My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

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If you’re still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu, feel free to steal some ideas from what we’re making.

Something to know about me is that I LOVE Thanksgiving food. Like LOVE! We didn’t celebrate it in the traditional way growing up, but since getting married, Vishnu and I started our own tradition. One that includes Thanksgiving food every year!

With that being said, we’re keeping things super low key this year in terms of having people. We’re not keeping the menu low key though! My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Like I said, if you’re still planning, feel free to make some of these dishes. Most of them are tried and true (ain’t no one messing around on Thanksgiving!).

I hope y’all have a delicious day!

Apps
– Pilsbury crescent rolls stuffed with Brie cheese with a side of strawberry jalapeno jam
– Strawberry, feta cheese, and pecan spinach salad

Sides
– Cranberry sauce (I’ve been making this for YEARS. It’s soo good.)
– Roasted broccoli (preheat oven to 425 degrees, chop the broccoli up into smallish pieces, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and garlic powder, and roast for 23 minutes).
– Mashed potatoes

Main
– Instant Pot Mac n’ Cheese (SO easy, SO creamy!)
– Air Fryer Tandoori wings

Dessert
– Dark chocolate silk pie (vegan!)
– Broiler smores!

ENJOY!

Edwards Apple Orchard

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It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in on here. Honestly, this space is taking the back seat right now, but I’m staying true to my word and checking in when I can.

I wanted to share about our day trip to Edwards Apple Orchard because it exceeded all of our expectations. And most importantly, Mr. Kaiden had an amazing time!

Vishnu and I decided that we wanted to visit an orchard, but we were a little (lot!) late to the game. A lot of the nearby orchards are closed for the season. Vishnu did a bit more research and came across Edwards Apple Orchard. The website looked great and there were three varieties of apples still available for picking.

The only con was that Edwards is 86 miles from where we live in the city. But we decided to go for it. We brought our own lunch since the restaurants are closed, and headed out fairly early.

We got there around 10:45 and headed straight to the area where the tractors meet you to go picking. The first thing I noticed was how everyone was wearing a mask. Phew! One worry off the list. The second thing I noticed was just how beautiful this orchard was, and how well organized the place seemed. The process to get our tickets, get on a tractor, and go to the orchard was super quick and easy. Everyone was social distancing, and it just seemed so seamless.

The orchards themselves still had plenty of delicious apples to pick from, and we definitely went to all three. We got a basket for $48 (up to 6 people) and filled it 3/4 of the way. Kaiden had the best time being on Vishnu’s shoulders to pick the highest apples!

After were were done picking apples, we headed back to the main area where the big store/barn is. Again, there was a line to get in with markers on the ground, and everyone was still wearing their masks. The barn itself was spacious and smelled like heaven (fresh donuts!). We got a few goodies – spicy strawberry jam, salad dressings, popcorn, etc. And of course, we couldn’t leave without getting a few donuts, which in my opinion were the highlight of the trip. So warm with a crispy sugar +cinnamon exterior and a soft pillowy interior. YUMMMMMMM!

We debated going to the huge pumpkin patch on site but decided to eat lunch and head home. We were hoping Kaiden would nap a bit on our way back, but he didn’t! Of course!

I can only imagine how magical this place is during non-Covid times, but because we had such a great experience, I wanted to share in case any of you are local readers and are looking for a new orchard to visit!

Thanks for a great experience, Edwards Apple Orchard!

4th of July Weekend 2020

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If I recall correctly, we haven’t been ‘in town’ (wherever that is at the time) for the 4th of July holiday in a long time. This year, we stayed put and had visitors…my BIL and his fiance, Niel and Neelam. And it was one of the best long weekends to date.

Thursday

Niel and Neelam got here on Thursday afternoon, and I had most of the day off so it worked out perfectly. I got in a workout before they arrived, and then once they got to our place, we left immediately to grab some lunch from a Taco Truck near our place. Delicious!

And then we hung out at home until it was time to pick Kaiden up from school. You guys should’ve seen his face when he saw Niel and Neelam. So so excited but definitely trying to be low-key about it. Ha!

