Beside the silent waters

  Welcome back, bakers! This time I'm sharing with you the recipe for vanilla sponge cake. Without further delay, let’s get baking!! Vanilla Sponge cake prepared at home Sift the dry ingredients together and keep aside to mix later 2 ½ cups of flour (all-purpose flour) ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt     Now, in the main bowl, take: ½ cup of room temperature butter and beat it along with 1 ½ cups of Sugar You will require 3 whole eggs which you will add one by one after the butter and sugar are mixed. Into this soft creamy batter, add ½ a cup of oil and 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence and mix it well.   Now it's time to slowly add the dry ingredients and 1 cup buttermilk (curd) to it – little by little – till all is well combined.   Butter grease tin and bake it for about 20 minutes at 180*c. Also, keep checking your cake in between with a knife if it is ready to avoid any possibility of burning it.   -----

Three Butterflies -poem by Deial Johnson pic credit: internet   Three butterflies in a cage. One named kindness, The other, love and the third, forgiveness.   They see many gardens inviting their presence, Attracting them, Wanting to be touched.   These three beautiful butterflies – that the whole world needs more of are stuck in a boney cage whose walls are made up of hatred, pessimism and self-doubt.   Break these walls and set them free To wander in the gardens that deserve them; To the gardens that need them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The three butterflies are qualities that are trapped in each of us to brighten each of our lives. However, because of the strong walls of hatred, self-doubt and pessimism, we are unable to express them to the needy. When we break down these walls, we will be able to express kindness, forgiveness and love to the ‘garden’ (of people) who is asking for their presence

 Here are some photos I collected of the ones I lost due to covid-19 in 2021. The second wave was terrible.. I hope this is the end of the pandemic and that it doesn't spread further. Stay safe all of you! Gracy aunty from Kerala. Though she was our neighbour, she was like our own family member. I'll miss her when I go to Kerala. The place will seem so empty without her sound. Once when I was there with papa, I was in the kitchen when dad went out. She was there too as usual. She was impressed by how helpful I was in the kitchen. There was another time when we went to visit her snd mom called from Goa. Mummy cut the call after she spoke to him but papa kept the phone in his ear as if she was still on the line and started to talk. I understood but aunty didn't. He gave the phone to me too and I played along. Then I passed the phone back to him and he started saying aloud that mummy wants to talk to her. She came forward to take the phone and papa readily gave the phone to he

  She poem written by Deial  pic credit: internet She lives Spending yet another day In toil Living it for someone Neglecting away herself She lives yet another day She lives Striking off yet another day In sorrow With sorrow Ignorant that her fortunate days will soon arrive She lives yet another day She lives Yet another day In an Immortal cracked shelter, Her soul With desperate eyes seeking eternal joy Thus she lives yet another day. Thus she lives every day. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This poem was originally written in 2018 in the close of the monsoon season.  

The Silent Waters... Poem written by Deial Johnson picture credit: Sujith;   Location: Kollam, Kerala   Beside the silent waters sit I And spend my time Peacefully. Here, the vegetation is rich And the soil damp from the water Flowing beside it.   The water is new every day. It flows from a source that it never sees again To another unfamiliar locale Through the same track through which it flows day after day. It flows slowly, every minute. To the beautiful rhythm of my soul.   Beside these silent waters sit I Where my thoughts and the waters flow In one accord; Rich, damp thoughts that just cannot be held within. It should flow too From within To explore new limits – Like the silent waters flowing every day.

Here's a recipe I watched online to make whipping cream at home. I found this recipe so simply s uper easy to make and wanted to share it with you too.  Let's get to it: ~In a small bowl take: Egg whites from 2 eggs Sugar – ½ cup (don’t have to powder it) Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon lemon juice ~Mix it slightly just until all the ingredients are incorporated. ~Boil some water in another vessel and dip the bowl into it so that it is being double-boiled. Do this step just until the sugar melts. ~After the sugar melts, transfer the mixture into a larger bowl, and with the help of a hand mixer, beat it for about 2-4 minutes. ~Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence when you’re halfway beating the cream after which you can continue beating it till the cream is stiff- just like the whipping cream. Viola! Your cream is ready for the cake. It is stiff and can be used as regular whipping cream. You can add any colour of your choice and decorate your cake or cupcakes with

  pic:internet I’m pretty sure that anyone will instantly agree that food is one word that makes anyone feel good. It makes them crave their favourite food they want. It’s a basic necessity of life. Though not all the food we eat is necessary, it’s an important part of our lives. Is posting images or videos on social media of the food ethical? Social media has become a major part of our lives. We can hardly imagine one day without our phones and the internet. Sharing an idea, event, achievement, or literally, anything to an unaddressed mass of individuals using social media is now possible with the feature of status/story on these apps. Almost everyone on my contacts posts statuses every day. Their statuses range from travels, birthday wishes, anniversary wishes, food, memes, jokes, news, and the like. Of all the statuses I’ve seen all these years, what I don’t approve of is posting images of food that one is about to eat. Yeah, I can explain. You might have experienced a situation