I created this blog site in December of 2013, and wrote the ‘About‘ page, a small detail for the world to know when folks knocked or stumbled on the site and clicked on the about page of the site. I have just recently given a face to the author of the site, until then it was a picture of a slice of cake or my name.
Starting today I am taking part in the Blogging 101 course, and task for Day#1 is Introduce yourself to the World. I am happy to write this post, the Ash who wrote the About page has since then traveled with the blog through many interesting food, photography, and travel destinations, met and connected with some like-minded folks, and I have enjoyed the journey so far. I find it is a good time to introduce the ”me”! The blog is the journey of that ”me” that lies within, who wants to explore, connect and experience her different interests-cuisines, countries, nature, different landscapes, photography and read good writings and get a rich experience for this learner within.
As a child, summertime was when we would be sleeping outdoors in the courtyard of our bungalow, under the sky that would be illuminated with innumerable twinkling stars, with tales for the many stars being narrated by my grannies. I distinctly remember lying on the outdoor bed on those evenings and marveling at the wide blue sky above, the flocks of different birds returning home, the Aeroplanes that flew so high above leaving a trail of white line in the sky, and kites flying high, and I would imagine being with those lives zooming above me, be it the people sitting in the aircraft or the birds that flew past. I never had a camera with me then, but seeing the birds returning to their nests on the trees surrounding our house always made me happy and I always wished to click those snaps. This was the young ”me” then and her thoughts. Now it is the age of cell phones and SLR’s & DSLR cameras, and with the cell camera always handy one can capture images at the click of the button. I do still see myself clicking these pictures, some of them are used in the Weekly Photo Challenges.
Life zipped through schooling and college. The dreamer was always alive somewhere within. The end of college saw a different role of life. It was a new journey with new folks, new responsibilities, new vision, and new priorities. The new journey saw the ”me” in different roles, from being the daughter and younger sibling to becoming the wife of an awesome person my hubby, as the daughter-in-law of the new family, as the mother of two most adorable kids, and also at the same time adjusting, growing and accommodating to all these different roles. This span of post marriage has seen me travel to different places within India and abroad. My love or hobby for trying out, learning, and cooking Indian food dishes of the different states of India that I have lived in was always with me all these years.
Having moved to the Middle East, away from family and siblings and relatives and with kids growing up, the need to inculcate the importance of home cooked food was always on the mind. I grew up eating home cooked food with restaurant outings as being rare occasions. Changing times and fast food craze of this generation requires a more balanced approach to eating, and the Dietitian in me do not approve of frequent junk food intake by my kids. I emphasize the home cooked healthy eating, and hence try to give the family a different variety of dishes that are healthily prepared using best ingredients and cooking methods. I like the meal times to be fun, sharing, and happy times for the whole family with the table displaying food that is appealing. As a mother I feel I am responsible for the good eating habits of my kids, and healthy eating starts at home with the right balance of all types of foods.
As I see it, today’s kids are global citizens, they too would move from one place to another be it for education or work related. The food habits too would evolve for them as they have happened for me. I strongly wished to keep a diary of all my best recipes for my kids, but somehow the seed of writing a blog had started growing in the mind. Sharing with others gives eminence happiness and gratification. I have experienced the joy of sharing my cakes and other dishes with friends and neighbors in each and every place that I have resided so far since marriage. Baking has always made me happy. Hence, I want to continue to spread this happiness to as many folks as I can, the blog is one of my medium for that, another of the reason I am blogging.
Technology keeps changing, new things are introduced regularly, and to keep on learning and growing with the change is another of the reason for blogging. Currently this vast network is mind-boggling for me, and to wade or swim through without proper know how becomes a bit hindrance and slows down the journey. My new year goals/wishes are to reach out to many folks and like-minded people who might like to connect and try out the recipes, to learn from other bloggers, travel to different lands through the writings and photographs and explore places and culture that are unknown to me. Life, its experiences and the people we meet along the life path make an impact or a change in our lives with their actions, thoughts, and deeds. It is a continuous walk that is molding or shaping our personality and thoughts, and inspiring us to keep moving on. I have met and connected with some wonderful people who have inspired me and each post of mine is my attempt to encourage, inspire my readers, friends and family to eat healthy, wholesome home cooked food and make each mealtime at home the happy time for the entire family.
ashu
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