Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
Daaaammmnnn, its been long. I do have to say when it comes to exams, everyone forget time flies. I am extremely happy as my final exam is finished today, which means I can live freely like it is the 4th of July.
So, I have actually made a target for reading 15 books this year on goodreads app (an amazing app in my opinion). You might wonder whaaat?15 books only, what are you, a jock?
But please do understand that I am not (nor will ever) be a jock but the fact I have important examinations this and next year (My O's!!) So I already knew it is difficult for me to dedicate my time into reading. (though now with my EOY over, I can read so much more! DO tell me if you guys want a New Year reading list or something!). You can consider this to be my annual well-known November and Winter Reading list which I posted darn late but now I am a month early. Hooray? It also made me realize that today marks officially 3 YEARS of VD!! Holy Figs on a stick! I am extremely proud for where we have come today (though it is still a very boring and always-late updated blog). I don;t really take this as seriously so yeah... but anyways, this is the compilation of the rare times I have managed to cheekily slipped in a book or two in midst of studying.
1st Book: City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende
Adventure/ Fantasy
The fantasy queen is back at it again! I have always made fantasy an important part of my life. Like no joke. If you have seen my wattpad (link at the bottom of the post), I started out and still do write and create fantasy books throughout my pastime. I have enjoyed the genre growing up.
So, I was very hyped when I heard about this book and it did not disappoint me!! It talks about a boy travelling with his grandmother t the Amazon due to a dramatic turn of events that is very emotional and I loved it. He goes on an adventure, meeting a girl from the local village and shares his similarities with her. Both of them go to discover not only the Amazon Forest but also about themselves. They see a side of the jungle no one can and the book brings about some of the most important and serious messages through a simple tale of a complex world. This book does not only have random characters flying and stuff (the stereotype people tend to have about fantasy) but instead the writer is able to describe a world of magic and discovery through the eyes of a young boy as well as put in enough detailing to make it seem you are there.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if you are an avid fan of either genres, this is a MUST for you to read.
3 ice cream cones out of 5
2nd Book: 7th Heaven by James Patterson
Mystery/Thriller
I think I might just make a combined review of the whole woman murder club series one day. If you have seen my blog at least once in your life, you will be aware of 2 things; I love food and I love James Patterson's works more than any writer. 7th Heaven is the 7th book in James Patterson's WMC Series which you can know more about via my previous posts and here.
This book is about a series of fires that get solved alongside another case Detective Lindsay Boxer has to deal with. And throughout the series (f you have read it), they don't only touch about the mystery and action part of finding the killer and blah blah but it also tugs on your pathos by having Lindsay's personal life involved. So this book does have a fair share of drama. I kind of enjoyed this book more that the 6th target and I am pumped for the next book which is the 8th confession. A little secret: I have never finished a single book series till date. I know.. I'm pathetic but it is true. I tend to lose interest in series quite fast due to the fact the turn of events is just unlikely and absurd or it loses the magic it once had. My hope is that I would be able to finish WMC as my first series but I'm not so sure now.
7th Heaven is another really good book by James Patterson and I believe you should check it out.
2.5 ice cream cones out of 5
3rd Book; Snow White Read-Handed by Maia Chance
Historical Fiction/ Fantasy(sort of)
I heard so much about this book on pintrest which hyped up my interest. I also searched for this book for more than a month or so in which I came across it in my local library in June-July. The synopsis of the book was very promising, talking about a mystery twist in a classical fairytale. However, the writing style and the main character was just out of sync as well as the fact that the story progresses very slow, making it uninteresting and boring to read. I quit about a few chapters into the book as the whole characters are confusing which made me both disappointed and upset.
1 ice cream cone out of 5
4th Book: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Mystery/ Thriller
Obviously, when you (or I) hear Dan Brown, we squeal. It has been quite obvious that I have been a big fan of Dan Brown ever since the Da Vinci Code era, so upon finding this book, I was beyond excited as well as heard many positive responses from my friends (whom I have turned into Dan Brown fans as well).
But however, when I read the book, I was initially upset that the main character was not Robert Langdon and that it is a woman ( not being sexist) It is not that I don't like female leads but in mystery and action books, it is more difficult to write in their perspective and handle situations without looking like either a sexist or feminist. The book was rather bizarre and I just hated some of the main characters as they are explained and crafted in a way very unappealing. Midway the book (or more), I gave up because it was really boring and the writing style was rather messy.
No joke, this is the most disappointing book from Dan Brown I have ever read and obviously this is my personal opinion.
