Roasted Broccoli and Cheese Sandwiches...oh my, yummm!!!

Last night I was in the mood for sandwiches. My initial plan was to go for the regular Bombay sandwiches but then my eyes fell on the broccoli in the refrigerator and I thought, why not do something with these babies! So, I came up with this delicious recipe all by myself... okay, let me rephrase that. So, I googled a recipe all by myself and tried to create (replicate, rather) a sandwich that is not only healthy but super duper delicious!

Drooling, are we? I'll tell you how I did it.

I sauteed the broccoli as I usually do, with garlic in some butter, adding the broccoli florets, salt, black pepper powder, dried Italian herbs and chilli flakes, all tossed in a high flame until they are crisp but not fully cooked. I let them cool and then stuffed them and a few fresh tomato slices and half a cheese slice in between two bread slices, and grilled them away to glory!

Ah, the oozing cream of the cheese and the bite of the broccoli along with the freshness of the tomato, created a mouth watering combination of ultimate satisfaction! You have to try it guys!

Here's a teaser for you slurpurs!

Do try it and let me know how it worked out and also if you added/deleted some ingredients. I'd love to know!

Until next time! 👋

It's New Year! (again...)

Courtesy: www.giphy.com

Happy New Year guys! 

Wow, can you believe that a whole year just flew by and some of us are still at the same place?!? 😝Not to be a pessimist but that is what happens almost every year with me.😑 I am sure am not alone now, am I?

Well, the past year wasn't entirely hopeless. There were a few good things worth mentioning. I have been getting a lot of book reviewing offers for my blog Book Vue and have been doing some networking. I have moved my book review blog to WordPress (its not treason, its called expansion!), have been active on social media and been leaning the tactics of the industry. Not too well, may I add but still, getting somewhere I hope.

On the home front, my children seem to have suddenly grown up, each with their own crazy views (including my 5 year old). I have been honing my cooking skills, as some of you may know through my previous post. Health wise there have been some issues that I plan to resolve very soon through sheer dedication and will power. Can any of you tell me where I can find these two brats? They're kinda playing hard to get!

Nevertheless, as every year, I begin this year too with hopes and 'plans'. Be it my blogs, my health or my family, I will try my best to come out of my comfort zone and do something different. I don't sound like my true self to me right now, but I just want to hope and put it out there. Out there in the void.... like Meg Ryan did....in You've Got Mail. And she found her solution, didn't she?

So here's to being grateful for everything I have and wishing for the dormant courage in me to burst open and the unshakable will that I always had but is now hibernating somewhere. Ah well, it is winter, isn't it? I probably will give it some time and it will help me find my Tom Hanks destiny. Ahem!

Wishing everyone a Happy, Prosperous and Content New Year 2018!

Truly Tribal - An Online Tribal Art Gallery : An Experience

*** This is not a sponsored post ***

Hello everyone! Today, I have a unique review for you. It is about an online shop called Truly Tribal and the uniqueness is in its products consisting of beautiful artifacts that mesmerize you from the start!

Based in Pune and founded by Shweta Menon, Truly Tribal is an online tribal art gallery that showcases handicrafts and artworks from various regions in India. Truly Tribal focuses on giving the tribal artists a platform to display their art works and providing a means to make their beautiful handiwork, a source of their income. This online store contacts tribal artisans throughout India to bring global attention and recognition to their handiwork.

Having personally done business with Truly Tribal, I can say that it possesses some of the most unique decor items. It not only caters to individuals but also customizes designs for corporates and interior work.

My personal experience has been the purchase of several items but the one I want to talk about here is the candle wall decor that I bought during Diwali. Here are some pictures:

Candle Wall Decor (without candles)

Candle Wall Decor (lit up with candles!)

The candle holder is made of wrought iron and is hand crafted in Moradabad. With candles lit, it looks absolutely surreal! I can't tell you how many compliments I received for this art piece that is surely a proud possession.

