Announcing A Sweet Celebration - Recipe Contest

This is indeed a festival season, as Indians worldwide prepare to celebrate Diwali, one of the biggest Indian festivals, while the hooplah for Halloween has begun in the US. So we decided to organize an event that focuses on Sweets & Desserts! Everyone around the world is invited to participate, but wait, this time we have some Cash Prizes to felicitate the winners! One of our sponsors, Awesome Cuisine, has been kind enough to give away cash prizes for the top 2 interesting and mouth-watering recipes. SO what are you waiting for? Its time for A Sweet Celebration!!

This event is being held on our main site Fun and Food Cafe. Please follow the link below to get full details about the contest, and start sending in your sweet entries! 2 Winners will be chosen, one each in the Indian and Non-Indian Dessert recipe category, and each will be awarded a cash prize of $25. So hurry, check the details over at:

A Sweet Celebration - Recipe Contest, Rules & Criteria

The countdown begins, and we are waiting for your entries!!

Sugar High Fridays- Fruit & Nut Roundup

Its Friday, and that means the weekend is round the corner, and its time to give in to indulgences - so we celebrate it with the Sugar High Friday - Fruit & Nut Roundup! No one needs a reason to enjoy good food, and each one of these delicious desserts that you are about to see below is a culinary treat in itself. Thanks for sharing all your delicious recipes with us, and hope these inviting entries will help you enjoy your weekend, making it a bit "more sweet"!!

Cakes & Muffins
Fruit & Berry Spoon Cake - eCurry
Chunky Banana-Nut Muffins - Life's Too Short for Chocolate
Gluten-Free Cranberry-Apricot Cake - Green Gourmet Giraffe
blueberry Banana-Nut Bars - My Experience with Cooking
Strawberry-Almond Scones - The Short (Dis)Order Cook
Oat Flour Cranberry Muffins - Madhuram's Eggless Cooking
Tamra Davis' Apple Cake - Split Pearsonality
Chocolate-Pecan-Banana Muffins - Maple Corn Bread
Banana-Walnut & Apricot Muffins - A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
Banana-Date-Walnut Muffins - Sumi's Kitchen
Lemon Shortbread with Pecan Toppinge - Earth Vegan
Eggless Cherry Chocolate Cake - Madhuram's Eggless cooking
Vegan Applesauce Cake - Earth Vegan
Strawberry & Almond Muffins - Plantain Leaf
Plum & Pecan Bread - Chef in you

Frozen Treats
Mango Kulfi - Appyayan
Mango-Coconut Sorbet - Jaya's Space
Strawberry-Yogurt Delightt - Priya's Tasty Recipes
Frozen yogurt-Banana Dessert - A Culinary Odyssey
Mango PannaCota - Parita's World
Avocado Cream Pots - Sugar Nut
Mango-Almond Sorbet - Priya's Tasty Recipes
Mango Pistachio IceCream - Indian Khana
Mango Yogurt Mousse - Plantain Leaf

Cookies & Concoctions
Almond Fruit Tart - Tasty Touch
Mango Shrikhand - Renu's Kitchen
Fruity Phyllo Stacks - A Culinary Odyssey
Apricot & Nut Cookies - NewF in My Soup
Apricot Yogurt Parfait - An Edible Symphony
Peach-Strawberry-Almond Salad - Fearless Kitchen
Unnakkayi - Malabar Moplah Speciality - My Experience with Cooking
Peach-Blueberry-Almond Galettes - Passionate About Baking
Orange-Walnut Shortbread Cookies - Akshayapaatram
Richmond Maids of Honor - The Well-Seasoned Cook
Drunken Grapes - Sophie's Foodie Files
Mango & Chocolate Ganache Truffle - Dido Lives to Cook
Kitchen Sink Cookies - Samaithu Paarkalaam
Apple Marzipan Galettes - The Cook's Collection
Strawberry Kheer - Shail's Kitchen
Dry Fruit & Nut Laddoos - Kalyani's Kitchen
Date & Pistachio Cookies - Renu''s Kitchen
Apricot-Strawberry-Almond Shortcakes - My Diverse Kitchen
Fruit & Nut Cookies - Cook's Hideout
Pineapple Halwa - Prasu’s Kitchen

All these wonderful entries surely make me drool, and I have already bookmarked a few recipes for the coming weekends! Thanks once again for making this such a huge success; wishing you all a Sugar High Friday indeed!

Announcing Sugar High Fridays - Fruit & Nut

Ok, Summer is here, and so is the time to whip up some cool and refreshing desserts! This month, Fun and Food is proud to host the SHF June 2009, with the theme of "Fruit & Nut" Sugar High Fridays, or SHF, was started by Jennifer a long time ago, and has been passing through hosts and roundups for some wonderful sweet delicacies. Fran just finished posting about the Gluten-free SHF Roundup, and now its my turn! This time, I ask you to get creative with your summer fruits, combine them with nuts, and whip up something equally delicious, then send it right over. But first things first, so take a moment to check out some basic rules:

Rules for Participation:

1. You can make any dessert you want, as long as it contains 1 Fruit and 1 Nut at the least.

2. Send your entries to funandfood@gmail.com with subject line SHF-June, and please include a link back to this announcement or homepage. Please send your entries in English only, or with a link to the page which has English translation on your blog. Re-size your pictures to 200x200px. The deadline for sending in your entries is June 25th 2009.

3. Archived posts are allowed, but only if they are republished during the event period. Also, please limit upto a maximum of 2 entries per blog.

4. The roundup will be posted on the last Friday of June (26th June), so come back and make sure your entry is a part of the mega-roundup.

5. Non-Bloggers are welcome to email me their recipes, and I'll surely include them in the roundup as well.

So what are you waiting for? This one should be simple, and outright fun, for home-cooks and chiseled cooks alike! Beat the Summer heat by making cool desserts, or go for the traditional baked goodies. Whatever you choose, make sure its "High on Sugar" and send it right in! I look forward to all your wonderful entries!

BBD#18 - Quick Breads Roundup

If you think you are a pro at baking quick breads, think again! With the plethora of recipes that you'll see below, it is enough to challenge any baker, whether novice or pro, to try a hand at some of these tantalizing quick breads, some that you'd never imagined before! With more than 70 recipes to choose from, this round of BBD-Quick Breads has indeed been a fun to host for me, and this post is definitely being bookmarked. Thanks once again to Zorra, for giving me this opportunity, and to all you wonderful cooks out there, for making this event such a huge success.The next round of BBD will be hosted by Cinzia of Cindystar. So hop on to check out the current theme, and start baking again! And now, here's for the roundup!