The rest of the evening was spent playing and running and singing. Oh and I made The Chutney Life’s Jalapeno Almond Pesto Spaghetti. So good! After dinner + bath time + books, K eventually went to sleep, while the rest of the stayed up and played with the Oculus and talked.

Friday

Everyone was home Friday, including Vishnu, so that was nice. We had Kaiden’s 3 year appointment in the morning, Niel and Neelam had lunch plans with her coworkers, and then we had a haircut appointment for K in the afternoon (he wore a mask the entire time!). In between all of this, there was Magnatiles, Frozen, a short nap, etc.

In the evening, we ordered in for dinner, which was nice because I didn’t have to cook and there was virtually no clean up.

We stayed up fairly late again talking about everything from sports, to politics (lots of politics) to Covid-19 to random family stuff.

Saturday

Saturday was fun, but for some reason I was super tired. Guys, I took like a 3 hour nap while Kaiden napped which extended to after he woke up. It was like that deep sleep you can’t shake, and man, did some rest feel good!

Saturday also included park time, a delicious burrito + corn on the cob lunch, Taco Bell for dinner, fireworks on our balcony with the whole fam (my sister and BIL came over). SO FUN!

I can’t remember what else we did on Saturday but it was a good time!

Sunday

Sunday was Niel and Neelam’s last day with us so we spent some of it at the park, and the rest hanging out at home, more specifically playing Monopoly Deal (a fan favorite game in our family right now).

When it came time for them to leave for the airport, you could tell K was sad. He asked when they would be coming back (and has been for the past couple of days).

Love that we made some awesome memories though and can’t wait until we move back home!

Home for the 2019 Holidays

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It’s not too late to talk about our time in Atlanta, right? I hope not because I’m doing it!

So, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, we spent the days leading up to Christmas and a few days after in Atlanta. And if I’m being honest, this was one of my favorite trips home since Kaiden was born. HE was just the best – fun, playful, and just so damn cute! Even my mom agreed that this trip was fun because he was in a good mood 99% of the time.

So K and I flew down to Atlanta the Friday before Christmas. The flight was ok, as in Kaiden didn’t nap but he was fine (just a little seat kicking, but I’ll take that over a meltdown/tantrum). My parents picked us up from the airport. It took us almost 2 hours to get home! Atlanta traffic is no joke!

Our days at my parents’ house were filled with no real schedule but lots of good food, lots of playtime, and lots of fun! I was also able to squeeze in a couple of friend dates – dinner with some of my close college girlfriends and coffee with one of my besties!

We also squeezed in a visit with Santa at the mall. Get this, it was the same Santa as last year! Also, when asked what he wanted for Christmas this year, Kaiden said ‘yogurt.’ HAHA! Where do they come up with this stuff?!

We left my parents’ house on Christmas Eve and made our way over to Vishnu’s parents’ house. He actually arrived late in the evening that day, so Kaiden and I got a few hours with his parents until then.

We celebrated Christmas at Vishnu’s brother’s and fiance’s place, Niel and Neelam, with my parents, my in laws, and the majority of Neelam’s family. We ate some delicious home cooked food and sang karaoke. It was a blast!

The rest of our days were spent hanging out around the house and eating more yummy food!

I attended a cookie exchange party at my best friend Roshni’s house one night. So much fun! I made The Table of Spice’s eggless chocolate chip cookies. This is what dreams are made out of, people!

The next morning, we headed back out with K in tow to visit with Alina, Roshni’s baby girl! She was born back in September, but I hadn’t had the chance to hang with her yet! She’s just THE cutest!

And that pretty much wraps up our trip home at a high level! I’m so glad I had another week before work started back up because I definitely needed a vacation from our vacation!

And now we’re days into 2020! How did that happen? Let’s make it a great one!

How did you spend your holidays?

Thanksgiving Weekend 2019

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Better late than never right?!  I wrote this on my way to London, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  I’m actually posting it a week after that. But I wrote it so I’m sharing it! Ha!

I’ve always loved this time of year – between November and December.  It just feels magical and cozy.  But now that we have K and he’s getting older; I think I’m going to love it more and more. 

Let’s talk about Thanksgiving weekend 2019, because while it had its ups and downs, I wouldn’t change a single thing (well, maybe one, but I’ll get to that in a minute).