Some of the other handmade pieces I got from Truly Tribal:

Palm Leaf bookmarks, hand painted

A necklace and earring set in brass work

Brass Jhumkas (can never have enough jhumkas!)

The products are a beautiful collection of all kinds of tribal arts be it brass work, paintings, palm leaf artifacts or sculptures. So the next time you want to pick up some gift items or home decor, I would definitely recommend checking this unique art gallery out.

To know more, click here: http://www.trulytribal.in/

The time I messed up my Diwali chocolates

Every year I make chocolates for Diwali as a change to the regular Indian sweets and savories. Some of mom's classics I retain but my kids look forward to the chocolates that have now become a tradition at home. So this year too, I made them, albeit with a big screw up and a resultant lesson learned.

I wanted to make my usual chocolate barks and after I was done with the white chocolate ones, I moved on to my favorite, dark chocolate bark with sea salt, orange zest and almonds. I was sure it would turn out great as it does every year (stop the applause, please!).

Anyways, while the chocolate was melting into its silky, velvety self on a double boiler, I couldn't but help notice how succulent and delicious the oranges smelt! I had just grated their zest you see and there they sat, devoid of their skin but nevertheless ruthlessly inviting me!

My mind wandered and I thought I ought to use the fresh juice of those oranges in my chocolate. Now, I don't usually experiment with food but this time I was sure I was doing the right thing! It would definitely elevate the taste and moreover, "wouldn't the acidity of the fresh juice cut through the sweetness of the chocolate?", my master chef brain thought. Proud of my clever train of (premature) thoughts, I went ahead and added a good splash of the orange juice to my silky, melted chocolate. There! I had just created my masterpiece!

Apparently, not! As soon as I began mixing the chocolate, the silkiness disappeared and gave way to this angry, rigid lump! Ok, I made a terrible mistake, but now what? What was I supposed to do with this lump?

Thankfully, the logical part of my brain (with its eyes rolled) pushed aside the (very embarrassed) master chef one and took control of the situation. I quickly added the salt, zest and almonds to the lump and made chocolate balls out of it. Not the desired output but that would have to do for now.

Later, I googled and found out that there is a reason chocolate is melted on a double boiler, so that moisture doesn't get into it and make it a lump of unmovable chocolate! Ah! Light bulb!

Well, as it happened, the taste was exceptional but the texture wasn't right so I couldn't gift it to my friends. As a result, a valuable lesson learned. Also, I don't think I would be experimenting with food anytime soon.

One crazy post by one crazy gal!

While returning from my workout today, I just stopped dead in my tracks as I spotted these rich red, plump looking tomatoes with their stalks still attached. These are the local variety and I especially love the tanginess they add which takes the tastiness factor of any dish many notches higher than usual. I was so bewitched, I know bewitched is a strong word for something as simple as tomatoes, but hey, I'm a tomato lover so empathize, alright? Anyway, I began picking them and dropping them in a basket when, thankfully, I zapped back to reality and realized that I didn't have my wallet on me. Duh!

Sheepishly, I stood upright and tried not to show any emotions. And then switching to the Schwarzenegger in me I told the lady vendor that, I'll be back. Either she hadn't watched The Terminator or was so desperate for a sale because as soon as I said that, she started bargaining and offered the tomatoes for a lesser price! Embarrassing as it all was, I convinced her that I didn't have any money and would pick up my wallet and be back.

And back I was. Bought two kilos of the most desirable and juiciest looking things, although I already had a kilo of regular tomatoes at home. Hey, you can't have too many tomatoes, that's unheard of bro! Here, take a look at my prize!

And now, I'm off to googling tomato recipes.

Green Tokri - An Amazing Farm Tour

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored/promotional post. The views expressed here are my own.

Perhaps everyone of us living in Pune must have come across Green Tokri products in the market. As a family, we particularly love their salad leaves, basil pesto, tomato pesto, pasta sauce and strawberry jam. But after this farm tour, we have had the chance to come up close and personal with the farm itself and some of their other products that are absolutely lip smacking! Most importantly, we now know the source of these products and the kind of love and dedication that goes behind producing the same.

