Hello everyone, hope you had a great weekend! Our weekend was the kind that I like – a relaxing one. On Saturday we went shopping for Indian clothes – Mom (me) and her three daughters shopping for Indian clothes? Fun, fun, fun! We stopped by a home boutique that was like a sari shop, and we spent more than we should have đ. Â Came home and relaxed a while then started prepping for dinner while the kids got going on their homework. That pretty much sums up our Saturday! Continue reading A Perfect Weekend
Category Archives: Just Pictures
Celebrating the Bond Among Siblings in the Festival of Raksha Bhandan
Last weekend I had my cousins over for dinner to celebrate the Indian festival of Raksha Bhandhan.  Raksha Bhandan celebrates the bond that exists between brothers and sisters and is observed every year in August. The relationship between siblings is a very special one and this unique bond is celebrated during Raksha Bhandan. It is a day when siblings pray for each otherâs well-being and happiness. Though traditionally Raksha Bhandan is observed mostly in Northern and Northwestern parts of India and in Nepal; this festival of sibling love has spread to other parts of India today. Continue reading Celebrating the Bond Among Siblings in the Festival of Raksha Bhandan
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
I must confess I had never made mashed potatoes until we went for dinner at our friends William and Stella’s home for a surprise birthday party last week. It was a surprise birthday dinner for our friend Stella that William her husband pulled together in just 48 hours! He texted and called a small group of Stella’s close friends and asked if we could come over for a weeknight dinner to surprise Stella on her birthday. Our response was “Of course, we will be there.” Continue reading Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
August in the Garden & Summer Harvest Pics
Our summer this year has been beautiful and my garden is loving it.  I’ve been enjoying gardening this summer because surprisingly the weather has been pleasant where I live in our Bay Area microclimate – with temperatures in the 70s, 80, and sometimes in the low 90s. Flowers have been blooming nonstop and I have been getting a good supply of garden herbs, tomatoes, plums, and apples. Not as many as many other superstar veggie gardeners out there, but we are happy with our modest bounty. Here is a look at what we have been harvesting this summer and enjoying in pastas, pies, and salads. Continue reading August in the Garden & Summer Harvest Pics
Vancouver EATS
For all you foodies out there, this one is for you! I’ve heard from so many folks that Vancouver, Canada has an outstanding food scene. Restaurants, food trucks, and cafes with an international flair. So naturally when heading to Vancouver on holiday this summer I was looking forward to trying out some great food places in this Pacific Northwest Canadian city. Â We got recommendations from many people familiar with Vancouver; from friends, from Hitesh’s office colleague who vacations in Vancouver often, from Hitesh’s friend John who lives in Vancouver, from our hotel concierge, and even our shuttle-bus driver; when you mix them all together what we ended up with was a smorgasbord of food places that were all awesome. Here is a look at where we ate and highly recommend for any of you planning on visiting Vancouver, Canada. Continue reading Vancouver EATS
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Vancouver, Canada
Want to walk among the top most branches of tall 100-feet redwoods? A walk on the Capilano Suspension Bridge will do the trick. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a must see in the Vancouver tourist book. What makes this park so special is the 450-ft long suspension bridge that stretches above the Capilano River among the tops of giant redwoods at a height of 230-ft. Â This is a bridge like no other. Continue reading Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Vancouver, Canada
Granville Island, Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada
Granville Island was an artisanal find in Vancouver. We found out about this creative place from our friends John and Lorraine and their kids Meghan and Mathew with whom we had dinner the night before while vacationing in Vancouver this summer. We were talking and casually asked them where we could find artisanal shops, local goods and farmer’s market type of street or area to roam around in and unanimously got the answer Granville Island! It was obvious this was the place to go for our craving for artisanal faire. The girls and I were excited. We love anything farmer’s market oriented, handmade, and local. Granville Island is a gem of place in Vancouver! Continue reading Granville Island, Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada
In Flower Heaven at Butchart Gardens. Victoria, Canada
If there was a heaven for flowers Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada would be it. Â Butchart Gardens is flower heaven on earth. I visited Butchart Gardens over 25 years ago and it left an indelible impression on me. I had never in my life seen such a beautiful place. That visit was way before Hitesh and I had kids and became a family of five. That trip stuck with me forever and I have wanted to share that awe-inspiring feeling I had when walking though flower heaven with my girls. One of my ulterior motives for going to Vancouver on a family holiday this summer was so I could take the kids to Butchart Gardens. Did it look as spectacularly beautiful as the first time I saw it? Â YES! YES! YES! Continue reading In Flower Heaven at Butchart Gardens. Victoria, Canada
Sea-to-Sky Highway. BC Hwy 99
The town of Whistler is located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and is two hours north of Vancouver. BC highway 99 that goes through the mountains to Whistler is called Sea-to-Sky Highway and is a beautiful scenic drive with the ocean to one side and the majestic mountains on the other. The town of Whistler is a popular ski resort that is as popular in the summer for it’s gorgeous scenery and summer activities such as hiking, rock-climbing, kayaking and more. We were heading to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky Highway more for the scenic road trip than the destination. With stops on the way to see beautiful waterfalls and to ride on a gondola to the top of the mountains, the Sea-to-Sky Highway was a gorgeous scenic drive. Continue reading Sea-to-Sky Highway. BC Hwy 99
Summer Holiday in Vancouver, Canada
Hello everyone! Hope you are having an awesome August! Our August has been great.  We just returned from a fun one week summer family holiday in Vancouver, Canada.  This holiday is exactly what the family wanted for a summer vacation this year. The twins had already been on a itinerary-packed school trip to Italy,  Sri and I had already been on a fun Yoga and Art inspired trip to Paris, and Hitesh had been on a couple of international business trips this summer as well – we were all looking forward to a family vacation that was going to be relaxing while giving us enough things to do to keep it interesting and fun.  Vancouver fit this criteria perfectly!! A short 2-hour flight from San Francisco to Vancouver made this our fastest airplane ride for a family vacation. Continue reading Summer Holiday in Vancouver, Canada
