Wanderberry Tales

It is never too early Christmas! The best is always saved for the end of the year - there cannot be anything better to end a wonderful year! I pray this season passes by slow so that I get to savor every moment of it. So while it lasts - let's get into some cooking , carols, decorating and lots of fun filled moments with family and friends. I did happen to mention last Christmas that our love for Christmas was one thing that brought Shibin and me close. We are leaving no stone un-turned this year as well. We have put up our tree, our Christmas wreath is in making, cbn radio that plays Christmas songs throughout the year is live on my system while I write this, Christmas movies are up and running in the evenings and I am preparing my December menu! If you are a person who enjoys this season as much as we do then hurry up - put your tree!! Listen to cbnradio - (http://www1.cbn.com/radio/christmas) if you love the carols and checkout the Hallmark Christmas movie coll

Cooking is delightful when you have people around who love your food and even more so when you have people you love cooking with you. How much more exciting can this new series on cooking with family and friends (that was on my mind for long) kick off when it is your mother you are cooking with:) On my parents first visit to Dubai last week- my Dad happened to make a comment - 'where did you learn to cook from? I do not remember you cooking much at home.' So very true! I never cooked much at home but I did spend considerable amount of time in the kitchen chit chatting with mom when she cooked, probably that rubbed on me somehow. My mom started cooking for her family during her high school days itself as grandmother being a teacher would be transferred around schools in Kerala and wasn't home often. She loved trying out recipes from magazines and newspapers ( google wasn't an option back then!! Life gets easier as time passes by) and the recipes of Mrs. K M Mathew

We needed a vacation - a week away from the routine of work life, glares of the city lights and the never ending chores. We googled, researched, spoke to friends and Bingo!!There it was - Cyprus! This is the place we needed to holiday. (Ah well, I know this write up comes pretty late - it's been a year now. Blame it on our laziness or whatever other excuses we could possibly give.) Here it is, Cyprus through our eyes. Out we set to a small yet beautiful country enshrouded in mystery yet filled with a bunch of happy go lucky people. Our holidays began by the seaside-a picture perfect postcard like view!! We were to spend the first part of our vacation by the sea before moving to the Troodos mountains. We landed in the afternoon at Larnaca airport. A long drive from Larnaca to Ayia Napa with a taxi driver who succeeded in scaring us out of our wits -his huge, straight out of the Hollywood villain look with bludgeoning muscles, a clean shaven head, thick white mouche