Season's Greetings and Peace on Earth...

Yet another year has gone by.  As I sit down to write my last post of the year I seem to have mixed feelings about this year and the future.  I do not view myself as the most optimistic person in the world.  Yet my family members tell me that I have unbelievable mental stamina, patience and perseverance.  Three attributes that can bring about incredible results.  So I ask myself why then am I not doing anything about everything wrong out there in the world today? 

The Mayans predicted the end of the world this year.  I think they were right.  Metaphorically speaking the end has started.  We are 'breathing' in an era where the lives of children have no meaning.  We are 'living' in a world where women are the targets of war and acts of barbarism.  We are 'alive' in a world where terrorism is thriving by the day and humanity appears to have set like the distant sun.  Why bother worrying about the future of the planet or who will nurture its health?  The Hippocratic oath of 'do no harm' has now transpired to become more of 'do no good either'...

Then I look the other way and tell myself that there is still good left on earth.  The Mars rover is a victory for mankind, the sciences and the spirit of the human mind.  The incredible feats of the Olympians are an inspiration to the world.  The capture and killing of one of the world's greatest enemy is a sign that we did not give up fighting for what's right in the wake of difficulty or hardship, no matter how long it took.  These give me HOPE.  A crucial element for survival.  The end will happen the day we lose hope and give up.  But we can't do that for there is much at stake and far too many beautiful things worth fighting for: love, peace and justice.

On a personal note, I am thankful that the list of things I am thankful for  this year is too long to count.  But I know that there is more to life that awaits me in the coming year.  Above all I must strive to be worthy of being a human being.    

As I close with a wish for a very safe, happy and peaceful season for all of you I hope that you take a few moments to think about how you can become the change we want to see in the world.  It doesn't have to be something big. It doesn't have to be something grand.  Small yet effective changes like education, the value of discipline, family time, encouragement, respect for one another, etc.  And just like charity, it all begins right at home.  

Season's greetings and peace on earth...   

A Field of Flowers...

Eggless orange-pineapple cake with apricot pineapple preserve filling and buttercream frosting.

A Glass Full of Delight

It should come as no big surprise really that life's best lessons are learnt by living life itself.  Sometimes the best way to learn is through experience.  Sometimes it is better to heed the advice of the wise and yet at other times it is neither and one must rely on sheer instinct.  No matter what the outcome of each life-lesson, we have a habit of complaining and wishing for something more, something else.  The pursuit appears to be endless but what if we paused just for a second and looked around us? Will we suddenly find ourselves more fortunate than another? Will we stop lamenting about our woes and wishing that the next person's troubles never find their ways to our home?  The answer most certainly is a YES. 

Each one of us have our own battles to fight.  Each and every family has their Achilles' heels.  By wishing our troubles away and complaining that our glass is half empty we do ourselves no good.  Instead if we look at the half-filled glass we have, we can focus on the joys they bring and perhaps be less judgemental about our own selves and of others.  This holiday season let's try and enjoy whatever the glass holds for each of us and try to relax a little.  Times are getting tougher and the fight of our lives will continue to unfold as a new year dawns upon us.

Petite glasses filled with layers mimicking dark chocolate and raspberry tiramisu delights.

Life Begins at 40

 

An eggless mellow lemon flavored cake filled with apricot/pineapple preseve and dressed in white fondant/hotpink/black polka dot decor to match the theme of the birthday party. Cheers to living it up in the years to come!

Election Style...

Today is another day of choices: red or blue?  Meaning Republican or Democrat...who should we choose to lead our nation? Who do we make the most powerful citizen of the free nation? Freedom gives us the right to vote and choose our leaders.  But no matter what the outcome is we must remember a few things:
1.  Success of the nation lies in the hands of each and every citizen, not just the leaders.  We must continue to do our best and treat others with respect and trust.
2. Change is difficult and bringing about change that makes life better is a hard uphill task. So let's stop being judgemental.
3. As long as we strive hard and keep freedom alive a nation will prosper and progress.  Let's pledge to work together to harness in an era of good education, decent lifestyle and a sense of pride for ALL citizens.

