New York - 2008 Fall - I landed in JFK - my heart set on buying the perfect red tote!
I started my rounds at the malls... my favorite stores - nothing... and then a week before I was to leave I saw the Talbot fall ad - and there it was like the witch's shiny apple in all it's gorgeous luscious tempting perfection! I lost my heart and we dashed to nearest store - only to be told they were hugely backordered, already!
Crestfallen, dejected, heart broken - all rolled in to one - I implored them to help me out, as I was to leave in 6 days flat, flying all the way back to India! Obviously I struck a chord or stroked their ego or my fairy godmother waved her magic wand! They called up the powers that be and promised to get it to me in 3 days - allowing me to jump the queue!
I traipsed all the way back - a happy child!
To me, whatever we want in life or from her, is pretty much like that red bag! At times, you maybe allowed to jump the queue, but most times you have to wait out!
Whatever the case maybe, don't give up your dream - the unbound joy you feel, when you have it within reach, will be way way way beyond words!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Banana walnut pancakes
Buy Betty Crocker Buttermilk Pancake mix.
Follow pack instructions to make the mix - add chopped bananas, crushed walnuts, a fat pinch of cinnamon. Chill in the fridge.
Make as per instruction in a non stick griddle - with fat free Pam butter spray!
Serve with honey, maple syrup or chocolate sauce!
Follow pack instructions to make the mix - add chopped bananas, crushed walnuts, a fat pinch of cinnamon. Chill in the fridge.
Make as per instruction in a non stick griddle - with fat free Pam butter spray!
Serve with honey, maple syrup or chocolate sauce!
Pan seared salmon
Marinate salmon steak in diluted lemon juice, crushed black pepper, very little salt, minced garlic! For about couple hours max. Pan grill in a hot pan without any oil.
Serve with pureed spinach and a green salad!
Serve with pureed spinach and a green salad!
Pan grilled chicken
Marinate chicken breasts (fork them a little) in a tbsp of olive oil, mandarin or raspberry balsamic vinegar, sea salt, minced garlic, dried herbs, some chopped olives (if you have), a tsp of brown sugar - overnight!
Throw in a heated a non-stick pan w/o oil and slow cook with lid on - brown on high flame when done!
Serve with steamed or stir-fried broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers (if stir frying - do it with a tsp of minced garlic and fresh basil leaves)
Throw in a heated a non-stick pan w/o oil and slow cook with lid on - brown on high flame when done!
Serve with steamed or stir-fried broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers (if stir frying - do it with a tsp of minced garlic and fresh basil leaves)
Feeling peck-ish @ 4 pm? try this....
Ricotta is one the healthiest cheese you will get - low in fat and carbs and very high in protein. If you are looking at keeping the carbs low - makes sense to have a pot in your fridge!
For a quick snack - I take a few walnuts - a couple spoonfuls of ricotta - some berries with a dab of sugar free whole fruit preserve. Works as a great dessert too!
For a quick snack - I take a few walnuts - a couple spoonfuls of ricotta - some berries with a dab of sugar free whole fruit preserve. Works as a great dessert too!
Spicy oriental chicken
Marinate chicken in yogurt, salt, minced green chillies and garlic - overnight.
In a little olive oil/spray, saute onion, some more garlic, grated ginger, a pinch of cinnamon - add chicken when the onions are translucent...stir, cover and leave to cook.... when almost done add trim coconut milk and a handful of lime/curry leaves.... some more green chillies if you like it real spicy.... :))
(You could add sliced carrots, beans and green peas if you like too.)
I normally serve this with store bought couscous - simply soak in hot water for 5 minutes with some pine nuts, slivered almonds and raisins if you like and fluff it up...
Serve hot.... yummmmmmmmilicious and super healthy!
Enjoy!
In a little olive oil/spray, saute onion, some more garlic, grated ginger, a pinch of cinnamon - add chicken when the onions are translucent...stir, cover and leave to cook.... when almost done add trim coconut milk and a handful of lime/curry leaves.... some more green chillies if you like it real spicy.... :))
(You could add sliced carrots, beans and green peas if you like too.)
I normally serve this with store bought couscous - simply soak in hot water for 5 minutes with some pine nuts, slivered almonds and raisins if you like and fluff it up...
Serve hot.... yummmmmmmmilicious and super healthy!
Enjoy!
if you hate the gym read on.....
When I decided I have to get back to fitness I needed to overcome a huge tumbling block - my instinctive dislike for gyms and machines! And trust you me - you can get fit without going to a gym, if you are a self starter and if your workout is your meditation its even easier!
I walked - I tried different kinds of yoga - kick-boxing (but i have a bad ankle) et al, but the search was on for something more... something to make me feel stronger from within. I believe fitness travels inside out and not the other way!
I chanced upon some articles on Pilates - read up a couple of books - tried them halfheartedly - seemed pretty much like yoga to me - so I went back to yogic variations. (Mind you Pilates comes from yoga but it has a totally different breathing pattern - but more of that later!)
As I continued with my walks, yoga and tried out couple of fitness studios (interesting but too expensive to sustain) Pilates remained the unknown quantum. In the mean - it was catching up in the west - fitness magazines like Shape devoted huge column space to it and I continued to be intrigued!
