Category: Travel

Brisk Breakfast · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Instant & Healthy Oats Masala Idlis. (Savoury Steamed Cakes made with Oats, Semolina, Carrots & Spices)

Shoba31 Comments

Idlis are always a welcome breakfast at home as both my daughters love to have them, steaming hot and with a generous spill of  ghee melted to a sunshine golden yellow, and some sugar sprinkled on top of that. YUM…is the only word she keeps re-iterating again and again. When she was smaller, and hadnt started talking, she would simply finish off the idlis in minutes, and sometimes, lick the little  bowl clean of all the ghee and sugar…only moments after my head is turned to wash my hands and pick up the little one to wash and wipe her face!!! She is almost 7 now and she still loves them. The other day I had made Rava Idlis, and she simply refused to touch them. I had added peas, carrots and onions but it was of no use. She wanted white soft plain idlis and that was that. This weekend, I tried my oats idlis with the added incentive that I would flavour it with yoghurt/buttermilk. She was willing to give it a go. I used the same method as I would for the Rava Idlis, only I substituted most of the rava, with oats. No rice…at all, no fermenting, and pretty much on the go. Give it a try and you`ll realise just how delish it is. My daughter thought so too..

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats.

1 Cup Rava.

1 Carrot Grated.

1 Onion finely diced. (Optional).

1 Tbsp Coconut Powder/ Fresh Grated Coconut.

3 Cups Diluted Buttermilk. (The more sour, the  more tastier).

1 Tsp Baking Soda.

Salt to taste.

Hing.

A handful of finely chopped cilantro.

2 Tsp Flax seed powder.

Seasoning:

Mustard.

Curry Leaves.

Cashew Nuts Chopped.(Optional).

Hing.

2 Green Chillies chopped finely.

PREPARATION:

  • Roast the 2 cups of old fashioned oats in a dry and hot tava for 4-5 minutes on medium low flame. Set aside.
  • Roast the 1 cup of rava/semolina for 3 minutes until you get the aroma. Set aside.
  • Powder the oats coarsely in the mixer, take care that you don`t powder it too fine. The coarseness adds a lot of character to the final dish, in my opinion.
  • In a mixing bowl add powdered oats, rava, salt, hing, coconut powder, flaxseed powder and finely chopped cilantro.
  • In a kadai add a spoon of oil and when hot add cashew nuts, green chillies, curry leaves,mustard seeds and hing. When it comes together toss it in to the bowl along with the other ingredients.
  • Add the 2 cups of  buttermilk and with the third cup, add it little by little so that the batter does not become runny. The consistency should be like the batter of rava idlis. You should be able to pour and it will fall slowly.

  • Mix in all the ingredients well and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes as this works on the baking soda and airs the batter a little.
  • Grease idli plates and pour out the dough , steam in pressure cooker WITHOUT WEIGHT for 10-12 minutes.
  • Switch off the cooker and after 2-3 minutes remove the plates.
  • Splash a few drops of water on the idlis and using a spoon dipped in water, slowly scoop out the Oats Idlis.
  • Serve piping hot Oats Idlis with Tomato Peanut Chutney.

HINTS:

  1. I used diluted buttermilk as I wanted the Idlis to be light and fluffy. Feel free to use regular buttermilk or beaten curd diluted with water.
  2. Onions are completely optional. I used it for an extra zing on the taste.
  3. Cashew Nuts and flax seed powder  are also an optional additions. I use flax seed powder mainly for the fibre content.
  4. The consistency largely depends on the kind and brand of rava, oats and other ingredients. Take the water measurements as a benchmark and experiment on the kitchens!!!



Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Spiced Mini Kozhukattais. (Mini Kozhukattais spiced with Spicy Dhal Powder)

Shoba11 Comments

Mini Kozhukattais are an easy anytime quick fix snack. With the advancement in recent years, one can get clean rice flour which chops away many laborious steps in preparation of many delicacies having this flour as the base. In earlier days, one had to clean the rice, wash it well and painstakingly dry it on a clean white cloth to absorb all the extra moisture. Then one had to have it crushed to a fine powder in the local rice flour mill. Right after this process, one  had to make sure that the ground flour is not kept closed as this might cause condensation inside the vessel, which in turn would bring the moisture back in to the flour. Now all one has to do is to drive by to the local indian store and pick up a packet of Rice Flour. Agreed, that there is a definite loss in flavour with the short cuts, but at least it makes life a lot more easier.

