Garden Post 2020

Just a post to show off our garden in spring and to muse over a few things. Month of May is my favorite month with the arrival of spring and nature in splendor everywhere you turn. It's been 5 years since my mom left us forever. Coronatime gave us siblings an opportunity this year to zoom together in a prayer of remembrance💖. My daughter had a milestone birthday this month and it was great that all four of us had this day together to celebrate it. Roses from the garden held centerpiece in the celebration.

     

               

       

                  

Bearss dwarf lime camouflaged as a flowering plant on the left, clematis vine on the right and the trumpet vine below add charm to our backyard.

           

          

Aren't strawberries like flowers too? At least they are as colorful. Can you spot the little visitor hiding in plain sight? They are in abundance this year.

                     

       .        

When has a rose ever needed an introduction? They rule unchallenged. 

Below is the grapevine coming along nicely. Harvest time is around September.

       

 

Is it absurd that a purple clematis and a weed flower give similar pleasure? So true that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder!

                .  

No backyard is complete without a nasturtium which is not only a beauty, but also edible and used in food decorations. And glad to know that the wild California poppy thinks our backyard is good enough to make an appearance every year. Leaving a slice of home made cake here for you all to enjoy.

Kurisappam or Pesaha Appam #coronatime

This is being posted really late but I don't want to wait another year when I may or may not get a chance to make it again. Easter came and went rather quietly this year but I am grateful to have had the chance, time and mindset to watch all the masses and observe some dear customs like making this 'appam' for the first time. I really liked the services streamed from SS Peter & Paul Church Portaloise Ireland. Maybe because they were a web presence before Covid19 the service was catered to online viewers with clarity of sound and a prayerful ambience. I did find Pope's extraordinary blessing Urbi  Et Orbi quite moving too.

Kids were quite surprised when I talked about this tradition since they never had a chance to see it before. To be honest, as a kid this tradition felt more like part of a religious ritual that took place at home rather than a food event. That happened on the actual Easter day with crisp and soft flat appams and my mom's special chicken curry. This was more of a solemn occasion when my grandfather would cut the appam with the cross (kurisu) after prayers and distribute it to everyone around the table. A small piece of turmeric which we called the 'treasure' was hidden in the appam at the time of cooking and whoever found it in their slice was considered to have received a lot of luck for the coming year. I didn't do that this year though. The focus was just on making the 'appam' at least this once. Hoping for a chance next year to make this again.

The meal with this 'appam' is to commemorate Christ's last supper and the 'appam' represents the unleavened passover bread. There was a drink called 'paal' or milk which was made out of coconut milk to represent wine which I didn't do this time. Memories of my sister and me came calling. We started off the day by singing the 'puthen pana' about the 'unleavened bread a,k,a puliyathappam' which then was picked up next morning on Good Friday about Mother Mary's sorrow on her son's fate. This was almost continuous during the day with others joining in as needed. Along with the 'kurisappam' which is steamed separately, there were appams of the same genre steamed in banana leaves for general consumption.

My oldest sister had sent a recipe that was most similar to what we had at home and I also referred an old cookbook as well as many food vlogs out there. It's been so long that I am not sure if I really got the authentic taste but it came out better than expected. Planning to try this recipe from Mia's kitchen next year since that batter texture looks more familiar.

In The Mix
roasted rice powder - 1 cup
urad dal - 1/4 cup (fried for 2-3 min and soaked for 2 hours)
grated coconut - 1 cup
shallots - 2
garlic - 1 cloves
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
water - as needed for grinding

How To Do

Add water to rice powder and combine well together. Grind urad dal and add to the rice mix. Grind coconut, shallots, cumin and garlic and add to the prepared mix. Try to add as little water as possible. This is where I may have gone wrong a bit since the consistency was not as familiar. It should be coarse and thick. Check salt as needed. Set aside for 30 minutes. Do not let it rise because after all, this is unleavened bread.

Pour batter into a greased steel pan/plate with straight sides. I used olive oil to grease but may use coconut oil next time. Place a cross on top of the batter using two strips of the palm leaf from palm Sunday.

Boil water in a larger pan with a steamer insert at the bottom. Idli steamer is good if the pan can fit inside. Once the water starts boiling, place the pan with batter into it, cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes. Appam is done once a fork or toothpick comes out clean.

I had made some 'kozhukkatta' too to make up for not doing that on palm Sunday the previous weekend as demanded by tradition.

