January 02, 2008

WELCOMING 2008 WITH COCONUT CAKE, BLACK EYED PEAS HUMMUS AND FRITTERS FOR GOOD LUCK!

My family wishes a very happy and healthy New Year to all of you. Let's all have a great new year!!:)
Last year we were in Orlando, FL at this time and had published my 2006 New year post from there! I am at home this year and enjoying it too!:D
I am welcoming 2008 starting with a delicious Coconut-Raspberry Layer Cake and ending with Black Eyed Peas Hummus and fritters to bring our family good luck as southerners believe!
Another dish with Black Eyed Peas I made last year is "Hopping John" and another Spinach dish you could try is "Spinach-Ricotta Gnocchi". Enjoy!!:)

Photo from istockphoto.

I can't believe how fast 2007 went by!!
It was a wonderful and fun year for us. Hope it will be as peaceful, happy and healthy in 2008 as well. Usually I don't make any new year's resolutions as I accept life as it comes to me. But I will be making few changes in the way I blog this year to have a tad more time with my kids who are growing up with a lightening speed!:D
Here they are...
1. To take frequent and complete blog breaks, absolutely no visiting any blogs on weekends and limit to 2-3 recipes in one post except RCI posts if I can! I will try my very best!!:D
2. To visit only the blogs of the my regular readers which I do enjoy, who come to my blogs every week with their sweet comments (if you are taking a break for any reason, it's quite okay not to visit of course!) and to visit few of my favorite bloggers who do not blog that often. That means if I see your name in my blogs, I will see you in your's, fair isn't it? :D
There will be a new blog roll this year. You can't believe how many blogs I visit everyday blindly, just because they pop up in my blog roll! Even in some blogs who almost never comment in my blog! It's taking lot of time out of my day to visit 80+ blogs every single day which I have blog rolled since June 2006! I have just realized this in the last month or so. I know! I am a bit slow to catch on!:P
3. To convince myself NOT to feel obligated to enter every event out there in the blogosphere, it's okay for me not to participate if I don't have the time or inclination and NOT to feel guilty about it!
4. Lastly and most importantly, make and spend more time with my kids talking to them, to get involved even more in their day to day happenings and guiding both to enable them to make the right choices/decisions in their lives. It is very tough to raise teenagers and deal with their "attitudes", "issues" and "mood swings" etc! Hahaha!
I will have 2 teenagers at home this March as Tushar is turning 13! After hearing Brittany Spears family saga, watching films like JUNO and looking at teenage moms walking into my daughter's junior and senior high school classes with their tiny babies, I better spend more time with my kids discussing about choices so they can manage their lives in the right way! Specially spend more time talking with my son (don't want him to be a teenage father either now, do I?!) more than my girl who will be 17 yrs old who seems to be far more mature for her age thankfully!!
Okey dokey, these are enough goals for this year, let's see how these work out first!:D

Here I go....

Coconut Layer Cake with Raspberry and Buttercream filling:

I am sending this to Bindiya from "In love with food" for her "These are a few of my favorite things" event with a theme of "cakes and Muffins" this month. Thanks Bindiya, enjoy!:)
This beautiful Coconut-Raspberry celebration cake recipe(with my own slight changes) came from a book called "Perfect Cakes" by Nick Malgieri, which is to me is the best cake book ever! Yes, it takes time and lot of butter and egg whites to make this cake but worth making once a year, specially if it has my favorite sweetened coconut!!:)

For the Cake you need:
2 1/4 cups cake flour or plain flour,
1 tbsp baking powder,
1/2 tsp salt,
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened,
1 1/2 cups sugar,
1/2 tsp coconut essence or Vanilla essence,
1 1/4 cups milk,
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 3 to 4 large eggs,separated)
Buttercream filling:
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 4 large eggs),
1 cup powdered sugar,
20 tbsp (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened,
1 tsp vanilla essence.
For garnish:
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserve or Jam,
One 7 oz bag of sweetened shredded coconut.

Two 8" round cake pans, lined with parchment or wax paper and sprayed with oil or buttered.

To bake the cake:
First, preheat the oven to 350F.

1. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt onto a paper or a plate.
2.Beat the butter and the sugar with a paddle attachment in a mixer until light and creamy. Add in the essence.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and the egg whites. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture in the blender to the butter mix and beat until smooth. Add in 1/2 the egg white mixture and then add in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat well. Add in the remaining liquid and the flour mix. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Divide the batter between two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Cool in the pans for five minutes and then cool on the racks. Peel off the paper.
To make buttercream filling:
Whisk egg whites and sugar in the electric mixer first. Take the bowl out and put it over a pan of simmering water to whisk until the egg whites are hot, and sugar has dissolved. Attach it again to the blender, whip this mixture until cool, increased in volume and buttery smooth. Beat in vanilla essence.
To layer the cake:
Slice each layer of the cake horizontally into half into 4 slices. Place on layer on the platter. Spread with 1/3 of jam and then 1/4 of buttercream on it. Top with another layer of cake and repeat. Place the last layer on top and spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Press the sweetened coconut all over the outside of the cake. Chill the cake for 2 hrs to set the cream and coconut.
Serve at room temperature or you can keep it the fridge for about 3 days. Enjoy!:))

Black Eyed Peas Hummus with crisp Olive oil-herb Pita wedges, few Dimes for luck and Black eyed peas and Spinach fritters!
Hummus recipe is from "Holiday Celebrations" cook book and Southern US style fritters are like the yummy Indian Pakodas, but made using plain flour/Maida. Black eyed peas called "Alasande" in Kannada, which is my favorite beans to make side dishes for rotis or Saaru with rice. I used canned black eyed peas which makes the job easier for me and added spinach to fritters to bring us prosperity and few dimes for good luck on the plate, not inside the fritters to save our teeth!:D

According to southernfood.about.com, "A staple in the Southern diet for over 300 years, black-eyed peas have long been associated with good luck. A dish of black eyed peas is a New Year's tradition in most areas of the South, thought to bring luck and prosperity for the new year. Jessica Harris, author of "Welcome Table" says in her book that some add a dime to the peas for an extra "boost" of luck to the recipient. Greens, thought to symbolize folding money, are often eaten with the black eyed peas on new year's day". (1 Dime=10cents)

To make Hummus:
This is the ame recipe as delicious Chickpeas Hummus but added Black eyed peas instead, was very tasty with crisp Pita bread. You can use crisp Tortilla and Khakras(Indian crisp rotis) for dipping too. Hope you try.


You need:
1 can (15oz) Black eyed peas or 2 cups cooked Black eyed peas,
1 tsp Cumin seeds powder,
1-2 Garlic,
few Cilantro leaves,
3-4 tbsp Tahini or Toasted Sesame seeds paste,
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste,
2 tbsp Lemon juice to taste,
water, only if needed to thin to your consistency,
Red or green onion, finely chopped, cilantro to garnish.



To make it:
Grind all the above to a fairly smooth paste adding enough water to thin it to a thick puree. Serve in a bowl garnished with onion and cilantro pieces.
Herb Pita wedges:
Take 3 to 4 Pita bread, brush them with Olive oil and any herbs like Parsley or chives or even spice powder you like on the top. Cut each Pita into 8 wedges. Heat the oven to 350F and place Pita and bake for 5 mins or until just until crisp, not brown. Take them out and cool.