Let us all be the change that we wish to see around us. 

Angry Anyone?

Hands down, Angry Birds is the game of the first quarter of this century.  It is yet another pivotal innovation first released on the operating system of the fruit company that does not sell a single piece of fruit.  If ever there was something that could unite nations, generations or people of various ages and backgrounds it has to be this computer game.  The game was born with a variety of wingless birds being angry at something...no one knew what at the time.  But since swine flu was an epidemic during the creation of this application, pigs became the first (and obvious) chosen enemies (now there are other variations ofcourse). It sure is amazing how addictive it can be to propel wingless birds as projectiles to kill some bodyless pigs with all kinds of attitude.  What a remarkable creation by Rovio...

Anger can be a deadly emotion.  It not only kills your inner self but also those around you, silently.  It's okay to be mad and angry at times about things not going your way-- that is normal human psychology.  But if this emotion starts to consume your very existence then there's a problem. It would be great if there were no laws against throwing projectiles at our enemies- we too, like the birds could score big and be happy at the end of a win.  But since society prevents us from tossing bricks at each other we are forced to manage anger in other ways.  Some cry, some withdraw, some vent their feelings while some end up with worse predicaments.  I believe the worst style of anger management is when you silently burn a hole in your soul by bottling it all up.  Anger eats into you little by little and you lose yourself without even realizing the damage.   That doesn't mean that you should cry and vent every time you are angry; it means you have to use that anger to fuel your inner drive instead and aim for inner peace instead.  It takes a day, a month and sometimes a lifetime for  to learn to forgive, forget and convert anger into strength.  Mastering anger is one of the keys to achieving inner peace and we all know that peace is infinitely more glorious than war, any day.

Angry bird toppers made out of fondant for an angry bird cake theme.  Sling, stones and wood pieces (including TNT box) made from mini-chocolates and RKT. 

Spooky Fun

Spooky fun seems to be a misnomer of sorts...Let's face it: no one feels fear and fun at the same instant, unless you are on a roller coaster.  Even on a roller coaster ride you feel fear in a controlled environment and hence it appears like a thrill.  Would you ever venture on one if someone told you that there had been no maintenance done on the unit or worse if they thought a screw had come loose somewhere?

What is fear and why is it the driving force behind everything in life?  Why does the distressing emotion brought on by impending danger or pain force us to drive in over gear?  Fear of repercussion, fear of failure, fear of poverty, fear of death...the list is endless. What would our lives look like if we had none of these? 

Buddhism teaches us that much of our suffering, both as individuals and as a society ebbs from fear.  Fear is at the very root of our egos and personalities.  It manifests itself in the fight or flight syndrome worldwide and extensive research in science and religion is being done even to this day to understand how to overcome this emotion and master it.  There must be a bigger force of nature that allows soldiers to overcome fear in the face of death, that allows a mother to venture into the most daring acts of valor when it comes to her child or that pushes a person to unknown limits of bravery. 

Perhaps the keys to conquering fear are threefold:
1. To believe strongly: in yourself and a higher power
2. The confidence of knowing that our words and actions are true and
3. To free onself from constant judgement

When we start to heed our conscience and look at the world with our hearts rather than our egos,  we become liberated and there is nothing more fun in life than a fearless demeanor.

Our 3 P's

From as far back in memory as I can recall, I remember my parents preaching two things over and over again: to strive towards a life of financial independence and to push myself to the limit of my potential.  Thanks to their efforts and constant push, I managed to get a decent education and a job to pay for the miseries I have come to enjoy in life.  But the lessons of life didn't end there. 

The job world opened up a whole world of education in a new form in front of me and I learnt very quickly that doing your best and acquiring a paycheck doesn't really mean much in the long run.  There are other aspects to navigating the corporate zoo.

