Molagai Podi !!

Molagai Podi is a great combination to eat with Idlis or Dosa. I love to have Idli and Molagai Podi.

There are many variations in making this powder. This is the recipe i used. 

Ingredients:
Sesame Seeds - 2 teaspoon
Red chilli - 15 red chillies
Urad Dal- 5 teaspoon
Channa Dal - 5 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon

Method:
1) Dry roast the ingrdients one by one in a pan
2) Allow it to cool
3) Grind the above ingredients to a nice powder
4) Store it in a airtight container.

Singapore !!

After Bangkok we planned to visit Singapore. Since my sister-in-law stays there, it was a good opportunity to visit her and get to know the place. 
We stayed at her place in Choa Chu Kang. 

Places Visited :
Sentosa
Universal Studios
Marina Bay Sands
Jurong Bird Park

Bangkok !!

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary we planned a visit to Bangkok and Singapore.

As there were no direct flights from Hyderabad directly to Bangkok, we travelled to Chennai the day before by train and stayed at my place.

This is high level iternary of my travel. Detailed plan to be posted soon :)

19 May - Sat - Reach Bangkok. Take Airport Rail Link to Ratchaprarop (Baiyoke hotel) - Area: Pratunam
             - Explore Pratunam market area. It is full of fashion shopping (wholesale and cheap)
             - Baiyoke Tower II Observatory and Revolving Roofdeck.
      - Walk upto Victory monument and explore places around.
      - Night market around Baiyoke tower I

      Indian food eating options:
      1) The Platinum Food Centre at The Platinum fashion mall (about 5 mins walk from the hotel) - 10:30 – 20:00
      2) Mughal Darbar Indian Restaurant - Lane Opp. Indra Regent
      3) The Curry Pot Indian Restaurant - Behind Baiyoke Sky
      4) Navrattan Restaurant - Near Makkasan Railway station

20 May - Sun - Chatuchak Weekend Market (they say most of the markets here operate on weekdays in Pratunam itself)
               (To go: Take ARL from Ratchaprarop to Phaya Thai and change to BTS line from there to Mo Chit)
             - Explore Khao San shopping area late evening - Optional (we can even head back to hotel and relax)
        (To go: Take MRT from Kam-Phaeng Phet/Chatuchak park directly to Hua Lamphong station.
                From Hua Lamphong, we can take a taxi/tuk-tuk to reach Banglamphu market) 

      Indian food eating options:
      I don't see any Indian restaurant nearby to Chatuchak market. We may need to pack our lunch.
              
21 May - Mon - Rattanakosin area completely.
      - Take evening cruise in Chao-Phraya river to Wat Arun.
      - Explore Banglamphu market (Khao San) late evening (if not done on Sunday)
               (To go: Take ARL from Ratchaprarop to Makkasan and change to MRT line from there to Hua Lamphong station.
                From Hua Lamphong, we can take a taxi/tuk-tuk to reach the Grand Palace)

      Indian food eating options:
             Royal India restaurant - Thanon Chakphet
             Taste of India - Khao San road.
      Roti Mataba -  Phra Atid Road, Phra Nakorn
      Spicy Affair - Talat Yot, Phra Nakhon

22 May - Tue - Yaowarat-Phahurat area completely.
             - Evening visit to China town.
               (To go: Take ARL from Ratchaprarop to Makkasan and change to MRT line from there to Hua Lamphong station.
                From Hua Lamphong, we can just walk down and explore China town)
               (or)
             - Whole day trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
        (or)
      - Whole day trip to Ayuthaya
        (Damnoen Saduak Floating Market/Ayuthaya, we may need a package trip)

      Indian food eating options:
             Royal India restaurant - Thanon Chakphet

23 May - Wed - ++ Have to enquire/Plan to fit in a Canal tour on Chao Phraya river ++
             - Last minute shopping and packing
             - Night - Start to Singapore. Reach Singapore

Day1 - Ratchaprarop sightseeing
     - Baiyoke Sky viewpoint
Day2 - Chatuchak market
Day3 - City palace, wat pho, massage, War arun
Day4 - Central mall, MBK mall
     - Dinner on topfloor Baiyoke suite
Day5 - Ratchaprarop shopping,
       China town

Anniversary !!

