Eggless Whole-wheat Microwave Cake

Hi!

I’m back with another healthy chocolaty recipe- a cake. It is made of whole wheat! Yes dear people, No Maida (all-purpose flour). Earlier I shared a healthy choco bites recipe and again you get to enjoy a healthy cake.
I love everything chocolate and this love contributes to my weight significantly. Here is my way of eating my favourite thing in a healthy way-

You need-

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup powdered sugar/ honey
4 tbsp Cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4th tsp baking soda

1 cup fresh curd

1/4th cup olive oil

Walnuts/almonds/ chocolate chips

Let’s get started-

Sieve whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix curd and oil. Add sugar/honey. I used honey as I really like the dense flavour of honey. Some can say that honey is the healthier option but only if you get the original and not the random packaged ones available out there (I used dabur honey which is not 100% honey, I think). Add the whole wheat mixture and mix till the flour is merged in the liquid ingredients. Take a microwave safe bowl. Grease the bowl with some oil and pour the mixture in it. I’ve a round bowl but obviously you can use whichever you have.

 

 

Garnish the mixture with nuts and chocolate chips (I didn’t have chips so used just the dry fruits).
Microwave for 3 minutes and pause for 5 seconds, then microwave for another 4 minutes. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes to cool and then invert the bowl on a plate. Cut the cake into slices. Serve with chocolate sauce or ice-cream. I didn’t use any icing as it increases the calorie count.

This cake is quick, simple and sumptuous. I love it and keep making it.
Do try it and share your experiences. Happy eating!!

Treatment for Blackheads- Neutrogena deep clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment Review

I hate blackheads and so do all of you. I have many blackheads on my nose and some whiteheads as well. Even though I go for regular clean-ups and sometimes for facials but no respite from the ugly little black bumps on my T-zone.

Then I got to know about the Neutrogena Blackhead eliminating warming treatment on Wiseshe. I knew that I had to get it.

 

 

About Neutrogena deep clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment

Price and Availability

INR 300 for 30g (5gx6). I’ve never seen this in any store. I got it from purplle.com.

Ingredients

Sadly no mention of ingredients. L

What I think of Neutrogena deep clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment
The product comes in a cardboard box which has 6 small tubes. All tubes contain the same product. It is a clear liquid-y product. I scrub my face then apply it on my T-zone and massage for 20-30 seconds and rinse-off. It warms up to 40 degrees (not that I can measure it, product claims this). The temperature is not unbearable rather it feels good on skin.

Results were visible from the second use, I could see less blackheads and skin felt smooth. I’ve been using it since a month, and have finished just one tube. I can’t say that my blackheads are gone. They are still there just the number has lessened.
I still use it 2-3 times a week and expect the results to improve with longer usage. My skin becomes matte instantly after using it and I like this effect. But this effect may bother dry-skinned folks and they will need to use a moisturiser.

The positives

·         Reduces blackheads

·         Makes skin matte

·         Skin becomes smooth

·         Lasts long

·         Pocket-friendly

·         The small tubes are travel friendly

The Negatives

·         No elimination of blackheads (at least in a month)

·         Availability may be a problem

·         You need to use a blackhead eliminating scrub

Summing it up

This product is not highly recommended but it’s still worth a try. I may not repurchase it as it will last long enough to bore me.
Rating- 3/5

Shree Balaji Café, Jaipur Review

Hello Guys!!

Very few posts here as I’m busy with many other things. Last Saturday we went for some shopping and in the end we chose Shri Balaji Café in Lal Kothi to get rid of our hunger pangs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve already been to this place once and that was coincidently its opening day. I was surprised by their choice of celebrity guest- Shakti Kapoor!! Haha. People were dying to get a pic with him and me and hubby were sitting calmly but surprised as well. I’d have loved to see the pretty Shraddha Kapoor there.

Our Orders and Ambience- We went their again this time as we liked the food on our first visit. This time we ordered Paneer Masala Dosa and Veg Biryani. We were little hungry even after that so we ordered a plate of Sambhar Vada as well.
The ambience is café-like with pictures of South-Indian actors on wall. The very usual looking red and silver table chairs are there. Music keeps playing in the background which I find somewhat loud and unnecessary.

What my taste buds say- Dosa was good and the accompanying sambhar, coconut chutney and the other chutney were good as well. Being a south Indian food lover I can never have enough of Dosas, Idlis, Vadas and other delicacies. I enjoyed my Dosa.

I couldn’t wait to eat so took pics after tucking in some of the food.

Biryani was just OK and didn’t taste like biryani but just like veg fried rice. Hubby makes really great biryani so we are alredy spoiled.

