Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Rad Rocket!

Hey there everyone! Finally, Wearing Handmade Wednesday is back! Not with the best of photos, this one was taken with my Xoom and not my camera, cause my remote is broken and I need to buy a new one, I just can't remember what website I bought this one! So for now... self pics will be taken not-as-well-as-I-wished.

Wearing my Rad Rocket Yoda slouch top!

I've known Jen from Rad Rocket for quite a while, I think since my eBay years, and that's a good 5 years I think. Her brand has changed names a pair of times, and she has expanded from just clothes to also some really cute resin jewellry too. I had been meaning to get something from her shop for a while, but when I saw this super geeky, super cute & super cozy & comfy Yoda slouch top, I knew it had to be mine! It arrived while I was in India, but as soon as I arrived I tried it on and it's just perfect for cold weather! Very warm, made of SW fleece that doesn't itch, and with a slouch cut that is very comfy!

Do take a lot at her Etsy shop for more cute & geeky clothes and adorable resin pendants & jewellry!

Monday Munchies: Cupcakes Workshop with Alma's Cupcakes!!

Hello everyone! How's the week starting? I hope very good, and if not... take a peek at all the yummy pics I'm sharing with you in this entry, and you'll be sure to cheer up!

This past Saturday I finally attended a course/workshop by Alma of Alma's Cupcakes and Objetivo: Cupcake Perfecto for beginners. After reading Alma's blog, trying some of recipes and seeing all her amazing progress in the world of cakes, cupcakes and cookies, I was extremely excited to attend this 4 hour-class and it was everything I expected and more! Not only I got tons of practical tips and recommendations, learnt about fondant and ingredients, but also had an absolute blast with Alma, her mother (the helper) and the other ladies that were attending the workshop (with my friend Esther too!).

Since my poor brain it's not at its best today, after two night shifts on a row, and depriving myself of sleep during the day so I can sleep tonight, I'm just gonna say a few things: I'm even more obsessed with cupcakes and baking in general, I have a mile long list of things to buy and I NEED A KITCHEN AID!!!

Now, before going for the photos... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ALMA!!

Alma's super cute logo

Alma's Peggy Porchen's rose!

Getting a cupcake ready to be filled in with yumminess

The working table, with the materials and the recipe book!

Esther and me, with Alma, the most adorable teacher in existence!

The workshop was already decorated for Xmas!

Esther posing with one of the cupcakes made by Alma

Another amazing flower cupcake made by Alma!

Amazing cakes!

The cakes with Peggy roses!

These are the cupcakes that Esther decorated!

I made too many fondant decorations that I took home with me!

My cupcakes ready to take home and my diploma!

Cookie monster, Yoda, Bobba Fett...

My six cupcakes! They're so cute I don't wanna eat them!!

Traveling Thursday: Neemrana, Rajasthan!

Hey everyone!

Since I didn't manage to get some pics for WHW this week, I'm gonna do another edition of Traveling Thursday, and since I already shared photos of Jaipur, I thought of sharing with you the photos of our first weekend trip to Rajasthan, to the gorgeous resort of Neemrana!

Neemrana is a 15th century palace converted into a fantastic resort, with wonderful artwork everywhere, lovely surroundings, and typical Rajasthani food!

The balcony of our room, such gorgeous views

Amazing views of one side of the palace

You could see the main entry doors from our balcony!

There were plenty of gardens to take a break and have your food

Gaurav & me ready to enjoy dinner!

Neemrana was really a photographer'd dream! Always something worth clicking at every turn!

Mark This Book Monday: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse!!

Monday is here, and one of the joys of being a nurse working shifts is that sometimes Mondays are awesome days, cause they're your weekend! ;) So now, with a nice Latte Macchiato in my hand, I'm gonna share an awesome book with you all for this week's Mark This Book Monday: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.

I got Labyrinth at Heathrows airport in one of my first stops there when going to India to visit Gaurav, and if I remember correctly, it was in one of the stops coming back to Spain. There was this offer, about 3 books for £20 and I remember looking around to see what other books to grab, cause when I saw the cover of the book and read what it was about, I was sold! I wanted to take this book!

Back then, my reading obsession was about the Cathars and all the theories about what happened to them and their so-talked-about treasure after Pope Innocent III called for the Crusade to exterminate their heresy. When there's little information, many theories spring, and so many books and novels can be written.

This book tells us the story of two women separate by many hundreds of years, Alice in present time France, trying to figure out to make of what she's found in a toomb discovered during an archeological dig; and Alais, in thirteenth century France, entrusted with a secret to protect during the Cathar Crusade. We follow Alice looking for answers in the past, and Alais hiding and protecting a secret that is the secret of the Grail, and hiding and protecting herself, cause as a woman and herbalist, she's in danger of being accused of witchcraft, and that would put her mission at risk.

Even if you are not as obsessed with the Cathars and medieval times as I was back then, you'll love this book, cause the dual storytelling and unraveling of the story is great. Kate Mosse really does a great job at jumping from one story to the other, giving little hints from one to the other, and always keeping you on your toes. It's a book where the main character are women, and they are the ones standing their ground, looking for answers and doing the deeds, and I always love a good book where girls are not "fair maidens in distress"! ;) I'm afraid to tell more about the book, cause I might end up spoiling it for you guys, but it's the kinda book that made me want to pack and head to visit the Languedoc and South France! There is a passion about the places and the story that really resonated with me, and I think that will pull at anyone that'd read this book.

