When I started blogging couple of years back, I was a newbie. I still am a newbie :) It was then I started reading blogs for the first time and started exploring a new blog each day. I read Raj who blogged at 'A beautiful Mind'. He doesn't write these days. You should write, Raj. We miss you!! One day, he has written a guest post for another popular blogger. I hopped over and enjoyed the post. Then a cartoon of an old lady with a rolling pin grabbed my attention. I checked her blog and was glued. You guys must have your guesses right by now. Yes, I landed in the wonderland of Zephyr.

She is someone who needs no introduction in the blog world. I fell in love with her L&M Series on day one and was hooked. As days were passing by finding new blogs and making new friends, another blogger friend Bhavana was on her India Darshan and passed my wishes to her.

From then, we got connected and the connection only grew stronger. She is a woman with loads of wisdom. Each of her blog post carries her in depth knowledge on the topic she is writing, a wise message warmly told and lot of food for thought. Somehow, I fail in words to describe her.

I fondly call her Big Mommy for all the wonderful pieces of advice she gives like a mother. Be it books, blogs, kids, work, spouse or a social cause, she can load you with her wisdom on anything. She tries to sound like an old grandma, but she is not. If many of you didn't know she is a Published author of National Book Trust. She has two Books to her credit. Yet, she is too modest to publicize her books. 

When I started blogging, I never expected to make any friends or friendships or any relations with people I don't know. But this readership turned into relationship is a wonderful thing that god only planned. I feel really glad and blessed to have crossed paths with you, BM.  I am waiting for that day to eagerly meet you. You are surely a Zephyr!!!

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

She looked at the wall

She looked at her waist

She looked into the wardrobe

She picked her Wrangler Jeans

Wrong size!

She wandered

Wondered what to wear

She pulled it out, slowly

She lay it down, smoothly

She stood on it, softly

She looked down worriedly

Her eyes widened

She wobbled. She winced.

She Winked. She whined.

Nothing changed.

She wanted

Her daily Walks!!!

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

My son loved Kheema. Mutton kheema. He would ask me, "Amma can I have a second serving? Amma, can you save it for dinner?" He would eat it three times a day if fed. Unexpectedly as half of our family has turned vegetarian recently, I need to be creative in cooking food that is sufficient in Protein and other nutrients. One of the first protein foods that grabbed my attention is Soy. I always loved soy chunks as a kid. I would think it was like chicken. Had a slight partition with it after marriage as S never liked it. Luckily, my sonny loves it and soy chunks found their way into my kitchen slowly.

Except cooking a curry with soy chunks, I didn't know many recipes. One day, I spotted Soy Granules in the Indian store. The cook in me wondered, what can I cook with them? Whatever it could be, I thought I will think about it later and stashed a couple of packs in my cart.

One lazy noon, I decided to experiment with them. So, all you need for your experiment are:

Basmathi rice or Sona Masoori - 2 cups cooked
Butter- a table spoon, Oil - a table spoon
Cardamom, Cinnamon, Bay leaf-5 gm each
Cashews - 1 tbsp
Onions-1 big, chopped into thin long slices
3-5 Green Chilies
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tbsp each
Soy granules - Half of the Nutrela Pack (Boiled, drained and squeeze the water out of it)
Salt-to taste
Garam Masala - 1tpsn
Soy Sauce

• Heat the pan. Add butter. After the butter melts, add oil. Yes. I use half butter, half oil. Just to reduce few calories. 
• Add Cardamom, Cinnamon, bay leaf. After they splutter, add cashews. Roast them till light golden brown.
• Add onions and slit green chilies. Roast them till onions become translucent.

• Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell leaves.
• Squeeze water completely out of the boiled granules. Add it to the onions. 

• Add salt. After few minutes add garam masala or just coriander powder if you want it mild. I add any powder that comes handy. Be it jeera or dhania doesn't matter. :)
• Fry it for few more minutes till you feel it is cooked. 
• Add cooked rice. Make sure there are no lumps. Mix the rice well.

• Sprinkle soy sauce if you want some Chinese flavor to it.
• At the end, sprinkle chopped coriander.

You could beat egg in a separate pan and add it to the soy granules. I normally don't add vegetables as I don't want it to taste like a veggie fried rice.

Pardon the poor quality of my pictures. This is not a cook blog. I randomly post my creations :) But, they are tested and tried. 

