Author: nainadg

Blogging...Mommy Style
Food and Drinks, Life

The Anti Cosmopolitan

nainadg

 

 

Now that Sex and the City has officially driven a certain group of women into harried frenzy, I was thinking about one of the major points of the show -Drinking.

The women are all fabulous, so of course they go to fab bars and drink fab drinks and one of the drinks which became synonymous with the show and all things girly was The Cosmopolitan. In my opinion, the Cosmo isn’t usually very good because most bartenders tend to make it cloyingly sweet, but I’m sure it suits a lot of people’s palates. More info on the origins of the Cosmo and its supposed evolution from a Gimlet can be found here.

I was discussing going to see the movie with some friends the other day and someone mentioned that not drinking Cosmos at a little pre party would be borderline blasphemous. Although, I didn’t say anything at the moment, I think I disagree. Carrie Bradshaw, who is supposed to be the one to popularize Cosmo actually doesn’t tend to drink Cosmos throughout the show. In the last few seasons her drink of choice is usually Scotch on the rocks. Its funny  though that Scotch on the rocks never became a popular drink for women. I guess I just love Scotch and I think Scotch is much more fab than a cosmo, probably because I come from a long line of Scotch drinkers and also married a Scotch lover, but still there is nothing  more fab than ordering a Scotch on the rocks, while wearing a sparkly dress. Maybe Carrie Bradshaw learned that later in life as well.

But thats just my opinion, Here’s me raising my glass to good liquor in any form! Cheers!

 

 

photos: google images

Life

Summertime Living

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This is one of those list posts becasue I am in a list making mood.

Things I want to do this summer in no particular order:

Go to the Beach

Volunteer, I have been so focussed on my self lately that it might be good to do something for someone else

Graduate

Go out for ice cream, especially Locopops

Go Camping

Possibly pull of that trip to NYC

Make lots of yummy burgers

Go see Sex and The City, X Files and Indiana Jones

Shop and eat fresh, organic veggies at least once a week from the Durham Farmer’s Market

Spend an afternoon wading in the Eno

Make mojitos

Read more

Take Odissi lessons. You can learn more about this dance form here

Find a job

Buy a new swimsuit and some fun summer dresses (I  think all my summer lists have this one).

Ride my bike

Do yoga a few times a week

Eat one completely vegetarian meal a day

 Scrapbook some photos

Frame my wedding and India photos

*****photos:google images****

Life

Right Now!

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Something weird is happening to me, I’m sure this happens to every sane woman, where she goes completely bonkers, but I really thought all that was just a cliche and it would never happen to me! I have never really been a baby person. I actually don’t even know that many kids!  I am an only child and youngest out of all close cousins in my extended family.  My neice and nephews are all far away, so I only see them once every few years and really its super easy being a cool aunt! But I wasn’t anti-kids either, I knew that someday I wanted to have a child, just because well…thats what you do have a child, be a mom, usual stuff. But I definitely did not expect to be hit with the maternal urge this hard! I swear to God, this week I’ve felt like a walking cliche, everytime I walk by a kid, my hormones go into overdrive and start screaming in my year, that “I must have a little, tiny creature that cries and poops a lot now!, I mean RIGHT NOW.” Its quite ridiculous!

How do I deal with this? I’m not at all sure, I’m ready to have kids yet, maybe in a year or two but I how do I make my body shut up?????

If I figure it out I’ll keep ya posted! Till then, I’m off looking at baby clothes or something completely irrational like that!

 

 

India, Life, Travel

Busy Busy Busy

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Its been quite busy around these parts lately, hence the lack of posts for weeks, but once the finals are over, I will catch up!

I do have a few updates though and most of these do have photos, but they will have to wait until I can upload and sort through them.

1) J and his band played an awesome show in Boone earlier this month. J and I made a little mini trip out of it and also explored a vineyard around Boone. Photos and a full update coming soon

2) J found out that he should be able to graduate sooner than expected, so we should have some big life changes ahead in less than a year!!!

3) Finals are kicking my butt and I’m miserable and stressed at the moment but hopefuly by the end of the week, all will be well

4) I’m going to SLC, UT for my KD’s graduation! I’m so excited for her and I can’t wait to be a part of her special day! (Also, I might buy a new dress for the occasion…hmmm). I’m also really excited to see good friends and catch up with everyone

5) I’ve gone from straddling the Clinton camp and Obama camp into officially being a Obama supporter. I do feel slightly guilty ,but I do think Obama is the better candidate.

6) I’m terrified and excited for life as an adult! It seems its going to be sooner rather than later!

More coming soon!

