Saffron and Gold

It has been a primitive practice to associate colors  with a significant emotion or trait. 

Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. 

Brown suggests stability (earth).

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Orange or dark saffron combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.  In the Hinduism culture it symbolizes auspiciousness.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.

My favorite color, blue is pretty versatile: It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence and intelligence. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect (hence the medical suits in a hospital operating room). Dark blue is associated with depth of knowledge, expertise, power, integrity and stability; it is a preferred color for many advanced nations in the world today.  However one must avoid using blue when promoting food, because blue suppresses appetite! Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding and softness.

White stands for peace, purity and cleanliness. 

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief. 

And the list continues... Just remember that life is full of colors and the picture each one of us paints depends on the hues and colors we choose to use.

Coming back to this brownie creation, I chose a symbol of Lord Ganesha (the God of all encompassing virtues in Hinduism) in dark saffron and gold atop a medallion coin made of white chocolate.  Gold evokes the feeling of pride and prestige. It means illumination, wisdom, and wealth and often symbolizes quality par excellence.   Our heartfelt colorful good wishes go to a wonderful couple with a new home. 

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.

Spring Sunshine

"You are my sunshine, one of my sunshines,
You make me happy when skies are gray.
I never tell you how much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away."

This was my twisted version of the sunshine song.  I sang it to my daughter every single night from the day I learnt she was on the way to when she was about three years old.  The lullabies changed over the years but not the hugs and smiles and the warmth in my heart.   A little too soon, the years crept up on me and today we celebrated her sixth birthday (albeit a few days late for convenience).  Half a dozen years later my munchkin is quite a lady now.  I see her shunning princess toys and taking to the jumprope and scooter more.  I see her preference for a swimming pool vs. the bathtub filled with water.  I also see her cry softly with her hands on her face and I know why they call these 'growing pains'.  So much change in so little time...And she is already asking about her first driving lesson!  While there is pride and joy in my heart there is a touch of sadness: if only I could have held her in my arms longer, hugged her more often and worried a little less in the years gone by.  To all my friends with young children:  don't let the small hassles get you down; enjoy the child before they fly their nest.  To my friends with not-so-little kids:  don't fret, they will always be your baby and you did raise them well. 

Live in the moment and dwell not on the past,
Look to the future but obsess not you must...
For que sera sera, whatever will be will be...
Enjoy the moments now for fleetingly gone they will be.

A few weeks before her birthday she came to me with a painting she had made.  It had a blue sky, yellow sun, few clouds, butterflies and a meadow with flowers below and asked if I could bake her a cake that captured her wish for a sunny day in spring.  I have tried in my humble capacity to mimic her bright imagination and capture the colors of joy that she brings to our hearts.  May she thrive and prosper and light up the whole galaxy in the years to come.

The Candy Express

There's definitely something to be said about the word 'candy'.  It comes in many forms and the basic notion is that it's a sweet treat.  It's both the solution and the root cause for much of our troubles in life.  We take solace in some form of candy when the day is going bad.  We celebrate with it for our life events and even offer it to the Gods as a bribe.  Then we pay the dentist, the doctor and the gym a visit to undo the damage brought on by excess amounts of it.  We admonish our children from eating it while secretly popping a few from our hidden stack.  We have festivals that are centered around candy (Valentines Day, Halloween, Diwali, etc).  We have stories that stem from houses made of candy (Hansel and Gretel) all the way to the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!  The versatility of candy is endless.  And, if you didn't know that it could also be an abstract adjective used to describe attractiveness, then look up the term 'eye-candy'.  Cheers to all of you for spreading a little sweetness around...

The request for the birthday party was a train cake.  Judging by the expression I had seen on my daughter's face the first time she learnt about Trick or Treat, I assumed that it would be hard to go wrong with candy where children are concerned.  So the request was met with the candy express above.  A mellow lemon cake frosted with soft whipped butter/cream cheese combination was the theme for little Advait's second birthday.  I hope Advait has a "terribly sweet TWOoth"!