* Garam Masala - It is a fine powder made with roasted cloves, cinnamon and coriander seeds.
* Mutton - Goat meat
* Kheema - Ground meat

Yummy Tummy

Posted By Found In Folsom

Use and throw is the norm these days. Right from pens to paper towels, forks to folks, gums to girl friends; we use and throw what we don't need any more. If it is material things, it's alright. What if we use and throw things that have life and feelings attached? Those things get hurt and start to react and show the reaction of the hurt feelings. That's when the people that USED get confused on what is wrong with these things? (With feelings).

Again, they come in all forms. In the form of friends, boy friends, girl friends, relatives, cousins, colleagues, roommates, neighbors, sometimes siblings too. Fools like me don't realise that you are really being used. You let them use you as long as they can. Not just letting them use you, you also go out of your way; above and beyond to make things happen for them. You cannot bear to see them get hurt or take any pain in the process. In turn, you take all the pains at the cost of your valuable time, money, family and innumerable stuff.

Some of the Use and throw types we come across in our lives:

• Can I see your stamp collection book? You have the rarest of stamps. Can I show it to my parents? Oh yes...oh yes...You wait for a week and hear "Oh so sorry. I lost/misplaced it."
• Lend your books and expect them to return them back. You hear, "Oh ..I thought you don't need them. I gave them to someone else". And they turn their back next time they see you.
• She met him through some common friends. They started seeing each other. She would spend on him as he was still trying to settle. When he found a job, he didn't have time for her any more. He started seeing other girls.
• Your husband's second cousin's sister in law's niece. She is new to town. Doesn't have a car. Poor girl. Needs help. You help in everything from buying grocery to the new car. Once she has the car and the set up, forget about a thank you for everything. You need to still call and ask how she is doing.
• Your kid's classmate's mom. Drops her kids for play dates or baby sit as you are a SAHM. You call to request for a pick up once as you are at the dentist's; you get a sweet soft reply, Oh sorry dear! I wish I could do that. We are going to the soccer practice after school.
• A random friend. I have an interview tomorrow. Can you show me something. I have few questions. You give her an appointment on weekends and she never turns up. She comes on a weekday and you end up staying till midnight only to screw up your next day.
• You need to arrange ladies outings, potlucks, movies and malls. They love you. They need you, but not your kids. Because their kids will be spoiled at the thought of your kids.

There were and are dozens of categories of such people everywhere. Just be attentive and sharp. If you feel you are taken for a ride, give them a piece of cake (your mind). Unfortunately, I am bad at doing that. So, I learned to keep quiet and move away.

What's your experience with these Use and Throw types?

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

I love to talk. Talk, talk and more talk. There are two types of people. While one is the listening type the other, talking type. I belong to the talking type. While I realise the importance of listening, I enjoy talking more. S being a good listener (or pretender), my talking only increased and never stopped. 

The first day of my school, I remember the class leader saying, "hey girl, why are you talking like a chatter box?" I shut the chatter box only to open in few minutes. When I look at people who don't talk much, I always wonder, how can they be so quiet? I can't even for five minutes! I pretty well know the problems associated with talking too much. But let me tell you the benefits.

• Talking heals. Talking helps. Talking relieves that stress one carries on their shoulders.
• Talking doubles your joys and halves your sorrows. It is always better to talk and express your anguish than to not talk and be aloof.
• Misunderstandings can be cleared by talking. If you are silent, the other person will never know what you wanted to say.
• When you are deeply stuck in the problems of your life, no one is going to come and give a hand to rise. You talk and get help.
• Wondering who to talk to? Your spouse, sibling, parents, best friends or any person who you can confide. If you think none of them can help, then a counselor.
• When you are angry, talk. When you are sad, talk. When you are happy, talk.
• Why do suicides happen? Because people don't get help on the right time. They had no one to talk to.
• You want favors done? There is no Alladin lamp that you can rub and genie will appear. Ask for them.
• Word has the power. Let positive words flow.

Before y’all run away bored with my lecture, let me give you an example of the power of talk I experienced. A friend gave me this bamboo before moving to a different city. It grew and grew and grew. So tall. Now, was my time to move. I didn't have the heart to give it to someone else. I carried it in the flight and some chipmunk pushed their luggage to squish it at the corners. It broke. I didn't lose heart. I kept talking to it. Please don’t die. Please. Please. I taped it at the broken twigs. It was only dying. I sensed a rotten smell. I got it to work and placed it next to the other plants. It stank even more. I removed it from water and washed the roots. One would puke on that stink. I still hoped and talked to it everyday. I washed the roots twice a week. Then I cut off a bigger branch that broke and rooted it again. I would ask my colleagues to talk to it as well. I noticed a tiny leave after a couple of weeks. My talk worked. My plant listened to me. Look how it almost died and is living now :)

This was the dying bamboo with broken twigs :(

The stem on the left most side was once a branch of the right most one.

