Aaah a dream

7 countries, a cozy gorgeous wedding and 15 days of true relaxation. What a trip. Of course i wont mull over that my parents were to join in for this and had to cancel a day before and we missed them immensely. But will focus on the trip itself.

As always, I start with the Itinerary and a summary description: Some air, some bus and lots of public transportation!

• Barcelona, : 24 hours: Must go back with a longer time there!
• BudaPest : 2.5 days: What a brilliant city dotted with ball room dances in the squares, gorgeous views and friendly people
• Bratislava : 1 day: A easy breezy and relaxed quaint small-big city. The after effects of the post communism era felt the strongest here
• Vienna : 2.5 days: The grandeur, the magestic buildings, the history, aah
• Prague : 2.5 days: The party town, the food, the scenes. Must go back sans kids.
• Paris : 2 days: Of course C'est Paris! Climbing top of Eiffel Tower!
• Ghent-Bruge : 4 days: Wedding Wedding and more wedding fun with a day in the land of canals and Belgian Truffles

Firstly: Yes that was a lot of travel, but how easy and convenient it is to travel within EU. I was left impressed
Secondly: Thankfully, no major hiccups, kids were chilled and we were relaxed and minus missing my parents immensely, we relaxed, slept in, chilled in!
Thirdly: We traveled super light, 2 hand carries and back Packs. Of course the wedding clothes, our dearies got for us(TY TY). But travelling light made it possible to be nimble within the trip.

The trip was so different from our other ones. And i cant place a finger on what exactly made it different! I realized how exhausted I truly was and slept in so much on the trip. And we were so flexible with what we did and when, we sort of went with the flow with what the kids and we wanted.

It was our first time through Central Europe. The countries we were visiting  were so different from each other. The disparity between "before the iron curtain" and now was so evident, the remnants of the world war 2 were like it happened yesterday. At times it was like walking in the past and imagining ourselves in that era. Sometimes we would shiver like in the Jewish Synagogue in Budapest and sometimes we would feel our chest swelled with pride walking in the gardens of Schonbrunn palace in Vienna.

I will try to add additional details over the next few weeks, but as always, travel makes me nostalgic.

Growing up, we traveled, some faraway places, some temple trips, some weekend getaways. It was a mix of things, generally dotted with some work conferences for my dad or just some family weddings or prayer events. But we traveled and I often tell my husband those are my fondest memories of being on the road, our parents shopping with us, for us, we visiting places, using those old fashioned cameras and it makes me smile.

I really do wish my parents would have joined in, but i cant thank them enough for making me "catch the travel bug" earlier in life!

Thank You Chicago Police

We were caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We were stuck in the middle at the Chicago Navy Pier  4th of July Chaos!
This incident it has left a mark on us.... which will be hard to fade away. Especially in the mind of my 6 year old and 11 year old.

They were shaken up, but on the tough discussions, the one thing that stood out for them is the bravery of the Chicago Police. So they decided to write Thank You Letters.
With their permission here it is

My 6 year old, Little Lady

Dear police,

Thank you for keeping us safe from the bad guys. I was at navy pier on 4th of July 2019. I got scared when the crowd was running towards me. It was scary when I saw blood and people hurt.You were very brave.

                                      Thanks alot,

     

My 11 year old, Miss Chatterbox

                

Dear police,

     I am writing to you to say thank you. I was part of the chaos in Navy Pier on July fourth. Before that day, I used to get annoyed when in the night I would hear the high screeching sound of the police cars. Now, I feel safer when ever I hear that exact same noise. I got very scared when the big stampede started racing towards me and my family. Then, when the stampede died down, and you yelled with a gentle voice to duck, I did exactly that, knowing you would keep me safe. It was quite a relief that my mom and dad and sister where right there next to me. I admire your bravery when you yelled to duck, but stood up straighter yourself. That amount of braveness and courage is mind-blowing. When I was ducking, I was crying because I thought there was a criminal on the loose with a gun. I was relieved when I read the news saying that no shots were fired. There is one thing engraved in my head still- When a police came up to our scared family and said these exact words ‘ You can get up. It is safe.’. Once again thank you.

                 Sincerely,

                          

 Fate goes ever as fate must.- from Beowulf.                      

Their City Their Home

      

Is it a lone gunman, a mad driver or something else ?

Not the thoughts you want to have after a wonderful July 4th celebration with the kids and parents at Chicago's Navy Pier!

With family visiting from India, we decided to go to the Navy Pier to enjoy the fireworks. The 4 adults and 3 kids were plopped right by the water and a lovely picnic. At 9:30 the fireworks began and it was mesmerizing. We generally see this from afar, but watching the reflection on the water, with the songs and fireworks in synchronized fashion has its charm!

We clapped, enjoyed and after fireworks ended, decided to wait for the crowds to disperse. With the young kids and MIL, it would be easier. So we plopped on a bench and were just chatting about the display. My SIL and her daughter decided to go in the pier for a quick rest room pit stop.

