Versatile Blogger Award!!!

I am so unbelievably thrilled to have received the Versatile Blogger Award! When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure if anyone would even read it…5 months down, it feels wonderful to know that there are people out there who like what I do! A big thank you to Sandra & Kathy from Sandra & Kathy’s Corner’s for giving me this!! It is the best Christmas present ever 🙂

As per the rules, I must thank the awesome people who gave the the VBA, (seriously, you thought the VMAs were all there is to it?) then share 7 things about myself, and pass the award onto 15 other bloggers I enjoy. So here goes!

1. I was born in India, but spent the first 10 years of my life in Athens, Ohio, a small university town in America. This is where I nurtured a love for peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies, and Tootsie Rolls.
2. When I was little and we went to fancy restaurants, I had to order from the kids menu, which was mostly limited to hot dogs, spaghetti, pizza and burgers. One time, I cried in the restaurant and told my parents that I wanted to stop eating from the kids menu and eat their (infinitely better!) ‘adult’ food instead.
3. I grew up in a family where food was the focal point. My dad spent as much (if not more) time in the kitchen, and my mom heads a spice sourcing-and-processing company, so the kitchen always had exotic ingredients and condiments from her travels.
4. I LOVE Anthony Bourdain and I love to hate Nigella Lawson. If I could clobber her with a mutant meringue, I would. I do not like her innuendos. Or her satin nightgowns.
5. I have a green cutting board for vegetables and a white one for meat, poultry and seafood. I cannot work any other way.
6. I have this compulsive need to clean while I cook…if the pasta and sauce are cooking, then I’m washing the other utensils I used. I hate having a sink full of dirty dishes.
7. I used to be a television journalist, working as a news producer and a news anchor for one of India’s biggest networks. I enjoyed it, but after my son was born, I realized I just didn’t want the madness of the newsroom anymore.

Now for the 15 blogs I would like to pass on the VBA to. I love fashion and food, so my picks are mostly food and fashion blogs. I shall start with the food:

• Five & Spice: Emily’s writing is a beautiful as her pictures, and her approach to food is also very interesting- no more than 5 ingredients on the label of the food item that you purchase. She also shares some great Norwegian recipes.
• Frugal Feeding: I love this blog for the great, wholesome recipes, and for the concept: good food shouldn’t cost the earth. Easy-to-follow tips on how to have a great meal on a small budget.
• Gourmandistan: The innovative name itself is enough to make you visit.  Gourmandistan is a food blog based out of Kentucky. This couple steers away from industrialised produce and celebrates local food. Apart from the beautiful photos of their food and travels, you must check out their how-to’s for the best pie and tart dough!
• Marche Dimanche: The first thing I ever baked came from Hillary Davis, my clafoutis. Hillary travels the world, eats, cooks and takes gorgeous pictures of food and also shares some great Frech recipes, and tells the stories behind them. She demystifies French food!
• Chica Andaluza: This blog holds a special place in my heart. My first connection in the blogosphere, she was the first person to ever ‘like’ a post! Warm writing, with lovely anecdotes and updates about her vegetable garden and life in Spain. She also shares some great ways to conserve seasonal fruits and vegetables for later!
• A Teaspoon Of Turmeric: The lovely Preena Chauhan lives in Canada and maintains a site dedicated to Indian cuisine. She has authentic Indian recipes, as well as recipes which beautifully fuse Indian spices into everyday Western dishes. She also uploads videos and how-to’s.
• Tongue Ticklers: A Bombay food blogger, Harini Prakash runs this vegan blog, with the most gorgeous pictures. Beautiful compositions. She shares several authentic south Indian recipes, and some great insights and advice on veganism. It was through her blog that I began reading and understanding more about the vegan approach. I am not a convert as yet, but hope to try it out for a while!
• The Purple Foodie: Shaheen The Purple Foodie needs no introduction, and she already has a whole bunch of awards in her apron, but her’s is one of my favourite blogs, period. She was one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place! The Purple Foodie is a great resource and inspiration for bakers in Bombay and beyond. Gorgeous photographs from her kitchen and her travels, and her posts are like reading a letter from your best friend.

The Fashionistas:

• Fashionably Yours: A fellow blogger and dear friend, Pri is a fashionista who is from Bombay and lives in Dubai. Her writing is smart, funny and chic; and her site encompasses all aspects of fashion. From clothes to accessorizing to decor to budget shopping and how-to’s. Another reason to visit her blog? For her lookbook posts. She is gorgeous!
• Cafe Fashionista: Her beautiful writing style will make you want to buy whatever you see on her blog, stat. Erika’s blog has some of the coolest budget finds, and her themed posts have something for everyone: weekly playlists, stuff she is coveting, and links to the prettiest, quirkiest stuff you wouldn’t chance upon otherwise.
• Style Fiesta: A Bombay-based fashion blogger, Masoom maintains a gorgeous style diary. She puts together ensembles mixing high-fashion looks with high-street chic, and captures the season’s trends along with it. She also has a blog store with some awesome merchandise!

The Ones That Make Me Laugh & Smile

• Sass, Sense And Serendipity: Writing with substance and style. Namrata too, is a fellow blogger and dear friend, and she shares pictures from her travels, thoughts on politics, childhood memories, recipes, restaurant reviews and lots of other fun stuff. There is something for everyone here!
• Lesley Carter: Lesley’s blog is about travel, and she has been EVERYWHERE. Well, almost. She is also a mom-in-waiting, and has some great posts about motherhood and baby stuff. Her blog is as fun and adventurous as she is!
• Laughter Is Catching: A lovely little blog which actually encapsulates what a blog is supposed to be- a journal of thoughts and happenings. Laura writes about the simplest and most everyday things in a fun, humorous style and her blog is true to it’s name. You are guaranteed to laugh!
• The Wuc: This is the funniest blog I have come across. I think it is perhaps the best thing from Down Under since Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman! The Wuc is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and shares thoughts about work, life and love, and throws in some of the most entertaining movie and sitcom clips. Must read!