Home Improvement Tips/Solutions

Bleach Sanitizes pool toys :

Dip a sponge into a mixture of two cups of bleach and one gallon of water, then wipe down pool noodles and beach balls. Scrub off grime with a brush, and rinse with water.

Vinegar Brightens Patio Furniture: 

Fill a Spray Bottle with white vinegar and spritz over chairs and tables to remove mildew stains and prevent mold from forming.

Coffee Grounds Banish Ants: 

Sprinkle some grounds near doorways. Coffee's high nitrogen content burns bugs, so they won't walk across it and into your home.

Flip-Flops become doorstops: 

cut a wedge of rubber from an old thong and use it to prop open a door and let the summer breeze in.

Dryer Sheets repel Bugs: 

Keep sheets of this laundry staple in a cup outdoors - they make the humen scent that attracts mosquitoes.

Foil cleans the grill: 

while the coals are still red-hot, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the grates and close the grill's lid. the next time you grill, crumple up the foil and use it scrub off the burned residue before you start cooking.

Surreal Places to Visit in United States

Alaska: 
Mendenhall Glacier Caves
Northern Lights
Arizona: 
Antelope Canyon
Horse Shoe Bend
The Wave
Oregon: 
Oneonta Gorge
Thor's Well

Washington: 
Skagit Valley Tulip Fields
Palouse Falls

Colorado : 
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Florida :  
Dry Tortugas National Park
Utah : 
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon
Newyork:
Watkins Glen State Park
Niagara Falls
California:
Yosemite Valley 
Lake Tahoe
Sequioa National Park
Wyoming:
Devils Tower
Yellow State National Park - Grand Prismatic Spring, Morning Glory Pool, Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Hawaii:
Haiku Stairs of Oahu
Na Pali Coast State Park
New Mexico:
Carlsband Caverns
Arkansas:
Whitaker Point
Texas:
Hamilton Pool
Tennessee:
Great Smoky Mountains
South Dakota:
Badlands National Park
Georgia:
Savannah
Montana:
Glacier National Park

DIY Home Decor Ideas

Stool with old magazines, two belts and a pillow

Mason Jar with lights

Fireflies Night Lantern

Coffee Beans and Tea Lights

Shoe Hangers

Custom Sharpie Mug

Floating Bookshelves

Wooden Photo

DIY Projects 2

Fireflies Night Lantern:

Coffe Beans and Tea Lights:

Shoe Hangers:

DIY Projects 1

Cherry Blossom Lights:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Cherry-Blossom-Lights/

Led Lights: http://www.dx.com/p/30-led-3m-battery-powered-christmas-light-white-led-3xaa-6483

Wooden Box Shelves:

http://livethemma.ikea.se/node/22090

Custom Sharpie Mug: 

Floating Bookshelves:

Wooden Photo:

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until combined.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely. Combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth; drizzle over bread.

Crispy Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

•   cold mashed potatoes - 2 cups
•   eggs - 2
•   all-purpose flour - 1 tbsp
•   garlic chopped - 1 tbsp 
•   vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
•   cilantro chopped - 1 tbsp
•   green chillies - 4
•   onions sliced - 1
•   salt - to taste 
•   pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp 
•   cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp

Directions: 

1. combine potatoes, eggs, flour, garlic, cilantro, green chillies, onions, salt, pepper, cumin powder and mix well .
2. Heat oil in a skillet and make small pancakes with your hand and place it on skillet and cover with lid
3. cook for 5 minutes and turn on other side and cook for another 5 mins.
4. crispy potato pancakes are ready to eat

Schezwan Chilli Potatoes [Indo -chinese]

Schezwan Chilli Potatoes:

Fried and crispy potatoes sauted in a spicy & hot schezwan chilli sauce.

