The Adventures of Abhay and Mandy

Dreams DO come true!

2011-08-01T20:46:00.003-04:00

The Boys! :)

This may come as a silly post to most of you but...

Last Tuesday night one of my childhood dreams came true. I got to to see New Kids on the Block ( and the Backstreet Boys) in concert. I can't even begin to explain how much it meant for me to go. My parents never had the money to take me to something like that. During the concert so many childhood memories came rushing back, and at one point I was in tears. I sang along loudly to all their hits, squealed at their dancing, and loved every second of it. I'm still on a bit of a high from it.

I owe all this to my wonderful husband. He is the one that bought the tickets and went with me. He smiled and sat through 15,000 screaming 30 year old women (there were maybe 100 guys in the whole place). I'm pretty lucky. Pretty sure I have a keeper.

Pacers...and Dad's visit.

2011-05-01T19:10:00.003-04:00

My Dad came for a visit! He was here April 21-April 30. Abhay and I throughly enjoyed having him here...and I was very sad to see him go home. I don't realize how much I miss my family until I am around them.

We got the opportunity to attend our 15th Pacers NBA game this season while he was here. Here's us decked out in our gear...

My two favorite guys!

Earth Day--a few days late

2011-04-30T17:21:00.003-04:00

We had plans to plant two new trees in our yard on Earth Day, April 22. But it rained for days before...and after...so we had to settle for planting them today. We choose a Yoshino Flowering Cherry for the front yard and a Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach for the back yard. Now we have 3 trees! Wooo! :)

Yoshino Flowering Cherry now

What the Yoshino Flowering Cherry will look like

Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach now

What the Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach will look like

Spring!

2011-04-03T19:27:00.001-04:00

Spring has sprung at the Rawal house. I couldn't resist this planter of beautiful pansies. I LOVE the colors.

New Patio Set :)

2011-03-27T20:22:00.002-04:00

We bought ourself a new patio set! Poor Abhay worked for 2.5 hours assembling it today. (I'm so thankful I married a engineer!) But it was all worth it in the end. It looks so cute on our patio. I can't wait for the weather to warm up a few more degrees so we can enjoy it.

Abhay hard at work assembling

Finished product!! :)

Indian food Sunday

2011-03-20T19:32:00.002-04:00

I played sous chef to chef Abhay today. We made Chicken Tikka Masala and oven baked Naan. We tried something a little different with the chicken this time. Normally we'd bake the marinated chicken cubes in the oven and then add them to the "gravy" and simmer it on the stove top for a couple of hours. Today we grilled the marinated chicken cubes on the outdoor BBQ and added it to the "gravy" in a Crock Pot and put it on low for 5 hours. It got super tender and yummy! :)

DC!

2011-03-20T16:26:00.004-04:00

A and I took a little spring break trip to Washington DC this past week. We were there for 4 days, and 5 nights...and loved every minute of it. The weather was perfect, and it really wasn't all that busy.

Here's the low down of what we did and saw:

Georgetown Cupcake (a show that is aired on the TLC network is filmed at the cupcake shop. They had the YUMMIEST cupcakes. They were worth the 1.5 hour wait), Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, US Capital, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian, Smithsonian National Museum of Air and Space, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Wheeewh, I got tried just typing all the stuff.

We walked a ton, rode the bus, and had lots of fun on the subway. While we were in DC we also go to have dinner with our friends Rachael and Josh, and spend a couple afternoons with our friend Aadil.

Georgetown Cupcakes

US Capital

The White House

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Before and After

2011-02-28T20:18:00.001-05:00

Sheldon before a haircut (doesn't he look SAD?!)

Sheldon after a haircut! :)

Super Bowl Champs!!! Green Bay Packers.

2011-02-06T22:00:00.002-05:00

Packer Cupcakes made by me!

I love him enough to wear a Packer's shirt

Sheldon watching the big game!

Yummy food. Chips, dip, beer bread, cupcakes, and 2 types of wings!

A boy and his dog!

Snow fun!

2011-01-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Abhay and I shoveling out our driveway after a day of constant snow! :)

2011-01-02T18:45:00.003-05:00

(my parents backyard on 12-26-10)

We spent a WONDERFUL Holiday break at my mom and dad's house in Minnesota. We spent lots of time with family, caught up with friends, ate lots of good food, and did a whole lot of relaxing. :)

2010 was a great year for us! Many good things, wonderful people, new opportunities, traveling to fun places and a wonderful dog came into our life. We're excited to see what 2011 will bring.

It's the most wonderful time...

2010-12-19T16:13:00.002-05:00

Christmas treats that Abhay and I made for coworkers (these trays are for Abhay's coworkers): peanut butter cups, white/dark chocolate cookies, chocolate covered ritz/peanut butter crackers. chocolate covered marshmallows, Oreo truffles, chocolate covered chips, and brownie covered Oreo! :)

Our little Santa!

--MMR

Turkey Weekend Fun!

2010-12-05T11:40:00.003-05:00

Abhay and I were unable to be with family over Thanksgiving this year. (This was my first thanksgiving without my family). Instead of staying home by ourselves feeling sad...we decided to take a little trip! We went down to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg Tennessee. We rented a cabin in the mountains complete with a hottub on the deck and a fireplace. It was a cozy, relaxing weekend! Just what was needed!!!! Here are some pictures from our adventure into the Smoky Mountains while in Tennessee!

Abhay and I @ The Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Hangman's Cove in the Smoky Mountains

Clouds! You can see how high up we were!

Water trickles that formed into ice

Diwali Fun!

2010-11-07T19:46:00.003-05:00

We went to Chicago this weekend to celebrate the Indian festival, Diwali with some of our dear friends. Here are a few picture.

