Thanksgiving dinner menu

And yesterday was the thanksgiving. For the first time, I planned a thanksgiving feast with another friend and the glimpse of the menu is below for everyone to see. A day which involved huge planning, hiccups, constant flow of emails and trips to grocery stores, it was a huge success.


Lunch
Spinach artichoke dip with toasted baguettes
Mozzarella Al Caprese
Deviled eggs
Pita hummus
Sangria
Olives

Dinner Menu

1st course:
Crab meat puffs - Roohi
Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Turnovers
Baked Stuffed Jalapeños
Butternut squash soup

Main course
Turkey with cranberry sauce
Warm biscuits / dinner rolls.
Chicken Biryani

Side dishes:
Green bean casserole
Rosemary olive oil baked vegetables
Greek potatoes

Dessert:
Red wine dark chocolate cake
Pumpkin cheesecake
Icecream

Drinks: Wines and cheese

More to come by next week. Thanksgiving weekend is still on and lot many more activities of the weekend still to happen. Pictures to follow.

Roohi

Thanksgiving countdown

It's day 1 after my self imposed rule to write. When I made the blog, I always knew the difference between writing a blog, maintaining a journal or writing a personal diary. And now one year later maybe the fine line is slightly getting faded. So before writing anything,  I will like to apologize to my readers ( thanks for being loyal) that maybe you will be inflicted with very boring and mundane writing. This is being done as my husband will always say for larger scheme of things to come.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and  I am in the process of baking cakes for some of my dear friends in this city who have managed to make my life in this city so much more enriching than what the city by itself could offer. Till the next week I am going to be baking at least 5/ 6 cakes.  It's the most wonderful time of the year and a time to even express your feelings for the loved ones.
As I am writing this I am wondering why we do not have such a festival being celebrated in India. A festival to mark the togetherness of the family, meant only for the family to celebrate and making sure everyone flocks together on this day. I am guessing with new trends and culture and increase of nuclear families in India, in another decade we will have something on the lines of thanksgiving being celebrated in India as well.

Fun facts of thanksgiving :

1. It is said that on thanksgiving an average American consumes 5000 calories in 1 day!!!

2. The author of the nursery rhyme " Mary had a little lamb" Sarah  Hale,  was responsible for making Thanksgving a national holiday for Americans in 1863.

3. In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.( maybe I consume 1/2). 280 million..can you believe that number and it translates into 3 billion in sales.

4.  Interesting Turkey fat : Due to the white meat being the most popular part of a turkey, turkeys have been bred to have huge breasts.  So much so that modern day domesticated turkeys are no longer typically able to mate, due to the breasts getting in the way of the male mounting the female.  As such, most hatcheries use artificial insemination to fertilize the eggs of the domestic turkey. ( such a sad life for poor turkey..I feel bad reading this)

In the end here is a quote for laughs.

"I love Thanksgiving turkey...it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts."
Arnold Schwarzenegger


Hope you have enjoyed reading this. More to come before Thursday 24th November.

Roohi Ahuja

Pondering

When I started writing in 2010, few friends told me that it's hard to keep your blog alive. And looking at my number of entries of 2011, sure I agree that it's not been very easy. Is it important to write to keep the blog alive or wait for an inspiration to pen down your thoughts?

Well considering that I have waited for inspiration, 2011 has not been a very productive year as the year itself has been very hard with lot of professional and personal issues. Going through the blog today, I feel I should have continued to write even if managing few lines. I think writing without inspiration is harder because you do not know what you want to write about. But not writing at all is lethal because you loose the habit of it completely which I have now and feel very upset about.

It's the year end and festive spirit is in the air. I need to let my hair down, tap my feet , take the camera and walk the streets to enjoy the ending of 2011.
Let's see how much of this resolution is kept alive.

Roohi
(the dead writer trying to bounce back)

For Renee:

My dearest darling
as you are getting used
to the new surroundings
No longer in the warmth of the womb.
I want to thank you
for the hopes
you brought in this household.

Your footsteps
marks a beginning of
a spring full of joy
blossoming of flowers
Memories
of past rekindled
as sweet perfume
in the air.

How I wish
You could have come a little earlier
for the happiness
to have been complete.
But I thank god
for sending me
a pretty angel
to remind me
that life never
stops running.

Move on and look ahead
for the very next turn you might
get hit by as pleasant surprise
as you Renee!

Welcome to Kapur family!

Happy Birthday Roohi

Oh! How I recall
My nightly walks
to my parents room
waking them up
at 12.00 in the night
asking them to wish me
Happy birthday.


It was a ritual
followed for twenty five years
until I got married
and moved out of that life.

Its that time of year again
and the clock is ticking
telling me that I am
just an year older.

And I recall
my nightly walks
no longer possible
no longer waking them
asking them to wish me again.

Happy Birthday Roohi!

Happy 2011

It's one year anniversary of my blog.

I started writing at the end of last year and 2010 resolve was to write. Output : 64 blog writings which by itself is not really commendable but definitely appreciable by my standards.

Again I think back and ponder of happenings of 2010. What was good, what went wrong, how could I have made it better. 2010 will actually be one of the memorable years of my life wherein again third time in my life I came face to face in the situation of seeing my loved ones fight death and this time they came out victorious much to joy of the entire family. That was the highlight event of this year.

I wish everyone a very Happy 2011. Health and happiness for all my readers. Wish that 2011 brings a lot of freshness and lot of travel. New places to explore, wander and happenings.

As the year passes
and the next year knocks
ready to bring
its hopes and fears.
Nothing comes without a price
I let this year go by
and embark on the journey
of the next year.

Hola 2011.

Roohi