Eat.Pray.Love.

Durga Puja, being the biggest and the brightest festival brings along  a lot of hope, happiness, love and good times for us, the Bengalis. In fact, over the years, it has truly become a cosmopolitan festival where in people from different communities participate. Well. that's the true meaning of a festival, isn't it?

Durga Puja brings in a lot of memories of both childhood and adulthood. Going out for pandal-hopping at midnight with friends and family. Junk food and not healthy food was our staple for those 5 days. Regular life came to a halt during the festival. Studies were a strict no-no too. 

People might ask what is so special about this festival for which Bengalis all over the world wait for the entire year with bated breath. Well, we have no proper answer. But we do wait for those 5 days. We wait for it as  a farmer waits for the monsoons. We wait for it as it's the most important work that we need to do.


When we talk about Durga Puja, there is also something that is worth mentioning here, Kolkata, the City of Joy. Before and during the festival, the entire city comes alive. The shopping frenzy before the festival and the crowded pandals during the festival makes it look like a newly-wed bride adorned with the brightest of  hues. 

There are lot of withdrawal symptoms associated when Durga Puja gets over. Although people exchange greetings and say "Subho Bijaya", in their mind they sulk and crib because they have to wait for another year.

Although this year, I was working during the festival, but no one could take away the excitement and the fervor away from me. Between working and sleeping for only 4 hours, I could manage a lot. Well that is the whole point because it's that time of the year, isn't it? 

Subho Bijaya!

Lakme Absolute Lip Tint Matte (Tangerine Touch) - Product Review

Lakme lipsticks have become my favorite over the past few years. They have really improved a lot with the products be it the textures of the lipsticks or the colors. I wanted to write something something about Lakme lipsticks because they are currently my favorite. Not only that my favorite actress (Read: Kareena Kapoor) is their brand ambassador. I don't think I needed more reasons to write something about this product.

I have used Lip Crayons before, I guess it was a Chambor product. There were a lot of advertisements here and there when this product was launched. I got curious and wanted to try it out. The colors were also catchy. So when I went out to buy a lipstick for myself for the upcoming festivities, I decided that this will be the lipstick that I am going to buy. 

Lakmé Absolute Lip Pout is a chubby lip color pencil that gives your lips a beautiful and luscious tint with an awesome matte finish. The product is available in 6 classic matte colors, Lakme Absolute Lip Pouts will invariably brighten your face and will give you a playful look.

The features of Lakmé Absolute Lip Pouts include, an excellent matte finish without drying your lips excessively, quick and easy application and retractable pencil that doesn't need sharpening. 

The lip pouts are priced at Rs 650 fro 3.5 g and the shelf life is 24 months. I have always used lipsticks for more than 2 years and I am doing pretty fine. I have absolutely no clue what harm will a lipstick do if I wear it after 24 months. The packaging of Lakmé Absolute Lip Pouts is very similar to Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm and nowadays almost all the brands have the same packaging for matte or tinted balms. The color of the tube represents the true shade of the lip color. It's covered with a silver cap.The shade name is mentioned at the bottom of the tube.

The only problem with this lipstick is the pigmentation. You need to swipe at least 3-4 times to build the

actual color. It's a little disappointing because it's Lakme and I am a big fan of the 9-5 range of Lakme. The lipstick stays on your lips for 3- 4 hours with moderate snacking but it also has a tendency to become too dry. So, if you have chapped lips, use a lip balm before applying it. The color fades away very unevenly, to be specific when the color fades it left an orange stain on my lips which looks very odd. Although when applied, it has a very beautiful orange tint.

As far as I am concerned, I think this lipstick can be only be purchased if you like hoarding lipsticks like me. Otherwise, the 9-5 range of Lakme is cheaper and is excellent in pigmentation.  Try it at least once but apart from the few of the cons, there is nothing much to regret about this product. 

A Walk To Remember!

I have been thinking of making a photo-blog on Kumortuli for a long time now. So here I am. With the onset of festivities, this was the perfect time of posting it. My blog makes me do so many things. Going out on a Sunday afternoon and clicking pictures is otherwise impossible for me but here I am with the photographs.

 
Hope you'll like it!

Chicken Wrap

This is primarily my sister, Susmita's recipe. I just substituted capsicums with Oregano and added a little bit of mayonnaise for extra taste, You can definitely skip this step! Sometimes I wonder that whether my Blog is becoming a food blog or not. That was primarily never the objective. But I am always at ease when it comes to cooking and posting a recipe on my Blog. I just can't seem to do anything about it.

This recipe is a healthy one which doesn't use any oil. You can either have it with bread or as it is.


