A Note to the Baker

The fact that I've found my baking bliss is re-affirmed when I get 'love' Notes like these....

You see, Avril, life isn't supposed to be all "cakewalk" and no "baking."

Especially not for those who like to experiment, take risks, and be surprised.

Please pass the sparklers,
The Universe

PS: Sound like anyone you know, Avril?

A Christmas Fruit Cake

Im quite excited!!! This is turning out to be a year for many firsts. Keeping with the spirit, Im attempting my first ever Christmas Fruit Cake project :) I LOVE rum fruit cake - and now is the time to do.

Image from original article on guardian.co.uk

This recipe caught my attention a couple of months ago, and after deliberating over a total of 5 recipes I narrowed it down to this one. Why, you ask? 'Cos it says Cinnamon Honey Fruit Cake, and anyone who knows me well, knows about my long-standing love affair with the pungent sweet spice. (I'm in love...sigh!)

Last Sunday, we chopped figs (J dislikes dates), apricots, fruit peel, and threw in black raisins (only we forgot to de-seed them!). The recipe does not call for pre-soaking of any kind. But keen to experiment, I decided to take the plunge. Into the 600 gms of dry fruit, we added 150 ml of rum (altho' the recipe calls for brandy), and I think its time to add another 100 ml! Plan to bake on 23rd night or 24th morning.

Christmas is in the air.

Advent Calendar

I'll admit. I've never had one. So naturally when the delightful Ms. Jones over at How About Orange posted this absolutely must-do craft, I could not resist! And when it said free download....I couldn't resist more! :P


Since I had trouble downloading the file, the good folks at Mibo emailed it to me!!!!
It took me all of 15 mins to do - start to finish! And I must say was immensely creatively satisfying!
Let's countdown....

EG Reloaded

A month is a long enough break. I missed my blog!!!! I missed being here, my private world, my public universe.

However, this elfin girl has been up to her ears in work, and given how elfin I am, it got to my ears pretty quick. HOWEVER, other than work, Im ecstatic to share that I finally got myself around to doing what I'd been hoping to.....aiming for a HOMEMADE HANDMADE CHRISTMAS!!!!

I was hoping to give away at least one handmade gift to each of the people on our Christmas pressie list! So far, I've managed to do much! :) So drop by and stick around for a good measure of crafty updates and baking updates :D

It's CHRISTmas! And I'm back!

AC UPDATE!

Andy Cooper is in town!
Andy Cooper is in town!

This was turning out to be a slightly stressful week after having yet another major fight with my mother. And then I stumbled on this bit of news! Apparently AC and a friend are vacationing in Jaipur, famous for its beautiful palaces, many of which have been converted into beautiful hotels.

I am sooooo darn excited. October has been by far the BEST month of the year!
November & December, you're in for some tough competition!

Psst: Look at my Thoughts Become Things in 2009 list at right!

RIP Stephen Gately

If you don't know who Stephen Gately is you probably aren't a Boyzone fan or weren't about 16/17 when they were oh-so-popular. I was. Both.

I've been so damn pleased with the way this pre-birthday week is turning out. Last night, we were out partying at TGIF's with some of J's colleagues. But this morning, I've woken up to the horrid news that Stephen Gately has passed away in his sleep while holidaying in Majorca. How? What? Why? No details have surfaced yet. Boyzone reunited recently after 7 years. And as much as I've grown in my musical tastes, I will always have a soft corner for the boy band that was such a huge part of my teen years! Only just last night while returning from the party, I mentioned to a friend that I was a huge Boyzone fan! Strange.

This autographed pic is something Ja got me when he was trying desperately to get a first date with me. He kept asking me out, I kept turning him down. Background - Ja used to be a Radio Jockey. Steve Gately was in Mumbai to promote his first solo album 'New Beginning' and Ja asked if he would give him an autograph for me. Needless to say, Steve willingly obliged. I love this photo. I have been blessed to work with some of the biggest celebs, but this is the only celeb autograph I have. And it seems like I will love this one forever.

