Happy New Year !!

Hello, WP Fam!!

How have you all been doing? I, just dropped by to wish, each and everyone of you a ” HAPPY NEW YEAR”. 🌈💖💥

New Year’s Resolution, is a concept used and abused, i personally think that you shouldn’t be waiting for something to be a better you! But, having said that, a NEW YEAR is always a mood booster , a motivator and a hopeful opportunity that we all think we can grab. This New Year, I’m gonna set a few rules for myself, not gonna make flexible resolutions anymore. Here they are, in no chronological order: Get Fit (I’ve put on whopping gazillion pounds after my 2nd Baby) Learn more traditional recipes from Mum. Travel a lot more than what I have, in the past year. Work on my Beauty Blogging as well. For all of you, who don’t know, I’ve started an Instagram page dedicated to beauty & lifestyle. Will put my links down, so that you may connect with me and I will connect back. Do a makeup seminar & makeup Masterclass.Try to be a better Food Blogger. Try doing atleast, 5 more chapters of my book, which is in the pipeline forever now. Most importantly, be more in tune with my spirituality. Try finishing the Quran, before Ramadan this year. Love, all of you guys for being so supportive and always kind! Here are my links , pls do gimme a follow and I will reciprocate: Instagram : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Plate Memoirs ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hijabi Vignettes❤️❤️

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Social Media Request!

Hey Guys!! How have all of you been doing? A little question piqued my interest today. How many of you are on Instagram?? I’ve been on insta for quite some while now and it has been fun over there. So, do you peeps use Instagram & Facebook on a regular basis? 

If yes, then it’s only fair that we reconnect on the Instagram & Facebook , because I want my blog-family to be in touch with me on all Social Media Platforms. 

I just followed “StashyMatters“, “Cat Forsley” & “Jodi” on insta & it’s splendid to follow and get to know my blog-family better. Love their insta pages, do give them a follow. 

So c’mon over on these social media pages and let’s connect: 

Insta : The Plate Memoirs

Facebook Page:  The Plate Memoirs 

See you peeps soon. Awaiting eagerly to know you guys better! 

P.s:  Stashy is hosting a great giveaway, do participate and get the wheel of fortune spinning. 😀❤️ Good Luck guys!! 

Noorain.

Failed Resolutions and You?

And, it’s that time of the year, when we start making resolutions and give ourselves the hope to make the current year a better one. It’s just the most beautiful gift that you can give yourself. A hope to love yourself more, to make yourself a happier person and to fill your life with more positivity. 

I, hear and do see, a lot of negativity when some friend or a family member announces their resolutions or hopes for the year. 

The most heard statement is, ” Oh! You wanna do _____, this year? Isn’t it just the same thing you wanted last year, but failed miserably at? Don’t get your hopes high.. you’ll only break them” Along with hearing that, you also get to hear the snorts, snickers and guffaws of the evil one.

And that starts a vicious cycle of self-mistrust. Once the doubt steps in, you often start believing that, you really have set an outrageous and a steep goal. What happens is more often than not, you fail, not because you couldn’t do it, but because you couldn’t believe that you could do it! 

C’mon go ahead.. make those resolutions and goals. Don’t let the negativity set you back & certainly don’t let someone else decide what you are capable of, because even YOU don’t know what you are capable of, if you put your heart and soul to doing something. 

Believe in yourself, dream a little more and push your limits because dreams do come true and only you can make it happen! 

So, don’t doubt yourself, go jump right into making one or a hundred resolutions and take your time in fulfilling them. Give it your all and give yourself a pat on the back, every time you take one baby step closer to your resolution. 

Let’s make it all about loving yourself this year!! 

2017, we got you here❤️❤️

And now it’s Carrie Fisher?

If the heartbreak of George Michael’s death wasn’t enough, we now have to battle the demons of nostalgia, while mourning for Carrie’s death. 😭

If Michael was your Prince Charming, then Carrie was your Princess Leia. These were the icons that redefined romanticism and brave thinking, who loved the life they lived, who were figures that gave others inspiration. 