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

All my growing up years as a kid, I longed for a brother. An older one at that. I was jealous of those girls who had an elder brother. As I was the older one, it was deemed as my responsibility to take care of the younger ones. I had an younger sister who was five years younger to me. I would ask my mom, why did you have two kids? You didn't have any family planning? I don't even know what family planning meant back then. General knowledge gained from hamara Doordarshan.

Being a Leo, bossing comes naturally to us. Being the eldest sibling, I would boss her and gave her a really hard time. I wouldn't tolerate her presence at the doorstep of my classroom nor eat our lunch together. Stupid teenage, you know!! I wasn't that bad as a kid. Mom keeps telling that we both would share and care  a lot for each other. The teens were bad. Mine rather. But things changed when I started college.

That's when the real bonding started. We would giggle and jiggle, gossip in hush hush tones, we would cover each others' ass in times of need and many more. My sister was jealous as her friends were more my friends than hers. ;-)

Time flew, I got married and moved far and she moved to this country as well. Now, when we look back, I see that we have come a long way in life. We had good days, bad days, ups, downs, life is something. She is the most adjusting, accommodating of a person that could be. Not fussy like me.

You could bitch just about anything with your sister. Any problem related to the family, annoying kids, nosy neighbors, irritating co-workers, that extra pimple on your forehead, excess credit card bill, that backless blouse Deepika Padukone wore, the hangover from that extra shot.

Btw, I don't miss having an older brother any more. He wouldn't have tolerated my bossiness anyway.  I don't boss her any more. I am like a mother hen. Anyone messing with her, beware. This lion is going to pounce on you!!

My grandma had three sisters and they were a tight knit. My mom has two sisters and they used to share a similar relation. So, it could be the genes or the family values, but my baby sister is the best!!!

                                 

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

I first ate a fruit cake when I was in college. Our neighbors gave a piece of cake. It tasted different. I liked it. They said someone got it from Canada. And that it had brandy or whisky in it. I giggled. Alcohol? in Cake? Umm...I ate the plum cake available in bakeries many times and always loved it. Somehow, the piece of cake from canada stayed with me all these years.

As I have always frequented with cooking/baking experiments, I wanted to try the Pl(R)um cake. My search for the perfect recipe started. I found many recipes but none to my liking. Rather none sounded like the cake I am looking for. Finally, magic happened. I landed upon Manju's Blog. It had the perfect recipe.

Don't be scared on looking at the length of ingredients and the process. Now that I found the perfect recipe, I needed to get Rum. Unlike California, they don't sell alcohol in any store. I had to go to a beverage depot ( First time in my life have I gone to a liquor store). Got the Rum, soaked the dry fruits, waited patiently for the D-day and then baked it. The entire process to get the stuff ready takes one hour and then baking takes an hour. 

I baked it twice and it came out good both the times. Once was for christmas and the 2nd time was for a school reunion. Friends at work would go Y(R)ummmm!!! The only step that I had difficulty was making the caramel syrup. It was a flop but I managed to do something called syrup and mixed it :)

Okay! Okay! Don't get bored! The cake is coming...It's HERE!!!!!

Yummy Tummy

Posted By Found In Folsom

As I crack my brain what to write on Q, a quick idea pops in my head. Few Qs about me.

Quiet - Rare!

Quick - Very!

Quite - Friendly!
Quest - Words and Books!
Quip - Tip of tongue!
Questions - Tons!
Quilts - Want to make one in life!

Quirky wit - Every bit!

Quarrels - Maintain arm's length!
Quit - Never!

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

I am a sucker for good smells. I have highly powerful olfactory senses if you guys didn't know. I can smell anything to everything. Let me not get into the bad smells part. Let us talk about the good smells. No lengthy posts right? Ummm....okay.

My favorite flower would be Jasmine and honeysuckle. But if you ask me for a room freshener or a candle, I would undoubtedly go with Lavender any day. I can bathe with a flowery flavored body wash but I don't want to smell like a fruit...Yikes!!

