old and clean matchbox

Instructions:

1. For the anar (flower pot sparkler): Peel the pear and poach it with some sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, vanilla and a squeeze of lemon. Remember it to turn it around midways. Allow it to cool and dip it in chocolate sauce and sprinkle gold stars.
2. For the gola bomb(Round bomb): Poach the plum with some sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, vanilla and a squeeze of lemon. Remember it to turn it around midways. Allow it to cool and dip it in chocolate sauce and sprinkle gold stars. Add the clove on top for the wick.
3. For the chakri (spiral sparkler): Cut round slices of apple and coat it with any juice you have on hand. This will prevent discolouration. Fill the piping bag with the chocolate sauce and make spirals on it.
4. For the matchbox: Dip several small pretzel sticks chocolate sauce and let the chocolate set. Line the inside of the matchbox with foil or butterpaper and transfer the “matchsticks” to the matchbox.

Boom.Boom .Boom. Enjoy your firecrackers. I can assure you these will light up any little girl/boy’s Diwali day.

p.s. If you’d like to make an edible gift with your little one then you might enjoy this post, here.

Images: If you like any of the pictures on the blog and would like to use those please write to me. I put in hours of work behind each post and would love to share it with you but it would hurt me if  use those without my permission. Just ask!

Chocolate Nariyal Laddoos For Diwali (Chocolate coconut truffles)

Diwali is just round the corner. Twinkling diyas, homemade mithais, strings of marigolds, fragrant incense sticks, rangolis and torans. It is such a magical time of the year; one that we wait for all year long. 

Planning the décor, deciding the menu, handcrafting gifts, observing family traditions some that our parents made and we love to observe and some that we are creating for Sara each year.

But what I love most about this festival of lights is putting together handmade edible gifts for family and friends and for all the people who help us get through each day. The guy who comes over to help me with the cleaning each week, our security guard who makes sure we sleep well each night, the laundry guy who never forgets to say hi to Sara when he comes home to drop our clothes. Diwali is only Diwali when you share your happiness with everyone around you and sometimes it is so easy to forget that amidst all the bling.

A box of besan barfi (chickpea fudge) one year, moongphali and til gajak (peanut and sesame brittle) the next and gulkund (Rosepetal) chocolates the year after.

Sara has been observing this tradition for the last couple of years (just like I saw my mum doing the same all these years) but it is only now she is understanding & more importantly experiencing the joy of thanking people who she values for being there and I am happy to help her make them a part of her big day.

That big smile when she slips in a box of homemade truffles into a friend’s hand and wishes her a Happy Diwali or that hug from her teacher when she gives her a handmade Diwali card or that awww from masi when she paints her a terracotta diya is what makes Diwali truly special. No store bought gift can ever match up to handmade love and this is one tradition that I’d like my little girl to take away from us.

This year she is making Diwali cards and these chocolate truffles for all the people who matter to her (I have been helping her make a card for everyone ever since she turned two and it has a become a ritual of sorts).

Just like the previous year the cards won’t be perfect; probably she will get tired after making a few and will ask me to help her, she will “sign” her name in her “royal” handwriting and later feel shy giving them. The truffles won’t be all round, there will be chocolatey mess in the kitchen, some will land in her mouth before we end up packing them, some will land on the floor and I will be spending a better part of the day cleaning but what a wonderful day it will be.

We will both acknowledge all the kind and loving people in our lives, we will talk about why and how much we appreciate and value them and how our lives will be incomplete without them and how giving a piece of our heart in the shape of a truffle will make them grin ear to ear.

Do you have any family traditions that you observe or any traditions that you would like to create this year? Are handcrafted presents one of those? I would love to hear about it.

