Of Dips and Curves...

I feel like giving up. Almost everyday in fact. Not all day of course,  but there are moments...no I am not a manically depressed woman, venting every moment I get in blogosphere...this was the first sentence of a small  book that I started reading yesterday... here's how it played out -

I have been busy the past eight weeks, tired too and mostly not put together (which is unlike me)...Things got a little hectic this week and I forgot to sign K2 up for PTO (parent's night out) and we had no plans in place anyway...on Wednesday K2 asked me if I had signed and I sheepishly admitted to - not, his indignant look followed by disappointment (he believes it should be parents/kids time out vs. just PTO) was enough impetus for me to somehow wrangle him into the PTO...this left me and K1 with 5 unplanned hours -- initially our plan was to watch a Hindi movie (amc mercado if you are interested) and get some Desi food ...but once in the house, neither wanted to move...so dinner was an easy naan pizza washed down with a Muscat while watching an offbeat German movie Soul Kitchen (on Netflix...). A and K got engrossed in a market discussion that I wanted no part of, so I migrated upstairs and started reading "The Dip"...my sole criteria for picking it being the size (76 pages)...and I was hooked. It wasn't an earth-shattering book yet it made me question my internal belief system...

For a person who lived with the mantra "failure is not an option" - hearing someone say -that you will never be the best in anything unless you learn to quit intelligently -- felt just wrong. However, I didn't stop reading the book and it started making a lot of sense - I started my career working at GE in India and Jack Welch was a legend there  - When Jack Welch remade GE, the most fabled decision he made was this: If we can’t be #1 or #2 in an industry, we must get out. Why sell a billion-dollar division that’s making a profit quite happily while ranking #4 in market share? Easy. Because it distracts management attention. It sucks resources and capital and focus and energy. And most of all, it teaches people in the organization that it’s okay to not be the best in the world. Jack quit the dead ends. By doing so, he freed resources to get his other businesses through the Dip.”... isn't that what quitting strategically is all about?  I am sure I will go back and read and re-read this book...it came to me at  a time when I needed it.

How is your weekend turning out? I watched my little guy play a Tee-Ball game and the sun is shining brightly outside, a relaxed lunch of pupusas at Amelia ...maybe a long relaxed walk in the evening. No fixed plans for Sunday -- maybe sit in the library for an hour and a stroll down the Farmer's Market...

Pain in the neck...and a bowl of soup

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

                                                                                                                        ----Winston Churchill
I have some grand illusions that there are people actually reading this blog and when there is no post for ten days someone actually misses it...reality check M..the only person reading your blog is probably you, your dad, K1 (after you remind him) and you (wait...you already said that). Winter and the rainy season is not a good time for me -- the sun makes me smile while the rain makes me grumpy...and the last 3 weeks have been very generous with the water works. To make it worse my viral fever gave me neck spasms (think doctors, muscle relaxants, pain killers...and something called a Chiropractor...tried even that twice)...the pain in my neck continues (now you know why I was staring at you from an ackward angle...it wasn't you it was me). The sun has been out the past two days and I have been pretty laidback about getting dinner on the table, focusing on walks with the 2K's. So our dinner menu read something like :

1. Monday : Annie Chun Udon Noodles with tonnes of vegetables
2. Tuesday : Veggie Pizza from Costco (my first pizza from Costco and pretty damn good)
3. Wednesday : Take Out from Tava Palo Alto (Thanks A !!!)
4. Thursday : South Indian - Sambhar, Rice, Cabbage Poriyal, Bhindi Fry (all made by your's truely)
5. Friday : leftovers I guess

Last weekend, I was feeling down and out and what perked me up was a super simple "Chinese Soup"...this is my version of it and it is awesome and awesomely simple to make (don't judge me for the shortcuts...) but I know you will thank me when you have a hot bowl of soup in front of you in less than 10 minutes.

You will need:

• Half a red onion or handful of scallions ( I used what I had on hand which was red onions)
• Chopped Fresh Garlic (about half a head)
• Annie Chun's Chicken Pot Stickers 
• Imagine Chicken Broth (low sodium, organic)
• Shitake Mushrooms (about 4 oz)
• Bok Choy (about 4-5 big ones or half a dozen little ones)
• Shredded Carrots ( Trader Joes)
• Rice Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Chilli Sauce (if you want it)

Saute the onion and garlic in a neutral oil.Add the mushrooms, bok choy, shredded carrots and fry for maybe 2 minutes. Now add in the broth  and the dumplings. Simmer for 5 minutes, add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to taste...go easy on the chilli sauce if you are recovering from a viral flu :-)...Take a huge bowl, spoon and start slurping...

