Awards for Recipe Marathon#2 Runners

The post which my fellow runners have been looking out for is finally here. Last month was one hectic journey but their enthusiasm and support had me inspired enough to try my hand at new spheres like this video presentation. Learning it has opened a plethora of new horizons for me :)

Gal pal Siri has requested me not to present her with an award since she could not finish the marathon. Disappointing though it is, I am forced to oblige with her wishes - but you were and will always be a wonderful team mate Siri. There is nothing more that I can write about Siri which I have not written about before. :)

Here are my takes on the fellow runners along with their Medals Trophies in no particular order. Oh well - I am trying to use my new knowledge of making icons/pictures - so tried making a trophy from scratch :)

1)PJ - PJ made sure to join in RM#2 esp when she missed out on RM#1 and was fairly disappointed. I am too, now that I know what an enthusiastic runner she can be. With a demanding little one by her side, what she has accomplished is no mean feat. Kudos PJ for not only liking challenges but also finishing them in style and "wanting more" :).



2)Curry Leaf - The plethora of dishes that come out of her kitchen do not reflect her thoughts. Curry Leaf thinks that she is always short on recipes. I certainly don't think so :) For me Blogging is a platform for learning and improvise myself. She shares the same sentiment by way of trying and breaking the barriers and cooking new dishes one after the other. She is all geared up for RM 3. You go girl :)



3)Lakshmi Narasimhan - A veteran to RM#2 having participated in RM#1. She describes her blogging characteristic between "Over enthusiasm" and "complete indifference". I am glad that RM#2 came at a time when she was in the latter phase and helped her to move to the former. That said although not one to like blogging on a daily basis, RM#2 did manage to attract her enough to join in this time too.



4)Ruchii - The call for challenge really did it for Ruchii who took it as an initiative to kick start her blog absence after a vacation. She was excited about a group event and I am glad she made it to the group since having her was not only fun but also enterprising. A Supportive member and who thinks making this a regular event would be wonderful. I hope so too :)



5)Srivalli - She needs no introduction in the blogging world. Known as one to blog on daily basis, being a part of RM is actually no challenge for Valli and so rightfully she has been on both the RM's. With a job and other interest, it gets hard for me to pursue many things properly - but Valli not only manages a full time career, family with wonderful kids included , blog - not one but 2, she also successfully manages to conduct back to back parallel events and do humanitarian work as well. Move over Superman - you will get your kryptonian ass kicked by our superwoman :)



6)Priya - Another blogger with a penchant for Challenges, the community that RM manages to build every time pulled her to join the Second edition. Even though she is quite new to the blogging arena, she has been blogging twice everyday! At this rate she would soon come level to ones blogging for quite some time now :). Another member who made sure to drop in regular and encouraging comments on fellow members blogs - she was a true delight to run along with.



7)Roochi - As I have already mentioned in the pit stop post, this was one blogger who managed to impress me by the way she entered into RM. Her dedication and will to get it done, and that too so properly with every rule in place was mind blowing. As a person hosting this event, I appreciate all her hardwork and dedication to this event , wholeheartedly. With such an attitude, she would make an excellent team member for any event.



8)Kamala - With slight hesitation, Kamala managed to treat into Marathon waters. With personal life being equally busy, she has managed to fulfill the challenges perfectly well. Such actions, though seemingly small, say so much about the person and their characteristics. It was fun running with you Kamala.



9)Anu - Arundati always Anu to me, also a veteran of RM has been on a baking spree. This blogging experience really goes into new levels when we start growing along with the number of posts. Another gal pal, whose support and similar wavelength, makes her special to me. It was fun as always running with you Anu.



10)Rekha - Making friends and cooking is Rekha's being her Passion, RM can only help to take her to the next level cos it involves exactly that. She says that this challenge offered immense excitement to her by way of providing a great platform for making friends along with learning new recipes and mastering cuisines. The past month's speeding days and close of marathon has left her sad and well, it indeed has for me too.