Suddenly!
Yes suddenly we saw thousands of people running towards us screaming. We froze in our spots not knowing what was going on. We ducked behind the very bench we were sitting on. May be 30-60 seconds later, everyone just stopped. We stood up and said to our bystander, wonder what that was about! And then we see swarms of cops yelling at the crowds to "Get Down NOW, Take cover. "
And I slam dunked my 11 year old and 6 year old again on the floor. It just got more real. My MIL cannot sit on the ground, I see my husband just giving her cover with the back to the cops.

My girls are starting to scream and I really want them to be quiet, just in case "they" hear them.
One is below my arm and the other is holding my hand. Both are shaking and may be it was me also. I look at them and ask them to look at me. And just tell them "Sing Navakar" our daily chant.
I needed them to focus on as we hear screams around us. And that's what they did. Looking straight into my eyes with tears streaming down their cheeks. They just chanted and are curled up like little babies. I see Sumit and his mom as bend down as physically possible 5 ft. ahead. We lay there. And then 10-15 minutes pass by I think.
We see a cop come to us and tell us "IT IS SAFE, YOU CAN GET UP NOW"
The girls and I are frozen, he repeats and we stood up still unsure. There is a chaotic scene around us, but we stay focused on looking at him and Sumit and MIL with him.
He says "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW".
I say "NO WAY, I WILL STAY RIGHT HERE UNTIL THE REST OF MY FAMILY IS HERE" he looks at me stunned and stayed with us until my SIL and her daughter meet us.

Honestly, we had no idea what happened.
My first thought: "Not my kids"
My second thought: "Is a crazy car guy mowing down people"
My third thought: "Is a lone gunman being really really stupid"
My fourth thought: "Not my kids"

We looked around us, 10 feet from us, we see poodles of blood. Cops and paramedics with someone. I look at my daughters watching that and tears re-emerge.

My 6 year old cried and was like "Bad guys are here"
My 11 year old cried and was like "I am never leaving home again"
My 5 year old niece was just quiet and confused and looking around her.
And us, the four adults: Well were numb and the "what if's" started flooding the mind.
I held them close and talked to them all the way on the walk back to the car, we saw littered shoes, bags, glasses, tears and there was this silence in the crowd.

The kids slept with us that night, it took lots of talking, ice cream and honest and tough discussions to get them a "little normal" again.
Of course, I had to FORCE them to step out the next day for a bike ride and then slowly get normalcy back.
My girls and us are doing better now. We are still talking about it. It will always be their "normal" going forward and I DONT WISH it on anyone. I feel we got "lucky" but honestly not what i want to teach our kids. "It happens, just get lucky!" WHAT WORLD DO WE LIVE IN NOW

The girls wrote beautiful Thank You letters for the Chicago Police. Next post.. more to come 

Be Inspired: Our Girls. Our future.

Summer is a season of BBQ's, Cold Drinks, Park shenanigans and this Chicago Summer is unpredictable weather wise.
We have been literally making hay when the sun shines!

At one such BBQ evening with friends, I had one of the most inspiring discussion with a friends mom, lets call her Mrs N. An accomplished lawyer, a musician, an art dabbler and over all a very well read lady.
Along with my 11 years old and Mrs N, we were discussing American politics, the current volatility and the tolerance levels of people.
This is right up the alley for Miss V, my 11 year old. She said: "My schools motto is Honor Diversity" and Mrs N said, "that's wonderful, but I really want to be in a place where we don't have to talk about these things, be it honoring diversity, women's rights etc. It should just be "normal".

True.

This led to an even more interesting discussion on how change can be bought. And Mrs N. told my 11 year old and all of us something which left us speechless and really made us ponder. Her statement was:
"One can protest by standing and picketing and holding bill boards, yes. But one can also initiate change by being in the position of power or using the power one does have to do something more impact-ful". 
To which Miss V was quick to chime "The louder one screams the lesser the impact on the issue at hand!"

Like I said, I left inspired. She recanted a story to us from her childhood on how and why she became a lawyer, which was around the Nixon Impeachment and her absolute devotion to the American Constitution was clear.
Mrs N. was telling Miss V : "We need more women, More smarter girls choosing the path of becoming a lawyer barbecue you have the ability to be neutral, to be impactful and to be just. No one can take that away from you"

Miss V i think just hovered around Mrs. N the rest of the evening.
Like I said, summer BBQ's are amazing and also this one was for a special occasion and left me
feeling very inspired and I think whatever path Miss V and my Little Lady choose, I know that our girls can have any future they dream of and work towards!

This was the perfect way to start a Chicago Summer

I fought the weather and Won!

It's middle of June in Chicago. We should be at the parks, chilling at the beaches, grilling, complaining its too sunny, drinking cool lemonades and really lathering the sun block on.

But no, here we are.... still complaining, wearing light jackets, being wet and being cold!

That's it, I've had enough. A few of us packed a picnic and decided last minute to go to a Strawberry farm close by on a rainy and cooler day! We messaged feverishly in early am, will it rain, will it be cold, will we survive... and then I said: "You know what, lets just go "

It was the perfect-berrilicious day!!!

We enjoyed the festival, admired beautiful flowers while snuggled in the sweaters, picked gorgeous strawberries under the umbrella.