My daughter and husband love the Ammini Kozhakattais that I so often make on the spur of a moment. I wanted a quick fix filling snack last sunday evening and I was tempted to make Bhajjis. But, with the consideration to the ever expanding waist lines, I decided against it. Then my mind came back to Ammini Kozhakkatais. My daughter loves to roll the dough in to little bite sized balls. Once the balls were steamed, I wanted to give it a little twist. I must tell you that they were downright delicious and  novel. This is for you to try too…

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Rice Flour.

2 cups of water.

1 Tsp levelled of Salt.

2 Spoons of Coconut Oil.

Mustard, Curry Leaves, Chopped Green Chillies, Broken Urad Dhal for seasoning.

3-4 spoons of Home Made Dhal Powder.( Paruppu Podi).

PREPARATION:

  • In a kadai, pour the water, add coconut oil and salt and allow to boil.
  • Immediatly, simmer the stove and add the measured 1 cup of rice flour in to the water very slowly stirring at all times with a whisk.
  • Use a whisk and remove all the clots quickly.
  • With a spatula, rapidly stir in the mixture as it will thicken using the water to cook the rice flour.
  • As before, keep stirring until you see that the water is all used up and the entire batter scoops up in your ladle as a single mass.
  • Switch off the gas and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • Add 1-2 spoons of coconut oil and knead well to form a homogenous ball. This is the most important step in the whole process as this removes all the cracks and makes a smooth dough.
  • Greasing your hands, shape it in to smaller balls, say, the size of naphthalene balls and keep covered in a bowl.
  • Complete the dough by making small balls and arrange on greased idli plates.
  • Steam them in the pressure cooker without weight for 10 minutes on high. As they have already been cooked once, it will cook in the steam pretty fast.
  • Once the cooker is switched off, wait for a few minutes to open.
  • In a kadai, add 2 spoons of oil. When hot, add broken urad dhal, mustard, green chillies, hing and curry leaves.
  • Drop the kozhukattais and mix well.
  • Then pop in 3-4  spoons of Dhal Powder. Mix well.
  • Delicious Spiced Mini/Ammini Kozhakattais are ready to be served.

HINTS:

  • I dabbed the mini kozhakkattais with home made Dhal Powder.
  • You can also use Puliyodharai Powder which is store bought.
  • Another variation in taste can be achieved with Gun Powder or Molagai Podi/ Curry leaves Powder.
  • Sprinkle your favourite curry powder and enjoy the delicious taste it lends to the Mini Kozhakattais.
Kid Friendly Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Back after a Break – Simple Steamed Jumbo Peanuts & Memories!!!!

Shoba13 Comments

Hot Steamed Jumbo Peanuts!

It has been a very busy break for me, having another baby after 6 years!!! I have almost forgotten the simple and joyous , yet difficult times of having a newborn in the home!  Sleep times and wakeup calls are completly regulated by her and so are the schedules of the rest of the day. Yet, when I see her face, calm in her sleep, a smile now and then,  I realise its worth every pain I have gone through…a million times over!!!!

Last night I was browsing the aggregator, and found Srivalli`s posting for MLLA – 18. And I realised that I had the perfect yet simple post for for her event!!! Steamed Jumbo Peanuts….Memories of this goes as back as when we were little toddlers and Madurai amma used to steam them in the cooker for us to have when we get home in the evenings. It would always be a pleasure to sit with my siblings, chat up about the happenngs of the day and catch up with each other.Summer vacations are never complete without all the cousins, sharing a plate of steamed peanuts!!!

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Jumbo Peanuts.

Water

Salt.

PREPARATION:

  • Wash the raw peanuts well and pop them in to the pressure cooker with just enough water to cover them.
  • Add salt to the peanuts and give it a good stir.
  • Switch on the gas and when there is enough steam, put the weight.
  • In India, the raw peanuts  have a thin skin, so all it needs is just one whistle.
  • Here, the peanuts have a thick skin and so I allow three whistles.
  • Switch off and when ready, open the cooker and have juicy salted soft steamed peanuts.
  • Healthy snack for kids when they are  back from school and a great idea for picnics and weekend drives.

Sending loads of steamed peanuts to MLLA – 18`th helping event at Srivalli`s Cooking4AllSeasons, brainchild of Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

Easy LunchBox Series. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Soft Fluffy Pooris – Comfort Foods!!!

