Food for 7 Stages of Life

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

We are moving!!! Please update your address book.

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I am so glad to announce that Food for 7 Stages of Life has got a brand new and beautiful home @ http://www.foodfor7stagesoflife.com

Please update your readers and join me for a party in my new space.

Hugs

Friday, May 28, 2010

(Mega) Winner Announcement !!!!!

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Friday, May 28, 2010

How have you been my dear friends. I am still terribly busy and waiting this crazy month to come to an end. As promised here is the winner announcement(s). First let us see who won this edition of FF7SL and then lets see who the mega winner is?

Nithu of Nithu's kitchen wins this edition of FF7SL: Food for Ailments and Old Age. Congratulations Nithu for your contribution and support.

About Nithu:
I started "Nithu's Kitchen" just like that one day without any pre-planning. Initially, this was started as a venture for sharing the recipes with my friends and sister. My husband helped me to improve my blog with his ideas and I'm proud to say, he is the man behind "Nithu's Kitchen". I'm very lucky enough to get a wonderful parents who used to encourage me right from my childhood. Above all, this blogging world earned me so many lovely friends. I'm learning lot of new things from my friends everyday and hope to be with them in this journey forever...

As said earlier I picked up two random winners: they were Cool Lassie of Pan gravy Kadai curry and Sushma Mallya of Authentic food delights. Sushma was the first person to send an entry when I announced FF7SL 7 months ago. Thanks Sushma. And CL has been constantly participating in all the editions and has been flooding my inbox with her wonderful recipes. Thanks CL.

So Sandhya Hariharan(twice), Sadhana/Muskaan, Nisha, Adukalavishesham, PJ, Nithu, Priya, Ruchika, Suma, CL and Sushma were part of this mega raffle.

And now the Mega winner who gets her favorite cook book is.................... drums rolling....

Priya of Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes. Congratulations Priya!!!!! Thank you so much Priya for your constant support and sharing dozens of recipes in all the 7 editions. You rock!!! I asked Priya to choose her favorite cook book as I faced some glitches while ordering BloggerAid book and this is what she chose, won't you love to have this book?

and as a special token of gift for her continuous support I have added another surprise goody to the package. The gifts are on its way to Paris and I hope you receive them soon.

About Priya:
A simple cook and a novice baker who loves foods and trying to change our usual way of cooking and eating but making out dishes with healthy stuffs..Been born and brought up in a beautiful seashore city my life changed completely once i came to Paris, where i learned more International cuisines..I never need or read a cookbook to cook or bake..To be honest, i won a baking book after entering to this blogsphere..I have a tremendous numbers of traditional recipes to fusion dishes in my blog, i learned from my mom my most of the traditional dishes while many fusion dishes comes from my small mind..I cant be an excellent cook without my husband and my beautiful kids, superb great critics who pulled me to cook up everyday with different dishes, needless to say i learned cooking from my mom who is always my inspiration..

P.S: I am yet to publish the roundup(s), hopefully I get them published with first or second week of June.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Interim Break and South Beach Diet Update!!!!!!!

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Tuesday, May 04, 2010

source:http://mirrorcracked.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/i-want-to-be-impulsive/

For the last few weeks, I have been so engrossed with work, traveling and other activities that I am not finding time to blog or visit others blogs. If you hear my schedule you will faint. I am traveling like crazy with my husband during weekends and during weekdays I am stuck with loads of tasks at work and a mini project at home. This schedule will continue for the entire month. So absolutely no REST :-(( Sobs!!!

I am really sorry for not stopping by your space and leaving comments. Life has taken a different course and I have decided to break up(Interim) with my blog. But I promise to come back in next few weeks with the Winner announcement, roundups, SBD updates and more interesting recipes. So please please keep sending your lovely entries for both the FF7SL & A.W.E.D till then.

Quickly let me tell you what happened on the SBD front. I have reduced two dress sizes. Yes I am able to wear most of the size 8 pants now, guess I should be somewhere between 8 and 9 lol. With the crazy weekends schedule I am kind of deviating during Saturday and Sunday but still thriving to eat healthy and I have avoided all junk/fast foods. So I am glad to say that within a month I have made remarkable improvement without much workout. My hubby and family friends say that I look exactly like how I was an year and half ago. Yay to SBD!!! But as I tell every time, there is long way to go. I want to get rid of those excess fats sticking around my thighs and hip before the summer begins and wear at least size 4 if not ZERO ;-) . I know I kind of have high ambitions LOL..

