diwali 2015

this year, diwali falls on november 10th in north & south america, and november 11th everywhere else.  (read about why there are different dates here.)  every year around christmas time, i get plenty of photo cards from family and thought, why not do the same for diwali?  here are some modern takes on sending wishes during the festival of lights:

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Diwali Card Printable - Happy & Bright

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Diwali Greeting Printable - Happy Diwali

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Diwali Greeting Card Printable - Wishes & Joy

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Diwali Greeting Card Printable - Modern Typography

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Eat Drink and stay Bright Gold Foil Chalkboard

Kiwi & Bacon Designs - Eat Drink and stay Bright Gold Foil Chalkboard

dirty 30 mousse cake

kiwi turned the big 3-0 last week.. since it's a milestone birthday, i decided we should have a proper party rather than a meetup at a pub like he would typically do.  invites were emailed out and i organized a fun casino night filled with game tables (blackjack, poker, and roulette), a hookah area, and plenty of food and drinks to go around!  it was definitely a really great night :)

to make use of my kitchen aid, i decided to make his cake rather than buy one.  of course my nature is to experiment rather than making something i know will work well.  it's not the most elegant looking cake there ever was, but it actually turned out delicious!  *pats self on back*  i mixed two different recipes.  the original recipe i found was a chocoholic dream cake (perfect for me.. but not necessarily kiwi's kind of cake).  so i searched for a vanilla sponge cake to offset the chocolate'y'ness of it all.

adapted from chocolate mousse cake [what the fruitcake?!] and mini boston cream pies [la mia vita dolce]



ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Day 1:

• Bake sponge cake (preferably in a springform pan)
• Prepare chocolate mousse
• Cut sponge cake in half
• Pour chocolate mousse over bottom half of sponge cake in mould (acetate sheets, parchment paper or springform pan)
• Refrigerate overnight to set (wrap top layer of sponge cake in plastic wrap to keep it fresh in the fridge)

Day 2:

• Prepare whip cream topping
• Place top half of sponge cake on top of chocolate mousse layer
• Remove mould
• Cover cake in whip cream topping
• Decorate as desired

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1-2/3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease baking tin with softened butter. Coat with a light dusting of flour.
2. Separate the eggs when they are cold; place the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.  Cover with plastic wrap, set aside.
3. Cut the butter into pieces and place with milk into a microwave safe bowl, cover with a paper towel. Heat in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, check to see if butter has melted and stir.  Microwave for another 5 to 10 seconds and check and stir again. Continue to do this until the butter has melted.  Add vanilla to mixture and then set aside to cool.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually streaming in one half of the sugar, one-tablespoon at-a-time.  Whisk until stiff peaks form, set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks while slowly streaming in the remaining sugar until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage (When the beaters are lifted, the batter will stream from the beaters forming a ribbon).
6. With the mixer on, in a slow steady stream, gradually pour the butter mixture into the egg yolk mixture and beat to combine.
7. Slowly mix baking powder and flour into the egg yolk mixture.
8. Using a large spatula, in two additions, gently fold in the egg white mixture until just combined.
9. Pour batter into the baking tin (no more than half-full).
10. Bake until light golden brown and top springs back when touched, 17 to 20 minutes.
11. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove cakes from tin and return to wire rack to cool completely.
12. Cut in half and use in assembly of cake.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• 1-1/2 cups (70% cocoa content) dark chocolate, chopped or chips
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 eggs, separated
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stir occasionally until smooth.
2. Once melted and smooth, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks with the coffee and vanilla.
4. Slowly add chocolate mixture.  (At this point it may look like a seized mess but it will come together at the end!)
5. Refrigerate while you do the next steps.
6. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar until it begins to get foamy.
7. Gradually pour in the sugar and beat till medium peaks form, set aside.
8. Whip the cream until medium peaks form, set aside.
9. Remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge and stir in a few tablespoons of the beaten egg whites to loosen the mixture.
10. Fold in the rest of the egg whites.  (Be gentle but thorough, you don't want to deflate the egg whites but you don't want to see too many white streaks in the mixture.)
11. Carefully fold in the whipped cream until no white streaks remain.
12. Use in assembly of cake.

WHIP CREAM TOPPING

• 8 ounces marscapone cheese
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Beat together all ingredients until firm peaks form.
2. Use in assembly of cake.

DECORATING
I melted chocolate and spread it on parchment paper. About 10-15 minutes into hardening, I scored the chocolate into long pieces. (If I were to do it over again, I would have made wider pieces.) After another 15 minutes, I broke the chocolate into the scored pieces and placed them in the fridge until they were ready to use. I lined the sides of the cake with these chocolate pieces and topped it with Lindt chocolates.

more pattern love

here are a few more designs i put together:

these two were inspired by an indian'y cushion i saw the other day:

it's monday.. i have a headache.  meh.

a night in paris..

lately i've been wanting to throw a wine tasting party. not that i truly like wine.. i'll still choose beer over wine if given the choice. maybe it's my need to feel a bit more grown up than i feel i am. or perhaps i need a fun project to work on. who knows. anyway, if one day i were to throw a wine tasting party, i've got the invitation made.

you know, a beer tasting party would probably be even more fun! as far as the food is concerned, make pub food style tapas? it could work..

my dream invitation..

i saw this invitation set for a double wedding which i fell head over heels over! the invitation's presentation was so creatively thought out, i really do wish i had done the same for our wedding.




