“No me ames, porque pienses que parezco diferente”

Thursday, May 15, 2008

No me ames, porque pienses que
parezco diferente
Tú no piensas que es lo justo,
ver pasar el tiempo juntos
No me ames, que comprendo,
la mentira que sería.
Si tu amor no merezco, no me ames,
mas quédate otro día

It finally feels like spring! And all I want to do is sit out under a tree and take in the cool breezes. Alas I have some job searching to do so no real free time. Anyway I have a recipe to enter for Dhivya’s AWED Mexican Food. So without further ado I am going to get right down to the foodie portion of this blog.

I tired out a recipe for a simple Burrito recipe from the Williams and Sonoma collection called “Savoring Mexico” Here is the recipe for a healthy Mexican Bean Burrito:
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat tortilla
½ cup of refried beans
½ of a red and green bell pepper diced
3 tbl spns of salsa
3 tbls spns of yogurt (substitute for sour cream)
A few jalapenos
2 tspns of olive oil
1 ½ tspn of cumin
½ tsp of chives

To make:
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the bell peppers and the cumin and make sure that the spice integrates into the meat and veggies well. Add the chives and heat for a 2 mins and take off heat. Heat the tortilla wrapped in a paper towel for about 35 secs. Apply the refried beans on one side of the tortilla. Lay the peppers in the center of the tortilla. Mix the salsa and yogurt in a bowl and lay that mixture on top of the peppers. Add the jalapenos and wrap the tortilla around the mixture. Serve immediately.

Taking the rice and sour cream out of the burrito makes for a healthier version of the typical burrito which is loaded with calories. This version is perfect if you are craving a quick Mexican meal and if you are watching your weight.

Sorry for making this a short entry but my in laws are visiting me for a week and I have to get this place spotless before they get here but if things don’t get too busy I will definitely be back next week with a proper entry :o) So until then soak this gorgeous spring weather!

“Nothing can compare to when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me”

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I was crying over you
I am smiling I think of you
Misty morning and water falls
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell
Nothing can compare
To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me

Start Rant< I’ve been in an odd mood the last few days. I go from happy to sad to angry within minutes. I think my analytical mind is to blame for this temper variation. Just writing about this makes me laugh at how silly I have been. Good news/advice makes me happy and then I analyze the heck out of it and MAKE myself sad by flipping the news to dreadful tidings and then this sadness progresses to anger like “how dare they/he/she say that”. Then I have to calm down and ask myself “whats wrong with you!! That wasn’t what the person meant” To top it off I feel like I have started sifting my feelings and opinions while conversing with people. Why? Because of how my mood changes and how people may react to me. Maybe it’s because I am scared of leaving my job and the fact that I still do not have a job offer. All the initial excitement of starting over has worn off and now I am worried. I am trying my best to be positive... >End Rant

All these mood changes haven’t really affected my hunger or curiosity in the kitchen. So I will stay true to my foodie nature and share a new recipe that I tried out recently. I rarely come up with recipes on my own. I rely heavily on my fellow foodie bloggers and cook books and prepare food according to directions. But sometimes if I know that certain flavors will make for an awesome dish then I start the experimentation. Of course I’m not brave enough to have Bhatji as the guinea pig because I like being absolutely certain before feeding people new dishes. I mean I don’t even take people to restaurants unless I am positive that the food is worth trying…so my kitchen and cooking is no different. Anyway a few days ago I bought some brie and was thinking of how to use it in anything other than fondue. I know that the salty flavors of the cheese works well with sweet flavors of fruits. So I thought of trying out a sandwich of pears and brie. And the result was YUMMMM! Here is the recipe for Pear and Brie Sandwich:

Ingredients:
1 Pear long and thinly sliced
Slices of brie
2-4 slices of Bread (I used wheat)

To Make:
Toast the bread in a toaster over or toaster. Lay the slices of brie on top both the slices of bread and head in the toaster oven till the cheese melt. If you do not have a toaster oven heat in the microwave oven till the cheese melts. Spread the cheese evenly on the bread. Lay the slices of pear on the bread and voila! Sandwich is done.

