DAY 70 - IRRESISTIBLE GOOEY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

If there is one thing in this world I just cant give up...
I make various promises to myself to stop being in touch with...
I stop associating with for periods of time..
I snub..
I ignore..
I break up with...
I completely give up during Lent..
I give up as a thanks- giving to God for various favours received...(You see  I cant help bribing even GOD with this)
But I'm completely and totally addicted to CHOCOLATE...
It's a connection that just over rides many life times...
Maybe I was a chocolatier in a previous life..
Or then maybe a fat wicked witch cast a spell on me...Jealous cow ...
Or then I was dropped into a cauldron of chocolate as a kid and my mum never told me...
Its the only thing besides, ummmm.... LOVE, that makes my world go round ...
I devour chocolate when I'm happy , sad , mad , bad, cranky, pranky, sunny days, winter days , stormy days and even in the spring...
As a kid I used to smear chocolate on my lips and , lick it off a little at a time...ha ha ha
Err..... I sometimes still do this when no one is looking...
Try it, its great fun...

My favorite chocolate in the world is a very humble chocolate called ,"Galaxy"...
Well what can I say, it really is out of the world...
so so corny ...ha ha ha

Well I love making stuff with chocolate..
and so  I always keep slabs of chocolate at home , in case I feel like baking something or the other...
To me Chocolate makes me fall in love..with life..
And I love being in love...
It's such a wonderful place to be in ...

I feel Chocolate  has magical powers and hence I totally believe that I'm magical since I am mostly filled with lotsa Chocolate..

I don't believe its fattening at all...
And how can something that makes you so happy, be bad...

I remember people saying ,"don't give your kids chocolate, it makes them hyper"...
But I have never really listened to what people say or bothered about what they say about me or adhered to any rules...
I live my life taking chances and living with courage to face ...whatever...
I do what comes naturally and learn my lessons of life as I live...

And so Zeke , Zene and me have devoured tons of chocolate and danced and sung and played and have a great time...
Anyway , I have been ordered by the doctor to always carry chocolate with me since I suffer from "Low blood pressure;...
Yup,  its weird , most people think I'm hyper...which I may be on the outside..
But my insides are calm , serene and full of sweet love...
And I love being this bag of contradictions, its what makes me ...ME..
Yes ...I'm easy going and friendly and open-hearted and believing...
And that may not always be nice...,...
But I'm staying this way...because that's the only way I know how...

And so a few days ago, I woke up and felt like, I should be hanging with CHOCOLATE ...
And so pulled out my recipe books, and googled and went through my notes,and decided to make something that is UMMMMMM ....Happy and full of love...
Now that is such an irresistible combination...
And after a lot of serious choco-hunting all over the country side...

I met Jamie Oliver..
Now who does not like a good- lookin chap who cooks like better ,than your ..errr MAMA...
Well I thought it would be great hanging with him ...
In the virtual world that is, and make these deeelicious babies....ha ha ha

INGREDIENTS
250 gm -Unsalted butter
200 gm- Cooking chocolate
50 gm- walnuts optional
80 gm- cocoa powder
65 gm - plain flour
1 tsp- baking powder
360 gm- Castor sugar
4 large eggs..I used 5 because we have normal small eggs...
And I added 2 tbsp of Philadelphia cream cheese ....Just wanted to be a little risky, since I was cookin with Jamie...
ha ha ha I have lost it ...

METHOD..

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees...
Line a 9-10 inch pan with silicon paper...ya now I cant seem to do anything without it..Tante Marie spoilt me...
Melt the butter and chocolate over a baine-Marie ..or in a double boiler..Or then just zap it in a microwave, taking care not to over do it .....Mix it until really smooth and glossy..
Add the chopped walnuts..
Add the Philadelphia cream cheese..
In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients , sieve it and add it to the chocolate nut mix.., stir it together really well... 
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the brownie mix, mixing really well..
Put your Brownie mix in a tray and cook it for about 25-30 minutes, or till the mix does not jiggle in the middle..
Be careful not to over cook this, as they should be a little firm n the outside but gooey in the middle..
Allow it to cool...


Well I do not have too much patience when it comes to chocolate, so I waited for a bit and then , picked up the silicon paper with the awesome hot chocolate filled baked brownie staring at me... 
Put it on a chopping board and cut it into  big chunks...
Well all I can say is that , I bit into  a chunk of ...
Have actually no words to describe it as I'm still chomping on the last piece..
It is soft and crunchy and the Phily gives it a gooeyness that's just irresistible...And the chocolate flavour just overtakes you like a handsome pirate , and you willingly get robbed , with a naughty smile plastered on your face ..
At this point of time if Bradley Cooper wanted to go out with me , I would refuse ...ha ha ha ..

So here's presenting "Irresistible Gooey Chocolate Brownies"...made with a lot of mischief ..and a wink...
Only and Only from , "Maria's Kitchen' ...

Er ...Bradley ...I can meet you , an hour from now, If you are really lucky...ha ha ha ...
See that's why I Love Chocolate ..
(its Soul Food for my Gooey Heart) 

Happiness....

Happiness is like a bunch of puppies running after you , yelping and kissing your face...
These are the puppies of my Golden Retriever Betty-Boo and my Brown Boxer Ninja...
Yup I know what you are thinking...
How on earth...
Well what can I say, they were both in love with one another and thanks to them , I have my little Taz , who is anything but little ...
So yup, Happiness comes in different forms and ways and through various means...
All we have to do is stay open and we will receive , all the happiness that is rightly ours...

So what does being happy really mean...
Does it mean no worries , no cares..
That your heart is aglow with love and more..
Or does it mean that you are not letting sadness touch you anywhere...

