lockdown woes

It initially started a joke in trhe first week of March when we heard that the corona had squealed it way into Kerala.Without knowing any of the details or the severity and size and proportion i was goimng to assume,i went to star market and picked up basic stuff and also called the office boys and told them to store and stock basic stuff


move on to the mid march when news about the cororna raising its head in different places started to appear in the media.We were still going out and though being careful there was a unsee fear lurking in the air ,a fear to touch what others had touched
the Janata curfew of the Sunday which was announced by the Pm sounded a little to difficult to maintain. not to step out the whole day.well its was fun at the end of that day when we had everyone at their windows clapping for the first ten mins and then playing the music of clanging bells .it created a lot of positive vibe and was supposed to have done some alignment to do with the position of the planets etc.i didn't delve to much in to the science.but it definitely got all members clapping and banging away to make some noise !

move to April 13
Life pretty much turned 360 degrees

after the Janata curfew we deiced not to keep the maids and then the lockdown was announced
that pretty much change our way of life
our entire life style changed
colleges and schools closed
shops closed\
people no longer stepped out
the same cops whom we thought were lazy and inefficient suddenly became our guardians and saviours and people that we rooted and cheered for
they held the fabric of the city from collapsing

we were in the the safety confines of our house watching tv,spending time with kids and being safe while they roamed around the city with the merciless summer sun beating on their backs
there was no more meaning ti the word public
more than two people were not allowed  to be together
the efficient machinery of the health services and the healthcare sector swung into action quickly
we owe them our lives and are deep;y indebted to them for the selfless and dediciated service they have been rendering

one by one,the main hospitals of Mumbai had to be shut down and sealed as the doctors and nurses got infected,after all  they didn't really have the best of the protection gear not did they think too much about their safety ,they were busy saving lives  and God  gave them the much needed rest as they were literally working 20 of the 24 hours .
with the lockdown life completely changed
all business establishments were shut save for the medical stores and the essential items

the way we shopped chnged.things began to became svcares,supply chanins were affectewd
thousads of Migrant workers from other states tried to flee in what ever way theuy could to reach their home towns,some made it most didnt ,a good number of them got stuck in a nomans land with no food to keep them going and no roof iover their head
desperate desolated lonely and bitter ,they huddled together to keep themn selves alive

and then  happenend the Nizamuddin episode where amettiumg of large numbers in close proximity happened and then like wild tentacles they reached out and moved around and carried the spread of the various to various pockets in India.They went into hididng,locating most of them was a herculean task .the dam,age was already done,i dodnt know if they did it out of vengence igorance or arrogance
it didnt seem a episode that could be brushed aside lightly.they did a lot of damage
they way we planned changed

churches mosqiues and temple were closed for pretty much the first time in our living times
services and were suspended  and it became a punishable offence
never ever in  thye time i know has Good Friday and Easter not gone by without us or foljs attending the church services
well it came to rhat .one had to be careful one cold not step out whgere the dangers of the spread of corona affecting c

The rains !!

The rains are here so is the sun at times playing peek a boo..
this monsoon has been diffierent like its been planned that way.One day ist bright and sunny and the next day its pouring cats and dogs.
it isnt dirty and yucky mucky here the way it is else where all over.
the kids get to paly in and plash around in the clean water which i guess is a privilage very few get.still i wouldnt let them get wet over their head. to go out weraing a raincoat or a wind cheater is fine by me...
the odd mayna hops around the window sill and u also have the lone pidgeon looking for a nesting
ground.

the taxi worms my 4 year calls them .. the yellow and black creepy crawlie worms are all over and you wouldnt know wheich way to head on without stamping one of the.
of yes the royal majestic muchrooms which pop up overnight in the basement catches the attetion of very few..

The kids!!

You wait for them ,then they are here
they move you move ,
then you move they dont !!
they move you dont
blink of an eye and they are on their own
you thot you knew better ,they think they know better!!

Shifting to Thane

The wait is nearly over!!We are about to shift to oue new house which is being painstakingly done up by my husband!
The boxes are more or less packed,the giveaways are nearly ready!!

This and that!!

Was out to meet my new ENT specialist in the hope that my one and half month old disgusting cough which has surpassed the might of 5 bottles of yucky tasting coughsyrup!!
well the bugger just added in two more medicines and warned me that i may have to learn to live it coz its an allergic one not to forget the massive amount of dust raked up by the umpteem trucks carrying muck and sand from a newly dug up huge pit which will soon be a huge building!!!
whew!!its bad u cant even breathe while walking on the road thats if you have the courage to walk it thru!!
what was i saying ?? yes the cookie!!the doc asked me to also try the home remedy of boilng milk and jeshtimadh ,kadisakar and haldi!!my search for the jeshtimadh led me to the bylanes of the
ever crowded Santa cruz west.It was overflowing with people and ricks and cars and a jcb digging and a truck here and there.
i found a lane that sells baking stuff and couldnt resist looking around and i did pick up some aluminiuim baking container and a muffin tray that i want for a very long time!!

