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Belated Queue                  Happy Birthday(s)? Sure. However, I'll opt not to elaborate on the birthdays, and instead, tell you a little about the things that I've been up to recently. I've somehow managed to get out of my Ramadhan-Lack-of-Exercise slump, it started when I got the Wii, but that didn't quite cut it for me, and in return, I tuned it up a notch and hurt my foot in the process (I know this will come and bite me in the derriere) -- the good news is: I'm recovering well, very well.. and the bad news is: well, there's no bad news. period. Baking is another thing I've been spending time doing.. nonetheless, all of my attempts to come up with edible saffron cupcakes that don't taste like Chebaab or Khemeer have gone down the drain. It totally put me off of baking, until I decided to go back to Sprinkles Cupcakes recipe, reminiscing about LA and wishing I was there as the background scenes of The Hills teleport me mentally there.. I *heart* LA. I should be getting ready for bed now, ..but before I go, to everyone who wished me a happy birthday: the biggest THANK YOU goes your way -- a very special one goes to G for converting ideologies on birthday celebrations for my sake (MUCH appreciated my friend), to my favorite Gemini for being there, and to my cousin S for his understanding and support for my ever so escalating obsession with Hermes <3 Nevermind the eyes that may suggest otherwise lol, Tantra loves you aaalllllll *muah  Labels: Cookingfessional, La Dolce Vita, Life Events $13 in my moola box | link | email this post Lamingtons, my Love  Lamingtons are my new comfort food lol. I say comfort because right now I desperately need that. The need for it stems from after-effect of a 1-hour massage session with a compleeeeetely whacked up chinese masseuse. Simply put: it was wrong. Plain Wrong. Like all most horrible things in life, it started out smoothly. Half way through the session, I was clinching my fists in pain and apart from the occasional Ouch's & Eeeks, I remained silent, which must have been interpreted as you're not pressing hard enough in her mind.. Gradually, she started concentrating on specific areas, "knot" as she said grinding what seemed like a hip bone {no, I was SURE}.. she rubbed my skin so hard, until I felt I had no skin left {does she part-time at a slaughter house? I dunno.} -- She then said that my back is cold -well YEAH! The frickin' AC is on!- & decides to attribute its low temperature to slow blood circulation -as if-, & used a My back is covered with ugly, ooooooogly bruises that range from red/purple to blue, they're ubiquitous & ..well, ..the back doesn't feel the least bit better. Lesson learned? Never, ever trust a chinese masseuse, certainly not one that jumps on the massage table. Today, I retreated to Lamingtons to make me feel better, they always do.. especially when the crust is slightly moist; if you haven't had them yet; drop by the nearest DOME café & you'll develop a perplexing addiction! DE-LI-CIOUS! seriously! -- I was first introduced to them a few years back when my Australian MBA professor & his wife visited our farm in Shuwaib, they carried holidays in their eyes, & an abundance of coconut-coated divinity in their hands. It doesn't get any sweeter than that. For a homemade version, check this recipe and don't forget to share photos of your creation ;p As you can see, I'm still having a blast with polyvore, & my two most recent sets are:  ..From the Stables to Friends  Time to call it a night.. but before I go, I'd like to note a biiiiiiig thank you to InD. for a wonderful autographed book =) Nightie nights you gorgeous people x Labels: Cookingfessional, Fashion, La Dolce Vita $12 in my moola box | link | email this post Magic Cupcakes              Today: the making of magic cupcakes <3 Why do I call them that? ..well, because they make people happy -- there's just something about them that draws a smile on people's faces => Yesterday: Shopping for cupcake stands online, & found the perfect pair of riding gloves I've been looking for, also online - gorgeous, non? ;p  Labels: Cookingfessional, Domestic Goddess $14 in my moola box | link | email this post The Perfect Evening  Candid photo on a business lunch with a view, ..err.. minus the 3, that is.  a 2x2 meter painting i'm working on at the moment  the mane =>  this must be the largest painting I've done just yet, I tried handing it on the wall to paint it but it fell off several times, so I had no option but to spread it on the floor and paint it gradually while standing on it >_<;  Gorgeous real mane ;p   The plan was that our team would 'entertain' potential partners, this entails a lavish lunch at the Emirates Palace followed by a tour usually around the island of Abu Dhabi and/or Saadyad island development maquettes, wow them by the glam of the culture-rich Louvre and Guggenheim's of the city, the futuristic architecture and more importantly, the amount of dedication and will to bring about change in the right direction. The evening is often sealed with dinner in another luxuriant place before we part ways & each goes home with a head the size of a rrrrrripe summer watermelon throbbing with pain. Not fun. