Some Flat Lays Dedicated to Lord Jagannath

Greetings to all on the occasion of Rath Yatra. May Shri Jagannath continue to shower his blessings on us. 

I hail from Odisha and today the whole state is celebrating the annual chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. Today on the second day of the Shukla Paksha (the bright lunar fortnight or waxing moon) of third lunar month of Asadha in the Hindu calender, Lord Jagannath visits his aunt's house (Gundicha temple) with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on their chariots. Whenever a festival associated with the state that you originally from, often we have the tendency to feel state sick. During this auspicious time we (me and my mother in law) have frequent discussions about the customs, traditions and rituals associated with Lord Jagannath. This whole process motivated me to decorate my home specially dedicated to lord Jagannath.

Here are some flat lays that I have set up in living room, dinning and puja room of my home. In each set up I have used some of my DIYs. 

Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra painted on pebbles finding a place in the living room....

A sea shell framed Lord Jagannath is another craft work of mine. This one is inspired by the sea shell framed mirror that we find in many coastal tourist places of India. I have not painted the Jagannath face in this DIY, it is cut from an old table calendar. This setup finds a place in the dinning area...    

Here is the setup I have made in the Puja room. A hand fan made out of waste card board and newspaper. The Jagannath face used in this is from a wedding invitation card.  

Earlier I have also made Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra using coconut shells. You can have a look here and find the tutorial here. 

Milk and Coconut Popsicle

Ola friends...

We are still engulfed under summer waves and I wish I can migrate to a place where the mercury never rises beyond 10 to 20 degree celsius. But that's neither always possible nor a permanent solution. So what to do?? We will eat Ice Cream and Popsicle. When we were kids and in each summer vacation used to go to village, this coconut and milk popsicle were our favorite. I still remember this milk and coconut ice creams were dearer than the regular orange ones. Daily all kids used to wait for the ice cream wala's bhopu style horn. Thus today's recipe is the demand of my own sweet memories.

Ingredients required (For around 6 to 8 Popsicle)

1- Full Cream milk - 500 ml

2- Sugar - 1/2 cup

3- Cardamom Powder - 1/4th tsp

4- Freshly Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

5- Condensed milk- 3/4th cup 

Using condensed milk is optional. I prefer using it when I don't have time to half reduce milk. Adjust sugar according to your choice. 

Step-1

Heat milk in a thick bottom pan. Add all the ingredients together. Adjust sugar quantity according to the quantity of condensed milk you are using, otherwise it may become too sweet. 

Step-2

Boil the milk mixture and keep on steering continuously. I cooked it for 10 minutes on medium flame. 

Step-3

Cool down the mixture and then transfer the mixture into Popsicle moulds. Refrigerate for minimum 8 to 10 hours. Then it's ready to eat. 

Hope you will like this simple recipe with some simple ingredients....enjoyyyyy..

A Glance of My Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of a home….yes I do believe in this.

To me no matter how big or small your kitchen is, it should be functional, well organized, clean and of course beautiful. A kitchen reflects the personality of the lady in the house. As planets revolve around the sun in the solar system, all family activities revolve around the kitchen at home. It’s a place where traditional family desserts are cooked, daily basic meals are prepared, new dishes are invented and mid night cravings are satisfied. For me it is a place where not only tasty food is prepared, but also my passion for cooking is moulded.
A transferable job structure has allowed us to stay in different houses and explore new cities in these years. So rented house is the only option and every landlord in the world has one cardinal rule-don't mess with the house. A positive side of this is, there are so many ways to turn a house into home without much changes and this applies to the kitchen too. 

As days pass by my intimacy with my kitchen grows. While the stove burns and the refrigerator murmurs, the water tap over the sink gurgles with the rush of water and the cutlery creaks now and then the place easily gets animated. I fancy that there are invisible entities around me with their mysterious smell, sound and sense.

It was a modular kitchen before we moved in and as it's a rented place, we were not permitted to think about any structural changes.