Fruits would be Mango or Citrus fruits. I HATE the smells of Cantaloupe, Honey Dew or Jack Fruit. Fruit lovers, pardon me! Coming to fruit flavoured fresheners, Berries, please gimme a break!! I would sincerely stick to Citrus flavours. 

I would want my man to smell musk. I am fine if he smells flowery too...:P. Guys, please don't spray as if you have spilled a deodorant. Be gentle like Gentleman. You give me nausea with your axes!!!

The perfume that could linger on me for a day long is my dearest Juicy Couture. Somehow, I have become sensitive to it now. Other than that, I love Issi Miyake, JLo, White Diamonds and one perfume on my list that I had been wanting to buy for four years is Narciso Rodriguez. Not that I cannot afford or it's not available, it's just not happening..I donno why :(

Last but not least, the natural flavours that entice me is the smell of mud after first rain, the smell of air on crisp winter mornings, the smell of a rain forest (I haven't been to a rain forest, but I think I know how it is), the scent from a new book. What's your favourite scent guys?

P.S: Want to know what aroused me to write this aromatic post? Our own Corinne. I was commenting on her blog and my eyes fixed on her name for a second. Rodrigues! How do you say that? Rod-rigs or Rodri-gus? That flashed the perfume I had been longing for and lo...Perfumania is born :) So Corinne, this post is dedicated to you!! 

Tip: Spray your perfume on the back of your ear or wrist...people will buzz you like honey bees...hahaha!!!

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

We all know the meaning of Obnoxious. Don't we? Do you really like the word or people who are obnoxious? They aren't that pleasant to hang around with, are they? Okay, let me get to the point.

This breed exists every where. It may be just that I haven't noticed in the past years of my life or may be I am getting old to tolerate them any more. I have seen her at work many times. For some mysterious reason, I never liked her. Sometimes, we don't like some people for no reason. I never spoke to her nor had a fight with her, but I still never liked her. Strange!! Isn't it? Having said that, we happened to talk and then became, not friends but a bit more than acquaintances. 

After I started talking to her, I tried to analyse the reasons for my dislike. She was big and had a loud voice. Though I am small, I have a loud voice too. On hearing her accent at first, I thought she must be an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi). I think I didn't like her show-off. Show off of her boots, her low neck tops or for that matter anything that related to her. Her husband traveled and she portrayed as if she is the only single mom of the world. She would give free lectures on parenting or anything. Loudly. Once during lunch, talking about self confidence she says, You need to wear high heels, stand straight, wear low neck and show cleavage. Being the tallest person that I am, I never enjoy high heels nor low necks. Whatever!! We worked in the same building for more than an year. After a gap of few months, we met at a different client and she behaves as if she hasn't ever seen me in her life. For the heck of it, I didn't even bother talking to her.

I thought we meet such people rarely. But, no. I am wrong. They happen to be spread out quite a bit. Had been meeting them once in a while. Here and there, everywhere. I met one lady at another client place. There was a team lunch and most of us wanted to go. She would babble loudly, "Oh, I don't attend such lunches. Those hours are not billable for contractors". What are you trying to say, madam? She has to poke in every conversation that is related to work and give her two cents. She sneezes and the whole room has to say, Bless you. If we have a team meeting, she would cut the boss. If the boss is OOO, you don't have to worry. She can fill in all your gaps.

So, you see this breed is breeding more and more day by day. If you can't stand them anymore, the best medicine for them is ignorance.

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

What's in a name? Does it matter? Do you like your name? I like mine. I had always wondered how parents came up with the names of their kids. My parents rather mom named me Prudhvi Latha. Prudhvi means earth and Latha means a plant creeper. Does that mean I am plant creeper on earth? Makes sense or sounds weird? In my growing up years and later as well, many would ask me, isn't Prudhvi a boy's name? I washed it with a smile at first. Later when I learnt to apply logic in life, I would retort back saying, "Prudhvi means earth. Earth is a stri ling (A feminine gender) and Akash (Sky) is a pum ling (A masculine gender). In my head I would curse, you dumbos...since Pruthvi Raj Chauhan or Pruthvi Raj Kapoor are males doesn't mean that girls cannot be name Prudhvi. I always boasted that I had the most unique name in this world.

