Fleeting february

A SuperBowl chaat party, oscar night rather evening in pajamas with a refreshing Mediterranean salad and more of the blueberry muffins with chai, a crafty valentine's, bowling nightmares, poker night with  beginner's luck, cheapest girl's night out and dinner at Andina to celebrate a newly wedded couple have made for an eventful yet fleeting February

Winter fun

Made these almost-perfect blueberry muffins for a couple of ardent blueberry fans. Perfected them with a streusel topping. For something that begs to be eaten out of the oven, its a plus that its a quick and simple recipe. Even made some as the chai boiled up.        There was also an all oil recipe that i just cannot seem to find again to save. S took BigC and LilM to watch the nutcracker by OBT.

The Dads picked another great day for skiing this holiday season - fresh powder and even BigC can tell what a difference it makes and enjoyed skiing in not so freezing conditions. Closer home, the Moms picked the last day to check out the zoolights and perfected the timing on the 2nd try. LilC's enthralled reaction to the lights and the lit-up steam engine ride was well worth it.  

 

Merry times

Cookies by BigC using the kit she snagged at H/M's naughty Santa party

Santa brings dresses and a puppy

Keeping Busy

With the school getting set to shut down for the winter break, BigC brought home the guinea-pig and LilC would not stray away from it introducing everyone who came home to it and telling everyone about it. BigC is putting some of the bendaroos to use forming them into bugs, giraffes and cupcakes. She's knit an endless piece that Amma cleverly folded up and crocheted the sides to make into a bag for "Nisha". Nisha's one lucky doll with Amma also knitting her a winter dress/hat and making a silken dress. .

mehendi just in time for BigC's PKK dance

Deck the tree

Since BigC's 1st Christmas, it has been the norm to get a tree her height the week of thanksgiving and have her deck it up. The first couple of years were a trial with potted trees that we'd then plant in the garden and soon it struck that we'd have one too many conifers. Having made our peace with cut-trees, this year was the year to try cutting her own with Appa. Moi wanted a blue tree but, it was dark by the time they got there and me thinks they brought home the first tree they could find - a green bushy one complete with creepy-crawlies. LilC enjoyed her 1st tree arranging and re-arranging the lower half of the tree until it was time to take it out.

BigC's summer-camp also had a winter fused-glass session that we decided to try and ended up making some ornament give-aways.

Finally had enough people to try out the "Mechoui" at Marrakesh. Being a Monday, the restaurant was able to accomodate our last minute request. LilC got up on the low table and danced to the arabian music playing in the background - making up for the missing Belly-dancing element. Justice we did to the dish, as we only had a couple sandwiches worth of leftovers. The chef even accomodated a couple of vegetarians in the group!!  

in the garden - mandevilla blooming into November

Puppets and chaat

Armed with an arsenal of recipes from Mom's collection of yet-to-be tested recipes, some unknown sources even, it was decided that chaat party it would be for LilC's b'day. The guest list kept growing and on a wet November day, the main-door had to be blocked to ensure we could fit all the people in. A last minute surprise trip by bro/sil meant we'd be firing on all cylinders even with P's almost fractured ankle - a station for masala puri (R), for dahi-vada (P), for waffles (A/V), for orange-juice (R). The piece-de-resistance being B's cake with meringued tops, complete with marzipan bugs, bird and cuddly bear crafted by LilM and the much sought after "ganja" infused tea, fought to the very last drop!!

When visiting MoMA, had picked up a set of balloon animals that were too cute to resist. The older kids put these together and there was just enough for each of LilC's friends to take home. Penney's puppets put on a show "Lilly, the catepilly"  but LilC couldn't care more or less except for the "bussesly".

Giving Thanks

The holiday frenzy is on. Blueberry pound cake from Suzanne Goin, as always a hit, with A's parents- used frozen wild blueberries this time. Its also the time for persimmons and pomegranates and another of Goin's salad recipes that B had me make for girls' holiday lunch last year. No-one minded eating healthy like this. Its also the time when artists open up their studios and we got to see one really neat studio where she'd pinned up all her inspiration.  

On one of the Anthropologie visits, BigC had fun making reindeer using candycanes at their art station.

in the garden - chocolate persimmon tree in its first year