Eat Teach Blog

I’ve been gone for a LONG time. In my defense, Sister and I got food poisoning toward the end of my trip so I spent about 3 days recovering from that. The first two days in DC were great – a week is really not enough time to see everything that this city has to offer. But here’s a quick recap of the rest of the week:

We took my dad to the Air and Space Museum in Dulles, Virginia. I’ve never met anyone who is as fascinated with planes as my dad is. Except 5-year old boys.

WWII Fighter Plane

We took a guided tour of the museum and my dad was front and center the entire time. He was on the guide’s tail – eagerly listening to the history of the planes, asking questions, and sharing information, At one point, he shifted from being part of the tour group to being the guide’s BFF.

Discovery Space Shuttle

I tried all sorts of cuisines for the first time:

Afghani Food

Ethiopian Cuisine

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of Ethiopian food – but it was definitely a fun experience!

We also visited the Lincoln Memorial. I wish my students could have seen this – we are currently learning about the Civil War in class and they definitely would have appreciated this.

We went to the Holocaust Museum, Museum of Natural History, and Museum of American History.

At the Museum of Natural History

We visited the National Zoo.

We went bike riding along the Mount Vernon trail. 

So much fun – so much going on. There’s always something to do or something to see. Guess that just means I have to go back and visit soon?

Hello from Washington DC!

I feel like I’m hoppin’ all around the nation lately. It’s spring break and The Budhraja Family is spending the next week here! Well…my parents are here for another two days, but I’m stuck with Sister until Saturday.

Sister and I in front of the Capitol Building

We were super productive yesterday but I think you kind of have to be. Despite the city being so compact, there are so many things to see. But Day 1 was quite a success.

We stopped to say hello to the Obamas.

 We made our way over to the Tidal Basin and got a glimpse of Jefferson Memorial.

I can’t believe how quickly the cherry blossoms start to disappear. I wish I were here a few days ago when they were in full bloom.

We stopped by the Holocaust Museum, but I definitely want to go back again this week. We didn’t get to see many exhibits.

We had Potbelly‘s for lunch – so, so good.

We went to the Capitol Building and then followed up with some Nando‘s for dinner!

Full chicken with three sides: Butternut Squash, Mashed Peas, and Rice

YUM.

And licked our plates clean….

So, SO good. It’s supposed to rain for the first half of today so we will most likely head to a museum. Be back later with more!

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Any must-dos, must-sees, must-eats you recommend? I’m here all week!

Happy weekend, friends!

This picture can pretty much sum up how my week has been.

There are not enough hours in the day! I started out the week trying to be calm and mindful, but somewhere along the way, the chest pains came back. And I can guarantee it’s due to stress. I have been tracking my food intake and my workouts throughout the week and I have been doing fairly well. It happens most during the moments when there is a lot running through my mind. I wish there were a switch that could just turn my mind off for a few hours.

Luckily for me, I have amazing co-workers and friends that know when I’m stressed out and know how to make me feel so much happier.

Hand-delivered by the students

And a sister who puts up with me wanting to Facetime with her all the time. Even when she’s at the gym. Even when I make creepy, ridiculous faces the whole time.

Don’t judge me.

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• Who is your biggest support when you’re stressed out?

• REMINDER - Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! $50 to buy headphones? Speakers? DO IT!

I’ve had the last week off work because of “Ski Week.” All school districts definitely do not get a random week off in February, but I am so grateful it did. This break came atjust the right time.

I came down to spend the week with my parents in Orange County.

Huntington Beach, CA

Doesn’t appear to be much skiing happening over here. But I needed this week to myself. To get my life back in order. To see my mom – because I’m 26 but will always need my mom. And to help me realize that living your life at full-speed and not taking care of yourself is just not worth it.

I may have been a bit spoiled this week but I’m not complaining.

When I got home, this is what I was met with:

There’s also a new elliptical in the house – which has been wonderful. Especially with a cutie companion by my side.

Me on the elliptical, Grandma on the bike

I’ve gone on multiple walks to clear my head (AKA walk to Starbucks every morning).

And my mom has helped me tackle some of the most nagging tasks that I’ve put off for months. AND sending me back with this spice dish. Indian crockpot cuisine – here I come!

I’m so blessed. 

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YOUR TURN!

Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway from yesterday!

Did your middle school/high school have a Ski Week? 

Who/what helps you de-stress? 

Scenes from this past week:

Last Friday, I was beat. Completely done with work. Exhausted from writing reports. Tired of all the “grown-up drama” that comes along with this job. I just needed to take some time to myself. Away from everyone. So I left work shortly after the kids did and went to Stevens Creek County Park.

