Hungry? For cakes and all things pretty?

When I was a kid, I loved opening presents. Okay, so I still love opening gifts. Who doesn't? I often find that cakes are packed in horribly drab boxes. Well, I think cakes and bakes deserve the same excitement, when you open them up. Pretty little packages makes me super happy. So here is my cake box. What do you think?
 Hungry?  is open for orders. Have you got your cake yet? Visit "Hungry?" athttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Hungry/242801399104242?v=wall 

Happy Birthday Amma!!

 It's my mother's birthday. She is away spending her first birthday with her granddaughter. My mother is the most beautiful person on earth and I am absolutely in love with her. Coincidentally she was the first person who taught me to bake.
   Once, in Lagos, my second grade teacher was organizing a Christmas party. She was allotting who had to get what for the party. The smarter children in my class put their hands up for potato chips and cucumber sandwiches (their mothers would have been so proud about their children picking up reasonable, hassle free party foods). But Sandhya Sethumadhavan loved her mother's cakes. Those days there weren't many nice bakeries in Lagos and Amma usually made our birthday cakes. I loved looking at the pictures Amma had taken of all the cakes she had baked. She made my brother a Batman cake for one of his birthdays. You really can't get cooler than that. So yes, when my teacher asked who would get cake, I immediately bounced up and down. During lunch time, the kids in my class ran up to me, they wanted to know if the stories they heard were true, did my mother actually once make a Batman cake for my brother? I nodded and grinned. They were so excited. I felt like I was the daughter of a celebrity. They all asked what kind of cake I'd get for the party. I thought a bit and said that it would be a snowman cake.  When I got back home, I threw my bag down ran to my Amma and after a long hug I began to explain what happened in school. Amma was not too pleased with my choice of party food. She could not understand why I could not have put my hand up for something a little more realistic. But my Amma being my Amma, had to make her silly daughter happy and so she got busy in the kitchen. After the cakes were baked she popped them over with ease, made the frosting, and propped me up on the kitchen counter. I watched her as she iced my snowman cake. I remember thinking about the surprise on everyone's face when they see the cake the next day! How happy I was! We took a picture of the cake. Sadly I can't seem to find it now. But it was the prettiest snowman cake in the whole world.
    I love my mother. She made everything so much easier to handle. She never let me down, even when I went to her with my silly whims and fancies (and ideas of a snowman cake). I know all of us, my Acha, Etta, Chechi, Nonu and I are super proud to have her in our lives. We love you Amma!
    Baked a cake for her today. Acha and I even sang out loud as we cut the cake. It's a mile high eggless moist chocolate cake with homemade strawberry preserve and whipped cream.

Let me know when you want yours! Open for orders :)

Cream and Cake

   Some people love cakes with frosting and some don't. I personally think frosting makes cakes pretty. When you can have icing then why do without? How lovely it is to smooth snow white cream over dark moist chocolate. The contrast is startlingly delicious. How I love thick decadent chocolate ribbons scattered over the top of a cake. For all those things pretty and delicious. For those who love frosting. 
   I was really stressed out and tired today. But then again there are prettier things to focus on. Life is gorgeous and I am happy.
    I was missing my niece, my mother, my brother and my sister a lot today. I remembered the day my family and I drove around with our little angel fast asleep in her mother's arms. As my brother drove, the song "While you were sleeping," by Elvis Perkins played in the background. We all knew the song was meant for Nonu. We all were happy. Life could not get any better.

While you were sleeping

the babies grew

the stars shined and the shadows moved

time flew, the phone rang

there was a silence when the kitchen sang

its songs competed like kids for space

we stared for hours in our maker's face

they gave us picks

said go mine the sun

and gold and come back when you're done

while you were sleeping

you tossed, you turned

you rolled your eyes as the world burned

the heavens fell, the earth quaked

i thought you must be, but you weren't awake

no, you were sleeping

you ignored the sun

you grew your power garden

for your little ones

and you found brides for them on christmas eve

they hung young cain from the adam trees

and danced

while you were sleeping

I tossed and I turned

till I closed my eyes

but the future burned

through the planet turned a hair gray

as i relived the day

while you were sleeping

the money died

machines were harmless and the earth sighed

through the wind you slept sound

and gravity caught my love around

the ocean rose, sang about decay

while witches flew

and the mermaids stayed

full of dreams, you overslept

and keeping with quiet, through the walls i crept

i walked on tiptoe, sent darkness swirling over all the kitchen in the early morning

i'll never catch up to you

who sleeps so sound

my arms are useless

my heart beats too loud to go to sleep

my mind's too crowded

while you were sleeping

the time changed

all your things were rearranged

your vampire mirrors face to face

they saw forever out into space

and found you dreaming in black and white

while it rained in all the colors of the night

I watched the tv

memories

championships

vanished to sea

could it be, my honey between you and me

so I waited for the riddled sky

to dissolve again by sunrise

and i've made a death suit for life

for my father's ill widowed wife

did you have that strangest dream before you woke

cos in your gown you had the butterfly stroke

did it escape you like some half told joke?

when you reached for your plume of smoke