A cup of Assam Tea

                     Hope you all are doing great. It has been a little longer than I usually post. In New England, winter is long, and you feel like sitting beside the fireplace and sipping your favorite tea or snuggling in a blanket. Although I enjoy doing things like that, doing something for a prolonged period can be boring and monotonous at times. I always love to dress up, but in the winter, I often find an excuse not to. February is a month of celebration for my family. It's my son's birthday, my birthday, and of course Valentine's Day.  The other day, I dragged myself out of the monotonous zone, dressed up, and felt better. Sometimes, a little effort and a gentle push can help us feel better, both inside and out. So, here comes the outfit with a still grey long maxi dress, and I accessorized it with Indian antique silver jewelry. The dress is loosely fitted and gives a casual vibe, yet adding accessories gives the vibe ...

  It has been a week since we celebrated Magh Bihu, yet I am still relishing Xutuli Pitha or Sutuli Pitha, and so is my family.  Last week, I posted my  Magh Bihu food memory,  and most of my readers have never heard of or known the food I shared in my blog.   Today, I will share the most quintessential dessert we make during Magh Bihu, or for that matter, any  Bihu .  Pillowy, sticky, crunchy, half-moon-shaped dessert inspired by an Assamese musical instrument.  If you closely look into Assamese cuisine, especially festive cooking,  Bora Saul  or Sticky rice is widely used. Since Bora Saul is indigenous rice in Assam, if you live outside Assam or India, you can use Japanese sweet rice or sticky rice.   Let's get to the ingredients... Ingredients 2 cups Japanese sweet rice or sticky rice 1 cup sesame seeds ( Teel ) and save 5 tablespoons for decoration (optional) 1 cup jaggery or gur Oil for frying Process  Wash and so...

  Nostalgia is a part of every immigrant's life, a treasure trove. I carry a piece of Assam in my heart and wear it on my sleeves. Special occasions and festivities often transport me back to my homeland, especially to my large family with all Our Uncles and Aunts, to our house and our expansive courtyard in Assam. During this time, my homeland, Assam, celebrates Magh Bihu with great zeal. Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, similar to Thanksgiving in the USA, where the end of the harvest season is widely celebrated. I reminisce those wonderful times, how in the guidance of my Koka (Grandfather) we used to build a makeshift house in our courtyard, my Pehis(Aunts) and Mom prepared Bihu delicacies. How the whirlpool of flavor straightly tantalized my senses with roasted sesame, ground sticky rice, and the sticky and syrupy smell of jaggery. During the day, our house help collected all the winter vegetables, whether it was olkobi, pohulkobi, or tender potatoes from our kitchen garden, a...

 Happy New Year, everyone. A brand new year with new hopes and new planning and whatnot. This year I took it a bit slow and steady, not going overboard on anything.  Taking it slow does not always mean doing nothing, but rather doing something at your own pace. Also, in New England, winter has just begun, and we are limited in what we can do due to COVID-19. Keeping myself or the kids inside all the time is not a good idea, so we decided to go for a short outing. Then, Saville Dam came to mind. Nested in the quaint countryside of New Hartford, Saville Dam at Berkhamsted reservoir was built in 1940. I had been to Saville Dam many times and experienced all the seasons except winter. Every season offers its unique beauty. Spring and summer offer crisp blue skies, sparkling water, and emerald green mountain backdrops, while autumn provides a vibrant color splash against the sweeping view of the mountains.  But visiting Saville Dam in winter is a solitary experience. Even thou...

 Since 2020 is such a different year for everybody, certainly Christmas in 2020 or holidays is a different one too.  Even though,  at the end of the tunnel, we are seeing hope, as the vaccine is out now which definitely will make a huge difference. Yet, the terror of Covid19 has not ended here, we are still following precautions and social distancing.  In the holiday season, I love to dress up. Even though I am staying at home, it does not take away my spirit of dressing up on holiday . In the mundane essence of life, dressing up always makes you feel special. As I am not much in favor of attending huge get-togethers, only celebrating low key, hence dressing up will be easy breezy yet have a festive feel to it. Here you go for a holiday outfit - During the holiday season, green and red are such a color to see everywhere. Sometimes the similar outfits, familiar textures, a familiar fabric can be overwhelming. Not only a deja vu feeling but boring a bit. Here, I chose ...

  When you celebrate festivity or any celebration with your friends and family, it always doubles up the joy. Alas, 2020 is not like any other year in which we share our happiness with others. 2020 brought so many unexpected changes to my life and my family. Many times, I almost felt that my life had taken a pause, but the beauty of human life is that it never stops; it just flows like a river.  We had no get-together or such celebration this Diwali; however, we celebrated with Zoom Diwali. I set up our dining table according to the Diwali theme with everything we had available. I cooked my favorite food for my family. Then we all dressed up for Diwali ; it surely made us smile a bit more. We lit up Diyas(Earthen lamp), colorful candles. It was absolutely divine. I wore a pink Paithani saree, a simple hair bun, and some multi-stone jewelry. My saree is light pink, and the border is bright pink. I wore a dark pink tone lipstick just to match with the saree. Did you no...

My home state Connecticut might be a tiny state but with lots of little wonders. Especially in this time of Covid19 as we are unable to do out of country or state trips or meet our close ones, we are taking advantage of staying at home. Exploring nearby places which we usually won't appreciate as much as we should. Fall in Connecticut is unique and idyllic embodied with flavor, color, and carnivals. Especially this year fall weather somedays are so warm that we are feeling like summer and we have extended time to enjoy the fall. My list is long but I have picked my top favorites here...  Farmington River trail: With beautiful vistas and views paved Farmington river trail is one of my favorite. If you want to hike, bike, or take a leisurely walk, the Farmington river trail has a unique beauty of its own when fall spells the magic of colors quint, and sublime. The rustic yet delicate color combination and perpetual river view with the signature of the Farmington trail probably is ...