Creamy Butter Beans and Leeks

After a spectacular weekend filled with friends, barbecues, hikes, wild blueberries and a lot of Michael Jackson, we've started the week on a positive note. The past few weeks were overshadowed with a lot of chaos and stress - to move or not to move - was the question of the month.

Bakewell Tart with Thyme Infused Cherry Preserve and Cashew Frangipane

 

Surprised to see me back doing the Daring Bakers' challenge so soon? Especially since in my last challenge post I announced it would be my last till October! If you do not know yet then let me tell you that although we packed, sold and sorted out a lot of our stuff for the anticipated move, we are not moving anymore. Due to several issues in the project, Tom was supposed to work on in Doha, we decided that the perspective initially offered to him had changed too much and Tom has oriented himself elsewhere.

My IKEA Loot

 

I’ve been hitting IKEA for the past two days buying new furniture mostly but also looting the place for new props and fabrics. It was my lucky day actually as IKEA is having it’s midsummer sales and there were so many things on sale! Still it’s amazing how much a girl can spend when left alone at IKEA. My credit card was on fire! Here’s a sneak peak of a few of the things I bought!

I am now looking forward to using all these wonderful and colorful dishes, bowls and fabric. In the meantime here’s wishing you a happy Friday!

Hugs!

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2009 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Monthly Mingle – Let’s Fiesta

It's time for a fiesta and everyone is invited. While Nags gets her roundup for Ravishing Rice ready, it's time to announce the next mingle. My gracious guest hostess is the absolutely wonderful Jenny from All Things Edible and I love the theme she picked for this month. Jenny wants us all to come party with her in her Mexican Fiesta.

Who does not love Mexican food? It's full of flavor, fresh, spicy and perfect for parties. This cuisine offers something for everyone - vegetarians benefit from the large variety of fresh vegetables and legumes, for the more carnivorous folks amongst us there are great and aromatic meat and poultry dishes to choose from and I do not know a kid you does not enjoy a taco, quesadilla or a burrito for lunch!

Dig into your recipe books, browse the Internet or share your favorite Mexican dish with us. To help you get started you might like my Black Bean Chili with Saffron Rice and Papaya Guacamole or how about these Cheese Quesadillas with Two Salsas.

If you now can't wait to join us here's what you need to do:

1. Create a dish that fits the Mexican Fiesta theme as described above.
2. Post about it on your blog from now till 13 July 2009.
3. You must provide a link to Jenny's announcement post and the official Monthly Mingle page.
4. Once you’ve posted your dish, please send your entries to Jenny:  allthingsedible (at) gmail (dot) com

All further details for the grand Mexican Fiesta can be viewed on Jenny's announcement post.
See you there!

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Strawberry Stacks

 

It’s always the best part of summer. The first strawberry picking of the season. All three of us look forward to it with great enthusiasm. We’ve been checking the fields almost every time we drive past them. Yesterday, the strawberries were just perfect for the picking.

Leafy Green Salad with Brie and Honey Mustard Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

  
Treading water has never really been my thing. I honestly dislike putting in so much effort, but not really going anywhere. It's where we are now - treading water and not going anywhere. Waiting! Waiting to see if the ultimatum presented by Tom shakes his bosses awake. They asked for time to confer and find a solution. And we comply - putting everything on hold. But deep inside we know the decision we want to take. Even though we are torn between an opportunity of a lifetime and taking a risk, we really just want to finally settle down and "come home". We are using this experience to reassess our thoughts and priorities.

Baked Vanilla Infused Peach Risotto

 

When things are up and down and the road does not quite take you where you had initially planned to go taking, time out to reassess your plan is usually a good idea. The weekend brought a lot of emotions and a bit of hectic. I feel like doing the ostrich and burying my head in the sand. Instead of unpacking, and re-organizing things, I spent my weekend baking, cooking and gardening. We had pretty much cleared away a lot of the plants, flowers etc. in our garden and it was looking bare. So instead of doing what was really necessary I did the unnecessary.

It’s Sweeter With Mango Yogurt Mousse - Eggless

 

“Everything happens for a good reason!” was a sentence I heard often these past few days. It probably does – but right now it kind of feels like things are happening for no reason at all! Still I hate crying over spilled milk for long. I do not have the patient for it. Yes, I lament, get mad and am frustrated at being thrown into this situation. The thought of having to unpack the boxes, I just packed a few weeks ago, makes me want to kick them to the Moon. But surprisingly I am on a high!

Wild Garlic Pesto and Tomato Tartlettes

  
It's the small things that often make me emotional. Like the collective birthday song all 14 of the doctoral students sang for me on Tuesday, or the evening at the movies with Soeren and friends to celebrate my birthday and the choc-banana muffin with a candle in it from my friend B. and of course the huge bouquet of flowers from my other friend D. with a note "Because you love fields of Spring flowers so much!" Not forgetting dear Ivonne's lovely girly cake for me!

Fruit and Chocolate: Chocolate Raspberry and Peach Brownies

 

I knew it would be hard, but I did not know it would hurt so much. But it does. After a week of excitement, fun with my parents and brother and the party of the year – our vow renewing ceremony, the time came to say goodbye to a few close friends.