Weave a Thousand Flavors

Kick Off 2012, Say Fromage! WIN, WIN, WIN a YEAR'S worth of SARGENTO Cheese

Here I am kicking off 2012 on the blog with~

a recipe, none (gasp)

gluttony, of embarrassing proportions

weight gain, equally embarrassing

exercise, on the books

hope, heartful

smiles, from ear to ear

talk, a earful

a bucket, of love

and

a pail, of thanks

for all of you who have put up with my ups and downs, my oohs and my aahs whilst serving the world on a plate for all of two years now.

That's right, WEAVE A THOUSAND FLAVORS is now officially a toddler and is in the terrible two's so expect a year full of frequent mood changes and temper tantrums. Hang on a minute, isn't that where we've already been these last two years? So not only do we have a toddler on our hands, it seems we have a dysfunctional one!

Well what a two years it's been - for one, depending on whom you're talking to, we've gone from Obama to Heybama to Boobama! And no we aren't entering a world of political discourse on the blog, I'm just sayin'.

As for me, I can't wait to for another year of delicious, challenging and always fun eats, stories and more of hearing from all of you. The fact that we're still here goes to show how much your support, your comments, emails and friendship means to me.

Now I know that you all are just at a point when the post-holiday-blues are about to set in - no more gifts with Santa safely retired to the North pole for his year long zzzz......, so it is nothing short of providential that SARGENTO cheese has graciously offered one of my readers a whole years worth of free cheese!

So Say Fromage People!

That's 52 SARGENTO cheese coupons for one lucky winner that will entitle you to shop for Sargento's wide range of cheese products to your hearts content.

Apologies to my International readers but this ones only valid for folks in the US only.

Now, the important part – To Enter: You can enter in one of three ways -

1. Subscribe to Weave A Thousand Flavors via RSS or via email
2. Follow me on Twitter (@weaveflavors)
3. Like 'Weave A Thousand Flavors' on Facebook
4. If you are a fellow blogger please pass the word along on your blog/fan page etc

Post a comment here letting me know which option above you chose and what your favorite cheesey dish is. If you already are a subscriber, follower, or 'like' Weave A Thousand Flavors on Facebook, just leave a comment indicating that – it will count as your entry.

This giveaway will be open until Friday, January 15th 2012 at 11:59pm PST. I’ll be announcing the winner on shortly thereafter.

So here's to a GREAT 2012!

Comments are closed.

The Winner of the contest as announced on Jan 16, 2012 is

Katie @ cozydelicious

CONGRATULATIONS & Have a cheesy year ahead! (Sorry couldn't resist!)

Be sure to mail me your address. Thanks!

 

What will you do with 50 Bucks from The Fairy Hobmother? And A Stinkin' Room mate = Fabulous Yorkshire Puddings

Don't you deserve a visit from The Fairy Hobmother?

One who not only visits but  rewards you a USD 50.00 Amazon gift ard just for saying hello right here in the comments section?

Sigh! I wish all of life's quandaries were this simple. Never the less with all this talk of economic doom, gloom and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to make sense of this financial cesspit, its nice to know there are simpler things in life that can put a smile on ones face.

So when the fairy Hobmother from   appliancesonline in the UK paid me a visit and not only gifted me this very thoughtful 50 dollar gift card but actually offered to share the love with my followers, who was I to say no?

So go on, leave a thought or two and you might be the next person the fairy hobmother might visit.

That being said, we must now return to the topic at hand - that being stinkin' room mates. I am of the opinion that hellish room mates are an important rite of passage I think - a reminder that have left the sanctuary of our parents and now very much on our own (for most part) in the big bad world. The older we get, these colorful characters fade into distant memories only to leap forward by some odd event or in my case a particular sort of food.

I was in my twenties, alone in Singapore and I was at the brink of my many firsts.  My other room mate and I decided that we really ought to sublet the vacant third bedroom to generate some extra income to pay rent and of course we wanted a girl, non-smoker, professional and an expat like ourselves.

