Sangria (Non-alcoholic) and Loads of Awards :)

On our visit to a spanish restaurant to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, we first time tried Sangria. Sangria, which means bloody in spanish, is a wine punch. Both Nisarg and I don't take alcohol, so we asked for a non-alcoholic version and what they served was so yummy!!

Here is a recipe that is adapted from Giada's Italian Cooking that I tried some time ago. It was so delicious, we just drank our dinner that day :).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange juice

2 cups mint syrup (recipe follows)

1 lemon (zested and thinly sliced)

1 lime (zested and thinly sliced)

1 cup sliced strawberries, grapes, raspeberries

4-5 fresh mint sprigs

1 can Sprite (I used Sprite Zero)

water (to adjust sweetness)

crushed ice

Mint Syrup:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

Method:

• For the mint syrup, in a saucepan, combine sugar, water and mint over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes.
• Strain before using and keep aside.
• In a large bowl or pitcher, combine all the ingredients. Fill tall glasses with crushed ice and pour sangria over the top.

I would like to send this lovely sangria to Priya's FIC-Pink event which was started by SunshineMom.

Now awards time!!!

To start with, Madhavi and Purva passed this lovely award to me. Thank you so much guys:).

This award states that-These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement(? big word, lol). Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I would like to pass this beautiful award to Gopi, Srilekha, Usha, Mansi, Yasmeen, Gunjan, DK and Trupti.

Purva and Vibaas have showered me with so many wonderful awards. I am so giddy with excitement!!

Two more awards from Purva!! Thank you so much dear for making me feel so special:)

Vibaas also sent me blogging with a purpose award. Thanks once again!!

I would like to pass this bundle of awards to Sia, Madhavi, Gopi, Yasmeen, Trupti, Anudivya, Bindiya, Usha, Mansi, DK and Homecooked.

Enjoy!!!

Tres Leches Cake

Hello Everyone, Welcome back to my blog after a really long break!! I was in India for about a month, visiting my family and friends, and after coming back, was still in the holiday mood!! 

We had 'tres leches-three milk cake' at a lovely restaurant called 'la tusca' during our trip to washington dc. Nisarg had loved it so much at that time, that I was looking for a tried-&-tasted recipe of it since then. Recently, I got the recipe from a friend and immediately tried it out. It turned out so perfect!! Thank you so much Viji for this lovely recipe:).

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter (at room temp.)

4 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 can(14 oz) sweet condensed milk (I used fat-free)

1 can(12 oz) evaporated milk (I used fat-free)

1 cup 2% milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 tbsp sugar for a creamy layer on top (optional)

mixed fruits (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish and set aside. 
• Sift flour and baking powder together.
• Beat egg-whites till they are fluffy and create a soft peak. Add vanilla extract and add egg-yolks one at a time. Beat well after the addition of each egg-yolk.
• In a separate bowl, beat softened butter till its fluffy. Add sugar and thoroughly combine.
• Now, mix the sugar-butter mixture into the egg mixture and beat properly. Add sifted flour and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden.
• In a bowl, whisk condensed milk, evaporated milk and 2% milk together. 
• Let the cake cool completely. Scrape the top layer of the cake and poke the cake all over with a fork. Pour the milk mixture on the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake overnight.
• For the icing, beat heavy whipping cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Coat the cake with icing and decorate with fruits. (This step is totally optional, both Nisarg and I liked it better without the icing.)

Enjoy!!!