At the festival, we challenged each other on the obstacle course, raced on the kiddie bikes, played soccer and got our asses kicked by the kiddos and then icing on cake: We played, Lagori or Pitthu or Sitolia or a game which we grew up playing in India in the building compound. We re-lived our childhood memories and passed on the love of this game to the next 'ABCD' generation.
Of course, my team won.

But that's not the point! Point is, the weather didn't relent and neither did we. We got wet, muddy, slushy and we had a blast! The tired and content smiles by the end of the day was the victory against the weather!





I am now using the 10 pounds of hand picked strawberries for new concoctions...
Strawberry Smoothie, A strawberry crumble!

When life gives you rain, you take an umbrella and skip in the water!!!

Spring is new beginnings... they say

Green Thumb is defined as 'A knack for growing plants and keeping them healthy'

For all these years, i say, I have a "thorn thumb", i touch a plant and it dies.
I will often joke: 'I have kept my two kids alive and they are thriving, plants, well there is only so much i can do'
It is so bad that one year when Miss V was in India, she used to call her father and say- you water the plant and please don't let mummy touch it.

And i think the breaking point was killing a succulent which my friend and I spent an evening taking a class and making together. Killed a succulent! Uff!

So you get the idea!!

For Spring, its said- new beginnings.... So I am trying to change my thorny thumb. I made Sumit come with me and buy planting supplies, plants, potting mixes, some pots and on and on. A couple of hundred dollars down- i have the following plants trying to ' thrive survive' in my house

1. Mint plant, home and backyard: Hopefully ready in time for the summer yummy lemonades
2. Basil Plant: The smell, of fresh basil on appetizers, yummy!!
3. Serrano Chili plant: Spicy.... you know you need it!
4. Range of flowers - 3: a pink, a white and an orange: no i do not remember the name!! But they look gorgeous!!
5. Orchids- Yes, i have had them since my birthday and they have been good for the past 6 weeks!!!!

About a week in, they are still living, I have my doubt on the the white flowers: Seemed to me this morning that I over watered it... so its sitting in indirect sunlight today. But the rest haven't become sloppy, or yellow and injured (Yet).
So I continue to monitor, care and have a mini freak out for every leaf that falls down!

And yes the family is sitting with pop-corn and enjoying my "New Beginnings" mood swings!

A tale: From shorts to pants

Changing back into Pants From Shorts... how simple can that be. Very Simple.

But recently such a task was "Oh man" moment for me.

With my parents visiting, we had an impromptu trip to Florida for part medical and part Lets take a break! I think Sunshine brings out the best in us! I was happy when I landed from Chicago in mid 70's at 10 pm in Florida. We were in flip flops, shorts, singlets and hats and sun glasses. We carried lemonade through the day to keep us hydrated and enjoyed the sun shine.

The short trip was good. Always nice to get a decent bill of health and in addition soak in some sun!

On our way back at the Florida airport, kids were asked to remove the shorts from their sun kissed selves and wear full pants, long sleeved shirts and their sweaters.

And that's when it came all flooding in!!! IHATE the weather in Chicago in April!

Its should be Spring weather at least, may be mid 60's instead of snow!

This time is for

• Kids to stomp on the playground and smell fresh flower buds, instead they are covered in layers.
• We should trade in the heavy jackets and bring out the bright and cheery sweaters.
• It should be the time that sniffles die away.
• It should be a time of green, sun and breaking away from the dreary grey

To be transparent, I don’t mind winters at all, don’t get me wrong, its manageable and sipping hot tea and enjoying fresh snow flakes has its charms, but still in April: Cold, Grey and Snow is VERY depressing.

As I settle back in my routine with layers and jackets here in Chicago, I await the moment when I can trade my warm pants to something cotton, light and colorful and shorts!!!!

And may be in the next 6 weeks, I can wear the shorts for a brief 6 week period, if we are lucky here in wonderful Windy Chicago

Breathe and Breathe again

We all lead busy lives whether we accept it or not! We are running from pillar to post be it work, be it kids, be it social activities or be it just for yourself! There is always a plan, an activity, an agenda.

As a list maker, trust me I know.

The one time when I don’t have an agenda is a holiday, I can spend hours on a book, on a beach, on a hike or sleeping in. But I digress!

On Columbus Day which luckily for Sumit and me, we both have a day off, and I had an agenda for the day, well I should say we did have an agenda: Errands which never get done otherwise, pending projects which need a little more than just nudging. With the kids busy with their school and playdates, we actually had time to run the errands without distractions.

We started the day off on schedule and being in PJ's on a Monday morning, it felt good especially since I volunteered (aka bullied) Sumit to drop off the kids to their stuff!

We got a few things done around the house and I was a lady on a mission: On to the next topic. But by the time afternoon rolled around, Sumit got on a- “can’t we just stay home and watch a movie mode”. And the logical part of my brain was like, “Nope, got to go,” and then I dont know what it was... 

whether it was him just looking exhausted and me realizing, man, he does not get this down time. At all.  

.....I dont know if it was, Miss V returning from her play date and snuggling next to me on the bed, or .....if it was, just the laziness in me creeping up and a voice in my head saying: Breathe and breathe again!