Green Tokri is a farm in the outskirts of Pune where all kinds of exotic vegetables like salad leaves, celery, fennel...you name it, are grown. Having been planning from a long time, we finally had a weekend date set for a farm tour, that we are all so looking forward to.

We needed to reach the farm ideally by 9:30 am, the tour begins at 10:00 am. From Kondhwa, we climbed the Bopdev ghat and onwards, following Google Maps all the way. You will be sent directions, once you book the tour. It did seem like the farm is in the middle of nowhere but we kept driving. Of course, it would have been helpful if there were some sign boards from the main road for visitors to follow. Anyway, once we reached (armed with caps, sun glasses, sunscreen etc), we were welcomed with a cool, refreshing strawberry drink. The Farm Manager, Mr. Khan (or 'K' as he liked to be called) began explaining the different types of salad leaves and herbs grown there. I didn't even know so many varieties of salad leaves even existed! K prepared a salad for all of us to taste which was lip smacking! Don't believe me? You've got to taste it to believe it! And then we went ahead with our tour.
                                   

Types of Salad Leaves

First stop, the Greenhouse. This is where cucumbers, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes grow in a controlled environment. Mr. K meticulously explained the process of cultivating, irrigating and pest control for the plants. Children were encouraged to pick cherry tomatoes to take home. 

The Greenhouse

There were a number of fruit trees outside the greenhouse. Among them were avocados. They grow a few varieties of avocados, we could see some up on the trees. We then headed towards the section where the salad leaves had taken over the landscape. These leaves are grown in open spaces throughout the year, irrespective of the season. The medley of colors of the leaves was beautiful. We were allowed to pick lettuce to take home. They have strawberries and during the season. Visitors can pick them too.

The next stop was the Nursery where K gave us a glimpse of  little salad leaves saplings and other vegetable saplings. He also explained how meticulously his workers work each day to ensure timely plantation. The children were then taken to plant a sapling each, while the adults shopped for some of the fresh produce available like celery, spinach, kale etc.

Exotic veggies for sale

It was around one in the afternoon by then and we were famished. Lunch was to be served in a different place. We were taken to a farm house in a tractor, yes you read it right, a tractor! The ride was fun, needless to say. Arriving at the farmhouse, our lunch was laid out and ready. What a scrumptious spread indeed! They had bread, Green Tokri dips, pickles, fruits and much more. As we were gorging on the deliciousness, K, ever so sweetly, prepared pasta for all of us with different combinations like pasta with basil pesto, with mayonnaise etc. We had our fill to the maximum! To think that you could actually feel full eating salad and veggies...well, it is something you should go visit and experience for yourself!

A small part of the scrumptious lunch!

After lunch, we were given two free gifts (Green Tokri products) for each ticket. Besides the gifts, we also purchased some of their other goodies too.

Green Tokri products for sale

The crowd then headed towards the playground area in the farm house which kept the kids busy, as we parents relaxed. It was around 3 at noon when we finally bid adieu to the lovely place and an amazing experience. Mr. K and his wife, Eliza were perfect hosts!

It is a unique experience, to visit a farm especially for children. In my opinion, Green Tokri is a revolutionary venture. They introduce exotic vegetables to our Indian homes and also encourage us to include a proper salad to our daily diet. Do try out Green Tokri products, especially their pickles. I honestly believe, the pickles have the power to transform a salad from dull to delicious! The products are tasty and healthy at the same time. All in all, highly recommended products and a highly recommended trip!

If you are interested in booking a farm tour, click here.

Visit their website here.

Paperboat has gone nuts!! (Product review inside!)

I love Paperboat products. They are new, different and the best part is one can always relate to childhood memories. That connection is what makes the beverages taste better, I believe. Well, Paperboat has now branched into snacks and its first offering is .... wait for it..... Paperboat chikki! 

