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Sneha Speaks

  • Things to-do before I turn 35 🙂

    sneha

    I just started writing blog posts again after a long hiatus. I was going over one of my old blog post titled “30 things before 30”. I managed to cross some things off the list and I am ready to cross off the one’s I haven’t had a chance to work on. There are some things on the older list that do not interest me any more.  As I  continue to grow and evolve,I have some new found interests which I plan on including as I revise my list.

    Things I wish to-do before I turn 35 🙂

    1.  Walk for Susan Komen breast cancer awareness or prevent diabetes walk or the likes
    2.  One hike per month in and around Bay Area
    3.  Learn Spanish
    4. Perfect “Daal Baati”- a popular Rajasthani dish
    5. Serve a village in India/Nepal Eg: Teach for India
    6.  Visit Newyork
    7.  Perfect a headstand
    8. Set a skin-care routine
    9. Master the art of meditation and pray everyday
    10. Eat as many home cooked meals as possible
    11. Incorporate yoga in my daily routine , at least Suryanamaskar
    12. One painting (canvas or paper and big or small) a month
    13. Sell the existing artwork and fundraise for a organization I believe in
    14. Go for plays, theaters, ballets , concerts, entertainment shows, open art studios, art and wine festivals at least 1-3 times per year
    15. Practice self love, respect my body whatever shape, size and weight it may be at

    I will continue to add things to this list as and when they come to my mind. Since I have this list already,  I will continue accomplish some of these things as the New year sets in. Happy 2018 everyone!

  • Kauai – Other things

    Kauai – Other things

    sneha

    Other fun things we did in Hawaii involved driving through the lush green roads, visiting Kappa, Poipu, Koloa and Hanalei Market, beach hopping etc. We also saw the  majestic Wailua Falls which is a movie directors favorite shooting spot and you may have seen it in a TV series called Fantasy Island. Another falls we saw was the Opaekaa Falls  which means “rolling shrimp,” which were once abundant in the stream. Along the way, we also stopped by for local tropical fruits and fresh coconut water which is a must try if you are in Hawaii!

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    Driving through Kauai
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    Plumeria tree
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    Love these tall coconut trees
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    Hanalei Valley lookout
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    Ke’e beach
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    Tropical fruit stand by a local vendor
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    Wailua Falls
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    Opaekaa Falls

     

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    Scrumptious Italian meal and plantation tea before ending the vacation

     

     

  • Kauai Day 3

    Kauai Day 3

    sneha

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    We had a one of the biggest adventures planned this day. I have been on boats and cruises before but we were going to see the beautiful North Coast on a Ocean raft. I have done river rafting before and thought it was going to be similar but it was no where close. It was a super rough ride but worth the chance because it ended up being better than Day 1 and 2 considering we spent 5.5hrs on the ocean raft seeing the beautiful Hanalei Bay and Na Pali coast. Along the way I got to see so many turtles and dolphins that it was surreal. To top it all, I got to see the beautiful open ceiling caves that have been on my bucket-list. The sea caves along the Na Pali Coast are formed from the harsh wave action of the Pacific Ocean slamming into the porous lava. We are able to enter sea caves, making for a truly up close and personal experience with the Na Pali Coast. Our tour guide was telling us that in general the swells and the waves can make it difficult to enter the caves safely, and so many times they have to see it from a distance. Luckily, we entered the caves not once but twice 🙂

    I will let the pictures do the talking..

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    Breathtaking views of the coast..
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    Open ceiling cave (picture from the internet for representation purpose)
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    Entering the caves on our raft

     

     

  • Kauai Day-2

    Kauai Day-2

    sneha

    We had booked tour to hike to the Secret Falls in the Wailua River State Park. This was my first time Kayaking with my husband. We were very uncoordinated in the beginning but after a while we got a hang of it. We were surrounded by beautiful scenery and Wailua River Banks and reached the a dead end after which we had to hike through the forests and the dirt and muck. The rain added to the mess created and I got my feet super dirty but it reminded me of childhood days of Ratnagiri. Along the way our guide shared some ancient Hawaiian stories of the king and his queen. We soon reached the “Secret Falls” which I don’t think is a secret anymore considering how crowded it was. Once we took a dip in the water from the waterfall and enjoyed the beauty we were on our way back to our Kayak’s. I thought it was going to be easier to paddle downstream. But our tour guide told us,in the case of Wailua, that is often not the case.  After paddling relatively easily upstream,we were paddling against 25-30 knot headwinds on your return down stream.  That was hard but our guide shared a trick with us that is to stay close to the river bank where it is more sheltered and to paddle at a continuous pace that is comfortable rather than paddling hard for a short period of time and having to stop often. The entire loop to the waterfall and back was close to ~7 miles. Undoubtedly we had an amazing experience that will be etched in my memory forever..

    Our Kayak
    Our Kayak
    Dirty mucky trail
    Dirty mucky trail
    Wailua river coast along the trail
    Wailua river coast along the trail
    Secret falls and the hubyy enjoying himself in the pool
    Secret falls and the hubyy enjoying himself in the pool

  • Kauai – Day 1

    Kauai – Day 1

    sneha

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    We woke up to a beautiful weather and headed to the South Shore of Kauai to visit the “Spouting Horn” and the “Allerton Gardens”. We would have like to also go to the McBryde Gardens but since we did not plan ahead we could not go on the tour for that garden.

