Hope everyone is having a very wonderful new year. I wanted to post something so that my bloggy baby looks beautiful in the new year 2023 +. But looking at the calamities around the world,I was not in the mood to post something on time.
And then came my wedding anniversary, so, I finally got a solid reason to bake a cake. I wanted to make a moist, simple yet special cake, full of roses BUT guess what I forgot the recipe to make a fluffy cake. It's been a while. I have different cake recipes with different measurements in my recipe folders.
And then I am not someone who follows a recipe as it is always, I am prone to twist the recipe, experiment and curiously wait for the outcome. Sometimes it is a blunder or a wonder. That's why I call my kitchen my cooking lab - a lot of inventions ,destructions and preventions goes out in my kitchen. How I wished I had a window in my kitchen. Very soon the smoke alarm in my kitchen will blow up.#MyHomeAloneAdventures
Long story short, that's why I end up this time, baking 4 cake recipes with 3 different variations, one with no butter, another with no eggs, another sugar-free, and the last with the proper go-to delish fluffy cake recipe.
When my mother bakes a cake, it takes just one go and she has a basic oven, she doesn't use any hi-fi hand beater, she uses her bare clean hands๐ . She says that's the secret of her soft and spongy cake. It is so time taking. Lazy me, can't even imagine using my hands for that matter ๐. So, thankfully, I have an electric beater for that. But when it comes to a go-to cake recipe, there is a recipe, that is easy to remember and the cake comes out deliciously moist and spongy as well with a nice dense crumb..A Classic American cake recipe, a 1234 + cake handed down from generation to generation exclusively for novice bakers with hazardous cooking tendencies like ME! ๐๐๐
The original name of the recipe is 1234 representing the main/star ingredients but we do need more ingredients to bake this cake.So, I have renamed them 1234 + cake! You see my memory is so good that I may end up using just the 1234 star ingredients next time that would make me dump the cake eventually in just 1-2-3-4 minutes. So, never underestimate the power of the other common ingredients. So, for me, it is a 1234 + cake!
Basic 1234+ cake
Ingredients
1 cup milk, lukewarm/room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar
3 cups of "sifted" All-purpose flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 Tsps of Double Acting baking powder
1 cup of melted butter, room temperature
1 Tsp of Vanilla extract or any flavor of your choice
Pinch of salt
VIDEO/DEMO:
Preparations:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the "SIFTED" all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, and baking powder and keep it aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. At least for 3 minutes on low speed.
Add sugar and continue to cream well for a total of 6 to 8 minutes.
Scrape the side of the bowl always throughout making the batter as and when needed to avoid any lumps or unmixed ingredients.
Add eggs,1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.
Add flour little by little to avoid any lumps, alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
Then add milk and beat until mixed. Milk shouldn't be cold or hot. Lukewarm will be the best.
Now my cake batter is ready!
Cream a baking pan with little butter or I reuse the butter paper.
Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan.
Tap the batter in the cake pan to release the air bubbles.
Put the cake into the oven and bake it for 30-75 minutes or until a toothpick/knife/stick inserted comes out clean. Do not be tempted to open the oven in between. After 30 minutes you may and close it fast and carefully. Try poking the top, and the sides to make sure the cake is well-cooked from the inside.
When the knife inserted comes out clean, that means the cake is cooked and ready.Put off the oven.
Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
That's it my basic 1234 cake is ready to be served!
NOTES :
-----------
Make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
It will depend from oven to oven to bake the cake until it is done. It took me 75 minutes approx.
The original recipe calls for 3-4 Tsps of baking powder. However, I am using a double-acting baking powder and only 1 1/4 Tsp worked for me. You can substitute it with ordinary baking powder as well. So,if you are using a baking powder and soda combo, you may need to adjust the amount,I have not tried that way yet. Regardless, make sure they are not expired. Make sure to use ordinary all-purpose flour than the self-rising cake flour, in which case baking powder should be probably avoided.I haven't tried that way.It should be sifted.
Over-mixing the cake makes it a dry cake.
You can skip the salt if you are using salted butter.
If you wish you can decorate the cake and play around with frostings and other fillings etc.Just cool completely before frosting.
I then layered all my cakes and decorated them with white vanilla frosting ,green piping designs and finally covered the entire layers with my handmade not-so-perfect fondant flowers a.k.a rose flowers (You see I had to convince my doter that they are rose !) ...๐
So, to all enthusiastic cake bakers especially if you are a novice, this homemade cake made from scratch, 1234 + cake will be your best bet I believe, at least it is for me. It is a sure keeper !! I wanted to post it and keep it for records in my blog! DONE finally !!
My hubby loved it , but my doter, she is turning very picky and moody when it comes to food lately.When she was a baby to toddler phase,she ate everything happily,I made,as we never gave her any outside food for that matter . Now,it has changed !! She is becoming stubborn and choosy !! #ThisChildIsTheParentOfUs ๐๐
My reminder quote !๐๐๐
She is a typical Malayali girl fond of rice and seafood/non-veg especially. Stuck there! So,I am sad that she didn't want to taste the cake for now.I am patient with her . My main focus is that she eats something for sure than eating nothing at all. At home, I am able to manage her to eat well. If I force her too much, she throws up.So, I am being tolerant with her. My mother says, we all kids were like that,we were picky and moody.It is just a phase, that shall soon pass !!