It was just me, my mini bottle of wine, and my book (hi-tech version). Nobody else nearby. It was exactly what I needed. Uninterrupted relaxation time.

I also picked up my first shipment of wine from Picchetti Winery! The cool thing about this place is that, with each shipment, you get a free wine gift. This time they included a wine stopper (although who really needs a wine stopper – isn’t it bad luck or something if you don’t finish the bottle?)

Saturday:

I spent most of the day running small errands and reading a lot. At night, I went broom balling with a couple friends in San Mateo. I haven’t done that since college and I had forgotten how much fun it was.

Sunday: Day of relaxation and FINALLY checking the mail:

My sister is the coolest. She’s probably the most thoughtful, selfless person I’ve ever met. She’s always thinking of others and ways to make them happy. Sissy sent me a package with this really cute dress in it. This is not the first package. Last time it was a pair of TOMS shoes. The time before that, it was this beautiful poster of LA to hang up in my room. The time before that, it was pillow cases to match by bedcovers.

Just try not to be jealous of Sister Budhraja. She’s pretty damn amazing.

 I also drove over to San Francisco to watch the Super Bowl. It was such a great game (but who am I kidding? I was in it for the Beyonce concert…). 

Monday: Learning Day and Happy Hours

AKA – Early Morning Walk of Shame 

Today was actually really great because it gave me the chance to get a program overview of one of the high schools we feed our students into. I was really impressed with the amount of support and the number of resources they had. It makes me feel really relieved to know where I’m sending them off to next year.

I also tried out a new-to-me place in Downtown Campbell called Sushi Confidential. They had a great happy hour:

I just got the California Roll. I know, I know. Boring. I get it. The guy who was making the rolls basically laughed at me like I was some sort of amateur.

Tuesday: IEPs and MORE Food

Call me a nerd but I love data. I don’t particularly enjoy having to be so consistent about monitoring and assessing students performance. But I love being able to visually see when a student makes progress. And for this particular IEP, the student had made a significant amount of growth both academically and socially. When I see things like that, it validates my belief that a particular program or intervention is working. I LOVE IT.

I went to another new-to-me place in Downtown Campbell called Jalisco Mexican Food. It’s definitely a hidden gem! I accidentally stumbled on it when I was trying to make a U-Turn and decided to pull into the parking lot. So glad I did. Look at this food:

Wednesday: Worst Day Ever

Wednesday has always been the worst day in terms of work. I don’t have any prep periods on this day so I always feel a bit overwhelmed. Today, in particular, was the worst. And not because of work.

One of my closest friends from college, Kirstin, recently got engaged!! A few friends were going to grab dinner in the city to celebrate. I left work right after the students were dismissed so that I wouldn’t hit any traffic. I parked my car about a block away from the restaurant we’d be eating at and then went into Vinyl – a really cute coffee/wine shop that I was going to work at until dinner. Around 6PM, I head out and walk back to my car to drop off my bag.

I couldn’t find my car.

I walked up and down that damn street, pressing my car alarm over and over – hoping I’d hear it off in the distance. But no such luck. A few minutes later, I realize my car had gotten towed. Here’s the fun part – it turned out to be a whopping $600. How’s that for a slap in the face? 

Anyway, I’m moving on with my life. Kirstin gave me some good advice. Pretend I bought a really expensive coat and never speak of this again. It happened. It’s over. It was my initiation into the bay area. I’m moving on.

Dinner ended up being great. (Can you tell it’s been a while since I’ve cooked at home?) We went to Nopa on Divisadero (also the street “I bought my coat” on). It was delicious. I wasn’t a huge fan of their cocktails to be honest, but the food was great.

Flatbread of spicy fennel sausage, pickled onions, and spinach

And, of course, the newly engaged couple:

Kirst and Brian!

The couple that drives my carless ass to the towing lot I owe them big time! Aside from my very expensive  drama ”coat,” it was such an enjoyable night with some of the best people I know!  

Now I’ve just returned from this:

…and I’m realizing I’ve eaten every single dinner out this week. Time to get back on track!

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When’s the last time you got a parking/speeding/towing ticket? 

Cheap, healthy meal ideas for a girl who is now $600 poorer? 

Today’s Elf4Health Challenge is to write down things you’re thankful for. And it’s a Thursday. How perfect.

As the year slowly comes to an end, along with this challenge, I am often reflecting on the things – both big and small – that I am so very thankful for.

1) First and foremost – my family.

This isn’t even HALF of us.

2) My Christmas tree, Hilton

3) Wine. Enough said.

4) Everything Christmas. I LOVE the holidays. The music, the festivities…but especially the red cups at Starbucks.