Squiggles

I have to say that I was not looking forward to this cake initially.  I was asked to create a chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache and covered in soft whipped cream for an engineer.  I was also notified that Jasha is a gentleman and would definitely not care much about one of my pink roses on his cake!  For those of you who are familiar with soft whipped cream will know how challenging this seemingly simple request was.  I had not one but two problems: first, decorating with soft whipped cream and second, no pink roses...or any flowers for that matter.  So I focused on the only aspect left in this 'equation': engineer.  The one thing I know from my days in engineering school is that we love squiggles, the greek alphabets and anything with lines and curves.

Thus was born my version of a geeky but manly (enough) cake which should not be judged by its soft cover. I know that a combination of gooey chocolate with airy-soft creamy cloud can put someone in a 'top of the world' mood and I hope that that's how Jasha felt.

A Pot of Spring

Unbelievably, March is here again! That means we prepare to celebrate the onset of spring. It’s a time for new leaves to sprout back on those bare trees and a burst of color to fill our yards. To me spring symbolizes more than flowers and leaves. It reminds me that the time of hibernation is over. The cold winter months are soon going to come to an end and all of us need to get a jump start on the rest of the year ahead. New ideas, new projects and new explorations await us.  Celebrations with green beer and sun bathing on warm beaches are all part of March.  But before you pick up the mug or take off to warmer weather during spring break, make a promise to yourself this year: to spring forward, do your best and complain less. You cannot predict the outcome of the task at hand but you can control the process and technique required to do it. So focus on that for a change...Take up a new hobby, a new pleasure and indulge in it.  Whatever you do, do it from your heart and you will see the rainbow with a pot of gold at the end.

And talking of spring's bounty, it's also a time to look forward to warm weather.  There is one other thing that brings us warmth besides the summer sun: a good friend.  There is a certain sense of comfort that is forthcoming with them and just like spring they make us look forward to their company.   Here's wishing one such friend (who has a heart larger than life) a very happy birthday.  I wish her next year blossoms like the fresh new leaves and flowers in this pot of spring foliage (chocolate cake with shades of purple royal icing flowers).

Chic and Sweet

The math behind statistics calculates the probability of two people having the same birthday in a group of only 23 at greater than 50%.  It's been several years since I actually did probability calculations in my statistics class, but I would think it safe to assume that the probability in this case would be lower when the group is smaller.  Reality doesn't mimic possibilities for sure based on my experience recently.   A dinner party with a group of only 12 guests turned out to be a double celebration.  A few days before the evening of the party I learnt that two of the guests had the same birthday!  I am not a person who believes in coincidences but this one took me by surprise.   This is the second time in my life where I have seen same birthdays in small groups of people I know.  (Needless to say it helps a great deal to remember them for sure). 

This also tells me that we have a good chance at beating the odds  even when the numbers indicate otherwise.  This is very reassuring to know especially if hope is all we have left.  So we must continue to think positively despite the lower chances of world peace, battling illnesses and  surviving the impossible.  The power of positive thinking can at times surpass all mathematical predictions unless you are trying to pass your school grades without studying...that would be termed a miracle.

I baked each of them a personal sized chocolate cake with layers of dark chocolate ganache with the hope of making them feel extra special.

Spiderman

The very first thing I wanted to do when I was approached with a request to make 30 cookies was hum the tune: "Spiderman, Spiderman... Does whatever a spider can... Spins a web any size... Catches thieves just like flies... Watch out, here comes the Spiderman!"

There is something catchy about the tune and of all the Marvel comic superheroes Spiderman is by far the most popular. And why not? Wouldn't you like to leap and swing at will from tall structures hanging by a thread and catch the bad guys? Wouldn't you like to spin a web on top of really tall buildings and use it like a hammock? I would! The cartoon series of the 60's is still creating magic on silver screens and televisions. You've got to ponder why...Is it because every one of us wants to be a superhero of some sort? To fight evil and be invincible?  When I looked deeper into the characters I realized that there was a lot to learn beyond the swinging, leaping and cool tunes.  I learnt that (i) all the alter egos of these superheroes were ordinary people struggling with various facets of everyday life (ii) when the going got tough, each of them rose to the challenge and got going (iii) it's okay to fail at times but not okay to give up (iv) doing the right thing does matter in the end and finally the most valuable lesson learnt (v) spandex rocks!  There are two questions left in my mind: 1) do our taxes cover the municipal charges for cleaning up all those spider webs this guy leaves behind?  And 2) why can't someone tell Superman that the 'under'wear is called just that for a reason and should not be worn on top of his suit...

