Of long drives and...

Nothing is ever impromptu once kids arrive - something that was put to rest this past weekend with an aimless drive through the local wine-country. You do not need to be a wine-connoisseur to enjoy the picturesque countryside. Still in its infancy, the stands of tall conifers speak of the deforestation that has made way for the rolling vineyards - a must given the region's rainy winters. We stopped for lunch at the newer Paulee and were pleasantly surprised by the flavors and portions. A deconstructed nicoise salad had tuna grilled with plain salt and pepper - tastiest ever and Halibut "Fish and" taro "chips" came with a curried apple/cabbage/raisin slaw. LilC polished off the waffles that came with some very ordinary fried chicken. A few interesting antique stores that we could probably return to some time.

BigC had her debut Bharathnatyam performance and with a lot of helping hands, made it through. Took BigC for the class picnic before the school starts and while there, planted up their new veggie garden for the Fall. It was fun to see the kids excited about all the veggies they'd be getting (i hope eating too)soon!

Usually, i never try a recipe as soon as i see it but this one for a pudding/custard brought back memories of the berry trifle we had at Butchart Gardens. Ingredient list was minimalist enough that i had all of it even on a Friday and i set to try with the kids running around the house. BigC scraping down the last bit on the whisk and licking it up while giving LilC a taste was indeed a stamp of approval.
Custards
1 cup whole milk
Seeds from 1/4 to 1/2 vanilla bean (see Note) or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Berries
1 cup blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Juice from a wedge lemon, or to taste



in the garden - chocolate cosmos

NJ/Princeton

After a lot of hemming and hawing, 'twas decided to meet in NJ for the niece's big ONE. Sis pulled out all the stops cooking up quite the spread making it gluten and vegan so hubby and in-laws could partake - tomato/cucumber gazpacho, Susanne Goin's salad adapted for summer, brioche rolls, baked rosemary crackers with hummus, braised chicken with quinoa rather than couscous and finally a peach/white-chocolate mousse cake. One lucky gal!
The hot and humid weather and the ubiquitous buzz of beetles makes for a very different summer from PNW. Hardly anything to do in the 'burbs, a walk around the 'hood not very inviting due to the stingy gnats, we drove down to Princeton one afternoon for an errand and were hooked. A charming University town, the mammoth proportions of the stone buildings against the blue skies are breathtaking. Cooled off with some icecream at Halo pub and picked up a bunch of toys/games/books at Jazams, a store stocked with things well-chosen. End of summer sales were all over the place!

 

Yet another sleepy afternoon for the kids meant we could catch a Hindi movie in the cinema hall in more than a decade. To our luck, the movie was very watchable with no SOS calls.
Sis got BigC tix to watch the LionKing on Broadway. Much like the 1st time, 2 years ago, she enjoyed it and the hyenas are still the favorite 'cos of the "detailed costume"!!



Pastries with the fruit and chocolate toppings picked off by BigC/LilC



 

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