First, the job-world is definitely not a child's playground.  There are no kudos for 'playing fair' or 'playing nice': instead you have to learn the art of 'playing savvy' while mastering office politics. Translation: Professionalism. 

Second, there are no 'friends' at work, they are your colleagues, mentors, coaches or at best acquaintances.  The best friendships are typically what you have nurtured back in your school/college days.  The sooner you accept this the easier it becomes to manage workload and finish your tasks. Translation: Productivity (Matrix Management/Collaboration)

Third and quite important: how you look, walk, talk and present yourself.  Translation: Personality. The whole nine yards count: your people skills, your mannerism, your integrity and your nature.

The fact that you were selected for a job means you are technically qualified.  There's very little debate there unless you were hired by turkeys.  But what about the 3P's that go with you everywhere? What about the soft skills that no one talks about or trains you on but the keys to opening doors everywhere?

And thus was born the concept of having a forum at our workplace that caters to the development of our 3 P's.  Let's face it: You have to have a good ROI (return on investment) for your time and dedication towards the work you do. You have to make your work count and be acknowledged.  In order to do that, you need to sharpen your saw and take advantage of the sweet benefits of the P's.  Remember, mom always wanted you to eat your peas, they are good for you...and now I know, moms are never wrong...

Sugar cookies baked with fondant peas for our next 3P Forum talk.  Thanks Tracy for all the hard work! 

Garland of Fortune

A chocolate cake dressed in an edible flower garland (made of cake and frosting) and the restaurant logo marking a new beginning for Chennai Masala in Hillsboro, Oregon.  Wish you all the best!

Modern Foret Noire

A modern twist on the black forest cake: chocolate cake layered with strawberry preserve, whipped cream and topped with whipped cream, strawberry jelly, chocolate curls/balls and edible glitter.

Lil' Monkey

Most of us are inherently fond of little children.  They carry with them love and warmth.  They bring about joy, cheer, hope and a future worth looking forward to.  The birth of a child brings about many things: new beginnings, new found appreciation for our parents, belief in a higher power, the virtue of patience and the vulnerability that we don't control everything after all.  In addition to some of life's greatest lessons, a child teaches us many simple things.... 

A child teaches us to love without prejudice, to forgive without seeking vengeance, to overlook imperfections, to find blissful joy in a sandbox and to enjoy life without peer pressures and ego-hassles.  Cognitively speaking their cranial neurons have not formed enough connections to recognize stress, fear competition or prepare for achieving perfection.  As such they can giggle and laugh and 'monkey' around without a care in the world.  Over the years as the burden of responsibility, social competition or financial goals hit our lives we tend to lose that carefree attitude but somewhere somehow that little monkey never dies from our heart and soul.  This is perhaps why people tend to act inappropriately under toxication or extreme power. Scientific terms call it 'amygdala hijack'. 

Whatever be the neurological reason behind our actions/words, I still believe that in order to stay young we must keep that lil' monkey alive in us.  Every so often (be it on vacation or when we are not prone to causing harm onto others) we ought to let the child in us come out and enjoy life without a care in the world; we ought to skip and jump and add vigour back to our otherwise serious routine of life. Go ahead, run barefeet in the grass, bike to your nearest park and lay under the tree with the sun shining through, float a few paper boats in the nearest puddle or wade through a stream of cold, clear water.  I guarantee you that the lil' monkey in your heart will thank you for it.

An eggless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling was draped in antique white fondant to grace this baby shower occasion.  Atop the cake sat a completely edible little monkey in an all edible crib (sans the ribbons). Welcome little one to your special family...

 

Baby in Pink

A baby shower gift for someone dear (with a little help from a commercial bakery).  Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, white buttercream frosting and handmade fondant decor.