In school, I had a classmate named John Ramesh Khan. We giggled when heard it for the first time. Like many wonders that I wonder, I wondered about it too.  Nearly after two decades of leaving high school, I met him on FB. Ramesh xxxxxx. The face looked similar I thought. When inquired, he informed that our Principal advised to change it for better. Though Ramesh had the most secular name and his mom was very pious, he never gave much importance to religion or god. On a conversation, he said he felt proud of his name and may be subconsciously groomed himself. I think a person’s name contributes to his personality.

Talking of unique names, these days parents are in the quest for uniqueness. The rarer the name, the more unique it is. Some of the unique names I heard in recent times are Krishay, Arnesh (sounds like varnish to me), Akira, Aishli, Ruru, Aranyak, Acanda (does it rhyme to Anaconda) Daaruk, Daarun, Ehimay (like himilay) oh the list could go on and on.

When trying to name my son, we had a choice of letters to choose from Ru, Re, Ro and Ta. (If not for my dear grandma, I wouldn’t have named him after his birth star). As we didn’t get a name, we called him Rurerota for a while. :P My son is Rushik and he always goes with that extra sheeek in the cheek. Amulya becomes Amelia or Emulya.

Living in the U.S, Indian names are cacophonic to the locals here. They are surprised that every Indian name has a meaning to it. Someone named their kid Harshit and his teacher called him Her-shit. Nikhil in my team is baptised as Nee-kill. Each time he is called, the Indian inside me screams, ohh please don’t kill him, he is too young. Shravan reformed into Chevron, Venu is pronounced as Menu, Valli is Valley,  Don’t think I am not one of the bali ka bakras. If I tell them Prudhvi, they would do a somersault to say it. So, I go by Latha. Do you think they get it right? Latha becomes Latte. But, yours truly doesn’t let them go. When I am able to say Schwarzenegger, can’t they say Latha? This is how I teach them. Say “Thai, thigh” ..that’s how soft the ‘t’ is; not Latte. 

There was a new team mate. She introduced herself as Samantha. After the introductory Hellos, I looked back, “Samantha?? Is that your full name?” She smiles and says, “No. Samantika actually.” I try not to scratch my head and think. Poor girl, would I leave her alone? I bug her again, I never heard a name like that. Then came the real story. Her actual name is Samantakamani a.k.a Samantika a.k.a Samantha J Okay! Okay! I'm stopping now...before you run away..

So, what’s the name story you have got to share? 

Disclaimer: Any names used in this post are purely unintentional. No offense to anyone.

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. I don't know how far Gray's title of a statement is true, but there is definitely a difference in the way they are raised and treated in each phase of life.

Times are changing for sure. From marrying girls at the age of 15-16 to a suitable suitor chosen by the parents, they were given a choice to say 'yes' or 'no' and now to choose their husband. For the past two to three generations, parents' outlook has been changing and girls are treated equally with boys. I don't want to generalize here, as the state of affairs have not changed in many communities.

Girls are given the opportunity to pursue higher education of their choice, choose the field they want to establish their career and marry the guy of their dreams. Talking beyond marriage, these days women have the will and freedom to break the bondage of marriage if things do not work out. But, has this really changed their fate? If so, in what way?

I know a girl who was married right after college as she had a heart break in college.  Her family treated it as a second marriage for her while looking for grooms. She was fancily married to an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) who didn't want a penny in dowry. Only after coming here did she realise that the guy had some psychological problems that she cannot cure despite waiting for few years. Long story short, she got divorced and tried leading a peaceful life.

Born to middle class Indian parents, she couldn't escape her family's societal responsibilities of letting an young, beautiful, divorced daughter stay alone in a far off country. The mom didn't want her dear daughter to marry a divorcee. There was a logical reasoning behind it. As her daughter hadn't shared a marital life with her first husband, the mom felt questioned why she should marry a divorcee?

So, the hunt for a prospective groom has begun. Her profile was put up in the matrimonial sites and word was spread among near and dear. All the matches she got were of either a divorcee or a widower. She's pretty, young, independent, modern yet traditional.

Who said to marry her off to a divorcee? Well, we are after all dealing with a broad spectrum of Indian males here. Why would an unmarried 'Indian' man in his right senses marry a divorcee? Are you crazy? Not to lose heart, she sent her profile to some eligible unmarried guys. They rejected her out rightly, that's a different story.