11)Medha - Another fun member of the marathon, whose enthusiasm is so infectitious. Having missed last edition of the Marathon, she was in no way letting go of this one. Am I going to complain? No way! It was totally fun running along and reading all the mails - esp her attempt at "Tamil" - Soon she will master Tamil am sure :) with translation coming up next!:)



12)Ranji - She is a darling and another veteran for RM. With personal issues glarore her commitment to the task undertaken leaves me spell bound. Her myriad recipes are quite a display to watch out for and while I am busy typing out this post, I am sure she is somewhere out there, screaming "Yahoooooooooooooo" :)



13)Divya Kudua - Proving to herself that she is not one to be "commitment-phobic" was one thing and making use of the "challenge" another. She does seem to have done both pretty well. Having had an exciting run at the challenge, she sure seems to have had lots of fun at having finished this Challenge successfully. You sure are no commitment phobic now.



14)Divya M - Knowledge gathering was the motto of Divya when she decided to join RM. She has felt it very exciting and energetic to post on a daily basis along with visiting fellow runner's kitchens. Even with a little one by her side, she makes it a point to check on team mates blog whenever she can. Thats sure inspiring.



15)Kamalika - Contagious and Motivating are her words while talking about RM. Although a late entrant, she sure never made it necc. for me to request her to follow something or the other. Everything was followed to the tee and it was indeed lots of fun checking out her day to day cooking in the last month. Thanks Kamalika.



16)Raaga - A true blue veteran of RM, she is another person to whom blogging on a daily basis is like blink of an eye. To clean up her drafts was the reason why she joined RM, she says! I wonder if her blogger dashboard is actually an "Akshayapatram"! Guess that's one secret she is sure to keep to herself :)



17)Bhawana - Medhaa and Bhawana decided on to take up this challenge together. Bhawana wanted to follow a theme - which I had made optional - and her theme was to start making use of those links which she bookmarked! Looking at my ever growing bookmarked lists, I truly appreciate her theme! Making scrumptious recipes throughout the month indeed would have been satisfying not only for her but also for her family. Hope your vacation going great guns girl :)



18) Viji - Late entrant to marathon, nevertheless, another great team mate who stuck to the challenge till the end even with a hectic schedule in the personal front. She loved this challenge and it sure shows up, I would say. Thanks for running along Viji.



19) Karuna - Karuna made no qualms about joining late even after I told her about the extra effort she would have to take, thanks to the backlog. She was game to the challenge and sure did manage to make most of it. Although she was not able to complete the challenge till the end, I anyways would give her this Trophy for the sole reason of she posting almost close to 15 recipes in matter of 2-3 days. That sure is a huge effort and this is my way of appreciating that.



20) Lakshmi V - Another enthusiastic member who involved herself in the marathon run. Her array of recipes in the last month has been amazing and of rich variety. It was fun running along with Lakshmi.



21) Pavani - We were introduced to each other thanks to Valli who brought in her sis-in-law to run along with us for this marathon. Guess posting daily with ease runs in the family, since Pavani also seemed keen on posting daily and sometimes even twice. RM was seemingly no challenge to her :)




22) Raaji - Her recipes in the past month have been beautiful indeed and she does have couple which I have bookmarked. Hope I do a bhawana and make my bookmarked recipes soon :) Thanks for joining us Raaji.



23)Roopa - Another enthusiastic member who was consistent with her comments and support throughout. She has made some amazing recipes at her place and be sure to check them out. Thank you for joining me Roopa.



24) Sripriya - Last but not the least, is Sripriya who though joined a little bit late, ran along with utmost ease and discipline. Thank you for joining us Sripriya.



Thank you all once again for participating in this edition of Recipe Marathon. It was fun and the one hard month practically easy and utmost enjoyable running with you.

An Ode to RM # 2 Runners - a video

This last month has been nothing short of A M A Z I N G! All thanks to 25 wonderful members who agreed to run along with me for Recipe Marathon. The number of threads, encouraging comments, regular visits have only made it all the more better. If I thought that Recipe Marathon # 1 was mind boggling, then RM # 2 has left me speechless. Thank you girls for your patience at this round up post. Came back just now from my trip and here is a special something for you girls for being supportive and excited throughout the whole of November.

