Happy birthday to me :)

My husband is just unbelievable. I can't seem to figure out what I did right in order to deserve him. For your viewing pleasure, here are a few pics from my birthday yesterday.

We started the day off by sleeping in. Mmm. My favorite thing to do. But usually its me sleeping in while hubby dearest gets ready for work. This time, we both got to sleep in together. This whole week has been amazing as Dsquared took time off from work to spend it with me. We also had many friends visiting from out of town so its been one party after the next. By Monday morning, my birthday, all we wanted was to have a relaxing day.
Once we got out of bed, we headed off to one of our favorite joints: Starbucks.
The regular for him (Grande Coffee) and for me, Iced Caramel Machiato.
With extra caramel.

We rolled out but not before putting the top down.
Sigh. Hubby knows me well. I love his M3 convertible especially with my hair blowing in the wind. We drove down to Flagler, sipping our coffees and jamming along to "Waka Waka" by Shakira. Our friend, Logan, made an amazing CD for us which she handed us on Saturday night at Elias' party. Thank you Logie! So here we are. Jammin.

The ride was just unbelievable. The ocean on our right, beautiful real estate on our left. Hubby is a realtor so his knowledge is always interesting to listen to in regards to the real estate market. Actually, in everything really. He's pretty damn smart and seems to know stuff. The important stuff, you know. I have learned so much from him over the past few months of our marriage. For example, who would have guessed a short sale actually takes a long time to close? So we get to Flagler and Dsquared wants to take me to this amazing burrito spot, Burrito Works where his cousin Jit and him used to hang.

The burritos were HUGE and I'm not ashamed to say that we both gobbled ours down. Ok. Maybe a little ashamed. But it was worth it. Dsquared ordered a shrimp burrito, no beans and I got a shredded pork burrito with the works- sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and of course, the spicy sauce (level 10). Hey! What can I say? I'm an Indian. Not the tribe type.

We spent the day at the beach. So hella fun. Love my boo.
Of course, he had to rep his real estate company: Exit Realty of Daytona. A few months ago, he had like ten billion of his old shirts printed up with the logo. "Business."

Mmmm. mmm. mmm. He is. Delicious.

The ride home was gorgeous. There seemed to be a storm cloud hovering just in the distance but it never seemed to catch up with us. Thank God, it was a beautiful day. 

Hubby had dinner reservations so we quickly showered and drove to The Chart House. I had never been before but had heard great things about it. He wanted to ensure we arrived prior to the sun setting as there was a beautiful view waiting for me, guaranteed. And indeed it was. 

It was such a romantic dinner. And to make things extra special, Dsquared had a special message printed on our menus. I didn't realize until he pointed out the picture he took. I didn't understand why he was so eager to take a picture of the name of the restaurant on the menu and post it on FB. Silly me. 

Heres a sample of our dinner choices for the night:

Omg. Those Oysters. To die for. 

We love oysters.

So happy at the end of an awesome, loving day. 

Love you Papa Bear.

Ended the night by going to my in law's house. They had a birthday cake waiting for me. Gosh, I love them. I seriously have the best two moms and two dads in the world. They are so loving and kind and sweet. Its no wonder that they raised us two amazing kids. 

The night came to a sweet end when we arrived home and these flowers were waiting for me from my baby. I also got flowers from my unbelievably phenomenal cousins in St. Maarten. 

Thank you everyone for making my first birthday as a married woman one of the best I have ever had! I truly feel so blessed to have all my loved ones in my life. Love you guys!

Cooking for Two.

So I'm almost terrified to post this picture for fear that my readers will think that my cooking sucks. As stated in my previous post, I wanted to begin sharing pictures and recipes of my culinary adventures but have hesitated as I'm uncertain of just how appetizing my blackberry pictures will be received. It doesn't help that we devour our food on black plates. Yup. Black.
Husband's choice. Contemporary, he says.

*Takes a deep breath* Well here goes:

See, I told you. Total fail. This was our last try at taking the picture before we couldn't resist to dig in. It was delicious though, I must say. In case you can't tell what that is, do let me explain. I made stuffed green bell peppers with ground beef, rice, celery, red onions, and tomato sauce and topped it with a slice of pepper jack cheese.

Stuffed Peppers

(Calculations based on serving 2)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

5 ounces ground beef

3 tablespoons cooked long grain rice

2 green peppers

1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membrane of the bell peppers
3. In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic, red onion, celery and jalapeno pepper
4. Remove into a bowl
5. In the same skillet, cook ground beef until brown
6. Add browned beef to the bowl and mix with cooked rice, 3/4 of the can of tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
7. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper
8. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and pour over the stuffed peppers
9. Bake one hour in the preheated oven until peppers are tender
10. Top peppers with a slice of pepper jack cheese in the last minute of baking

Ta-da! Enjoy your meal!