Our advertisement was answered by Kathy - a pofessional woman of English-Korean heritage who on the surface fit the bill perfectly. And so it was with great relish that we welcomed the first occupant to the the third bedroom. Now, you  all know what they say about first impressions....

Anyway, into the first month while we were still in the 'honeymoon phase' Kathy announced that she would invite over some of her friends to have dinner with us and make a classic English dinner. She made lovely salmon cakes, minted peas, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.

It's a good thing that all this loveliness unfolded in the first month - because you see Kathy didn't last with us long enough to see her third! After putting up with a shattered toilet seat, stripped wall paper from her bedroom (need I remind you it all belonged to the apartment owner) flooding the kitchen with 6 inches of water because she forgot to turn off the tap, we were done! 

We packed her off and all that she's left me with is this story and her Mum's recipe for Yorkshire puddings. So here we go but before I do, don't forget to leave me a thought or two!

Strawberry Madness and Miles & Miles of Smiles ~

Summer bring me to smiles ~ miles and miles of smiles

 Fire flies

Don't you look at fire flies and just want to smile? I do.

They are to me a representation of  Nature's whimsy. A flying insect whose butt lights up!

How can you not smile?

This weekend after hours on end of lazing in the pool and flipping burgers and sinking my teeth into fresh corn, those yummy berry parcels and nectar-like morsels of mango, I have yet another reason to be grateful & to smile ~

My first article appeared in

Fairfax Woman Magazine & South Maryland Woman Magazine.

Here is the link, please spare a moment for a peek & a read.

The E-Magazine in splendid glory is here

 
 
I was also delighted by the wonderful recipes that fellow bloggers submitted for Strawberry Battle for the month of June. Your search for delicious strawberry recipes ends here! See for your self ~

 Cozy Delicious ~ Strawberry Rhubarb Sundowner 

 

Taste of Beirut ~ Bocconcinis with Strawberry Salad

 

Sweetlife ~ Strawberry & Avocado Salsa

 
 

Now this is the part I hate. Yup, it's my 'kumbaya', 'Aquarius' gene running rampant again but choosing a winner for me is like pulling teeth. (I can almost hear my father growling and Bill Gates will probably never hire me) But I wish we lived in a world where there are no winners and no losers. Alas! That is not to be. Having said so I can almost hear that idiom about wishes and flying beggars whizzing around in my head.

So before we get down to it, I want to thank each and every one of my delightful blogger friends for submitting your recipes. Look at what a wonderful parade of strawberry recipes we now have to choose from this summer.

But instead of the just 1 winner, I have decided to choose 3!

So for sheer ingenuity and originality, Winner # 1 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

The Good Soup  ~ Kim Boyce's Strawberry and Rye Crumble Bars

 

For  sheer yumminess for an eternal Classic, Winner # 2 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

  The Spice Garden ~ Strawberry & Rhubarb Tart

  

For taking a traditional classic and turning it into a Fusion delight, Winner # 3 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

  Saffron Streaks ~ Strawberry Steamed Sandesh

  

CONGRATULATIONS!

PLEASE do email me your mailing addresses so I can dispatch your goodies to you.

As for me? Looks like I have a load of strawberry baking ahead of me!

XOXOXO

 

 

'A Strawberry Battle' Kick off with Summery Strawberry Crumble Cake

 

 
With mercury rising to a hot 94 deg today, summer is finally here! Aah..... welcome to long days filled with pool splashes, canon balling, barbecues, fire flies, mosquito bites and sveltering heat!

But for the folks down under, summer brings the promise of these and along with it all yet another joy, especially for us cooks. Farmer's markets, fresh produce which for me especially translates into days of  stocking up on summer berries.

