Teachers Day

~ Happy Teachers Day ~

I am indebted to my father for living,

but to my teacher for living well.

- Alexander The Great

September 5th is celebrated as Teachers Day in India.

The day commemorates the birthday of the great Indian teacher

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for his contribution towards

our education system . Today's post is a tribute to all the

efforts & love our mentors have put in to shape our

careers & make us what we are today .

Say it with Flowers

Flowers are the best way to say Thankyou ,better still

if they can be touched , smelled & also relished till the

last bite. These edible flowers on stick are quick to make.

Gift them as individual sticks or bunch these into a beautiful

edible bouquet. The little ones will surely enjoy creating

these gifts of love.

Truffle Flower sticks

Makes 8-10 truffles

Ingredients - 8-10 seedless dates, 4 regular cookies or any of your

favorite chocolate cookies crushed coarsely with a rolling pin, 2 tbsp

finely chopped nuts ( almonds, cashews, figs, raisins , apricots -

the choice is yours) 2 tsp nutella or any other chocolate spread .

For dipping & decorating - 100 gms chocolate & few colorful

sprinkles, some lollipop sticks or skewers .

For assembling - colorful craft paper , scissors, cling wrap & some

non- toxic craft clay, some florist tape & paper leaves ( opt)

Tip - adjust the Nutella as per requirement , buttery cookies will

require less while wholegrain / low fat cookies need a bit more.

Method- Grind the dates till pasty. Mix in crushed cookies, nuts &

Nutella. Roll into small balls & keep aside. melt the chocolate in a

double boiler or for 30 secs in a microwave. Dip one end of the lollipop

stick in it & skew in the prepared truffle. Refrigerate for a min .

Remove from the refrigerator , hold the stick & dip the truffle into

melted chocolate, gently tap to remove excess. Top with sprinkles

& refrigerate for 5-6 mins or till chocolate sets. Cling wrap .

For Assembling - Cut out flowers from craft paper .Pass the wrapped

truffle stick through the centre of the flower. Put some craft clay below

the flower to make it stable. You could also cover the stick with some

florist tape & stick a few paper leaves.

If lack of time bothers you pick up some market made candy

lollipops , dip in chocolate & put sprinkles or skip the dipping part ,

just cling wrap & proceed further .

Truffle Card

For making a truffle card- Stick the flowers & leaves on a

thick sheet of paper . Put some double sided tape on the center

of the flower & stick the cling wraped truffle balls . ( Skip the sticks

for this version )

If you have still not joined me on Facebook , this is especially for you.

Check out my fun food article- Treats For Tutors in Hindustan Times

Live Mint ( click to read the e- paper) Sep 1st , 2012 .

Fathers Day

~ Happy Fathers Day ~

I love you , Dad and want you to know

I feel your love wherever I go .

Whenever I have problems , you are there to assist,

The ways you have helped me would make quite a list .

- from Star Dad by Karl Fuchs

Today is Fathers Day , a day set aside to honor the

great man , and the pillar of the family , our Father .......

While half the world is busy celebrating the occasion

and the other half of the globe is still getting geared

up with the preparations -it still isn't too late to share

all the fun we had , making the dad at our home feel

the so very very special :) :)

We wanted to pep up the day with some cute DIY stuff ,

& surely our Moustachey theme proved perfect

to give him a good laugh & a lovely treat !!!

Moustachwich

Whole wheat bread , cheese, olive , cucumber & carrot

(Cut out a mustache on a piece of paper to serve as ur

stencil guide , place the cutout on the cheese slice & cut

out the shape using a toothpick( believe me its easier to

cut cheese into fancy shapes via toothpick), make

a few lines on the cheesy mustache for the hairy look . )

Moustacheookies

( or Moustache cookies :) : )

What about some funky cookies ?????? Not much time to bake .....

not an issue at all , these cuties just need 10-15 mins & jus 3

basic ingredients to pep up ......

Ingredients - Your favorite cookies, some tempered chocolate , a few

M&Ms or gems candy is all that you need ..