Sambhar Vada was quite delicious.
They offer very tasty filter coffee and we like that.
The food is not expensive at Shree Balaji Café. Good food is available at a good price. The location of café is quite good as well.
The service- The presentation of food is eye-catching. I like cleanliness and the café offers plenty of that. They have an open kitchen and this ensures good hygiene level.
Waiters dress in white T-shirts with the name of café printed on them. Service is good and fast.

The Positives-

·         Tasty food

·         Cheap

·         Hygienic conditions

·         Good service

·         Café has a good location

The Negatives-

·         The place is too small

·         Some improvement in taste is desired

Summing it up- Shree Balaji Café is a good place with good food at good price. You can go there anytime and have your fill.

Rating- 4/5

Address- B-1 District Shopping Centre, Near Laxmi Mandir Cinema, Tonk Road, Sahkar Marg, Saraswati Colony, Tonk Phatak, Jaipur
Phone: 0141-4028899
You can visit their Facebook page here
The first two pictures are taken from Google.

A great hand cream- Vivel Cell Renew- Fortify + Repair Hand Créme

Winters are great for my face as my skin starts behaving.  But my hands and legs get totally scared of winter- so dry, flaky and stretchy. To rescue my hands I got hold of my first ever Vivel product- a hand cream.

Product claims-

10x Vitamin E benefit. Repairs skin cell damage. Prevents collagen breakdown for luminous, supple skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Price-INR 99 for 50 ml

Ingredients

What I think of Vivel Cell Renew- Fortify + Repair Hand Crème
We have all seen the very beautiful Kareena Kapoor going gaga over Vivel products. But we know anyways that nothing can change anyone’s face except probably plastic surgery. I believe that good features and a glowing skin is good enough definition of physical beauty. Fairness has nothing to do with that. Such claims keep me away from ‘fair & lovely’ type products. But thankfully this hand cream promises fortification and repair and not fair hands.
Though I saw it being advertised in some magazines, I saw it in Big Bazar only recently. I immediately took it as I’ve not found any hand cream till that day, though I’ve heard of some good ones available in India.

Vivel Cell Renew- Fortify + Repair Hand Crème comes in a sturdy white plastic tube with a flip-top cap. Packaging is easy to travel with.
The cream is white and very thick. It blends easily in the skin. It has a very mild and pleasant fragrance.

My experience

My hands become really dry in winters. So I keep applying it throughout the day. It makes my hands soft and supple instantly. I am not sure about the lasting of this softness as I can’t live without washing my hands every now and then. Hardly 2 hours pass without me washing my poor hands. But yes my hands remain soft.

The Positives

·         Moisturises well

·         Economical

·         Travel-friendly packaging

·         Mild fragrance

The Negatives

·         I can’t think of any :D

Summing it up

I will repurchase it for sure and recommend it highly to all the guys and gals for soft, moisturised hands.

Rating- 5/5

Dove Elixir- Rose and Almond Oil (Hair Fall Rescue) Review

 Yesterday we went to Jal-Mahal to witness a Diwali celebration by Rajasthan tourism- Deepotsav. The setting was perfect with the grand Jal-Mahal and Mansagar Lake in background. The whole venue was lighted with more than 4000 diyas. The cultural programs presented by folk artists were good but the Sarkari arrangements had many glitches. We did not stay till the fireworks but I liked the show. Sharing an image-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now the review- Many of us do not like the idea of oiling our hair. Though I oil my hair once a week, I don’t like it much owing to my oily hair. I always keep looking for light hair oils. So it was obvious for me grab the precious hair oil by Dove which works in just 30 minutes. I got my first bottle in February this year, which still has some oil left.

Product Claims

Elixir is a luxurious blend of precious oils by Dove. Infused with real ingredients, it nourishes your hair from root to tip. This potent blend of oils has the power of overnight oiling in 30 minutes.

Price and availability- INR 185 for 90 ml. This hair oil is easily available.

Ingredients

Mineral oil, sesame seed oil, cetyl dimethicone, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, olive fruit oil, rose extract, perfume, rose flower petals, Palm oil, BHT, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, tocopheryl acetate. Contains: 16% w/w vegetable oil and 78% w/w mineral oil.

Type of material- type 3 hair oil

My thoughts

The hair oil comes in a big glass bottle with pump dispenser. Bottle is too heavy to travel with. The oil is clear and you can see rose petals floating in it. The packaging looks nice.

Dove Elixir Rose and Almond hair oil has a pleasant fragrance but a strong one.

I usually oil my hair once a week. On other times I just wash my hair without oiling it. This product claims to reduce hair fall due to breakage, dramatically. And I’m glad to say that it works though not dramatically :D. It reduced my hair fall to some extent. But it became helpless in rainy season when I experience bad hair fall.