Here's wishing the super boy a very happy birthday and hope he has a swinging party.

Smash Cake

When I announced an invitation to a baby's first birthday party, my daughter looked truly perplexed.  "How old was the baby last year if this is his first birthday?", she asked.  "Was he a Zero?" The simple question made me ponder on why the first birthday is a big deal. No one celebrates a zero ... sounds like nothing has been achieved (we know that's NOT true).  The number one is a whole different story. It holds tremendous value.  A 'first' of everything is really special.  First inventor, first place in a competition, first baby, first tooth, first steps.... and of course a first birthday. A first birthday marks a special beginning that holds the hope and wishes of many more to come.  Besides, no one wants to celebrate a zero, unless several of them come after a numero uno dressed in the color green.

Many parents are hesitant in 'wasting' a whole cake on the birthday child to play with.  Hence the discovery of the "smash cake": a small cake that the child can have and (s)mash around (gleefully).  Here's wishing one-derful Aashneel many happy returns on his special day.  May his cheeky grin continue to warm our hearts in the years to come.

Igloo

It is quite fascinating to see what captures a child's fancy.  Sometimes it is the most obvious thing and then there are those wild weird objects.  I am told that I had a fascination with red buttons when I was a kid.  Duh?  I do realize how strange this sounds but I am sure back then, I had a perfectly logical reason for hanging onto one all day and all night long.  My father used to buy them in a dozen so that when the inevitable happened it could be replaced without me ever knowing the loss.  I am glad that he humored me in what appeared to be a trivial thing.  Today when my children have imaginary friends or obsesses over something mundane, I know in my heart that it's just a phase.  So, when your child holds on to a weird object like his or her life depended on it, instead of trying to fight the battle just go with the flow.  Unbeknownst to you, you will have won the war and formed a loving bond.

Just recently I came upon a similar request.  I was asked to make an igloo cake.  That's right, an igloo.  The easy part?  It's all white, so I didn't have to task my gray cells on color combination.  The hard part?  Trying to figure out how to make an all white (non-wedding) cake look attractive and cute for a 5 year old boy.  I made a lemon cake, layered it with banana pudding inside, covered it with white butter cream fondant and then proceeded to add the following features: some royal icing snow flakes and a baby seal perched on top.  Judging by the look on the child's face, I think it was a pretty 'cool' idea after all.

Sweet Hearts

There is a notion that some things get better with age.  The top items on my list are wine, wisdom and friendship. Having grown up in different parts of the world, I have had the chance to make many friends. Some by choice and others by destiny.  In this arena I have learnt that those with whom you can just be yourself with little or no pretense are the friends that matter in the end.  Thanks to the invention of the online social networks, I recently had the opportunity to connect with and meet one such friend almost two decades later. There wasn't enough time to travel the gap of all those years in a few hours but the hugs were warm and the smiles genuine. What warmed my heart even more was meeting her little sweethearts (children) and watching them play with mine.

Cheers to the next generation kids. I hope that despite the busy lifestyles they will have they have the opportunity to make some great friends along the way. Just like aged wine, there is something intoxicating about having some 'good old friends'. With Valentine's day just around the corner I chose to celebrate our friendship with this year's treat of dark chocolate brownie hearts glazed with pink chocolate ganache.

Love

I am not talking about the commercial aspect comprising of red hearts, pink balloons and chocolate truffles.  Those are great too if you happen to come by them occasionally in life but what I am writing about here goes deeper than that.  Deep enough that it touched my soul.  I am referring to the short story by the French writer Guy de Maupassant entitled, 'Love'. If you have never read this story then I implore you to do so, just once.  I read the story during my school days as part of my English class.  What I took away from the story in its last few paragraphs has left a lasting impression on my heart.  The author describes love through the story of two game birds in a manner that can only be described as sheer genius.  Unfortunately, I do not possess the writing skills that could do justice in elaborating this emotion any further.

What I could do was the next best thing: incorporate a couple of modern day symbols of love into one brownie treat to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.   Swans are soul mates for life, a dark chocolate bed of ganache and brownie are your ultimate guilty pleasures and the few crystals of snow/ice completed the happy heart in me.  I think it was the big slice, spoon, bowl and dollop of ice cream on top that did it for my significant other!

