Though I promised to be more regular with my blog, I could not do so because of one other emergency that happened in my life. I had to undergo another operation last year. This one on my left knee. It took me a while to get used to my new knee. But now it has healed a lot and I am more mobile on my feet.

In the meantime the old year has gone and a new year started; 'Thanksgiving' and 'Christmas' came and went too. We struggled with cold air and snow for months. Now the weather is slowly starting to warm up, the daffodils have already bloomed in our yard and those of our neighbors. In the vegetable gardens-the ground has been turned over and the early lettuce and onions are already peeping out. Trees are either looking colorful with white, yellow, pink, or scarlet blooms or pretty green leaves. Spring is beautiful in this country. But it is so in the land of my birth too. But I do not remember it being as colorful as here.

Spring also brings new food for us to taste and cook. Just like in India. There, I looked forward to the preparations that my mother made with blossoms from drumstick trees, and those made with tender drumsticks too. And I also miss the bitter 'neem' eggplant dish that we had with hot boiled rice. I was told that it would prevent me from getting chicken pox!! Here, in my adopted country, spring brings asparagus, both green and white, artichokes, spring onions, many varieties of lettuce and the pungent red radishes. With Easter also being celebrated in spring an abundance of lamb is also found in supermarkets. This is the time of the year to try out new light recipes. My favorite lunch these days consist of young mixed green and red lettuce leaves with sliced strawberry, nuts and little bit of cooked chicken.

Oh- how I like spring!!