Finally it is summer in Seattle! I don’t think anyone else enjoys summer as much as us Seattleites. We have learned to fully appreciate the few sunny days we get every year. The streets are so lively these days, it is so much fun to go out into the city and get lost in the crowd. A friend and I had a fabulous Parisian style Sunday today. We started with brunch at Cafe Campagne, followed by a waterfront stroll and […]

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Leavenworth - a charming town in WA where we spent a relaxing July 4th weekend. A beautiful house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by Pear orchards and the stunning Wenatchee river in the backyard; lots and lots of food, drinks and games… it was truly the perfect weekend! Inspired by the resemblance of its countryside to Bavarian Germany, Leavenworth was remodeled as a Bavarian village in the 1960s. The town center is beautiful with its quaint Bavarian architecture, but […]

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We just got back from an extended weekend break in Las Vegas. Yes, the 10th anniversary celebration was in our favorite city in the whole world. What, you don’t think it is a romantic city? It sure is, for us at least! As much as Siv and I love each other, we have totally different hobbies and interests, except for two major ones - food and poker. Where else can you get the best of both these?
We have been to […]

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We had beautiful weather in Seattle this weekend. I went hiking on Saturday with my friend M.  M is one of those exercise freaks who wears a pedometer every day and goes to the gym for fun. When it is raining outside, she sometimes goes up and down the stairs in our office building to get her exercise! M sits on the third floor and I am on the first floor, and she always offers to come down for coffee […]

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Thanks everyone for playing the What would you pick… game. It was comforting to know that most everyone would go for comfort food, if they had to stick with eating the same meal for the rest of their life.  There were a couple of smart alecs who wanted to take a hot guy along for dessert, I have to let them, after all it is a deserted island…
Talking about my comfort food I realized that I haven’t blogged about […]

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Banana Colada

Summer is almost over, but there is no law against having a sunny cocktail on a dark cold evening, right? There is nothing that fills my heart with sunshine like a fresh tropical island cocktail, bringing back some sweet vacation memories of lazing on the beach…
A Pina Colada is normally made with pineapple, coconut cream and rum. Add one more fruit and you get drinks like strawberry colada, banana colada etc. Can you think of a more tropical combination than banana, pineapple […]

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Laddu

Laddu or Ladoo is a beloved Indian sweet which is an integral part of most Hindu festivals and celebrations. According to WikiPedia,
Laddu is often made to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings. It is made of flour and other ingredients formed into balls that are dipped in sugar syrup. Chubby kids in India can affectionately be called ‘Laddu’.

eHow.Com calls Rava (Semolina) laddu as “Edible Dowry”:
Some Hindu brides prepare a pastry called rawa laddu to present to the […]

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Ilaneer as Tender Coconut water is known in Kerala is one of the most delicious natural thirst quenchers in the world. On long road trips during the hot summers back home, the roadside Ilaneer vendors were like gods to us. At less than Rs. 10/. (less than 25¢) for a coconut, this very affordable drink is a great alternative to the expensive colas which are full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. The refreshing tender coconut water is sweet in taste and has a lot of […]

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