Adventures from 29 to 30

Productivity

2009-04-07T21:57:00.002-04:00

Today was surprisingly a very productive day. It was quietly productive. One of those days that start out slow and steady and you just keep chugging along and as you pull up the covers and settle in to drink your tea, read a book, write a post for your blog, begin to reflect on the last 24 hours you realize how much you've accomplished.

More cashola

2009-04-07T21:54:00.002-04:00

Check it...

the author of the blog recently published a book. it's a decent site though i prefer the ladies who blog about finance. i like to mix up my fashion and finance:
www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com

for the serious investing geeks in the house:
www.seekingalpha.com

Cashola

2009-04-06T20:25:00.002-04:00

April is Financial Literacy Month. Not sure of the history behind that one but there you have it. To kick off the month long celebration, I thought it would be beneficial to link to a few financial blogs and websites that I read on a regular basis. I hope you find something of interest.

A twenty something lady in the big city making it happen:
www.budgetingbabe.blogspot.com

A thirty something lady in another big city making it happen:
www.myopenwallet.net

Tons of information on everything from banking to mortgages. A great starter website for your financial questions:
www.bankrate.com

I will post other useful financial tidbits as I come across them in my research or as it pops into my head. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to track down the best answer(s)!

hello stranger

2009-04-05T23:45:00.005-04:00

my poor neglected blog...i'm a bad parent.

i have so much to share i don't even know where to begin. so while i sort out the many, many blog posts to come, let's start with one about food.

i was in a local whole foods-esque type place last week. they have a section of prepared foods which I salivate over every time i'm in there because it all looks so good but deep down i know it's a total crap shoot that it will actually taste as good as it looks.

it's like that really hot guy across the room. you want to go talk to him. but you worry that once he opens his mouth all the hotness will vanish. so you're content to just stare at him.

i eyed a beautiful plate of curry chicken salad and decided to take a shot. the nice man behind the counter filled up a small container for me.

once home, i quickly put away my groceries and dove into that chicken salad. lady luck was with me. the taste texture combo was really good. it could have used a bit of a kick as the spice was definitely toned down. all in all it was good enough to inspire me to try it out myself.

today i took advantage of the fantastic weather in the city and walked to the whole foods and picked up the ingredients:

1 chicken breast
fennel
celery
carrot sticks
a container of low fat plain yogurt

first step is to create the yogurt marinade for the chicken breast:
1/2 cup of yogurt
white vinegar
*garlic/ginger/onion paste
paprika
salt

combine all the ingredients above and i know i'm annoying because i didn't give any indication on amounts for anything aside from the yogurt. it's all to taste. as a guideline, i'd say 2 tablespoons of vinegar, at least one heaping tablespoon of the garlic/ginger/onion paste, a pinch of the paprika and a teaspoon of salt. this should provide a mild kick and then you can take it up a notch however you see fit - for instance, i usually end up going heavy on the vinegar.

place the chicken breast in the marinade and marinate for at least 2 hours. overnight is the best.

once done marinating, place the chicken breast in a glass baking dish that has been coated with oil. bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.

while chicken is marinating or baking (depending on how fast you are), thinly slice the fennel, celery and combine with the carrot sticks.

once chicken comes out of the oven, let it sit for a bit, cut into thin strips, and add the sliced vegetables. mix. enjoy! if needed, you can add a bit more yogurt to the salad.

it's quick and very yummy. better chilled. perfect for the summer (no mayo) and with a bottle of riesling.

*the garlic/ginger/onion paste is a regular occupant in my fridge. nearly every indian recipe i know uses these three ingredients. i use a 1:1:1 ratio. i combine all three and blend until i get a paste like consistency. i store it in a glass container and into the fridge it goes. it's a huge timesaver for me.

*************************************************************
i missed you guys! :-)

question

2009-02-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

why is it that in every drama/comedy/dramedy the token asian kid doesn't have an accent but the token indian kid always sounds like a fob?

lesson of the day

2009-02-12T20:00:00.002-05:00

don't let someone else determine your worth.

anyone who tells you that you are anything short of priceless doesn't deserve to be in your presence.

ever.

Ow

2009-02-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

Got my vaccination today for the trip to India. :-(

I hate needles.

My arm hurts.

I'm a big baby.

on the 11th day of the countdown

2009-02-08T20:36:00.001-05:00

my parents gave to me...

a long list of people I must visit. Gifts I must give. Presents I must buy. Oy.

3 weeks is not nearly enough time for me in India. My goal for the coming years is to be able to go every year for a few months at a time. I've been discussing this with my friends and trying to come up with a way to live in two countries, preferably have a job that necessitates I split my time between India and the US. This way I have a career, some cashola in the bank and serious frequent flier miles.

So far, no ideas. If you have any, help a girl out.

12 days

2009-02-07T19:33:00.000-05:00

12 more days...

At home and stuffing my face. Packing is an afterthought at the moment. I'll stuff my face in India too (that's where I'm going!!!!) and I will end up losing weight. It's the best diet ever. Eat five times a day - sweets included - and come back 20 pounds lighter. Nice!

They have medical tours to India to perform surgeries for like 1000th the cost. Someone needs to organize a dieting tour to India. Eat well. Lose weight. Get some culture in you. Meditate a little.

What's not to love?

13 days to go

2009-02-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

One down, 13 more days to go.

I'm going home to mom and dad and sisters this weekend. They are helping me pack and get ready for the trip. I'm a little nervous - truth be told. This is my first time going all by lonesome. I will be laying over in Paris which is another issue in and of itself. Thankfully the layover both ways is no more than a few hours. I will hole up in the airport and pray the time flies quickly. I entertained the thought - for a hot second - of venturing out into the City of Lights but I'm not quite there yet.

Countdown

2009-02-05T20:27:00.003-05:00

Well hello stranger!

I'm a tease because I'm posting this just to let you know that two weeks from today - in 14 days - your's truly is going away for about three weeks. I'm going to keep you in suspense. But I think most, if not all, of you already know. ;-)

In any case, my apologies for being a bad blogger. I will be posting intermittently for the next two weeks before disappearing again.

Kisses!

wtf

2009-01-07T18:27:00.004-05:00

I hate to be such a negative nancy but wtf.
We are only 7 days in to the new year and I feel like a steam roller has passed over me a few times already.

I came back to work on Monday from my staycation - on my Half Birthday - to find that something extremely important had fallen through the cracks. I did my best to fix it but unforutunately it's one of those things that is unfixable. I haven't touched my planner. It's not even the middle of the year and I'm already slacking on using the planner! I thought I was being all responsible by shopping around for life insurance since I'm going to hit the big 3-0 soon. I figure it makes sense. Apparently, in the insurance world, I'm ALREADY 30! After a person's half birthday, insurance companies round up. That was my birthday present as I went to see the insurance lady on Tuesday - the day after my Half Birthday. Today is Wednesday. Only Wednesday.

And it's not just me. I feel a lot of people around me are making their way through some challenging times. If this is how it is just a week in, I don't even want to think about what the rest of the year has in store.

I am usually very good at seeing the silver lining on the cloud. But I am TIRED. I don't want to make the effort to see the silver lining. This is me whining. I would just rather there not be a cloud. Clear skies. Sunny day. Everything going my (and my friends') way.

But this is me we are talking about. No matter how many times my little heart gets trampled, it gets right back up and falls for the cute boy next door. Same goes for my optimism.

So - aside from the usual blessings I thank the Lord for bestowing upon me and my family like health, food, shelter - I do have much to be thankful and blissful for...

I was emailing back and forth with my mom and dad today at work. I took a step back and surveyed the situation...I'm used to emailing with dad but my mom emailing is the cutest thing in the entire world!
I made a new friend recently. She was going through a rough patch and I happened to be there and we've gotten close.
Another friend has found herself in a pretty wonderful situation and it warms my little black heart to see her so happy!
I have a job. It's a doozy. But I do have a job.
I just tried a new way of making bhindi and it is fantastic - if I do say so myself.
In my panic-y state on Monday, I found solace in lots of fantastic friends. I reached out and they reached right over with advice and comfort.
I have dinner plans at a friend's house tomorrow night.
I have so many amazing trips and events to look forward to this year.
I'm planning a trip to India. I'm going home.

Hmmm....not bad.

3 Weddings, a Baby, Graduation and a Big Birthday

2009-01-05T07:01:00.000-05:00

My 2009 calendar is quickly filling up...

I'm heading to India in February for a friend's wedding.
A dear friend and his wife are expecting sometime in April.
My cousin in Canada recently got engaged and her engagement is sometime in May/June and the wedding is in August.
Another family friend of ours has notified us of her daughter's wedding set for mid June.
One of my sisters graduates from high school in June.
I turn 30 in July. Whoa. It's weird seeing it in print. Anyhoo...

We're only 5 days in to 2009 and the first half of the year is pretty much booked solid.

The second half of the year is open. Book me now! It's going to be a busy year.

Happy Half Birthday...

2009-01-05T02:30:00.004-05:00

...To Me!

6 months have passed. Another 6 months to go. Given that my half birthday is right around the New Year, it seems appropriate to review resolutions...

The resolutions I had made on my 29th birthday are as follows:

1. Be present for family and friends. - Check

2. Laugh a little more. Not worry so much about wrinkles. ;-) - Check

3. Exercise at least 3 times a week. - Check. I'm just as surprised as you.

4. Limit the caffeine. - I've given up the addiction to Starbucks. But as mentioned before, it's simply been replaced by an addiction for another coffee place. Does it count that this other coffee place has the best cappuccinos in the entire city? And the cutest barristas? Didn't think so...Ok, so still working on this one.

5. Start the projects I have been talking about for years now. - Half Check. I started (and maintained) this blog. I've made progress on the self employed project. Still need to work on the non-profit and that Oscar worthy script. ;-)

6. Travel. Reclaim old places. Discover new ones. - Another half check. I have discovered new places. I haven't reclaimed old ones though. Next trip: Chi-Town.

7. Eat my veggies. - Check!

8. Save enough to buy a place soon. - The market is not going my way. Don't know if this will happen by my 30th birthday.

9. Get organized - from closets to checkbooks to important contact information. - I've been bad. Still nowhere near as organized as I should be.

10. Quit my addiction to bottled water. Go aluminum. - No aluminum yet but I have the Brita and that has drastically reduced my bottled water usage.

11. Follow through. In every sense. - I hope so. I think I'm doing well on this front.

Only one new resolution to add to the list courtesy of a dear friend: Pursue Me.

This is a hard one because this means putting myself first. And believing that I deserve it.

Oy.

Ostriches

2009-01-04T23:28:00.001-05:00

Thus far 2009 has been…rough. I’ve spent the first few days of the new year getting up well past noon and staying up well past midnight and feeling like an ostrich with its head in the sand. No crazy nights. No crazy parties. I’ve been holed up in the apartment only stepping out to grab a cappuccino or two. I’ve been cooking and making my way through my DVD collection. (Those ‘habits’ I blogged about earlier – not so much.)

Currently playing on the TV is Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ). It’s a classic. And the fact that I’m watching it right now means I’m feeling pretty crappy. I haven’t watched this movie in ages. When it first came out, it was on constant replay at the house. That was well over a decade ago. Since then, I’ve put it on here or there but just as background noise. Tonight, I’ve watched it straight through. Reminisced about when it first came out. Thousands of memories flooding my brain right now. Hindi movies – as corny as they are and DDLJ is pretty darn corny – always lift my spirits. I get caught up in the songs, the cheesie/improbable/unrealistic plot lines, the even cheesier/improbable/unrealistic sub plot lines, and I fall in love with them just as the main characters are falling in love with each other.

So here we are. Yay 2009. Maybe I’m all emotional because tomorrow is my half birthday. And because I don’t have anything planned. And will work a long day tomorrow because I have been away from the office for over a week.

Maybe that’s all it is.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T03:15:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I wish you and yours much love, happiness, peace and prosperity. I wish that while all of your hard work pays off that you also find some things come easily.

Kisses!

Planning my life

2008-12-31T10:48:00.002-05:00

At the start of every year I purchase a planner. I hem and haw about it for days because without fail halfway through the year I stop using the planner or worse losing it. I'm quite diligent for the first few months and then life gets crazy hectic (even though I have a planner) and I stop writing things down.

I don't make resolutions as that is reserved for my birthday. The planner is the one ritual I have attached to the New Year. I seriously considered not purchasing one due to my inability to maintain the planning process the entire year. I caved and recently purchased a gorgeous one for 2009. I figure I won't lose it because it's so gorgeous and that I will continue to use it because it's so gorgeous.

My logic is flawless. I see no problems here.