Bath Time Luxuries

Wow, I've been a terrific wife today!

1) Did three loads of laundry, well, almost like ten since I had to run the dryer at least twice each time. (Please refer to my prior "oops" incident of "The Smelly Jeans").
2) I also spent 2.5 hours in the kitchen cooking some veggie Indian dish consisting of tomatoes and potatoes and curry. My hubby is not going to be a happy man about that. Dsquared is a total carnivore. So anticipating this disappointment in my veggie dish, I also made stuffed peppers with ground beef. I can't wait to start posting recipe blogs but I am a tad apprehensive about the pictures I can take to exhibit my dishes. My hi fi technology mostly consists of my blackberry. Lets see what I can do for you folks.
3) I totally wiped down the whole kitchen and living room area.
4) I tended to the exterminator when he came at 5pm and made sure he took care of those disgusting wasps who are building their homes right outside of my living room window.
5) And I made the bed.

Woo hoo! Yay me! Love it when I feel accomplished. Or as accomplished as I can feel given my housewifey situation.

So after I completed my tasks, I jumped into the shower. I had received quite a workout from all that scrubbing, brooming, mopping, chopping, stirring,  lifting, folding, and hanging. So you can only imagine my joy to see the familiar faces of my beloved bath products. Though my husband will deny this (he makes fun of me for being a "smelly girl" and takes pride in the fact that "he has taught me" to enjoy showers-or so he thinks), I have always been a bath kinda girl.

When I was living at home, I would fill up my bathtub with water and bubbles and sit for an hour, reading a book, while my skin pruned up. Anyway, this blog post is about my favorite bath products.
So here goes:

Omg. This is my absolute fav. Smells so unbelievable. Makes my skin feel AWESOME! And I can still smell it on my skin hours after I have finished my shower. Dsquared won't admit it but I know he secretly uses this product in the shower. I smell it on him. 

$10.50 @ Bath and Body Works

Oh loofah. How I love thee.

I used to have SUCH horrible skin. Before I got married, I went on this program called Isotetrinoin, which is basically a pill you take every day that in turn dries up the oil glands in your skin. Initially its horrible- your lips chap up, the skin on your arms get scaly. But trust me. Its worth it. Now, there are certain side effects of this drug so please consult with your doctor before you start popping pills. Anyway, I would always be wary of what products to use on my face but I have found this product to be absolutely amazing. And it smells so yummy. 

$6.39 @ Walgreens

This conditioner makes my hair feel so soft and nourished. Love it. 

$5.99 @ The Body Shop

Please feel free to comment and leave your favorite bath products. 

Soldiers reuniting with their families

I came across this video on facebook (courtesy of la hermosa Manisha Dadlani, my "prima" in Santiago, Chile) and found it so touching I just had to share. I couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. Its so crazy how war separates families. Soldiers take a huge risk for their country with no guarantee of when they will ever see their family again. And kids grow up without their parents. It just breaks my heart. I'm not American but GOD BLESS our soldiers who serve this country.

I haven't yet figured out how to embed videos into the blog yet so sorry to do this but I gotta link ya' (EDIT: I figured it out!!!).


The song's name is Palbasha Siddique- Praan

Lover of the Week: RikiB

RikiB, my cousin, has always been so dear to my heart. Though seven years my junior, she has always been someone I have been able to confide in and trust to give me great advice or simply a listening ear. This week's Lover blog is dedicated to one of the sweetest, most gorgeous little sisters I have been fortunate enough to have.

Smart.

Tea Connoisseur.

Fashionable and a Great Dresser.

Best Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Maker.

Ever.

Thoughtful.

Expressive.

Sometimes in ways only she can understand.

Sunset Lover.

Beach Lover. 

Unbelievable Body.

Yes. 

I'm hating.

Hilarious.

Vegetarian. 

Virgin Drink Drinker.

Drinks OJ at the Club.

I'm not kidding.

Innocent. 

Most Amazing Curly Hair.

And she knows just what to do with it.

Wonderful Writer. 

World Traveler.

Eco-Friendly.

High School Graduate 2010. 

Boston University Student.

A Total Girl's Girl.

Cat Lover.

Silly Billy.

Gymnast. 

Bharat Natyam Dancer.

Shoe Lover.

Blonde. 

On the inside.

Dressing Room Fashionista.

Biology Freak. 

Water Baby.

Individualistic.

Great Phone Conversationalist.

Loving.

St. Maartener.

Who wears Keds to the Beach?

Dancer and Choreographer.

Makes the Best Cream Cheese Croissants.

Family Oriented.

Doodler.

Dreamer.

Thinker.

Social Butterfly.

Strong. 

Goal Oriented.

Eye Makeup Experimenter.

Health Nut.

Fitness Guru.

Simple.

But not Simple Minded.

Loves Gossip Girls.

Music Forward.

Love her.

