Month: December 2019

Posted in Food, Stories Around the World

From Muffin to Cruffin

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“You don’t get tired of muffins. But you don’t find inspiration in them.” George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

While the busy mornings may start off with a muffin, a regular dose of the latter may inspire a change from the regular. What happens when the dough of the muffin is not poured but moulded in with something different? Voila, then is the cruffin, the brainchild of Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne (2013). The “cruffin” is a hybrid of the croissant and the muffin. The pastry is made by proofing, shaping the laminated dough which is then baked in a muffin mould.

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Source:https://culture-crunch.com/en/2019/05/06/cruffin-mi-croissant-mi-muffin-la-recette-complete/
Source:https://sightseeingscientist.com/everything-need-know-eating-cruffin-san-francisco/
Source:https://sightseeingscientist.com/everything-need-know-eating-cruffin-san-francisco/
Source:https://sightseeingscientist.com/everything-need-know-eating-cruffin-san-francisco/

Although the entire procedure may sound quite simple, the delight of the cruffin lies in the filling and the garnishing. From the double choclate chip to caramel flavoured choclate or salty flavoured cream or rich strawberry jam, cruffins can be filled with a variety of creams, jams, crème pâtissières, curds and garnished with slivered almonds, pine nuts, glazed cherries, candied fruits, honey, maple syrup and the like. The entire cruffin, though a bit messy, is worth the long queue at the bakery. As far s homemade baking is concerned, cruffins are perfect for weekend or holiday baking and as far as fillings are concerned, let the favourites rule.

Extrapolating the idea over to the other morning regular, the donut; adding a little spice by making the donut dough a bit more pastry like, the cronut was born. The cronut, a croissant-doughnut pastry was invented by pastry chef Dominique Ansel of Dominique Ansel Bakery based in New York City(2013).

Source:https://lushtoblush.com/diy-cronut-recipe/
Source:https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/9-super-tasty-homemade-cronuts-recipes.html
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronut#/media/File:April_2016_Cronut%C2%AE_2_Burnt_Vanilla_Caramel_-_photo_by_Dominique_Ansel_Bakery.jpg

Made from croissant-like dough which was filled with flavored cream and fried in grape seed oil, this pastry doughnut had caught the flavour and imagination across the globe. So much so that these cronuts with flavoured cream were listed as one of the best “extremely fun” inventions by TIME Magazine (2013).

With the cronut and the cruffin, various combinations like cookie shots, zonuts have been seen. For the home chef, whether it be the standard regular recipe or not, the kitchen is a place to mix and match. As for dessert lovers, the change of taste, flavours and art are what makes the tasty moments of the day.

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Source:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/443534263298473607/?nic=1
Source:https://currentlyexploring.com/5-reasons-mr-holmes-bakehouse-line/
Source:https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/9-super-tasty-homemade-cronuts-recipes.html
Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Posted in Family and Society, Musique, Personal Musings, Random Thoughts, Reflections

More than Paper Chains

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Although winter is approaching, the autumn flowers still linger in the fields. As a part of the Sunday church community service, the youth group along with the children had visited the old-age centre in the nearest town. While spending time with the elderly age group; among the reading aloud to them, unraveling the knitting and helping in general, few children had taken with them crepe paper to start on the Christmas decorations. As paper chains of flowers and simple artwork were being done, the Lyrics of the “Chain of Love” came to mind, one of the popular songs during my school years.

“‘You don’t owe me a thing
I’ve been there too
Someone once helped me out
Just the way I’m helping you
If you really wanna pay me back
Here’s what you do
Don’t let the chain of love end with you'”…
( “The Chain of Love” is the third single from American country music singer Clay Walker’s album Live, Laugh, Love (January 2000). Lyrics were written by Rory Feek and Jonnie Barnett.)