Sweet Stuff
Laura's Birdseed Muffins - Cafe Bacarro
Siri's Sweet Olive Oil & Pine Nut Bread - Transplanted Baker
Andrea's Kiwi & Coconut Muffins - Delta Kitchen
Christie's Pumpkin Muffins - Edible Antics
Priya's Chocolate & Oatmeal Bread - Easy & Tasty Recipes
Laura's Chocolate & Butterscotch Scones - The Spiced Life
Michelle's Prune Muffins with Caramel & Orange Sugar - Big Black Dogs
Anne's Caribbean Coconut Loaf - The Dough Nut
Acane's Spicy Tea Bread - Basil & Cinnamon
Sara's Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins - I am a Food Blog
Illona's Banana & Fruit Yogurt Muffins - Bread & Wine
Bharti's Honey-Oatmeal Quickbread - Veggie Foodist
Nancy's Boston Brown Bread Muffins - The Dogs eat the Crumbs
Andrea's Lemon Sour Cream Muffins - Nummy's Kitchen
Harini's Healthy Banana Bread & Cake - Tongue Ticklers
Temperance's Ricotta Pancakes - High on the Hog
Pavani's Whole Wheat Pancakes - Cook's Hideout
Soma's Vegan Banana-Orange-Nut Loaf - eCurry
Poornima's Date & Walnut TeaBread - Poornima's Tasty Treats
Jamie's Sweet Oatmeal Raisin Bread - Confessions of a Gourmand
Priya's Eggless Oatmeal-ChocoChip Scones - Easy & Tasty Recipes
Mansi's Cranberry Pistachio Biscottis - Fun & Food Cafe
Lien's Blueberry Pecan Bread -Notite Van Lien
Glenda's Pineapple-Coconut Bread - Family Baker
Natashya's Peach Mango Bread - Living in the Kitchen
Sweatha's Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Bread - Tasty Curry Leaf
Natalia's Quick chocolate Bread - Gatti Fili e Farina
Emiglia's Elvis Presley Banana Bread - TomatoKomato
Aparna's Honey & Oatmeal Raisin Bread - My Diverse Kitchen
Jude's Semolina Corn Bread - Apple Pie Patis & Pate
Stefanie's Stripe Cat Quick Bread - Eating Real Food
Stefanie's Chocolate Custard Muffins - Hefe & Mehr
Marjoke's Blueberry Lemon Quickbread - Company in my Kitchen
Cham's Lemon Bread - The Spice Club
Idania's Magdalenas's Quick Muffins - EL Aroma De Idania
Zorra's Ultimate Scones - Kochtopf
Pat's Apricot Almond SweetBread - Bread Baker's Dog
Jacqueline's Wholewheat Bluberry Coconut Scones - Toxobread
Pavani's Banana Walnut Bread - Cook's Hideout
Shelly's Banana-Pecan-Flaxseed Bread -Adventures with the Woods
Gopi's Prune & Walnut Bread - Health n Taste
Mansi's Pineapple Muffins - Fun and Food Blog

Savory Stuff
A&N's Biscuits w vegetable Gravy - Reluctant Chefs
Judy's Beer Bread - Judy's Gross Eats
Jaysree's Whole Wheat Quick Bread - Kaila's Kitchen
Jacqueline's Basil Buttermilk Bread - Toxo Bread
Lisa's Cheddar-Dill-Beer Biscuits - Food & Spice
Sus' Australian Bush Bread - CorumBlog
Zaira's Pan Sausage Bread - La Cocina de Zaira
Zabeena's Mediterranean Waffles with Olive & Herbs - A Lot on my Plate
Alisa's Irish Soda Bread - Jane of Many Trades
Siri's Savory French Muffins - Siri's Corner
Cindy's Panini Veloci de Marie-Pierre - Cindystar
Mary's Savory French Bread - One Perfect Bite
Archana's Spicy Pumpkin-Walnut Bread - The Yum Factor
The Queen's Nutty Yogurt Bread - ChaosQueen's Kitchen
Chuck's Three-Cheese Beer Bread - The Knead for Bread
Divya's Savoury Cookies - Divya's Dil Se
Asha's Turmeric & Paprika Luchis - Foodie's Hope
Tartasacher's Almond & Cheese Quick Bread - Milpostres
Sunita's Malthouse & Brie Quickbread - Sunita's World
Dhivya's Corn Muffins - Culinary Bazaar
Jude's Irish Soda Bread - Apple Pie Patis & Pate
Stefanie's Indian Chapati - Hefe & Mehr
Arundathi's Parmesan & Pepper Scones - My Food Blog
Divya's Irish Soda Bread - Divya's Cookbook
Maya's Olive-Cumin & Herb Quick Bread - Konkan World
Susan's Pain de Epices - Wild Yeast blog

I hope you all enjoyed this delicious roundup of Quick Bread Recipes as much as I did. Whether you yearn for a sweet one or savory, you are sure to find one here that suits your tastebuds perfectly fine!

Announcing BBD#18- Quick Breads

After a long hiatus, its time to stir things up a bit on Fun and Food, so I'm proud to host this month's edition of Bread Baking Day! BBD#18 will be fun and challenging, as always, but just to cut you some slack, we choose to have a theme which can accommodate more participants, be they established bread-bakers, or novices trying out their baking skills! so this month, the theme is Quick Breads, which means plenty of sweet and savory options to choose for breakfast, appetizers or sides. But NO, quick breads does NOT MEAN cakes & brownies. So take a moment to check out the rules below:

BBD is a popular food-blog event that was started by Zorra of Kochtopf, and has traveled through many hosts and themes. The last edition hosted by Lien featured Breads with Potatoes. This time, we choose Quick Breads, something that is less fussy, and more fun!

"Quick Breads", as the name suggests, entails the use of chemical leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda or cream-of-tartar instead of Yeast, so that there is no time wasted on fermentation and kneading like traditional breads, and hence can be made "quickly". So keep in mind these rules before sending in your entries.

Rules for Participation:

1. You can make any sweet or savory bread, be it with fruits, grains, cheese, herbs, nuts or just plain, and you can use any kind of base flour that you like.

2. You can use pre-made bread flour, or other simple leavening agents like baking powder/soda/cream-of-tartar instead of yeast; you can even use ready-made bread/loaf mixes that can be used in bread machines, or bake it traditionally in your ovens.

3. Please DO NOT send in cakes or brownies as entries. These will not be accepted for this category. However, any of the recipes described below are allowed.

4. Quick Breads include Muffins, Fruit/Nut Breads, Biscuits, Scones, Popovers, Coffee-cakes, Crepes, Pancakes, Waffles and other similar breads and loaves.

5. As this is a vegetarian blog, please restrict to vegetarian recipes, which means NO MEAT or SEAFOOD; eggs and cheese are allowed.

6. Send your entries to funandfood@gmail.com with subject line BBD#18, and please include a link back to this announcement or homepage. Please send your entries in English only, or with a link to the page which has English translation on your blog. Re-size your pictures to 200x200px. The deadline for sending in your entries is April 1st 2009.

7. Archived posts are allowed, but only if they are republished during the event period. Also, maximum 2 entries are allowed per blog.

Many people think Quick Breads have to be sweet; that is not the case - cheese, herbs, vegetables, grains, nuts, beer bread are all examples of savory quick breads. Use your imagination and flavor to bake something unique, be it sweet, savory or spicy!