I have no doubt that by the time autumn rolls in, you will have had enough of me and my berriful recipes. Every week I find yet another excuse to incorporate black, blue or straw - berries into a dessert or cake so much so that my kids have stopped asking what they can have for snack. They know well enough they'll either be chowing down a bowl of the fruit or digging into some berry-concoction or the other.

And yet, you know me to be of discriminating tastes and of the plethora of recipes that grace our seasonal kitchen, I have my favorites - kinda like the 'bill of rights' of my culinary world.

I am embarrassed to say that this crumble cake right here is one I disguise in oh so many ways and sneak it back into our weekly rotation. I am waiting for the days when my kids finally wise up to the fact that their Mum is actually baking the same cake over and over again, disguised under a blanket of crumble, sometimes without and always switching the seasonal fruit around.

So when Ananda at A Pinch of Love whose culinary skills when it comes to cakes and desserts far out weighs mine and the magic she wields with the camera  leaves me panting, announced me as the winner of her Zucchini contest, I was surprised and delighted! Yippee!!! And then she asked me to host a contest of my own!

I had little choice but to turn to my love of summer fruit and announce the secret ingredient for the June 2011 contest to be, the ruby of summer berries -strawberries!

Strawberry time will be held throughout the month of June on Weave A Thousand Flavors. Entry. Submissions begin on June 6 - June 30, 2011, 11:59pm PST and I will announce the winner who may choose to host the next month’s edition of this contest on July 1st, 2011. We are all too busy with our lives for me to make this compulsory. Open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

 So please submit your fave strawberry recipes at Linky Tools - Click here to enter your blogpost link. 

 

• Only one entry per person & please link back to this post on your blog.
• The entry does not have to be a new post and may be an archived post.

 

 And what may you win? 

My favorite, gourmet 'secret ingredient' for your pantry!

Thank You!

I for one can't wait to see what you kitchen divas come up once you don on your culinary thinking caps and bring out the creative 'strawberry side' of you, here is my favorite strawberry recipe to inspire you to kick up those creative juices.

Humble as it may be but I bet you anything, you too will be trying to sneak this back on weekly rotation and potlucks more often than not!

 

And The Winner of the 'Make Your Wish' Emile Henry Give away is..............

Thank You for all your wonderful submissions to the 'Make Your Wish' Emile Henry Giveaway, June 2010

 

And

the Emile Henry goes to .....(drum roll please)

A six month Blogiversary, A 'Make-Your-Wish' Emile Henry Giveaway & A Long Awaited Road Trip

Thank You for all your entries for the 'Make Your Wish' Emile Henry giveaway. The contest is now closed. 

This giveaway is a pretty big deal for me. It's my first! And secondly, the giveaway is a product I love and have been cooking with for a very long time - long before this blog.

What's even more special is YOU get to choose the dish YOU want!

(Thanks to all of you who have already sent in your comments :)

 

Why do I love my Emile Henry Cookware?

For one, they're a family owned business that has been around since 1850 and started in a small town in the province of Burgundy, France.

The company to date manufactures all of their new cooking products from Burgundy clay.

Here's the long and short of it -

• Burgundy clay evenly and slowly diffuses cooking heat to the very center of the cooking dish.
  

• Emile Henry products do not chip or crack easily. One can cut directly on the surface without scratching or damaging the product.

• There is no lead or cadmium and all of the products are 100% food safe.
  

• All Emile Henry products are direct freezer-to-oven. They go under the broiler and in the microwave.

• All Emile Henry products can go in the dishwasher.

• All Emile Henry products carry a limited household three (3) year warranty against breakage due to defective workmanship.

The reason I personally love their products  is because they last and last. I am not one to go pot and dish shopping every week so I look for quality and it's got to be a sound investment.

I am not a occasional sort of cook. As you know I cook a lot! The dish has not only got to be excellent quality (so I don't have to go buy another one)  it has to also withstand abuse!

And because I hate clutter, I want dishes that can be used for more than one kind of dish - I am going to bake a lasagna and expect the same pan to work for a crumble and the pie dish to work for a crostata.