Hope you like what you see. I have the medal coming up next for you girls. Come back here to collect your trophies. :)

RM#2 - Week 3 Compilation - Side Dishes

Side Dishes play a very vital role when it comes to Indian Meals. They are a "must" be it along with rice or with flatbreads which form the main course of Indian meals. Here is the compilation of side dishes that I cooked up over the week for RM#2.

Week 3
Day 16 with Punjabi Choley a.k.a Channa Masala
This dish is the love of so many "tongues!". The versatile channa (chickpeas) is sauted with myriad spices after being cooked in tean leaves to give it that rich brown color. It goes well with rice as well as flatbreads although its a traditional combo for Kulchas and Bhaturas.


Day 17 with Banarasi Aloo
I love this dish for the simplicity that it offers along with rice taste without being too heavy. If these reasons were not enough to make it a staple, it also has this additional feather on its hat for being effortlessly fast.It gets done in a jiffy and would sure be a crown pleaser in your next party.


Day 18 with Kadai Paneer
Another one of those "all done before you sneeze" kinda dish which is also very yummy and a party favorite. There is nothing complicated about this dish and it comes out well even if it is your firt time into the kitchen floor. Time saver this one sure is.



Day 19 with Punjabi Kadhi a.k.a Pakodewali Kadhi
If you are bored with the usual Gujarati kadhi then this is another famous one for you.This though a little more complicated than the former, is worth all the time in the kitchen. It has yummy dumplings seasoned with herbs and spices to give the kadhi an extra zing.


Day 20 with Muttar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese curry)
Absolutely nothing, however much I say, would suffice to describe the deliciousness of this dish. The best part is how uncomplicated this whole dish , which has to offer so much, is.It has indeed found loyal followers in our household and I am sure it would, in yours too.


Day 21 with Malai Kofta
This dish needs no introduction. Its far too popular for me to even attempt to write something for the heck of it in this teeny weeny section and get away with it. It has its followers too many, I dare to say and for all its richness and glory, it is completly justified. Dont agree with me? Try this in your kitchen and you will find yourself nodding to what I write too :)


Day 22 with Baingan bhartha
Burning and bullying a vegetable has never been so rewarding :) No No - dont get me wrong, I have nothing sadistic going on in me. Its just the way this Bartha is cooked and thats exactly what brings out that earthy and rustic delicious flavor out of it. I love this dish for its simplicity and taste for such a less investment, be it time, ingredients or effort. A crown pleaser and which goes well with rice as well as flatbreads. Another party favorite.

And that brings Week 3 to a close! Cant believe that I have only one more week to go before finally finishing off the Marathon! Time does indeed fly! I know I promised you Sweets in the first week for Week 4, then you might have noticed that it changed to Sweets and Rice but I am once again changing it to "Miscellaneous". No I am not confused, its just that I had to accomodate for events (yes Valli - talking about you :)), and few special requests from friends (Raaji and Malar) who want to see "certain" dishes before the end of the month from my kitchen.So this week you will be treated to various courses of Indian food - be it main course,appetizers,snacks or sweets!. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did making them.

Pit stop For Recipe Marathon - With eyes on the goal!

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

- Unknown

And Running we RM'ers sure do. And we run like Crazy. Its been 15 days since we started running and today we take a pit stop. Refresh, think back, motivate and start running again. Recipe Marathon is not about just Recipes. I started it with few open secrets. Links, Exposure, Friends, Self Motivation, Will, to continue till the end - in short a challenge to oneself on the way to gain some and lose some. Gain - Friends and exposure, Lose - laziness, lethargy and procrastinate.

"It is like a quick energizer to get back to the routine you craved but lost it due to some breaks." A hand to pull you back in and get you back into the groove. Needless to say, Siri was the first one to jump around in excitement after she heard the whole deal. (jumping around like little overexcited monkeys is one things which binds us -me thinks ;-)) I extended my hand and there were many hands which gave me theirs.And now instead of me having to pull them, they run hand in hand towards that one common goal along with me. If Recipe Marathon # 1 opened up my eyes to few things, RM # 2 broke open new more horizons. The new members have shown enthusiasm surpassing anything and everything I have known.

