Along the Mississippi - Shadow Falls

Fall is one of the most beautiful time in Minnesota, its when the nature is set ablaze and colors burst from each little crack in the scenery. The temperatures are often moderate and perfect for hiking. If you are from out of town and would like to experience Minnesota, there can't be a better time than Fall.

Playdate with Friend = photoshoot :-)

I had a very fun photo shoot or you may choose to call it playdate with my friend Carol.

She is very attractive with impeccable taste and wonderful style sense and of course very photogenic as well.

The detailed story behind the photoshoot would be revealed soon but for now, just sharing the pictures. Anyone else interested in a play date?

Lunch at Manny's Steak House

Omnivore's real dilemma - eat a big steak or a bigger one ...?         (Post courtesy DH)

Steakhouse - the name conjures up the image of dimly lit high ceiling-ed rooms lined with deep leather chairs suffering stern faced black-suited men swirling old scotch while discussing the fate of the industry or economy as they attack giant steaks while being attended upon by dour faced waiters in coattails. No women in sight anywhere and not a word or gesture out of place.
Such was the image that conjured up in my head causing some trepidation, when the better half of this marital equation casually suggested:
"Manny's Steakhouse for our anniversary?"
It was rather uncharacteristic of her given as she usually tries to balance out my excesses and indulgences (all in service of gastronomy assuredly ) with healthier endeavors. The draw of a good steak helped us get over our reservations and it was a good thing it did.

Located in the historic Foshay Tower in the heart of downtown Minneapolis Manny's steakhouse (Located: 825 Marquette Ave, Minneapolis MN, 55403) is nothing like my imaginings. The Maître d' was (gasp) a woman and there were women serving as well as enjoying the hospitality. Not quite the male bastion a steakhouse is made out to be.

Peninsula - Restaurant review

I have invited DH to share his thoughts about restaurant Peninsula, on our recent visit; welcome Devesh...

Peninsula - the word conjures up different images for different people. Geography majors think of the definition, my 8 year old said - "Florida". But for two foodies making this culinary journey from dish to scrumptious dish, the word now has come to mean deliciousness.

(Located: 2608 Nicollet Ave  Minneapolis)

Photo credit: Peninsula restaurant

And for this, we have none other to thank, than our intransigent government, which has unceremoniously shut down on us. So, on a Friday, we decided to take care of some pending business with a certain office of the U.S. Government. So we made a 20 mile drive to said office and were told by a security guard - with what I imagined was a mixture of frustration and relief - that the particular service we sought had been deemed inessential during the shut down. I imagined him beaming with pride that at least HIS function was still essential.

But we're never ones to end a story on a note of frustrated anti-climax are we?

So, we found the shortest route to Peninsula - our local purveyor of Malaysian cuisine, and quickly stuck our noses in the menu.

Scrapfest 2013 at Mall of America

Sharing some pictures from the annual scrapbooking event, Scrapfest. It is organized by Minnesota based National chain of scrapbooking store Archivers and has always been hosted at Mall of America.

In the glorious days of scrapbooking, this event was held with much grandeur and spilled into the other local Archivers stores as well with overnight scrap-nights hosted by various sponsors but this year’s event  was, let’s say, more on a budget. 

There weren’t as many product booths and correspondingly not enough people either; though there were a few vendors demonstrating good techniques and ‘make and takes’ which attracted longer lines. That said the Parking was still bursting to its seams and I ended up parking on 6th Floor at the parking ramp (p.s. the Mall is only four levels)

An interview with Amy Backman from Spruce Flowers and Home

Meet Amy from Spruce Flowers and home. DH discovered this wonderful flower shop close to home and I fell in love with it on my very first visit. This quaint little store is a lot more that a flower shop, It is the place where women go to find that perfectly unique design and personal experience and men go to get the perfect gift for women and girls when everything else fails. 

Amy graciously agreed to let me photograph her and the store while she made beautiful centerpieces for a wedding and soft music played in the background. The doors of the store were wide open and gentle breeze played with soft ferns and resilient air plants. 