Shoba9 Comments
Poori with Madras Masal.
Poori with Madras Masal.

Pooris are a favourite everywhere. My husband loves pooris and would welcome the idea If I could fnd a way to make it for him everyday!!! Pooris are a part of my childhood, as they are special sunday tiffin preps. Sunday evenings, with piping hot pooris and masal and a cup of coffee….They were also an easy day-ahead preperatory travel foods. Mom would make soft fluffy pooris and wrap them up in a layer of banana leaf and insulate them by wrapping them n newspapers – Just like in the hotels. Pooris are great with channa, masal, pickle and hey even sugar, when I was a little girl! My little one has it with Nutella or Apple Butter….

I am guessing the secret to make soft fluffy pooris is in the making of good dough thats well knead. And there is also this frying technique….Let`s go over it here. I also use a Poori Press that I bought from the Patels in Devon Avenue, Chicago for a mere 8 bucks. The best part of using the Poori Press is that even after frying 40 pooris, ,the oil stays clean and without a speck. Kneading the dough well, would anyway render soft pooris on using the manual belan or rolling pin.

Poori making in the Poori Press.
Poori making in the Poori Press.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 spoons of salt

Water as accordingly.

Oil to fry the Pooris.

PREPARATION:

  • Pour only sufficient water and knead the dough well to make a smooth ball.
  • The dough should not be sticky and not too dry too.
  • Cover and  keep for at least ten minutes, and roll in to small lime sized balls.
  • Use the Poori Press and make pooris which are uniform in texture and shape.
Rolled out Pooris ready to be fried.
Rolled out Pooris ready to be fried.
  • Pour out the oil in to the kadai, and allow it to heat. The oil should be hot but not smoke.
  • Gently slip in the poori and allow a second for it to cook. Gently press the poori with the back of the ladle and allow it to fluff.
  • Now turn over and allow to cook on the other side.
  • Drain out the excess oil and place the fried pooris in a container lined with kitchen tissue to wear out the excess oil.
  • Serve Hot with Madras Poori Masal.

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This is my entry for JFI-Wheat which is a brainchild of Mahanadi and hosted by RomaSpace.

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Easy LunchBox Series. · Rice Varieties. · Travel

Amma`s Easy ‘N’ Colourful Vegetable Pulav.

Shoba3 Comments
Colourful Vegetable Rice.
Colourful Vegetable Rice.

This was the Vegetble Rice that my mum used to make on those special sundays for lunch. Sunday mornings would be normally filled with strict timelines as all of us would want to have our oil baths and water would some times be restricted to specified times in the summer. A filling lunch of Amma`s Vegetable Rice, with Raita would always be something to look forward to. She always adds beetroot, which renders a special reddish tinge to the whole dish. It is very simple and easy and pretty much can be made with any vegetable thats available on hand.

I would cut the veggies in to little cubes for her,and this would make the whole thing very easy. It`s a wholesome, easy, colourful and filling lunch and I always pack it for long drives and potlucks!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of basmati rice cooked.

1 Medium Onion chopped in to little pieces.

1 cup of finely diced potatoes.

1 cup of cauliflower florets.

1 cup of finely chopped carrots.

1/2 cup of chopped beetroot.

1/2 cup of peas.

1/2 cup of beans.

A pinch of turmeric.

1 spoon of red chilli powder.

Garam Masala Powder to taste.

Salt

3 slices of bread. (Optional)

Chopped Corriander to garnish.

Jeera and Star Anise to season.

PREPARATION:

  • Keep the cooked basmati rice to cool so it does not get sticky with the starch.
  • Take a wide mouthed kadai and add 2 spoons of ghee/oil and allow to get hot. When done, add jeera, star anise and curry leaves and immediately add the chopped onions.
  • You could pre-cook the potatoes, carrots, beetroots and cauliflower in the microwave for 4 minutes to it saves cooking time on the stove.
  • When the onions are well cooked, add all the veggies.
  • Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and a little garam masala and mix well.
  • Keep the flame on medium and allow the veggies to get cooked well.
  • Cut the bread slices in to big squares and lightly fry them in a spoon of ghee. Set aside.
  • When the vegetables are cooked, add the basmati rice, salt, a little more garam masala and stir in well.
  • Finally add the fried bread pieces and mix it in and garnish with chopped corriander.
  • Serve Hot with mixed vegetable raitha.

