Monthly Archives: July 2012

Cupcake Confession

Psychologist: These sessions seem to be getting tedious. I am afraid I will have to advance you to a higher level of help if you cannot tell me.

Patient:How will I tell you without you judging me? How can I tell anyone?

Psych: You must not bottle those feelings, they will crush you later in life and you will wonder why…

cupcakes 19
Patient: It is not that easy…

Psych: Once you let it out, it will be. Tell me.

Patient: *breathes in deep* Ok… I think… I think I am… a cup-, a cupcake… snob…

Psych: Oh… wait, so you came here for ten sessions because you wanted to tell me you. are. a. cupcake. snob…?

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CCU Undercover: Criniti’s

Before I begin, just a big thank you to everyone who helped me with my facebook questions and who linked me to their pages – If you saw someone random named Urvashi ‘like’ you, thats me 😀 and I want to like everyone so keep on linking 🙂
I will post up my page link as soon as I get some time to make it 😉
And also I was joking when I said I had lunch with Mark Z., I promise you all I hae never even seen this guy 😀

Now on to the post – Enjoy!

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“Mamma mia!”
No-Sit Coffee Shops.
Gelatissimo.
“Why are all the towers leaning daddy?”
Al Pacino casually walking by with Marlon Brando with their godkids…

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Changes

UPDATE: Just clarifying that I have not made my likes page yet on facebook (which is why I have asked you all how to make it :D) and I will be posting up a link after I have done so 🙂

The world is constantly changing, we are constantly aging and of course, ever since Einstein invented time, nothing will ever be able to stop, stay at a standstill, or at the very least, go slow motion style like in Matrix 😉

Anyhow, before I go ranting (again) and get off topic as I have a tendency to, there have been some major changes around. And I think almost 99% of you all are aware of it. Foodbuzz, the biggest and most awesomest food blogger sharing community is switching to DailyBuzz. Say what?
Ok, yes it will be fine but how can we see all the bloggers in the world now? It is such a wonderful feeling when waking up to go check Foodbuzz and see all these different and delicious posts. Makes me breakfast hungry 😉

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CCU Undercover: Moo Gourmet Burgers

After the last classy, sophisticated walk through the sands, CCU needed a break. She came home that night to a dimly lit apartment, her stomach full and her food heart (yes, she has two hearts, one for loving food and one for loving people) content.

She kicked off her high heels, wishing for ugg boots and jeans on her next outing. ‘Who needs evening dresses?’ she thought to herself, though deep down it was her exhaustion speaking.

Slumped, she fell asleep only to dream of the most perfect burger. Soft, fluffy with a filling so fresh, McDonald’s could legitimately be sued.
And now she shares her quest of finding and enjoying this dream burger with you all in another:

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The Proud Moment

Update: Check out Kelli’s awesome National Can It Forward Day Post! Her e-book sounds fantastic!

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In everything we do, anything we take part of, there is always one defining moment where you finish it, stand tall and say ‘I’m proud of myself.’

You could be the worst at it in the world, for example, someone you may know sucks at football, but even then, said anonymous person scored a goal for the first time – ultimate defining moment of pride 😀
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Ironic Comfort

The wind is whipping.

The frost is growing.

The sky is blue but it is so mocking.

The sun is shining yet is only a mirage of warmth.

The heaters are on, to no effect, my nails are pale yet my nose is red. I can no longer feel the tips of my ears.

As I climb out of bed, my heart is heavy, I need something to take my mind of the cold which is so prominent, I feel like I am trying to slash through it with a knife.

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The Cosmos Is Collapsing

UPDATE: I am commenting on all blogs but it does not seem to be appearing yet when I go to comment with the same one, it tells me my comment cannot be duplicated – but it isn’t there. If you could help would be fabulous!

Some people have said they are receiving them fine but others say it is in spaam folder – GUYS CHECK SPAM 🙂 I will probably be there! Also does anyone know how to contact wordpress without astarting a forum??? Thank you!

UPDATE: Foodbuzz sharing is still fritzy, hopefullythey will fix it soon 🙂

On to the post 🙂

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I am not a space-head, astronomical genius with physics down pat in my head or with the Doppler Effect ingrained in my brain – not matter how much I love watching Big Bang Theory!

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A Classic

Update: Foodbuzz is being a little fritzy again – I will let you know more soon I hope 😛

Update: I don’t seem to be able to comment on ANY wordpress.org or wordpress.com blogs right now so if you are having the same problem, please let me know 🙂

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You can’t go wrong with classics. Sometimes, no doubt, you want to go out of your mind crazy and totally vamp up dishes (I should know :P), so they too can see light of the new century. But like good music, some things should be left as they are.

Ever heard a decent remix? Nope, didn’t think so 😛

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June Foodie Pen Pals + A Perfect Cookie

I may be republishing a few old posts from the past (this being one of them), so please just ignore the notifications you will get via email) – sorry about that! If this message does not start the post, then consider it to be a new one 🙂


 

Update: Sorry if my blog looks a little weird but the side bar that is usually directly next to my posts is right at the bottom of my page including the subscribe area, the categories etc. It will NOT for some reason appear next to my blogs and looks awful so as I try to contact wordpress.com incessantly without starting forum and actually just emailing them, I’m sorry you will have to deal with it! If any of you can help, please do 😀

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I know it is a little late but voila,my package finally arrived so here is my June Foodie Pen Pals 😀 😀 – So exciting right?