Not at the table, Carlos.

An Ode to The Hangover

I've always been a fan of the 2009 movie "The Hangover" but my husband, Dsquared, takes the cake when it comes to his adoration for the movie and it's characters. The obsession escalated when he discovered that HBO was playing the movie and thus decided to record it on our dishnetwork. "Thanks a lot" Tivo!

Its been 3 months and it seems like we can not go a night without watching "The Hangover" and quoting the script, word for word. It initially commenced with the obvious admiration for Alan Garner's character (Zack Galifianakis), whose nature is just so adorable and hilarious. I must confess, he is incredible and I too along with my husband have fallen in love with him. It doesn't help that all of our friends are Greek and when we all get together to quote the movie, its easy to feel an affinity towards the actor. Yes, I did say "get together to quote the movie".

This is what I'm talking about.

Ever since I have known my husband, quoting movie or TV lines has been his "thing". Its almost like a game. He quotes. I guess the source. I didn't really grow up watching American TV or movies. I was raised all over the world- born in St.Maarten, elementary school in Santiago, Chile, and finally moved to the states to study in Miami and New York. But only after the age of 14. So American media and culture...was never really my thing. For example, I have never seen a single "Back to the Future" movie and just very recently Dsquared sat me down to watch "The Karate Kid". Of course, after watching the 2010 Jaden Smith version (how cute is he!!!?) I could barely sit through half of the original version. 

I was never a "Seinfeld" fan (until very recently) and the jokes on "The Simpsons" or "Family Guy" never really caught my attention. Of course, the solitary confinement within the walls of my house have allowed me to bond with my TV and thus I am getting better at this game- the back and forth between Dsquared and me. As he quotes. And I guess. 

After exhausting Alan's quotes:"You guys ready to let the dogs out?", "He was a ri-tard", "I'm not getting a sig on my beeper", and the infamous Alan Garner speech on the rooftop of Caesars Palace "I guess thats why they call it Sin City", Dsquared moved on to imitating Stu's tone- "And oooneee...wa-ter". His newest character is Mr. Chow. Usually I enjoy Dsquared's banter, his sudden random burst of quotes, even when what he says is totally irrelevant to the conversation we are having or the situation we are in. However, there are times when I must just sit back and shake my head at him. 

We were in New York City two weekends ago, shopping in Soho, an area of NYC obvious in it's gay culture, when Dsquared randomly screams "So long gay boys!". I had to walk away. With my head down.

Anyway. 

Rumor has it Hangover 2 will be releasing July 4, 2011. 

Lord help me. 

Tales of an Idle Housewife.

Here we go again. Blogging. Trying this for the erm...ten millionth time?
Takes me back to the Xanga years where my posts entailed bitching about boy problems, expressing excitement for our next family vacation, or debating the drama between friends. I wouldn't be too surprised if this blog followed that same pattern. Except. I'm married now. And I have a hobby.

Cooking.

And Eating.
Cooking and Eating. Wish I could say Exercise and Cleaning were other passions that tagged along with Cooking and Eating. But let it be known from the start: I'm a lazy bitch. My days consist mostly of waking up mid morning, feeding my husband before he goes off to work. And as soon as he walks out that door, my ass is on the couch, laptop on my lap, TV turned on to Lifetime. Yup. Thats me. HD. Once known as EM, a career oriented, ambitious young girl. Now HD. A lazy, food obsessed old hag.

Ok. I'm not that old. And I'm not that bad, I promise.
I'm a 24 (going on 25) year old girl/woman/lady. Of Hindu descent. Married for 4.5 months. Learning with every new day. Today, I made my hubby dearest, Dsquared, a five layer sandwich. Deli meats consisting of chicken, roast beef, honey ham, turkey. Topped with tomatoes and lettuce, Dijon mustard and spicy mayo. Delicious.
After he took one bite, he asked "Babe, are you trying to kill me?! This bread has mold all over it!" And true to his word, it did indeed. I tried denying it at first. "Honey, thats not mold! Thats just how multigrain bread looks!". But as soon as I took a second look at the bread bag, I couldn't discredit the green blotches on the plastic covering. Dsquared started choking on his last bite, I swear he began to foam at the mouth.

My bad.

Lesson number two of the day- Dsquared just blackberry messaged me: "Ew! My jeans stink! Did you leave the wet laundry in the washer?"

Ok in my defense, they were not in the washer. And they were not technically wet! I don't get it! I ran a 70 minute dryer cycle assuming that would be enough to dry the clothes in the dryer. To my dismay, when I opened the dryer the next day to remove the laundry and fold it, they were still wet! How was I to know? I called him to promise that I would rewash those jeans tonight.

Aren't I the best wife EVER?

Off I go to clean the bathroom. Its been at least a month. Its due for a good scrubbin'.
Readers, I leave you with this song loved by a Caribbean gyal (me).