"If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you've got to go all the way."
- Lance Armstrong

...seems to be the motto of new members - PJ, Curry Leaf, Kamala, Padma,Medhaa

We have generated approximately 400 recipes between ourselves in the last 15 days. We have diligently posted recipes for every single day - apart from following our own hectic schedules. If we have become crazy , then we have become crazy together - we posted in same zeal and frenziness.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
-- Robert Frost

And this is precisely what motivated Madhu, Divya Kudua , Priya, Lakshmi V and Kamalika. They wanted to be challenged, to prove to themselves if they had it in them. And going by the records, they seem to be one bunch of strong willed runners.

The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.
-Earl Nightingale quotes

I have to say that I was astounded and simply blown away by one of our RM runners. Roochi informed just couple of days earlier and asked to join the RM. I was little doubtful since it was already late and the poor girl would have had to post recipes for almost 2 whole weeks and add code under each of them. But I was taken by surprise when I visited her site. She had done all her homework, without asking anyone of us and did with perfection that I absolutely had nothign to point out. I was humbled by her dedication, hardwork and perfection. The same could be said of Karuna who with hurdles, dint want to say "No" to joining but stuck to it and finished whatevcer it was needed to join the challenge. Such enthusiasam simply drives me to keep doing what I do.

Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.
--Anthony Robbins quotes

Anu became my gal pal thanks to RM#1,who if taken on a challenge does the best to do justice to it. With so much going on on the other end, she still wanted to do this challenge and that talks a lot about her. Divya M joined RM#2 for the underlying reason of friendship and knowledge sharing and it personally sure has been for me. She says it helps her to develop her skill set more and I hope she realizes that there are many who say the same thing thanks to her :)

Valli tells me that I took her for granted - that I expected without question that she will be running the marathon along with me. Well what can I say - That woman inspires me to no end. I mean posting everyday is such a H*U*G*E task for me, but she makes it look like its nothing. She was a dear in RM#1 and she continues to be one this time around too! I have made certain promises to her and I just hope I keep them up ;-)

Ranji - Oh well I have soft corner for that girl. I still remember the day during RM#1 when Siri told me that a certain girl is v enthusiastic about joining RM but she cannot post on weekends etc. I am very rule oriented person and was like "no it wont be fair to others etc blah blah", but Siri convinced me that "No she is a dear and she will post those days entries during weekday and stuff" But Ranji did a great job and she was so enthusiastic and wonderful during the whole of RM#1 that I was glad that she was in the group. Even this RM#2 - with so much going at her end - she has been coming through so remarkably that, I have nothing to say but Hats off to her. Love you girl :)

Raaga and Lakshmi - members of the original RM#1 are v busy ppl and 24hrs is simply not enough. But Lakshmi wanted to get back into groove of posting on Yum Blog and joined RM#2 in the last minute - and Raaga with so many work deadlines, believed that she could clean up her drafts (those are everflowing I must say!) and hopes that she keeps her sanity till the end. Great to have you girls on board :)

As of now with all this running , rest of the others, I am thinking are too exhausted and using this pit stop to go ahead and refresh themselves for some breath of air, before they actually find the energy to talk. More about them once we reach our final goal.

Last but not the least, my special thanks to each and every member of RM#2 for making this Marathon happen and being enthusiastic each and every day making it an enlightening experience. Their jumpiness can only be seen to be believed what with mailing threads crossing inane numbers in a single day. With such an attitude, it can only help to fuel the engine which is going to keep us all running for the next 15 days! Yes! I believe that we can make it :)

RM#2 - Week 2 Compilation - Flat Breads

We have such a great mix of Indian Flat breads and this week showcased only very few of the total varieties out there. I probably should have done something like a whole month of just flat breads to do even a wee bit justice to our Indian varieties. Anyways, the week being over, here is the compilation of the RM#2- Week 2 Compilation of Flat breads.

Week 2

Day 9 with Khasta Roti.

Crispy yet soft seems like such an oxymoron but then that's how this recipe is. The use of semolina gives it the crispiness while the fresh yogurt gives it the chewy texture once the first bite of crispiness is realized. The spices only help to enhance the taste. You can add sesame seeds too for more options.


Day 10 with Aloo Paratha.