Black eyed peas-Spinach Fritters:
I loved these fritters, best eaten hot and crisp right after frying. Make sure spinach is dry, dough thick and oil is hot(370F) when frying to prevent them soaking too much oil. Enjoy.


You need:

1 can (15oz) Black eyed peas or 1 1/2 cups cooked Black eyed peas,
1/2 cup or more Plain flour,
1/8 tsp or a pinch of Baking soda,
1 tbsp Cornstarch or corn flour,
4 tbsp chopped Cilantro or Parsley,
1/2" finely minced ginger,
1/2 tsp garlic pd,
1/4 cup finely chopped Onion,
1/2 cup chopped Spinach,(if using frozen, squeeze them well until dry)
1 tsp Cumin seeds,
salt and red chilli flakes to taste.


To make fritters:
1. Heat enough oil to 370F to deep fry.
2. Add drained cooked peas in to a bowl, mash roughly until coarse with your hands or with a spoon but not into a smooth paste. It should still have pieces of beans visible but mashed coarsely.
3. Add in all the other ingredients shown above, and mix well to a very thick dough like Pakora mix. Since beans don't have much gluten to hold them together, you should add plain flour to make it thick enough to bind the dough.
4. Adjust the salt and chilli flakes and using two spoons, drop large Walnut sized, oval shaped fritters into the hot oil and deep fry until golden all over.
Serve with Ketchup or hot sauce.

Here is our Christmas feast; Honey baked Ham, Cranberry sauce, spicy Potato fry, Coleslaw, Apple-Orange Marmalade-Feta cheese salad and Italian Panettone!


Well..I had planned to post this on the 1st of Jan. but then realized it's a public holiday and went to watch "I am legend" with the family (not worth the money!). Trisha and I went to see Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" last Wednesday and enjoyed it thoroughly. Watch it if you get a chance, beware of the spurting blood and gore though!
Have a great beginning Y'all!! See you next Wednesday as usual with some Indian dishes, had enough of cakes and cookies already!:D

156 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post. I love the black eyed pea recipes. Good luck with your blogging new year resolutions.

EC said...

All the best from me too for ur resolutions...The fritters look great and i am surely going to try it out soon as this is the season for fresh palak..

FH said...

Hi Vege Yum, thanks. I hope I can keep my resolutions too!:))

Hello EC, I just came from your blog!:)
Thanks, I will try my best this year!

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha! Wish you a happy new year. Lovely post. Hummus... I want to give it a try. I have seen one more Hummus in TBC's blog long back.

Altoid said...

Hey Asha

Resolutions sound good, you- of all the people should have no trouble sticking to them :).

Happy New Year, hugs and best wishes
-altoid

Mishmash ! said...

Wishing you a fabulous year ahead... :)

Perfect Cakes is a nice book , once I took it from the lib...it has a nice collection..took some recipe from it but yet to try :P

U watched Legend too...even i did not like the movie...but i liked "P. S I love You", a total chick flick, but a nice one :)

Shn

Reeta Skeeter said...

Lovely pics of Pitta and Hummus, the fritters... muh mein paani aa gaya!

You are tagged to post a picture on your blog. Details here:
http://reetaskeeter.blogspot.com/
Happy New Year!

Rajitha said...

ha ha..like ur resolutions..actually i have been doing something around the same lines now for a little while..but i lapse :(..stopped commenting on blogs who do not visit mine..i think commenting has to be a 2 way stream...all the best on the resolution :D

Bharathy said...

Great post!..as always, Asha!

Fabulous festival spread!

All the best for your resolutions too !:)

FH said...

Thanks Vijaya, try it. Hummus is usually made of Chickpeas but these taste fab too!:)

A, I really hope I will stick by these, my wrist start to hurt bcos of all that commenting!:D

shn, I didn't like Legend at all, what a waste of money girl!:P
That book is great, little work to bake all those but once a year is okay! Have a great week!:)

FH said...

Hi Reeta, happy new year. Thanks for tagging, will see if I can do it. No promises! Enjoy 2008!:))

Rajitha, you did too! Good for you girl.Hope you do keep up.
I am really sticking to it this time. I comment on some blogs regularly but I see them everywhere except in mine!! What's up with that?! :P
No more freebies and yes, it should be two way street unless we are on break! Enjoy blogging, I will see you later.

Thank you Bharathy. I will try hard to keep my resolutions this year!:D
Happy new year, enjoy.

Pooja said...

Hi Asha,
Happy new year to you and your family dear.
Glad to read your post :), I am sure that this resolutions you make, if you follow it the life will be better. And anytime if you cant follow them , I will not let you forget them :)) . You will feel the difference in life, and I am sure that you must be feeling it already by making the decision of doing limited blogging and commenting , am I right?
I had break on blog since a quite long time , not always I was that busy , if I wish I can always get time to blog regularly , but I knew that I want some time to analyse myself & my priorities in life. After all I recalled that I started blogging as hobby , later it happened that it become an addiction , and one need to be out of that, right? of course you always guided me for better, and I m glad that i had a friend like you from this blog world :) .
take your time, blog the way you like , ppl here comes to see your blog bcoz they like you and your way of describing each recipes. So do it your own way , thats what we like about you :) .

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
Wishing u a very happy new year.
The coconut cake looks delicious.

shalini

Lata said...

Hi Asha,

Coconut cake looks great. It disappoints me to see you less in blogging, but what you said is right, kids! and priorities. But, I know I will be there to comment on your every recipe. I will try Black Eyed Peas hummus, there is so much lying at home. I hope you had a great new year celebration.

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

80+ sites blogrolled???!!?!?! Where do u get all the patience from??!?!?! nange ondu 10-20 sites visit maadi comment bido ashtaralle saakagatte!!! :D. I enjoy visiting the regulars, though! Love the Cake, Ashakka..... it looks so soft and juicy

Meera said...

Asha:
I loved your new year resolutions. I wrote a post where I mentioned about you & your cuisineart icecream. You were on break then, so don't know if you read it or not. http://enjoyindianfood.blogspot.com/2007/12/diwali-ice-cream.html

As usual, your post is wonderful. and let me tell you this one more time, you make a blogger like me blog with your regular encouragement. Do take your breaks, because they are weldeserved. but don't go too long, ok? I know your kids need you the most. & talking of raising the teenagers? i still have good 10 years to go. but I get scared thinking about it. I will come to you for tips then, is it ok? :-)

I too made black eyed peas chaat for the new year to bring in good luck. I haven't yet checked the pictures on the laptop. If they are ok, i will blog about it. :-)Happy 2008!

Laavanya said...

Happy New Year Asha (once again). Nice post and the pictures haven't loaded yet for some reason and I desperately want to get an eyeful of that cake.. Sounds very delectable.
I didn't know about this southern tradition of black eye peas bringing luck.. that's cool! Nice recipes as always. Will check back again to get look at the pics.

FH said...

