Mohonk Resort, NY

From the hectic bustle of the Big Apple, we headed out for some relaxing times at an all inclusive resort in upstate NY, thanks to sis for planning this. In a hurry to avoid street closure for a parade, we arrived well before check-in time but the kids took to the lake and beach. All needs are taken care of...chairs, umbrellas, toys, towels and its time to kick back. 
The lake, nothing too grand but, just enough for little kids is a mountain lake, fed by rainwater alone. The dynamics in such systems is interesting in that not all such lakes can support aquatic life since they can get too acidic. This one has shale that keeps it neutral and is stocked with trout for fishing. While the exteriors had BigC excited about celebrating her special day there - in a castle, the interiors had the smell that comes with such old buildings that was not a hit. Soft light in the mornings and evenings, the expansive manicured grounds that LilC romped around without a care and not having to worry about where the next meal was going to be, made for a laid-back time.
Horse-riding, paddling and swimming in the lake, mini-golf, feeding the fish in the lake and koi kept the kids busy. Nightly entertainment included watching the meteor shower. The tropical themed gardens and greenhouse kept me on my toes. Monstrous Daturas (taller than moi), plumerias, castor bean plants and the colorful butterflies that came with them were a sight to behold.

NYC

With the 2 kids in tow, we were not expecting much in terms of taking in the city sights. Earplugs on arrival at the apartment set us up for the city that never sleeps!
















Something to do with the kids through early afternoon followed by recharge time for kids while adults got to do their own worked out nicely as we went through 3 museums in as many days. We only did select portions that would hold BigC's attention too and there's definitely more to go back to. BigC got chided for touching an exhibit at Modern Art - her first lesson. The History museum despite being plagued by kids was very stroller unfriendly - long lines at elevators and miles of steps to climb! LilC gave a couple of fashion photographers a run before they called quits.

At the MET, we took in the elaborate stained glass/mosaic art by Tiffany, lots of Monets/VanGoghs/Picassos. While i am drawn to landscapes in general, VanGogh was a revelation and i loved the texture/depth in his landscapes - esp the village and wheat-fields.

The kids unwound at Central Park and is just amazing that its in the heart of the city - very much like the local ForestPark  and Cubbon-Park in Bangalore but to the nth degree. Being Restaurant week, tried a couple of restaurants - the snooty Artisanal and uber-friendly Caffe Grazie (with a romantic novel plot unraveling right there...worth going back). For everyday sustenance, right next door was Kati-roll. BigC's much awaited ferry ride to see Dame Liberty had to be put on hold due to weather and when we did make it, it was a perfect day. The throngs of people that the ferries unloaded onto the island had to be seen to be believed - brought back images of Tirupati.

Varalakshmi

The time to invoke the Godess who grants boons (vara) came a little early this year. As the days drew closer, fears rose that there would not be enough flowers from the garden like previous years. But, at the end of it all, there was more than enough to deck up the swing, for some rangolis by BigC and me and to share with friends. Even the new cactus Dahlia and lotus bloomed just in time for Her. Lavender, lilies, marga and pathre (scented geranium) lend themselves divinely to create the scents of a pooja.

 As Nanny and me conjured up the rangoli, BigC got impatient and was setup with another board to make her own. She did pretty well drawing inspiration from ours. This was followed by a week at Grace Art camp from where a set of Peruvian dolls joined our BombeMane.

in the garden - nasturtiums, parrot's beak, black petunia and calibrachoa in the hanging baskets






La Provence, Oregon

A weekend cherry-picking jaunt to the hood river valley happened to also be just when the lavender fields were in full bloom. Despite not having traveled anywhere close to Provence, have delved into it enough to imagine and dream about it to be much like some vistas on this trip. It was amazing how well the lavender fields and wildflower gardens had established since our last visit with a visiting friend back in 2005. BigC helped cut a big bunch of lavender to take home while LilC marauded the flowers, bees and hummingbirds all set to the song "Hallelujah".


