Did I make a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich?

The problem with surprising one`s wife at the age of 34 is that all the easy routes have been already taken – like leaving an ‘I love you` wallpaper on the desktop, sending home flowers when you are out of town or calling the old newspaper guy to dispose the newspaper off – and are well known to the wife. That`s why I had to take up the complex task of making a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich this Sunday morning.

If you rely on internet for your recipes, let me tell you that all grilled vegetable sandwich recipes on the internet have been written by rich folks, who don`t want poor people like us to make grilled vegetable sandwiches at home. I mean, how can anybody expect me to have Japanese Egg Plant, Zucchini, and Portobello Mushroom at home?

The smart thing about we Rajans is that when the going gets tough, we get going…and that`s why after spending an hour on the internet and not seeing even one recipe for which we had all the ingredients, I decided to make my own Grilled Vegetable Sandwich….with the ingredients available at home. As luck would have it, we couldn`t use all the things available at home while making it…our Treadmill & Book shelf for instance.

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Blog reader gets her fifth Happy Birthday post

[This is a quick, late night post. Remember, I warned you!]

People who grew up reading ‘The Hindu` will remember a Tennis writer called Nirmal Shekar. He once, while describing one of the many Leander Paes` wins in Davis Cup wrote: “When miracles happen too often, they cease to be miracles.” Very profound, I thought. Maybe that`s why….after writing four continuous Happy Birthday post for a blog reader called Himani Sahni (spread over the last four years!), I decided NOT to write one this time. It has nothing to do with the fact that now she is married. I promise.

As they say, old habits die hard. And here I go again with a fifth Happy Birthday post for her.

Rekha, if you are reading this…I know you have started swearing by now. Let me assure you that I amuse the women readers more often only because they are the ones that mail me and ask for such favors. Men seem to hate me.

Since Himani has just entered her second year of marriage, I thought it made sense if I gave her some birthday advice on what to expect in the second year of marriage. After the wedding album has been resigned to a dusty fate inside the cupboard (and visitors are spared the torture of going thro` 1000s of photos) ….and the couple has discussing EMIs, Bills, Work Loads, In-laws etc.

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Taj Mahal – the untold story

Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal

Sucking up to your boss can take you places. But it can`t take your mom places too…so when my mother wanted to see the Taj Mahal, I had to plan the trip myself.

Ever since my father fell to Cancer in 2005, my mother has lived a lonely existence. She keeps visiting her three children but goes back to the nest that her husband built for her with his post-retirement funds. So, when she is with us and wants anything done…no questions asked…it gets done.

“Son, I would like to visit Agra,” It was my mom talking.

“Why?” I enquired.

“Haven`t you heard of Taj Mahal? It is in Agra.” It was my mom talking, again.

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