3 for 1 Christmas Cookies

I love giving baked goods to my loved ones during the holidays. For christmas I like to give out cookie boxes with at least 3 different flavors.  With a toddler at my feet all day I was a little worried on how I was going to pull this off. After a little research online I finally found my solution. Make one good base dough and add in different mix ins, this way the cookies all taste different but you're not stuck in the kitchen all day.

Here's the recipe I used

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/01/drop-cookie-dough-recipe-oatmeal-raisin-chocolate-chip-lemon-cookies-recipe.html

Get creative with the mix-ins, I added some gingerbread spice and pecans in one, peanut butter (pb2) and jelly in the other and chocolate chip with smoked sea salt in the third. Just change up the flavors to your liking, the possibilities are endless.

Gingerbread Pecan

Peanut butter & Jelly

Chocolate Chip and Smoked Sea Salt

2 Dinners for 2

Dinner time in the Patel household is always a battle between the vegetarians and the meat eater. Even though I eat meat I prefer to make something vegetarian for dinner because my son is a vegetarian and I personally am not that big of a fan of meat myself. My husband on the other hand is the biggest carnivore you will ever meet and needs some form of meat for dinner everyday. To make everyone happy I just decided to start making 2 different meals most nights. I know the struggle is real but quick fixes are my savior. Here's a chicken wing recipe that takes mins to make and theres no complaints from the husband.

Jeera Chicken Wings

1 pack chicken wings (about 12 wings)

1 tbs ground cumin powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala 

1 1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger 

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lime

cilantro (handful to garish)

oil 1-2 tbsp

salt to taste

I like to remove the fat from the wings but if you like to keep it on then just leave it on, wash the wings and pat dry. Heat oil in a frying pan on med then add cumin powder and seeds, once brown lower the heat to low and add all of the spices in. Cook spices only for a couple of mins on low then add in chicken and stir well. Cover the pan and cook for 30 mins on med stirring occasionally, then uncover and turn the heat up to high and cook for another 5mins to brown the wings. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Feisty Frosty

After Thanksgiving I decided to give my photographer a call to set up Christmas pictures for my lil man. To my surprise she was booked till February (yes she's that good). What is a girl to do? Well me being me I decided take them myself,  I owned a SLR camera so it should be easy right? Boy was I WORNG! Little man decided that he was not having it. After reapplying his face paint about 10 times and finally getting him to sit still for about 2 mins we got the perfect pictures. I plan on taking them myself every year from now on, it was totally worth the hassle!! If you decide to do a DIY photoshoot with your little one here are a few tips that made it a little easier for me.

1.  Give your little one a prop related to your theme, it will keep them entertained and even if they're not looking into the camera you can still use the picture (ex. ornament, present, holly)
2. Try taking the pictures outdoors, you won't have to worry about lighting and nothing beats natural light. 
3. Take the pictures in a different atmosphere. I learned this the hard way, I tried taking the pics at home and all he wanted to do was go play with his toys.
4. Best time to take the pics are right after a nap, so they're not fussy or tired.
5. Dont tackle this alone, take a spouse, family member or friend. When I did the failed photoshoot at home I tried to do it alone and lord was it hard. The next day I took my husband with me and it was so much easier, I took the pictures while he wrangled the little one.

 Here they are ready for.........Christmas Card 2015

*FYI- Top hat made by me, I looked everywhere for a christmas top hat and it seemed impossible to find so I busted out the glue gun, leftover garland, red ribbon, and a plain black hat and there you have it!

The Perfect Matte

Lately everywhere I turn I see someone wearing a matte lipstick, and I for one am in search for the perfect shade myself.  To find the right shade of pinkish nude to match my brown skin tone was not an easy task. When I heard about the LipkitbyKylie I was excited to finally see a shade that might work for me (DolceK) but unfortunately they seem to sell out within mins. After a trip to Sephora I finally found a shade that worked!!!!

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Leche

97% NATURAL, JUST THE CHERRY ON TOP

Healthy Start

From the day I found out I was pregnant I decided to start making little changes in my diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle not only for myself but for my son also. Knowing me I couldn't do anything drastic, those diets never seem to work for me so  I took some of my favorite recipes and swapped out the bad for the good.  Here's a lasagna recipe that my lil man loves and its easy to make with very few ingredients.

 ZUCCHINI LASAGNA 

Zucchini- 3 med size
Onions- 1/2
Mushrooms- 4-5
Bell pepper- 1/2
Mozzarella Cheese- 1 cup
Marinara Sauce- 1cup
Italian Seasoning- 1 1/2 tsp
Garlic- 2 cloves
Crushed Pepper- to taste
Salt/ Pepper- to taste
Olive oil- 1tbsp

* You can change the amount of ingredients to your taste, I'm just giving you an idea of how much of every ingredient I used*


Cut zucchini into slices (make sure they're  not too thin). Heat frying pan on med and sauté zucchini on both sides, the goal is to dry out some of the liquid that the zucchini releases but be sure not to over cook them, you still want some texture to them, once done set the slices aside to cool. Chop veggies and sauté in the same pan with olive oil and spices, cook till tender. In a casserole dish layer the ingredients starting with a little bit of sauce followed by the zucchini, sautéed veggies, and cheese. Once layered cover with foil and bake on 350 for 15 mins then uncover and bake for another 15-20 mins.

And it begins

After much contemplation I decided to start blogging again. Lots have changed since my last blog and it was just appropriate to start fresh with a new blog altogether. I'm a first time mom trying to raise my son the desi way in a modern age. I'll be sharing tips, tricks and recipes that I've tweaked from the women in my life,  and some from Pinterest too (lol). There will also be posts related to baby, fashion, and crafts. I'm not much of a writer so I'll keep them quite simple and hope you guys enjoy them.  Please feel free to give me feedback!