Dishing Out Happiness

When you spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen, it equates to a lot of time spent dishing out happiness.  After all, didn’t I once write about the recipe for happiness? So, even though we had sick folks at home, we had visitors. We had marathon phone calls. We enjoyed watching movies together. We enjoyed lots of down time. Yes! And so, since my phone was nearby most of the time, I remembered to take photos of these. I really meant to post earlier, but just did not get around to it. Enjoy!

So I made my first ever marinated jalapenos. Used to buy the bottled version before, at a ridiculous cost. I was thrilled when I found a source for this, while shopping veggies. Ah, bliss. Coming along very nicely. Looking forward to homemade pizzas, burgers, salads, all with homemade jalapenos.

Made my first ever marinated jalapenos

Happiness is a full stomach

Some open faced mushroom/onion / tomato sandwiches for Vidur. Even if we’re sick, we gotta eat. And when it looks appetizing, it goes down better!

This pizza saw the last of our store bought bottled jalapenos. Ah, the next one will see the homemade ones! Yay!

Raw plantain dry roast is a big favorite at home. We buy it often and I enjoy making it!

Here’s my Sunday lunch. In this dish, there is plantain curry, rice, spinach lentils gravy, rice and chickpea salad. Yes, I love to arrange my plate and gaze at it, then eat it. And don’t ask why I eat in a dish. Very long story. Short version. I like it.

And what good is a lunch without dessert? In our house, a head cold heralds this sweet that you see below. It is called besan halwa. Made of roasted gram flour, ghee and jaggery with a dash of cardamom for flavor, this is believed to help cure a cold. Raisins, dry fruits like cashew nuts, almonds, are all optional. My folks prefer to eat those separately. We also believe that filling a small cloth pillowcase with pigeon pea and using it as a pillow relieves a head cold. Ah, love my Grandmother’s home remedies. What a pleasure it used to be to fall sick! Ha ha.

Then I made a small chocolate cake. But by the time I thought of taking a pic, there were missing pieces. No prizes for guessing who caused those furrows! Hmm.

Two things to say:

Thing 1:

In my previous post, Walking on Sunshine I invited you to answer this question: “What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?” and send me the answer via the comments here, or via email (vidya at vidyasury dot com). If you’ve authored an uplifting book or would like to recommend one, please let me know, with book title, a small blurb and link. I will feature all responses in my post on Thursday,  August 8, 2013 along with some of my own favorites.

Looking forwards to hearing from you. (And a huge thanks to those who emailed. I’ve replied.) I am loving planning these collaborative posts! I absolutely love how the “Happiness is” post turned out. Thank you for making it happen!

Thing 2:

Remember I mentioned the Tree of Life Branching Out collaborative writing challenge, which is a continuing story collectively written over the course of 26 days? The writers  find inspiration in a featured composition from the motion picture music production house, audiomachine’s new TREE OF LIFE album. They will spin the story in whatever direction they choose, picking up where the previous writer left off, resulting in the ultimate collaborative tale. This kicked off on July 15 and will conclude on August 9. Visit here to know about prizes to be won.

On a funny note, this is my closest brush with Hollywood so far, thanks to Audiomachine! The best part of this experience is the wonderful writers I’ve connected with. Total happiness hotspot for me.

By the time you are reading this, my post should be up over there! Just click “Vidya Sury, Hope and Glory” I am so excited about being a part of such a fabulous group of writers.  I particularly loved my music excerpt “Hope and Glory” and you can listen to it in the sidebar as you read the story. I would love to know what you think!

Thank you Molly Hahn, aka Mollycules

So how is the coming week, or what is left of it, looking like for you?

Anything exciting?

Do share in the comments (with your answer to the question above.)

I am linking up with Unknown Mami for Sundays In My City because she’s amazing and I love world travel.