Kondapalli Toys

Farmer with Bullock Cart

Kondapalli toys are known for their intricate and colorful hand carved designs on wood. This time when I went to India, I visited Kondapalli village to get some of these toys from the local artisans there. They have quaint little shops in front of their house filled with these wooden toys and it's also their workshop. It was fascinating to watch them carve beautiful characters out of wood with simple tools. This craftsmanship is passed on to next generations within the family.

I am always a big fan of handicrafts, so I picked up some items for my home and also as gifts for friends here. If you ever come across these, please do buy them. They make gorgeous decorative pieces and it would also be an encouragement to handicrafts.

Festival Elephants

Pen Stand

Dasavatharalu - Ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu

Pumpkin Swan

While we were shopping at our local grocery store, my husband found this small pumpkin that looks likes a swan. Isn’t it cute J .We were amazed at the similarities in shape. I got it immediately and here is the picture -

Homegrown Mint & Limeade

Here in California, it doesn’t feel like fall. It’s still hot and my mint shrub is growing crazy. Growing mint at home is fairly easy. It’s a very low maintenance and hardy plant. There are many varieties but I prefer spear mint flavor so I always go with that. Pick a healthy shrub from the nursery and plant it in pot or directly in soil. It can grow in full/part sun. Keep it well irrigated and trim it regularly.

Mint has lot of health benefits. It’s good for digestion and rich in anti-oxidants. I will post the recipe of mint tea my husband makes some time later. It acts like decongestant for cold and cough.

Today, I gave my mint shrub a haircut J . I am going to make a big batch of Mint chutney and freeze it for later use. But first, I needed something to cool off. So, I made mint limeade, a slight variation of classic lemonade. I used few sprigs of mint, as I didn’t want it overwhelming. It came out good and had a cool subtle flavor of mint. It tasted like virgin Mojito and looks pretty with specks of green.

What you need:

(makes 2 servings - approx two 8 oz glasses)

Juice from 1 Lime

8 to 10 medium sized mint leaves

1 ½ tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups of water

1 cup of ice

Steps to Follow: 

1. In a blender, add all ingredients.
2. Blend it till mixed, just until mint leaves and ice is crushed.
3. Pour it into glasses and top it with couple ice cubes to keep it cool.
4. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Armenian Cucumber

We planted cucumbers for the first time this season. When I was browsing at my local nursery, I saw this Armenian cucumber variety and I was not sure how it was gonna taste but wanted to try it anyway. I am glad I did that.

Cucumber is a creeping vine and it needs a trellis for support. We used branches of a tree that we cut down. Also, it prefers full sun. I was so excited when I saw the first baby cucumber and was waiting to get a taste of it J

It was of course worth the wait, the fruit was so tender and had slight nutty flavor. The skin is light green in color and there is no need to peel it. We cut the cucumber into round slices and ate it just like that without adding anything. This is for sure going to be a regular in our backyard every year. Do give it a try in your next vegetable season either with seeds or saplings.

Decorating with House Plants

Adding a touch of green to any room is a quick decorating tip. Small house plants are easier to maintain and require very little space. They are perfect on a coffee table, side table, fireplace mantle or even on bed side table. I also like to have them in bathrooms because the mirror reflection adds more greenery to the space.

To be frank, I killed many plants in the past but few weeks back I picked up some plants from a local nursery to give it another try. They are doing good so far. J

The trick is not to mess with them too much. Water them only when needed and keep them in well lit rooms. Direct sunlight is not necessary.

Here are the varieties I have -

Pothos/Epipremnum - We commonly know this as 'money plant'. It is a hardy plant and will survive very well in soil or just in water.

Lucky Bamboo - This is such a low maintenance plant and I have this from past 2 years. Just keep refilling water in the pot. It seems this should be always received as gift rather than buying yourself J. I got this from a cousin. As the plant grows change it into bigger pot and add some marble stones for a neat look.

Dieffenbachia - This plant has decorative two toned (green/white) leaves. It needs moderately moist soil, so don't let the soil go completely dry.

Red-margined/Red-edged Dracaena - I really love the colors on this plant. it has beautiful pink stripes which goes very well with my rug and cushions.

Dracaena Marginata (Dragon Tree) - I bought this plant as is from Home depot and just topped it with pebble stones to cover the soil.