Sketch a few mustaches on a piece of paper , keep an acetate sheet on top .

Fill a piping bag with some tempered chocolate & pipe the chocolate all over

the drawing. Pipe a few circles for the nose too . Make tiny dots on the candies

for the eyeballs . Refrigerate everything for a couple of mins . Once

set , peel your chocolate art & stick on the cookies with

some melted chocolate.

Moustache chocopops

If you have some mustache shape candy molds go ahead n

have some more fun with all the Big n lil daddys !!!

Happy new year

~ Happy New Year 2012 ~

Little Food Junction wishes all its readers a very

happy & prosperous new year .

When it comes to spreading joy among your loved ones ,

there is no better way to do it than with flowers.

Spread the joy of the new year with these quick n

easy fruity floral muffin toppers. Kids would surely

love to ring in the new year with a bang n these

little sweet treats ...

Say it with flowers !!!

Muffin (recipe below)topped with a jam cookie ( Britannia

Treat Jim Jam) on a skewer , green apple wedges (for

leaves), red apple flower, & choco chips.

Apple , Carrot & Ragi Muffins

Ingredients- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup all purpose

flour (maida) 1/2 cup ragi flour ( finger millet ) ,1/2 cup powdered

sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup chopped apple,1/4 cup grated carrot

,pinch nutmeg, pinch cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp grated ginger ,

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce ,3 tsp oil/butter, 1 egg,

pinch of soda, pinch of salt , a handful

of dry fruits coarsly ground (raisins , almonds & walnuts).

Method- Sift together the dry ingredients . Whisk the egg along with

other wet ingredients . Mix in the apple , carrot & nuts . Do not

over-mix or the muffins will be tough. Pour the batter in a silicon cups

& bake at 180C for 20-25 mins.

Tip- Carrots can be substituted with pumpkin / zucchini .

Use boiled & mashed apples to substitute applesauce.

For a more nutty flavor do not grind nuts.

Ragi can be substituted with powdered oats.

christmas Time -2

~ Merry Christmas- 2~

Christmas is synonymous with fun , celebration &

surprises for little ones. This quick n healthy cheesy

Christmas pudding themed sandwich will surely

leave them craving for some more holiday delights ...

Puddingwich !!!!

Whole wheat bread, cheese, cherry tomatoes & basil.

Tip - Use a toothpick to cut out the fancy wavy shape, and

the ends of a drinking straw for cutting out tiny circles.

Tricolor

~ Independence Day ~

On the occasion of India's 65th Independence Day ,

Little Food Junction salutes the Nation and the

immortal National Heros for their devotion and

sacrifices. Hope peace , love and harmony reigns in

all the parts of the world today n everyday.

The Indian Flag is a combination of saffron,white

& green with a blue chakra &wheel in between.

Saffron on the flag symbolizes courage & sacrifice,

white - peace & purity & green- faith & chivalry .

The blue wheel represents the dynamism of a

peaceful change.

Happy Independence Day ...

Saffron flavored rice with carrot & peas .

Festival time

~ The Bond of Love ~

India is a land of festivals .Virtually celebrating each

day of the year ,there are more festivals here than

anywhere in the world .To celebrate the beautiful

bond of love n purity between brother and sister ,

we celebrate Raksha Bandhan .Raksha means

to protect and bandhan means a bond. The festival

is marked by tying of a holy thread adorned with

decorations by the sister on wrist of his beloved brother .

This thread called Rakhi is the symbolic representation

of the unspoken promise to protect the sister from

all evils .........The day will be full of treats & sweets

so a simple festive themed breakfast is a must to

Keep the lil one rocking

Food of Love

Flower shaped Jam sandwich with sprinkles &

shoestring licorice/jelly sticks ribbons.

Rakhi - the holy thread

Father's Day

~ Happy Fathers Day ~

Little Food Junction wishes all the Fathers round the

globe a very Happy Fathers Day .