1.5 ice cream cones out of 5
So this is my Winter aka November and December reading list for 2016. I do apologize not all of the books in this series are really good books to read and I have yet to reach my goal of 15 books this year. I have purchased another Dan Brown book and am crossing my fingers this is not terrible if not I would be writing a rant post soon.
Until next time, keep your ice cream cones dripping!
Thursday, 13 October 2016
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Vanillian Diet #4: Eggless Cheesy Pinwheels!
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
Its not been too long as I decided to abandon my homework to write this post. A lot has been happening and I am extremely grateful for you all.
If you have not followed me on Snapchat yet (username is at the end of this post), I have recently hit more than a 1000 page views for VD which is crazy! I am really happy that people from different regions of the countries are looking at my blog and hopefully enjoying it. I do urge you guys to not be a stranger and follow me on social media sites if you want to know how I look like and please do subscribe and comment.
I do not even want to continue on explaining my posts' timings because honestly I am a busy woman and I have so many other things that always grabs me. Even though at this point I have so much to do I do not want to have zero posts for this month so definitely I will be trying to do something about it. If you guys really want me to speed up, please comment because it does make me happy and I will put in more effort.
Onto the real deal. I love cheese. Everybody loves cheese in general. So my original plan was to make some pizza pinwheels which failed terribly because I had no pizza sauce. I decided it was awesome to just have cheese because CHEESE! *remembers fond memories with cheese*
This is once again a super easy, eggless and vegetarian friendly recipe. If you want to make it vegan, feel free to substitute the butter with coconut oil and the cheese with any vegan cheese.
Vanilla Here.
Its not been too long as I decided to abandon my homework to write this post. A lot has been happening and I am extremely grateful for you all.
If you have not followed me on Snapchat yet (username is at the end of this post), I have recently hit more than a 1000 page views for VD which is crazy! I am really happy that people from different regions of the countries are looking at my blog and hopefully enjoying it. I do urge you guys to not be a stranger and follow me on social media sites if you want to know how I look like and please do subscribe and comment.
I do not even want to continue on explaining my posts' timings because honestly I am a busy woman and I have so many other things that always grabs me. Even though at this point I have so much to do I do not want to have zero posts for this month so definitely I will be trying to do something about it. If you guys really want me to speed up, please comment because it does make me happy and I will put in more effort.
Onto the real deal. I love cheese. Everybody loves cheese in general. So my original plan was to make some pizza pinwheels which failed terribly because I had no pizza sauce. I decided it was awesome to just have cheese because CHEESE! *remembers fond memories with cheese*
This is once again a super easy, eggless and vegetarian friendly recipe. If you want to make it vegan, feel free to substitute the butter with coconut oil and the cheese with any vegan cheese.
Ingredients Required:
For Flavored Pastry:
1. 1.25 cups plain/all purpose flour
2. 0.5 cup butter [Vegan: Coconut oil]
3. Nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder and dried parsley flakes
4. Approx. 1/3 cup cold water
For the Filling:
1. CHEESE (you can never go wrong with chees) [substitute for vegan cheese if going vegan]
2. Black Olives (chopped and pitted)
Paraphernalia/ Equipment Required:
1. Large bowls
2. Rolling pin
3. Oven
4. Cling wrap
5. A surface to roll on (that sounds hilarious but yeah..)
6. Refrigerator (huh? you might say)
Procedure:
1. For the puff pastry, rub in salted butter (or coconut oil with a pinch of salt) into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs consistency
2. Add in the spices and dried parsley flakes
3. Mix the dry mixture slowly while adding in the cold water and kneading it into a dough.
4. Once it barely forms into a ball of dough, smoothen into a disc and wrap tightly in cling foil.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Once chilled, roll it into 0.5cm thickness and slab over all that delicious cheese.
7. Press the cheese into the dough if needed. (Vanilla Note: Remember to work fast as the longer you take with the dough, the stickier and more difficult the dough gets as the butter will start melting.)
8. Add in olives or any other vegetable (or even cured deli meat) if you want and start rolling it like a log/ cinnamon roll or whatever you want to imagine as.
9.Slice into 1.5cm slices and place flat on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake at 180 d.c for 10 minutes
I hope you guys enjoy making (and eating it)! See, once you read the instructions, you realize it is extremely easy to make them! Like seriously, even a person using the oven for the first time can do it, You can make it a group project and do it with friends or your children! Please comment and pin this post to voice out yourselves! Until next time, keep your ice cream cones dripping!
Snapchat: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Vanilla for thought #3: Tea flavors to try!
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here,
About two months back, I was an EDM freak and now it has died down though I still listen and enjoy EDM. I realized this is a nice sort of series to update you guys on my up-to-date obsessions with random things consumers like me will have.