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard that dinner got canceled. I flew back home, jumped into my breeches & boots, picked up my gym bag & stormed out the house skipping toward my pony. He was so fresh & sooo in the mood for work. His desire for galloping was matched with mine. He had ample energy that he wanted to release, and I had lots of stress that I needed to discharge. It was perfect. After an hour and a half, I still couldn't bring myself to get off. I secretly wished I could glue myself to him & spend the night here.. on this saddle, in these surroundings, and in his company. He has a very distinct smell that even now as I sit here & type this entry -& randomly through out the day- I could smell. Obsessed? Perhaps. As Jehro's voice singing "Rock You Tender" echoed in that emptiness he lifted both ears giving his full attention to that strange object in the corner making the noise {a.k.a. music player} & went straight for it to sniff it & make louder noises of discontent. A few minutes near the music player and his curiosity was satisfied, he turned his back to it & headed towards colorful objects scattered around. The songs transitioned in order, occasionally stirring up his interest, but he continued jumping those fences. The last time we jumped the fence was 110cm high, last night we decided to take that up a nudge: 120cm.. & you know what? It was BRILLIANT! & I LOVE him for being my favorite companion. Truly the best gift of my life.. ..ever!   After we were done, we walked back to the stables.. gave him a sponge bath, & made him a mix of water and our home-made dates-syrup to drink & hydrate. I then towel-dried him, brushed his mane & tail and walked him back to his paddock. It seemed like an ideal evening that couldn't get better, until I went home & decided to make salmon & steamed vegetables for dinner.. In the back of my head, I imagined me self in my own movie, with Frank Sinatra singing in the background, & my smelly chef jacket luring Chanel & Tantra to circle around my feet in hopes for a shred of a flying-anything come their way. To me, that was a perfect evening. I should have more of those. Saddle update: It's possible to have my saddle made in red *Yey!* -- the fabulous people at Gaston Mercier are sending me their leather swatches and I really, really can't wait =D Labels: Cookingfessional, Domestic Goddess, Pony Tales $16 in my moola box | link | email this post Aggrandizement of Thought Is it just me, or are FaceBook's fortune cookies creepy? really. They're so unbelievably correct! ..In my mind, I had been indulging in some possibilities and scenarios - should I? or should I not? the picturesque details made me favor the "should", whilst the emotional latitude and risk deteriorated that. Everything comes to and end, no? I'm not one to hold on to what I shouldn't be holding on to. On my shelves, everything ships with an expiry date, & when that date comes I have but two options: preserve the piquant illusions and dreams, close the book & tuck it away somewhere far in the back of my head where I can always come back to it to put a smile on my face, or throw it in the trash can. I feel positively about the first take, & that's what I choose to do. The way I see it, when there's a fountain of experiences out there for you; why not break out of your comfort zones and try something new, all the time? This is a conversation I should be having with Muse & my sister, but since I haven't been in touch with them as much as I should have been I guess I'm just happy shuffling things in my mind now, & taking that bold step in the dark on grounds I've never walked on before, & I have a feeling -a strong feeling- that at the end, it will all feel good, really good => Speaking of feel-good factors, lemme share with you my perks of the week:   01. Made chocolate soufflé -for the first time, that is. I LOVED IT!..but the portion turned out to be a lot mOre than I expected >_<; I intend to make it again, but next time I'll prolly go for half the portion which will be around 4 soufflé cups.. & I'm already thinking of ideas for using the same method but experimenting with exotic fruits minus the chocolate, think passion fruit soufflé? orrr... blueberry? or even just apples & cinnamon *drools*   02. This cute mug from my little cousin. {Okay, he prolly hates me now that I referred to him as "little cousin" on my blog lol - expecting an sms any minute now} 03. INDESTRUCTIBLE sending me an email with gorgeous pink pumps recommendations as an attempt to follow-up on my previous post! -- Coming from the Alpha Male he is, I think it's kinda cute lol    04. Found my way to a VERY nice tack shop with über friendly staff who really know their stuff, & picked up a bareback riding pad, TA-DAAAAA! Finally! I'm SO EXCITED, & I'm SO LOVING IT! I can't waitttttt to try it! {will keep you posted on how it goes on that painfully bony pony *lol*}  05. These tres baroque gorgeous stirrups <3 