Sunday Night means Pulao(Rice Pilaf) Night

Just like Friday as Pizza Night .. @ Niwas Sunday Night is Pulao (Rice Pilaf) Night ...not sure how it started but I love Pulao and that too with yogurt is the best combination in this world ...I think every kid in India likes it .. although they might have different sides that they enjoy with ... I know some families enjoy Desi ghee(clarified  butter), some enjoy lentils and yogurt is the most common one I have seen.....The reason I like it the sweetness in peas and spices in lentils and calm and sweet yogurt make a soothing flavour in your mouth ..it's pretty much like sour cream with rice and vegetables in a burrito ...much healthier though :) ...It 's a quick dish and here is the recipe

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cup

Peas 1 cup

Onion 1/2 cup

Garlic 2 cloves

Oild 1 tbsb

Cumin 1/4 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder 1/2 tsp

Curry Leave 1

Water 4 cup

Recipe:

Heat oil and fry onion, cumin seeds, garlic and curry leaves

Add chili powder, and fry for another 30 sec

Add peas(or any other vegetable you like) and fry for 1 min

Add rice, salt and water and cover and cook until rice is done

Add coriander when serving rice, serve with plain yogurt or clarrified butter on top of the pulao.

I am off to enjoying Pulao with my hubby ...yup it's Sunday and I enjoy eating my rice pilaf while I watch Celebrity Aprentice :)

Friday Shopping: Drink Stir Sticks

Everyone loves to entertain and enjoy a drink with friends and share a laugh .. gossip a little bit and catch up with what is going on in their life ....It's even more fun when your guest appreciate your collection  and ask you where did you get it from .. and it starts a new topic and you feel proud to share your story....To add to your collection are these amazing beaded drink stir sticks ...

Image via: Etsy

and how about  these cow stir sticks with bells

Image Via: Etsy

 

or these beautiful glass sticks 

 

Image via: Etsy

Expand your collection and stir up the party real well and I bet you ..your guest are gonna talk about your collection for next coming parties for sure ...

Friday Shopping: Bird Feeder

In morning it feels like we have a bird sanctuary in our backyard .. birds are just happy and talking non stop ...it's amazing to hear the different sounds and see them fly from one tree to other ...The other day we woke up with a bird sound that seemed little different and I thought may be we have a new bird ...while getting breakfast ready I noticed that a poor bird was stuck in our patio ... I guess she found a way to get in but didn't know how to get out ....I had to help her ...but I didn't want her to think I was attacking her .. so slowly and carefully I opened the patio door and jumped back inside the house to give her space ...Bird was jumping from one screen to the other as she didn't trust my intentions ...as I stepped back in she took small steps and came near the patio door ...jumped out and ran ...didn't fly for some reason ....then her friend came and joined her in the celebration .....and the bird talk continued ... I am sure she said ..." You won't believe what happened today" :) ....That's when I thought Friday shopping has to be something for are Bird Friends....Recycled Bird Feeder keeping Earth day in mind ......Enjoy watching birds and celebrate Earth day by buying recycled and hand made products....

 Image Via: Etsy


Image via: Etsy


Image Via: Etsy 

Free Printable: Seed Packets Label for EarthDay

Earth is very special for us so we created these special See Packets Label Printable for everyone out there ... Use can use it for Spring, Earth Day, Garden Party and even for gifts ... possibilities are endless ....we created this keeping Earth Day in mind ....
Seed Packet Printable

Trying to reuse the resources we have is the goal @ Niwas ....So we took some seeds, cut our our free printable and an empty envelope from a junk mail ......

and the result is a cute seed pack for your friends .. This one is for my niece ... I know she will love it :) ... Happy Earth Day in advance ...Stay Green ...

Top 5 Green Home Inspiration

I strongly believe in the statement "Start at Home" ....when it comes to saving our planet we do our small bits to make a difference. The place to start is obviously our home .. how can we expect things to be better if we do not stand up and do our due diligence . With Earth Day five days away this post we talk about  five things we do in our home that we think any home can do to help planet earth ...If you think it's too small of a step think again as a small step forward is always a progress .......

1. Invest in dimmer - Studies have proved that using a dimmer saves 40 -50% of the electric use and also bulbs last longer too ...Using CFL bulbs is another good way to lower your electric bill and saving some energy

2. Bring nature in your home: Look for beauty in nature and bring beauty in your home .. it's better for environment and its FREE ...collect sea shells, acorns, pine cones .. flowers ... nature has all the things you need to decorate corners of your home .. you just need to decide the theme for your house ...

3. Reuse with Antique/Yard Sale  - Reuse is a big step when thinking green ...love the old chair you saw on your favorite magazine cover .. or the key holder from Italy on one of the blogs ...well Antique shops, consignment stores and yard sale are perfect lace to find cheap, around the world home decor ...you get  to see something new every time ..and the best part you are reusing the products .. saving on the material/fuel/wastage ...Be Proud of your home decor and yourself at the same time ...
4.  Organically Green - Buy from  your local Farmer market or better yet make yourself a small garden ...Local farmer market sells happy produce that grow in your area and have less or no chemical u...Growing your own garden can be some work but the best tip I received was to "Start Slow" ...start one vegetable one year and add another the next year ... it's a slow step however it is a big leap ...

5. Collect Rain Water: Have you ever collected rain water ? We did just recently and were amazed that just by little drizzle we had enough to water the plants for 2 days ... I have to admit that storing water for too long causes mosquito to grow .. so we added Neem Oil in the water which is organic and good for plants and keep the mosquito away .....Not only you are recycling the water but also giving your plants nutrient from the rain water ...

Bring a change in your home and share what works for you ...Always remember three R's Recycle Reuse Reduce

Friday shopping: Colorful Glasses

                                                                Image Via: Pier1

Parties are a must in every house and what better way to raise a toast with these beauties ....From Margarita to wine ...from Lassi to Nimbu Panni ...these glasses will add color to your party and will bring in the festive mood. I see these glasses perfect for a number of parties Diwali ? Margi Gras ? Holi ? Thanks Giving ? Wine Tasting ? Cinco De Mayo ? .....You can also use them as beautiful candle holders with a tea light in it ...hmm now that is an interesting idea for a romantic dinner idea at home with your loved one ...."Cheers" to shopping, interesting ideas and happy times ....