From The Garden

Starting with this cute little assorted corner in the backyard, I wanted to add the latest snaps of my curry leaf plant and the little lime tree in a barrel. The very sight of them, all clad in such pretty green, brings me joy every time I step out into the backyard these days.

I happened to have some garlic cloves that sprouted while in storage. Thought I'll plant a few in the lime tree barrel and was quite surprised to see them coming up so well there in the back if you can spot'em. The parsley and cilantro I had there are almost done but the poppies and other little flowering plants seem to be doing OK. Love seeing flowers come up in spring.

Didn't think the curry leaf would have survived through winter times! Have already harvested a few bunches form this nifty little group.  Hope to see them through the many winters. Spring is such a beautiful time!

We had quite a spectacular run of H's roses as always and a few of my nasturtiums from last year decided to show up as well. So beautiful! 

Say Cheese!

This delicious spread is from the cheese and wine party I hosted last week for a ladies group. It was formed out of our need to escape from this hectic lifestyle and relax for a few hours. We all met here and most have kids who went to the same school and some had met at church and live not that far from each other. So far it is going well and we like it enough to keep meeting even though schedules are tight and demands on time keeps going up. H and kids got to go out and enjoy a movie and dinner while mom was chillin' at home with friends.

I picked wine and cheese for my turn as I'd been itching to do one for a while. It was really fun to put together. The good news is you just can't go wrong no matter what you do. I got most of my cheeses and crackers from Whole Foods and some of the sauces and fruits from Safeway. Here is a rundown on what I had.

The Cheese
It is good to have cheeses of different flavors and texture depending on you and your guests' preferences. Soft french brie, salty blue, creamy goat cheese, soft mozzarella, are all good to bring to the table.

Arrange the cheese by texture from soft to hard. Have a sweet cheese to end as in dessert. Some cheeses and their common available names are given below as a future reference for me too. I had some but not all on my cheeseboards.

Brie/camembert/chaource :: from cow's milk - creamy, melting

Triple cream soft cheese from cow's milk

Goat cheese/chevre'/mathais/humboldt :: as soft as brie

Manchega/feta/ossau iraty :: sheep's milk - semi-soft

Blue/gorgonzola/stilton :: cow's milk - crumbly/salty/firm/buttery

Taleggio :: washed rind/sweet/semi-soft

Gouda :: good for flavor and adds some gold to your offering.

I didn't get any hard cheese as I knew that may not go over very well with this crowd and myself. There are many more than I have mentioned here. Like wine, cheese is an interesting fare to read upon and I plan to do just that . The next few paragraphs give an idea of what else to add to the cheeses to make it a full table.

The Crunch
Cheese needs to sit on a base of something so you can eat it as a delectable bite. Crackers are the answer to this. Add some sliced baguette breads to this and you are almost there. Olive bread is a good option to go with brie and brioche toast goes well with the stilton. Baked flatbread is good to top with some protein while any round crackers are always a good pick for anything. Cheese twists were good for the overall look, while sweet olive tortas discovered on a grocery shelf were immensely popular.

Any kind of nuts; toasted, roasted or honeyed will add that extra crunch you are looking for.
I had almonds, spanish cocktail mix and spicy roasted chickpeas to the rescue.

The Savory Dips
I found a spicy fresh guacamole dish on a last minute trip to the grocery store. Glad I grabbed it on the way to the register as it went over very well with the guests. Hummus is a must since it goes with almost anything I think. Veggie dips are good when you are adding baby carrots or steamed broccoli to the mix. Last minute panic made me add some shrimp salad which in hindsight was not needed at all.

The Fresh
I had grapes, blue berries and cherry tomatoes for color and palette pleasures.

The Meat
Prosciutto is a favorite but I found salami worked the best with all kinds of combinations. So it will be a definite go-to next time. I also had cured sausage that went famously with a dollop of some orange-fig jam. Yum!

The Sweet
Black truffle honey is always present next to the cheeses in the grocery stores and I loved the pear sauce which added a nice note on every bite. Orange-fig jam is the best find through and I can eat it just by itself. It reminds me a lot of my mom's home made pineapple jam both in texture and taste and I can't get enough of it.

The Wine
Any clear white wine will do the job. You can add red for a mix up. A sip between bites prepares your taste buds for the next delicious bite. I had Pinot Grigio for the white wine. Red Chianti, a rose wine and sparkling cider for the non-winers completed the wine roaster.


