Annie Sloan Paint Workshop by Sununu Muscat

Learning a new skill always gives me an enormous amount of satisfaction. I have always loved doing my little DIY projects to keep my creative side alive but it’s been a while since I have actually sat and up cycled and revamped anything. Sununu Muscat was kind enough to offer me an introductory course in Painting your furniture or any surface using Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. These Chalk Paints are non-toxic and works beautifully on any surface without priming and sanding – And most importantly easy to use and quick to dry. In the Introductory Workshop I was shown how to achieve a two-color aged look, a one color- aged look, a crackle look using heat, a flat smooth finish and a washed finish.  And to create different effects and textures, I was taught different techniques on how to use the soft wax that is clear, dark, black, and white. I let my creative imagination take its course and lead me to learning this new skill. It was absolutely a fun workshop to remember. It’s important to complete this course before you sign up for other courses offered at Sununu. Some of the other workshops they offer are Complete Chair Makeover and upholstery basics, Basic Carpentry workshops, Pottery painting workshop, Fabric printing and lampshade making, and lots more. If you wish to join and know more about their workshops in Muscat, please write to workshops@sununumuscat.com

Meanwhile let me give you a small tour of their store that is so cozy … apologies for the quality of my pictures as they were taken on my phone J

My work!

Our group who participated

You can follow them on their social media pages – Click here on Instagram and here for updates on Facebook. For those living in Muscat do try out their workshops to reignite your creativity!

Home Tour: Residence of Gayatri Singh

Hello everyone! It’s my favorite segment for the day - Home tour time! Every home is different, with different stories to tell. And today’s home tour tells us a different story.

Gayatri Singh, a professional chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, has opened her doors for us for a tour of her cozy apartment in Singapore. She has deep passion for interiors apart from food and you can see it in every corner of her gorgeous space. Her home is filled with beautiful artifacts and beautiful vignettes. She has collected interesting curios and décor accents as she travels the world. I love the way how she has struck a balance between traditional elements and global décor. And so effortlessly she manages to tie so many elements together.

Let’s hear more from Gayatri and have a virtual tour of her beautiful space.

Where do you get your inspiration for your home décor?

My love for interior designing started when I moved to Tokyo where the home designs are minimalistic yet elegant. I got inspired by the elegant and delicate Japanese decor as well as the places I traveled. Over the past 10 years I have lived in Tokyo, Boston, Hong Kong and now I am residing in Singapore. My decor style reflects the journey through those 4 cities with heavy emphasis on local tastes. 

What is your favorite décor style?

My favorite decor style is a bit of a fusion of Asian Vintage and Colonial Indian decor.

Your favorite décor accent.

There are many favorite accents but the most favorite one is the wooden ladder I found in a junk shop in Tokyo and bell metal hanging lamp I bought in India. 

Any tip for our home décor lovers out there?

I am no expert but the only thing I can advise is, try to find your style, your choice and then design your home. Don't clutter. :)

Thank you Gayatri for sharing your space with us!

Gayatri is a food blogger and I personally love her recipes and her gorgeous pictures. Please click here to browse through her recipes and here to follow her on Instagram.

All Images are copyrighted

Tiramisu Cake - my happy cake!

I received an email from a reader few days back asking me what is the one cake I baked that has brought so much of joy! It is none other than Tiramisu cake. It brought joy baking it for a birthday boy and also while devouring it! This is one cake that goes no-fail with all coffee lovers out there. This will always be my all-time favorite cake because it is moist, has coffee, cocoa and a little bit of booze! But you can always skip the alcohol and it will still taste heavenly. This is my happy cake and I hope you get to try baking this! It is definitely going to make you happy and laugh loud!

Here is the recipe

Adapted from here

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

·         Eggs 6

·         Sugar ¾ cup

·         Vanilla 1 tsp.

·         Plain Flour 1 ¼ cup

·         Corn starch 1 tsp.

Cream Filling:

·         Heavy Whipping cream 1 cup

·         Mascarpone cheese 16oz.

·         Powdered sugar 5 tbsp. or more as per your taste to sweetness

·         Kahlua 2 tbsp. (optional)

Soak:

·         Coffee 1 cup ( 1 or 2 tsp. instant coffee powder mixed with water)

·         Kahlua 3 tbsp. (optional)

Method

1.      Beat 6 eggs until foamy. Then slowly add the sugar and vanilla while beating the egg mixture.

2.      Now to add the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and cornstarch and fold it into the beaten eggs  using a whisk.

3.      Prepare 2 round baking pans (10 inches in diameter) with parchment paper and grease it with butter. Pour the batter evenly between the two pans.

4.      Bake in a preheated oven at 176 degrees Celsius for 28-30 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

5.       For cream filling: Whip heavy cream in a bowl until stiff peaks are formed. Refrigerate this bowl of whipped cream.  In a separate bowl beat the mascarpone cheese until smooth and add the powdered sugar and beat well till its smooth. Fold the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no white streaks remain. If this mixture is a bit runny refrigerate it till its set.

