Food Adventures

Today the girls made Chapati and a Cilantro-Yogurt sauce.  We got the recipes from Bal Arneson and Epicurious.com.  God bless the internet.  The girls had fun making it. (Code - making a mess) and they thought the end product was tasty.  Tomorrow food adventure will be Chicken Curry. . .stay tuned!

(http://www.spicegoddess.com and http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cilantro-Yogurt-Sauce-51154890)

  

Rolling out the Chapati

Hubby and Olivia with the Cilantro-Yogurt sauce

Paz scooping out the ingredients for the Chapati

Chop-chop!

Purging and Food

Happy New Year!!

Wow . . .lots has happened. 

Abuela took the news as I would have expected.  She was shocked but then was happy for us.  ‘Two years will go fast” I love my mom.  I love my family.  I usually always know how they would react . . . Clincher . . . .Later in the day, I see her and Jacob talking quietly in the kitchen – I hear my mom say. . .”You think Karen will have a hard time with the food?”  (insert her waving her finger no and shaking her head.)  Tis true, I am excited for this new pallet of food that I will encounter!

Granny took it well – as well as she can understand.  Her concern is where is she going to go.  (A very valid concern J)  Her grand-daughter is trying her best to find accomodations.  The control freak in me is having a very hard time not to be involved in this.  (Most of the time I am successful)  I have my own responsibilities that I need to take care of prior to departure.

Preparing to get ready is WORK.  I am at the ‘purging’ stage of my house.

The movers have already come to my house and evaluated the move.  The company is giving us a 40ft container for sea (that takes 8-10 weeks!!). For air we are getting 2 LDN containers and 2 D containers. (2-3 weeks)  My mind set during these remaining purging days is:  Is this Sea?  Air? Storage? Goodwill?  This momma is tired.  Just to reiderate, I am not packing!  The movers are packing.  I am just ‘spring cleaning’!  This is stage one!

Stage two is another beast.  I truly, at this point need to separate the Sea, Air and storage items.  (goodwill items are already gone.)  Where is my blood pressure medication when I need it?  To add salt to my wounds, Olivia just walked in my room and asked me what VALENTINE’s snack am I going to make for her class.  WHA?!?!?!  Its January 14 – kids!  By the time Valetine’s comes around, I will have already lost my mind!!!  Oye Vey!!!

Happy thoughts:

This past Sunday we went on a food tour with Rebecca Wheeler.  Let me give her a plug:  If you are a foodie and would like to be adventurous with your palate.  I say give her a go. (Here is her website http://rebeccawheeler.com )

I purchased this gift for Jacob at Christmas time.  For those that do not know him, he can be a food snob.  (I will clarify later)  Many times when we have been on vacation, I will eat in a hole-in-wall restaurant and he is known to just sit and watch me . . .EVEN IF HE IS HUNGRY.  If this momma is hungry . . .This momma will eat!  Many times out it has been a blessed granola bar that has gotten him to his next meal.

I wanted this time to be different.  ‘We’ cant live on granola for 2 years!!  (At least I can’t.)

Rebecca took us to some places that Jacob would not normally eat . . .but . . .the difference was, she told Jacob all the ingredients that were in there and how some things were made.  He was very willing to try food and try to taste what was in the food.  So the key with this man is he needs to KNOW what he is eating.  I, on the other hand, was just eating!  During the tour she also took us to an Indian Market and explained the spices.  I really think this put him at ease with the food situation.  She made a suggestion: To find that ‘auntie’ in India that is willing to teach me to cook Indian food.  I want to find that person.  SO. . .to all my Bangalore friends – if you know someone, hook a sista up!

Catch up post 12-21-14

So the Hubby had a conversation with someone in his company that did a 2 year rotation with her kids in India.  Hubby asked if I had any questions to ask. . boy, did I.  Not all the questions were asked/answered . . .but this is what I learned.

1.  She lived in Whitefield Palm Meadow.  It is a gated community.

    2.  She had a maid that lived right outside of the community.  Maid ended up being like family.  She is going to try to put us in contact with her.

    3.  Drivers were hard for her.  She went through 4 drivers . . . .She bought her own car in India.  I don’t want to do that and deal with the legalities in a foreign country.  I want a driver that comes with a car!

    4.  The things that we use (that have a shelf life) we need to by in bulk in the states and ship in the shipping container.  Costco here we come!

    5.  Her kids went to Indus school.  It was a 1 hour school bus ride.  MOST kids in the community went to Stonehill. . .a two hour bus ride.  Can’t do that to the kids. . . .

Catch up post 12-14-14

It happened.  

It started off HORRIBLE.   

There was crying.  

LOTS OF CRYING.  