For more ideas and recipes, check out these cool links:
Savory Quick Breads
Quick Bread Recipes - Joy of Baking
Exotic Quick Bread Recipes

So what are you waiting for? This one should be simple, and outright fun, for home-cooks and chiseled cooks alike! Get your hands dirty with some flour and turn on your ovens, for its time to bake some delicious Quick Breads! I look forward to all your wonderful entries!

Top 10 Healthy Recipes - Vote for The Finalists!

I sincerely apologize for the delay in posting this list of finalists, but let's just say, some unavoidable circumstances shifted this to a lower priority, and I'm sure my kind readers will forgive me this sin! Also, selecting 10 finalists from a pool of hundred healthy recipes is NOT a small feat; but we managed to nail it down to ten favorites, and now its upto you all to decide who wears the crown, and walks away with Pam Anderson's beautiful new cookbook! So here's presenting the top 10 healthy recipes that made their way to the finals. Use the voting form to vote for your favorite recipe; please be honest, and choose wisely; its not as easy as voting for a US president - this is the Best Healthy Recipe contest, and it deserves your full concentration!


Dee's Date & Almond Rolls
An intriguing mix of almond butter, dates, sunflower seeds, apple-juice and cocoa powder, these tiny rolls are extremely hard to resist!

Sunita's Peanut Butter & Puffed Rice Squares
An innovative use of puffed rice, chopped dried fruits and nuts, chunky peanut butter and molasses - these delicious breakfast bars are sure to b a hit with kids and adults alike!

Cristina's Healthy Summer Salad
It's hard to make a salad very interesting, but here's one with swiss chard, lettuce, strawberries and cashew nuts , all mixed with a zesty orange and parsely dressing!

Ricki's Zucchini & Pineapple Mini Loaves
A healthier version of a heavier bread, this is a great recipe that uses leftover zucchini, avocado and pineapple mixed with barley flour, dates & sunflower seeds to make these delicious mini-loaves!

The Taste Tinkerer's Masala Muffin Vadai
For a healthier take on the favorite Masala Vadai, these savoury muffins are made of chana dal (lentils), onions, spices, olive oil and flax seeds - very filling, yet low in calories!

Ashley's Healthy Applesauce & Oat-Bran Muffins
Packed with the goodness of soymilk, amaranth-flour, whole wheat, oat-bran, nuts, as well as no sugar and no egg, these have got to be the healthiest and tastiest muffins ever!

Sharon's Summer Black Bean & Quinoa Salad
Quinoa, black beans, red peppers, cucumber and cilantro all tossed with some zesty salad dressing and a hint of butter make this a lovely yet healthy take on a filling salad recipe

Priya's Berry-Tasty Pancakes with Jam
Made from whole wheat and oat flour, berries, walnuts, no sugar and no eggs, then topped with homemade fresh fruit jam, these pancakes are the perfect breakfast ever!

Nags' Whole Wheat Curry Noodles
Whole wheat noodles get a spicy makeover with addition of a curry base, eggs, fresh veggies and some indian spices, making it healthy and tasty at the same time!

Tal's Old-Fashioned Organic Apricot Cake
Filled with the richness of organic apricots, and healthier ingredients like whole-wheat flour, quinoa flour, date-molasses and natural cane sugar, this old-fashioned cake is all set to roll!

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful entries. It was hard to choose just a few, but unfortunately, I cannot afford 100 cookbooks to give away! The voting will be open from tomorrow until Sept 30th; so vote for your favorite Healthy Recipe, and may the best one win! Please visit the entire roundup for more ideas.

Healthy Cooking Recipe Roundup

I called out for Healthy recipes, something that is not especially healthy, but incorporates techniques, methods or ingredients that make every day recipes into healthier options, and I'm proud to say that your participation was wonderful! I am more than happy at having received so many lovely entries, and I thanks each and every one of you for making this event a huge success! Without any further wait, take a look at the classic ways to make "Healthy Cooking" a part of your life!

If you are looking for healthier meal options, so you can get your kids and family to enjoy their favorite recipes, but just in a healthier fashion, you have come to the right place! You'll find here an invigorating collection of Healthy Recipes, from Soups and Salads to Savoury Dishes, and even delicious Desserts, we have all of it covered! So next time you get into the kitchen to cook, make sure you Cook Healthy!

Soups & Salads
Suganya - Summer Vegetable Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Sharon - Summer Black-Bean Quinoa Salad
Ivy - Beetroot Salad with Pesto
Trupti - Grilled Vegetable Salad
Jennifer - Tabbouleh with Hummus
Christie - Stir-Fried Chilli Potato
Karuna - Pear-Apple-Spinach Salad
Lore - Vegetable Soup with Shreds
Esi - Quinoa Salad with Asparagus
Stacey - Strawberry Salad
Andrea - Roasted Carrot Soup
Christina - Healthy Summer Salad
Tigerfish - Carrot & Tomato Salad
Vani - Carrot Alfalfa Sprouts Kosambri
Ning - Sweet Potato & Greens Salad
Archana - Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Jugalbandi - Arugula-Orange-Fennel Salad
Cham - Rice Noodle Soup
Mythreyee - Tomato-Spring Onion & Moong Soup
Harini - Spinach Shorba(Soup)
Nathan - Roasted Tomato-Onion & Pepper Gazpacho
Mansi - Mix Vegetable & Coconut Milk Soup

Savoury Stuff
Mansi - Nutritious Aloo-Masala Poha(Rice Flakes)
Jayashree - Muringa(Drumstick Leaves) Dal
RedChillies - Phyllo-Shell Golgappa
Jaysree - Raagi Idiyappam
FoodyGuru - Cherry Tomato Whole-Wheat Pasta
Meera - Thalipeeth Pizza
Natasha - Cracked Wheat Rice Pilaf
Pavani - Egg Masala Curry
Sra - Chholar Dal
Arul - Whole-grain Veg Swirl Bread
Vaishali - Tempeh Crabcakes
Jayashree - Chorchori(Vegetable Medley)
Priya - Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Sandwich
Priyanka - Thai Noodles with Tofu
Aparna - Lump-proof Vegetable Rawa Upma
Lisa - Mung-Tamarind Dal
Jude - Perfect Brown Rice
Zlamushka - Baked Tortilla Chips
Usha - Chickpea & Oat Cutlets
Deepti - Lauki-Chana Dal
Sireesha - Dahi Vada with Zero Oil
Srivalli - Ragi Roti(Indian Flatbread)
The Taste Tinkerer - Masala Muffin Vadai
Sia - Tofu & Veg Fried Rice
Vani - Baby Kailan Stir-Fry
Alka - A Healthy Meal
Sushma - Kashayam
Neha - Healthy Oat Dosa
Geeta - Lauki in Pita POckets
Prajusha - Soy Chunk Fry
Sheetal - Fried Rice with Soya Nuggets
Nandini - Green Thai Curry
Skribles - Stuffed Paneer Masala
Divya - Mung Dal Usli
Bhawana - Methi Granule Masala
Asha - Dal Bukhara
Nags - Vegetable Curry Noodles
Vandana - Cabbage & Carrot Thoran
Tracy - Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Mansi - Handvo (Healthy Vegetable Cornmeal Cake)

