Things I want to tell my Teenage Self

This is a very different style of post for me. Its much more personal and a little rant and ramble driven.
Though I'm the last person to dwell on the past, like every other human being, I sometimes wish I could go back and change certain things.

1. Take care of your skin. This is something I wish I did, y'know, not just washing my face, but maybe a bit of toner of moisturizer would have helped keep my skin decent. The second part of this would be - don't take anything for granted - this should be a life motto, but in particular with my skin, I just took things for granted, and now I'm paying for it.
2. Always wear SPF - As much as you love being tan and prove a point to the fair and lovely obsessed - don't damage your skin while doing this.
   This is embarrassingly true. I've always maintained that dusky/dark/tan whatever you want to call it is as beautiful and lovely as fairer complexions, but when I was younger, I was all about going out in the sun and getting as tanned as possible, without sunscreen. Ugh, I still believe in the cause wholeheartedly, I just wish I wore sunscreen. 
3. Do NOT Thread Your Eyebrows. This one is a bit of a controversial one I know, especially when threading is all the rage now in the beauty world. But the people who used to thread my eyebrows made it thinner and thinner everytime I went to them. You can see the evidence staring you in the face - practically no eyebrows. Pluck child, don't thread.  
4. Keep 'em bangs long - Bangs are still around, but its different now that it was then. Everyone had these short bangs swept to one side that just didn't work for my face shape. It only made my face look wider - so please. NO. 
5. Take it easy on the kajal. Seriously. Can you SEE THAT? Panda eyes alert - except only at the bottom. Not pretty.

There are honestly a lot more things I would like to tell my teenage self, like the benefits of concealer, and a bit of lipstick or tinted lip balm, but they just don't seem as important. 

What beauty mistakes would you tell your teenage self to avoid? 

The Weekend Treat - The Best Pancakes, EVER.

Bit of a new one for me - but I feel the need to add a few more personal cooking/lifestyle posts.
These pancakes are a staple at my place. Once a month, when we're feeling particularly sinful, we make these. The recipe is simple enough, but the result is to die for - soft, spongey and tasty.
What you need -
3 eggs
1 cup of flour (all purpose)
1 cup of milk
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of powdered/caster sugar

The only complicated thing here is separating the eggs and beating the egg whites until stiff - a food processor will do the trick in a few short minutes. You mix the other ingredients (Flour, egg yolks, milk, salt and sugar) together, fold in the eggs - and you're good to go. This makes about 8 thinner pancakes and 6 slightly thicker ones. Really try this.
I served this with bacon/vegetarian bacon (made of cheese), caramelized apples and pancake syrup. SO GOOD. 

Birthday Weekend!

Birthday weekend post coming your way in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1. Note: Picture Heavy.

So, the 9th of February was my 22nd Birthday (yay, oldage) and it turned out into more of a weekend bonanza than just a Sunday celebration becauseeee.. my best friend Nikhil's (See picture above, with the birthday boy) Birthday is on the 8th. So it turned into a fun filled weekend! (Though, sadly, I ended up working on both days, ugh)
On Saturday, we drove out to Moonrakers in Mahabalipuram, where you get the tastiest fresh seafood, though we didn't take too many pictures (we aren't picture people) we managed a few here and there.

On Saturday night, my lovely parents surprised me with my favorite red velvet and cream cheese cupcakes from the Cupcake Company.
On Sunday, we went out for lunch with the grandmother, followed by some shopping (LOTS of new things, yay!) and went to the Great Kebab Factory for dinner. (so good, so full)
Oh and for your viewing pleasure, I took a bunch of Birthday pictures with my cats - Qoco (black) and Snowman (White).