This year is the longest ever

2008-12-31T08:08:00.001-05:00

Each morning for the past few days I wake up and can't get over how long this year feels. I'm not expecting things to be dramatically different next year or thinking some sort of miracle will occur the moment we finally switch over to 2009. I don't know what it is exactly...

I was emailing with a dear friend a few days ago and he gave his perspective on this feeling and I rather liked it. He said "Wishing you a great 2009 as 2008 was a good year in preparing you for 2009!"

It's so easy to hold on to the bad things that happened or the things we were hoping for that didn't materialize. It's so easy that we gloss over the things that pleasantly surprised us or that some of the things that didn't materialize turned out to be for our benefit after all.

2008 was a hard year. It wasn't bad - just hard. I'm not expecting 2009 to be easier but given what my friend said maybe it will be because 2008 has in fact prepared me quite well on many fronts.

I have a better perspective on work and life and balancing it all.
I have a clearer vision of what I want my future to look like.
I've opened the door to new possibilities that I had previously kept the door shut very tightly on.

Most importantly, in working through all the trials of 2008, I've come to find that I'm feeling more like myself - not the version of me from just a year ago...but the version of me from many, many years ago.

I shouldn't be so hard on 2008 after all...

Habits

2008-12-30T09:18:00.001-05:00

My uncle once told me that it takes seven days to make or break a habit. I have just about that much time left in my stay-cation. Following are a few habits I am going to make a concerted effort to make and break during this week:

1. In bed by 9:30 pm.
2. Up by 6 am.
3. Go to the gym twice a day. I already go once but have noticed that it takes twice as long for my body to respond to the workouts - curse getting older! So, I figure I should go twice a day.
4. Eat a healthy dinner by 7 pm.
5. Actually open my mail the day I get it instead of letting it sit on the counter for weeks collecting dust and eventually resulting in late payments - bad, I know.
6. Yoga at least twice a week.
7. I seriously need to lay off the caffeine. I've quit my addiction to Starbucks. (Yay!) I've simply replaced it with an addiction to another coffee shop. (Sigh.)

Stay-cation

2008-12-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

Today was the first day of my stay-cation. I have this entire week off of work and am not going anywhere. I'm staying in the city, running errands, and checking off things from my to do list that have been on the list for months now. It feels great. At least, it feels better than a few days ago. Honestly, I was pretty terrified at being away from the office for an entire week. That's when I realized how badly I needed to be away from the office. It's unhealthy how attached I am to that place.

I've always said that my work is my life. I truly enjoy what I do so going to the office is not a chore. However, these past few months my work has turned into a job and just that. Nothing more. I've had to put up boundaries and force myself to take time off, hence this week long break, and it doesn't feel right. I'm hoping by the end of the week it will. It has started off quite nicely at least.

I had a brilliant day today. Woke up without an alarm clock at 11:30. Headed over to my favorite coffee shop and enjoyed a cappuccino while people watching. I LOVE people watching. Returned emails, made plans for New Year's Eve, and met up with a friend. I went to the gym, prepared a healthy meal and watched Two Weeks Notice while getting ready for bed. Now I'm here blogging while in bed. It has been an ideal day and how I hope to eventually spend every day - being financially stable of course. By the end of the break I will be fully rested and relaxed and have adopted a healthy attitude towards work. This is my goal.

This sounds seriously cheesie but as I was brushing my teeth infront of the bathroom mirror and listening to Two Weeks Notice playing in the background, I began to think that maybe my boss is not completely wrong. I've been resisting his advice. I've been resisting pretty much everything because he's not the kind of boss my previous boss was whom I adored and learned so much from. Then again, I'm not the kind of analyst the other analyst is. My resistance coupled with his passive-ness (is that a word?) is not doing anyone any good. I could very easily say that he's the boss so he should be the one to change but it's going to have to be me. I need to accept that he is the way he is and find a way to work around it. Am I giving in? Am I selling out? My way has certainly not worked for the past 6 months. My previous boss would not be very proud of me right now. My career is about to take off and this is certainly not the end of the line for me. Instead of digging my heels in maybe I need to pick up the pace and start running a little faster.

Maybe?

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T17:07:00.002-05:00

I remember when we stopped saying Merry Christmas and everyone started making a concerted effort to say Happy Holidays. This year I've just gone back to saying Merry Christmas because really Happy Holidays just doesn't have the same spirited sound as Merry Christmas.

So a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Moodswings

2008-12-21T14:47:00.002-05:00

Those near and dear know all too well my epic moodswings. And the stubborness. It's my charm I've always said. :-)

Lately, I've been feeling like Carrie Bradshaw in the episode where she gets upset with her friend who is not backing the idea of her leaving for Paris with The Russian. I never religiously watched the show but this one scene is very clear in my mind. Clearly it struck a cord even so many years ago when I first saw it. They've just left a funeral and are standing outside. Miranda is with her lecturing as usual. And then Carrie loses it. And they fight.

I don't know what triggered it and I've been thinking about it for the past few days. Still not sure...

Analyze away...

crash and burn

2008-12-18T04:30:00.002-05:00

Let's set the mood...

It's 4:30 am on the east coast. Handsome Boy Modeling Agency's remix of Jack Johnsons's Breakdown is playing on the computer (great song. do check it out sometime.). Half a pizza pie in the box on the ground.

The appropriate term for what happened yesterday is crash and burn. On so many levels it's not even funny. Actually it is.

The day went by smoothly. Checked out the holiday show in town which was totally cute. Went to a happy hour after work which was tons of fun. A high school buddy showed up. I'm playing matchmaker so I was really glad he swung by. I have someone in mind for him. So up until now, things are fine. At some point between signing the bill and getting home, things got messy.

I got into a semi argument with the crush.
I learnt that I got defriended on Facebook. De. Friend. Ed. Who does that? Who's got the time? Who cares?
I am out like a light by 10:30 pm. Wake up at 3 am and can't get back to bed.
Now I'm here.

So in retrospect maybe not all that much went on last night. Just a few things. But they were fairly significant. I can't be left to my own devices. I need someone with me at all times to take the pinkberry away from me before I start abusing the poor thing.

Well tomorrow (today) is another day, yes? Yes. ;-)

Ummm...

2008-12-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

...is it just me or is 2008 taking For-freaking-EVER to end???

A Poem For You!

2008-12-16T21:47:00.003-05:00

This poem has come across my desk a few times recently...some times by chance and some times more deliberate - sent by dear friends. And it is a beautiful poem.

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome.

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott

My favorite line is the one that starts and ends "Give back your heart...who knows you by heart".

I've been reading this one quite a bit as of late. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Kisses!

My cup runneth over

2008-12-15T00:48:00.002-05:00

I’m better. It’s taken a year and some months but here I am.

Thursday night as I’m walking to the train station to go home for my sister’s birthday I ran into a new friend. We shared an umbrella in the rain as we walked to our respective destinations. It was one of those spontaneous yet perfectly timed events that make you feel like you are in the right place and moving in the right trajectory.

Friday I was home to help celebrate my middle sister’s 18th birthday. 18! I can’t say enough how proud I am of her and my youngest sister. They are incredibly grounded and just all around fantastic. In recent months I have found myself loosening up and begin enjoying myself and they have been highly instrumental in making that happen. Spending time with them makes me feel whole. They are incredibly patient with me (I have a bit of a temper) and their wit and sense of humor make the worst days seem like a walk in the park. They show me what really matters in life.

I was out with a group of friends Saturday night (more on that later) and there were some new people in the group. As the night wore on, the conversations became more personal. Inevitably we began exchanging relationship stories. My turn came. And went. It was all very anticlimactic. I could have made it quite a production and in the past I definitely have. Saturday night, though, it was a quick who, what, when, where and why. I did a little happy dance in my head. My healing process involves lots and lots of talking. (Thank you to all my dear friends and family members who had to listen to my story a million times over in excruciating detail. I love you guys!) Saturday night, I spent a lot more time listening. My preference. It was awesome, simply put.

Earlier today I was catching up with a friend at a favorite spot over wine and good food and in between telling a story I had to stop and let it out – I’m finally enjoying myself. Nothing extraordinary happened over the weekend. No life altering events. Aspects of my life are still stressful and mild drama erupts now and again. I get through it though because I realize how much I have to be grateful for. It’s a liberating feeling. I am having a hard time finding just the right words to describe it but I’ll give it a shot. Peaceful. Calm. Solid. Grounded. That’s a good start.

It’s been a long time coming. Early on I was anxious to “get over it”. I wanted to be able to wake up in the morning and not have the same negative thoughts in my head all day long. Or have flashbacks as I was going about my day. And I really wanted the memories to stop replaying in my head over and over again. So when I came to the realization today it was quite out of the blue. I felt lighter. It seems along the way I managed to fill myself up with enough goodness. The empty feeling I was walking around with is gone.

The entire weekend (and past few weeks for that matter) was brilliant from beginning to end. Between shopping with family and making birthday cake and birthday lasagna and inhaling mom’s cooking;
Between eating fried grasshoppers at the Mexican restaurant and bridal parties crashing our dinner;
Between spontaneous ginger tea in the afternoon with a friend and indulging in the best cappuccino in town and walking to the grocery store in the warm winter weather in new shoes;
Between feeling like a 16 year old every time I pass the building where my crush lives and sharing an umbrella with said crush on a cold winter night and consequently not really feeling the cold at all because he’s walking next to me;
Between running into the same cute neighbor in my building yet again and exchanging embarrassing stories and complaining about work and discussing future plans with a friend over wine;
Between singing out loud to All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey on the car radio and watching movies set during Christmas;
Between having dad set up the TV in my apartment even though I told him I didn’t need it and having mom clean my apartment even though I told her she didn’t need to;
Between getting my butt kicked by my trainer and feeling it for an entire two weeks;
Between playing matchmaker and resurrecting the “Backup List”;
Between doing laundry on a Sunday and having conversations with God;
Between all this and so much more…I don’t feel empty anymore.

Uh Oh

2008-12-12T13:59:00.002-05:00

My beloved leggings have betrayed me...

I can't fit into my pants anymore.

:-(

My time

2008-12-12T10:01:00.002-05:00

I'm off today! I'm still doing a bit of work but I get to do it in my pajamas and from the comfort of my parents' home infront of their massive television. Nice.

I also have the opportunity today to finally go through my finances and sort out the mess. Oh I know my day job is managing a few bajillion dollars so really my own piddly financial situation shouldn't be that hard to manage. But it is. I don't know how that happens but there's my confession for the day.

Bank account: Have no idea what's in it.
IRA: Again, I think it's just sitting in cash right now.
Brokerage account: I do know where this is - all cash.
401k: Don't want to look but it is fully diversified. I'm sure it's dropped so much that it doesn't much matter anymore.
Credit score: I have no clue what it is. I ran a credit report when I came back home to make sure there weren't any erroneous items on it but I didn't focus in on that all important number. I got approved for my apartment so I figure it's at least good?
Credit cards: I pay the Amex off in full each month. And I chip away at the other credit card balances (yes, plural). When I was 25, I had zero credit card debt. I've racked up quite a bit due to some life decisions that I don't want to dwell on anymore but it is what it is. I'll get there.
Student Loans: I do know what this number is! It's a controversial topic but I see nothing wrong with student loan debt. I see it as an investment. You're investing in your future earning potential not to mention enriching yourself. That's priceless. I mean, don't give away the farm to get a degree in something you won't be able to get a decent paying job with. Be smart about it...but at the end of the day, I see Student Loans as "good" debt.

So as you can see, there are quite a few financial issues I need to wrap my head around. Good thing I like numbers!

Let's be friends

2008-12-10T20:42:00.001-05:00

Why are boys confusing? Someone please answer me. And really I should ask why are males confusing because regardless of age, they have issues. Teen, college, late twenties, thirties, fourties – issues! Boys, adolescents, men, grown men, really, really grown men – issues! White, black, blue, purple – massive issues!

It doesn’t take much to make a woman happy. A phone call. A walk home. Opening the door. Flowers. Coffee. Walking on the side closest to the street. I give in – a text even! Small gestures go really far.

Let’s be friends…what does this mean?

I hate dating. I'm getting an arranged marriage. Hit me up if you'd like a copy of my biodata.

More Confessions

2008-12-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

More confessions…

I love having guests over. One because I genuinely love to entertain and two because that’s really the only time my apartment gets cleaned.

I’m still attracted to bad boys.

But, I’ve learnt to walk away from bad boys. I’m maturing!

I’m a fall/winter baby. I love cold, crisp weather because it means covering up every part of my body, not having to shave (TMI? Sorry!) and getting to sit in front of the fireplace with tea and hot cocoa. And cuddling. Lots of cuddling!

I’m currently obsessed with habanero pepper cheese. Make sure to have a good glass of Malbec handy (or milk for the non-alcoholics in the audience). It’ll make you cry. Literally. Good stuff!