Aloo Parathas are one of the most made and loved Indian flat breads ever! It is predominantly enjoyed for breakfast in Northern part, but is more so eaten during lunch/dinner in the South. Lots of varieties go into this stuffing with the main ingredient obviously being Potatoes. I have this version using Pav Bhaji Masala.

Day 11 with Onion Kulchas

If I have a craving for Naans but don't feel like or have time to make those, my next best choice is Kulcha. Though there are couple of variations which are famous, my most favorite is Onion Kulchas. They use Baking powder instead of Yeast and are relatively quick to prepare when compared to their counterparts Naans.


Day 12 with Butter Naan

Aah!The name invokes involuntary secretion of fluid from the salivary glands, isn't it? The butter all melted on top of a fluffy naan, eaten with some Butter Paneer masala/shahi paneer is a royal treat. I love these naans filled with cilantro and onion seeds which only helps to enhance the taste of these flat breads.



Day 13 with Rumali Roti

I call it the Indian Pizza - no not because it looks like one, but because it used the same technique of throwing the dough, twisting it in the air in order to stretch the dough into nice circle. Other than that, the making of the Roti gets done in a jiffy. This thin almost crepe styled flat bread is another family favorite. With some nice Baingan Bhartha - it sure is a cool treat to indulge in.

Day 14 with Kerala Parotta

This was something which I had to really struggle to even get to what I am now. I am still not an expertise but the last 5 times that I have made, I have been able to deliver the layers - which is essential to this flat bread - consistently following the method which I have elaborated. These parottas may not look as if they are a big deal - but they have to tasted esp with Vegetable Korma/kurma to know what I am talking about! Out of the world experience it sure would be.

Day 15 with Peshawari Naan

The flat bread series drew to a close too soon for my liking. With still so many of my favorite flat breads still in the back burner, it sure was a hard decision to make for the last day of the series. But with so many savories down the line I wanted to share something sweet - Not too sweet that it tastes like a dessert but mildly sweet yet still a main dish. With such a criteria what else could fit the bill except something like Peshwari Naan? Mildly sweet with luscious filling of spices, nuts and coconut, it is unbeatable in taste. It does not need any side dish and is best with some plain butter/Ghee.

So what do you think will go well with these yummy flat breads? The coming week will showcase some of the side dishes which are most loved in an Indian Kitchen. So don't miss it :) Am sure you will like what you see :)

Wanna win an Olympic Gold?

...oh well, I cant promise that, but I can sure promise a gold medal if you run the Marathon along with me. The runners who ran with me last time did so remarkably well that I was astounded, to put it mildly. Their enthusiasm just blew me away and gave me the determination to keep myself on track for 15 days non stop!




So this time, I am challenging myself to keep at my Recipe Marathon for 30 whole days! For the whole month of November! Phew! Am I going to make it? Only time will tell. Are you ready to run this challenge with me? All you have to do :-

1. Post at least ONE RECIPE everyday from Nov 1st to 30th (anything simple to hard..whatever you can but it should be a recipe )

2.Mention the word: Recipe Marathon in your post

3.Link fellow Recipe Marathon runners ( will be announced )

... and thats it. I thought I will announce it little early , so that in case you do want to participate you will have time to get started with your drafts.

I thought I will inspire myself and post my schedule. I am planning to cook as per a theme ( which is purely optional) for the month of Nov.

1)I thought of theme: Indian - so I will be posting only Indian recipes.

2)My weekly schedule for the month will be as follows :

- From 1st to 8th - I will be posting Indian Condiments.
- 9th to 15th - Indian Flatbreads
- 16th to 22nd - Indian Side Dishes and
- 23rd to 30th - Sweet nothings - or should I say Sweet somethings ;-)

I have planned on this theme and IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE, THEN HAVING A THEME IS NOT COMPULSORY. ITS JUST OPTIONAL.

Hope you have as much fun visiting me as much as I have in making Menu for you :)

Celebration in Order - For OS 2 Winners! and My First albeit Feeble Attempt

Open sesame 2 has come to a close. Riddles solved, luscious recipes cooked with much funfare and Voting done. OMG! Did a month just flew by? Its amazing at how the time goes when you want it all slow. So now its time to draw your eyes out of your sockets and make sure your tongue perspires big time.