Anyways, Baking and cooking make me very happy ( ESPECIALLY in my kitchen) .MAGIC is, after all, something you make!The show must go on by divine's grace for my own edible gratifications and mastery !๐
With food and good vibes,
Love and light !๐๐
#IAmTheChosenOne #SomeoneDeletedIt
Doter of Madhura Meenakshi Ammaand Mridaya Mahadeva,๐๐๐บ๐ผ
(On a funny note,a huge fan of Ryan Reynolds sir,the owner, and the user of Mint Mobile...On a serious note, Ryan sir,Reynolds pen used to be my favorite pen forever during my school/college days,made my handwriting beautiful !!๐๐..Thank You!!..You are so funny ..in those ads especially !!๐๐)
P.S....I like to dedicate this cake to all readers and especially my super divinely-gifted Tarot card readers. Some readings are great guidance for me. I know for sure you all are not simply playing cards.So, I feel like one of these chosen ones' purposes in life was to guide me and others like me in this spiritual journey. Thanks once again for being my spiritual guru !! May almighty bless you and your family in every way !!๐๐๐๐
I remember in one tarot reading by an "American" tarot reader, that was collective, she said, "You will embody your grandma's name ".I was quite taken aback as my maternal grandmother's name is the name of Mother Kali and my paternal grandmother's name is baby maa maa ๐...By the way,do check out these tarot readers,they are hot,happening,single,ready to mingle, and most importantly near to spirits and God.#ISpirituallyEndorseToDaters๐๐๐๐
Also, thanks to all spiritual gurus out there who give us the right guidance to choose the path of righteousness and to seek the divine thereby alongside our overall protection against evil !!
My divine parents---My mother is bearing the stain in the front and my divine father got my back ...Coincidentally,the 2nd pic is a screenshot of a picture of Lord Shiva I had at my home in my calendar that resonated from Unni sir's picture from one of his movie,Bruce Lee as I captured in the superman cake video I dedicated to Unni Mukundan Sir on his birthday as a token of gratitude for being a part of this rollercoaster twin flame journey ...I will cherish this picture forever !!:))).....#OmNamahaShivaya #JaiMaaJagadAmba
This twin flame journey is all about - Since Lord Krishna himself can't come in real form , also known to disguise himself in many forms to test/help his devotees,the divine sent a "not-so-spiritually-grounded" ๐ human being (with divine's name as a clue) to assist/elevate me in this journey/life in some way or other !!
Someone told me ," You met your dream man after your marriage and some said,your twin flame will never harm you/act like a demon !"...Like I told them and to be clear,my dream man is NOT him !...He did play a role in all chaos in my life as well ,as he was dancing to those tunes that were useful to them or are under control of and also out of sheer ego and arrogance..Some are very low vibrational and so are their lifestyle and moral values !... Since he is not fully spiritually awakened yet ,that's the reason for all his negative contributions in my life ...which my divine is miraculously trying to convert into blessings eventually...๐#AllPraiseToMyDivine #IWishThemAllBest
Bruce Lee is an inspirational Icon but Unni Mukundan sir and gang showed me that they believe in the bruise lee (meaning bruise taken) to the bruise dee (meaning bruise given ) principle..That's a red flag, to be honest !!And I was healing everyone's bruises you see..๐๐
Having said that,I do appreciate and will be grateful to dear Rama-Krishna for the protective efforts !๐๐#HappyRamaNavami2023
Like I said before, my dream man is someone ordinary with extraordinary capabilities, coincidentally like the "SUPERMAN" who only exists in movies/DC comics..๐๐#RichInMindHeartAndDeeds..everything else is a bonus !
Like I always said,I have the same astrological star as Lord Krishna and our Kuladevi/Ancestral deity - "Ashtami Rohini"..I am grateful beyond words that Lord Krishna and My divine amma did justice to that in a way !:)))))๐๐๐
Neither last nor least, I am quite grateful to the almighty as always. And I feel one of my purpose in my life are to spread my faith in the divine, how much the divine loves his devotees/no matter how the circumstances are, never ever give up on the divine/everything happens as per his will and for good,good vs evil, sharing my spiritual experiences whether someone believes or not !! I can feel my divine parents' presence in my life for sure...To the people who ask if there is divine in stone, rock etc,..
Like we say in Malayalam, "Mannilum Vinnilum Thoonilum Thurumbilum Daivam Irikkunnu ,Avan Karuna Mayanayi Kaval Vilakkayi Karalil Irikkunnu .....Alum Arivum Ullavar Vazhvaam Adaril Jayikkunnu ,Avan Arivillathavar Thann Hrudayathil Arivaay Vilangunnu Arivaay Vilangunnu ...."
Meaning one who has true faith in the divine, can feel divine everywhere regardless, and the divine will always be there for them.(The bottom line! )
The apt quote I came across today...It's not about my faith, it is about my Divine's love and support for an ordinary woman like me against my ill-wishers/evil-doers !! #BELIEVEinDIVINE๐๐๐
It's not the huge donation one does in holy places, doing big pujas/worships, knowledge of all holy books, etc matters the most (though it is necessary,each to their own way of showing/sharing/spreading their devotion towards almighty), what truly matters is the purity of heart and intentions, THERE one can feel the presence of the divine for sure. That's my personal belief !!
Believe it or not,I and my loved ones were under dark non-spiritual warfare from these 2 groups of people ...
Screenshots of a few tarot readings that resonated with my intuitions and experiences -
#MaliciousGroupFromMollywood (A group/cult of men and women who were using dark forces/black magic/evil spells to create havoc in my life )#Sho #NoOffenseRequestingPlsDon'tBeMalicious
These people not only hacked my phone etc,they are also deleting my cooking videos, and manipulating my youtube algorithms and payment.I work very hard ,I wish to grow my channel as I've just started seriously.I have better things to do.Kindly have some integrity and dignity that benefits others genuinely and not just pretending/showing off outside to be the right and powerful. DIVINE WILL SEE TO IT ANYWAYS !!