We all interpret happiness in different ways..
To some it's an elusive job..
To some a home of their dreams..
To some a ticket to the Andaman's
To some , a meal..

Happiness means different thing's to different people..
I do not have substantial evidence of happiness, that does exist in the hearts of every soul...
But know fully well..
That when you sleep without a care in the world..
Without a knot in your tummy..
Without an ache in your heart..
Or a longing in your dreams..
You are happy by all means..

I remember , when I used to work...
I was often asked , "what do you want most in life"..
And my standard reply would be,"To be happy"..that's all..
And I remember bewildered looks on the journalist's faces..

But frankly if you have happiness , you have peace..
If you have peace..
You have a life, worth its while on earth..
There is nothing more precious to me in this world that Peace, love and happiness..

They are such simple words..
But cover a multitude of everything...

All I want sometimes is Everything...
Or then I'm willing to trade it for just happiness..

The kind of happiness that means ,
Everyone around me is safe..
All the ones I love, are in a happy place..
Where sitting and watching a sun-set is bliss..
Where there is an unstoppable smile on every one's lip's....
Where if you hurt, its because someone has hugged you really tight..
Or you having a pillow-fight..
Where you have mostly tears of joy, because your little boy and girl, just washed all their toys....
Where Angels hover around you in the guise of friends..
And broken-hearted is only because you burnt your new white shirt again..

To me happiness , is holding little hands and tickling little feet.
Looking into the eyes of the one that I love to meet..
It's that voice that calms me when I'm scared ..
Or makes me laugh when I have burnt my baking bread..
Happiness to me means to say whats in my heart ..
Not to take my love for granted ..
Or tear it apart..
It's the voice of reason in stormy weather..
And that beautiful song, that will play , in my heart because of you , forever..

Happiness is really not that rare or elusive a bird..

A beautiful Pheonix only rises from the ashes..

So remember whatever you may be going through right now..
Is just a migratory bird..
That's frightened of the cold...
And will leave, because it has no courage at all..

So don't cling on to a season..
It's here to be gone..

But protect that warm lamp of love that is "YOU'...
Keep her secure and happy , all year through..
Don't let anyone rain on her parade..
Don't let anyone trample on her love and joys..
Don't let her ever feel blue, because she gave her love that was so true..
Look after her , when the rain is pelting hail from the sky..
And let go of what has made you cry..

You can make the world smile only, if you are happy inside "YOU"
Because happiness is "YOUR'S" , if you can manage to kiss the tough times "ADIEU"...

P.S. I completely love this song..so sharing it with you ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FEISTY ZOHRA SEHGAL...

I had the fortune of meeting the beautifully funny and absolutely charming Zohra Sehgal, when she attended the IIFA Awards in Bangkok in 2008..
Remember it was horribly hot and I just walked in from a bout of shopping , what else, and was waiting for the lift , when , the lift door opened , and this bright smile greeted all who were waiting on the other side..
OH ..Freakin ..Hell...this is Zohra Sehgal, she is so tiny and so cute...
And I love her in her movies she is so adorable...
So I got into the lift, and was thinking I need  to meet her...
So I pushed myself out of the crowded lift and said sorry to everyone and ran out again, and was hoping that I do find her in the lobby...
I was wondering whether I should disturb her or not..
You see, I know actors get really fed up sometimes, and like their privacy...
So I went towards her and said ..'HI" in the cutest way I possibly could, hoping that she will reciprocate...
Well, she looked up and said "HI" ..
And then I told her that I am a big fan of her work and that she is really cute..
To which she said"You are not too bad , yourself" ha ha ha I LOVED HER...
Then she actually quizzed me about what I have seen..since I'm a fan... I completely loved her spirit..
And thankfully I actually do really like her and told her about stuff that I had seen over the years...
And she said,"Do you think I'M that old"...To which ,I at that point, shut the Sagittarian big mouth of mine and laughed...
At which point her daughter looked and me and said , she is full of all these mad lines..
Well I told her that I too started off my career as a dancer only thing is , I never went to Germany to study dance...Hmmm that made her smile...
We then chatted a little bit more, and I asked her if I can take a photo with her, to which she agreed ...
Then she said another thing about not having her make-up person with her, and I said something about me being sweaty..
And her very indulgent daughter took this photo  and then she was whisked away in a car, to explore Bangkok..
But I was so very very happy that I got to meet the beautiful, feisty lady with a smile that twinkles from her eyes and crinkles her nose, when you look at her, she is full of mischief ...
And she warmed my heart and left a big broad smile on my face ...
Her spirit is so infectious, childlike, naughty and full of glitter...yup...she shines..
I want to grow up and stay young just like her ....

So here's wishing the feisty lady of funny words, "A very very Happy 100th Birthday"...
Stay blessed and happy wherever you are, and Thank-you for all the wonderful smiles you shared with me..
I will always treasure those few moments of fun and laughter ...

THANK- YOU ...

Well I am truly blessed with a wonderful family, and friends who are my family , who love me with all my eccentricities...
Who love me through my mistakes..
Through my happiest love filled moments....
Through my "foot in mouth" moments...
And most of all when , I'm not good company...

When I'm happy, sad, mad,talking non-stop, silent,  heart-broken, very very hungry and sleeping...
Thank you for all the encouragement and for always standing by me , with open arms and a smile on your face, even though, you are so angry with me for doing stupid things...
For laying bets amongst yourselves...on all the silly things I'm about to do...
And most of all for encouraging me to cook and write and for encouraging the madness that makes me.... Me..

And to Bianca...who introduced Matt Preston to my blog...
Thanks Bianca...and I will always be your Muse...

Thanks for making me feel like the most beautiful animal in the Savannah running free...