Cleaning the Fridge

 I decided to clean our fridge today!

Though I do not enjoy housecleaning activities, I thought it might be interesting to clean our fridge as I never did that before. Following are a few photos that pretty much explain how I cleaned the fridge today!

Before picture of Fridge - 1

Before picture of Fridge - 2

As clean as it can get!

I found a cool place to hang out. 

Broken bottle of fruit juice.

Broken bottle and juice spill - picture perfect!

There is beauty in broken things, isn't it? :)

Since I don't get to take a picture with a broken bottle all the time!

It's okay to be obsessed with taking pictures but be aware of the environmental hazards. -Lesson Learnt

The kitchen floor now smells of fruit!

After picture of Fridge - 1

After picture of Fridge - 2

Cleaning the fridge isn't an easy task to do. It does get boring if there are no broken bottles or spills to clean. Though cleaning and organizing might take a couple of hours, the neatly organized and clean look of the fridge is so nice to look at!

Happy cleaning! :D

Love,
Archana

Everyday conversation: part unknown ;)

Sru and I argue as we talk on phone with mom.

Me: Huh. I won't fight. I am doing yoga so that I will have peace of mind. (In a calm voice)
Sru: huh

Mom: hmm...so you are doing yoga so that you won't irritate Sruthi.
Me: NO. I am doing yoga so that when Sru irritates me I won't lose my peace of mind.

Sru got more support than I do in my family.😪

Sru looks at my sweatshirt and this is what happens!

Sru: :-O 😳do not tell me you wear this?!
Me: yes I do.
Sru: yuck😖
Me: that's my cooking sweatshirt. I wear it each time I cook. it got chocolate on it. (Looks at the chocolate stains and other stains on the sweat shirt, impressed) 😊
Sru: :-/ :-O 😱 (basically speechless)
Me: it's like, you wear apron at work and I wear this sweatshirt when I cook. It inspires me. And, I am not washing it anytime soon.
Sru: (still speechless) :-/😱


Mom: Kali said Sru told her to be cool at all times and not be upset over petty things.
Me: did not she say about anything I taught her?
Sru: what did you teach her? Other than saying baby and sweet heart and love you?
Me: well...that's important too.
Mom: Kali respects Sruthi.
Me: what about me??
Mom: huh... she loves you. Like she totally blindly loves you.
Me: 😊 :-)




Sent from my iPhone

Just my thoughts

I think the protests in India over the arrest of Devyani Khobragade are ridiculous and nothing but foolish political tactics. But I am so glad for the justice that is being done for the true victim.

From all of this, I hope We realize that Underpaid wages and mistreatment of domestic helps/maids....no matter how we want to justify...is still a form of slavery and take steps to end it. 

Sent from my iPhone

Eggless vanilla cake

Winter struggle: A bird's nightmare

I love snow. I love storms.  A snow storm, needless to say makes me happy. It feels magical to look at the snow flakes being swiftly carried by the wind and accumulating on the ground like a pure white carpet. 

But this afternoon, I saw something that made me wonder if  I should quit being so happy about snowy days. I saw a couple of hundred (hmm..a bit exaggerating I am ;) )birds in our back yard. These birds were flying here and there, trying to find a better shelter from the freezing wind. I really felt bad but there was really nothing that I could do other than wish for no bird to freeze to death.

Nature could be really harsh sometimes. Yet the beauty of nature lies in it's harshness...the harshness to which none of us are immune. 

Desperate attempts to hide from the freezing winds and snow fall.

Birds trying to find a cozy corner. I also, did see a couple of birds hiding behind a tree trunk on the ground.

These birds flew each time the wind blew..trying to find a warmer shelter.

After a couple of minutes, all these birds flew away. Do not know where. But I did leave a card box outside with bird feed in it, in case a bird get an idea to hide in it.

I shall post the picture of my cardboard box later.

Stay warm,
Archana
<3

Winter trees!

Driving through Pennsylvania last week, Sru and I saw that there were icicles hanging on the sides of the hill and also that all the trees, grass and plants were completely frozen. All the trees looked as if they were made of crystals and shined bright like diamonds as the sun rays passed through them. 

I couldn't get a good picture or a video....but never the less it is one of the most beautiful thing I ever saw. 

I hope you get to see it too! 

Here are few more pictures on our way to Maryland!

Love

Archana

Kali teaches me a lesson!!

Kali told me that she might be losing her two bugs bunny teeth (of which we all tease her and she is okay with) pretty soon. She also showed me, how she might look like without any teeth and how she would have to eat when toothless, like a very very old woman. 

It came as a surprise to me, to see her excited about her teeth falling off and how happy she is in preparing herself for what's to come. 

"Kali taught me a lesson today!! To be happy in all situations of life and not to worry about anything.  And also that, we might not be in control of what is going to happen but we are always in control of how we react."

Teeth or no teeth, she is still the most beautiful person I've known!! I love her and her attitude a ton!!! 

Sent from my iPhone

Tomato bruschetta

Tomato bruschetta

I found this recipe originally in piniterest.
Ingredients:
Tomato
Garlic Clove (minced)
Bread powder ( I blended plain croutons to make it into powder)
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Procedure:
1. Slice tomato into thin circular slices and lay them in a tray.
2. Add minced garlic, bread powder and Parmesan cheese on top of the sliced tomato.
3. Coat with olive oil.
4. Place the tray in an over for ten minutes at 420 degree fahrenheit.

I hope you enjoy making this, as much as I did.

