Tag: 5Things

What 5 things mean spring

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

Today Tanya asks us to list 5 Things that mean Spring to us;

Putting away blankets, quilts, and winter clothes

I look forward to doing this all throughout short winters. I don’t like heavy blankets and quilts and love the time when I put them away! In summer a light bedspread is enough when the air conditioning is running.

Lightning up of days;

It gets light sooner and gets darker later in the day. I especially enjoy the early morning quiet time when going outside doesn’t mean wearing more layers. Usually, it’s very pleasant and a light breeze is blowing.

Green leaves and colorful flowers everywhere;

The best part of spring is the rebirth of plant life. I get such joy from watching the tender green leaves and branches sprouting from the bare trees. The gardens all around us are full of lovely displays of flowers. There is in fact a competition among the residents to see who’s lawn is more beautiful. There is some sort of award too.

Strawberries, melons, and guavas in fruit market;

As I am a foodie, it should be no surprise that I await the spring for the delicious fruits it brings. Unlike America, we don’t have all fruits, all years around except apples and bananas. So strawberries come at the end of winter and last a couple of months. Melons also start to arrive in spring/ early summer as do the guavas. I love to make a salad of my favorite fruits.

Spring showers;

Nothing like the spring showers to lift the spirits. The sound and smell of rain are most welcome to me. It also holds back the sizzling summers for a little while.

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5 ways to enjoy Strawberries

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

Today, Tanya asks us to share our 5 favorite ways to enjoy strawberries 🍓

Chocolate coated strawberries;



I have never made them myself, though they are easy enough. But I love eating strawberries dipped in either dark or white chocolate. They are so yummy.

Strawberries with whipped cream;

Easiest and yummiest way to have fresh strawberries. Just douse them in sweetened whipped cream and enjoy.

Strawberry smoothie;

I make this with Greek yogurt and honey. If I want to avoid honey I use stevia. This is not only tasty but healthy too. It fills up the tummy and reduces hunger.

Strawberry tart;

Homemade or store-bought, I love the crispy flaky base with juicy strawberries on top. It tastes even better with cream or ice cream.

Strawberry in my oatmeal;

I love strawberries and walnuts in my oatmeal. It makes the perfect healthy breakfast dish.

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5 Things – 5 Favorite French Fries

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

Today Tanya asks us to list our 5 favorite ways to enjoy French Fries

• Battered fries;

Coated in batter and fried to crunchy, I love these with the special dipping sauce they serve it with.

• Masala Fries;

I like the ones which are sold by ” One potato two potato”

• Cheese Fries;

What can I say, who doesn’t love this gooey mess!

• Home Fries;

Thick cut and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper, yum!

• Garlic Mayo Fries;

Another messy side. When I get these I don’t want to share them with anyone.

These are my favorite ways to have Fries. What are yours?

♾♾♾

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5 Things for Tuesday- Self care

Tanya is back with her 5 Things prompt

My 5 Favorite self-care tips;

The first three were the usual ways to boost my mood before the pandemic. But they are still my favorite!

• Getting a manicure and pedicure from my favorite salon

I find it so relaxing to go for a mani and Pedi to my favorite salon. They pamper me with soothing music and a great cup of cappuccino. Maybe I’ll go there again, soon.

• Catching a movie with family or friends

Pre-covid days, I loved to go to the theater to watch my favorite movies. Sometimes the movie was pretty bad but I enjoyed it in the company of good friends. Now I don’t know when we will be able to go to a cinema theater!

• Going out for breakfast or lunch on weekends

Yes, another activity I used to enjoy before covid hit the scenes. Getting ready to eat out and then eating a meal someone else has prepared was so much fun. I hope we can enjoy outdoor dining sometime soon.

• Staying at home with nothing to do, just chilling

This I still do and enjoy so much. Just relaxing and doing whatever I want and nothing that I need to do.

• Snuggling in my bed with my favorite book

I usually end my day like this. Being cozy in my bed and reading a book from my favorite author. It is a great way to unwind and often the perfect way to prepare oneself for bedtime.

♾♾♾

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5 Things- My favorite cold remedies

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

Today Tanya asks us for our favorite 5 home remedies for the common cold.

• Honey;

I believe honey to be very effective in fighting a cold and scratchy throat. Either by itself or in warm milk does wonders for the cold.

• Hot beverages;

Tea, coffee, green tea are all helpful when under the weather from cold. They warm up the body and elevate the mood pulled down by being sick.

• Soup;

Even the doctors recommend soup when we are not well. Any soup would do as long as it’s not too spicy. But tomato soup and chicken soup are specially good.

• Vitamin C;

I find vit-c lozenges useful in cold. Oranges and orange juice are excellent source of vitamin C as well.

• Turmeric and ginger tea;

This is not my favorite but it is very effective. Boil ginger root in water for about 10 minutes and add a bit of turmeric to it. Add honey to make it drinkable. Both ginger and turmeric are anti-inflammatory and give relief in cold or cough.