Here comes the recipe:


Ingredients:


Chicken - 500 gms (minced).
Onions - 100 gms, finely chopped.
Garlic - 50gms, finely chopped.
Oregano - 1 teaspoon.
Black pepper powder - A pinch.
Mayonnaise - 2 teaspoons.
Cheese - 2-3 cubes, finely grated.
Salt to taste.




Procedure:

Wash the chicken.

Mix all the ingredients.

Put the mixture in an aluminium foil. 

Roll it like it's done in the picture below.

Bring water to a boil in a wok. 

Add the chicken. 

Boil it for at least 10 mins.

It's done.

Enjoy the way you want to.

Chicken Liver Curry

I love eating chicken liver. Although majority of the people prefer mutton liver to chicken liver, I am a little biased to Chicken, as always. I hate that displeasing smell that comes free of cost with mutton liver. I know the health benefits of eating mutton liver, but I just can't eat them. 

Cooking a chicken liver curry is one of the easiest dishes that can be prepared by almost anyone. The reason behind it is the less time taken by the chicken liver to get boiled. It saves a lot of time. I always like quick recipes. Another point that's worth mentioning here is the use of Garam Masala in the preparation. I don't the taste of this masala at all. I don't use it as as well. But you have to use it in this recipe because for that extra zing. It tastes really good. I realize that I hate it for practically no reason at all.

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken Liver - 300 gms.

Potatoes - 2-3 (medium-sized), diced into small cubes.

Onions (finely chopped) - 100 gms.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 50 gms.

Bay leaves - 2.

Dry red chillies - 2.

Turmeric powder - One teaspoon.

Red chilli powder - One teaspoon.

Garam Masala powder - One teaspoon.

Salt to taste.

Oil-  3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

Wash the chicken liver well. Make sure you drain all the water. Keep aside.

In a wok, add oil. Add the bay leaves, add the red chillies.

Add the onions and potatoes. Fry it till translucent.

Add the ginger - garlic paste. Fry it for some time. 

Add the salt, turmeric, red chilli and garam masala powder.

Cook it for a while. Add a little bit of water. 

Add the chicken liver. Cook it for another 10 mins on medium flame. Check whether the potatoes are boiled or not. If not, cook for another 5 mins.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Lotus Herbals Ecostay Lipstick - Product Review

I have been planning to write a review of this product for a long time now. After my sister read the other beauty product reviews on my Blog, she insisted that I review this product too. But writing beauty product reviews are a little bit tedious for me. I am lazy!

I have mentioned it previously as well that I am fond of all kinds of lipsticks. There are some shades which I am more fond of, some a little less. In the last few years, an Orange lipstick has become increasingly popular among women. I love wearing them too. This shade of lipstick can brighten up your face in a jiffy!

Before I start with the product review, as always I want to talk about something about the brand. Lotus Herbals is a pretty old name in the cosmetics industry. It has been around in the market for the last 20 years, but their entry in the makeup products arena is quite a recent thing. The brand has established it's name in the cosmetics industry. The makeup products are popular too. The products are herbal and therefore, a little expensive too. 

Lotus Herbals has renamed their Purestay lipstick range to ‘Ecostay’, so the product is not new. The Purestay lipstick range has been in the market for quite some time now. I remember using one of them and forgetting about it completely afterwards. It was actually not that impressive. But when I wore one of the lipsticks from the ‘Ecostay’ range, all I can say is that Lotus Herbals has improvised on the product a lot. The company has come up with with 9 new lipstick shades. The lipsticks are priced at Rs. 545 for 4.2g, moderately expensive, I should say. Today, I will be reviewing the shade Orange Dream.

The lipstick is a preservative free, natural, long lasting and hydrating lip color. SPF 20 gives UV protection too. I mean that's what is written on the cover box. When I wore it, it gave a smooth, matte finish. The color is rich too. It stays on your lips for at least 4 hours with moderate snacking. 

Lotus Herbals Ecostay Long Lasting Lip Colour comes in a pink cardboard packaging. It claims to be preservative free and 100% vegetarian but there is no ingredient list mentioned on the outer packaging. The outer box reveals the lipstick that comes in a satin pink covering and then the lipstick comes in a metallic pink packaging with a long cap that closes with just a click. The overall packaging looks a little bit different from its counterparts.

Orange Dream is a luscious orange lip color with reddish undertones with no shimmer or glossy finish. The reddish undertone makes it look rich and classy. The texture of the lipstick is creamy. The color settles to a matte finish within a few minutes.The lipstick has a bright color. This is a good shade to wear at work, all you have to do is tone it down a little bit. You can wear it at after work parties too. This shade has the capability of beautifying your face in just one go.

