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!

A Burst of Sunshine

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

Father's Day 2012

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

The Kilimanjaro Treat

Upside down mini red velvet cupcakes dressed with white frosting and sugar pearls to mimic the South African volcanic mountain that exhibits a snow capped peak.

Mini Delights, Big Hearts

Here's wishing everyone a very delectably delicious and an absolutely sweet new year 2012.

Every year brings with it new hopes, new desires and holds the promise of a fresh start.  Why is that so important? It's because as human beings, we are programmed to seek perfection in all we do.  We want to get it right and be right and failing that to some extent every year we find ourselves eagerly looking forward to the start of each new year.  What we perhaps need to understand is that a little bit of imperfection is just fine or the fact that every next moment can be a new start.  Nature in all its glory is asymmetrical and imperfect and yet holds captivating beauty and potential. 

People tend to make resolutions around health, fitness, money, travel, home and relationships.  I have long stopped making such resolutions. I try to wish for new beginnings and new adventures on a daily basis now.  A whole year is too long for me to envision.   To me, a new year is a milestone to explore new horizons, new ideas and be bolder than I have ever been in the past.  And if I must make a resolution this year, it will be to have a big heart in all I do and to strive and find inner peace (*I have a lot of water bubbles and fire balls to catch in my palms I guess...).

The above mini treats were made for my daughter and son's classmates to wish them a very happy new 2012 and may their big smiles and big hearts teach me to live life anew.

*Ref: Kung Fu Panda 2

Lil' Pumpkin

Dark chocolate fudge cupcake for a baby shower to honor a special couple's very own first little pumpkin...Decorations in butter-cream frosting and sugar.

Building Blocks of Fun (LEGO)

Eggless cupcakes with butter-cream frosting, sprinkles and fondant shaped all edible LEGO pieces.

Red Velvet, Black Tie

The earliest memory I have of my father is that of his lullabies which consisted of the same two songs every night, one of which was his national anthem!  The next memory as I grew a little older is that of standing by the window sill waiting for him to come home from work and hand me his leftover roasted peanuts in a paper cup (which he would typically buy from the roadside vendor on his walk back from the bus stop).  From that to the day when he visited me during my graduate school days and cooked me a meal with his own hands...the memories have multiplied and changed to varying degrees over the years but there is one aspect that has not altered one bit: my love for him.

There is a special bond that daughters share with their fathers.  It's a relationship that is both the envy and pride of mothers. As little girls we look up to our father as our hero, our very own 'tall, dark and handsome' warrior.  As we grow a bit older  our vision changes and we see our fathers with admiration, love and respect.  He becomes a source of motivation and inspiration.  And finally as we step into the role of parenthood, it becomes increasingly clear how important that shoulder to sit on and the back to hang from is.  Any man can be a father but it takes a certain special touch to be a 'dad'.  Here's laying out the red carpet and a special black tie for the very best: the dads of this world.  And a special thank you and I love you to mine...


Red velvet cupcakes were dressed in dark Ghirardelli cappuccino chocolate ganache frosting with white fondant specs to celebrate this special event.  Happy Dad's Day!

Busy Bees & Happy Hearts

 Many many years ago I was taught that teachers are to be respected, revered, thanked and occasionally given a place higher than the Almighty.  The last bit confused me slightly.  How could someone hold more importance than God?  What the quotation meant was that for the fortunate few of us who get an education, teachers play a very important role in shaping our destinies.  The value of any type of education is worth its weight in gold.  But the value of an education that teaches us to balance the brain with the feelings in our hearts is priceless.  Let me elaborate what I mean here.  

