Treasures of Life

One of the most cherished memories of my childhood is the times I spent with my mom when she would cook up something special for me during my summer vacation. I being the foodie I am would be excited right from the word go! I can still remember the smell of the 'Benne biscuit' (Butter biscuit) baking in the oven or the fresh homemade mango ice cream kept in the freezer to set. I would promptly check every few minutes to see if it is done. I wouldn't do much, but just watch her (primarily in anticipation of the end result) but in the process learnt so much. And more than anything I just enjoyed the process of watching all the ingredients come together to form a savorable delicacy. Its the fun of blending ingredients together and the excitement of getting to eat at the end of it that I enjoy cooking as much as I do. Its been a source of relaxation rather than a daily chore (Ofcourse I have my lazy days too!).

When I am with my daughter today, I think of those days and I get a warm feeling and I think that I would love for her to have the same feeling years later. That made me realize how important it is to treasure the recipes that have been a part of five years of my cooking life. Once somebody told me that one of the best things you can inherit are family recipes as there will be nothing else you will use more in your day to day life.

So here is to sharing some treasures of my life. Some have been passed on, some found on cyberland and some results of some experiments along with another food enthuse B.

Sixth Sense

I have always wondered if this happens to everyone. Just the other day we went to see a house for rent, and as soon as I saw this place I was immediately certain this has to be our new home. We applied for the house, and waited and what did we hear! That someone else applied for the house before us and got the place. I was restless when I heard that, thought I will give it one last try and spoke to the agent, but with no luck. So it was all put behind and we started looking for other places. But this one feeling inside me kept saying we’ll be in that house. I kept shrugging it saying how silly of me! A few days later we get a call saying they want to offer us the house as it did not work out with the other folks! Now we are all set to move into this place next month.

What was that inner feeling I felt? Was it some logical thinking of my mind or hopeful wishing of my heart? I think I’d like to believe its some sixth sense that pops up from somewhere. Doesn’t stick around all the time, but just comes out of nowhere when I least expect it. It has startled me when I was led by this feeling in some of the most important incidents of my life like when I met my husband (B) or the birth of my baby. It has scared me when this feeling told me that my uncle was breathing his last when he was far away in India. It has amused me when this feeling told me at times what the other person might be thinking. But on the whole it has just amazed me, and before anybody assumes I have some super power let me tell you something, I really don’t! If I did I would have used it every single day and made my life so much easier.

I have seriously tried to force this feeling to act a lot of times and how I wish I was successful. Like when I was gambling at a casino, if only this feeling would have led me to win a few thousand bucks. At work when we are at a design meeting, if only the feeling would tell me the best possible design even before anything, I would have looked like a genius. And during those zillion arguments with B, I could have always been the winner, especially when I have to navigate when we drive; I could have always known whether we should turn left or right.

This sixth sense continues to enchant me and I wonder at what other times in my life I will encounter it. The one I wonder most about is whether it would be around to tell me when it is the end of the road!

Lets play Peekaboo!

The moment that made me pause and take a peek at my life, was this moment when I was with my eight month old daughter baking a cake. I had just then handed her a spatula so that she would amuse herself with it while I continued with beating the eggs. When I turned to see what she was doing, I saw her moving the spatula in a circular motion just like the way I was moving my whisk. Initially I thought it was cute that she was doing what I was, and then I realized she DOES WHAT I DO! And that sent a shiver down my spine. For the first time I realized the onus of being a mom. I have to from here on watch what I say and watch what I do.

That started a whole new thought process, what is it that I really do these days? Get up, rush to work, traffic, work, deadlines, rush home, traffic, baby, chores, dinner, next day, exhaustion, sleep(dreams are a bonus on some lucky days). And then the weekends, there are two kinds of weekends. One is when you just shred all the to-do lists and take off somewhere and have so much fun that it feels like you are drunk and have no worries in life. It is a total feeling of being high but the following Monday morning you have a terrible hangover and you have to start from scratch with your to-do lists. The second kind are the weekends when you slog to finish all the chores on your to-do lists, at the end of it you get up on Monday morning feeling you absolutely had no weekend this time. Whatever happened to enjoying every moment in life? I realized I no longer measure life in moments, I think of it more in terms of hours or days or maybe even weeks. Days come and go so fast and YOU just get lost in them.

I finally realized I cannot get lost in time, I have to break free from the routine for a few moments (yes I have decided to value moments) everyday and reintroduce me to myself first and then to those big eyes that look up to me! Its time to play Peeek-aaa-booo!

P.S – My blog’s name has three vowel characters instead of one because all other spellings were already taken! And isnt this really the way we say it most of the times :)