Been a while...

Hello All,

It has been sometime since I last wrote up what is going with me. I have been doing the same things as before with a couple new things in my life. New things, new places, and new faces. I know that it has become a tendency for me to post videos on the blog and share them with you all. I guess when I see these moving images I have a rush within my mind that I want to share the feelings and thoughts that I have while viewing them. You will have different thoughts, different feelings then me, but you will think and feel and that in its self is pleasant to know.

This video won the TropFest 2008 shortfilm of the year award. It reads for itself. Simplicity in the filming, writing, song, and meaning. K.I.S. Keep it simple. Just lovely.

Some news for you all. I will not be visiting the maritimes this summer. :(

I will instead be focusing on my actions with-in Victoria. What I see myself

working towards here is a integration of going deeper into the helping field,

exercise for myself and encouraging others in my work, cycling, and

counselling. Time to create my career and go on a journey. This winter I

will be heading south to Australia to visit my brother and see him wed to a

person who I am honored to see become a part of my family. That's all for

now chat again.

Something fun...

-n

Hello All,

Here is the majestic Begum's Bread Recipe with her own notes for the best way to make yourself be enslaved by your taste buds. :) Yum Yum.

Begum: I'll give the basic dry mix recipe. The variations you can create depends on personal taste; one could create dozens of different breads by simply adding whatever you like to the same basic dry mix.

One could experiment with different beers too. But I definitely like the flavour the beer I use ("Tuborg" :) gives to the bread, so I never change it.

Basic Beer Bread Mix:
Flour: 3 cups (I use either 2 cups of whole wheat + 1 cups of unbleached all-purpose white flour, or, 3 cups of whole wheat flour - like in the bread we had that night at Nick's place)

Granulated sugar: 1/2 tsp (though the original recipe says 1 tsp, I add less to reduce my calorie intake)

Sea Salt: 1 tsp

Baking Powder: 1.5 tsp

Baking Soda: 1 tea spoon (this one was not on the original recipe, but after experimenting I decided to add this - optional)

Beer: 12 oz (355 ml)

Flavour Variations:
My 2 favourites are: (1) flax seed & walnut crumbles, or, (2) flax seed & oregano (this is the one I baked for that dinner). I once added dried garlic as well, and the result was quite nice.

Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the extra ingredients (as much you like) before adding the beer. Mix it thoroughly with the dry mix.

When the bread mix is ready, slowly add and stir in the beer. Yeah, the batter will be thick and your fingers will be covered with it. :) Don't rely on the spoon only, otherwise the inner parts of the batter will remain dry.

Although the original recipe says 12 oz of beer (1 bottle ?), for 3 cups of flour I add slightly more than 1 bottle of beer. You can find the right amount by experimenting with it. But my tip is: The batter should not be too dry or too soft. So add the extra beer in very slowly and knead the batter thoroughly to make sure all of the dry mix is combined with beer. Any left over beer? Drink it while you wait.

I heat the oven after I'm done with preparing the batter (to give it few minutes to "rest").
Heat oven to 375F.
I use olive oil to grease the loaf pan (20 cm ones are good for this recipe) and sprinkle flour on the inner surfaces in order to prevent the bread to stick to the pan.
Spread the batter in the loaf pan.
Bake about 45 minutes.
After taking out of the oven, let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes (honestly, I can never wait this long - cheese on warm bread is just divine :))

Bon appetit :)