Good Luck!

I thought long and hard on what to put on a baby shower cake I was about to make.  All the usual designs that came to mind at first were cliches at best.  Cute babies, teddy bears, ducks, animals, 'hearty congratulations', 'best wishes'...the list was endless.  While all of them were appealing they just didn't jive with me.  So, I decided to be bold and true and not keep the expectant couple in any kind of false hope or pretense any more.  I think 'good luck' is actually more apt for first time parents (who rarely have a clue what they are in for) than any other greeting.  For it is 'luck' alone that could possibly ensure an easy delivery, a baby who sleeps through the night, has predictable feed times, doesn't need a zillion diapers a day and never, ever barfs on your best clothes.  None of the other inscriptions would come even close to making these possible. 

I have also realized the true significance of a baby shower besides helping the new parents with commercial items of use.  It is to impart to them a false sense of joy and hope that their lives will be filled with fun and happiness over the next couple of years.  The reality is perhaps all too well known for established moms and dads.  Never before in your life would you have imagined that the word 'poop' could have such a high significance in your discussions at home, work, doctor's office and in day to day socializing.  How in the world can something so adorably cute and cuddly ever produce something that could best be described as a weapon of chemical warfare..I say forget the gases Soldiers, just throw poop diapers at your enemies to suffocate them.  Cheaper and just as effective...even biodegradable!  What's even more surprising and offers solace is the fact that you soon get to a state where you are comfortable leaving the dinner table, changing one and coming right back to your meal without so much as blinking an eye.  Once you have reached that stage, you need not fear anything else in the world ever again.  And if this alone was not enough there is nothing in this world that will test the strength of your marriage than a seemingly adorable  8lb bundle of joy.  If you survive the first year together, rest assured that you can survive a nuclear holocaust.

All said and done, we eventually recover after a few years and sometimes go through the same experience a second time or more...(I can see why Martians think us to be super idiots).  So there must be some magic beyond the sleepless nights, the smelly clothes and endless domestic fights.  It's the magic in those innocent eyes, the love in their hugs, the silly giggles and the fact that babies don't discriminate.  They have no pre-conceived notions about the world and they don't care if you are rich or poor, fat or thin, dark or fair...All they care about is love and hugs and if you ask me, that's a lesson we need to learn from them.

Birthday

Dang! Another year has gone by and I am another year older.  I am not sure whether to rejoice in the fact that I am 'wiser' or keep a somber mood because I am older.  I truly doubt if I am any more wiser...  We may have mapped the human genome, explored the surface of Mars and developed crops that produce their own pesticides, but we know so little about our own brains.   Not a single scientist can yet explain the complexity of our cognitive skills with respect to age.  So what's with the phrase: older and wiser.  I think it's just a ploy to lure people to be happy on each birthday because happiness can work miracles on preserving life and youth.  So, perhaps it is not a bad ploy after all.  I felt on top of the world with greetings and warm wishes from family,friends and a delightful 'four fairies' Hallmark card from my mother.  I no longer care about the wiser or older, just happy to be alive and joyful.  I don't see wrinkles on faces anymore, I see them as 'life experiences', something you cannot beg, borrow or buy.  And I firmly believe that laughter is the best medicine for holding on to your youth.

I set out to make my own sweet little guilty delight out of a white cake with roses and strawberry whipped cream frosting.  I wanted to make as many rose buds as my new age!  Darn...you realize how silly a challenge like this is when you are no longer 10, 20 or 25.  Okay, at least have the courtesy of reading through this posting before you go back up to count them if you really want to  (and shame on you if you cheated)...My vanity still prevents me from writing the number down. 

And what ultimately made my day were long stemmed red roses, the box of chocolates (wrapped in pink also -freakishly scary) and the bottle of red wine that walked through the door in the evening on the arms of my three most favorite people in the world.

Let it Snow

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...And as long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..." The amazing lyrics of the popular winter song by Sammy Cahn is one of my favorites.  It describes an incredibly romantic setting of sitting by the fireplace with the lights turned down low and eating popcorn with your loved one during a snow storm.  And talking of romance, what a great way to start a new year!  A cake for a wedding anniversary. It is incredibly romantic to hear of a couple celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary.  It gives me hope and tells me that love, patience, understanding and compromises along the journey lead to such magnificent moments of celebration...Here's wishing the magical couple many more decades of health, love and soul-satisfying happiness.

