One Year and Badam Halwa

Eat Little, Sleep Sound goes an Iranian Proverb.
Simple words for a Healthy living.

To eat little, someone has to cook and I love Cooking.

I had learnt cooking from my Mother, MIL and my friends Mothers etc. Always eager to watch the Cooking shows on TV.

With time to spare and having introduced to Sailu's blog by my husband, critiqued by my Son, encouraged by friends around, I took up to food blogging in January '06.

Named it MenuToday and initially posted few traditional items like Thiruvathirai Kali, Sarkarai Pongal, Kuzhi Paniyaram, Milagu Vada etc.
They were not big draws then but brought me my first few blog friends in l g,

Towards a better tomorrow, Pushpa, Saffronhut.

Am quite happy that some of my traditional items finds comments and new friends even after many months of their posting.

I like the idea initiated by Indira on JFI and participating in the JFI events always brought Joy to me. It makes me work a little hard to find an item that would fit the bill and am always amazed by others unique contributions that make the JFI so varied and colourful. Till now have not missed making my contributions to it.

VCC Contests, Breakfast blogging, Weekend Curry Mela have all been interesting and bring good food on to your screens at regular intervals.

I always look out for the postings of Asha, Indira, Sailu, Archana, Ashwini, PriyaS&S, Vaishali who always excel not only in their Culinary skills but also on Writing and Photography skills that I am quite envy of. Their posts are a pleasure and they bring more than just a recipe.

Have gained friends like Shammi, Archana, Prema Sundar, Meena, Jayashree, Krishna Arjuna, Akshayapatra(m) Priya and Chandrika, IndoSunGod whose blogs that I my Computer visits automatically whenever I login.

New to Food blogging are LakshiAmmal, Ultimate Foodie, VCuisine but experts in their own way whose blogs are added in my list to frequent.

Have earned many Culinary Cousins (All of you food bloggers) in this One Year and all of whom are worthy of mention and close to my blog and heart.True to tradition, On an occasion like this I have to certainly name a few Asha, Krithika, Daily Girl Priya, Prema, Sudha, Shilpa, Vineela whose words of support I always eagerly look for and also feel encouraged by it.

Initially I didn't know much about food blogging but now I wonder how I have, in this 1 year, made 150+ postings.

I also learnt that it is world of its own and am glad to be part of it.

On this occasion I raise a toast, Oops, a Spoon of Badam Halwa to the Good Health and Happiness of all Food bloggers and readers.

Badam Halwa

* - * Badam (Almond) has good Cholestrol.
* - * Badam Halwa easy to prepare and tastes nice.

Ingredients Needed:
1. Badam (Soaked in Hot water for 30 minutes) 1 cup
2. Sugar (1cup of paste = 1 cup sugar)
3. 1/4 cup hot milk.
4. Saffron strands 10 to 12 soaked in hot milk.
5. Ghee 3 table spoons.

Method:
1. Remove Brown skin from the soaked badam and grind it to a fine paste
adding milk.(Saffron Soaked Milk)
2. Add Sugar and mix well.
3. On stove, Cook in medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes, in between add 2
tablespoons of ghee.
4. When bubbles form on edges, and in center, small layer like (malai)will
form switch off. (Now it will be semi solid consistency)
5. Switch of the stove and Now add remaining one tablespoon of ghee
and Mix gently till it forms to a lump.

# Serve the Delicious, Rich Halwa Hot or Cold to Young and Old. #

Badam Halwa

Note:1. Here I didnot add any food colour, colour from saffron gives rich look
to Badam Halwa.
2. If you wish, few drops of Almond essence can be added.
3. Mixing of Halwa will gives it a smooth texture.

Happy Pongal, Happy Makara Shankaranthi ! ! !