Sustainable Indian Party Wear – tips!

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I’m the QUEEN of re-wearing my clothes on social media! I wear the same dresses every summer and take pictures of myself in new places with them (and then post them to my grid). I will often wear the same OOTD, week after week until I know all of my friends groups and family members have seen it! I do the same with my Indian party clothes.

When you have many Indian events (birthday parties, anniversaries and weddings – which are like 10 events each) it can get expensive and also environmentally unfriendly! For that alone I try and get a good amount of wear out of my outfits.

Here are some of the tips to make good use of your Indian clothes for all of your events!

Indian Wedding Guest, Indian Party Wear, Sari, Lengha, Desi Clothes, OOTD, FItcheck, Outfit

Rewear your wedding lengha on Karva Chauth. For us ladies who celebrate – it’s the perfect excuse to re-wear the outfit you thought you would only wear once. I’ve worn my wedding lengha at least 10 times!
Switch up your blouses & chunnis! I think this is most versatile way of making use of lenghas. I’ve worn a western dress top as a blouse and also my mom’s vintage 1980’s blouse – it can completely change the vibe of an outfit
Learn to open a stitch and use fabric no sew hemming options: your body changes over the years. Being able to adjust your clothes on your own will save you both time and money.
Take advantage of dress rental companies: I’ve yet to do this but I think this is a great way of creating sustainability in your community.

Outfits I wore as a wedding guest

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Wedding season (of dread!) is upon us. Being wedding guest is great when you aren’t very close to either the bride or groom or if you are close in relation to the bride or groom but you know a lot of other guess – then it’s a BLAST.

This is the first time that I bought NEW outfits for a wedding – and believe me – I’ll be re-wearing these for many weddings to come (just my style).

This royal blue suit was designed all around the dupata (designed by me I might add).

I loved the large floral laser print design with an extra large boarder. The same boarder was on the neck line and at the bottom edge and foot edge.

So unique and classy – can’t wait to wear it again!

I’ve NEVER word anything like this! The sparkles, lace and the slit on the mermaid cut, the nude heel and the off the shoulder neckline…

*chef’s kiss*

I bought this off the rack and there were about 10 more in different sizes and colours. I styled it with diamond drop earrings and diamond bracelet.

Even though this was so economical – the fit and feel made me feel like a million bucks + and it’s a classic style I can wear again and again!

Maghmour Recipe – Eggplant and Chickpea curry

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Since becoming a pescaterian I have re-fallen in love with eggplant! I’ve been trying different recipes and came across this Lebanese Maghmour. It’s garlicky, thick, slightly smokey and incredibly velvety.

Perfect with rice, salad, as a dip or on its own.

So good I had to make twice in 1 weekend 😂

I recently got an Instant Pot so I figured I should put my crockpot into semi retirement. And I’ve swapped my Nutribullet for a big mouth food processor. I also got a hand held emulsion blender. Oh and I got a crank chop – by far the best kitchen tool I’ve tried!

After years and years of not having much kitchen equipment I now have so many options! Safe to say, I’m looking for new recipes to try with all my new tools!

That said I didn’t use ANY of those to make this dish. I also put a little more of a desi spin on it by using haldi (tumeric) and dhannia (coriander powder). They add colour and thickness to stew/curry like dishes respectfully.

What you’ll need:

– 2 large eggplants, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (leave the skin on)

– 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

– 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, including juice

– 1 tbsp. tomato paste

– ½ – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

– 1 large onion, diced

– 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (you can also use garlic powder to taste)

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

– 1-2 cups water

– Tumeric, coriander powder, salt and pepper to taste/likeness

What you’ll do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay non stick foil onto a baking sheet
To a large bowl add the chopped eggplant and add in enough olive oil to coat the eggplant. Mix with your hands to coat evenly. Lay on the baking sheets and roast until done, about 15-25 minutes. Turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven, lightly salt and set aside.
In a large pot add another portion of the EVOO. Add the onions and cook until they become transparent, make sure to stir constantly to avoid sticking. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste and then add garlic. Stirring constantly for about 1-3 minutes.
Add the eggplant cubes, drained chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika and about half of the water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if the mixture gets dry. I like to try the dish and add salt/pepper/EVOO as necessary. I also added tumeric and coriander (1/2 teaspoon here and there as needed).
Serve and enjoy! You can store the dish in the fridge for 5 days (but it will probably be finished before that 😋)

Quick & Easy DIY Diwali Gift Wrapping

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Today is Diwali (the Festival of Lights celebrated by Indians!)

I figured today would be a good day to post about this QUICK & EASY DIY gift wrapping idea that I planned for my parents. It’s honestly something you can whip together before any evening festivities you may have today. Or prep in advance for a weekend celebration.

Exchanging mitahi (boxes of very rich flavoured Indian sweets) is customary at Diwali. My family is pretty liberal in our sweets exchange as most of my family doesn’t really eat the typical Indian sweets all that much. The siblings usually give each other chocolates and to the parents we’ll give a mix of dry fruits and nuts.

I loved this wrapping for Diwali but of course this could be used at Christmas or for a hostess gift!

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to recreate this wrapping for your family and friends:

What you’ll need:

Assorted nuts (I went with cashews and almonds, both dry roasted and unsalted because they are the best!)

Wide mouth mason jars with caps

Tissue wrapping in festive colours (2)

Ribbon

Tape

Scissors

Optional: dry fruit, indivially wrapped chocolate, diyas, name tag

What you’ll need to do:

First fill the jar with the goodies you have and close the lid.

On a flat surface, place the tissue papers (different colours) one on top of each other. Start by folding the layered issue paper 1-inch on to itself, continue folding over in the same direction by 1-inch, until you get to the end of the paper.