This month, I have been back in the obsession towards teas. It is not that I have just started to drink tea or something but I have been back to drinking tea, in huge amounts. This might have been due to the fact that at the first week of June, I got an extremely bad sore throat after a course that required alot of smelling. My brain was overwhelmed by the smells and the top notes reached my throat, irritating my skin. I have a sore throat and bad cold now as well but not too strong.
I've ended up with a big, and I mean BIG box of tea packs inside and quite hilariously have even more tea packs lying around everywhere in my house.
I decided to show you guys some of my most favorite tea flavors although I personally enjoyed every tea flavor I have ever tried in my life. If you are a tea freak like me or a coffee addict (also me) wanting to step out of your comfort zone, do try out these flavors to get yourself hooked.
Its a mix of blends from Assam and Kenya and best known to eat with an english breakfast (which I don't really do but I should try sometime!) I've grown up loving this tea and flavor so I do highly recommend this tea.
For me, I usually drink handmade brews when outside or this Twinings's Tea, which is obviously my most favorite tea brand of all time.
Early Grey has a very light, fresh and slightly minty flavor. It is extremely aromatic and has a weird office-vibe to it. The taste is refreshing in a formal way and it gives you a nice breath. If you are also planning to have some tea bags in your office, Earl Grey is the one.
Vanilla Here,
About two months back, I was an EDM freak and now it has died down though I still listen and enjoy EDM. I realized this is a nice sort of series to update you guys on my up-to-date obsessions with random things consumers like me will have.
This month, I have been back in the obsession towards teas. It is not that I have just started to drink tea or something but I have been back to drinking tea, in huge amounts. This might have been due to the fact that at the first week of June, I got an extremely bad sore throat after a course that required alot of smelling. My brain was overwhelmed by the smells and the top notes reached my throat, irritating my skin. I have a sore throat and bad cold now as well but not too strong.
I've ended up with a big, and I mean BIG box of tea packs inside and quite hilariously have even more tea packs lying around everywhere in my house.
I decided to show you guys some of my most favorite tea flavors although I personally enjoyed every tea flavor I have ever tried in my life. If you are a tea freak like me or a coffee addict (also me) wanting to step out of your comfort zone, do try out these flavors to get yourself hooked.
English Breakfast Tea
This is my most favorite flavor of tea. The depth of flavor and the intensity if the brew was what captivated me to teas and food. The fist sip is heavenly and till this date, nothing can be more comforting than a cup of English Breakfast with a good book in an air-conditioned room during the summer. The beauty and taste of this tea is really nice as it has an earthy and slightly acidic undertone to complement the more fragrant and delicious taste of the tea.Its a mix of blends from Assam and Kenya and best known to eat with an english breakfast (which I don't really do but I should try sometime!) I've grown up loving this tea and flavor so I do highly recommend this tea.
For me, I usually drink handmade brews when outside or this Twinings's Tea, which is obviously my most favorite tea brand of all time.
Product featured: Get Here
Earl Grey Tea
So from the first flavor I introduced which is my most favorite, one can tell I am into very strong tea blends. I really enjoy strong tea flavors but if you are looking for a more lighter and heartier tea to genuinely drink during tea time with a Victoria sponge cake, this is it.Early Grey has a very light, fresh and slightly minty flavor. It is extremely aromatic and has a weird office-vibe to it. The taste is refreshing in a formal way and it gives you a nice breath. If you are also planning to have some tea bags in your office, Earl Grey is the one.
Product Featured: Get Here
Darjeeling Tea
This is another amazing flavor to try. It is slightly similar with earl grey as it is also another very light and aromatic tea that is absolutely delicious with some gingerbread cookies or even some funfetti cookies which you can make here.
It is originated from tea fields of Darjeeling, India and also has a slight star anise aftertaste. It will also be suitable as a tea to serve during high teas and get togethers with friends.
It is originated from tea fields of Darjeeling, India and also has a slight star anise aftertaste. It will also be suitable as a tea to serve during high teas and get togethers with friends.
Product Featured: Get Here
This is all I have for you guys! I apologize for it to be very short but I came back from a very physically strenuous and scary camp. I even ended up getting body pains and bled my knees . This will be my last post for the month and I obviously have a lot of homework to do yet ended up writing for you lovelies! Please bear with me for the next few months and you can always follow me on my social media platforms! Until next time, keep your ice cream cones dripping! (I do apologize if there are typos I am having a major headache as I type this!)
