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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Revisiting a Chocolate Fondue Demonstration and High Tea at the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat

Just yesterday I came across this great little post on a site called 'Thought Catalogue'. It was aptly titled '15 things we should stop making a big deal about'. Something about it struck a deep chord and made me re-read it to understand the real essence of what was being said. I'm quoting two of the most meaningful lines here "Ordering dessert when you really want dessert. Or that you want to finish all of your dessert, or that you cleared your plate because you were hungry..Life should be a balance between things that are good for you, and things that you genuinely enjoy, and you shouldn’t feel the need to excuse yourself or make a light joke about being “bad.” Then this morning I went into the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton Hotel in Muscat for a Chocolate Fondue demonstration followed by High tea and these lines seemed perfect! Life really has to be a balance and I know I will always keep it that way.There will have to be a time to write, a time to click photographs, go out, spend quality time with family and do that little bit for people who need it. The Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat For all the ladies present, the highlight of the morning was the Chocolate Fondue demonstration set up by Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann and his two young assistants Kevin and Julia who took us through the short and sweet steps involved in making three kinds of chocolate fondue. Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann shows us the superb Ritz Carlton Chocolate cake which we then got to eat- It was in a word, superb! Kevin then started the demonstration by showing us these bags of fabulous chocolate ( of course, we all got to eat the chocolate). The three types of chocolate fondue that we were privileged to watch were the Manjari, Tanariva and the Dulcey chocolate fondues. Bags of the best quality chocolate used to make the chocolate fondue For those of you who are interested in trying it out, here is the highly acclaimed original Ritz Carlton recipe for the Manjari ( Dark) Chocolate Fondue Boil cream and glucose together. Pour over the dark chocolate . Start using a spatula to create an emulsion. Keep aside Vacuum into a bag and preserve in chiller for a week Ready to serve with these mouthwatering options The taste of the pudding is really in the eating! The fabulous High tea that followed Did that make us feel really happy? I'd say Yes. So would the fifty other ladies who joined us for the event.And before closing, I will share my favourite quote on chocolate by Dave Barry."My therapist told me the way to achieve inner happiness was to finish what I start. So today I have finished two bags of M and Ms and chocolate cake. I feel better already!" NB- Revisiting an older post and loved reliving the experience

Friday, April 22, 2016

A unique Double Rainbow on Earth Day




Standing at our balcony in Mashobra, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India ,we were witness to a spectacular double rainbow yesterday afternoon.

Lasting for over 20 minutes, it stayed right there in front of us as we stood there awestruck.
 The highlight of out day on Earth Day, its something that will stay with us forever

Here it is in all its glory

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Enchanting Himachal- Moods, Shades and Views-My video on You Tube



On a road trip to enchanting Himachal in the month of April we are discovering  some fabulous views, moods and shades.

The weather is unbeatable- a slight nip in the air in the morning and cold on some evenings. In fact,day before yesterday when the temperature was 24 C I remember saying it was rather warm. Hey Presto, it rained the very next day and how! The temperature dropped by about 8 degrees instantly and we are back to feeling 'normal'.

We are based at Gables, a beautiful colonial hotel in Mashobra which is a part of the Club Mahendra network and head out to a different location everyday.

Surrounded by beauty all around




Apple trees with beautiful white flowers and orchards all ready for the season which begins next month.
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Walking past these beautiful sights is absolutely delightful and one just cant get enough of the weather, sights and fragrance..



     Apple orchards getting ready for the season



And the trip has just begun....