Wedding-white buttercream fondant was used to ice the cake.  Snowflakes were made of royal icing.  Sugar and peppermint pearls completed the decor.

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...

Happiness

Who says you can't have a slice of tangerine cheesecake for breakfast because it is not healthy?  If you think about it, it has all the elements of a balanced breakfast: carbs, protein and fat (flour, sugar, fruit, eggs, dairy and butter). So why is it then, that inspite of the combination, it is not the healthiest item on your plate when you start the day? The answer lies in the word 'balance'.  While all the components are accounted for, the balance is just on the wrong scale.  Hence the overall end product earns its designation as dessert- something to be eaten cautiously unless you are Heidi Klum (I am convinced that this wouldn't affect her gorgeously stunning profile either). 

Extrapolating this process to my life has made me realize that while I may have all the components present to make me happy (family, occupation, hobby and faith) unless I strive the right balance amongst them, I cannot win.  We hear about people who excel in their chosen path and we try to copy their success.  While chasing the super-success stories of people around us we must realize that one can truly excel in only one aspect of life and everything in between is all about BALANCE.  So pick up a spoon, dig into your favorite treat, sit back and think of  what would make you most happy and then choose wisely to bring in that happiness...

Cuddles and Smiles

I met a wonderful lady recently and she told me that sometimes she needs no special reason to celebrate with her family, especially her children.  What a wonderful thought!  She wanted a cake that had elements of a cuddly teddy bear, flowers and funny faces...Tough challenge indeed to put these three in a cohesive theme - on a cake.  My representation of the request is displayed above and you can tell me what you think.  The backdrop of blue butter cream/whipped cream frosting with specs of cream cheese resembled the first snowfall for the season.   The flakes coaslesced into bigger snowflakes at the bottom before melting away on the street (chocolate strings).  The funny faces were captured on color-dyed chocolate buttons all around to spread laughter and cheer.

The cake was a wedding white flavor one with two layers of banana and whipped cream filling.

Streamers and Confetti...

...in dark and white chocolate calls for a celebration; no less. Add a strawberry (made of fondant) dressed in a tuxedo and you have the recipe to celebrate your man on his special day.  While the white chocolate was pure "chocolate", the confetti chocolate curls were made from dark chocolate infused with espresso.  Hiding under the chocolate coat was a red velvet cake layered with cream cheese frosting.  Cheers to a birthday which falls during the party season of the year!

A Puppy Adventure

Why do we have some pre-defined notions in this world? Blue is for boys, pink is for girls; trucks are for boys and dolls are for girls...If you let children choose out of free will, you'd be surprised at how many little boys like pink and Dora and how many little girls will run after a train or a truck.  I do not know what that means about their development, but I see no scientific reason to revolt against the odds.  Our minds have been carved by our parents and the environment around us and so today if we see a woman Nascar driver we say wow and if a man dares to wear a pink shirt, we would rather call it the color 'salmon'.  Funny are the ways of the human world... So what do you bake for a little boy who loves Clifford and Dora characters at the same time?

You set them up on a journey to a puppy adventure.   Dora and Boots meet Clifford the big red puppy in this short feature of vanilla cake with pudding filling and all edible toppers.  

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.

Woodsy Delights

Let's celebrate the end of the harvest season with some square dancing...A dance of a combination of delightful tastes and textures that is.  Here are some little bites of individual cheesecake squares coated in chocolate giving the crunch of sweet chocolate, the smoothness of creamy  cheese and the chewiness of the base all in one delightful bite.  A cool treat to take to a dinner party which has all the warmth of wonderful hosts.

Best Friends Forever

A bright new handbag is always a girl's best friend.  But for something a little more rewarding, I think there's none other than a sister.  Sisters are awesome edifices in our lives: they bring out the best and worst in us.  They teach us how to compete in life, how to celebrate victory with a pompous shopping bill and how to perform miserably and know there's temporary solace in a tub of ice cream at 2 o'clock in the night.  You'll find them for the midnight heart to heart chat and also in places you don't want them to be at.  What better gift can you give such a family member on their special day but a purse full of sweetness.  Here's to celebrating a sister's special day with a chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache.