We stayed in, saw two movies back to back, picked up the second kid from school and then enjoyed a long family dinner! Our date night was overruled and instead we spend the night watching some pictures, some videos and enjoying a warm apple pie made from our weekend outing of apple farm!

So yes, I didn’t check off my list of "to do's". We accomplished only 30% of what we wanted to get done! But still, with a heavy heart I say: Sumit you were right.... by your 'cant we just stay home and watch a movie'... I actually remembered to breathe.

Of course the apple pie's helped!

Hosting a Vegetarian BBQ Party

Summer has ended, luckily for us in Chicago, the weather is still awesome. And that’s not something that we say often! This summer, we grilled and grilled a lot! With time I learned that hosting a BBQ party is very different from regular ones!

Here are a few tips that helped us host grilling evenings at a frequency of two per week :-)

Be safe: Ensure to instruct the kids to be away from the grill when you are cooking. We generally keep some games (Ring toss/ bean bag throw/ water guns) at the other end of the deck. It keeps them entertained and I am not stressed.

Imagine a triangle. Grill being on one corner, the kids activities on the other and the drinks on the third corner. This layout helps keep the party flowing well, kids away from hot grills and drinks cooler!

Planning:

Menu: Have a broad idea of what you are grilling. Raid the produce section and be well stocked! For a vegetarian grilling event, have 2 mains which are heavy and then a lot of accompaniments to go along with it.

Food Prep & Cooking:

- Appliances: Apron, Gloves, Grill cooking utensils, grill mats and foil! Be always safe and these are one time expenses and totally worth it!

- In our house, I prep/ marinate and Sumit grills. Admist the coversations and relaxing, he tends to forgets that food is still on the grill and then I jump into the rescue (You see how I slid that in)

- One thing I recommend is 1-2 things at a time! Start with the lighter items, one at a time and then progress. I have realised with time, though you may have 6-8 items ready to be grilled, your party will always be more relaxed on the deck!So just taking is slow and cooking 1-2 things at a time is highly recommended. This way everyone including you gets to enjoy the weather, the conversations and the food!

- We grill in a 'sequence' defined by increasing order of flavours and cooking time. Implying things that grill quickly go first! Simple reason, at the onset you are hungrier and food should come in quickly, as the evening progresses you and your friends would enjoy the breaks in food!

Drinks:

I highly recommend a main cool drink, be it sangria, a punch, jal jeera. It just makes me feel nice to pour cold jal jeera then opening a can of La Croix, I am just saying!

Keep a mini cooler/ Ice box ready and stocked with the group favorites. Have a variety of cans/ bottles ready for serving!

I have learned over time and now attached a bottle opener to my cooler, this way I am not scrambling for this essential item

Water: I prefer just having jars/ reusable bottles ready with water and ice! We as a family have been trying to avoid plastic bottles and considering we host a lot of friends over BBQ, having the reusable bottles is ideal (and cheaper!)

Condiments:

I have a tray ready with my essentials: Salt, Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Lemon Wedges, Hot Sauce, Ketchup, Chaat Masala etc. and definitely a knife!

Of course there are edits to these based on the menu for the evening.

Serve Ware:

- Food Prep: If you use skewers, pre-soak. i generally avoid them. I use  glass containers for the marinated vegetables and then use the same ones for serving after grilling. (Read less clean up time for Sumit!)

- If your space allows a a table where you keep the marinated food and then eventually the grilled food. I line up the marinated food in the order that Sumit will grill (Read FIFO- First in First out), makes it so much easier

- Have ample serving spoons, forks etc handy... you do go through them very quickly!

- Keep paper plates, bowls, napkins, flatware ready. I highly recommend using the paper dishes, since you will be grilling a variety of things and walking and chatting around! (Read less clean up time for Sumit!)

- Thrash Can: A MUST. keep it lined, empty and ready to go. If you recycle (which you must), keep a double bagged paper bag ready!

(Read less clean up time for Sumit!)

Pot Luck/ Grilling:

- Most of my grilling gatherings have been with dear friends over and I enjoy the cooking process, so I tell them, please come and enjoy!

But if you are hosting a larger party, keep it simple for yourself as well. A salad, a dessert, some drinks are perfect and simple requests for your guests to bring along!

Menu Ideas:

- Always keep a cold appetizer/ fruits ready for the evening: Simple things like a tossed salad, chopped watermelon helps. You can be fancy and have fruit skewers ready, but trust me if you grilled as often as we did, you want a simple repeatable model

- Finger foods like chips, salsa, pretzels etc should be served but in smaller portions, you would rather have the guests fill up on grilled gorgeousness!

- Marination: If you want marinate the night before it helps with the flavour in the vegetables/tofu/paneer what ever you are planning on. If your evening is more impromptu, fret not, increase the qty of herbs and spices in the marination by a little and even 30 minutes of marination is enough.

- Grilled vegetables with cold dips is always a hit: Think Grilled asparagus with a creamy pesto dip, delish!

- Think concoctions, you have 10 beans and 1/2 pepper lying around, slice them up marinate in olive oil, salt and pepper! Tada... Gril and then serve with crubled goat cheese (Ready!)