This recipe goes out to The Spanish Wok for the The Soup Kitchen Event : Chinese Soup

What are your plans for Earth Day?

Morality Overrated....you tell me?

Life in my world is "black or white"....not too many shades of greys...either things are right or wrong --No two ways about it. Dan Ariely, the behavioral economist was incredibly insightful in one of his blog posts, he stated the results of a psychological test done by Joris Lammers and Adam D. Galinsky  - "when power (or lack thereof) was legitimate, the powerful also exhibited moral hypocrisy (being less moral themselves but judging others more harshly), while the powerless weren’t – just as before. But when power (or lack thereof) was illegitimate, the powerful didn’t show hypocrisy. In fact, the moral hypocrisy effect not only disappeared but was reversed, with the illegitimate powerful becoming stricter in judging their own behavior and more lenient in judging the others."

This week had been a slow journey to recovery...two visits to the Chiropractor ( this is a first !), endless hours in front of the computer working and mostly dates with ice packs and hot water bottles(blame it on a spasmed neck )...I was looking forward to the weekend with a lot more enthusiasm than most weeks...I spent Friday evening with K2 baking some amazingly light vanilla cupcakes (with almond milk and coconut butter). On Saturday morning after breakfast waffles made with an innovative "Batter Blaster"...I baked a batch of sinfully rich triple chocolate walnut brownies....in this case it didn't matter if it was black or white...both tasted equally awesome.

We lazed around the house - our neighbors daughter J came over and played with K2 some and then for lunch we decided to head over to "Tava Indian Kitchen". A month back over a bowl of veggies and string bean chicken at Panda Express, A, K and I were discussing the "perfect" Indian restaurant that will fill a need in the US of A...almost an ala Panda Express or Chipotle...imagine my surprise when I saw that concept actually recreated by a bunch of young, enthusiastic and I think majorly cerebral did I say ...young uns ( they came by to ask us how the food was and for feedback : mine was add a kid's meal -- it's no fun sharing my bowl with K2). The food concept is fabulously simple...pick your base (rice bowl, salad bowl, bur-roti), pick your protien (paneer, chicken, lamb), pick your sauce ( tikka, lentils), add in the fresh veggies and your spice chutney (mild, medium, spicy, lava) --- if you so please make it a combo with (mango lassi or a soda) and naan chips. A and I loved the concept and the food -- K1 thought the food still needed more of an "Indian identity" and more indian flavors. K2 finished up all his mango lassi. While we were lazing around barking orders to K2 to drink less lassi and eat more food -- we watched the steady line of people streaked in Holi colors walk in for food...and then sitting behind us eating his rice bowl was no one other than Dan Ariely...was that predictably irrational or unpredictably rational...whatever it was, I was mighty happy to see one of the people I heard on Ted Talks in person enjoying a rice bowl at Tava just like me....how is your weekend turning out? Isn't the sunshine gorgeous?

Sick as a dog...and comfort for me is...

I wonder why it has to be "sick as a dog"...not a cat, rat, parrot or a chimpanzee...actually wait a minute, given "J's" close encounters of the parasital kinds in Feb and all the TLC we have given to get that sick ol' guy back on his 4 feet...maybe it kinda sorta makes sense. In this case the "sick as a dog" describes me (and A - my visiting brother). Here's what happened..."B" was down from India...partied much (or that's my version and I stand by it) passed the virus something to A that he oh! so lovingly just had to share with his beloved sister "M" (yes me...the resulting BAM! is still resounding in the back aches, the coughs and the voice lost and the ever-friendly viral fever...not really willing to leave for good)...
Work load hasn't eased up and I really don't expect it to ease up oh! for at least the next 12 months...joys of working on a 1.0 release and all that ( reality is I love it and wouldn't have it anyother way...) but this darn viral flu thingie is pulling me down...I am shuffling like an old hag, haven't cooked till today (don't ask me how we survived Subway, some unappetizing one-pot rice thing I called Khichidi, Panda Express, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and one good meal cooked by A when he was feeling a little better....joys of having a spouse who REALLY can't cook). Anyway, I was ready for a comfort meal today (and it ain't happening in my kitchen without me moving....), so I made something simple in 20 minutes...it may be frowned on by ANDI for the lack of so-called immunity building stuff....BUT I savored every bite of it...so go figure !!!