So I hope you are convinced!

TO WIN THE DISH - you've always wished, follow these instructions -

1) Subscribe to the blog via email. 

Please help this girl out &  "share" this post by tweeting, blogging, "Facebook"-ing, StumbleUpon-ing etc etc

2) Go to the Emile Henry USA website by going here. Click on the Ovenware/Cookware/Bakeware  sections. Browse &  share your wish dish with me. Don't forget to specify your color of choice.

3) Share a personal cooking story or your favorite recipe that you'll cook  in your NEW Emile Henry dish ( I will feature this on the blog when I announce the winner)

Simply add your answers as a comment.

Sincere apologies to my International friends but at this time the giveaway is  open to the people of the US only. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

The competition ends at 9.00 PM (EST) 15th of June, 2010.

Winner will be announced shortly after!

Good luck, everyone!

I am looking forward to reading your entries =)

Love,

Devaki

PS - If you've already previously sent me your comment you're done! No need to re-send :)

 

~

 

In some ways it is fitting that as the blog has reached its 6 month mark, I have been noticeably absent.

Since I began the blog, this has been my first week off from all things blog related. As much as I love writing & cooking about food & paying a visit to my fellow foodie bloggers,  I enjoy spontaneous trips in equal measure.

So as the long holiday weekend approached here in the US and coincided with the kids starting their summer holidays and the 6 month blog birthday, we decided to get away from it all. And when I mean get away, I mean get away - no cell phones, no wi-fi & a just a brush with civilization.

And so off we went to a place we have wanted to visit for a very long time.

Now because of its remote location, the travel also involved one my favorite aspects, a road trip.

I love road trips -  there is nothing more exhilarating than watching the road disappear below ones wheels, the anticipation that fills the air as you calculate the remaining distances on a map, endless cups of java picked up at truck stops, the squeals of delights from the back seat because we passed grazing cows, the crunch of crispy potato chips, the endless potty breaks (of course)  if you're  traveling with little ones like we were but more than all of this - the opportunity to be surprised, not knowing what awaits you as you turn the corner.

As we drove down the winding road that cuts through the belly of the vast expanses and stunning views, Mr. Hubby looked me and asked, "Do you hear that" and I asked "What?" And he said, "Silence".

So though this post is not about food - it about what inspires us, what humbles us & what awes us. 'The food for the  soul' which is just as important if not more than 'the food for the belly'.

As for recipes, we will return to it soon enough! So fix yourself a cuppa & enjoy....

Only a Visitor

From here,  for as long as the eye can see, is "designated wilderness" - park lands governed by the strictest preservation standards. What makes this place so special?

Vastness, solitude, wildness & challenge

It is more than legislated lines drawn on a map. Here, is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor & does not remain.

US Wilderness Act, 1964

The Ocotillo Patch - These wonderful deciduous shrubs with beautiful red flowers on their tips, drop their leaves as many as 5 times a year

Vast expanses, stunning views

The park is full of rocks that look like weather beaten ruins

Nothing quite like the Cholla - these beauties come with a warning. Even the slightest touch will result in  thorns embedded in the flesh that are painful & nearly impossible to remove. 

 

Surreal Cholla

What's a road trip if you can't stop & look for critters?

Who said the desert has no color?

Nothing quite like 'Jumbo Rocks'! Wow!

  
Unforgettable rock formations & wonderful to walk through and climb on.

Here are the Joshua trees - where the park gets its name. 

Very spooky, looking down at the San Andreas fault. I never knew you can actually see the bloody thing!

No wonder these trees have been considered akin to Aliens!

I hope that you've enjoyed a glimpse of these wondrous sights.

Moving on, I am excited to announce that on the eve of the blog's birthday (May 31), the blog was featured on Foodista as the featured blog of the day.

THANK YOU!

Thank You for all your entries for the 'Make Your Wish' Emile Henry giveaway. The contest is now closed.