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Travel

The Scenic Ozarks…..Lunch, Dams & a lovely Dinner!!!

Shoba9 Comments

There was this trip that we went in Spring last year to the Ozarks….It was my first spring trip ever in the midwest and I was in no way prepared to see such colours and spring flowers….There were hues of purples, reds, pinks, yellows, whites and what nots in the lovely highway 54W  from St.Louis to Osage Beach. It was a lovely warm weekend of May 2008 and the drive was all that I had not expected it to be….It was scenic, peaceful and had bursts of colours everywhere.

Spring blooms by the Lake of the Ozarks.
Spring blooms by the Lake of the Ozarks.

The Lakes offer a variety of water recreation like boating, diving, fishing and watersports like jet skiing etc. The number of tourists who come here every year has been steadily increasing and so are the vacation rental homes and quaint little cabins that have sprung up everywhere in this area.  On this trip,I had packed a filling lunch of Puliyodharai, fried Vadams and delicious curd rice seasoned with chillies, mustard and ginger. We directly drove to the lake and found a lovely gazebo overlooking the scenic lake of ozarks….My husband and daughter spent some time gazing at the lovely lake and the specks of boats where people had driven here to enjoy some time on the calms lakes. We had our lunch gazing at the pristine calming waters of the Lake….Watching any water body has this calming effect on me – makes me realise that nature is so much more packed with power and nothing  man made can match to its greatness any day.

The Gazebo overlooking the Lake.
The Gazebo overlooking the Lake.

After a filling lunch, we gazed at many more wildflowers and saw this tree filled with leaves of red and dark amber. It was not fall, all the way to spring, but this particular tree struck out as it`s every leaf was a deep shade of crimson red. From the lakeside we accidentally drove to an overlook that provided a spectacular view of The Bagnell Dam and the lazy horseshoe bend of the Osage River. It was a spectacular sight to see the Dam which had impounded the Osage River, as there was an enormous amount of water, with a view to harnessing it for hydro electric power  to create the Lake of Ozarks. In fact, the write up on the Dam even mentioned that the Dam changed the course of the mighty Osage River itself over the years,…

The Bagnell Dam and the Osage River as seen from the Ovelook.
The Bagnell Dam and the Osage River as seen from the Ovelook.

After witnessing this mighty Dam, I definitely wanted to drive through the Dam, to get the feeling of the wind on my face…it was a lovely moment as we zipped past the dam, feeling the wind on my face, and hearing the constant gushing of the Osage waters. The Bagnell Dam Park also had many bits of information for us to read up on….about what happened more than 70 years ago!!!

Spring flowers in the Dam...
Spring flowers in the Park .

I don’t think we had a plan to visit the Chelsea Premium Outlets originally, but some of my friends had made me feel  that a trip to the Osage Beach was not complete without going to the Outlets, that I quickly succumbed to temptation and found myself parking in the lot there….”just a few stores, ” I told myself and to my husband…and he was already smiling…I guess he knew me…The Children`s Place here is pretty massive and seemed to be awash with deals – I remember grabbing strawberry shaped belts,sparkly slippers, and clothes and skirts for my daughter for 99c !!! I even found a summery black chiffon dress with lovely yellow sunflowers on them for a dollar! It was stupendous!!!

The Mall had a lot of interesting stores -Bass, Liz Claiborne, Hush Puppies, Rue 21, Crocs, Coach, lancome, Oneida, Bose, BCNG, and one that I particularly loved was the The Osage River Pop Corn Company who supply the highest quality of gourmet popcorn available. I loved the Jalapeno, Caramel Pecan and Butterscotch and I remember packing a little tin for back home.My daughter found it particularly amazing to see a vendor holding little cones of crushed ice, on which he would squirt a patch of syrup – her first Sno-Cone, of the many that she would have all summer….She had a taste of Blueberry Sno-Cone and laughed with glee at her blue coloured teeth and lips…

Dinner was a particularly unhurried affair as my husband had already planned for someplace special – not because of it being a high footed, expensive restaurant but more for the gourmet food and the spectacular view…There was unhurried driving through curving, picturesque roads, flanked by green golf courses on either side and that evening particularly, the sun shone, mellowed in a lovely shade of  pinkish amber.

Winding roads to Ruthie d`s ...with the view of a beautiful sunset...
Winding roads to Ruthie d`s ...with the view of a beautiful sunset...