These are my go to remedies for the common cold. What are yours?

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5 Things- My Favorite Winter Soups

Tanya is the host of 5Things

soup flower almonds

5 Favourite Winter Soups

Tomato soup;

This is my all-time favorite soup. It works both in winters and summers. I love the roasted tomato basil soup.

Hot and sour soup;

An old favorite. It’s a soup popular in our local Chinese restaurants. I make it at home too and it’s good when you are not feeling like eating a meal.

Cream of chicken soup;

This was the very first soup I made by myself, from my mom’s recipe book. I love it because it’s so yummy, yet easy to make.

Broccoli cheddar soup;

A bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with some warm bread makes a delicious meal.

Mulligatawny soup;

This is much like lentil soup except it also has some rice and chicken in it. It is flavored with garam masala and thickened with chickpea flour. This is a family favorite as well.

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5 Things- New year resolutions that I make but seldom keep

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

It’s been quite a while since I made New Year’s resolutions. Back in the days, when I was young and over-optimist, I would make a few resolutions every New Year’s Eve, only to break them a few weeks into the year.

The usual ones were;

Losing weight;

Since I’ve been battling with weight nearly all my adult life, this would be the topmost resolve. I would start with new plans with enthusiasm but it mostly fizzled out within the first two weeks of January. You see, I love food!

Be more organized;

This one lasted more than the first one but then life usually interfered and it was back to running behind the schedules and trying to play catch up with work and studies.

Exercising more;

Though it was a part of losing weight resolve, exercising more was also a goal by itself. I always had a very high heart rate and was told to exercise more to lower it. I loved cycling but often didn’t find enough time for it. So this resolution also lay unfulfilled at the end of the year.

Going to bed early;

As I was an avid reader, sometimes I stayed up till early morning to finish a book. This played havoc with my day. I would resolve to go to sleep early only to break it when I found a book I just couldn’t put down.

Getting up early in the morning;

This goal mostly failed as it was connected to going to bed early at night. Though I am happy to say that I have achieved both these habits, in my middle age. Not through any resolutions but through common sense. I realize that this works best for me. I have also been able to get better of my insomnia by sleeping early.

What are/were you 5 failed New year resolutions?

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5 Things – Hppes for 2021

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

Peace;

I hope 2021 is a year of peace. Both globally and locally.

Harmony;

After the strife and division of the last year, I hope we can bring back harmonious coexistence. Harmony within humanity and with all other life around us.

Awareness;

I hope that we can increase awareness about the role we should be playing regarding the environment. With more awareness, we can fix the problems that we are facing on our planet.

Equality;

My dearest hope is to see equality in all spheres of life. Race, color, religion, or culture should add diversity and not subtract humanity.

Love;

For this year, and the future, I hope that we learn to love each other and ourselves too. Be kind and more giving.

What are your hopes and aspirations for this year?

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5 Things- Guilty pleasure foods

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

This week Tanya asks us;

What are your 5 guilty pleasure foods;

• Chocolate;

I don’t count chocolate solely as a guilty pleasure because it has a lot of healthy benefits. But since it is so yummy, one does feel guilty after eating a whole bar of “Intense Orange” by Lindt.

• Carbs;

While carbohydrates may not be a guilty pleasure for most people, for people with pre-diabetes or diabetes, having too many Carbs is not recommended. So whenever I have carby foods like nan bread, samosa or croissant I have twinges of a guilty conscience.

• French fries;

Fried potatoes, smothered in garlic mayo or sprinkled with garam masala make the ultimate guilty snack as it is mostly devoid of any good nutrients. But it is so yummy.

• Brownies with whipped cream and ice cream;

This is a decadent dessert that I love but indulge in very rarely as it is so calorie-rich that it can be equal to a whole day’s worth of calories. But it’s soooooo good.

• Pakoras;

I love pakoras. Pieces of vegetables dipped in the batter of garbanzo bean flour and deep-fried. These are served with mint yogurt sauce. They can be made with potatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, or spinach.

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5 Things- Favorite 5 “ Food that is good for you”

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

This weeks she asks us to share our 5 favorite foods that are good for us;

Nuts;

I love most nuts. My only condition is that they be salted. Cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts and macadamia are on the top of my list.

Dairy;

Even as a child I liked milk! Yogurt and cheese are also in my favorite list. And of course, cheese means most types of cheese. I don’t like very sharp or smelly cheeses but the rest are always welcome.

Vegetables;

As I am a veggie lover, I like most vegetables. If cooked right, there is no parallel to them. I’d rather have vegetables than meat any day.

Chocolate;

Note some people may say that chocolate is not “good” for us but chocolate in moderate quantities is good for health. Dark chocolate, lifts the mood and is good for the heart too.

Fruits;

Love all types of fruits. Love them together in a big bowl of salad or just by themselves.

What are you 5 favorite healthy foods?

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