Can’t Stop Smiling Today: Thank You, Debbie!

It is a beautiful day outside – sunny and bright, but with a cool breeze gently caressing my face. The kind of day that makes you feel that autumn is just around the corner. But the reason for my happiness is something else…. Whoopee!! I just won the Gallery Days Giveaway contest over at Reflections of Debbie. And ever since I read her post announcing the winner I can’t stop smiling.

The yellow pansy that made it to the top is from my mom’s terrace garden. I clicked it a couple of years back, wanting to make a watercolor of it myself. Never got round to doing that, but today I feel so special that Debbie chose to turn this into a drawing.

Thank you so much, Debbie. You have made me so happy today. Can’t wait to see you start on the drawing. And now that I have a new house (you can read about that here), I promise you that this drawing will hold pride of place in my new abode.

Chaat Cravings: Celebrating Street Food

India has a thriving street food culture. You’ll find it everywhere - in the middle of busy markets, at local street corners, even mobile street food vendors with their push-carts and trolleys laden with yummy goodies, meandering through residential areas.

Street food encompasses a huge range of gastronomic delights, right from mouth-watering snacks that vary with season to sweetmeats and lollies. Any Indian worth his or her salt will tell you about the ‘chaat’ that this country loves.

Chaat is basically a mix of local savouries, and is prepared from locally available ingredients. So the definition of chaat, and the ingredients that go into preparing a plate, can vary from one part of the country to another depending on local flavours.

Here is a picture of the plate of ‘bhel-puri’ that I lapped up last evening after work. Made from puffed rice, it contains a mish-mash of onions, potato cubes, tomatoes, chillies, bhujia (dry savoury), and is generously garnished with coriander and tamarind chutneys.

And don’t miss the display of ingredients at the chaat counter. I love the way the green chillies are made to stand up against the 'sev' and limes.


Notice that small image of Lord Shiva in the bottom left corner? Just a gentle reminder that you surrender yourself to street food only if you have immense faith in God! :)

Go, give in to a lip-smacking treat...

Are My Pictures Perfect?

Blogosphere is so full of interesting people.... like my new artist friend Debbie who is holding a giveaway. Go over to Reflections Of Debbie to check out the details. And then rush off with your cameras....

Debbie, here are my entries for the Gallery Days Giveaway. And at the cost of sounding immodest, I really, really wish one of these becomes the winner. Though I am half-way across the globe from you :) but I would so love to have a picture in my post!

Yellow Pansy

Gorgeous Leaves

Mimosa flower

The competition at Reflections Of Debbie closes on 25August, Monday, so you still have the weekend to take pictures and send across a link.

Keeping my fingers crossed....

For the Love of Lilies

I just had to show you this. Remember when I told you in the warmer month of June how a few drops of monsoon rain does wonders for the white grass lilies in our garden? Well, here they are, in all their glory.

An absolute delight to behold, as a huge cluster sways gently in the morning breeze.

Sometimes the simplest of Nature’s creations have the power to affect us profoundly…. just as these do. Every time we get a large bunch, our happiness quotient goes up a few notches. :)