Snapchat: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Thursday, 9 June 2016
My Summer Reading List of 2016
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
I am extremely happy to be posting on time! However, this may not last for so long as I am known to mysteriously disappear and come back with no legitimate reason. So I am crossing my fingers I can at least update twice this month or even thrice as I cannot guarantee posts July on wards. I already have tones of events this June and it has been quiet hectic already. Back to the post, I'm here once again with another bookworm post!
This summer, I have compiled some books that I thoroughly enjoyed and would want to recommend to grab your hands on this summer. If you are bored for the summer and would want to engage in some bookworm action or as a bookworm you suffer from one of a bookworm's nightmare and that is being completely unsure what to read, don't fret as Vanilla's got your back! These books for once vary in genre and do not all have the same genre.
No. 1: Scat by Carl Hiassen
Fiction/Thriller
I was totally obsessed with this book back in February when I first picked it. It was a really engaging and fun book. This story is about two students who are in the class of an infamous Biology teacher named Ms Starch. There were nasty rumors spread around about her and she has a background very few were aware of. One day, a notorious boy by the name of Smoke agitates her until an incident occurs. Soon enough, the kids go on an excursion to a swamp to get caught in a sudden fire. People doubted Smoke to set it as Ms Starch goes missing. So, both these students (Nick and Marta) must uncover the reasoning behind the strange happenings and find out whether Ms Starch is alive. Though most students were happy of her not returning, the substitute teacher proves to be a wacko of some sort. Its quiet funny and very nice. It once again gives us an eye opener on certain global issues of this world in a fun and understandable way. Definitely 3 out of 5 ice cream cones despite being a bit cliche.
No. 2: Inferno by Dan Brown
Mystery/Thriller
I know, I know I am completely late to the Inferno party but I cannot help it. I featured The Da Vinci Code in my top 5 of 2015 but I could not find Inferno then. I was searching for Inferno since 2014 but only found it this year at a book fair with the hardback edition. The bookworm inside me emerged and I got it.
I am very happy that it was worth the buy and has re-read value in my opinion. Once again Dan Brown has done his homework about the deep cultural and symbolic meanings of the beautiful city of Florence ( and a bit of Istanbul). Professor Robert Langdon from Harvard is once again in hot water as he gets chased by radicals who follow tranhumanism and finds himself in a hospital, shot in the head and unaware of what had happened. As he tries to understand what led him to Italy, he encounters many issues and gets hunted down.
Da Vinci Code was focused on the works and everything about Leonardo Da Vinci. However, Inferno focuses mainly on Dante Alighieri and if you do not know him; you will be well aware on almost everything about him by the end of the book. Solid 2.5 out of 5 as the some parts of the ending was upsetting and not too interesting.
No. 3: The 6th Target by James Patterson
Mystery/Thriller
I hope that by now, I do not need to emphasize on my love and admiration on James Patterson and his works. He has been one of the first and most inspiring authors I was exposed to when I started reading YA. Once again, this shows how difficult it was for me to get his books of the Woman's murder club series. One of my first posts was about 4th of July, the 4th book in the series. Yet now I'm only at the 6th book in the series as it was difficult to get hold of it in my local library.
Lindsay Boxer has to face a killer and kidnapper at the same time. A shooter suddenly comes abroad on a cruise and shoots 6 people, one of them being her closest friends. As the fight for justice on the crazy shooter is held within the hands of law, she also needs to face kidnappers who kidnap children and their nanny's, killing off the nanny and not asking for ransom of the children.
As Lindsay struggles with the crazy happenings around town, she also needs to sort out her personal problems with her former lover as well as deal with mysterious cases of death in her friend, Cindy's apartment.
Alot of thing occur in this book and it is quite messy to be honest. Yet James Patterson is able to harmonize them though the book gets a boring here and there, the messiness is very evident throughout the book until the ending, where everything is actually properly sorted out with a cliffhanger to end with. Sadly, this gets a 1.5 out of 5 ice cream cones :(. [Its still a great summer read if you ask me!]
No. 4: Remembrance by Meg Cabot
Romace/Paranormal
The weirdest genre combination if you ask me. However, I have not completed the book and therefore will not rate it. There are 2 reasons to it. Firstly, I had almost no time with my busy schedule (Add me on snapchat @itsmevanilla to know more about my life this June!!) and secondly, the book just weirder and more complex as I read it. I would not exactly say it is a bad book. I was just confused as it was a part of a series I have never read so I had no clue of the information and plot of the preceding books.
Some women loves a ghost and she is getting engaged with him. She reunites with some other guy she used to be close with and finds out about him wanting to sell her old house (the one the ghost died in). Its quiet confusing as I explain. But it is not too bad as it has some humor and sarcasm to it. It is a great pick for the summer if you are feeling adventurous to try out something new.
