WRAP ON 2007…the year that whooshed by!

View from my window in 2007…

That time of the year again; am racing as usual…still so much to do, and so little done. Even the year has almost come to an end! Huff Puff!! Will make an attempt to get onboard Nupur’s blogevent ‘Best of 2007’ to mark the end of 2007…a chance to do a SWOT on ourselves!

• * CITRUS DESSERT CAKE…almost like a cheesecake
• * ESPRESSO CAKE…come smell the coffee
• * MOCHA-WALNUT CAKE…A moist chocolate-coffee cake with whole-wheat flour
• * KIWI FRUIT CAKE…with fresh cream, almonds & marmalade
• * BLACK FOREST GATEAU
• * LEMON CAKE…Baked as a gift
• * CHOCOLATE ALMOND ORANGE DESSERT CAKE…a great cake for dessert
• * BISCOTTI…The great Italian cookie
• * ACHARI CHICKEN CURRY…Tangy & tasty
• * NALLI GOSHT…A lamb curry on the bone

Best dish from each month

• December ’07 Citrus Dessert Cake…I created this one on the go. Its a cake that thinks it’s a cheesecake, but isn’t!
• November ’07 Espresso Cake…I’m partial to coffee!
• October ’07 Achari Chicken Curry…finger-licking good!
• September ’07 Pineapple Fresh Cream Cake…wonderful & light!
• August ’07 Almond-Orange Sponge with Chocolate Ganache Icing…Great combo Chocolate-almond-orange!!
  

Top list of recipes made from others recipes

• Biscotti…from a post in Group Recipes.
• Coffee Streusel Cake…adapted from a recipe off ‘Joy of Baking’
• Nalli Gosht…adapted from a Sanjeev Kapoor recipe
• Korova Cookies…adapted from a Parisian recipe for sinfully chocolate cookies (eggless) from a ‘Spoonful of Sugar’
• Cold broccoli salad (yet to be posted)
• Achari Chicken Curry…a recipe my sister put together to cut out store bought spices

Best meal(s) of 2007

• Penne in a cream mushroom sauce with grilled chicken; Stir-fried veggies in Italian seasonings ..served with a salad
• Nalli Gosht ( lamb curry on the bone) with smoked vegetables & a Dal.

• BLOGGING & new friends
• Best gadget…the’Microplaner‘… can’t think of a better & more useful ‘gizmo‘!
• Best discovery…’Grindless gravies’. Thanks to Sra who made me eat my words & realise that grindless & gravy is altogether possible…& many times over!
• Best blog event…’CLICK’ at Jai & Bee’s. Began looking at the camera with new eyes! Have now even worn out the rechargeable battery…help!
• Favourite savoury ingredient…’Garlic’…where would I be without it?
• Favourite otherwise ingredient…’Coffee’…Nirvana!

THINK PINK CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR DH’s BIRTHDAY

This is my pick for 2007 because it was for my very first blog event – ‘PINKTOBER‘ for breast cancer awareness. I enjoyed making this one immensely & was very pleased at how it came out. Most of all, it helped spread the message far & wide!

&

That’s my son & the Streusel Coffee Cake…He’s loving it!!

“Cooking resolutions” for 2008

Must admit I hate resolutions, & am a true Scorpion, secretive to the core! Good or bad, that’s how I am. As they say resolutions are made to be broken…rather not make any. However, I would like to find more time to browse more blogs, try different recipes, venture into cuisines I’ve never tried, click less & cook more, talk less & eat more (just kidding!), get to a blogevent before it gets to me…there I go again! Alright, I’m kinda swotted out now!

Guess I’ll wind up by saying kudos to Nupur for making me spend 2 hours which I thought were never there; reading up my own blog, which I thought I would never do; making me realise how things can change in a span of a few months…& very nearly talking me into making a resolution which I’ve never done!! Muchas gracias Nupur!!

Have a great 2008!