Munch Bunch: Thanksgiving Edition: Zesty Cranberry Relish

It's Thanksgiving... already! This year seems to have flown past!

Thanksgiving means lots of food, lots of meeting and greeting family and friends and definitely being thankful for all we have and cherishing the time.  Of course as an Indian, this is an inherited festival for me. I learned about this festival, its significance and its importance in my adult years after moving here.

During my single days and even child free days, it was all about having an extended long weekend and a vacation. Over the years we have formed simple traditions for us as a family. And as it should, most of them involve food.

This past weekend, we had our monthly Munch Bunch: Gathering of 4 like-minded couples along with families who meet monthly with a new theme or cuisine. This way we get to attempt new recipes and test and fail in a much smaller setting and learn about cuisines of the world.

This month's theme: Thanksgiving

Menu:

Drink: 

   Mulled Wine

Main/ Appetizer Course: 

   Cranberry Relish

   Butternut Squash Risotto

   Angel Hair Pasta

   Green Bean Casserole

   Pull Out Garlic Bread

   Brussels Sprout Salad

   Habanero Sauce

Dessert:

   Pumpkin Pie

   Berry Pie

And we ate and ate and then ate some more in true Thanksgiving style!!

Here is the recipe for 'Best-est Cranberry Relish'

And I say that for two reasons, the taste: It was one of the most refreshing things to taste. With the Thanksgiving menu as elaborate as it was, it was the perfect add-on!

And then second reason-The effort- its the easiest recipe to assemble and follow. It took me 7 minutes from start to finish. Definitely follows my theme of 'Quick Food Fix'

And for a taste as solid as this- it was totally worth the 'effort'

A very dear friend of mine who hosts two traditional thanksgiving dinner during this season gave me this recipe.....so I definitely have her to thank for it.

Ingredients:

2 Whole Oranges

6 Cups Fresh Cranberry

1.5 Cup Sugar (You can adjust this based on your intake)

Process:

1. Wash the oranges and place them in the blender with the skin

2. Yes, with the skin, trust me on this

3. Blend the orange in a nice 'smoothie' consistency

4. Add the washed cranberry and sugar

5. Run the blender until cranberry is well in 'relish consistency'

6. Add about 1/2 cup of water for a smoother finish

7. Tada! Done

Yes, done, I did say 7 minutes for a reason!

Now just place them in a box for serving. Recommendation: make this the night before you are having the thanksgiving dinner... it really helps the juices and the flavors to enhance.

Enjoy

 

Here is our set of kids being thankful for amazing companions, wonderful friends and a happy home. 

This year we have our cousin visiting us for Thanksgiving, we are planning to watch the Thanksgiving Parade, enjoy the ChristKindle Market followed by gathering of some friends for.... you guessed it: More Food

Happy Thanksgiving. 

Mother of two girls... and?

----------------------------------------- In the beginning---------------------------------------------------

Garima: A mother

People: Wow, congratulations, must be busy and hard.

In my mind: No, its easy, well I don’t know any better, this is what it's supposed to be I guess!

Garima: A mother of one girl

People: Girls are so precious. Am sure she will give you sleepless nights when she gets to her teens

 In my mind: Uh, why? My brother and I both must have given a lot of sleepless nights in our teens. But yes I agree, Kids are precious and my Little V more so for me

----------------------------------------- A few years later---------------------------------------------------

Garima: A mother of two girls

People: Wait what? Wow.

Generally look at Sumit and say: Time to get the second job and bulk up. You need the muscles to ward off boys.

Generally look at Garima and say: Time for the boy, may be third time's the charm!!

In my mind: What!!

My two girls are perfect. When we planned for our second, it was since it felt right for our family(and of course increase chaos), we didn’t even find out what gender the baby will be- goes to show, we didn’t care: Boy or Girl! So yeah.

Please, my kids are perfect to me and family is complete. If we do have a third kid and if that kids a boy, great and if that kids a girl: even better, I have a load of hand me downs already.

Kids are expensive, yes we know that. Trust me! But that does not mean my darling husband needs a second job, trust me we thought it through before we went down this path of parenthood. And bulk up?? Seriously?

I don’t think my dad was peeling boys away from me when I was in my teens. Bulk or no bulk, I was just fine and so was my dad. And I think my girls and Sumit will be fine as well.

Now gist: Phew!

It's a natural thing to ask: Two kids, boys or girls?

And then I would assume it's a natural thing to say: Good for you, can I see pictures? Let me know when I can meet them?

