Best 10 Memories of 2017

Well folks, are you gearing up to usher in the New Year 2018? You may already be holidaying at popular destinations or getting ready to meet near and dear ones, pop the champagne, enjoy a hearty feast or make party-fueled New Year Resolutions (only to break them the very next day 😝). Most of us have a set routine for welcoming the new year. I certainly do and right now I am at my in-laws house in Bangalore, getting ready for a family get-together this evening. I just got done baking a chocolate cake which looks like it could end up being a disaster. Oh well! 😛

The New Year stands before us like a blank book. It brings with it the hope for a better tomorrow and also a chance to do better than today.  It is a golden opportunity to reinvent our lives and ourselves. I have mulled over the year gone by and I do have certain goals and aspirations for the new year which I plan to fulfill with utmost sincerity. I would like to start this year on the right foot by exercising more, drinking more water, consuming more portions fruit, making smarter food choices, reading more books and (hopefully) travelling more. I also hope to come up with more fun mother-daughter activities to do with my girls. Only time will tell how I will fare on achieving them but I will be optimistic for now 😊 If you have set goals for yourself, I wish you luck.

As this year comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on all the positives and negatives. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones that had a great year but if you had a bad one, then look at it as an opportunity to wipe the proverbial slate clean and start afresh. My prayers for everyone in 2018 is to be able to focus on health and wellness, enjoy quality family time, fulfill career goals, acquire financial stability and achieve personal happiness. And if you can get some adventure and exciting opportunities thrown into the mix, there would be nothing like it.

As we bid adieu to 2017, whatever you feel for your colleagues, friends, family or other near and dear ones – love, admiration, gratitude or respect, let them know so you could put a smile on their face and feel good about it while you are at it. 

So, coming back to the crux of this post, here are my top 10 memories of 2017,

Christmas Special: Marie Biscuit Chocolate Log

I'm just in time for a holiday recipe. I really wanted to do one last recipe post this year and so here it is 😊

I'm in India thoroughly enjoying the holidays and hence I was not able to devote a lot of time to this blog post. I chose this recipe because it is from a blog I trust and I've made it before in Singapore. I thought it turned out quite nice with minimum effort and it is one of those recipes that you must have in case of a dessert emergency (which is a real thing by the way). 

This recipe is as easy as it gets you guys. You have a handful of basic ingredients, no cooking involved and with only a few hours of setting time in the fridge, you have a simple and yummy dessert ready to serve. Kids will like it for sure (mine do) but since this dessert is eggless and not very sweet, I am assuming it will appeal to everyone. 

I realized that the cocoa powder I use in Singapore is far superior than the one I used in India for this blog post and hence the color and taste of the dessert was much better in my previous executions. Try to get your hands on good brand of unsweetened cocoa powder and you will are good to go. 

That's all from me. 

Wish you all a Merry Christmas 🎄🎅  Happy feasting folks 🍰

Baker's Corner: Oven Roasted Herbed Potatoes

Three cheers for December 🍷 I know it's still early you guys but I'm all set to ring in the holiday cheer 😊 The countdown has ended and tomorrow this time, I will be in India amidst loved ones *insert imaginary jumping up and down like an excited schoolgirl emoji*

The past few days have been insane - an extra busy work week compounded by packing, sorting, cleaning, shopping, Christmas baking and last minute catch-ups with friends. And in an unexpected turn of events, I had extended family visiting from India as well. In the midst of it all, I was hellbent on binge-watching season 2 & 3 of Narcos on Netflix and wrapping up this blog post so looking back, it was one heck of a week. I am so ready for a change of scene. 

As usual, my list of to-do's is longer than the Nile when I am on a trip back home. People to meet, food to eat, restaurants to check out, places to visit and most importantly, stuff to buy 😝 I've been reigning in my spending the past two months so I can let loose my crazy inner shopaholic in India 😂 I can't wait! In all probability, I won't be very active on the blog till next year but I'll be posting updates on Instagram so you can catch me there.

It is all about the humble spud today. I have for you a recipe for a side dish that is not only simple and universally loved but also looks appetizing, is hearty and delicious. So much WIN you guys! Roast potatoes are typically served alongside meat but I make them on certain weekends as part of a western full breakfast comprising of toast, eggs, baked beans, fruit and coffee. 