The Knives
Cheese knives are so cute, you'd want some even if you are not thinking of having a cheese event. Picture here shows the assortment that I have but it is not complete. This link or a simple google search can tell you more on these little guys.


Kids and H had the first dibs before heading out the door and it was great to see them experimenting with various flavors with excitement and enjoying it. So what is holding you? Go on, select a cracker base, select your cheese, top off with jam or honey and some nuts or fruits and delve into the world of exploding flavors accompanied by a sip of your favorite wine. 

Cruisin' Our Way Into 2016.

Just like with camping, cruising is an activity that everyone we know has done at least once. So when a friend of ours planned for a group family cruise trip, it was the chance to check another item off our bucket-list. Having company is great on cruises and there were three of us families who went along. We did the trip last December and I had the post in the drafts for a while. Posting this now before it gets more than a year old.

The lack of a friend for our 15 year old put a slight damper on the planning but once on the ship, he managed with on-board movies and on-shore activities. Good food everyday cannot really tie anyone down for long. We went on the Disney cruise line and of course no one can beat the Disney way of doing things! It was a four night trip with two days on port at Key West and Castaway Cay and one day at sea. The efficiency with which Disney runs the operation in all its aspects without losing any of the friendliness is just unbelievable. Every single employee was courteous, friendly and a pleasure to deal with. Kids or not, Disney is the way to cruise. Our departure was from Port of Miami, so we flew to Miami from San Francisco a day earlier. Stayed at a hotel room with a panoramic view of the Biscayne Bay. There were scattered showers on arrival and so we room serviced dinner and breakfast and thus had a good segue into our cruising days.

Biscayne Bay with its busy causeways and the port in the distance with anchored cruise ships offered a dynamic view at all times. This and the room-service made up for our not being able to visit the bustling Miami downtown that day. Who is going to fly to Miami from Cali again just to visit the downtown? Exactly! Our friends being more adventurous, braved the damp weather and were rewarded with the colorful night lights of South Beach.On D-Day we reached the port at our assigned check-in time and were ushered in by a friendly porter who took care of all our luggage. Our ship was the aptly named Disney Magic which can carry about 2700 guests and about a 1000 employees. A ratio of 3:1 is a sign of good things. Ate the buffet lunch that was waiting for us at the Cabanas and found our room which had a porthole to see outside.

With two bunk beds for kids and ample space for luggage, the room was almost as big as the hotel room we had stayed in. Molu went off with friends to explore the ship while we stayed in the room to rest (Dad), watch TV(son) and unpack our stuff (me) once the luggages were delivered. There was a mandatory evacuation drill after which we were free to relax as we please. The free Disney Navigator app was useful from day 1 and helped to chat/text with all the people in our group and to plan activities for each day including the dinner menu! After a very energetic deck party to celebrate leaving port at 5PM, we set out to watch Michael Barron's magic show. It was geared towards kids and they enjoyed it. The Walt Disney Theatre is as big as a real theatre with comfortable seating. Then we all changed for dinner  which had a pirate theme. Every evening there was a towel animal and chocolates waiting for us on the bed when we got back from the evening shows.

First night's dinner was at Animator's Palate and the the beginning of the 4-5 course dinners we enjoyed during the cruise. I had smoked salmon tarter for appetizer, butternut squash soup and lemon-thyme chicken for main course.  The chicken was perfectly herbed and moist and tender. Mango mousse for dessert was not too shabby either. Afterwards H and I went to checkout the pirate party and fireworks on deck. Our daughter was mostly with her two other friends doing their own things. The three of us went and watched newly released Disney's blockbuster Star-Wars - The Force Awakens. My son had watched it 2 days before at a friend's birthday party but that was no deterrent. I couldn't help squealing with delight when Han Solo and R2-D2 made their appearance. Little BB-8 is a cute addition.

Plonked down to a blissful sleep after the movie. Woke up a little late for the port adventures day at Key West. The boat had anchored at port by 8AM. The best part always was to wake the kids up and asking them to go get breakfast from one of the many places offering good food. There was always food being served from 11AM so there was no missing food in case one missed the regular serving hours. This was a popular feature with the moms since we didn't have to worry about what to prepare or where to go when the next eating time rolled around.

