Breakfast Bars

Summer holidays will start next week! I'm saying that like I've been saying it forever and yet, this is my li'll S's first summer vacation from school.

Here is the bee that is buzzing in my bonnet, what and how am I going to keep S busy with!? 

Swimming classes, crafting classes for pre-k kids, some more indoor activities (yes, ONLY indoor activities, I am not  flinging myself outdoors more than I can help, in the Texan heat). 

All these and the fact that I will want to stuff my scrawny little boy (though M and the pediatrician may not agree on the term scrawny, I am a Mother and to me he is scrawny and needs some fattening up, humph!) with some food.

Like many 4 year olds, S, is picky and fanciful, he likes few things, dislikes anything that is healthy and would willingly run a mile in high heels at the very mention of 'bhaji' (vegetables)- Like Mother, like Son- as the husband puts it, humph! 

S and I make a awesome team. We both love sweet. I like simple baking and S likes to eat what is baked. And my li'll one is now the age where he stands on a little step stool and offers to help me in the kitchen.

This is such a far cry from the time when he was a few months old, I would sit him in the high chair, in the kitchen , relaxing it all the way and talk to him as I cooked, I sometimes want to rewind life a bit, go back to holding the smiling infant in my arms, sit him in the high chair and just look at him, gaze into his soulful eyes and smile with him, no words exchanged, none needed. 

Much as I want to go back in time, there isn't one minute that I want to lose now! Today we baked these breakfast bars, well, anytime bars, I think! 

I borrowed Nigella Express from the library. Many a times, I just get books by the authors/ chefs, just to look thru the glossy pages , the beautiful pictures. Like reading a novel. But there are many recipes that are Vegetarian friendly and I was  thrilled to try one so simple and kid- friendly! 

So if you have a willing little chef at home, try these bars. Easy to make and good to eat, you will love them! 

Adapted from: Here, with my substitutions ( in bold) 

Makes 16

1 Can (14 oz) Condensed Milk

21/2 Cups Rolled Oats (not instant)

1 cup Shredded Coconut

1 cup Dried Cranberries

1 cup Mixed Seeds ( pumpkin, sunflower Sesame)

1 cup Natural Unsalted Peanuts

I did not have mixed seeds and I avoid peanuts, I used a mix of Almonds, Cashew and Walnuts. 

I blitzed them in the food processor to make it into a powder, my little one will not eat chunky pieces of nuts. This is a personal choice, you could pulse the nuts slightly to break them or just leave them whole. 

Preheat the oven to 250 F and oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Alternatively, use a disposable Aluminium foil pan.

Warm the condensed milk in wide pan

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients  together, add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute

Spread the mixture into the oiled pan / foil and press down with the spatula or hands ( use latex gloves)

*I  used a flat bottomed steel container (vati) to press down the mixture evenly.

Bake for 1 hour and after about 15 mins. cut into 4 across and 4 down to get 16 chunky bars

Let it cool completely.

Sending these bars to Bake Fest hosted by Priya, originally started by Vardhini.

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Parfait : Summer Breakfast

Are you a breakfast person? I am a breakfast person. Miss my breakfast or do not eat it, I am a grumpy bear, with a headache. You can hear me growl for miles around! 

As a child, teen and young adult, I never made my breakfast, Mom always saw to it that we got fresh food to start our day. But, oh my! how the breakfast options have changed over the years!

Mom was a working woman and had to prepare and pack our lunch boxes before she got ready for work and dashed off to catch the 10:10 a.m local to V.T. She would make fulkas (roti/ chapati/ Indian flat bread) and a vegetable dish to go with it. I would get ready for school go into the kitchen and many a times just take the fulka off the flame, smear it with a bit of ghee and perhaps a tiny pinch of salt sprinkled on it, roll it and eat up. Or instead of salt, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar or crumble some jaggery, roll up and eat! 

On weekends a leisurely breakfast of upma or  idli or something similar on those lines. It was a practical approach. No one thought of cereals, indeed, we did not even think of those until I went to college. Even then, with cereals, I think I'd still have preferred thalipeeth! I still do, I suppose.