Ahhh! I think my post is only going to pacify the trios whose neck to neck fight made us draw lots :) The clear winner of Open Sesame Event - Edition 2 is Swati - for her Tomato Shorba. Girl way to go haaan ;-) You sure are getting your periamma's influence and we sure are not complaining.



The runners up were neck to neck with Cham's v.innovative Wheat Idlis - drool drool,



Sowmya's Wheat Cake - drool some more ( Wheat Cake!! Amazing!)



and Divya Vikram's Apple Pie - droooooooling uncontrollably now.



Apple may be called a forbidden fruit but that pie is no way forbidden! yum!

Now how in the world do you select one amongst such yummylicious recipes ( yeah! I know its not a word! But who cares! See their pictures and you would end up making bigger and incredulous words than mine.) No world shattering idea this one - we had to force ourselves to draw lots - Wanted to give all the 3 prizes but since thats not feasible for NOW ( yes for now! you are we never know what we come up with next!) - we drew in a name. And the winner is ( drum rolls plsssssssssss )

AND THE RUNNER UP WINNER IS CHAM FOR HER V HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS WHEAT IDLIS

Guess cham now U wont repent for getting Grain once again this time too - will ya? See grains are good for you dont u think ;-) hehe

Swati and Cham pls mail in your addresses to ifl(dot)opensesame(at)gmail.com so that you can get your prizes! There is going to be a short break for OS 3 this month - will come back with some v v v v v v v v HARD and ruthless riddles next month ( August that is) :)


***********************

Ok I know this is totally uncalled for - but there is one group of Self Named Ninja Warriors who thought I should go ahead and flaunt my first attempt bravely for the world to see and one Ninja actually threatened not to talk to me anymore if I dint post about it. There was one more person who started rebuking me for my "obvious" (yes it wud become obvious once u see whats below) cowardly act of not wanting to show it to anyone and insisted that I shudnt be a Daring Baker anymore ( although I dont see the connection!) Well let me get to the point

My interest in baking Cakes stopped at JUST THAT. May be extended a bit to sprinkling some powdered sugar above it. Period. But blogging and blog friends inspire u - I have been gaping like an idiot at some of creations of Namratha, MS and Sugarcraft. Ok I dont know if I will ever reach their level of expertise except may be if and when I start attending some classes but I thought at least lemme start making an attempt at it. I was presented with a Cake decorating Kit last birthday by my husband to force me look into that direction and after caboodles of research, slogging and numerous mistakes later - I present you my very FIRST Attempt at a DECORATED CAKE.




Ok I know its not worth a second look when compared to some classics out there - but everything has a beginning and this is mine.



I assure you ( and more to myself) that it can only get better!!!!!!!!!! I mean one cant get worse than this can they ;-) SO this pushes me off to explore more in the arena of piping, tips, icings and coloring and what not!



There are some gaping mistakes in my first attenpt which I plan to rectify - back to internet and book research. And anyone with good exp can share tips so known only to experienced and talented decoraters which would make -- mm -- well yes my life easier :) Open to feedback, Tips and suggestions.

Medal For the Recipe Marathon Runners! And few announcements :)

Ah! The bliss of posting when I want to! It feels I was away for a long time - which by the way I am going to be the whole of next week. Recipe Marathon was one gala S.U.C.C.E.S.S. I am sooo glad that We ( which is to say Siri and Me) came up with something like this since the returns we have got out of it is just immeasurable. We had some heck of fun with some of the most wonderful and enterprising gang of gals thats it is unexplainable.

As a token of appreciation for being such a fab sport, I designed some badges for these girls. Hope they like it. The Essence of the Medal is :

1) The Gold Medal depics the Obvious. Successful Completion of the series.

2)The Olive brach depicts the Marathon as we all know thanks to the Greek Geeks ;-)

3)The Chef Hat plays fiddle to the fact that this was a Recipe Based Marathon

4)'Crossed the line' - I wanted to mean it as a pun. One that the runners crossed the final line and also the fact that we crossed the limit lines which is generally set by doing something so unique and as a team.! All the credit goes to the 9 (mm..10! me too! Should toot the horn ;-) when I get the oppurtunity!) runners without whom this would not have been as fun as it turned out to be.