Wednesday was technically the first day of our weekend because K was home from school, and I took the day off.  The first thing we did was go to the grocery store to pick up some Thanksgiving meal essentials.  It may have taken us 20 minutes to get out the door between my toddler wanting to put his shoes on all by himself on the wrong feet and then protesting his jacket, but we did it!  After that it was smooth sailing until we got home, and I had work to do.  I put on some PBS for K to watch so that I could get 30 uninterrupted minutes of work time, but of course, he wanted me to sit next to him.  I did that, but he couldn’t stay away from my laptop, so I moved back to the kitchen island.  That was a no go for K, so I finished up what I could with a whimpering toddler on my hip and one free hand. 

The rest of the day was honestly a bit of a blur.  All I vividly remember is K waking up from his nap feeling a little warm.  He didn’t have a fever, but something was up.  I asked Vishnu to pick up dinner from a place down the street.  When he got home, he took one look at Kaiden, and said that we needed to give him some Tylenol before bed. He was warm and very congested.

Thursday started off much like the way Wednesday ended.  K woke up warm but with no fever.  Just to be on the safe side, we continued with the Tylenol and Motrin, which in some ways was kind of nice because that helped Kaiden stay in a better mood. 

I ended up prepping our Thanksgiving dinner throughout the day when I could find time, and this turned out to be a good plan because by dinnertime everything was fresh and ready!  Of course, Kaiden ate lots of bread, some mac n’ cheese, some chicken and ice cream.  Ha!

The day also included Facetime with family and lots of running around.

After Kaiden went down for the night, our friends came over for dessert and game night.  This turned out to be ice cream, Codenames Pictures, and some deep discussion about gun control in this country.  #adulting

Friday was a good day, and to be honest, I don’t remember much, except that Kaiden woke up with a slight fever.  Poor bubs!  But you wouldn’t really have been able to tell given how much energy he had.  We were supposed to go to my friend’s place for dinner, but I nixed that because I didn’t want her entire household catching whatever Kaiden had.  I also went to Target and Trader Joe’s…per usual.  At Target, I found a couple of good deals on clothing for all three of us.  And that was pretty much the end of my Black Friday shopping. We also watched Frozen at some point on Friday, which Kaiden liked and Vishnu and I loved.  Funny how that works!

Saturday was a better day because Kaiden didn’t wake up warm and his snottyness was more manageable.  We met Vishnu’s cousin and his family for breakfast at a place off Michigan Avenue.  Even though it was kind of cold outside, we decided to walk, and I think Kaiden really appreciated the fresh air.  After breakfast, we walked home and relaxed for a bit.

The rest of the day included packing, cleaning meal prep, and Coco.  Oh and lots of cuddling (well, as much as he would let me) with my baby!

I was creeping on K from the airport, and I happened to see my other love on the floor next to his crib. Can you spot him!? LOL!

And now it’s Sunday.  I’m on my flight to London, where I’ll be for the next four nights.  We have a full team meeting this week which includes planning for next year.  Should be a good one!

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday filled with the people and foods that you love!

Cabo 2019 – A True Family Vacation

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Over a week ago, I was in a beautiful pool overlooking the most stunning ocean views of Cabo.  Take me back!

But in all seriousness, our family vacay to Mexico was unforgettable and a really good time overall.  I think I can truly say that all seven of us enjoyed our time in paradise!

WHY CABO

Like I always do with these kinds of travel posts, let me provide a little context as to why we chose Cabo.  First of all, my parents have wanted to go on a family trip with both my sister and I and our significant others and of course Kaiden for a while now.  When the stars aligned (as in everyone’s schedules), we all sat down and seriously started brainstorming locations.  We threw out ideas like the Caribbean, Florida, Mexico City, etc.  But then Vishnu threw out Cabo – the weather is near perfect, no threat of hurricanes, it’s far enough to feel like a vacay, and there’s lots to do. Done deal!

WHERE WE STAYED

Then we started looking at Airbnb’s.  We went down this path versus hotels/resorts because we wanted a lot of space since we were going for five nights.  My mom also has some strict dietary restrictions, so having our own kitchen and the opportunity to buy our own groceries made more sense.  Also, this wasn’t the deciding factor, but we wanted to try and give Kaiden his own room – to help with the whole sleep thing. 