- For kids, encourage them to try everything coming off the grill, they will enjoy the 'not sit down and eat' type of meals. In addition, if you have more kids may be have a main like Mac N Cheese or something as a back up is a great idea!

- Trust me when I say this, a cold pasta salad is a hit with the kids and more with the adults!!!!

So have fun, enjoy the process and remember: Grilling parties are fun, simple, can be impromptu and you tend to eat a lot more...

Summer of 2017

 As a mom, Summer equals the months when the kids are off school. 

And now my summer draws to an end. 

Over the next two weeks, The Little Lady starts hew new school closely followed by Miss Chatterbox in her new school as well. Touch wood, both are supremely excited for their new beginnings. 

I am sure Little Lady will have water works for the first day, I am mentally prepared for it. 

I am sure I will have some water works for both their first day's, I am mentally prepared for it.

To continue the tradition, her is my Summer of 2017 recap:

The kids did absolutely nothing and had a really good time (I think). They lazed and got pampered by grandparents, they went to the park countless times, they had ample late nights, BBQ's, Ice Creams, play dates, lots of crafts, some beach time, some lake time, some swim time, loads of biking and a whole load of nothingness to have them recuperate and energized and truly spend summer like kids are supposed to.

The whole nothingness, no plans, no agenda, it sort of worked out. With my In-laws around, I got massively pampered. I barely cooked implying coming home to food being ready is amazing. They spend countless hours with the girls, taught them, and just basically bonded with them, which I really think is the best part. And cheeky husband and I got in ample date nights! So this summer was a nice working holiday for me as well.

Though I love having kids home, I do need them back in school. As I often say, my 'regular scheduled programming to start'

I know- I suck! In summer, the mornings when I leave for work, I get long sullen kids’ faces telling me- You are going to office again! And then the mommy guilt creeps up even more.  And then I come home in evenings to a house hit by hurricane, toys strewn around, half-finished books, writing material on the floor and urgh! So then instead of hugging them, I get them on task and have them help clean up becoming the non-fun mom. 

So honestly, Minus the mess, I think it was a perfect summer!!

What made your summer super special??

They did this....

I come home from work... and see this!!!!

The Little Lady wanted her face painted, the Chatterbox wanted to be creative and hence they were a perfect match!
I climb our stairs and am greeted with this beautifully painted face and lots of chuckles and lots of giggles.

These two together are a riot, a menace and the most adorable pair of sisters who can spend hours playing, fighting, troubling and uniting against me!

Touch wood, Siblings truly are friends for life

Quick Food Fix: Paneer Tikka Masala

Another grill edition and definitely a super hit with Indians and even my local American friends.
I used home made Paneer for this round, but you can use store brought one like I have done for the past 14ish years!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1. Bell Pepper 1 Medium: Quartered in chunky pieces
2. Yellow Onion 1 Medium: Quartered in chunky pieces
3. Paneer: Quartered (You can adjust the amount of paneer based on your taste, I say, more then merrier)
4. Tomato 1 Medium: Quartered in chunky pieces
5. Ginger: 1 tsp grated
6. Garlic: 2 cloves grated
7. Yogurt: 3/4 cup

Herbs & Spices
1. Paneer Tikka masala (Easily available in Indian Store/ Whole Foods): 2 tsp
2. Seeka hua Jeera: 1/2 tsp
3. Red Chillo Powder: 1/2 tsp
4. Sookha Pudina: 1/2 tsp
5. Rock Salt: 1/2 tsp
6. Salt & Pepper: Per taste

Garnish:
1. Chopped Cilantro: 1/2 cup
2. Squeezed Lemon Juice: Per Taste
3. Chaat Masala: Per Taste

Process:
1. In a mixing bowl, mix the yogurt with all the spices and ginger, garlic
2. Once all is mixed, add Onion, Bell pepper and Paneer (Not the tomato)
3. Mix well and ensure everything is coated well
4. Now add the tomato and toss lightly
5. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge

Note: If you leave the marination overnight, skip adding the tomato's since tomato releases the water, it will make the marinate 'thinner'

To Cook:
On Grill: (Perfect for summer) Save some of the marination, and layer the tikka on the grill mats. Cook for 4-8 minutes and ensure to flip the vegetables and paneer to cook evenly

Alternatively: You could add them to presoaked skewers, I generally forego this step since it adds more prep time and for gobbling them down, have to take them off the skewers anyways.

In Oven: (Perfect in winters)On a slightly oiled foil/ oven dish add the paneer tikka and cook at 375 F for about 20 minutes

On Stove Top: (Least Recommended)Add 1 tsp of olive oil in the pan and then add vegetables and Paneer, Let it cook for 5-10 minutes on medium flame. Please note in this method, the vegetables tend to get softer and the paneer will not have the 'crunchy exterior'

Garnish with the toppings and any leftover marinated yogurt and enjoy!

Silly Races and A picnic

The tradition for Munch Bunch is simple.... 4 foodie families meet once every 4 to 6 weeks and try to cook a new themed menu to test different menu's and just explore a little outside our comfort zone. We have attempted Greek, Vietnamese, Indian Area Specialties, Ethiopian, Burmese.... aah so many more!

This month's theme was ..... 'Silly Races and a Picnic'.