Sweets & Desserts & Drinks
Martha - Carrot-Zucchini Bars
Dee - Healthy Date Rolls
Tal - Organic Old-Fashioned Apricot Cake
Annarasa - Multigrain Banana Bread
Dragon - Peach & Cherry Crisp
Mansi - Whole-Grain Blueberry Pancakes
Sunita - Peanut Butter & Puffed Rice Squares
Louise - Rye & Raisin Honey Loaf
Srilekha - Mango Fruit Custard
Ricki - Zucchini-Pineapple Mini Loaves
Ashley - Applesauce & Oat Bran Muffins
Tasty Treats - Healthy Crescent Rolls
Smita - Chocolate Almond Torte
Dhivya - Crunchy & Nutty Oatmeal Cookies
Kalva - Strawberry-Kiwi & Honey Smoothie
Mansi - Beetroot & Cucumber Juice
Priya - Berry-Tasty Pancakes
Rosemary - Sugar-free Muffins
Mansi - Low-Fat Strawberry Vanilla Cake

This is a huge collection of some seriously good stuff, and it'll take me some time to dig through your entries and find a winning recipe that will win the coveted cookbook! However, looks like its going to be very tough to decide a winner by myself; so I shall pick the top 10 finalists and you, my readers, will Vote for the Best Healthy Recipe that you think deserves to win!

So stay tuned as I scour your blogs in the coming week to choose the finalists for this Healthy Cooking contest. Till then, enjoy these delicious recipes, and thank you all once again for filling this page with a wonderful list of Healthier options that surely support the "Eat Well, Live Well" cause!

Healthy Cooking - A Cookbook Givevaway Event

As a home cook, parent & spouse, I am sure each of you must be striving to achieve that perfect balance between healthy and delicious! As a food critic and a self-proclaimed expert chef, I often find myself in the same dilemma - what to cook that is healthy, will keep us fit, and yet qualify as a scrumptious meal?? There's never enough of Healthy Recipes, and what better way to share, learn, cook and experiment than participate in a Food Blog event that focusses on just that! And this is not just a collection of healthy recipes; we also have a prize, a wonderful cookbook based on the same theme that promotes eating right and staying fit! So what are you waiting for?? Get ready to cook healthy and share with us your favorite tips, tricks and recipes, as the "Healthy Cooking" Cookbook Contest has just begun!!

I actually have to thank Yummr for sponsoring this giveaway, and for giving me and my readers a chance to make this event even more interesting! Yummr is a newly-found community of folks who are passionate about good food and enjoy sharing their obsession and connecting with others. There's a lot of activity to keep you busy, but that's not all! Members can earn "food stamps" which can then be redeemed for cool stuff in their Bazaar such as gift certificates to fine retailers, complimentary dining at fine restaurants, the latest kitchen appliances, and much more! Check them out to see what more you can do! For now, here's a chance for you to win Pam Anderson's latest Cookbook - The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great, which is provided for this event as a courtesy from Houghton-Mifflin Books. It shares her secret for dumping pounds without dieting—and the 250 recipes for her new way of eating.

Fed up with whipsaw cycles of losing and gaining, Pam vowed to change—but not if it involved dieting, hunger pangs, or saying no to the foods she loved. Complicated recipes were out. She streamlined, creating meals as satisfying as they are quick—pizzas that take just thirty minutes, big-bowl combos, and gratifying snacks to forestall cravings. She discovered a few simple habits that make all the difference. Four years later, she's still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss. The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great is a way to eat for life. It's filled with voice-of-experience tips for curbing appetite, no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving pro—no compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.

If you are someone who'd love to stay healthy and fit, without giving up on your cravings, this is the book for you; and here's a simple way to get your hands on this lovely cookbook. Just follow the rules below to participate in this Healthy Cooking event!

1. Blog about a vegetarian recipe or a dessert that is healthy. It can be anything, a recipe that you concocted or tried from someone else, but modified it to make it healthier.

** Rough Ideas: use whole-grain flour instead of white, olive oil instead of butter, avoid cream and high-fat foods, use more veggies, fruits, salads with light dressings, individual servings less than 300 calories, use oats and nuts, honey instead of sugar on your pancakes, egg whites instead of whole eggs, baking instead of frying, half-&-half instead of whole milk or sour cream, low-fat yogurt instead of whipping cream, use high-protein food instead of high carb or hig fat, etc. Here are som more healthy food substitutions, alternate recipes, and cooking tips to help you out.

2. In your post, please specify why you think your recipe is healthy, clearly stating the methods/ingredients/substitutions/techniques that make it a healthy recipe.

3. Entries can be anything, breakfasts, main course, appetizers, desserts - anything as long as it has NO MEAT or SEAFOOD (cheese and eggs are allowed)

4. Please make a new post for this event and link back to this blog. Only one recipe per blog please. Feel free to use the logo (credit) above and spread the word.

5. Email me at mansibshah[at]gmail[dot]com with your name, blog name and permalink to your recipe, with a photo, if any. Last date to send in entries is 21st July, 2008 Please include "Healthy Cooking" as your email subject.

6. After the roundup, we(me and 2 other judges) will select a winner based on how healthy and tasty the recipe is. In case we find it hard to select one, we'll choose 5 finalists then hold a poll or choose a winner randomly (to be decided)from the finalists. I will personally ship the cookbook to the winner after they provide me with a mailing address.

That's it, there's nothing to do than what you do best! Cook Healthy, and send us the best of your cherished healthy recipe so you can win Pam Anderson's cookbook! And the huge collection of recipes will be an added bonus!! So start cooking to Eat Well & Live Well!

Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres - The Monthly Mingle Roundup!

Finally the wait is over! The much awaited roundup (at least for me!:)) that features lovely Appetizers & Hors'doeuvres is nothing but spectacular; thanks to everyone for making this happen! This post is indeed a wonderful collection of beautiful, bite-sized servings that will keep you full of ideas for your next party. Whether you love to entertain, or simply love cooking for your family, this roundup of Monthly Mingle gets you everything, from drinks to appetizers to desserts, we have it all covered, thanks to all you food bloggers out there! So without rambling any further, let's move on to the mega roundup!