Here's what I did :

1. Boiled a pound of white potatoes+ 2 cups of rice in a pressure cooker (if you have a super big PC, great you can do both together at one go) - 5 minutes
2. Squeeze 2 big Meyer Lemons
3. Peel the white potatoes and cube
4. Keep the following things on hand : Raw Peanuts, Curry Leaves (fresh)
5. For Tadka : Hing, Mustard, Urad Dal
6. Salt to taste

In the wok (and I used just one) :-

For the potatoes :

1. Add Oil, about 1 tablespoon (try using a neutal one)
2. Add hing when the oil is hot and then add the mustard and urad dal. When the tadka is dancing in the wok, then hit it with the curry leaves followed by 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of Red Chili Powder (reduce it if you have a wimpy spice tolerance level )
3. Add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes  or till potatoes go crispy on the edge like in the picture
4. Salt to taste

For the Lemon Rice :

1. Add Oil, about 1 tablespoon (try using a neutal one)
2. Add hing when the oil is hot and then add the mustard and urad dal. When the tadka is dancing in the wok, then hit it with the curry leaves followed by 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric and the raw peanuts
3. When the peanuts are cooked through, add in the lemon juice
4. Add in the rice
5. Salt to taste

Dinner was done in 20 minutes....truth be told it exhausted me but my stomach thanks me now. Comfort for me right now is the warmth of my bed on this cold day...a simple yet fulfilling meal...a hug shared with my son....a conversation with loved ones...

Comfort for me...something I keep running back to time and again is this book A had got almost 30 years back in school...which I have kept...it is a "shloka" book. Every time I need to quiet the mind or bring it some comfort, I pick it up and read it and I find comfort...it has along with prayers, this treasury of sayings and I share one with you -

What is defeat? Nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better...

This blog post goes to Kirthi's Kitchen for her event Serve it - Stir Fried -- an event ideated by Denny who aptly says "We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection" and to Sravani for her event : Vegan Diet

Week in retrospect...

"Rain Rain Go to Spain, do not show your face again,

Little K2 wants to play...Rain Rain go away..."

That has been my mantra as I get up in the morning and walk J in the drizzling rain and bitter cold at 6.45 AM in the morning...a person who had left chai for about 3 years is gravitating back to the addictive pull of hot instant cardamom tea (yes it is instant, don't judge me I don't have the time or inclination to make a desi cuppa in the morning)...not for the caffeine but for the warmth...some days it is a hot cup of horlicks...but this rain is making me do the most unusual things. Here is a picture of J peering inquisitively into the phone lens (at 7.00 AM in the morning)

The commute now is non-existent...K2's school - 3 minutes from home and work - 3 minutes from K2's school...some kind of bliss this is...here is a picture of  a cloudy, foggy morning taken impulsively on my phone...reminds me of an old hindi movie "woh kaun thi"

Amidst the rush to drop K2 in school, lunches, dinners, laundry and homework...K2 and A (my brother) created a masterpiece...a "leprechaun trap" for his school project...observe the artists at work with the shamrock coin,glitter glue and the green candy taped on the entrance of the trap to entice him...

Spontaneous tulips from A for no reason at all (the last flowers he gave me were 6 years back) brighten my table on a rainy day

Yesterday, I had a vivid dream of one of my summers in Balasore, then a little town in Orissa...I saw my great grandfather and for some reason this picture popped up while I was doing a search on something totally unrelated...a picture from almost 2 decades ago...my great grandpa is the one whose face I am holding and asking to smile for the camera ( yes..yes...ignore the long hair...that is also a thing of the past...see that nerd pointing, that is my bro A and of course Jhumri). But for me the memory was sweet and sharp...he was 98 in the picture and lived over 100 and was a sweet man...I remember him sitting on the verandah preparing his paan.

Saturday morning was not so relaxed...I was glued to the computer working but A made me some amazing breakfast and K1 is back from travels, so I am happy and content. Meeting R& M for dinner...just had R ring up and shout at me for not leaving...we were supposed to be there @ 7.30 pm....darn it !!!
How is your weekend turning out?

Getting to Zero (Debt)

 I am writing this blog post despite our disagreement (my husband and mine) that this is private because of all the commotion on debt - the mortgage debt, the car payment debts, the credit card debts and god knows what else...frankly every which way you look you get charged for something or the other...do you really let the debt take charge of your life or do you want to live life a free person. How true is the saying - Debt is the slavery of the free!!!
I choose to live my life free and if it means disciplining myself to wield my common sense, will power and power of judgement to the choices I make in life so be it...here are some of the things that worked for us :

