Serves me Right!

I blew my own trumpet recently by showing off 'de-stressing via cooking elaborate meals'.
It's only fair that I follow it up with what happened the week after: I did absolutely nothing!

We ate out twice (trust me having someone cook for you and no associated clean up was amazing)
Sumit cooked twice and we absolutely devoured the delish meals.

The stress level across both the weeks remained constant but the energy level went down, way down! 

Silver Line: I did love how being taken care of without asking. I did love to talk in a monologue with a friend just so I could vent.  In the bigger scheme of things, I did love just focusing my energy on one thing and the rest of things just 'happened'
However I  missed being the provider, being the care taker (I can complain about this, Okay).

This is the tough and the true side of parents (working or not doesn't really change this). Sometimes you get a good week, sometimes a tough week and sometimes a week from hell. Schedules line up tight, you juggle a few things, you cant get to every commitment, you don't get to oversee the homework or sit for a good meal. But somehow at the end of it, it magically "fits".

Needless to say this week I plan to catch up: Starting by warm meals in our bellies, clothes folded and well laundried also, sitting with kids while they complain  finish the homework, remembering to breathe through the stress of work and above all I plan to catch up on the the most important thing: My unfinished Netflix Series!

Stress week or Food Frenzy week

When I am super exhausted or just very stressed, I do one of two things, I dress up fancily or I cook fancily.
Considering I have no where fancy to be at on a day to day basis. I have been cooking fancily.

The last few days in my house have been the following
Saturday: Daal Baati with all Maru accompaniments! Of course celebrating the birthday of the one of the strongest individual I know had something to do with this

Monday: Indian Chinese complete with hakka noodles, fried rice, paneer chili, Gobhi Manchurian. Having kids ask me to open a restaurant after this meal was the best compliment I could ask for.

Tuesday: An Ethiopian street food dish called 'Ful' gobbled up very quickly by all of us. Me missing my mum and sharing food pictures with them made it up

Wednesday: Chaat Corner: Paani Puri, Dahi Puri, Sev Puri! Sumit saying that the paani puri is close to his Jaipur days! Oh man, I am in bliss.

I feel food gets us all together on our dining table, makes us laugh, cherish the limited time we get even more. As working parents with busy lives and busy work, we dont get as much time as we would like with the kids. So this is me saying Quality over Quantity.
The weekday evening dinners makes my fondest memories with the kids (YEs even yelling at them to finish fast sometimes!).

I am sure my family wants me to stay stressed so I could make more elaborate meals(!).
I am sure my weighing scale begs to differ though!

So what's your stress buster?

It sticks in the Universe... but we okay

Man, I wish I had said something like "Solve World Hunger" and it would have stuck in the universe! But no, vain me had said "It's going to be a long winter" and long behold the universe heard that and that's what sticking!!! Damn Me.

Be careful of the spoken word!!! Rudimentary mistake.

Last week was well "interesting" and funnily in a good way. We battled polar vortex and counted our blessings that we had the luxuries of a warm home, a supportive team and kids who managed to keep themselves entertained. And we got to new additions on our "Art wall"

• We tried the "Throw boiling water in air and watch it turn to snow" Successful"
• We tried the "Blow bubbles and watch them freeze" Un-successful"
• We worked crazy long hours since no commute and the work just got more intense!
• Hubby worked, picked up all my slack and definitely the supportive team comes in play (Again!)
• But we ate amazing food: Mexican Bowl, Bhajia's, elaborate Indian Meal, Super bowl snacks and above all lots and lots of "Kadha aka Golden Bliss aka Herbal power juice"
• We saw DDLJ!!! And that my friends was the best part!

We oddly celebrated the onset of vortex and having the crazy cold go away with friends. We are like that(!). Simple pleasures or just need to be a little silly.

But the week was. Memorable. Again, i can only be thankful for staying indoors, being warm and above all being able to choose how I reach to such weeks.

The kids were also reminded of this. I often wonder how can we raise kids who are "thankful" and "not entitled" to these things. Open to all suggestions.

Quick Food Fix: Shishito Peppers

On the last evening of the long weekend after a busy and yet super fun weekend, we are all ready to recharge the batteries and be ready for what lies ahead.

I decided to end it on a simple yet powerful foodie night!
Kids enjoyed some Hash Browns (one smothered with onions, and the other peppered and seasoned) .I continue to succeed  struggle in the No Potato for a year challenge, but I wanted something fun and easy to cook.

Long behold in the my fridge lied an unused bag of Shishito peppers which my husband had picked up in hoped of us eating.
Well tonight was the night.

I looked up a recipe, surprisingly super easy, as always modified it to fit my needs and then cooked and ate it with earnest. Including my recently turned 11 year old kiddo.

Process: 
1. Wash the peppers (About 10-12) in water.
2. Poke a hole in each pepper. Mainly So when you grill/ char it, it doesn't splutter
3. Heat 2 tsp olive/ vegetable oil in a skillet. I used an aluminium ones, when i researched the recipe, the common theme was DO NOT use non-stick, so I didn't.
4. When the oil is hot (you can test by adding a drop of water, it should splutter), add the peppers
5. Turn every 30- 45 seconds until the "charred" effect comes in. Please note: Charred, not burnt!
6. Take it off the skillet on a plate and garnish with sesame seeds and Rock Salt.

Eat and enjoy!

How was your long weekend?

Because you are never too old for bubbles!!!

