Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Oat Bran with Nuts and Fruits

Let me tell you something about my new found addiction. If you can call 6 months new,that is. Oat bran .

I have it everyday. Almost. Around 5 to 6 times a week for breakfast. It has become my go-to-done-in-5 minute breakfast. I have never got bored of it so far. And I hope I never will.

I detest regular wholewheat rolled oats now,it tastes bland ,very gooey and I thank God I didn't have to stomach it out longer. I discovered oat bran quite accidently while going through a meal plan to lose some of the stubborn-never-seem-to-shift weight. It said to cook the oat bran with just plain water and no sugar. Now that's way too plain for me. Of course,I omitted the sugar and added my own twist to it.

Cinnamon for flavor,nuts for the crunch and dried fruits for sweetness. And for chocolaty goodness,the chocolate chips. A teaspoon or two doesn't hurt right. Well,my whole idea was to have breakfast and dessert together in one meal.

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

What you see above is a totally unplanned shot of our lunch last week.
I wasn't planning to shoot anything that day but when I plated the meal it looked photogenic and I had beautiful early afternoon light streaming through my kitchen windows that was just perfect.I had to click.

It all happened too fast,with this dish. I had almost half an hour to cook lunch before I dash out the door to pick my hungry kids. A quick search online brought me this recipe which I was satisfied with as I had just the right ingredients,beef and broccoli..tada..

Moist Date Cake with Caramel Sauce

2013 had dawned. A very happy new year to all my readers ! May this year bring you joy, happiness and the best of you ! May you have the will power to stick to your new year resolutions all throughout ! 

I wish the same for me,when it comes to sticking with new year resolutions. I don't have many. The usual diet and exercise. I hope to make exercising regularly a priority. Now that my kids will start school tomorrow I'll have some me-time in the morning. Oh, and not to forget some yoga time squeezed in-between.

Red Lentils with Coconut Milk - Sri Lankan Parippu

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It's December already. The end before new beginnings. The weather is very pleasant and I'm loving most of it. The mornings are cold and it's hard to get the kids up from their cozy beds. Afternoons are bit warmer,though. But the warmth doesn't come alone,it brings the cold breeze along with it. And you wish you could be that little girl again,playing outside until you're tired.

In the evenings,we go for walks in the neighborhood, my husband joining us sometimes. I just love these little excursions with all three boys. Having Shawarma's in the park,savoring every bite of lightly spiced meat and sauce while the cold breeze hits your face,watching the kids run around and chit-chatting with my husband. I couldn't be any happier.

Sri Lankan Love Cake

It's not that time of the year to post about love cakes. Not that I celebrate Valentines Day,anyways. But it was my birthday last month.I stepped into my thirties leaving my twenties behind. A decade filled with life changing experiences and so many lessons. Though,there was the slightest twinge of sadness,I was prepared to embrace this new chapter in life,with a piece of cake. Not just any cake,but the Love Cake.

Sweet Potato Nests

I get hit by serious sugar cravings in the evenings sometimes. Those are the days when I take an average breakfast as opposed to my tummy-loading ones. And when I wake up after dozing off trying to get my kids to nap. According to healthy mantras,I don't stock anything for myself except some nuts and bran crackers. But I keep some chocolates and cookies around for kids.
So,when one of those cravings hit me,quite often recently,I frantically search for treasures tucked in corners of the cupboards.I won't even spare a sideways glance at the fruits on the table,let alone the veggies and yogurt in the refrigerator.Please God,let their be a  piece of forgotten chocolate or some cookies around.What about that jar of Nutella tucked away in the farthest end of the cupboard? Finally,I've found treasure. I slather a spoonful of nutella on my bran cracker and munch. spread,munch.spread,munch. It continues till I get sick of the whole thing.

Guest Post: Betawinese style milkfish stew in soy sauce by Tika from Cemplang Cemplung

Meet a fellow food blogger and lovely lady behind the gorgeous food photography blog Cemplang Cemplung,Tika Hapsari Nilmada who is guest posting on my blog.A foodie friend I met in the blogging world I was instantly drawn towards her lovely food photos as we share the same passion for food and photography.She has won many DMBLGiT awards and had a been a host for the same.

We share the love for traditional dishes from our countries influenced by the culture and the people.So,it's no wonder Tika came up with a traditional Indonesian dish, Milk fish stew in soy sauce cooked in Betawinese/Jakarta style.I myself love milk fish and this is on the top of my must-try list.

Thank you,Tika for the lovely post and beautiful pictures.This post couldn't have come in any better time since I'm back to blogging after a long pause. Let me hand it over to Tika,to take you through a peek into the Indonesian cuisine.

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When my dear fellow foodie blogger, Farwin, asked me to cook something traditional from Indonesia, I think of a dish from Jakarta/Betawi. Betawi cuisine was influenced by other cultures (Arabic, Chinese and Dutch). The “marriage” between different cultures blend together with original Betawi tradition. One of Chinese influence in Betawi cuisine is Dodol Betawi (taffy made from sticky rice, coconut and palm sugar) and China has similar dish called Nian Gao. While Nasi kebuli (Kebuli rice) was influenced by Arabic culture. The rice cooked with a lot of spices and goat meat that creates a flavorful rice.