Brownies? Yes Please!

You know these cooking videos trending on Facebook? I know there is a whole wide range of cooking channels on youtube where you can find recipes from making a hot dogs to Beef Wellingtons But I didn't bother to look at them, let alone trying them, at all. 

But I have to say these cooking videos on Facebook are pretty convincing and easy looking which makes you to really try out one. So I came across a pretty easy recipe on Nutella Brownies, which required only few ingredients and few minutes to make (excluding the baking time of course). Nutella was my all time favourite and I was pretty excited to see it on something else other than lathering it on sandwiches. 
Plus I couldn't sleep until I can make use of the oven we bought recently.

So I went over the video like, a thousand times over, which only lasted for about 48 seconds. I never baked anything before so I was pretty excited. So I went to the kitchen, I gathered up all the ingredients and started right away. I strictly wanted to stick with the instructions on the video, so I had some difficult time pausing the video from my phone from time to time, all the while beating the brownie mixture. 

So eventually, I took it from the oven and saw that the surface is not even. The cake tray was square and one side was risen well as what you might expect, and the other was downright flat. But whatever.
My mother in law told me that it was because the baking powder was not spread out evenly. Oh well, it was worth an experience. 
It tasted ok and everyone of the family took a bite, at least. 
So I was happy. And satisfied. 
I even took a picture of it, my very first self made brownies! Ha Ha.

7 Rules of Life

1) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

2) What others think of you is none of your business.

3) Time heals almost everything, give it time.

4) Don't compare your life to others and don't judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

5) Stop thinking too much, it's alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.

6) No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.

7) Smile. You don't own all the problems in the world.

- Unknown -

Khaled Hosseini - Splendid Indeed!

I finished reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini sometime back I couldn’t imagine a more eye-opening, heartbreaking story of life in Afghanistan. As soon as I heard that his second book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" was out, I ran to the book store, anticipating another emotional roller-coaster as his previous novel and it was even better!  I found myself reading the books in every situation I could.

The way he narrates his stories, somewhere reverberates with your deeper inside. If you’ve ever read a Khaled Hosseini book, you will understand why I say this. Hosseini’s books tear your heart into a million pieces, stomp on them, and then stitch the pieces back together but your heart always remembers the stomping. In simpler terms, his books make you aware of the evil in the world, and the way it destructs innocence and pure goodness, and then they end and leave you to continue with your life with the knowledge of this evil.

While not being particularly knowledgable of the culture, religion or background of the books,  I have found myself enriched through their teachings. The stories have given me a window into Afghanistan culture where the country’s wounds have been patched up time and time again. The hardships of the few in the books are in fact the hardships of many in reality. I found myself teary-eyed and empathising with the characters, rooting for them in their triumphs and sorrowful in their losses.

I am looking forward to purchasing the next book in the series -  ‘And The Mountains Echoed.’  It's time to prepare myself for a similar reading experience.

A Childhood Memory

It was Sinhala/ Hindu New Year's time, about 20 years ago. I was nine or ten years old. I still remember his tear sodden eyes filled with sadness and the dirty handkerchief on his trembling hands as I kept staring at him.

I ran to open the gate after several knocks since nobody was there to open it but me. I was a shy girl as a child and dreaded every time when I have to open the gate for visitors. As I opened it, I saw a stranger standing under the scorching heat of the sun. He was in his forties as far as I can remember. He was wearing a ragged cream coloured shirt and threadbare trousers which were so worn out that I can't tell exactly which color they were. His shoes were covered with dust. However, his shirt was tucked in and surprisingly, I saw a bit of neatness in his attire. He was holding a dirty handkerchief which he kept fumbling with his hands. Beads of sweat was running down the sides of his cheeks. He had a small beard and a mustache but the prominent feature on his face was his eyes. He had pleading eyes, clouded with exhaust and fatigue. His eyes were filled with tears. Maybe It was how I want to remember, at least.

How to use a Favicon in your Blog

What is a Favicon? If you are a newbie to blogging, you might be unfamiliar with the term. But you have definitely seen a favicon before. A favicon aka favourite icon is a small piece of icon used to identify your blog in the browser's tab.

Having your own unique favicon makes your blog standout and grab your visitor's attention. Without a favicon, your blog will display the blogger logo or the generic paper icon.

There is a another plus. Having a favicon will make it easier to spot your blog right away if one is having multiple tabs opened in the browser. See how the pink favicon stands out in the image below.