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Indian food is so much more than curry. Try something new tonight!
Indian Spiced Chickpea and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm ful
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted
Directions
Heat a medium pot with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the chickpeas and onion in food processor. Add to pot and cook 5 minutes to sweeten onion. Season the chickpeas with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir in stock, then tomatoes. Simmer soup 5 to 10 minutes to combine flavors. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and warm pita for dipping.
Aloo Baingan (Potato and Eggplant)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium purple eggplant (baingan), un-peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 2 medium russet potatoes (aloo), peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 4 medium tomatoes (tamatar) cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 chopped green chili adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste (adrek)
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (dagi mirch)
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
Also needed:
Method
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
- Frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one piece of potato in the oil. The potato should sizzle right away. If vegetables are fried in low heat they will be very oily.
- Fry the potatoes till they are cooked through, turn the potatoes few times while frying. Take out potatoes with a slotted spoon (this allows excess oil to drip back into the frying pan) and place on a paper towel.
- Test the oil again with a piece of eggplant. Fry the eggplant pieces same way.
- In a small bowl, mix the shredded ginger, green pepper, coriander powder, paprika, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
- Heat the 1-tablespoon of oil in a pan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.
- Add cumin seeds and asafetida after seeds crack add the spice mixture and stir-fry for a minute until you see the oil start to separate from the spice mixture.
- Add chopped tomatoes stir-fry for a minute.
- Add fried potatoes and eggplant mix it gently, let it simmer for three to four minute on medium low heat.
- Subji should be not very dry if needed add three to four spoons of water.
- Turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro mix it well.
Kulfi
Ingredients:
14 oz of Sweetened Condensed Milk
12 oz of Evaporated Milk
16 oz of Heavy Whipping Cream
16 oz of Cool Whip Whipped Topping
1 big pinch of Saffron (Kesar)
1 tsp of Sugar
1/2 cup, coarsely ground of Cashews, Pistachios or Almonds
Directions
- With a mortar and pestal, grind together Sugar and Saffron.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Heavy Whipping Cream and Cool Whip.
- Using an electric hand blender (or by hand), gently mix all ingredients together.
- Add in Saffron and Sugar mixture and Nuts. Mix well.
- Pour mixture into small dixie style plastic cups. Cover cups with foil and insert a wooden popsicle stick into the center.
- Freeze Kulfi for at least 4 – 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Serves 20- 25
Tips
- Kulfi can also be molded in a popsicle maker or fancy shaped ice cube trays.
- Kulfi has a very long shelf life so keep some on hand for an instant dessert option when guests are over.
Courtesy of:
Food Network
Manjula’s Kitchen
Show Me the Curry
St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday celebrated all around the globe to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.
Who Was Saint Patrick?
Even though Saint Patrick the patron saint of Ireland and one of the most celebrated religious figures around the world, the factual information about his life and times is quite vague. Most information about St. Patrick has been twisted, embellished, or simply made up over centuries by storytellers, causing much ambiguity about the real life of St. Patrick. However, there are a some elements of his story about which most scholars accept to be true.
According to Coilin Owens, Irish literature expert and Professor Emeritus of English at George Mason University, Saint Patrick is traditionally thought to have lived “between 432-461 A.D., but more recent scholarship moves the dates up a bit.” At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped from his native land of the Roman British Isles by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Saint Patrick worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six years of slavery he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britain.
While back in his homeland, Patrick decided to become a priest and then decided to return to Ireland after dreaming that the voices of the Irish people were calling him to convert them to Christianity.
After studying and preparing for several years, Patrick traveled back to Ireland as a Christian missionary. Although there were already some Christians living in Ireland, St. Patrick was able to bring upon a massive religious shift to Christianity by converting people of power. Says Prof. Owens, “[St. Patrick] is credited with converting the nobles; who set an example which the people followed.”
But Patrick’s desire to spread of Christianity was not met without mighty opposition. Prof. Owens explains, “Patrick ran into trouble with the local pagan priesthood, the druids: and there are many stories about his arguments with them as well as his survival of plots against them.” He laid the groundwork for the establishment of hundreds of monasteries and churches that eventually popped up across the Irish country to promote Christianity.
Saint Patrick is also credited with bringing written word to Ireland through the promotion of the study of legal texts and the Bible, says Prof. Owens. Previous to Patrick, storytelling and history were reliant on memory and orally passing down stories.
Patrick’s mission in Ireland is said to have lasted for thirty years. It is believe he died in the 5th century on March 17, which is the day St. Patrick’s Day is commemorated each year.
The first year St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in America in 1737 in Boston, Massachusetts. The first official St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1766. As the saying goes, on this day “everybody is Irish!” Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick’s Day parades.
Set up your own farm complete with a herd of Woolly Sheep. You won’t need any fancy supplies to get started on this activity – simply raid your bathroom cabinet!
