Month: November 2016

Every Gift Matters- Book Launch Event

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

November 4th, 2016 a book launch was organized by FLO, Ficci Ladies Organisation.
The book Every Gift Matters has been authored by Carrie Morgridge, Vice President,Morgridge Family Foundation.
Amitabh Saha and Parth Vasavada Of Yuva Unstoppable, were mainly responsible for bringing Carrie to India for a hands on experience and an indepth insight to the needs of our society to which her organisation could provide funds through various non profit organisations and help improve conditions in various sectors.
Carrie is a Renowned philanthropist and works tirelessly to give leverage to the money funded by her organisation so as to create maximum impact of every dollar spent.
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Her first gift in this step, in India, was a funding of $10,000 to Yuva Unstoppable.
To their credit Yuva Unstoppable surprised Carrie by showing how much more they achieved by that funding which was used to provide toilets in schools and provide much cleaner healthier atmosphere.
The book, Every Gift Matters also reflects Carrie’s vision of funding wisely to maximize the benefits to a larger section of society.
The book makes for a fascinating read underlining the need for wise funding.(Read the review here)

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Carrie was kind enough to share a lot of interesting moments from her life, some of which she has incorporated in the book too, which made for an interesting talk.

Talking at her debut book Carrie Morgridge said, “The smallest donation on the planet can transform a life – I have this first hand. And, the best part is, it transforms two lives: the one who receives and the one who gives. Through my book Every Gift Matters, I have shared real-life stories of how having a hands-on approach to giving has transformed lives including my own. I believe that anyone and everyone can make a difference in their community, no matter what the size of the gift. The first step is believing you can – are you ready to change the world?”

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I also managed to have a one on one conversation with Carrie and tried to understand what it takes to become an author. Here is the excerpt from my interview with her

Ikreate: Which books have made an impact in your life?

Carrie: Jim Collins – Good to Great

Malcolm Gladwell – All books, but in particular, Outliers and The Tipping Point

Adam Grant – Originals

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Ikreate: What was the hardest part of writing a book on philanthropy?

Carrie: Editing down the great stories worth sharing

Ikreate: Which was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Carrie: All the chapters to me were pretty darn great. I had the hardest time writing chapter two, as I never like to talk about myself and it took weeks for me to write. What I love, is not what I think is the best chapter, but how people share with me their personal stories of how they related to the book or the story.

Ikreate: What were your learnings while writing this book?

Carrie: I was very surprised when I asked the people in the book to help me proof what I had written about them. All the people in the book, jumped at the chance to help me. I had at some pointed helped them, and they all felt that helping me in return was an honour. Their help was a beautiful way to say Thank You.

Ikreate: Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Carrie: A person writing a technical book would be very successful without emotion. However, if you are writing a story about love and compassion the author must have that in their own heart.

Ikreate: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Carrie: I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with authors who are changing the world. Dr. Jane Goodall, Amy Newmark Salmon Kahn, Marc Turcek, Dr. Kirk Johnson, Dr. Pamela Cantor and Rick Hess all share the same passion about the world as we do. They want to help others help themselves, and make our planet a better place to live.

Ikreate: What is the key message in your book that you hope readers will grasp?

Carrie: You have to find your passion to really make a difference. Once you find your passion, you have to do something with it.

Ikreate: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Carrie: Being my first book, I enjoyed the process immensely. I did catch the bug for writing, and I enjoy writing blogs. My first major blog was written this summer as my husband and I mountain biked across the country, unsupported. You can find it at morgridgefamilyfoundation.org/blog

Ikreate: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Carrie: My style of writing is not based on research; I share stories that I personally live. As for book two, it is still mulling around in my heart and head.

Ikreate: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Carrie: I do read the book reviews, and I also now write book reviews. Once I was a published author I realized how important they are. I have one bad review, and to be honest it hurt, but I learned from it, and I hope I will be a better writer in the future. On this trip to India, I am asking the good people of India to write a review. Since I only have 24 reviews on amazon, it will be really easy to see the impact I have on India, and I hope a way to hear from people in this wonderful country who are making a difference. This is not a time to ask for money. I will not fund projects from book reviews, just to be clear.