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Source:https://www.gingerray.co.uk
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This mid-tempo song , “The Chain of Love” narrates the story of three characters who, by helping each other in some way, form a “chain of love” amongst them. While hanging up the paper chains, each design was a reminder of the chains of love that we build amongst ourselves. One can chose not to make any chain, repair the torn chains with glue or make new designs everyday. Yet as the chains grow, they connect each one of us in a special way. While it may true that “what goes around, comes around”; know that life is not lived as a lone island. The gift of life, involves finding beauty in the world around us, sharing the joy and laughter and lending a helping hand, when felt or as required. As the chains connect us along the years, it brings to mind what life, time, love and kindness are all about.

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Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

The Chain Of Love
Clay Walker

He was driving home one evening
In his beat-up Pontiac
When an old lady flagged him down
Her Mercedes had a flat

He could see that she was frightened
Standing out there in the snow
‘Til he said ‘I’m here to help you, ma’m
By the way, my name’s Joe’

She said ‘I’m from St. Louis
And I’m only passing through
I must’ve seen a hundred cars go by
This is awful nice of you’

When he changed the tire
And closed her trunk
And was about to drive away
She said ‘How much do I owe you?’
Here’s what he had to say

‘You don’t owe me a thing
I’ve been there too
Someone once helped me out
Just the way I’m helping you
If you really wanna pay me back
Here’s what you do
Don’t let the chain of love end with you’

Well, a few miles down the road
The lady saw a small cafe
She went in to grab a bite to eat
And then be on her way

But she couldn’t help but notice
How the waitress smiled so sweet
She must have been eight months
Along and dead on her feet

No, she didn’t know her story
And she probably never will
When the waitress went to get her
Change from a hundred dollar bill

The lady slipped right out the door
And on a nakpin left a note
There were tears in the waitress’ eyes
When she read what she’d wrote

‘You don’t owe me a thing
I’ve been there too
Someone once helped me out
Just the way I’m helping you
If you really wanna pay me back
Here’s what you do
Don’t let the chain of love end with you’

That night when she got
Home from work
The waitress climbed into bed
She was thinking about the money
And what the lady’s note had said
As her husband lay there sleeping
She whispered soft and low
‘Everything’s gonna be alright
I love you, Joe’
(Source: Internet) 

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Posted in Christian, Daily, Life

“Our Father…”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever; he will always protect us.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)

With the season of Christmas coming near, the church was busy with the choir, Christmas play, carols and related Christmas activities. From paper chains to setting up of the Christmas tree, preparations were being made and each one was allotted their fair share of work. With the weekdays and the weekend having the practice scheduled accordingly, each session was closed by the prayer “Our Father”. For each event practice, it was the younger members of that set that had closed the prayer with “Our Father”.

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One of the first prayers taught by the Lord Himself, this prayer carries a wealth of meaning. The grace of the Lord, His Will, the art of forgiveness, the price and fall of temptation, receiving the daily bread and above all, living the Christian Way are all spoken of in the prayer that the Lord Himself taught us. With the season of giving and Christmas-time starting off in full swing, let not the worldly glamour and needs take over the principles and teachings of the prayer “Our Father”, as taught in the Christian Life.

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PRAYER “OUR FATHER”

Prayer “Our Father” pray more often,
Each word has its own special weight,
And there is no prayer deeper, cleaner, sweeter,
Than this, who came to us from heaven.

Behind the door locked, in solitude,
Under the branches of your fig tree,
Pray for this drink of pleasure,
Understanding the meaning of what was said in it.

In this prayer one can learn
Everything that there is law and grace:
As the name of the Lord is holy,
As the will of God to give a place in the heart.

And how to forgive, to receive forgiveness,
How to have daily bread on the table.
How to save oneself from temptations,
As a name to exalt the Father in praise.

“For Yours is the Kingdom, Strength, Glory!” –
Isn’t it so beautiful ?!
And this belongs to us rightfully.
These are the words of the Master, Christ.

Prayer “Our Father” pray more often.
Each word has its own special weight.
And there is no prayer deeper, higher, sweeter
than this, which came to us from heaven.