Potatoes are a huge favourite in my household. We consume more than I would care to admit and in every fathomable form (carbs be damned). Oven roasted potatoes are not something I use potatoes for that often but of late I have started to. Now, right off the bat, let me tell you that this is a very easy recipe that comes together in about 30 min so I have bypassed the step of parboiling the potatoes which unquestionably results in crispier roasted potatoes. Let's just say I'm lazy and I am satisfied with the potatoes this way so I am just going to claim laziness + ignorance = bliss.

I prefer using the thin-skinned waxy potatoes for this recipe. You don't need to peel them and they roast really well. On the subject of flavour, you can tweak the spices and herbs (dried or fresh) depending on your liking. You can throw in some caramelized onions, toasty pine nuts or add in grated or crumbled cheese (parmesan, cheddar or feta work well). The dish is just that versatile.

Here is another variation of the exact same recipe I make using 3 medium-sized red potatoes cut into cubes. In addition to the ingredients mentioned in the recipe below, I used 1/4 tsp onion powder, 4-5 lightly crushed whole garlic pods with the skins on and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. So yum 😋

Lightly crisp on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside and bursting with that herbalicious flavour, these roasted potatoes are a delight. 

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, you will need this in your life so I'll leave you to it folks.

Family Staycation at D'Resort, Singapore

Up until a few years ago, I was skeptical about staycations. That is until I actually gave the experience a fair chance.

Our first staycation in Singapore was a babymoon at Hotel Fort Canning, an iconic heritage boutique hotel nestled in the lush greenery of the historic Fort Canning Park. It came about as a result of a strict travel ban imposed by my gynecologist during the entire duration of my high-risk twin pregnancy. While it wasn't what I had in mind for a much-needed break before taking on the looming challenges of motherhood, I truly enjoyed escaping from work and household chores, getting pampered, ordering room service, catching up on some reading, taking long serene walks and spending quality time with my husband. After a while, I kinda forgot that we were still in Singapore! It ended up being a break that required no planning, involved no hassles or stress, didn't break the bank, was laid-back and comfortable. Not to mention, we lost no time in travelling so it was relaxation mode from the get go. We loved the experience so much that from then on, we decided to make staycations a thing 😊

Fast forward to today - for many people, getting ready to go on a holiday with young children throws up all kinds of stresses such as planning, packing, sorting out what needs to be attended to in one's absence and preparing for worst case scenarios. In all honesty, I do find travelling with my little ones very stressful primarily on account of of their motion sickness but also because of the planning involved to maintain their eating and sleeping routine as well as keeping them occupied. I find family staycations ideal because by choosing to holiday close to home, you are starting out much more relaxed. It can only get better from there right?

For my twins third birthday, we decided to take them on a staycation at D'Resort located at the entertainment hub of the East - Downtown East. One of Singapore’s first nature inspired resort, D'Resort features an integrated water park experience. The 387-room resort is nestled amidst the greenery of Pasir Ris Park and provides some much-needed respite from the hectic city life. 

I originally had my sights set on one of the Rainforest family-themed rooms but they were all booked much in advance (boo!). After some discussion, we settled for the Beach Cove room. 

With warm and earthy hues and a minimalist nature-inspired décor, the room was clean and spacious. There were two cozy queen sized beds, coffee making facilities, a microwave, a large fridge (not those typical mini ones), a sink for washing up and a bathroom stocked with fresh towels and toiletries. There was free WIFI and the signal was quite strong.

BBQ pits are an available option when booking your accommodation for an additional $35. BBQ isn't really our thing so we passed up on it.  

After a Friday morning well spent cutting the birthday cake at school amidst their classmates followed by a visit to the nearby Hindu temple, we all took some rest in the afternoon and checked into the resort in the evening. 

As you can see, the girls took no time in getting comfy 😀

One of the most attractive features of D'Resort is that it is surrounded by places offering endless entertainment. A water park, cineplex, bowling alley, a huge children's indoor playground, a fitness center and legion of retail shops and F&B outlets are minutes away. Access to these places may be attained through a covered walkway which is a good thing especially on rainy days and hot afternoons. The resort itself also offers activities, such as urban farming, cycling to the gems in the east and kayaking to Singapore’s first floating kelong.