“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” ~William James.

There is nothing worse than having to wake up every morning and getting ready to go to work you don’t like.

I joined my first corporate job after finishing my second masters’ degree, back in 1990.

But soon found myself jumping from one job to another, before settling for the one I liked. May be, I was not ready to adapt myself to my new routine and  probably was intimidated by those high-pressured corporate jobs, during the initial phase of my work life.

Hmm…I should have learned to love what I did and continued…too late.

There are many things in life that I wish I could keep with me forever. The memories and days spent at my hometown in Udiapur tops that list.

I had a chance to visit Udaipur last week, which incidentally was my shortest ever trip to my hometown. I started at the wee hours of morning, left my children behind for a week, changed two fights, killed never-ending transit time at airport, and then traveled by road again to finally reach Udaipur late in night.

Yes, I did it all in one day. But I am not complaining.

“We do not know the value of our moments until they have become a memory.”  ~Sam H. The saying reflects my school days, perfectly. I didn’t give much thought back then, but school days and school friends were the best.

Days pass and memories fade. We just didn’t realize how soon time flew past. Distance, family commitments and work pressure is keeping many of us away from each other. But our bond of friendship is still strong and the good memories are with us forever.

Any recognition feels good, as it is a reward and an affirmation of what one does…Hmm..agreed. But what one does when one is featured in two different magazines and is still trying to decipher what is written in there.

Google translation of both the articles makes it a comic read. Well, sometimes, somethings are best if left unsaid. Hoping good is written about me 🙂  here is how it all started…

The other day I received this mail from the editor of a popular Italian magazine;

Growing up, we used to visit our granny every holiday. Reaching late at her house and being treated with warm and comforting Bajra khichda (millet porridge) was the best part of our trip.

She would welcome us with a sweet smile and rush to her kitchen to cook a quick meal. The wooden hearth would be hurriedly filled with charcoal to light the fire. She would then open the large round aluminum box placed neatly on wooden shelf and take out handful of wholegrain and lentil grits from it.

Not so long ago, mornings at home used to be quiet and slow. There was ample time to go for a brisk walk, get fresh vegetables en route, sit back, read newspaper and relax with a cup of tea.

And yes, there was absolutely no temptation to check the social media status, answer emails or to update the blog either.

Five years of online journey and suddenly life has become so fast-paced. I find myself  chasing ‘time’ with thousand dreams each day. Times when I feel how much media causes to miss out on simple pleasures of life.

Whoever said that,, “Media has a trade-off between its usefulness and its ability to waste your time.”

Here are a few easy yogurt based recipes from my treasure of ‘time-management in kitchen’. These recipes make sure that my cooking time is saved without compromising on the nutrient quotient of the food I prepare for my family.

Days pass and memories fade, but the more I cook and write for Lite Bite, the more memories I remember and cherish here.

2013 was yet another wonderful year. I enjoyed every moment of my on line journey through Lite Bite.

I leave you with the links of a few recipes I enjoyed cooking and posting on Lite Bite in 2013;

The thrill of getting employed, striving for power, reaching high-income bracket and standing on your own, right after the college is hard to explain. Yes, twenty years back life revolved more around making money and gratifying the ego.

And then, in between the hustle and bustle of life, the seed to plant a tree of my dreams was lost somewhere.

But no regrets…it feels good that I had been there (employed) and done that (earned). As they say ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’  

“Here is your copy from editors’ desk” said the delivery man and handed over the parcel to me. My heart started pounding faster and my fingers flipped the pages recklessly. “Relax mom, your articles will be there in it” son understood my eagerness and took the magazine from my hand.

Whoosh…a small booklet slipped from inside the magazine and fell on the ground. My eyes popped out to see my picture there.

Hmm…the thrill of seeing yourself in print ….the best adrenaline rush you could ever get I suppose.

Well, adrenaline rush or not, this assignment did make my diet graph plunge into a nose-dive. Yes, I am struggling to ward off those calories I gained after each recipe was done with 🙂