Abhay and I

Abhay, Shruti, I and Rajat :)

Shru and me!

Sheldon's B-day!

2010-10-25T20:32:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Sheldon's 1st B-day on October 22. :) His celebration was some yummy treats! (We don't actually KNOW when his birthday is since he is a rescue dog. But numerous vets/groomers have told us his development and teeth look like he was born mid-late October)

--MMR

Happy 31!

2010-10-25T20:29:00.001-04:00

My Birthday gifts from Abhay--an iPod touch and flowers...:)

--MMR

Family

2010-10-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

Us!

Catch up

2010-10-10T11:29:00.002-04:00

I'm catching up in one big post of pictures...:)

I got Mhedni at the Ethnic Expo in town! :) 10-09-10

Abhay and I went to a pre-season Pacers game 10/8/10

Here is us at our friend's wedding reception 10-2-10

Here is my "niece" Bailey and I. Bailey and her Mom/Dad came to visit us the last weekend in September. :)

--MMR

Cinnamon Toasted Pumpkin Pie Tarts

2010-10-03T19:10:00.003-04:00

Today I tried out a recipe that i've been dying to try for the past few weeks...Cinnamon Toasted Pumpkin Pie Tarts. They turned out delicious...like mini-pumpkin pies. (This was my first time using cookie cutters for cookies, believe it or not) The recipe said to top them with melted chocolate, but Abhay and I put whipped cream on top of ours. YUM! For the recipe you can visit one of my favorite blogs Picky Palate.

Doggie haircut

2010-09-18T15:42:00.002-04:00

Sheldon got a haircut today (he needed one SO badly). We also found him 2 new bandannas at the local Farmer's Market. I am a huge Snoopy fan so I was excited to find this fall Snoopy one. They are designed so the collar goes through them. This kind doesn't seem to bother him at all (he's hot a huge fan of the tie kind).

Almost fall

2010-09-10T20:45:00.002-04:00

This is a tree that I look at everyday when driving to/from school. I LOVE that it's almost all the way red. Yep, I enjoy fall.

--MMR

Children's Museum fun

2010-09-05T21:40:00.003-04:00

Abhay and I took a trip to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis today. They were offering free admission to Indiana Teacher Union member's and their families--so we figured why not?! I have been a couple times previously, but this was Abhay's first visit. The Museum is a very cool place--it's the largest children's museum in the world. They had two new exhibits that I had not visited: Rock Stars Cars and Guitars and Barbie: The Fashion Experience. I enjoyed them both very much. Below are a couple of pics from the Barbie exhibit--both Barbie and The Rockers items from my childhood.

I had the Barbie on the top left. :)

I would have LOVED this as a child.

--MMR

New Chair :)

2010-09-04T17:33:00.004-04:00

Abhay and I FINALLY purchased my anniversary gift (yes our anniversary was July 6th)...a new chair. We found the one we've been "searching for" at IKEA today. :) It's comfy and stylish--and fits perfectly in our living room.

--MMR

Flying Dog!

2010-08-28T17:31:00.002-04:00

We bought Sheldon and airline travel bag today. (We plan on taking him with us on the plane to Minnesota over the holidays) Here is Abhay starting to train him to enter in the bag. Sheldon did a great job...hopped in the bag right away. It's amazing what treats will make a dog do. :) We plan on getting the bag out every evening and getting Sheldon comfortable with it, so when it's time to fly he feels safe and secure in it.

Cooking fun!

2010-08-22T18:34:00.002-04:00

We had a fun Sunday of cooking. We made a Beer Butt Chicken (basically it's a whole chicken with a can of beer+butter and spices stuck up the butt and placed on the grill for 2 hours) for the first time. It turned out super delicious. I also made S'more Stuff Brownies. You can find the recipe for them at one of my favorite blogs, Picky Palate. They turned out to die for good.

S'more Stuff Brownies. YUM!!

Beer Butt Chicken Fresh off the grill

Beer Butt Chicken just starting to cook.

--MMR

Niagara Falls

2010-08-22T18:30:00.004-04:00

Abhay had the opportunity to go to Buffalo, New York for a training last week. On the last evening of his trip, he was able to go and see Niagara Falls. Here are just a couple of the pictures he took. We're already planning a trip there so I can see it!

--MMR

Day 45 - Farmer's Market finds

2010-08-07T16:02:00.001-04:00

Our purchases from this morning's farmer's market: Honey Oat Bread, Sourdough Wheat Bread, Chocolate-Oatmeal Whoopie Pies, and a Peanut Butter Whoopie Pie. ALL DELICIOUS!

--MMR

Day 45

2010-08-06T21:34:00.001-04:00

Here is the front of the house with our summer flowers!

--MMR

Day 45

2010-08-03T19:41:00.003-04:00

These are my favorite sandals. Abhay ran over/parked on top of the left one today. :( But in his defense, it was my fault for leaving them in the way. I will be looking for some new ones JUST like these.

--MMR

Day 44

2010-07-31T20:44:00.000-04:00

Us enjoying dinner on the patio of Noodles & Co. :)

--MMR

Day 43 - Birthday!

2010-07-30T21:30:00.003-04:00

It was Abhay's 30th Birthday yesterday, July 29. He was traveling home during the evening yesterday, we so we celebrated today. We went out for dinner at Tre Bicchieri, a hip little Italian restaurant here in town. And of course, we had cake for dessert. :) I think he had a good day.

This is the cake I made for Abhay's Birthday. It's Black Magic Cake (chocolate with a hint of coffee flavor) with cinnamon/coffee flavored frosting. I must say, it was super yum!

