A New Year.

I haven't blogged in like ages. Well, what can I say? It just hasn't been the most inspiring and happening days of my life. Another year comes to an end in two days and that makes me unusually reflective. What did I gain/lose this year? What is still the same? Here is a generic list.

• I still lack focus.
• I became a graduate
• I've become more mature in my outlook of things. (Sadly, I am the only person who agrees with me on that one!)
• I have stopped speaking to a friend whom I knew for the past 18 years. Such is the result of some bad choices.
• I still haven't figured out that one thing I have a passion for and want to do for the rest of my life. (I have a deep inherent fear that I never will!!)
  
• I realized guys are not the only ones who are scared of commitments and have issues with marriage. I was recently asked by my family if I was interested in marrying a certain dude they thought was purrrfect for me!! To say that it was one of the scariest moments of my life, is putting it mildly.
• I've become more impatient than before. (And here I thought people become calmer as they age!)
• I have actually finished two knitting projects (a purse and a headband) which is a big thing for me because earlier, I used to take years to finish even the simplest projects.
• My cooking has seriously improved. Now what I cook is at least edible.
• I have started reading newspapers, something which I used to absolutely hate doing earlier.
• I've figured out that gardening is not as loathsome as I'd portrayed it to be, It can actually be fun.
  
• One of my first ambitions was to be a painter (and not the artistic kind!) I finally did it. I painted a gate and couple of the walls in my house. It isn't as fulfilling as I thought it would have been. But it was fun while it lasted.
• I still have a short attention span, i.e. I may find something absolutely fascinating for like 5 days and then I forget all about it.
  
• I realized the whole 'Best Friends Forever' thing from college and school days doesn't really last. Most often than not it would just fizzle out and die if it weren't for Facebook, Twitter, etc
• I also realized that my friends from college/ school are the best people I ever hung out with. Given a choice, I'd definitely chose them over the ones I made later (no offense intended!). Its probably the innocence but as we grow older we tend to grow more cynical and that ruins the actual essence of it.
• I miss my school days more than my college days.
  
• Well, I can't think of much else.
  

Hoping that the new year brings lots of joy and cheer to me and to everyone I know. Keep smiling, folks! :) :)

Me in the kitchen!!

After a month of putting it off, today marks my first day of cooking actual food (My mom doesn't think chocolate cakes and pancakes contribute to the 'actual food' category!). So I made Paneer butter masala. For those who don't know what that is, its a traditional North Indian dish having cottage cheese. I got the recipe from here. Well, I'm having it for dinner. I'll report back to how that goes (assuming I'm still alive after eating it!!).

Cheers!! :)

Chocolate cake...!

A note for the NITCians of '08 batch. This is the cake we ( DP, Maddie n moi!!) made for Ragam 2008. This post is specially for those people who had asked me for the recipe. Its pretty simple, really!:) Here goes...

1oz. = 28g

For the cake
8 oz. flour
2 tsp baking powder
8 oz. butter
8 oz. sugar (powdered)
3 oz. cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tablespoon milk

1. Grease a cake tin.
2. Put butter for melting in a pan
3. While the butter is being done, sieve together flour, baking powder and cocoa.
4. Take the melted butter and add the powdered sugar into it. Beat together until it becomes a fluffy light yellow mixture.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and beat them well after each addition.
6. Now put the sieved ingredients into the mixture with the milk and mix it just until the batter is even. Don't over-mix it,or the cake will become hard.
7. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin
8.Those of you who are using a microwave, put it at medium heat and bake for around 6 to 7 minutes and those who have the traditional oven have to preheat the oven at Gas mark 4 and the baking time would be 35-40 minutes.
9. Insert a toothpick to into the center of the cake and check if it comes out clean. If it does, your cake is ready. If not, put it back into the oven for 1 or 2 more minutes. Take care not to over-bake or the cake would lose its moisture.
10. Once you take it out of the oven, let it cool.

For the icing
3 oz. butter
2 oz. cocoa
4 oz. sugar powdered
6 tablespoon milk

1. Melt the butter.
2. Add cocoa powder.
3. Cook at very low heat for about a minute and a half.
4. Remove from the fire and add milk and sugar and mix well.
5. Spread it evenly over the now cooled cake and leave it for a few minutes.
6. Serve.

Well, That was simple, wasn't it? :) Hope that was properly explained. If you do have any doubts when you actually make it, feel free to ask!! :) Have fun n happy baking! :)