You are so right Pooja! Blogging is addictive, I didn't know I was commenting in so many bogs until my wrist started hurting!:D
I really enjoyed the break, read books, cooked more. I want to limit my visits to regular bloggers, which are more than 80 anyway and nobody else. You are right about priorities too! Have a great week, I will see you later!:)

Thank you for being a friend of FH Shalini, how I wish you had a blog!:))
Happy new year, enjoy the cake.

Lata, it's so hard to raise boys than girls. My son is going to give me more grey hairs than my girl, that's for sure!!:D
Thank you. I will take breaks inbetween but will be here for all of you most of the time and will visit you of course which I enjoy. Have a great week!:)

FH said...

Ramya, I have more than 150 blog rolled but 80 posts pop up everyday!! I used to go to all of them until now, but not anymore!:D
Kai novu shuru aadmele buddhi bantu anta kanutte!HeHe!!
I love to see what other blogs got everyday, that's is what keeps me visiting ALL the blogs but I have to cut down!:)

Meera, I will check that post!:)
I will just take a week off now and then just to relax and regroup, that's all. But will have to cut down many blogs though, will keep just 80 or so to comment.
It is tough to raise kids, specially in this culture which is way different from how we grew up! We just have to be good parents and listen to what they have to say. So far, it has worked for me, boys are tough to raise!:)
Of course, you can come to me anytime for advice, no problem.Hugs to you.

Laavanya, you are a sweetheart. I know you came once before to wish me, thank you. Happy new year to you too!:)
Must be lot of traffic today, take your time to check the photos.
Yeah, black eyed peas and any greens supposed to bring good luck, so I tried both!:D
Have fun, see you later.

amna said...

the cake looks really yum and what i especially like about it is that it does not have any ingredients that are alien to me or sounding unavailable here in india cuz thats the biggest challenge i face here.

and the hummus looks lovely, though i am not a fan of the dish.

have a wonderful new year and good luck with your resolutions ;)

Siri said...

Dear Ashaji, Glad to read ur post after a long time...:) and I second each and every resolution u made..:D.
I am still drooling at the Fritters.. they look so yummy. U have been my inspiration for food blogging and glad that I met some wonderful ppl like u..:)

Hope u had a blast for New Year!

~ Siri

Jayashree said...

Good luck with the resolutions, Asha.
The coconut cake looks absolutely yummo!!!
Happy New Year to you and your family.

FH said...

Nagu, we loved that cake. Takes quite a bit of time and effort but very satisfying, specially if you like Coconut. I don't think you get sweetened coconut in India like here but can use fresh ones also which will taste slightly different. Enjoy.
I intend to keep all the resolutions, no more visits to non-commenters!;D

Thank you for being a friend too Siri. I appreciate it.Yes, I do need to take off from to time from now on!:D
Arvind was home yesterday, so we went out and had fun. He usually is on call on most holidays!!
Have a great year, see you later!:)

Thanks Jaya, I was just in your blog a second ago!:D
Happy new year to you too, hope I stick to all of those changes too this year!:)

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Hi Asha

Loved your black eyed peas and coconut cake.....will try it out.

Sig said...

Those are great resolutions for a compulsive bloghopper like you Ash... :) Good luck with those... I love the look of that coconut cake... Happy New Year to you once again!

SV said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shivapriya said...

Happy New Year Asha, Black eyed fitters are my fav. I often make them but I use rice flour for binding. Hummus looks great.

ChrisB said...

Hello Asha
A very Happy New Year to you and your family.
You have some more tempting recipes here.

Rina said...

Ashaji, a very happy and prosperous new year to you and family.. Loved your cocomut cake and black pea fitters.. Sure to try. Bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

Dear Asha,

Happy New Year to you and your family!!!!

I have always admired the fact that you take the time to provide words of encouragement to other food bloggers!!! I can only imagine how time consuming that can be!!! Good luck with food blogging in 2008!!!!

Sudha

USHA said...

HI ASHAJI,

HOW WAS YOUR NEWYEAR CELEBRATIONS?WOW!!!CAKE LOOKS AWESOME..YOUR NEWYEAR TREAT LOOKS GR8...

sra said...

Hmm ... best of luck with your resolutions.

Seema said...

Each one looks more Delicious & mouth watering than the other... The cake was fabulous! I wanted a slice too.. i am becoming a big time sweet tooth!! Liked all dishes...Great!

Prema Sundar said...

Wish u a very happy and prosperous New Year Asha.
Nice recipes as usual... black eyed peas and spinach fritters is definitely an eye catcher.. noted the recipe. thanks.

Shilpa said...

Wish you a very happy new year Asha. Loved your coconut cake.
Watch Tare Jameen Par if you like to watch good Hindi movies once in a while. Its great.

Anonymous said...

Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.

FH said...

Thanks Mala, let me know how it came for you. You can skip the layering of the cake to make it easy. Just spread Raspberry, cream, and coconut on top.Enjoy!:))

Hi Sig, thanks again!:D
This time I have to stick to all of these because I don't get enough time for school activities. Besides I have 80+ regular reader friends anyways, don't need anymore!:)
Have fun, I will see you.

Hi SP, you can use rice flour or Besan too just like Pakoras. This one is a southern US recipe,they use either Cornstarch or plain flour. They don't know about rice flour or besan like us!:D
Enjoy, thanks for visiting!:))

Thank you Chris, same to you too. You will love Fritters and Hummus, both taste great, hope you try!:))

FH said...

Thanks Rina. Glad you liked them, try it. Have a great week, hugs to you!:))

Sudha, I still comment on new bloggers' posts so they don't give up but will cut down the amount of blogs I visit EVERY DAY though!:D
I will take breaks now and then, other than that, it's as usual for me. Happy new year to you, thanks Sudha!:)

Usha, Arvind was home on the 1st for a change, so it was fun spending time for us. Hope you had a great time too. Thanks, fritters were good , try it!:))

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Asha, that is indeed a good resolution. I always wonder how you juggle between all your work to tireless encourage other bloggers. Hats off to you!
Have a peacful New Year!

FH said...

Hahaha!!Thank you Madam sra. You will see, I intend to keep the at least of them!!:D

Thanks Seema. I started cooking cookies and cakes in November and I am done at lat!:D
Hope you try, Coconut cake was really yummy!:)

You are welcome Prema. Hope you had a great day yesterday, we did too. Enjoy the fritters, see you later!:)

FH said...

Hi Shilpa, happy new year to you both. Good to see you!:)
I don't get to watch Hindi films much here but will see if I can buy it online. I have B4U at home but they show old movies and snippets of new films! See you later.

Hello Crescenet, thanks. Happy new year to you!:))

Hi Shankari, thank you friend!:)
I know I go on and on tirelessly but got to cut down this year though. Trisha will be in college in one year, that's a lot of work, preparation and traveling for us too and then my son is going to be 13!! Ahh!!!:D
Happy new year, see you later girl.

Namratha said...

Welcome back Asha, hope you had a lovely vacation. Cake looks yummy! I had no idea about black eyed peas being lucky, those are very nice dishes you have...and lovely meal too.

swapna susarla said...

Hi Ashaji
A very happy new year to u and ur family!!!I hope u will succeed in your goals this year!!!All the best!

