My First "Make-it"

You may (or may not) have noticed a few new/changed tabs along the top of the page. It's because, on the whole, I'm rather a cook-y, craft-y, creative type of person and more than buying stuff, I actually enjoy making it. So welcome to the "makes page"! I'm also going through a bit of a "waste not want not" phase (more to come on this) and so I decided it's high time I shared some little things I get up to just to keep the imagination going. 

What you'll need: 

1 unwanted vessel, be is glass or tin.
Fabric glue
Ribbon or fabric of choice
Sequins, bells, glitter - whatever does it for u?!

I refuse to provide instructions - just one guider - how boring are plain glass vases?! 

Rather pretty when the vase complements the colour of the flowers, no? 

On another note, I've had rather a few people ask why I stopped my random "thought of the day quotes"! Sorry! So...  for all of u who you want to catch up with what caught MY eye, here it is - pictures, words, and quotes I'm so addicted to.
Happy making! SL x

Saving what's Soft, Soggy or Stale : Fruit Salad

Over the past few weeks, I think I've noticed the words "food waste"  being mentioned more than ever before. Be it news stories, magazine features or even Jamie's Money Saving Meals, the advice that we should REserve, and not REject the tail-end of our weekly grocery shop has been resounding. Whilst freezing fruit's a neat little tip encouraged by both Jamie & Tesco's, I've found another useful way to revitalise fruit that really is on its last limbs. 

Come on, we're all guilty of throwing out that browning banana, the rapidly wrinkling apple, a few shrivelled grapes or strawberries that are slightly on the soft side. Sometimes, too, fresh fruit simply hasn't lived up to the colourful promises it made - think pale pears or plain peaches. This salad is SUCH a hit in our household that fruit seldom goes to waste anymore. In fact, when odds and ends are spotted hanging about in the basket, fruit salad has been demanded all summer long. It's ideal if you're fasting (more later) at the moment, it's as easy as 1-2-3, and, really, makes the fruit we sometimes eat with silent resentment, sing. 

What You'll Need: 

- Fruit
- Single Cream
- 1/2 can Condensed Milk

What to Do:

1. Chop up any, and I mean any, fruit you want [to get rid of].

2. Wash it all and, depending on quantity of aforemetioned chopped fruit, swirl over 1/2 - 3/4 of a can of condensed milk. Follow this up with single-cream, mixing well, until it has reached your desired consistency.

3. Chill in the fridge for an hour-ish and simply indulge for an absolutely delectable dessert or simply a cool, refreshing snack. 
SL x

Redecorating: Part 1

Remember this post? Yes, it was a very long time ago and no, I didn't give up on the idea. It's just that squeezing the complete overhaul of a room in and around... well, life, can be tricky. And so maybe the project ended up moving at snail's pace. Like three months on I'm still waiting on furniture (!) BUT, the ideas are in and, to avoid a bedroom that looks fresh out of the Argos catalogue, I'm actually hoping to make some of the decorative/accenting pieces myself.

The thought of redecorating came, to be a bit cliché, in a flash. I recall looking around and just thinking, 'gosh, it looks a bit busy in here!'. And so, two overriding inspirations in mind, began my make-over endeavour. 

1. I wanted my room to "grow up" a bit - to take it out of the teen time-warp it was stuck in. 

2. It needed streamlining. Less clutter and less colour, a real haven for human-battery-recharging. 

What do you think?

It is a work in progress and yes, I have just moved my books from behind my bed to... errr, beside my bed. Temporary measure only, I assure you. 
SL x

Pinch Punch...

Yup di dup, it is indeed the first of the month second day of the month... Yerrrr, I hear ya, ALREADY?! What's goin' on?! Well, seeing as this year's Spring clean was more of a Spring move, for me at least, it seemed more than befitting to welcome in the better half of the year (yeah, you heard me - summer holidays, Indian festivals, 3 family birthdays, Christmas...) with a fresh start and a facelift. Erm, that would be a fresh start for me and a facelift for my surroundings, in case you were wondering.

