A birthday - Always remembered !

"Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end." — Robin Sharma

This particular quote struck in my mind the moment I came across it. Infact everytime I come across this quote, this beautiful moment flashes across.

After being married for 5 months, I could not agree more with this. The entire phase of getting married and settling down with your husband in a new city is a different challenge in itself. Like everyone I had to go through my share of struggle and some more than what I had expected.The initial month turned out to be a daily nightmare of regular fights and communication gaps. Leaving your friends and family is by no means easy for a girl and the hopes of getting the same care, affection and love from her husband is what keeps her hopes alive.

Unlike every year, this year my birthday would be with my husband. I had lot of hopes that he would celebrate it in a grand way with surprises and love. But till a month before my birthday nothing of the sorts was being discussed or observed. With this pattern, I thought my husband may have forgotten my birthday itself. 

But imagine my surprise when my husband came back to me a week later and said we are planning to go to Bangkok on July10th for 5 days. With my birthday being on July14th, I thought this may be a surprise from my husband. But he mentioned that it was long since we went on a vacation after our honeymoon. So he had planned this trip. Fine still as long as it coincided with my birthday i considered it a win.

The much awaited day of the travel arrived. What a day it was. It was raining nonstop from the previous night. So there was power cuts the entire night. We had thankfully packed our luggage much earlier and booked a cab till the airport. However the cab driver arrived 30 minutes later than the booked time. We had him come 2 hours before the flight time, so his delay caused a bit of panic. Added to it there were traffic jams on the road. We got really panicked if we would make it on time to our flight. 

At that moment my husband got a message from AirAsia that our flight was delayed by 2 hours due to the rains. So we could take a breather and reach airport before time. Then we went to checkin and take boarding pass. Imaging my luck when our checkin luggage turned out overweight and we had to shed some extra money to let them allow us to take. My husband was obviously very annoyed and started speaking rudely that I may have brought unnecessary things for the travel which caused extra weight. I tried to calm him down, payed the fine and got boarding pass. The entire flight journey he didnt speak to me. 

On reaching Bangkok, we looked for the cab driver our hotel had sent. He was waiitng for us. We boarded the cab and sat silently. All this while I was cursing me to have had over expectations about this trip and having packed a few dresses more. When the cab driver stopped outside Baiyoke Sky Towers, I was spellbound. It was a huge building and my husband had booked the terrace area for a special birthday party for me.

I was completely taken aback and hugged him. He said the entire thing was a drama to give me a surpise and the entire fight was forgotten and we celebrated my birthday on the terrace of Bayoke towers.

This #MagicOfWarmth moment with my husband definitely melted my heart and will always be cherished.

“I’m blogging about my #MagicOfWarmth moment at BlogAdda in association with Parachute Advansed Hot Oil”

Testtest

A new beginning
Setting up the kitchen
Kitchen Basics
Anajari Petti

Basic Kitchen utensils
Grocery List
Spicelist

Garam Masala
Sambar Powder
Rasam Powder
Coriander Powder
Jeera Powder
Red Chilly Powder
Molagai Powder

Homemade Yogurt
Tamarind Pulp
Ginger Garlic Paste

Plain Rice
Coconut Rice
Lemon Rice
Tomato Rice
Vegetable Biriyani
Kariveppilai (curry leaf) Podi/Rice
Bisi Bela Bath
Capsicum Rice
Onion Rice
Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)
Carrot Rice
Beetroot Rice
Pepper Rice
Vegetable Fried Rice
Curd Rice
Jeera Rice
Pudina Rice
Masala Baath (Masala Rice)
Pulikachal – Tamarind Rice
Rajma Rice

Masoor Dal Khichdi
Vegetable Dal Khichdi
Vendakka Kichadi
Pavakka Kichadi
Beetroot Kichadi

Vegetable Pulao
Peas Pulao
Soya Pulao
Corn Pulao
Jeera Pulao
Mint and Green Sprouts Pulao

Tava Roti
Puffed Roti
Missi Roti (Besan ki Roti)
Makke ki Roti

Idli
Oats Idli
Kanchipuram Idli
Rava Idli
Plain Dosa
Masala Dosa
Karacha Dosai
Raghi Dosai
Kambu Dosai
Rava Dosai
Onion Rava Dosa
Tomato Dosa
Spinach Dosai
Adai
Oats Adai