The coconut cake is looking just awesome.

FH said...

Hi Namratha, just replied to your e mail, couldn't get in before. Yes, I did enjoy the break, will be off often too!:D
Happy new year to you both, enjoy.I will see you later.

Thank you Swapna. Hope you had a great time too. Have fun, hugs to you!:))

Mansi said...

welcome back girl!! missed you all these days, and your fabulous food:)

that spread is actually beautiful...and yeah, i share your love for spinach in the new year..sure does good to my system:)

Have a great 2008!

Vineela said...

Dear asha,
sweet and savoury platter is nice choice for the new year.
wish you a happy new year to you and your family.
vineela

Ashwini said...

Have a lovely year ahead Asha. Don't sweat the small stuff :-D

Richa said...

hey, good luck on keeping those resolutions ;)
fritters and hummus look so good, i've tried the fritters, would like to try this hummus now, liked the khakra tip :)

TBC said...

Hey Asha,
Happy 2008 once again.:-)

That cake looks absolutely gorgeous!I had no idea that black-eyed peas brought u luck.

I have decided not to make resolutions...never stick to them anyway!:-)

FH said...

Mansi, we both seem to cook alike most of the time!:D
Thanks. Greens and Peas, whichever brings good luck is great for me, taste great anyway.
Glad I am back too, never been so busy before like last year. I will take it easy in 2008.Enjoy!:)

Thank you Vineela. As much as I loved the holiday season, glad it's over!:D
Happy new year to you and your's, have a wonderful year ahead!:)

That's true Ashwini. I do worry too much about not commenting on time and not participating in events on time etc, got to stop that first!:D
Thanks, hope you had a great time during the holidays. Have fun!:)

FH said...

Richa, thanks. Hope I can keep too.
I buy Khakras from the store, got to make them at home sometime soon. They make good dippers too.Try the peas Hummus, really tasty. Happy new year!:)

tbc, thanks again girl. This is the first time I making resolutions!! I hope I can keep them too. Every 3 months or so, I will be do the disappearing act for a week!:D
Happy new year, enjoy!:)

Anonymous said...

Hey Asha just now I bookmarked your Spinach-Ricotta Gnocchis from aroma replacing egg wih corn starch as you mentioned to Latha and here are another delcious black eyed peas hummus and fritters joiningg that list.But,exercise and healthy food are my husbands resolutions for this year. Oh ! I can't wait to make these now ....they are so tempting.Have a great year ahead dear Asha.
love,
Madhavi

Manju said...

oohhh...i wish i were invited to your feast!!!

Smita said...

Happy new year to you and your family! My resolution to blog every new recipe that I try out - with or without pictures.:)

Pravs said...

Liked the pure white look of the coconut cake. Nice spread of food..for good luck. Wishing you good luck this brand new year.

FH said...

Madhavi, good food and exercise are always good. Hummus is perfectly low fat and full of protein, try it. Happy new year to you too!:))

Haha! Thanks Super chef. I should be visiting you in your home for Kerala meal!:))
Have a great week.

Smita, that's a great idea. Get on with it girl!:))
I want to try a few new dishes too this year, hope I have the time. Anyway, happy new year, enjoy.

FH said...

Pravs, it's sweetened coconut which I love. So white and sweet too, I love it in the desserts! Hope you try. Happy new year!:))

Manasi said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF U!!!!!!
Lovely spread!! I love Hummus and pita ,this version sounds tasty!!!

Anonymous said...

as always energy-packed post!! and i love the last of your resolutions - like a majestic lioness watching over her cubs :) All the best !!

Happy new year !!!

Hugs,
Mythili

Shammi said...

Happy new year, Asha! I totally understand Resolutions 2, 3 and 4 - because I practise those myself :) Actually I only comment on blogs when I have something to say, not the usual bland comments like "nice recipe" or "thanks for sharing" :) What I'm getting at is - I DO visit your blog! :D Good luck with your resolutions and hope the new year brings you every good thing.

My Space My Thoughts! said...

Wow! the fritters look very crispy. just the way I like it! this is my next "to-try" dish.

Anonymous said...

She's back!! Love your pretty white coconut cake, and the hummus too, but my fav is the fritters! Alas, like you I made some resolutions and mine involve staying away from fried food for awhile ;)

So Asha, I think your resolutions are wonderful and agree -- participating in events etc should be fun and not something to feel guilty about! We're only human after all. And these kids will be off to college before you know... good to take that extra time while they're home :)

Wishing you all a wonderful Happy New Year, Asha dear! :)

Latha said...

Hey Asha,
So good to see your post! A very Happy New Year to you guys! First off, great resolutions! Nothing is more important than spending good ole quality time with kids/family! We did a lot of that this holiday season, just did a lot of ctaching up with talking, movies etc etc.
The cake looks groovy on the inside, i'm not too much of a fan with coconut on deserts! The hummus looks yummy. The spinach fritters sure sound like my kind of thing! And all in all your meal looks perfect!
Hope u guys have a wonderful year ahead. Wishing the kids lots of luck from me!
Hey i sent u an email sometime back not sure if u got it... maybe it got lost in your spam mail :-)
Anyways
Hugs
Latha

Pavani said...

Hi Asha, Wish you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Sagari said...

lovely recipes ashaji i like those black eyed peas fritters a lot

Seena said...

Asha,
All the best for your new year resolutions!
Its a great decision to spend more time with your teenagers, they need much of your attention now and always, of course.You know , I struggle hard to reach all the bloggers who comment in my site, mostly I am a latecomer every where..:)
We get our kids only when they are kids, after few years our nests will be empty and we mother birds would be there near the window watching out, waiting for our little ones who visit in a year or two. I hope some times you would be lucky to see your kids often living in a country like there..Hm, wait and see...
am in love with your hummus, and the cake too very lovely..

bird's eye view said...

Asha,

Great to have you back - have missed your posts and comments! I think your resolutions re. kids are very timely - I always feel you just can't get enough time with the kids, esp. because they get so busy with their own lives as they grow up, and today's kids, given the environment they are growing up in, need all the more guidance but in a friendly way which can only happen as one spends time with them. 'Nuff sermonizing...
The food looks amazing as always - the coconut cake looks scrumptious. I love all kinds of beans/ peas, including alasandi kaali but had never heard of alasandi bonda before. Will try, next time I pick up some kaalu from Bangalore. And I love hummous but have never made it garnished with onion - the onions are only a garnish, right, you don't grind them with the actual paste?

KonkaniBlogger said...

Happy new year again Asha. Good to see ur post..A mom to 2 teenagers, wow, thts a lot of experience in bringing up kids..I would need some tips there..I'm waiting to try ur coconut cake soon, it looks really yummy n moist. Also, wasn't aware of the southerners tradition. Get to learn each day. Also, just to let u know, thanx a lot to you as u were the first person to visit my blog and leave ur wonderful comments and suggestions and guide me for the 'toor dal event'. Thanx once again :)..

