Getting out of the Bubble - Part 3- China Town SFO!

This SF trip proved to be the best of them all! The sights, the smell, the sounds everything reminded me so much of India. Tiny stores with their colorful wares spilling onto the sidewalk, the numerous bakeries to stop and munch at when your feet get tired and throngs of people, some milling around like me but most driven by their daily pursuits.The constant Cantonese chatter, the permeating smells of BBQ, fish and spices, the bright red lanterns - its interesting to say the least!

The Lion Gate- entrance to Chinatown

Getting out of the Bubble - Part 2- Museums.

Some great places to immerse your child in Tech- the San Jose Tech Museum and The Exploratorium in SFO.
Last week was our first time at The Tech and it was surprising to see how quickly kids get engrossed in most of the hands-on projects there. The museum was not terribly crowded and San Jose downtown looked fresh and appealing :) bringing back nostalgic memories of student days there.
Its a great place to see everything in one day and spend time on the projects that interest you most- the IMAX show 'Flight of the butterflies' was spectacular and how cool is it to grow Jelly fish DNA in the wet labs!
http://www.thetech.org/?gclid=CM6oiazO5rgCFWfhQgodK1AA2w

Summer quotes - "Getting out of the bubble"

The other day one little boy comes up to me and says "Mom,we need to get out of the bubble!" Uh-oh, looks like he caught the bug, I'd heard variations of this from another quarter - "The middle class trap- how do we get out of it" or " This model is not sustainable, we need to find another way!" and many more along the same lines accompanied by loud sighs. But not to worry, it wasn't the 8 yr old trying to make sense of the daily grind - he was quoting his martial arts master who was trying to drum up some enthusiasm for a 4 mile hike on a 100+ hot Saturday!
Of course, I have my own ideas of 'Getting out of the bubble' that doesn't involve a whole lot of sweating and panting- Strawberry Picking, the beach, Tech Museum of San Jose and The Exploratorium which is where we were last week. What better way to get out of the bubble than spend time with family and friends, taking in California's bounty and stimulating the grey cells with a good dose of hands-on science.

Swanton Berry Farms are my favourite- gorgeous views, great tasting organic berries and the best part of it all - their "Honest Till". The whole concept was out of the world to me the first time I saw it and continues to amaze me every time- some things are only possible in the "Republic of Santa Cruz!" Now this idea is culturally impossible back home in India- don't ask me why...
Check this out:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/06/11/154750001/the-psychology-of-the-honor-system-at-the-farm-stand
UPDATE: Here you go, eating my own words and happy to do so :). One of my readers pointed out that there is indeed a version of the 'Honest Till' back home- ' The Gandhigiri Shop' started by a very enterprising MBA student. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRpFazoNykc

Miles and miles of berries...heaven!

Brownie Points....

Here's something quick, easy and a sure crowd pleaser...made with regular 'in my pantry' ingredients. I wouldn't say its necessarily healthy but its so much more wholesome than a box of brownies from the store. How can you go wrong with 5 ingredients- butter, eggs, sugar, flour, cocoa, vanilla and baking powder...ok that's 7.
I love recipes that use one dish, require no appliances and can be whipped up in 10 minutes (plus baking time) ! And its foolproof at least in my kitchen - all credits to Hersheys.
https://www.hersheys.com/celebrate/summer/recipedetail.aspx?id=5008

Chocolate brownies with white chocolate chips

A stunner from Zaarga....

So I finally got around to giving this piece of art its space, and what a transformation! The sheets are luxurious and soft, the colors pop out and the design elegant! Check it out at
http://www.zaarga.com/productDetails&productId=135&

Wraps....the easy summer snack/lunch.

Wraps are the most versatile of all easy healthy snacks, so much more interesting than a sandwich and way more presentable ...and kid friendly too!

Ham and Cheese Wraps with Pesto!

Black Necked Cranes

Here's another one from The Artful House creator capturing the timeless grace of the black necked crane onto her line of table settings- its a classic! Can't wait to see the rest of it...

