Happy 13th Birthday Upamanyu ...

"Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth." - J. K. Rowling.


No Fancy Cake Yet...but the celebrations were propah!!!
Some one else cooked and served...
And we enjoyed...

We may be unable to do the fancy things right now,but I promise you sweet child o'mine...I'll make it up to you...

At the Radisson...pre lunch desserts!!!!!!
Thirteen ...

A threshold...
A stepping stone...
Your first as a teenager...
Take each step carefully...
Live each day to conquer your fears...
Live each day to hone your talents...
Live each day to build your character...
Live each day to grow taller...
Live each day to learn about life...
Live each day to wonder...
Live each day to dare to attempt something new...
Live each day to learn from your failures...
Live each day to revel in your successes...
Live each day to appreciate and be grateful...
Live each day to stop and help someone less fortunate...
Live each day to become an honest man...
Live each day to be so tall that the world looks up to you...
Live each day to make us proud of you...
Live each day to be happy...

I could only manage and egg less cake with chocolate chunks..
and a ganache to top the cake...

This is the easiest cake that I doubled, to fit the 2 l borosil cake dish...
I had an overspill, and my ganache didn't set...
But in almost 4C , I baked at night in my tiny kitchenette....I only had a wooden spoon to help...
The cake- I used this recipe, and only added a cup full of chocolate chunks(it was so cold, that I had to put the semisweet chocolate into a zip pouch and hit it hard with a rolling pin...)
Turned out awesome...runny chocolate chunks inside and a runny ganache outside...
Just proves...a mother can do anything...
Anything at all...
Babes,I owe you...even if it is a god of war cake...
I will deliver...
In the meanwhile ...
Stay Blessed!

Happy 13th Birthday  Upamanyu!

So what are you baking today???

Read More

Whole Wheat Foccacia with Olives and Jalapenos and Basil and Happy Tummies

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” 
― James Beard

The winters have really dug their claws in...

Just feels like the Dementors from JK Rowling's imagination must be here...

Its cold already ...

Too cold by any standards...

And the sun is playing hide and seek.

Some one seems to have forgotten the count ...

So the sun just refuses to say BOO from behind the haze and clouds.

And this weather just makes one so grateful for the roof on our heads and the warmth in our home and hearth that we so take for granted.

The best way to banish the winter blues is CARBOHYDRATES!
I'd suggest ,banishing the diets and eating till your tummy and heart feels full and warm .
A loaf or two of warm bread,peppered with spices and jalapenos and fresh herbs...
Liberally dunked and smeared with EVOO...
I love , I mean love the taste of AMUL butter. For me, butter is synonymous with AMUL. I'm a purist.
However ,this whole wheat foccacia smelt mediterranian. Enough for us to ditch the butter and go for something better.
Extra Virgin Olive oil.
We were taking a break with the parents,and just to add some wow to our meals...I made at this whole wheat Foccacia.
The parents are big on health and low fat and low carb foods...
So it had to be whole wheat.
It is always a challenge to make a whole wheat bread tasty.
So we hugged and embraced the challenge- and mum and dad.

for the


Whole Wheat Foccacia with Olives and Jalapenos and Basil and Happy Tummies...

you need

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour-atta
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tbsp olive oil/melted butter or any vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 fist full fresh basil
1/4 cup drained olives
1/4 cup drained jalapenos
a fist full of chopped garlic chives and dried herbs-optional
Olive oil to brush

Since the cold had begun to creep in, I set the dough to rise at night for bread at breakfast.
You can do it in an hours time if you are in a hurry or enterprising.
Start with a cup of warm water in a large bowl.Add the sugar and the yeast and set it aside till the yeast creams.

When it does ,add the olive oil.You can add more oil if you want too...there is no limit to goodness!

Now add in 1 cup of the flour and mix.

I did the mixing with my hands.Gloppy ,gloopy mess!
That BTW is the sponge like the sour dough starter.
Cover and set aside.

