Looking Back - January to March 2019 #GratitudeCircle #MondayMusings

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous

A gratitude post and a post about life, in general, have been long due on the blog. The first quarter of the year is done and dusted with. So it makes sense to look back at the months gone by so far this year. I have had a lot to be thankful for, quite a few things to ponder about and lest I forget about it as the year goes on, I should make a note of it here on the blog. So, I will not beat around the bush and straight get to the point.

The year so far has been a happening one. Of course, there were highs and lows too. And there were things to be grateful for. The universe keeps people aligning on my path to show me the way - to say the things I need to hear, to get the lessons I need to learn to grow and most importantly to not give up on trying - opportunities are just around the corner. We just need to make sure we aren't just walking straight.

Nolen Gurer (Palm Jaggery) Ice Cream | How to Make Nolen Gur Ice Cream | Ice Cream Recipes

Nolen Gurer Ice Cream # Recipes

Nolen Gurer Ice Cream is something I had been meaning to try for a long time now. Nolen gur aka Palm Jaggery has a dark and intense caramel flavour which I absolutely love, so much so that I often nibble on it whenever I have a sweet craving. I get my stock of nolen gur whenever I visit my mom’s place in Assam. She has been buying it locally from a seller since years now and I can surely vouch for its quality. 

I remember once I had got it in Kolkata from a random seller at almost one third the price; one look at it I knew it was adulterated and was no match for the nolen gur my mom gets for me.

Nolen Gur

Summer is upon us in Hyderabad. It is only March now and the way the mercury is rising, it takes no special skills to imagine what the coming months are going to be like. So in such times it only makes sense to buckle up and fill your arsenal with all you can to beat the heat – first is - lots of water throughout the day to keep oneself hydrated followed by fresh juices, homemade drinks and of course ice creams.

You can also check out my Natural Style Chikoo Ice Cream and Paan Ice Cream recipe.

Where Are You From? - Some Pictures From My Jan Assam Trip #MondayMusings

This January I made my annual trip to my mom's place. Some of my new friends and acquaintances asked me to share some pictures from my trip. That is when I realized I have never really shared anything about my hometown in this space. This space has been primarily for book reviews and sharing recipes, so I guess I had never given it a thought. Now that I have voluntarily taken a break from food blogging for a while, I guess it is fair enough to share some snippets from my life here to keep the blog going.

Where are you from?

This is one of the common questions I am often asked whenever I make new acquaintances. For that matter, I think it is one of the common questions posed to most people. For me, however, the answer is not as simple.

On Decluttering Memories - Does it Spark Joy?

On Decluttering Memories - Does it spark joy?

It was early morning and my boy was blissfully sleeping tucked in the blanket. My mom was in the kitchen busy preparing breakfast. So, I thought it was a good time to check out my things in one of those tiny shelves upstairs. I donned my fleece jacket and wore my socks – it is quite cold at this time of the year (January) in Assam and when you just get out the blanket, you feel the chill all the more. So, I dressed right for the weather and made my way upstairs.

It has been a kind of ritual for me whenever I am visiting my mom’s place to go over all my old books, diaries, knick-knacks and that special pouch that safely keeps old greeting cards, scrapbooks from schools, letters and notes that I loved exchanging with my friends. It serves as a souvenir of sorts for me – a lovely reminder of the good old days. A large part of the so-called letters and notes came from my best friend from school; ironically she is someone with whom I am barely in touch these days, despite the convenience of being connected on social media.

Of New Year resolutions & Word of the Year 2019!

Of New Year Resolutions & Word of the Year 2019!

We are done with the first week of February of the year 2019 and here I am talking about New Year resolutions! You must think I must have lost the track of time or something. But, let me tell you that I have not. 

I am pretty old school when it comes to resolutions. I make them, often break them; at times stick to them and many times change them. Point is - I keep setting some goals for myself throughout the year. So, New Year is just another opportunity to set goals and I see nothing wrong with that. Coming back to my resolutions for this year, I took a different approach. I came across this picture on Instagram and it kind of resonated with me. So, my resolutions for this year can be summed up in this image.