With summer in Chicago, heading to the beach/park/somewhere outdoors is a must and miss Chatterbox decided that having silly races would be the perfect way.... so 12 adults, 8 kids ranging from 3 months to 9 years all headed to one of the Chicago Beaches right next to a park with all the picnic gear is full force.

Silly Races: Miss V made a list of 11 races and we managed to play 1: Lemon in a spoon race which was awesome fun! But we did play lots of Frisbee, catch the ball, cricket, walking on the beach, Simon Says and just having kids run around as we sat and caught up and just enjoyed sitting on the mats and soaking in the wonderful lake breeze.

Menu:

To begin with crunchy Vegetable Pastry Puff followed by Potato Kathi Rolls just reminiscent of the Mumbai infamous street food and then a delicious take on the Bahn Mi sandwich.

Of course for dessert we had a cake and to celebrate the American Independence Day ... a gorgeous cake.

For drinks this time since we were at the beach, we had lots of water, juices to keep it simple.

Kathi Roll/ Frankie:

This is a Mumbai special and totally reminds me of a simpler time walking on Breach Candy with my friends and asking the Rajesh Frankie wallah, please make it spicy! And then giggling along with friends and walking a lot more.

Makes 16 Frankie’s

Ingredients

Yellow Potato: 10-12: Boiled, peeled and mashed well

Yellow Onion: 2 thinly slices

Garlic: 3 cloves finely chopped

Ginger: 1/4 inch finely chopped

Serrano Peppers: 3-6 finely chopped

Cilantro: 1 cup finely chopped

Olive Oil: 3 tsp

Spices

Jeera: 1 tsp

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Chilli Powder: 1 tsp (Use more to make it spicy)

Amchoor: 1 tsp

Chaat Masala: 2 tsp

Salt: Per Taste

Black Pepper: Per Taste

For Garnishing

1 Red onion: thinly sliced and marinated in 2 tsp chaat Masala

6-8 Serrano Peppers: Chopped well and marinated in 1 cup vinegar

Garlic Chutney: Readily available in Indian stores or homemade =

Tortilla: All purpose tortilla - 16

Process:

Making the Stuffing

1. Heat the olive oil and add Jeera till it splutters

2. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, serrano peppers. Sautee for 5-7 min. (till onions are translucent)

3. Add all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes

4. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well, cook for another 5 minutes add cilantro and turn the flame off.

Assembling

1. On a flat bottom pan, heat the tortilla till warm

2. Spread the garlic Chutney

3. Place the cooked potato in the center, top with marinated onion and chilli-vinegar.

4. Roll like a burrito and sprinkle with chaat masala if needed

I covered with parchment papers since I wanted to keep it simpler to pick up and eat at the picnic, this is a wonderful idea for school lunches as well, since quick to grab and eat and you can include choice of vegetables as a filling. The best part of this Kathi roll/ Frankie was....is... it reminds me of home. 

Enjoy!

A newly created Milestone

I have older kids, well 4 and 9, and I since I am off the diaper duty, I call them 'older' kids... but they are teeny tiny in my mind.

But as they are getting 'older and wiser' there are lesser and lesser milestones that I track or remember to track. No more first steps, first words, first solids, first steps...

There are no key milestones with these kids, just good and onward and upward development.

I know that's how it should be and it is, but it makes me a little sad every now and then. They are still my babies.

So today, I 'create' a new milestone for 'Tween' (my 9 year wise girl) and my 'Pre-schooler' (The 4 year old Chatterbox)

Tween, Miss V: First sleep away trip from school!

Pre-schooler, Miss S: First night not sleeping in the same room with her older sister!

The morning of the trip.....  

Miss V, was up and packed 3 days prior to the trip, she wakes up at 5 am, makes her own milk and is ready at 5:45 to leave. We don't have to be in school before 8 am, that's how excited she was!

Miss S, the little sister shadows the older one, gives her extra hugs, steals older sister's bear for the night (since no one to fight with) and is just holding her older sister's hand throughout the early morning!

The morning of the trip.... me an my thoughts! 

I know the trip is only 3 days, 2 nights long. But its freaking long in my mind. She is off to a camp which is open pre-season for just their school. She is with her wonderful friends and her super involved and caring teachers. It's super safe and even more protected than I can imagine. 

Her school has gone above and beyond to ensure kids are looked after and parents are comforted. But still, this is a big milestone! 

It's a school trip which encourages her to be more independent, explore the nature, hike the wilderness, mount and do the horse riding, play unlimited soccer, Grill smore's by the camp fires!

But here I am on the other side of the white bus waving good bye with a brave grin showing her how trully Happy I am for her!

And then I sit in the car and breathe, That's my baby hitting another milestone...

She is ready, I am not!

Summer of 2016

Summer here is officially over, kids are back to school, life is back to regular scheduled programming.

As I have been getting back to 'life' I keep hearing: Summer was too short! Luckily Chicago weather has been good and its still amazing, I guess they are referring to 'summer: the official close of schools is over' I agree and disagree.