Woolly Sheep
Supplies
Toilet paper roll
Cotton wool balls
Cotton buds (q-tips)
White glue
Tissue paper
Pipecleaner
Tape
Instructions
See photos below for easy to follow directions.
   
Tape cotton buds (q-tips) on to the cardboard roll to make legs.
Scrunch up some tissue paper and stuff it into one end of the roll to make a head.
Pour some white glue into a shallow dish. Then dip the cotton wool balls into the glue and stick them all around the cardboard roll.
Keep sticking until your sheep is woolly all over.
Add some eyes (we glued black paper circles onto the tissue paper) and make some horns by twisting small pieces of pipecleaner around your finger. Glue the horns onto the sheep using white glue. So cute!
Courtesy of:
Free Kids Crafts
Make Your Own Pot of Gold
As that lucky Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow can be tricky to find, we decided to make our own. With just a few supplies, you’ll have a fun centerpiece filled with gold.
Supplies for Pot of Gold:
- pot – terracotta pot, or a black pot you may already have
- black paint and paint brush
- Easter grass
- yellow wrapped candies – these can be gold chocolate coins, yellow foil wrapped chocolates, Reese’s peanut butter cups (you can use any color of candy, but yellow keeps with the ‘gold’ theme.)
- pipe cleaner (aka chenille stems), all colors of the rainbow
Paint your terracotta pot with the black paint using your paint brush. I even went an inch down on the inside with paint. Then let it dry. Next, fill you bucket with Easter grass all the way to the top, as it gets pushed down with the candy. Then add in your ‘gold’, filling it to the top.
Line up your pipe cleaners into a rainbow. I stuck them all in the pot at one time, but you could put them in one at a time, starting with the bottom one first.
Now it’s ready for display. But have extra gold on hand, as it doesn’t last long in the pot! Little Leprechauns keep trying to sneak it!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
 1/2 cup sour cream- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 large green bell pepper
Directions
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed, seasoning salt, onion salt, Worcestershire sauce, onion flakes, parsley flakes, monosodium glutamate, and hot pepper sauce. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
- To serve slice off top of green pepper and gently clean out insides, spoon dip into pepper and sprinkle with dill weed.
Irish-Style Lamb Stew
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Layer the lamb meat, onion, potatoes, carrot and celery in an oven proof pot or casserole dish. Season each layer with parsley, salt and pepper as you go. Pour in the beef stock and cover tightly.
- Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the preheated oven, until vegetables and meat are very tender. Divide into bowls and garnish with additional parsley.
Irish Cream Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) package brownie mix
- 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur
1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
- 1 teaspoon brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup toffee baking bits (such as Heath Bits ‘O Brickle®) (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Stir together the brownie mix, the 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur, vegetable oil, and eggs. Spread in the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place the milk, 2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur, and coffee in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on High until the mixture boils. Set aside to cool completely.
- Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and the cooled Irish cream mixture, and beat well. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies. Sprinkle evenly with the toffee bits.
allrecipes.com
Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by trying out something new for dinner. Test out these Irish favorites to get in the spirit!
Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.
Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.
Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 can corned beef
Directions
Cook the bacon in large pot over medium heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon grease. Add the cabbage, stirring well to coat the cabbage in fat. Add about 1/3 cup water, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover pot with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces.
Remove the lid from the pot, and scatter chunks of corned beef and chopped bacon over top of the cabbage. Cover and cook until desired doneness. I personally like a little bit of crunch left to the cabbage.
Tip: Cabbage is one of those vegetables that naturally contains water in its leaves. Begin by adding just a small amount of water. As cabbage cooks, if it needs more liquid, then add more water.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cup flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 t. salt
- 3 t. baking powder
Directions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add Bailey’s, vanilla, egg. egg yolk & continue to blend.
- *Optional: add food coloring for extra spunk.
- Add flour, salt & baking powder. Mix with hands and knead until well formed.
- Allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Then roll out and cut into shapes.
- Bake 6-8 minutes on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (I found 7 minutes to work just fine.)
- Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool. Frost at your leisure or leave plain.
Courtesy of:
Food Network
Food Network
Group Recipes
Don’t get caught off-guard by leprechauns this Saint Patrick’s Day. If you catch a leprechaun, he might even lead you to his pot of gold! Here are 3 different leprechaun traps for this holiday.
Leprechaun Hat Pit Trap
Leprechauns have big egos, so a giant version of their own hat is irresistible to them. Once they step on the false top, you’ll have caught a 10-gallon prize.
So that the top doesn’t give way too soon, use a lightweight bait, such as a crumpled piece of gold foil.
Our hat, a recycled oatmeal container, is wrapped with green felt secured with double-sided tape. To make the trap, we cut a hole in the lid (see image), then cunningly concealed it with a circle of green felt that will give way when the leprechaun steps on it.
Leprechauns love to break rules. Warning signs are sure to lure them in.