Abhay and his birthday present from me: a Flip Video Camcorder. :)

--MMR

Day 42 - Dinosaurs!

2010-07-29T21:27:00.002-04:00

While going through my children's books in my classroom, I ran across this book--Dinosaurs. This was my FAVORITE book as a child. See all the wear on the corners? That was from me! :) I loved dinosaurs and learning anything I could about them. (As an adult, I am still interested in dinosaurs) I find it kind of funny that I liked these ferocious creatures so much. I was a very meek, mild, timid child.

--MMR

Day 41

2010-07-26T21:45:00.002-04:00

Abhay is out of town for some training this week. This is how I spent my evening without him: Buffalo Wild Wings, Ben and Jerry's, and the movie Julie and Julia from Netflix!

--MMR

Day 40

2010-07-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of Nienaber's Farm Market. We love going to this place in the summer for fresh Corn-on-the-Cob (and today we got zucchini, squash, and cherries as well) and in the fall for pumpkins and Chrysanthemums!

--MMR

Day 39 - Gray skies

2010-07-24T17:17:00.005-04:00

This morning we FINALLY painted the one room we've neglected to paint since buying our house...the master bedroom. (Yes, we're pretty much professional painters by now) The bathroom was a tan/khaki color, but now is gray! (The paint name is Empire State) I am really pleased with how it turned out. It really brightens up that little room.

--MMR

Day 38 - BB

2010-07-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

A new Best Buy opened in town today! We're so happy to have one in town...no more driving to Indianapolis to go to Best Buy!

(Ps. I know I missed posting yesterday. SORRY! My posts may not be as regular now that I will be starting to get ready for school :))

--MMR

Day 37 - Boxes!

2010-07-21T17:53:00.004-04:00

You guessed it, this is my classroom stuff that has been stuck in storage for 3 years! My wonderful husband retrieved all the boxes from the attic of our garage! It must have been at least 100 degrees up there...poor guy. But of course, he did it without complaint. I was be able to look through most of the boxes.... I had forgotten about a lot of the items I have! :) I still have a few more boxes in our storage shed in the backyard to get out and look through. I'll bring them all to my classroom next week and get it set up! I'm so excited!!!! :)

--MMR

Day 36 - Rain Watching

2010-07-20T20:49:00.001-04:00

Here is Sheldon watching it rain outside! :)

--MMR

Day 35 - Target fun!

2010-07-19T21:51:00.003-04:00

I splurged in the dollar aisle of Target today! I just couldn't pass up the fun (and cheap) teacher stuff. I bought sticky notes, birthday stickers, name tags, picture name plates, and name plates for desks!

--MMR

Day 34- Steaks

2010-07-18T20:10:00.003-04:00

This evening Abhay grilled lamb steaks (for him) beef steaks (for me), and baked potatoes on the grill. We love summer grilling. Only thing that was missing was some fresh corn-on-the-cob! :)

The lamb steaks were bought in Minnesota and we brought them all they way back here to Indiana (17 hrs) in a cooler filled with ice. We have yet to find a meat place locally that sells lamb and goat meat.

The goods on the grill

The Master Griller

--MMR

Day 33 -Sunny!

2010-07-17T17:11:00.004-04:00

We bought these beautiful, huge sunflowers at the Columbus Farmer's Market. We went to the farmer's market one time last year, and it was lacking a lot. We had heard this year it was a lot better, so we decided to swing by. It was great!!! The market had live music and lots of fun vendors. Along with the sunflowers, we also purchased a loaf of homebaked sourdough wheat bread. YUM.

--MMR

Day 32 - Kindergarten

2010-07-16T15:52:00.003-04:00

This is my Kindergarten school picture. Don't you just LOVE my hair? The dress I'm wearing was my favorite--Winnie The Pooh-and I still remember it fondly.

The reason for me posting this picture today, is that yesterday I was offered, and accepted, a kindergarten teaching position. I am totally thrilled. As many of you know, I've struggled to find a teaching job in the 2 + years we've lived here. I've worked lots of odd jobs in schools and got my name out and work out there for people to see....and it's paid off. Now, I have 1, yes ONE, month to prepare before school starts. I'm so excited to be back in the classroom with Kinder-kids. (You might remember I taught kindergarten for 2 years in Minnesota)

Cheers to a new adventure!

Day 31 - County Fair

2010-07-15T19:55:00.004-04:00

This evening Abhay and I went and checked out the Bartholomew County Fair. It was a boiling hot evening, around 95+ degrees and humid, so we only stayed for about an hour or so. We enjoyed some good food (I had the BEST homemade ice cream) and saw some neat things.

Here is a food stand that was selling a some odd stuff--a pork parfait? And a donut burger, which is a bacon cheeseburger in between two glazed donuts. YUCK!

Here is Abhay enjoying his dinner. Can you tell it was HOT out??

--MMR

Day 30

2010-07-14T16:49:00.002-04:00

I left my book on the couch while I ran some errands this morning. Sheldon decided it would be a good thing to eat! Apparently, he was NOT happy that I left him at home.

--MMR

Day 29- Watermelon

2010-07-14T16:45:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in postings. We got home from vacation--and life got busy!

One of the best things about summer--juicy watermelon!

--MMR

Day 28 - BUGS!

2010-07-11T20:39:00.002-04:00

The front of our car was COVERED with bugs after our trip. I guess that's what happens when you drive at night in the summer. My dad told us about the best "bug cleaner"--it's whitewall tire cleaner.

--MMR

Day 27 - Wisconsin

2010-07-11T20:35:00.002-04:00

This is a store in Wisconsin. I thought it was funny and random--Cheese, fireworks, and gifts.