Let me tell you. It's not the same rule for them. He is divorced, has kids and wants an unmarried girl. He is divorced, no kids, wants an unmarried girl. He crossed the marriageable age, half bald, as round as anything can be, wants an unmarried girl. Isn't he age barred? He's been married for two times and has a glorious history of ill-treating his wives, wants an unmarried girl. Is it just because she's a virgin? Who knows? Had she lost her virginity & not been married; the guy remains clueless of her physical qualification and he would be happily married ever after. We Indians are an educated mass who has a broader outlook not to marry a woman who lost her virginity to some worthless fellow. What defines virginity anyway?

Our land has borne great reformers who fought for widow remarriages, women education & empowerment and equal opportunities. Even after hundred years of all of these fights, where we boast of our nation as an emerging power, it's hard for a divorced girl to get married, if not impossible. Will the times change ever? Will we change ever?

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

                                                    Image courtesy: Google Images

My luck with lucky draws began over a decade back. Every festive season, mom would buy clothes hoping to win a car or a gold necklace, which she never did. Once when I was in college, the Great Mall of Hyderabad has happened. We made a trip on a lazy Sunday. After loafing around booths and food stalls, we stopped at a lucky draw. I entered my name and dropped in the box. After a week, the hostel phone rang. Someone from the Country club. They said I won a prize & can come to pick it up on Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM. After scratching our heads and pulling the hair out on what it could be, we waited for Tuesday. On Tuesday, I realized I have a class at 6:00 PM. What do I do now? I look at my roomies with a beaming face and prod them to go.

Though I sat in the class, my mind was thinking only about the gift that would be waiting for me. I rush to the room and looked at my roomies. My joy was popped like a balloon when I saw their expression. Ignoring it, I ask, "Where's my gift?" They both look at each other and say, "it's difficult to carry. they said they will send it later". What??? Then they hand me a cover. I open it to find a set of six plastic bowls....I lift my head and they both almost beat me to pulp.

I strongly believed that luck was in my favour many times, rather lucky draws. FF to a few years, we were at an annual party hosted by our employer. We took our tokens; when the drawing took place and I heard my number in the mike, I couldn't believe my ears. I won a $50 gift card. The saga continued from then. It was a Christmas party at the apartment complex. We religiously took our tokens. Many people got small gift cards. With each raffle, my little boy looked at me. I was just hoping they would call our name. Finally, they did. He pushed the crowd to grab his gift. They gave him a tiny bag. He opened it and found nothing. I thought he dropped his gift card while receiving. Then when I removed the crumbs of paper, I saw a slip inside. I unfolded only to find a 'Philips Portable DVD Player'. Do I have to say how much we jumped?

From then the wait for the Christmas parties began each year. Another year, it was a stay for a night in the Apartment guest house.  The next year, we didn't get anything. But we held the tokens of our friends who couldn't attend and bingo...they won two gifts. So, when is my next lucky draw going to be? Let's wait and see. :) I never won a trip to Seychelles or a Plasmas T.V though..:P

How lucky are you with lucky draws?

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

Kitchen is a woman's paradise. At least for me, it is. That is where I spend most of the time when I am home. My tryst with kitchen and cooking started quite early in life. As mom was a tailor, she would stay late and me being the older, had to cook rice for dinner. When there was no curry, I even ventured out to cook egg curry or potato fry. I think those are the basic recipes most of us have toned our culinary skills on. I would make an occasional french toast, rasna mixes for my sister and the neighborhood.

After starting a family of my own, I always made sure that my kitchen had enough storage. I am a big storage person. I really don't care in which order I arrange my spices or flours, but if someone change their places, then I don't go just mad but wild. Yes, I am finicky about my kitchen. I have a very hard time having my mom or Mil around. Though they are a big help, I would rather do it myself if I can.

Having said that, do y'all think if I have OCD? No, I don't. I don't maintain spic and span kitchen, but I keep my sink dish-free. That is one obsession I have. I like to cook and bake. So, I try to keep all the utensils I need. A friend joked once, that a wedding could be done with the vessels I have. Each time we moved places, S would grunt, do you really need these many dishes?? I warn him, don't you dare to touch a spoon.

