Tag: 5Things

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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5 Things- Exotic Fruits

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

5 Exotic fruits that I like;

My list is not that exotic. I haven’t that adventurous gene which some people have. They travel to exotic locations and try the local delicacies. I am going with the fruits that I love and can be considered exotic by some standards;

• Mangoes;

In my country, we pride ourselves that our mangoes are the best in the world. They come in many varieties and are available for all of the summer season. I love that the different varieties of mango all have their distinct flavor, ranging from very sweet to slightly tangy and some are meaty and others are more fibrous.

• Kinnow;

This is a hybrid fruit and carries the goodness of oranges and tanginess of more sour citrus, nanrangi. It is a wonderfully flavored juicy citrus that lasts us all winter and well into spring.

• Coconut;

Fresh coconut is a treat to eat. There is a lot of hype about coconut water but I like the fruit better, myself. It makes marvelous smoothies and Pinacolada!

• Papaya;

Another fruit common in the tropical region. It has a smooth flavor and a very nice taste. It really tastes very nice on its own but also is great with a combination of other tropical fruits like mangoes.

• Pomegranate;

We get pomegranate at the start of winters. I like the red ones better than the very sweet white variety. It makes a very nutritious juice too.

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5 Things for Tuesday- Happy Thanksgiving.

Tanya is the host of 5 things

I want to wish all my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.

5 Reasons to be grateful for;

1. My family;

All my children are in the same city after five years. This is a special cause for gratitude for us all. All three of my grandkids are getting to know each other better and my three kids are renewing their relationship with each other.

2. Great friends;

I need to give thanks for my amazing friends. Both real-life and blogosphere friends are marvelous. They are my other family.

3. Health;

It’s a great blessing that we all are safe from the dreaded Covid-19. And I feel that wearing a mask while going out of the house has protected all of us from the common seasonal illnesses like cold and cough.

4. Peace of mind;

Thankfully, my mind is at peace, not only with the world around me but also with myself. I feel that acceptance is the reason for this state of mind. It is true that we cannot socialize with friends and have a lot of restrictions placed on our lifestyle choices, but if we accept them as a call of today’s circumstances and move away from complaining to accepting, we are easier in our mind.

I saw this meme on Jim’s page;

It’s a fun way to see 2020.

5.Changing weather;

I really love when seasons change and I get to rediscover my winter wardrobe once again. Shawls, capes, and sweaters all come back in my current wardrobe. Hot drinks and warm blankets make life cozy again.

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5 Things for Tuesday- Favorite jams and preserves

Tanya is hosting this challenge

Today she’s asked us to list 5 of our favorite jams/ preserves.

• Strawberry Jam

My all-time favorite is strawberry jam. It should have real fruit in it and be free from preservatives.

• Guava Jelly

I don’t think many people have tried this jelly. I was a kid when my grandmother came to visit us. We had a guava tree in our home loaded with fruit. She made the most marvelous jam from the fruit. I did try to make it myself but it wasn’t as good as hers.

• Plum Jam

Another favorite that is best when homemade. It is surprisingly easy to make and tastes great with bread, rolls, or croissants.

• Tomato Jam

This is a recent find. I tried tomato jam with buttermilk biscuits and it was an interesting flavor. Not sweet or savory, it was a perfect combination with those yummy biscuits.

• Mango Chutney

I don’t know if many people have tried mango chutney in the west, but in our part of the world, it is very popular. A bit sweet, a bit tangy, and a bit spicy. Goes so well with biryani and meat dishes.

~*~*~*~

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5 Things for Tuesday- Enjoyable things

Melanie has taken up the baton this week for this prompt

5 Things that I enjoy;

• Blogging

It’s no secret that I love blogging. It’s the best way to stay up to date with what’s going on in the world today as I don’t read or listen to the news. I have a great exchange of ideas with my blogging friends and use my brain to compose my posts. All these activities keep me fit and active.

• Walking

I started walking for exercise and keeping my newly replaced knees in good condition but now I love to walk. So I take any opportunity I can to walk. Anything I can do while walking, I do it. Like reading blogs, talking to friends, and making other necessary phone calls.

• Reading

Reading is a pastime that I’ve always enjoyed. So whenever I have free time, I read and then sometimes re-read my favorite books.

• Listening to music

I think music is a cure for many ills. When I am reading, writing, or walking I put on my music and enjoy the best of both hobbies.

• Playing with my grandies

It may be the last on this list but it isn’t the last of my priorities. I love playing with the two younger ones who are both now 18 months old. My elder grandson is around 10 and a half and I enjoy spending time with him too where we have discussions about the economy of our country, why there are poor people here, and of course about Minecraft, the game.

Thanks, Melanie for the prompt this week.

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5 Things for Tuesday- Cheesy selection

Tanya is the host of 5 Things

This week she has asked us to list our 5 Favorite types of cheese;

• Cheddar;

I have loved this since I was a kid. Thick-cut slices on bread or toast. I can grill it or eat it as it is. Always yummy.

• Mozzarella;

Perfect for health-conscious people, mozzarella is good because it has a low-fat content. I love it on my pizzas with lots of herbs.

• Feta;

I love its sharp taste. It tastes heavenly when combined with a mild topping like guacamole or avocado. My favorite way to eat feta is on toast or English muffin with salsa and sliced avocado. It is good in salads too.

• Cottage cheese;

Again a low-fat variant with a mild taste, cottage cheese is good for cooking. A local dish where we substitute meat or chicken with fried cubes of cottage cheese, also called paneer in our local language, cooked with spinach is considered a delicacy.

• Gouda;

I love making grilled cheese sandwiches with Gouda and strawberry jam. They taste wonderful.

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