Challo, I will meet you guys later and will stop by your blog very soon. Until then eat well, take good care of yourself and have fun.

P.S: I was recently interviewed for Authentic Journey of Cuisine/Alaivani. Please read my interview here and let me know your thoughts. Thanks Jennifer for featuring me.

Hugs,
RV

Thursday, April 29, 2010

A.W.E.D - Russia

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Thursday, April 29, 2010

A.W.E.D:

A.W.E.D is the brain child event of DK (Chef in You fame) started two years ago on April 15th 2008. Ever since it has traveled around the globe stopping by a country every month. This month A.W.E.D plans to unravel the culinary secrets of Russia.

Russian cuisine is as vast as that country. Soups, Breads, Pancakes, Meat, Poultry, Fish and Vegetables were the staple food of Russia until late 18 and 19th century. With the strong influence from French and Austrian cuisine, Wine, Pastry cooking, Salad, Chocolate, Ice-creams were introduced into the Russian cuisine. So join me in exploring the vast cuisine from this country.

Source: allbestwallpapers.com ; Wikipedia

ABOUT DK of Chef in You:
DK makes us believe that there is a Chef in each one of us. She inspires her readers to wear their cooking hat and start experimenting in their kitchen with the easy to follow step by step instructions. When I decided to bake my first bread, I knew where I had to look for. Of course DK's Chef in you blog :)

Get aquainted to Russian Cuisine:
http://www.allrussianfoods.com
www.ruscuisine.com
http://yulinkacooks.blogspot.com
http://tasterussian.com/

Rules
1. Prepare any VEGAN/VEGETARIAN dish from Russia and post it between now and May 31st 2010.
2. Link it to My Event Announcement and DK's AWED announcement page.
3. You can send as many entries you want.
4. Archives are welcome. Just update or repost and link it to us (See rule 2).
5. Non Bloggers can send me your entries in a word document with the picture of your dish (jpeg).
6. Send me your entries to FOODFOR7STAGESOFLIFE@GMAIL.COM with the below details

Mail Subject: AWED-Russia

Your Name:

Recipe Name:

URL of the recipe:

Picture of the dish:

Prijatnogo appetita!!!!

Do send in your entries for the FF7SL:Food for Ailments and old age event before May 25th 2010 and you could be the winner of one of those fab cookbook.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Asparagus Usili

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Does a Woman hate to shop for Clothes? I did. Every time I visited the store I had to look for a bigger size. I hated to try those pants that didn't fit. I had to let go those cute dresses because they stopped looking good on me. Hope you understand the kind of frustration and disappointment. TH doesn't like me to feel disappointed. He gets upset so easily when I undergo this pain. So we both agreed that we will not shop for clothes until I could fit into my old dresses.

This Sunday we decided to visit a restaurant with our friends. I just got little greedy and picked up my jeans that I had concealed in my wardrobe (last Summer). I was little skeptical to try it but then I gave it a shot. And to my surprise I fit in to my Size 10 stone washed Calvin Klein jeans after many months. I literally jumped out of joy and got into a mood of dressing up. I picked up my favorite sleeveless kurti and a ear ring to match. When I stood before TH he shouted out of amusement. TH was very happy because I was happy :) But it doesn't end here. Still there is a long way to go to reach my goal weight.

I was not sure if I should post these pics. They were taken in the poor light settings in my kitchen:( So excuse me for these lousy clicks. BTW, Happy Earth Day to all of you. Last year I had posted Palak Tofu Soup on the same day to celebrate this occasion.

How it tasted
I am not a big fan of Asparagus. But I love this vegetable in Usili and Aviyal. Since I don't steam Asparagus it is crunchy like the grilled ones which makes it perfect for usili. This dish makes a protein and fiber rich meal and you can have this during all phases of South Beach Diet. Traditionally Usili is served with White Rice, Sambar or Rasam.

Ingredients

Asparagus - 1 bunch (around 35 no.s) or Beans - 250 gm

Toor Dhal/Thuvaram paruppu - 1 tbsp

Chana Dhal/Kadalai paruppu - 1 tbsp

Red Chili - 2

Hing/Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds/Kadugu - a big pinch

Cumin Seeds/Jeeragam - a pinch

Broken Urad Dhal/Ulutam paruppu - 1/2 tsp

Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few

Method

Add Chana Dhal, Toor Dhal in bowl. Wash it thoroughly and soak it for 1 hr. Drain the water.