After all these years of slogging in my kitchen and having done an extensive secret research on the kitchens of my friends worldwide, I come up with a list only we Indian women can think of:

1. After the inners of her blouse, the most secret place a woman finds to hide her secret cash, is the spice box.
2. Use the Coffee grinders to grind anything from ginger garlic paste to garam masala
3. Your Food Processor mixes a perfect chapathi dough. Chops onions to cabbage
4. Husband gets a $400 juicer to make juices from bitter gourd to zucchini and you surprise him with a perfect dosa batter.
5. Only we could cook rice and idlis in a microwave
6. Pan cake griddle is the new dosa pan
7. And the variety of upmas we make out of all the grains and flours, no one can beat me at that!
8. For many of us, our kitchen is the prayer room too.
9. Surprised if I say that it is the yoga place as well?
10. For me, kitchen could be a place where I could read, sometimes blog, catch with old pals, chat, text, free counselling on the phone, yell orders at the entire household, tell childhood stories to my kids. For someone who cook out of happiness or depression, what could be the best place than a kitchen?

   Okay, this is my idea of a dream kitchen!! Do y'all like it??

                                                           Image Courtesy: HGTV

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

I waited all day long

on humid summer evenings

To run to the fields

with kids from the rice mill

To pluck some

and some and some more

of the tiny white bulbs

Curling up our frocks and skirts

into balls tiny

till our waists

I did sneak

slowly from the group

to grab one Sampangi

for grandma to keep

under her neatly starched

pile of Sarees

I was startled with

sirens of danger

"Don't get there..

snakes will come"

We hear the farmers yell,

"Who's there?"

We ran...ran amid narrow lanes

and old brick houses

ran till we fell on our knees

panting....

We dumped them on

the cold black floor

of grandma's verandah

and counted

who plucked the most

Grandma made a string

longer and heavier

than my ponytail

The glee on my face

was never amiss

I lay on the wired cot

breathing the jasmine filled air

counting the stars on

glistened nights

After twenty seven years,

when I look at my pot of jasmine plant

seven seas away

I want to run...

run to those fields,

wiping my brow,

plucking jasmine galore

on humid summer evenings!!

Image Courtesy: Here

P.S: As I had been sick and not in a position to think; I was scratching my head on what to write with J; I call my son and say, hey!! I need to write with J...gimme ideas...he blurts out: J for Jasmine and runs away to play. Bingo!! Here's the post. 
Just realised this is my 100th post.

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

I look at her in awe

at her long silky hair

at her never ending energy

the way she hips and hops

the way she wears

a myriad of hats

and a rainbow of feathers

each without fail 
by not missing that smile

I am inspired!!

You are wrong

if you think

she has it all

A bed of roses

isn't at all

her life after all
She fights her demons
in each possible way

I stop grumbling 

the way life is

It is the way it is

I start wearing

each hat at a time

Living a life

that is after all my own

I adorn my world

A world with my kids, 

my friends and blogs

my books and words,
of people and passions

my dreams, my colors

of butterflies and sunsets

My world looks
more meaningful

when I hear it back

I Inspire!!

You have been a real inspiration for me in being what I am, who I am and How I am. Thank you for making me look at life in the way I haven't. I am not just glad but blessed to have crossed paths and met you. With lots of love, always....

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

Hair..hair...hare...Hair had been a fussy problem all my life. Right from our childhood to my daughter's. When mom did the shampooing with Shikakai, we were instructed to shut our eyes tight. My sister being the good girl she is, always followed the instructions promptly. Being the curious George, I would open my eyes letting the water seep into my eyes and start wailing; only to get another knock on the head with amma and then let another wail which in turn would bitter my mouth. This ritual continued every Sunday morning, until one fine day my maternal aunts brought the magical portions packed in tiny clear sachets. I still remember their shape and size vividly. The shampoo!!

The curls added to my hair miseries. Don't make that face. Yes. I never liked my curls. I longggged for smooth, silky, shiny hair. I thought only straight hair was fashion. Little did I know that curls were the new trend or for that matter men loved women with curly hair. Many times men at my work place said, "Ohh!! I love your curls." What do they know about my plight to get straight hair? Eggs, yoghurt, lemon for dandruff cure, henna, apple cider (that thing stinks), Jamaican Castor oil (this is even worse), navratan tail, hamara Parachute and every damn thing out there.

Added to that misery, I am never comfortable leaving my hair down or have my  hair dangling all over my face. I wonder how all the women of the world manage to maintain it that way. I straightened it sometimes, colored it fancy once. I even cut my hair short whenever I find it hard to manage. I love women who have long hair, but that's not my cuppa tea. I wouldn't waste half my life maintaining it.

