Category: Hobbies

How to make a Quick and Easy Payasam

This Diwali, I learned how to make a simple and quick payasam. It was delicious and I really enjoyed the making of it, so I decided to share the recipe with you! By the way, this is a shortcut payasam which takes only about 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp warm milk
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds
  • pinch of saffron
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 3 tbsp chopped nuts (you can also add raisins)
  • 1/2 cup roasted seemiya
  • 2 1/2 cup warm whole milk
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk

Directions

  1. Soak the saffron and cardamom in the 3 tbsp warm milk and set to side.
  2. In a non-stick pan, heat ghee, and fry nuts.
  3. Once the nuts are golden brown, remove and put on a plate.
  4. In the same pan, add the seemiya.
  5. Add the 2 1/2 cup whole milk to the seemiya.
  6. Let it cook for 7 minutes.
  7. Now add the condensed milk.
  8. Add the nuts and the saffron/cardamom/milk mixture.
  9. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
  10. Enjoy!

My 2020 #mgbooktober posts

Last month, I participated in #mgbooktober on Instagram. #Mgbooktober is a fun book challenge which requires you to post something every day. I decided to share a few of my favorite posts on my blog as well. You can check out my other posts on Instagram and hopefully follow me!

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Day 12 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a book that got you out of a reading slump. I don’t really have reading slumps, but if I just need a book to read, I always go for this one. I love reading the ending in which Sophie realizes who she really is and knows that she is and will always be loved by Agatha, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. This scene is so sweet and always brings tears to my eyes. If you haven’t read this series, I totally recommend it to you. Current Reads: 1. Of a Feather by @daynalorentzbooks 2. The Elephant’s Girl by @celesta_rimington #schoolforgoodandevil #sge #ilovethisseries #ilovethisbook #lovethisending #amazingbook #sophie #agatha #anadil #dot #hester #tedros #theschoolyears #thecamelotyears

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Day 24 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a fictional book setting you wish you could visit. I have always wanted to go to Camp Half-Blood and meet the demigods like Percy, Annabeth, or Piper! Ever since I started read this series, it has been my dream. By the way, I’m a daughter of either Poseidon or Athena. What about you? Current Reads: 1. A Woman in the House (and Senate) by Ilene Cooper 2. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart Unexpected Reads: 1. The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop 2. One Last Word by Nikki Grimes #camphalfblood #percyjackson #percyjacksonandtheolympians #heroesofolympus #demigods #halfbloods #campjupiter #goodseries #goodbooks #annabethchase #pipermclean #7demigods

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Day 26 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a book that made you laugh. I love this series and Mr Lemencello’s crazy and wacky imagination. It’s so amazing to just open a book and fall into a new world with magical and bizarre games. This series has taken me on a wild ride and I am constantly excited for the next one to come out! Current Reads: 1. The Graveyard Book by @neilhimself 2. Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy #mrlemencello #thetitaniumticket #chrisgrabenstein #goodauthor #greatseries #ilovethisgame #ilovethisseries #ilovethisbook #thisissuperfunny #boardgames #kylekeeley #akimihughes #miguelfernandez #sierarussel #andrewpeckleman #charleschilington #ireadmgbooks #ireadmglit #ireadmg #ireadmgfantasy #ireadmgfiction

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Being The New Kid

Being the new kid is never easy, especially when it seems like everyone knows everyone. I wrote the fictional personal narrative based off of my experience as a new kid in dance class. This was a submission for my assignment in my Language Art class

