I am a foodie and I don't regret confessing so. While I love to eat all varieties of food in my vegetarian diet, I worry I shouldn't gain fat and cholesterol which cause obesity and health hazard. I have abstained from eating rich oily food and potatoes. It's a taboo that the potatoes cause weight gain, so on and so forth.

I came home after a tiring day at office and was surprised and happy to receive the October edition My Envy Box. The box had a beautiful floral design, oh, I love the painting so much! The box had 5 products this month as they are celebrating anniversary. Happy second  birthday to My Envy Box. May you celebrate many more Anniversaries.

Meryl had worked hard day and night and saved every penny for her big day. As the D day of her life approached, she was anxious and worried to find the best dress she always dreamed of. With her friend, Meryl would enter every store that sold wedding dress, on each street of her town and would leave the store disheartened. She wasn't able to find anything that was within her budget. She walked down the street and reached home, buried her head in her arms.

Title : A Newlywed's Adventures in Married Land
Author : Shweta Ganesh Kumar
Publisher : Indireads
Pages : 133

Mythili, is attending her sister's wedding and she is reminded her life was before she wedded, three years ago. A young energetic journalist, marries the love of her life, leaving behind her family and well paying job and lands miles apart, as a dependent, in Philippines. Her husband introduces her to a gang of Indian families residing over years and regularly socialize during the weekends, attend parties. She quickly learns she does not fit in the gang who gossip and have no aim left in life apart from starting family within an year of marriage.

Mythili gives her best to adopt to her new lifestyle, setting up her home though invariably broods to her husband reminding him, that she left everything behind for him; the most important being her crime reporter job which kept her occupied day and night. And she failed to find a job in that country.

The story dwells about the life of an Indian woman who leaves her family, friends and a job to start the second innings of her life with whom she would live the rest of her life. The author highlights the phase of adaption one undergoes while out of the comfort zone and the toughest part being called "dependent" and susceptible to boredom.

The author introduces you to set of vocabulary throughout the book and has maintained the flow of the story. Each story has a quote from the famous, Alice in Wonderland, in comparison to Mythili's present situation and feels the same as Alice does. How does Mythili overcome this or does she return to India, read the book and conclude.

XOXO ~manasa~

The Body Shop launched the Fuji Green Tea collection this August in India, comprising of Cologne, body butter, body scrub, body lotion, soap and sorbet. As the theme suggests, the products are made  of Green Tea leaves from Fuji in Japan.

The September Envy Box arrived as a vibrant Silver box, with neat packaging. I was delighted to see the two full size products.

Oriflame Whitening Foundation 25 ml comes in a white colored tube and claims to provide SPF 15 sun protection.

Choosing the right ingredient

A few years ago, I stayed away from my family in another country and this was the first time I was away from them. Having been a laadli beti, my mother never allowed me to do the household chores nor I had to worry about the cooking.

When I travelled overseas, I had taken with me the required utensils like pressure cooker, rice cooker, frying pan and other rasam, sambhar powder and chutney pudi. If I had to cook something, I would utilize the calling card which allowed me to talk as long as an hour and I would note down what vegetables, masala and kind of dal to prepare the food. My parents found it very funny when I would ask how that particular dal or leaf looked like. Is it a small dal or big dal, yellow or brown dal. What does leaf look like, when the integredients should be stirred. Should any water to be added or not? They would patiently answer all my questions.

I found cooking very interesting and expetimented whatever I could starting from lemon rice, believe me its the easiest to prepare with just Tadka, sprinkle lemon and mix rice and there you go. With the love for food, I learnt the South Indian, North Indian and Italian pasta and few other recipes. I was very happy that not only I learned what to add and how much quantity to prepare.

Back home, there are hectic times and lazy days where you get sick of eating the food you prepare or while you're home alone and no one to accompany you, you end up sleeping hungry or eating bread and jam.

While in a gang, going to restaurant and waiting for a table is again killer. You order a starter and main course and by the time, it arrives in front of you, the hunger dies.

When guests pop in during lunch without an invite, you are stuck as to what to cook last minute and can't even let them go. Once added more salt in a hurry and the guest couldn't eat the food at all.


TinyOwl is a fastest food ordering service in major cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurgoan and Pune, where you could order food from your Android or Apple device sitting at home. TinyOwl app provides a friendly user interface for browsing the recipe and restaurants, along with the chef details. I have installed the app on both android and apple devices and the navigation works fine. While you place an order, you can see the estimated delivery. And can search based on your current location.

If your lazy to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner or arranging a house party, or when guests pop in with a surprise. Just order the food on TinyOwl and enjoy your food for the day without worry.

I received my August Envy box last week and here is what I received. The last time I ordered the Envy box was in 2013 and this is the second one and I am delighted to own it. Let me show what I received in the season of festivals.

The maroon box with the beautiful prints representing the richness of India in this festive season. I loved the box and am gonna preserve it to store my makeup.
I am happy with the products except the Kajal and would subscribe for the next issue.