Ikreate: What would you like to suggest to other aspiring authors?

Carrie: Never give up. We all have a story to tell, so keep at it. It you work hard, and don’t take the comments from people in the business to hard, you can become a best seller. What my agent and publisher said was such a gift, was my willing to learn to perfect writing and to accept all changes without having my feelings hurt.

Ikreate: What are your future project(s)?

Carrie: I am about to turn 50 this year, and in celebrating this big birthday with an zero, I have asked 50 friends to join me on 50 islands. The Island is their choice, and I have a year to complete the goal. The catch is that we have to “do something philanthropic while on the Island”. I think this will inspire me to go more, see more, do more.

Do read the book and I am sure it will change your mind set towards Philanthropy as it changed mine.

Every Gift Matters- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A few words about Carrie Morgridge, the author of this really magnificent book, Every Gift Matters.

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She is the Vice President of the Morgridge Family Foundation and diligently alongside her husband working for the past fifteen years to put the foundation’s funds to their ultimate use, spark innovation and generate transformation. She graduated summa cum laude from International Academy of Design and Technology, thus giving her a cutting edge on design innovation. She is an aggressive athlete having finished nine ironman competitions. She and her husband split their time between Colorado and Florida.

The Foundation has taken up leadership funding in various projects with Non profits at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, National Jewish Health, Mile High United Way to name a few.
She conceptualised and founded the Student Support Foundation creating philanthropy clubs to teach students how best to deal with financial gifts and put them to optimum use.
She also founded the Share Fair Nation, a notional event designed to train thousands of teachers in integrating technology to teach.
Recipient of the distinguished Frances Wisebart Jacobs Woman of the Year in 2010 from Mile High United Way.

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Now about the book,to be honest I thought it would be a drag continuing about philanthropy vis a vis donations, donations and more donation stories. But what a pleasant surprise the book is really engaging and truly captures the spirit and character of its author. Gives us great insight into her humble stumbling beginning into philanthropy to her real capturing of the essence of philanthropy, as she says no gift is too small and if you work at it you can really make your $1 gift the power of $3.

Absolutely superb acumen ably assisted by her various acquaintances turned friends and the ever present support of her husband John.
An enchanting read which really gives you an indepth knowledge of how to go about putting your donation to good use.
Philanthropy is not just about writing a cheque and feel that you have done your bit.
No it is much much more than that as Carrie so beautifully illustrates with numerous big and small anecdotes.
Philanthropy is a responsibility where by giving you make sure your money is put to its right use and brings about a change in the lives of many.
An absolute must read book for everyone.
Kudos to Carrie for sharing her experiences and showing how to keep learning from your mistakes and keep going.

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You can log on to http://morgridgefamilyfoundation.org to know more about the foundation and Carrie.

The book is available on Amazon for Rs 1325/- for hardcover and Kindle version is available for Rs 66/-

A Kiwi’s Antar Yatra- An Intimate Pilgrimage You Need To Know About…!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Travel has always been an integral part of every religion and not everyone is acquainted with the fact. Irrespective of the religion, pilgrimages have always been designed in such a way that the pilgrim encounters new experiences away from his/her vicinity. People are caught up so intricately in the web of life that they forget to see the world and explore a new perspective. A pilgrimage is one strict reminder.

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Kevin Duggan woke up to a similar reminder when he decided to visit India a second time. The same place where his sister Karyn Duggan had lost her life in 1998. Kevin had come a long way from New Zealand with his bike to traverse a considerable part of the Lesser Himalayas.

He had many unanswered questions and bringing a companion along would have defeated the whole purpose of the trip. Even after facing objections from his dear ones, the 53 year old set afoot on his journey alone!

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He cycled along Shimla- Narkanda- Rampur- Tapri- Reckong Peo- Spello- Pooh- Nako- Tabo- Kaumik- Kaza- Battal and all the way to Chattru in Spiti Valley. A 900 kms stretch on two wheels through mettle testing terrain. His idea was not to cover the distance from Point A to Point B but to ‘live’ the experiences that came along his way. Roadside workers inviting him over lunch, random stranger trekking a 50km patch over a mountain pass with him, pedestrians shouting out ‘Julley’ and many more overwhelming experiences is what emblazoned his quest. The ‘India’ Kevin had imagined ten years ago, was quite the opposite in reality now.