Time really flies. One year flew off so soon. Tuesday was our first wedding anniversary. We were just getting to accept and settle into married life and here comes our first anniversary.

On this special day, my in-laws wanted us to celebrate my travelling to Bangkok and Singapore. We were planning this since very long. My husband had to get his passport renewed for this. Since we were going by our own, we had to check the places and come up with an itinerary. Finally everything fell in place and the trip went as planned.

Plain Dosa !!

Plain Dosa's are frequently made at my place.It is one of my favourite and also very easy to prepare. It also serves as a very good breakfast menu. The hardest part is making the flour. Once we have it ready, making Dosa's is very fast.

Ingredients : 
Idly rice - 2 cups
Urad dal 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method : 

Flour Preparation :
1) Wash the idli rice nicely
2) Soak Idly rice and Methi together in water.
3) Let this be undisturbed overnight or for about 6-8 hours. 
4) Soak urad dal in water for 3 hours. 
5) Drain the water from urud dal and grind it with little water. 
6) Finely grind the mixture and keep aside.
7) Drain water from soaked rice and methi. 
8) Grind these along with little water to a smooth paste
9) Now mix the ground items and add salt. 
10) Allow it to ferment for 16 - 18 hours. 

Dosa Preparation :
1) In a tava, pour 1-2 spoons of the flour.
2) Spread the flour into a thin round
3) Pour a drop of oil along the corners of the round
4) When it turns golden brown, flip it to the other side.

Dosa's are ready.

Idlis !!

Idli's are easiest to make and serve as a very good breakfast menu. The hardest part is making the dough. Once we have it ready, making idlis is very fast.

Ingredients :
Idly rice - 2 cups
Urad dal 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method : 

Dough Preparation :
1) Wash the idli rice nicely
2) Soak Idly rice and Methi together in water.
3) Let this be undisturbed overnight or for about 6-8 hours. 
4) Soak urad dal in water for 3 hours. 
5) Drain the water from urud dal and grind it with little water. 
6) Finely grind the mixture and keep aside.
7) Drain water from soaked rice and methi. 
8) Grind these along with little water to a smooth paste
9) Now mix the ground items and add salt. 
10) Allow it to ferment for 16 - 18 hours. 

Idli Preparation :
1) In a idli cooker, add 2 cups of water.
2) Touch the plates in the cooker with a drop of oil
3) Pour a spoon of the dough into each round areas in the plate
4) Repeat this procedure for all plates.
5) Arrange the plates in the cooker and close the lid firmly
6) Heat the stove and place the cooker.
7) The cooker will begin to 'whistle' when steam begins to escape.
8) Let this happen continue for some more seconds.
9) Switch off the stove and let it set for 10-15 minutes.
10) Open the cooker lid carefully. Idlis are ready.

Weekly Walking Update - 21/4

Walking Update for the week !

Day	Date	Steps	Distance in KM	Time
1	1/4/2012	122	2	30 Min
2	1/5/2012	322	3	30 Min
3	1/6/2012	4354	4	30 Min
4	1/7/2012	5454	2	30 Min
5	1/8/2012	235	4	30 Min
6	1/9/2012	5565	5	45 Min
7	1/10/2012	43434	5	45 Min

Total Weekly Distance Walked : 25

Total Monthly Distance Walked : 25

Tamil New Year !!

Today is Tamil New Year day which is is widely celebrated in all Tamil households. This festival falls during mid April every year. This festival is celebrated with fun and enthusiasm all over Tamil Nadu. 

This being our first Tamil new year after wedding, we got new dresses and gifts from parents. On this day, we decorated the house with colorful rangoli. We prepared many festive foods on this special occasion including vadai, paayasam and puranpoli at our home and offered our prayers to God. We then had an elaborate feast and enjoyed with our family.  

Wishing you all a very happy Tamil new year !!

Cooking rice in Pressure Cooker

Rice is a staple food in all South Indian houses. Before wedding i was not even aware of cooking rice properly. Overtime i learnt that and sharing my knowledge with you. 