Pesaratu

Idiyappam
Ulundu Sevai
Coconut Sevai
Lemon Sevai
Tomato Tokku
Onion Chutney
Puli Inji
Tomato Onion Chutney
Groudnut Chutney
Kothamalli Thogayal
Pudina Chutney
Coriander Pudina Chutney
Ginger Chutney
Kathirikka Thogayal
Capsicum Thogayal
Coconut Thogayal
Venn Pongal
Chakkara Pongal
Rava Pongal
Oats Pongal

Puttu

Sprouts

Poha
Tomato Poha
Semiya Upma

Kuzhi Paniyaram
Coriander Paniyaram
Vegetable Paniyaram
Moong Dal Paniyaram
Bombay Rava Upma
Semiya Upma
Wheat Rava Upma
Rice Flour Upma
Idli Upma
Bread Upma
Arisi Upma
Vegetable Rava Upma

Arisi Upma Kozhakkatai
Rava Kozhakattai
Aval Kozhakattai
Mani Kozhakattai
Modak

Aloo Paratha
Mooli Paratha
Gobi Paratha
Paneer Paratha
Garlic Paratas
Pudina Paratha

Poori Masala
Chana Bathure

Side Dishes –
Gravy:
Paneer Chilly
Kadai Paneer
Tofu Mattar
Paneer Mattar
Paneer Butter Masala
Jeera Aloo
Aloo Palak
Kadai Bhindi
Capsicum Masala
Baingan Bharta
Green Peas Masala
Methi Malai Mutter
Gobi Manchurian
Rajma Curry
Green Moong Masala
Methi Aloo Masala
Vegetable Kohlapuri
Aloo Masala
Palak Paneer
Dal Tadka
Navarathna Kurma
Vegetable Kurma
Beetroot Masala
Dry :
Bhindi Curry
Tondli Curry
Carrot Curry
Beetroot Curry
Bitter Gourd Curry
Potatoes Fry
Brinjal Curry
Cauliflower Curry
Cabbage Curry
Aloo Mutter
Soy Chunk Curry
Potato Podimas
Vazhakka Podimas
Vazhakka Curry
Sepankizhangu Roast
Chow Chow Poriyal
Carrot Beans Poriyal
Sweet Potato Poriyal
Sweet Potato Podimas
Beans Paruppusli
Avarekha Paruppusli
Capscium Paruppusli
Mixed Vegetable Paruppusli

Sundal-
Channa Dal Sundal
Green Peas Sundal
Moong Dal Sundal
Peanut Sundal
Kondakadalai Sundal
Kala Channa Sundal
Sweet Corn Sundal
Kala Chana Sundal
Kabuli Chana Sundal
Ground nut Sundal
Sweet Chana Dal Sundal
Kollu Sundal
Green Gram Dal Sundal
Pachai Payaru Sweet Sundal
Pattani Sundal
Karamani Sundal
Sweet Karamani Sundal
Butter Beans Sundal
Mochaikottai Sundal

Dal :
Palak Dal
Tomato Dal
Black Eyed Peas
Avial
Vazhakka Kootu
Podalanga Kootu
Chow Chow Kootu
Konda Kadalai Kathirikka Kozhambu
Mixed Vegetable Kootu
Cabbage Kootu

Kozhambu, Sambar, Rasam Varieties
Plain Sambar
Mullangi Sambar
Arachuvitta Sambar
Vathal Kozhambu
Paruppurunda Kozhambu
Kadala Kozhambu
Thenga Aracha Kozhambu
Kathirikka Kara Kozhambu
Kariveppilai Kozhambu
Konda Kadalai Kathirikka Kozhambu
Mysore Rasam
Lemon Rasam
Jeeraga Milagu Rasam (Cumin-Pepper Rasam)
Mint Rasam – Pudina Rasam
Tomato Rasam
Vendakka Mor Kozhambu
Mor Pachchadi
Kadi
Kathirikka Pitla

Soups:
Moong Dal Soup
Tomato Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Sweet Potato Soup