Tadaaa!!!

Speaking of childhood memories, I remember mine in Delhi where winters were the chilliest and the season's goodies, the yummiest. Be it chikki, gajak or revadi, the mere mention of these were enough to make our mouths water! 

Paperboat chikkis are a delicious mixture of peanuts and jaggery (although some sugar is added) which is not hard and is easily cracked to share it with loved ones. Healthy and yummy, with a pocket friendly price, it is the perfect winter snack!

Sadly, I don't have more pictures of the chikki Paperboat sent me, it just vanished into everyone's mouths! Guess, that speaks for itself. Thank you Paperboat for bringing out the child in us.

Looking forward to many more reminisces and deliciousness from Paperboat!

Check my review on Paperboat beverages here.

Check out their website here.

Follow them on Twitter here.

Catch them on Facebook here.

The Return Of The Blogger

As you can see, the last time I blogged here was at the beginning of the year. And then, life happened, the usual rut and I seemed to be focusing on my book blog extensively. I must say it has been a good year as far as my book blog is concerned. I received a lot of books by authors/publishers for reviews and that made me work harder towards the blog. I also submitted many stories/articles for contests, which never got selected, by the way. No chuckling!

But yes, I did miss this personal blog of mine. I missed ranting endlessly about all things that matter to me, irritate me and madden me. I even stopped paying attention to my parenting blog and the excuse I have been giving is that I have been busy doing just that, parenting! Which in other words translate to screaming on top of my voice to get one simple job done like, for example, turning the TV off.

Yes, it has been a good year for my book blog, no doubt, but it came at a price. It is difficult to mange all the three with the same kind of dedication and sincerity but I look forward to trying that this coming year on wards. I hope that the new year will renew the crazy writer that has been in slumber for so long inside me and that I can grow (as a writer, not in size) and expand (again, not in size!)

Having mentioned size I must say, I have been working out and been able to successfully reduce a few kilos and tone up a bit here and a bit there. The journey is still on and I don't mind waiting for the perfect body, no matter how many years it takes! Geez, I can almost see my instructor rolling his eyes!

So, with all the positiveness of the festive season, I sincerely hope that I maintain my writings and ramblings and make my blogs a fun and informative place to visit, with your help, of course.

Season's Greetings to all!

Those Weak Moments

Happy 2016 everyone! Well, my new year started with relishing the company of my friends and having lots of fun with them. We are half a month down this year already and I have made some pacts with myself. Not resolutions, I just don't like to call them that. Resolutions are meant to be broken, you see. And this year, I don't want anything to be broken, neither my promises nor my will power. I am happy to announce that I have taken some steps towards better health and better writing! Yaaay! That deserves a pat on the back, no?

And although I am enjoying every bit of this new journey, today was especially tiring. A new workout regime, siting in front of the laptop since morning to get my son's admission form to load, trying out a new diet. I'm not going to bore you with the details but ultimately, one of these (or all of these) gave me a headache. AND I WAS SOUR. Yes. Have you ever seen Bruce turn into the massive, angry Hulk? Yeah, pretty much there.

So, apparently, the new diet didn't seem to adjust to it and the hulk in our story was both hungry and angry. It was hangry. It wandered around the kitchen for something to gobble down, to soothe its screaming stomach, but sadly didn't succeed. All it could find were some fruits. No, the sugar in those fruits wouldn't work. It needed a bigger sugar fix, that instant. So, it decided to get its hands on a humble bar of Twix. In no time the wrapper came off and there it sat, devouring every bit of it. The crumble from the biscuit, the caramel and the milk chocolate finally tamed the big, green beast down. With Twix doing the tango, the hangry hulk was gone. The world was once again a safe place!

Yeah, so that's what pretty much happened today. I shouldn't have given in, I know, but desperate times. So much for not breaking promises, huh? Well, I have been a good girl for the most part so I think I can be get away with this? Oops, I hope my trainer is not reading this!