The cool thing about this sandwich is that you can cut them each sandwich into 4 small pieces and serve as appetizers for a small gathering or just make it a grab and go snack. You can also make it a part of a healthy lunch along with a salad or soup. Anyway you slice it….its a delicious sammich ;o) I am sending this recipe over to Anupama's Sandwich Festival.

Until the next blog entry…stay positive and keep rolling the dice :o)

“Stop and stare...I think I'm moving but I go nowhere”

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Yeah I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can u see what I see

This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us
It's time to make our move, I'm shakin off the rust
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years
Steady hands, just take the wheel...

The lyrics to One Republic’s new song “stop and stare” are mirroring my current feelings about the “big” move and change. I am leaving what I know (DC, my family, my job) but I guess what One Republic says is true “Its time to make our move, I’m shaking off the rust. I’ve got my heart set on anywhere but here” The formidable conversation of me leaving took place between me and my clients, boss and co-workers yesterday. And man was I surprised of how well they took it and how much they care for me. Their reaction was totally unexpected, instead of moaning about how they’ll need to find someone new and train them….they said that it was about time that Bhatji and I decided to cut out the distance and be together :o) I am truly lucky to have been surrounded by such warm and kind people. It makes it worse that I am leaving the company and clients….sigh…well the next job I get, I hope to luck with just as kind coworkers.

I have been trying my hand at several foodie events such Easy Crafts – Fun ‘n’ sun event. Although we are the very beginning stages of spring….certain warm days call for a cooling meal or drink. I always think back to the hot summers in Mysore…where my mom would give us buttermilk or honey dew juice to beat the heat. I know I wanted to attempt a new recipe so I flipped through the many cook books my mom have given me and I like a simple Mint & lemon soda from my Costco cook book. This entry goes out to Easy Crafts Fun n sun event. Here is the recipe for Mint & Lemon Crush:
Ingredients:
¼ cup of mint leaves
2-3 tsp of sugar
Juice from a fresh lemon (as per your taste)
1 cup of cold water
¼ cup of club soda
Fresh mint for garnish

To make:
Place the mint leaves in the bottom of a small pitcher, add the sugar and crush with a pestle or use the back of a wooden roller. Crush until it’s a smooth mixture. Add the lemon juice, cold water and club soda mix well either in a blender or just stir. Add the mint leaves for garnish and serve in a glass with crushed ice.


The flavors of mint and lemon make for a harmonious taste. It is a perfect spring or summer drink. Well until the next entry enjoy the spring weather!

“There’s nothing like you and I……..So why do I even try?”

Monday, April 28, 2008

We spent some time together walking
Spent some time just talking
About who we were
You held my hand so very tightly
And told me what we could be dreaming of
There’s nothing like you and I
Nothing like you and I

Hello Beautiful people! I know I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back. I was on a mini vacation in Houston for a wedding and getting back to reality has sucked all the energy of writing a blog entry. On top of it all….I’m making a big change in my life. After months of back and forth between DC-NJ, Bhatji and I have decided that the distance thing isn’t really working out. So this May will be my last month at my project in DC and the job hunt in NJ has officially begun! I am excited, nervous and scared because I don’t have a job offer in hand, but looking for a job IS a full time job so it’s kinda hard to look while working for a busy client. The current US economy is terrible and this means that the job market is definitely at its worst but since I am close to a thriving metropolis like NYC it shouldn’t be too bad. Well we’ll see how it all pans out. If you are in the NJ/NY area and know of companies hiring….please keep me in mind ;o)

That’s it for personal updates and on to the foodie portion on the blog. Well in my short time in NJ this past week…even though I kept busy by pretty much by surfing through monster and career builder, I did manage to try out a few new recipes and try my hand at the Jaibee’s click event. So here is my entry for the Click event-Au natural.

Brown Eggs in a Nest