RIP Steve.

Birthday Stencil

A year ago, I thought Id get myself to working with stencils like here and here.
And I've only just gotten 'round to a stencil painting!!!
I wanted to make J something for his birthday this year (Oct 14th). I know he's a HUGE John Lennon (& The Beatles, and actually all Brit music) fan, so I thought long and hard about what I could get him. Since he's a tee-and-denim ghttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8791135483635639189uy, I thought a Lennon tee would be apt. Then I revisited that idea, thinking buying a store-bought Lennon tee is so predictable and boring - he could do that himself!
Then finally, in a way I can only think was divinely inspired, it dawned on me. Make a Lennon painting! But how??? I love to colour - but drawing, that talent is not mine to enjoy in this lifetime! :P Next best option - STENCIL! I stumbled upon this project and found the John Lennon Stencil here. This is what the stencil looked like below....you'll also find a WHITE version ie a white background with grey highlights, use the white option to print and cut your stencil.


I chose acrylic paints in two colours- metallic blue for the highlights and metallic black for them background. Here's the pic with the highlights in place. I call this version - Scary Lennon :P


The masterpiece is complete!

an "eventful" week!

Every year before my birthday rolls by...a week before, to be precise...I document each day in my journal, always looking for signs of what i believe is a glimpse of future. I began this tradition at my 16th birthday and have kept up for most of the years since.

This week is turning out to be quite something else. Tues, I had a film event at work. Today, I had another film event at work. Being Bollywood film events, and given my own experience with them in another lifetime (when I worked in the events industry), I felt a strange sense of deja vu. Events had always been my first love. Which is why I jumped headlong into my first job. I am extremely grateful and feel tremendously blessed when I think of all the work I was fortunate to be a part of. Then I gave it up to do something most girls my age consider taboo- become a home-maker. I still believe I am a home-maker, juggling my home and professional commitments with ease (on most days at least :P). What surprises me is how being a writer has brought me right 'round to something I loved, altho' this time I expce it from the other side.

A year ago to this day, I had no work. I was in between projects. I didnt know where the money would come from. My husband had his one retainer client. Since then, I've been blessed with more work than I can handle (having to cut back on clients sometimes!), been able to get the toplines and bottomlines in place, get pay-hikes (yes, in the middle of a recession), put some savings in the bank....all stuff Id never appreciated before. Im not a "paper chaser", but I think Im old enough to appreciate how hard I work to earn it. I feel a lot more confident 'cos I've finally found something I love to do! Like most people, I love receiving positive feedback on my work (which is imp for me, 'cos Im perpetually oscillating in a state of self-doubt...is it good, is it not, will it be blah blue bleh).

And that brings me to this --> I feel like I can finally take that step forward and reach for my dreams. I dont know how, I dont know when, all I know is that there is a feeling of hope firmly embedded in my heart. And even on a day when the world says it cant be done, something inside of me says "Dont listen to the world, just press on."

WIP

Tell you what, Avril: If you can get happy right now, in spite of any problems, challenges, and circumstances that now seem to taunt you, I'll take care of those problems, challenges, and circumstances, as well as "ever-after."

Agh-hmm... Please, do the math, take the bait, and never look back.

The Universe

Bread

I have a new obsession - bread. I love bread. I like eating it. I like looking at it. I love the smell of freshly baked bread. I love the sight of it on my plate, when its all nice and sliced up.

However, I've tired of the white varieties so easily available, and the brown varieties that turn out to be not-so-fresh ('cos folks tend to purchase the cheaper white alternatives). Plus, I figured since my skills in the baking department are more than satisfactory (to J and me at least), I might as well get my act together. And with all the food blogs I've been trawling lately, inspiration it seems, is not in short supply.

So far this is what interests me! And I shall get to them as soon as this weekend dawns on me!