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Tag: Christmas

Festive After The Festivities: Why You Need A Friendmas

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Christmas is a time for family. We travel back to our home towns, see our parents, swap gossip with old acquaintances. This is all absolutely lovely, but it does mean that — year after year — we don’t see our friends on Christmas Day itself.

 

Thankfully, there’s a perfect solution: Friendmas, which can be to Christmas what Friendsgiving is to Thanksgiving. Get together with your friends before New Year and recreate the magic of Christmas Day in five easy steps.

 

Step One: Cook something everyone likes

 

Ham, turkey, or vegetarian options; find a big ‘roast’ style meal that you can all help to prepare, and can be served while seated around a standard dining table. This really does create a Christmassy feel, and you’ll be guaranteed great food too.

 

Step Two: Swap gifts

 

Sure it’s nice to be able to open your friend’s gifts on Christmas Day when you’re with your families, but it’s even nicer to be able to open them together on your own special Friendmas.

 

Step Three: Play a board or card game

 

If you want to recreate the true Christmas Day experience, then a board or card game is an absolute must, and a round of charades is a great idea as well. This helps to bring a real sense of authenticity to the day itself, and it’s a lot of fun for all involved.

 

Step Four: Movies and conversation

 

Finish off the evening in front of a Christmas movie you’ve all seen a thousand times before, idly chatting about what your dream Christmas movies would be. What would your choice be? Sunny have come up with the idea below and it’s a cracker, don’t you think?

 


Infographic Design By Sunny

Christmas Recipes from The Bristol, Gurgaon

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Christmas Recipes

 

Red Velvet Pancake

 

 

Ingredients                                              Quantity

 

10 cups all-purpose flour- 1/2 Cup [Chopped]

Sugar- 1-1/4 Cups

Baking Cocoa- 2/3 Cups

Baking Soda- 6 tsp

Baking Powder- 4 tsp

Salt- 5 tsp

 

Additional Ingredients (for each batch)

 

Buttermilk – 2 cups

Eggs -2

Red food coloring – 2 tsp

Butter and maple syrup

 

Method

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt all together.
  • Place 2 cups in each of five resalable plastic bags or containers.
  • Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months

To prepare pancakes

  • Pour the mixed ingredients into a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and food coloring.
  • Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
  • Pour batter by 1/4 cupful’s onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top.
  • Cook until the second side is golden brown.
  • Serve with butter and syrup.

 

Mocha Cashew Butter

Ingredients                                                              Quantity

 

Salted Cashews -3 cups

Softened Butter- 1/2 cup

Semisweet Chocolate Chips- 1/2 cup

Instant Coffee Granules -2 tsp

Water -2 tsp

Salted Cashews (optional)

 

Method

  • Place cashews in a food processor.
  • Cover and process until finely ground.
  • Add half of the butter; process until smooth.
  • Transfer to a small bowl.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, coffee granules, water along with remaining butter.
  • Cook and stir over low heat until smooth.
  • Stir into cashew mixture.
  • Top with additional cashews if desired.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

 

Mother Christmas Cake

Ingredients                                                              Quantity

 

Chopped Peeled Tart Apples (about 2 large) -3 cups

Sugar -2 cups

Apple Juice – 1/2 cup

Eggs -3

Vegetable Oil -3/4 cup

Vanilla Extracts- 1 tsp

All-purpose Flour -3 cups

Apple Pie Spice (Cinnamon)-2 tsp

Salt -1 tsp

Coarsely Chopped Pecans -2 cups

Candied Red Cherries, halved- 1/2 pound

Candied Green Cherries, halved- 1/2 pound

Diced Candied Pineapple – 1/2 pound

Salted Cashews (optional)

 

Method

  • Line three 8×4-inch loaf pans with waxed paper
  • Grease the paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar and apple juice; let stand for 15 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla.
  • Add to apple mixture; mix well.
  • Combine the flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and salt; add to apple mixture and mix well.
  • Fold in pecans, cherries and pineapple.
  • Pour into prepared pans.
  • Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  • Remove waxed paper.
  • Cool completely.

Tech Gifts for the Whole Family

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Image source

 

Do you have a family full of tech addicts? Are you not sure what gift to get them to bring joy to their faces come Christmas morning? Check out this great guide to tech gifts for the whole family:

 

An iPhone X for Mom

 

Does your mom love keeping tabs on the rest of the family? Does she love being able to keep in touch with all of you at the touch of a button? How about embarrassing you on Facebook? If so, then you can bet she’d love to receive a brand new iPhone X, which will allow here to do that and a whole lot more in style.

