Thanks EsVee! And a toast to blogging!!

Three years and thirty posts, and am yet to immerse myself completely into the joy of blogging. Thanks to EsVee from Dainty Delights that I get to say these words and as my blog introduction makes it amply clear, blogging for me is more of an attempt to treasure memories of places life takes us than anything else. Looking back, ten years from now, I might read an old blog post and feel happy for a certain time of my life.

Little did I know about the hidden secrets and gems of blogging till I started reading a cooking blog and then a home improvement one and then a child care one and so on.. While this is my first shot at any blog-hop, for a couple of years I have wanted to participate in some blogging challenges and learnt a good deal following innumerable gifted bloggers from across the world, who have helped make me a better person in ways unknown to them.

About me

I could describe myself as essentially a person who lives dividing time between her profession as a civil servant, her responsibilities as a mum to an eighteen month old doll , spending time with her family and friends across the country and filling her spare time with her zillion hobbies. As my better half A likes to put it, I rarely accomplish anything with precision because the endless streams of ideas and possibilities distract me before a job is completely done.

Growing up in Delhi, I pined for the hills and the forests and the rivers and the seas. For a person who traces her lineage from places like Lahore and Multan in pre-partition India and who grew up hearing grandmothers' tales of places as far as Sylhet and Rangoon, I relish sweet Zarda rice and Dal Bukhara as much as the Italian or Chinese. Moreover, being married to a guy who was born in Nigeria, traveled across the world and grew up in places as distinct as Allahabad and Noida, the concept of hometown is rather ephemeral to me. Yet Delhi remains the city of my dreams and Lucknow with its rich culture and history (and culinary tradition!) my current home.For a family which lost more than wealth and status in the aftermath of the Partition of the country,the events of history affect me deeply and needless to mention, a number of my blog posts are dedicated to the grandeur of places in an era gone by. 

 

My hobbies

While drawing-painting-card making-gift wrapping and other paper crafts have continued to inspire me from an early age, quizzing had been the greatest love of my life till other important priorities took over. Living in places people have not even heard of, there was no alternative to cooking and baking on one's own. While visiting A in Tripura in the early years of our marriage, I was immensely inspired by three lady officers namely Sonal, Tanushree and Saumya who made some of the best food imaginable in some of the toughest circumstances. Tanushree if you ever happen to read this, I follow your recipe of 'red sauce' till date  and will remember you for guiding me to Youtube cooking videos for clarity and technique. Five years on, I love 'Cooking up a Storm' in my kitchen whenever possible and will shortly launch my eponymous cooking blog showcasing idiot-proof recipes for a hearty homemade meal.

Apart from this I happened to pick up embroidery during my years in the city of Taj with EsVee and have continued ever since. Our latest project Tapestry of Dreams awaits completion and I hope to make a few embroidered hoops for few dear friends soon afterwards. Like most small kids do, I too love collecting stamps and coins and good notebooks. A's gift of a DSLR has drawn me to nature and bird-watching of late and I hope to learn much from the same in days to come.

Growing up in a houseful of English literature classics (which belonged to my father), I believe it runs in my blood by now and I have dedicated an entire page on my blog showcasing some of the best reads I came across.

I love indulging in simple pleasures of life like getting up late, tea and biscuits, starched cottons, dappled sunshine, endless chatting, smell of warm baked goodies and so on. Pinterest  has been a revolution for inspiration-seekers like me and I follow a lot of fellow bloggers for a variety of things.

Some of my favorite blogs are:

• Sailu's food- I learnt cooking from her!
• Sia's Monsoon Spice.
• The Singing Chef- for her butter-less cakes
• Veg Recipes of India
• Dainty Delights- for everything
• Art of Dessert
• A Mad Tea Party
• Masala Chai 
• I Heart Organizing
• Just Simple
• The Field Days
• Million Little Stitches
• Eating out in Delhi
• Prash
• Karenika

For the blog hop I would like to nominate Q and Anurag for their thought provoking blogs. Hope to hear from you guys soon..