Love,
Archana

Feta lettuce salad

3 cups of romaine salad
1 spoon of bold and creamy jalapeño sauce (Taco Bell)
1 spoon of feta crumbled cheese with Mediterranean herbs
1 spoon of shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 spoon of olive oil
6-7 plain croutons


Toss them all together and serve. Feta cheese gives a strong and distinctive flavor to the salad.

This salad has approximately 200 calories. If you want to make it healthier, add all the ingredients except the lettuce in moderation.

I do 'not' care.

The decisions I make in my life, are mine and my own.

I have one life:
to live,
to make mistakes and learn,
to love,
to hate,
to forgive,
and to evolve.

I am pretty much busy, planning and doing my best to live my life to the fullest.

If somebody else has the time to think about me, and be judgmental about the decisions I make in my life, they are more than welcome to do so.But, their opinions about:

how I should live my life, what career path I should choose...etc, do not influence me in any way, as I need to listen to my gut and keep up with my conscience 24/7.

Some times, these opinions do overwhelm, and upset me. But, I am trying my best to ignore the petty issues of life, and instead focus on the nicer and greater things in life and the world. Maybe someday soon, I will be able to have that attribute, which allows me to not be upset about things that do no matter.

For now, I am still trying to 'NOT' care for insignificant issues in life.

Archana
<3

Tornado warning!

Cloudy Sky!

Rain and wind!

Me: I am not scared of tornados.
Sru: hmm...me neither.
Me: hmm
Sru: I am not scared, but I don't want to be in one.
Me: It's in my wish-list....to see a tornado real close.
Sru: :-|
:
:
:
Me: :-) :-) :-)
Sru: stop being so excited.
Me: it's getting dark.......might be a toranodo??
Sru: :-/
:
:
:
Me: (a potato chips packet in my hand)
Sru: :-0 why?
Me: to store it in the bathroom along with our passports...just in case of an emegrgrncy.
Sru: :-/ you are not taking potato chips to the bathroom. Period.
Me: ok. Shall I take cookies?
Sru: :-0
:
:
:
Sru: (goes to the bathroom to look at my arrangements)
What is all this???
Me: to be safe
Sru: we would be in the bathtub...and more over this is a BATHROOM
Me: :-/

It would be a bummer, if we don't at least get a tornado warning Siren.

It is not that I am weird.....it is just that I love nature and to be able to see the aggressive side of nature would be super cool. But, I hope no damage to life or property is done by severe weather...ever.

<3 ma famille

Mom and dad, sent us some stuff from India which I received by post today. 

I asked them to send an Indian dress for Sru, so that I could give it to her on her birthday as a surprise, which my mom sent.

When I unpacked the package I got today, I found a dress for myself. Mom told me that Sru asked them to send one for me, as a surprise. :-D  And that Sru and I think alike.

But the surprise dress for Sru is no longer a secret, cause dad dearest got too excited and gave Sru a hint about her gift. Sru being the detective she is, found out about her surprise gift between dad's silly cover up and my giggles. So I ended up giving Sru her so called birthday gift which I gift wrapped (which looks gross though I put in my best efforts to make it look pretty). 

I am blessed to have a family that cares and loves each other so  much. 

  

The fedex package from India.

Gloves, shawl, scarves and dresses, that we got from India.

The glove mom knitted for me, which I am absolutely in love with.

The saree that mom designed and stitched mirrors on, which I absolutely love.

I tried my best to make it look like a decent gift package.

I hope you have a great time, with your family and people that matter to you....no matter how close or how far away they are.

Love,
Archana

PS:  Some times, a rock found on a sea shore given as a gift with love ,ends up being more precious than the most expensive diamond given sans love.

Happy halloween !

 Hellooo!! It's been a while since I blogged. Life has been constant the past of couple of months. I am really hoping for a positive change though....for more real adventures and fun in my life.

 Meanwhile, nature has been busy in transforming from summer to winter through fall. Though it's been a short autumn this year, the pretty colors of fall leaves were beautiful. 

We did a lot of 'fall' kind of activities this year, like: handpicking apples from an orchard, decorating the front porch with pumpkins, carving the pumpkins, baking the pumpkin seeds and handing out candies for trick or treat (which I am currently doing). 

Though winter doesn't officially begin until the 21 of December, the cold weather has began, unofficially terminating autumn. Yesterday we had a storm due to which all the leaves of the tree in our front yard blew away. It kind of makes me sad looking at the barren tree, for some reason. 

Bowl of candy for trick or treat.

Pumpkins in the front porch.

Half a bushel of apples from the Orchard.

Carved pumpkins.

Tree with fall leaves.

Barren tree.

Though I wish Autumn lasted a little longer, winter is still my most favorite season of the year. There is a different kind of beauty and charm, in the bitter coldness and sad-lifeless-barren trees of winter.

Have a good time,

Archana

Mango lassi or mango smoothie

One mango, 3/4 spoons of yogurt, half a glass of water. Blend it together for a minute or two.

Do add sugar/Splenda/honey if it is not sweet enough. 

Tastes damn good! 

The purpose of your life...

It is like a little voice in your head that can not be muted. You can feel it deep with in you and with every heart beat you take, this feeling only gets stronger. The only cure to this bitter sweet pain that keeps you moving, no matter how tough the journey ahead is ...to answer this calling....the calling of your life. Because that is what you were meant to do in this life.

The purpose of your life is to find a purpose and fulfill it or at least die trying to fulfill it.

Sent from my iPhone

Just saying ...