My dad just called to tell me my high school was ranked number one yet again by US News. Secretly, I think that is pretty bad @ss and I am very proud. But I’ll never admit it to him.

I wear my heart on my sleeve.

After two glasses of wine, my heart is jumping off my sleeve. You will know exactly how I feel about you – good or bad – two glass of wine in to the evening. I have a hard time keeping things bottled up. Life is short. Tell people how you feel. Especially if it’s the good stuff! And if you must share bad stuff, at least it gives you the opportunity to make it better.

29 and 5 months later...

2008-12-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

So much to share with you! Where to begin? Let’s start with the review of the concert. I went to see The Dan Band. Many people had no idea who I was talking about when I told them whom I was going to see but once I mentioned that they were the band from the movie Old School their faces lit up with recognition. I’ve never seen Old School but I’ve been told that I should. The concert was good. Not great. But good. The company was awesome and for me that’s all I need. We started the evening at a Chinese restaurant that is quite the institution here in town – very high AQ! A few rounds of hot sake (yes I know that’s not Chinese but I’m not going to complain) later, we were ready to jam out to covers of 80’s songs. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your preference, they didn’t play much 80’s music. I was sad…clearly I prefer the 80’s style of rock and roll. Although they did do an awesome rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart. It’s stuck in your head now isn’t it? :-)

All in all though it was an interesting experience. I fell. Par for the course as of late. I was turning and tripped over a guy’s foot. I’m good. No harm done. We took the party back to my neck of the woods and danced the night away at a club. Great night. They played bhangra! That pretty much sums up how fantastic of an evening I had!!!

And it was my 29 and 5 month birthday to boot. Perfection!

I had a very early train to catch the next morning. 5:15 am to be exact. I went from the party to my apartment, threw a few things in my bag and caught a taxi to the train station. I made it within ten minutes of departure and the second I sat in my seat I was out until about 10 am. My train pulled into South Station at 11:15 am and I was headed to my bestie’s apartment a few short minutes later.

The rest of the weekend consisted of lots of drinks, great food and lots of laughs. I had such an awesome time. My bestie turned 30! In all honesty, to me she doesn’t look a day over high school. We’ve known each other since we were 14. She’s family. When I’m with her, and my other bestie who was with us this past weekend, I feel young and happy and supported and strong.

I hope I make them feel the same way too.

The Men In My Life

2008-12-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

I’m going to a concert today. Thing is, I’m not a concert person. I prefer the comfort of my apartment over some noisy venue with obnoxious people whom I don’t know bumping into me. I can get that for free at a bar. So why pay for it? Unless it’s Jack Johnson. That I would pay for. And Dierks Bentley. Sigh...

Growing up I went to two concerts. Both Oasis. The first because my friend really wanted to go. The second because the opening act was a Brit band that I really wanted to see – Cornershop. Remember them?

Since then, nada. And I don’t feel that I’m missing anything. So why now? Well, obviously it’s because there’s a man involved. Two men actually. One is my managing director who will more than likely make me cry today because that’s just how he is. And make me stay late to finish work because, again, that is just how he is. I was scheduled to go out of town tonight but given what is most definitely going to happen today, I will need to participate in some uplifting activity. Just so happens, the other man is part of the uplifting activity. He’s been asking if I’m going to this particular concert for a few weeks now and I’ve been saying no the entire time because, as mentioned, I was planning on going out of town. Given all the high stress in my life at the moment I figured why not. I can take the early train Saturday morning.

Remember, life is a series of stories. Hoping tonight turns out to be a memorable one. Will write a review on the concert – wink, wink – tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Life Stories

2008-12-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

Here’s my take on life. The way I see it, life is just a series of stories. Since you’re going to be telling stories anyways, you better make sure they’re some good ones. For instance, I totally had a Bridget Jones moment two weekends back. And it’s a great story! I’ll let you guess which one. ;-)

Shout out

2008-12-03T07:04:00.000-05:00

I’d like to give a quick shout out to Austin, Texas. Thank you for reading my blog!!! I hope you leave a comment soon. Our mutual friend told me all about you! I hope we get to meet soon…maybe at the wedding?

Smooches!

Yay December!!!

2008-12-02T22:55:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, it’s December! The year is almost up. There is much to reflect on in every which way – personally, professionally, etc.

What’s been on my mind quite a bit lately is the first time I realized that the world is not a fair place. Allow me to take you back to 1991. Middle School. 7th grade. The age of French Cuffs on your jeans, Vanilla Ice was still the man, MTV actually showed videos, and Britney, Christina and Justin were all best friends on Disney Channel’s Mousekateers show. Me, I wore pigtails to school, had a crush on a guy named Richie who ended up dating my ex best friend Jennifer, and was entering that awkward stage that required shaving and deodorant. Oh the memories. In between all this high drama, writing was my escape. I loved everything about it. For better or for worse, I wrote all the time. So how excited was I when my English teacher chose me along with a few other students from her class to write an essay for a contest. The best essay would get submitted to compete in said contest which was national. She placed us in a room for an hour to write about something that was important to us – toy, clothing, etc – and why. It had to be a true story. I chose my teddy bear. His name is Teddy. Creative, I know. I got him because there was a Christmas play in elementary school and for one of the routines we had to carry out a box and open it and there needed to be a toy in the box. My dad, the ever specific engineer, went out and bought me this tiny little teddy bear. We became best friends. I loved him so and he represented a lot of things for me. Comfort, love, friendship. For a girl who was still very new to this country and didn’t quite get all the customs, Teddy was my saviour. I wrote about these things as best as I could for being only 13, only in 7th grade and only in the country for some 7 odd years.

I had many insecurities growing up (still do) but one thing I never questioned was how smart I was (until I got to high school but that’s another post!). I was sure that I was a shoe in for the contest. I had the highest grade in my English class and although there were some faces I didn’t recognize in that room I was confident that I would have no issues winning this round.

How shocked was I when the teacher told me she chose another essay. Another essay? Who? What did they write about? How could it possibly have been better than my Teddy Bear story?

Turns out it was this 5’6 girl (yes she was a 7th grader) with big, frizzy hair wearing a pink shirt and blue jean overalls (it was a very traumatic moment for me and so I remember every detail) who won and over an essay that wasn’t even true. She made it up! She told me she made it up! One thing I had learned being in the States for 7 some odd years was that tattling never got you anywhere. I didn’t say anything to the teacher but I did tell Teddy. I stopped writing after that too. I did what I had to for school but nothing beyond that.

Up until this blog, that’s the relationship I have had with writing. Not at all committed. I write when the mood strikes me. I think about it all the time but I don’t do it all the time. This blog has been a saving grace in lots of ways.

I digress…the point of this post was to explain the first time I realized that the world is not a fair place. So there it is. It was over a writing contest in 7th grade that I lost to someone who made up something that was supposed to be important to them while I poured my little 13 year old heart out on the wide ruled pieces of paper. It was a good lesson to learn because the fact of the matter is the world isn’t a fair place. But I tally my life not with the actions of others but with my own actions and I tally them up with God. While the world itself may not be a fair place, He finds a way to make it all balance out in the end.

Amen to that.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-29T21:16:00.002-05:00

I've had a few outbursts - slacker CEOs asking for handouts, for instance, made me a little mad. I try not to get overly political/serious/intense on this blog though. There are enough stressful things that go on on a daily basis that it doesn't need to be documented. Plus, I believe when you focus on the positive, life moves a little smoother.

There are times, though, where one is reminded that life is not always smooth. You have to hold on to the ones you love and the things you cherish a little tighter. 9/11 was one such event. The attacks currently going on in Mumbai are another.

I left India many years ago but a part of me is still there. My memories of when I lived there have faded but the emotions are as strong as ever. I visit but not as much as I would like. I am fortunate that I have two places I can call home. I belong to both the United States and India equally. Half of my family lives here and the other half in India with quite a few of them in Bombay. Everyone is safe but it did not have to work out that way. I am beyond thankful and blessed that it did though. Given yesterday was Thanksgiving it takes on so much more meaning.

9/11 woke us up here to the reality that many face throughout the world on a daily basis. I can't recall a single trip to India that didn't involve some city getting shut down, some political official getting murdered, some act of violence occurring that disrupted our daily lives. I am just there for vacation. It isn't necessarily my reality because I am going to leave. But it is the reality for the nearly 1 billion people in the country. During those visits, I remember thinking I couldn't imagine living that way. After 9/11, though, we are. My heart bleeds for this country as much as it does for India. There are no sides to be taken because a life is a life whether it holds an American passport or an Indian one. I am proud to be a part of both places and thus protective of both places. And very angry that senseless violence is occurring in these countries - and in countries around the world for that matter. The key word here is senseless. By and large I would classify myself as a pacifist. I do not believe violence is the answer. It can certainly be a part of the answer though because there are times when you must take a stand and respond in kind. Bullies only understand one language.

The emerging leaders of the world must find a way to make it better. Like I said, I try not to get political nor am I in a position to give advice on this topic. We as a world have a history filled with violence and peace. We can certainly look back and take from it what we need to make our reality and future what we want.

Mother Teresa or Cruelty?
Martin Luther King or Rascism?
Rosa Parks or Ignorance?
King Ashoka or Oppression?
Love or Hate?

I am not going to go and fight a war with guns and tanks in another country. I can fight the war going on in the streets of my city and in my neighborhood though. I can fight the war against inequality that I see occur on a daily basis. I do fight the war that rages in my head everyday as to how I would like to directly respond to those who have been, are, continue to be awful to me - point out each one of their flaws in painful detail and tell them exactly where they are going to end up - versus how I know I should respond - with patience and kindness. As I read these reports coming out regarding the attacks in Mumbai, I have to remind myself to focus on the positive rather than the cynicism that creeps into my mind.

I know I'm oversimplifying but I believe strongly that what you focus on in life makes a huge difference not only in your life but in the lives of those around you. Naturally, I absolutely believe in the power of prayer. Call it what you will though - focus or prayer - the idea is the same.

The choice is ours as to the lessons we focus on, the things we pray for and the values we instill in our children. Our reality may not be as peaceful as we like but we can make sure our childrens' is.

I prefer an existence filled with love and laughter so this is what I focus on and pray for rather than the anger and hurtful comments. Life is too short as we are reminded of on a daily basis.

What will you focus on today? What will you pray for?

All I want for Christmas...is you!

2008-11-25T20:30:00.003-05:00

All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey is by far my all time favorite Christmas song. It's on right now. I realize that we have not made it to Thanksgiving but I can't help it. I'm a sucker for Christmas songs.

I need something on in the background while I cook. So Christmas songs it is. I'm cooking for my friend who is coming to stay with me tonight. He's flying in for Thanksgiving at the house on Thursday. He's going to hang out in the city tomorrow and then we will head out to the burbs after I get out of work.

He is my oldest friend, literally. Our parents knew each other before we were born back in the motherland. We went to school together, I left to come to the States and now he is traveling the world for work and every once in a while finds himself Stateside. So we get to benefit by having him around every once in a while. He recently got engaged. While I'm sad that he's leaving me all alone, I am obviously incredibly happy for him. And definitely ribbing him about it because he swore up and down about two Thanksgivings ago that he would never get married. At least not anytime soon.

Right.

Baked Ziti

2008-11-24T21:41:00.002-05:00

It’s a cold, rainy night here. I walked half a mile from my office to my apartment in the rain and as soon as I entered my apartment I started craving baked ziti. I called up the closest Italian restaurant to place a pick up order. The nice gentlemen told me that they have it but it’s not available for pick up. Huh? “But we can give you penne.” Um, I have penne. I can boil some and have it ready in less time than it will take me to go out in the rain, pick up the dish, and bring it back to my apartment.

But I’m still craving baked ziti! I check the pantry. I have all the ingredients I need except for the cheese mixture. I’m really, really craving baked ziti. I put my jacket back on and head out - with my umbrella this time. I walk three blocks to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients.

My diligence and hard work has paid off. I am curled up on the sofa, listening to Jack Johnson, and eating a piping hot serving of baked ziti as I write this post.

I had some things sitting in the fridge that I threw in just to see how it would go. (It went really well. The red onion is highly recommended.)

Pepperoni – I cut into thin strips
Fresh garlic – minced
Red onion – chopped

The cheese mixture consisted of 15 ounces of part skim ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan, salt and black pepper to taste, and one egg white to bind it all together.

I stirred together all of the above and once the pasta was done (16 ounces of penne), I put that into the mixture and stirred it up. Then I transferred this to a glass baking dish that already had a layer of pasta sauce sitting in it waiting for the yummy ziti. Another quick sprinkle of parmesan over the top and into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes it went.

Yummy. And the fact that it’s cold and rainy outside makes it that much yummier.

