Baking is Fun

The past two weeks or rather weekends were spent in recreating the stuff learnt at baking class.  It was fun getting my hands in the dough and kneading it to get a fairly elastic texture.  Breads seem to be a lot more easier than cakes, not too many ingredients and it isn't so much hard work as I thought it was.  Once you have mastered the kneading techniques it can be great fun, to then play around with the proven dough.  I think I am going to experiment a lot with breads. 

In Love with Goa...

A getaway to one of my favourite places in the world - Goa - and since I am a Goan it holds a very special place in my heart.  I could keep writing about Goa.  I visit it almost every year and each time has been special and with a different story to tell.  So dont be surprised if you find me writing some more posts connected with Goa again.  Last year I spent time in Chorao which is my ancestral village to celebrate my birthday with two of my closest  friends. The island is close to Panjim city and one has to take a ferry  to reach the island.

Time to Bake

I have a confession to make...

Baking intimidates me...and by baking I mean baking cakes, breads, sponges. 
I have made unsuccessful attempts at baking and all this deters me from trying out the next recipe.
I comfort myself by saying it just takes too much time and too much precision. 

Dessert Dilemma..

A last minute whip up usually yields the best surprises.  Most often  a well planned holiday or a carefully thought out  menu or a beautifully planned wedding does not really seem to go all the way as planned.  There will always be some goof ups here and there but no one really notices or realises that something is different except the planner.  And that is because alongwith our planning we carry too many expectations and anxieties around  it.  Although I am a person who loves to organise and plan and prepare way ahead to avoid stress and running around at the nth hour,  I’d like to leave room for a few unplanned glitches.  Especially when it comes to travelling, these little uncertainties make for memorable moments.  Else it can never be that 'perfect' holiday.  Perfect is boring.

Its raining again

I wake up to a beautiful day.  The sky is grey and its raining.  Yes its finally raining.  The wind is lashing the rains against the window panes and I can feel this light mist on my face just right to make me pop up straight in my bed and look out of the window.  Am feeling lethargic to get dressed and get to work but at the same time am looking forward to wear my new pair of rain wear shoes and get a little wet. So I quickly get off my bed and get the water boiling for tea and am in the mood to listen to some Beatles.  They start belting out 'Love Love me do'...Perfect boys you are into the mood of things. A quick shower, breakfast and am out and soon on a train. 

The Birthday Weekend

Sweet lil birthday message from darling Mel

Birthdays are special days, says who?,  says me.  And why not?  If I wouldn’t be born here on this earth, I would never have known my funny family , my crazy friends and my naughty nephews.  I would not have been writing this blog.  Jane would probably be an alien on some other planet.  Well I can hear someone chuckle, she almost looks like one.  And what if I was born without a roof over my head or in famine stricken Ethiopia.  Ethiopia – sorry I am drifting now, hey I would be adopted by Angelina or Madonna.  No such luck would be too old for that, would probably be adopted as the nanny.  Well but where I am is the perfect place where I was planted and there is every reason for me to celebrate life. There is a purpose and plan for each one of us, so they say.  And I think my plan now is to make the most of this weekend.  

For Dad...

The daughter is always referred to as Daddy’s little girl.  Well my Dad has four daughters to call his little girls, though far from  little anymore.  But I remember he calling us his “Little Women” and that was the one of the first simple adaptation of the classic by Louisa May Alcott that he had gifted us.  And inside the book he wrote “To My Little Women – With Love Dad”.  I loved reading it and me and my sisters identified with the four sisters in the story – Meg, Joe, Beth and  Amy .  And  at that time we were curious to know who would be  Laurie.