So to conclude, Lotus Herbals Ecostay Long Lasting Lipcolour in Orange Dream is a gorgeous orange lipstick with reddish undertone to it. It is definitely a lot better than the previous Purestay range that I have tried. Trying out this new range of lipsticks is highly recommended, especially this shade because the new range has come with a  lot of improvisations.

Phoenix

When the cold winds blow from the mountainside,

I miss your touch, I miss you.

You scarred me for life,

The pain still remains in the darkest dungeon of my heart.

I wish to be reborn again,

Like a phoenix that rises from its own ashes.

I wish a life full of myriad colors,

With all the hues that speak of love.

I wish you were here by my side,

You could see life through my eyes.

I dreamt of a world of our own,

Now all I see are shards of glass.

Pasta

I have posted a lot of Lunchbox recipes on my Blog for the last few weeks. I do not carry lunch on a daily basis. Sometimes my mom makes my lunch. Sometimes, I do it. Whenever I do it, I am always in a hurry to rush for work. Although I post it on my Blog but you will hardly find more than one picture of the recipe. Pardon me for that. 

For me, Pasta is a comfort food. I can always have a bowl or two. I have made Pasta at home in the past in various ways. One of the best things about making Pasta is that, it's very easy to make and also you can make it in different ways each time. This time it was a tangy one!

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:


Pasta - 3 cups.
Onions (finely chopped) - 50 gms.
Ginger-Garlic paste - 100 gms.
Tomato Puree - 100 ml.
Sweet Chilli Sauce - 1/2 cup.
Eggless Mayonnaise - 3 tablespoons.
Green chillies - 2.
Oregano - 1 teaspoon.
Salt to taste.
Oil- 3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

In a pan, add water, a little of salt and oil. Bring it to a boil. Add the pasta.

Boil it for some time. Remove it from flame. Drain out the hot water. Add cold water. Drain it out again. Keep it aside. 

In a wok, heat oil.

Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Fry till it's translucent. 

Add the ginger - garlic paste.

Add the mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and tomato puree. Cook it for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta. Keep it in medium flame. Stir it continuously.

Add salt and oregano. If it's too tangy, add a little bit of sugar. 

Enjoy!

Poha-South Indian Style

This recipe is just the twin brother of the Upma recipe that I posted a month back. Almost all the ingredients remain the same, except Upma is made from sooji and Poha is made from flattened rice. I tried this recipe for the first time for lunch at work. As a first timer, I didn't disappoint. This can be a good breakfast option too.

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Flattened Rice (Chira)- 250 gms.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 50 gms.

Onions - 100 gms, finely chopped.

Sweet Corn - 1/2 cup.

Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup.

Ghee - 2 teaspoons.

Dry chilli - 2.

Green Chillies - 2.

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoons.

Mustard seeds - Few.

Curry leaves - Few.

Salt to taste.

Oil- 3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

Wash the flattened rice. Don't overdo it. Keep it aside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add the dry and green chillies,curry leaves and the mustard seeds. Let it flutter for a while. Make sure it doesn't get burnt.

Add the onions. Fry till it's translucent. 

Add salt.

Add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for some time.

Add the turmeric powder. 

Add the frozen peas and sweet corns.

Cook it for some more time.

Add the chira. Turn off the flame. Mix it well. 

Add the ghee.

Bon Appetit!

Keep calm and love Supernatural

Ever since I started blogging, I get these sudden urges to write about something on specific days. Earlier I have written about Harry Potter and about the onset of festivities on Janmasthami. This post was totally unplanned. I posted something about the show completing a decade on my Facebook timeline but then I thought, why not write something on my Blog too.

The show "Supernatural" completes a decade today. It's a 10 year old kid now. For starters, it's an American fantasy television show which premiered on WB on 13th of September,2005. It subsequently became a part of CW's line up. Primarily it's a show about two brothers, Dean Winchester played by Jensen Ackles and Sam Winchester played by Jared Padalecki.

 For the last 10 years, Sam and Dean Winchester have been saving people, hunting things and keeping the family business alive. But it all began today, a decade ago when the Winchester boys took their first ride in the Impala together. After that, there was no looking back. 

This show is part of my life now. I have pledged my loyalty to it.  The whole world of U.S. television shows came alive to me through this show. I remember, I started watching this show, around 3 years back and my life has changed in more ways than one. I might be mad about Vampires or like an episode or two of Homeland or Game of Thrones, but my love for this show is eternal. There is no greater joy than seeing the Winchester brothers come alive on the screen. It feels like coming home.

I always knew that I will write something about television shows, but I made sure that I will write something about "Supernatural" before any other show because this show takes a bigger place in my heart than all the other television shows put together. The characters are so relatable and humane. They have flaws. They grieve about their losses, they celebrate their successes and the believe in everything that they do. 