Questions of. . .Will we sell the house?  Will the dogs come?  Will I go to a different school?  Why?  I don’t want to.  And the doozy. . 

”What about the people that I love and have made in impact on my life?”  

wow.  

That was my Olivia.  Leave it to her to say something like that – that triggers MY emotional button.  Darn kids!  Tears were starting to well up in my eyes.  Luckily, Hubby stepped in and said . . .”They will come visit us.”  That simple sentence changed the tone of the rest of the conversation.  They had better attitudes . . .they were starting  to get excited.  Don’t get me wrong . . .there is still apprehension on their part but it is being looked on as an adventure.  So, to the people that have made an impact on my daughters lives – you know who you are. . .you better visit!  Miss Di, Mr. Bruce and Abuela – no pressure.  J  (Mr. Bruce – Olivia was concerned about not having field trips anymore . . )

We have instructed them to not tell anyone yet.  This is to be kept amongst ourselves.  We will tell Granny and Abuela after Christmas.

The questions. . . oh the questions!!!  I have to learn not to discredit their concerns of … -but I love my room.   – can I still talk to my friends?  – what about our sleep overs? (again – no pressure Miss Di)  -what about Granny?  -will I need shots? 

Towards the end of the conversation they were warming up to the idea.  They liked the idea of visiting the Taj Mahal and traveling to different countries.  I think we are going to be ok.  It is a new experience in life and I think it is a fabulous one.  I just hope they see it as that. . . .

Catch up post 12-13-14

How will I tell my kids that we are moving to India for two years?!?  How would you?  I am excited and scared to await their reaction.

Let me somewhat explain how we got here.  Hubby was asked to go to Bangalore India for about a month. . .a comment was made that they needed someone more permanent to make sure things go well. . .some consideration was made and BAM. . . we are going.  ALL OF US.  . .even the two dogs.

Departure is March 1 –and the company is moving us.  So, while moving itself can be stressful - moving out of the country probably more stressful. . . .having a company that will direct everyone and oversee everything – got to admit –that is kind of nice. 

I think that this will be an exciting adventure.  Yes, I am happy that the Hubby is venturing out his career wings. BUT, I am more happy for my kids that they will experience things that a majority of people can only dream of.  I pray that in the end it will mature and open their eyes to how the majority of the world lives.  I hope that this gives them perspective in their little lives.

My kids:

Olivia is 9.  She is one of the most stubborn people I know.  She takes after me.  J  I am a firm believer that this stubbornness – while it is a constant battle with us – will one day be a benefit. 

Olivia has a disability.  She has Cerebral Palsy.  Don’t feel sorry for her.  In the Cerebral Palsy/disability world – the kids a JOCK!  She has no equipment to use.  No walker, wheel chair, cane, orthotic. . . nothing.  She does walk with an inconsistent gate and her muscles are tight.  We stretch ALL THE TIME!  She is a tough cookie.  She is the one that I think will take the news the best.  My only worry is she is really starting to develop close friendships.  She has always had friends . .but when little girls start to become little ladies – the giggling starts to happen, notes passed around to friends – BFF’s start to form.  So we shall see how she reacts.

Paz is 6.  Spunky energetic and sweet ‘she’ll give you her shirt off the back’ little girl.  She is my girlie girl.  Always concerned about her shoes and what she wears.  I think she will take it the worst. . .but my plan is to show her the pretty Indian clothes and . . “squirrel”. . . .oooo pretty clothes. 

2 dogs –Ranger and Delgado.  Ranger is 10. Delgado is 3.  Ranger is the best dog in the world.  Seriously.  I swear he can read my mind and knows just what to do.  That being said – I think the travel will be very hard on him.  Might need to sedate.

Delgado is the most vocal dog that I have ever had . . .but he truly is a dog that loves kids and is just all around fun.  I am the least worried about him.  He will do fine.  He is a survivor. . .have I mentioned that he is a tripod?

People that I am leaving behind.

My mom.  (aka Abuela)My mom is a doer.  She is a 70 yr old woman and I swear she has more energy than me.  She became a widow about 3 years ago so that is a slight concern there.  I have always been the one that lived the closest and while I am the youngest of her kids – she has always been able to count on me.  I haven’t told her either.

Granny.  She is 87.  She lives with us currently.  She is my husband’s grandmother.  She really isn’t the most pleasant person to be around.  She really is a moody and negative person.  BUT. . .I will be quick to add – that once in a while a ray of sunshine come out of her and when it does – it is so awesome and unexpected!  Those days of her gripping just wipe away and you relearn to appreciate her.

My siblings – they don’t live anywhere close.  They were the first to know of these happenings.  They are happy for us but concerned at the same time about mom being by herself.

Next: We tell the girls. . . .