Happy And Spooky Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31.  The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows' Evening also known as Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve. Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, and costume parties, visiting "haunted houses" and carving jack-o-lanterns.

Everywhere in the market you see the celebrations of Halloween. The whole lot is so orange and black, spooky costumes, masks etc are seen all around the shops. One thing that is most common is carving pumpkin; why not after all it is so apt to make it look like a ghost. I so very much wanted to try carving pumpkin myself, so here is how I did it. It was easy only if you have good grip and sharp knife. I have this amazing knife from Argos, you can see here

So here is me wishing you and your family a very Spooky Halloween. Enjoy

(Image source)

Karva Chauth Sweets Recipes

Karva Chauth is round the corner ladies. What are your plans?  What are you wearing? Have you decided about the henna design? So much work isn’t it? I like karva chauth a lot. The beautiful saris, colourful bangles, glowing faces- wow is the word. Just like all the festivals this too is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the country.

Karwa is another word for pot (a small earthen pot of water) and chauth means 'fourth' in Hindi. All married women fasts from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands without eating or drinking anything at all. They apply henna on their hands, wear good traditional clothes. In the afternoon prayers are read. Then the women await the rising of the moon. Once the moon is visible, she sees the moon with a seieve and then sees her husband. Water is offered to the moon to secure its blessings. We believe that "Like the gold necklace and the pearl bracelet, just like the moon may my husband’s life also always shine brightly."The husband then offers water and gives his wife her first sip and feeds her with the first morsel of the day (usually something sweet). The fast is now broken, and the woman has a complete meal.

Cool isn’t it? All these rituals adds love to your life and you get a good change from daily routine. My husband from past 3 years fasts with me to show his support and love for me. I just find this very sweet and comforting *clap clap*. He comes from office; we look for moon, pray and then eat together. I always make Jalebi on this day, it is his favourite sweet dish *happy dance*.

Just like me, if you also want to make this day more special, and then do make some quick and new sweet dishes.

Milk Powder Churma Rice Kheer/ Rice Pudding Chocolate Sandesh Naankhatai Kesar Kalakand Chocolate Ladoos Mango Phirni Chocolate Filled Gulab Jamuns Gond Ladoos Milk powder Gulab Jamuns