--MMR

Day 26 - Treasures

2010-07-09T21:20:00.003-04:00

Here is my Dad busy hauling stuff from their storage shed to the garage for a garage sale

A treasure I found in the stuff he was hauling--my childhood Barbie Ferrari!!!!! (yes, it's a little beat up)

--MMR

Day 25 - Doggie Friends!

2010-07-08T13:42:00.003-04:00

Here is Sheldon and his buddies Dolly (on the left) and Wilbur (on the right). He has had a BLAST with my Mom and Dad's dogs. It's become interesting with 3 Shih Tzu in house--and two of them very dominant males. Sheldon is a pip squeak compared to them--we never realized Sheldon was such a small Shih-Tzu. I know Sheldon has had a blast playing with them all week. My Mom and Dad have fallen in love with Sheldon. In fact my Mom said, "We wouldn't mind if you forgot him here. " Don't think that's going happen...:)

--MMR

Day 24 - Bemidji!

2010-07-07T23:18:00.004-04:00

This evening we went to Bemidji, MN. Bemidji is where I went to college and lived while teaching in Red Lake. So Bemidji was my home for 6 years. It's the place that I "grew up" at and made many wonderful friendships. I miss it everyday!

Here is Bemidji's Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.

(This is me and my two friends Heather (on the left) and Jess (on the right). Both of these ladies are great friends and have played a huge impact on my life! )

We enjoyed dinner with Jess, Heather, and her husband Matt on the patio of The Green Mill on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It was the perfect evening.

--MMR

Day 23 - 3rd Anniversary

2010-07-06T23:21:00.003-04:00

Day 23

Today marked our 3rd wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been 3 years already. Man, what an adventure it's been. I am so blessed and lucky to be married to Abhay. I couldn't ask for a better husband. I look forward to another 70+ years together...and can't wait to see where the journey of life takes us.

We enjoyed a dinner/movie out this evening and came back to my parents house to a Dairy Queen ice cream cake my mom bought for us. :)

--MMR

Day 22 - Mom and I

2010-07-05T20:40:00.002-04:00

Day 22

Here is my mom and I at her family's farm in Lake Bronson, MN. We were lucky enough to drive up there and show Abhay the old "home place." My mom spent lots of time in the barn in back of us while growing up.

--MMR

Day 21 - 4th of July!

2010-07-05T00:43:00.004-04:00

Day 21

This is the Red, White and Blue Trifle I made for a family get together today. (Yes, I like making different kinds of trifles :)) It has layers of red velvet cake, whipped cream, blueberries, and strawberries. Fun and festive for the 4th of July. We had a blast with family today...and even caught some neat fireworks. Happy Birthday, USA!

--MMR

Day 20 - Mint Condition

2010-07-03T22:31:00.003-04:00

Day 20

My parents took us to Grand Forks, ND for dinner this evening. On the way home we swung by Caribou Coffee and I was able to get my favorite drink--a Mint Condition. YUM! I miss Caribou Coffee--there are no Caribou Coffees in Indiana. So I enjoy my Mint Conditions when I come back to Minnesota!

--MMR

Day 19 - Family Pic!

2010-07-03T22:27:00.003-04:00

Day 19

Here is us at a rest stop on Friday in Illinois en-route to Minnesota. The drive was perfect--but long. We left 2:15pm (eastern time) and arrived 6:30am (central time)! It feels good to be home!

--MMR

Day 18 - Ready To Go!

2010-07-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

Day 18

Sheldon is in the suitcase, all set to go to Minnesota. Ha! We ARE headed out on a road trip to Minnesota tomorrow. (Don't worry Sheldon will get the whole back seat to himself) I am ecstatic to see family and friends. We'll stay there all week and head back next Saturday. :) :) :)

--MMR

Day 17 - Books

2010-06-30T21:48:00.003-04:00

Day 17

This is my bookshelf. I think I need a bigger one...I've outgrown this one. And these aren't all my book. I have some tucked away in boxes. Yes, I love books. :)

--MMR

Day 16

2010-06-29T20:56:00.003-04:00

Day 16

Two weeks ago this flower was pretty much dead. I was ready to throw it in the garbage. But, I gave it lots of love, care, and water...and look at it now. :)

--MMR

Day 15 - Handy Maninder

2010-06-28T21:10:00.003-04:00

Day 15

Abhay has dubbed himself Handy Maninder while fixing things around the house/helping friends fix things. Sheldon is known as Handy Harwinder while "they" are fixing things. :)

--MMR

Day 14

2010-06-27T21:31:00.002-04:00

Day 14

Sunday is always our day to make a "fancy" dinner. This evening we made Chicken Satay on the grill and fried rice. It's so nice to have a husband that cooks right along side of me. It makes cooking and baking so much more fun!

--MMR

Day 13 - Grown Ups

2010-06-26T22:37:00.001-04:00

Day 13

We went as saw the movie Grown Ups this evening. It was good for a laugh!

--MMR

Day 12 - Sheldon's 2nd Haircut

2010-06-25T20:14:00.004-04:00

Day 12

Sheldon got his second haircut today. The groomer was able to get a closer cut on his face this time-- he looks like a different dog. SO HANDSOME! When I went to pick him up he had the very cute bandanna on. :)

--MMR

Day 11 -Pear tree!

2010-06-24T18:24:00.003-04:00

Day 11

The Bartlett Pear Tree that we planted last spring provided us with actual pears this summer-there are 6 pears on the small tree. :)

--MMR

Day 10 - Tickets

2010-06-23T15:38:00.002-04:00

Day 10

Our tickets for Keith Urban and Kris Allen came in the mail today! While I'm not a fan of country music, i'm super excited to see Keith Urban (and Kris Allen!!) at the Indiana State Fair on August 14!!