Just realized I have the ingredients to make my heavenly truffle brownies with the peanut butter cup icing. Hmmm...

Grand Master Plan

2008-11-17T21:39:00.004-05:00

I'm one step closer to taking over the world. I met with a business lawyer today and it was positively exhilirating! We talked shop over lunch. He was kind enough to answer all of my questions thoroughly and patiently. Awesome.

I left with a clear sense of the steps I need to take in the coming months to get the business launched.

I do all of this with mixed emotions. It will be hard for me to leave my firm, and not just because of the comfort of that biweekly paycheck. I've been fortunate enough to work with and learn from some amazingly brilliant and talented people - many of whom will be friends for life as they have supported me in both a professional and personal capacity. Given the recent turmoil in the markets, however, it's becoming harder and harder to defend and believe in the actions of my firm. It's not the same place I started with. The firm, and the industry as a whole for that matter, has changed materially and in my humble opinion, not for the better.

I am pretty much scared senseless at the prospect of going out on my own. I can't imagine doing anything else though...I've been wanting this for a long time.

Play that funky music

2008-11-15T12:43:00.002-05:00

You know it's going to be a good day when you hear Ice Ice Baby on the radio!
(And for all you haters, quit. You don't have to own up to it, it's ok...I know you love it.)

I'm zipping around in my Zip car this morning and channel flipping when I come across Vanilla Ice. All of a sudden it stops raining, the sun is shining, and the day just gets a million times better. So perhaps it wasn't that dramatic but you have to admit the day is a lot more brighter when you have a fun song stuck in your head. Nothing annoying like Mmmm Bop...What is that? Ice Ice Baby is annoying too? I'll pretend you didn't just say that...

Word to your motha...

Weekend Fun

2008-11-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

This week has been brutal. Can't wait to start the weekend!

Today I will be picking up groceries for the week at the farmers market. Then furniture shopping!
Sunday I will grab a cappuccino at my favorite spot, head to the museum, pick up some goodies at Whole Foods and swing by my friend's place for Sunday Dinner with the ladies.

Bliss!

Hope your weekends are shaping up just as nicely. If you are around, join me!

Kisses!

Speechless...I don't know what to title this

2008-11-14T07:19:00.000-05:00

I can't remember which magazine it was, but I was reading an article in one of the two - Inc. or Entrepreneur - a few weeks back. They had a piece profiling young business owners that were bringing something cool to the market, were young and were insanely rich (or going to be). One of the people profiled went to my University. I hung out with her a few times too. She was friends with one of my friends although she and I never connected on a very deep level.

I was excited to see her profiled. Always nice to see people you know, or know of, making their way in life. Then I read her profile and walked away feeling a little depressed.

They asked each of the people what motivates them to do what they do. She said that her Dad told her if a person doesn't accomplish something by the time they are 30, they will never accomplish anything at all. Apparently that motivated her to get out there and do something before the big 3-0. In case you are wondering, she's 27.

Right. I'm screwed.

Grr

2008-11-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

I love my city. I do. But sometimes, I feel it doesn't love me back.

I have been searching high and low for an investment club in town, an organization for women in Wall Street in town, South Asian events (aside from whatever is at the museum) in town. No luck. DC and NY seem to have the market cornered for these types of events. I love DC. I appreciate NY. I'd rather stay in town on the weekend though! I'd rather work and play here and have my friends visit me to check out something cool (aside from me, of course!).

My city doesn't want me to stay. :-(

I am all for starting it myself. I love that. My Type A personality gets to come out and play. It would be nice to have someone else leading the way though and all I have to do is join the party.

I have been searching long enough that if I haven't come across these organizations yet, I have a feeling I won't ever.

Grr.

Yay Holidays!

2008-11-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year.

I live across from a small park. I've seen the leaves change color, turn a vibrant firey hue and start to rain down from the trees. I've seen them cover the ground and fill the air as the wind whips them around. The air is getting colder and smells of firewood burning. The snow is sure to show up soon.

On my way home from work tonight I saw them putting the lights on the trees in the park across from my apartment building. Decorating the city has officially begun for the holidays. It puts a smile on my face. The store windows are being decorated too with snowflakes, elaborately wrapped presents, pine trees and shiny, sparkly things. I can't wait for the first snow fall. I will be cursing it right quick - the minute I realize I have to walk in it to work. But for those first few moments I will have a smile on my face as I stare out at the white stuff falling from the sky. The holidays also means Charlie Brown and various other Christmas classics on TV. Watching these shows always brings out the kid in me as a strong wave of nostalgia passes through me.

Yay Holidays!

Txt Msg Dtng

2008-11-12T21:27:00.003-05:00

When did it become socially acceptable to ask a girl out on a date over TXT MSG?!

Is this the new thing? Do girls actually say yes? Call me old fashioned, I much prefer the PHONE. You know, that thing that blasts off an annoying noise a few times throughout the day? And when you pick up you hear a voice on the other line? Like an actual human voice. Gasp. Yeah, the phone you carry around with you - it's not JUST for texting. Or emailing. You can actually use it for its original purpose. As a PHONE!

Seriously, if you want to ask me out on a date please call me. No email. Definitely no text. Use the phone. Pick it up. Dial the numbers. Call. And if you are reading this blog you are close enough to me to know my number. No excuses.

Oh, and if you happen to know of a smart, funny, eligible man who knows how to use a phone please tell him to call me.

Kisses!

29 and 4 months

2008-11-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

It was my 29 and four month birthday on Wednesday. And it didn't occur to me until just now. It's been an exciting week what with the election, the aftermath of the election and the markets doing what they are doing.
The not so exciting part is that my job is slowly but surely consuming my life. Usually this is ok except that I'm not such a fan of the j-o-b. Just the fact that I refer to it as a job is a red flag. I've never had just a job - until now.

I have a few things coming up to distract me and balance out the blah-ness though. Tomorrow I am flying to my University town and meeting up with my old roommate. We're going to reminisce, make some new memories, and have a faboo time! Just in time to celebrate my 29 and 4 month birthday! Her mother is baking me this fantastic cream cheese bread. I can't wait!

I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy the weekend!

Philadelphia Young Women's Network

2008-11-05T22:16:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited about the direction the nonprofit I volunteer for is going in. At the board meeting tonight we came up with a great idea to reach out to people - a blog!

Here it is: http://www.pywnetwork.blogspot.com/

We're very excited about it and looking forward to seeing where this project takes us!

I'm looking forward to the next four years.

2008-11-05T22:15:00.002-05:00

What will you do today?

2008-11-02T12:35:00.001-05:00

Today’s daylights savings. We’re kicking the clock back one whole hour. What will you do with the extra 60 minutes?

Sleep in…
Call old friends…
Meditate…
Run an extra few miles on the treadmill…
Finally clean out the closet…
Muster up the courage to tell that special someone you’ve been secretly pining after that you love them…

What am I doing? Writing this post. And a few other things…

Getting ready for my trip this coming weekend…
Planning Thanksgiving dinner with the family…
Planning my bestie’s birthday party in a few weeks…

…all from my favorite spot in the park across from my apartment. It’s a lovely fall day in the city. A shame to spend it indoors.

However you are spending your extra 60 minutes, I hope you’re doing it smashingly and with lots of fabulosity, as Kimora Lee would say!

Happy Diwali!

2008-10-28T16:32:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a fantastic New Year filled with lots of love, lots of laughter and lots of joy!

Sound off

2008-10-08T19:48:00.002-04:00

If I hear one more talking head tell me they think we are headed for a recession...
If I read one more article forecasting a recession...
If I have to listen to one more fund manager explain to me why we are in this mess when they clearly don't even know why we are in this mess because their own fund dropped double digits...

I will scream. I will rip the flat screen TVs off the wall in my building that show WSJ headlines throughout the day.

I get that this isn't what our textbooks define as a recession. But really, nothing the market is doing right now is what the textbooks say it should be doing. (Well maybe not 'nothing', but you get my point). Maybe we need to redefine what a recession is?

I'm getting angrier with each passing day as TV stations show live footage of these gajillionaires defending/playing dumb/straight up LIEING about the situation at their respective firms. You had no idea that you were going bankrupt? Really? So that just means that you were doing a really bad job as CEO OF THE COMPANY? Which you were getting paid an unfathomably huge I-can't-keep-track-of-how-many-zeroes-are-in-your-salary salary for? Yet you still get to go home to your massive mansion in your helicopter while people struggle to keep their homes and send their children to college? And you want these people to bail YOU out? WHAT?????

I'm not an angry person, but the "look the other way attitude", the playing dumb, the lieing (the blatant lieing), the fact that NO ONE has the cajones to just call these people out, is making me angry. And let's talk about these financial journalists for a minute. Don't get me wrong...I'm a huge fan of Maria Bartiromo. I covet her hair. I hope MB and I become best friends one day. And then her hair dresser and I become best friends. :-) I love Cramer. For all his craziness and dramatics, at least he's worked in the industry. But they, and their peers, are journalists! Their job is to seek out the truth. Get in there, get your hands dirty, ask the tough questions. Don't sensationalize the issue. It's bad. I know. You know. Let's get past that and figure out a) who started it and b) how to fix it. And I mean fix it. Not throw money at it. Reading off how badly the Dow fell, what historical figure it crushed, when was the last time we fell X percentage points does nothing for me. This isn't ESPN. Don't give me stats. I don't need a play by play.

I would like to see you interview someone and put them on the hot seat though. I would like to see you sit down with an ex CEO and make them squirm a little bit. I would like to see a documentary comparing/contrasting the lives of these CEOs and the lives of the middle class family that's going to bail them out. I would like to see these CEOs apologize to these middle class families. Not on TV. Not over the phone. In person. Explain to them in plain english why they took the risks they took, why they are still getting paid as much as they are, and why they want someone else who is barely getting by to foot the bill. That's reality television I can get behind.

I'm in the industry so I don't scare easy when the market starts doing this. But the regular investor out there is clearly spooked and sensationalizing this stuff doesn't help. Hence, the massive swings we have been experiencing in the market lately.

Someone please just take the bull by the horn (Oh how I love finance humor!) and call it what it is. Be honest. That will be a breath of fresh air and perhaps just what the market is looking for.

Ok, I'm done. I feel better now.

Thank you.

Perfection

2008-10-05T11:58:00.004-04:00

Trader Joe’s Truffle Brownies are fantastic in their own right. Marry it with their Peanut Butter Cups and you have, quite possibly, the closest thing to perfection.

A few weeks back at my local TJ’s the tester lady was plating up a batch of these. I picked one up and another…and, I’m embarrassed to admit, another. It was REALLY good. She had melted the Peanut Butter Cups on top of the warm brownies. It was deep, rich, warm, luscious chocolate love all in one bite. I didn’t go straight to the baking aisle. I would have eaten the entire thing had I made a batch at home that day.

Days passed, weeks passed and I could not get the experience out of my head. This weekend I found myself at TJ’s quite a bit – because of the Sunday Dinner but also to pick up Vitamin C rich foodstuffs to properly defend myself from the big, bad cold that was trying to creep into my system. When I get sick, or am on the verge of it, I turn into a big baby. All restraint and manners go out the window. I bought the Truffle Brownie Mix and the Peanut Butter Cups. I reasoned with myself that, a) I was sick and needed comforting, and b) I was having people over Sunday night and they would need something sweet to eat.

Sounds good to me…so all that luscious, chocolatey goodness came home with me Saturday night.

Bake the Truffle Brownies per the package directions – I don’t use an entire stick of butter. But to get it creamy enough you will need to use at least ¾ of the stick.
While the brownies are baking, cut the peanut butter cups into quarters. I used 14 cups for the entire 8x8 pan of brownies.
As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, dot the surface with the quartered cups. They will melt quickly and then you can spread it with a butter knife – like icing!

Eat right away!

They are amazing warm and just as good for breakfast the next morning with your cup of tea.

This obviously isn't highbrow Gourmet Magazine business. It's more Semi-Homemade of the Food Network variety but don't judge until you try it. One bite will banish the winter blues, thoughts of exes, and the 'what ifs' of life decisions that didn't pan out the way you thought they would.

Hm, my cards are showing...

;-) Happy Sunday!

29 and 3 months!

2008-10-05T09:20:00.001-04:00

It’s my 29 and 3 month birthday! Today also happens to be the Inaugural First Sunday Dinner. For my birthday I am hosting the inaugural dinner. The idea is that the first Sunday of every month a bunch of us get together at a friend’s house, exchange recipes, talk, etc. It’s hosted at a different house each month and the hostess decides the menu. My menu includes Chicken Curry, Raita, Baby Peas, and Basmati Rice. I’m very excited to share these dishes with my friends. I will post recipes and reviews soon!