1. Take one cup of rice in a vessel
2. Rinse the rice to be cooked in a vessel thoroughly and drain the water from the vessel. Continue this step till the water in the vessel is clear. 
3. Pour water in the vessel till the water level covers the rice and let it soak for sometime.
This step is to make sure that the rice comes smooth.
4. For 1 cup of rice, pour 2 cups of water in pressure cooker and let the water boil and turn the stove on.
5. When water in the cooker starts boiling, drain the water from the vessel and empty the rice containing vessel into pressure cooker. Check that the water level covers the rice.
6. Close the lid of the pressure cooker firmly and place the weight on top of the vent in a way that it sits firmly in place.
7. The cooker will begin to 'whistle' when steam escapes from the vent covered by the weight.
8. Let this happen till whistles 3 times.
9. Switch off the stove and let it set for 10-15 minutes.
10. Remove the weight and open the pressure cooker lid carefully. Your rice is ready.

Nombu !!

Last Wednesday was the festival of Karadaiyan nombu. On this day, all the South Indian women tie yellow threads around their neck. It is a ritual where the women pray to Goddess Devi for the health and prosperity of their life partner. Traditionally, women are supposed to pray for their husband on empty stomach and then have food at the end of the prayer.

This being my first nombu after wedding, it is the "Thalai Nombu". My in-laws came to visit us last week especially to celebrate this festival with us. 

On that day, I had to get up early and get ready for the prayer on an empty stomach. We had to wear a 9-yard sari and perform the rituals at the specific time. Since it was a working day, I had to wind up with the celebration and rush back to work. My mother-in-law took care of preparing the nombu adai's which was really helpful for me. The ritual started around 9am where mother-in-law performed the pooja and gave the yellow thread to tie. At the end of the prayer, we had a taste of the nombu adai's which tasted really yummy.

Ora-Ovations !!

Last week we had an exciting weekend attending Ora-Ovation. This is a cultural gathering event at my husband's work which happens every two years. 

I had heard a lot about this from my husband. So this year I was all excited for it. Husband was among list of photographers for the event. So he had to be at the venue much before the event started. So I came along with Manisha, Randhir and Meenu to the venue directly.

As we made our way inside, there were lots of people already seated. I got to meet my husband's team and his managers along with their family. It was fun to see so many employees and their families and catch-up with them. Meenu's husband Srini was to be participating in many dance shows. So we went in and occupied a table in the third row as we were eager to see his performance. Also singer Shreya Ghosal was going to be coming for some performances. So we were really excited for the event to begin.

As the guests were settling down, my husband just found us and informed that starters were open. So we could start with some tid-bits and catch-up with friends. When I went to pick a few starters, I was surprised to see so many varieties. Also they had organised the place very nicely and many volunteers were around coordinating with people and making smooth flow.

We just got back to our table with the starters when the show started. First performance itself was a dance by Srini and his team on fusion remixes. Then there were many more music and dance performances. I was really enjoying the dance performances. My husband was busy clicking a lot of pictures. It was then time to have main course dinner. So we went to get our dinner and were just announced that Shreya's performances would start in sometime. 

As she came in, audience were very excited. She started off with her latest music and then went on nonstop to other hit Bollywood numbers. The crowd were very ecstatic with her music. Then there was lot of request from audience for her to sing few hit Bollywood songs. She then sang lot of hit Bollywood songs as requested by the audience and left. We were very happy and excited with her performance. Then it was time for DJ music. The dance floor was open for employees to dance to music. Lot of them went with their friends and danced. I was forcing my husband to join me in the DJ dance. But as the crowd got more on the dance floor, we changed our plan and enjoyed it from our table. 

All in all, it was a well spent weekend and enjoyable event !!

Day 3 | Best friend apart from spouse

Question : Who is your best friend but not your spouse?

Apart from my spouse my best friend was my college friend Swapna. Amongst our group of friends, she was mature and understanding which were some of her qualities which I admire.

Hubby's Birthday !!

Last Thursday was my hubby's birthday. I had a surprise cake cutting planned for that day. Since he loves dark forest cakes, i ordered a dark forest cake from work a day before and got it on my way back. Since i normally reach home before him, i had a good chance to keep it in a secret place.

When clock striked 12, i wished him happy birthday and removed the cake from my secret place. He was completely taken back by this. He then cut the cake and we had a piece of it. My parents also called him then to wish for his birthday and were happy to hear about the cake cutting that happened. We then planned to have a treat today over the weekend.