Savoury Appetizers
Bleu Cheese and Tomato Crostini - Nicole at Cherrapeno
Asparagus & Feta Cheese Tartlettes - Marta at Italian in the US
Double-Dip Mirchi Bhajji - Ramya at RamyaCooks
Assorted Appetizers - Namratha at Fingerlicking Food
Stuffed Mushrooms - Sumathy at Sumi's Kitchen
Homemade Veg Puffs - Kamala at Kamala's Recipes
Greek Appetizers - Ivy at Kopiaste
Parippu Vada - Ranjitha at Ranji's Corner
Asparagus & Pepper Stromboli - Madhuram at Eggless Cooking
Cauliflower Fritters - JZ at Tasty Treats
Hara-Bhara Kabab - Shubha at Chutki Bhar Pyar
Zenzai-Sweet Red Bean Soup - Elsye at Dari Dapur Saya
Parmesan-Garlic Herb Bread - Shilpa at Aayi's Recipes
Quick Appetizers - Jayashree at Spice and Curry
Mini Bites - Shubha at Chutki Bhar Pyar
Vegetable Cutlets - Neha at Easy n Tasty Recipes
Polenta Quinoa Sticks with Rhubarb Sauce - Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe
Pastry-shell Kachori - Diksha at What's on the Menu
Red Lentil Appetizers - Chriesi a Almond Corner
Mini Samosas - Neha at Easy n Tasty Recipes
Gobi Wings - Shri at Emiinent Life
Paneer Tikka - Anisheetu at Sweety-My Kitchen
Aloo Samosas - Dee at Ammalu's Kitchen
Savoury Cheese Puffs - Cristina at From Our Home to Yours
Nutritive Maggie Hearts - Anisheetu at Sweety-My Kitchen
Stuffed Mushrooms with Pepper & Cheese - Ruth at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments
Multi-Grain Cucumber Vada - Trupti at RecipeCenter for All
Potato Cheese Bites & Cucumber Nibbles - Deeba at Passionate About Baking
Phyllo-Caprese Bites - Mike at Mike's Table
Veggie Hearts - Hetal at Isha's Kitchen
Asian Corn Fritters - Rosemary at Homemade Heaven
Spinach & Black-eye Fritters - Madhu at Ruchii
Vietnamese Corn Egg-Rolls - Wandering chopsticks
Break Pakoda - Maheshwari at Beyond The Usual
Sev-Dahi Puri - Alka at Sindhi Rasoi
Bread Rolls - Vandana at Vandy's Culinary Adventures
Spinach Tartelettes - Nikki at Canary Girl
Adas Bil Hamod - Easy at Simple Indian Food
Sago Cutlets - Su at iDayz
Mirchi Pakoda - Medhaa at Cook With Love
Bhujiya - Priya at Live To Cook
Summer Rolls with Soy Dip - Cham at Spice Club
Sai Bhajji - Medhaa at Cook With Love
Veggie Bread Cups - Srimathi at Foody Guru
Peanut Masala - Divya at Divya's Cookbook
Gobi Manchurian - Veda at Iyenger's Kitchen
Savoury Mini-Bites - Arfi at HomeMades
Potato Bajjis - Divya at Dil Se
Soy Shangrila - Rashmi at Food Dutchess
Curried Bananas - Sukanya at Hot n Sweet Bowl
Garlic & Honey Bread Cubes - Pat at Patricia Furdato
Stuffed Mushrooms - Nilmandra at Soy and Pepper
Ribbon Sandwich - Aparna at My Diverse Kitchen
Spannakopita - Bhags at Crazy Curry
Cucmber Sandwiches - Erin at Skinny Gourmet
Muthiya - Smita at Smita Serves You Right
Bell-Pepper Rings - Uma at Essence of Andhra
Grilled Baby Eggplants - Christie at Fig & Cherry
Goat Cheese & Red Pepper Crostini - Kim at Live Love Laugh & Eat
Okra Corn Cakes - Kalai at Samithu Paarkalam
Potato Mushroom Cakes - Raaga at Chef at Work
Veg Nugget Saatay - Archana at Archana's Kitchen
Upma Stuffed Bell-peppers - Madhu at Eggless Cooking
Fresh Corn Pakodas - Maya at Konkan World
Cucumber Petits - Sukanya at Hot n Sweet Bowl
Mushroom Rolls - Arundhati at My Food Blog
Cabbage Pakoda - Meera at Enjoy Indian Food
Millet Falafel - Rachel at Tangerine's Kitchen
Sabudana Patties - Jan at Food with a Pinch of Love
Mini Millet Patties - Uma at Essence of Andhra
Savoury Empanadas - Sophie at Flour Arrangements
Crostini Duo - Rachel at The Essential Rhubarb Pie
Tofu Biscuits - Jessy at Cherry Blossom
Goat Cheese Olive Balls - Lisa at Food and Spice
Pasta Tikki - Priya at 365 days of Pure Vegetarian
Fried Herb Mozzarella - DK at DK's Culinary Bazaar
Cauliflower Manchurian - Rama at Andhra Kitchen
Dahi-Vada - Arundati at Escapades
Quail Eggs with Zaatr - Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella
Fava Bean Bruschetta - Karen at Off the Meat Hook
Multani Paneer Tikka - North ki Rasoi Se
Samosas - Sangeeth at Art of cooking Indian Food
Sambosi (Spinach Pastry) - Siri at Siri's Corner
Veg Crostini - Naina at Naina's Recipes
Stuffed Potatoes - Ketki at My Two Cents
Gougre Cheese Puffs - Asha at Aroma
Black-eye Pea Fritters - Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons
Papdi Pizza - Ranjitha at Ranji's corner
Chips & Gaucamole - Kalva at curry in Kadai
Fried Plantain Cracker with Mango Salsa - We are never Full

Salads & Drinks
Grilled Asparagus Salad - Abby at Eat the Right Stuff
Mediterranean Couscous Salad - Meeta at What's For Lunch Honey?
Cardamom White Chocolate - Rashmi at Delhi Belle
Kairi ka Jalzeera - Sheetal at My Kitchen
Chilled Pear & Watercress Soup - Glamah at Coco Cooks

Luscious Desserts
Hazelnut Rum Balls - Evelyn at Mountaineous Bites
Bavarian Creme Petit Fours - Alexandra at Addicted Sweet Tooth
Goat Cheese Lollipops - Dhangitt at Dhangitt's Kitchen
Walnut Cake - F at My Kitchen Hobbies
Blueberry Muffins - Mona at Zaiqa
Banana Fritters - Sowmya at Creative Saga
Lemon Flan with Strawbeery Compote - Lisa at Spicy Ice Cream
Peanut-Butter Brownies - Sagari at Indian Home Food
Carrot Muffins - Divya at Dil Se
Date & Walnut Muffins - Raaga at Chef at Work
Madata Kaaja - Sita at For Spice Lovers
Coconut Macaroons - Medena at Cafe Chocolada
Orange Hazelnut Madeleines- Lina at Eat Yet
Chocolate Kiss Cookies - Shibani at Pearls of East
Coconut Souffle - Jennie at My Cake Wardrobe

Fun and Food Entries
Strawberry Margarita
Almond Mocha Frappucino
Vegetable Bread Baskets
Colorful Dhokla Sandwich
Paneer Tikka with Mango Dressing
No-Bake Mini CheeseCake
Spiced Vanilla Tea Cupcakes
Marbled Cream Cheese Brownies

This was indeed a wonderful roundup; I apologise if I missed any entry, just send me an email and I'll double-check it. Once again, thanks Meeta for allowing me to host it, and thanks to everyone for sending in such delicious recipes to make this mingle a huge success! Happy Father's Day everyone!!

