Foodie talk

I was reading a blog and I just took up a tag.
So one has to basically list five memorable meals ever eaten: It could be anything that makes the meal memorable – the food, the place, the place you were in your life when you ate, the company, the weather, the ambiance – heck, the guy who served the food!”.

So, the oldest and fondest food memory has to be from home. Right? So it is of my mom making poha and halwa for Sunday breakfast. I just loved loved it and I could eat boat loads of it. We would sit on the carpet infront of the TV and eat watching Ramayan/Mahabharat and then we would all happily take a nap.

Once, my parents had gone out of the city and we were staying with family friends. The Auntie was known to make funny combination of food. Now she knew I loved Pumpkin Sabzee. So she made dal, rice and pumpkin sabzee. I had never had this combination..but to this day, I am smitten. I absolutely LOVE it and every time I or Mom make it we think of Auntie and smile :) I even remember that we were sitting on their terrace and having lunch. it was just so special and sweet :)

Next is a memory of the times I spent in Jabalpur, food being a major thing with most of us :D Shalu and I would go to this restaurant called 'Traffic Jam' and we would do TP over cold coffee with ice cream. That used to be fun. And also the cutlets @ 'Indian Coffee House'. ummmm :D And how can I forget the bread-omelet Rahul and Rajat made me eat @ Itarsi enroute to Bhopal. That was just awesome, none of us slept that night, we just talked our way into the morning :)

And then I landed in the US. So many food memories with UTA and Arlington. I think the most prominent ones are the loads of chai we would drink so we wouldn't fall asleep and instead study. There was always a 'discussion' as to who the chai maker would be, Mudi would never make it but he made the best tea, followed by Sameer. While the tea lasted the gossip session would last and many a times, we would all go to sleep right after having the tea . hahaha. The other is the very elaborate Dinner my roomies and friends would have. We would have cooking turns and if we had enough time, we'd make some nice stuff for dinner (nice = chole/rajma or sauj's gujju delicacies). We would all gather, Anurag was mostly there, he would get his own food unless it was something special, and we would all sit on the floor on newspapers and eat and talk and just be happy. Of course we had to watch a movie after that, so we'd all catch a little bit of a movie, i would take some shut eye during the movie and then rush off to the lab or in my room to study :)

How can I not have a memory of my non-bawarchi hubby :D So G doesn't cook much, but one thing he does do very well is make Omelet. So Saturday mornings are G's mornings to make us a super big Omelet and cold coffee and we'll sit and watch a movie and gorge on the eggy delight. It's super cool coz it reminds me of home, since i'll push the plate aside and take a little nap after the sumptuous breakfast :)

There are many more...like when Mom would start preparing the festival delicacies, we would wait around the kitchen wishing her to get the first batch out so we could taste some, Mom asking us to make Chinese for her, coz she loves it and loves it when we make it for her. Fighting with Dad on how much sugar there should be in halwa, there is no one who makes better halwa than him, absolutely no one. Making chai for V Uncle and sitting around to get compliments from him :) The first time I cooked for G, the first time he made dal...so many more firsts and so many more memories to make :)

O, this was a fun fun tag! Anyone who wants to should take it up. Anu Russell you are definitely tagged and Akansha. Coz I know both of you are foodies and it'll be nice to know your food memories.

This has made me so hungry, time for some tapioca pudding :D

He n I n them

So G n I are not 2 peas in a pod, as my romantic brain would like to believe ;) Well not really, we'd get sick of each other and all that..

So here's why:
G doesn't like to keep the back door open, he thinks it's an invite to the reptile and insect world (which it is, during twilight only)!. Then we live in the airport zone, so there is some disturbance coz of the flying beasts (which it is, but can't you talk over the planes or wait a few seconds and talk?).
He doesn't like to sit in the patio and drink chai or have breakfast coz of the planes.
Well, he doesn't like chai!
He doesn't like the rain or getting wet in it. (Why else does it rain??)

And then there are things we both like to do:
Not go shopping.
Go to a cafe.
Go to Barnes and Noble.
Read books.
Watch TV
Play Guitar Hero.
Water!!!
Harry Potter!

So here's what I am getting at. I cannot wait for my babies to come and over power Gourav. (hehehe). I will make them love the rain and stand outside with me and dance in it, have breakfast and morning milk outside and keep the door open. We will all go swimming (of course G says, their Mom is not a swimmer, but i can flip around), watch movies, read, play and finally go to Universal Studios Harry Potter park and get lost!!!!!!

O When will they be 1.5?

On a roll..

Been blogging for 3 days in a row..ain't I being nice?
Lol...
So tagged by Anu and here goes:

1. What is your current obsession?
My babies!!! and trying to decorate their room..
2. What are you wearing today?
Capris and green t shirt
3. What’s for dinner?
I know I want to eat Pakoras today..it's the yummy rainy weather today :)
4. What’s the last thing you bought?
A gift for my friend's wedding. (LOL yeah same time as Anu)
5. What are you listening to right now?
Co workers talking in the BG
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
She's the coolest, love her :)
7. If pigs could fly…complete the sentence?
then humans wouldn't be far behind..right?
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Cool house, lots of ice in the fridge, cute capris, skirts, shorts.
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Visit my parents!!!!
10. What is one thing you want to learn to do? (changed)
Learn to sew.
11. What’s your favourite quote?
Life is too short.
12. Who do you want to meet right now?
Mom n Dad
13. What is your favourite colour?
Blue or green..i keep switching
14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My Satya Paul Saree.
15. What is your dream job?
Cook or critique food. Party planning.
16. What’s your favourite magazine?
Entertainment Weekly.. coz that's the only one i read.
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Murals for the nursery.
18. Favourite TV show? (changed question)
Grey's Anatomy!!!!
19. Who are your style icons?
Not really sure...but some friends or acquaintances whose dress sense I like.
20. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
Manageable, hair should be long enough to be tucked behind ears. Layers!
21. What are you going to do after this?
Work
22. What are your favourite movies?
About a boy, Gone with the wind, and more..can't remember them right now. LOL.
23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can’t live without?
There is no single piece of makeup I must have on...but I guess it'd be eye liner, moisturizer, lipstick and of course deo!
24. What inspires you?
My laziness puts me into action.
25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

