Tag Archives: flowers

Cream cheese and fig jam cake

Posted on October 19, 2016 | Leave a comment

I am not a routine friendly person, i live daily challenges to dig out new things. I admit i easily get bored so i am in a constant search to enjoy new experiences, to reconnoiter unexplored places and indulge in new flavors.

But sometimes i find myself following a lovely routine, i call it family customs (it makes me feel better) especially when it comes to celebrations. Whatever are the circumstances, i never miss baking birthday cakes. It should be homemade, full of love and thoughts!

This year, for my husband’s birthday cake, fig was on my mind! I know fig and cream cheese will pair nicely together. Why not fig jam?! I remember when i was a kid, i used to love eating the classic cake that mom used to bake after spreading a thin layer of homemade jam. And i still do whenever i am at my parents place, mom does the best homemade jam!

The best recipe for basic white layered cake is here:

1 1/3 cup flour (sifted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
100g melted butter

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 4 shallow baking dishes of 8″. If you’re not willing to make 4 layers cake, you can simply cut the recipe in half for 2 layers or 3/4 for 3 layers.

Mix flour and baking powder. Set aside. Place eggs and sugar in an electrical mixer and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick and triple in volume. Gently fold in the flour mixture then the butter. Do not over mix.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until sponges are springy to the touch and come away from the sides of the baking dish. Remove and let it cool completely.

Whisk 500ml heavy cream with 300g cream cheese and 1/2 cup icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

Spread one sponge with jam and second one with cream cheese, and repeat with the other two! Top the fourth one with the cream and decorate it with flowers or simply figs.

I wanted a festive fall look. I love these tones of colors, makes me feel happy and warm. Couldn’t wait until we cut it and taste it. And we did! I got lots of compliments and yumms. I think i will be doing it more often. It became one of my favorite cakes that doesn’t have chocolate but gives you the pleasure of it!

If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

The 65610 shades of green Sinhala – Sri Lanka part 1

Posted on October 27, 2014 | 4 comments

I am sure you noticed me being away from my blog for the last two weeks. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I miss you and came back with a series of interesting posts about my trip to Sri Lanka.

Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before – Dalai Lama

A trip for only the three of us as a family, my lovely husband Antoun, my precious son Nady and I. This is what i call quality time for the family. We chose Sri Lanka on purpose to offer to Nady a new enriching journey, full of discoveries, adventures and novelties. It was indeed!

Our trip kicked off in Pinnawala, a village in Kegalle district of Sri Lanka, situated 90 km from the capital Colombo. It is well known for its Elephant orphanage.

Pinnawala elephant orphanage: was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased now, including baby elephants brought from various parts, as well as the babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programs. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 9:30-10:00 am and 13:30-14:00 pm and the bathing time from 10:00-10:30 am and 14:00-14:30 pm when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.

You can spend time there watching the elephant bathing. Vendors are everywhere selling small bags of bananas to feed them too.

We proceeded then to Kandy to spend the night there, the second largest city after Colombo. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO as it was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings during the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule and finally ceded to the British in 1815 after an agreement. To the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the World, Kandy is one of the most sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” – Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha.

The next morning, walking up fresh and enlivened to go to my favorite place where i can spend hours and days contemplating the beauty of the mother nature in the Royal Botanical garden of Peradeniya, situated about 5.5 km to the west from Kandy.

147 acres in extent; Started in 1374 as a pleasure garden of the Kings of Gampola and Kandy. There are more than 5,000 species of trees, plants and creepers. Some rare and endemic! As well as flora from the tropical world are found in the gardens. Spice Garden and Orchid House are popular with tourists. There are 5 Palm Avenues beautifying the gardens, the earliest and tallest Palm Avenue (Royal Palm Avenue) was planted in 1905. Also Double Coconuts from the Seashells Island, with the largest seed of all plants in the world.

Trust me it was so hard to choose 20 pics out of hundreds. It’s a piece of heaven on earth. I recommend this site big time, as it is not usual wherever you live to find all this beauty in one place. It was a great opportunity to enjoy and reserve a big dosage of green and oxygen…

Stay tuned to Sri Lanka part 2….

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Posted in travel

Tagged buddha, coconut, colombo, creepers, elephant, flowers, kandy, kegalle, orchid house, palm trees, peradeniya, pinnawala elephant orphanage, plants, royal botanical garden, sinhala, spice garden, sri lanka, travel, trees, trip, world heritage site

spring/easter crafting – wooden spoon puppet – DIY – step by step

Posted on April 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

Wooden spoons are not just for mommy to use in the kitchen, kids can create cute characters such as Easter rabbit or chick and spring lady bug to go with the flowers we crafted before.

A very easy bricolage and a lot of fun. If your kid is under 3 years, paint the spoons yourself and let it dry before starting to play together. I recommend acrylic paint but don’t mix it with water for more vibrant colors.

Small details to stick with your kids such as pompom, wiggling eyes, feather…. are more instructional then you think. Learning the shapes, names, colors and you can extend the fun by telling stories about Easter and spring.

Lady bug:

Nady was so much interested and fascinated with the lady bug antennas.

Chick:

Adjusting the comb

… and the beak

Eh voila chick (le poussin)!

Rabbit:

Fixing the ears and nose

The three all together! they look so cute

After playing with the spoons puppet, it’s time to add them to our precious flower vase.

It was such a joy for him. He kept playing and contemplating their fascinating colors for an hour

We love the spring season and can’t wait for Easter!

kids spring/Easter crafts, yellow flowers (DIY- step by step)

Posted on March 31, 2014 | 3 comments

The color festival is still on! Celebrate the spring and pre-easter season with your kids. Develop their fine motor skills, and teach them colors.

My boy is learning the spring season and the yellow color at the nursery. I thought of DIY yellow paper flowers. Why not? It could be the table centerpiece at Easter. Lets have fun!

First we need a vase. Empty cheese jar was an excellent idea. We decorated it with colorful japanese washi tape.

The minute I set down the material on the table, Nady showed an unbelievable excitement.

You will be surprised how much you can do with just papers; Pinwheel daffodil, marigold, daisy, tulip and geranium, for this time.

Follow me step by step on how we do the pinwheel daffodil.

Marigold:

Daisy, tulip and geranium. Click on flowers cut outs for a high resolution file.

Green straws for the stems.

Et voila!

Simply gorgeous! Nady was so happy, contemplating the beauty of the flowers.

So excited, he started to collect the flowers to make a bouquet.

Nady’s reaction to this activity was unexpected. I was extremely happy from his response. Crafting today was extremely beautiful and fun. He grabbed the vase and started to fill it with the flowers.