People seeking black magic to destroy others will face terminal illness,death,generational curse to name a few..SO,BEWARE !!Don't waste your hard-earned money for the wrong reason and indirectly your precious life and well-being of your loved ones !
#SilentKillers..The same astrological reading I got loong time back is resurfacing from many tarot readers about my mother-in-laaw and sis-in-laaw doing black magic and it almost resonates with all the hardships I went through after my marriage ...Due to all hardships especially related to conceiving,my faith in the almighty dwindled,I started doubting and there were days I stopped praying though I never stopped believing in the divine..It was during those vulnerable time,I became susceptible to those dark vicious attacks...LESSON: NEVER GIVE UP ON THE DIVINE REGARDLESS!
I loved them all so much..even though I had a hunch about their evil plots and schemes against me and others ,after my father-in-law's death,I wholeheartedly requested my mother-in-law to come and stay with us here in US.#EnoughIsEnough
SO,whenever something malicious is going against me , my divine mother I worship at home, whom I consider to be our Chottanikkara Amma (<- CLICK to read more about this supreme Goddess residing in one of the famous temples of Kerala in Kochi) really turns BLACK as shown in the picture above in several days..
#ProtectionForAllMyLovedOnes ..I am in my own lane and here for my own missions
Nothing else but mother's form gets stained and I KNOW (I will be experiencing something off or my intuition also hints to me in advance ) it is an indication to me and an assurance from my divine mother that she is bearing the stain on my behalf and will not spare the culprits for sure.She is watching over and justice will be served in private or public.So, pls leave me alone, kindly don't hurt me and my loved ones !! That's why I have dedicated even my website to my favorite diety's pictures as a humble tribute straight from my heart.๐
The 1st quote I saw and took a screenshot from an American movie of a Saint I saw recently!:)
I also asked for my divine mother's forgiveness and permission to put her bare picture like that as I want to purify some people's nasty minds and hearts. After all, everyone drank milk from their mother's breast just like this when they were a baby!
Thank You Amma !! ๐๐๐๐.One day I saw two cloves I offered to Maa Jagad Amba/Universal Divine Mother, in the evening which was floating in oil that too in winter, they were as seen in the picture above standing pointing directly towards Maa Bhagwathi !! I interpreted it as C-LOVES !!:))๐....๐๐๐บ๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ท
I love you too my divine parents/Team !! Thank you !!๐๐๐
Hara hara Mahadeva...Om jai Maa Parashakthi !!!๐๐
Chaitra Navaratri greetings !๐๐
P.P.S. : Until and unless it is purely obvious all RECIPE NAMES appearing in my YouTube Videos are just recipes and any resemblances to your perception are purely coincidental. There is no double meaning hidden!
A milkshake/smoothie made up of Honey,Pistachio,U-NO chocolate bar,and milk
Dear Ladies and gentlemen!๐
Who dares to listen
to another loooong lecture /free gyan with a cup of my special
smoothie for a smooth read !!๐
To all those who
would dare,I share for once and all!!
Ready for an eye and ear sore ,TMI, and blah blah blahhhhhhh....??? Do you have what it takes ??๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐
After much thought
and consideration and sequence of events to stain me and mainly my
family, led to this post.
Some revengeful,soul-less, low-grade people made many rumors to harm me by their words and actions to ruin my image and especially the “Running to India for
a wrong reason “ one #BadKarma4You...I don’t believe in explaining myself to
anyone or needing anyone’s approval anyways because I know the truth
and people who matter to me know the truth ,divine in holy places know the truth but just so you
know…..
Some facts may sound repetitive /ear sore ๐…
AMEN TO THAT !!๐๐
Some people may say
why to share your personal info in public ?.. Well, usually I only
shared positive aspects I am grateful for but circumstances insisted
me to share positive and negative as well and it is also my way of saying, life is not perfect for everyone...Everyone has ups and downs in
life and relationships !! I don’t want anyone’s sympathy but that’s my whole point!
FYI…The
summary !
Dear sadists!
I
went to India on a VACATION with my doter for a couple of months
because once she joins school here, we won’t get a chance to stay in
India with her grandparents, etc for long as always it will be a
quick, unsatisfied visit as we live in different states in India and
also, my mother has health issues and she was not getting a regular
maid. My old father and bro were helping her.So, I being a doter, my
close friends know here that I had been planning to go to India for
the same to help my mother...
My hubby was anyways
traveling for work . And my toddler doter had probs like not sleeping
at night, waking up from time to time and it was havocking my sleep
and I had my health concerns. She is at times a handful being a
kid. So, I decided to take a well-deserved break and spent time
with my old parents back in India, our doter gets the authentic taste
of the traditions of India and I wanted my doter to have amazing
memories with them when they are alive since we live so far.
It was during this
time I got this attention from celebrities and I did give a small
hint to my hubby, especially about Unni sir but I didn’t tell him
all the attention I was getting from celebrities as I feared what if
he stops my blogging/vlogging forever and since I am not used to lots
of attention especially such elite’s attention,it was verrry
overwhelming for me.
So,it was also one of the reasons that made me
grateful, smiling yet very uneasy, and just disappear for a
while...but not at the cost of abandoning my blog/vlog,it is a
work-in-progress dream of mine after all…. I thought they will
forget and ignore me gradually….I don’t want to encourage them
but I will always be grateful for all elite people’s attention and
excuse me for all problems from my end ...I tried my best to ignore them first, taking all gossip lightly and simply responding to their personal
attacks /misunderstandings in a funny way (teasing them back)...So, that it doesn’t escalate to worse but it did !๐
Divine knows the truth - Only that matters!