The medals are for all these beautiful people out there :) ( alphabetically arranged)

1) Arundathi : Anu for us. She is one heck of a gal and one walking encyclopedia! I knew I liked her when we started talking, but I absolutely fell in love the minute she told me about some specific "changes" in Chennai and that brightened up my day! hehehe...And did I tell you, I loved your daughter when she was busy "working"! Thats my gal out and out. And heard that you cracked the new riddle in flat 2 min!!!!! Girl! Next time I am going to make it hard esp for you!;-)




2) Bhags : I dunno about so much about the crazy curry but she is one Good crazy gal who is as fun as she sounds from what she writes. I had an one on one chat with her giving me ideas to start new threads in our RM group. She is one inspiring girl....and man! Pursuing Maths! She earned my respect pronto!



3)Divya : My namesake whose forte ' simplicity at its most elegance' has earned her a wonderful right at all our blog roles and in our minds. :) Her recipes are v simple, day to day and she is one of the bubbly ones of the group.



4) Lakshmi : She needs no introduction and neither does her mother. They are one of the most talented and warm ppl whom I have been blessed to meet. But this group helped me to know more about Laks for the first time and boy!Am I glad! She is so warm and funny that you wont have any trouble surviving even in a place like Antarctic with only penguins for company :)



5)Raaga : One of the best users of the blogger scheduler that it is not even funny! Combining all her time efficiently is another characteristics. And she has one of the most romantic incidents ever - better than the reel ones since this happens to be real. :)



6) Ranji : She came right after we had started. We wondered if it was ok, but her spirit and excitement to join decided it for us. She came out of the challenges so beautifully that we are glad that she joined us. She made it more enjoyable for us.



7)Swati : She is one heck of a jabbermouth and thats precisely one of the reasons ,she is so adored in our group. And me and Siri can esp. relate so well with that since we are ones too....(I think the group has not yet gotten my full blast yet ;-)) hehehe. She has this SRK energy which is always filled to the brim



8)Siri : Now where do I start! I thougt I will skip writing anything at all since so many of my blog pages have her imprints. I can only say that - its been amazing how destiny works. No introduction , no similar backgrounds or ppl - only Blogs and suddenly out of the blue come Feb 2008 - one post - one comment - one mail - another reply - one phone call and rest is history. We consider ourselves unborn twins to be! She can read my mind as fast as I can speak out what she would have wanted to say a day later!!!!




9)Valli : Does this M/W gal need any introduction ? She took Microwave cooking to great heights I would say - I personally feel so since she has made me cook food in microwave and ppl who know me will think its achievement enough! I thought Recipe Marathon will be a child's play for her since she blogs daily but she being such a sport with Camera playing dirty and drafts running low - was amazing! You rock Girl and so does your M/W event ( and you know why I specifically mentioned that! ;-))



10)DK : Thats me..and what Do i say about myself ??? umm.. Nothing! I think I will let the others do this part for me! ( Hey! Only good ones Ok ;-) I know I do have few :) :))



The Recipe Marathon # 1 May have come to an end but our threads is going as strong as it did when we started it! Nazar Utharo someone! Lathamma You should do that for us ;-)


And yes! Its only RM coming to a close but there are other events which are going as strong as a BULL and this is a reminder to you all

1) Open Sesame # 2 :- Second edition is on and with better ( oh well! I think so!) and harder riddles. Harder when seen as a whole but horribly easy if you know to read between the lines.....It would be fun! I promise! The rules have been modified a bit so dont forget to check them too

2) And while you are checking out the OS 2 dont forget to check out the lusciuos entries of the participants of the earlier theme who cracked and put forth their lip smacking entries for all of us here. Dont forget to Vote for your fav here and here - Jun 5th midnight being the last date

3) A.W.E.D - Middle Eastern is still going on and last date is Jun 15th. Come on fellow habibtis - start cooking!

4) Siri also has another on and off event going on :- A perfect solution for your summer blues and also help ease out 'weighty issues'.! hehehe. Check out her Frozen Yogurt Event

Phew! Was that too much of information at one place? I was thinking of going in for few more things- like display of public affection for me ( by way of awards!) well will keep that for another day :)