An historical novel, full of mystery, withs wrongs rigthed and a little bit of supernatural/pagan/Grail thrown in, with a dash of dangerous romance... sounds like something you'd love? Then go ahead as run to the nearest bookstore or add it to your Holidays gift list! I highly doubt it will fail to spellbound you! ;)

Saturday Song: Señorita from the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara movie

Saturday is here, and it's always good to feel like dancing for the weekend, so today I want to share with you something that is quite unusual, but also quite fitting!

Señorita is a song, half in Hindi, half in Spanish, from a Hindi movie called Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, that takes place mostly in Spain! Somehow it seems so fitting for me and Gaurav, the Spaniard and the Indian!

Enjoy, do a bit of dancing and happy Saturday!

Traveling Thursday: Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India!

Hi everyone!

Getting back into the groove of blogging, so today I'm bringing a new Travelling Thursday post! Today I want to share with you a few shots of a weekend trip we took to Jaipur in Rajasthan during my latest visit to India. We didn't see much of Jaipur since it was too crowded and too rushed due to being the pre-Diwali weekend, but we visited and loved the Amber Fort!

Whenever I go, I always wear some Handmade! Vivifromage top and Piper & Paisley hat!

Many views from many entries to the Fort!

The Glass Palace, and amazing area for privileged guests!

The Tiger Fort, it does have tigers in it & watches over the Amber Fort.

Towers around the Fort's outer walls, where messages were passed with fire!

Monday Munchies: Kiwi Cupcakes via La Dulce Magdalena!!

Monday again! And despite my good intentions, not a blog entry since last Monday... but this time it was a damned cold that kept me running at about 50% and even though I managed not to miss work, I just didn't have the brain power for much more.

I'm thinking that I was very lucky to have managed to make these really yummy cupcakes last Friday, but I had promised cupcakes to my friend Irene for when she came over for coffee, and cupcakes she had!

I got this super yummy recipe from the blog of another amazing Spanish lady that bakes marvels, La Dulce Magdalena!

These cupcakes are amazingly moist and fluffy, I think the kiwi pieces in the batter are the cause, and the cheese & lemon frosting is absolutely delicious! So much, that my dad ate all the left over frosting in the bowl!

You can find the original recipe HERE in Spanish, but I'm gonna translate for all you English speaking ladies.

Kiwi Cupcakes

Makes about 15 regular sized cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the batter:

- 200 gr flour

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 170 gr unsalted butter

- 180 gr granulated sugar

- 3 eggs beaten

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 kiwis, peeled and cubed

- More kiwi, laminated, to decor.

For the frosting:

- 225 gr cream cheese (Philadelphia type).

- 45 gr room temperature butter

- 75 gr powder sugar

- 1 teaspoon sugar extract, or if you don't have any, subtitute for 2 teaspoons lemon juice and its zest.

Method:

- Preheat the oven at 160ºC (325ºF) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcakes cases. In a bowl, shift the flour and baking power together. In another bowl cream together butter and sugar, then add the eggs, adding the flour & baking powder and the vanilla extract. Mix well. Add half the cubed kiwis to the batter, combining well, don't overmix.

- Fill the cupcakes cases, not more than 2/3 of them. Make sure the batter is even and then spread the rest of the cubed kiwi on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the cupcake pan, and then cool off completely in a rack.

- Meanwhile prepare the frosting mixing the butter with the icing sugar, beating well and add the cream cheese, add the lemon and mix well (it can be done by hand, though better with an electric mixer). You can use either a piping bag or just spread it with a spoon. Add a slice of kiwi on top to finish them up.

- Eat them all!!

Mark This Book Monday: Juliet by Anne Fortier

Hello, hello, hello! *wipes dust from blog* *sneezes*

Well, it's been a while! I just came back from my last trip to India this Saturday, and I thought that it was indeed about time that I returned to update the blog! I haven't been updating during my vacation cause I was using my Motorola tablet, and though it is awesome to surf the web and comment and things like that... it's way too awkward for me to type blog entries, even more since I'm overly verbose!

So returning to the regular schedule of the blog, it's time to have a new Mark This Book Monday!

Today I want to share with you all Anne Fortier's Juliet , which I am undecided whether to qualify as romantic novel or as an historic one...

Juliet's premise is that the story that our dear old Shakespeare wrote was based on actual events, but distorted and changed by the powers that be, and by the passing of time. There was a real Giulietta and a real Romeo that fell in love and couldn't get married, but unlike in Shakespeare's version is not so much cause both their families were sworn enemies, but more due to political reasons, though there is a mention of two families being in war for the control of the city (which is not Verona, but Sienna). The book mixes the original real story of Romeo & Giulietta and the story of Giulietta's descendants thru her sister, in the present day, when Juliet discovers who she is after the death of her aunt Rose, who had been taking care of her (and her sister) since they lost their parents when they were three.

We keep discovering new things about the original story, and about present day's Juliet story and background with every turn of the page, and Juliet has to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself and her life turn into another tragedy, like that one of the original Giulietta.

It is a very captivating book, with unexpected turns and a very well researched background story. It's the kinda book that despite being not your small novel in size, you simply devour it in a matter of hours! I read it in a pair of days, and that was cause I had to work, and couldn't dedicate as much time to it as I would have liked!

If you like stories with some romance, some history and some mistery, Juliet really IS the book for you!