--MMR

Day 9 - Corn

2010-06-22T21:29:00.003-04:00

Day 9

This is what we see every where we go... fields of corn The road we live on is lined, on both sides, with corn. Sort of freaky to drive through. Ah, Indiana.

--MMR

Day 8 - First Day of Summer

2010-06-21T19:41:00.004-04:00

Day 8

We went to Daggs, our favorite ice cream place, for a treat after our evening walk . Fitting for the first day of summer, right? :) I got Tiramisu flavored (on the left) and Abhay got Banana flavored (on the right). Yum!

--MMR

Day 7 - Us

2010-06-20T14:35:00.000-04:00

Day 7

US!

--MMR

Day 6 - Sushi

2010-06-19T23:25:00.002-04:00

Day 6

This evening we tried out a new Asian restaurant in town called Ru Yi. This is a picture of the super delicious sushi we ate--crab and cucumber sushi. The main entrees were equally tasty. We can't wait to go back!

--MMR

Day 5 - Yankee

2010-06-18T21:26:00.004-04:00

Day 5

Abhay and I are both fans of Yankee Candles. We drove to Indianapolis this evening to hit up The Yankee Candle Co. semi-annual sale. You can't beat 2 candles for 25 bucks!

--MMR

Day 4 - Flamingo

2010-06-17T16:54:00.003-04:00

Day 4

I bought Sheldon a new toy...a bright pink squeaky Flamingo. He loves it! It's his new best friend. :)

--MMR

Day 3- Eos

2010-06-16T19:39:00.003-04:00

Day 3

We took our nightly walk downtown Columbus this evening. Columbus is a city filled with art, gorgeous architecture, and sculptures. We're lucky to live in such a beautiful city. Here is my favorite sculpture in town: Eos.

--MMR

Day 2- Rain, Rain, Go Away.

2010-06-15T19:32:00.005-04:00

Day 2

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY! It has rained, or we've had a thunderstorm, everyday for the past 2 weeks. (Rain everyday =HUMID, sticky weather) It's starting to get OLD. Today we had a downpour complete with wind, and hail!

--MMR

Day 1!

2010-06-14T19:16:00.006-04:00

I am going to try something new with our blog...a picture a day adventure. I'll post and take a picture each day of something that is part of our life. Check back often.

Day 1

My dear friend Carrie, her 2 month old baby Bailey, and I. I was able to meet baby Bailey for the first time this weekend. Little BEE is an absolute doll! :)

--MMR

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T21:33:00.000-04:00

(Sunset behind our house this evening)

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

2010-06-06T19:10:00.000-04:00

I made a Strawberry Lemon Trifle for a BBQ we had this weekend at our house. It turned out super yummy--a perfect summer dessert. I thought I'd share the recipe:

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup nonfat lemon yogurt
2 cups skim milk
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
1 tablespoon white grape juice or water
1 (10 inch) prepared angel food cake

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt. Add the milk, pudding mix and lemon peel; beat until smooth.
In a blender, process 1/2 cup strawberries and grape juice until smooth.
Tear cake into 1-in. cubes; place a third in a trifle bowl or 3-qt. serving bowl. Top with a third of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining strawberries. Drizzle with half of the strawberry sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining cake and pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

--MMR

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

(Abhay fixing the chair our lovely doggie attempted to "eat"!)

Portland!

2010-06-01T21:57:00.002-04:00

We spent the long, Memorial day weekend in Portland, Oregon! :) Abhay's sister, Gunjan and her husband Vineet moved to Portland from India a few months ago--and this was the perfect opportunity to visit them.

I feel in love with Portland. It's a gorgeous area! So green with trees, pretty mountains, and endless trees and water. The city of Portland was very eclectic, and artsy. I could see us living there someday.

One day visited Mount St. Helens, an active volcano that last erupted in 1980. Unfortunatley, it was very cold, rainy, and foggy so we were not able to see the mountain. But it was a beautiful drive up to the mountain and on the way back we stopped at a little mom/pop cafe and had the yummiest fresh berry cobbler. The next day we visited three different waterfalls just outside of Portland that were breathtakingly gorgeous! We also visited a tranquil Japanese garden on top of a hill overlooking the city. It was SO peaceful. Sunday we drove down highway 101, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We visited three different beaches and saw lots of the beautiful country...this was my favorite part of the trip. This was my first time to visit a ocean beach. Too bad it was 50 degrees and rainy...otherwise I would have hopped in.

We also go the chance to eat some of the very famous Voodoo doughnuts and visit a fun downtown Saturday market in which I tried bubble tea for the first time.

Yay for Portland...and wonderful family.

Us on a beach!

Lincoln City Beach

Gunjan and Vineet @ Horsetail Falls

Us @ Multnomah Falls

--MMR

Bath time!

2010-05-22T22:59:00.002-04:00

We gave Sheldon a bath today....

Poor Guy!!

Haircuts and flowers

2010-05-09T20:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Sheldon was finally able to be groomed. He looks so cute! It's a little short than we wanted...but it had to be short to get rid of all the mats in his fur. His haircut reviled his beautiful fur color. We can tell he feels better...and doesn't get so hot while walking/playing. He's still a good dog. We've heard him bark a few more times this week--all in efforts to "protect" us. He wear him out in the evenings with playing/walks and he sleeps all night and doesn't get up until we do.

We planted our flowers today! :) It's such a "fun" job. I love spring. We planted Impatiens (over 70 of them), Petunias, Marigolds, Hostas, Ageratum, and Cyclamen. (along with the pots of Pansies that we already had) We both are pleased with how it looks. Now it's to wait until they "fill out" and hopefully it will look gorgeous.