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family. May it be blessed with good health and happiness throughout.
That was a nice new take on the regular chickpea hommous.. had I known a little earlier, I would have done a double dose of luck and taste when I was scrounging around for dips for our New Year bash!
Boys are difficult to raise!! you can say that again!. I have a 14yr old boy and a 16yr old girl and you can guess which of the two is a cakewalk and who isnt.
So take your resolutions by the horns... and good luck!
I love drooling over FH :))
ANGELA

J said...

Wish you a lovely year, Asha! And blogging breaks are good, I seem to be on one for a really long time now!! :)

Lakshmi said...

Happy New Year to you Ashakka. I wish you success to achieve your resolutions. Btw drooled over the cake, hummus and fritters. Black eyed peas andre alasande kaalu alwa?

Priya said...

A sweet way to start the year with coconut recipes and hope u had a great blast on New Years Eve.

Srivalli said...

Its great to see you back Asha dear!!...those are real great resolutions!..its hard to believe we have to face such serious issues and to think it could happen with our kids, gives me scares! My 6 yr old one acts like a teenage, both of us are really scared at the pace this world is running!..but with your your kids, you needn't worry...still good luck ...will learn the tact with you. when its time for me!..:D...

what you said about commenting is so true, I too have seen many who keep commenting in many blogs but never mine...so I guess this is something I too have to follow!..and actually blogging takes a great time off...and visiting other blogs and commenting in them takes even more !...so heres to our new year resolutions!

All the recipes are looking so yummy!..and your Christmas feast is simply superb!

Purnima said...

Ashakka,seasons greetings to you and your near ones!The spread is very beautiful and cake is droolworthy!Shall surely try this cake and revert with feedback..when is not known :( (I hv 3 & 2 yr old to keep me on my toes..even the ribbon pakoda frm you has been on hold since you posted it..was lucky enough to make the badam burfi though!Thats the only reason though I visit your blog every update, I simply cant post a comment! ) Good luck frm me as well for NYResoln, spend good amt of time with Kids! Take care..You are simply one of the top bloggers!!! Happy 2008 !!

Swati said...

Dear Asha

A great beginning for the new year...loved reading your resolutions...very practical and of course fair!!

Your recipes are worth a try ...havent made hummus yet..so will start with that...

Take care!!

satya said...

Your post with such a variety leaves me speech less.Happy new year to you and your family Asha.

FH said...

Hi Manasi, same to you too. Black eyes peas Hummus tastes better than chick pea Hummus, give it a try. Use the canned peas, very easy. Enjoy!:)

Thanks Mythili.
Yup, these days you need to be parents to the kids rather than being their "friend" which some parents think it's the right thing to do!! That's when all the trouble starts. My kids are okay so far, but need to be around more.
Have great week!:)

Hi Shyam, thanks for telling me that you do visit!:)
For me, if I don't visit my regular bloggers without saying anything, they come looking for me and get me there anyway, even to say just hello! Hahaha! I love it, wish I had more time though.
Hope you had wonderful start for 2008!:)

Hello My space, fritters taste fab just out of the fryer, do try. Happy new year to you!:)

Anjali Koli said...

Hi Asha I laughed at the resolutions in the first half...Hope you are able to keep those. Some of it applies to me too;).

FH said...

Linda, you and happy cook are my peers and you both know what I have been going thru' with kids!
Trisha is okay but Tushar, although A+ student, is a little trouble bcos he has too many buddies who can get him into trouble! Got to twist his ears from time to time!:D
Don't fry, keep your resolution and make Hummus which is excellent for a snack. Happy new year,enjoy your day today. Hugs!:)

Hi Latha, your kids are still young, wait until they go to middle school!:D
No, girls are easy to raise compared to boys. Boys are little hyper, hard to control but they will be okay as they mature.
I didn't check my mail for a long time. Have a great weekend, spend more time with kids, see you later!:)

Thank you Pavani, same to you too. Hope you enjoyed your holiday breaks, we did too!:))

Hi Sagari, thanks. Give it try this weekend and let me know. You can also add Besan too. Enjoy!:)

FH said...

Seena, you are so right! Sometimes, I wish they both grow up fast and go to college and then realize I will be all alone in my silent home!! They have to come after every semester in college unless they choose to go with friends somewhere.Let's see!
It's okay to be late to comment,take it easy and take your time. Do your stuff first and then blog.I usually get some time in the early morning right after kids leave to school.I manage okay.
Take care Seena, hugs to you!:)

BEV, culture here is different too from how we grew up in India, so it's double work for us to teach them to do right thing!:)
You can add few onions too while grinding but not necessary. Garlic and cumin are imp. You can just garnish with onions and cilantro. Try it!:)

You are welcome Maya, always glad to help!:)
Lot of new bloggers give up after sometime if others don't visit, so I try and get in there.
Yes, it's very different raising kids here. They know their "rights" and don't accept authority like we did back in India!:D

You just became my soul mate Angela!!:D
Ooh! Boys are difficult indeed, they are always hyper,into something or the other, don't they? They also have more friends than the girls,easy to get distracted from the task. But still, my son is the only one who asks how did my day go everyday too!:D
Well..good luck to you too. Kids liked the dip, try it for the next party. Happy new year to you and family!:)

FH said...

That's okay J, take your time and blog when you can. We should all have priorities, blogging comes later. Once you are on the break, it's so hard to come back, isn't it? :D
Enjoy, I am cooking for Kerala this week!:)

It is bili Alasande kaalu. Can nalli sigutte, easy Pakoda madokke. I used one can for Hummus and another for Pakoda, both taste good. Try it.Brown peas are great too, tastier. Enjoy Lakshmi!:))

We did Priya, it was fun specially Arvind was home which is rare!:))
Cake is a little work but very tasty and moist cake. Have a great weekend!:)

Sri, at least your kids are in India with family support but it's lot harder for us here! But somehow we manage to talk about doing right things. Commenters, yes! Lot of them choose which blog to go, it's better we don't visit them at all because it 's a waste of our time.Blogging should be two way. Enjoy blogging, see you later!:))

Kalpana said...

Wow, wonderful! I wish again a great year ahead to u and ur family. :)

Anonymous said...

I love that cake! I need it very badly now ;D Looks yummy!
See you on wednesday!

FH said...

Purnima, I understand! Your kids are too young and I know how they keep you on toes all the time, I have been there!:D
At every stage of kids' growing up, we wish we had time but we face different kind of problems when do grow up, that's life!:)
That's okay, take it easy. Comment only when you can, may be once a month,so I know you are still around in Blogosphrere!
Have a great weekend, try Hummus with canned peas, great for kids too.

Hi S, thank you sweetie. I do enjoy visiting EVERYBODY but I wish I had more time though. But I will try my best. Next year would be even harder since Trisha has to prepare for college,let's see what happens!:)
Have a great weekend, I will see you later.

Thank you Satya. I appreciate your comment. I do try my best to bring different things, glad you liked them!:)
Have a great weekend.

Anjali, glad you liked my resolutions,I think most of us have the same problem too! It is really ridiculous how many blogs I have blog rolled in the last year and I keep going to them anyway, although they may not care a hoot for my comments or reply!:D
That will change this year though, got to save some time for myself.
Hope you had a great new year celebration, enjoy. See you later!:)

RML said...