And if you ask, drop them off and head out to the movies..... We LOVE it!

And then move on to the next topic.

Why does us having two girls give us collective gasps or even hearing double trouble! Seriously?

 We live in 21st century right? Let me check the date again! Yes we do. So please Butt Out

Recovering...

From a very delightful weekend. This weekend goes in one of those I call: "Memorable".
It ranges from lone time in rajai, a good book "Lunch In Paris" and warm tea to all the hooligan madness of Holi which I played after a decade and was V's first time as well. Good times. We met a lot of friends, enjoyed family brunches which took me back to India just like I was at my parents home, we stayed in bed and cuddled V and had V jump all over the bed with a monkey in her hand. We went for a movie Hop with V thanks to Allied Integrated Marketing (AIM) for offering preview tickets to my family just in time for Easter. It is a delightful movie for kids. Wait for April 1 and then definitely take the kiddos for it. We enjoyed a lovely Holi dinner with friends and smacked on the yummiest Pakoda Kadhi ever. Seriously Ever. It was fun seeing the kids just go round and round and sing 'I Like to Move it, move it" thanks to the Madagascar Show we went for.
Yes all in a weekend!
It was wonderful.
A city is not fun for the weather, the rents, and the tourist attractions. It is fun with the people that surround you and make the experience memorable. I am happy to report, as a family we are blessed with delightful friends and lots of shoulders to carry V around when she just wants a little extra 'hugs'.
As I always say: I heart Chicago

Happy Anniversary to us!!!!

Clichéd yes.. But its true.. Feels like yesterday, that we took the vow of spending the rest of our lives together! To cherish each other, to stand by the other in times of sickness and health, in times of pain and in times of happiness and be with each other no matter what.
And yes, may be i am a convert to a hopeless romantic- I don’t believe i am said that out loud!

It is our wedding anniversary and i reminisce. We have come a long way from long phone conversations, long emails and even longer chat sessions, from frequent flight to cross country drives, to blissful married life!
Here is why i cherish this day, and why it is so special to me. Besides it being the day i got married!
Like most girls, growing up, i dreamed of my knight in shining armor on a white horse to come and whisk me off my feet and take me away. Luckily for me, it literally did happen like that.
I remember the evening we got married. He was dressed in beautiful gold, silver, slight pink slight blue shervani with glittering jewels all over and riding a white horse. (Its customary in my part of the country that the groom comes on a horse!) He was walking down the aisle covered in red roses, while i walked in from the the other side, the demure bride in gold, silver and deep pink gorgeous attire. I had the funny knot in my stomach. The minute i looked up, the moment was much more than what i had imagined it to be. For us, the world stood still, our family, our friends were besides us experiencing this moment with us.
It was just perfect.

We are building our lives together. Each day is special, each glance is cute, each argument is well taken, each gesture is thoughtful! Every minute is well spent. Our daughter V is a heaven sent gift. She makes us into kids one minute and adults in the next and then kids once again. Needless to say i am enjoying our role reversals very much. There are times, when i would see SD read V's books with much intent. He would see me playing with V's stuff toys.. and of course V would be with our blackberry's and laptops! You see 'role reversal'.

On our anniversary, i confess, on this day, there is always the same funny knot in my stomach. I can go on and on.. But i wont. All i can say is Thank You: To support me when i fall, to encourage me when i am down, to appreciate me when i achieve, to listen when i am angry, to lecture me when i am wrong, to love with my flaws.
SD..... Thanks for being who you are; a wonderful husband, a doting father, a caring friend, a naughty kid, a dutiful son, a family man, a comforting cushion, an ally, a spy, .. and above all.. being my 'bubu'!

Its a wonderful adventure.. and i am sure it will continue to be one. Yes the path, is hilly, its up and down, its curvy and its stable. But hand in hand, i know, we know... It will be perfect.
Here's wishing us a very Happy Anniversary!

Follow Your heart...