After you see some bubbles and sponge , add in the rest of the flour ,salt and the fresh herbs-if you want to.Knead to get an elastic dough.You may need a little more flour or a little more water...to knead.Its "A" OK!
Cover and set aside to double in volume. Use a big bowl.

Next morning, the dough was more than doubled. I used my hands to spread it out on a floured surface to about 12 inches by 6 inches. Sprinkled the dried herbs...

the jalapenos and the olives and some of the basil...
And folded it over to get three layers. Rolled it out to the size of the baking tray and...pinched some dimples in it...

A series of dimples.I then sprinkled the basil over and covered it.
Preheat the oven to 230C/450F.
A little milk washed over the bread and it is ready to go in...

In for about 25-30 minutes....
And it was done...
Out ...
We smeared it with the EVOO- olive oil...

And had breakfast...

Check the texture and the crumb of the bread...
Flat out wholesome and whole wheat.

All meals should be made of this..
Wholesomeness ,bread, eggs and family.
And memories...
I made foccacia with plain flour and stuff here.The aromas were to DIE for.
The bread was sweet and tasted spicy...because of the jalapenos...the olives are always good to bite into and fresh basil and garlic chives are always great.

Bring some warmth in...
Expecto Patronum!!
Shoo the dementors...
Great way to begin your mornings...or to end the day.
Try this instead of your usual paranthas for breakfast.

So what are you baking today???

Read More

Bru Coffee Panna Cotta- Lite/Light in Calories

Welcome the year 2013.

We've lived past the ominous predictions of Armageddon(Yeah Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck-Hot!) and The Apocalypse( I know not the stars..) and more melodrama..

We are past the winter solstice and have woken up to another doomsday prediction...

Do you really wanna know???

BTW January 1st,2017.

Lets just shed the winter blues and get our shots of caffeine.

Happiness!

I wanted to eat my coffee this time, but not as a gelato or as a granita or as an ice cream, but as a panna cotta.

Smooth! Like a baby's bum!!♥♥

After watching the super hot chef David Rocco,only cooking for his beloved Nina...with his fake Italian accent (You cant have been born and brought up in Canada on cookies and milk,and then come to Italy and get the accent right-but WTH! the rolling rrrr's and mwahs so totally rock on Rocco!)

I just made this Panna Cotta with yogurt/curd and non dairy low fat cream. The operative words are Low Fat . 

When you love sugar and coffee so much, that is smart.

I'm a Bru Coffee person.

Truth be told, I saw this on Deeba's blog. I had already been making low fat Panna Cotta thanks to David Rocco. But the Bru Coffee Panna Cotta was a HAVE TO DO!

And I roped in friend Kanchan Bhartari(so missing her company now-it was so much fun chatting midway between our houses...with the kids and respective hubbies throwing pointed glances through drawn curtains , and many missed call to come back home...and talk another day...Ahhh ...I miss you guys and Ranchi!) to make the Panna Cotta.
A wee bit extra, for the tasting....
Perfectly set!
And yum!
We had just gone through all the chocolate both of us had...so we had to top the Panna Cotta with Hersheys chocolate sauce...
But you can go naked-without the chocolate ..that is.

I seem to be an irresponsible parent. I feed my soon to be 13 year old as much tea or coffee as he wants. Do you think that's wrong???
I've always found the easiest way to avoid the whining...GIVE!

for the


Bru Coffee Panna Cotta- Lite/Light in Calories...

you need

500 mils non dairy cream/Amul UHT dairy cream
500 gms greek yogurt/yogurt made with Amul UHT milk
5 tbsp icing sugar(12-15 tbsp if you use Amul UHT cream)
5 tsp gelatin powder
5 tsp bru instant coffee powder
50 mils cold water

Chocolate ganache/chocolate cigars/kisses to garnish


The sugar is your choice. You can go bitter or sweet or bittersweet ...whatever the mood dictates.
Non Dairy Cream is sweetened, so one is just sweetening the yogurt essentially.
Start with the gelatin.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it to bloom-absorb the water.
Now place over a double boiler and allow it to melt.Stir with a spoon.
                                      
Place the cream in a sauce pan and heat to scalding point.When you see bubbles on the side of the pan. Just don't allow it to boil.