George Michael made all of us sync with pure romance & Carrie Fisher made all of us think we were inevitable. You just had adrenaline pumping through when you saw “Princess Leia”. A good 2 days after the movie and you’d still wanna shout “scruffy nerf-header” at someone who irritated the beeping ” F” outta you 😔 

Princess Leia was one of the prominent catalyst for the birth of today’s adventure heroine. 

Though Princess Leia remains, there will be no one to do her justice. Carrie Fisher was synonymous with Leia and today, we’ve lost her! 😭 

Let’s bid adieu to Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia as well. Star War fans.. I can only fathom how bad you feel! 😢

Goodbye to 2 icons, who never lived to see the sunrise of 2017. 

George Michael and Carrie Fisher, we will miss you!! This truly was your “Last Christmas” 🎄 

Where Have I Been?

I, honestly need some of my good ole advisory panel aka blogger buddies to rattle my rusted brains into turning the cogs right back on. 

Where have I been? If anyone really ever noticed me missing off the blogging world from the past 10 whooping months, then I’d like to say I really wasn’t doing anything significant. 

Well, nothing significantly great except baking another baby in the oven. Yup!! There i said it. 

“Surprise everybody” shouts me. 

Yes.. You read that right.. I just popped another life outta me. It was quite a surprise for us too. And boy… Do I love surprises 😏

Oh reminds me.. it’s a boy, btw!! 

 I was hoping it would be a girl, so that i could indulge in some sparkly Elsa-esque headbands & sequinned frocks.. Maybe some Ariel-esque green mermaid fins ( don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna metamorph my human child to the mermaid kind, but who wouldn’t wanna be Ariel for a day? )

And here, i am still stuck with batman logo tees & hideous Spider-Man watches. 😂

Ergo, If you find any of your blogger buddies outta sight for a few months, rest assured that they aren’t dead, but just pregnant 🤰 And technically, the aftermath of being pregnant does actually equal to being dead. Much more zombie-ish, if you may?? So.. yeah.. you can think they are dead actually 😐

Now haven’t i been discreet 😎. *slaps my runny mascara face with a pancake* 

I had to stay off the blog for more reasons than just this one. After a lot of self vituperation, I’ve gotten back on track. Vowing to never,ever and ever do the incognito move again. 

But, these 10 months have been quite a rollercoaster ride. From finding out that I was expecting to travelling around and from working on a book to learning a few life skills like baking & relaxation techniques ( did you see how those two were just said in the same breath? )

Ok! Listen to this… I went offline from all forms of social media. No Facebook, no WhatsApp, no Twitter and no Instagram. Trust me, it was hard.. like hell yeah! But it’s been the most wisest decision I’ve taken. It just makes you realise, just how much you’ve stopped giving time to understanding your true self. 

It was in these 10 months, that I realised what I really wanted and what I didn’t. Social media is great, don’t get me wrong.. I’m not in the Social media nazi league, but I do have to confess that by not being constantly on the social media, gave me a fairly good marker of my priorities. I mean, media puts you into a vicious cycle of “Wanting”. 

I just had an epiphany of sorts and realised what I really wanted. 🤓🤓  *philosophical much?? I need to shut up*

So, here I am back on the “media”, back from the sabbatical, much calmer and discerning towards my laws of happiness.. and those are.. 

“Looney Ballooney.. I need the fishing 🎣 social media…I need to stop the b***sh***ing philosophy.. I ain’t no philanthropist, I love the vicious cycle.. Keeps you fuelling for more.. Nothing better than this for sure” 😆🤡

I’m just the same old noorain save for 10 months older, a little more ridiculous than before, more in love with my wanting to be in touch with y’all, much more in throes of literary passion (nothing like a satisfying post that you finish publishing) & with 2 kids.. 

Gosh!! That sounds quite snazzy eh? 