6.       In a small bowl mix together the coffee and Kahula.

7.       Slice each cake in half so you are left with 4 thin slices.

8.       Soak each layer of cake with the coffee mixture. Drizzle with a spoon. Make sure you don’t over soak it.

9.      Start layering the cake in this order: a layer of soaked cake, cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle cocoa powder. Repeat this layering until the last layer of cream. Decorate the sides and top of the cake with extra cocoa powder or cream.

Tips:

• If you don’t have time to bake a sponge cake, buy from a store and just concentrate in making the cream filling and coffee mixture. ;)
• While beating the egg mixture with sugar for the cake please make sure it’s very airy and fluffy.
• You can bake the cake one day in advance and layer it the next day.
• Instead of Kahula you can brandy or any other alcohol of your choice.
• If you have extra frosting, believe me you will find ways to finish it. ;)

All images are copyright Tickled by Inspirations

Warm Chickpeas and Broccoli Salad

I have been on a hunt for easy salad recipes that are power packed in protein and I am glad I came across this awesome Chickpeas salad recipe that is super quick to make and full of proteins. Gayatri from Culinary Nirvana is a food blogger that I follow and she has these amazing recipes that are simple to follow and full of flavor. Gayatri is a professional chef trained who is focused on healthy living, culture and good food. So here is the recipe and I hope you will enjoy making it! Stay healthy!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Onion chopped – 1

Garlic clove chopped - 1

Red Chillie flakes – 1 tsp. (or more as per your preference)

Black pepper powder – 1 tsp.

Salt to taste

Broccoli florets steamed – 1 cup

Olive Oil – 1 tsp.

Lemon juice – 1 tsp.

Canned Chickpeas – 1 can (drained and washed… I used the fresh and cooked chickpeas )

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:

• Heat pan and add olive oil. Sauté the chopped garlic till golden. Then add chopped onion and sauté till transparent.

• Add chillie flakes and pepper and chickpeas. Stir and toss it well.

• Add lemon juice and toss.

• Lastly add the broccoli, sprinkle salt and toss well.

• Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve it warm.

Tips:

Add feta cheese for variation

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds if you like.

Instead of red chillie flakes you can use finely chopped red chillies.

Click here to follow Gayatri and stay tuned to hear more from Gayatri soon! There is another inspiring post coming up soon!

Above images are copyrighted Tickled by Inspirations

Home Tour - Residence of Vaidehi from California

Today’s home tour screams minimalism. Vaidehi based in California lives in this cozy apartment where there is plenty of natural light streaming in through their large windows. Her home has an underlying current of monochrome style with a stroke of ethnic décor and beautiful pop of colours. She has layered her home with beautiful rugs, textiles and home décor. Her love for traditional and ethnic accessories can be seen in her décor style. Have a look at her beautiful apartment and let’s hear more from her.

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I am a Software Engineer, and ended up in Silicon Valley pursuing a dream to be a part of software advancement surrounded with Apple, Google, Facebook and so many more headquarters. During my masters, it was first time I was miles away from home, so friends became family. That's when I found my partner. We decided to start a life together and got engaged in March17. It only made sense for us to share a home (instead of waiting another year until marriage) considering sky high living costs in California. That's when this apartment happened. We moved here in June and it's hard to believe it's just been over three months. 

Where do you get inspiration to do up your home?

I mainly look up Instagram, pinterest and blogs for inspirations. Some of my favorite houses on insta are @pinkzpassion, @shweta_hm @lifeacrossthesevenseas @thedecomania. I love going through home tours on blogs and youtube. Kate la vie’s house is a dream on pinterest. I also like watching Mr. Kate’s room transformations on youtube. 

What's your favorite décor style?

Oddly I am a confused animal when it comes to décor style. I like ethnic, boho, modern, mid-century, vintage, eclectic. Basically I like everything and anything that is appealing to my eyes. However, I find the houses curated with artifacts from all over the world and fusion of different traditions so much more interesting. @mogradesigns by Sandeep Inamke is one such example. And I am also drawn towards ethnic décor that involves brass and Indian textiles.

What is your favorite part of your home?

The day-bed by the window in our living area has to be our favorite. It is actually a two old student twin beds (mine and my finance’s) stack one over the other. It is my favorite unwinding spot.

Any tips or advice on decorating a house?

I am definitely not a pro in this area, although I have learnt a few small things setting up my house. I have learnt that you don’t have to spend a fortune on décor. Keep it minimal, kept it clean and organized with a touch of greenery always look beautiful. We are in a rental, and I have always seen people being afraid to do much in rentals. However, there are so many ways to decorate without harming any agreement, so there is absolutely no reason to hold back. Another thing is don’t forget to consider likes and interests of people you will be sharing your space with. And lastly, pinterest is a very helpful tool to create targeted ideas and mood-boards.

Thank you Vaidehi for sharing your décor inspiration and your beautiful space with me and my readers!

All Images are via Vaidehi