My hubby was neither
interested nor had any leave to go to India back then .He hardly
listens to me.So,he asked me to GO with my doter for a while.For
which I was very mad at him ๐ก๐ก๐ and he said he might try to join us in
India after a couple of months to see his folks as well but then Corona
hit.We didn’t want to travel and take risks with our little doter.So, we stayed back.
In fact, we wanted to return to the US after taking
vaccinations only like after a year as it would be so risky to
travel with my toddler with her tantrums alone but since my hubby was alone,my parents insisted me to go back to the US ASAP as we were hearing
horrible news happening in the US because of Corona and since
traveling with my handful doter during a pandemic would be inconvenient
and to make it riskless,they asked my hubby to come over when it is
safe to travel and either work from India or if it is not possible
then return back together. Or just stay in India permanently as they
were scared of the consequences of corona in the US . However, my hubby
prefers US,so he came to pick us up and we came back together.
(Having said all
this ,even my parents do not listen to everything I say ...They all are the same (ellam kannakka)..No one is my best confidant !..Well, they
all are not perfect, they all have their own justified reasons as well
..even me )...
Anyways,I can’t
thank Corona,it was a blessing in disguise for me and my doter.I
knew it was once in a lifetime kind of vacation.Usually, we go to
India for 2 – 3 weeks max.I am sooo happy that my doter and my
parents have some amazing memories for life to cherish.We were able
to share our respective loads with each other.My hubby was alone
here in the US busy with work etc and he is an adult who can take care of
himself.It was not a big deal for me and it was our mutual decision for
good!
When I was in
India, all these celebrities were cheering me up somehow and it was
again overwhelming for me, especially actors flaunting their bodies
for fun to something silly I wrote in my blog .So, I was writing this
and that on my blog indirectly to my hubby in the US to make sure that when I and my doter are away
from him, he can utilize that time to do some
exercise/bodybuilding, take care of his health, prioritize whatever
matters the most and surprise me and these celebrities as well.
YES, this is a truth that I wished (which I knew was “Mission Impossible !”) if I could see Unni Mukundan sir somehow for once “as a fan”.I remember commenting on his picture I think when I was in India,if he could do his movie promotion in my town so that I can meet up with my friend/cousin/Dad by my side.
Like I've mentioned before,I really felt a past life connection with Unni sir …. Maybe he was my baby boy at my previous birth ..who knowss????? ๐๐
Also,I always wanted to have a small dimple on my chin all my life and it coincidently happened after he came into my life as he has dimples...#ChamatkarHiChamatkar
Because of this past life connection thing I felt with him ,I wanted to utilize my long vacation to see him in person somehow of course with my parent’s approval only.I didn’t even have a crush on him (we all fans love all the celebrities !) but I felt a strange familiarity which I believe is called a twin flame journey/soul connection and many tarot card readings confirmed that there is a possibility that we indeed had a past life connection together.
Though he is very
handsome ,I really didn’t feel any special attraction towards him
(Well,all celebrities are good-looking and out of our league !) and also he is surrounded
by amazing women too (So,I didn't have any special stake )...Though he is a well-respected, renowned actor
in Mollywood,I’ve till today not seen all his movies ...and he
looked totally different ..If my intuition is correct he felt the
same spark but he thought it was just another physical attraction
. Being a celebrity he was always extra cautious yet playful! I
always got a friendly vibe ...That was certainly a matter of
attraction….
Right from the
beginning,his industry was portraying him as if he was a goon ….I
wondered, is it because as he is not a star son, they are treating him
like that ??...I didn’t like that and I didn’t get that vibe
, though not sure how he truly he is in his personal life....That’s why
I was harsh on him in the previous posts, wishing and praying
that he proves them all wrong and flourish in every way ..He certainly has got what it takes !
I am only
mad at him and his partners in crime for hacking my personal
information and using it against me to ruin my image in every
possible way….I’ve no problem with his lifestyle or any woman in
his life but I am concerned for his well-being like for any other human being….I hope no one will
ever say “Well,he is a thalipoli afterall!” ...That’s it ! ...
(By the way, I don't believe in nepotism as I think star kids may have a upper hand but eventually,it is always about the survival of the fittest / the IT factor flourishes )
Well,when you have
that past-life connection feeling,how can one not feel like meeting
them once in a lifetime for sure?
So, I had this urge
for the first time in my life to meet a man for once for sure..Like I
wrote to him,I was praying to God, meditating for long, and running
hard on my treadmill (as that is my sure shot way of clearing my mind
!) but that urge was persistent..It was complicating ..I deactivated
my social media accounts..I asked my hubby to plan for a mini
vacation here twice to clear my mind of this dilemma forever but he
was then very busy at work .So,that was also one of the factors that
made me go to India.
Since all the people
with revenge mentality and no conscience people were just
tagging us along for some cheap pleasure/personal motives,I must say
YOU ALL brought us more closer ,I do have a special soft corner for
Unni sir but since Mollywood was hacking and stalking me,I had no
other way than to be mad at them,to kinda expose them so that they can
stop . Though I tried my best to do lovingly first ...
I even showed my
mother a picture of his childhood with his family and I asked her if
she feels any familiarity with some Malayali family from my childhood
back in North India ..She said No.So,my father and bro became
suspicious as I sent him a “Thank You” gift (from a fan) but my
parents know me well .So they never questioned me .I told them about
all celebrity's attention I got. However,my super-strict bro was
alert and serious about it and wanted me to return to the US ASAP.๐
Indirectly in my case!