had i seen this about a year and a half ago.. i would have been inspired to make this our invitation:

outside wrap - front:


outside wrap - back:


inside sheet - front:


inside sheet - back:


*sigh* now i need to go figure out how to build a time machine.

from oh so beautiful paper

bowties or butterflies?

bowties are a popular theme for baby showers if they're expecting a boy, and butterflies for girls.. but what about those who don't want to know what they will be giving birth to?  bowties or butterflies would be such a cute theme!  seriously.. someone in my family needs to get pregnant.

curvalicious

i saw the curvy border on many michael's ads and remembered it's a typical border for invitations!  this turned out really cute..

matchmaker

prior to meeting kiwi, another single friend and i thought it would be a great idea to start a matchmaking service.. which would involve personal meetings with each candidate to gain a good perspective on their personalities and to understand what their match would be in a partner. seemed pretty standard, no? well, our ulterior motive was to actually use it to meet guys.. heh. yeah.

anyway, i was talking to a friend online today and i mentioned, for the 5 billionth time, he needs a wife. and for the first time.. he actually agreed! *dance* so i started asking questions.. likes? dislikes? requirements? age limits? height limits? location limits? and then he told me i better watch out before i turn into one of those aunties whose lives are consumed with matching people. he told me to start a business.. it's probably a lucrative idea. but what guju would actually pay for matchmaking when you can get it for free from a relative?

i decided to make a fake business card for the sake of it:

groom + bride + mandap

i saw this save the date and thought it was so cute!

and then i indian'i'fied it..

from weddingphotography.com.ph

Here are links for the different options:
Printable
Printed cards with envelope

giraffe baby shower invite

i was experimenting with different invite colours, and these colours seemed most appropriate for a baby shower.. why can't one of the bhabhis have a baby soon?!

my five: purses!

while in university, i used to have a slew of fun purses.  it was either a phase, or i got lucky finding unique items at not-so-original chain stores.  one of the purses i had was a chartreuse green purse with a bamboo frame and handles - so pretty.  i got a lot of compliments from complete strangers for that.  that purse no longer exists.. it eventually broke because i used to use it to carry my notebooks for classes or a textbook from time to time.  one of my other favourite past purses looked like a cuban cigar box.. and now, i don't see anything i like.

so then i google'd..


UM Bags
UMs developed from two creative challenges: The first, to make use of the unique properties of wool felt - its density, texture, pliability, and strength. And the second, to transform a flat surface using only the simplest of operations.




Quote Pleated Bag Leather and Canvas
Deliberately placed random pleating creates a relaxed, eye catching and attractive bag. Roomy, feminine and a little bit edgy. We really like it! This bag closes with a snap across the top keeping everything securely inside. There is a panel pockets on the inside.



Leather Clutch
This lovely clutch is made of high quality eco leather in light gray with pink flower patterned satin lining. It's uniqueness comes from beautiful rose in XXL size. The main body as well as lining have been reinforced with non-woven for additional strength and protection. This clutch is perfect for an everyday use as well as a glam party or wedding. There is definately enough room to carry the necessary (mobile, purse, tissues, keys, diary, mirror etc…). The clutch comes with a beautiful organza bag for a better care of the clutch.

Book of the Month Clutch
Whether you're adding to your library or simply starting a collection, we think you'll agree—the classics have never looked so good. Features laminated silk twill with metallic cowhide trim
clasp closure, interior zip pocket and 6 credit card slots, custom woven pinstripe silk faille lining in chocolate and cream, 14-karat light gold plated hardware, and kate spade new york embossed signature on hardware




Handmade, silk-lined clutches
Original handmade design-led clutch purse bags and accessories, featuring peacock feathers, exotic bird prints and floral blooms.

from sumthings, greedy girl

buttons!

i love these!

some of the phrases on the buttons:
"i heart weddings!"
"i'm a dance machine!"
"stirred not shaken"
"which way to the bar?"
"sorry i'm taken"

so cute! i should remember to use this idea for a party..

from oh so beautiful paper

indian mango - invitation set

so i had an idea for a "logo" of sorts, writing around a common indian shape - the mango! it worked out pretty funky, so i decided to run with it and try making an invitation set around it.

invite card (front & back), rsvp card (front & back), envelope

that turned out pretty good..

modern diwali

for diwali this year, my derani and i decided to go a bit non-traditional for our diwali food that we hand out to family. we took a couple of traditional diwali snacks and modernized them:

• honey almond biscotti
• chai truffles
• chevro poppers
• chocolate, walnut, almond gugara

chevro poppers were created out of an attempt to find a diwali-friendly alternative to rice krispies squares. it's just peanut butter spiced with red chili powder, tumeric powder, ground coriander and cumin, and salt, then mixed with chevro formed into balls. pretty simple.. and it turned out pretty delicious :)

i don't know how to make the standard gugara filling, so instead i made a chocolate alternative.

1. toast almonds and walnuts
2. throw them into a food processor with chocolate pieces
3. mix in cinnamon and icing sugar

the dough is the exact same as a traditional gugara. mum suggested i add a bit of cardamom in, which is a common spice for indian sweets. i would have, except i forgot to do that :S

i was lucky for the boxes. the local michael's had a scrapbook pad called taj mahal. the pad was all cardstock which was great for boxes, and the patterns in the book were perfect for diwali.

overall our plate turned out really awesome! i'm pretty happy with what we managed to accomplish.