I tried to think of a better title for the post and a more creative name for this warm comforting pan of wholesome goodness, but I failed miserably and so, I am doing the next best thing – calling it as it is!!
Each week I start with the intention of eating home cooked meals for most days of the week. But I want to cook fresh each day. So, that makes it a bit tricky, since I am time poor and sometimes tired, at the end of the day. The temptation to order in is huge – so I challenge myself – if it takes less than the time it takes to receive an Ubereats delivery, then it’s worth cooking.
I have also realised that I need to add more protein and vegetables to my diet. And since I prefer vegetarian meals, I am forever looking for ways to incorporate more of both vegetables and protein in my meals.
This recipe ticks all the boxes! It is super quick, requires minimal preparation , loaded with vegetables, packs a decent serve of protein and is versatile. It can be eaten on its own as a hearty stew , as a side with some rice or as a main dish with a side of warm buttered up sourdough toast.
My new bff ChatGPT helped me create a recipe card
How to make it:
Sauté onion in avocado oil .
Add chili powder & tomatoes.
Stir in beans and baby corn.
Add spinach – cook till wilted Season & serve warm with a sprinkle of cheese .
And here’ssomeNutritional Information based on Chat GPT again :
When my dad was here for the final time, he loved going for walks around the neighbourhood. After each walk, he would come home and tell me or my sister about how big and beautiful the roses were here and that if he took the cuttings back, wouldn’t it be a novelty to have the Australian roses in their garden in Mumbai .
We would agree and jokingly scold him to not ask random people for cuttings . This was an almost everyday conversation. As the days went on, every time he spoke about the roses, we would respond- “ yes papa” “I know, papa” etc and silently tune out, as you do when your parents are talking about the same thing over and over again.
Then, he went home and everything changed .. I know he will never come back again. But, after his passing( yes I still struggle to say the D word), I started replaying all the conversations that I had had with him in our last month together . And I was hit with a bigger sense of loss and remorse for all the times I didn’t ask for more details. All the questions that I thought I had time to ask later, but the ones that will remain unanswered forever now.
One of those questions was which house had the big beautiful roses that he was talking about. So, after I came back from Mumbai after the funeral , I started walking – a lot . It was mostly to clear my mind but secretly to look for the house with the big beautiful roses.
Every time I passed a house with beautiful blooming roses in the front yard, I would stop and wonder if that was the house. I would ask him for a sign. I would try to calculate the time it would take him to walk there and back . I would wonder if he actually walked that far. More questions were added to my already long list of unanswered questions.
My quest for the house with roses continued and every time I saw roses, I was hit by a fresh wave of sadness, bigger than one before. They say grief has so many stages – I know only one so far and that’s excruciating, soul crushing sadness.
You know, when you lose someone really close to you, you start looking for signs that they are still around. I strongly believe that they miss us as much as we miss them and that this parting is as hard for them as it is for us. So, they send signs. If you think I have lost the plot, this is your cue to stop reading now 🙂
In June 2024, SP had to undergo a couple of eye surgeries and every time that he was in surgery , I just walked around the hospital block . On one such walks, I was missing my dad and wishing I could call him. And right then, in the middle of concrete towers I spotted these precious white roses.
Somewhere in East Melbourne
That day I started looking at flower laden rose bushes as a sign that my Papa was still around and still looking after me as he always did . He was and is my strength and nothing will take that away from me.
Fast forward to November 2024, I had to give something to one of my back neighbours. And as I walked up to their door, something caught my eye – in one of the neighbouring houses front yard were ‘These roses’. Big! Beautiful! Roses !!
Roses in my neighborhood
I knew, then, without an ounce of a doubt that THESE were the roses my dad was talking about. They were at the right distance away from home. He would see them again and again as he walked around the block. You see, in my search for the roses I was walking farther and farther away from home, but they literally in my backyard.. well almost. .