I open the door to the dance room uncertainly and peep in. Kids are milling around, talking to each other happily. I gulp and step in, nervous. All the chatter comes to a stop and it feels like every eye is on me. The teacher catches my eye and nods, and I take a seat near the back of the room. I listen to the excited conversation, only catching a few words or sentences, and start wishing that I had bought a book. The teacher, Ms. Nair, clears her throat and we all stand up and start warming up. After we’ve warmed up, Ms. Nair says, “Let’s see Jimikki Kammal from Nimmy, Rithika, and Megha.”  Their dance is fun and energetic. Ms. Nair smiles, then scans over the group of kids watching. “Let’s have Niharika, Lipi, and Tara join them. I know you girls don’t really know the dance, but try to follow along. ” she says. I get up nervously and join the other 5 girls standing. As I start dancing, I remind myself to loosen up and have fun. The music starts and I nervously begin dancing, watching the other girls like a hawk, trying to pick up the dance moves. As the music goes on, I start relaxing and actually start getting immersed in the dance. At the end, Ms.Nair smiles, looks us over once again and nods. She hands us a costume to practice in and my mind spins. I’m in a dance group already! A girl who danced with me, Lipi, says, “Hey, you dance really well. Do you want to be friends?” I smile and accept her invitation. I’ve already made a friend! I’m really sad when practice is over and we have to leave for our next class. I’m very excited for the next class and what we will do there.

Mav Urundai

I roll the ball between my palms, wincing a bit from the heat. As I take in my family mingling around the kitchen, I smile. I am right where I want to be, in my kitchen making mav urundai.

Mav urundai is so easy to make! I can make at least 6 delicious roasted bengal gram balls in less than 10 minutes. They taste really good and I always have to stop myself from eating more. Each urundai is small, but it fills you up perfectly. It’s a great time to be with family. Sitting around our table, we crack jokes and play games, all while having a small mav urundai snack.

I bite into the little ball and a flood of memories come rushing through my mind. Mav urundai reminds me of so many things. I take a small bite and vividly remember days with my grandparents, having fun in the sun, and so many more wonderful things. Happiness washes over me as I finish the urundai and reach for another one.

I love mav urundai. It reminds me of home and is a great and easy snack. I totally recommend making this for a light and easy treat!

Mint Girl’s Mav Urundai Recipe

Ingredients:

  • half cup roasted bengal grams (porikadalai)
  • .37 cup of powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ghee

Steps:

  1. Finely grind the bengal grams
  2. Add the powdered sugar and mix well
  3. Melt the ghee in a saucepan.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the powdered mix
  5. Mix well and start shaping balls
  6. Enjoy!

Mint Girl Goes to Verandah

I went to Verandah recently and tried the chef tasting menu there. Here are some of my favorite parts about it.

1. The Flavors

The flavors were very vibrant and came through well. The spices were added perfectly to create a stunning and tasty masterpiece. This food was familiar to me but still very exotic and on a new level. Paneer and gulab jamun always remind me of home, but when I tried them in Verandah, it was like rereading my favorite book and finding a new thing in the midst of it that I wasn’t able to figure out before.

2. The Presentation

This was fine-dining at its best. The service was impeccable and the food was plated perfectly. My favorite plating was the dessert course. The way it was arranged looked marvelous and delicious. It was also my favorite course.

3. Indulgence

I really liked how they provided special mocktails with different courses. They paired perfectly and added a nice sweetness.

4. Freshness

The vegetables and greens on the plate were all home-grown, adding to the fresh taste of the dishes. They also provided a crunchiness, that made eating them all the more delicious. I especially liked the edible flowers for decoration. They looked really nice and acted as a palette cleanser. A special mention to the chocolate mint decorating the dessert.

All of these elements tied together really nicely and made my dinner at Verandah a 5 star experience. I highly recommend everyone trying the chef tasting menu at Verandah.

The Mint Girl Reads The Heath Cousins and The Moonstone Cave by Eileen Hobbs

Recently, I received a copy of the book, The Heath Cousins and the Moonstone Cave by Eileen Hobbs. This is the first book in a trilogy and I am really excited to read the other books.

Addie B. is a young girl who lives in London. She comes to her grandparent’s beach house in Maine. She is excited to meet her grandfather, but not at all excited to see her 3 cousins: Jack, Beanie, and Bodie. Addie’s grandfather gives her a treasure book, which her grandmother once owned. Inside it is a moonstone ring and a poem. These lead Addie and her cousins to a cave. The adventure that they go on is unlike any other.

My favorite part of the book was when Addie and Jack (and the other cousins) start to understand each other. This helps them get along better and work together to get out of the cave.