Remove 3-4 tspns of the cream into a bowl and add in the coffee powder.Mix well.

Strain into the saucepan.

Mix in the melted gelatin and stir well.
Remove the yogurt to a big bowl and stir really really well. Kanchan advised passing it through a strainer,so  as to avoid all lumps. For a messy person...avoid! Sweeten the yogurt to your choice.

You can blend a few drops of the cooked cream and yogurt to check.
Keep stirring the cooked cream till it is cool.
Now pour the yogurt into the cream till well blended.

Taste!No tang,thanks to the Amul UHT! and absolutely smooth!
Add in whatever you think is less, pour into your pretty glasses, cover each glass with film and pop into the fridge to chill.

After 8 hours...
We got 6 glasses plus a 2 smaller glasses...a freebies.

Voila.

Yum YumYum!

So now you know why coffee is one of my major food groups!!

No bake, low effort, and gone soon. Tastier than cold coffee any day!

If you want to make Pomegranate flavoured Panna Cotta  ...try that too
Lets Live the Dolce Vita!!!
I'm back where I belong and will be blogging /baking more regularly...
Amen!
Wish you a happy new year...2013!!

So what are you baking today???

Read More

The year that was- Hello and Goodbye 2012

Learn from yesterday, Live for today and hope for tomorrow.

Albert Einstein

The year that was extremely eventful. In more ways than one.

A lot of it is water under the bridge...

I've fallen in love once again...

With my niece...

I've moved across the country..

Lock ,Stock and Barrel...

I've been published in the newspaper twice and in a magazine once...

I've been recognised for my best friends..Words...who don’t come easy to me...

I've been out grown...by sweet child...who is now as tall as I am...

I've inspired more and more people to crack eggs and get baking...

I've frosted more cupcakes than the entire neighbourhood combined...

I've laughed  more ,because I've felt freer..

I've lived more...

And I'd love to share my favourite moments with my readers...

1.                 I made  Artisan Bread with Flax ,Oats and Ragi and I received the Notable Newbie Award from Blogadda. And more people visit this post than any others. I do hope that they have tried out the bread, though!

2.                 I made a Barbie Cake for my niece Sanskriti and used fondant to make her dress. Sweet sister was home after 2 years ,we sat up till 4 am to make the cake...and it was so worth it.

3.                 I made a cake that looked like sweet child’s obsession Play Station 2. And he absolutely adored it. Hubby dear was too amazed to comment, and was floored!

4.                 I made the fondant flowers for a cake I made for the cousins when they met for the first time. Flowers and a cake. The awe on Sanskriti's face was totally worth the back breaking effort.

5.                 The Mango Mousse Cake that  friend Kanchan Bhartari could replicate with such ease. Tasted out of this world and for a moment, I ,the mango hater ,could actually smile.

6.                 The Triple Chocolate Bavaroise that I made for a reunion with friends. I'll remember for the rest of my life. We laughed so much that our jaws ached for the next two days. No electricity, and hubby dear arranged for a high power generator just so that the Bavaroise could set. I love his attention to detail, amongst other things.

7.                 The Mille Feuille, the most labour intensive thing that I have ever made...and the visual appeal was AWESOME!!! The compliments that flowed were even better.

8.                 I have never struggled as much as I did when I tried to braid the six strands of the challah bread. But I did, I braided till hubby dear laughed his guts out. And when I finally dared to attempt the daring bakers challenge-I succeeded.

9.                 I made an eggless tiramisu with homemade mascarpone. The dessert wowed many, and the eggless cake has been used in many ,many ways since. Mahika , my 11 year old neighbour can now make any type of these cupcakes herself.

10.             Baketitude was featured on page 3 of Hindustan Times City, Ranchi . The press coverage and the love that followed left me speechless. The excitement that flowed though my house was palpabe. And so much fun!