Natural materials make these woodland creatures feel at home. Our ladder is made from twigs held together with wood glue.
Rainbow Cage Drop
No self-respecting leprechaun can resist a giant rainbow. As he gets close and spies the gold bait, his curiosity will get the best of him. When he pinches the pot, down comes the cage!
A bent wire hanger (1) hidden by a piece of poster board (2) forms the support for the suspended cage. We bent the hook of the hanger into a loop to hold the line.
We tied fishing line to the top of a plastic berry basket, then threaded the line through the wire loop and back down through the basket. We pulled the line taut and secured it under the bait.
To conceal the cage, we tucked fiberfill into the weave of the basket, giving it the look of a fluffy cloud.
The weight of the bait holds down the fishing line. Ours is a mini flowerpot painted black and filled with gold-painted rocks. Glitter glue adds extra sparkle.
Grasslike fabric blankets the base, evoking the Emerald Isle.
We added a path made of glitter craft foam to point the way to the bait. Leprechauns are drawn to flashy objects.
Tricky Trapdoor 
This trap draws on time-honored technology: a swinging door cut into the top of the box gives way when the leprechaun tries to make off with the bait.
You can never have too many rainbows on your trap. This one is made from pipe cleaners.
For bait, try chocolate coins, shiny jewels, or even a worn-out doll shoe! (Leprechauns are cobblers by trade.) We glued the coins in a pile to keep them secure when the trap is sprung.
Our trapdoor is a flap held up by a tab of card stock (taped in place after the box is decorated).
This climbing wall is sure to entice the wee adventurers. Ours consists of small rocks affixed with tacky glue to the sponge-painted box.
We covered our box with tissue paper (green, of course) attached with glue stick. Capture the look of the Irish countryside with stones and bits of moss.
Courtesy of:
Family Fun
Happy Birthday to the pink princess of most little girl’s (and big girls too) fantasy!! ![[barbie+w+background.jpg]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IbDEAS73XbM/S5YMbiy5CsI/AAAAAAAAAkc/EJgYBT9SUe8/s1600/barbie%2Bw%2Bbackground.jpg) Yep, today, March 9th is known as Barbie’s birthday. Mattel introduced the first Barbie on March 9, 1959 and the world would never be the same!
She’s undergone numerous changes, had too many careers to count, and had clothing designed for her from the biggest and the best designers all over the world.
Last year was the big Barbie celebration as she turned 50!
and boy was it a year of pink celebrations. This year, there are a few other notable Barbie celebrations.
In 1980, Mattel introduced the first Black Barbie. To be clear, there were other Black dolls in Mattel’s line (Francie, Christie and Julia), but 1980 was the first time Barbie was Black. HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY BLACK BARBIE!!!
This year also marks the 15th Anniversary of Kelly, Barbie’s little sister. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KELLY!!!
So think pink…polish your fingernails pink…bake a pink cupcake…wear a pink outfit…and of course put on your pinkest lipstick and have a wonderful Barbie’s birthday!!
http://ontheoccasionofcelebration.blogspot.com/2010/03/celebratingbarbies-birthday.html
Marker Tie Dye
No-mess tie dye with permanent markers! Kids can make great tee shirts, socks, aprons, bandanas, even shoe laces.
You need:
Our marker tie kit makes makes 12 bandana.
 Instructions:
If making socks, loop rubber bands tightly around socks about 1½” apart. If decorating a larger garment like a bandana or tee shirt, bunch up sections and rubber band every inch. Scribble with marker to make large areas of color around the areas of the rubber band. You will get best results by limited your colors to two, three or four colors. Too many colors will get muddy. If working on a larger garment, you’ll want to take off the rubber bands and use them again and again for other areas until you have the desired results.
 Pour rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and lightly spray the garment. You can also blot with paper towels dipped in rubbing alcohol. Set aside for 20 minutes. This will blend the colors to get a more tie dye look. If working with younger children or a larger group, you can skip this step and still have great project.
To set the colors with heat, iron the garment or tumble in a hot dryer. Wash separately in cold water. Tumble dry.
National Craft Month
March is National Craft Month- and it’s not too late to get involved!
CHA has put together some National Craft Month ideas and inspiration for retailers.
Click here to:
- Learn how to maximize your public relations efforts
- Get tips on holding in-store classes and demonstrations
- Discover new ideas on how to increase traffic to your store during the month of March
In addition to many of the initiatives that retailers can undertake, National Craft Month is also a great time for manufacturers to get involved. Provide your retail customers with project sheets and patterns to inspire their customers. You can also reach consumers directly by posting craft projects to the CHA consumer website, www.craftplace.org. There are so many ways that craftplace.org can be utilized to connect with consumers. Download the CHA Member’s Guide to Craftplace to find out how!
Have a fun and successful National Craft Month.
http://www.craftandhobby.org/promotions.html
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