March 10 - Restart

After a really really long time, the kid starts her yoga with the OA.  I need to pitch in soon too.  Why is it that I dont keep up with my exercise every day and do it only when the health is under serious threat??

That aside, while the OA says he is being much more alert due to my health, nothing stops my binge eating, I am such a bad patient I say..

March 9 - Pav Bhaji :)

 You can easily find out something is wrong with me if I am cooking continuously and that too out of the regular rice and veggie stuff... Pav Bhaji it is and you can imagine the surprise of the OA when I make this for the kid's lunch box early in the morning.  I think I am seriously sick :-p

March 8 - Lazy No Cooking Day

No prizes for guessing this food lump in my plate considering our family is great at one-pot meals and better still any and every type of upma.  The OA makes broccoli, spinach, upma with lots and lots of chillies.. yumm!!!

March 7 - Old World US

In the world of Imax and latest  movies in theaters, I love this place for the way it looks, the movies it screens.

March 6 - An outing

The doctor visits, the blood tests, the results, the wait is driving me crazy these days, so I decide to cool off a bit and shop for self and the kid.

March 5 - Spicy and home-made

Life is good for people like me who have friends who know you love to eat and hate to cook ;).  The friend made some at home and brings them over.. Love!!!

March 4 - Spy Can Craft

The kids make their I-spy jars with a theme of the scout law.   Love the way the kids are expressing themselves these days.

March 3 - Love Letter :)

This was the note the kid had written back in her 1st week of 1st grade days :).  Her spellings do kill me even now but looking at this I am so much more thankful that lord is being cinde to me :) 

March 2 - Pasta Salad

Made pasta for kids lunch, added Trader Joes Veggie mix, a few sauces and jalapenos for a yumm breakfast for self.

March 1 - The Magnet Wall

Wanted to pick up some soveniers of the states we had been to in US and take it back home, I am tired of the knickknacks, the need to dust them, keep them in curios and honestly I am beginning to think they are clutter, so magnets it is that we are taking back as memories and this is a wall with a small iron door electric panel which we use to display our visits.

Kid loves this and keeps changing the display once in a while.

Feb 28 - Bookish Fish :)

My crazy title does not have anything to do with these books able to read or whatever, it is just that these happen to be the residents of the kids library section and I love to look at them as the kid goes through her business :).

Feb 27 - Pongal Temple Style

For a family who goes to temple to eat good food and see God in that order, I have never made katt pongal at home.  Thanks to Vah Chef and his wife, my life has become simpler.  I love the authentic Sailus food recipes but with the ease of looking them cook, Vah Chef video it is that guided me through.

Yum, one pot meal :).

Feb 26 - Nice Thought

Saw at the senior center where the girls meet for their scout meeting..


and the girls made their own brownie contract, their own rules for the troop based on the GS law.

I am surprised at the choice of their words like inclusive, personal space.  My tiny little daisies all grown up and talking sense :)

Feb 25 - Cooking With Onion :)

Since the kid had been to the Isha kids camp this summer, the usually if-left-to-her-choice-never-touch-a-veggie kid did not want to eat onions anymore declaring it to be nonpranic.  OA being the experiment master he is decide that there is no harm taking out the onion.  Me being the lazy cook with one less thing to cut was happy.

Then starts my crocodile fest, to make the gravies without onion 😛.  After 7 months comes the onion at home in cooking, so it is an occasion to remember.

Feb 24 - An Eventful Day

Watching Isha Coimbatore festivities live has become a Sivaratri ritual for me, so while it is Sivaratri in India it is Sivaroju for me here.  This year the magnitude is much much higher due to adiyogi unveiling..

The day was eventful for the kid who is now officially a candidate for black belt and one thing we would regret is she just going back home without that degree.  Martial arts inculcates a sense of discipline and sharpens the child's reflexes undoubtedly and every child needs to learn self defense period.

The lazy me and the crazy kiddo always find a reason to out and what more excuse than the testing :).  So Boston Market it was followed by Coldstone, kid her usual chocolate and coffee lovers for us.  Forget fasting on Mahasivaratri, I ended up eating chicken, I have cut down nonveg a lot, this should stop too.  I should give it to the kid for sticking to her no NV diet religiously.

The child knew about keeping her spine erect and waking up whole night on Sivaratri through Isha and her dad and the little one decides to do it, I like how she sticks to and follows through her choices whatever they are and at the same that is a source of my concern too at times.

Feb 23 - Power or the Lack of it!

As part of the session today we discussed about what powerful is how it is transmitted through generations using a genogram and how it is translated into our community and our lives and vice verse..

It is ironic while we discuss how to discover the power within us, we are so powerless or helpless as to the events across the globe, the increase in hate crimes and the panic thereafter.  Dumping all the blame on Trump for being vocal about what obviously a lot of people feel within.  Giving voice and strength to their inner thoughts he did wantedly or as a collateral damage to get to power but i doubt if he has put them in their minds like the media is doing right now... Confused...!!!

Feb 22 - Must Dos

We have 4 branches of our amazing library, 2 of which we frequent a lot.  The bikestand and the doggie display are must play spots whenever we go there, at least once even when we are rushing through everything else. :)

Rain or Shine, we need to ride the doggie, climb over it slipping, losing grip, whatever it takes.. little great joys of a child.

Feb 21 - Mommy cooks..

I completely shock myself some times in terms of my cooking.  In an attempt to empty my pantry of the stuff that I buy that I hardly use, found a bag of rice flour, usually I would have given it away to friends but the sudden cook bug gets me unaware and I end up making these gatti chekkalu.  The kid and her friends and of course OA loved them a lot but too much of oil and deep frying like always left me drained.

That said, I remembered my ammamma a lot who made loads and loads of savories and sweets and snacks for us with so much love and never complained once.. from pounding rice with hands to having no gas stoves, they did everything without mumbling and here I am, all I had to do was mix and fry, feeling as if I am done with my dose of cooking for the next 10 days or so... aarrgh.

Feb 20 - Another bright day

Another bright day but a bit on the colder side, so just an hour of playtime before we rush indoors..

The veggies cleaned, cut stored and ready for the week.!!!

Feb 19 - A sunny Winter Afternoon

It is difficult to believe that it is still Feb in this part of the world with sun so bright, no snow at all, temps high the kids have a blast at the local park.

and yours truly settles down with a book :)