So guys, lesson learned. Make changes for the better this year but do it with consistency and precision. If you're going to do it, give it your 100%. What was that? Okay, 99%, you happy now? :-)

Have a healthy and content new year y'all!

Made Of Great

Since childhood, if there’s one person I have admired, it is my mom. Now, for all children their mother is the driving force, the shoulder to cry on, the light at the end of the tunnel. And mine is no different. I myself am a mother, and now when I think back, I am just amazed at how she brought us sisters up, without contending herself in any way.

I have learned (and still do) a lot from her. She is the epitome of patience, tolerance and relentlessness. She still amazes me with her strong personality which doesn't seem to fade away with age, not even a tad bit. She is a self made person. A fearless, confident woman who faced new challenges totally out of her comfort zone and after a lot of learning and unlearning, emerged victorious. The best thing about her is that till today, she never shies away from learning. Even if it is from a toddler!

Probably she is this way because she witnessed my grandmother putting up a brave face in front of her eight children early on when my grandfather passed away unexpectedly. Without any regular source of income, my grandmother made sure all her children went to school, at a time when feeding them on a daily basis was a challenge. My mom grew up the hard way and probably that taught her the most valuable life lessons that she respects till today. That is the reason she used to hate it when we wasted food or made faces if we didn't get our favorite meals. That is the reason she is so fearless and tackles any situation with absolute courage and determination. That is the reason she competes with herself every day, to challenge herself so that she can be a better person in order to help others in need.

For me, my mom is divine. She possesses these qualities that elevate her to a godly status, I reckon. If you ask her friends they would describe her as the friendly, the ready-to-help person, who doesn't expect anything in return. To see such qualities in today's world, is a rarity, don't you think?

She tries to inculcate her qualities, her knowledge as far as possible in me. But being the lazy one, I hardly can match up to her. But there are certain things that have, thankfully, brushed on to me. One is to be true to myself without knowingly hurting anyone. As much as possible, I try not to cause any trouble to anybody. If I need to get something done, I will do so to the best of my ability no matter how difficult it may seem without taking any help from others. I like to be punctual, honest and genuine and these are some virtues that I have learned by merely observing my mom. Of course, if I can be even half of what she is one day, I would be in complete awe, if I may say so myself!

My mom is the one person who is made of greatness, who leaves a lasting impression on anyone who meets her. Simple, trustworthy and loving. That's what she is. I love you, mom!

Many such people are made of great. And a combination of such qualities can only result in more greatness. Like the association of Lionel Messi and Tata Motors. Both known for their reliability and trust, their joint commitment and conviction can only make lives better. Check out this link: TataMotors.

******   Post written for the Made Of Great campaign on Indiblogger  *******

A Very Happy Diwali to You!

'Tis the season when family and friends are together, when good takes over evil, when gifts of love are exchanged and when lights fade away the darkness in our lives. Be grateful for everything you have and spread love.

Wishing you all a very HAPPY DIWALI !

Holy Moly, Guacamole!

It has been five months since my return from the most fabulous vacation of my life to the US. And ever since I'm back, there has been but one change in my old routine. I miss my niece to bits. She is my doll, my princess, the daughter I never had. And I always find myself wanting to get her that dress at the mall or the pink glittery book that she might like. But there is one more thing that I miss. And that's guacamole. Having eaten the Chipotle rice bowl many a times during my stay there, I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to replicate it at home. The thought had been haunting me for a while and I had almost given up the hope of finding avocados here in Pune and even did some googling for some pathetic substitutes. Well, what can I say, desperate times!

You know what they say about dreams coming true at the time you least expect it, and all that? That really happens. I was at Dorabjees for my Diwali shopping and there, among the fruits, I caught sight of the most beautiful green avocados. The were like eighty rupees a fruit but if you remember, desperate times...yeah. So, I just grabbed a couple and couldn't wait to try them at home. I scooped out the pulp and mashed it well. Then I added some chopped onions, tomatoes, chillies, coriander leaves, salt and lime juice and.... tadaaaa!! There it was! My creation, my favorite - a creamy, yummy guacamole!