If by God’s
grace,I would and I will get an opportunity to meet Unni sir in
person (I would have my hatta katta brothers as my bodyguard),it
would have been something like movie 96 (starring Vijay sir and Trisha Ma'am) , the only difference being we
are not former classmates/lovers, just a celebrity and a spiritual fan who would wish the best for the well being in every way of the
celebrity she felt a soul connection with !He is neither someone who
can be trapped with tricks and treats nor in scarcity of any amazing
woman (young,talented,fertile,gorgeous etc) around him and I am
married with a child and a small blogger...For timepass,it is quite
easy nowadays to get in touch with any men I believe via the internet/ social media friend requests etc...Which is not my thing..
This is it! ….So,it
was a well-deserved long vacation I prayed for...I am not single or
childless or was madly in love with someone,
irresponsible/impulsive to do something seriously stupid ….I would
never run to some stranger that too towards a celebrity..for what?..I heard a case something like this in one of his interviews though,so someone got inspiration from that scenario perhaps ..Not exactly my story ! By
divine’s and parents' grace,I am well educated, have a logical mind and good heart
by almighty’s grace! ....
My moral principles
are strictly against the modern way of affairs.I literally have no
interest in any illicit matters.I am old school and I am proud of
my traditional upbringing. This special spiritual bond I felt with
Unni Mukundan sir definitely shook/questioned my beliefs and
principles though.I believe in pure love,arranged marriage (because my
parent’s blessings were always a must !),hate people who elope with
someone,not having a boyfriend, and sleeping with only my husband
is a feather in my cap,parenting,household stuffs ,divine,and
chasing my passions and living a simple life describes ME rest all blessings are just bonus by Divine's grace.
I don’t have
anything special that he can’t get from anyone else ..
(By the way,no
offense to people who are way too modern and westernized and I am not
saying that I am better than you but this is how I am -Traditional
yet modern with rules! )
My parents asked me
to come back and stay for a year and go but I told them then it
wouldn’t be safe to travel ….
We were always
taught to count our blessings than stressing and be grateful
regardless.Life is a roller-coaster ride, not rainbows always. I have
no problem speaking my truth and fighting for myself with the divine
by my side!People who hurt me in any way,I will pray to the divine to
forgive you. But as per my past experiences,I don’t think so as my
intentions are always good! No, I am not trying to scare anyone,but
that’s how karma works when people mess with people good at heart
and that’s the kind of bond I’ve with almighty! Karma won’t
spare me too but I try my best not to hurt anyone knowingly or have
ill intentions towards anyone as I am Divine fearing!
So, this is the truth, Believe it or not,I don’t care! Spread rumors and face your
karma sooner or later!
Meanwhile ,take a
chill pill or drink this specially made for all rumor makers ,spreaders ,sadist audiences , a smoothie that is tasty and yet good for health .No trick
only treat !An edible peace treaty!
I’ve named this
drink: Run-to-the-Gym Smoothie (Handshake with a Milkshake !)
My humble request to
Unni Mukundan sir
Dear Unni sir,
Hope you are doing well !๐๐
This post is my way of peace/goodwill offering! With
all balls thrown at me,I took them all with the courage to extend you - An open invitation for a smoothie in India
in the future someday with no strings attached..just to be on good terms!
I don’t know what
exactly is called “A date”...but for me, I just wish to meet and
erase all rumors/stains and give justice to the connection I felt....Cheers
to a good friendship offering!
Though superman in Marvel movies is a man with super values
All this heartbreak (out of misconceptions and revenge mentality) happened
because of miscommunications and misunderstandings!!
Hacking, stalking
, backstabbing aatha hai,ek baar baat karkey clear karney ki koshish
ki hothi ..Unnecessary drama,misunderstandings,shaming ,accusing ,hurting and
staining would have been avoided .That would have been the
responsible and accountable (mature) way of dealing with such situations I
believe.If I were U !
For all the mess
created by your filmi folks in my life for the past two years and to
do justice to the spiritual bond we perhaps share,I would humbly
request you to please stop hurting us and stop people from creating
more mess and spreading baseless rumors.
Dear sir,with the
permission of the star woman/women in your life and with the
permission of all my folks (my hubby and my parents especially and my
bro-bhabhi) ,when I will come to India,I would like to meet up with
you one day for a cup of tea biscuit :D and then you can go your way
and I will go my way .
I am saying this in public that “THANKS”
for the idea ,now I am planning for sure to run to this gym / meet up
with Unni Mukundan sir by almighty’s grace , a public declaration.When and where also I
will inform at my social network handles if it happens by God’s
grace.This way it will be safer and nothing phony or secretive. Besides, it was on my bucket list .So, Thanks again for the idea
rumor maker!๐๐๐
๐๐๐
Dear Unni sir and
his fams ,I don’t have any ill intention or any expectations, just
chit-chat and you go your way,I go my own.I don’t want to force you
but I am requesting you.Hope everyone will agree to that happily ! ๐๐And anyone other than us who will stop this union by anyway,will
face the bad karma (Read:Irreparable loss !!)by my faith in
God.After all,we both with our families went through a lot for cheap
motives.That's unfair and unjust !!
Just in case, dear moral police,nowadays,I
believe,it is super easy to find someone to sleep with,for that no
one has to meet up with a hard to get ,celebrity !๐๐..Well,who wants
a bull when you have got a lion at home ?๐๐
Hoping for a
positive response from Unni sir and his folks ! I only need my folk's
permission and I will pray to the divine that they all will understand
and agree for sure.