A wonderful afternoon during the holidays in Southern California, all of us were coming out of a cactus garden and 2 minutes later the girls sprinted.
I couldnt run at their speed and saw both of them chase these humongous bubbles.

Once I caught my breath, I sat in a corner and saw the kids just enjoy the simple joys in life. I looked at Miss V, like really really looked her

She squealed with laughter, made those massive bubbles and popped them with equal zeal. It was heart warming.

Miss V, my Chatterbox, My old soul, my kind soul and above all my strong soul turns 11 today.

She is at that confusing age when You are too old to hang out with little kids and still too young to hang out with adults. That confusing age when you want to be silly but are too cool to be one. When you are too cool to be cool. Her turning 11 is just a step in this confusing age.
I will hence forth call these years "Sighing Years" or "Eye Rolling Years" or "Mom, this is embarrassing" or "Urgh" years!

You get the idea!

Under her shell of snappiness, kindness, strength, resilience, anger, frustration is still my little girl, is still my chatterbox, my lovely Miss V. She lights up the room, engages everyone around her in deep meaningful conversations, she reasons, she debates, she loves immensely and takes every challenge on!

Miss V, she is becoming such a lovely lady. A lovely strong lady!

Happy Birthday dearest, you turn 11.
We can no longer count your age on our fingers.

A full filling falafel evening

One good thing about blogging about recipes is when I want to re-cook them, I know exactly where to look and what to do, since it’s my own already simplified and modified recipe for a  Quick Food Fix, I blogged about them in 2015 and 2016 so making them again was way over due!

That’s what Monday night was… a full filling Falafel evening. Everything was laid out and kids made and enjoyed their own Pita Sandwiches!

 A picture to tempt you (and also to show off)

A simple thing that my older one said in the evening: “Mummy hoping this satisfies your craving” I melted. 

Over my California trip in December one evening walking on the streets of San Diego (Gas Lamp Quarters), I mentioned to the Chatterbox that night, I am craving Falafel. And that was it… but weeks later, she remembered, and last night over the delicious sandwich she said “Mummy hoping this satisfies your craving”. Oh Yes, It did and so much more!

It also reminded me that simple conversations with the kids may have a lasting impact. Hearsay, an example, a story, a conflict: Kids keep absorbing and absorbing and I have no idea what will shape their little sponge like malleable minds. J So keep it as simple as possible and as honest as possible. These kids continue to amaze me and I learn everyday (and also pull my hair out on most days!)

So how was your Monday after the Holiday season and settling in back to routines?

2018: Year in Review: The year of Self Revelations

Before I start with my year in review, I read the past few years summary and it makes me smile. It reminds me of how blessed I am, how life goes up and down but what counts is the good memories and the not so good ones which make me tougher and stronger.

To continue the tradition of Year in Review: 2018: The year of self revelations

The year started with a planned surgery. This kind of set the pace ahead for me. My mum kept her life on pause and came to help me. My gosh, she just picked it up and ran with it. She managed everything in the house and Sumit managed all the other stuff. I was pampered, well cared for and above all the path to recovery was so much simpler! A few friends went over and above (as always) and saved me from "cabin fever". Getting a surprise Paint the Town Read, the night before the surgery was awesome.

Over the years, I think i have improved at figuring out my relationships, some are social, some are true, some are simple and some are complicated. The year just past makes me feel more and more at ease. Sometimes I did feel petty, but then common sense trickles in and I breather a huge sigh!

We had an intense discussion among dear friends recently and the moral of the conversation was "Go Deep not Wide" Now mind out of the gutter: The point was, friendships will always get wider, we meet new people, develop new relationships etc. However the depth in the relationship is what matters.

The other big self revelation was: "It's fun to be silly and being silly is fun"
Over a college reunion this summer, I felt like no time had passed in our friendships. We pushed each other in pools, we chatted till wee hours, we bitched, we laughed and on and on. And there was no judgement. It was just so simple.
I was recapping this to my older daughter, Miss V later. She said "Mum you and your friends are so silly and so cute". This made me smile.

As I see pictures of the year gone by, my favorite ones are the "silly ones" and not those pretty perfect ones! The new family mantra is "It's fun to be silly and being silly is fun"

A very dear friend of mine and I were talking at how "unexpected" life can be. I remind her often (by yelling at her sometimes). The unexpected makes us tougher and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We just need to be patient. This year has reminded me Again: Life happens, resilience is helpful. And it will be OK.

Now to the travel of the year!
We soaked in the sunshine in Tampa with my parents, cousins and the kids got to enjoy the Harry Potter World. The girls got pampered by their grand parents over summer. Their 2 months of summer were split in India and Africa with cousins, loads of laughter, ice creams and lots of TV. What an experience! We traveled to New York, South Korea, Canada, India and ended the year with another "unplanned planned" trip to California.

My girls are becoming mini adults with full blown emotions, tantrums and laughter. As the year draws to a close, I feel eternally grateful to my parents, i wish I am half as self-less as they are. My
brother and sister in law, who are just a phone call away (though I barely call). They always pick up and I can just be the little girl of the house again. The friendships which have soared, deepened and above the support system here gets stronger. Of course, the partner in crime who continues to be the rock solid support.

2018 A year, filled with ups and downs and surprises, some good some just like a bad dream. A year with loud fights and even rowdier laughter. A lot of game nights and even more biking on the lake.What a year it was!
Looking forward to 2019 with dreams, successful recoveries, more laughter, more travel, more gatherings with crazy laughter and above all more simpler times!