It is lightweight and I keep it on my hair overnight as I don’t get time in the morning for oiling my hair. It does not feel overly oily and is washed off easily.

This oil can also be used as a hair serum after wash, though I’ve never tried it that way.

The Positives-

·         Reduces hair fall a bit

·         Hygienic and easy to use packaging

·         Easily available

·         Cheap

·         Lightweight

The Negatives-

·         Strong smell

·         Does not reduce hair fall ‘dramatically’

·         Not travel friendly

·         Contains too much mineral oil and less natural ingredients

Summing it up- You can try this if you have some hair fall. I don’t think that I’ll buy it again as I get bored of using the same product for a long time.

Rating- 3.5/5

My Monday Experience- Thanco’s Ice-cream and Shilpgram

Hey Guys!!

This week is turning out to be really busy for me. We are shopping and cleaning. Monday was for shopping. We went to Raja Park to shop some dry fruits from Kajuwallah. Adjacent to Kajuwallah is a beautiful Ice-cream parlour- Thanco’s Natural Ice-cream. This time we decided to give it a try.

 

 

 

The interior was minimal and lovely. A lot of flavours were on offer. I chose Tender Coconut. Hubby wanted his fav Vanilla, but had to settle for Choco-Vanilla due to unavailability.

The frozen treats were tasty. The flavour was dense and rich. My tender coconut was all coconut-ty and very delicious. Choco-vanilla was okay. The price points at the parlour were nominal, just around Rs. 50 per scoop.

The ice-creams were not as great as my dearest Baskin Robbins. But considering the price, we got a good deal.

From Thanco’s we went to Shilpgram- an exhibition in Jawahar Kala Kendra.

I had high expectations as I shop a lot from various exhibitions in Jaipur. But as soon as I entered the ground I was disappointed, as the setup didn’t look inviting. I even forgot to click. We searched all the shops. Jewellery, kurtis, suits, dupattas, handicrafts etc. were on offer. There was not much variety available. I bought just two things- a pair of earrings and a pair of pearl bangles. Prices were good but I want variety and quality.
Still I enjoyed my Monday, more so as I was with hubby dearest. He is on leave this whole week so I can’t be happier. Yesterday he was busy grilling in balcony and I loved each piece- paneer, apple, pineapple, capsicum, banana etc. so smoky and sumptuous.
I’m having a good time and wish the same to all!!

Aloe Vera Uses and Patanjali Aloe Vera Gel

We all know that Aloe Vera gel is a fantastic product. And all of us have heard about its various uses. I started using Patanjali Aloe Vera gel on my face earlier this year to get rid of tan. Recently when we shifted in our new apartment, hubby became a gardener and bought an Aloe Vera plant among others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though he sometimes uses the gel straight from the plant, I’m yet to try it. Currently I’m happy with the Patanjali one.

Price- INR 75 for 150 ml. I think this is the cheapest Aloe gel around.

Shelf-life- 18 months

Ingredients- Aloe Vera 90%, Base material q.s., Permitted colour, Vitamin E, Fragrance and Preservative q.s.

My thoughts-The gel is packaged in a clear tube with orange flip-top cap. Pack is kind of boring and bulky but cap is tight and prevents spilling. The gel is green in colour and is neither runny nor thick.

 This gel blends easily and doesn’t cause greasiness. It helps in tan reduction. One tube lasts really long, making it even cheaper. I like this product.

Aloe gel can be used in numerous ways-

·         Make a body scrub by mixing 2 tbsp Aloe Vera gel, 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp sugar. I prefer brown sugar as it is not very coarse.

·         Make a good under eye cream- 4 tbsp aloe vera gel+  squeeze one 1 Vitamin E capsule (e.g. Evion) + 1 tbsp almond oil. Mix these together and you will get a milky green cream. Store it and use to reduce dark circles. I use it daily and like it.

·         You can aloe vera gel instead of body-lotions. It hydrates without stickiness.

·         Make your own face-primer- take aloe gel and your favourite moisturizer, add a pump of foundation and mix. Store it and use it as your makeup base. This one is perfect. Just make sure to add more aloe vera gel and comparatively less moisturizer.

·         Aloe gel is a good makeup remover and can be used to remove eye makeup as well.

·         For better hair-growth massage aloe gel on scalp and wash after 30 minutes. It can also be used as conditioner. I’d suggest to use gel straight out of plant for this purpose.

It also helps in treating minor burns, pimples and suits every skin type. Aloe Vera juice is good for digestive system also. There are many more benefits of Aloe Vera, so make it a part of your regimen and keep glowing!!

(The first image has been taken from internet)