Now, onto my favorite part - throughout the weekend I wore pretty much the same makeup, featuring some new products from Bobbi Brown and a highlighter from MAC!
For my base, I have found the most beautiful combination of Chanels' Vita Lumier Aqua mixed with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, the coverage that the two combined gives me kills the need for concealer - at the same time it looks bloody natural and so - I'm glowing-from-within. I used my new Bobbi Brown Dark Peach Corrector under my eye (I was matched to Dark Bisque for god knows what reason, and have used up 3 of those - but I feel peach does a better job of eradicating the darkness). For my eyes, a new shadow acquisition, which is Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Shadow in Cognac - Its a burgundy plum, and my first venture into the BB shadows, I have to say, its LOVE. Buttery goodness and the pigmentation - sweet baby jesus.
I blended that out with my Inglot 357 Matte, and used my Maybelline gel liner. For brows, Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow in Ebony. For ze lashes, I used the very hyped Benefit's They're Real! And I have to say, I'm underwhelmed. Yes it can hold a curl, but no, it doesn't make the dramatic difference that people claim it does, but then again, it could just be me.
Okay, we're almost there - two more new products that I used this weekend was the Bobbi Brown Matte Bronzer in Dark (Better than my beloved NARS Casino? Jury is still out!) and the MAC's Extra Dimension Skin Finish in Magnetic Appeal as a highlighter (I've never tried these before, but I've got to say, I'm hooked). Highlighter seems to be my new addiction - but more on that later.
I finished everything off with MAC's Rebel which just.. aaah, look at it!

Ze new beauty stuff!

Haulage - Boyfriend jeans - Marks & Spencers, Layered necklace - Accessorize, Houndstooth Snood - Aldo, Black Wedges - Aldo, Bag - Oasap.com

So, that was my birthday weekend, with a little Face of the Weekend thrown in.. what did you think? :)

A Load of Veggies

Over the past few months, I've been making dinner for my family almost 4 times a week, apart from this I also make myself lunch on a regular basis. So inbetween all the things I get upto on a daily basis I need an easy way to consume as many vegetables as possible. Now this meal, and I say meal because it's heavy makes a good - hearty lunch. But I prefer it for dinner.

A few years ago, while watching (ogling) Jamie Oliver's show, I came across "bubble and squeak", basically, its a bunch of vegetables, boiled and then cooked in a bit of olive oil (and butter, if you're feelin' adventurous) until it browns nicely. Ever since, it has made it to my dinner menu atleast once a week. 

Thats the main attraction really, the rest are just supporting characters that add nutrition, flavour and texture. 

For 2 people - Bubble and Squeak - The Cast

1 medium sized potato

1 large carrot.

1/2 a small cauliflower

1/2 a small brocolli

8-12 brussel sprouts. 

1/4th pumpkin

1/2 a small cabbage

(Now, you don't have to use ALL of these, you could go with anything you have lying around your fridge...)

Boil the veggies in a pressure cooker till they're breaking apart... and mash them (in the original, its mashed on the stove top, however, I find mashing it before just helps cook it faster), add salt and pepper to taste. Now, heat a nonstick pan and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil and let it heat (you can add butter at this point if you'd like). Get all the mashed veggies into the pan, and spread it out in an even layer. 

While this is cooking, blach your spinach, drizzle it with olive oil and a good amount of paprika. 

It's time to trun the bubble and squeak.. that noise you're hearing? Thats where this dish gets its name.. the point is.. you need to cook your veg on all sides, not just the stop and bottom, so keep turning it.. till most of the surface is a warm brown. When this is done, take it out. In the meanwhile, get your toaster on, throw in a couple of slices of Multi grain bread - because its delicious and crunchy. You can also boil an egg if you want. I personally love my eggs soft boiled with a runny yoke, so I wait for the water to boil, take it off the heat and put the egg in for 6 minutes.

After your bubble and squeak is out, crank up the heat to high. Add a tiny bit of oil, salt, pepper and mashed garlic. When its really really hot, cut a tomato in half, place it in the hot pan and shut the lid. leave it there for a good 2-3 minutes. When you remove the lid, the tomatoes should've charred and cooked.

Now plate up, and dig in!

Fast, easy, and most importantly tasty.

Oh, lets not forget super healthy! Bon appetite! 

Start September with a Scramble.

Eggs, joyous eggs. The one thing I don't see living my life without (other than qoco). Versatile, soft, beautiful, delicious.. I could go on with the adjectives. 

Of the variety of egg-related-dishes you can make, the most easy is the scrambled egg, not to mention its fast and its tasty. 

