Amla Thokku / Gooseberry Pickle

This summer is super hot.  During summer I just fill my stomach with buttermilk.  Rice, curd and pickle is one common and divine food for summer.  I'm not a pickle person.  It just happened that last week I bought some Amla because my son loves to eat it raw.  Few Amlas were left out and I asked my friend Sripriya for pickle recipe (She is a great cook; people out there hop into her kitchen Sri's Kitchen to find interesting recipes). Today I tried amla thokku and it turned out yummy.



Ingredients

Amla/ Gooseberry - 5 -6 nos
Gingelly oil - 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Roasted fenugreek powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Asafoetida - a big pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

• Grate the Gooseberry/Amla, discard the seed
• Heat the oil and when it is hot add mustard
• Add asafoetida, tumeric, red chilli powder,salt and followed by grated amla.(Keep the flame in sim, do not burn the masala) 
• Finally add roasted fenugreek powder and continue to cook till the raw smell goes. 
• Cool and store in air tight container.

Ready to serve with rice and curd.. 

What did you make today? 

Fabric Card tutorial

Today is my sister's Birthday.  She is my best friend and love her dearly. She is there for me whenever i need. Happy Birthday! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day and I love you!

I made a cute Fabric card for her and wanted to share with you all the simple method of making it. 



Supplies:

• A piece of blank chart paper or cardstock folded in half.
• Fabric Scraps- Color you wish
• A glue stick

Cut out the Fabric shape.  I chose alphabet, you can draw animal, star or heart on fabric and cut them. Apply the glue on the wrong side of the fabric and stick them on the Greeting card

Isn't it simple and sweet. 

Handmade with love...  What did you make for someone you love?

 

Breakfast Salad - Rich and Fresh

Step aside, Today I tried something new recipe for breakfast.  Chickpeas taste amazing and low in fat.  Oh, I know with these delicious chickpea, amount of recipes you can come up are endless.   This breakfast salad is a marvellously fresh with flavor of fresh mint & lemon and high protein chickpeas.  Effort to put together is less than 5mins.

Ingredients:

Chickpea boiled and drained -1/2 cup

Fresh Lime juice 1 tsp

Fresh mint chopped 1 tsp

Extra- virgin olive oil 1tsp

Garlic chopped & saute in olive oil 1 pod

Crushed red pepper

Salt to taste

In a salad bowl, whisk the lime juice, mint, olive oil, garlic, red pepper and salt.  Now toss the chickpeas cover and allow to settle the taste for about 20-30 mins.

Fresh breakfast salad is ready to serve...  Enjoy!

DIY- Mail organizer tutorial

Last weekend I did grocery shopping.  When I was unpacking the cereal box; I realized my Mail organizer is still pending.  Most of the time, l don't throw away the cereal boxes, plastic cover etc. I keep them safe for recycling.  I decided to make the Mail organizer which I need the most in my kitchen. It was super fun to make and thought I'd share the process in a tutorial. 

Things you need:

Cardboard

Cereal Box

Glue/hot glue

Fabric A 
Fabric B (bias tape or satin ribbon)

1. First cut the cereal box into half and measure them. Cut the fabric as per the dimension of the box. 2 pieces for front & back and a long strip for the both sides & bottom of the box. 

2. Sew the long strip along three sides of the Front square piece and then join the back piece same way.

 3. Insert the cereal box into the fabric box, so it snugly fits into it .  Now the cut the Fabric B like bias tape and neatly paste/hot glue along the edge.   Mail box is ready!

4. Cut the Fabric A as per measurement of the cardboard.  Apply glue or spray adhesive and stick the fabric.

5. Apply glue along the raw edge of the cardboard and stick the bias tape (fabric B or satin ribbon)

6.  Make 2 holes through mail box and the cardboard.  Now tie the mail box to the cardboard with help of ribbon or fabric.  And apply glue along the sides, so the mail box sticks well to the cardboard.


                                                                               

7.  Recycled Mail organizer is ready.  Oh!! I forgot to take the photos about attaching loop for hanging.  Please check my previous tutorial for the loop.

This is so much of fun and easy to make.

Happy to answer any questions...and do let me know if there is a mistake (gasp!) or a step that needs clarifying. Check out my Tutorial Page for other little projects!

Fabric organizing - DIY

If you are regular reader of my blog, you would know I love to keep everything organized.  I love the word "ORGANIZED" - give a designated space for everything & easily accessible. I find my life is easy going when things are organized.

