Mickey Mouse Cake

My first 3D cake (almost :p)

'He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.'..'Born of necessity, the little fellow literally freed us of immediate worry.'

Umm..no those are not my words thats Walt Disney talking. His story started with a Mouse...hell when is my mouse moment going to come! I made this cake for a friend's son for his 2nd Birthday.  I doubted myself to be trusted with the cake but that was only immediate worry!

Breaking it down: 

1. 1 basic sheet cake
2. 1 round cake baked in a bowl
3. 2 chocolate ears (made with cake scraps that came after levelling the sheet cake..I made them as I would make cake pops..but sadly they were too heavy to stand..so I poked a bamboo skewer in an apple and gave it support at the back of the ear..born out of necessity!) 
4. Cream-Cheese frosting for spreading
5. Butter Cream Frosting for writing, Mickey face (unintentionally cross eyed:p) and border piping

Mickey Theme Birthday Party

Favour Boxes

Talking about pretty packages..I made these favour boxes on last Eid to carry my sweet treats.
They were easy to do. Lots of folding involved but worth a try! I found it on etsy..No pictures for a tutorial but I can recall the steps here:

1. You need a perfect square piece of paper.
2. Fold it in half diagonally. You have a crease in the middle.
3. Lay the paper flat open and fold one corner of the square towards the inside-middle point of the square. Repeat on all corners. Now Unfold all of them.
4. Take one corner and fold it all the way inside the square..with the point of the corner touching the crease you made on the opposite corner. (Confusing I know..but break it down and you'll get it)
5. Repeat on all sides and unfold. Basically you are making a creased pattern by doing so.
6. Next fold in the corner closest to you with the point touching the first crease (closest to you when the square piece is placed on the table with its corner facing you)Repeat on an all 4 corners. Unfold!
7. Notice on your pattern that there are 4 squares in the middle of the paper. These are the base of the box. Mark it with a pencil
8. Place your paper with one corner pointing towards you.
9. Make two cuts..on the creases leading to the base you marked. You will have a flap. Repeat on the opposite corner too. 
10. Now you have 2 flaps and 2 triangular shapes on the paper.
11. Take one triangle and fold it inwards on itself down towards the centre base of the box. Fold the edges of the triangle inside too.. This will give you the 'side' of the box. Repeat with the other triangle. These folds will just fall into place because of all the creasing you already did.
12. Take the flaps and punch holes on top side for ribbon to tie.

That makes a long list of steps there! Hope you don't have a boggled mind after reading these..Didn't know it would be this long but give it a try!

Postnatal Nut n Spice Mix

I love things in pretty packages..who doesn't? I prettied up this pixie Mason's Jar with lace print paper and instructions to use tied with a ribbon to go in a gift basket for a friend who recently gave birth.

Based on an age old recipe from the Sub-Continent, this is simple blend of individually dry roasted aromatic cardamoms,extremely beneficial fennel and whole almonds fed by the snow melted waters of the Himalayas! Ground into a luxuriously satiny smooth powder this nutty mix has been a heirloom in our family...My mother reintroduced it to me after I had my baby and needed to restore all my strength. I thought I should share the goodness with you!


Benefits and Properties 

•  Just a couple of tablespoons of this at night will ensure a calm sleep when taken with a warm cup of milk.
• It aids in good digestion.
• Its an excellent tonic for a new mother during post-natal period
• Replenishes lost minerals and gives the hair and skin a positive glow.
• Enriches the mother's milk and benefits the baby by relieving colic complaints.

 Use

•  Can be taken dry with a cup of tea/coffee.
• Mixed into porridge/Ovaltein etc.
• or eaten straight off the spoon for a quick snack.

Add some brown sugar to the mix if you like.

Acrylics on Canvas

I am not a painter but I like to pick up the brush once in a great while. Made these for my small entryway to add a bold black and white piece.

The pattern is from Mr. Google, searched a year and half back so can't quote the source!

Hoot Hoot

Owls have become the latest fad..be it crochet, swarovski jewellery, bed linens, crafts, Harry potter's Hedwig or apparel for kids and grown ups alike they're hooting everywhere!

Today I made one for my boy on a plain black shirt using fabric scraps.

Chicken Sandwich Cake

One of the best things about impromptu get togethers is that you have to come up with instant light bulb ideas. This Monday afternoon we had a small meet up with my friends at my place for tea. I thought about the snacks that I could come up with and decided upon this Sandwich Cake. It was quick and yum with a bit of a unique edge to it.

You Need:
Sandwich Bread (uncut slices)
Chicken boiled and shredded
Capsicum, Cabbage, Carrots (or any other assortment..this was what I had)
Mayo
Ketchup
Cheese (I uses Emmentaler)
Salt n Pepper
China Salt

I had 2 packs of Bread and I used 1 and a half..to add lenght to the cake so it would be enough for 8-9 people.
I chopped the veggies in a  hand held chopper.
Mix veggie+chicken+mayo+seasoning.

Start Layering.

Layer 1: Chicken Mixture
Layer 2: Ketchup
Layer 3:Chicken Mixture
Layer 4: Cheese

Top with low fat cream cheese. Garnish with hard boiled eggs and olives. Or Cucumber and ice-berg lettuce..its upto you! Chill it in the refrigerator for sometime before serving-

Coffee Filter Wreath

Been there, seen that, done that. These coffee filter projects are all over blogland..I hate to, but I jumped on the bandwagon too. I mean who doesn't like to have a statement piece hanging on their door?

What you need:

• Lots and lots of patience.
• Coffee Filters (I used a box of 100 filters)
• Glue Gun
• Wreath
• Scalloped scissors
• Masking Tape

 1. Take 3 filters at a time and trim the outer edge of the filters with scalloped scissors.
2.Cut a line through the centre of the filter.s.I used plain scissors here as it was quicker.