Aaj tak mein kehthey
rehi,aap sunte rahey,aur sab kahani banathey rahey,takleef banathey and badathey rahey..Everyone’s
effort should not go waste,NOW I WISH TO HEAR FROM “U”
IN PERSON and would pray to give this special messy bond we share a
proper closure, a happy ending to cherish forever! I don't know if it is possible but I think ,THIS IS
THE RIGHT THING TO DO ! I know kahan aap,kahan mein ...Hope you and
others will understand my viewpoint and agree with me,in same page =
The justice league ๐…
Lots of mud were
thrown at my family indirectly,So,I wanna redeem it !!..Hope the
universe will help me to fulfill this wish on my bucket list.(Fingerscrossed !)
I respect other's time as well !
This was too much
for me to bear it strongly with a smile . Thanks to the divine in Holy places,Almighty was my armor ...mein ek aur dushman anek ...Divine got my back !! So, thanks for making me the strongest !!I want to take the risk to extend an offer to meet me in
person (with any of my bodyguards/family memer by my side)whenever I am in India.This is not me...not even in my wildest
imagination I would have thought to even dare to think like this
...especially extending an offer to meet a celebrity lol...From my
point of view,this is a fated connection that’s why it got dragged
for so long and the whole universe knows about it (touchwood!)...There is
something special about it ! Hope the divine will give us a chance to purify and celebrate it ...
(Reminds me, one
of my classmates would always ask me to meet up with him whenever I
visit India,since my classmates in India always have get-togethers
and I am not able to make it ...I remember pulling his leg and saying
for that you have to change your gender ...and his name is Ravi and
his wife’s name is Sangeetha,lagtha hai Ravi ka shraap lag gaya
mere ko..Khush toh bohut hongey tum Ravi !:(๐..Karma is real !) )
I want to share our
pictures by Divine’s grace on social media one day for sure! By Divine's grace !:))
Somehow I feel like
writing around all Navaratris it seems.๐It all started in
MahaShivaratri and this is my positive decision to reconcile especially in person to be on
good terms and to do justice to all negativity that happened to ruin
our respective reputations and others on Dasami 2022 .
Lord Vishnu relates to the number 8 they meant..#Typo
Unni sir sounds like a good idea ?? ๐๐...Hoping to be on good terms !!
Thanks a lot for reading and tolerating it ! Now, breathe in and breathe out , peace in and peace out !!
Hope you all are ALIVE,safe, and sound !!๐
Take a break,rest in nest! You are welcome ! Hope to see you back later !! ๐๐๐
Naam toh suna hi hoga,๐๐
Love and light,
P.S
: Coincidently, there is a reason why I say these two men (one in my real life and one in reel life)are my connections made by the divine who would play
a vital role in the elevation and the expansion of my life on a
postive note.My hubby’s birthday is on August 2 and Unni sir’s is
on Sep 22 and together 2+22 = 6 ,my date of birth ! Also,Navaratri
started on Sep 26 and ends today on 10/05/2022 !Miracle for
me ! HAPPY DUSSEHRA !!๐๐๐
Though it is risky to have a baby now,by almighty's grace we do have our embryos stored in and out of the country as well.It is a costly and challenging process though !! I was before going to India quite desperate to plan for another baby but my hubby was not ready .Now,finally after all these baby dramas created by outsiders , I finally got closure,my doter is as of now enough !!
Enough is enough,I just wanna do the
right thing..for all rumors and staining me and others alongside.Rest
assured to critics/defamers, I am not desperate/addicted/with any hidden motive! It’s in fact my way of proving I am not , I do have the guts to prove to you that I ain't
that type !...
Eventually, time and actions show us how a person truly is
and he is certainly not my type ...and I am neither his type ! So, I am not a threat to his woman/women !!
FYI...
Also, thanks to this
spiritual connection,I came across a tarot reader who told me that
all these defamations and staining are the result of two black magic
practitioners/witches in my family. It makes sense when I recall many
incidents that happened in my life since marriage.Right from the day I got
married ,these ladies were secretly making sure that I don’t
flourish in my life in any way .So,I had problems in
conceiving,losing jobs,other health issues, and eventually, staining me
and generated enemies for me in every way in evil ways. Even my FIL
became sick because of them,my family was also targeted,my doter
initially used to refuse to go to my MIL’s hand and one day she
seriously fell ill in India.We didn’t inform about pregnancy or
doter’s birth.So,it was a huge surprise for them and after that, I
started getting unexplainable mood swings….eventually, I had to
leave our home and go to India and all these issues are the result of
black magic....Some choose light and then some choose dark to destroy that light !
I am writing all
these about them because they were enjoying all these issues I was facing so far.It has got
nothing to do with cars etc that I mentioned before .Actually,when my
father-in-law was on death bed, while doing a video group call with his
relatives, instead of being sad about him,these people were indirectly
mono acting and indicating me ,”Now that the maama which also means
matchmaker in Malayalam is gone,why don’t you also leave ?”
When my hubby was in
India for his father’s funeral last year around this time,he was
always reminding me of the life insurance policy because of their
torture as I and my doter were alone in US then.As I was talking to
my nephew ,he showed me his father/my brother-in-law/MohanDas chettan
who was showing me a riding motion .That’s why I mentioned Lord Shiva and Nandi bull in the previous post ...(My sister-in-law’s
name is Nandi ) .Divine gave me a chance to show them to taste their
own bitter medicine..and my MIL was telling me many times,he/P is my
son afterall,meaning her husband is dead and her son’s wife
, everyone is killing her. They were secretly rejoicing that all their
black magic worked successfully.
It didn’t make me
happy to write all these but what difference will it make otherwise.I am not someone who loves to snatch or keep their son or bro away
from their family.I may have indifferences and disagreements but I try my best to bring them close only.Even though my FIL was bedridden,I forced my hubby to bring my in laws to the USA ,which was his biggest wish and I am happy that though I didn't get a chance to take care of them in India ,I was able to take care of them ,do my bit and spent some quality time together here.It may look like I am defaming them but this is my only cheesy way of saying that I was deeply hurt by their actions !!
