Culinary Sunday

Sunday normally is like a pre storm warning to manic week ahead. Panic sets in and havoc is created in preparing for week ahead. But today it was different as firstly had 3 day weekend and secondly was very productive as stuck to my challenge.

Started my day with normal cleaning chores and went onto debut in my spring cleaning. And than the retail craze took over and went to town centre to swipe my card to buy humongous items. Now regretting entering that pin number. However as part of my culinary challenge, I took up not one but 2 dishes to prepare.

First one was my first UK pudding baking experience. Made a vegan chocolate cake. But I did cheat a bit as had a ready-made cake mix in which I mixed some oil and lots of water and baked it. Result was superb but process and wait was nerve-racking as didn’t want it to foil my day. Next I took a bold step and made my first chocolate icing with 300gm icing sugar 3 tbsp water and 2 teaspoon cocoa. Unfortunately was bit runny and hence had to refrigerate it. And gonna top up with chocolate buttons and Maltesers. Alas I overcame fear of bad baking and produced a lovely pudding for dinner sadly to share with no one .

The other dish was Tesco recipe which I modified and using as my side dish to spaghetti,”Roasted stuffed peppers with cheese and pine nuts and mint vinegar dressing”. One of simple dish to cook started with chopping pepper in 2 half and deseeding them and roasting in oven for 8 mins till cooked and also in mean time roasting pine nuts till brown. Dressing involved cooking garlic in olive oil and once cooked adding them with corriander.mint and vinegar in blender and giving it a good mix. Once all ready stuffing peppers with cheese and pine nuts and reheating in oven for 5 mins and once ready add the dressing.

Thus a very productive day to end of this week and hopefully giving a spring to productive week ahead

New leaf

5th March 2011, in few months I turn 29, not scary age but a complete nightmare when you start to enlist your achievements and you find page empty. Edgy close to falling on sofa I wondered how lazy can I be after 26 years running after a professional career for past 3 years, I should have done something creative something I had dreamed for had ambitions. But sadly, my lazy ass and self forgiving attitude made the past 3 years complete waste and no valuable achievement. Shame grips me, 2010 was dark year in my life when I switched from complete depression to hyper anxious to complete TV watching sofa crouched ass. 2009 was career debut in England a milestone year in my profession when I started earning a decent professional salary. 2010 it all took tumble, at one point there was fear of everything been snatched away everything I earned till date money, career, respect bit of self-confidence that I had. I had year I spent time with therapist, earned support of friends and family and most important learnt value of life and to prioritize it.

2011 thought would be my year. On new years eve alone with an acquaintance, I made lots of new resolutions and unlike past years was determined to follow them. The vital one was to stay positive and upbeat others included getting more organised, more clean and more active in walking towards dream. January was all up and happy but passed far too quickly with no achievements on my agenda. Hence with few surprises February was a dampener in fact at one point I was hopeless and drawing myself towards dark side. Last week I got a grip of myself and said time to act now or you have an empty life with no substance or meaning.

Hence, on day my parents tied in matrimony I thought I will work towards my aims and goals. They being working in media, achieving a name for myself in that world hence want to learn writing. Also being more disciplined and short-term goals like reducing weight, making myself presentable, making a beautiful garden in courtyard etc. Thus, wanna start blog to expose myself to suggestions , to comments and most important share myself with this immensely huge beautiful world.

A 2009 movie called "Julie and Julia" inspired me to get myself a short-term motive. A possible, manageable motive which I can work on and be happy. The short-term goal being educating myself in world I wanna earn name in 'Writing and Movies'. Thus , I start project today called as "Creation Bhavin". The project includes two major acts which are every week 1.Watch a movie which I have never seen before and write and submit my own review here and 2. Cook a new vegetarian/vegan recipe every week and write about it here. The other aspects of this project include keep on with my reading and review books as and when I finish them including any magazine articles or newspaper comments, write my comments on any current affair that engage my opinion and also write and comment about TV shows that catch attention and most important share various clippings of life with my take on people in my life and my career. And doing all this without compromising my job, household chores or social life. Its a challenge I embark upon hoping to turn a new leaf in my underachieved life. Not forgetting to enrol in a distance learning writing course and also join a dancing class to improve my physical skills and later this year join in a university diploma in my profession

As usual I have set myself high expectations lets see if I fail myself again or manage to achieve something at least this year. Would require your wishes and blessings.

I start challenge 2011 : "Creation Bhavin"