The first drops ......

The first rain drops that drenched the soil after much drought .... I was wondering what Life would it have been if Kerala didn't have Monsoon .

The smell of rain kissed earth,the thunder and lightening,

the pearl drops ready to fall off from the leaves,

the plush green ,the sprouts,

the dripping birds ,the water falling from the roof ,

and the warmth as I snuggle up to my beloved,

I love Rain !

Pearl's worries

Her father has convinced Pearl that we had bought her from a pet shop just like we bought Leo. So now she wants to know from which pet shop he bought me !

And she wants a list of good pet shops in the town so that she can check where to get cute babies for her !

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In between our talks she looks so worried and I ask her what it is

" mother , I don't like injections !"

" we are not going to have any "

(rolling eyes ) "uff , when the baby comes ! "

Oh god ! How could she know ? I start counting :-0   wait a minute !!!!

"OhOh !!! You mean your baby !" hmm.....

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Ruby and Pearl  discussing in detail where to keep the dog once they get married .

Pearl to Ruby : " Acha and Amma will be so old . They cannot take care of the puppy . And I will go away . You will have to keep it . You can send it over to my house when you have to go somewhere . And on weekends I will come to visit . Or can we marry each other ? "

" When we have babies Amma and Acha will get old and will die ! "

That is the rule of nature . There is no solution to this . They have to decide whether to have babies or keep us alive !

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Ruby , Pearl and their friend watching Movie . A scene comes with a boy sneaking porn magazines . Pearl cannot stop laughing . The rule is not to laugh loud when wierd jokes come !

I misunderstand her giggles and wonders how she knows all this . And she continues ......

Pearl : " Haha ! What a foolish boy  ! He is a boy and is reading girl's magazines ! Doesn't know a thing "

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My heart goes out for the innocence !!!!

Vacation Moments

What is a vacation without Jamuns to cool you off ! Kids helped to make them .

Naadan Karimeen Moly or Pearl Spot stew

Ingredients :


Fried pearl spot fish

small onion - 8 to 10

green chilli - 2

ginger - 1" piece

tomato - 1 small or mango - 1/2 piece

curry leaves

1 cup thick coconut milk

salt to taste.

Fry the fish as you would do it normally ie. after marinating with chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt.



Crush some small onions , green chillies, ginger and curry leaves . Take a separate pan and saute it. (You can use a seasoned earthen pot also. )

Add chopped tomato or raw mango . ( add garam masala if you like it that way )

Add the fried fish. Flip both sides and let the masala stick to the fish.

Add one cup thick coconut milk .

Switch off the stove as soon as it starts boiling . Serve hot !

Unaccustomed earth

My 5th book in the 20 books challenge . I have finished Unaccustomed earth and is almost inside the book even now.  I had read 'Namesake' and liked it very much.

So some how I thought this also was a novel . Only after 2 or 3 chapters I noticed that they are not interconnected and are short stories.

Reading every short story I wanted to know more about each character . I wanted to know what happened to their lives . ( review of the book by New york Times )

Jumpa Lehri has her own way of weaving images . I was very much taken up by the last part that I don't know how many days it will take for me to be out of it and I don't know how many times lonely beach and a handsome drowning boy will haunt me in my dreams !

The image has taken up my mind so much I cannot think of the other stories. But I got involved in every one of them and it took me days to cut myself off . I get very much carried away by characters and their thoughts.

Happy Mother’s Day !

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To My mom, For she is the only one who understands what is in my mind. I can fool the whole world . But not her !

To my Mom , For she taught me to love . That love can make miracles, That love is the only answer !

To my Mom , For she taught me selflessness !

To my Mom , for she taught me to smile , hug and kiss !

To my Mom, for she taught me to cook with passion and serve with love  !

To my Mom , for she taught me the most important lesson in my life ; To forgive when some body hurts you !

To my Mom, for making Me out of me !

Aswathy.

On Mother's day , Indus Ladies has compiled an ebook of Indian Mommy bloggers .

Indusladies Mommy Bloggers EBook

Vacation moments

My passion for Jasmine flowers is closely related to my vacation memories.

My recent visit to my Aunt's house in the country side, brought to my mind beautiful memories of the great evenings  we had when we were younger  and used to spend our holidays together at our Mother's place .

The evenings busy with collecting  jasmine flowers from all the vines in the yard .........



Making garland using wet plantain threads..........

Careful picks and knots..........



Front yard .................... cousins.............small talks ............black coffee.....



Picture Perfect!

Egg stew

I got this recipe from Nisha's mother. One of our favourite dish at college. Aunty used to send extra appoms and curry so that her daughter wouldn't starve :-D After my marriage , as soon as I started cooking on a day to day basis I called her up for the recipe. Even after 10 years, it is one of the best in our Menu.