Black Necked Cranes Dinner Plates designed by Padmaja @ Artful House.

Rooms with a view...

When 2 people with 'Kala-bodham' (someone who appreciates art and creates beautiful spaces) get together, here's what you get!

 

Padmaja, my dearest friend from college, set up a home in Singapore that oozes old world charm. Along with her hubby, Pramod ( the sweetest man!), they've created a home that I can't quite find words to describe other than say it’s out of the world charming with plenty of character, drawing you in with warm colors, a blend of old and new furniture and paintings that beckon....

From the koi pond in the dining room to the blue, red and white master bedroom, one living space flows into the next with the most inviting corners to curl up with a book or just stare at the paintings and knickknacks around you and dream.....

Check out her own line of furniture at...Artful House....coming soon.

Come to think of it- 2 of my ex-roomies from the good (?) 'ole college days are into art and home decor- switching fields completely, discovering hidden talents and charting out new adventures- you go girls!! Check out www.Zaarga.com - and look out for a blog soon with pictures of a stunning bedspread in my guest room from Zaarga.

 

All in a days work....

Here's what a talented 12 yr old(my neice!) came up with on a short notice baby shower- move over Martha!

    Diaper Cake!

Its Friday...whats cooking?

Usually nothing- if I'm lucky, there's a whole medley of leftovers from the week.
But here's something from one of those nights when I felt like seafood and Italian...with ingredients on hand...but felt lazy and didn't want to spend time and energy(and money!!) to eat out at my fav seafood restaurant.. a whole lot of conflicting thoughts :)
With the boys on the couch snacking on rose cookies(something I'll probably never make in my life time but have vivid memories of my mom making) and watching Skyfall...30 mins later, here's what got whipped up for dinner- I'm impressed :) Well, the point being, like I tell the boys-we can have "restaurant style" food , ambience and all (almost) right here at home in 30 mins with local grown ingredients, most of it from the Farmer's Market. Set the table, light the candles if the mood calls for it and voila!!
Mushroom Tortellinis with Grilled Salmon and Kale Salad....All's well with the world!

Trip down Nostalgia Lane with Mathi Peera Pattichethu....(Sardines with coconut)

Been craving Mathi ever since I got back from a trip home where my fav Aunt and dear old N chechi cooked them for me everyday I was there- I miss them! Mathi fried is always my first choice in seafood back home (after fish head curry!!) but I'll settle for peera too.

 The cravings are not the kind that will get me to drive down to the Asian fish stores, buy fresh sardines, clean them, cook them - no thanks! By then I'd be stressed out by the smell, the imaginary scales on the kitchen walls and counters and worse still, if they're not fresh- there goes my property value- I'd never be able to get the smell of rotten sardines out of my house or neighbourhood for that matter...

However on a recent grocery shopping trip, I was surprised to find that the local Whole Foods carries fresh wild sardines, cleaned and looking good!! And here's what transpired shortly there after...

 

The clutter in our lives....

When one of the many "catch all" baskets tipped over :) The pantry bulb that needs replacing, the pack of cards with a few always missing, the 'must have' Angry Birds mittens, the 'Crazy Bands' that were the craze one time with the most sophisticated barter systems revolving around them, the old GPS with its holder that may have a purpose someday esp. now that the phones and cars all have GPS !!!

(Yet) another new beginning...

Well.. I believe new beginnings are always good- it shows you're trying, failing and trying again!! The mantra now is still the same as before- eat healthy, move more. Easier said than done but here is why I think it’s worth trying over and over again:

• We truly live in the land of plenty, fresh organic fruits and vegetables in plenty. A recent trip outside the country makes me appreciate this even more...
• · Living in a beautiful city with the mountains around you, it’s uplifting each time you look around you...but we don't stop and marvel! Move around outdoors more often, I do love to be outdoors but in my defense , my allergies are the roadblock here.   

On the breakfast menu today: