A look back on 2016.....

Highlights of 2016:

1. Met all our near and dear ones all over the world 
2. Lost 2 very dear uncles (A & A)
3. Chased simplicity, created systems.
4. First timer highschooler and middle schooler
5. Presidents Award to the high schooler.
6. 2 brand new 2nd Dan Black belts in the family
7. Celebrated a 50th Wedding Anniversary!
8. A brand new car and the many trips in it!
9. And so many many wonderful trips from Lake Tahoe to Toronto to India and Houston

The days are long but the years are short-  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Pollock Pines- a cute little town tucked away

Sierra At Tahoe

Palli Perunal 

Tropical plants

Clicks captured during Feb- Mar Kerala trip

too many funerals...

Spring in Downtown Sunnyvale , and burgers at Nom Burger

Really good!

Sierra At Tahoe - another trip, another beautiful day!

And all the way to Toronto to celebrate a very special 84th birthday!

Back in warmer climes - Fragrant Nature Kollam

 View with my morning coffee- pure bliss!

Lush greenery- very restorative for the soul....

Another great trip @FN Kochi

Immersed ourselves in some art and culture :)

Back home...

Running...

Rock Climbing..

Back in India- another trip 

A view of the final resting place of my favorite Uncle :(

And Christmas in Houston :)

Lovely sights on a wintry day in Houston

And rounding out the year with our favorite place...

Lake Tahoe!!

Happy New Year!

Gastronomic Journeys

From home cooked to street food to fine dining and everything in between....

Uttapam from Aryaas - nothing in the bay area comes close! 

Thali lunch at Aaryas-Unbelievably good for less than $2!!

 Dosas from my all time favorite haunt- Gokul Oottupura! The whole gang piling into a 5 seater and off to Oottupura for breakfast most mornings- unforgettable memories :)

Food at Fragrant nature Kollam, pricey but awesome! Another great outing, though the scenery is what I remember this trip most for. Will have another blog on the sights and sounds of 'Gods own country' soon....

Seafood soup @ Fragrant Nature Kochi- beautiful flavors all coming together!

Italian for the Italians in the group :) Pasta and Chicken salad.FN Kochi was an all round hit with continental and Indian cuisine, everything was finger licking good!

Fried plantains, pakoras and limitless hot masala chai, served on the rooftop with a sweeping view of the coastline of the 'Queen of the Arabian sea'- absolutely the highlight of this stay!

Naadan food at FN Kochi, did not quite hit the spot...

But the desserts more than made up for it! Bitter gourd and green papaya desserts in milk , was truly out of the world. Just barely managed a click before it disappeared! Never had anything like this before, just melts in your mouth and leaves you slightly dazed at the exquisite taste bud experience.

And now for the home cooked- saving the best for last! 

Pearlspot fried to perfection!

And a whole dinner prepared and served by my favorite S Auntie 

Sweet corn chicken soup

Chilly chicken

Chicken fried rice......

Feeling blessed at all the memories this blog post is bringing back and feeling an acute sense of nostalgia for all past trips.

My kitchen is under 'New Management'

A week away from my kitchen resulted in a takeover. The new regime has completely revamped the pantry, here's a sample of a typical dinner menu:

Alaskan cod burger with sauteed spinach and freshly picked peaches.

Soba noodles with grilled chicken, radishes,spinach and green peas

http://www.livestrong.com/article/361268-are-soba-noodles-healthy/

Sweet potato salad with soft boiled eggs

Quinoa with sauteed spinach and pine nuts. 

Sauted spinach with garlic, pine nuts, sweet potatoes and cranberries

And my all time favorite, 'Cioppino' night. Including the prep work that went into it :)

Wild blue mussels

Scallops and Shrimp

Simmering in the pot...heavenly aromas!

Picture doesn't do justice to the end result!

Recipe adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cioppino-recipe.html

And topped off with Peach Cobbler!

Verdict: Kitchen has been sold to the chef under new management!!