The best gift that Baketitude has given to me- it has been an outlet for all my DIY madness. I’ve fostered new Friendships and relations. The journey has been incredible. And tomorrow will always be better.

Amen.

Here is wishing all the people in blogosphere a happy 2013.
So what are you baking today???

Read More

Shave or Crave- McDreamy and Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!As if!
All day long,I've been ferrying stuff from one place to another...
Groceries,veggies,Errands...
Now this new stinky obsession with Horses...Horse Riding?And why can the horse not pick up sweet child from our doorstep?Why does he need to be dropped??
Buy this...this is not working ...oh god...dinner is not ready yet...and I wanted to take advantage of the first day of the sales tomorrow....
And I have to be posting on my blog...or my readers will retire...
Nuzzle, Nuzzle,Nuzzle.....Scratch ,scratch,scratch...No, I don't need the whisker burns!!!!!

He:"So you are not asleep yet???"
Am I audible...OMG!!!I must be talking to myself again...
Me:"Er, nooooo, You scratch...and I dont have an Itch. You better SHAVE or CRAVE dear...till your stubble is off ,I'm sleeping ..tired...need to wake up at 6 to send sweet child to school...go back to your laptop...and for gods sake turn of the lights!!Good night!"
He:"You've been avoiding me for so long now..."
Me:"Spare a thought for me...You can spare 2 minutes for your boss , you  will shave if you have to meet him, but a shadow is supposed to be sexy for me?"
He:"Come on,I'll shave tomorrow..."
Turn,Turn,Turn

Hopefully bliss comes ASAP! There is so little time, to dream!

Finally the lights are off!!!So ...
All that about Meredith and Derek Shepherd is dancing in my head...watching season 5 now...
Everybody struggles!Whether they are inside the idiot box or outside...
When you have a dishy man like Patrick Dempsey hovering around you 24*7, you don't need a choice...
But do you??

The human life is made up of choices.Yes or no.In or Out.Up or Down....
A little warmth near me...creeping up near me...
Nudging for a little neck space...
Nudging for a little coziness...
Hands seeking ...
Ping!
That is the elevator!Doors slide open ...to the harbinger or smiles!
He:"Dr Shepard."
Me:"Dr Grey."
He:"I missed you all day."
Me:"I've been busy..."
He:"I have been watching you ,from afar.You seem to have a lot to take care of."
Me:"Thats right.I'm overworked and not paid at all. And what do I get in return???"
He:"The rule of life. The nurturer needs to get nurtured!So what will make you happy?"
Me:"A little TLC...and maybe some thing else..."
He:"I think I can fill your prescription..."(moving closer and closer..)
Just when I can hear his heartbeat and feel his breath on my face, I feel the scratching of his 5 o'clock shadow. Ow,Ow,ouch!
I dont want to,but I have to push him away!
Me:"Not a whisker burn again!I may as well be treated with all the TLC by the Plastic Surgeon Dr Mark Sloan...at least he will have a remedy for my scarred skin...You better Shave or Crave mister! No getting close to me till that shadow is off your face."
And then he parodies Red Hot Chilli Peppers for me...
He:"Whisker Burns,I'll shave for you..."

And within two minutes he transformed to an amazingly well groomed man, on duty, to please me!

And nudging my face are the now smooth cheeks of McDreamy...turned McSteamy...
Hormones raging...
And are my dreams coming true??
I feel something warm and smelling of Cool Water by Davidoff!
That is so familiar...just like coming home...
I turn and find my freshly shaved personal McSteamy,at my service.
So that shave or crave warning worked...
A smile and I am at his beck and call again...
Me:"I like my man clean, and clean shaven!Clean will get you every where and anything!Don't let your stubble make you stumble."

Man,he likes the carrot dangling in front of him.Only then does he get sensitised to what his woman wants.
Women,we can find a way.

Tell me...does this work for you and your man too??

So why are you sporting a stubble today???Shave!

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

Read More

Bad Hair Days -The story of any girl's life!