So that's all I have for my summer reading list. Not a lot I agree but I promise to pick up some new books this sunday. I do hope you guys subscribe to my blog (the box is at the top right hand corner) and you get to follow me on my journey of life and such!! Until next time, keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
Snapchat: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Vanilla Here.
I am extremely happy to be posting on time! However, this may not last for so long as I am known to mysteriously disappear and come back with no legitimate reason. So I am crossing my fingers I can at least update twice this month or even thrice as I cannot guarantee posts July on wards. I already have tones of events this June and it has been quiet hectic already. Back to the post, I'm here once again with another bookworm post!
This summer, I have compiled some books that I thoroughly enjoyed and would want to recommend to grab your hands on this summer. If you are bored for the summer and would want to engage in some bookworm action or as a bookworm you suffer from one of a bookworm's nightmare and that is being completely unsure what to read, don't fret as Vanilla's got your back! These books for once vary in genre and do not all have the same genre.
No. 1: Scat by Carl Hiassen
Fiction/Thriller
I was totally obsessed with this book back in February when I first picked it. It was a really engaging and fun book. This story is about two students who are in the class of an infamous Biology teacher named Ms Starch. There were nasty rumors spread around about her and she has a background very few were aware of. One day, a notorious boy by the name of Smoke agitates her until an incident occurs. Soon enough, the kids go on an excursion to a swamp to get caught in a sudden fire. People doubted Smoke to set it as Ms Starch goes missing. So, both these students (Nick and Marta) must uncover the reasoning behind the strange happenings and find out whether Ms Starch is alive. Though most students were happy of her not returning, the substitute teacher proves to be a wacko of some sort. Its quiet funny and very nice. It once again gives us an eye opener on certain global issues of this world in a fun and understandable way. Definitely 3 out of 5 ice cream cones despite being a bit cliche.
No. 2: Inferno by Dan Brown
Mystery/Thriller
I know, I know I am completely late to the Inferno party but I cannot help it. I featured The Da Vinci Code in my top 5 of 2015 but I could not find Inferno then. I was searching for Inferno since 2014 but only found it this year at a book fair with the hardback edition. The bookworm inside me emerged and I got it.
I am very happy that it was worth the buy and has re-read value in my opinion. Once again Dan Brown has done his homework about the deep cultural and symbolic meanings of the beautiful city of Florence ( and a bit of Istanbul). Professor Robert Langdon from Harvard is once again in hot water as he gets chased by radicals who follow tranhumanism and finds himself in a hospital, shot in the head and unaware of what had happened. As he tries to understand what led him to Italy, he encounters many issues and gets hunted down.
Da Vinci Code was focused on the works and everything about Leonardo Da Vinci. However, Inferno focuses mainly on Dante Alighieri and if you do not know him; you will be well aware on almost everything about him by the end of the book. Solid 2.5 out of 5 as the some parts of the ending was upsetting and not too interesting.
No. 3: The 6th Target by James Patterson
Mystery/Thriller
I hope that by now, I do not need to emphasize on my love and admiration on James Patterson and his works. He has been one of the first and most inspiring authors I was exposed to when I started reading YA. Once again, this shows how difficult it was for me to get his books of the Woman's murder club series. One of my first posts was about 4th of July, the 4th book in the series. Yet now I'm only at the 6th book in the series as it was difficult to get hold of it in my local library.
Lindsay Boxer has to face a killer and kidnapper at the same time. A shooter suddenly comes abroad on a cruise and shoots 6 people, one of them being her closest friends. As the fight for justice on the crazy shooter is held within the hands of law, she also needs to face kidnappers who kidnap children and their nanny's, killing off the nanny and not asking for ransom of the children.
As Lindsay struggles with the crazy happenings around town, she also needs to sort out her personal problems with her former lover as well as deal with mysterious cases of death in her friend, Cindy's apartment.
Alot of thing occur in this book and it is quite messy to be honest. Yet James Patterson is able to harmonize them though the book gets a boring here and there, the messiness is very evident throughout the book until the ending, where everything is actually properly sorted out with a cliffhanger to end with. Sadly, this gets a 1.5 out of 5 ice cream cones :(. [Its still a great summer read if you ask me!]
No. 4: Remembrance by Meg Cabot
Romace/Paranormal
The weirdest genre combination if you ask me. However, I have not completed the book and therefore will not rate it. There are 2 reasons to it. Firstly, I had almost no time with my busy schedule (Add me on snapchat @itsmevanilla to know more about my life this June!!) and secondly, the book just weirder and more complex as I read it. I would not exactly say it is a bad book. I was just confused as it was a part of a series I have never read so I had no clue of the information and plot of the preceding books.