Alternatives for schezwan sauce : red chilli sauce , crushed red peppers, red chilli garlic paste

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• cornstarch
• salt 
• pepper powder
• oil
• Onions
• Green Chillies / Red Chillies
• Ginger 
• Garlic
• Soy Sauce
• water
• Celery (optional)
• Vinegar

Step by Step Procedure:

1. peel & cut the potatoes in wedges. keep the potatoes in cold water for 30 mins.
2. Drain them and add cornstarch, salt and pepper & mix well.
3. shallow fry in a wok or kadai till the potatoes are crisp and golden and drain on paper towels.
4. Remove the extra oil from the wok and just keep about 1 tbsp oil remaining. add onions, green chilies, red chilies, ginger and garlic and stir fry on a high heat for a minute or two.
5. Add the crushed schezwan pepper and black pepper. stir fry for one or two minutes.
6. Add the soy sauce, red chili sauce, salt and sugar.
7. stir and then add water or veg stock and let the sauce come to a simmer.
8. Add corn starch paste and chopped celery.
9. Allow the sauce to thicken.
10. Add the fried potato wedges. add vinegar. stir and toss well.

Source: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/schezwan-chilli-potatoes-recipe/

Breakfast Recipes

Best Indian Veggie Recipes:

Source: http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/breakfast-suggestions-top-10-veg-recipes-526878

• Rava Dosa
• Poha
• upma
• Sprouts Jalfrezi
• Steamed Dhokla
• Aloo paratha
• Oats Idli
• Bread Poha
• Thepla
• Uttapam

Water melon juice with fresh mint

water melon is one of my favorite fruit in summer and i started experimenting by adding unique flavors to water melon and it turned out pretty tasty and it's my daily go fresh drink in the morning.

Ingredients:

• Water Melon chunks 
• Pinch of salt 
• Pinch of pepper 
• Chaat Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fresh Mint Leaves - 5 to 6 

How to make delicious juice:

Add water melon, salt, pepper, chaat masala powder and mint leaves in a jar and blend it smoothly and pour it in a glass. Garnish it with mint leaves (optional).

Enjoy sweet water melon juice :)

Gujarati Thepla Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fenugreek Leaves – 2 tbsp (fresh or dried)
• Whole Wheat Flour – 3 cups
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Yogurt – 1 cup
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
• Minced Garlic – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro/Coriander Leaves/Dhaniya – 1/4 cup, packed
• Warm Water – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a big bowl, mix Whole Wheat Flour and Oil (2 tbsp) and incorporate the two well together.
2. In a separate bow, mix well the following: Yogurt, Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Minced Garlic, Fenugreek Leaves, Cilantro.
3. Mix the above Yogurt mixture into the Flour and knead.
4. Add additional Warm Water little at a time if needed. Knead to form a ball of dough.
5. Drizzle a few drops of Oil, smear, cover and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
6. Heat a tawa/flat skillet on medium flame.
7. Make golf size balls of the dough and start rolling just as you would for chapati. Use dry Flour to dust.
8. Roll and place on a hot Tawa and cook.
9. Once the dough starts to change color, flip and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side.
10. Drizzle a few drops of Oil and smear and flip once again.
11. Drizzle and smear Oil on this side as well.
12. Press gently with a spatula and allow to cook till there are a few golden spots.
13. Take off the skillet and serve hot or place in a hot casserole till ready to serve.

Rava Dosa Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine sooji (semolina) 
• 1/2 cup rice flour or plain flour 
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/8 tsp soda bicarb 
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk 
• 1 tsp coriander - finely chopped
• 2 green chillies  - finely chopped
• Salt

Cooking Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients together by adjusting butter milk
2. The batter should be relatively thin, add salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes
3. Heat griddle to very hot, sprinkle some water till it sizzles and quickly pour 1 large spoon of batter on it. Spread by gently rotating the griddle. Lower the heat and when the edges begin to rise or brown, put some oil (1/2 tsp) over dosa, and trail some around it. When the edges begin to rise, ease out the dosa with the spatula under it. 
4. Serve hot with onion chutney or coconut chutney

Healthy Food Recipes

It has been a while so started to write a blog about healthy food recipes for my husband sake.
He loves pasta, soup and all kinda of appetizers [ but vegterian though :( ] so searched for few healthy food recipes but got tons of them which are listed below

Red Lentil Soup

Potato with Kale Soup

Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

vegetable soup