There was a small free space on the wall, where I fixed a chalk board and just below that Mr. Hubby fixed a glass rack to keep some regular use coffee mugs. Don't know exactly why I am so much in love with this chalkboard...as I have made it or it beautifies my kitchen or it reflect my emotions time to time or it is a conversation starter or due to all reasons *smiles*. Other items in the frame below in the corner are some of my DIYs. 

Other side of the kitchen counter...

I love to keep both the sides of the kitchen counter clean and clutter free. Otherwise it reduces my working pace and as I have to rush for office I have to finish cooking breakfast and lunch by 8 am.

Here I display few nick nacks, the tea sets are my childhood treasures...I keep on changing the display items here, as they refreshes the look of the space. 

Some travel souvenirs..some freeze magnets...some baskets on the wall...completes this corner *smiles*

Hope you will like my kitchen tour...

If you wish your beautiful home to be featured at When Creative Juices Flow, then please inbox me. I would love to do that. 

Love your home and enjoy living *cheers*

Cabbage and Semolina Pancake (Kobi Pitha)

Hello food lovers...

Today I am sharing this recipe is on the request of an ex-colleague and now while drafting the post I am thinking I should have shared this sometime before. As this tastes best in winters, still better late than never.  

It is neither magic nor some super ingredients that makes food special. Rather it’s some love, innovation and patience, which can convert a normal regular dish into a special one. The sole credit of this recipe goes to my best friend’s Mom, though she refuses to wear the hat and says it’s a traditional age old recipe. But for me she should have the patent, because for the first time I have tasted this recipe was straight from her kitchen and till now have never heard about this from anyone else. Cabbage and semolina pancake or Kobi Pitha is a very simple dish and can be made of left over cabbage curry. Everyone in my family loves this to have in breakfast and now it has become popular in both homes of mine, parents place and in-laws place. Have a look on the dish that I am sharing with you today..

Ingredients Required (For making 8 pancakes of chapati size)

1- Cabbage curry- 2 cups ( Finely chopped cabbage cooked in Onion, ginger & garlic paste, with some chopped tomatoes, curry powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and garam masala powder.)

2- Semolina - 2 cups

3- Finely chopped onion- 2 tbsp

4- Finely chopped green chilies- 1/2 tsp or according to taste

5- Salt according to taste

6- Red Chili powder-1/2 tsp

7- Chat Masala- 1/2 tsp

8- Vegetable oil -2 tsp for frying the pan cakes

Step-1

Using a potato masher slightly mash the cabbage curry.

Step-2

Add all the ingredients together, except oil. Add some water and bring the mixture to pan cake consistency.

Step-3

Heat the pan and add some oil, then pour a ladle full of the mixture. Spread the mixture evenly. Allow it to get cooked from one side for 2 to 3 minutes. Then gently flip it. If it is not properly cooked, it may break. If your pancakes are still breaking then add a little more semolina or regular wheat flour in the mixture. To avoid breaking you can make small small pancakes as shown in first pic.

Serve hot with any chutney or pickle...

Hope you will try this recipe and I would love your feedback. 

A new look to a Handmade Clay Pot

Hello friends...have a look at my latest work...

In a visit to pink city, for the first time got an opportunity to explore the magic of clay. When my hands were doodling with clay, my soul went back to childhood (from childhood I had a wish that someday I'll make something on potter's wheel). Smooth and soothing texture of clay brought excitement in heart and its earthy smell relaxed the mind. Really such an unusual and divine feeling. Though the process of pot making on the potter's wheel was not an easy task as it seems to be. But the aspiring potter in me was also not ready to give up. So after 3 to 4 failed attempts, I finally managed to make something like this (of course with the guidance of the professional potter). 

