“I got to shine…now throw your hands up in the sky”

Friday, January 11, 2008

Welcome to the good life
Fifty told me
Go head and switch them styles up
And if they hate then let them hate
And watch the money pile up

A very, very belated Happy New Year to you and yours. I know I’ve been MIA and I won’t make any excuses for not writing thus far. Post holidays and working from home has left me…apathetic to everything except sitting on my couch watching a marathon of HGTV, Food network shows and spending loads of time trying new dishes out in the kitchen. And I guess the writers strike has motivated me to have one of my own ;o) or maybe I’m just lazy….but personally I like the latter thought.
We never grew up celebrating Christmas or exchanging presents but this year Bhatji and I felt that this would make a good year to give something back to the family. So here is a quick recap of our Christmas gifts: I bought a Garmin for Bhatji, a Zune for my baby sis and a Macy’s gift card for my mommy and a trip that Bhatji and I are in the process of planning for my dad. This year I also received some really nice surprises from Bhatjis friends: I got a new Saki tasting set, a coach wallet (woot woot! Those boys spoil me :o) and I had asked for a donation in my name to AARDA to which my secret Santa generously obliged. Bhatji and I decided to spend New year’s eve at one of his friend’s places in NJ. A group of us watched the ball drop on TV and celebrated with lots of alcohol and a riveting game of charades – Men vs. Women (the women won!!)
I usually don’t do resolutions….because as my past has shown, I never stick by them. So this year I decided to make a resolution that I would actually enjoy retaining: To make new friends, maintain my older friendships and to keep in touch with my family more. I plan on emailing and calling people more and invite more people to join in my life and hobbies. Another small resolution I have thought up for myself is to: indulge in activities that keeps me happy like cooking and dance. Dance has always been my ultimate creative outlet….but more than that, it has also been a medium that bring about a sense of equilibrium in my life. I think every one needs that outlet or a way of feeling at peace…..Ms.Chai meditates, my mother in law chants and goes on walks, my sister draws or paints, my aunt is a part of a knitting club and my mom cooks. I take inspiration from all these women…props for doing whatever it is that makes you joyful and at peace.
Now on to the recipe part of this blog: Weekends are really precious to us….especially because Bhatji and I love sleeping in and then waking up to eat brunch. We don’t always go out to brunch so I am always up for the challenge of coming up with new and interesting brunch dishes. After rummaging through some cook books that my mom gave me, I found this simple recipe for a breakfast tostada with waffles. It turned out to be extremely delicious. So here is the recipe for brunch tostada with waffles (yep I changed the name)
Adapted from The costco cook book

Ingredients:
4 eggo waffles
3 eggs
4 slices of turkey bacon
2 medium tomatoes diced
½ cup of cheese any kind (I used shredder cheddar cheese)
2-3 tbl spns of salsa
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

To Make:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the waffles as you normally would. Cook the bacon slices in a frying pan until crispy and then crumble into small pieces. Make the scrambled eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Top each waffle with 2 spoons of scrambled egg, a spoon full of bacon pieces, a spoon of diced tomatoes, cheese as much as you like. Bake in the oven till the cheese is melted – for about 8-10 minutes. Now add a small spoon of salsa on top and serve hot. This recipe serves 2 but you can add more waffles and eggs to serve more.

It’s a simple and tasty way to start your mornings…err…afternoon off. Well until the next entry…. Compose resolutions that make YOU happy.