(Abhay planting)

(Short-hair Sheldon)

(Look how cute I am)

--MMR

Our new friend

2010-05-02T16:34:00.004-04:00

We've been talking about getting a dog for a long time...and this weekend we finally did it.

We adopted an adorable 8 month old Shih Tzu named Sheldon!! :) (He's named after Sheldon from the tv show The Big Bang Theory)

He was a abandoned last Sunday evening along side the road in the pouring rain. The local animal rescue place found him. We filled out a 4 page, yes a 4 page, application to adopt him on Wednesday night and went to meet him Thursday night. We fell in love instantly. :) There was another lady interested in him so we had to wait until Friday morning for the rescue people to decide we could adopt him! We picked him up early Saturday afternoon.

He's a sweet little guy. He's a very laid back dog...we have yet to hear him bark. He LOVES his squeaky toys and loves to play fetch. He seems to be house trained and has not had any accidents in the house. Sheldon has already taken to sleeping in his dog bed at night.

Sheldon is a unique gray color--I've never seen a Shih Tzu that is colored like him. He's a little guy, he weighs about 9 pounds. He was neutered and had a hernia fixed on Tuesday. He was also Mirco-chipped yesterday. :) He obviously wasn't well taken care of. His fur is very matted and scruffy. Poor guy has super dry skin and is very itchy. We have to wait until next weekend to have him groomed, due to his surgeries. But after that he should be looking very cute. (But we think he's cute already!)

Here are some pics...

Furball!

Getting treats from Abhay

--MMR

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T19:10:00.002-04:00

(Pear tree in bloom...in our backyard 4-6-10)

new toy!

2010-04-04T19:13:00.002-04:00

This weekend we bought ourself a new toy...a pressure washer! We've been talking about buying one for a long time. We finally broke down and did it.

We spent 3 hours Friday morning pressure washing our house. It's AMAZING how well it cleaned off our white siding. We're pretty sure the outside of the house has never been cleaned. By the time the 3 hours was done our hands and arms were like jelly...but we had a sparking clean house!

We will put the pressure washer to good use over the summer. No more paying 10 bucks at the car wash to clean our cars!

--MMR

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-04-04T16:25:00.003-04:00

Abhay and I decided to make Rainbow Cupcakes today. Here's how you do it:

--Mix a white cake mix to package directions
--Separate batter into 6 bowls and add food coloring until desired color is achieved
--Alternate spoonfuls of batter into lined cup-cake pan
--Bake according to box directions
--Frost with white frosting or cool whip!

SUPER EASY and SUPER FUN!

Batter with dye

Just before putting in the oven

Just out of the oven!

Ready to eat!!

--MMR

Spring Break

2010-03-21T20:12:00.004-04:00

I just got back from my Spring Break trip to Minnesota yesterday. I had a wonderful time. It was so nice to spend time with family and friends. It was just what I needed. :) I love it here in Indiana--I just miss my family and friends. It was also nice to stay-up-late, wake up late, and take naps. Abhay has limited vacation time, so he was not able to come with me. He stayed here at home for the week and lived the bachelor life. I was very happy to come home to him. I feel like part of me is missing when we are not together.

Sadly, I forgot my camera here at home...so I have no pictures to share. :(

--MMR

random...

2010-03-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

We went to the Pacers vs Bulls NBA game Saturday night...and had a BLAST! We had awesome seats, and the Pacers played great. :) We even made it on TV. Of course, we had no idea...but my very excited Dad called and let us know. I guess the camera was panning the crowd and showed us twice. I think Abhay's Reggie Miller jersey and my Pacers sweatshirt helped! Too bad we didn't DVR the game. Abhay's big excitement was seeing the Green Bay Packers head coach downtown Indianapolis while we were walking from The Hard Rock Cafe to the game. I don't think I've ever seen him smile so big. :)

All the snow is melted, and we're looking forward to spring. We're already making plans for a garden (tomatoes, peppers, etc...) and what kind of flowers we are going to plant. It's still chilly here, 35-40 degrees each day--but soon enough it should get warmer.

--MMR

Snow!

2010-02-15T18:44:00.001-05:00

Well...the weather forecasters were right--we got snow again. This time we got a good 12 inches, a proper Minnesota snowfall. Snowplows have not been out yet so I've been stuck at home all day.Thank goodness Abhay has 4 wheel drive so he was able to get to and from work! School was closed today, and will be again tomorrow. I'm going stir crazy--daytime tv is NO good. :)

Here are some pics:

Abhay and I getting ready to shovel

Abhay hard at work

Out our back door

Proof is on the table

--MMR

Life is Good

2010-02-14T15:57:00.003-05:00

Life is good...

We celebrate Valentine's Day yesterday. We went to Indianapolis and saw My Name is Khan, a Bollywood movie. Very recently we found out about a theater on the north side of Indianapolis that often shows new Bollywood releases. The theater was nothing fancy, in fact sort of yucky. But we were happy to find a place close to us that shows Hindi movies. The movie was really good...and we both enjoyed it. It had a very nice message! Afterwards, we went downtown and had dinner at Fogo De Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. Sadly we were disappointed with the food/service and it was NOT worth the money they charge. But we had fun nonetheless. Abhay gave me a lovely bunch of flowers and I gave him a new style India cricket jersey. :)

We had two winter storms in one week. One happened Friday afternoon/Saturday morning, and then again Monday evening-Wednesday afternoon. School was closed for three whole days, and 2 hours late one day. So VERY short work week for me. To me, it seems NUTS to close school. In Minnesota we would have gone, probably without any delays. But I guess it's all relative. The issue here is road cleaning. They don't have enough equipment or manpower. We're supposed to have another storms tonight into tomorrow that is predicted to bring 3-8 inches of snow. So we shall see...