This is a store where I'd go to buy pieces to incorporate into my own design but she has some unique arrangements on her shelves if you are looking to buy something special and Amy also offers flower decorating classes in case you are hesitant to branch out into flower decorations right away without the basics. And that's not all she regularly offers tips on her blog about taking care of flowers and plants.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a Commercial post. I am not benefitting from posting about this place.
I think that 'Spruce Flowers and home' is a unique, beautiful and local store that offers great service.

Store Location: 4751 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Happy 4th Everyone!

It is amazing how each festival is known by its name but the Independence Day is known by the date.

I am familiar with two, 15 August (India’s Independence Day) and July 4^th (Independence Day of United States). So, hope you had a wonderful celebration and if you don’t celebrate freedom day on 4^th then whenever it is… it sure is a blessing to be free.

Flint Hill Children’s festivals

Are you looking for something to do this weekend?

Flint Hills International Children’s Festival is this weekend. It started on 28^th May but the weekend filled with Family activity starts Saturday Morning. And guess what, yup! I will be performing Kathak with the rest of the Katha Dance Theater crew.

Details about the festival:

Details below… 

Upcoming Kathak show - Sadhana 2013

Sadhana is a Sanskrit word literally explained as "a means of accomplishing something". 

It describes discipline and dedicated practice or learning, especially in the regions of rhythms and balance like music, dance, yoga, spiritual practice of any kind... etc. 

In pursuits where mind and body need to play together.

It is no wonder that my Kathak guru Rita ji, chose 'Sadhana' as the name for the annual recitals for the Katha Dance school. And it is with pride and joy that I ask you to come watch the show this Sunday (19th May) at O'Shaughnessy 

The show will feature a wide spectrum of dancers, from little ones to beginner adult dancers along with the veterans of the field presenting the sneak peeks of the upcoming Kathak show in Canada. 

If you are looking for inspiration and enjoy listening to musical stories shared through dangling bells, rhythmic footwork and array of rich sparkling colors, it sure is something that cannot be missed. 

And if you are a foodie, there is also going to be Indian snacks and hot tea available during the intermission.

Please stop by to say Hello! if you are at the show. 

Art in Bloom at MN Institute of Art

Nothing announces Spring here in Minnesota better than the Art in Bloom festival at Minnesota Institute of Arts. Although this year, Mother Nature is playing games as snowflakes is continually descending (see the instagram picture in the sidebar) despite the Calendar proclaiming it to be the month of ‘May’.

Well, contrary to the weather outside right now, it was spring this weekend; we even ran the air conditioner in the car and went out for a family bike ride.

 The Art in Bloom show was themed around Native American culture so we saw a lot of dream catchers and head-gears made out of things in nature and it was very inspiring to be influenced by the ideas that can be incorporated in your home and life in general.

As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, so here we go…

Flower bouquet at the entrance

A late snow storm - 19 April 2013

We got a very late snow storm this year and as I think about it and complain, I realize that 'late' is just a perception that I am carrying... to be in the moment cannot be defined by January or April or any other time but 'now'...

The Snow Man, a poem by Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is. 

One Billion Rising - Twin Cities Valentine Day Event

My word of the year for 2013, to inspire me and to guide me is 'Action'. I put my intentions out to the universe at the beginning of the year and even though I have been actively working towards my intentions (betterment of the underprivileged) for past 4 years or so this year I plan to roll out a project of my own. There are a lot of things (mostly talks of collaborations) in the pipe line and I'll keep you posted as dreams start taking physical shapes. 

One of my big goal is to work for the safety and security of women and so this twin cities Valentine Day event for One Billion rising was just in line for my thoughts - to raise  awareness, to find more ways that we can help locally. Often words like 'the oppression of poor' reverberates life in a third world country but you'll be amazed to know how many people need support and strength to stand up for their rights even in the developed countries... 

There were several V-day events in twin cities this year but I went to this particular one at Powderhorn organized by a very good friend and activist; an out door event with several fire pits to keep us warm and a hand held light for stage lighting, on a cold 18 deg F day. Sisters' Camelot provided warm soups and baked goodies to provide warmth, inside and out... 

So, here follows some pictures and no words... 

Winter Wonderland...

Just decided to share some pictures from our winter wonderland. Once you live in the snow country, you realize that not all snow is created equal. The snow in December is very different from the slushy March precipitation. But today I share the February snow... the perfect kind. 