In a mixie/blender, add the Dhal, Red Chili, Hing, Salt and grind it to a coarse paste.

Wash Asparagus thoroughly in running water. Discard the wood like bottom part.

Chop the asparagus finely just like you will chop Beans for Beans Usili.

In a skillet add 1 tsp oil. When it is hot add chopped asparagus and fry it until the raw smell disappears.Keep it aside.

    In the same skillet add 2 tsp oil. When it is hot add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
    Add cumin seeds, chana dhal. When chana dhal starts changing color add urad dhal curry leaves.
    Add the coarse chana dhal toor dhal paste and saute for a while. As you fry it will start disintegrating.

Add Asparagus, salt and saute until the dhal blends with asparagus (for 3-4 minutes on a medium low flame). Ensure that Asparagus doesn't shrink too much.
Traditionally Usili is served with Rasam or Sambhar rice.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Giveaway & Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Food for Ailments & Old Age

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Good health is a precious gift. Without it all other gifts taste insipid. When a man gets old he realizes that he has been running around all his life behind wealth and fame and never stopped to savor the good food he was offered. He repents for his mistakes after losing his fourth sense.

This is the last event in the Food for 7 Stages of Life Series. This event might end, but the recipes you have been sending across will remain eternal in our blogs. Thanks to each one of you who contributed your recipes and to all my fellow bloggers who diligently commented on the roundups.

Rules of this event are pretty simple

1. Post any Home remedies (all ages) or recipes for old age people between now and May 25th 2010.

2. You can use any ingredient and send me as many entries you want.

3. Link to My Event announcement and Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong page.

4. No worries if you have the recipes in your archives. You can repost or update the post with a link to my event announcement and Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong page.

5. Do not have a blog, you can still participate in this event. All you need to do is send me your recipe in the Word (doc,docx,rtf) format with a picture of your dish.

6. Send me your entries with the subject line as ‘Food for Ailments and Old Age’ with the below details to foodfor7stagesoflife(at)gmail(dot)com

Your Name:

Recipe Name:

URL of the recipe:

It would be nice if you can display the logo of the event.

Winner and Giveaway

**** The winner will be chosen through Random.org

* 12 of you will enter a mega raffle that would be conducted at the end of this series, of which 7 will be the winner of each month and 5 will be randomly picked up.

* The Winner of the previous editions are Sandhya Hariharan of (twice) and Sadhana and Muskaan of A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine, Nisha of Nisha's Kitchen, Adukalavishesham and PJ of Seduce your Tastebuds. Also I have randomly picked up 3 random winners from the entries I have received so far. They are Priya of Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes, Ruchika Cooks and Suma of Veggie Platter.

* At the end of this event I will pick up 2 random winners who will enter the raffle along with other winners of this event.

* There is no more surprise as I have a beautiful gift to share. I have picked up two more books for giveaway and the Winner of this event series can choose one of these books -

1. The BloggerAid Cookbook or

2. Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or

3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

It will be shipped across the world.

* Winner will be announced on May 26th 2010.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

South Beach Diet - Phase 1 Menu plan

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Sigh, didn't know how last 2 weeks passed. I have successfully completed the Phase 1 on South Beach Diet without any deviations. Yay! I am able to curb my cravings and eat healthy now. But then the first three days were really exhausting. I was feeling really weak, so I was losing my temper often. Initially I thought I will eat whatever was mentioned in the meal plan on the SBD website with little variations. But it was not possible for me to do that. I started craving for Indian food, so I decided to look into the Indian dishes that I can eat. I got some ideas from Sig's blog and started exploring our cuisine. I tried to fit in the dishes into SBD. Viola! I found that there were umpteen choices that could easily meet SBD diet norms. As per the SBD booklet it says Indian Diet has terrific options for South Beach Dieters. Cool isn't it.

I have decided to copy Sig and share my menu plan and weight loss chart with you guys. Sorry for being a copy-cat Sig. As you said, letting others know will keep us motivated.

Friends, your comments on Baked Chicken has already motivated me, I hope you will keep cheering me up to attain my goal weight.