Abhay has been keeping very busy at work, which is always a good thing. They've had some big changes within his company, but it looks like it's for the better.

We are both enjoying watching the Olympics! :) Go team USA and team India! (Yes, India has 3 people competing in the winter games--one is a luger, and 2 are skiers).

--MMR

Coconut Poke Cake

2010-02-09T10:28:00.002-05:00

I made this cake over the weekend for a Super Bowl party. It was SO yummy (and easy) so I thought I'd share the recipe

COCONUT POKE CAKE

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut**
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (8 ounce) package flaked coconut

Directions

Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions. Remove cake from oven. While still hot, using a utility fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together. Pour over the top of the still hot cake. Let cake cool completely then frost with the whipped topping and top with the flaked coconut. Keep cake refrigerated.

** I found the cream of coconut in the alcohol section of the grocery store

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T19:47:00.001-05:00

Both Abhay and I love this picture

(Vineet, Abhay, Me, and Gunjan on our Mhendi night--July 2007)

--MMR

Avatar

2010-01-24T18:52:00.005-05:00

Last night Abhay and I FINALLY saw Avatar. A whole month after it was released. As you can guess, if you didn't already know, Abhay and I are big time movie buffs and go to the theater to watch movies as often as we possibly can. We've been so busy between going to India and then getting "back on our feet" here at home we didn't have time to see it until now. Plus, we weren't really all that interested in seeing it. We went more because we were curious to see what the hype was all about. All I can say is that we were both very pleasantly surprised...

We drove 45 miles to Indianapolis and saw it in 3D at an IMAX Theater. Sure, it cost 30 dollars for both of us to see it, but it was well worth it. I have never seen anything so beautiful on screen. It was truly a visual feast. I have never seen such creativity in a film before. I'm still amazed. It was truly an experience. Many people warned me that the story line lacked some character, but truth be told both Abhay and I thought the story line was good. Wonderful film!

So I urge you, if you have yet to see it...check it out!!!! This is a movie that all age groups will enjoy. Although I must say I think it's a bit "scary/dark" for children...

--MMR

new car! :)

2010-01-24T12:29:00.004-05:00

After many test drives, and lots of car browsing (both at dealerships and online) we purchased a car! We bought a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring. This is out first BRAND new car. :) So needless to say, we are both pretty excited. When we first drove it Saturday morning it had 17, yes 17, miles on it. Craziness. We got a great deal on it...and it comes FULLY loaded. It has all the bells and whistles everyone would ever need, or not need. I'm a huge fan of all the controls on the steering wheel, XM radio, and custom iPod jack. :)

--MMR

Bye Sonata!

2010-01-22T15:41:00.006-05:00

Sunday night, total spur of the moment, we decided to list my 2005 Hyundai Sonata on Craigslist. We have been thinking about upgrading to something newer and with less miles for quite awhile. Within minutes of listing it we had phone calls and emails from interested people.

A gentleman drove it Monday night after work, and committed to buying it right then and there. The FIRST person to drive it, bought it! We never ever expected to seel it quite so quickly. We dropped it off with him on Wednesday, and I'm sure he's enjoying it now. I had such mixed emotions on letting that car go. I know it sounds so silly, it's just a car. But that was my first "nice" car. My first big purchase after college. Something I worked really hard for.

But now, onto the fun task of car shopping. :) Abhay and I have lots of ideas what we should buy. We'll be testing driving lots of cars this weekend...

--MMR

MLK

2010-01-18T15:47:00.003-05:00

Since today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, I thought it fitting to post some profound quotes made by him...

--The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

--Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

--Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

Fog

2010-01-17T19:53:00.005-05:00

Well, we made it through the week. Just barely. Ha!

I have been having a HORRID time getting over this nasty jet lag. Abhay, on the other hand, has been doing ok. I spent Mon-Thurs mornings at work in a total fog...for some weird reason the fog in my head lifts around 2pm. I had my normal Friday off from work, and spent the majority of it sleeping. Abhay and I slept 12 hours Friday night--first time I've done that in years! and a long nap Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening we attempted a normal routine...movie (Up in The Air--which was really quite good) and dinner out. :) Again we slept 9+ hours Saturday night. I took a long nap today. I plan to sleep late tomorrow (another day off for me--a day to honor one of my personal heroes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr) and take another good nap. Hopefully by Tuesday I'll be back to normal.

I am happy to report our suitcase was found!!! :) It arrived on our doorstep Tuesday--and the contents were all fine. Abhay ended up having to get a little nasty with United. It's sad it takes getting stern to get something done. But in return we got $550.00 in travel vouchers! :)

That's all for now...

--MMR

All Around the World

2010-01-10T18:22:00.008-05:00

We had quite an eventful and frustrating trip home. It started early Thursday morning (India time) with a cancelled flight, then again early Friday morning with a another cancelled flight, and finally late, late Friday night we were able to fly out. We spent many hours standing in line and arguing with British Airway employees. But on the bright side, we got to spend an extra day and half in India.