Once out of the ship, we were all taken in a trolley to Mallory Square in downtown. From there we took a trolley tour of Key West. Then came the unexpected surprise and my personal highlight of the cruise. It turns out Key West was also home to none other than Ernest Hemingway, America's cherished writer. I had read 'Hemingway's Boat' few years back and the memory was still fresh. Key West is a small island off of Florida coast and the ambience is not that different from the port town of our own Kochi. Yes, even down to the hot and humid climate, banana plants, and coconut trees galore. The three of us got off at the 5th stop next to the writer's house while molu opted to stay with the rest of our group and continue with the tour.

Our trolley driver had told us that Key West is the only stretch of land in the US where coconut trees can grow with the very tropical climate. When we found a street vendor selling coconut water, we couldn't resist getting us some of it, the same as if we were in Kochi. Hemingway's house is meticulously maintained and is a pleasure to walk through with his pictures, books and movie banners for his books adorning the walls left and right.

The green green tropical garden only helped to remind more of green and tropical Kerala. One thing I had not known was that the Hemingways had cats who still live in the property. They were not neutered ad there are now about 54 cats longing and playing around the house and the grounds! In fact they are the real owners and have unrestricted access everywhere including the cash register counter. This gave us some solace from the missing of our own Zeus whom we had left at home.

Molu missed meeting the cats but once we all got together there was not enough time to go back there again. She was happy to see all the pictures we took of the felines. After the writer's house we got on another trolley to complete the tour and found the southern most point of US soil from which Cuba is only 90 miles away. This explains the heavy presence of cubans on this island and Miami. Molu and company made a real stop there and took some good pictures. We all walked around Mallory Square for a short time and then got on the trolley back to the ship to catch some late lunch. Rested a while in the room and watched the evening Disney musical 'Twice Charmed' which has a twist on the familiar Cinderella story. Dinner this day was at Carioca's  with a latin american themed fair. Enjoyed my sea bass along with a delicious cuban salad and the rest of it. And to end it all, a coconut tres leches cake, yum! Since the next day was at sea with no port activities to get up for, we walked around a bit. It was also Christmas Eve. Attending the quick and energetic salsa dance class was fun with an unexpected visit from the Donald to mix things up. We always stopped at the Promenade where a lovely couple played music all evening. Molu and friends spent quite a lot of time there both singing and listening. The couple were engaged and their love for each other made it all the more sweet to listen and watch. The girl was from Columbia and the guy was from Wales and here they were, engaged to be married and singing in a ship full of people from everywhere! Although tired, the four of us picked ourselves up and went for the midnight mass offered at Walt Disney Theater. It was a great to attend the mass on a gently rolling ship with people from all over the world including employees praying together . This mass made us happy and peaceful.

We all enjoyed the christmas celebrations and character meet ups and the extra cheer on-board on Christmas day which was spent at sea on the ship. While enjoying breakfast, lunch and other snacks with kids swimming away in the pools, the adults all got to watch 'The Bridge Of Spies'. Tom Hanks is not a favorite actor but the guy somehow lands in awesome movies. I knew without doubt this was the work of a master artist just few minutes into the movie and when the credits rolled at the end showing Spielberg as the director, it made perfect sense. Do watch it. Disney presented the 'Tangled' that day which was spectacular. The actress who played Rapunzel was so bubbly and energetic that one couldn't help but fall in love with her. Cocky Flynn Ryder was not far behind either. After the show we did some minor shopping on the on-board shops.

Dinner on Christmas day was again at Carioca's with classic Christmas dishes. Have I told you how awesome are the desserts already? It was the dress-up dinner night and we were all dressed up even though it was optional. Took photographs both single and together with our group of friends. The beautifully decorated atrium of the ship provided the perfect setup with a huge christmas tree, a ginger bread house and a winding garlanded staircase. With our stomachs full and hearts filled with music from the Promenade, we called it a night.

The next day we got ready, had breakfast and was on-shore by 9-10AM. This was Castaway Cay, pronounced Castaway Key. It is an island that Disney has leased from the Bahamas for 99 years. So officially we landed in foreign territory that day. It was a day of fun and frolic on the Caribbean sea. Kids and dads went snorkeling while the moms got tubes to float in the calm and luxurious blue lagoon. I don't know how to swim although both kids can and H can manage. There was a line touching the water that separated the snorkeling area from tubing. I caught on to that line and pretty much had a good time floating alongside. Molu climbed on board for a short time while Kannan opted for the shore. The BBQ lunch with fresh mangoes to accompany was the best lunch of the trip. Banana ice cream in cones were had by yours truly a little too may times.