So today, we ordered schezwan noodles and biryani take away from Bawarchi and had a quiet treat at home watching some good movies.

Day 2 | New Talent

Question : If you could have a new talent what would you want?

If i wanted to have a new talent that would be to run. I have never attempted to run.But have many friends who do. So would want to break my comfort zone and run maybe a 10k or a half marathon some day.

Day 1 | Funniest thing heard

Question : The funniest thing you heard today.

The funniest thing I heard today was when someone called up my mom and asked her for my alliance. My mom was so shocked hearing this that she slammed the phone and called me next checking if i were up to some prank :)

Day 29 | Advantage of today

Question : What did you do to take advantage of this extra day this year?

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday. So i took advantage of today to do the shopping for his birthday gift.

Day 28 | Stressful things

Question : What stresses you?

The thought of the weekends always stresses me. Although weekends are meant to be for relaxing, the thought of doing the never ending housework continues to stress me out always.

Day 27 | A near-to perfect day

Question : What would have made today perfect?

It was nearing perfect as it went as per expected routine . But I think if we plan things for the week it would be more perfect and best.

Day 26 | Annoying me

Question : What is annoying you?

One thing that continuously annoys me is when my husband continues to keep the house shabby while I try my best efforts to be after him cleaning the mess. If he takes something, he never keeps it back. Also he is very very laid back when it comes to doing things which he doesn't like but if its related to photography or his interest he can go without sleep for days to do it. This really annoys me.

Day 25 | My super power

Question : What is your super power?

I believe my ability to multitask is my superpower. It really helps me that I am able to manage a full time job and doing house work independently and to my best capability by multitasking although there is always scope for improvement.

Puffed Chapati !!

Although I make tava chapati's frequently at my place, I never tried doing the puffed chapatis or phulka chapati. Once when we were out for dinner, my husband was impressed by the soft phulka's they served and from then on he insisted me to prepare puffed chapatis at home. Earlier i used to not get very good puffed chapatis but with practice i eventually succeeded. The process of making puffed chapatis is similar to making tava chapati's with one additional step. That's it just one more step and you get supersoft puffed chapatis :)

Ingredients :
Wheat flour - 2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp 
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method :
1) Add wheat flour, salt in a wide bowl and mix them well. 
2) Add water little by little to form a soft solid dough.
3) Add oil and knead it again till it becomes not be too tight or too loose.
Simple test at this stage is when you pick a sample small piece it should be solid and non sticky.
4) Now break the dough into small pieces.
5) Roll these balls evenly using your palm
6) Roll each ball into thin circles evenly by dusting flour as required.
7) Heat tawa and keep in medium flame.
8) Add the flattened out roti dough and wait for few seconds.
9) Once small bubbles begin to appear, flip it to other side.
10) Wait for few more minutes till brown spots appear.
11) Now with the help of a tong,  transfer it to the flame. 
12) In few minutes time, it will begin to puff.
13) Carefully transfer it with tong to to hot pack. 
14) Repeat the same procedure for all other roti balls. 

Holi !!

Holi is the festival of colours. It is one of the most awaited festivals which is celebrated with joy and energy.

Traditionally it marks the beginning of spring and is celebrated for two days  On the first day, known as day of “Holika Dahan”, bonfire is lit symbolizing the victory of truth over evil. People sing and dance around the fire.

In our area too, lot of Punjabi families lit a bonfire and their friends and relatives sang and danced around the fire. It was fun to watch them and also enjoy the celebration.

The next day people is the actual festival Holi where people of different age groups and communities celebrate by applying colors.

Today we along with husband's friend Animesh went to Badichowdi area for watching Holi celebrations. My husband had been there earlier and had told me about how Holi is celebrated in a traditional manner among the Rajasthani community there. When we reached there, the people were just starting with the celebration where they start a procession and then all the women and men gather in circles and smear colors on each other. It was real fun watching them enjoy the celebrations. They invited us to also join them.
After about 1-2 hours, they ended the celebrations and went inside. We then went to a famous jalebi stall and enjoyed having some hot jalebis.

It was definitely a good experience celebrating holi with these people !!

