mayurisjikoni

The Holiday State    February is when Shhh Cooking Secretly group (started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) had a virtual tour of Goa. Its been over 30 years since I've visited Goa. I remember when we were passing the town centre, there was a huge crowd of people. We asked the taxi driver what was going on and he replied "koi naya actor ki shooting chal rahi hai, aap ko dekhna hai?" he asked. We asked if he knew the actor and he said no so we didn't stop to watch. Who was the new actor? None other than Shakrukh Khan shooting for the movie Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa!    I remember we were staying at some hotel in town and would go to the Taj Holiday Resort to get onto the beach. Back then there were not many hotels. I remember getting to the beach and for miles there would hardly be anyone. There use to be a fish shack near Taj and hubby, my brother and my cousin would enjoy fresh fish and I'd get only French fries (fishy ones)!    Goa is  the smallest...

Back To Normal Routine    Its after a very long time that I had a very relaxing holiday. Relaxing means no cooking at all, no blogging and just lazing around doing what I want. I slept, I read, I walked a bit and spent quality time with my eldest son, daughter in law and her parents. Visiting Bali was a truly a surprise for me. When I use to see postcard pictures of Bali, blue seas, sandy beaches it was not really on my wish list. When you have sandy beaches and blue sea and sunshine in your backyard, Bali was not that alluring. I think if my son and daughter in law had not decided to settle there, hubby and I would probably not have visited Bali.  However, I am so glad that we went there last December. Though we were not able to see much of Bali because of my daughter in law's accident, we managed a few day trips.     Bali is a predominately a Hindu island. However, their customs and rituals are so different from the Hinduism practiced ...

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON -SEPT 2017 #80TH BLOGGING MARATHON THEME: PROTEIN RICH DISHES DAY:13    Plastic is becoming a mega concern world over as the land and oceans are getting littered with this 'we love to use it so much' product. Low production cost, easy to manufacture, versatile,impervious to water, easily moldable, has made this product so popular world over that its used right from pins heads to space ships. Its replaced wood, metal, glass, ceramic, paper, stone, leather etc. However, misuse of plastic has caused it to become as one of the major environmental threats to the world. Its alarming that minute particles are making their way to our food. Both land and sea animals are ingesting plastic and this in turn is landing up on our plates.    You might be wondering why am I talking about plastic here instead of food. Well, as some of my ardent followers know, my blog is not just for recipes but its also where I share news, my experiences ...

Happy Father's Day     A lot of importance, praise, appreciation, love and thought goes into celebrating Mother's Day. However, I feel that Father's Day has definitely drawn the short straw! It comes, cards are exchanged, gifts are bought and Father's Day is over. I feel that dads, papas, fathers, aboos, all over the world are less appreciated. I know my dad didn't help my mum to change nappies, bathe us, clothe us when we were young but he did so many other things for us(my brother, sister and me).    From what I gather, I always cried when my dad would come home for lunch even though I fed before his arrival.  So while having his lunch with his right hand, his left hand would be busy pulling the string to my hammock like 'godiyu' so that I may fall asleep.  My dad had protected us and provided us with whatever we required for our daily lives, right from school stuff to things we need at home. He protected us to the extend that we didn'...

Happy Uttarayan Guest post for Pushpita Aheibam     Come fly a kite      And watch it sail     Across the sky,     Waving its tail.     By Jean Warren    Once again it Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. Uttarayan is the Gujarati name for the festival celebrated all over India. Be it Pongal, Lohri,Magha Saaji,Suggi,Ghughuti or any other name, it basically celebrates the transition of the sun from the Tropic of Capricorn which is in the south part of the world to the north. It marks the ending of the winter solstice. The festival is also dedicated to the Sun God. It marks the end of the evil Poush (Kamudta) month. It is believed that Bhisma Pitah in spite of being on a bed of arrows and in grave pain, waited for the sun to be in Uttarayan to willingly die. Its also the period when the Gods awaken from their deep slumber. This festival is celebrated with a feeling of anticipation, joy and jubilation.        Guj...