Announcing Monthly Mingle - Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres

After the fabulous roundup of Bollywood Cooking, its now time for another round of Monthly Mingle, an event started by dear Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? This time, I get to play the hostess, and as all of you know that I love entertaining, this week's theme should not be a surprise! We'll try to spice it up this time with Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres. "Hors'Doeuvres" is the fancy french name for what is referred to as "Appetizers" in English. These are served as starters before the main course, and are often the only highlight of cocktail parties. These are the tasty bite-sized servings that are always a favorite at any party or gathering. Unlike main course dishes that are rich and filling, hors'doeuvres are light and petit, and can be sweet or savoury!

For this monthly mingle, we'd like you to share some fancy vegetarian appetizers. Cook something that's pretty to look at and tasty to bite in, something that looks good on a plate and is irrestible to your guests!

This event has been completed and the roundup is now available at Appetizers & Hors'doeuvres - Recipe Roundup!

Thanks everyone for making this event a huge success!

WBB-Balanced Breakfasts - The Mega Roundup!

Breakfasts are the most important meal of the day, and we often tend to neglect them completely, or just gulp something down with a cup of caffeine or juice! But I guess we all know that we need to pay more attention to our breakfasts as this is the meal that lays the foundation of your day, giving you energy and invigorating your brain cells so you can meet the challenging tasks ahead! At least during the weekends, we should have enough time to make something delicious yet wholesome for our families, right??!! So to give justice to this first meal of the day, I chose "Balanced Breakfast Meals" as this month's theme for WBB#20. I was a bit skeptical about this as the theme sounded challenging, and required some planning. So I thought I wouldn't be getting so many entries. But all you fabulous cooks out there proved me wrong, and we gathered 106 winning entries!! that's enough ideas for balanced meals for several weekends, right??!!

This indeed was a mega roundup. Thanks once again to everyone for playing along and sharing your ideas and recipes with us. The batton for the next round of hosting lands at EC's WBB-Microwave, so hope to see you all there! And now without any more rambling, let's get to the roundup!

Bread/Eggs/Biscuits
1. Asha's Classic Omelette, Pear Salsa and Toast
2. Lisa's delicious Winter Frittata
Anuzi's Curried Egg Salad on Toast
Veena's American Omelette
Deeba's Grilled Toast
Hima's Pizza Sandwich and a Fruit pizza
Radha's Healthy Sandwich
Pooja's Bread-Moong and OJ Breakfast
Kalai's Spring Vegetable Frittata
Ricki's Onion-Potato Bread with Carrot Pate
Srivalli's Jam and Cheese Sandwiches
Vandana's French Toast
Chow Vegan's Leek and Mushoom Quiche
Vaishali's Whole-wheat Challah Bread
Vani's Spicy Bean Sandwich
Margot's Guava Jelly Toast with Peanut Butter
MS's Baked Egg with Pico-de-gallo
Foodblogga's Asparagus-Mushroom-Parmesan Frittata

Pancakes/Muffins/Baked Goodies
Carol's Ricotta Crepes with Blueberry Sauce
Manju's Mango-stuffed Whole-Wheat French Toast
Rina's French Toast with Hashbrowns and Grapefruit
Revathi's Wholegrain Pancakes with Oats
Kaykat's yummy Oat and Corn Pancakes
Dhivya's Oatmeal-Raisin and Cinnamon Pancakes
Nick's Peanut-butter and Peach Bran Muffins
Saswati's Pear and Rum Souffle Omelette
Nick's Healthiest Pancakes
Ashley's Pumpkin-Pecan-Raisin Muffins
Eskay's Oatmeal and Flaxseed Muffin
Dhivya's Ricotta Pancakes with Berry Sauce
Ivy's Cypriota Olive Pies
Christina's Skim Milk Bicuits
Arundathi's Savoury Crepes
Jugalbandi's Peanut-butter Cupcakes
Michael's Blueberry Muffins with Hazelnut Streusel
Jill's Oatmeal-Raisin Muffins
Ben's Whole-wheat Breakfast Crepes
Archana's Wholewheat Pancakes with Bananas and Honey
Mansi's Low-Fat Pear and Almond Cake


Dosas/Parathas/Idlis
Mansi's Vegetable-Cheese Parathas
Shaheen's Raagi Idiappam and Potato Ishtu
Sowmya's Instant Healthy Dosa
Lavi's Oats Oothappam
Veena's Wheat Bhakhri
Miri's Appam and Vegetable Stew
A-kay's gorgeous Paneer Parathas
Red Chilli's innovative Pumpkin Idlis
Divya's Radish-Carrot Parathas
Uma's Spinach Parathas with Mango Juice
Sia's wonderful Mooli Parathas
Remya's Appam and Egg curry
Priya's Moong-Sprout Dosas
Hima's Vegetable Dosa with Pear-Pecan Chutney
Bharathy's Tender Coconut Dosas
Cham's Vegetable Pancakes
EC's Cheese Dosas
Sagari's Paper Dosas
Jan's Nutritious Adai
Jayashree's Vegetable Dosa
Raaga's Cauliflower-Cheese Tortilla Wraps
Indosungod's Sunny-side-Up Dosai
Arundati's Onion Uttapam
Sushma's Raagi Idlis
Raji's Udad Dal Kozukattai
Alamelu's Raagi Dosay and Badaami Haalu
Trupti's Palak Paneer Dosa
Renuka's Dosa Cassata
Meera's Brown Idli with Sambhar and Fruits


Fruits/Sprouts/Drinks
Bhawna's Moongdal and Lentil Chaat
Sandeepa's Whole Green Microwaved Mung
Kamala's Kambu (Bajra) Koozh
Madhuram's fiber-rich Cereals and Banana Smoothie
Jayashree's nicely Balanced Breakfast
Gaurav's Strawberry Smoothie
Sreelu's Sprouted Mung Chaat
Nandita's Hummus-Cucumber and Sprouts Wrap
Lisa's Tropical Breakfast Risotto
Meeta's Baked Beetroot with Apple-Horseradish Dip
Adria's Bean Salad
Nag's Cereal and Fruits
Arfi's Lazy Sunday Breakfast
Johanna's Blueberry-Banana-Oat Smoothie
Cenk's Homemade Granola
Suganya's Yogurt Vermicelli
Jayasree's Cornflour Roti with Sprouts Kurma


Oats/Granola/Grains/Bars
Christine's Oats with Apples and Yogurt
Alexandra's Granola with Yogurt and Raspberries
Shibani's Oat and Raspberry Bars
Jan's Coconut Oats
Laavanya's Peanut-Butter Oatmeal
Suganya's Granola Bars
Shankari's Pistachio Oatmeal
Jules's Vegan Flapjacks
Frances' Oats and Strawberry Cereals

Tidbits and Snacks
Trupti's Veg Lollipop
Madhavi's Soybean and Tofu Cutlets
Vineela's Burrito with Potato-Horsegram Gravy
Sriranjini's Macaroni with Soy Nuggets
Swati's Missi Roti, Kuku Omelette and Fig Shake
Kalva's Kaju-Vegetable and Tomato Upma
Roma's Vegetable Nutri-Pie
Cynthia's Sauteed Squash
Vaishali's Nut Bagel with Tofu Scramble
Coffee's Nutritious Poha
Caroline's Superfood Strata with Red-pepper Coulis
Kathleen's Super-Balanced Breakfasts
Garam Masala's Scrambled Tofu
Medhaa's Beet-Carrot-Potato Pancakes
Trupti's Veg Lollipops
Nanditha's Rice Balls in Lentil Soup
Mansi's Steamed Rava-Spinach-Corn Dhokla

That was an amazing roundup indeed. If I've forgotten any entry, I apologise; please send me an email and I'll add it:) Thanks again for your love and support!