You can then fold the other end of the layered tissue paper and tape that folded end to make a clean end.

Take the folded tissue paper and cut a diagonal line approximately 3 inches from the top (if you do a curved line it will make the top look like plant leaves). Open the tissue paper and lay flat again.

Take your mason jar and roll the paper around the jar. You should keep about 2 inches near the end closest to the bottom of the jar (cut of excess paper if need be) and the leaves of tissue paper should be near the mouth of the jar. Make sure to tape the paper to the jar before you start rolling and the folded over end of tissue paper back to the paper on the jar.

Wrap the ends of paper to the bottom of the jar and feel free to make deep cuts on the “leaves” to open them up more.

Use the ribbon to tie a bow around the paper that is covering the lid of the jar. Plump up the tissue paper leaves, tape a diya to the lid or add a name tag. And voila!

Why I still celebrate Karva Chauth after all these years?

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Another year of fasting for Karva Chauth is over.

I always have to psych myself up for this day. All the traditions to remember, what goes where in my thali, trying to remember to not use a knife/scissors/nail clippers/sewing needle all day and then trying to recall the Hindi/Sanskrit poems I should know by now, it all makes me nervous because I feel like I’ll fail miserably.

On top of all that, the idea of not eating food for the entire day makes me very anxious because 1) I usually eat quite often in the day and 2) I hate being hungry.

The truth is I usually forget something in my thali, I always touch a knife or scissors (multiples before I make a conscious effort to not), I can’t even pronounce some of the words (thanks to my thick Canadian accent 😂) – but you know what? That’s ok! And even the fasting part – it’s more mind over matter. And when it’s all over and done with – it’s like “huh – that wasn’t so bad!”.

Although this year, I actually felt something different. It almost felt like resentfulness towards the idea of participating in Karva Chauth or questioning the whole thing…

Why am I still doing this?

I really wondered if the occasion was getting to be too conservative for me. If I was doing it more for the elders than for myself/the mister. Was it really a good use of my time? Was I diverging with my own personal opinions on the unfair treatment of women against the patriarchy. Was I showing my girls that I believed in archaic ideas and historic gender norms?

Aside from all of these thoughts, I continued on with my fast. But honestly, going through these questions in my mind gave me a refreshed my reasoning on participating in the fast.

I remembered why I started fasting on this day. It was because for years and years I watch my mom get up before the sunrise to do her small puja and eat the sargi she prepared for herself. When I was younger I knew I wanted to do the same.

I believe in being married and I am grateful for the relationship the Mister and I share (granted it’s not always sunshine and rainbows, but I am thankful to be on this journey with him). So it gives him and I a scheduled day (yes – I said scheduled) to show our appreciation to each other.

I also realized that, having the girls see me participate in this particular cultural event is more so to teach them about who they are and the culture they are descendants. How beautiful is it to think that as a second generation Indian Canadian they may grow up to continue this tradition because they found inspiration from me! They also get to see how I make these traditions my own, how I take what works for me and keep things light and fun – so as to not get bogged down with conservative details but to smile and be thankful for what I cherish.

Most importantly, it gives me an opportunity to pay attention to my body, the time of day, how much activity I’m partaking in. A moment to pause, reflect and be mindful during the course of the day.

Lastly and definitely not least… who doesn’t log getting decked out in their most ornate clothes, complete with accessories galore and letting your husband and in laws paper you – definitely a perk!

Not your typical kaurva chauth gift guide

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Bhanu Misra Marya

This isn’t your typical Karva Chauth gift guide. Well technically I’ve never even seen a gift guide for Karva Chauth on the internet before. So this could even be the FIRST Karva Chauth gift guide – and quite honestly the only one you need ;)

Don’t know what Karva Chauth is? Read about it here.

This is going to be my 5th or 6th Karva Chauth. Yes we’ve been married 7 years now but between kids (aka making or feeding a baby) I’ve missed a few here and there.

Any whoo – on to the gift guide.

I put this together to help my husband (and the other fellas) looking for something useful to give your wife. I mean yes you could go the typical route (some type of 24k jewelry) or your could get her something(s) that she will actually use.

Bamboo Arc Handbag
Yes the Cult Gaia was all the rage in summer but I think it would super cute with an indian outfit especially at a lower price point ;)

Vans Sk8 Lite
Not actually sure when I went from being a can’t-feel-my-feet-because-I’m-always-in-stillettos to a mommy-sneaker-head but that is where I am at now. I have purchased more #athleteleasure shoes in the past 3 years than I have heels.

Initial necklace and Heart Ring
I am all about the ghetto love jewelry. I have a bar necklace with the girls names on it but it wasn’t until after I started wearing it did I feel that it was too invasive (I mean I avoid even saying their names on this blog). But I love the representation of wearing them in my jewelry. This heart ring it something that I’ve been eye for a year and I am happy to have found a Canadian retailer who has it.

Passion Planner
I am a planner addict (something the husband just doesn’t understand). I even have a few planners that haven’t been used yet. So technically I don’t really need/want this but I had to include the undated version in my gift guide.

Nail polish & Compact
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve stopped eating chicken and bacon – and its probably the most proud of myself I’ve been in a long time. Doing this has also made me more conscious about the other aspects of my life that are no so planet friendly. I figure foundation powder and nail polish is a good start.

Rebel Mama Jersey
I follow these ladies on instagram. All of their posts have either got me nodding in agreement or laughing historically (also in agreement). This is not your typical parenting advice site/mommy blog. I love their blunt-unapologetic-straight up advice and account of motherhood. I strive to be this kind of mom friend to my mom friends lol

Travel coffee cup
Just because I always feel guilty getting coffee from mcds or stabies – hopefully having something like this will help.