Strawberry Banana Oatmeal cookies

Keeping up with my healthy eating trend, I decided to make some healthy cookies with strawberries, bananas and oatmeal (yes, those are the only ingredients you'll need!).

Bananas are a good source of potassium and promote bone health. They can also help to maintain good eyesight and to overcome constipation. Another advantage of this fruit is that it provides energy. Some of the benefits of oatmeal are low calories, low fat, and high fiber and protein content in addition to the stabilization of blood sugar. Oatmeal also contains unique antioxidants that contribute to cardiovascular health.

This dish is very simple and quick to make. All you have to do is mash the bananas, add the oats, strawberries and a bit of vanilla essence and bake for 15 minutes in an oven heated to 180 degrees Celsius.

The ingredients are all prepped. Turns out that I didn't need the Stevia after all!!

The cookie mixture turned a lovely red because of the strawberries (hmmm, it kinda looks a fat heart :P).

Cookie dough's served up and ready to be baked. I just love the non-stick baking mat - easy clean up!!

And here's the finished product :)

Some optional add-ins include chocolate chips, cocoa powder or almonds. The cookies turned out to be soft and chewy. Note that there is no added sugar :)

Happy cooking!

DIY solution

I finally got a new Bible after a long, long time. It was a bitter sweet moment indeed; I had to let go of my old one, but it was exciting to choose a more mature Bible now that I'm all grown up ;)

I love the sleek, feminine look and it's super light and easy to carry. The soft, leather cover just adds to it's appeal. However, I faced a small problem - I couldn't find a cover to fit it but I need one to hold my notebook and pen. And then, the light bulb over my head lit up! I thought I would add an elastic to hold the cover down (so I could store my notebook under the front cover) and attach a ribbon for the pen on the back cover. Voila! Problem solved :)

I covered up the ugly ends of the elastic with some patterned backing paper.

Happy DIYing!

Revamping my wardrobe, DIY style

Looking to spruce up your clothing on a budget? Spent all your hard-earned summer cash on food and entertainment and have nothing left over to revamp your wardrobe for the new school year? Why not take to your clothes with a scissor and a few simple supplies that can easily be acquired?

It's starting to get hot in the UAE, which means it's time for a summer wardrobe make-over!! This doesn't have to mean spending hordes of money. All it takes is a little time and creativity on your part.

The first item of clothing that got a face-lift was a light pink tee. It had a banded bottom that was too long for my liking, so I chopped it off and turned it into a fringe top! I also made a hair bow and bracelet with some of the material that I cut off.
                                                              

The next piece is a pair of jeans. Everyone knows that summer equals shorts. Hence, I cut off a portion and added a cuff by folding it a couple of times. I dandified it with a bit of lace on the cuffs and a few rhinestones along the pocket. I used some of the remnant cloth to make a matching bow.

                               

Another simple make-over was done to a pair of jeans - I cut it off just above the knees and frayed the edges.

                               

Finally, I had to cover up a bit of damage that occurred to the pocket area of a pair of shorts. I think the material got caught in the zipper of my bag and got pulled and I didn't notice it until a while later. I was so sad because it was the first time I'd worn it and I thought it was ruined beyond repair. But then, a brilliant idea struck - I thought I'd cover it up with a bit of lace. I shopped around and found a scalloped piece that I thought worked quite well and I simply stitched it on.

                              

Happy DIYing!

Lone Wolf

My book of the moment is Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult. She is steadily becoming my favorite author. With her penchant for details and passion for words, she knows the formula to keep her readers hooked.

To be honest, when I first began reading the book, I wasn't too impressed. As the title suggests, it's a story in which wolves play a major role, but since I'm not really an animal lover, the plot didn't appeal to me at the start. The wolves' component in the book is so significant that it took me a while to be able to relate to the human characters themselves. However, since I hate leaving a book unfinished, I pushed myself to continue. Now, as I keep reading, I just can't seem to put the book down!

I particularly enjoy the layout of the book - each chapter is a presentation of the story from a different individual's point of view (much like Jeffrey Archer's Clifton Chronicles). There is just the right amount of suspense to keep you interested without giving way to frustration. Each of the main characters in the book has a distinctive personality and life story, yet are inevitably connected while at odds with each other. This conflict contributes to the enlivening of the book. Another element of the story that has the gears of your brain whirring is the thought process of the characters; just when you think you've figured them out, a new twist emerges!

I'm almost halfway through the book, but while I want to rush to the end and know the final outcome, I also want to savor each moment of it - not a feeling that most books can evoke. Let's see if I'm of the same opinion after I'm done with the book.

Happy reading!

More handmade cards

As promised, here are some of the cards I made about 2 months ago:

Mother Theresa once said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing". I believe that each individually hand-crafted card is like a smile - whenever you look at it, it reminds you of the smile of the one who gave it to you. 

Keep smiling:)

Happy crafting!

Made with love

Handmade cards carry a touch of personalization that just can't be found in store bought cards; they are unique and put together with a lot of care and effort. This makes the recipient feel that much more special. I think the joy felt by someone who is gifted such a card is similar to that which I feel when creating it - from knitting it together in my mind to bringing it to fruition, there is a sense of satisfaction and crafty thrill :)
Here are some of my earliest creations:

My next post will showcase some of my more recent pieces.

Happy crafting!

Old OOTDs

Hey everyone!
So I decided to upload some of my outfits from a while ago. Here they are:

Sorta high-waisted pink pants, crop top, studded boots and arm party - the perfect UAE winter outfit!

Christmas '12 - Navy blue dress with a belt to shape it up a bit. I changed to a pink belt later on  because the turquoise one was too big :(

Overlooking the awful lighting, I'm wearing a mauve blouse with my black high-waisted jeans and ruffle detail 3-inch heels.

For graduation, I decided to go Indian with an embroidered, creamy chiffon kurthi top and a churidar bottom in oxblood. I know the make-up is a bit overdone, so next time, I'm doing it at home!!

So this was the outfit I wore when I had to get the blood test done for my visa renewal. I decided that if I was going to be in pain, I'd at least do it in style. This called for my fave shoes of the moment - tawny brown oxfords - with my black jeans rolled up and blouse buttoned up to the collar. The top knot pulled the whole outfit together.

This is me all ready for a day of shopping at Dubai Mall. Comfort was key, so I opted for mustard yellow shorts paired with a denim shirt and my trusty oxfords with a matching belt and bag to boot :)

My b'day outfit incorporates sophistication with the cut of the dress and boldness with the net and bright red color. My two-toned heels reflect the same color palette.

This was my Canadian-consulate-trip-turned-mini-shopping-spree outfit. I combined dark brown jeans with a flowery top and a bright pink belt; to this, I added my new champagne colored wrap watch courtesy my sister :)

The last ensemble of this post is quite recent. I wore this black dress to the INSA Gala dinner at AUS last Thursday. I think I managed to stick to the color theme of black (dress), gold (accessories) and red (teeny bit in my shoes).

Hope you enjoyed the outfits.
Happy styling!