ok, i'll try.
1. Black!
2. comfy clothes, i know if i am dressed in a size smaller or bigger, either my cleavage will hang out or my love handles will show.
3. A nice bracelet/bangle.
26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
I will give every imaginable piece of clothing a 'look'. Then finally decide on something i don't exactly hate at that moment and wear that, ofcourse after whining how I don't have any 'decent' clothes :D
27. Coffee or tea?
Cold coffee and hot Tea.
28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Talk to Mom or take a nap..it usually works.
29. What is the meaning of your name?
Clouds
30. Which other blogs you love visiting?
Ahh..so many. Listed on my profile.
31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Besan Ladoo!!! and chocolate cakes and ice creams.
32. Favorite Season ?
Spring, I don't mind winters either. Summer is a bit too hot for me and nothing fun to do.
33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?
I will make you aloo sabzee and kachori and paneer fritters for starters and chocolate cake for dessert. Coming?
34. What is one book that you would suggest the whole world reads?(new question)
Harry Potter series :D :D
Rules for those who are tagged:
Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list. Then tag eight or ten other new set of people.
35. (New Question) What's an ideal evening like?
Getting home from work on time, making an easy yet tasty dinner with G. Go for a walk with him, the weather has to be nice, eat dinner while watching one of our favorite shows on TV, polish off with a nice desert, go to bed, read and sleep :)
I'd like to tag:
My sister
&
Akansha.

100th Post

Can't believe i have written 100 of 'em!

So right now, I am very pissed off with the 'Right Wing'. I think all sense and wisdom is out of the window. The way they are reacting to anything the President does, has no basis and certainly no wisdom.

I am talking about the Health Care debate
and Mr O's Back to school speech.

I have been told that some schools refused to show his speech but are taking the kids to see Mr Bush speak. A total WTH moment for me. So much hatred and so much anger the Right wing has.
Mr O, I think you should do what Bush did, do not listen to anyone, just implement what you choose to do.
I am not going to say i favor the Bill too much, but I hate the reasons the Republicans are giving, death panel, denial of service etc etc.

Ok so 100th post should be more cheerful right. So here's the cheerful note, I got 2 awards curtsy Anu. Yeaayyy..my first awards..thank you Anu :)





And I'd like to give it to Chandini. I think her posts are fun and keep me entertained :)

Being on the verge of becoming parents, G n I often go through self doubts. I more than G. Like are we going to be good parents, are the kids going to be well behaved, will we know what they want and when they want it. What will we do with them. My questions include and are not limited to, will they study, will they be A grade students (because there is no other 'acceptable' grade in my book). Will I be partial towards one child. Will I be the knowing, understanding Mom, my Mom was and is? Will I be patient?

Then there is more. Like this Sunday, I woke up, made us a nice breakfast of scones and dhokla and cold coffee. Ate it and went to sleep. I woke up at least an hour later and I was thinking to myself in a few months time, will I have this luxury? After that G n I sat and watched TV and chatted with friends on the phone. How about this one...will we have this? We later went off to our favorite Chaat place and gorged on some Chole Bhature. This one I think i can still have...no? Came and slept off again for a little bit and then we went for a walk and watched some TV, made dinner and later saw a movie. I am sure we'll do all the above minus all the sleeping I am doing right now and all the TV watching..right? Well..we'll see.

We cannot wait for the babies to come. So super excited, all the questions we have..i know we will find answers to them and I am hoping we'll be good parents. I guess the kids will let us know when we're not ;).

Entering 6th month now...time seems to fly us by! We still have to do the nursery. Though we wont be using it right away..but I'd like to decorate their room for when they are ready to live there.

G is in town right now..how very nice. I get back massages everyday. I put him through hell so much, I am so glad to have him. He doesn't complain :) I try and be nicer, and he knows that. I just wish I could do that more.

Oh well...time to go eat now. Babies will let me know that they're not happy with this delay ;)

Jai (Nahin) Ho

So I am just going to throw it out there, that I don't like the song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire at all. Everyone seems to be ga ga over it. Most dance competitions think this is the best song since Billy Jean or Thriller and want to dance to the tunes of this unbearable song. I know everyone loves ARR and all that, I like him a lot too, but this song just gets on my nerves. Hate it from the bottom of my heart!!!!

There...it's out there now..let the hate begin...

Half way mark and more...

My little babies are now the size of carrots. :)
We bought their first set of clothes, and I hadn't realised it would make me sooo emotional..but it did. we were in the shop and i had to bite down on my lips to stop from crying. G kept his arms around me...and at that time, my life couldn't have been more perfect :)
Wow! we're on our way to becoming parents, sometimes it feels unreal and that's when i'll feel a little nudge in the belly and know it's all real :)

my least favorite foods during pregnancy have been:
1. mango (sob sob)
2. chocolate (thankfully i am recovering)
3. bread (i am still very picky)
4. ginger (hate it still)
5. tomatoes (wonder why)
6. tea (getting over it)
7. apples (still not liking them)
8. gum (i am working on it)
9. hate all kinds of fruit and vegetable juices. (still hate them).
10. saltines - i don't think i am going to ever put a cracker in my mouth

We are now more than half way through! how exciting. i wish they were here already though :)
I have more random thoughts, but I have to get something finished..so I'll get back to the blog later.