A note to my Dad on Father's Day...

Dearest Daddy, 

There's something I want to come out and say
as I miss you achingly on Father's Day...
It's something I've always known and felt 
But never managed to express....
This feeling that my heart will melt...

Since you 'grew me up' and sent me, 
With a hug and 'do me proud'
(as I took your blessings at my 'vidaai')
I've wandered across the timeless ocean
With a deepening sense of sad, self-doubt....

Although I see the past like a mirror,
No memory too small to hide,
I still so wish we were together,
With you right here by my side....

As time goes by I realize the folly
Of holding on to the chimera of life,
For now I see as plain as daylight
What it really takes to be a wife....
It took me away from all I knew,
And everything I ever lived with,
in the hope of something new...

Now all I ever pray for
Is that in every future lifetime
God makes you my daddy again
For only in your loving company
Do I, your child, my trust regain...

I miss your voice
your face,
your laughter
your eyes
your singing
your scolding
(with infinite love, may I add...)
For only when I became a parent
I could see the courage you've had

you were my Father, always,
then mother and friend,
and guide and conscience

and I know this to be very true
this is what I'd say 
if, by some grace divine, I see you

I never say it as often as I feel it,

think it 

and know it
My dearest Dad, 

you're my rock, my anchor, my hero,
and always will be my ideal man!

yours, Ruch

13:55 Hrs
15.06.2014

P.S- They say it's very hard to live for others, lose your soul-mate and still carry on, be a Father AND a Mother to teenagers, live each day learning something new- even if you're in your 40s, 50s or 60s...
They say it' takes a special kind of man to put his wife and family first, even before his own career, dreams and goals...
They say life is a journey, not a destination; live each day like it's your last, and love each moment like it's your first...
I only say, Daddy, in living with you, loving you, watching you and learning from you, I have seen you do all this and more!!
Years ago you told me, with a hug and a brave smile, as you bade me goodbye to start a new life with my husband, "Ruch, I know you will do me proud ".... all I can say is in every moment of my life when I feel helpless, doubtful, alone or sad, I imagine you are with me, encouraging me, talking to me till all my troubles disappear, no matter what hour of which day I call you and everything starts to make perfect sense...I hope that someday, I make you as proud of me, as I am of being YOUR daughter!
I LOVE YOU, DADDY...

Devil's Food Cake

The image that caught my eye!

About four or five months ago, I was talking to Dad on Skype, and he mentioned that he'd love to try baking a cake, and asked me for a good chocolate cake recipe. At the time, knowing my Dad, his likes and dislikes and his attention to detail, I wanted it to be the best recipe I had laid eyes on (i.e, tasted). It had to be simple, with easily resourced ingredients, accurate measurements and not too much jiggery-pokery of the hand. Most importantly, I wanted to send him a recipe which I had tried, tested and baked myself.
Truthfully, the Devil's Food Cake recipe has been the most awesome chocolate cake we've ever eaten at home. I found it in an old, discarded magazine at work, and flicking throught it on my dinner break, I noticed the mouth-watering recipes for all things chocolate (Actually it was a collection of recipes of 'chocolatey' treats, included for their 'pulling-power', guaranteed to make Valentine's Day sweet!)
I was thinking of it for a whole day and night, before adopting the very same recipe for my chocolate-Loving Husband!! To try it out, I baked it for his birthday last week, and my daughters decorated it in their own OTT style (with huge chocolate stars and fifteen cherries instead of four or five!). So when the resultant cake surpassed my expectations in terms of simplicity of the process, time in the oven, level of difficulty and TASTED HEAVENLY besides, I decided to send it to Daddy too. Even better, I thought I'd share it on the blog, making sure it reaches all chocolate lovers, everywhere!

Dearest Daddy,
I hope you try this recipe and enjoy the resultant sweet-surprise! I know, some of the ingredients (cream of tartar, margarine, bicarbonate of soda etc) are not typical store-cupboard fare, but trust me, a little hunt in the supermarket, and you should have no trouble finding them there. Do make it if you like, and you will  be in for a shockingly good cake!
Happy Baking!
Love you,
Ruch

Devil's food cake
Makes 12 slices

For the sponge:
215 g (7 1/2 oz) plain flour
230 g (8 oz) caster sugar
1 1/4 level teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
40 g (1 1/2 oz) cocoa powder
140 g (5oz) soft margarine ( I used STORK vegetable fat for pastries/cakes etc with great results)
240 ml (8 1/2 fll.oz) milk
1 sp vanilla essence
2 medium eggs

For the chocolate icing:
115g (4oz) soft margarine
40 g(1 1/2 oz) cocoa powder
350 g (12 oz) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3-4 tablespoons milk
Shards of chocolate and raspberries for decoration
(Cadbury's Flake, split, cut or chopped will do nicely too!) See- Cadbury's Flake

To make the sponge:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
• Grease and line (with baking parchment paper or simply use butter paper) two 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tins.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the margarne, milk and vanilla essence and then mix by hand until smooth.
• Add the eggs and beat for one minute with an electric hand-held mixer. It is important not to over-beat the mixture.
• Pour into the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.
• After the cake has risen well, (I always have to tweak the timing to suit my temperamental oven!) remove it from the oven and let it cool in the tins for 10-15 minutes. Thereafter, remove it from the tins and cool on a wire rack or the wire grille of the oven before icing it.

To make the chocolate icing:

• Cream the margarine until light and fluffy in a mixing bowl.
• Add the sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar to the creamed margarine and beat.
• Blend in the vanilla essence and milk until the icing is smooth.
• Use the icing to sandwich between the two sponge layers then smooth it all over the cake.
• Decorate with the chocolate flakes and raspberries.  

ENJOY!!!!

Being Food-wise and Fancy-free!

I made Prachi's shared recipe of Pasta Salad yesterday, and even my Raj, who is otherwise super calorie-conscious was tempted to try my fare which was quite healthy, given the low-fat mayo and smidgen of olive-oil I used...
Here's the picto -recipe, for foodies who like to go their own way, with less fuss and more 'Ooh La La!!'

Cut up your salad; you can have batons, buttons or dices!

Boil the Penne until cooked Al- Dente

Top with grated cheese whilst warm; it will make the cheese go nice 'n' gooey!

Ummm, don't forget the black olives, and Mediterranean herbs 

Dress with any/all of these- Mayo, lime juice, olive oil !! 

Finish with Sea-salt, pepper and more cheese.

Wash you hands and toss everything around in a bowl!!

Or better still, get your kids to do it for you as you lay the table!! Trust me, their hoots of joyous laughter will reverberate long after the meal is over!!

Enjoy!!