3. Scrunch up the upper part of the filter..like so..

For this step any and all helping hands are welcomed.

 4. Use the inner and narrower part of the cut filters to make the 'buds' of your flower by twisting the paper into bud like shapes. You have three buds now.
5. Take a strip of masking tape..lay it on your work surface sticky side up.
6. Stick the 3 buds on it in a row.

Sorry about the poor picture quality..I was working late at night with all helping hands gone to bed by now :p
7. Next..take the 3 outer rings of your filters.Make a cut into the rings (no picture) you'll have 3 strips of paper with scalloped edges.
8. Start sticking each strip on the masking tape in a ruffled fashion.

So now you have 3 buds and three strips of paper on to your masking tape.

Start rolling the tape inwards. Roll and you will have a flower!

Use hot glue to stick them on your wreath. This project was tedious and I wanted to quit after the first row of flowers on the wreath..I stuck my headphones in my ears listening to Adele and the next row seemed to have taken less time!

Finished. Time for some Coffee.

Freezing Baby Food

When my baby started taking solids the first few days seemed like a lot of fun..we were making videos of him eating off a spoon and I was excited at the prospect of him wanting more and not rejecting the spoon. Being a lazy person soon I found it hard to come up with a freshly cooked wholesome portion of baby food..The result..I opened the kitchen drawer and gave him a jar of  baby food.

I do use baby food from the market at times when I don't have anything else on hand..or sometimes for variety in puddings and fruits. To come up with quick meals I find it best to freeze a batch of vegetables, fruit and meat in small portion sizes. Here's how:

• Wash, Peel and Cut the vegie of your choice..All vegetables don't freeze well. I usually do carrots.
• Steam or boil them to soften them. I use very little water.
• Drain and purée them using a Stab Mixer. I used to make a very fine paste up till age 8-9 months but now at 1 year I leave in some chunks as well.
• Let it cool..but do not let it stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

 I use wide strips of aluminium foil to wrap up small one time portions.Previously I used to pour the Puree or chicken stock into silicon ice cube trays but now the little man needs bigger portions and I find these packets take less space in the freezer as compared to plastic jars or boxes.

Freeze the individual packets. Do not put them in the freezer one on top of the other..they will be hard to separate. Once frozen put them into a zip lock bag, label and store.

Takes no great effort. You can mix n match to give variety. I make similar portions of minced  chicken and mutton as well because we use Halal meat and the ones from the local shelves are not an option at any time.

My stock up lasts from anywhere between 2 weeks to a month. I can make spaghetti bolognese, butter vegie, carrot pudding, soup or any other combination for a hungry baby instantly!

Apple and Plum Yum Yum (baby food)

Most of you would be like..duhhh?? Whats so special about it..well not so long ago when I was searching for easy and quick home made baby meals I wanted ideas as simply dumb as this..and I needed someone else to tell me that it was fit for consumption for a 12 month old baby. Planning for 3 meals a day for a baby is far more difficult a thing to do than thinking for yourself 'What should I cook Today?'

1. Wash, Peel and Cut an Apple and a Plum.
2. Steam the apple to soften in up a bit. Or just bring it to a boil in very little water in a saucepan.
3. Purée the plum.

 Junior loves it with a blob of Yoghurt.

Rosette Cushion

Imagine that you walk into an über chic designer shop and see this:

...reluctantly you go close and take a peek at the price tag which says $395.See here If  you were like me you'd politely excuse your way out of the boutique..run back home..pull that old bed sheet out your mother had given you and...tear it apart (no not in frustration )

Ok..cut..enough with the dramatics..this was my first try at fabric rosettes that I learned to make just yesterday. I love the combination of grey, blue and mocha. Had this cotton bed sheet that my mother had given me. I ripped just the stripey border off it to accent my dark grey sofa in the living room.

1. I cut about 1 yard long strips..some were shorter doesn't have to be exact.

 2. Ideally you should use felt for the base of the rosettes but I had this synthetic felt-like fabric on hand so i used that and it worked.

3. Take your strip of fabric and fold it likewise to make a pointy corner.
4. Put a dot of hot glue on your base fabric/felt and stick this folded corner to it.
5. Now start twisting and rolling the fabric in a round. Work around with the fabric and keep on making twists and turns, adding a dab of glue every now and then to secure the shape.

You will get a shape like this. Trim the felt off.

I used an old duvet cover to make my cushion. The plus point here was that I already had 2 seams stitched when I cut out the cover to make my cushion..and it already had the placket and buttons!

After preparing the cushion I arranged the rosettes on it and started tacking them on with a needle and thread..just small stitches to secure (my boy was already interested in plucking them out).

 Since I only secured each flower with a  single stitch (I placed my stitch in a way that the next stitch would connect the next flower too) I used fabric glue to stick the edges well. I put some heavy books on top to press them till the glue was set.

 The finished look. Now don't scroll up and compare it to the designer version. I know its not the same but still adds the same effect..without killing a rabbit.

The Stork and the Sock

When my son was born the next best thing to his arrival was the arrival of my very considerate Aunt all the way from England to support me. She is one of those people who will find just any excuse to wrap up a gift. I loved the gifts she brought for us all wrapped up in adorable sheets of paper. One year later I decided that I need to keep these memories safe.

The Sock Monster lives in every man's cupboard. There's always one sock missing. My Little one had one too. I framed it and the paper I had saved from the gifts. Both memories are now framed and make me smile every time I see them :)
                                            

Italiano!

The Grand Canal.Venice

Statue of Niccolo Macheavilli at the Uffizi Courtyard. Florence

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Milano

Munich, Winter 2012