My posts will rather lean more towards a delusional side, as I’ve got a newborn, who refuses to sleep when I want to..  Like right about now.. it’s 4 A.M and he has had 2 post midnight snacks till now. 

Dude!! I don’t snack in my sleep.. who does that??🤤 And that leaves me with 2 hours to sleep before he wakes up again at 6:30 😥 

So off I go.. Giving a big virtual hug to y’all.. 🤗

Looking forward to hearing from you guys!! 

A Question Here!

Hey my WP fam! I’ve been so held up today, with just so many bat-shit crazy stuffs. I, had to complete drafting one of those erratically stupid legal documents. I,also had to finish atleast a page on a book, I’m working on. I, had to keep a track on my order that came in today & last but not the least, I, also had a tantrum filled kiddo to deal with today. 

Apparently, the Dubliner Cheese got over & he cried his guts off when I bought him, “Colby”. He kept telling, ” This, disgusting cheese. Arham doesn’t want. I want Dubliner” 

I, seriously could’ve whipped him right then & there into a mousse, but then I kept my calm & said, ” How would you like, a batch of French fries & ketchup?” 

To which he, willingly obliged. And off, we went to grab a batch of fries.🍟🍟🍔🍟🍟

 
That put the brakes on his whining, but I felt guilty for advocating bad choices. You know, I kinda felt like, I’m being selfish. I mean, I must’ve done something else.. But what??

*smacks herself in the head with Gordon Ramsey’s turner & skims off the excess guilt with a skimmer* 

Mommy’s get that much of Liberty,I’m sure. We could always alternate fries & twinkies with garden salads & oat porridges, if we’ve got a whiny kid* Right?? Please tell me a yes. 

👍🏻 or 👎🏻?

I mean, how else do you calm them down, when you have so much to do? 

Btw, with all the drama happening, I missed my masterclass with Chef Prabir at Sanctum. 😢😢

I’m calling it a day now!! Hopefully, tomorrow isn’t as hectic as today. 

*this happens once in a while. 

BigBasket| Online Shopping Review| Grocery

Muttering to myself, I open the door. Who comes barging along at the strike of the first morning hours? It’s a gorgeous day & I see a smiling gentleman, tell me, he has the groceries, I ordered yesterday night at 2 am. Talk about fast delivery. 

I, wasn’t a fan of online grocery shopping. I, mean it’s fine shopping everything else, but groceries?? Not ok! I love the fact about going to the hypermarkets & checking out good deals & offers & then making up my mind about it. Basically, the freedom to choose. 

 Just outta the whim, I downloaded the app called “BigBasket”, for no logical reason whatsoever. I, let it rot for almost a week or so, until my phone started having MB problems. It was then, that i snuck in, to see what the app was all about & was pleasantly surprised to see, a lot of stuffs. 

This transported me back to the hustle bustle of a mall, the eyeing of deals & the abundance in choice. I, made the first order, then the second, then the third & thereon. There really wasn’t any stopping me. 

I’m addicted. Can you floozy freaking believe that stuff? I’m addicted to online grocery shopping.. Outta all the things on this earth.  The main focus that team “BigBasket” has on is: 

• Customer satisfaction.
• Abundance in choice & offers.
•  Continuous innovation.

 

check out the cute bags that come with every order!

 

BigBasket has around 1000 brands to choose from. It’s the biggest online supermarket that there is. It’s active in Bangalore, Hyderabad & Mumbai.

The app offers, every household item that you would need. It’s a supermarket in your palm. Undoubtedly, due to its exceptional service, BigBasket is the leading app in its genre. 

 

Every imaginable household need, has been categorically placed for easy access. They have weekly deals & BOGO offers all around the site. 

Speciality brands like “Koka”, are easily available here. Along with that, BigBasket has an in house brand called “Fresho”. Fresho has veggies & bread products available. The “Fresho Signature” range, has delectable muffins, cakes, artisan breads, etc..for you. I, super love their “Assorted Muffins” & “Chocolate Croissants”. Yumm overload! 