Hi Asha,
First of all I liked your resolutions.Wish u all the best to keep up your resolutions.
Wow lovely looking cake.....
Have a nice Day !
Madhoo

musical said...

Dear Ashakka,

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! Had been trying to leave acomment since y'day. The cake looks realy unique and yummy! But my eyes are on the fritters :). Am craving something like that right now :). I love your resolutions. You totally deserve some time for yourself. I hope you can stick to these resolutions :).

Hugs and love,
musical.

Shivapriya said...

Hey Asha I totally forgot to tell u, I tried ur quick rise naan's and they turned out beautiful. I was in a hurry so I grilled it on stove top. They were soft and yummy. THanks for posting such a simple and easy recipe. I had ppl around so din't get chance to take pics but will try it again and will make sure to take pictures. Thanks a ton again.

Sreelu said...

Asha, Happy New Year to you too, great resolutions by the way, It is a lot of work to visit every single blog and comment on them and frankly the way you do it girl often amazes me, enjoy your time with kids and once they are gone to college they will be guests for holidays thats it. love your coconut cake :)

FH said...

Thanks Kalpana, you too have a wonderful 2008!:))

Hi Raks, if you bake it you don't have to make so many layers. Just one layer is enough, cuts out lot work and calories too.Enjoy, see you next week!:))

Thanks Madhoo. Hope I will keep them too!:D
Have fun, see you later.

FH said...

Hi Musie, I don't see your posts anymore, you are too busy girl!:)
But do take your time, no hurry. You don't want to be like me.tearing my hair out sometimes!Hahaha!!
Good to see you and take your time commenting, don't have to hurry. Lot of traffic here on Wednesdays.
Very happy new year to you, make fritters this weekend and enjoy!:)

SP, so glad you tried Naan. As long as there is high heat, you can do it on the stove top too, no problem there. They do come great either way. Have fun. Happy new year to you, hugs!:))

Sreelu, you are right. Most days, it does take about 3 hrs to go thru' blogs but when I have too much work to do that day, that's when it all gets to me!:D
Ortherwise, I enjoy visiting all of you. Yeah, 1 more year, Trisha will move out, 4 yrs after that,Tushar will. Scary but as long as they can manage their life well,it's all good. What more do we want as parents, right?
Happy new year to you and your's. Have a fun weekend!:)

Beccy said...

And a happy new year to you Asha. I've missed your delicious dishes in my absence.

Suganya said...

Celebrating new year in Southern style, huh? Black eyed peas hummus is going to be tried definitely. The coconut cake reminds me of 'To Kill The Mocking Bird'. Do you, by any chance, have the recipe for 'Lane cake', Asha?

AnuSriram said...

Hi asha,Im back after 10 days of holidays and no-blogging. Cake looks so delicious. Never i have tried cakes from scratch. Will give it a try soon...

Revathi said...

Man do you even visit that many blogs every single day ??? Oh my god....
So here is my comment - do show up in my blog if and when I make a post - Thats not often so dont feel pressured to..

About the events I completely agree - last year i managed to stay away from events woohooo !!

Happy New Year Sweetheart and good luck with your kids !!!

FH said...

That's okay Beccy, I know you were on a break and at your mum's. Everybody needs t get away sometimes, even from blogging!:D
Happy new year, enjoy your weekend.

Hi Suganya, good to see you. I was thinking of you today, then got caught up in the usual work. I do not know about Lane cake but I will try and find out for you.Happy new year, see you later!:)

Anu, take your time.I know it's hard to get into the mood for blogging after a break!:)
I know! We get so many packaged cake mixes at the stores, most don't try to make it scratch.Most of the time, kids bake from the box too!:)
Happy new year to you, have fun!:)

LOL! Revs, you come in the "bloggers who don't post often, I would still like to visit even if they don't comment regularly" category, so you are fine. I always visit you unless it's weekend or I am on break.
Yes, I do visit minimum of 40 posts everyday,sometimes more!! No wonder I don't have time for anything else,that's why the change!:D
KIDS NEED ME MORE!!!
Happy new year, hugs to you. see you later.

david santos said...

Hi Asha!
Have a lovely, happy, healthy and successful 2008!

bee said...

dear asha,
here's wishing you and your family a peaceful and prosperous 2008.

Grihini said...

Hi Asha, a very warm happy new 2008! May you stick to your resolutions :)

I loved how the coconut cake looked. Hav to try that.

nice pics of hummus and fritters ..

Pooja V said...

Asha...i have some resolutions on my blog too. Less recipes on ur blog will disappoint me but get priorities right is much more important. Ad about commenting on other blog is true too. I read this thing on aroma as well ( ** hint I read ur blogs regularly.** hee hee). I comepletely loved hummus. Can you tell me where i can find hummus, i mean sams club, BJs etc ?

Cynthia said...

You are so honest and frank, I love you for that!

Happy new year hon to you and the family.

Susan said...

I've made Nick's cake twice. Once as presented, and once w/ just the preserves filling the layers. We didn't miss the extra buttercream; there was plenty covering the cake w/ the coconut. : )

Happy New Year, Asha! Best of luck reaching your goals!

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Ashaji,
I'm slowly making my way back into the blogosphere...good resolutions you have there. And yes being a mom can be scary in these times huh! I'm sure your kids have turned out fantastically though.

I love the sound of the black eyed peas hummus. I'm going to try this asap!

Kanch

Lisa Johnson said...

Hi Asha! I thought I left a comment before, but maybe I didn't. That cake looks so good! And all those layers! I've never made anything more than a two-layer cake. Maybe this year I have to try for at least three? ; )

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
New year wishes for u and to your family members. I was so busy. Today my son is leaving for India. Next week onwards I will blog regularly.
The fritters look nice and crisp. Thanks for sharing.

Kavitha said...

Wow thats a lot of black eyed peas. I like the idea of BEP hummus. once tried with double beans and turned our pretty good. Hope u are able to keep your resolutions. I always wondered how you found the time to read everyone's posts and comment on all of them. Please dont lose your spirit though. It's what makes you the most popular blogger in bloggospere!!! Scarry to think abt how messed up kids can get. makes me want my 2 yr old to never grow up.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Love the resolutions Asha! Your children are very lucky to have a mum who cares.

The food... WOW! I'd love the hummus and fritters in particular, they sound fantastic!

Happy New Year to you and the family.
Amanda xx

FH said...

Thank you David, I wish you and your family the same. Have a great time!:))

Hi Bee, thanks girl. You guys have a very peaceful and exciting year ahead too. Hugs to you!:)

Thanks G, fritters are yum. If your resolution doesn't include dieting, give it a try. Enjoy!:)

Pooja, thanks friend,I will read your 's too later. Yeah, got to have some time for myself this year!:)
Hummus as a readymade dish itself is available in the grocery stores too. If you are talking about Black eyed peas, they are available in cans in canned veg. isle. Try it.

FH said...

Thanks Cynthia. Better be direct than back talking, that's what you get with me!:D
Have a blessed new year darling, have fun.