Some women loves a ghost and she is getting engaged with him. She reunites with some other guy she used to be close with and finds out about him wanting to sell her old house (the one the ghost died in). Its quiet confusing as I explain. But it is not too bad as it has some humor and sarcasm to it. It is a great pick for the summer if you are feeling adventurous to try out something new.
So that's all I have for my summer reading list. Not a lot I agree but I promise to pick up some new books this sunday. I do hope you guys subscribe to my blog (the box is at the top right hand corner) and you get to follow me on my journey of life and such!! Until next time, keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
Snapchat: @itsmevanilla
Instagram (request to follow please!): @itsmeevanilla
Wattpad username: @itsmevanilla
Friday, 20 May 2016
Vanillian Diet #3: Substitutions for baking ingredients
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
Very recently, I have been beyond obsessed with cooking and baking new things. New food is like new books to me thus I have been baking for only about 7 months. However, we all now that we can never always have all the ingredients they state in the recipe and get a bit too lazy to bother buying them. So, I have decided to share with you guys some substitutions I use whenever I bake.
Flours:
Self- Raising flour = All Purpose flour + baking powder
For One cup of APF, 1 or even half tablespoon of baking powder is more than enough. I have very recently run out of Self-raising flour and wanted to finish up this huge packet of all-purpose flour I had via this method.
Bread Flour = All-purpose flour
I do not buy bread flour so I always end up using all purpose flour (its actually plain) for my pizzas and bagels. Actually, they do turn out fine!
Eggs:
This is one of the most frequently asked questions for me. Many people always eat my food up, then realizing what they ate was completely vegetarian and no egg! They would always ask me what is the substitute I add. I used this same substitute a lot of times while cooking for my pure veggie mom. There are a couple of ways to substitute egg into bakes and pastries.
Most recommended: 1 egg = ground flax seeds + water
This is the secret. Substitute 1/3 tbsp of ground flax seeds (Just put some flax seeds into the blender and blend into a slightly rustic powder) and mix it 3 tbsp of water and let it for about 20 seconds to set. It will work flawlessly and it will also give a flawless look like it was baked with eggs!
You can also try: 2 eggs = banana
This may sound a bit funny or strange but if you want to make any eggless fruit cake or muffins, bananas are a very good substitute for eggs. It gives a fruity rye flavour and also has a natural rising agent in it. 1/2 a banana for each egg is more than enough.
Vanilla:
Vanilla beans = vanilla extract = vanilla essence
I wouldn't suggest you to substitute beans as they give the best smell and flavour. Vanilla essence is the least recommended as it is not real vanilla. Vanilla paste and water is quiet deep in flavour so you need to be careful if you want to use them.
This is all I have for you for this post. I do hope that you guys are enjoying my blog so far. Do tell me if you want any specific type of post or such. Also, if you do like what you see, I suggest subscribing to my blog!! There is a search box to the right hand corner where you can enter your email to be a part of the ice-cream family!! I do hope you guys will subscribe as there will be more posts in the future! So until next time, do keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
Vanilla Here.
Very recently, I have been beyond obsessed with cooking and baking new things. New food is like new books to me thus I have been baking for only about 7 months. However, we all now that we can never always have all the ingredients they state in the recipe and get a bit too lazy to bother buying them. So, I have decided to share with you guys some substitutions I use whenever I bake.
Flours:
Self- Raising flour = All Purpose flour + baking powder
For One cup of APF, 1 or even half tablespoon of baking powder is more than enough. I have very recently run out of Self-raising flour and wanted to finish up this huge packet of all-purpose flour I had via this method.
Bread Flour = All-purpose flour
I do not buy bread flour so I always end up using all purpose flour (its actually plain) for my pizzas and bagels. Actually, they do turn out fine!
Eggs:
This is one of the most frequently asked questions for me. Many people always eat my food up, then realizing what they ate was completely vegetarian and no egg! They would always ask me what is the substitute I add. I used this same substitute a lot of times while cooking for my pure veggie mom. There are a couple of ways to substitute egg into bakes and pastries.
Most recommended: 1 egg = ground flax seeds + water
This is the secret. Substitute 1/3 tbsp of ground flax seeds (Just put some flax seeds into the blender and blend into a slightly rustic powder) and mix it 3 tbsp of water and let it for about 20 seconds to set. It will work flawlessly and it will also give a flawless look like it was baked with eggs!