Stuff

Sim-O-Phile

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I can’t believe that here I am doing a blog post about Sims2 . I was a huge fan of Sims 1 and played it actively for a year or so and then since I didn’t own a copy of the game, my simming fell to the way side.  Earlier last month, I was reliving my geeky days of Sims absorption and J suggested I get a copy of the game. Sims has come a long way from what it was in the 90s. The basic game is now Sims 2 with Sims 3 being released in 2009 and of course tons of exapansion and stuff packs. Anyway Sims 2 is a fairly old game and i found a cheap copy of it at Toys R Us and of course just like last time, I’m hooked!! However Sims 2 is definitely more addictive because you the game has loads of new features. Sims 2 sims age, go through an entire life cycle, have individual aspirations and wants, and most importantly can pass on genes and traits to their off spring. Of course there is fun building tools as well which include, modern and historic styles. Sims can now also go through adolscence, childhood, and toddler hood, they can have weddings, go to community centers, dates, drive and loads of other stuff. My favorite aspect of Sims 2 is that you can create entire neighborhoods and characters from different time periods and have their kids and grand kids and descendants in more modern times. So you can play an entire family through generations!

This weekend, instead of playing my usual game,  I was wasting time browsing for user created objects and found some blogs of Sims 2 players who blog the adventures of their Sim Families and often play challenges like legacies and create really neat neighborhoods from using Sim City templates. I have been inspired and I’ve been pondering creating a Sims 2 page/blog, but it probably won’t be for a while. I also can’t wait to get my hands on some of the expansion packs especially University Life.

I guess thats enough Sim talk from me!

Uncategorized

Only the Good

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The weather gods have taken mercy and there was finally some sunshine this afternoon and actually this morning wasn’t bad either, it was cloudy but beautiful! Walking between my gym class and bio test this afternoon, it hit me again, that I really do love spring, in spite of all the complaining I do.

Why do I love spring?

The cherry blossoms everywhere, and when there is a breeze the blossoms blow off sometimes and land in my hair and it makes me feel like I’m in some dreamy romantic scene in a movie, or a Bollywood dream sequence.

Super saturated green green green grass

Bright colored clothes

Short rainy afternoons when I don’t have anything else to do. This is only fun on weekends, on a monday when I have lots to do, it drives me crazy

The return of Iced Coffee in my diet

The contrasts of wearing flip flops one day and rain boots the next

Knowing the nights are going to get warmer

Dozens and Dozens of Robins on the grass, waiting for the worms to come out after a rain shower

Bright, pretty umbrellas

Skirts Skirts Skirts

Food and Drinks, Recipes

Limoncello Cocktail

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I guess I have been all about the citrus lately! Another liquor that I adore at the moment is Limoncello. It is an italian liquor made from the rind and zest of lemon. It is really sweet and really alcoholic- almost as high as vodka or rum. Although, this is a traditionally drank either on ice or plain as an apertif or as a dessert drink, I prefer mine with champagne.

It is essentially one part Limoncello with three parts champagne. Its bubbly, sweet, citrussy and boy will it give you a little rush! Its also especially delicious with some raspberries and blueberries thrown in.

The other thing about Limoncello is that it can be quite easy to make at home so J and I are going to attempt to make our own one of these weekends. Will post more on that later!

***photo: google images***

Food and Drinks, India, Recipes

Fresh Lime Soda

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One of my favorite drinks in the hot muggy weather of Kolkata is Fresh Lime Soda. It is a universal drink, made from soda (club or any other fizzy ale) fresh limes , salt or sugar depending on your preference. This drink is widely available , from roadside stalls to fancy five star restaurants and is liked by most people. When we were in Kolkata last December, J got a taste of it and now its his favorite drink too! Anyway, ever since we’ve been back we’ve been having our American version of this drink frequently, and now that the weather has started getting warmer, we have it at least every other night. Also, on the weekends we’ve started making them alcoholic as well, and it works really well as a cocktail!

Our recipe is suited to our extra salty palette, but it can be adjusted easily by adding some sugar instead , however using sprite or any other citrus soda, doesn’t really work that well. It needs the bitterness of seltzer or club soda.

Fresh Lime Soda w/ Gin :

2 limes ( or 1 lime and 1 lemon)

Seltzer Water ( Club soda is second, tonic water – a distant third)

heaps of salt (or sugar, or a mix of both, if you don’t like salty drinks)

a pinch of black pepper to make it interesting

Gin

Lemon wedge for garnish

Its best to make the lime soda first and combine one parts gin with 3 parts of the soda.  Howevr, with the sweeter version light colored rum works better than the gin.

***photo: google images ***

Life

The No Good Miserable Monday

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Yep, its me!!! I am having a grumpy kinda day today! The weather is miserable, gloomy, wet and just plain gross! The drizzle won’t stop and it doesn’t seem like we’ll  be seeing the sun anytime soon. Its been like this all weekend and I think I really just need some sunshine! I have two papers due on wednesday and a test tomorrow, and nope, not even close to being ready for the test!

Work is super stressful at the moment and I really shouldn’t even be blogging right now, but hey, never stopped me before. I have been a bad friend because I forgot to call my best friend on her birthday and now I feel like a total s**thead. My bangs are driving me crazy because they are in that awkward phase and it looks hideous no matter what I do! I ate a Wendy’s spicy baconator sandwich last night for dinner and now feel sick that I could even eat that ! My apt is seriously a mess and I should have done laundry oh…yesterday!

Do other people have days like this, where they feel like they are just falling apart? Well, at least the bitching helped. Wish I had the desire to post all the happy things I was going to post, but thats going to have to wait for another day!