Bag... Rambling...

Okay, after looking for SO SO long, if you didnt buy anything, that sales woman will be really upset.

Decide soon, Are you buying this bag because it looks good or because its a Gucci?

Gucci!!

Alright then buy the cheaper one, it still looks glam and you will look chic for sure, and not like the older people who carry the dull classic one.

Just gave my card. Oh my God, why am i feeling so scared buying this bag. Is it okay to spend so much on a bag?

DONE - Final sales, cannot be returned
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Aiyo, i could have donated this money, and probaly would have covered the cost of eductation of a kid back in India.

Its okay Madhu, back in India you might have bought something in Gold. Its just an accessory. Chill madhu.

Even that cook from the famous Spicy Burger place near Office bought 2 Gucci bags just in front of you. Its just okay.
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Rewind

I have been thinking of buying a Gucci/Louis Vuitton/Prada or Burberry bag for few months now.

Few months back when i was not able to convince myself to buy one of the above mentioned, and i ended up buying a funky BCBGMaxAzaria bag. It is cute, flashy, trendy but could be carried only with a completely black or white dress. I love the bag.

Last few weeks, i have been spending time with Shu trying to figure out which bag i should be buying. Most Gucci's seemed boring, Burberry for someone who is old. Louis vuiton's Monogram Vernis seemed the best. I just love the patent leather in Louis Vuitton. All Prada bags which were 1500 bucks looked awesome. I just love the soft leather.

I realised i am scared of snake leather and crocodile leather. i dropped a Jimmy Choo bag when i came to know that i was holding snake skin.

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I am trying to understand if these bags really have something different from other cheaper brands. They definitely look more classy, more elegant. They somehow standout without shouting too much.

And somehow will give me more confidence when i walk into Bavern from now on.

I think it works

Thanksgiving Dinner

So i had promised myself that i will blog about my experience hosting the Thanksgiving dinner.

Around 12 hours of continuous and passionate cooking - 4 hours on Wednesday night and around 8 hours on Thursday. Loved it. Enjoyed every moment of it. The final menu had around 5 appetizers, 6 entrees and 3 desserts. Hosting people for another 5 hours. Hmm..Awesome and Tiring :).

I think i just am overrating myself, lots of people do this all the time specially our moms and don't brag about it so much. I think i am bragging since i choose to do this , when i don't need to :).

But all this is "Me" - both the passion and bragging... lol...
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This time hosting the dinner was way less stressful than before. I guess this time, i planned some things ahead of time. I was amazed much one could achieve if one planned even a little bit, i only wish we could do this for life. Life seems so much more complicated, but i guess some amount of planning helps.
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Some learning's about me

1. I love cooking

2. I am there... i am just going to get it.. hmm.. not there yet.

Somewhere in me, i am trying to touch my roots. I want to belong to what i grew up with. I want to eat the food my mom cooked. I want to celebrate the festivals she did. I want to share this with my mom and my sister.

2. Perfectionist

I have an insatiate desire to keep doing things to some stage of perfection(which is just sky high and undefined which makes it less measurable). I want perfection in everything in life. I end up doing much more that i can physically/emotionally/mentally handle. There are a lot of people who would be completely satisfied with half of what i do. I am never satisfied. Need to figure out how to fix this or even know whether i need to fix this.

Sometimes.. no I always wonder why i even think of fixing this drive. Why should i not aim for stars? I guess I am scared of the disappointments ... Okay Madhu ... No more pessimism . Whats the worst that can happen.. You will have a new perspective in my life and another experience that will enrich you as a person.
My feet and hands are still aching(just booked a massage to fix these... lol)

2. Options, More Options. So that if one dish does not click the other one will. Failures scare me. Madhu at least protect yourself in cooking.

3. No Madhu, one dish is not enough, oh he does not like it.. Oh i "didnt" forget that she does not eat this.

Be forgetful once in a while

I think my Mom gave me this, who used to cook different things for my dad, my sister and me.

5. Don't plan so much. Just write down everything and finish the damn grocery shopping. Learn to make decisions at the right point of time.
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Mujhe Chaand Chahiye ...