Raita
Masala Raita
Boondi Raita
Onion Tomato Raita
Sprouts Raita
Cucumber Raita

Medhu Vadai
Ulundu Vadai
Dal Vadai

Chaat
Misal Pav
Vada Pav
Pav Bhaji
Moong dal kachori

Payasam/Kheer
Semiya Payasam
Pal Payasam
Aval Payasam
Festival Special –
Karadayan Nombu
Krishna Jayanthi
Navarathri Celebrations
Diwali recipes
Chutneys and Sauces
Curries and Gravies
Dal
Dosa
Paneer
Rasam
Sambar
Side Dish
South Indian
Snacks
Sweets

Dreaming big with Pad Thai !

"It would easily take us another 1 hour if we continue our way now. Let us have food in the food court near office", I said to my husband as we were driving our way back home from work. It was 21:30 already and we could see huge traffic on our way. Heavy rains were already pouring adding to the traffic. "I am bored of the usual meals in the food court. Lets check the new restaurant Wonton that has opened near the foodcourt", my husband said. I agreed to his suggestion and we walked to Wonton. 
It was a new restaurant that had opened in the Hitec City area. Although it was earlier in Gachibowli we had never been there but had heard a lot about their food. At 21:30 this place was full but still had few tables vacant. We chose a pretty table near the window to keep an eye on the traffic while having food. The server came immediately to our table, greeted us and handed the menu card to place order. The restaurant had dim lights all around it and while it gave a romantic environment, my eyes fell on the Thai cuisine varieties they had in their menu. Most of the items listed there seemed quite interesting and I was keen to try out a few items. We inquired about some of the items to see whats the specialty and some to see the spice levels, we finally placed an order for the Pad Thai noodles. The server told us that Pad Thai was an exotic dish of Thailand cooked using glass noodles while being served with powdered peanut. The entire concept of glass noodles seemed quite interesting to me and we were curious to see what it is all about.
In just about 10 minutes, what came to our table was the most incredible noodles I had ever had in my life. It was neatly cooked and had its aroma all over. The quantity of the noodles was excellent for both of us. The taste of the Pad Thai glass noodles with powdered peanuts sprinkled over it was the most incredible noodles I had in my life. It just made me forget about the traffic jam or the heavy downpour that was on. We were soaking every moment we had while enjoying having Pad Thai noodles.
For both of us being foodies, this was quite an amazing experience we had at the Wonton. Being the curious couple, we had a great conversation with the server who explained us about the uniqueness of this cuisine and how exotic it is in Thailand. For the taste of the local residents, they had added some more Indian spices and made it more customized. However the server suggested that we must try the original authentic dish in Thailand. 
As much as we enjoyed the dinner that day, the server's words still stayed in my head. How cool will it be to enjoy this authentic dish in Thailand. How freaking awesome will it be to try this exotic Thai cuisine with the locals there. Since that day trying this exotic cuisine has been on my dream board and I am confident that I will make it one day there with my family and enjoy the moments there as much as we can.


I am blogging about my dreams and passions for the Club Mahindra#DreamTrails activity at BlogAdda. You can get a Club Mahindra Membership to own your holidays!”

Grow with Horlicks Growthplus !

It was nearing lunch time on a rainy Sunday afternoon. My parents were here and we had planned to go out for lunch and then watch latest movie Sultan. We were waiting for this day since long as we wanted to spend time with parents and also wanted to relax on Sunday. Everything was going as we thought when suddenly my husband got an urgent office work to attend. Not wanting to cancel the plan, I decided to go with my parents ahead and my husband would catch up with us in the mall after his work completed. We booked Ola cabs and waited for the cab to come. All this because I couldn't drive my husband's Ford Fiesta sedan car. Honestly, nothing to do with the car. It is a very good car. However with my height being 5 feet, I had trouble driving the car.

Wish I had a better height. I would always wear wedges not because I loved wearing heels but because I did not want to appear like a short dwarf near my 6 ft 2 inches husband. I attributed this to my genes but there were many times when I would lose my confidence or feel inferior to other girls because I didn't have a good height.  