Now when I see roses as I am walking or driving, I still tear up but on some days, I manage to smile through my tears. I smile and say ‘ Thank you’ for sending me a sign!
Note : I had written this post a couple of days back and have sat tight on it to post it today, because Women’s Day.
Every girl needs her girls – you know, the ones that she can share her silly jokes with and cackle with laughter , but also ones that she can vent to and ugly cry with.
I am privileged to be surrounded by such girls from various phases of my life . Some have seen me as a child, a moody teen, others as a grown woman. I met some in real life, some virtually, while others were real life friends, now turned into virtual connections due to distance and time. Regardless of how we met, they have each held my hand or nudged me gently to get me through tumultuous and/or uneventful days at that time.
I am also honoured to be that girl for some most of these lovely ladies. I absolutely cherish our friendships and conversations shared over the years. I love the fact that we lean on each other for support and advice, drawing strength from each other’s experiences and characters.
Here’s to shining the spotlight on the characters from my very own ‘Sister Act’
Starting with my first bff ever – my sister- we couldn’t be any more different even if we tried .But I know when I need her, she will A.L.W.A.Y.S show up for me. Then my aunt, who is like a friend, sister, aunt , mom rolled in one. My childhood bestie – who makes time for me even when her own life is chaotic. My baby cousin who checks in even when she has her hands full with extended family and a new business.
I have my local girls that I can meet for coffee or chai or a drink every now and again. When I can go back to India, I my school/ college friends and I find the time to catch up for a coffee or a meal. A coffee with a girlfriend is not just a frivolous outing, it is a moment of bonding. Major life issues are often discussed and potential solutions found over cups of coffee and for that I am so grateful.
This pic is from a very insightful Coffee date with the best friend that I have had since I was 15!
And when I talk about women who have held me in a warm comforting embrace of friendship, how can I not mention my work girlies. Some I have known for over 10 years, others a few years, but they all accidentally or intentionally subscribed to my madness – they patiently wait in the hallway, as I say ‘Hello’ to one other person, laugh at or with me when I can’t stop laughing in the middle of a story and lend an empathetic ear when I need one.
Then, I have my chai-time girls, called so because we connected virtually & chatted over cups of chai each day until we met face to face and they became my lifelong friends- connected virtually again ( bachcho ki shaadi mein toh mil hi lenge fir se 😃)
Last but not least in any way, my blogger friends most of whom I met virtually when I first started blogging. Over time, the blogging took a back seat, but we remained connected through other means of social media .
These women became my village, my tribe when I was finding my way through the early years of motherhood. They were the ones I turned to when I was sleep deprived and stumbling through toddler tantrums and meal-time dramas. They are still the ones that I turn to for parenting advice and to share the daily happenings. After 18 years of knowing each other virtually, we finally met face-to-face.
This is not a random sentimental rambling. This is my grateful acknowledgement as I think about life in general and the last year in particular. Last year was the hardest year of my life – may be I will be brave enough to write about the year that 2024 was, one day. But for now, I will end this post by saying that I am grateful to be surrounded by intelligent, sensitive and empathetic women who let me be me, by being their true selves around me .
Here’s to strong women- may we be them, raise them and be fortunate enough to be surrounded by them
MsA is the reason I started blogging, so it’s only apt that I share here that she has started University now!
Time does fly and babies do grow up despite us mums wanting to keep them little forever. I offered to drive her to campus on her first day and she refused. She did ask if I could drop her off at the train station, which I gladly did, despite having to wake up early.
I have struggled with the idea of letting go of her – when I couldn’t reach her on the phone, the first time she went out with friends, alone without an adult, I freaked out . My brain was about to explode thinking of worst possible scenarios. Slowly and steadily, we have managed to reach a comfortable stage where she happily shares her plans and I support them without losing my mind and sanity.
I am so excited for her and all the fun that awaits her at University.
Please send her blessings and best wishes and lots of love as she sets out on her new adventures.