With all of our preferences being taken into account with what was actually available and in our budget, we settled on a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home in the Cabo Del Sol neighborhood.  You guys.  This house was big, beautiful, AND it had a private pool overlooking a golf course and the ocean.  A real winner in so many ways! 

The one downside to this particular area was all the construction.  It’s very much under development, and even though we couldn’t see or hear a thing while in our house, we came across it every time we left the neighborhood.

The only other thing, that probably has nothing to do with our house and is more just Cabo itself, was all the bugs.  We saw quite a few creepy crawlies in our five days.  By the last day, I was ready to be in my Chicago condo!

HOW WE GOT AROUND

Our car rental experience in Cabo was strange…in the best way possible!  We rented a huge Suburban from Cactus Car Rental, and everything from booking online to transferring to the airport to actually picking up the car was seamless.  They were so nice, there were no gimmicks…it just felt so easy. 

WHERE WE ATE

So in terms of food, I think we struck a nice balance between eating at home and trying a few restaurants.  In terms of Cabo restaurants, I asked my trustworthy IG followers for their recs, and they definitely came through…

Macca – This is a create your own pasta/pizza bar that’s located in a quiet little strip mall type place.  My sister and I shared a pasta and really ended up liking it.  Everything tasted quite fresh.  We really enjoyed our outdoor table and the fact that this place wasn’t crowded.  This was a fun dinner!

Café de Ciudad – We came across this small family-owned joint after a hike.  We were hungry, so I just Yelped the neighborhood and came across this 5 star rated restaurant.  I warned everyone that it looked and sounded like a hole-in-the-wall, but because we were close and hungry, we went with it.  And thank goodness we did.  The service, the food, the authenticity…it was perfection!  I’m so glad we ate here because we wouldn’t have gotten to try such authentic dishes otherwise.  Everything was so simply made, yet it was so so flavorful and delicious.  I wish we could have eaten here more than once.  Even if you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort, I highly recommend making the trek to this place.  You won’t regret it!

Flora Farms – This was the #1 recommended place on IG, and I totally see why.  The remote location and ambiance made it very IG worthy.  Personally, I loved the farm-to-table concept, and it didn’t fail in that regard.  The food was carefully curated, including all of the flavors.  I also loved that they accommodated to my mom’s diet.  If you decide to dine here, be sure to do two things – 1. Go early and book a tour of the farm, their culinary kitchen, etc. and 2. Save room for ice cream – the chocolate was heavenly!

WHAT WE DID

One of the things that my sister, BIL, Vishnu, and I all wanted to do was go on a hike somewhere in Cabo.  After much internet research, I came across a hike led by a gentleman named Ernesto.  Essentially, you meet him at his dog kennel, and he guides you up Mt. Solmar (with like 10 dogs) to a stunning 360 degree view of Cabo.  This one stood out to me because everyone said it was a must do (some people even did it twice in one trip).  Through a stroke of luck, I found Ernesto’s number online and texted him about the hike.  He confirmed the timing (he leaves exactly at 8:30 am) and told us not to be late!  The hike itself wasn’t too hard.  You definitely have to be in decent shape to climb up and down certain parts but I feel like most people could do this.  Other than that, wear some bug spray, dress lightly, and definitely wear sneakers.  This was probably one of my favorite experiences of the trip, so put it on your list for sure!

We also had a beach day one of the days because while a pool is nice…there’s nothing like the ocean.  Unfortunately, the ocean conditions in Cabo are not safe for swimming or even wading.  The current was super duper strong and pulling inwards on the day we went.  So we opted to build sand towers and let the water come to us.  Still fun!

My sister and I went on a run one morning in our neighborhood.  So fun and tiring given that I haven’t run outside in ages!  If you’re in a runnable area, I highly recommend bringing your gear.  The views are not to be missed!

My BIL went golfing one day and said it was a really cool experience (near/at the Secrets resort).  If you have any golfers in your group, this could be something fun.