Not too dry to be flying around in wind and neither too wet to just turn into a wet mass as soon as it falls, it accumulates really well and photographs well too...

a short walk

I love snow storms on the weekend cause it give you the opportunity to stay cozy inside the home and make snacks and create warm memories...

Vegetable fritters, pakoras. A rainy season Indian favorite

Some tea to sip

something sweet and chocolatey 

I don't particularly care for the drive on the snowy roads but the vista views more than make up for the slippery road conditions...

The day after the fall, on tree branches

And the icicles through the window

Rustica Bakery... Paris memories

DH and I are both foodies and we connect and relate to places and cultures through food. I remember when we had just returned from London, DH searched high and low to find scones and cream just so that we can recreate the experience from Trafalgar Square cafe on a cold and foggy Sunday morning. And in the end he had to start baking his own scones and buying the clotted cream from Kowalski's because we couldn't find a bakery with good English scones.

So, this summer once we were back from our trip to Paris, a similar hunt started to find chocolate croissants just like the ones we ate from a Parisian Bakery in Fountainebleau. A coworker of DH who is a French expat, pointed us towards Rustica bakery. 

It was just what we were looking for. After a particularly active Saturday, we stopped by this bakery in uptown Minneapolis to relax with a latte and some hot chocolate for the little ones. The place was busy as you would expect in a cafe but the service was prompt and they even had the patience to cut little loaves for us to try, when we couldn't make up our mind in a hurry. When it comes to fresh bread, we usually want to buy the bakery and not an individual loaf :-)

Its a self service cafe with free Wi-Fi, as is evident from the number of people working at the long tables. I love the idea of writing little stories in a busy cafe, some where up in the mountains or by a lake, in this case the cafe is by lake Calhoun but not in direct view, but that's where the writer's imagination comes into picture...

We had to carry out a couple of loaves for the Sunday morning brunch and some dessert for Saturday night, late night treat...

If you like the taste of freshly baked goods and the would like to experience a charming cafe very similar to the ones in Paris, Rustica is a bakery one must visit and there are a number of little things on sale for gifts to those who seem to have everything they really need.

Enjoy the pictures, please don't drool over your equipment and next time you are in the area, try out Rustica...

Flowers for Home decor... & more

Fresh Flowers are such an important ingredient for any decoration or adoration that the more you can get the better. For me personally every trip to the local Trader Joe's includes a flower bouquet purchase. 

This past Sunday was the Concert of the Legends where Pt. Birju Maharaj and Ustad Zakir Hussain was performing and my dance school 'Katha Dance Theatre' was organizing the event. Among many other things, I was also in charge of buying flowers for the event. I looked around and decided to check out local farmers market to see if I could haggle and get a good price. But once I reached there I was surprised to find beautiful flower bouquets at very reasonable price. I walked around to see the choices available and found a stall that was making bouquets on order based on the flowers you pick for under $10.00. We were on a restricted budget and very dime that a non-profit organization saves goes back to serving the community better and we couldn't ask for more. 

The prices were so good that I couldn't haggle and besides I am pretty bad at bargaining anyways. The best part about keeping your business local is that you form a connection with your grower and the relation has to be honest for it to last. When I picked a few one day old flowers, she initially refused but since they were the biggest hot pink flowers available and I really wanted it she added them to my bouquet for free. And not just that since we bought a huge load of flowers and were planning to leave them in our car while finishing the rest of the shopping they borrowed us their flower bucket so we can keep the flowers in the water. And like a good business person ensured that we'll be back to return the bucket and perhaps buy more flowers. And frankly for that price who can resist, function or not all home can use fresh flowers to brighten things up. 

These are just some pictures that I took from my phone while the flower lady was putting the bunches together. So the unexpected visit to the flower shop in farmer market proved that local is better, fresher and sustainable... 

Concert of the Legends - 16 Sep 2012

I am still reveling after the last night’s ‘The Concerts of the Legends’ with Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pt. Birju Maharaj ji. It was a marvelous show and the chemistry between Maharaj ji and Zakir bhai was amazing, nothing like I have ever seen before.

Photographic Wednesday : Meandering Red Cedar River