(Although, its also so easy to screw up, undersalted (yuck), over cooked (ew) and rubber (*gags*) are just some examples of the crappy scrambled eggs I've tasted around the world [sounds fancy, don'it?])

It can be anywhere from rich and luxurious (Made with cream and butter) to healthy (made with milk and pepper). But if you want to up a notch and make it so scrumptious that you will thank the Good Lord for every bite you take.. read on. 

FYI. This is a "healthy recipe". Guilt Free and so so good for you, and your taste buds. 

The cast.
An egg (per person, or 2, or even 3, depends on how greedy you are)
1 small onion (chopped into the tiniest pieces your fingers will let you [onions, not fingers]
Half a capsicum (like the onion)
1 small tomato (be careful here, with all the red, keep those fingers close to you)

1/2 cup of grated broccoli (this is NOT an option. add it, you can thank me later)

1/2 a cube of Processed cheese (this is very optional)

1/2 a cup of milk. 

Start with a tea spoon of olive oil, saute your capsicum, onions and broccoli until golden (in that order, or else it will be ruined. I'm kidding. Not) 

Now that your veggies are golden and looking pretty - add in the tomatoes. Salt and Paprika (to taste). 

Just when the tomatoes start to cook add in the milk, and grate your cheese over it. Mix it all together and add your egg. Now, this is where you need to be really, really careful. Since we've added tomato and cheese, its going to slow down the scramble and make it too runny, so decrease the heat to low and keep stirring. 

When you think its ready (scrambled and a little runny, in my case) take it off the heat and place it over a piece or two of toasted whole grain bread (texture - check, crunch - check).

You could drizzle some ketchup and mustard over it, actually you should - need to.

So, try this out and you'll love it. 

Dreamy Prawns a.k.a Mallu Prawns

If you're a seafood lover, living in Chennai, and haven't been to The Marina, I'd say you're living under a rock. I would also urge you to go there, now.

Before you do though, I'm talking about the Restaurant and not the beach. Just to be clear.

Starting from the Calamari to the Fish Lasooni, the Fish satay, even the biriyani, you would be doing yourself, your taste buds and the rest of your life a favour by going there.

What really took my fancy though was their Jumbo prawns/medium prawns tawa fry - mallu style. 

If you like coconut (really, who doesn't? If you don't, you're lying to yourself) and curry leaves, and prawns, THIS IS FOR YOU. 

I loved these prawns so much I had dreams about them. No, I kid you not. So one fine Sunday afternoon, when the sun was shining (smouldering) and the prawns were fresh, a jobless 21 year old decided to try and recreate this marvellous dish. 

As it turned out, its really easy.

The Players. 

1 onion and 2 tomatoes, cut, sauteed and ground to a paste.

Paste of half a coconut

Cut slivers of coconut.

About one table spoon of fresh garlic and ginger paste

Curry Leaves. The more, the merrier. 

Fresh Coconut Oil

Salt, chilli powder and turmeric (all to taste)

1/2 kg Prawns (Medium) Shell free and deveined. 

If you're a herbivore - replace prawns with raw bananas, and contemplate eating prawns while you're at it.

Add about 2 tablespoons of oil and one table spoon of ghee, add the ginger, garlic and a handful of curry leaves (you can be as generous as your palette allows you to be) and saute them until goldenish, add half the quantity of coconut paste and half the onion tomato paste. 

Mix, crank up the heat and wait till it turns an orange-red colour - think Merida from Brave. No? Not there yet? Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder as per your preference. Now, we're talking.

Now add the rest of the coconut paste and tomato paste, and let it cook.. all over again. At this point you could add more seasoning, if need be. Throw in the prawns, you could gently place them too, I just prefer throwing things, makes me feel in control. 

While the prawns are simmering - if they aren't, add some water and let them simmer - toast more curry leaves and the coconut slivers in fresh coconut oil. The smell that fills your house despite the many exhaust fans will be to die for. The minute they've toasted, add them to your (hopefully) cooked prawns (the gravy should have reached Adison from Grey's Anatomy's red, y'know? Don't lie, ofcourse you do). Let it simmer for a last minute or two, and you're done. Congratulate self and dig in! 

So, will you be trying it? You should.