Day 24 | Difference in today

Question : Whose life did you make a difference in today?

Today I made a difference in my life by preparing a schedule and following it as much possible. That gave me a huge pride of accomplishment. Although it was a struggle following it given the distractions and busy schedule, i think it was good i gave it a try.

Day 23 | Felt secure

Question : Today I felt really secure knowing __________________.

Today I felt really secure knowing that I am blessed to be in a family who is super motivated and where there is no end for knowledge.

Day 22 | 3 things to buy

Question : What are three things you need to buy?

Currently the top three things I would need to buy are vegetables for the week, some fruits and provisions.

Day 21 | List of Pets

Question : List your pets.

I do not own any pet. But given a chance I would love to have a dog. I just love how faithful and caring they are.

Day 20 | Car for driving

Question : What kind of car are you driving?

I do not drive a car here. I commute by public transport or at times my husband drops me in our Ford Fiesta.

Day 19 | Morals being challenged

Question : What has challenged your morals?

Food and partying has always challenged my morals. For a girl who was a complete vegetarian and completely against alcohol, sticking to those morals when being with friends is always a challenge. At times we tend to let go of the control and enjoy the food and parties but always come back to a state of guilt the next day.

Day 18 | Biggest Hope

Question : My biggest hope is _____________.

My biggest hope is that my husband tries to find a balance between his professional work and personal work soon. 

Day 17 | Last new thing tried

Question : What was the last new thing you tried?

Making Paneer Chilly dish was the last new thing i tried. It is our favorite dish and I wanted to try making it at home.

Day 16 | Mood Today

Question : What mood were you in today?

I was in normal and cheerful mood today. Day went as expected and fine.

Day 15 | Last thing wanted

Question : Last thing you wanted but didn't get.

The last thing I wanted so far but didn't get is getting new microwave. I and my husband have been thinking of getting one for a long time but it didn't materialize so far.

Day 14 | Sleep Hours last night

Question : How many hours of sleep did you get last night?

I had 9 hours of sleep last night. We slept at 00:30 and woke up at 9:30am

Day 13 | Currently reading book

Question : What book are you reading right now?

I am not reading any book right now. I guess the last book i read was in college

Day 12 | Photos taken today

Question : How many photos did you take today?

I did not get to take any photos today. It was a busy weekend for me.

Ginger Garlic Paste !!

Ginger Garlic paste is one of the essential items in my daily cooking. I make this paste on the weekend and it easily comes for about 10 days. Ginger and garlic have a lot of benefits on our health and I use it in all types of gravy.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped Ginger

1 cup peeled garlic cloves

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp oil

Method

1) First take ginger and peel the skin.

2) Once the ginger skin is peeled, cut that in to small cubes. 

3) Take the garlic and peel it.

4) Now put ginger and garlic together and dry roast in a pan

5) Once it gets light golden color, switch off the heat and move the pan aside.

6) Allow it to cool.

7) Put them together in to blender and grind to a smooth paste.

8) Store in a clean jar and  refrigerate.

Day 11 | Wish I had

Question : I wish I had ____________.

I wish I had been at my goal weight so that I could eat anything. These days I have been eating out so frequently that I think my weight has been shooting up.

Day 10 | Purchase today

Question : What did you buy today?

I purchased some snack items today. We usually stock some snack items so that it will be useful over the weekend.

Day 9 | Bedtime last night

Question : What time did you go to bed last night?

Last night we went to bed at 00:30. We were watching a movie and went to bed after it ended.  

Day 8 | Largest TV screen

Question : What is the largest TV screen in your house?

Largest TV screen is Sony TV at my house. My husband has been having this since over 2 years and this has been very useful and faithful to us.

Day 7 | Person didn't have to deal

Question : Name a person you wish you didn't have to deal with today.

Without doubts its RV. Wish he would be more interactive and  more helpful to others.

Day 6 | Do today over

Question : If you could do today over, would you change anything?

Yes. I would like to relive the day once again with more understanding and more love.

Day 5 | Health today

Question : On a scale of 1-10 how is your health?

I would rate my health as 6 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being minimum and 10 being maximum. I need to lose some weight, get back to habit of working out and start eating healthy but otherwise I am getting my periods regularly and doing good.