Warm Drizzle

Fall signals the end of the harvest season and the time to rejoice in festivals galore.  It's a time to be thankful to Mother Earth for her bountiful wealth and to learn from Her that the joy of giving should never become obsolete.  Give from the heart this festival season and spread a little love, laughter and warmth as the rustle of fallen leaves and nip in the air signal harsh weather ahead.  And, when the chill hits, remember to smile with a warm beverage and these dark chocolate truffles.

Kitty Party

"What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice...that's what little girls are made of." The age old nursery rhyme does poetic justice to a simple truth.  Fascinated with princesses, fairies and sometimes (Hello) kitties and puppies, little girls exhibit a certain charm and sweetness that set them apart.  From high-pitched wails to belly laughs and giggles, little girls bring with them beauty, sunshine and endless joy.  After all, it's these little girls that grow up to foster love and warmth in homes all over the world.

A vanilla cake filled with chocolate ganache was Lil' Sara's birthday treat.  May she blossom and grow and "meaow" her way through happy days in times to come.

A Cascade of Love

For those of us fortunate enough to have experienced Grandma's love will know what I am about to pen down here.  It's one of the most amazing experiences in a lifetime that carries through.  The story-times, the special gifts, the warm hugs, the aroma of Grandma's comfort food and the countless blessings are always some of the warmest and most comforting memoirs... 
As a mommy now, I see that time spent with grandma translates to a new set of rules, no self control and mild discipline at best.  Very different perspectives, right? Anything in excess is never good but in milder doses grandma's love teaches kids freedom from structure, how to laugh at imperfections and how to take the time to stop and smell the roses.  No one has more patience than a grandma.  She is here on earth to serve a special purpose: to cascade love all the way!  Happy 80th birthday, Thampu (meaning Grandma)!  
The cake was a simple mellow lemon flavored one with butter-cream frosting and fondant on top. Edible roses were hand carved one by one to honor the love and patience that grandmothers symbolize all over the world.

Fall Colors

Leaves in the Fall come tumbling down; 

scarlet and yellow, orange and brown

They light the woods afire with color 

and prepare the trees for a winter allure. 

Fall is a gorgeous time in many parts of North America and Canada.  It's a time when nature takes a final bow before the curtain-call of cold, white winter. It's also the time when schools start a new session in many parts of the world. My daughter starts a new phase in her life this week (aka Kindergarten). A potluck picnic party was organized to celebrate the start of all things good. Our contribution, this chewy dark chocolate fudge brownie, was drizzled with colored white chocolate to mimic the season around us.  

Here's wishing every student a great year ahead.  May their minds be allowed to explore freely and may their hearts rejoice in the knowledge they gain in the process.

Makeover Queen

If you think having a bad hair day is a non-trivial matter, then either you are a man or a very unusual woman.  There are two things that can cheer up most women: shopping and a great hairdo.  Having a great hairdresser is like winning the lottery.  Their magic can transform an ordinary woman into a stunning lady.  And trust me when I say this ('cause I know): having a great hair day can make one feel like they can conquer almost anything they set out to do. Talk about confidence!  It all starts from the top of your head (and of course a great pair of shoes would complete the picture) to the tip of your toes.  Wishing Laura, a magic maker (a salon manager) a very happy birthday on her special day, this cake was layered with lime flavored whipped icing (inside and out).  A dash of fall colors in purple (acorns), green (leaves) and orange (squash/pumpkin) was used to seal the sweet deal.

Autumn Joy

September brings with it the gift of a new season, the time to rejoice in a bountiful harvest and the promise of celebrating many festivals in the upcoming months.  I took a hint from one of the changing colors around us (from leaves to vegetables) and added it on this birthday cake in the form of orange fondant on white chocolate ganache.  The cake was dark chocolate with two layers of whipped icing.  A light sprinkle of edible gold dust was added on top to wish Joyjit many healthy and happy years ahead!

The Blues...