I love them, they're just very different than your conventional stirrup shape <3 <3 <3  06. My pony now jumps 120cm high - 110cm wide oxer obstacles. Awesome! I love him! I love himm! I loooove himmmmmmmmm to the point of suffocating hugs!!! After our oh-so-fabulous jumps, I gave him a sponge-bath, bandaged his legs & took him into his paddock. He was so happy to be off the halter & started running & kicking in every direction =D    07. This polo book with lotssssssssss of photos <3 08. & finally, frames for my blog photos => hehe.. aren't they gorgeous? <3 & if you're still wondering what my fortune cookie said today, here goes: "Would you rather be happy, or right?" Labels: Cookingfessional, Domestic Goddess, Personal Philosophy, Pony Tales $13 in my moola box | link | email this post Out of Battery      finished product ;p  *tears of joy streaming down her face* -- I'm FINALLY able to get the moroccan tea recipe right!! My very own recipe!!! & I've been making everyone have it just about every afternoon *lol* Yey! So excited!! Haha You know what's really weird? Sitting in a room with other people sitting & reading your blog & that's exactly what's happening now >_<; My cousins are sleeping over tonight, & it's fun => Anyways, apparently my MacBookah will need to have its charger replaced, so this entry won't be long.. Initially, I intended to jot down my thoughts on the Mind Feng Shui quote I posted earlier, but that won't happen as I only have a couple of minutes before my MacBookah dies ;( My day started with yoga-ing outdoors, AMAZING! Its been ages since I yoga-ed outdoors, & although the weather is not at its best, I loved the coolness of it, but now I'm just starting to get fed up with it. This afternoon, I went to take my pony for a walk in the garden, I've been doing this quite often as I've noticed that he has a tendency to freak out & jump at just about everything, which is NOT good.. So I'm starting to get him used to going out of his comfort zones: his box & his paddock. Why, you ask? Well, I've booked a professional portrait photo shoot for the two of us, & I want it to take place in the garden.. and I DON'T want him to send the photographer & the screw running *lol*  I love his mane <3   *heart heart heart* As random as this may sound, but, my cousin & her sister are insisting that I watch Fifi Abdu on TV now, & I'm thinking: I have less than 2 minutes left on my laptop before it dies! Fifi Abdu is the LAST thing on my mind now >_<; Having said that, it'll prolly take me a minute to publish this, so I better sign off now ;p Lotsssss of love coming your way & have a pleasant evening everyone xx  p.s. I know these are no high-heels, not peep-toes nor pointy, but they're über cuuuuuuute & irresistible, what do you think? I would so pair these with a cotton dress a la summer beauties <3 Labels: Cookingfessional, Daily, Fashion, Pony Tales, Yogafessional $12 in my moola box | link | email this post The Macaroon Omnivore       One of the reasons why I'd love to live in Paris is that I could buy a pick-and-mix box of Laduree's macaroons and sit by the champs-elysee nibbling on them until I pass out. OF course, there's a whole list of reasons why I shouldn't, but that doesn't matter now lol Over the past couple of weeks, I've hovered at least 3 boxes of Laduree macaroons, & I do not have the smallest shred of guilt. What do I say, I'm addicted that way *shrugs* -- I often carry a Tardis for a handbag, it would fit a whole studio apartment and ten piece orchestra, just in case! So my macaroon boxes were not so impossible to conceal in there. At work, you could say my macaroons are somewhat my I-Like-You-Meter, if I like you & think highly of you, you'll get a macaroon.. or at least an invitation to come & pick-up your macaroon du jour, ..if you don't get a macaroon-ah; it means you'll have to work harder ;p -- Of course.. my tit-for-tat bubble will burst the minute Laduree opens it shop in Dubai, which has been rumored to open in the first quarter of 2008 As it turns out, baking undeformed macaroons at home sits near to impossible *makes mental note: must enroll for macaroon baking classes this summer* -- I've been meta crawling the internet for good macaroon recipes that don't crack, I came across this that i'm soooo gonna experiment with, hopefully this weekend? & & these, which i'll try sooner, they seem effortless => ...and to address the cracking problem, I'll try to follow the advice from The Kitchen of Rose: "Macaroons are very difficult to make at home. but I can give you one tip othat was given to me by a Swiss chef: after piping them, let them sit uncovered overnight before baking them. This helps to keep them from cracking, resulting in smooth tops. as Dorie Greenspan says in her delightful book Paris Sweets, each Parisian has his or her favorite place for macaroons. for this New Yorker its Laduree, but then, I have yet to do a thorough tasting investigation." I'll let you know how it goes => xx Labels: Cookingfessional $3 in my moola box | link | email this post |
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