The family loved it. We paired it with some chips and it was all finished in a jiffy. Now that I know where I can get my hands on the avocados, I can make them whenever I crave for some Mexican twist. I felt so ecstatic after my success that now my mission is to recreate the Chipotle rice bowl at home. The hardest part was the guac and with that sorted, the rest is going to be easy. Surely, if the recipe is a hit, I will be posting it on my blog for all you guys to try. Believe me, it is a delicious and healthy meal and you'll comeback for more. So, I leave with the taste of that guac lingering on my tongue but not without posting a picture of it. Do give it a try and enjoy!

Happy 12th to Us!

You make me laugh, you make me cry,

You make me strong and coax me to the extra mile,

You support me, like no one I know,

You've watched me fail, you've watched me grow (literally!)

You taught me to be happy

in the truest of sense,

You taught me to be myself

and come out of my fence,

You showed me a new world where happiness was always possible,

You let me into your life to create memories, cherishable.

I cannot begin to describe my lucky chance,

These past twelve years have been a blissful trance,

You make sure that I have the very best,

For that I'm grateful, I'm eternally blessed.

But more than anything, I truly respect the fact
that you take me as I am, strengths and weakness intact,
This unconditional love you have for me
is beyond what I had imagined, so you see,

I won't thank you as it would mean farewell,
I admit, I enjoy your attention quite well!
My only wish is to be with you forever,
If I have you I'm happy, wherever!

This life and beyond, I promise you this,
You'll always have me, We'll always be together!

Let's Put A Smile On That Face

I would like to relate a true incident when I was rescued by McCain snacks. It was a few years back, when my elder son, Varun, was all of six years. He was this extremely active kid (still is, actually) who could either run or jump, but couldn't sit still. Every evening he would love to go down and play with his friends and that would give him the ultimate joy with which he would go to sleep, awaiting more action and fun the next day. Until one day, when he caught the flu. A nasty one.

With fever running about a 102 degrees, he was extremely tired and the blocked nose and sore throat didn't make it any easier. He slept through the days and nights due to the medications and in the evenings, he would just sit on the couch, pretending to be watching TV but all he would think about was not being able to join his friends. He didn't like being stuck at home. His friends would call asking for him and I would turn them down while looking at his sad little face. By the third day, he felt a bit better but was absolutely bored. As a mother, I couldn't bear to see him that way. My cute little jumping jack was now sitting still, quietly. I couldn't take him out either as it was quite cool and I feared it might worsen his condition.

So, I came up with a plan. I thought, why not invite his close friends home? He could play with them and probably that would perk him up a little. I called his friends, whoever was available, to come home and play with Varun. I then told my son of my plan. His face instantly brightened! I eagerly headed to the kitchen to fix some snacks for all the kids. I scoured my kitchen top to bottom but couldn't find a single thing! Not even a biscuit. Now, I didn't have time to go to the shops to buy something, his friends were on their way. I was so disappointed. Just as I was wondering what to do, I chanced upon an advertisement of McCain’s snacks on TV. I remembered that I might have some McCain snacks in the freezer. We all love these snacks and keep them stashed, just in case. I quickly opened the freezer and there it was. A full pack of McCain smiles! Varun’s favorites! Phew, that was close! No sooner did his friends arrive, Varun’s mood changed and they all began playing in his room. After about half an hour, I called them out for a snack.

I cannot, till date, forget the expression on their faces when I laid the platter of those beautiful, delicious smiles in front of them. Normally, I wouldn't prefer to feed my kids fried food during illness but this time, I made an exception. Just looking at his excitement while gorging on the smiles in the company of his friends, made my day. Thank goodness for the pack of smiles in my freezer! The kids enjoyed and had a great time. Varun was back to his active self and I was relieved, to say the least.