He felt spiritually connected to the place and feels that some part of his sister is still in that valley.

It was a mental challenge for Kevin to come back to India. He believed that harder the challenge is, greater efforts are required but if you meet that challenge; greater the rewards!

His rewards, as he genuinely puts it were, “meeting you (the 4Play.in Team) guys and having seven adopted Indian sons”.

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Everyone has a different way of traveling, some travel in groups, some aim in covering different spots on the globe but for Kevin, travel has a lot different meaning. Keeping himself in shape is what has helped him discover the world the way he wanted to.

Made of true grit and due to a passion for the outdoors, Kevin Duggan still going strong at the age of 53. Having completed one of the most prestigious endurance races on the planet, His quest for exploration has attained an undying character. Working regularly on his fitness level, he is quite a challenge to the status quo of modern athleticism.

Here is a video showcasing Kevin’s intimate pilgrimage journey.

The video is created by 4 Play. 4Play is India’s first adventure sports channel which curates stories from the outdoor extreme and adventure sports. They are the outcome of roughing it up in the outdoors, living on the cutting edge of what may be termed as extreme, and basking in the experiences that came along. For more interesting stories log on to http://4play.in and witness adventure sports like never before.

Beautiful Breakfast Mornings at Chatter House

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Breakfast, they say is the most important meal of the day and one should never skip it. I have been though skipping it most of the days, but recently on a bright Sunday morning, my breakfast story became very very beautiful and it was really hard to skip this one. Now who can skip a breakfast when it contains variety of things like, different egg preparations, fresh fruit salad, cold cuts, sandwiches, pancakes, waffles and even paranthas and that too under one roof. At least I could not, because just reading these items on the newly launched breakfast menu of Chatter House made me hungry.

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Called for a special bloggers table on a Sunday morning, gave me the chance to explore this wonderful culinary delight. We began by ordering Fresh Fruit Salad, and trust me I could just keep looking at it, it looked so so tempting and fulfilling. Well it alone was enough to fill one person’s stomach, but the advantage of a bloggers table was that we could share and enjoy more things than a person can actually finish off individually.

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Next we tried the Spanish Omelette and Eggs Benedict. The Spanish Omelette that was loaded with roasted red capsicum, potatoes, paprika, olives and parmesan cheese was simply out of this world. I loved it and this is definitely one of those things in the menu that you should not miss. Eggs Benedict was another heavenly dish, poached eggs and chicken ham topped with a heavy drizzle of hollandaise sauce, made it really delectable.

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Spanish Omelette
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Up next was Croque Madame with Salad, basically a classic chicken ham & cheese sandwich covered in cheese and becomes a madame when a fried egg is placed on top of it. Well the Spanish Omelette and Eggs Benedict had set my expectations pretty high and hence I found these a little disappointing. Not that they were bad, but in comparison, they ranked a little low and could have been better.

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Making most of the given opportunity, we also tried the Indian Breakfast, for which we ordered Paneer Paranthas and Gobhi Paranthas. Served with curd and pickle, they were scrumptious.

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Next we ordered Waffles and Pancakes and both of them were just amazing. The waffles topped with chocolate sauce, and maple syrup was worth indulging and so were the soft, supple and utterly delicious pancakes. You cannot miss them, these are the must tries.

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My overall experience of this breakfast menu at Chatter House was great, the only disappointment were the smoothies which taste too curd like and I am sure after taking our feedback constructively, the chef has already worked on it and they are good by now, as I write about them.

So don’t wait, make your mornings beautiful with a beautiful and scrumptious breakfast at the Chatter House.

About Chatter House:

The Chatterhouse, headed by Mr. Swadeep Popli, is a perfect getaway from the mundane flow of life, bringing alive the very essence of the pub culture made famous by the typical pubs of Europe. Located at the posh locale of Khan Market and Nehru Place The Chatter House is a typical pub which becomes the centre of your social experiences, a place where you wind down your day, meet up with friends or just enjoy some fabulous spirits with comfort cuisine with a twist.