One fine day a friend of mine who runs a gym - told me she had a certified Pilates trainer I could try out! I was overjoyed - being someone with very low boredom threshold, its imperative that I keep reinventing my routines!
Thus - one Tuesday evening, Jui - my trainer arrived@doorstep- a happy positive girl and my relationship with Pilates begun!
Its been a year since - I don't train with Jui anymore, but she taught me well - those 4 months that I did! I continue to practice and incorporate the 'Pilates way' in all my workouts - what's key is that breathing pattern I mentioned earlier - that's what works fabulously on the core and builds your strength!
But a warning for adrenalin junkies - Pilates is a very controlled and slow form of workout - its almost meditative - really! And that's what I love about it!
As I write, I feel, with this I could have a long term relationship, without getting bored! Amen!
I walked - I tried different kinds of yoga - kick-boxing (but i have a bad ankle) et al, but the search was on for something more... something to make me feel stronger from within. I believe fitness travels inside out and not the other way!
I chanced upon some articles on Pilates - read up a couple of books - tried them halfheartedly - seemed pretty much like yoga to me - so I went back to yogic variations. (Mind you Pilates comes from yoga but it has a totally different breathing pattern - but more of that later!)
As I continued with my walks, yoga and tried out couple of fitness studios (interesting but too expensive to sustain) Pilates remained the unknown quantum. In the mean - it was catching up in the west - fitness magazines like Shape devoted huge column space to it and I continued to be intrigued!
One fine day a friend of mine who runs a gym - told me she had a certified Pilates trainer I could try out! I was overjoyed - being someone with very low boredom threshold, its imperative that I keep reinventing my routines!
Thus - one Tuesday evening, Jui - my trainer arrived@doorstep- a happy positive girl and my relationship with Pilates begun!
Its been a year since - I don't train with Jui anymore, but she taught me well - those 4 months that I did! I continue to practice and incorporate the 'Pilates way' in all my workouts - what's key is that breathing pattern I mentioned earlier - that's what works fabulously on the core and builds your strength!
But a warning for adrenalin junkies - Pilates is a very controlled and slow form of workout - its almost meditative - really! And that's what I love about it!
As I write, I feel, with this I could have a long term relationship, without getting bored! Amen!
What if I change tomorrow?
That day sitting in my living room with my friend's 21 years old daughter (actually today she is a very good friend too) eulogizing this new OPI nail polish colour I discovered at the salon - suddenly I looked up struck by a dark dark thought and asked her with trepidation "K what if I were to change tomorrow?"
This thought fills me with something akin to terror - what if I stop getting excited about things small or big?
As long as it makes me happy, I can carry on about a new nail colour, a new pair of shoes, a new dress, my first brush up-close with beautiful horses, the flowers someone sent me, a new watch, a new book or a play or a movie, a new work of art, a new dish that I tried or made, a new bakery I went to or a new flavour of dark chocolate, a new workout I designed, a drive on the sea-link, the rains on my window, the moonbeams on a terrace, the waves from my living room, a child's happy smile on the streets - anything that gives me joy basically, with infectious enthusiasm, till the person sitting across wants to get a metal zipper and stitch it on, probably !
As long as it makes me happy, I can carry on about a new nail colour, a new pair of shoes, a new dress, my first brush up-close with beautiful horses, the flowers someone sent me, a new watch, a new book or a play or a movie, a new work of art, a new dish that I tried or made, a new bakery I went to or a new flavour of dark chocolate, a new workout I designed, a drive on the sea-link, the rains on my window, the moonbeams on a terrace, the waves from my living room, a child's happy smile on the streets - anything that gives me joy basically, with infectious enthusiasm, till the person sitting across wants to get a metal zipper and stitch it on, probably !
When I shared this fear with my girlfriend Jo - she dismissed with alacrity ‘Indi don’t waste your time thinking about the impossible!’ God bless her! A wave of relief washed over me!!!!
I don't want to live life any other way than the one I follow now - with a constant sense of wide-eyed wonder!
I don't want to live life any other way than the one I follow now - with a constant sense of wide-eyed wonder!
Bistro de Eetkamer - my mom's first encounter with a couple of a different sexual orientation!
With incomparable joie de vivre, bright eyed curiousity, infectious energy and an ability to make friends wherever she went(a trait I didn't inherit) Mom is one of my most favourite travel companions!
Fall 2004 - Europe - I discovered Bruges online (now its this hugely talked about tourist attraction in India - back then we were the only Indians visiting) and instantly fell in love with her!
For our stay - I chose this fabulous B & B (in small quaint towns I prefer a good B & B over an impersonal hotel any day - it always adds value to the stay) called Studio 11 - run by Paul and Annie - a Dutch artiste and his muse! Paul was the affable face of No 11 - and Annie the mainstay - Annie who worked faster than a machine - serving the most intricately beautiful brekkies - and maintaining the house in a manner which would make even the Royalty proud! And all this with one big unfaltering smile!