For more Sunday Dinner series fun visit http://www.sunday-night-dinner.blogspot.com/. My friend started blogging about this many moons ago. Her pics are awesome. She is my inspiration – not just for this idea but in general, all around my inspiration. She’s pretty fierce. Love you A!

No Spending Week

2008-10-02T21:16:00.001-04:00

I was leafing through the magazine rack the other day and came across the latest Real Simple. In their money section, the author wrote about a No Spending Week that he implemented much to the dismay of his wife. Now, it wasn’t entirely a no spending week. He still engaged in activities that required money – just so happened that whoever was with him ended up footing the bill. In light of recent market events, I decided to see if I could do this too.

Monday
28 bucks spent at Trader Joe’s for groceries. I don’t necessarily count this as a frivolous expense because it’s food. I need it. To live. I didn’t purchase anything fancy. The basics like eggs, bread, salad, etc. I had made Khichdi the night before. Jazzed it up with some awesome Indian style skillet potatoes for dinner.

Tuesday
Nada. Yay me! Dinner was whole wheat penne pasta and a homemade pasta sauce – tomato sauce with golden raisins, celery and white onions. A splash of vinegar and it reminded me a lot of my Caponata.

Wednesday
When I woke up, I was craving an egg sandwich from a local bread shop that I pass on the way to work every day. Given my no spending rule, I was inspired to try my hand at it. Needs some work (read: more butter) but it hit the spot.

$1.77 on a tall Starbucks coffee. I had to walk a few blocks in the rain to go to my Board Meeting after work. I was wet. Cold. And grumpy. The Starbucks was right there and I didn’t even put up a fight. Mind you, I haven’t had coffee in nearly three months so I’m not sure what compelled me to get it but get it I did. It was eh. Next time I will do a better job of fighting the urge. Or get a green tea instead. Ha! ;-)

Thursday
Zilch
Basmati rice and Rajma (almost like Mom’s!). Super yum.

Friday
Stay tuned…

The point is to see how quickly little things add up and which activities really bring you joy. (I’ve come to find retail therapy is not as therapeutic as I had once thought. Go figure!) I’ve been eating at home every night and walking home for lunch every day. I love it. I get a break from the office in the middle of the day, I get to enjoy a healthy and homey meal at night, and experiment with my cooking which I in turn get to share with you. Did I mention, my Rajma almost tastes like Mom’s? Very exciting development for me. The no spending directive has also forced me to do things I’ve been stalling on and slow down long enough to take a deep breath. I caught up on phone calls and emails during the week. I got started on projects I had been putting off. I actually read through entire articles rather than skimming. I’m making progress on the book I’ve been trying to finish for months: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I went for a walk today after making a healthy dinner. My head is extremely thankful for this past week. Good stuff all around.

It’s definitely not something I can keep up long term but it’s a good exercise to engage in every once in a while. If I were to do it over the course of a month I would modify it by setting a spending limit and trying to adhere to that.

Ok, my nerdiness is starting to show. I’ll stop now. Night folks!

Oh happy day

2008-10-02T21:13:00.000-04:00

I received my blackberry in the mail yesterday. It’s pink! And from here on out will forever be known as my Pinkberry. I’ve been playing with it all evening. I love it.

1 year

2008-09-29T06:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a year. 2:23 pm September 29, 2007 I pulled into my parents' driveway.

Weekend trip

2008-09-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

Visiting my old stomping grounds. Be back Sunday.

Happy weekend everyone!

Fess up

2008-09-25T19:36:00.003-04:00

I received a profile suggestion from indiandating.com in my inbox the other day. It was sent by a "friend". Hm.

Whoever sent it speak now. I will find out.

;)

Spending in the City

2008-09-24T12:54:00.003-04:00

Since moving into the city I have taken on more expenses than I had previously. I'm finding less and less left in the tin once the month is over. So, I'm having to rehaul my spending habit. First off, I hate the word budget. I have yet to come up with a better word though. Regardless, I'm not going to 'budget'. My feeling is use your money to live the life you want. Put your resources towards those activities that are most important to you and give you the most satisfaction. Resources meaning time and money and emotion and energy.

Living in the part of the city that is within walking distance of my office is extremely important to me. It is more expensive than the other areas but being able to come home for lunch has increased my quality of life immensely.

I gave up the writing classes. I had to decide between the trainer and my writing workshop. I can write almost anywhere and will do it without hesitation - like this blog. Working out is another matter altogether. If I don't have the trainer, I will not work out. Cardio yes, but weights no. I have noticed changes in my posture, my demeanor and just generally how I carry myself in the last three months. I attribute that in great part to the training. It is an investment in me and one that makes me feel fantastic. Hence, I chose the trainer.

I'm a homebody. I love entertaining and having people over. I hope to do more dinners at the house as an alternative to going out. It's cheaper, healthier, and creates a deeper community, I feel. Going out is certainly warranted at times, and needed, but I've noticed that I've been doing it a bit too much as of late.

Savings I won't touch. As tempted as I am to stop putting money away, especially right now, I know that right now is exactly the time I should be saving my money. The markets will turn around eventually. It's a good time to pick up quality securities at a deeply discounted price.

That's the nuts and bolts of me spending in the city. I could write a bunch more as finance is one of the things I love in addition to food and fashion. Hmm...sounds like a great concept for another blog.

I don't understand why people are mean

2008-09-24T07:47:00.000-04:00

That's it. That's the entire post. I don't understand it so there's not much to expand on. I've mulled it over in my head. I've turned it around a few times and I got nothin'.

I understand that people have bad days. I understand that people say things they don't mean. I even get when someone does something to hurt a loved one more than once. But apologies follow. And flowers and chocolates and whatever else works. And one assumes that the mistake wasn't all that bad. I don't mean to preach because I'm not perfect. I've said things, done things (repeatedly) that has hurt those around me. And I apologized. Profusely. In some instances it worked. In others it didn't. I've made my mistakes and learnt from them.

But to intentionally and repeatedly hurt someone. I don't get that. Isn't there much more you could spend your time doing that has good karmic value and contributes to society's well being in some way, or your own for that matter, than purposely trying to hurt someone?

Day off

2008-09-23T22:25:00.002-04:00

Took the day off today. It was scheduled for some time but I had pretty much forgotten about it until late last week. The thought of having a day off of work is pretty much what got me through the weekend. That and eating lots of good food with great friends. Friday night I went home to see the fam and ate until I could eat no more. Saturday I took dear friends out for dinner to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. And they surprised me with a gift too. I can't wait!!! Sunday I had my pool party and it was awesome. No one actually went in the pool but we did eat and drink a lot. After a good 5 hours we split to go have dinner at a Thai restaurant. Then it was off to watch the Cowboys win. At least the Skins won this past weekend too.

Monday was the usual day at the office and then today. Aaaaah Tuesday. I woke up late. Made lunch for a friend. We gossiped over okra, rice and lentils. I then went to see my trainer. Skipped out on writing class (I know - bad). But got to have dinner with my bestie. So it worked out in the end.

Now I'm munching on cornbread and tea and prepping for bed. Sigh.

It's been a day

2008-09-19T00:21:00.005-04:00

Actually it's been a week...but today was the icing on the cake. Today I had to relive a few moments that I thought I was past but no...back to it. I'm good though...I have my family and friends that have rallied behind me. I'm not alone. And of course, I have my faith.

Odd (wo)man out

2008-09-19T00:21:00.004-04:00

Deep down I am that girl...the one who blazes the guy's phone, slightly needy and geeky. But I've learned restraint and so am not actively that girl. In the privacy of my apartment and in the confidence of my friends though, I am definitely that girl.

I'm rambling yet again...point is that lately the conversation in my circle of friends, irrespective of age and gender, has turned to marriage and babies. Not ours...because we are all single...but those that are in our lives. My friends are getting married, and having babies, and some are celebrating anniversaries of their wedding day and some have babies that are celebrating birthdays.

I'm perfectly content being single especially given where I was almost a year ago (it's been a year!). There are definitely those moments though where even I can't help but get all romantical.

Confession

2008-09-18T05:50:00.000-04:00

I didn't sign up for the exam in December. Monday was the deadline. I had an absolute sh!t day in the office - crying in the bathroom and all - and I realized that I had a long fourth quarter ahead of me and would need all my sanity to do battle at work.

Also, I have a tendency to take on a lot at once. I do this because 1) it prevents me from wallowing, 2) it prevents me from actually working through a problem and 3) it makes me feel as though I am in fact OK when in actuality I am not. So basically, I never actually fix anything. I just take on a lot and create more issues that cover the issues that already exist and need addressing that I don't want to address. Follow? Healthy. I know.

This time around I took a step back and thought long and hard about why I feel this need to continually put myself through misery for this exam. Don't get me wrong - it is something I want and will get.

But right now, there are more important things that I need to tend to - like me.

Bhindi recipe

2008-09-17T22:49:00.008-04:00

Last night I was craving bhindi (okra). It is one of my comfort foods. I love it so. After my writing class I swung by Trader Joe's and picked up a few things to jazz up my bhindi. I decided I wanted to make it south indian style - with some yogurt. Instead of getting the regular plain stuff I chose the nonfat greek yogurt. Good choice! It turned out beautifully. Highly recommended.

And here is how it went...

You will need:

1 lb packet frozen cut okra
1 15 oz container of Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
2 plum tomatoes (At the least 2. Add more if you love the tomato) - halved and then quartered
1 white onion - halved and then quartered
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
Red chili to taste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp garam masala

Heat up oil in nonstick pan. Be sure to coat bottom of pan. Add fennel seeds as oil heats up. Once oil is nice and hot, pour entire packet of okra into pan. It might sputter because the water is mixing with the oil so be sure to have a lid handy. Saute okra on high for about 10 minutes. Add onions and tomatoes and all spices. Continue to saute on high heat until onions and tomatoes have cooked down a bit. Make sure not to fuss with the okra too much - meaning don't turn it a lot with your spatula or whatever you are using. Okra is gooey and the more you fuss with it the gooier it gets. After approximately ten minutes add the entire packet of yogurt. Thoroughly mix it in with the okra, onion, and tomato. Bring to boil and then lower to simmer. Let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until it has reduced to where most of the water has cooked away.

Enjoy!

I didn't have curry leaves. If you have them, add to the pan at the same time as the fennel seeds. Yum!

Bollywood in my city

2008-09-17T22:49:00.005-04:00

Believe it!

A few weeks back my sisters alerted me to a movie shooting going on in the middle of the city. They were driving home with my parents and the road they normally take was blocked. I walked down to catch a glimpse of some stars - Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Christiane Bale, oh my! - and to my surprise who do I see??? Indians!

Bollywood had discovered my fair city. Brilliant! They were shooting an action shot so no fancy dance moves to check out. The hero was Mukesh's grandson - I have no idea what his name is. Suffice it to say, he's not Abhishek. Swoon.

And then, a few days later I was walking back home during lunch and passed a fancy hotel and who was hanging out outside under the canopy??? More Indians! This time I recognized the actor - Irrfan Khan. He's tall! And looks exactly like he appears on screen. I totally should have gotten his autograph.

Looking forward to figuring out which movie they were shooting...

Never judge a book - or bottle - by its cover

2008-09-17T22:49:00.002-04:00

Picked up a bottle of Malbec on the way home today to celebrate yet another fantastic day on Wall Street (sarcasm!) and realized when I got home that it was a screw top. Classy. I have to admit, though, not too bad. Budini 2007 Malbec. Product of Argentina. $8.99. Good thing it's cheap because my portfolio ain't worth squat right now.

Not great to start the night with but I would end the night with this one...

Mr. and Mrs.

2008-09-15T01:53:00.002-04:00

I'm back from the wedding weekend. I witnessed a dear friend get married, took a walk down memory lane and danced the night away. I had a blast!

Khichdi

2008-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

I heart Khichdi. For so many reasons. The lazy part of me loves it because instead of making two separate dishes of rice and lentils, I just combine it in one pot and enjoy! The comfort seeker in me loves it because every bite warms me up and reminds of my home and family. The minimalist in me loves it because it is a simple dish but holds its own. And you can always jazz it up by adding extra veggies into it or by combining it with various sides like Chokha (Indian mashed potatoes) and various types of chutneys.

In my family, tradition dictates that every Saturday this is the dish that is made. Making this dish on Saturdays, according to legend/folklore/stories passed down, brings good luck. I’ll take that.

The steps for this are very similar to the steps outlined for making rice.

You will need:
Rice
Lentils
Turmeric
Salt

Optional:
Cardamom pods

In the cooking pot, combine one cup of rice and one cup of lentils. I like mine more lentil-y so I add another third cup of lentils. Rinse in cold water 3 to 4 times and slowly add water. This dish is very forgiving so if you go under or over with the water it’s not a problem. As with the pot of rice, the water, as measured from the top of the rice and lentil mixture, should reach halfway up your pointer finger. If it’s a bit less you can add as the dish cooks away. If it’s a bit more, the dish will be a little soupier – if you like that, great. If not, pour some of the water out.