A hair in the head is worth two in the brush. 

William Hazlitt 

One thing god never lets you choose , is the type of hair you sport. Maybe, he likes playing with your sentiments and feelings. I have yet to meet a man or a woman who are satisfied with their hair. There is always something wrong with the hair...
Its either too curly or too dry or too wavy or too lank...
Whatever the story...
I've got mine to share as well.
I  was blessed with thick ,shiny wavy dark hair.
My mum took more care of my hair than she did of hers...
Typical!
Oil, comb,wash ,braid ,plait or make pony tails of my hair till I was old enough to supposedly handle them myself.
And then ,in a hissy fit...I went and got them permanently screwed.
In what was known as a PERM .Because I wanted what the others had...Big, curly ,over processed hair.
I subjected my  long ,wavy, soft hair to a stinky ammonia smelling chemical reaction...
Came back home looking something like this ...

To a resounding slap at the door from my mom...for I'd screwed(pun unintended)the hair she had so lovingly cultivated.
And the rest -is hair-story.
I have been fighting my now moody hair for a manageable solution since.
I often wake up with a nightmare of a bad hair day..
Even Donald Trump with all his millions has them...

I religiously try all kinds of remedies and treatments to try to straighten my hair.
My least favourite one being the hot oil treatment.

 After subjecting my hair to thick and gloppy Castor oil that refuses to wash off, leaving behind oily, straight hair.

Total NO NO!
I used coconut oil and mustard oil..they washed off better ,but I never got the desired poker straight hair that the Granny's and old wives promised.

Sigh..
I tried cooking Amla Juice,Aloe Vera Juice,Juice of Basil leaves Curry leaves and hibiscus Flowers in coconut oil and applying that too...
No poker straight hair there too.
Then there was the hair mask bit...
Did you know that bananas were good for your hair too!(Yeah Right,that is why monkeys have long luxurious locks!)

I pureed bananas and added honey and olive oil and lemon juice to it and applied this gloppy mess and sat while it tunneled its way down my face and onto my clothes and onto the math grade 7 final exam papers I was checking .Fortunately, I could wipe it all off...the somewhat straight hair was OK...but the mess was not worth it...
Then once I tried the mayonnaise test.
Straight hair???
Half a bottle of good Kraft mayo ,which would have done more good inside my body than on dead cells that we call hair...

Well straight hair ...maybe...
But the smell of the mustard and the mayo..
I smelt of a stale egg sandwich till the next time I washed my hair was so not worth it...
BTW ,I needed to wash my hair within 6 hours...My ginormous doberman was sticking to me, too much and was dropping his stinking drool all over me.
So if you have an animal at home...Bad idea.

Then the eggs on my hair which generally landed on my face...
Especially in the winters.
Nobody wants a scrambled egg hair day!
After my disastrous perm...Chemical reactions were out.So a Chemical Straightening or a rebonding treatment after an expenditure of almost 10k was out of the question.
Big no to that to.
Humidity is a curse for my hair type...as the humidity rises...my hair begins to look as frizzy as a goblin's hair...Instant curl-humidity.
Six months in a year, my hair frizzes up...
That augments my need for a cure even more!
I don't even want to start with the tales of henna on my hair...
Then it was sweet sister to the rescue!
With a Remington Straightening Iron that she bought for me from the US.

So ,today I may look like the wild witch from the west in the morning....A five minute spell on my ceramic plated straightener is all my hair needs to be straight.
No more Bad Hair Days!
All my experiments are by choice...complicated!
Not that I choose them,they just happen to me!
Maybe you have something better...Mind sharing??
I learnt that its not just important to envy the grass on the other side of the fence-or the hair on the other woman's head...it is important to care for and water the grass too...maybe use a hair pack!
I've also learnt not to experiment too much...as long as you have a hair on your head...that is always better than two on the brush!

So what do you straighten your hair with?

PS this is my entry to the Sunsilk Straight Hair Experiment. for Indiblogger.

All Images Courtesy -Google!

Read More