So,this spiritual
connection was an eye opener,otherwise ,though a few astrologers did
mention it indirectly in past but were not so clear.Finally,it makes sense !! I wouldn’t have come
across that Astro friend who highlighted this. What people who go for
black magic,spells etc for evil intentions perhaps don’t know is that
it works like ,”What goes around, comes around 10 fold !” ..I will
never get a chance to say all these on their face anyways...
Hope they all will change for good and family is family after all !!
QUESTION/RIDDLE -Think of a snack that is known as a cookie but it is not exactly one ...Think of a fritter-y snack that looks like a flower and has the name of a flower ..
ANSWER - Achappam A.K.A Rose cookie/Rosette Cookie
Whoever knew already (well,you would have guessed by the blog post title still ) ..You see,I was checking if you are paying attention or not ๐.....So,clap clap to all Intel inside ๐๐..who didn't guess...Don't worry,be happy..Hi10 I do have my attention deficit episode at times as well and my G.K. also needs improvement worse than Alia Ma'am ! ๐๐Even I didn't know that they have an English name ,rosette cookies . After all, I am a certified friend in need no pretense,straight from my heart ...๐๐
What is Achappam?
Achappam is a quite popular traditional Kerala snack . "Achu" means a special mould and "Appam" means food made with flour. Achappam is a well-liked snack ,popularly called a "naalu mani palaharam" (meaning an evening snack in English) made with flour, eggs, coconut milk and deeply fried into a flower-shaped snack using a special mould . Achappam is also called a rose cookie.
Wikipedia says,"Achappam is a signature Syrian Christian food believed to come from Dutch influence and has spread to South East Asia also known as kuih loyang (brass), acuan (mould), cap (stamp), bunga ros (rose flower), bunga durian (durian flower), goyang (shake), kembang loyang, struvor in Swedish, demir tatlisi in Turkish, flores manchegas in Spain, shirini panjerei in Iran ,chebbak el-janna in Tunisian cuisine,in Afghanistan, they are called kulcha-e-panjerei (window biscuits),in Bangladesh its called Fuljhuri pitha or Fulkuchi pitha,in Norwegian: rosettbakkelse; rosetter; Danish: rosetbakkelse; and Finnish: rosetti.
In South India, they are called "Gulabi"๐ฎ, achumurukku in Tamil Nadu. In Spain, they are called flores manchegas ("Manchegan flowers"),in SriLanka, it's called kokisand rose cookies among Anglo Indian,East Indian and Goan people.. ."
To my surprise, I found that Achappam's twin version called rosette cookies are quite popular in the United States which has got a Scavindian origin and is also a popular traditional Christmas snack here as well. Both require special moulds and almost similar recipes for the preparation. I didn't know that and I never got a chance to eat it or I never saw them here in shops till now but this is what the internet says.Playing hide and seek with a big-time foodie !!Fair and lovely yet unfair !๐ฎ
Likewise,Achappam is also a special snack for Christians during Christmas or marriage ceremonies and so is for Hindus during Onam, Vishu, etc in Kerala as well.
Interesting how food connects us around the world and makes us feel one , simply split all over the world...
In short , as long as one has teeth to crunch, everyone will probably love Achappam. These Achappams can be seen neatly stacked and packed and sold from small shops to big bakery shops all over Kerala .
These Achappams taste best when they are home-made . However,it is not an easy task when you are preparing all by yourself . Hence,nowadays people prefer to simply buy from bakery shops.
Memories/Flashback
At my home, during my childhood days,my mother used to always make nallu-mani palharams /evening snacks for us for sure. Our little storerooms used to always have jars of snacks or tins filled with snacks like ACHAPPAM etc not only for us but also for guests.I loved whenever my amma would prepare snacks at home ..It used to fill our little kitchen and house (Company quarter) with that gentle yummy aroma that would make anyone excited and looking forward to.No wonder why I was always gol-matol /chubby..๐
Those days I don't remember how painstakingly my amma would prepare all these snacks and neatly store them in a huge tin in my storeroom but I do remember how comfortably I used to walk in and out of the storeroom with two-three Achappams in my hand and munch it happily every day and it was not fun to watch my brother competing with me for the same either...Mr.Salty huh...๐๐
I also remember how my mother would distribute among our neighbours during festivals (who belonged to different states in India)..Now that we are settled in Kerala,she still does the same ...I always tell her to buy and distribute as it is not a child's play to prepare batch after batch all by herself and she doesn't have the same stamina as before...But from whom did I get my stubbornness and temper after all ? ๐๐
During my last long vacation (Thx Corona ! ๐) to India on the eve of Onam ,I finally paid attention to how my amma would prepare those Achappams and I realised this snack is going to be quite challenging for me...Trial and error = A game of thorns !...Anyways,my mother got me an Achu/mould to take with me to the US so that I can make some homemade Achappams for her son-in-law one day for sure as she knows all these snacks are his weakness...I kept it as a treasure for long ...until one day,I decided,it is time..to take that leap of faith..that I can too make Achappams...#IBelieveIcanFry
How to prepare Achappam at home ?
Traditionally,it requires rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, oil and a very special mould with lots of patience and enthu.
Achappams are one of my hubby's favourite snack.So,last year I tried for the first time to prepare Achappams by myself ...I tried different recipes ...And I found my own version of Achappam recipe that is not the traditional way because I made my Achappam without using any eggs or rice flour...So,YES,Achappams can be made eggless and with no rice flour , the quintessential flour of Kerala and you won't find any difference in the taste.That's the highlight !