But that was not the miracle. That night as I was tucking Varun in, he unexpectedly got up and gave me his special sloppy kiss. Pleasantly surprised, I asked him what it was for. He said,” Because I could eat smiles with my friends today! Thank you!” I felt a warmth within myself with all the love that I was soaking in. But at the end of the day, all that mattered was that Varun felt great because he could share his favorite smiles with his friends. And I couldn't thank McCain snacks more for making him happy!

Check out the wide range of delicious McCain snacks here.

******   Post written for the Let's Put A Smile On That Face contest on Indiblogger  *******

The Sparkle of Festivities

The onset of the festive season changes everything. Our drab routine life gets a midas touch and turns beautiful and exciting, albeit for a short period. And no, I'm not talking about the sale that is practically everywhere (although it is a reason to party, no less!). The city gears up for the celebrations with pandals out in every street, every corner. The deities get a makeover and so do our homes. Cleaning, clearing out the clutter, planning things from decor to sweets and snacks.....what a busy but lovely ritual it becomes for kids and old alike!

Here in Pune, celebrations begins with the Ganesh Utsav, followed by Navrathri and then Diwali. And that's not all, even Halloween is celebrated in the colony now. And then comes Christmas, all magical and surreal. Evenings during this period is a sight to behold with colorful lighting and decorations.

But it is not just about the glamour of it all . The real celebration can be seen when people come closer to each other not as a group of the same religion or caste but as humans. Muslims celebrating Diwali or sharing their meals with Hindus during Eid is what festivals are all about. The true meaning of festivities is realized when friends and strangers, rich and poor, gather to share each other's happiness, each other's lives. When one heartfelt wish from John on Navrathri makes your day or when Sita joins her friends for the midnight mass, that's when you are actually celebrating. No matter what the festival, if the people who love you are with you, you genuinely celebrate.

And when you do that, up above all our Gods celebrate the festival of humanity, rejoicing and relieved that their purpose behind the creation of mankind has been saved.

May the sparkle of this festive season be with you, always. Season's Greetings!

Write India by TOI

Have you heard about the Write India initiative by Times of India yet? If not, then let me tell you that it is a fantastic opportunity for aspiring writers to have their stories read and selected by some of the celebrated authors of today, and get published. The contest is for 11 months. One short story will be selected each month as the winning story and at the end of the contest, they would be published by TOI! Isn't that just awesome?!?

I have submitted my story for Chetan Bhagat's preface. It seemed doable at first but boy, was it tough! It took me days just to create the story line and more days to edit it! But I must say, it was an exciting challenge. Eagerly awaiting the next one.

The contest begins on the 7th of every month and closes on the 30th of the same month. So, visit the website, follow it on twitter to keep a tab on the updates.

For more details on this initiative, click here.

Happy Writing!

Knitting Supplies in Pune

I have spent some time during my early days in Pune looking for good quality materials to satisfy my knitting itch back when I was a beginner. It seemed impossible at first but after some research I found a couple of shops that I have been regularly visiting  for some time now.

There is New Galaxy General Store in Clover Center, Camp which has everything from embroidery threads to needles to knitting supplies to laces. For knitters, you can get your basic colored yarn here but they don't have much choice in either colors or types of yarns. I go here only when I want some basic stuff for my work.

I would always prefer going to Samrat Store in Tulsibaug for a more extensive buy for yarns. They house a variety of different colors and types. Be it bulky yarn or fingering yarns, you can get it all here. They keep some knitting books too. It also has a lot of stuff for crafters.

Recently, wen I visited the US I noticed that they have many shops that cater to a variety of hobbies. For knitters, they have regular workshops at yarn shops where you could go take a few lessons and even trying out different yarns to get a feel of it. Not only that, the quality of yarns is great. Different textures, so many beautiful colors and even more accessories to make knitting easier, comfortable and a pleasure. I really wish we had something like that here in India. Not only for knitters but for other crafters as well.