Agree: Wasn't it just yesterday I bid adieu to my munchkins are they went to spend 8 blissful weeks (First 1 with Sumit in India, 5 with Grand Parents solo and 2 again with us joining them) in India with the Grandparents and Cousins. Wasn't it yesterday that Sumit and I planned our '4 trips whilst the kids are away' Wasn't it yesterday that I washed and folded 11 loads of laundry since after kids left everything really needed to be re-washed!!

Disagree: They were gone for a really long time. I mean being away from the kids for 6 weeks is 

relaxing for sure, but definitely the empty house is not. Seeing other kids in the playground, at the beach, having tantrums over dinner all gave me an empty void. It was really long!

Yes we traveled while they were away: A weekend getaway to Pittsburgh to ring in cousins 50th, a last minute trip to Grand Yosemite, a romantic 4 day relaxation trip to Montreal-Quebec. I barely cooked whilst the kids were away. We ate out, walked, biked, met friends, and enjoyed long dinners and even longer chats! We piled on pounds, caught up on some books; saw some shows and the best of all: Really slept in!

I'd be lying if I said didn't enjoy the mornings: I mean waking up, showering at your leisurely pace and just heading to work was amazing!

But now that they are back, waking up to their cute hugs is the right way to start the morning.

The kids in India also relaxed: They watched a LOT of TV, cartoons, traveled with grandparents. Dressed up and enjoyed the gathering of cousins and friends. Attended weddings, and lots of reading, swimming, going on horse carriage rides, getting a fair share of ice cream and generally 'just bumming around'. They bonded with their cousins, fought with them, played with them and definitely bonded!!

A non-scheduled summer like it should be!

My Chatterbox-Miss V: Slept in, almost every single day. My Little Lady picked up Hindi so beautifully that she is only conversing in Hindi out of choice with us!

It really works out to have this balance trip: A friend mentioned: Your parents are doing 2 things: Pampering the grand kids and pampering you! I agree, since I got the 'much needed break' The kids loads of un divided attention and really got to broaden their horizons and get more independent!

This could not have been possible without our families in India. They paused their own lives to ensure the kids were happy and settling in! And now as they get used the quietness around the house, we get used to the riot!

Summer: A different kind...Empty nest for 6 weeks

The kids are in India for summer this year. They have done this before, and its always different!

My husband went to drop the 3.5 and the 8.5 year old to spend time with the grandparents, cousins and just 'relax' over summer.

Day 1: That's what they are doing, relaxing. They have played cricket with cousins, eaten more ice creams then they could count, chatted with daadi and are over all, done nothing but still accomplished everything: Peace of mind and giggles. Lots of them.

This experience will be fun for them. It really is and I am hoping the next 6 weeks is filled with more 'nothingness'. I can call it 'cultural immersion' it's honestly not. It is just kids being kids!

As a parent, I get selfish, i miss them. The house seems like a ghost town. There is no 'Finish your oatmeal' battles, no 'snuggling on couch to read' no 'bed time struggles' Nothing, there is this silence. And it's weird.

I am super thankful for both sets of grandparents to making the girls trip as memorable. Putting their own lives on hold just to spend time with them. My family flying into India from across the world just to be with the girls. To spend time with them, to teach them, to learn from them and above all to give them a summer of a lifetime.

Of course after they flew, I was miserable. I just wanted to be left alone. But I have good friends. They checked in on me, planned dinners, planned events, grabbed me out and ensure I was not sulking at home, messaged me every few hours to just check in, called me with crying kids in background reminding me I should cherish the peace.

And I will.

The 6 weeks will be very long and yet very short. I am goingto keep ourselves busy and really enjoy the little things. I told the girls when they were at airport: Just has fun.

And that's what I am going to do in addition to missing them terribly- Have Fun.

These 6 weeks will be different. Very different.

Look Ma: No Training Wheels

My Chatterbox, the 8 year old is off-training wheels on the bike. It took 3 days, one dedicated child and a lovely morning with the slope to get her started and zoom she goes...

Honestly, I was mesmerized by her. One, she kept at it until she got it, she fell down once and went back up again and above all, she was going fast and I had to 'Be Okay' with not seeing here every minute.

That was the hardest part for me..... Seeing her go fast and be on the corner of the parks and my eyes fixated on her and straining to find her. Luckily I was with friends who kept me happy and distracted else I would for sure have been a bucket of tears... one for being proud for her and the other for .....She is become so big!

No training wheels...wow!

I vividly remember learning the bike with no training wheels, it was in my maternal grand mother's courtyard. There is a small elevation and my cousins saying they are 'holding' on to me but letting me go and ride. I think I remember the cheers and then me plummeting into the wall and laughing my head off.

It was a big step for me.. and now letting go of Miss V with no training wheels for her.

In three social settings recently we told friends, oh V is off training wheels and they were like: Isn't 8 too late. I think now I have the answer practiced: 'I was ready now to let her go without the training wheels' 

Miss V, go, go on the hills, on the slopes, by the lake, enjoy the bike! I will watch you from afar but my eyes will be fixated on you. Always.

Inspired by her, I went biking this weekend with dear friends after 14 long years and what they say about biking is true: Once you know it, you can forget!