Fast forward three decades, the troubles began for my daughter. Luckily, she inherited my MIL's genes. She has nice silky hair. But she likes hair dangling. Our princess would wake up with a hair style in mind each day. if we don't meet her requirements, the house becomes a war zone. She is barely five. May the lord have mercy on me when she is fourteen. :(

While I struggle with my hair tales, I learned that hair grows everywhere except where it is needed and is seen everywhere except where it should be seen!!

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

As humans we often tend to feel guilty for things that we have done or sometimes for things that we haven’t done but think we should have done. If you are a sensitive person like me, you tend to feel guilty for many things that you are not responsible for as well.

As a person, I grew from feeling guilty all the time to sometimes.  I learned to believe that you are not responsible for everything. Everyone in your life could make you feel guilty. Yes, when I say everyone means literally everyone. Directly or indirectly. It all depends on how you take it.

• When you are young, your parents make you feel guilty by saying, “Look at Kalpana. She is so hard working. She never watches T.V. You are always glued to that”
• Older siblings could make you guilty by showcasing how clumsy you are. Trust me, they don’t tell you how to be neat.
• Your dad would say, “See that Sukumar was boasting about his kids in the office. His son is the badminton champion and his daughter won the Math Olympiad this year also.” (That fellow can't hit two marbles and his silly sister cannot put the dots straight for a rangoli! I curse in my head) And adds a tag line, you guys are fit for nothing.
• When you are grown up, mom nags. “When will you get married? No prince charming is going to come looking for you. Look at Geeta, she already has two kids”. Bloody hell with Geeta, the whole purpose of life for her is to get married and have kids.
•  For the heck of it, you get married and a new kind of nagging begins. The reasons your in-laws make you feel guilty about, that deserves a post in itself.
• S comes home and... “Look at Srilatha’s house. You should train from her”. Darn it! She has OCD! Honey, I am not cut out for that crap.
• How a wife can make a husband guilty: (Not me though ;-). "See, Neelima got a Tahitian Pearl set as her birthday gift. You never buy me anything". Husband thinks to himself, "You fool...her husband takes her $10k paycheck and gifts a $1000 gift once a year.
• Then your kids. Despite working full time, cooking every day, picking and dropping to classes, sonny boy goes, “You never come to field trips”. Give him a piece of your mind, “I do everything from baking to fundraising. Now, will you please excuse me? I have a full time job”.
• Daughter’s turn. “Maya has a very good hair style. You never comb my hair properly”. If you utter one more word, I am going to chop off that hair.
• Super moms say, “Oh!! I can never leave my kids. Isn't that how mommy’s boys are made?” 
• Colleague: I heard they Brian is getting the 'Employee of the Quarter' this time.

Moral of the story: Don’t feel guilty. Stop taking guilt trips. They will only pull you down. There is only so much you can do. Don't stretch beyond what you can and try to be a superhero :-)

Image Courtesy: Google Images

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom

You were there

far from the bay

You stood as 
the image of my dreams

You lured with 

your greenery and slopes

the curvy roads

the umpteen parks and

cozy neighborhoods

I found love

I read books

I drank wine

I wrote poetry

all in your name

You are the rainbow

of my stained glass class

Of saturdays

mornings and noons

of the dvds at the desi bazar

You were the pink sunsets

of orange and purple hues

that made me jump

out of my car

to stand and get lost

into the darkness of

september nights

You are the foundation

where my career build

You were the long walks

behind

the falls at willow creek

You are the chirping bird

on the creekside drive

Sutter, Bidwell,

Empire Ranch, Riley

each street

I know by heart

Home we thought

you could be to us

But some things they say

are not meant to be

that way

I hear the echoes from
a remnant of my heart
on bright springs,

hot summer days
foggy amber dawns

and crisp winter nights!!

My Poems

Posted By Found In Folsom

Sarvendriyanam, Nayanam Pradhanam!!

Indriyam means senses in Sanskrit. The five senses of the human body are Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, and Hearing. As each sense has its own importance, vision takes priority above all. What would we do without our eyes? Can we close our eyes for a day and see how it feels like? Or at least a few hours?

One would be shocked to know the number of people who are visually challenged. Please Click here to check the facts. How many of us know that some parts of our body could be used for others in need after we are gone?

When granny was alive she would say, the only part you can use in my body is my eyes and please give them to someone. We followed her last wish and donated her eyes. Following her footsteps, I decided to be of use to someone later if not now.

They say practice before you preach. So, did I. I signed up here. Will you too?

A to Z Challenge - 2014

Posted By Found In Folsom