Until then it is just buying local yarn and satisfying myself by creating projects; with the help of some YouTube videos, of course!

Sometimes...

Sometimes, it is better not to have a clear eyesight. Sometimes, you don't want to see things so clearly. The lies, the mockery, the hatred, the fear, the irony and the hard truth. Sometimes, it feels better to have a blurry image in front of you beacuse then, you can imagine. And not know.

Sometimes, it is better to not know.

Yes, I am a woman and I hate cooking!

Surprised? Why is it so difficult to accept that a woman cannot be good at cooking or housekeeping? It is not as if we were born with these skills. And even if she isn't good at the above said chores, why is it absolutely essential for her to learn and master them? Who made these rules anyway?

I am not particularly interested in cooking. Of course I get around and manage to whip up quite a few dishes, (some really good ones if I may say so myself), but I really don't like it. I don't like cooking, something that is supposed to be my "duty" or should be my "passion". Nope, I am different and so are thousands of other women out there who don't like doing the compulsorily 'assigned' chores for women ,because it is simply not their thing.

While we conveniently blame our men for this kind of discrimination or for taking us for granted, the bitter truth is that somewhere we women are ourselves to blame. As mothers, we keep pushing our daughters to learn the basics of housekeeping so that she 'fits in' right after marriage. When she is praised by her husband's family for knowing-it-all, our chests swell with pride for raising such a dutiful daughter. That's really good, if she really is into home science. But what about those who don't want to 'fit in'?

We women have been domesticated by our ancestors for so many generations that sometimes we don't even realize what is wrong or right. There is absolutely nothing wrong in doing household chores, but then that should be taught to both boys and girls. I'm not saying not to teach our girls anything. But teach them that these chores aren't their responsibility alone. Set an example as a couple for your children by sharing the daily work with your spouse. So that even your boys learn that these chores aren't meant only for the women folk.

And also I humbly request all you guys and girls out there that next time, before 'judging' someone, try to keep an open mind and treat women as humans instead of gadgets or machines. I sincerely hope that we are successful in teaching our sons and daughters the true meaning of the word "sharing".

Because sharing is caring!






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Gajar ka Halwa ice cream, anyone?

It was a weekend drive after dinner. We usually go for a long drive with the kids followed by an ice cream session. Our regular stop is at Naturals ice cream because we all love the place for its unique flavors. Mango ice cream with fresh cut mango pieces in summer or chickoo ice cream in winter. Even tender coconut ice cream. But this time, my husband returned with a Gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) flavour for me which, he knew, I would love! See, sometimes it pays when your spouse knows you better than you think!

So, this ice cream...well, it was delicious! The real thing! I mean, if you are a fan of gajar ka halwa then I strongly suggest you try this. It almost felt as if they took some halwa and added plain ice cream to it! Hmmm....maybe it really is made like that!

For those of you interested, here's a link for the recipe from Archanas Kitchen, my go-to food channel.

Gajar Ka Halwa

Anyways, I love gorging on gajar ka halwa, especially in the winters when we get those juicy red carrots. And no surprises here, but it vanishes like magic whenever I make some. Although it is a tiresome process to grate those carrots. I mean sometimes I just put off making it just because of that sole reason, but I guess there must be an easier way. I must find out. Let the passion drive me to gain a new approach to making this mouth watering dessert! What say? Of course, I will share it with you, if and when I stumble upon such a discovery. I can almost hear my subconscious mind telling me," Really?!? I thought somebody wanted to lose weight!"

Anyways, I am a big fan of Naturals ice cream and if you happen to taste this particular flavour (or any new ones) please do let me know. Must visit them regularly or else I might miss out on some amazing stuff. My subconscious....here she goes again! Ugghhh!

To eat or not to eat, that is the question which will never be answered, I guess. Sigh! I'm fighting a tug-of-war within myself. There's not a single topic we both agree on, go figure!

And to conclude, here's one of my pearls of wisdom:

"An ice cream every once a while,
makes kids and adults happy alike!"

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