 

A Segway for the Teenage Boy

 

When it comes to teenage boys, there are a whole lot of options, from games consoles to iPads that are sure to impress., but if you want to really blow them away on Christmas morn’, then go for the less obvious – give them the gift of a Segway. You might be thinking at this point that Segways are for tourists only and they aren’t exactly cool, but if you get more info on them here, you’ll see that Segways are the new hoverboards. They’re cool, unique and great for lazy young lads!

 

The Fuji Instax for Your Teenage Girl

Image source

 

If the teenage girl in your life loves taking selfies or artful pictures of the world around here, giver her a taste of old-school photography by purchasing her there Fuji Instax, which as well as being a fun little camera, also comes in pretty pastel colors. She’ll love it.

 

A Drone for Dad

 

He Might be all grown up, but if you know at heart, your dad is just a big kid, if he enjoys watching airplane documentaries and if he’s into gadgets, you can’t go wrong with one of the newer drones on the market, which will awaken his inner kid and ensure he has fun on Christmas Day.

 

The LeapPad3 for the Little One

 

The LeapPad3, which you can learn more about here is a great little gadget for little ones who are already showing an interest in tech. It’s a device that is totally safe for them to use and which gives them access to over 1200 games, ebooks and apps to keep them happy for the foreseeable future. Plus, you won’t have to keep handing over your own iPad for them to play with!

 

An iPad for the Grandparents

Image source

If your grandparents aren’t already online, then it’s time to change that by gifting them an iPad or whichever tablet you prefer, so that they can learn how to surf the web, enrich their lives and yes, facetime with you and the rest of the family. It’s becoming increasingly important to be able to access the internet effectively, so do this for them now. Even better, buy them an iPad and spend the time showing them how to use it and letting them now all of the functions it can perform.

 

It’s going to be an amazing Christmas with these gifts in your family’s stockings!

 

 

The 2017 Christmas Gaming Gift Guide

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

(Image Source)

 

For those with loved ones who are interested in gaming, Christmas is almost always a hard time of year. With an industry like this, it can be impossible to know what’s best when you don’t have any experience, and this leaves a lot of parents stuck in a rut. To help you out with this, this post is going to be exploring some of the most popular gaming options out there, along with a rundown of their features and benefits over their competitors. With this in mind, your job should be a lot easier this Christmas.

 

  • The Xbox One X

 

Since the release of the Xbox One, there have been two revisions to make the console a lot better. Now, this has left the world with the Xbox One X; a console which is claimed to be 40% more powerful than any other on the market. Using this power, the One X is able to handle 4K rendering, along with incredibly high-quality textures in the games you play.

 

The Xbox One X may be the most powerful out there, but it is also the most expensive, and this will be a serious turn off for a lot of people. Along with this, games aren’t transferrable, and future updates could come with steep costs. It is always worth being aware of changes like this, as they could impact your experience in the future.

 

  • The PlayStation 4 Pro

 

Like the Xbox, the PlayStation 4 Pro is the most powerful console Sony has ever made. Boasting 4K performance, this little console has loads of performance under the hood, and a lot of games work extremely well with it. The Pro’s GPU is significantly more powerful than the older model, and this is where all of the new juice comes from.

 

This console is a little cheaper than the Xbox but doesn’t have quite the same level of performance. Along with this, games will be equally as locked down, and a lot of people will struggle to have fun with the restrictions they have. This can make it impossible for a child to get their hands on the games they’d like to pay.

 

  • The Nintendo Switch

 

Nintendo has had a long history of taking the gaming industry by storm with a weird and unique concept. The Switch is no exception to this, and is one of their oddest designs to date. Offering the chance to have a handheld or desktop console, this option is great for those on the go, especially when kids are involved. A lot of people are very excited about the lineup for this product. Of course, though, you’ll need to make sure you’re getting what the kids want.

 

Somehow, over the years, Nintendo’s prices have barely moved. Instead, as they have made improvements, their prices have stayed the same, and this makes some of their goods incredibly good value. The Switch falls into this category, even though the games will all be locked to a single device. Thankfully, the portability of the device makes not being able to share games much more forgivable.

 

  • A Simple Phone

 

Nowadays, almost everyone has an extremely powerful phone in their pocket, and this is a market which a lot of parents or gift-givers won’t consider. Games, like Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire, have been designed to run perfectly on these devices, and don’t lack the excitement regular video games provide. This sort of option is great for parents who don’t want to invest in a television alongside their console.

 

  • The Mighty Computer

 

Finally, as the last option to consider, a lot of people don’t see a computer as a gaming device, nowadays. In reality, though, this sort of machine is perfect for gaming, and will often outperform all of the consoles on this list. With new processors and GPUs coming out all the time, there is good reason to think about this sort of option. For a child, this sort of experience could be too intense, and a console would be much better. But, for adults, games like CoD and Battlefront will be much better on PC.

