Life-always a Struggle or a clever Juggle?

The joy of baking never ceases to please !!!

Lately I've been trying to play Supermom by doing it all and  being on top of the game -  feeding Ananya healthy food, washing clothes twice a week, cooking diff recipes off internet, baking, taking Ananya to playgroup 3 times a week, painting my nails the latest pinkish silver nail paint that I bought recently, giving my self a pedicure, reading whenever  I can, catching up with the latest movies, doing yoga and stretching while my lil girl is asleep in the mornings, packing lunches for hubby, pitching play tents and water play with Ananya during afternoons in the lawn, taking her to the park and walking her to the fish pond  down the road in the evenings etc etc.

Chunky Chocolate cookies

Its A LOT of hard work being a mum and the world will NEVER acknowledge that and damn to the world cause we mums need to pat our backs on a continual basis if do not want to crumble under the mammoth task of being a mom,  good home makers( i don't like that word) and also taking care of our own needs. My fun thing is to bake and give myself manicures - it feels great esp after doing dishes, listen to music and read whenever I can manage to. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

I believe whoever invented chocolate deserves a peace prize. Surely. A bite of it and you're filled with bliss and complete peace within. Though I am great fan of orange and carrots as well. Recently the worried mum inside me realized that Ananya needs  snacks as she looks for food sometimes in her favorite shelf so I baked some  PEANUT BUTTER and CHUNKY  CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, Whereas the products were a success, feeding them to her was a complete failure. If only there was a checklist to feed toddlers. I was disappointed partly cause she didn't eat the cookies after the first one but because now they will show on my waist line. Talking of waistlines - ladies we need to exercise. Being a mom is no excuse - just do it wherever, whenever, how much ever. I used to conveniently blame breast feeding and the cravings arising out of it as the reason to munch but by Jo it doesn't help in the long run because hanging 'muffin tops' do not look cute when you decide to wear jeans- what goes on your lips stays on your hips.  Nor does it mean that I quit baking cause I love it . I guess eating in moderation and exercise. 

Carrot cake muffins

Slice of delight !

Baked some 'Thankyou' CARROT CAKE MUFFINS for a very nice old man, my friends' dad who helped me last year with some stuff. Dusted some icing sugar on it. He loved it cause they were still warm when I took it for him. 

Went to a friend's place for fun times with her kids. Baked FUDGE with chocolate mud cake base and Custard topping . The decoration is with dusted drinking chocolate and grated dark chocolate. Recipes of all that mentioned follows. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

                                                      1 1/2 cup self raising flour

1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

1 cup runny honey ( can use brown sugar as well) 

1/2 cup regular butter - room temp , pinch of salt , 1-2 tb spn milk 

Mix a bowl mix butter and honey or sugar. Add peanut butter, salt, milk .Mix, add flour gradually. Knead dough and break into small portions, grease palm with oil if need be, flatten and spread on baking tray lined with baking paper. Gently press a fork to form impressions. Bake @ 200 deg for 10-12 min. Honey changes the color to golden brown. Cool n serve or dust with icing sugar.

Chunky Chocolate chip Cookies 

 1 1/2 cup self raising flour

1 cup chocolate chips ( I mashed chocolate buttons, broken pieces of choc is fine too)

1/2 cup butter , 1/3 cup oil , 1/2 cup drinking chocolate , 2-3 tbspn cocoa powder, 1 cup brown sugar

Mix butter, sugar well. Add cocoa power, drinking chocolate, mix, add flour slowly. Add chips in the end. It becomes a chunky batter. Drop spoonful on baking tray. Bake @ 200 deg in preheated oven till toothpick comes out clean.

Carrot Cake Muffins

1 1/2 cup self raising flour

1 1/2 cups fresh grated carrot, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tspn vanilla essence, 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter , 1/3 cup oil, handful of grated. chopped almonds.

Beat butter sugar well. Add oil, essence, some milk add flour slowly mixing well. Add carrots, remaining milk. The batter should be a lil bit runny. Throw in almonds in the end. Bake in a preheated oven, in pre greased muffin maker @ 250 deg for 18-20 min or till toothpick comes out clean.

Fudge Cake

• For Cake :

1 cup self raising flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 cup melted chocolate, 1 tbspn vanilla,

1 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, pinch of salt.

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and put and put aside. over warm water.  Beat sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour slowly, cocoa powder and salt until just mixed.  Pour into pre heated pan and bake @ 350deg for 30 min. It is okay if it is 3/4 done, take the pan out.

• For Custard :

2 big tbspn custard powder, 1 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, cold water

• Decoration:

1 tea spoon drinking choc., 2 cubes of grated dark choc.

Dissolve custard powder in cold water. Bring milk to boil, add sugar, stir till dissolved. On low flame slowly add custard mix and keep stirring. When it starts to thicken turn off gas, keep stirring and let it cool for 5 min. 

• Final bit:

When the fudge is ready pour custard on top and bake slowly on 100 deg for another 10 min till the custard settles on the fudge. Take out . Cool and cut . Sprinkle drinking chocolate on top and grate dark chocolate. Cut  n Serve.

Stay fit and happy people. There are just too many reasons to sabotage our happiness and they are so overpowering but a look around us is a quick and sure reminder to count our blessings!  Create what you can at any level, its is renewing and refreshing for the soul. It heals us and makes us ready to face the world just one more time. . . . .