Chocolate spoons, cup cakes and a party

The drafts have been piling up, my comeback drafts, but I’ve been weirdly reluctant to press the “publish’ key. This post, however, just might get done. It’s a party post and I love party posts. Besides, a party is a good way to get back, right?The kids this time had their birthday in my hometown so missed out celebrating with their friends. The Husband told them to decide between one big gift each or another party with their friends – not a birthday party, mind you, just a party.

You should have seen them think and debate and argue back and forth. N wanted the party, H wanted the gift, we just wanted a consensus. Finally after much thought a party it was to be.

For long I’d wanted to separate the concepts of ‘party’ and ‘presents’. This party was to have no gifts and no return gifts either. For the record, I have a long lasting vendetta against return gifts and the mega avatar they’ve taken.

That decision being made the next thing was to convey it to the mums that this wasn’t a birthday party. It took a bit of convincing but they came around and did a pretty good job and the kids were primmed well. I just had a few queries of “Aunty where’s my return gift?”… far fewer than I expected.

I chose an invite off the Net and fiddled with it so it looked like this.. to make sure everyone got our message.

I did away with the cake and instead got cup cakes for everyone. We put on name flags to avoid fights over colour! Yeah we think of everything.

Another fun thing I’d been longing to try out were these chocolate spoons. The recipe I worked with was from here http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net/2012/09/12/how-to-make-chocolate-spoons/.
Since my spoons were plain white I dressed them up a bit with stripey glitter designs with 3-D paint. I loved the result.

 

All I had to do after that was melt some regular Dairy Milk chocolate on a double burner, pour it out on the spoons and decorate them with sprinkles (which I had ordered from gourmetco.in). Here’s what they finally turned out. Not as good as the ones in the original recipe but then I’m no cook. I do hope to do a neater job next time round.

The menu was simple, the music good and H set the mood with that notice!

The kids had a blast.

With twenty of them in our tiny living room, decibel levels climbed beyond decency. Even as I fretted over what the neighbours would have to say, The Husband slept.. yes slept through it all.

We really should have more of these!

Only U…

… think my cooking is out of the world never noticing the slightly crooked rotis or the overdone daal.  
… happily christen my hardened cakes ‘biscuit cakes’ and crunch them up with relish.
..  think I sing like a nightingale and fall asleep with a smile to my off tone, off key renditions.
… think I’m fashionista number one fascinated at my barely there ‘makeup’ kit.
… think I’m pretty never noticing the flab only enjoying the warmth as you cuddle up.
… think I’ve got the grooviest moves as you dance with me to.



Seven years ….

Sure got lucky with you too.

Blog-a-prompt Day 6 – No

No? What’s No?
 
Meet my nephew, all of 6, who doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘No’
even if he’s told again…

…and again…

….and again….

….and again…

….and yet again.

Blog-a-prompt 5 – Spicy

Whew!!! Last minute entry for today’s prompt.
 
There really is nothing as spicy as street food. Whether it’s the vada pao, misal or bhajiyas from my current hometown – Pune or it’s Lucknow’s chaat, sprout bhel, khasta, chana jor garam or baati chokha – it just has to be hot hot hot.
 
Take a look… 
 
Chillies occupy pride of place amidst the chana and the masala is to die for.

Spicy Tea.. anyone?

Some Magi to go along with that tea.. or will it be a bread pakora
or boiled eggs or aaloo vadas?



Pack some baati chokha off the streets. Baatis (Litti in Bihar) are crisp
dough balls with a filling of spicy ‘sattu’ that go perfectly with the chokha
which is a baigan-aaloo bharta with a liberal sprinkling of green chillies
that bring on the hicupps and make your nose run.



… and finally the khasta teams up perfectly with potato sabzi which also
has a liberal sprinkling of green chillies.

Oh and the jalebis are here for two reasons.. One, I figured you might want some
meetha after all that spice and two, khasta-jalebi is a combination that has always
been a combination here in Lucknow. There’s never one without the other.