Feasting and Frolicking!

Happy Holi 2011!

The first day preceding the full spring moon marks the Indian holiday Holi. In celebration of the coming of spring everyone merrily shakes off their winter coats and welcomes a new season with a bit of rebellious frivolity and loudness. We are so ready for a little springtime weather. I've lost count of how many straight days of rain we have had keeping us cooped up inside. A reason to celebrate vibrant colors through food and merriment, although still inside due to in climate weather, was more than welcomed at our house.

Right after nap time we all dressed in our Indian outfits - both girls requesting their newly acquired Rasjastani dresses that they wore for our adoption ceremony. Accessorizing with bangles, necklaces, bindis and any other jewelry that jingled or jangled completed our ensemble.


Let the frolicking begin! We danced and played our musical instruments while listening to Indian music for nearly an hour while the feast simmered along in the kitchen just steps away. The house smelled and sounded great - very gay indeed! Devi tried to teach us some dance steps from her classes and Treya showed us how she could play her shaker on her shoulder, toe and gently on her head, all the while we spinned and paraded around the island and marched around the coffee table. All that exertion left this family of four famished.

Our Indian feast consisted of Murgh Tikka, Aloo Gobi, Channa Dal, Saffron Rice, Samosas with Spicy Mango Chutney and a healthy supply of garlic naan. The girls had mango lassi for dessert. My love of cooking is only heightened by the opportunity to prepare Indian food for my family, a meal where no one complains and everyone leaves the table with aching sides.

True to form, everyone ate heartily and I got the two thumbs up from everyone except Treya who was shoveling it in so fast I don't know as she was able to even taste it, other than to know that the smells and textures were definitely familiar to her. Devi, although possessing a fairly inexperienced palate, said that I make the best Indian food she has ever tasted, a compliment that I lovingly accept. In her mind, because she was born in India, she is an expert on these matters, and she is proud to have a pale momma who can prepare HER food.

Because gulal powder is not something one can readily pick up at the local grocer, and the throwing of it is not exactly age appropriate for the 2 year old , we once again resorted to body painting with soap paint in the tub. Even this was a stretch this year with Treya in a cast covered in plastic and an incision in her gut that is not supposed to be submerged in water. None the less, we manged to have a "wild" time in the bathtub, with lots of bubbly color applied with tricky and underhanded swipes, that brought ear splitting squeals from both girls, leaving Pat and I near deaf.



All that rebellion, gluttony and frolicking can tucker a couple of girls out. We had to wake them today at 7:15...a first at our household. We begin another day of rain today, but know that our celebration must have done some good, awakening the blossoms of spring, as I see bright yellow forsythia peeking through the fence boards of our neighbor's yard. Happy Holi!