1. Keep on top of your expenses : If you follow your spending, you have a good idea of what your budget needs to be...I have key categories and usually stick to the budget I set for myself every month
2.  Accountability : One person needs to take accountability for the home finances - monthly payments, insurance payments, miscellaneous payments, taxes (income and property), DMV. Yes, it is a daunting list but very manageable with a little bit of organization
3.  Be Aware and downsize where appropriate : Be aware of the prices you pay for things -- it is pain free, convenient and economical to order things online (think Amazon). In 2010, I gave up the Comcast Triple Play and moved to individual services for phone, Internet and cable and saved roughly $100 a month ( $1200/year). We had an SUV which was barely giving us 10 miles/gallon and we downsized to a sedan which was diesel, giving us almost 30 miles/gallon and it is K1's dream drive.
4. Cut out the frills, don't be afraid to use coupons and shop sales: For health, we shop in the farmer's market ( surprisingly cheaper than buying produce at Safeway, TJ's or Whole Foods), we pack lunch for all the three of us at least 4 days a week...we don't really invest a whole lot of time cooking but try and make easy, quick and healthy meals that work for us. I proudly proclaim that I shop Sale, I use coupons and am not brand loyal - just ingredient loyal...in my mind Oats is Oats whether it's Quaker,  Oats from Bob Mills or the bulk section @ my local grocer.Coldwater Creek, Jones New York and Ann Taylor have amazing deals about 2-3 times a year and I make sure I order my clothes online then (it saves me time and serious moolah ). I go to Costco about twice a month for all my cleaning stuff, vitamins and all my nuts. I am a focused buyer -- usually have a list and stick to it.
5.  Save Wisely: I was a little stupid when it came to starting a retirement account, what motivated me to start one was a 1:1 match by my company. Now I save fiercely ...I maximize on my 401K, put money aside for my child's college fund and investigate other opportunities to save. I use my credit card like a charge card, paying off the entire balance diligently every month.
6. Ask yourself the question do I really need this : It is so easy to get into the vicious cycle - to earn, spend, want more and spend more -- clutter your house with art, little thingies and clutter your mind. Our house is minimalistic - we have reduced our buys to essentials . With things that we don't need or have out grown ( and you have some of those when you have children) - we actively solicit friends to take them, we sell things on craigs list or we donate to salvation army. We have an empty and sort of organized garage. My pantry is the one area which is work in progress -- I do tend to buy more food than we need but have been able to keep waste down to minimal.
7. Be Happy and let your hair down : We don't count the pennies. We splurge where it makes sense - zoo subscriptions, theater, movies, activities, dinners, vacations. Yet more often than not happiness for me is a walk down the bay with family checking out the pelicans flying away gracefully, or the seal bobbing up and down in the water sunning or a heart pounding "bollyburn" class in the gym. I have realized that material/money is a mean to an end...not the end and it certainly does not make me  happy.

I think living with or without debt is a personal choice -- what makes sense to me might be total nonsense to you....in the end it is about doing what makes you happy. What makes me happy today is remembering the wonderful Chenna Poda, I had made almost a year back...it is a typical east meets west kind of a recipe...if you want to make this wonderful creamy Indian Cheese Cake, the recipe is here

This recipe goes to Anjali's event - Cakes, Cookies and Desserts @ Sugar and Spice Tales.

 How has the weekend been treating you?

The Amrikan from Pune...three dozen eggs

The weekend was a lazy quiet one...I ate in, practiced yoga, hung out with friends (thanks GG, AG),watched mindless TV, spent time with K1 and K2 and  caught up on reading. A, my phirang brother is down from Pune (his ameriki accent is as pronounced as my desi one :) ) and in typical foodie style we celebrated his arrival in the US with a quasi elaborate meal. My fridge is choked with sweets from Chitale Bandhu - thanks to my MIL my son will get lunch boxes with his beloved "sweet paratha" (puran poli)
I have to confess I am one of those secret food voyeur's who just loves seeing the recipe pictures and imagining how the food would taste. In reality I cook quick...recipes literally popping into my head while I cook with no sense of proportion just random instinct. Today was no different, I was at Mollie Stone's - the local store and there was some really fresh, organic chicken kheema (mince) that I picked up, fresh mint, sheep's feta, 2 dozen eggs from Emma's Comfort Coop and various other instinctive buys. When I got home -- I was tired wanting to take it easy for the next two days...yet when I walked J around the bay there was a new burst of energy, something  made me get out the huge saute pan and start cooking the chicken and the pudina pulao (thanks to A, my assistant chef)...no recipes today...just a spontaneous  picture K2 made me take with my phone ( did I tell you he has a loose tooth now...)

One thing that was striking is that adaptability is a "state of the mind" and this applies both in the work place and in the kitchen. No one told me that pulao was the way to go with the over-priced pudina (mint) that I had picked up -- in fact, I have never made pulao. I made a couple assumptions and went with my gut; I have tried to do the same at work - based decisions on instinct and experience. The Amrikan from Pune and the Punekar in Amrika, both enjoyed the meal...now I need to figure out what I can do with 3 dozen eggs ( the 1 dozen I picked up yesterday from the farmer's market and the 2 dozen today...) -- scrambled, sunny side up, boiled or unda curry anyone?