5) My morning commute. Sure, the average person would hate to be on the road at 6:30AM. But it’s SO peaceful in the morning while everyone’s off the road. And then I get to work and get to see things like this EVERY DAY:

6) ….Speaking of which, I love where I live. And I am so thankful for it (in case you haven’t gathered that from my previous posts).

7) A really good pen. You know that good-pen feeling? Not those gross BIC 99-cents-for-a 10-pack kind of a pen. But those ones that glide along the paper and make you feel like a BOSS.

8) The combination of Protein Plus Cereal, Almond Milk, Honey, and Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch. I have not included a picture for the sole reason that it is an UGLY combination. But it’s DELICIOUS.

9) My iPad. I didn’t realize how convenient and wonderful it is to have access to my books at all times. Although, nothing beats plopping my booty down at a bookstore and reading for hours. That old book smell is the best. My iPad doesn’t smell like anything great.

10) My car charger. Because the iPhone dies in 45 seconds. And nothing makes you feel cooler than saving the phone 3 minutes before the black screen of death hits. Hero.

11) Friendly people who strike up a conversation anywhere. Even when it’s awkward. They’re the best.

12) Being a Bruin. I have so much pride in my school. Always have, always will.

Thankful for so much. Some little. Some big. But all bringing happiness to my life in some way.

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As the year comes to an end, what are you thankful for?

“A year to the day, my grandpa lost his life. But on the way, won the world’s most amazing wife, beautiful kids, and spectacular grandkids.” – Arjun Seth 

My grandparents are the reason my family is so close. People always look at me funny when I talk about my multiple brothers and sisters. They’ll say, “Wait…I thought you only had one older sister. I’m confused.”

But that’s exactly what I mean. Growing up, my grandparents never created that discrepancy between my cousins and my sister. We were all brothers and sisters. That’s how it was when I was 2 years old and that’s how it is now. There were 7 of us. He called us his “saptarishi,” which means the seven great sages in Indian mythology. And he was our “sabkananu,” meaning everyone’s grandfather (<—-he actually had an e-mail address: sabkananu@yahoo.com). And a cell phone. Yup, he knew how to adapt. 

Yes, he’s a baller.

I know he’s still with us every day – that death does not end a relationship between people. But I do miss his presence.

I miss walking into the house knowing he’s right there, sitting on his chair (it will always and forever be his chair), waiting for us.

I miss hearing him say, “Vaya con dios” (<—-”Go with God”) every single time  someone left the house.

I miss the way he believed in me – that he was one of the few people that supported my decision to go into education. He used to say “I could imagine those little kids just running after you…just trailing after you. You have the patience of a saint.” Nobody else made me feel the way he did. Nobody else made me feel confident the way that he did. 

I miss the way I would hear a rustling in the kitchen when he thought nobody was home….because he was trying to sneak some chocolate or cookies while nobody was watching.

I miss when we’d go grocery shopping – he loved a good bargain. Would buy 55 boxes of cereal if they were on sale.  And I loved the way he told the person at the register (every single time…without fail) how grateful he is for his grandchildren.

It’s gotten easier with time…but some days it hits me harder than others. Like there’s a big weight on my chest and it’s really hard to breathe. Today is one of those days.

He really is “Sab Ka Nanu” – everyone’s grandfather. People everywhere love him and respect him. So many people came to his ceremony last year – people that I had never met, but people he had touched in some way and left a lasting impression on. The things that were said during the speeches or conversations gave me goosebumps – the fact that one person can affect so many.

That one person can change so many lives. 

That was my grandpa. Mine. And everyone’s.

Visiting me and my twin at our apartment =) So glad he got to see it.

Playing cards with my Nani in the hospital. Aren’t they the cutest?

At Hema’s graduation. Proud grandparents

So sad to leave New York. It definitely hit me when I got in my car to head back home and sat through 1.5 hours of 405 freeway traffic. Oh well, I’ve gotta learn to deal since I just accepted a job offer in Los Angeles!! (<— more on that later!)

To celebrate my last night in New York, I hopped on a Subway to head to Hell’s Kitchen to meet up with Stephen at a cute place called Casa Nonna. 

I got there at 6:40 and we had 20 minutes left for Happy Hour menu. Their happy hour is wonderful. They have a small little menu with 4 drink options:

Pinot Grigio for me, please!

And yes, if you look carefully above the drink selections, you are given a complementary “bite” when you order a drink off the happy hour menu. What a fun idea. Sure beats the PILED-HIGH plate of nachos or FRIED onion rings/fries/chicken/shit they serve at the happy-hours I’m used to going to. And it allows you to get a taste of the food they offer at their restaurant. Which was wonderful, by the way. If I lived in New York, I would definitely be going back to this place. We ordered the: Focaccia di Recco, Gorgonzola Crostini, Polpetta, and the Rotolo (two drinks each – four bites to try!). Don’t let the pictures fool you – I like to zoom in real close, but these are actual bite-sized items – which, to be honest, I enjoyed. I like trying LOTS of things without feeling disgustingly full and guilty at the end of the night.