The best part about this show is that it only and only revolves around the Winchester brothers. They were the main plot of the show in the last ten seasons and will remain so till the end. The importance has never shifted to any other characters. What I absolutely love about this show is that that there are no unnecessary sub-plots and characters even after the show has completed ten seasons. This is perhaps one of the major reasons as to why the show has a loyal fan following across United States and India. I am so proud to be one of them. 

In all these years, there has never been a time when I told myself, "What's happening with this show?". A lot of credibility needs to be given to the creator of the show,Eric Kripke. I bow to you, man! 

This blog post will be incomplete if I don't mention the name of three characters, Bobby Singer played by Jim Beaver, Castiel played Misha Collins and Crowley played by Mark Sheppard. These characters are so intertwined in the plot that the show could have never survived without them, although the character Bobby has died in the show. I am a little biased towards Castiel, the angel of the Lord. That's for obvious reasons.

Ten years, ten seasons and 218 episodes. I have lived them all. I have fought my inner demons just the same way Dean and Sam have fought with the monsters. So many things in my life like family, bonding and friendship have found a new meaning after I started watching this show. This show had a life-altering effect on me. I just don't want to know what my life was before I started watching this show. There have been days when I just sat back at home and watched one episode after the other. It was like a drug for me. 

Stories are important part of our lives. If people label me as stupid because I relate to them more often than not, then that's their problem, not mine. This show has helped me to see myself in a whole new light. This show has helped me feel my feelings, made me laugh when I felt low and helped me to understand the world in a better way. 

To quote Ashley Clement, "We should never diminish the power of fictional stories. Do not apologize for being moved by movies, TV shows, theater, art, books, or even a webseries that puts out 5 minute episodes twice a week. Jump into them whole-heartedly and let them transform you. Let them be your friends. Why not? They want to be yours."

It's rightfully said, "Let the thing you love, be your escape."

"Supernatural" is my escape but sadly, I am held captive till 7th of October because the 11th season won't return before that.

(P.S. All the images have been googled. The copyrights are that of the individual owners.)

For cupcakes' sake- Mrs. Magpie

In my Blog, I have posted a hell lot of recipes. I love cooking and on the other hand I also like eating out in new places, so I thought, that why not incorporate the reviews of those places which I have visited, in my Blog posts. Food review or restaurant review, for that matter is something very new to me. Although I regularly visit www.zomato.com to check out new places to eat out, I find writing reviews of eating joints, a little tedious. 

Mrs. Magpie is a cafe situated at 70 Lake Terrace Extension (Keyatala), Kolkata: 700 029. The name is a pleasure itself. It's not a place where you enter,sit, eat and forget. It's a place which welcomes you with its bright interiors, good ambience and friendly staff. There is beauty in each and every thing of this place.  This place was suggested to me by my brother as he is well aware of my 

sweet-tooth and my love for cupcakes. Although its a cafe, Mrs. Magpie is a place which is famous for its cupcakes. 

Mrs. Magpie is a 21-seater cafe, open from noon to 9p.m. It's the brainchild of Le Cordon Bleu London alumnus Sohini Basu Behrens. The decor is a combination of a birdhouse and a dollhouse. The interiors are chic and classy with  powder-coated cast iron chairs, ceramic cake stands, wooden upholstered benches, glass top coffee tables and chalk board wall-mounted menu. The display counters feature a cute collection of cupcakes. Apart from cupcakes, in the food section, you can get a sandwich platter and bites like Chicken Ratatouille Tart, Chicken and Cheddar Puff, Broccoli Mushroom and Pepper Tart.The cafe also serves coffee and tea and their special afternoon Tea served with four cupcakes, four scones and six sandwiches.The mini cupcakes come in an exciting combination of flavors, wonderful miniature designs and a rainbow of colors.  The items on the menu can actually make a delicious tea spread.  

It was a lazy week-off, when I went to this place. I was already full owing to the awesome Chinese lunch that I had. I ordered cupcakes and trust me, it tasted heavenly. After 8-ish, is a must-try if you love cupcakes like me. Everything is cute about the place, even the billing system.When you ask for the bill, it will be handed over in a super cute basket with a bee on it. The place is extremely pocket-friendly. For a meal for two, you get charged something around Rs 600 - Rs 800.There is only one disappointment associated with Mrs. Magpie is that it's not a place to look forward to, if you're dining out or you want to have a full course meal. I would always want to go back to this place in the future. Whether t's a lazy Sunday afternoon or a date with your bestie,this is one place that will always linger in your mind for sometime to come.