There's a strange sense of relaxation to be found in the smooth, swift strokes of bold colours going onto blank walls, don't you think? Paintotherapy, if you ask me. And so it was with great ardour that I began picking out paint swabs and cutting images from magazines for inspiration and a means to create a space that is entirely 'me'. 

As I'm in a little bit of a hurry (/dying for a shower following session 3 of the Couch to 5K plan), I'm going to leave you for now - but I will be back soon with some before/after pictures, ideas that can really inspire you and tips on how to create a space that reflects your personality down to every last inch. Stay tuned. 

SL xx

Super-Speedy Spaghetti*

*can spaghetti really be anything else?

Quick cooking without any compromise on the resulting flavour is probably every busy cook's dream. And all done in one pot too? Even better. I pinched this garlic spaghetti recipe from my mum, who, I can testify with absolute certainty never consults cookery books or shows. Nah. Sure Italy must have a million and one versions of garlicky herby spaghetti already but... seeing as mum drew inspiration from none of these, I hereby proclaim this recipe as authentic of the Ramanuj family.   
I'm not a huge fan of the bottled sauce bonanza if I'm honest - feels a bit like turning up to an exam with half the paper completed already; cheating. But the best thing about this sauce is its simplicity, and the fact that you'll recover most ingredients from your store cupboard anyway. And it allows for much adaptation - use up any mingy vegetables knocking about your fridge or add in left over meat - do what you will.
The last time I made this my friend said that it was the "best spaghetti" he'd ever had. Now, I am going to assume the kid's never been to Italy... but I am also going to dismiss the assumption because that praise is too good to let go ;) Try it out and let me know how you get on. 
What you need: 
(serves 4)
400g spaghetti 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp butter 2 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp asafoetida (optional) 2 tbsp garlic - puree, frozen or fresh 2 chopped tomatoes salt, as per taste 2 tbsp lemon juice a squeeze of honey freshly chopped spinach 150ml double cream
What to do:
1. Cook the spaghetti as per instructions on the packet. Meanwhile chop your spinach and tomatoes. 
2. Drain the spaghetti and in the same pot, heat the oil and butter, add the asafoetida, chili flakes, garlic and chopped tomatoes. Fry on low to medium heat for 2 minutes (don't be tempted to turn the heat up, burnt chili and garlic smell acrid. taste even worse.) If you are adding onions or peppers, you will need to sweat these until they soften. 
3. Add in the spaghetti and fork through ensuring all strands are coated in the garlic mix. Add the salt, lemon juice and honey, stirring before adding in the double cream. 
4. If the sauce appears too thick add a splash of hot water. Cover and leave to bubble for a couple of minutes, or until everything is warmed through. 
5. Garnish with the spinach, fork through once more and turn off the heat.
6. Serve in obscenely large bowls (with a side of steamed and sauteed greens and garlic bread, if you're entertaining and feeling posh) and enjoy!
xx

New Year, New Page

Life's about to change all over again - I'm moving home, starting over in a new place and best off all, got a new job - with a TV channel! Yaaaaaaaaay! *jumps up and jigs*. Aaaaaaanyway, going back to new starts, The Diary seems to be receiving more page hits by the day. Now, I'm hoping that's because more people are tuning in and not because it's so godd*mn boring readers fall asleep mid-page and have to refresh when they wake up (clarifications welcome). And so in a bid to make new posts and updates slightly more accessible, I've set up this wee FB page 
http://www.facebook.com/TheDiaryOfMissRaj
for all ye avid readers (haha, am I just delirious from happiness?) to follow. Be kind now, the page has been set up... ooooooooooh precisely 36 minutes before this post. It's a work in progress. For now, that'll be all. Have un weekend fantastico.
xx

Top 5 in 2012

With 2012 less than 12 hours away in most parts of the world  With New Year's done and dusted, all things Christmassy packed up and put away, I thought it might be a little fun to recap on some of my, and your, favourite diary moments of 2012. 

1. My First Time... at Yo! Shushi (what were you thinking?!)

2. The day the Instagram bug bit.

3. A quick trip to Amsterdam

4. Putting together a full Indian

Aaaand 5, Numerous Trips to WW.
Do you agree? Belated, but Happy New Year to you all. 
xx