And finally, we had family photos taken on our last day.  After a friend recommended Flytographer to me, I decided to book our session through them.  This is essentially a service that gives you a few options for the city you’re visiting (photographer, location, etc.).  You pick who you want based on their profile and where you want to take your pictures.  Your photographer meets you, takes your pics, and sends them to you within five days.  I LOVED this service and would do it again when we travel abroad.  It’s a cool way to capture your family’s vacation memories.  As reference, we had to pick the 60 minute session because we had more than six people in our group.  Totally worth it!  And if you decide Flytographer your photo shoot in Cabo, I HIGHLY recommend Fernanda.  She was so fun to work with and took incredible pictures!

MISC

Since we went the Airbnb route, we went to both Costco and Walmart to stock up on kitchen essentials.  Both were fairly close to where we stayed, and it was cool to go to a Costco in another country.  So similar to the states but everything is in Spanish (as expected!).

OVERALL THOUGHTS

To be honest, I had no expectations for this vacation.  All I wanted was to relax as much as possible and spend time with my family.  But in the end, Cabo really exceed my expectations.  If you’re looking for a fun family vacay destination, this should definitely be on your list.  There’s really something for everyone! 

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at myinnershakti@gmail.com.

Adios!

Time at Home + Q&A with Ba and Dada

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We are back in Chicago after a fun week in Atlanta where we spent time with my parents, my grandparents, my in-laws, and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend.  We also got to squeeze in a little friend time here and there.

We also attended my best friend’s baby showers, both of which were so special and fun.  Well, the official shower on Saturday was not so fun for me because Kaiden was being a stage 11 clinger.  But it was nice to see so many old friends. 

We played, we ate, we slept (!!), and now we’re back to the grind!

One of the other things I made time for was ‘deep’ conversations with my grandparents.  I wanted to take advantage of the one-on-one time I had with them to ask questions about their childhoods, their families, the marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, etc.

To be honest, I think they had more fun with this than anyone else.  Their faces lit up whenever I’d ask a question.  Makes me wish I had started doing this sooner!

I thought I’d share some of the more interesting things I learned.  And hopefully, this inspires some of you to do the same with your grandparents/older aunts and uncles. 

My grandmother’s overall message was that when you get to be her age you won’t remember the hard times. Only the love and fun you experienced.  And this is coming from someone who’s had her share of not-so-good times.  She said she honestly doesn’t remember the bad times in detail because she chooses not to focus on that.  “At this age, what good does that do me?”  Love my ba!

Growing up, neither my grandfather or my grandmother lived lavish lives.  There was always one person in the family who worked and brought home money to take care of everyone else.  My grandfather is one of 13, and my grandmother is one of five.  However, cousins and other relatives often lived with them too.  Essentially, the money coming in had to be stretched to feed everyone.  In fact, my grandfather recalled the days where they studied by candlelight.  Electricity was a want and not a need in those days!

With that being said, I also learned that ba’s father worked in a fabric mill, and my dada’s father owned a small restaurant in their village.

My ba loved to study, but when it came time to further her education, the decision was made for her that she would stay home to help with the upkeep of the house.  Personally, I found this to be really sad because I know how smart my grandmother is.  She could’ve done so much if she was born in a different time.  I also know from previous conversations with my mom that my ba also wishes they had travelled more.  She wanted to see the world, and while they have been to London and different parts of the US, she knows there’s more than just that and wishes she could’ve experienced it. 

In that same vein, my grandparents had an arranged marriage.  They were introduced through an uncle or something, and while it wasn’t love at first sight, I think they both same something in the other which led them to agree to the union.  My ba did say that she didn’t feel like she really could’ve said no if she wanted to because of the way the introduction was made.  Again, it makes me so mad that women in that time had so little control over their own lives.  GRR!

Even though there is some regret for the things not done, I think my grandparents have had a pretty good marriage.  Their marriage advice to me was to compromise and approach my marriage with understanding and patience.  If you can do that, you’ll be ok.

They also said to always live within your means.  And finally, don’t ruminate on your past because you can’t change it.  You can really influence what’s happening right now.

So thankful for the time I spent with ba and dada and can’t wait to see them again so that I can bombard them with more questions!

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