musing: THE royal wedding

Today was the day of the press has dubbed the wedding of the century, the real-life cinderella story. Like millions, I followed the live telecast, marveling over the grand beauty of the abbey (loved the live potted plants), the lovely ceremony, and of course, the dress (although I was a bigger fan of the halo tiara, but then again I can never pass on jewelry). Like many, I couldn't forget the last British event I had followed from start to finish--the late Princesss Diana's funeral.

In a world where we herald democracy and follow the recent people's revolutions in places like Egypt and libiya with revel, what is it about royalty that stills enraptures us? And while the United Kingdom has been overshadowed by other world superpowers in recent times, why is it that the British monarchy is regarded as THE monarchy, and this wedding THE royal wedding?

Some people think it a crime to spen dso lavishly on a wedding when there is so much turmoil and grievance in the world. Others laud it as a vicarious fantasy that allows them to dream of better things. Regardless, I think a happy wedding and marriage is always a cause for a celebration.

To celebrate, I'm going to try my hand at the favorite royal chocolate biscuit cake that is to serve as Prince William's groom cake. Best wishes for the lovely couple!

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/weddings/royal/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Biscuit-Cake-364790

chocolate cravings

i love chocolate. a lot.
it's a huge part of my life, and probably my favorite food group.

i love that there's such a variety to chocolate. there's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate; hot chocolate sauce, chocolate bars, truffles; chocolate ice cream, nutella,

okay, i'm a little obsessed.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/12/health/main3360369.shtml?source=RSSattr=Health_3360369

http://ask.yahoo.com/20031106.html

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0846.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-You-Crave-Chocolate?-6-Tips-For-What-You-Can-Do-To-Keep-Cravings-Under-Control&id=478936

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/basics/l/aa001109a.htm

is there such a thing as too much chocolate?
for me, yes.

sugar leaves a sickeningly sweet taste in my mouth.

lovely design: ikea blog

love scandinavian design and recently fell in love with the ikea blog. 

i am slowly exploring sweden via the web. i used to have (probably still have) an obsession with iceland, and now i'm expanding into scandinavia. i know very little about sweden. one thing i do know is that founder ingvar feodor kamprad is a billionaire who decorates exclusively with ikea products. while he does indulge in luxuries, he's known to be very frugral.

recent edible creations

Red cabbage dyed leaf print Easter eggs
Tea leaf eggs
Tate's Bakeshop Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Baked New York Style Crumb Cake
Chez Pim Fresh Tomato Sauce
Fried Eggs and some Spaghetti
Nigella Lawson London Style Cheesecake
Pho Gao
Pad Thai
Sour Cream Yeast Rolls

Beginnings

I am really bad at starting new things because I have the tendency to overanalyze every little step. Which means I'm not very productive.

I am really bad at continuing old things because I have the tendency to get bored very easily. Which means I'm not very productive.

One of my college professors always started off the semester by talking about the word-hoard, which he said was the part of our brain that remembered words. Like in the days of the great poets, how Homer wrote and could recite the Illiad and the Odyssey from memory. Which all vanished the second we began to write, losing our remarkable memories or the need for them. (I took three classes with him and he recycled his material, so I had a lot of time to mull over this concept.)

My memory has always been horrible, and the days tend to blend in with each other. I can also go for weeks without doing anything substantial.

Hence this blog to myself. Which will be a little bit of everything. To keep myself productive. Accountable. And remember.

My message to myself:
dear mon coeur,
stop thinking, start doing.
stop dreaming, start living.
stop recieving, start producing.
xoxo mon coeur