Place pot on stove on high heat uncovered. Add no more than three cardamom pods for the 1 cup rice/1 cup lentil mixture. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover loosely. Let cook until rice and lentils are soft. Add more water as needed/desired. Add more salt as desired.

Now I’m obligated to tell you this because if I don’t, it could be bad. Once the Khichdi is done, you have to add “chaunk” to it. I have no idea how to spell it. But I know how to cook it and it goes like this:

In a small pot, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add half of an onion, chopped. Add one clove garlic, sliced. Add 2 dry red chilis. Fry it up until the onions and garlic reach a caramely brown. If you do it over high heat it will burn so be very careful the heat isn’t too much. You can add fennel seeds to this too if you like. I do without. I find the taste is cleaner that way. Otherwise it’s too many people at the party competing for your attention. Well, that could be a good thing. But not in the case of Khichdi. When the chaunk is ready, mix it into the Khichdi and voila! Yumminess.

Why am I obligated to tell you? According to legend/folklore/stories passed down, if you don’t add chaunk it’s bad luck. Folks, I don’t make this stuff up. This is serious business.

Khichdi is a very popular dish throughout India. The most notable difference amongst the different regions will be in the consistency. My preference is for it to be more porridge like. In some parts it’s dry. And in other parts it’s the consistency of soup. Growing up my mother would ad cauliflower, carrots, peas and potatoes to it.

Make it your own!

The Perfect Rice

2008-09-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

Recipe for The Perfect Rice

Recipe is perhaps not the best word because all you need is rice and water. Technique is the right word for this, I think.

So the Technique for The Perfect Rice is as follows:

The standard protocol is a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. In my family, as you can imagine, we don’t mess with measuring cups except when baking.

Measure out rice in the cooking pot and rinse 3 to 4 times in cold water. This step is probably only needed for Basmati but I tend to do it regardless. And you could very well rinse the rice in a separate dish and then place in a cooking pot. I’m lazy so the least amount of work (and dirty dishes) required, the better.

Once rice is nice and clean and resting comfortably in the cooking pot, slowly pour water in until the level of the water, as measured from the top of the rice, reaches halfway up your pointer finger. I told you – no measuring cups. If you like your rice a little stickier (I do!), pour in a bit more water.

Place on high heat uncovered until pot starts to boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cover loosely.

Rice should be ready in 20 minutes. Keep checking otherwise the water will dry up and your rice will burn.

If you want to get super fancy with your rice here are a few tricks:

*Add frozen peas or frozen mixed veggies after you add the water. Place on high heat uncovered and follow same instructions as above.
*For 1 cup of rice add no more than 3 cardamom pods (otherwise it becomes too strong) after you add the water. Place on high heat uncovered and follow same instructions as above.

*Golden raisins are quite yummy in combination with the cardamom pods. Pop a few in along with the water and follow same instructions as above.

Enjoy!

Indian Auntie in the making

2008-09-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

I have a tendency to overcook. Maybe it’s the Indian Auntie in me trying to get out. It doesn’t happen with other cuisines – just Indian food – and it’s because with Indian food I don’t follow a recipe. I throw in whatever my mom stocked my pantry with.

The other day I made Rajma and Chawal (Indian version of rice and beans). It was way too much. I ate it for three days straight. I love Rajma and Chawal but not that much.

Also it’s hard to cook for just one person. I just made Khichdi (rice and lentils cooked together as opposed to separately). I only cooked one cup of rice and one cup of daal. I will be eating it all week. I have no one to share it with. I love cooking and do have a tendency to go overboard.

I must plan some more parties.

29 and 2 months

2008-09-09T00:57:00.000-04:00

I didn’t do anything to celebrate my 29 and 2 month birthday. I didn’t even realize the day had passed until I was driving back home from my friend’s pre-wedding festivities on Sunday. September has been an exciting month though. Lots of big changes have happened thus far so maybe I can cheat a bit and say that I’ve been celebrating a little bit each day. When you add it all up, it’s like one big celebration. Ok, let’s go with that.

I decided to take a big step in my career. I have always wanted something of my own and this month I made a serious commitment to make that happen. Once I finalize all the details I will share!

A piece of my heart is getting married this month. I cannot wait for the wedding! The festivities, as mentioned above, started this past Sunday. I had a fantastic time. I saw old friends, had great food, and experienced being in a “shaadi ka ghar” (the house where the wedding is taking place). All the family comes together, everyone pitches in and there are lots of things going on at the same time. It’s magical. Really.

The Hills is back on the air. Yes, we need to take a moment to mention that The Hills is back on the air. Don’t hate.

My sofa arrived! I have a place to sit in my living room as opposed to flopping on the floor. It’s beautiful. Just what I was looking for. Now if I could only decide on a bed.

I am the proud owner of a beautiful juicer. This means nothing to you – I know. For me, however, it is the beginning of crazy amounts of fun and I cannot wait to get started. O and I have already planned out a juice party. Yes, we’re major geeks like that which is why we are madly in love.

My first party at the new place has been planned. There have been many impromptu ones but this is the first planned one. It’s a big deal. And…it’s going to be a pool party! I’m attempting to stretch out summer a bit longer. The party is scheduled for later in September. I am worried that it may be too cool for the pool. We will have drinks to warm us up, though. And juice! ;)

Not bad for being just 9 days into September.

Mmmm...Food

2008-09-09T00:56:00.001-04:00

Nimbu Pani (limeade) and cucumbers never tasted so good. That's the traditional way to break the fast for Teej. Deliciousness. I also added brownies and apple cinnamon oatmeal. Great breakfast.

Teej

2008-09-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Teej.

It’s a Bihari thing. Married women fast all day long for the health and well being of their husbands. Now by fast I mean no food and no water. The entire day. So from the time you go to sleep until you break your fast at sunrise the day after – almost 36 hours. AND while you are fasting you are cooking and baking sweets that you will break your fast with.

You thought the women would be resting comfortably while they fasted all day? Pssshhhaaaah!

I bet a man thought this up. That was super snarky. But seriously, who’s fasting for the women?

I will be fasting today even though I’m not married. For my Mommy. (Love you Mommy!)

I filled up on tons of food and way too many brownies yesterday. And I will not be working out today. (Don’t tell my trainer).

I'm back - for real this time

2008-09-01T22:19:00.002-04:00

I wish I had a fantastic story to share with you for why I have been absent for nearly two weeks. Visiting the Motherland, swimming with sharks, hiking up the Himalayas. Unfortunately I got nothin’. Life just caught up with me and I needed to step back from a few things, like this blog. And I missed it so! I drafted posts in my head as I sat in meetings, while I walked between the office and home, during my showers. Pretty much every single moment I had I was thinking of posts for this blog. I have some chicken scratch on a piece of paper – bits and pieces of ideas that need to be fleshed out.

I’ll give you a teaser:

Coffee – I haven’t had it in nearly three weeks. About the time that I’ve been in my new place. I haven’t increased my intake of tea either. If anything that has come down considerably too. And I have to tell you, I have never had so much energy ever. I am a little worried that coffee is to me what alcohol was to Fun Bobby on Friends. I feel I’m just no fun without it. Coffee that is. I’m definitely fun with alcohol. On the flip side, I have been getting a lot done to the extent that I’m a little weirded out…like I’ll be walking down the street and just fall over because my body quits on me. Thus far we’re good. No falling over. At least not while I’m sober. ;)

Apt – Feels like home. Finally. I’ve been cooking up a storm and slowly the apt is filling up with furniture, books, magazines, odds and ends and lots and lots of laughter and memories.

My city – Feels like home. It’s been long overdue but there you have it. I was the biggest hater. All of you know how big of a hater I was. I still don’t know whether I will stay here forever but I will most certainly come back. Always. And when people ask where I’m from, it’s this city that I will refer to. This place holds a very special place in my heart as it’s given me a great deal. I even have a theme song! Switchfoot – This is Home. (Thanks G & B!) I’m super corny. We know this…let’s move on.

The Universe – A dear friend of mine always talks about The Universe. Send messages out to The Universe and be open enough to pick up on the messages The Universe sends back. The Universe has been sending some pretty strong and clear messages regarding the Career/Work aspect of my life.

Philanthropy – I don’t want to wait until I have boatloads of cash to start. I want to do it now. And I have a few solid ideas that I’m excited to get started on. Anyone interested is more than welcome to jump on board.

Second chances – You get them.

Ode to Caponata

2008-08-18T23:04:00.001-04:00

I was out of town Sunday (per my previous post) so was not able to make anything for you folks. As I was sitting in my office today I was thinking of all the things that make me happy because currently work is not doing it for me. And Eureka! I thought of Caponata.

Oh Caponata. How do I love thee…Let me count the ways. Caponata is, very much, a labor of love mainly because you can get it canned. Jarred up. Shipped to your local grocer from somewhere out there. I urge you to make it on your own though. Trust me. You will be SO happy you did!

There is much dicing, and sautéing, and simmering involved. When it is all said and done though, it is unbelievable. And it gets even more unbelievable with each passing day. You can serve it up as an appetizer or toss some pasta in and main course it. It’s versatile. It’s satisfying. It’s brilliant. And it is always a journey because you can throw anything and everything in there in addition to the main ingredient – eggplant. (Mmmmm….eggplant.) I had yellow squash sitting in my evil fridge* so I tossed some in and it came out really well.

Sidebar - I swung by Trader Joe’s after work to pick up a few things to make my Caponata. Can I tell you? It’s more happening than the local bar on a Friday night. There are some seriously beautiful people frequenting Trader Joe’s after 5. Trader Joe should consider diversifying from amazing grocer to amazing matchmaking service. Seriously. I’m not even kidding. Love at first sight over organic baby arugula? Believe it. I fell in love at least twice while I was there.

Not only will you be rewarded with amazing Caponata if you make it on your own, but if you venture to your local Trader Joe’s to pick up ingredients you may find the love of your life! Isn’t that motivation enough to try this???

I think so…and here’s my recipe for it. Cute boy (or girl) not included.

Makes approximately 4 cups

1 medium size eggplant – chopped
4 to 6 stalks celery - chopped
2 medium sized onions chopped – white or red – doesn’t matter
2 medium yellow squashes sliced
1 6oz can of tomato paste**
3 plum tomatoes – chopped**
1/3rd cup green olives drained and roughly chopped
4 tablespoons olive juice – I love olives. Purely optional. ***
1/3rd cup capers
¼ cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (My secret ingredient. So good!)
½ cup golden raisins – I was a bit generous here because I love raisins. Your call.
Olive oil
1½ cups water
Salt – to taste. I find myself putting in 1 tablespoon.
Sugar – to taste. I find myself putting in at least 2 tablespoons.
Red pepper flakes – I like heat. Your call.

Before we begin, let me say that I would recommend you use a nonstick pan if you have one. Eggplant sticks and requires a lot of oil. A nonstick will make life easier when sautéing the eggplant and will keep you from using up all of your olive oil.

In the nonstick pan pour in oil to coat the bottom of pan. Heat up oil over high heat and add celery and onions. Lower heat to medium high and sauté until onions and celery start to brown. Remove from pan.
Add more oil if necessary and add eggplant. Saute until eggplant is browned nicely. Remove from pan.
Add more oil if necessary and add squash. Saute until nicely browned.
Add back into pan eggplant, celery and onion. Add olives, olive juice, capers, raisins, sugar and salt. Stir.
Add balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Slowly stir and mix everything together. Once Caponata starts to boil, lower heat and cover. Let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes – or until the Caponata has reduced down to your desired consistency. Make sure to stir in between and taste along the way. Adjust salt and sugar as needed while it simmers away.

Once Caponata is prepared to your liking, remove from heat and let cool. I placed mine in a Pyrex dish right away and let sit uncovered for a bit so it could cool down. Make sure to put it in the fridge once it is cooled down. It will last you approximately one week. Caponata does get better with each passing day. I, of course, inhaled a good bit right away but did manage to save a bit for tomorrow. Can’t wait!!!

* My evil fridge. I didn’t check my fridge setting until it was too late. I bought the most beautiful head of romaine lettuce at the farmers market on Saturday. I opened my fridge after getting back from Virginia Sunday night and gasped in horror. My Romaine had been murdered. The fridge had killed it. Only then did I notice that my fridge was set to the coldest setting. I’ve been messing with it every since trying to get it to the right temp which is hard because the settings are 1 through 9. What the hell is that? How cold is 9? How cold is 1? Grr…Currently I have it at 7. This is why I had to use the yellow squash in my recipe. I had to save it before the evil fridge did away with it.