Anna Velk

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Posted in Food, Stories Around the World

The “Brownie” Way

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“And I’ve just pulled a new brownie out of the oven: a deep, dark chocolate base with a praline pecan topping, sort of a marriage of brownie and that crispy top layer of a good pecan pie.” Stacey Ballis (author of Wedding Girl)

Something quick, easy and delectable are few of the pre-requisites required for adding to the list of holiday baking. If chocolate is added in, the better. It would be something that blend in with other well loved and basic desserts. That something would be square, baked or frozen cut choclate cake pieces, more popularly known as the “brownie”. Coming in a variety of forms, from fudgey to cakey with nuts, fudge, frosting, cream cheese, chocolate chips and the favourites included in the batter; the brownie is an all-time favourite of many. Like sheet cookies, they may eaten by self or with milk, ice cream (a la mode), topped with whipped cream or sprinkled with powdered sugar and fudge.

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Source: http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/MAIN/cookies/cookies2/history-of-the-brownie.asp
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Like all delectable treats, brownies have their own share of legends. As one legend credits the brownie to the creative ingenuity of Palmer House Hotel pastry chef (1893) for the Palmer House Brownie with walnuts and an apricot glaze made for the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition on the request of the owner’s socialite wife Bertha Palmer. The first-known printed use of the word “brownie” was to describe a dessert in the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer (1896 version) in reference for a cookie-type confection that was colored and flavored with molasses and made in fluted marguerite molds. Later further publications like The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1906) edited by the same Fannie Merritt Farmer records a recipe brownie as an adaptation of her chocolate cookie recipe to a bar cookie baked in a rectangular pan. Another well record as written in the Baking Classics (Betty Crocker) is of a housewife who was making a chocolate cake but forgot to add baking powder. When her cake didn’t rise properly, instead of tossing it out, she cut and served the flat pieces (Bangor, Maine) which would probably account for the Bangor Brownies.

As food historians try to still trace the exact inventor of the “brownie” while the legends credit it to added melted chocolate to a batch of biscuits (added by mistake) or the cook who didn’t have enough flour while baking a cake; brownie are one of the simple things that can be made quite elaborate for the festive season. For instance consider the sandwich brownie (with an ice-cream, cream, icing sugar, meringue or peanut butter as the filling in the middle) or the layered brownie with double chocolate chip at the base, then the layer of Oreos and finally brownie batter on billows of cream cheese, a delight for the wintry holidays. As for the mix, add a scent of cinnamon, essence of the vanilla (blondie twist), sprinkle of the flavours of star-anise, honey or even a little of the cayenne for that extra “hot” to the sweet; brownie can be made as to own choice, flavours and twists. A platter of homemade special brownie can give an extra zest to the holidays. So set, get and go experimenting for a new family festive tradition.

1907
Lowney’s Cook Book
Boston, Massachusetts

Bangor Brownies (p 261)
¼ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 squares chocolate
1 egg
½ to ¾ cup flour
1 cup nut meats
¼ teaspoon salt

“cut in strips”
Source: New England Recipes 

Source: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/the-ultimate-brownie/7c67b3a9-5f92-48e4-a029-28170d777abb
Source:https://cookiesandcups.com/mms-brownies/
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Source:https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/cheesecake-brownies/
Source:https://www.mastercook.com/app/Recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=18793959

Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Let Bygones be Bygones

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” Lauren Destefano

Although the first week of the last month of the year has started, the world around me still echoes a bit of the autumn; with the splash of colours, cold winds and rains still adorning the landscape. As the trees reach their near bare point and the faded colours slowly come down in numbers, the end of autumn echoes the inner part of letting go.

“You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have.” Jim Rohn

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All of us have our own set of circumstances. Amidst them, each one of us have felt the good, the bad, the difficult, the trying and the anxious parts of life. While good memories bring a sense of warmth, contentment and nostalgia; there are those memories which have them but are tinged with regrets, poignancy and a certain amount of remorse. Each one of us have had “those moments”. Sometimes on a later date, they may echo the regret and the sadness, other times they bring to heart the joy and happiness of those days.

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As one goes through the remembrances of those negative parts, one must not forget that one was lucky to experience them all. No one is guaranteed happiness. One has to make the best of the worst, better their days and learn from the regrets. Just as autumn shows us the antithesis of spring, one needs the “downs”, not just to learn from them but to appreciate the “ups” as well.