A new year

Year 2014 was good but still weird and confusing!!!
All I wanted at the end of 2014, was a 'simple event free healthy year'

I am so happy to report that 2015 has been just that.

We completed 10 years of marital bliss.
Our kids are now 8 and 3 aka amazing young kids who are explorers at heart like us.
Our nearest and dearest families have had new additions to their families aka, making my joys quadrupled. And I get to play with all these little babies and pamper them silly!

Health wise, knock on wood, its been really good. Small maters continue to persist, but all in all I think compared to any of the recent years, I am so happy that my annuals gave me an almost clean bill of health.

As usual, we explored, some short trips, like camping an hour away,  some long trips, like our coastal break in Oregon; some quick last minute getaways, can you believe my CA trip was a 'quick getaway' and some elaborate holidays planned, aha, the Indian Exploration this year!!!!

We have had both sides of the family visiting form India, Dubai, Ethiopia which is all so wonderful since we get to reconnect, we bond, we fight and we just be ourselves however silly it may be!

For me, my friends are such important part of my life. I thrive, unwind and bitch with them. It's really nice to have a close knit of friends around me now. The edits in my relationship from last year have really helped me be more at peace with myself. I am coming to realize that I am more content now.

What do I hope for my next year: Well I am hoping, more of the same, more fun, more frolic, more travel and above all more happiness.

Wishing you and your family a Very Happy New Year!

Summer of 2015

For the past two summers the kids have been going to India for their summers. They travel, eat delicious food, travel some more and get pampered by the grandparents.

This summer was different, very different.

Both the girls stayed here with us. My In Laws visited us from India. I took 8 weeks off from work before my new role. Sumit didn’t travel for work.

So all in all, we had one of the most memorable summers.

V, my Chatterbox (7 years) was in Camp for a few weeks. She was really excited about it since she had NEVER been to camp in her whole life.

I think she was disappointed and I don’t blame her, even I felt it was a lot of unstructured time and maybe I can choose better camps for her next year. There were however lots of field trips which she loved, daily swimming which I loved and lots of pick up early, lets stay home, lets gallivant around town which we both enjoyed a lot

S, my little Lady (2 years) was in her school as normal. To take her out for a few weeks didn’t seem right since she is so well adjusted now. She went to a field trip a week in a 'yellow school bus' which was her highlight. We went to parks almost every evening, slept late, woke up later and just generally relaxed.

My In laws, I thinking enjoyed the summer, the heat not so much. They walked a lot, to pick up V from camp, to stroll while the girls enjoyed the park, they got to spend a lot of time with the grand kids which I think is amazing.

 For me, having summer off was the best, I truly relaxed and now feel really rejuvenated. I went for massages, long lunches with girlfriends, evening dates with Sumit, shared a lot of giggles with the girls and accompanied them to as many field trips and activities as possible.

We didn’t travel this summer with a full house, but had a stay cation with Horse rides on Millennium St., evening picnics at Maggie Daley Plaza, Summer Movies at Jay Pritzker, Musical nights at Ravinia, camping with friends, grilling on our newly renovated expanded deck, impromptu dance party with girls, trips to cousins in Indiana, enjoying long swims and splash pad at Crown Fountain!

I think my highlight was the girls sleeping in later and a relaxed start to the mornings.

As I write this and skim over my summer pictures, the one phrase that sticks is: 'A lot of nothingness and A lot of memories'

A day of Summer Bliss

Living in the mid-west, we are sort of 'used to' the idea that within a 4 hours driving radius, we really don’t get to anything SUPER FUN.

And if there are SUPER FUN, we have been there already! So it gets boring!

I miss east coast for that. When we lived in DC, within 3 hours we could hit the mountains to the beach or SUPER FUN stuff! And when I lived in sunny California, i guess I should not complete that sentence; else there will be an overflow of tears!

Anyhow, back to my Midwest, with July 4th fast approaching, we wondered what we should do! A friend said Lake Geneva, and we all said, Yes, why not (I have been there a few times already (5, but who is counting), it’s the ONE really nice place to head out from the city, and close enough to do a day trip too)

So it was 5 families, 19 people from the wonderful City of Chicago who headed with beach bags, picnic baskets and summer gear to Lake Geneva.

Only one major disappointment, who charges 7$ per person forbeach access, well Lake Geneva does! But I got over that, the minute my feet touch the soft warm sand! We found some place for all of us to sprawl, changed headed in the lovely water! It was wonderfully warm, the kids played on the sand, kept going in and out of the water. So did we, and so did our parents who are visiting from India.

The picnic baskets kept opening, more food, more fruits, more juices, more sugary and the grand finale: Samosa's and Kachori's on the beach after an amazing afternoon. It could not get any better!

This turned out to be one of those days, where every single person enjoyed themselves, the youngest being 2 and the oldest about 70!

Funny. Chicago has lots of beaches to choose from (free access), Chicago has lots of sprawling space, lots of ice-cream shops and definitely lots of fireworks. But, just the process of driving, going to some place simple with friends and family and no rush, missed nap times, sugar high, eating Indian goodies on the beach are totally worth it!

Here is hoping for more summers and more such simple outings.

I wish there were more such simple joys in the mid-west! I just need to explore more I guess!