Sorry, what is Foodie Pen Pals?

Foodie Pen Pals is a food exchange program started by the wonderful Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean between both foodie bloggers and food lovers in the US and Canada. She has forever been extending this project, now including the UK and recently, doing special exchanges across the Southern Hemisphere 😀

I was allowed to try it for one month and I was absolutely thrilled. Shopping for and waiting for food? how could it possibly get better right?

The wonderful Natt over at In Need Of Natt got my name for this exchange and it was absolutely wonderful 😀
Living in South Korea, the home of sweet and cute, she sent me a parcel determined to break any diets and pacts I had with dry bread and water (which I actually never made ;))

So here goes – yes, there was a little translation problem but hey, she is vegan and understands my vegetarianism so I know everything is sweet and beautifully meat free! Of course, I cannot have tasted everything by now (actually I could but mum worries about cavities and stuff ;)), so here is my wonderful parcel unwrapped – thank you so so much Natt 😀

These were some totally awesome Korean version of Skittles – yum!
And cute packaging right>

Ummm… this one will be a surprise when I open it but I think there is some kind of chocolate involved and seeds because of the birds 😀
Or mini chocolate eggs? 😉

A plethora of lollipops 😀
Who can resist apple, strawberry, cola or what I would assume, bubblegum?

If you shake it, it rattles like popping candy 😉

Sunflowers seeds! I can totally read 😀 😀

These are like chocolate freckles but instead of hundreds and thousands, there are small pearl-like balls stuck on – cute right? 😀

And now we get into the chocolate load up – love you Natt, know me way too well 😀

Can’t go wrong, so smooth, silky and smooth 😀

These next 2 bars, I am pretty sure they are chocolate, one grape and one peanut 😀 – Cool combos right?

Thanks again Natt, it was brilliant and I am sure as I quickly slowly progress, I will enjoy every minute! And your note was so wonderful too!

Want to join Lindsay’s awesome global village foodie project? Visit this page to find out all the info and sign up soon 😀
I love making friends around the world, as corny as that sounds 😉

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As much as I am sure I overloaded you all with food, I simply HAD to share a cookie recipe I recently made up – its highly chocolatey, thin-nish and very addictive so if you are in the mood for nice and simple, leave (or stay and bookmark for another day :D)
Due to my lack of desserts, this is one filled with my favourite things – white chocolate, Nutella, hazelnuts, brown butter 😀
Making this for an outing with friends, it is only coincidence that they like these things too (why else are we friends ;))

They are so soft and so beautifully melt-in-mouth, you will never be able to stop at one (assured!)
Also just be a little weary… I may or may not have smudged the white chocolate chip while putting them on top of the cookies… oops 😉

Enjoy the recipe my friends!

Brown Butter Hazelnutella Chip Cookies

Recipe Inspiration: Love And Olive Oil

Makes: 24

Ingredients

  • 113g butter, salted
  • 6 tbs caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup Nutella
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 tsp coffee essence
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper
  2. Brown butter over medium heat until it is frothy and has a nutty smell to it. As soon as a brown colour, remove from heat and coll for 5 minutes
  3. Stir in both sugars
  4. Mix in Nutella spread (because the mixture is warm, it will melt the Nutella into batter)
  5. Beat in egg then both essences
  6. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and hazelnut meal and whisk to combine
  7. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the mixture is smooth and combined
  8. Using a tsp, drop dollops of dough onto the baking sheet, keep them 4-ish cm apart
  9. Slightly flatten them with a knife and bake for 6-7 minutes or until set
  10. While cooling on tray, quickly press in white chocolate chips on top, as many as desire per cookie
  11. Transfer to a cooling and rack and cooling completely
  12. Fill with extra Nutella, make ice cream sandwiches and eat away 🙂

See, see did I not tell you these would be addictive? Here are a few more shots to get you in the indulgent mood 😉
Work that cookie!

These cookies have been linked to Zesty South Indian Kitchen’s Favourite Recipes Event – so much fun and Swathi hosts a diffrent one each month! This month, obviously, it is cookies 😀

Oh, and before I forget, to all those in the US, Happy 4th of July, I am really enjoying all your festive posts 😀
And a belated Happy Canada Day to the maple syrup gurus!

CCU Undercover + A Wannabe Gozleme

This song is the most adequate to start this post with 🙂

Donned in her evening gown, her earrings swinging, she clutched her… clutch, walking determinedly in her high heels though they slipped in the sand. She could hear the Bedouin camp’s music, the smell of musky incense drawing her in as she came closer.

She held her phone to her heart, her only resource to secretly document every manoeuver, mistake and perfection. Finally, she pulled back the silken flaps of the camp, heavy gold cords holding them loosely shut to immerse herself in the world of rich wines and exotic foods.

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