The Joshua Tree

The Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon Bus Tours are really interesting.
When I was told that we would have to travel for hours in the bus to get to the spot, I was really disturbed, because I hate long road trips. I made sure I put a book in my bag to escape the boredom.
But I was in for a pleasant surprise.
Our Bus Driver who also happened to be our guide enlightened us about the history of the the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon in such an interesting and witty way that we did not have a single dull moment and I didn't even have to take my book out of the bag.
Out of all the interesting things that our guide shared with us, the Joshua Tree caught my fancy, and before I forgot about it I wanted to document it and hence the post.

Pic Source: The Joshua Tree in Full Bloom

The Joshua Tree belongs to the family of and is a form of cactii found in the southern parts of America.
Unlike other trees, you cannot measure the age of these trees by cutting the stem and counting their rings. That is because these trees do not have rings, they are made of Fiber.
To measure its age, you have to count the number of branches and multiply it by 7.

The Joshua Tree gets its name, because some sermons traveling here thought that this tree resembled the biblical character Joshua whose hands went up to the sky to pray to the Lord.
Isn't that cool?

Until we meet next time..keep reading.

Super Salad Recipe

You already know, I am a fan of recipes that are quick to make and yummy to taste.
And if the end result also happens to be a healthier option, it's a definite WIN WIN situation. Today's recipe is one such healthy option which I often stir up, when I want to eat something clean.

I love this salad, because it has the right flavor, right amount of crunch, it's healthy and doesn't compromise on taste at all. I call it The Bhabhi Salad, because this is my sis-in-law's recipe.
It's so simple to make, you will be surprised.
Tip: Don't be discouraged by the long list of ingredients. If you are unable to find some of them, you can easily skip them.

Ingredients:
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
Red, Yellow, Green Bell peppers
Pomegranate 
Apples
Grapes
Sweet Corn
Cucumber
Cranberries
Spinach
Carrots
Cabbage
Roasted Almonds

Croutons
Lime juice
Pepper
Ranch Salad Dressing
(You can adjust quantities of the ingredients depending upon your taste, and you can also eliminate some ingredients, in case you don't like them, or if they are not easily available. But I insist on the dressing and the croutons.)

Ingredients

A closer look

Croutons, salted roasted almonds and cranberries

Chopped Spinach

Dressing

Cube all the ingredients, apart from the last four ones. Toss it all together. Add black pepper powder, limejuice and serve it in a bowl.

 Throw in some croutons and dressing.

And... voila you have the Bhabhi Salad ready to be relished.

Do try this recipe and let me know, how it turned up. :)

StyleBuys.com : Review

Hey everyone.

Today I am here to quickly introduce an online fashion portal that I have discovered recently.

I hardly shop online. But when I do, it is with tried and tested websites like Jabong, Myntra, StalkBuyLove, etc.

Though shopping online is very convenient, the restless person in me, hardly likes to browze through tonnes of pages to find a particular product.

For example, if I want to buy a skirt,what will I do?

I will log in to Jabong, browze through pages of skirts they have to offer, short list the ones I like and save them.

Then I move on to Myntra, follow the same process, and then move on to my other fav online shopping sites.

This can sometimes take hours and I hate this entire process.But now, things are a little different with StyleBuys.com

StyleBuys.com is not an online shopping website. It is a search engine for all things fashion.

StyleBuys aggregates products from the most popular and trusted online shopping websites and displays them together for the convenience of buyers.

So, now if I want to shop for a skirt, I don't have to login into multiple websites.

All I have to do is log in to StyleBuys.com and search for skirts.

It will display skirts available across all websites like Jabong, Myntra, Stalkbuylove, Amazon, Flipkart, Limeroad, Koovs, Faballey,etc. The list is almost endless.

This way you get the best that various portals have to offer and then pick your favorite.

This not only saves times, but is a lot more convenient.

All you have to do is sign up with StyeBuys.com and start browzing for products you want to shop for. You will see products from different portals displayed at one place. Once you click on the product of your choice, you are redirected to the online portal selling that product.

Place an order and you are done.

I was looking for a red blazer for the longest time, and StyleBuys helped me to choose the blazer of my choice within minutes.