Rotolo (Pork Sausage, Sweet Peppers and Provolone in Pizza Crust)

Focaccia di Recco (Ricotta and Stracchino Cheeses, Red Pepper, Rosemary)

They were all DELICIOUS. After happy hour was over, we went to two other bars/restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen that had Happy Hour til 8 or 9.

Why, yes. Barrage is a gay bar for men. They’re very subtle about advertising that. Needless to say, I was the only female in there.

After that, we stopped by at one of Stephen’s favorite places: Flaming Saddles. No pictures from there, because I was too entranced by the bartenders dressed up as cowboys that were dancing on top of the bar. We ordered a margarita to split and quickly left to meet up with the family at The Billiard Company in Forest Hills. It was really empty (considering it was a Monday night), but we still had a lot of fun. Thankfully, they had table tennis too (since I can never seem to understand how to hold the stick to shoot the balls <—– that sounds terrible, but I don’t know how else to describe it. I don’t know proper pool terms).

Proper stick-holding form. That’s not my hand. Clearly.

Incredible night, wonderful trip. So grateful for the family and friends in my life. 

So Saturday night was Arjun’s big graduation party at a restaurant called Cotillion in Jericho.  It was really fun – lots of dancing, drinking, and meeting all of Arjun’s friends from college. But we didn’t get home til past 3am, so Sunday morning was kind of a rough start. Mid-day, we decided to take a walk to Dunkin Donuts to get some coffee. When we got to Austin Street, we noticed they were having their Austin Fall Street Fair/Festival so decided to check it out. So glad we did! It was three blocked off streets of different types of food, live music, jewelry, paintings, etc.

There was so much yummy-looking street food that we wanted to try, but we made our entire rounds before we settled on the few places we’d get stuff from. There were a lot of non-food vendors:

I didn’t realize people still bought beanie babies?

We spun the wheel and won free chips and salsa, a free soft drink, and free dessert!

But there were a LOT of food/drink vendors:

Fried bananas with some creamy like filling?

We finally settled on sharing some Jerk Chicken. The chicken was AMAZING. I wasn’t going to suggest we get it because it didn’t look as appetizing as some of the other chicken we saw. But Jeej was pretty set on it and he knows meat more than I do, so I trusted him. It was INCREDIBLE. So much so that we went around back of the tent and complemented the chef. He said that he marinates the chicken overnight in a mixture of spices and their restaurant’s special jerk sauce. But that he pokes a hole through the entire chicken so that it’s all soaked up in that wonderful sauce. To quote Arjun, “I would bathe in that sauce.” But Arjun became friends with the guy (he somehow always does because he talks to anyone and everyone). And the guy gave him an entire take-out container of the chicken and said, “Since you like it so much, it’s yours.” Pays to complement the chef, I guess!

The picture definitely does not do justice to how tasty this chicken was

Devouring the chicken, licking our fingers. YUM.

We also shared two smoothies because it was H-O-T outside and needed something to keep us cool:

What a coincidence. The straws were the same color as Bhanu’s socks. Not quite sure why he was wearing bright neon green and orange socks….

Don’t mind the sweat dripping from our faces. It was hot and HUMID out!

There was live music on one of the side streets with hundreds of chairs and tables set up for people to watch.

Behind the stage

Sister and I were craving some diet Pepsi (yes, sometimes these cravings hit us as though we are pregnant women). So, we found the closest restaurant (Pizzeria Uno!) that served Diet Pepsi (not Diet Coke), but then walked over to Duane Reade to buy Sister some Minute Maid Pink Lemonade (read her post to see the concoction she creates called P-Splash). We realized, however, that it was more of a sit-down restaurant and less of a grab-and-go kind of place. But we were determined, so we got a table and ordered a pizza that we were going to take home for the moms/dads/uncles/aunts to share.

P-Splash. Don’t worry – she just whipped out the bottle at our table to pour into her drink, no big deal.

Harvest Vegetable Pizza with 9-Grain Crust

Well, the plan WAS to take it home for everyone to share. But……….

All gone!

After little bites and nibbles, we finished off the pizza (there were 5 of us after they all met up with us again. We’re not just being fatties!).

I realized I never got my iced coffee…..but it was worth it. The festival was great!

Have you been to any summer festivals or fairs yet? Do you plan on going to any this summer?