The Chatter House appeals across a diverse spectrum of guests from 15 year olds to 70 year old who all find something to entice, indulge and entertain them. The very USP of the place is that you can enjoy listening to your favourite tunes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and also enjoy a spirited conversation at the same time. It enables you to enjoy your company and conversations along with our very popular gourmet food and drinks. As in keeping with the relaxed retro vibe of the pub, expect to hear some great tunes from those ‘golden years’. The music played is pub classics – this space is dedicated to several legends.

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Keeping various needs of the guests in mind the place has bar stools, very famous booth style seating, high seating tables, lounge sections along with regular seating. It also has an al fresco seating with an open format wood fired oven at Epicuria and a full glass house smoking terrace area at Khan Market. The design of The Chatter House is a typical old style pub, spread across 2,500 sq ft of space. The Chatter House in Nehru Place is a Victorian era themed pub adorned with classic chandeliers, warm and welcoming wooden accents, old world flooring, wooden groin vaults, cheerful brick wall finishes and plush comfortable seating that will surely get you to sink in and relax. The one in Khan Market is a typical Irish themed pub with tan leather & dark wood interiors covered with iron and bricks, Irish rock bands music lyrics and specially Irish music wall art. The place also boasts of a 20th century piano especially sourced from London and the theme is typically music based in this outlet.

The kitchen at The Chatter House is run under the supervision of Head Chef Tara Chand Joshi who has years of experience in the hospitality industry. Chef Joshi believes in curating the food as much in detail and passion as he devotes to the drinks. Speaking of the gastronomic experience here, comfort is the keyword of the cuisine that The Chatterhouse entails – a heady mix of delectable delights from Europe, Italy and of course India. The emphasis is on “fresh” and “high quality” ingredients from the best of suppliers. They try and do “home-made” as much as possible. They bake their own breads, most of their sauces are made in-house with carefully drafted recipe. The basic principle considered while planning the entire menu at Chatter House was comfort, association, aspiration and regional. To break the monotony of normal casual pub they curate their food listings seasonally and menu changes every 3 months.

The Chatter House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Costa Launches Lip Smacking Wraps To Go With Their Signature Latte Coffees..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Costa Coffee is a well known cafe chain and their recently introduced flat white, hand crafted lattes are to die for along with other coffees, frosted drinks and savouries. They have also launched delectable wraps across outlets in India.

The scrumptious new range of Costa wraps currently comes in two avatars- a vegetarian as well as a non-vegetarian variant. The vegetarians will relish the exotic international flavors of Moroccan Tofu & Grilled Veggie Wrap while the non-vegetarians will enjoy tucking into a Chicken Seekh Kebab Wrap.

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These wraps promise the freshest stuffing tossed with mouth-watering sauces. High on proteins, Costa wraps are a great alternative to regular lunch option as well as filling snack any time hunger strikes. While Moroccan Tofu & Grilled Veggie Wrap comprises of tortilla bread filled with Moroccan marinated bean curd chunks and a generous helping of grilled veggies and tossed in a flavorsome Moroccan Sauce.

I personally tried the Chicken Seekh Kebab Wrap, and it was delicious. It has a succulent chicken kebab at the core along with grilled veggies tossed in creamy Arabic sauce blend wrapped in a tortilla bread.

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These wraps serve as perfect accompaniments to Costa’s freshly brewed Flat White, Iced Flat White and Iced Latte- Costa’s new range of exquisite hand crafted coffee currently being showcased at the ongoing Coffee Heritage celebration across Costa outlets in India. I tried both Freshly Brewed Flat White and Iced Latte, and they were amazing. The making of Latte in itself is so amusing that I went behind the counter to witness this enthralling process.

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Commenting on the launch of the wraps, Mr. Ashish Chanana, COO, Costa Coffee India said: “At Costa we believe in offering our customers a balanced and varied menu that’s full of great choices, be it gourmet sandwiches, our signature muffins or something more indulgent. Costa wraps, our brand new addition has been created to give our patrons a healthy protein rich lunch/filling snack option as they go about their busy lives.”

So step into your nearest Costa to enjoy your favourite coffee and the all new Costa Wraps.