You can also try: 2 eggs = banana
This may sound a bit funny or strange but if you want to make any eggless fruit cake or muffins, bananas are a very good substitute for eggs. It gives a fruity rye flavour and also has a natural rising agent in it. 1/2 a banana for each egg is more than enough.
Vanilla:
Vanilla beans = vanilla extract = vanilla essence
I wouldn't suggest you to substitute beans as they give the best smell and flavour. Vanilla essence is the least recommended as it is not real vanilla. Vanilla paste and water is quiet deep in flavour so you need to be careful if you want to use them.
This is all I have for you for this post. I do hope that you guys are enjoying my blog so far. Do tell me if you want any specific type of post or such. Also, if you do like what you see, I suggest subscribing to my blog!! There is a search box to the right hand corner where you can enter your email to be a part of the ice-cream family!! I do hope you guys will subscribe as there will be more posts in the future! So until next time, do keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
April/May product Favorites!!
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
I am so happy because I am a free bird! (till the end of the week only sadly) but finally after a month of studies I finally have a gap to post for you guys!! I do apologize to not bring any books in this post but that is mainly because I am in the midst of a summer booklist for you guys!! I am so stoked for the next month as I may have the time to post 2 times instead. Also, to compensate for the loss of a post in April, I will definitely post twice this month!! (I'll try, no promises).
As last month I was swamped by a lot of studies and projects, I realized I did not have time to read a lot, but also my skin condition was getting worse from the stress. So I started buying and loving three products I want to feature in this post. These are my beauty-skincare faves and I'll try linking them or something similar if I can.
1. Nivea Facial Wash Gel
I have been insanely IN LOVE with this product. It is more of a exfoliater and it does so well in its job. I have oily skin and it is not really meant for my skin type but the thing was that I have been having less than 6 hours sleep for a few nights and I wake up to find very dried and chapped skin, I even felt alot of paain i some areas due to broken skin. I started using this product last month and I realized my skin being more moist for longer periods of time, being more lighter and also more healthier. So I have to give this a cone up (See what I did there ;) )
2. Layer'r Vanilla Scented Body Splash
One of the sweetest scents I've ever smelt. Its not sickly sweet but very very vanilla scented. So if you don't like me or my blogs, this scent ain't for you (jk). But it does have a heavy scent so it is advisable for those who want to have a sweet aftermath of their ootds. I brought this about a few months ago when I was travelling overseas, this became my go-to sort of scent for every outing now.
3. Inecto Body Scrub (Coconut)
I freaking love this scrub like so much. It not only give you baby smooth skin, it also smells AMAZING! I freaking love the natural products used to make this as well as the salt/coconut pieces(?) used in the abrasion process.
When I binge on a lot of homework, I realized I was not really taking care of my skin, So I usually resort to bodycare products to enhance my looks than make up because sometimes I feel make up is just like a sort of blanket over something broken, so I'd rather repair the broken thing than embellish it with pretty quilts.
So Here guy is my product favorites for the first two months, I do apologize (I have lost count the number of times I've said this though) and thank you once again for reading my blog! Even if you don't subscribe or even comment or leave a review of the post, it makes me happy there are people out there who bother taking a look! You may or may not be a first timer, but everyone is appreciated:)! So do stay tuned and keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
FYI:: I was not sponsored for any of these products k.
Vanilla Here.
I am so happy because I am a free bird! (till the end of the week only sadly) but finally after a month of studies I finally have a gap to post for you guys!! I do apologize to not bring any books in this post but that is mainly because I am in the midst of a summer booklist for you guys!! I am so stoked for the next month as I may have the time to post 2 times instead. Also, to compensate for the loss of a post in April, I will definitely post twice this month!! (I'll try, no promises).
As last month I was swamped by a lot of studies and projects, I realized I did not have time to read a lot, but also my skin condition was getting worse from the stress. So I started buying and loving three products I want to feature in this post. These are my beauty-skincare faves and I'll try linking them or something similar if I can.
1. Nivea Facial Wash Gel
I have been insanely IN LOVE with this product. It is more of a exfoliater and it does so well in its job. I have oily skin and it is not really meant for my skin type but the thing was that I have been having less than 6 hours sleep for a few nights and I wake up to find very dried and chapped skin, I even felt alot of paain i some areas due to broken skin. I started using this product last month and I realized my skin being more moist for longer periods of time, being more lighter and also more healthier. So I have to give this a cone up (See what I did there ;) )
Product Featured: Get Here
2. Layer'r Vanilla Scented Body Splash
One of the sweetest scents I've ever smelt. Its not sickly sweet but very very vanilla scented. So if you don't like me or my blogs, this scent ain't for you (jk). But it does have a heavy scent so it is advisable for those who want to have a sweet aftermath of their ootds. I brought this about a few months ago when I was travelling overseas, this became my go-to sort of scent for every outing now.