Event Announcement - WBB#20 - Balanced Breakfast

WBB, short for Weekend Breakfast Blogging, was started by Nandita of Saffron Trail almost a year ago with the aim of collecting interesting recipes for a weekend breakfast. Travelling through a series of top-notch hosts, the honor lands with me this time. Breakfasts are the most important meal of the day, and we often tend to neglect them completely, or just gulp something down with a cup of caffeine or juice! But I guess we all know that we need to pay more attention to our breakfasts as this is the meal that lays the foundation of your day, giving you energy and invigorating your brain cells so you can meet the challenging tasks ahead! At least during the weekends, we should have enough time to make something delicious yet wholesome for our families, right??!! So to give justice to this first meal of the day, I choose "Balanced Breakfast Meals" as this month's theme for WBB#20.

The rules for sending in an entry are as following:

1. Your breakfast should contain at least one item from the above list. But I'm really expecting all you fabulous foodies to come up with entrees that have more than 2 items from the list!

2. All dishes must be vegetarian; eggs and cheese is allowed, just no meat or seafood (sorry, but this is a vegetarian blog:))

3. Send me an email at mansibshah@gmail.com with your name, entry, picture of your dish and permalink to the post with the subject WBB#20. Please link back to this announcement in your post. You can use the above logo in your posts.

4. Deadline for sending in entries is March 31st. The roundup will be done in the 1st week of April

That's it, simple and sweet. So all you fabulous cooks out there, get ready to don your aprons and dish out delicious balanced breakfast recipes to share with others. After all, there can never be enough "balanced breakfasts"!!

This event's roundup is now available at WBB-Balanced Breakfasts Mega Roundup

Announcing an Event - Game Night Party Recipes

Hi everyone! The holidays are over, and the New year has begun, so it's time to start with some more fun! Have you seen people discussing and planning to buy HDTV's (High-Definition TV) lately, and switching from Dish or Cable to DirecTV?? Well, that's because it's the sporty time of the year, and the biggest event in United States is around the corner - YES, the mighty NFL Super Bowl to be played on Feb 3rd 2008 in Arizona!! I will admit it upfront, I'm not a huge fan of NFL, simply because I think it's too violent:) But I do like the strategy part in the game, and believe it or not, when you have a group of friends and enthusiasts surrounding you in your room, rooting at every shot, you are sure to get carried away by the excitement in the atmosphere! So, before you start thinking why I'm blabbbering about Super Bowl on my Food Blog, let me tell you about my intention to host a "Game Night Party" event. Even in India and Australia, Cricket is on in full-swing, and for most of the people, irrespective of their location, Friday Nights are generally Poker Nights!:)

So, in celebration of Sports, I have decided to host an Event which will gather simple yet delicious recipes that can help you plan a stress-free Game Night. I also know that a lot of events are out there in the blogosphere, and it can get tiring to keep up with all of them. So I am tweaking the rules a bit here to allow for previously-posted recipes. The purpose of this Event is to gather and share party recipe ideas so that it's beneficial to everyone; I don't want to stress my blogger friends and readers than they already are:) So go on, read the rules, and start sending in your Favourite Simple and Quick-to-Make Recipes!

This event is completed. Please take a look at the Game Night Party Recipes Roundup for some delicious, and easy finger-food recipes! Thanks everyone for participating!

AFAM-Peach Roundup - Time for some Peach Recipes

AFAM (A Fruit a Month) started by Maheshwari (Beyond The Usual) has cycled through a lot of hosts and fruits, and this time I was the Chosen One, and I in turn chose "The delectable Peach". Peaches or Nectarines are the juicy and fiber-rich fruits that resemble apples from outside, but have a large seed inside. I was a bit hesitant to choose Peach as this month's fruit because it's not easily available in India, and lots of my Indian blog friends couldn't participate because of this!:( I apologize for depriving them of this opportunity, and also to those where peaches were not in season!! I'll try selecting something more universal next time. But I'm happy and feel so good that even after all these odds, many of you went through tremendous efforts and used preserved or canned peaches and made something delicious out of them just to participate in my event!! That makes me feel so happy and loved. Thanks so much for all your efforts and for the lovely spread of peaches that you'll see below. I don't think any probable peach delicacy is missing out here!!

We start with a lovely Peach and Coconut Cake by Asha from "Foodie's Hope". These two flavors could never go wrong, and a piece of this cake is sure to melt in your mouth...

Arundhati from "the Singing Chef" sends in one of her bread creations called the Peach Aprcot Bread Pudding which has brown bread and milk and will not take much of your time to make this dessert pudding!

Kribha from "En Samayal Pakkam" sends us this lovely Peach-n-Caramel Pastry Puff that looks as visually appealing as the flavors inside!

Viji from "Vcuisine" dishes out a lovely Nectarine Jam recipe. I could eat with my bread and even with my parathas! Sure to be a hit with your kids...

Tee over at "Bhatukli" came up with this intoxicating Peach Sudharas that is sure to catch your attention. She also suggests some interesting variations at the end of the recipe...

TBC who writes at "The Budding Cook" sends in these absolutely gorgeous Peach and Mascarpone Phyllo Cups..beleive me, anyone who makes something with mascarpone is not a budding cook, and the pic says more than my words, right?!!

Sylvia shares her love for Peaches and desserts by sending in this fresh and vibrant Peach-Cream-Meringue and Sponge cake dessert dish that she calls "Chaja". She takes us through a wonderful journey full of peaches and all sweet things....

Swapna from "Swad of India", who is busy with her parents visiting her from India was kind enough to quickly conjure this Peach-Iced Tea which can freshen you up on a nice warm day!

Susan from the "Well-Seasoned cook" sends in this beautiful, out-of-this-world Peach and Rum Savarin. With all the perfect ingredients, it'll put you in seventh heaven!

Suma over at the "Veggie Platter" sends in a classic recipe with a twist - Peach-Saffron Shrikhand; a light yoghurt-based dish enhanced by the sweet taste of fresh peaches and saffron

Srivalli from "Cooking 4 all Seasons" used her imagination to chalk out these lovely Peach-topped Biscuits just so she could be saved from my wrath:) Well, they are so cute they could pacify anyone...

Sivani from "Ruchi Chuchu" sends in a lovely Peach Dessert recipe that she made to celebrate her little daughter's birthday....