Susan, this is first time I made this layer cake and we LOVED it. Yeah, butter cream was so delicious, I was almost scared to eat a slice but did it anyway!;D
Have a great year, hugs to you!:)

Hi Kanch, you have been busy indeed, hope work eases up a little this year. Kids are okay so far, boy acting up a little bcos of "harmones" but will tackle him with out a problem,specially me. Dad is too soft on them!:D
Have a great year ahead, see you later!:)

FH said...

Hi Anali, this is my first time with multi layer cake too, took me half a day to make all those from scratch but it was fabulous tasting!:)
Have a great weekend friend, see you.

Hi MT, you had your son visiting! That is great, I am sure he will miss you and your cooking. You must be missing him terribly now. I will be facing that in one year's time too, scary!:)
Have a great weekend, see you when you come back.I was on break too, just came back.

SP, so good to see you!:)
Yeah, society here is different, got to balance what we know as Indian bred people and what our kids know here as Americans. Pretty hard to do but if you pay attention to what's going on, it will work.Talking to them often is imp.Many parents here ignore them, not good at all.
Try the Hummus, even my kids liked it. Have a great weekend. Hope you blog more this year!:))

Thanks Amanda. I try my best with kids since my husband is very busy and very tired when he comes home. It feels like I am a single parent coping with almost everything alone. But what can you do but do the best we can.So far kids are okay,need to pay more attention to the boy since he has too many friends,gets influenced by them easily unlike the girl.That's why the changes!:)
You are a great mom too, enjoy the kids fully and have a great weekend. see you later!:)

lakshmi said...

you have an average of 100 comments on a post - which means you should have at least 50-60 people who comment - which means you'll continue to visit 50-60 blogs :O

no no no no - please make the resolution more water tight ;)

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

To spend more time with your family is a worthy goal for 2008... easily attainable as well as fun!!!Everything in this menu looks too good to eat...not really.. I would be diving in with my fork right now!!!

KonkaniBlogger said...

Hey Asha,
Thanx for letting me know abt the Soya Event. I will definitely send across my entry. You are really very sweet..

Diamond and Pearl said...

Hi,

Happy New Year! You have a great blog. Will continue visiting your blog.

FH said...

LOL!! It's true Lakshmi. But 80+ regular readers do post 40+ posts EVERYDAY you see, got to go there too say hi, including YUM blog!:D
I don't mind if I have time like today, but gets harder when kids are home. Hope everything is going well with your Thatha. Thanks for visiting, have a fun weekend. Hugs!:)

Haha! Valli, that Coconut cake is worth diving for. I tried it for the first time,it was delicious!:)
Happy new year. Yup! I intend to keep half the resolution I made atleast! Have a great weekend, see you later!:)

Maya, I had forgotten exactly who is hosting Soy, since there are so many events going on, glad you got it!:D

HI Radha, thank you, I appreciate your comment. Enjoy the recipes, have a great weekend!:)

Li'l Lite said...

Happy new year to you and your family...felt nice reading your post after a long time..the cake looks yummy!!

FH said...

Hi lil' lite, great to hear from you. You have been on a looong break!:)
Thanks, hope your new year's day went well too. I took about 3 weeks off after a long marathon blogging, felt good. Now I am back.
Have a great weekend buddy. Blog more this year, will ya?:D

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

Can u pls give me your mail id...i need to mail u something very important:))

Anonymous said...

Dear Asha,

Wish you and your family a very Happy 2008.

Reena

DK said...

wonderful resolutions along with a equally delish recipes n snaps..."As always"

Oh whoa!Point No. 2 screamed at me! Guess gotto keep scaring u with my face now more often than not! dont blame me if I do now! dont want to miss u :-D I did enuf missing, with u on ur break! hahaha

Happy New Year :-)

[its still hard to imagine u with 17 and 13 yrs olds and correlate with the snaps u posted earlier! )

Anonymous said...

WoW Asha!
That cake looks sinful!
and those spinach pakodas and hmmus looks heavenly. I just had babaganush (sp?) and pit bread for dinner. Yumm!

Our kitchen is out of commission for a few months, so I will be trying "take-out' :-((

Have a wonderful New Year
and spending more time with family is always a winner!

Bestest!
:-)

Raaga said...

Ashakka, finally made it. Have been facing some problems and so couldn't drop by. Glad to have you back :-) Happy new year to the 2 As and the 2 Ts :-)

lakshmi said...

you said "thank you" - naaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhiiiii

btw i forgot to mention yesterday you should post a review of Sweeney Todd :D im planning to watch it - esp since its a depp movie :D

Latha Narasimhan said...

Great resolutions! Lakshmi said your resolutions are humourous! I feel they are serious and good that you made them! especially the last one for your teenage kids!
Nice post as usual dear! Big hug to you for new year! :)
BTW it is really ok if we do not find time to participate in every event! :D
You see I don't participate!!

Finla said...

Happy Newyear to you and family.
Here here i do agree with all you resoulutions,especially the teenage ones.
Love the layerd cake. Looks delicious.

Latha Narasimhan said...

Asha, forgot to tell you. please visit this post in my blog!
http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/invisible-paw-prints-in-my-blogplagarism-ofcourse/

SMN said...

Hi Ashakkka.. sorry for wishing late..i was too tied up wth the work andno holidays on new year so started this yr wth too many load of work.. hopw u had great time.. Nice resolutions all the best for the implementation. Even i didnt like the Legend..

Nice spread of food.... loved the cake shud give it a try..

Tee said...

As usual you have great recipes on your blog...great way to kick start the year!
A very Happy New year to you & your family and it was very nice to read your post today...it really must be difficult to handle 2 teenagers, especially with all that is going on these days.
Have a good year and i look forward to even more awesome recipes from you.:)

Sai said...

Happy New Year!

I haven't made any resolutions this year. Hope all is well with you.

MR said...

wish u too a very happy and successfull 2008!!
more time with kids that's my resolution too:)

Deepak Gopi said...

Hi Asha
Happy 2008 to you and family.
To me 2007 was very bad,with many loses.Now I am looking forward for a good 2008.
I always love eatables made from Coconut.

vasilisa said...

Happy New Year Asha! Good luck with resolutions! (I'm not making any cause I never stick to them :-) )

I love the idea of the black-eyed-peas hummus. I've been making hummus so much, and was really running out of ideas on how to varry it (cause it's healthy, and veggie, and light...), and never thought of changing the actual bean! And I actually have black eyed peas in the pantry! Guess what I'm making tomorrow? :-)

Kamini said...

I loved your resolutions... I made these too right in the beginning cos I found I was spending hours just reading the blogs and commenting and not spending enough time with the kids. With a son writing his boards in a months time and the other in senior school and a full time job, blogging itself is such a challenge. Tho it is lovely to get comments, I have decided I am not going to be too disappointed if a post gets only 4 or less comments:). This is an outlet for our creativity and it should be pleasurable and never a chore.
Asha, 80 a day??? I am glad you made those resolutions.
PS: One of my projects for the near future was going to be pita wedges. Now it can wait for a while.

Viji said...