I bought the mould couple of years back though. Even though I didn't expect it ,though a few of the first Achappams came out just the opposite of the mould I used ,different shapes like the crippled version of Achappams,the next batch looked lovely to look and good to digest .
I can't tell you how excited I was when I made a well-shaped Achappam for the first time,it was like some kind of huge acheivement in my life..mere dil mein sachh muuch laddoo futt rahe theyy meaning manasil laddoo poti yennu ...Eyes popping out,mouth wide open,hands covering it in awe,tears of joy in my eyes as if I've been crowned Mrs.culinary Universe /the tasty queen ..๐ญ๐๐
But whenever I get too excited in my life,something goes wrong ..likewise,my next one and the next one thereafter were hugging to the mould and refusing to detach...That moment when I saw a mould and batter madly in love with each other, inseparable and I realised, damn I am the villain in this edible story now...However, that rumble and growl in my stomach gave me the ultimate push to do the needful , be less excited and more mindful thereafter....I've given up on being too over-excited in all...๐
And then,they kept getting better after every try. And when I made Achappams non-traditionally without using any eggs or rice flour and they came out well-formed and authentically tasty, imagine my happiness..YAYYYY..๐๐๐ Well, the idea to make this Achappam batter came out of using the super-ripe Banana covered with marks all over without wasting it (which are in good condition to use)
And with the leftover Achappam batter,I made some delicious Pancakes as well.Oh,they are delish beyond words !
So, here is my homemade Achappam recipe eggless and without any rice flour yet tasting authentic.
Achappam recipe
Makes 20-30
Ingredients
For making Achappam batter
All-Purpose Flour 3 Cups
Powdered sugar 3/4 the Cup
Baking Powder 1 Tsp
Thick Coconut Milk (I used readymade ) 1/2 Cup
Banana, Ripe 1 No.
Milk 2 1/2 Cups
Black Kalonji /Black Cumin/Karinjeerakam - 1 Tbsp
Oil as needed for deep fry
Wide Pan/Kadai
Achappam Mould
Tall Mixer Jar (to prevent any overflow)
Lots of patience and enthu..
Preparation of Achappam batter
Transfer all dry ingredients into the mixer jar followed by all wet ingredients (all ingredients written in BOLD) and grind into a smooth lump-free batter. The batter should be neither thin nor thick but of pouring consistency.
Taste a sample of the batter to make sure the sugar is enough.
Pour the batter into a long container and add the Kalonji /Black cumin or black sesame seeds.Mix well.
Keep the batter in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes for all the flavor to blend in well.The batter kept in the refrigerator makes sure that the batter will stick to the mould and releases with ease while frying which is the most important step to make a well-shaped Achappam.
After 10 min,let the batter sit for a few minutes outside.Then stir well.
Pour oil into a Wide pan/Kadai for deep fry.
Add a little batter into the oil and if it springs back to the top ,the oil is ready for deep frying which is very very important for frying apt Achappam .
Then put the Achappam mould into the oil and keep it for a minute or until hot.This is must ,this step prepares the mould for making sure the batter sticks to the mould when dipped and releases and gets fried properly.
Then remove the mould from oil and dip it into the batter BUT make sure that the mould is not immersed fully ,immerse only 3/4 th of the mould with batter ,this step makes sure that the achappam slides easily into the oil for frying.Count 10 secs,to make sure the batter sticks to the mould properly..
Now the batter will stick to the mould if it was hot and ready and then transfer the mould into the oil but not place the mould into the oil .Hold the mould stick and mould just covered in oil for frying ,shake the stick after a minute or two gently and the achappam will slide it into the oil OR before the achappam gets fried on the mould itself,using a skewer stick try to GENTLY release the achappam into the oil.If the achappams gets fried in mould itself,it will be very difficult to release it into the oil and to remove the achappam in shape from the mould aptly.
Most of the time, the first few Achappams will not come out good.But continue frying and they will get better.
Once the achappam slides into the oil let it fry until they get light golden colour and then turn it to fry the other side using a slotted spoon until light golden colour on low -medium flame.Put the mould into the oil (med-high) for making the next one.This is very very important to fry the next one aptly.
Once Achappam is golden brown on both sides. Transfer them onto tissue paper to absorb all oil. As they rest,it will become more crisp .
Repeat and fry all Achappams and store them in an airtight container .
Enjoy with a cup of tea or like me whenever you wanna munch something ,which is most of the time.
NOTES:
1.If the batter is too thick,add coconut milk little by little to make it a not too thick batter and if it is too thin add little all-purpose flour little by little until it becomes thick .
2. Thick coconut milk is a must for that authentic taste.
3.When a new mould is used for the first time,the Achappams may not turn out well.But the more the mould is used it will get better and better.After use wash it lightly with water so it remains oiled and seasoned for next use.
4.Since I am not using eggs ,I am using baking powder and Banana instead.
5.I always use the super-ripe Banana with marks all over ,good to use though .
Here is the demo to show you how to make Kerala style Achappams eggless and with No rice flour
So,I am happy that I finally nailed Achappam or Kerala style rosette cookie in a non-traditional way that tastes just like the achappam made traditionally. This was mission impossible at one point in time but just because there are thorns doesn't mean I can never smell the rose ...So,if you don't like cookies but love snacks or if you love cookies with a crunch, that will make you wonder wow, then this is for you, Kerala style rosette cookies, in my mother tongue, Malayalam, Achappam...Fry it,try it and enjoyyy it!
Bye for now ..Till next time..Take care,be well,be happy...