Contrary to the belief, it is actually not so hard to learn the mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the social sciences, literature and other topics from books, electronic media and through practice.  What is difficult are their applications in real life towards doing our best in our professions.  What is even more difficult is being smart about how we apply it all to the work we do...and perhaps what is the most difficult task is to decide whether we act with our mind or heart when doing the work we do.  I guess that is what makes the school my daughter goes to more special to me than others.  The principal and teachers of the school actually have a way of encouraging hard work and comradery amongst students starting from a very young age.  They are awarded with what's called a Busy Bee or a Happy Heart certificate.  Busy Bee amplifies hard work and sincerity in making academic progress while a Happy Heart symbolizes acts of kindness, compassion and a cheerful demeanor.  What a concept!  To teach kids to learn the value of sometimes playing fair and at other times being a tough competitor.  I believe it takes a great combination of these two attributes for succeeding in the real world.  Even amongst the best and most witty politicians and professionals, the ones with charm and charitable intentions are celebrated long after they depart the earth, making this life-lesson a worthwhile one for each one of us to adopt.

I raise my cup-cakes to salute the teachers of yesterday, today and tomorrow with a special thanks to those who will be a significant part of our life through our children's education.  These were chocolate cupcakes filled with a dollop of chocolate ganache on the inside and covered with all fondant decorations in keeping with the theme of the Teacher's Appreciation Day this year.  For only a busy bee with wings of heart can take flight and enjoy the honey of life.  Each cupcake was individualized with the initial of the last name of each teacher to make them feel extra special.

Mother's Day

 It took me by surprise when I first heard of Mother's Day.  One has to put a date to celebrate the most important person in everyone's life? Really?  Isn't every day a Mother's Day?  Can you think of a day in your life when you haven't wailed her name, thought of her and missed her?  The first time I learnt of this celebration was when I was over 20 years old.  That in itself told me how utterly ungrateful and unthoughtful I might have been towards the least respected, least paid job in the world. So it's no small surprise that we really need to mark one date (at the very least) on our calendars to make sure we thank and appreciate mothers for just simply: everything.  

It was almost a decade later when I realized the true significance of the position and job title. What warms my heart is that we are doing something to spread the awareness amongst our children of how precious moms are.  Then there is something to be said about the moms of this century...Despite the diversity all around the world, mothers everywhere have managed to evolve over time to doing more and more. I find it extremely humbling when my mother or mother-in-law still finds the time and patience to learn something new, do something different...

From taking a serious interest in the professional world to enhancing their participation in politics, sports, world economy and even martial arts, the moms of this era have not let motherhood stop them at all!   Today's mothers are a chef, housemaid, friend, teacher, counselor and banker all rolled in one.  They say it takes a village to raise a child...I pretty much see the whole village in the moms of today.  Despite their new and enhanced roles it's quite a blessing indeed that most of them still love to indulge in their passions for fashion, entertainment and family fun.  They are what I call true divas!

So let's raise a toast for all the moms of the world with this year's design of lemon flavored cupcakes topped with a few fashion accessories in fondant.

Play Ball

There are times of deep thoughts and inspirational moments and then there are times when you just have to take flight in free spirit and play ball!  This is one of those moments...Enjoy the games!

Lemon flavored cupcakes with edible balls atop butter-cream/cream cheese frosting.

Cheers!

Let's raise our cupcakes to toast yet another wonderful year.  Despite the ups and downs through the year, I call it wonderful because there are more things to be thankful for than before...It's almost a year  of blogging for me now and I want to thank my followers for supporting me on this sweet journey.  I look forward to the new year and hope that it brings success and joy in all our endeavors. 

Coming to the more important question now.  Do I make new year's resolutions?  Not any more.   I cannot seem to make logical resolutions even if my life depended on it and to hope that the illogical ones are kept intact would be a miracle at best.  So, I've changed my philosophy slightly..."be flexible" is my new aim...It will allow me to cater to each situation without breaking any resolution.  How's that for perfection?  Okay, so it's a little cheating, but it's smart cheating.  Cheers!