Our trip home took us from Hyderabad to Bangkok, from Bangkok to Tokyo, from Tokyo to Chicago, and from Chicago to Indianapolis. We walked into our house Saturday night (or should I say Sunday morning) at around 12:30am. Only 50 hours later than we were supposed to be home. We got lucky and got business class seats (which were amazing) from Bangkok to Tokyo and 1st class seats from Chicago to Indy...all thanks to British Airways! In just a little over 2 weeks we circled the entire world. :)

To top off our crazy trip home, one of our bags didn't make it to Indianapolis from Chicago. Of course, it's the one with all of our gifts. Booo! We have high hopes that it will be delivered to us sometime this week. Cross your fingers for us. Looking at the upside of this, Delta airlines is awarding us some travel vouchers for the inconvenience--looks like I will get a flight home to Minnesota during my spring break in March!!! :)

Now, it's back to work/reality tomorrow. I'm suffering with jet lag and lack of sleep BIG TIME!! Abhay is doing alright. I'll take it one day at a time...

--MMR

Random shots

2010-01-10T18:10:00.002-05:00

Random shots around Hyderabad--

(selling nuts and fruit to bus riders)

(Coconut stand)

(Auto rickshaw--these things are everywhere!)

(Sweet lime juice stand)

(yes, cows and other animals roam around the streets freely)

--MMR

The rest

2010-01-10T17:54:00.003-05:00

It's hard to start up from when I left off... But let's just say, the remainder of our trip was wonderful. We had such a great time. We spent lots of time with family and friends. Abhay was able to watch a bunch of cricket (even I watched it for a bit--i'm starting to get the hang of it). I got to do lots and lots of shopping. :) The weather was awesome during our stay. Each day was in the high 70's-low 80's. It was nice to get a bit of a tan.

We took a New Years weekend trip to Bangalore to visit Abhay's sister and brother-in-law. We ate our way across Bangalore. :) Yummy, yummy food. We also took a day trip to a city called Mysore while in Bangalore. Mysore has a working palace that we were able to visit. It was gorgeous!! We also visited a beautiful catholic church and had lunch at a mini-palace that was converted into a hotel. It was nice to spend time with Gunjan and Vineet in "their" city.

Here are some more pictures:

(Church in Mysore)

(Us at the Mysore Palace)

(Us at the Palace again)

Yummy Dosa!

--MMR

Wordless Wedneday (well, almost wordless)

2010-01-06T00:40:00.003-05:00

(Abhay and I on New Years Eve )

More India trip info to come soon... I promise.

--MMR

2009-12-29T22:41:00.004-05:00

Wow...we've been busy. Here's a little recap:

Sunday morning evening all the family left. :( It was sad to say goodbye, but we know we will see them soon. Sunday afternoon we headed out to a WONDERFUL book fair. I could not believe to volume of books. AND CHEAP!! Most books I got for 20 rupees...which is less than 50 cents. We then headed to Lumbini park, a gorgeous park on Hussain Sagar Lake. In the middle of the lake there is a beautiful, huge Buddha statue. We were able to take a boat out to it and see it. Truly breathtaking. We then returned to the park and waited around to see a laser show of the history of Hyderabad. It was very well done, and interesting. I attempted to have my future read by a parrot...but he came up with n0thing. The joke is, I guess I have no future. :) While at the park, I had the cutest little boy come up to me and say, "Excuse me Ma'am but if you don't mind me asking where are you from?" I replied "USA." To which he replied, "Me too!! I live in Kentucky!" Small world...:)

Monday was spent shopping the whole day. Which is one of my favorite things to do...esp. here in India. The US dollar is worth 45 rupees...so it's a GREAT exchange. And everything is very, very cheap here (according to US standards). Abhay and I ordered new glasses...2 pairs forAbhay, and 3 pairs for me. It came out to be 200 dollars. Yes 200 bucks for 5 pairs of glasses. And super funky ones at that....ones we'd never find here. Unbelievable, huh? We visited some very beautiful and modern malls. More modern than any malls I've ever visited in the US. We made some very fun purchases. Monday evening we were invited over to some friends ofAbhay's parents for dinner. A little cultural tidbit--most people don't eat dinner here until around 9-10pm. :)

Tuesday I went to see my very first Bollywood movie in a theater--3 Idiots was the movie. Interesting experience, but fun. Lots of yelling, whistling, screaming, whooping, during the movie. It's also acceptable to have your cell phone on ring and answer it. The movie was GREAT though. Very good story and awesome acting. Tuesday evening we were invited to another friend's house. This time is was BBQ--which was amazing. The couples 21 year old son made it for us. I've never had such tasty BBQ Chicken.

Today, Wednesday will be spent relaxing at home. The city is shutdown due to some political things. But don't worry--it's safe. :)

Buddah

Abhay and his Mom

Me with Abhay's Parents

--MMR

The start of the trip...

2009-12-27T04:05:00.002-05:00

We arrived in India on Dec 24th safe and sound. :) Our flights were great...but very long. I've never been quite so happy to get off of an airplane. Abhay is so happy to be "home"! I am happy to be here as well. Thankfully we are over our jet lag....

Christmas eve and Christmas day were spent with family. Abhay's mom, dad, sister Gunjan, her husband Vineet, Vineet's mom and dad, Abhay's Chacha and Chachi (aunt and uncle), and Abhay's Buaji (Aunt) and other various family friends. Christmas was wonderful. Everyone made me feel so special. I am truly blessed to marry into such a wonderful family.

We, of course, have been eating, eating, and eating. I can't even begin to write about all the wonderful food we've had. Abhay and I brought almond bark and no-bake cheesecake mix to make for Christmas dessert. Everyone LOVED the almond bark covered oreos, potato chips, and orange sandwich cookies. The cheesecake was also a hit...something much different from the cheesecake that is served here.

Yesterday I experienced the true India by walking in the middle of the road to the store with Abhay and his dad. It's an experience...let me tell you. I promise to take pictures so it can truly be seen.

Stay tuned for more...

--MMR