Trip with cousins !!

Husband had always wanted to plan a trip with Hari and Kaushik. Now with Hari moving for further studies in April this year, we thought better to gather now and plan a trip before he gets occupied with his university admission process.

So last week, we all 4 planned a trip to Maharashtra covering Pune, Alibagh, Kashid Beach, Murud Janjira fort, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani.

Our temporary itinerary looked like this -

Date	Day	Activity	Place of Stay
25th Jan	Wed	Start to Pune in Bus	Bus
26th Jan	Thu	Reach Pune	Kashid Beach
		Freshup and start to Alibagh in car
		Reach Alibagh in max 3-4 hrs
		Take a room and put luggage and freshup and have lunch
		Roam around, visit Birla Temple, Fort , Kashid Beach
27th Jan	Fri	Checkout from room Go to Murud.	Murud
		Check Fort, Fishermen village, Janjira and go to Murud for nite stay
28th Jan	Sat	Go to Mahableshwar (4 hrs) and check in hotel and explore Kate's Point	Panchgani
		Pratapgarh Fort, Rajpuri Caves, Elephant's Head Point, Connaught Peak and night stay at panchgani
29th Jan	Sun	Explore Panchgani and Back to Pune by evening to catch bus to Hyd	Bus

We had a blast for sure. One of the most memorable trip with cousins.

Day 4 | Favorite color

Question : My favorite color is ______________.

My favorite color is pink. It represents femininity and also defines you as kind, loving and sensitive to the needs of others.

Day 3 | Last Apology

Question : What’s the last thing you apologized for?

The last thing I apologized was for not understanding my husband. He was trying to say something which was definitely good but I did not get the real meaning of it and shot back immediately with a lot of questions and disagreement which got into a misunderstanding with him. 
Lesson learnt is to slowly try to interpret what he is trying to say and then get back politely if I still did not follow.

Day 2 | Most expensive bill

Question : The most expensive bill I paid last month was ________.

The most expensive bill I paid last month was for weekly grocery shopping. We went to try Balaji Grand supermarket close to our place but unfortunately it turned out to be pricey and we ended up paying Rs3000 for regular provision shopping.

Day 1 | Favorite piece of art

Question : What is your favorite piece of art you own?

I do not have any valuable art. But there is a photo of me in my Chembur home when I was about 10 year old. My parents gave me the pic when they came to visit us. It is a framed pic and is close to me as it makes me nostalgic.

Day 31 | Last person to tell

Question : Who is the last person to tell you they loved you?

The last person to tell that they loved me was my husband during our monthly anniversary last week :)

Day 30 | House is a home

Question : My house is a home because _______________________.

My house is a home because its similar to what a dream home should be like - huge, spacious and in an awesome locality.

Day 29 | Last major purchase

Question : What was your last major purchase?

My last major purchase was all the costumes, and compulsive shopping done for my wedding.

Day 28 | Tomorrow I will

Question : Tomorrow I will _________________________.

Tomorrow I will get up early because these days we are ending up going to bed late and due to the cold weather we are getting up late. 

Day 27 | Spent at grocery store

Question : How much did you spend at the grocery store the last time you went?

I spent about Rs1000 last time I went to the store to do my weekly grocery shopping.

Day 26 | Temperature today

Question : Today the temperature was ___________________.

The temperature today was about 30°C. It was very cold today even during the day.

Day 25 | Favorite drink

Question : What is your favorite thing to drink?

My favorite drink since my school days is Milk with Complan or Horlicks. I look forward to have a cup of milk every morning to kick start my day.

Day 24 | Looking for from life

Question : What are you looking for from life?

I am looking forward to have a purpose oriented life. I am looking to answer so many questions like what do I need to do, What am I trying to accomplish, Have I taken the right choice and so on that runs across.

Day 23 | Today Unusual

Question : What made today unusual?

Today was unusual because I packed Idlis for lunch. Normally we have Idlis for breakfast but because I was not feeling well, decided to have something light like idlis for lunch.

Day 22 | Tomorrow will be better

Question : Tomorrow will be better because ___________________.