(Image Credit)

 

Hopefully, this post will give you everything you need to start your Christmas console shopping for this year. A lot of people find themselves struggling for ideas when their friends or family members are gamers. With this list in mind, though, it should be nice and easy to start making the right choices in this area. Of course, they will probably give you some idea, anyway.

Happy New Years Becomes More Happy with Handikart..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Deck up your rooms, foyer, kitchen and outdoor with the stunning home décor range from Handikart.co.in !! As Christmas and New Year is around the corner, Handikart India brings to you an array of beautiful and attractive décor accessories to put you in the holiday spirit.

To begin with the outdoors – Handikart offers plenty of lawn decorations for all of your neighbors to enjoy every day of the holiday season. Hanging Planters, Bamboo Chandeliers, Flower Vases, Rugs are some of the offerings. To bring festivities indoors, Handikart has everything you need to decorate your kitchen, bedroom, living room and hallway. Check out the Glass and Leather Lamps, Bamboo and Cane Chandeliers, Canisters in Blue and Black Pottery, Hand woven rugs and more to bring the holiday cheer to your house.

Buy assorted products from the exquisite range with coupon code HND2017HNY before 8th Jan 2017 and get flat 20% discount on all items #GrabNow

Over 1000 handcrafted products across 27 categories are available from traditional local artisans across the country. From Gorara Stone’s fine carvings to intricate Zardozi boxes of Old Agra; from Sambhal’s hand-made camel bone jewellery boxes to north east’s eco-friendly bamboo and cane products; from Orissa’s Palm leaf art and Pattachitra art to Bhadohi’s Shikauli baskets, Handikart is truly a place where Indian essence comes alive.

The entire collection starts from Rs. 200 and is up for grab from 1st Dec, 2016 till 8th Jan, 2017 with free home delivery across India. So Hurry!

For more information visit – http://www.handikart.co.in/

Few Products from the collection:

  • Celestial Bamboo Table Lamp: This unique table lamp has been artistically handcrafted. It has natural color and carved beautifully to give a sheen appearance. This lamp shade is made up of Bamboo.

Price – Rs. 3,280

Price: Rs. 760

  • Camel Terracotta Planter Needed something light & airy to keep plants in so set to work on theses clay planters? Since these are living plants it was important for me to make something for them to thrive in. With air-dry clay spray paint artisans are able to create new homes for the plants that are conducive to their growth as well as being pleasing to the eye the planters are perfect to get the job done. Handicraft presents the beautifully designed planter. Terracotta planters are sturdy elegantly designed and long lasting.

Price: Rs. 1,280

  • Bamboo Bear Mug: Bring on the good times with this bamboo handcrafted Mugs brought to you by the artisans of north east. Durable light weight and super funky these are heat resistant and can be used for hot beverages as well.

Price: starts from Rs. 300 each

  • Dancing Hanging Frog: Let the world be and synchronize your footsteps just like this Dancing Green Frog Figurine which is designed with finest details and highest quality! This Dancing Frog is made up of Wrought Iron wearing Specks complimenting his pepe mood.

Price: Rs. 2,030

  • Starnet Table Lamp: The product is a Table Lamp Shade. The frame is made with treated bamboo and the Shade is made with Soraai Khujiya Design Nets. No iron nails has been used making it rust proof. The Bamboo used in the manufacture of the lamp is treated against termites as per the CBTC guidelines. The artisans of Assam and Tripura brings together creativity, innovation and vision made tangible in its eco-friendly, resilient handicraft products. Handikart provides a showcase for the innate skills of local artisans. It takes the best raw materials (bamboo, water hyacinth, cane) available in north-east India and treats them with modern scientific methods to ensure that it retains its natural strength and looks for a long time.

Price – Rs. 760

  • Lantern Candle Holder: Beautiful arctic colour tea light candle holder hand-crafted metal & glass for home decor or gifting. Decorate your house bright and beautifully with this candle holder. Simply place a candle on this holder and light it up to spruce up the atmosphere in your living room. You can also gift these candle holders to your loved ones.

Price: Rs. 560

 

About Handikart.co.in:

Handikart being a team of Handicrafts lover itself believe in choosing the best and authentic handicrafts from all over India. Our primary focus is on product quality and great service making us leading online handicraft seller in India.

Our online handicraft store encompasses a vast variety of elegant and genuine handicraft products from all over the India. Our Vision is to reach to the masses that are looking for only and only genuine handicraft items for their home decor and also to represent those untouched & underprivileged artisans from various parts of India. We deal in those products that are part of Indian Handicraft history for a very long time.

 

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