**Most recipes call for a big can of peeled tomatoes – 15oz I think. I did not have any on hand but did have plum tomatoes and tomato paste so made the best of it. Turned out wonderfully!

***As I was merrily chopping up my olives I realized I had a bottle of wine in the fridge. And I could drink it! Because I am a big girl. Funny how the olives got me to think about the alcohol. Oh my pretty little subconscious. Always coming up with clever associations. The wine I sipped on as I cooked away was a Rene Barbier Mediterranean White Catalunya. It’s clean, crisp and perfect to sip on as you slave away over the hot stove or bask in the summer sun. Thanks to my lovely O for the recommendation!

Zippity Doo Da Zippity Yay…

2008-08-18T23:02:00.001-04:00

Sunday I drove down to Northern Virginia to see a dear friend who was visiting from Arizona. But this is the end of the story…let me start at the beginning.

As mentioned before, I am not a city girl. I am currently car-less and therefore getting anywhere outside of the city has proven to be quite the challenge. Luckily we have two carshare programs in my city. I chose Zip Car. We had a shaky start but I think we will be ok.

Signing up was a breeze. The customer service is fantastic. That alone, for me, is worth every penny. It’s hard to find good customer service these days! Verizon? Sometimes. Wells Fargo? Forget about it.

I signed up online, swung by my local Zip Office, picked up my Zip Card and reserved myself a Mini to zip me around town and down to VA on Sunday. Taking the car down to VA was a bit of an extravagance but I received a rebate so I did not feel all that bad. For in-town errands though, the Zip Car is quite nice.

Did you know that you can start the Mini with the push of a button? Like the way you start your computer? Or TV? Uh huh. There’s this round key fob thing that you push in and then as you press on the brakes you hit the Start button. And the Mini fires up.

I’m seriously showing my age here but I had a very hard time getting the car to start. I felt very old. And at 7 am on a Sunday, it’s not the best feeling. Luckily all I had to do was ring up the good folks at Zip Car and they talked me through it. I was on the road soon enough.

The Mini is a fun car. I had an automatic but it ran like a manual as the ride was a bit jerky. I’m not a fan of manual so that was lost on me but for all you guys who are into that, check out the Mini!

And if you need to zip around town to run errands, check out Zip Car!

I need my car

2008-08-18T22:58:00.002-04:00

I am not a city girl.

This much I have come to realize in the 2 weeks that I have been living in my apartment in the heart of this lovely city. It’s not the city. It’s me. It’s definitely me. I like being able to walk everywhere. That part I rather enjoy. It’s when I have to get from point A to point B, and point B happens to be outside of the city, that I run into issues.

I’m fine with transportation. Transportation is good. It’s the public part of the transportation that I am having issues with.

I am from the second most populous country in the world. I’m really not sure how this particular neurosis happened for me but here we are folks. For instance, I love this city during the summer. Why? Because everyone is gone. They are on vaca, at the shore, whatevs. And the city is all mine! I prefer a cab over taking the subway because it’s all mine! No one to share it with. I love living alone because it’s all mine! Are we sensing a theme here?

I can’t explain it. But this issue is starting to pose some serious problems for me here in the city.

Getting to my parents house, which is a mere 30 miles away, has become a Getting-to-Grandma’s kind of situation. Over the river, through the woods…it’s ridiculous.

Oh Snap!

2008-08-13T18:50:00.002-04:00

My horoscope today...

Don't let all those compliments go to your head! You know you look good, but don't act like it!

Confessions

2008-08-13T16:33:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. A few actually.

I am secretly in love with Michael Buble. When I’m blue, his songs always bring a smile to my face, particularly Everything.

Optimus Prime was my first crush. Yes, I know he’s a truck. Yes, I know he’s an animated truck.

I want horses on a ranch in Montana.

I’ve been inhaling coffee the past few weeks. It’s one of my resolutions to decrease the amount of coffee I drink….um, it’s not working.

When purchasing books or magazines from the bookstore I always purchase the one three down in the stack, never the one right on top. Why? Dunno.

I am a slightly obsessive germaphobe. This might explain the previous confession.

I don’t like public transportation. Planes, Trains and Everything else. Don’t like.

I want to produce a movie.

I want to win an Oscar.

I don’t believe in being pigeonholed to be or do just one thing. The world is too big.

I like putting potato chips in my peanut butter sandwich. It’s so good!

Mr. India and DDLJ are still my all time favorite Indian movies.

When eating Trident gum, I eat only half of the stick.

There’s something about McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundaes – yum!

In college I could eat an entire pizza pie. In one sitting.

The Hills is my favoritest show. Ever.

When I’ve had a bit too much to drink, I read out loud from the Dictionary.

I want to learn to play the piano.

I want to learn French.

I think Bhojpuri is a gorgeous language.

I miss my Dadi. All the time.

Today's Horoscope

2008-08-11T23:19:00.002-04:00

You've been feeling quite lonely lately but some exciting news today will change everything.

No exciting news yet...about half an hour to go. Hmmm...What do you think it is folks?

Monday Madness

2008-08-11T23:06:00.003-04:00

Mondays are hard enough. And after the perfect Sunday I had yesterday this particular Monday was even harder. It was tough getting out of bed, getting to work, sitting through work, so on and so forth. As you all know, I'm a planner extraordinaire (heavy sarcasm there) and decided some time ago that Mondays would be the perfect day for my session with the personal trainer. Why of course! Makes perfect sense! Put my body through excruciating pain at the end of a day that already sucks. Really? Really.

I was this close to cancelling on him today. But I do love him dearly. He's terribly good to me. He's patient. And deals with my craziness. That's hard to find. Plus I figured a boost of endorphins could spruce up my Monday a bit. And wouldn't you know it, I feel great. At least for now.

Come Wednesday, it's going to be an entirely different scene. The last session (two weeks ago) I felt for an entire week and my arms didn't stop hurting until two days ago. Two days ago! So if we do the math, I was sore for almost two weeks. Really the man is a genius. I was cursing him, mind you, the entire time but deep down, I know, he's a genius.

Not only are the sessions therapy for my body but he's so much fun to talk to. He's like the cool big brother. So it's like body AND soul therapy all wrapped up in a lovely gym towel.

He gave me homework to do which I will totally do, um, everyday. Really.

Breakfast Stack aka: First Homemade Meal in Apt

2008-08-10T14:43:00.003-04:00

It started out as a simple idea: A sunny side up egg and a slice of spelt toast. As I started getting the eggs and bread out of the fridge I noticed the red onions, the red bell pepper, and the cheese just hanging out with nothing to do. I decided they needed a little love and attention too. So out they came and this is the trouble we got into:

Home Fries:

1 medium potato quartered and sliced thinly
½ of a small red onion sliced thinly
½ of a red bell pepper cut into small chunks
1 tbsp garam masala
Salt to taste
½ tsp chili powder

Note: I have a tendency to desi-fy everything, irrespective of the origin of the dish. Mexican? Add a little garam masala. Japanese? Add a little more chili powder. Unless it comes out of a cookbook and there are clear instructions to follow. But even then, I will add a little heat to it. Given this recipe sprung up from my own mind, it’s spicy and a combo of various flavors – Indian, Mexican, etc. – so be careful and as always adjust to your taste.

In skillet on high with a little olive oil sauté red onions and red bell pepper. (At this point my fire alarm started sounding off. Used my spatula to calm it down. Funny now that I’m looking back on it. Not so much as it was happening.) Add some salt. After about 10 minutes, add potatoes and spices. Mix it up, lower the heat, add a splash of water and cover slightly. Let cook for approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked all the way through, stirring in between.

Eggs:

Hot skillet with olive oil. Two organic eggs. Sunny side up. Sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper on top. Lower heat and let eggs cook. Crunchy on bottom and velvety smooth on top when done. Gorgeous!

Toast:

1 slice spelt toast
Monterey Jack Cheese

In the same skillet as eggs are cooking merrily away, place slice of bread and warm up one side. Flip and place however much cheese on top and let it melt.

Breakfast stack goes like this:

Cover entire plate with home fries. Place toast on top of home fries in the center. Place eggs sunny side up on top of toast.

It’s a party in your mouth.

Sunday Shower

2008-08-10T12:02:00.000-04:00

At this moment I am pretty much in heaven. It’s Sunday late morning. I have finished my inaugural made it myself meal at the new apartment and am looking out the window at a gorgeous gray blue sky.

The day started out bright and sunny. I picked up my morning cappuccino and walked to Trader Joe’s to get groceries for the week. Bought a very regal looking orchid to keep me company as well. Was inspired to make breakfast and what started out as a simple sunny side up egg with toast turned into home fries with red onion and red bell pepper, spelt toast with cheese on top toasted in the pan alongside two sunny side up eggs, crispy on the bottom and smooth and velvety on top. (Recipe to follow shortly).

And given that I still have zero furniture (I did purchase a fantastic rug this weekend though!) I ate my wonderful meal sitting on the floor with the plate resting atop a stack of magazines – the top most being the Special Green Issue of Marie Claire, naturally. Part of the reason why it’s taking me forever to find suitable seating for the place is because I like the idea of minimalism and using what you have.

While eating my breakfast, the city was hit with a brief thunderstorm. Nothing major but enough to cool the place down. The air now smells of fresh earth – like how it smells just before or after a rain shower. It’s one of my favorite smells because it brings back a host of wonderful memories. The rain is on and off now and there is a cool breeze coming in through the windows. I love overcast weather. It’s another one of my favorite things.

So it’s late Sunday morning, my belly is full with yummy goodness and I’m looking out the window at an overcast and gray blue sky. It’s bliss.
Now I’m off to do some cleaning and contemplate a name for my orchid.

Mmmm....Fall

2008-08-08T22:53:00.002-04:00

It's August!!! We're almost to Fall. I'm so happy. I've had the windows open at the apartment, enjoying the fresh air. No need for A/C. It's great.

Even though I'm a summer baby I can't stand the heat. July was awful. And to all those people who are thinking "But you're from India. You should be fine with the heat." Um, no. Oh, you don't think I've heard that before??? Yeah I couldn't believe it either when I heard it the first time and realized the person wasn't trying to make a bad joke, they were actually seriously asking that question . The second and third time I just gave in and eventually it started to roll off my back but yeah, it's happened more often than I care for.

But I digress.

So I love Fall. I love the clothes, the smells, the proliferation of pumpkin spice nutmeg cinnamon everything, the massive encyclopedia size issue of Vogue. It's bliss.

First day. New Apt.

2008-08-06T21:25:00.001-04:00

And the day has come.

I am writing to you from the living room floor of my new jewel box of an apt. It's completely adorable.

My family helped with the move. There wasn't much to lug in as I have zero furniture. Pillows, clothes, toiletries, etc. The kitchen got a lot of TLC as mom did her magic in there. The stove has already been used to make copious cups of tea. I'm slowly settling in and can't wait to turn this place into a home.

To all you lovely people, the door is wide open. Visit soon and visit often!

It's My Birthday!!!

2008-08-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

My apologies for being away for so long again. But I was busy getting ready for my 29 and 1 Month Birthday. And here we are!

So the big plans for today are...drum roll please...to pack for my move to my apartment and enjoy a fabulous meal with my family prepared by my amazing mother.

My present to myself when I turned 29 was a faboo gem of a place in the city. It’s less than a half mile from my office, it’s across from a park and it’s in a young and energetic part of town. Now mind you, it’s a glorified studio. It’s billed as a one bedroom but really it’s a glorified studio.

Nonetheless, it’s cozy, cute and I love it!

This past weekend I went shopping with my parents and have been reluctantly packing the past few days. Why reluctantly you ask? Because I am going to miss my family. They drive me nuts but that’s their way of loving and I’m going to miss it. Who would have guessed? I’m only an hour away and can easily get home but it’s not the same. This doesn’t mean I’m having second doubts about the move. I’m definitely moving and I am definitely excited about it. Just caught off guard that a part of me is sad too.

So let’s review this past month and see how far I’ve come with my resolutions:

1. Be present for family and friends. - Check
2. Laugh a little more. Not worry so much about wrinkles. - Happy to say, check.
3. Exercise at least 3 times a week. - Um, have hired a personal trainer. Who I've seen once. But will be seeing again this coming Monday. I'm working my way up to it!
4. Limit the caffeine - Yeah, failing miserably at this. I think at least one day this week I had two grandes from Starbucks AND a Mocha Frappuccino. WTH???
5. Start the projects I have been talking about for years now. - Check, check and check. There are quite a few projects that I was afraid had taken up permanent residence in my brain. In that they never wanted to leave, to come out and make themselves known. However, I have made headway on two of them thus far and will be posting on that shortly!
6. Travel. Reclaim old places. Discover new ones. - Not yet but I'm not discouraged.
7. Eat my veggies. - Check!
8. Save enough to buy a place soon. - Not yet. But will become a budgeting diva in the coming months.
9. Get organized - from closets to checkbooks to important contact information. - With the move, this is in progress.
10. Quit my addiction to bottled water. Go aluminum. - Partial check. I've renewed my vows with Brita. I purchased one for my apartment and am quite happy with it thus far. I will be ordering the aluminum bottle this week.
11. Follow through. In every sense. - Check.