a little of this and that and my bag was overflowing and time was running out i had to rush to reach home which was an hour of travelling to relive the maid who had a thousand chores in her own home.. i am tired the rest follows......................
I went to the train station and just looked around and gaped at the crowd.couldnt even have the guts to even remotely try to get into a Borivili slow or the Virar slow that rambled along.i gave up .. time was running fast ,someone said the Bus depot was a hop and skip right across do i did just that..well no luck not a friendly face in sight and when i did spot someone they said there were no direct buses toSakinaka .i give up and hopped into the first rick who brought me home in 40 mins flat!!Boy!! was i glad to be home and have my lil 3 year old open the door and ask me"mamma what you got for me??"Home is bliss!! out its hot and sticky!!

cakes and cookies

Banana Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

* 1 cup of sugar

* 1 egg, room temperature

* 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)

* 1 teaspoon of baking soda

* 2 cups of flour

* pinch of salt

* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

* 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Blondies Recipe

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup of butter, melted

* 1 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar

* 1 egg, lightly beaten

* 1 teaspoon of vanilla

* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda

* Pinch of salt

* 1 cup of all-purpose flour

* 1/3 cup of butterscotch chips (chopped walnuts and chocolate chips are equally tasty)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8X8 pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.

2 Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.

3 Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins.

4 Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 9 blondies.

Giant Ginger Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons ground ginger*

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*

1 teaspoon ground cloves*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup coarse sugar or granulated sugar

* Can substitute the ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.

Method

1 In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

2 In a large mixing bowl beat together butter with the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in the flour mixture, using a wooden spoon.

3 Shape dough into 2-inch balls using 1/4 cup dough. Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar. Place about 2-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4 Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes two dozen 4-inch cookies.

Ginger Almond Biscotti Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup molasses

3 large eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and all spice

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

1 cup blanched almonds (okay to use just raw almonds)

Method

1 Bake almonds 10 minutes at 350°F, let cool, then roughly chop.

2 Cream sugar, molasses and butter. Add eggs, mix in one at a time. Add minced ginger.

3 Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and all spice. Add flour mix into butter and eggs mix, one third at a time. Add Almonds. (At this point sometimes it is helpful to refrigerate dough for several hours to make it more easy to form into logs.)

4 Turn out onto a well-floured board, and divide into two portions. With floured hands, shape into logs about 9-11 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch high, and transfer to a greased and floured baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

5 On cutting board, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Return pieces cut side down to baking sheet. Re-bake 15-18 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.

Dip in wine after dinner (classical Italian fashion) or coffee, tea, or hot cocoa.

Gingered Lemon Bars Recipe

Ingredients

reilly-grating-lemon.jpg

Reilly grating the lemon

* 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

* 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

* 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

* 1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

* 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

* 3 large eggs

* 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

* 6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

* 1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

alden-reilly-mise.jpg

Alden and Reilly1 Pre-bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter, add 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest, the crystallized ginger, the ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour in batches, a 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Beat the mixture until it is well combined.

2 Spread the batter evenly in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake in the middle of the oven at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned lightly around the edges.

lemon-bars-2.jpg3 While the crust is baking, in a bowl whisk together the eggs, the granulated sugar, the lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon rind, 3 Tbsp of flour, and the baking powder. Whisk until well blended.

4 Pour the lemon mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden. If you want, sift the remaining 3 Tbsp of powdered sugar over the top. Let the mixture cool in the pan on a rack. Cut it into 36 bars.

Makes 36 cookies.

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 cup shortening

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 1 cup white sugar

* 2 eggs well beaten

* 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1 1/2 cup flour

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

* 3 cups oats (we use Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned. Do NOT use instant.)

* 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (use 1/2 cup if using raisins)

* 1 cup raisins (optional)

Method

1 Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

2 Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add raisins and nuts. Add oats last.

3 Spoon out by rounded tablespoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Monster Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Peanut Butter cookie ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

Regular monster cookies ingredients:

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

Kids Monster Cookies Mix-Ins For Whole Batch

1/2 cup of butterscotch chips

1 1/4 cups of M&Ms

1 cup of Chocolate Chips

Adult Monster Cookies Mix-Ins For Whole Batch

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1 cup of chocolate chips (dark chocolate preferable)

1 cup of chopped Heath bar bits

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed until well incorporated and fluffy.

2 Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed.

3 Add the baking soda and beat for 30 seconds. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure all the butter is well incorporated.

4 Add the flour and salt, a bit at a time until incorporated but do not overmix.

5 Fold in the mix-ins for either the kid version or the adult version. OR split the dough in half and cut the mix-in ingredient measurements in half, for half adult cookies and half kid cookies.

6 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop on rounded spoonfuls of dough and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden bown. Be sure to let them cool on the baking sheet before you move them.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

* 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

* 1/2 cup peanut butter

* 1 egg

* 1 1/4 cup flour

* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1 Cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the sugars, cream for 2 more minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the sugar butter mixture.

2 Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

peanut-butter-cookie-2.jpg peanut-butter-cookie-3.jpg

3 Preheat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

For chewier cookies, bake at 300°F for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups of flour

* 1 cup of sugar

* 1 teaspoon of baking powder

* 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

* Pinch of ginger

* Pinch of cloves

* Pinch of salt

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée

* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.

2 In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be crumbly.

3 Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high. Bake for 22-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. (Feel free to also form two smaller logs for cute two-bite biscotti; just cut the baking time to 18-24 minutes.)

4 Let biscotti cool for 15 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces. Turn the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp let it sit uncovered overnight in a dry space. Serve and enjoy.

Makes approximately 15 cookies