Tomorrow will be better because it is start of a new week.I am not keeping well today due to some food poisoning. So most of the time is spent on having medicines and taking rest.Tomorrow will be better because it is start of a new week. I will be able to focus more on work and have a productive day tomorrow.

Day 21 | Wish I had

Question : Today I wish I had more _________________.

Today I wish I had more more finance with me. I wish I had started saving early. 

Tava Chapati !!

Chapati's are frequently made at my place. My husband and I both love eating chapatis. Due to that its always been an experiment making chapatis. Initially I used to always get incorrect proportion in preparing dough or I would never get a round Chapati. There have also been instances when my chapati came out so thick and crispy that you could eat it like a papad. But my consistent practice, I was able to make good chapatis. 

Ingredients :
Wheat flour - 2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp 
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method :
1) Add wheat flour, salt in a wide bowl and mix them well. 
2) Add water little by little to form a soft solid dough.
3) Add oil and knead it again till it becomes not be too tight or too loose.
Simple test at this stage is when you pick a sample small piece it should be solid and non sticky.
4) Now break the dough into small pieces.
5) Roll these balls evenly using your palm
6) Roll each ball into thin circles evenly by dusting flour as required.
7) Heat tawa and keep in medium flame.
8) Add the flattened out roti dough and wait for few seconds.
9) Once small bubbles begin to appear, flip it to other side.
10) Wait for few more minutes till brown spots appear.
11) Carefully flip it over again till both sides are cooked and transfer it to hot pack. 
12) Repeat the same procedure for all other roti balls. 

Day 20 | Hardest thing to deal with

Question : What was the hardest thing you’re dealing with?

Currently the hardest thing I am dealing with is change. There are so many changes that happened recently like my wedding, moving to a new place, moving to new project at work, new friends, missing Mumbai etc that is getting hard to deal with each of them. 

Day 19 | Favorite website

Question : My current favorite website is _________________.

My current favorite website is Facebook. Although i had an account in it earlier i used to rarely access it. Now i am just hooked to it and love the fact that I get to stay connected with my friends.

Day 18 | Best part of today

Question : The best part of today was ______________

The best part of today was that I had cooked lunch and dinner for us in the morning before we left for work. This made it so easy to just reheat the food and have for dinner unlike the days when i had to come home and then cook dinner when I was already very exhausted from work.

Day 17 | Grateful today

Question : What are you grateful for?

I am grateful that my day at work ended peacefully and the demo went well. I am grateful that I was able to reach home and have dinner with my husband together.

Day 16 | In Love with

Question : Who are you in love with?

I love my husband to whom I am married for past 6 months for being so understanding and supportive. 

Day 15 | Last on the phone

Question : Who last called you on the phone?

As of now, my husband had called me last on the phone to check if i reached home from work.

Day 14 | Getting it done

Question : What did you get done?

After much delay and dilly dally, i have finally started this blog and updating it regularly.

Pongal !!

Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated to thank Sun God in the month of January in Tamil Nadu

This being our first Pongal after marriage, my parents are here to celebrate with us. We received gifts and dresses from my parents as "Thalai Pongal" gift.

On the previous day the celebrations start a day before where we clean the house and discard old things. Today morning we woke up early, wore new clothes and decorated the puja place with rangoli and placed lamps on it. On this day, people visit their relatives and friends house for a get together

The festival is then celebrated by preparing different delicacies of Pongal like Sweet Pongal and Ven Pongal, Vada, Payasam for worship. 

Day 13 | Dinner today

Question : What did you have for dinner today?

I am yet to have my dinner today. But i have planned to make Chapatis and Brinjal curry for dinner.

Day 12 | Making me mad

Question : What is making you mad?

Traffic sense in Hyderabad is currently making me mad. It really stresses out the driver when bikers come from all over and drive past you.

Day 11 | Favorite accessory

Question : What’s your favorite accessory?

My favorite accessory are earrings. Anything from a simple pair to something small or big, long and graceful, adds a feminine touch to your costume !!

Day 10 | Made me smile today

Question : What made you smile today?

Many reasons for me to smile today -
1) One week already in the new year. Time flies real fast.
2) Today is my sister-in-law Vaishnavi's birthday. 
3) Today is also birthday of my best friend Deepti from college. Makes me smile remembering the times we celebrated her birthday back in college.