Without any further yapping, here is my Phase 1 Menu Plan

* Please CLICK on the above picture for a better view
* Indian Butter Milk with little salt and lots of hing (to neutralize the after effect of legumes, I mean the gastric issue)

* Vanilla Yogurt - Yogurt + Few drops of Vanilla Essence + 1 tsp of Agave Syrup
* Apart from this I had 1 cup of Tea in the evening with the regular Sugar ( I don't like the flavor of Artificial sweetener in Tea/Coffee)
* I did workout 4 days :)

Weight Watch

Starting Weight - 165 lb

Weight at the End of Phase 1 - 154.8 lb

Total Weight Lost - 10.2 lb :)) (A big smile)

Target Weight - 130 lb

P.S: Let me know if you have any queries on the Menu Plan.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

FF7SL hits a Century!

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Sunday, April 11, 2010

I am typing my 100th post. Woo hoo.. It is a Celebration time @ Food for 7 Stages of Life. Millions of Thanks to all my readers and fellow bloggers who have been loyally visiting my blog and leaving valuable comments. This is not a cliche. Your presence motivates me to push harder even in those sore days of my life. When you send me an email saying you liked my recipe, I read it alteast few times. It gives me immense joy and a sense of accomplishment.

When I wrote my first post, I assumed that blogging is all about cooking, writing and posting. I didn't know I can make zillion of good friends here and learn so much that I wouldn't have known otherwise. Yay, "Blogging ki Jai! Bloggers ki Jai! Blog Readers ki Jai!! "
Note: My blog has 99 followers, who is that lucky 100th follower of my blog? Please leave a comment if you are my 100th follower. At this moment I cannot sponsor a fabulous gift but I will send you a beautiful award. Is that deal Ok with you?

On this wonderful occasion I want to treat you visually with these pictures I captured through my lens. If there is something I enjoy beyond food it is Mother Nature. I was able to click few of her wonderful creations, hope you enjoy them as we did.

Love this one, A glimpse of cherry blossoms and Magnolia

Some birds along the Potomac river (I cheated, the second pic of that tiny bird was captured by my dear husband Vasanth)

More Blossoms

Few More

My favorite. I could have send this pic to Ree's Green Photo Contest, just missed it

Ok, Are you hungry after roaming around? Come on in. I have organized a luscious buffet for you. Help yourself by clicking this picture.

Burpp!!! Hope you enjoyed this meal. Visit us again. You might be interested to know what is coming up next on Food for 7 Stages of Life - SBD diet update, Fusion Usili, Food for 7 Stages Event announcement and CWS - Coriander seeds roundup.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Event Roundup: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Tiffin Box & Winner Announcement?

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Thursday, April 08, 2010

Well, the much awaited roundup for Food for 7 stages of Life - Tiffin Box is out. This time I am not sharing any stories with you nor I am telling you why it was delayed. My chronicles might distract you from enjoying these wonderful dishes contributed by the extremely talented bloggers(read as chefs). Do come back to see who won this edition of Food for 7 Stages of Life. Keep guessing and yeah I can give you a small clue 'Her recipes will scintillate your taste buds in no time'.

Update: Winner Announcement
Winner of this edition of Food for 7 Stages of Life is PJ of Seduce your tastebuds. Let us hear from PJ:
I am Padmajha Sureshbabu known as PJ to the blogging world. I am a Dietitian and health educator by profession but a stay at home mom for now.I started the blog to do something useful in my free time and now it has become more of a passion to me.

It is often mistaken that if a food has to be healthy it is either tasteless or difficult to prepare.But it is definitely not so.The recipes in my blog show that healthy food is both tasty and easy to prepare.You can also find nutrition articles and tips in blog.

Trying to get the members of your family to eat healthy is really challenging as the kids have a lot of snacks to choose from and the adults who go to work have little or no time to cook.Hence the home maker must use her creativity to churn out yummy stuffs in the kitchen that are healthy and easy to prepare and pack.I also feel that parents are the best role models in eating healthy as children imitate anything and everything the parents do and once parents eat the right food the child follow it without much coaxing..

The reason I include at least 4 dishes in hubby's lunch box is that he takes a very small breakfast coz he has to leave early and hence the i want the lunch box to provide the nutrients to make up for the breakfast.Tasty and nutritious is the mantra I follow while packing the meal and it includes rice[Carbohydrates], sambar/dhal/sundal[Protein],

Rasam,yogurt[protein,Calcium] and vegetable curry,a fruit[Vitamin and minerals].In this way we are able to meet some of the day's nutrient need.