Chocolate nariyal laddoos (Chocolate coconut truffles (Makes 20 balls)

Ingredients

• Two 100 grams bars of dark chocolate (we used 70%, if you’d like take a 50 % or even milk chocolate)
• 4 tbsp of cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp of soft butter
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut
• Cocoa powder and desiccated coconut to roll (drinking chocolate/ sesame seeds also work )

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, break the chocolate into small pieces with your hand.
2. Micro it on low for about 2 minutes. Checking and stirring every thirty seconds.
3. Add the cream, vanilla and butter and stir. You will now have a glossy chocolate mix.
4. Add the desiccated coconut and stir.
5. Shape them into tiny balls on a tray lined with foil or parchment.
6. Roll some of them into drinking chocolate and some in desiccated coconut
7. Put them into mini cupcake cases/boxes.
8. Gift them to your friends and get ready for lots of tight hugs.

Wishing all you awesome people a sparkling and a "green" Diwali.

Before I end this post, I wanted to share that a couple of us have gotten together for a Diwali Festival of sorts on our blogs. One post a day to inspire you to make Diwali cards, decorations, read Diwali books, try out Diwali recipes and make Diwali goodies with your little ones (Yes, that would be me:))

Hope to see you guys drop by everyone's blogs and share the love.

Images: If you like any of the pictures on the blog and would like to use those please write to me. I put in hours of work behind each post and would love to share it with you but it would hurt me if  use those without my permission. Just ask!

Come join a set of fabulous bloggers sharing their Diwali moments , easy Crafts, DIY ideas, Recipes and book recommendations with you .

Starting from today till Diwali and beyond, each one of us will be writing a post related to Diwali.

Participating blogs

Artsy Craftsy mom . Reading Rabbits Library . Food and fads . Cherish Dream Live . My little Moppet . On-board the Mommyship . Roohi's Collection . Colours Dekor . Bumps n Baby  . Hello Mommyhood . A spoonfull of ideas . CraftIsland .  The Keybunch . ParentingMantras . Whats Cooking Mom . Orange kitchens . Quilts & Quills . Fun Activities for Children . Something’s cooking . Obsessivemom . The Design Enthusiast . Fantastic Feathers . Little aadi ali

So sit back, relax and check out all the fabulous Diwali Dhamaka posts from the participating blogs in the linky.

An InLinkz Link-up

Link in your Diwali posts here

An InLinkz Link-up

Marshmallow Pops for when they are bored.

There are days when you have done it all. Reading story books, solving puzzles, making castles with wooden bricks, making origami butterflies, painting butterflies, dressing up as a butterfly...you get the idea...don't you? And still your little butterfly says I am bored! Summer holidays, anyone?

That's when you keep her busy and super happy by asking her to make Marshmallow Pops for her and you. 

Poke, Dunk,Coat. Three simple steps.

1. Poke the marshmallows with lollipop sticks. I didn't have lollipop sticks the day Sara made them. So we just used some spaghetti. Be creative!
2. Dunk them in a bowl of melted dark chocolate. Behave like a mature adult and resist the temptation of dunking your fingers into it and licking them clean. It's the marshmallows we need to dip NOT your fingers. Again use whatever chocolate you have on hand. White chocolate, milk chocolate, candy melts. Dip them halfway like we did or all the way to cover them completely.
3. Coat them with whatever you have in hand. Really. Sprinkles,crushed candy/cookies/nuts/candied fruit bits.Chocolate and red chilli flakes sound good as well. Hmm...will give it a try.
4. Get ready for the sugar rush. In no time she will be jumping off the wall and will make you go mad (Yes, I very conveniently forgot to mention the last step).

Image: Personal Album.While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated.

Mini Chocolate and vanilla muffins.

You are probably familiar with my love for muffins. Because these little cakes are so quick and easy and when baked in mini trays their cuteness quotient increases exponentially. 

This one in particular is my all time favorite recipe when friends who are passing by my home want to drop in for a cup of coffee and more importantly I have nothing in the fridge but some eggs and butter. These take all of 20 minutes from start to finish and by the time you've tidied up your home and made yourself presentable the oven goes, tring. Ah! did I mention that the home smells wonderful too :)

 And that cup of cappuccino makes it all the more memorable.   