This place called Ruthie  D`s had a beautiful view of the Ozark Mountains as the backdrop overlooking it, on their lounge. There are some moments in our life, which are best left to capture with our eyes and drink in….silently. It would not do any good to try and capture those moments on a camera – it would never even begin to explain the granduer of the picture in the mind`s eye….the view of the mountain from the restaurant , was one such . I can simply close my eyes, and feel the beauty of those minutes, as we sat there, enjoying our food and the view. The food was exceptionally delicious, the service impeccable, the view extra ordinary, and the meal itself, very gratifying and fulfilling.

The drive back home to St.Louis, was very quick and sweet with the memories of the day in our hearts and the joy in our souls knew no bounds…

Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Ten Minute Lemon and Tamarind Sevai.

Shoba2 Comments
Ten Minute Lemon & Tamarind Sevai.
Ten Minute Lemon & Tamarind Sevai.

Rice sticks are as I already mentioned one of the things that I always have handy in my kitchen pantry. Whenever things run late, or there is no time to make an elaborate dinner, my first option would be rice sticks.I have already made Quick Mango Lemon Sevai in my previous posts.  I some times use the 777 Dhideer Sevai or the Special Bihon  rice sticks from the chinese section from a global market or a chinese store. They all use the same ingredients  rice, cornstarch and water. All you need to do it so put a pot of water to boil with some salt and a few drops of coconut oil ( I love the flavour and aroma). Pop a whole bag and cook it only for 2 minutes  and set to drain on a collander. Since the rice sticks are extremely thin, make sure not to overcook them. The oil in the water, prevents them from sticking to each other.

Once the rice sticks are done, the seasonings in to flavouring  them should be done as soon as possible.  I had made lemon sevai and tamarind sevai for dinner yesI:terday. These are the quick recipes for the same.

LEMON SEVAI:

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INGREDIENTS:

1 pack of rice sticks.

1 Lemon

3-4 chopped green chillies.

Curry Leaves.

Bengal Gram

Salt to taste

Turmeric.

Hing.

PREPARATION:

  • In a kadai, add 2 spoons of oil and when hot, add bengal gram, chopped green chillies, hing, curry leaves and turmeric.  Make sure that the turmeric does not burn.
  • Switch off the flame and add the cooked rice sticks/sevai to the kadai. Mix well taking care that the sticks dont break when they are getting stirred. Add adequate salt.
  • Squeeze the juice from the lemon according to taste.
  • Serve Hot with mango pickle.

TAMARIND SEVAI:

Traditionally this was the recipe used to make tamarind sevai, but many times, I simply use store bought Pulikachal Mix or home made Puliyodharai.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice sticks cooked.

A small gooseberry shaped tamarind ball soaked in 3 spoons of water and warmed.

3-4 red chillies.

Curry Leaves.

Hing.

PREPARATION:

  • In the mixer, grind soaked tamarind, red chillies, salt and hing to a fine paste.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot, add mustard, curry leaves and this ground paste.
  • Saute the paste in the oil until its well cooked. As the tamarind is used raw this helps in cooking the ground paste.
  • When well done, switch off the stove and add cooked rice sticks and stir well.
  • Alternatively, if you have store bought pulikachal mix simply mix it in to the cooked sevai and add some seasoning with mustard and curry leaves for added flavour and moisture.
Travel

Katy Trail, Cycling & My Grandpa`s Farm.

Shoba7 Comments
Lovely auburn flowers in winter???
Lovely auburn flowers in winter???

Exploring Katy Trail in Missouri was something that we always looked forward to,  as many travelogues and  magazine, waxed eloquence on the beauty of this place. When we sought out  information, on the internet, we could not find any site, that gave us consolidated information on the facilities, views, points of interests etc. This blog, is an effort towards just that – A write up on the beauty of the Katy Trail, as seen through my eyes….

Katy Trail State Park is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as the Katy). When the railroad decided to cease operation on its route, it presented the chance to create an extraordinary recreational opportunity — a long-distance hiking and bicycling trail that would run almost 200 miles across the state. This was a completely ingenious idea as it presented itself as a milestone in hiking and bicycling for many nature enthusiasts. As this corridor, runs all along the banks of the River Missouri, its very scenic during all the seasons of the year. In summer, the trail bursts with wildflowers and the trees are filled with ripe fruits and leaves and its really a pleasure to walk or cycle along the trail.  The visitors to this area, have many options to explore the beauty along the trail. One can drive up to Defiance, Missouri and rent bicycles at Katy Bike Rental. The cycles are well maintained and parents have options of child-carts and tag-a-longs for the kids. Thee are also kids bicycles which enables a full outing for the entire family. The tag-a-longs are closed so the child is protected from the sun and wind.