These boots were made for walking...

2008-07-29T23:11:00.001-04:00

and now I've got my bootstraps thanks to a dear friend who was hanging on to them for me. Thanks luv! So off I go.

There's this exam. And the exam and I have had a tense relationship at best. See, I love this exam. The exam doesn't necessarily love me though. I mean I really, really love this exam. I profess my undying love to this exam about once every two years or so. This past June I professed my undying love yet again and yet again, I was denied. Seems the exam has other people courting it too that are better than me in some way. I think they take the exam more seriously and pay more attention to the details that the exam talks about. Crap.

But what the exam doesn't know is that I'm not a quitter. I will prove that this is not some silly infatuation. That I am committed.

And we will fall in love and live happily ever after.And I confess. I've been distracted. I don't spend as much time as I should thinking about the exam and courting the exam. I go out with other people, I sleep in, I watch TV, yadda yadda. I'm a commitment phobe. But that was all before.

Ok I've rambled on enough...so thing is, I have this professional exam which I just haven't been able to lock up. And before when I took it and didn't pass I would get really frustrated and upset and start feeling sorry for myself but funny thing happened today. I found out today that I didn't pass and I was fine. I am fine. I mean, I was sad for a bit. And some insecurities from way back (high school) that I thought I had gotten past came rushing back. But I'm ok now. More than anything I'm just irritated because 1. I studied my butt off and 2. now I have to take it again in December.

I love my friends - they have perfect timing. My girl found my bootstraps. I lost them some time ago. I have them back. I've put them on. And I'm back on that horse.

This time we're going all the way.

I'm back!

2008-07-29T23:00:00.001-04:00

I've been gone for a while...did you guys miss me? :)

So this past weekend I was at the awesomest bachelorette party in the entire world held for a dear, dear friend. She was a good sport. She wore the tiara and the pink feather boa all weekend long. In daylight even. Much respect.

The weekend definitely wore me out. And because I'm a scheduler extraordinaire I scheduled my first personal training appointment for last night. As in the day after I got back from the weekend. As in the day my body was screaming at me about the weekend. I'm so smart! Despite the massive amount of pain my butt and thighs are experiencing right now, it was a great session. Next appointment is in two weeks. Plenty of time for me to recuperate from the first session. Or chicken out. ;)

That's a brief synopsis of the trouble I've been getting into the past few days. Will be posting more on the bachelorette party - no, nothing kinky. Get your mind out of the gutter. It will be on all the food that was consumed from street fairs and restaurants alike.

And the personal trainer deserves a post because really he's that awesome.

Not much else to report guys. Didn't want you to think I had forgotten about you guys! My 29 and 1 month birthday is fast approaching and I'm slowly starting to formulate ideas of how I will be spending it. More on that soon!

I feel like I do all the talking here...please feel free to leave comments or suggest post ideas if you so desire. I'm more than happy to oblige. :)

p.s. my coffee resolution is going very, very poorly. I just can't break up with it. I keep crawling back for more. Sigh.

Today's Horoscope

2008-07-29T22:58:00.000-04:00

A real friend will understand why you need space, so don't feel guilty if you need to cancel plans today.

Amazing. Seriously....these Facebook horoscopes are more often on point than not. This application comes highly recommended. Unlike the flying sheep app. Ha! :)

Today's Horoscope

2008-07-22T23:23:00.000-04:00

Do not let someone reenter your life this week. Think about why they left your life in the first place.

hm...

Moving Forward, Looking Back

2008-07-22T23:01:00.001-04:00

I arrived at my writing workshop a little early today so was able to flip through my writing notebook which has my writing in there from years ago - 2005. (Yes I know it's only three years...but it feels like much, much longer.) I found an interesting blurb that made me laugh and I knew I had to share.

In my management class in college one of the exercises we did regularly was to imagine ourselves a few years into the future. Imagine where we were, what we were wearing, who was in the room with us, what everyone would say about us, etc. Basically it was a way to get us to think about things that we wanted to accomplish and the steps we'd need to take to get there.

Apparently, back in the fall of 2005, I sketched out this exercise in my writing notebook and the opening line is:

'Start from the end (30) and work backwards. '

Interesting 30 is what came to mind for me as 'end'. Sigh.

The rest of it is the same stuff that's important to me now: travel, microfinance, writing. Same projects, same values. I haven't changed much in terms of the things I want from when I was 26. In some ways that is reassuring and in other ways it's depressing in that I have accomplished maybe 5% of the list. Granted, I took a bit of a detour and was preoccupied with other things - which coincidentally are nowhere to be seen on that sheet - but still.

I've got a little over 11 months before 30. So a little over 11 months to cross everything off that list. I've got the writing part down. So far so good! :-)

Funny Billboard

2008-07-22T22:58:00.000-04:00

As seen on Billboard today for a bar:

Come in and drink your date pretty

How rude! But very funny. :)

Monday Blues

2008-07-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

I had one of those days today. Nothing triggered it. I actually got quite a bit accomplished. I was organized and responded to all my emails. And yet, it was a blah day. But I have so much to be grateful for and I know that and realize that. I think it's ok to take a step back from it all and look at things from the outside. Detach a bit. Just go through the motions.

Believe it or not, it helps. I might realize something is off and go about fixing it. Or I may realize that, in fact, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Either way, at least I take the time to take stock of my life and adjust as necessary.

Coffee Count: 1 Cappuccino. I was good today. :-)

Rachael Ray for a Day

2008-07-21T02:59:00.000-04:00

It’s Sunday! That means work tomorrow. Boo. And a new recipe. Yay!

I stuck with Tilapia today. But I did switch up the couscous for quinoa. Following are two recipes: 1 for the Tilapia and 1 for the Quinoa Salad. The Tilapia was juicy and fresh. And the Quinoa Salad was perfect for a hot summer day. The grapes make all the difference. Enjoy!

As always, this is based on my taste so be sure to adjust based on your taste and let me know what you did and how it turned out!

Serves 4

Tilapia Recipe

4 Tilapia filets
1 tsp garlic powder*
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper**
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime cut into 4 wedges and then halved – 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 450

Use 1 tbsp of olive oil to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Clean the filets with cold water and pat dry. Place filets in baking dish. Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Rub half of the dry rub on one side of filets. Flip filets in dish and rub the other half of the dry ingredients on the filets. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of oil over the fish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Squeeze two pieces of lime over fish as soon as they come out of oven. Serve filets with remaining pieces of lime.

*I prefer fresh garlic. I went ahead and used the dry garlic powder but, as expected, didn’t really taste it. So I recommend using fresh garlic. Either cut garlic in wedges and tuck into fish or mince and combine with dry ingredients and rub into fish. I will try it this way next time.

**I didn’t have cayenne pepper so could not use it. But I wanted to include it for you because it was in the original recipe and I know that it has such a distinct flavor that I didn’t want you to miss out!

Quinoa Recipe

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
4 jalapenos
3 stalks of green onion – thinly sliced
Queso Fresco – crumbled*
2 cups red seedless grapes – halved
Juice of 1 lime – about ¼ cup
Salt
1/8 cup and 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven (or small toaster oven) to 400

Cut stems of jalapenos and slice jalapeno in half lengthwise. Remove seeds (or keep based on your heat preference). Place on aluminum foil that has been coated with 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle jalapenos with salt and roast in oven (I used a small toaster oven) for 15-20 minutes.
While jalapenos are roasting, bring 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa to boil. When it starts to boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Let cook for 10 minutes or until quinoa absorbs all the water and fluffs with fork.

While jalapenos are roasting and quinoa is boiling, slice green onions, halve grapes, crumble cheese and prepare lime dressing for quinoa salad. Combine ¼ cup of lime juice and 1 tsp salt. Slowly whisk in 1/8 cup of olive oil. At this point, the jalapenos should be ready. Remove from oven and let cool. Once quinoa is ready, pour lime dressing into quinoa. Slice jalapenos into small chunks and sprinkle into quinoa along with green onions.

Sprinkle Queso Fresco and red grapes on salad right before serving.

*The store did not have Queso Fresco so I substituted Queso Blanco and it worked just as well. It was salty and stood up well to the heat from the quinoa – as in, it didn’t melt when I sprinkled the chunks onto it. So don’t worry too much about your quinoa turning into a weird version of mac and cheese.

_____________________________________________________________

This meal was amazing! I was blown away by the flavor combo between the grapes, cheese and jalapeno in the quinoa salad. Very unexpected and very, very good. Love it when that happens!

I loved preparing this meal not just for the yummy result but also because it was SO easy. The order in which things are prepared makes a difference so the following is how I went about it. The meal was ready in under 30 minutes. Eat your heart out Rachael Ray!

I preheated big oven to 450 and small toaster oven to 400.
Prepped the jalapenos and placed in toaster oven.
Prepped quinoa and placed on stove to boil.
Cleaned fish and placed in baking dish.
Prepared dry rub, prepped fish and placed in oven.
Cut green onions, halved grapes and crumbled cheese and prepare lime dressing.
Removed jalapenos from toaster oven.
Removed quinoa from heat and poured lime dressing in and sprinkled in green onions.
Cut jalapenos and sprinkled into quinoa.
Removed fish from oven.

Served fish and quinoa salad along side bowl of cheese, bowl of grapes and remaining wedges of lime.

I hope you have a chance to try this out - especially the Quinoa Salad. You will not be disappointed!

Coffee Count

2008-07-21T00:11:00.001-04:00

1 medium from Seattle's Best. I tried..I really did!

In Defense of Country Music

2008-07-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

I confess. I love country music. Why you ask? Why not?? Don’t get me wrong. I love shaking my booty to old school hip hop/R&B but not so much to the new stuff. I’m really not interested in hearing about hoes, grills and how you’re gonna make love in the club. Yeah. I don’t think so. And it’s even worse when the song is being sung by a 16 year old. Those aren’t grills. They’re braces. Ew.

I like country music because it makes me move, feel, think, laugh, fly away, etc. The music through the years has gotten a little less twangy, and the guys have gotten a whole lot hotter. Dierks Bentley. Swoon.

The classics will always remain – Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson. Some big singers who didn’t start out as country are trying it out – Jessica Simpson, Norah Jones, even Jewel. It’s worth a listen.

I crossed over a few years back. Rascal Flatts held my hand as I made the transition. I fell in love with their album Melt and there was no looking back after that. CMT became a regular fixture in my channel surfing. I programmed one of the two country stations in my area into my car radio. Now when I make playlists on Youtube, Kenney Chesney gets just as much airtime as Kirk Franklin and Leona Lewis. Oh yeah, it’s like that.

The following are a few of my favorite songs by country singers or that involves a collaboration with a country singer:

Norah Jones and Willie Nelson – Wurlitzer Prize
Kenney Chesney – Better as a Memory
Jewel – Stronger Woman
Lady Antebellum – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
Rascal Flatts – Movin’ On
Leann Rimes – Something’s Gotta Give
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5

These are just a few that come to mind. There are tons more. I’ll post more as I remember. I know you’re at the edge of your seats in anticipation. ;-)

Withdrawal

2008-07-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't written for an entire week almost. It feels like forever. I blame it on the caffeine, or lack thereof. :-(

Randomness

2008-07-16T21:29:00.000-04:00

My mind is a little all over the place so please pardon the randomness of this particular post.

Tonight I saw my lovely ladies. I do heart them so. I was at a networking event. I've been forcing myself to go to these because in reality I am an awful networker. But it is a skill I need to learn hence the forcing. I did meet some cool people and got some direction on how to go about starting a project I've been thinking about for some time.

Books I ordered from Amazon arrived today. I love seeing that cardboard box when I get home.

Coffee Count: 1 Cappuccino. I'm instituting a new rule. Cappies don't count. :-)

C is for Cookie

2008-07-14T20:06:00.001-04:00

I love Cookie Monster. He's my favorite of all time.

So how happy was I when my friend walked into my office today with a heaping plate (blue of course) of the most gorgeous homemade chocolate chip cookies ever. They were big and chocolatey and warm and heavenly. And they were all for me! For my birthday!!!

I devoured 2 on the spot and saved 1 for later. And then I shared the rest with the office.

I really need to make her some samosas.