From raindrops on roses/whiskers on kittens to girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes/snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes , there are so many things to cheer me up when I feel the blues... A favorite tune, a warm hug, a silent smile that says more than words and ultimately small bites of heavenly delight that I call brownie-bites.  When the day is going bad and life throws many twists my way, I have to indulge - not in eating but in creating edible works of art.  It calms my soul and always bring a smile on the lips of the recipients.  And there's no emotion more contagious in this world than a smile...and soon enough I forgo the blues.

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. 

Peek-a-boy

Ready or not, here I come!  At times I have heard people say that the first-born is special and the ones after that do not receive as much attention.  I doubt that is true for a mother.  Every child a woman bears is more precious to her than her own life.  Such a priceless treasure deserves the very best, be it the first or last.  
This was a baby shower cake for a second born to the Patel family.  He will be just as precious to them and their family/friends as the first one.  Wishing the new baby all the good health, cheer and love in this world, this cake was a vanilla (white) one with blueberry whipped cream filling.  Adorned with completely edible toppers consisting of sugar pearls, sugar curls and a playful baby, I hope both the mother-to-be and new baby were made to feel extra special...

Hau'oli lā hānau

Meaning Happy Birthday in Hawaiian language.  A luau birthday party theme calls for the ocean waves, wet sands, the hula girl, shells, pearls and of course flowers! The beautiful archipelago with the equally beautiful Polynesian ladies and Tahitian pearls is every vacationer's paradise.  From active volcanoes to calming greenery, from sweet guava plantations to fields of luscious pineapples, the islands have something to offer to every visitor.  This was a chocolate cake layered with strawberries and soft cream cheese frosting.  The sand was brown sugar and the waves were painted on the frosting with food color.  A completely edible hula girl was the cake topper!

White Elegance

White is not a color.  Technically, it is composed of seven colors.  Seven very different colors in such perfect harmony that they create a brighter effect than any single one of them could radiate.  Symbolizing peace and all things pristine, it's a color that spells elegance to me.   I have often wished that the people of the world could learn from this synergy and merge their differences into one powerful force to reckon with...
This was a small chocolate cake with whipped icing frosting made for a wonderful sister-in-law.  Here's to wishing her the very best in the years to come.  Happy Birthday Liza!

Choo Choo Fun

There's nothing more joyous to a mother than to see her child smile.  My little boy turns 3 in a few days and this cake brought out the biggest smile I have ever seen from him.  There's a part of childhood that never goes away in each of us.  Why else do we still refer to a train as choo-choo train when we live in the age of bullet trains (aka The Shinkansen in Japan)? Why do all the songs still go "chugga chugga choo choo" when the latest and greatest in this line barely makes a swoosh sound?  We do this not because we are a generation apart, but because we want to share with the new generation all the things fun and lively from our past.   We want to let our minds roll to places where the chugging sound of a train billowing out smoke beckons us to wave bye bye or jump up and down in glee.  May the happy parts of our childhood never perish and may our imaginations always soar new heights...

The above cake was a mellow lemon with whipped icing.  The engine was assembled in layers and then hand carved.  The wheels were everyone's favorite Oreo cookies.   The chimney was an ice cream cone (the smoke added as a cartoon since it was too hot for the intended ice cream to stay in shape).  With a licorice stick to join the compartments and goodies like M&M's to haul, this was built to bring joy and fun to all!
 

Garden Baby

A joyous occasion to celebrate is the expectation of a new baby.  The birth of a new child brings with it the hope of new dreams and new life.  The promise of a brighter future and incredible human potential lies with every child.   The magical cure, a new discovery, a new solution to an existing problem- all hinge on the future of these little ones.  Let's welcome them with warm hearts and open arms.  A white vanilla cake tinted with blue and pink colors was the calling this time.  Topped with lime-flavored cream cheese frosting and all-edible decor  it was designed to bring good wishes to Baby Ralls.

Batik Brownie

 

It is said the we eat with our eyes and nose first.  If something looks or smells good, we are tempted to indulge our third sense- that of taste.  Food can truly be a form of art and a piece of art can be food.  Sounds twisted?  Not if you believe the above photo.  This was a dark chocolate brownie.  The art work was 'dyed' into the batter and baked with the dish creating the historic 'batik' or 'tie and dye' look.  Moist and gooey fudge like consistency of the brownie was balanced with the crunch of crushed pecans to make a simple treat truly gourmet.

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!