    The Spouting Horn is one of the most famous spots for tourists and photographers. Spouting Horn is a “blowhole” created by waves forcing into a shoreline cave, resulting in a vertical fountain of seawater that shoots out a natural hole in the lava table. Ancient Hawaiians believed this coastline was once guarded by a giant moo (lizard) named Kaikapu. Everyone was afraid of the moo because it would eat anyone who tried to fish or swim in the area. One day, a young boy named Liko entered the ocean to outwit the lizard. Kaikapu attacked him, but Liko thrust a sharp stick into her mouth, swam under the lava shelf, and escaped through a small hole to the surface. The moo followed Liko and got stuck in the lava tube. To this day, you can hear the lizard’s roar and see her breath spraying from the blowhole. (Reference: gohawaii.com). Watch a quick video here

    Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden both are a part of nonprofit National Tropical Botanical Garden. We chose to tour the Allerton Gardens as I wanted to see the famous “Jurassic trees”. Allerton Garden is a former private property with intriguing water features and the famous trees. Our tour guide told us that Allerton Garden was named one of the ” 50 places of lifetime to see in America” by  National Geographic Traveler Magazine

    Here are some pics..

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  • July 4th weekend

    July 4th weekend

    sneha

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    We set out for Pt Reyes after breakfast. It was a nice drive with the hubby after a long time. We didn’t hike to the lighthouse as I wasn’t prepared for it but we enjoyed some great scenery near the seashore and on the way back had a nice Indian meal at a restaurant in Lagunitas. The food was organic, vegetarian and delicious. I don’t have pics from our lunch as we had a late lunch at 3 pm and the food was gone as soon as it arrived on our table. 

    Here are aome pics from Pt Reyes

       
        
       

  • Baked Kale Chips

    Baked Kale Chips

    sneha

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    I love snacking!! Well, who doesn’t? Without fail I need a cup of chai at 4pm and some snacks to go with it especially something crunchy and spicy. I usually would end up eating about 8-10 kettle potato chips but of late I have been sticking to Snapea Crisp thinking it is slightly better than potato chips. However, I am not completely convinced they are healthy and so I decided to google recipes for Kale chips. Kale is nutrient dense and a very versatile food. Simply steam them, add it to your stir-fry or make a kale pesto the options are endless 🙂 There are plenty of health benefits one can get by including kale in one’s diet which you can find out here . For now, here is my recipe for kale chips

    Ingredients:

    1 bunch of Kale

    2 tsp olive oil (as needed)

    1 tsp of Tajin seasoning

    Method:

    1. Wash kale and pat them dry completely. There should be no water on kale leaves. Next, remove the hard and fibrous stem. Tear the Kale leaves in 3″ pieces

    2. In a mixing bowl, add torn kale leaves , olive oil and tajin seasoning. Rub the seasoning on to each leaf. Lay the leaves on lined cookie sheet in a single layer

    3. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Bake the chips for 12-15 mins until they are done. Keep a watch while baking so they don’t get burnt!

    4. Once done, allow the chips to cool down for a few mins before you take them off the cookie sheet. Enjoy!!

    Variations: Try to season them with plain salt, pepper or grated Parmesan cheese

    Crispy Kale Chips
    Crispy Kale Chips

  • Happy Earth Day

    Happy Earth Day

    sneha

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    I just wanted to share the pictures of my beautiful neighborhood and take a moment to thank GOD and Mother EARTH for the beautiful surroundings, scenery, park, trails that I  enjoy everyday!! I absolutely love waking up everyday and brisk walking while I enjoy the beauty and the fresh air 🙂

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    Berryessa Creek trail
    Berryessa Creek trail

     

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  • London 2015

    London 2015

    sneha

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    After visiting India, Paris, Scotland we were finally at London. London was beautiful too. I did feel it was very much like Bombay but much cleaner, classier and organized and the architecture was mind-blowing. It was very vibrant and upbeat and place I would like to visit again. We stayed at our close friend’s place and he was more the welcoming and accommodating even though we met after four years.  I think we enjoyed London also because the great company of our friends 🙂

    Tower Bridge in the evening
    Tower Bridge in the evening
    Tower bridge at night
    Tower bridge at night
    Big Ben
    Big Ben
    London Eye
    London Eye
    Red Bus
    Red Bus
    Buckingham Palace and a random person photo-bombing my pic :(
    Buckingham Palace and a random person photo-bombing my pic 🙁
    Guard on duty
    Guard on duty
    Windsor Castle
    Windsor Castle
    Painted houses notting hill area
    Painted houses notting hill area
    Scones, Jam and Whipped cream! Simply yummy
    Scones, Jam and Whipped cream! Simply yummy
    Best fresh fruit juice I have ever had
    Best fresh fruit juice I have ever had
    The olive bar at Portobello mraket
    The olive bar at Portobello mraket
    The old telephone booths!
    The old telephone booths!

     

  • Scotland Food

    Scotland Food

    sneha

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    Like I mentioned in my previous post, the food in Scotland tasted very fresh and I had some vegetarian options too so I was quite happy. On most days, we had a heavy breakfast & skipped lunch. The first two pics are those of old houses in Scotland which were adorable

    Old house in Scotland countryside
    Old house in Scotland countryside
    Scotland home -old style
    Scotland home -old style
    Squash soup and Oat Cake
    Squash soup and Oat Cake
    Baked beans with Cheese
    Baked beans with Cheese
    Traditional Scottish B'fast - Potato Scone, vegetarian sausage, veg haggis, grilled tomatoes, multigrain cake
    Traditional Scottish B’fast – Potato Scone, vegetarian sausage, veg haggis, grilled tomatoes, multigrain cake
    National drink of Scotland IRN-BRU
    National drink of Scotland IRN-BRU
    Italian dinner buffet
    Italian dinner buffet
    English tea
    Tea, bread, butter, fruit jam /preserves/marmlades