Later while the girls went off water sliding, the three of us went biking. Bikes were easy and the roads were made for biking. Had a really good time doing a few rounds. Molu and friends had their hair braided and they all looked as pretty as mermaids. Few more stops for last-minute pictures and we went aboard one last time. Freshened up in time to catch the last Disney musical.  It was called 'Disney Dreams'. Many loved this last musical that brought out every single Disney character - at least all the famous ones - and enacted worthy bits from Ariel, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and the Lion King. Dinner was at Lumier's. I have fallen more in love with French food. Gaston's escargots gratines  - snails and cheese  - were sensational. The delicious soup got me ready for my main course of roasted duck breast on potato puree and ended with the grand mariner's souffle. Our table hostess surprised us with naan, rice and butter chicken which some of us enjoyed.  Then it was time for goodbyes on the ship.

Once the ship docked back at Miami and was cleared for disembarkation, things went smoothly with all of us getting out and picking up our luggage by 10AM. Packed luggages were taken out the night before. Then it was on a taxi to the airport. Kids played cards there because we had a few hours to wait. Flights were almost on time despite the snow blizzard at the stopover at Chicago that cancelled many other flights. Picked up our car from the parking garage and got home to Zeus by 2AM. While it was sad to end the vacation, it was great to be back home and be with Zeus. Four days was the perfect duration for a trip like this and having friends to share it made for a very enjoyable trip.

We actually might do this again...

Planting Trees

The plural 'trees' was purely for effect. There is only one tree. But what a tree it is! "It" is a 2 year old dwarf lime tree that I have planted with lots of hope and dreams. Of course with some soil and fertilizers too. H found someone who sold half wine barrel containers locally and I found the dwarf version also online. So this is our web tree. It looks good now and let us hope it will continue to be so and bear fruits to fulfill all our 'sour' needs:-)

Just so the lime tree isn't the only newbie this year, I have added a healthy curry-leaf plant that was on sale at the Indian store.

At least I know we will have grapes again this year.

Onions too!

Flowers bring up the rear but they rule!!!

 

Garden News 2016

The Nasturtium seeds I had leftover from last year finally found their destiny in the soil a few weeks back on a good day. A good day in the vocabulary of the working mom points to that special weekend day with no kid activities which then aligns with great outdoors weather. The sun should be shining benevolently, not malevolently and there should be a gentle breeze to cool the tired gardener etc.. you get the idea. So there was such a day and that was the day of liberation for the nasturtium seeds as well as the little bag of onion seeds donated by a warm hearted colleague. Both are coming up well and my herbs are always a pleasure. I had plans to plant a dwarf lime tree in a half wine barrel this year but that may remain just a plan for now.

These little plants are a welcome sight when I come home in the evening after picking the kids up from their respective schools. It was exciting each day to see the head of new little plant peeking out of the ground. I am still keeping a lookout for the few that are missing down there. Can't wait for them to flower.

This sturdy rosemary, artsy lemon thyme and delicate cilantro makeup my mini herb garden. Rosemary is ever present and dependable in all weather. Cilantro must be in season now I think which could be why it decided to come up to greet the spring. Hello buddy! Lemon thyme is great with any baked meat preparations and is available almost all the time.

I am hoping these onions will grow up to take care of our cooking needs this year. We shall see.

Ginger dog happened when I was getting a piece for the coconut chutney that was to go with idly. I added the small piece for the hind leg to get the full effect. Molu said this picture is the most effective among the bunch I took. Woof! Woof!

Super Nails!

What would you do if you are in middle school and you are going with family to watch the Super Bowl 50 game at a friend's place with a bunch of other family friends and you will all be just fine whichever team wins? You'd want to show your support for both the teams by paining your nails in the color of each of the teams! Yes that is what molu did as you can see here. When she couldn't find the right colors among her little stash of nail polish, she made do with non-toxic acrylic paint used for class projects. P for North Carolina Panthers in black, blue and silver with a football to boot on the ring finger nail. B for Denver Broncos in orange and navy with a football field on the ring finger where the game is played. Even if the navy here didn't quite cut to its true shade, I thought the whole thing was neat! I am also quite proud of the fact that I knew at least the name of the teams this time around!