From here, on we went to stock up on some cherries at what has now become an annual ritual - with a picnic under the trees while picking. The owner even remembered us and indulged us in a bucket of water to wash the cherries.
Did a quick pit-stop to pick up dinner at Nicholas. Having had the same lamb and chicken shwarma the previous night at Gyro-house, the brother's find...must say the Gyro-house flavor wind by a mile and more.

in the garden - fragrant yellow roses and Russian sage, red crocosmia and stunning artichoke

Baubles and Babbles

Earlier in the month, a customary trip to First Thursday ended up with moi being the owner of some exquisite silver jewelry. BigC spotted this girl painting some scarves and watched her in awe. Bought one for keeepsake and stories are being told of the cool painting methods. At home, i dug up an older set from an Indian friend that had been in the bag where i'd left them years ago - lots of nostalgia...just like the glass trinkets from another friend's cruise through Greece.
This appears to be the year of meeting old friends out-of-the-blue...P from the India office, D from PU college. Met over more dosa (leftover from serving up some NorthIndian friends) and caught up on all those years. Maybe its just us getting so old that we finally converge. Amid all this, BigC had the first sleepover at friends' without us getting a call in the middle of the night. Together with the dreaded movie at the cinema-hall, they have almost been a rite of passage this summer.




in the garden - containers overflowing with Mandevilla, last year's sweet Alyssum and variegated Geranium finding many a friends' home



Feeding the tribe

Lazy summer days still do not mean you can get away from eating. One's got to cook and the joy multiplies when shared. Also, its less of a burden when one is not cooking dinners all week - more cuisines to taste. The magical July-4th did bring the sun and warmth with it. Out came the grills and could not believe 75 degress could be sweltering! Did a take on Susanne Goin's Arugula Pomegrante salad by switching out persimmons with mangoes while the friend grilled some stuffed jalapeno poppers and quesadillas loaded with cotija cheese and grilled veggies. A game of Taboo that brought out some creative stories  had to be followed by a game of Uno to indulge BigC since the words were beyond her.

Dosa nite with some friends was followed by badminton in the backyard until the light ran out (just like when we were kids). A diving catch had saved the big mixed berry cake made from blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries. The gooseberries definitely upped the oomphf factor.

Brunch with friends featured idlis and pumpkin waffles.
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
3 tbsp brown sugar
2+1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
4 eggs separated
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Fold them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

in the garden - fragrant Lilium Regale and white/purple phlox with stinky yet perky Shasta daisies

Summer Soiree

Father's day request, ever popular upside down cherry cake. I cut back on the brown sugar that cherries cook in due to the sweetness of the Bings frozen at their peak last year. After the cherries softened up, i drained off the juices and made a sauce that i used over the cake once baked. 1 cup of sugar for the batter could also be reduced to 3/4cup.                                Came upon aqua-fresca as we were looking to make juice at home for BigC's birthday a few years ago. Its only as good as the fruit that goes into making it and this time around, the water-melon was as red as can be and just as sweet. Undiluted strained juice with just a spoon of sugar per glass and lime to taste (8 cups fruit juice+8tsp of sugar+ juice of 2 limes) left an empty pitcher in no time. Methi Pulao with methi from garden, chapathi with sagoo, cabbage and beans, vethakolumbu and rasam finished the menu.
Everyone appears to be cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi. This soiree hosted by a friend featured a 3-course menu with dishes pulled from his cookbook: Roasted vegetable tart with spinach and mango salad; Saffron tagliatelle in spiced butter; Riccotta fritters. While we cooked and ate the evening away, the riccotta fritters were the highlight given how unencouraging the batter looked when we started out to fry them. But the donuty goodness, more like a beignet, was to die for.
Every spring, when its time to think about the annuals, the whole goal is to have enough for all the festivals towards the end of the summer. I had been contemplating getting waterlily flowers online when S put together a water-bowl complete with lily and water hyacinths. The algae i had so longingly admired at the nursery also have made it into the bowl (i did not pay or steal). The frog-spawn that the gardener had educated us about are now little tadpoles.

in the garden - Lily bowl