Dear Asha, I admire your frankness more than the recipes. Your resolutions are noteworthy. Being a working women with tight schedule, I don't stretch myself beyond my limits and also not at the cost of my other hobbies. Enjoy your time with your kids which is more important than anythings. The cake, the hummus and fritters are mouthwatering. Wishing you a great year ahead Asha. Take care. Your pal, viji

Jaya M said...

asha,
love reading this post .
loved the hummus,cake and spinach fritters also.
we dont get tahini paste here in kolkata as far as i know ,is there anything else we can add .
as far as your new year resolution is concerned ,its great to read that we share same feelings ,family first and rest later .All the best .may the new year be prosperous and successful for you .
hugs and smiles
jaya

FH said...

Usha, foodieshope@hotmail.com
I won't my e mail often, don't worry if I don't reply immediately.

Thank you Reena, hope you had good one too, enjoy!:)

Dhivya, wedding snaps are ofcourse 21 yrs old but I have recent photos somewhere too!:D
Yeah, I am lot older than that now but I enjoy every stage of my life, life is good!:)
Enjoy your weekend, see you om Monday.

Thanks Arun. Getting a new kitchen, that is wonderful. We need to get a brand new one too, mine quite old.Yeah, I am taking break from now on including weekends!:)
Happy new year.

Raaga, so good to see you. I know how frustrating it is if we can't log in in our blogs. Glad it sorted out, I had little trouble too on friday!:)
Have fun sweetie, thank you.

FH said...

HeHe! Formalities flow these days L. Google Sweeney Todd, you will get the idea about the film. It has lot of blood and gore but it's a beautiful movie, half musical.I loved it although I am not a fan of J. Depp. He is very good in that movie!:)

Latha, L is still too young,so she won't understand fully what I wrote but you do.I am serious and I do intend to keep atleast 80% of it!:)
Not participating in the event, I am trying hard to choose which to skip!:D
Hugs to you, take care and come back when you can. I will check that blog. No commenting on weekends strictly!;D

Thanks F! Good to see you, hope you will be back from Monday, missed you!:)
You know what I am talking about teenagers although I have two of them!:D
Take care, enjoy the weekend.

smn, good to see you. Didn't get a day off for new years too? That is hard work! Take it easy and say hi when you can. Hugs, enjoy Sunday.
Yeah, Legend was little strange!!:P

FH said...

Hi Tee, it is tough to handle 2 teenagers but we asked for it you know!:D No choice but to deal with it. They are okay so far, let's see.
Thanks girl, you too have a great year ahead:)

Hi Sai, great to see you. Usually I don't make any at all but this year I had make some time myself. Hope I keep them!

Hi Lisa, BYP Hummus is perfect for you, lot of protein and light indeed, enjoy.
Happy new year to you and family, God bless!:))
Happy new year to you and family, enjoy!:)

Deepak, I know you lost your dear ones, so sorry. But life has to go for us you know. Hope the best in 2008 for you. Have a great year, good luck to you!:)

FH said...

Hi M, good for you, spend more time with kids. They really grow up so fast, you can't believe it. Enjoy their company!:)
Happy new ear to you and your's. Hugs.

Kamini, I just realized my craziness too, you are right! It should be pleasurable. That's what I am going to do!
You have grown up kids too, you do understand what I am taking about!:)
Usually, I go to 45blogs everyday but cutting down that and no blogging on weekends either.Hope it's works!
Have a blessed year ahead Kamini, keep in touch!:))

Hi Viji, you look great in that profile.
Yes, I have re-learn my strategies. What I did last year will not do from now on. I don't care if some gets angry I don't comment on their every post, I do what's best for me. You are a good role model for me too!:)
Hugs to you, have a great Sunday. I will see you on Monday!:)

Roopa said...

Hi ASha,
Wonderfull post i loved the resolutions :) i missed you dear i did pop up last week bu apparently dind't have time to read through. we had a great time.
Happy new year Asha Hugs to you :)

Keshi said...

lovely! Im bak Asha. Missed ya loads!

Keshi.

Anamika:The Sugarcrafter said...

Hi Asha
Nice coconut cake and look has an appeal to entice to take a bite. Welcome 2008 with cake, peas and fritters.

FH said...

Hi Roopa, no worries! Take your time, I know you would say hi before if you had time!:)
Glad you had a great time. Hugs to you, enjoy.

Hi Kesh, glad you are back. I will see you later!:)

Hi Anamika, glad you added your name to your profile, there is another Sugarcraft too, always get confused!:))
lad you liked it, hope you try. See you later too.

Anonymous said...

Everything on that plate looks amazing!

FH said...

Thanks Sorina. I see you are a blogger!! Glad you liked the dishes. Happy new year to you and family!:))

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year to you and your family too, Asha! New year spread looks delicious, loved the coconut cake!

FH said...

Hi Sweetheart, hope you are feeling lot better now since last year's tragedy.
Thank you and wish you the same too. Have a great year with your family, God bless. Hugs to you Sneha!:))

Susan said...

Asha, thanks for adding my event to your blogroll. You're a dear. : ) Hope you enjoyed your weekend. I know it's been unseasonably cold in Florida here and there, but don't know if it's impacting all of the South.

FH said...

You are welcome Susan. I will be cooking a good one for ya in 2 weeks!
Temp. suddenly went below to bitter cold 30s here last week just for 4 days! It felt like we were in Minneapolis again!
I think cold was passing thru' all Southern states. Since last weekend, it's back to upper 50s and today it's warm!! It is weird but I am thankful that we don't have snow etc like the North!:)

Rachel said...

I stay as far as I can from resolutions cos I never heed to them!! Good luck with yours!

Lovely spread!

Anonymous said...

Wishing you and your family a fabulous New Year, Asha.

What a nice way to usher the New Year!! Thanks for the eye feast in the form of a coconut cake!! :-)

lakshmi said...

if you keep up for the next three weekends of this month - i'll give you an award ;)

we should have got your entry - anyways i saw your post

FH said...

Hi Rachel, I NEVER had any resolutions ever! This year I had to, specially about the amount of time I spend blogging!:D
Thanks, happy new year to you and family!:)

Thank you Jay, wish you a great 2008 as well. Coconut cake was fab dessert to start the new year, takes time to make it though!:))

Lakshmi, I just wanted to make sure you got my entry, sometimes it goes straight to the spam mail!:)
One weekend down already, I intend to keep it blog free in future too! I am very serious about all of them except I might not be able to keep the "2-3 dishes per post" one though, specially for RCI!:D

bha said...

Hhappy new year to you and yours, Asha. I know i am too late for this one.....Kiterunner is an amazing book, i like the way the author has captured the emotions of a small kid, and his fight against them.

FH said...

Bha, thank you.Wish you the same to you too. Late is always better than never, don't worry!:)
I also thought how cowardly Amir has been all his life and at last as an adult, he grew a backbone and did pay up for his shortcomings!!;D

Bindiya said...

Dear Asha, this is what makes you such a sweetie that you speak straight from the heart!, this is the first time that I have come across such a fabulous cake!Thanks for the most amazing entry ever!!,

"A very happy and prosperous New Year to you and to your family".

FH said...

Bindiya, I almost forgot about that cake when I saw your announcement and then it hit me that I have one!:)
Glad to send it to you, not baking any sweets for a while.
Thanks and hope you had a good beginning for 2008 too!:)