Sirisha from "Ambrosia Flavors" sends in this lovely and colorful spread of Almond-Peach Muffins. If you can get eyes off her pic, check out the recipe which is very simple and tasty!

Siri from "Siri's Corner" shares with us An Ode to Peach, an informative read about peaches and nectarines and all the good things you might not have known!

Sig from "Live To Eat" shares with us the juicy, sweet and literally intoxicating Peach Margharita. I call her the cocktail queen, so you surely can't go wrong with this one...

Sharmi from the famous "Neivedyam" found time to make this Peach Tart with Sago Pudding just for this event and thanks to my "sweet nagging" as she puts it:) well, at least my nagging helped get my readers another beautiful dish...

Shandy, the queen of "Pastry Heaven" sends in 2 beautiful recipes. The Decadent Peach Cream Cake is a family tradition while the Peach Crisp is her favourite. So she shares both of these with our readers...truly a jackpot!!

Sangeeta from "Musical's Kitchen" sends in the sweet-spicy-tangy Nectarine Chutney that adds sizzle to this roundup! So if you need a break from all the sweet delicacies, try this chutney with anything to get a spark in your food....

RP from "My Workshop" carves out a lovely Upside-down Peach and Caramel cake. Judging from the ingredients and the pic, I think she's a pretty good carpenter!!!

Next in line are these lovely and healthy Peach-n-Pumpkin Muffins. One look and you'd want a piece from them! They come from Roops of the "Delectable Delights" Only trying them will tell you how good they are...

Richa from "As dear as Salt" sends in this beautiful Peach and Apricot Gallette, and though it was a bit older entry, I couldn't resist the temptation to include it in this event! After all, everyone deserves a nice recipe:)

Rajitha from "The Hunger Pangs" sends in another hit recipe- the Peach and Strawberry Cobbler, and one look at her soft and moist cobbler and you know she's a pro!!!

Pushpa from "Pusiva's Culinary Studio" shares with us Peach-Chicken as well as a delicious Peach Cake. That settles a full peach meal, I must say....

Padmaja from "Spicy Andhra" sends us these lovely Peach-n-Pistachio Mini Tarts. She made them for the first time, exclusively for this event, and I have to say they look very inviting!!

Zhulaiha from "One Haven" shares her love for peach by taking us to an imaginary world of "If Life were Peaches n Cream"...well, in that case, the world would be a sweet and delicious place, just like her dessert...

Noro from "Tour en Cuisine" sends us Coconut-flavored Rice Pudding with peach Compote, a light and frothy dessert drink. The rice and coconut add a nice zest to the peach making this worth a try for sure...

Mocha over at "Masala Box" shares with us this fresh Peach-Orange Salsa served in an equally beautiful and ethnic clay pot...chips or not, I would dig right into it....

Michelle from the "Greedy Gourmet" shares her recipe of Fresh Nectarines and Cream. Sometimes simple is all it needs to make things memorable, and this is a classic example!

Margot over at "Coffee and Vanilla" shares with us her version of the wonderful Peach Cake. It looks so much like a cheesecake I am tempted to try it right now....

Mandira from "Aahar" sends in this beautiful Peach Pancakes to liven up your morning. A sumptous fruit delight topped with syrup makes your holiday breakfast a special one!

Madhu from "Ruchii" creates a Peach and Strawberry Crumble. I personally love that combination as I think it'd be a good blend of sweet and tangy fruits for the cobbler...

Cakelaw from "The Laws of the Kitchen" shares with us his recipe of Peachy Muffins, again a treat any time of the day! With peach yoghurt and apple puree, they are a delight by themselves....

Kelly from "Kelly the Culinarian" made these Peach Spring Rolls for breakfast. I'd say this idea was fantastic as she was limited to making something very simple as she lives in school and has no oven or proper stove!! Kudos to you Kelly....

Kalva who authors "Curry In Kadai" dished out this egg and bread classic - Peach French Toast which will lift your mood in the morning and have you humming for the rest of the day....

Julie from "One Wall Kitchen" loves and adores peaches and was so happy when she heard about this event that she quickly dished out Baked Peaches with a spiced-vanilla-sugared syrup...what can I say?? the pic says it all!!!

Jai from "Jugalbandi" sends in this amazing and authentic recipe for Peach Streuselkuchen, a german layered cake. it's a mix-breed of a bread and a cake, but as long as it's tasty, we are up for it, right??!!

Irma from the "Irma 303" blog shares with us her recipe of Peach Yoghurt Pudding. Though it looks simple, I really love the way she shaped and presented it; kind of gives an air of extravagance to something simple....

Hima from "Sanckorama" sends in the Peach and Mix-Fruit Custard, again something that goes well with any meal or as a dessert. Healthy and easy to make, it can find a place in every kitchen ....

Finla, over at the "Happy Cook" went to great trouble to find some fresh peaches for my event and came up with this flavorful Peach-Raspberry-Almond Tart...with all these great ingredients inside, do we have any doubts about how amazing it would taste?!

Sikha over at "Rina's Recipes" sends in a beautiful Peach-Mango-Kesar Shake. Frankly, with these 3 things there's no way you could go wrong, so this drink is surely a hit!!

Dhivya from the "Culinary Bazar" sends us her simple yet classic Peach Custard recipe; again a look into simplicity that can add a touch of class to something mundane...

Deepz from "Letz Cook" send us this tangy-sweet Peach Bhel that looks healthy, crunchy and delicious.

Deepa over at "Deepa's Kitchen" sends in the famous Peach Cobbler recipe which needs no recommendation. Just top it with whip cream or ice cream and you can't stop eating....

Viji from "The Daily Meals" sends in a unique recipe for Peach Jam Biscuits. A lovely preserve recipe that can be used in multiple ways to sweeten any dish you want!

My friend Chris of "From Our Home to Yours" made this beautiful Peach Cobbler just for my event. And it looks so tasty too I asked her to send some in "literally" along with her email entry:)

Bee from Jugalbandi sends in the Indian classic Peach-Saffron Lassi, the yogurt-based drink that tastes more like a smoothie or milkshake. And served in a glass like that, I'd be open for second helpings!!!

The lovely Ayone from "Our Cuisine" sends us this Indo-Arabian Peach-Mushroom Stir Fry. She describes it as hot, sweet, salty and sour, and that's all the flavors you need from your food, right?

Next we have Chandrika, from Akshaypatra, who is also hosting AFAM Event next month, sending in this lovely Peach Tart, the only recipe that we were missing in the list:) Well, it looks so beautiful I could easily wear it if it were a dress!!

And finally, last, but not the least, a dish from the hostess herself! I present to you the Peach Malai (Cream ) Sandwich with Peach Kulfi. I know I know...it's great and fabulous and lovely and delicious....I'll just add to that and say that it resembles my readers, and I dedicate it to all my friends, readers and visitors who make blogging an enriching experience for me!!

Hoping to see you all at the next event that I host, and also those who missed this one but are waiting to hop on-board for the next one!!