Although I know this is not in my control and I need to accept this, it always takes me back to thinking how important having a good height and weight plays in our daily life. How crucial it is to inculcate the importance of growth right from the early days. For kids these days it is even more important to highlight the importance of this. With the amount of adulterated food that is available these days in market , it is very important that we feed the right food to our children for proper growth. As a very simple example, I don't remember including nutritious foods like millet in my diet. Health mix powders like Sattu were not something I even recollect consuming. But kids these days are addicted to chips and wafers.  Several years back millet and hard work were what our grandparents had and that is why they are still strong even at 60. With the food that we consume these days, it is not common to hear about 20 and 30-year-olds suffering from diabetes and having attacks. A strong nutritious foundation is what is missing these days. Parents are more worried whether the kids are at the right height and weight. However if more awareness if given on the right nutrition for triggering this growth then it would be more helpful.

As parents when we bring kids into this world, it is our responsibility to ensure proper growth for them. Any short back there will affect not only us but them too. Consuming healthy and nutritious food like Horlicks Growth+ and allowing kids to stay active will ensure to have them in the right track for growth. It is time that we as parents understand the importance of this and change the future for our kids. This will not only boost their growth but also improve their confidence to ride the sedan of their life. 

For more information on the benefits of Horlicks Growth+ please refer here  -
https://growthplus.horlicks.in/

Ready to go with Datsun redi-GO!!

Until a very long time, having a car was considered a luxury. When Maruti Suzuki launched Maruti 800 couple of years ago, it became popular across several households. Being affordable its popularity increased and became one of the successful cars in the starting segment. I still remember my dad's old Maruti 800 car which served him faithfully. It had taken us to several places safely and had gone to several road-trips too. Until many years, Maruti 800 had no competition but realizing the potential and demand many additions like Alto, Nano, Kwid got added.

Now Nissan has joined the league with the recent launch of Datsun redi-GO. The team at Datsun refers to this car as the ideal choice for ‘ready-to-go’ generation. When I came across this car, I got curious and went on to look at what makes this car ideal for us.

This car has been designed specially for today's Indian generation who are always on the go. It brings together a unique combination of style and luxury with the best in Japanese technology at affordable prices!

As they have correctly put it across, it gives the youth the freedom and confidence to go on a fun trip to their destination.
"Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.."

In addition this car has some cool features which makes it the ideal car for our road-trips.
1) Many a times we have we come across narrow roads while driving to several urban places. With our existing sedan it becomes very difficult to drive there and taking U-turns is stressful as we need to take care to not hit somewhere. However with Datsun redi-GO, the compact size it will easily fit these narrow roads. No longer will taking U-Turns be stressful with this beauty. Also its sleek and sporty look gives it a stylish appeal. In addition to these exterior looks, driving with a feather light steering wheel would be super easy in crowded urban places.

2) For short folks like me, it is a stress to drive my sedan since I have to really strain my neck to look ahead of the steering wheel. Many a times, I have had to add extra cushion to the driving seat and sit on top of it so that it could add extra height for me which would be comfortable while driving. When I heard that Datsun redi-GO has heightened stances, I was really overjoyed. This will not only give you better view of the roads outside but is also a boon for short people like me from having the trouble to look ahead while driving. Another unique feature is the force absorbing bolster support in the seats which will make driving in urban roads a pleasure when on high speed cornering.
I would really love to test this feature while driving here in Hyderabad. The bolstering support in the seats would be something I would love to check on our next visit to Charminar during Ramzon so that we can be ready for our upcoming road trip.

3) One of the important sources of entertainment while on long drives is the audio system. With the options of having Radio, USB, MP3, Aux-in , it provides multiple options to hear pumping music and keep you entertained while driving.

All these features make me ready to go with Datsun redi-GO and I am waiting to test drive and check these unique features so that we are all set and ready to go with our own redi-GO!!