The breezy morning today is filled with an enchanting

smell of lavender n citrus, my little one has sprayed her

dad's (actually her own) favorite room sprays all over

the house. Days ahead she had been planning for some

celebrations. My little cook wanted to prepare breakfast

for papa(since its fathers day mommy is allowed to help

in the kitchen..lols)- We've fixed up some shirt/tuxedo

sandwiches to add to the merriment of the occasion.

A tiny little fruity no cook dessert is chilling in the

refrigerator to follow .....

Shirts for Breakfast

Brown bread , cheese, tomato sauce & garden fresh salad.

Chill Time

Homemade Mango Jelly in recycled pet bottle moulds

(lil one's idea -after using similar moulds for creating

fancy sand flowers at the sand pit)

Quick Fruit Jelly recipe - Ingredients- 1 cup thick mango

pulp ,1-2 tsp powder sugar (adjust according to the

sweetness of mango), 1/2 tsp vegan gelatin , cherries

to garnish.

Method- Blend the powder sugar with pulp and

keep aside. Soak gelatin in a 1tbsp of normal water

for 2 mins. Dissolve gelatin on a double boiler & add

to the mango pulp till well incorporated. Pour into

moulds & cover with a cling wrap. Refrigerate

for 5-6 hrs. Unmold & garnish with a cherry.

Mothers Day

~ Happy Mothers Day ~

"Mother is such a simple word ,

But to me there's meaning seldom heard .

For everything I am today ,

My mother's love showed me the way .

( -What Mother Means by Karl Fuchs )

Little Food Junction wishes all mothers a very

Happy Mothers Day . Hope your day is full

of warmth , sunshine and love...........

A Tribute to Motherhood

Bread, cheese, alphabet vermicelli, carrots

Welcome 2011

~ Welcome 2011 ~

Little Food Junction wishes you a very

Happy & Prosperous new year .....

New year party is the best way to celebrate the new

beginning . Whether your kids are old enough to stay up

till midnight or not they will surely love to sink their sweet

tooth in this easy to make '2011 Choco- Marshmallow pop' .

Truly the most promising & sweetest way to ring in 2011 !!

Pops - 2011

Marshmallows, chocolate numbers , skewer .

( to make choco numbers- melt choco chip/ bar in a double boiler,

add mint or any other flavoring of your choice & set in number

shaped candy/ choco molds . Refrigerate for 15 mins & de mold .

Skew the marshmallows on a skewer & dab some melted choco

to stick the choco numbers.

Adieu -2010

Adieu -2010

2011 is right at the edge.. n all of us are eagerly waiting

to embrace the coming year & leave the present one behind.

As the last post of the year I'd love to share a few of my

favorite foodie creations , hope you enjoy them as much

as I do . Wishing all of you a very Happy and Prosperous

New Year -2011 !!!!

Shera Sandwich

Dedicated to Commonwealth Games - the most

talked about event of the year

The Fruity Abacus

An edible ode to the colorful Kindergarten days

Cookie candy cards

A foody way to say - " Thank you My Dear Teacher

for making us what we are today "

The Red Rabbit

Right out from my all time favorite story book -

Alice in Wonderland !!!!

PBJ Traffic lights

To convey the message - Your life is precious

for your loved ones , so obey traffic rules & be safe .

Arty Apples

An apple a day - For all your lovely mornings ,as you

go about your day , keep an apple & some carrots

close at hands for quick munching .

Gifts Forever ( sandwiches)

Who doesn't like gifts ????? express your true feelings with a

wonderful GIFT sandwich !!!

Snack Smart

Inspired by our love for long drives . Beautiful scenic

surroundings, ur family beside you , a wonderful long

drive n quick n tasty munchies ..

What else could anyone ask for ?????????????

Veg Chicks

The vegetarian Chicken Sandwiches , a great

way to embrace vegetarianism .

Sharking Around

To cut down on all unhealthy edibles & say

yes to all the colorful veggies.

The Tree of Love

The tree of love its roots hath spread Deep in my heart , and rears its head;

Rich are its fruits :the joy dispense ; Transport the heart, and ravish sense.

In love's sweet swoon to thee I cleave, Bless'd source of love.......

A Very Happy New Year to all of you !!!!!!!