 

  

 

What’s more great, is the delivery. They give you a time slot & will make sure that, they deliver it, within that schedule. No unpredictability at all. 

All in all, BigBasket wins hands down, in every aspect & saves you the grocery shopping episode, in case you hate it! 

Am i gonna be ordering more? Yes, yes, yes! I already have one in the checkout. 

P.S: This is not a sponsored post. The views are completely mine. The logo BigBasket has been taken from http://www.google.com & has been used for reference only. 

Top 5 Bizzare Foods Of India.

Disclaimer: This article contains graphic images. Please don’t view  the post, if you’re light hearted. 

You thought, Indians were all about Tandoori Chicken, Roghan Josh & Paneer Tikka? Think again! India, is a melting pot of mini cultures, which fuse in, to form the Indian Culture. 

The cuisine changes every 100 kms & either you’re delighted or shocked. The style of cooking, as well as the choice of produce that’s available is incorporated into the region’s cuisine. 

Though, being an Indian, we ourselves are ignorant of these dishes, they are nevertheless, a rare part of India.

Here are the top 5 Bizzare foods from India, according to me: 

1. Eri Polu : Are you a silk fan? Love the soft feel of pure silk or the coarse smoothness of Chanderi silk? How about a mouthful of that silky feel? Did I just say mouthful? Umm.. Yes I did! 

The north eastern part of Assam, has a dish named “Eri Polu”, which is steamed or boiled silkworm pupae, seasoned and eaten just like that. Will you see silk, just the same way again? Guess not😅

taken from google images.

2. Chaprah : The tribes of Chattisgarh, have a unique chutney that’s a part of their cuisine. A red, hot, fiery chutney that is a staple. 

Salivating? Hold it back. The chutney is made out of red ants and their larvae. It has said to have an extreme hot taste. The red ants are dried, ground and seasoned. Chaprah anyone? 😖

 

taken from google images, under Chaprah!

 

3. Jumping Chicken: Found in the parts of Kerala, Goa & North East India. Jumping Chicken, is one the most sought after delicacies in these parts. 

Wondering what it is? Why, BullFrog legs ofcourse! Yes. It’s Frog legs battered & fried. Are you Jumping with Joy now? (Pun intended)

  

4. Jadoh: A mishmash of pig intestines & chicken blood, cooked with rice. Though it looks innocent, it is quite mysterious. The dish, makes you wanna cry. I didn’t even know this existed!!

 

Taken from pinterest

 

5.Dog Meat: I’m sorry, I just had to be upfront. People in the northern east parts of India, love their dogs in a way, much different than us. 

They use various techniques to savour the dog meat. Boiling, steaming, frying or incorporating in curries. Maybe, someday when you see a “Woof-er burger” you might know, what it really is. *gulp*

  

Hope you cringed & shivered as much as I did, while drafting this post. I, have no intentions to hurt anyone. Forgive me, if there were any offensive parts. 

Bon… Umm.. Forget it!!

Sunday, all about Idlis & Dosas!

Hey Guys!! Just popped in to shout out a happy Sunday to all of you. I’m gonna be going on a little trip about 70-75 Kms from Bangalore to taste these super famous “Rice Cakes” called “Thatte Idlis”. Thatte Idlis are huge Idlis, Thatte means plate. The name is given due to the size of these Idlis.

  
It’s really stupid to go all that way, but I guess it’s just something to do today. I’m not a huge fan of Idlis, but I’m looking forward to eating some masala dosas there. They say, they’re outta the world. Fingers crossed!!

  
And after that, I’m gonna be hauling a few stuffs for myself. Maybe some skincare today. I have my eyes on L’oreal’s Hydrafresh Boosting Essence. 

Anyway, how are you guys, spending your Sunday?? 

Much love,

Noorain. ❤️❤️❤️

P.S: All images sourced from http://www.google.com and are not mine to credit. They have been used only for reference purposes.