Holiday Cookies

The title of the post is probably a bit premature...given that most of the celebrations and festivals are yet to come.  But what do you do when after a nice, long vacation you are thrown back in the fire and heat of work, school and all aspects of responsibilities?  You crave for something that gives you the feeling of lasting comfort even if it's at the cost of enormous guilt.  To beat post vacation blues in my home I came up with a twist on the raspberry jam bars...metamorphosed the same recipe into cookies this time.  Sweet, chewy and slightly tart in taste  these cookies were paired with a glass of cold milk to give everyone a smile and some energy to 'conquer the world'.

At this point, as the Monday blues hit home on an otherwise relaxing Sunday evening, I feel the need for a mood lifting potion myself.  Inertia as defined in the physics text books is indeed a dangerous thing.  When I am on the go, there is no stopping, no resting and no pausing.  One break from the crazy pace and I feel derailed.  It feels like I have to climb Mt. Everest all over again to get back into the swing of things.  Does anyone else feel that way?  Does that mean long trips and holidays spent in distant lands are bad for folks like me?  

Naah...it may feel awful to work hard again, but long holidays to yonder lands are wonderful because they help you reconnect with many things in life: 
1. Your health
2. Your family
3. Your friends and relatives
4. Your roots and above all
5. Your heart and soul...

I shall strive to take more breaks and not fear the pace.  I shall strive to work with a smile and laugh while I play, for there's always a sweet thing or two that is around to glue the gaps between. 

Ninjas

Celebrating my son's fifth birthday with a lemon cake layered with raspberry and apricot/pineapple preserves...Yummylicious...

Brilliant Radiance

The title on this post suggests a sunny disposition and an attitude that brings radiating joy all around.  A Leo in all sense of the word, these attributes describe one of the rays of sunshine in my life: my little boy who turned five this year.  These little sunshine cupcakes were designed by him and executed by mom and big sister to bring a little brightness to his class.  Happy Birthday Ronak!

Saffron Halwa

People are raving about the Olympics.  The athletes, the events, the good, the bad, the weather and everything even remotely tied to winning a medal.  I too have been closely following some of the excitement and marvelling at the grace, poise, tenacity and will power of champions.  The ability of 16 year olds in handling the stress of having just a 'few' people's eyes on them or the ability of 30 yr olds in keeping up with the physical stamina of teenagers in pursuit of perfection and speed is mindboggling.  Add to that the fact that many of us have dealt with similar pressures and performance issues academically and you realize what an amazing artifact the human brain is...With practice and perseverance the brain can be wired any which way to master an art and that's what they call "champions by design"- a very important concept of neurology.  

Regardless of who wins medals or which flag flies high there's something else that I am loving more about this year's Games.  It has given me an opportunity to indulge in what I call "snuggles with the family".  I love sinking into a single couch or the bed with everyone and cozy up to watch the delayed telecasts.  I had quite forgotten how comforting it feels to take a few moments to just sit with the family, snuggle the kids, giggle, laugh and fall asleep on each other.   It feels like I am surrounded by the warmth of little wheatlets cooked in milk, sugar, ghee and saffron, just like the dish called 'halwa'...just another form of the ultimate culinary comfort...

My take?  If you haven't tried the dish, that's fine but you will be missing something for sure if you don't take the time to hug the family.  Time is flying by fast and we don't realize it amidst the rat race of corporate ladders and social comparisons.  Sometimes it's the little things in life that matter the most...nothing else comes close.

The Olympic Flames 2012

Let's celebrate the Olympians of this year with this bouquet of raspberry flowers bursting amidst a vanilla cheesecake. Go champions!

A Burst of Sunshine

Dark chocolate-orange cupcakes filled with coffee flavored chocolate pudding and topped with fondant/royal icing decor.  Happy Summer everyone!

Red.White.Blue

A 10th wedding anniversary cake made out of simple white vanilla cake and fondant decor.  The cake was served with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream.  Here's to another 10 years of fireworks to brighten your lives.

Father's Day 2012

Banana-raisin-almond muffins with a touch of extra-dark chocolate chips.