Wonderful Travel Memories

Travelling - one of the common interests that holds us together. You like to travel and click places. I like to travel and release stress. 
The first time we traveled together, you made me think I did not know how to travel. Carrying 5 big bags for 3 day travel seemed like relocation to you. From our travel fights to planning our next travel together, you converted me from a tourist to a traveler. You changed my views about travelling. You opened me to new avenues for travelling. You taught me so many new things about travelling. My idea and intention about travelling changed. 
We enjoyed our domestic travels which then expanded to national and then international travels. You explored the different cuisines and made me try new varieties. From five star hotels to bag packers room, we have seen it all. From flying in flights to sailing in ships we have been together. We trekked together, we snorkeled together- we got over each others fears. I slowly got rid of my fear of heights and you became confident with snorkeling. The best experience I still remember about snorkeling was the happiness on your face when you dived in the middle of Maya Bay with the colorful fishes. 
From shopping in Bangkok to fashion street in Mumbai, you came to know about what it means to shop. Accompanying me to never ending street side shopping in Jaipur to the huge malls in Singapore, you know what it means to shop with a girl now. Shopping - something that has now thought you to think of your loved ones and get something for them during your travels. It creates memories.
Photography one of your big passions in life. How you utilize all your time during travel and yet click so wonderful pics is something I still need to learn from you. The patience you have to perfect a shot till it happens, to taking multiple shots waiting for the right moment - that is the crazy amount of passion you have for your camera. From our first trip to Goa to our recent trip to Trichy, one thing is constant and that is your camera bag and the passion to explore new places in your area. Your enthusiasm for exploring new avenues, your passion to mystery, your company for all these wonderful travels - is all I ask to keep up with and never lose the charm. Thank you my supportive hubby for always being the best traveler I could ask for !

My scrapbook entry is below - https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/IkYCeH1OqZGqd5oxS8Y0DA== 
https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/pUsm1jaU71d5FvbWYY8B-A==

Memorable Trek

Few months back while having dinner with my husband, I was telling him,"I am fed up. I need a change.The monotony of this life is killing me.Let us go for a vacation".To which he hit upon an idea. He said,"How about going for a winter trek to Kedarkantha in Uttarakhand". While i did not get convinced with his idea, i decided to give it a try.

We booked our tickets and started with the preparations required to go for the trek. With our backpacks on in end of December, we reached Dehradun. From there we got into a bus Sankhri.  On reaching there, we stayed at Hotel Swargrohini Palace for the night before the trek.What a view from our room. We could already see mountain peaks covered with snow ahead of us. As night approached, we had to pile on layers to save ourselves from being frozen.

The next day morning, we all were given a briefing and introduced to our trek guide. With that we started the trek climbing one step at a time.  2 Hours went by and by now it was starting to get exhausting. We hit the snow patches soon, stopped to rest for 15-20 minutes and then continued with our trek. From there, we could see snow everywhere. The trek was getting more and more challenging with every step. Finally after 9 hours,at around 2 pm we reached Juda ka Talab camp site.The pond was covered by a thick frosty layer.We rested around the lake in the sun and had our lunch.

As it got colder in the evening we lit a bonfire .We had our dinner and we retired to the tents into our sleeping bags after a tiring day. 

At around 2 am we were awakened by our guide. He asked us to pack our bags and start climbing right away for the basecamp and we had to reach the summit before sunrise. It was pitch dark everywhere. So with flash lights on and trekking poles, we started climbing once again. Badly chilly winds, ear pains, reducing atmospheric pressure, reducing oxygen, tiredness from last day, we kept climbing. After about 2 hours of walking in deep snow and we reached the base camp.The view from the base camp was panoramic. We were all excited for the final push to the summit. As much as exciting and adventurous the journey was, it was very challenging both mentally and physically. I and my husband had to stop several times and motivate and push each other to finish the trek. We took a lot of pictures along the way. After 5 hours we finally stood atop conquering Mount Kedarkanta. It was surrounded by mountain peaks covered in snow. 

What a memorable feeling it was. For last 2 days, we were totally out of mobile coverage and no other distractions. I and my husband were together in this journey and our only goal was to have the strength to push through and finish the trek. I learnt many things from this trek like never to give up on the challenges that life throws but to keep pushing through them. In the journey of life we get distracted by so many things and we often quit. But if we keep pushing and focus on our goal we will be successful. 

My scrapbook for this entry is 
https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/KS6Rww_-HhrW7nIIqWwf9g==