Wishing All Diwali Greetings

There's always something warm and bright, 

about this time of the year.

When everything has a special glow, 

and hearts are full of cheer. 

This special greeting comes your way, to wish you all of life's best on Diwali and in the coming year, too!

I am grateful that I was able to spend this Diwali with close family and friends...specifically my grandmother. We threw a small party and enjoyed well. Of course, it isn't a party without food and dessert. We served aloo and mixed vegetable tikki, three bean salad with Doritos scoops, and Ragada patties. These appetizers wouldn't be complete without their dipping sauces such as sweet and tangy tamarind chutney and refreshing mint chutney.

It was surely a colorful spread with all these snacks. As the night progressed, w could see that everyone were engaged in striking and meeting new people.  Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. We served: Jeera rice, egg curry (for non-vegetarians), creamy cauliflower and paneer curry, Jalfrezi Okra with green bell peppers and tomatoes, Schezwan Singapore noodles with stir fry vegetables, and whole wheat roti. It's so hard to stay light during these party times. You want to try everything.

Whenever we host these kind parties or get togethers, we always play a game to make the evening more fun. Last Saturday, we played Dumb Charades - you have to act out the movie or show that the opposing team gives you for your team. You are not allowed to talk or use props. It always reminds me of Whose Line Is It Anyway TV show. Have you ever heard of this show or watched it?

After all the fun and games, we brought out the sweets or desserts for everyone. During this festival, it's a tradition for family and friends to share sweets with their friends and loved ones. That night, we indulged in decadent Gulab Jamun, Cashew Burfi, and assorted burfis and laddu from Sukhadia's (a local sweet shop). FOODCOMA anyone? I surely was in one that night and the next day.



It was good to catch up with old friends, new friends and family, All in all, it was an entertaining and great night.  The past few Diwali celebrations were halted or short because of the crazy weather we've experienced.

***Quick Tips: 
- The easy egg curry recipe was borrowed from justindianfood.com. It was really easy and everyone loved it.