Like in the past, I need my breakfast, but here is the weird part, most people are early breakfasters (err, you know what I mean) I am a bit on the late side, though an early riser, the day begins with a sip of Chai, to lift the fog, then of course there is the mad rush to get S ready and off to school. Once this gargantuan task is over and done with say by 10:00 a.m,  I like to relax, take my breakfast, sit comfortably on the sofa, feet tucked under me, start the laptop to catch up with e-mails, FB and blogs or read my book. I savor every bite of my breakfast and this whole routine makes me happy, sunny and fuels me thru out the day.

These days, with the temperature rising and making me cross as a dozen sticks, I need to keep cool! One of my easy breakfast options ( and with a chockful of nutrition) is making a parfait. Nothing as easy! 

You Need:
There are no measures, you make it up as you go! 


Yogurt ( Plain or Vanilla Flavor)
Chopped fruit- Berries ( Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry), Banana, Mango
Granola
Toasted Walnuts and Almonds 
Sugar (optional)
Vanilla extract (optional)


If using plain yogurt, add 1-2 tsp of sugar and whisk, set aside.
If using vanilla extract, add a few drops along with the sugar and whisk, set aside.


The use of sugar and vanilla is purely optional. I exclude it, I like plain yogurt.


Alternatively, use store brought Vanilla Yogurt. You can use flavored Greek Yogurt too.


In a glass bowl (like in the picture) o any other bowl you want, spoon in some yogurt to cover the bottom of the bowl.
Add the chopped fruit on top.
Layer with yogurt
Top with fruit
Garnish with a sprinkling of granola and toasted chopped nuts


Enjoy your chilled breakfast and chill out! 


*NOTES :
Use any combination of fruit that will pair well and taste well with yogurt.
Use cold yogurt
Make as many layers as you want, just make sure that it is manageable and you can finish it. It looks nice and light, but remember, yogurt is filling! 

Have a great weekend, Folks! 

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Mishti Doi

"And what are you making for dessert?" I asked

"Sweet curd" she said.

"Adding yogurt culture to sweet milk ?" I asked

" Nah re! like mishti doi, the Bengali sweet you know" she said

My mind flew back to nearly 4 years ago when M and I were in Kolkata and how we had devoured mishti doi everyday, wishing we had some more!

I greedily asked if she know how to make it and I was rewarded not just with the recipe, but the real thing too!

A couple of weeks ago, Prajakta and Rucha, two of my friends dropped in at home and Rucha had this bag in her hand that she plonked on my dining table and smiled as she opened it.

It was sweet curd or mishti doi as I like to call it.

Call it what you will, this simple dessert is rich, creamy and delicious and satisfying. It reminded me of the misti doi in Kolkata and also faintly of the shrikhand my father makes.

The fact that it takes minutes to make just adds to its other merits.

Many moons ago, Prajakta got this recipe from a Bong friend and it has been passed on to many by word -of- mouth and having once tasted it, I can vouch for its popularity and can only regret that I did not know of it earlier.

Rucha's pyrex bowl reminded me that I had to return it and more importantly, make a batch of mishti doi for M ( he was not at home that day). So this weekend I made my first bowl of mishti doi and it was M who, on tasting the first creamy spoonful said," this one is for the blog!"

Here's how I made it:

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Sweetened Condensed milk

Yogurt (as per Prajakta, use a can - evaporated milk canful of yogurt)*

Kesari milk masala powder or

Cardamom powder or

crushed nuts of your choice to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a bowl mix the Evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, yogurt ( * I used about 4 tbsp. of thick home made yogurt) (edited to add: I used less yogurt only because I had a little on hand, but I do recommend you use the suggested quantity of 1 evaporated can full of yogurt)

Whisk it together till all three are well blended (I used my hand-held mixer)

Garnish with topping of choice ( I used the milk masala)

Cover the bowl tightly with aluminium foil

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 mins.

Switch off the oven and leave the bowl in it for about 5-6 hours

Remove the bowl from the oven and keep in the refrigerator

Serve chilled

Thank you, Prajakta and Rucha!

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