I liked the experience so much, that I started browzing some more. And chanced upon these gorgeous colorful kurtis. I have been trying to introduce some color in my majorly black and white wardrobe, and these kurtis just fit the bill completely.

Minutes after I confirmed my order, I received an email from the affiliated website that my order was placed.
I was really pleased with the shopping experience at StyleBuys, and would recommend everyone to try it atleast once.
So what do you think of my purchases and have you checked out StyleBuys.com yet?

P.S. This is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed here are completely mine.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Dubai

I am sure, you have already read my post about the must visit places in Dubai.
After that post I thought, one post was just not enough to express my fascination, affection and love for Dubai. And hence this post.

My Dubai trip was not only memorable, because it was my first trip post marriage with my husband's family but also because I learned so many new things about Dubai.
Every morning when we sat down for breakfast, we had so much fun calling out for our Shai and Sokkar. Wondering what I am blabbering? LOL!!!
#DidYouKnow Shai is an Arabic term which means Tea/Chai and Sokkar means Sugar.
:)

Moving on...
I always thought of Dubai as a Land of Deserts.
And thought that it would have nothing to offer other than malls and shopping.
But my very first Dubai busted so many of these myths.

Out Tour Guide was such a humorous and cheerful person and he enlightened us about Dubai in a way we could have only imagined. 

So in this post I am going to list down things I didn't know about Dubai.
Let me know in the comments below, which one you knew already and which ones you didn't?

1) There's no federal income tax for individuals in Dubai. OMG!!! Can you believe that?
No Tax = More Savings
More Savings = More Shopping
No wonder, Dubai is most often referred to as a Paradise. Now, you know the real reason behind it? ;)

Source

2) Due to its cosmopolitan culture and no tax policy, it acts as magnet for most foreigners. As a result, about 85% of the resident population of Dubai are foreigners.

Source

 3) There are ATMs in Dubai that dispense gold bars. (Mouthshut!!!)

Source

4) In Dubai, you must obtain a “liquor license” to drink from the privacy of your own home.
I kind of like this rule. How about you?

5) You can ski on real snow in Dubai despite the scorching heat outside, thanks to Ski Dubai, located in the magnificent Mall of the Emirates.

6) And last but not the least, a major consideration for tourists around the world...Safety!
You will be glad to know that Dubai is one of the the safest cities in the world.
So wait no longer and take an solo trip or a all girls trip to Dubai, and you will be amazed by their hospitality and affection.

So what are you waiting for?
For now is the time to FlyDubai. So book your tickets now and thank me later.

Driving through the Desert

What comes to your mind when you hear the word Desert?
Don't know about you guys, but all I can imagine is blaring sun, hot and dry sand and cactus everywhere. I always thought, a drive through the desert would be a very depressing one.

But our bus tour from Hoover Dam to The Grand Canyon through the deserts of Arizona was quite a pleasant one. Don't believe me???
See for yourself.

The Joshua Tree..more about it in the next post.

I wanted to buy these dolls dressed in Native Americans traditional dresses...

But finally we took these cuties home, as souvenirs

Our Bus

A glimpse of my Outfit.

Hoover Dam Tour

I know I have been really irregular with the America Series. It's been more than a year since my first visit to America and I am not even half way through my America Journey.
So just to help you catch up, here are the past posts from So-Saree in America Series.
1)My First Day In America
2)So-Saree at Pismo Beach - Part1
3)So-Saree at Pismo Beach - Part2
4)So-Saree at Pismo Beach - Part 3
5)So-Saree at Huntington Beach
6)A Beautiful Drive in California
7)When in Vegas - Vegas By the Day
8)When in Vegas - Vegas By the Night

So we take off from here...

We had hardly slept and our alarm went off. Dammn....it was time to wake up.
We got ready super quick to start our bus tour to the Hoover Dam and The Grand Canyon.
 
Let me start with some details about Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives. The dam was controversially named after President Herbert Hoover.The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction; nearly a million people tour the dam each year. [Source:Wikipedia]

Now let the pictures do the talking..!

The Colorado River

Nevada Time: 8:30 am

You cross the bridge and in less than 5 minutes and you are in Arizona. Time 9:30 am :)