Mini Chocolate and vanilla muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins

Ingredients
175 grams soft butter
175 grams caster sugar
175 grams self raising flour
3 medium eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease two 12 hole mini muffin trays or line with paper cases.

2.Put the butter, sugar,eggs, flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Whisk for about two minutes until smooth, then pour half the mixture into a separate bowl and sift the cocoa powder over it.stir in the milk until blended.

3.stir the vanilla extract into the first mixture.

4.spoon the vanilla mixture evenly between the prepared tins, then spoon over the cocoa mixture. At this stage if you like, using a small spoon swirl through the two mixtures to make a marbled pattern.

5.Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out to cool. These keep well in a airtight container for 3-4 days.

Images : Personal album
Recipe: Cupcakes & Muffins by Ann Nicol 
While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. 
They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated.

Coffee, vanilla and chocolate stripes and an award

Chocolate and coffee ? Together ? Whoever came up with that combination should have won a Nobel Peace Prize. Or at least a subscription to Reader's Digest.” 

Darynda Jones, Second Grave on the Left

If you've had a Mocha Latte and loved it there are good chances that you will love the marriage of cocoa powder and coffee in this cold dessert as well.

I have to be honest though, patience has never been one of my virtues and this one does require that in good doses. Not that its difficult to make; its the simplest of cold desserts to put together but the waiting time between the layers is what requires exercising immense calmness.

And if you whisk whenever the recipe asks you to (good to get some exercise before you empty the glass into your system:))  trust me you will end up with something that will earn you several compliments. These look really pretty in individual wine glasses though I am sure one big generous portion in a trifle bowl will do it justice too. 

Coffee, vanilla and chocolate stripes

Ingredients
serves 6
285 gms caster sugar
6 tbsp cornflour
900 ml milk
3 egg yolks
6 tbsp butter
1 generous tbsp instant coffee powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

1. To make the coffee layer, place 90 grams of the sugar and 2 tbsp of the cornflour in a heavy pan. Gradually add 1/3rd of the milk, whisking until well blended. Over medium heat, whisk in one of the egg yolks and bring to the boil, whisking.Boil for 1 minute

2. Remove the pan from heat and stir in 2 tbsp of the butter and the instant coffee. Cool.

3. Divide the coffee mixture among six glasses and smooth the tops before the mixture sets.

4. To make the vanilla layer, place half of the remaining sugar and cornflour in a heavy pan. Whisk in half the milk. Over medium heat, whisk in another egg yolk and bring to the boil, whisking.Boil for one minute.

5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in 2 tbsp of the butter and the vanilla. Cool. Spoon it over the  coffee layer. Smooth the tops.

6.To make the chocolate layer, place the remaining sugar and cornflour in a heavy pan. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk until blended. Over medium heat,whisk in the last egg yolk and bring to the boil, whisking.Boil for 1 minute.

7.Remove from heat, stir in the remaining butter and the cocoa. Leave to cool.

8. Spoon on top of the vanilla layer. Chill to set.

And in other news, Ruchira of the great cookaroo made by day by giving me an award. 

Thanks R. People if you haven't read her blog, please do. You will love it.

I 'd like to spread some love by giving it to five of my favorite bloggers. Liebster means dearest in German and these ladies are truly very dear to me:)

1.Patty of Colours Dekor

2. Sharon and Rekha of The Key Bunch

3. Anu of My Dream Canvas

4. Neha of All things Beautiful

5. Parul of  Radio Parul

Ladies, if you choose to accept this award:

1.Copy and paste the award logo to your blog.
2.Link back to the blogger who gave you the award
3.Choose five of your favorite blogs that deserve to be noticed
4. Leave a message to the chosen five, informing them about the award



Images : Personal Album
Recipe : 500 Best Ever Recipes CHOCOLATE