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” Stanley Horowitz

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Autumn

The thistledown’s flying, though the winds are all still,
On the green grass now lying, now mounting the hill,
The spring from the fountain now boils like a pot;
Through stones past the counting it bubbles red-hot.

The ground parched and cracked is like overbaked bread,
The greensward all wracked is, bents dried up and dead.
The fallow fields glitter like water indeed,
And gossamers twitter, flung from weed unto weed.

Hill-tops like hot iron glitter bright in the sun,
And the rivers we’re eying burn to gold as they run;
Burning hot is the ground, liquid gold is the air;
Whoever looks round sees Eternity there.
-John Clare

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, Quotes, Random Thoughts

Of Roses and Thorns

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

An unexpected meeting with a friend of the previous workplace at the hospital, had lead to a short chat over a cup of tea. While enlisting the difficulties she had encountered on the home front and professional front, she had a lot to brood over and take over a negative vibe. Surprisingly her attitude and outlook was more of hopeful, than what would mine have been, if I were in her shoes. Facing life daily with a husband who has been bedridden (victim of a drunk driving accident), diagnosed with SLE, holding temporary jobs with children still in school are just few of the problems that were tackled. While holding the fort with an optimistic outlook outlook is difficult, the fact that she and many more like do it, is what gives a new meaning to positive approach in life.

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“People who are too optimistic seem annoying. This is an unfortunate misinterpretation of what an optimist really is.

An optimist is neither naive, nor blind to the facts, nor in denial of grim reality. An optimist believes in the optimal usage of all options available, no matter how limited. As such, an optimist always sees the big picture. How else to keep track of all that’s out there? An optimist is simply a proactive realist.

An idealist focuses only on the best aspects of all things (sometimes in detriment to reality); an optimist strives to find an effective solution. A pessimist sees limited or no choices in dark times; an optimist makes choices.

When bobbing for apples, an idealist endlessly reaches for the best apple, a pessimist settles for the first one within reach, while an optimist drains the barrel, fishes out all the apples and makes pie.
Annoying? Yes. But, oh-so tasty!”
-Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

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Making sense of optimism is never easy from another point of view. One of the aspects of keeping an optimistic outlook to life is to find an approach which encompasses an effective way out of the problems. For those who can do it in a subtle manner, while at the same time not fail to appreciate the gifts of life and its beauty are the true teachers of “optimism”. As taught and drilled into the mind, from a very young age, life isn’t a bed of roses. But what one must remember at all accounts is that, for every thorn along the way, the final destination holds a rose. While there mayn’t be a bed of roses for everyone, nothing stops one from rising above the thorns, appreciating the beauty and fragrance of the roses; for such is life.

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Posted in Daily, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Reflections

“Gains” by the Storm

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

No pain. No gain.

The saying as above, has been drummed into us from childhood and carried over to the adult lives. While the early days may have left us wallowing to it’s reality, while those peers from the rich, social backgrounds get “everything easy” as the rest slogs it out, adult life brings out the saying in its true form. As the years mature, one gives their best shot and bear the fruit of it in due immediate course of time never comes along. What happens to one, when despite all the pain, gain is absent ?

“It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.”  Amelia Barr

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Those times, when all the pains seem fruitless and drain us of the mental hope, one needs to keep their inner flame going. Gathering courage to master the raging storm isn’t easy, but once we pull it out from within; surviving the storm would be the gain from the pain. On those days or times, when the pain hasn’t borne fruit; knowing and redefining the “gain” is what keeps the hope going. Though the immediate gain mayn’t be what is as perceived; handling the storm and crossing it is, at times, the biggest gain of all.

“You can be in the storm, but don’t let the storm get in you.” Joel Osteen

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Storms
Margie DeMerell

There will be storms, child
There will be storms
And with each tempest
You will seem to stand alone
Against cruel winds

But with time, the rage and fury
Shall subside
And when the sky clears
You will find yourself
Clinging to someone
You would have never known
But for storms.

“Dig deep & pull the roots of confidence from the ground of your being, standing firm in the raging storm until sunlight blossoms inside you.” Curtis Tyrone Jones

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