Hmmm... No this post is not one of the mushy-mushy ones talking about following the heart for the right man/woman... it is more practical, more real and definitely still very personal: It is about following the heart for a profession.
All our growing up years, we were told by parents, teachers, and others we cared to listen to- "Follow your heart in your choice of work and the money will follow! If you chase money, you may have it, but not the satisfaction of work!" Ahem!
Is that true? Some of us are in the beginning of our careers, some in our formative years, and some in settled years and some "can’t wait for retirement" years! Whichever phase we are in- are we following our heart in our work? Are we doing something for the passion of it or the comfort (and may be money) in it?
I really enjoy my profession, and am pretty good at it. But per my qualifications, Ii should be a lab or a research project working towards developing wireless sensor technology for expanding commercial use!
But I am not. I am far from it, but I am in the field I really enjoy! But yes, in the long run- my heart lies somewhere else; alas its still not wireless sensors! I want to be doing something else, and tell myself time and again: What I do now, is a path of security and building up the base to do my own thing! Luckily the path is something I enjoy a lot as well… Hopefully soon will do my dream job!
So in some ways, may be I am not following my heart. Though, I am very passionate about my work.
Luckily for me, I was not forced into any degree or profession. My parents gave us independence and support to choose our own path, do our thing and become our own person. And yes, hence until recently, I was the only one in technology in a family filled with financial geeks! ;-)
Some are not that lucky: I knew someone, who was forced in engineering by his parents, but his heart was in fashion. He was really good at that. Another dear friend, who wanted to be in financial side of the world but forced into engineering. Almost ten years out, guess what she is doing- Financial management. She did follow her heart. I knew some, who were studying there course just to make parents happy or to get graduation degree. They knew the minute they have the diploma, they will be joining the manufacturing plants, diamond trade, teach, trade, whatever else. Then there were the others. I very close friend of mine; for the fifteen years or more that I know her, always wanted to be an architect. She is one now; she is following her heart, her passion in her work. But she always jokes:" I am still waiting for the money to follow!"

I do understand the fact that this is "real life" and one can either follow the poetry side of life or the prose side of it. For me, right now, I am on the prose side. The safe, secure, less risky path! I bow down to people on the poetry side, which is following the passion, the heart, the more (much more) risky side. Sadly, I know few (Very few) people like that.

In this "real world" Is there something like: "Follow the heart and money will follow?" Are you doing something because you love it or is it means to get you somewhere else or you are doing it for the security it may bring. Mind you, none is bad! It’s the path we have to choose in this very "real world"!

With a twist!

I have been writing weekly on this blog, there is no theme to it, just whatever moved me, whatever troubled me and above all, whatever i spent time thinking and pondering over... But for the entire last week, i didn’t have the inspiration to write. Writers block of sorts... We did do a lot of things- had friends over, went to friends houses, Took V to the fountain, the pool went for the long walks and of course the July 4th fireworks show. But still no inspiration.. and then suddenly out of my bi-weekly meeting with my boss! and tada! i have an inspiration!

My boss is an expectant first time mother. Like all, she is elated, excited and very anxious. She airs the same, and kind of looks at us "new" moms for words of inspiration. Amongst other things, i told her that before the due date- sleep a lot, watch movies, go to plays, go for walks, go to fancy restaurants and do all the adults only activities feasible with a protruding belly ;-)
She asked a simple question- why, don’t you do these things still?
And i thought- well i do! I still do, then why was i making such a big deal of it?

Hmm, i think its just the difference with a toddler in tow. SD and I still spend a lot of quality adult time together, and we do all the toddler friendly activities V should be doing. We still go for the walks, the restaurants, and now that we have help at home, we put V to sleep and try going for concerts and movies. Hmm, all activities are done but with a twist!

At a concert, we would call a couple of times at home, to ensure V is sleeping, and all is well. Though we are out with the friends with fancy clutches in hands, my hands misses the strollers. We will go for family dinners and carry enough spill proof cups and crayons and activities to keep this toddler occupied for the 2 hours long dinner. She is a good kid, but we don’t want to take any chances and have other adults stare at us or the older folks looking at us with disapproving eyes!

We will visit all our friends and host lavish parties at home, but there is enough non-spicy food for the toddlers and always an additional blankie if the little one decided to snooze.

We still sleep-in on weekends... with a different, SD and I take turns! One day i will have a late morning, and during this time, he will be up feeding her breakfast and playing with her and then the next day, i will be up sooner and he will be snoozing! This way both working parents get there fare share of lazy time and one on one V time!

So, i guess we do it all- with a twist!
And we love every minute of it..there is nothing stated above that we would like to change or alter.
So when i discussed this with the new mom to be, we both smiled- there is hope! And the i ponder- Its funny, the famous quotation goes: "Grass is always greener on the other side." But when a girl becomes a mom, and a couple become parents- the greener side is always on your side, the gleaming toddler eyes, the child like innocence in their laughter and the adorable mess all make the parents pastures green.. and yes with a twist!