Thanksgiving morning

@930 am - need to clean up my place. Let me atleast start doing the laundry.

I am glad i have a delay in my dish washer, even before i woke up it started cleaning all the dishes. I have few more dishes to go, but defintely much lesser effort.

I am thinking if i should use the orange/yellow paper plates and cutlery i bought yesterday at the last moment from Everything party, or i should just stick on to the "Ever in my house" Square corelle plates for dinner.

@10 am - Just found an awesome Dhall recipe from the "Taste of Nepal" book, and started cooking it. Dhalls are the most simple things. Dont have to do much there, dont need to keep standing.

Also i made my signature Eliachi Chai, and typing this post as i am drinking the tea.

What did i do yesterday night?

1. Made choclate Mousse - just love Julia childs recipes - though i screwed up at the end by adding a bit of rum :(
2. Made Raita
3. Panner Butter Masala without onions and Garlic(and with lots of honey and cashews)
4. Marinated chicken for shawarma


So whats up for today after this?

1. Chicken Curry
2. Some Veg fry - thinking if i should make mixed veg fry or beans fry
3. Chicken Shawarma
4. Potatos.
5. Might bake the almond cookie bars(but lets see).

This time... i am trying to make my cooking/dinner inviting experience less stressful. I am cooking one dish at a time, so that i enjoy cooking the dish. And having a fun time... Read trying to hide the anxious me ...

Pre Thanksgiving

Finally after 2 years of being in the US, i am going to host a thanksgiving dinner. I thought this time ill be efficent in my planning and cooking, but seems like nothing has fallen in place. The only thing that i did right was sending out the invitations. There is still deocration, plates and music and cooking left. Pretty much everything left

The menu for tommorrow seems interesting

Apetizers
1. Crumbled Potato fries
2. Bhel Puri
3. Samosas(not sure yet)

Main Course
1. Peas Rice
2. Rotis/Parathas
3. Pepper Chicken curry
4. Chicken Shawarma
5. Panner Curry
6. Beans fry
7. Dhall
8. Moor kolumbu
9. Mashed Potatoes

Dessert
1. Almond roca cookie bars
2. Rasmalai
3. Chocolate Mousse
4. Ice Creams
5. Probably Creme Brulee

Need to stock everything up, and start cooking tonight.

Just met my Physiotherapist who suggested me the exercises so that i dont get tired cooking.

Happy cooking to me :)

Early mornings ... Painting...

After a long time, i woke up at 8ish. Just feels so good when you wakeup early in the morning. You steal few minutes from your busy monotonous life - some time just for you, some time when you can relax. The day also seems to be so long. You realise the day has so much potential.

My new found interest is painting, and i am amazed how different my paintings look when i paint in the class. I realised, its also because of the perspective my teacher, Virginia gives me. How she abstracts out what should be in a picture. She always tells - when you have a photo- you should find out what you like the most from the picture and just take that to your painting. You dont have to make a detailed painting, just paint what you like.. what you want to highlight...

Sorry for the bad picture quality.. I promise, ill charge my camera and post better pictures soon.

Rasgollas

There are somethings that remind you of home... One thing is the sweets that my mom used to make. Rasgolla was the only sweet i used to eat as a kid - i never liked gulab jamuns. i think i somehow knew that the effort put in to make gulab jamuns was much lesser.

More i feel homesick, more is the urge to recreate home. I cant get the environment here sitting in the US, but atleast i can cook something that reminds me of home.

We dont get the authetic rasgollas here, for that matter any sweets we get are horrible. I have been wanting to make rasgollas for a while. I had thought ill make them in the weekend, but as all of you know something or the other comes up.

Finally i decided to make them yesterday. I guess i would have called my mom 4-5 times to ask her what i should be doing. At each and evey step of making. My mom seemed to share the excitement i had.

She and I were so happy that the Rasgollas didnt spilt - this is the problem which most people have when making them.... she was just so happy that i was able to make them.

Man, after cooling them they taste "OK" according to me. They taste like the "worst" rasgollas my mom would have made but they still taste like something my mom made. They are round and remind me of home! As of now thats all matters to me ...