It's almost two years now and I have this pot with me. My heart and soul never allowed me to throw this. It is raw clay, so it's not that sturdy and to bake it in bisque firing is also not possible. But this weekend I thought of giving it a new look and use it as a jwellery holder. So I applied a coat of mod podge and then painted it. Here are few steps that I followed...

Painted it by using red, blue and golden acrylic paint. Then glued some rhinestones and then some finishing touch was given using white acrylic paint. Isn't it look pretty now *smile*

The colour combination I used and the designs I made on the pot are inspired from two Rajasthani elephants that my sis-in-law had gifted me. 

On the dresser, holding some nick nacks...

Will come up with few more transformation stories soon..stay tuned *smiles*

The LOVE Day...

Love is something magical and deep, which can’t be defined or definition may vary from person to person. I believe that we don’t need one particular day to celebrate love and this eternal feeling should be celebrated for 365 days a year. Love everyone and give others some reason to love you in return. If there is a special occasion to spend with your loved ones, then I love to go ahead and do all it takes to make it special and make that person feel special. Actually I am little selfish in this respect, as this makes me feel more loved, more pampered and more special in return. Some precious moment captured through the lens now, become great memories whenever you look back.

Sharing some glimpse of the love day at my place till now and also some gloomy days which got converted into some special days, to be cherished for ever. 

Enjoy this day...enjoy each day...as life comes once... *smile*

This Sunday afternoon well spent in making a strawberry cheese cake..

My DIY work always comes into action (Tin can candle holders)

Not much..but candles, flowers and soft toys...does all the conversation..

A simple table setup for two *smiles*

Shortcuts are most welcome when you don't have time, but want to do something special...

Celebration without food is incomplete...

Below pics are of a special valentines day, when my cousin had visited with his newly wed wife and we had a blast together *smiles*

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own..." 

-Robert A.Heinlein

Blog Tour : Craft Decor

Hello Creative Folks…

After a long hiatus from blogging and social media, I am slowly coming back. Blogging till now is a special journey for me. It gives me opportunity to learn many new things, interact with many like minded people and explore new horizons. Before few days through this virtual world I came across a very creative person Priyanka from Navi Mumbai. She is an Architect by profession and I am an academician by profession, it is our love for art, craft and creativity, that brought us together. She shares her creativity in her blog Craft Decor. She loves to paint bottles like me. Let’s know more about her...

Hello Priyanka, would you like to share few words about you with the readers of When Creative Juices Flow…

Hi, I am Priyanka staying at New Mumbai. I always like to explore new types of crafts since childhood. I am interested in handmade crafts especially best out of waste. I am an architect by profession. Architecture has given me new vision which helps me in finished product, color combination, material selection etc.

Some of her decoupage bottles...

When did you find passion for painting bottles?

Unknowingly I had collected different types of glass bottles. So I thought of painting 1 bottle with glass paint, then another with acrylic paint. After trying decoupage on MDF trays thought of trying it on glass bottles. And it came up to my expectations. Now I am trying to explore more bottle decoration ideas.

Decoupage of MDF tray and Pencil Box..

When you thought of starting your own blog and what was your inspiration?

Every time being in search of new craft, I have collection of different types of articles which I made. While searching about craft tutorials, I came across this blog world. And then I decided to write a blog about my craft work. It’s best way to introduce your craft to other like minded people.

Decoupage on tin cans and now waste tin cans became beautiful pen stands...

Do you have any other passions or crafting hobby?

I like to try different types of crafts where ever I see/read. I have tried my hands on paper quilling, decoupage, knitting, pot decoration, paper flower making, glass painting, jewellery making, candle making, worli painting, fabric painting and now bottle painting/bottle decoupage.

Paper quilling on photo frames, envelops and cards...

 

Hope you like her work... I wish her luck from all of us (me and When Creative Juices Flow's viewers) To see more of her artworks, you can visit her Blog page: http://mycraftdecor.blogspot.in/

Don't forget to share your views about her work and do visit her blog too...

Image Copyright/Credit : Priyanka and CraftDecor.