This book is perfect if you love mystery and fantasy. I was kept on the edge of my toes while following the story of Addie B., Bodie, Jack, and Beanie.

Mint Girl Goes Ziplining

When I went on my vacation to Langkawi, I was pretty surprised that our hotel was in the midst of a forest. The landscape there was very pretty and the animals galore.We saw so many trees and the water on the beach was very clear. The hotel atmosphere was very calming and the staff was very nice. We took some tours that let us see some of the best and most interesting creatures. One of my favorite parts of the trip was spotting a colugo and the other was ziplining.

I had been wanting to zipline for a long time but I was quite nervous. At Umgawa, I didn’t have to worry. The instructors there were very nice and walked us through the guidelines. We walked for some time and came to our first line. It was a practice line and I was nervous, but ready. When I flew through the air, I leaned back and relaxed. I felt so free flying through the forest.

The scenery was beautiful and I loved every second of it.Nothing could beat seeing the Andaman Sea or a waterfall on your side while flying through the forest. I spotted a whole family of dusky leaf monkeys leaping through the trees. A few of them had babies and they all played with each other. I found this to be a super cute scene. We also saw tons of butterflies flitting around the trees. My favorite animal of the day, though, was the hawk we saw. We saw it two times. Once when we were walking on one of the rope bridges and before we abseiled(went down).

I definitely recommend Umgawa to any family looking for adventures, wildlife(pictures), and tons of fun.

DIY Christmas Jars

This year, I made some really cool christmas craft projects. One of my favorites was the christmas jars.

Items needed:

  • some old jars (I used mason jars, but you can use any type you want)
  • epsom salt
  • ribbon (use colors that will pop out)
  • medium sized silver balls
  • fake greenery
  • mod podge (or clear glue)
  • hot glue (only use with adult supervision)

Instructions:

  1. Coat part of the exterior of the jar with the mod podge.
  2. Sprinkle the epsom salt on the mod podge.
  3. Repeat until you cover the whole jar.
  4. Do this to how many ever you want to do and set to dry.
  5. Once dry, measure and cut the ribbon you’ll need to wrap around the top of your jar.
  6. Using the hot glue, glue the ribbon around the top and let dry.
  7. Take two or more sprigs of the fake greenery and glue in the center of the ribbon.
  8. Glue one or two silver balls on the greenery with hot glue.
  9. Let dry.

Once they’re dry, you can use them as anything from a pen holder to a candy jar! The epsom salt looks just like snow and the greenery with the silver balls looks really nice. These jars are amazing and really cute too!

Please try this and leave a comment about how it went!

My Hobby: Dancing

I plaster a smile on my face and step onto the stage. My hobby is dancing. I learn bharatanatyam and western dance.


I grimace at how messy the step turned out to be. Your steps have to be precise while dancing.  I scooped down and my leg followed. I groaned and start the frustrating process again. I scooped down and thrust my leg forward.”Phew! I finally got the step right!” I cheered and felt victory because I had to do two things at the same time. I was so happy when I achieved the step. On the next step I faced a similar problem.I started my jeté and sailed magnificently through the air. On my landing though, I crumpled to the floor. “ You can do this,” I whispered to myself. After a lot of practice, I finally got the step.

I practice the jump over and over again until it gets engraved into my brain. Dancing is a lot about repeated and dedicated practice. You need to remember all the steps. I started dancing a beat too early. Then I started a beat too late.Frustrated,  I threw my hands in the air. I was so annoyed at how my timing was off. I finally realized what time to do it and I was so relieved. Once I had the last step down. I knew I was ready for the competition. Before the competition, I practiced the dance multiple times so I wouldn’t forget it. “ I can’t forget the steps,” I told myself. On stage, I never forgot a step.

I run off the stage happy that the dance is over. Dancing is a type of hard work, because you need to have precise steps and you need to remember the steps.Even though it’s frustrating, I still enjoy dancing. I’ve always been lucky to have great teachers who guide me throughout the world of dance. Sunanda Aunty and Ms. Rojas have been the best teachers anyone could ask for.I hope my passion for dance keeps growing over the years. Let’s dance!