After we moved into new house, my sewing room was unorganized.  Still with few carton unopened.  Now I’m back from my holiday, I have more things to arrange. (yeah, holiday shopping too...)   I decided no more wasting time searching for things; need my things in its place.  In fact organized place inspires me to do more sewing.

What do I like about the transparent box? I can see through what I have kept, box with lid are free from dust, easy to move when I shifted and they are not very expensive.

  

You can see I’m addicted to fabric; I have more boxes inside cupboard.  I sorted them as per color, white/cream with prints, dark shade with prints like black/brown, fabric with big flowers, whichever suited you are convenient.

Do you have your fabric organized to find it when inspiration strikes?

Iphone pouch with pockets tutorial - Valentine gift

Just in time for valentine day; make a beautiful mobile case in 30 minutes!

 This is designed with pockets on either sides, so you can keep your credit cards, id cards or headphones.I used felt cloth liner to avoid scratchs. It is a easy and simple project.

Enjoy your tutorial!

All you need:

Fabric A

Fabric B

Felt Cloth

Fusible Interface

Velcro

Measurement:

Pocket : 2 piece of Fabric A 1.25"x10"

               Fabric B 2.50"x 10"

               Fabric A 4"x10"

               Fusible Interface 3.75"x 9.50" 

Mobile case: Fabric 4"x11"

                    Felt cloth  4"x11"

Flap : 2 piece of Fabric A 2.5"x4.5"

Direction

Pocket:  

Sew Fabric A 1.25"x10" on either side of the Fabric B 2.50"x 10" and press (Pic1)

Press fusible interface on the wrong side. (Pic2)

Place the right side together with Fabric A 4"x10" and sew both the short end.

Turn the right side out, top stitch both short end and press.

Sew the Velcro an inch away from the edge. 

Flap: 

Sew the opposite piece of Velcro an inch away from the edge of the Flap and then iron the fusible interface on the wrong side of the fabric.

Place the fabrics facing right side together and  sew around it leaving one end open, so you can turn inside out. Now top-stitch.

Main Mobile body:

 Sew the Flap to the main body fabric and make sure both pieces of Velcro fit. 

Place the pocket on the main body and sew both the long edges.

And topstitch across the center, this is designed for tight fit, so the items will not slip out.  

Fold the fabric facing right side together, sew both the raw edges and leave the flap side open.

Turn the right out.

Fold the felt cloth 4"x11" right side together and sew both the raw edges.

This is litte tricky. Push the felt liner into the mobile case.
Neatly fold the top both fabrics by 1/4" to the inside and pin.
Now sew around the edges.

Ta Da! your iphone pouch is ready along with pocket either side.

Valentine gift - Eye pillow - DIY

It's the month of love and time to get pampered and refreshing.  Gift your valentine a Eye pillow to relax after a stressful day.

Lemon grass is one of the most calming/soothing herbal remedies and numerous health benefit.  It relieves stress, coping with high blood pressure easier, insomnia, headaches, puffy eyes, allergy relief, nausea and many more...

So here I made a eye pillow tutorial for all.  Many people use lavender which is also gives soothing effect. Lemongrass has antibacterial and anti fungal properties which help to deal with lot of health problems.

All you needto make eye pillow:

• Muslin for the pillow slightly smaller than the slipcover (two panels 9.75″ x 3.75″)
• Fabric for the slipcover (one front panel 10″ x 4″ and two back panels 4″ x 6″)
• 1 tsp of dried Lemon grass /lavender/essential oil 
• 1 Cup of rice or flax seeds or Golden linseed
• All 1/4" seam allowance

For the inner pillow: Pin the muslin panel, place the right side together and sew three sides, leaving the opening on one of the short end. 

 Clip the four corners and turn the right side out

 Fill the rice and lemon grass by using funnel.

Then sew the open end, inner pillow is ready

For the outer pillow case :  I did a simple embroidery for a personal touch, this is a called chain stitch which i learned during my school days and it's very easy and common.

With right sides together pin the front panel to the two pieces of the back panel. The back pieces will overlap in the middle. Stitch around entire cover.

Clip the four corners.

Stuffing the pillow into the cover was a little challenging.

TA DA! Valentine gift is ready! The pillow can be heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer,however you like.My hubby will love this.

So tell me what did you make.