3. Inecto Body Scrub (Coconut)
I freaking love this scrub like so much. It not only give you baby smooth skin, it also smells AMAZING! I freaking love the natural products used to make this as well as the salt/coconut pieces(?) used in the abrasion process.
When I binge on a lot of homework, I realized I was not really taking care of my skin, So I usually resort to bodycare products to enhance my looks than make up because sometimes I feel make up is just like a sort of blanket over something broken, so I'd rather repair the broken thing than embellish it with pretty quilts.
Product Featured: Get Here
So Here guy is my product favorites for the first two months, I do apologize (I have lost count the number of times I've said this though) and thank you once again for reading my blog! Even if you don't subscribe or even comment or leave a review of the post, it makes me happy there are people out there who bother taking a look! You may or may not be a first timer, but everyone is appreciated:)! So do stay tuned and keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
FYI:: I was not sponsored for any of these products k.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Vanillian Diet #2: Funfetti Cookies Recipe
Hey Guys!
Vanilla Here.
It has been like so long! At least I managed to get this up as I promised a month later and wasted no time upon getting some space to do my own things. Things are heating up and I feel that the pace of my posts may be haywire. But I will definitely no give up on this blog! SO do stay tuned to more posts and activities on VD.
Getting back to this post, I decided to take a look what you guys enjoy the most on my blog and I found out that my most viewed post was none other than my egg-less chocolate cake recipe! It was followed by my book reviews and lists! I do want to take the time to say a loud thank you to those who enjoy my blog and want to know more tasty creations of mine. I have become very obsessed ( I will not even use the word enjoy or 'have the passion') with baking,cooking and food in general. So I was delighted on knowing you guys enjoy some of the things I do.
For today, I decided to show you guys one of my most favorite pastry and a very popular flavor in the UK. Together, it is an amazing flavor. I do hope you guys enjoy it!
I do hope you guys will enjoy this super yummy treat as much as I do and yes, I feel very proud to have achieved an improvement in my photography skills (especially foodography). Do comment if you want any specific recipes and most probably I will be posting again this month. Until then, keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
Vanilla Here.
It has been like so long! At least I managed to get this up as I promised a month later and wasted no time upon getting some space to do my own things. Things are heating up and I feel that the pace of my posts may be haywire. But I will definitely no give up on this blog! SO do stay tuned to more posts and activities on VD.
Getting back to this post, I decided to take a look what you guys enjoy the most on my blog and I found out that my most viewed post was none other than my egg-less chocolate cake recipe! It was followed by my book reviews and lists! I do want to take the time to say a loud thank you to those who enjoy my blog and want to know more tasty creations of mine. I have become very obsessed ( I will not even use the word enjoy or 'have the passion') with baking,cooking and food in general. So I was delighted on knowing you guys enjoy some of the things I do.
For today, I decided to show you guys one of my most favorite pastry and a very popular flavor in the UK. Together, it is an amazing flavor. I do hope you guys enjoy it!
Ingredients Required:
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 55g butter
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 egg (you can use flax mix if going vegan or veggie)
- 1 tsp vanilla seeds (You know I will use this)
Paraphernalia/Equipment Required:
- Electric whisker
- 2 large bowls
- Sieve (optional)
- Knife (to scrape vanilla seeds unless you use telekinesis)
- Measuring Cups
- Oven
- Silicon brush
Procedure:
1.Add your butter into a large bowl and whisk with your electric whisker until light and fluffy
2.Add sugar into your mix and continue whisking.
3.Scrape vanilla seeds from a fresh vanilla pod and add to the mix along with the egg.
4.Whisk until smooth and thick batter is formed.
5.In another bowl, add all the dry ingredients and sift them if you like.
6.Add it into the wet mixture and use a spatula to fold in the ingredients until well combined.
7.Add your sprinkles into the mixture and continue mixing.
8.Flour your hands and squeeze golf ball sizes of dough and roll them into a smooth ball.
9.Using your silicon brush, brush oil onto your baking tray to avoid sticking.
10.Place the balls onto the baking tray and use a glass to press them into a flat cookie.
11.Bake at 180-200 d.c until golden brown.
12.Serve hot and savor the soft gooy-iness inside.
I do hope you guys will enjoy this super yummy treat as much as I do and yes, I feel very proud to have achieved an improvement in my photography skills (especially foodography). Do comment if you want any specific recipes and most probably I will be posting again this month. Until then, keep your ice cream cones dripping!!
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