Charming charming Bruges - straight out of a fairy tale as it were- with its cobbled streets - chocolatiers - market square - Da Vinci's Madonna - winding canals and horse drawn carriages, beautiful cafes and bistros that serve impeccable meals. I so fell in love with Bruges that I canceled our onward journey to Paris (believe it or not)- fortunately when ma is with me - she is happy if i am happy - bless her!
Our last night we decided to go to Bistro de Eetkamer for dinner - highly recommended by Paul and Annie!
Bistro de Eetkamer - this perfect spot tucked in a corner across the market squarerun by Steven and Paul - who I discovered was a couple and shared that info promptly with my Mom as I pointed out to her who wore the pants in that relationship - though much impressed by my worldly-wiseness she wasn't quite sure of its authenticity at that moment! After all, I was a 'child' (lol)! A fabulous meal was had midst lot of laughter!
Next morning, Mom full of child-like curiosity reminded me to cross check with Annie - she wasn't going to let her first conscious encounter with a couple of a different orientation be shrouded under a cloud of uncertainty - she had to be sure!
At the breakfast table I verified with Annie and much to my Mom's delight - I was correct in my assessment, down to the last detail! My Mom's pride in me grew a
notch! :)
We have had plenty fabulous meals across the world - but for my Mom Bistro de Eetkamer will always have a special spot for that lovely couple - who added an extra dimension to her evening and her romantic imagination!
This one's for my mom - without a single judgmental bone in her kind body! Thanks for teaching me how to live life!
Today's Meal Diary
BREAKFAST
- A litre of water
- Green tea with a block of dark chocolate
- Black coffee + low sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal with a handful of sunflower seeds, crushed flax seeds, a pinch of cinnamon and probiotic milk (the only low fat milk in india that actually tastes nice)
- Vitamins with diluted unsweetened Cranberry juice
PS: for those who are not interested - this is purely for people who are trying to figure their meal plans and ask me what I do.... i thought a couple days food diary maybe helpful!
LUNCH
The bad thing in today's meal - no fruits!
LUNCH
- A huge bowl of salad with zucchini, beetroot, bell peppers, corn, hummus egg whites and chicken salami
- Coffee
TEA
- Cuppa
- Rawa idli with flaxseeds (recipe to follow)
DINNER
- Corn salad with lemon dressing
- oriental chicken
- couscous with sunflower seeds
SUPPER
- A small pot of lo-fat yogurt with blueberries
Thought for the day - Sept 27
All the good things I got from my parents - the bad, are entirely my creation! :)
Where will we be without good cinema?
I had to fall in love with cinema!
As a kid we were allowed to watch animation, Ray’s Feluda series and Hollywood family movies!
Dad loves classis – from My Fair Lady to Sound of Music, (a family Christmas favourite) from South Pacific to Gigi, from A Tale of two Cities to It Happened One Night, from Sabrina to Roman Holiday, from A Bridge on the River Kwai to Mutiny on the Bounty - as a kid I used watch these with wide eyed fascination – some of them made sense – some of them didn’t – but it was almost always a lot of fun!
My relationship with cinema was budding still!
From when I was about 12 years old Mom started dragging me to film festivals with her - I was her little lamb really... wherever she went I followed and as much as I may have grumbled then – I thank the Lord for all that I soaked in! World cinema made its presence felt!
Truffaut, Fellini, Goddard, Kurosawa, co-existed with Chaplin, Hitchcock, Ray, Mani Ratnam, Bimal Roy, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and before I realized films to me became the most enthralling adventure! I fell in love with Robert Redford, Naseeruddin Shah and Al Pacino, (is there a Freudian thing about older men here – I wonder!!!) was fascinated by Smita Patil, Audrey Hepburn and Meryl Streep.
Filled with kaleidoscopic enchantment where images from Nayakan, Rain Man, Kagemusha, Ran, Darsu Uzala, How Green Was My valley, Sparsh, Ek Pal, Masoom, Golmaal, Mili – old classics and new gems all swirled together in my mind’s palette! I was captivated
And I simply couldn’t have enough! It was a full- blown affair now! My idea of 'me time' was locking myself in a room and watching films back to back through the day – eyes agog! (The max I have done is 10 films so far!)
When I moved to Bombay – saw what actually goes on behind the scenes, how things really work – the blood, the sweat, the toil – my fate was sealed! This dynamic mindboggling and complex art form, where each canvas has this humungous talent pool behind it – awe inspiring to say the least, captured my imagination completely!
My perspective has undergone many a paradigm shift, but cinema owns me now – it’s a life long relationship – here to stay!
Big film or small - the work that goes in, is pretty much the same - for a smaller film its a little more actually, as they need to be cautious about budgets, but when you sit in the theatres, its not about the budgets its about the canvas unspooling in front of you capturing your imagination!
There’s a lot of money going in to moviemaking today – but what’s sad though is that content takes the back seat often – my heart sinks each time I see a vacuous vaunting piece on celluloid which is only about the monies spent and the stars who are in it, rather than the story – like a cold substandard piece of art that gets by, because its become a fad through hype created by the PR machinery while many a little gem falls by the way side due to the lack of it!
I love cinema and hope we find that middle path where in some cases quality and quantity make a happy marriage! Because, where will we be without good cinema?
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