Mini Ornaments

Ornaments are not just meant to adorn a tree or the body. Sometimes they are meant to bring joy to the tongue and tummy. No, seriously I mean it. We eat with our eyes and nose first and so a treat has to entice our palate with looks and aroma. These tiny delights were designed with just this in mind: rich burgundy, sky blue and little flakes of snow. Here's wishing everyone a very happy holiday season ahead. Cheers!

Traditions

Of all the winter traditions that are around, my favorite one is making a snowman...it brings back memories from my childhood where a negative 36F did nothing to freeze my spirits (northern Canada).  From toboggan rides down steep hills to making 'angels' in the snow, my only worry in life was climbing back up the hill covered in 9 feet of ice and snow.  I consider myself very lucky to have enjoyed a healthy and happy childhood and this holiday season I wanted to do something for those who don't have either.  I didn't know how until my place of work hosted a holiday craft fair.  So I put on my baking gloves and created some red velvet winter delights.  And while spreading the word on La Tangerine Cakes and Treats, I ended up raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital which strives to bring hope to the lives of many who cannot go out and make a snowman of their own...

A Sweet Flame

Tiny drops of water make a mighty ocean...Little bites of cakes make a beautiful flame.   Each piece (cupcake) was uniquely decorated and looked lovely on its own, but when they were brought together they created a harmony of colors and symbolized the light of hope, fortune and all things good for the new year to come.  This edible display speaks volumes about an amazing school principal who believes in celebrating people and their various cultures with open arms and a warm heart.  Here's wishing the students, teachers and their families a very happy festival of lights (Diwali).

Rangoli Treats

It is now only a week away from Diwali celebrations in India.  Although the origin of this festival of lights is predominantly religious in nature; it's significance  goes far beyond.  The many facets of this festival include the traditional art of rangoli, the sparkle of fireworks, the endless sweet treats and the numerous oil lamps that adorn the homes symbolizing victory of good over evil (from darkness to light).   

Rangoli or Alpana is an ancient cultural tradition and folk art from India and is an inherent part of the festival. The designs and styles may vary, but the spirit and culture behind it is its diversity and various dimensions that bring together a harmony of colors. Traditionally drawn with colored rice powder or rice flour, it's purpose is to decorate and bring good luck to the doorstep of the home where it sits.  Here's wishing friends and neighbors a very happy new year ahead with these "east meets west" rangoli cupcakes.

Leo...

My hug-gable bear... When you have a little boy who is as hug-gable as your first stuffed bear but just as strong headed as a lion, you have to call him The Leo Bear!  These were red velvet cupcakes topped with a fondant star and teddy bear for Ronak's school friends. 

Go Women!

I am back after a short hiatus from the baking world.  My time away was spent at two conferences.  The presentations are probably very similar year after year, but what changes is how our brain processes the information with time.  From the naive listener to the more confident presenter, it has been quite a remarkable journey for me.  
The first was a technical conference and the second more of a networking event.  Of all the presentations, the most amazing one was a talk by an Olympic gold medalist.  She is the only woman in the history of the Olympics to have qualified for and competed in 3 distinct sporting events, winning gold in one of them.  Her story outlining her failures and successes have created a lasting impression in my mind.  Her key takeaway message was "ganbare" (a Japanese word) meaning 'don't give up'.  
What has the above cupcakes got to do with all this? They were for the volunteers at the event that brought together the wonderful event and the inspirational speakers.  Lemon and red velvet with vanilla and cream cheese frosting and decorations to celebrate women and their invincible spirit!

Petite Delights

Miniature red velvet cupcakes topped with white chocolate designs are a great way to treat yourself without the guilt.  The rich, smooth velvety texture of the cake combined very well with the crunch of the white chocolate on top.  Go RED!

Cupcake Bonanza!

A Very Happy Mother's Day!  A simple and elegant way to wish all the mothers you know is to treat them to some special cupcakes and flowers.  Here are this year's cups of love decorated in whipped cream and butter cream icing and topped with edible flowers.  I hope the lucky Moms find a quiet time to enjoy the special treats sent by their special friends...