Tag-along for kids.
Tag-along for kids-Pic courtesy Katy Bike Rental.

The trail allows users to travel through some of the most scenic areas of the state. The majority of the trail closely follows the route of the Missouri River so hikers and bicyclists often find themselves with the river on one side and towering bluffs on the other. The trail travels through many types of landscapes including dense forests, wetlands, deep valleys, remnant prairies, open pastureland and gently rolling farm fields. In the spring, the trail is brightened with flowering dogwood and redbud, while the fall is colored with the rich reds and oranges of sugar maple, sumac and bittersweet. The summers are of course very beautiful where one can see all the forest areas in full bloom.  You could also see scurrying bunnies and little baby turtles, walking along the trail, at their own pace. The Klondike State Park spread across 250 acres, between the cities of Defiance and Augusta, on the historic highway 94, is a place to be visited on its  own. Once a site for silica sand quarry, now offers trail enthusiasts many options for family get-togethers, with a scenic lake, picnics, parks, tent camping, trekking, trails and play areas.

Ice frozen on the Klondike Park Lake.
Ice frozen on the Klondike Park Lake.

Another of my favourite spots along the Katy Trail is “My Grandpa`s Farm”. Its a small quaint farm, originally owned by the Daniel Boone run by a couple, who live there. The farm runs all through spring from the 15`th of March up until  Thanksgiving.  In spring and summer, the farm supplies refreshments like” Sno-cones” – crushed ice flavoured with berry, lemon syrup to the parched bicyclists. They also serve quaint lunches and dinners. They grow organic tomatoes, pears, apples, raspberries, peaches and lemons. They also raise ponies, horses, chickens and hens and get fresh eggs from them.

My Grandpa`s Farm
My Grandpa`s Farm

They make Apple Butter, peach Butter and strawberry and raspberry preserves,  which are bottled and sold at their lovely little store. The salas, made from the organic home grown tomatoes, are extremely tasty and also available to buy. A drive to Augusta, is never complete without a visit to “My grandpa`s Farm”, and we never miss the home made delicious hash browns served with Meduim Salsa.

Augusta also comes under the Missouri Wine Country, so the Highway 94 is filled with so many quaint lovely wine tasting outlets. A fall drive along this lovely highway, is a feast for the eyes, as one ambles across miles and miles of plains and hills dotted with trees, all coloured with fall foliage. On a drive along this wine country, during fall, you  can see many grape vineyards, laden with bunches of juicy heavy grapes, ready to be picked, sorted and made in to wines. One wonders at the many lovely hues of orange, yelllow, amber and red, in a fall drive on this scenic road.

Grapes ready to be picked in a vineyard in Augusta, MO
Grapes ready to be picked in a vineyard in Augusta, MO

Fall, again is the month of apple picking, so farms along this trail, get busy with this season. The Centennial farms, where we visitd for instance, claimed to grow 24 varieties of apples which ripen through August to September and get ready to be picked in fall. The farm also grows summer vegetables like squash, acorn, sweet potatoes and make them available for sale. Its also a place for family fun, during October, as they offer pumpkin mazes, hay ride, tractors etc for children and adults. There are a variety of nurseries along this region, which grow a multitude of flowers and plants like roses, hibiscus, jasmines, sunflowers, chrysanthemums etc. The Wine Country Gardens offer wine tasting, a lovely nursery and outdoor dining overlooking the lovely stretch of plains, filled with vineyards, trees and offering an uninterrupted view of the spectacular highway and beyond.

The Katy trail is a hitherto unexplored territory for me, in my one and a half year stint in Missouri, but every trip to Defiance and Augusta, bring with it, new experiences and newer insights to this scenic part of the state. We have made it a point to visit this place, as much as we can, as it brings so many opportunities of experiencing nature and being one with it. This region is almost beautiful. no matter what the season….Little did Lewis and Clark realise that their expedition opened the doors for so many more….today and everyday …

Highway 94...
Highway 94...

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