Ingredients

(  Just the common things you have in your kitchen )

1.Potatoes - 3-4 nos cut into 1" cubes

2.Onion - 1-2 nos sliced

3.green chilli - 2-3  slit into two

4.ginger - 1" piece chopped

5.masala

chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

corriander powder - 2 tsp

all spice powder/ garam masala - 2 1/2 tsp

pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

6.coconut oil - 1 tsp.

7.salt to taste

8.mustard seeds and dry chilli for tadka . 1/2 tsp all spice powder / garam masala

9.curry leaves

10.coconut milk from 1/2 coconut ( I take 2 or 3 hand fulls of coconut scrapings depending on availability ). We need it thick so add less water and squeeze thoroughly.

11. boiled egg ( as reqd) or paneer cubes.

Method :

Pressure cook all the ingredients from 1 to 7.

Three or four whistles will be enough .

After cooling add the coconut milk and boil till the gravy is thick.

Smash potatoes if you like it that way.

Do the tadka . Add a pinch of masala to it after switching off the stove.

Mix it with the curry.

Add boiled egg / softened paneer cubes . Simmer for some time.

Add 1/2 tsp raw coconut oil for the aroma .

Ready to serve.

Goes best with Appom / bread.

Spicy Mutton Chops .

I followed Sanjeev Kappor's recipe with some modifications and it came out very well.  If you want the original recipe you can go here.

It is one of those dishes where I will have to try hard to reach Hubby's  expectations. They have got one hotel at his native place where it is served. Even when it is closed, he looks at that place and drools !!!

My recipe :

Mutton chops cooked with curd and a spicy masala.

Preparation Time :30 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Servings : 4


INGREDIENTS
Mutton chops 1/2 kilogram
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
curd 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tablespoons
Onions, sliced 4 medium
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

For masala
Oil 1 tablespoon
Onion , chopped 1 medium
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Garlic 12 cloves
Green chillies, halved 5-6

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

2 1/2 tsp garam masala

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 cup

method:

Clean and wash mutton chops thoroughly .

Add turmeric powder, curd and salt and marinate in refrigerator till you are ready to put them in the dish.

Take a pan. Add some oil. Add chopped garlic, ginger , 1 chopped onion , chopped green chillies with one or two minute difference in between. Saute 2-3 minutes.

To this Add:

2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

2 1/2 tsp garam masala

Keep aside.

In a pressure cooker add some oil . Add finely sliced onions and saute till pink .

Add the masala and saute for one or two minutes. Add the mutton chops till the masala clings to the chops and oil separates.

Stir one cup of water into the pan and add salt to taste.

Cover the cooker and cook over medium heat till five whistles .
Remove from heat and let the pressure reduce. Remove the lid and simmer till almost all the gravy dries up.
Sprinkle lemon juice over the chops and serve hot.

Indian Mommys meet on Mother's day !

The trend now is blogging. It is difficult to find people who don't follow a blog or don't have a blog themselves.

For everything from cooking to rearing kids we depend on the internet. Especially now that we have more nuclear families and Indian families living abroad seldom visit in one or two years. Otherwise where would we ask all our questions that we need answered , about parenting, and other day to day issues women face .

And on the other side we have a vast majority of Indian woman who are close to our culture, good in literature,who know a lot about parenting, have novel ideas and thoughts and caring enough to blog their valuable experiences .

I started blogging as an ordinary house wife . But now after almost a year, I can see that every thing around me has changed for a positive note . My knowledge and confidence has improved profoundly. I communicate with mothers all around the world on different views about parenting and other interested areas.

Thanks to Indus Ladies, it gives us all Indian mothers, a platform to express ourselves and is like a sister, mother, friend and companion.

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There are discussions for every subject a woman faces . Forums where you can express your feelings and views on current social and political issues. Online job choices , Parental guidance , Cooking Recipes , Gardening tips , Hobbies, Short story and poem competitions, in short every thing a woman aspires.

More than anything I like their promptness and personal touch. They have a list of top blogs where you can find the finest blogs posts. If you haven't registered yet and want to register this very moment , Go here Indus ladies .com

To celebrate this Mother's day Indus ladies is making a list of Indian Mommy bloggers.

As any other passionate blogger the first thing I do in the morning is check my comments and views. I long for them . The comments and views on my blog are my inspiration to write more posts. I follow the links of people who comment on my blog which gives me more food for thought and ideas and threads to write.

Getting listed in the ebook increases the visibility of the blog immensely. And more viewers means , you will be more motivated to improve your blog and posts . It not only means that you will  get a list of other fine Mommy blogs  but  your blog will also be listed in other Indian Mommy blogs thus increasing the value of your blog and posts. It will help lots and lots of other Mommies to reach you easily. To get your help and to follow your wonderful blog. It will also help you to reach a million other Indian Mommies who love to blog on each and every issue Moms face .

If you are a mommy blogger or love to blog about parenting, your kids and life as a mother, then get listed soon ! Click on the banner below !

This wonderful initiation has been welcomed with great enthusiasm and Indian Mommy bloggers all around the world including me are so excited. I follow Indus ladies on face book at   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indusladies/64376879921.