Tea Time with Meenakshi Kapoor

Hi everyone… I know I have not been consistent with my blog as I got sidetracked with a few projects in hand and pursuing my passion and learning in food photography. Please click here to see my work and to know more. I am back now with a new series called “Tea Time Series” where I will feature and introduce a creative whose work I follow and admire and I am super excited about this.

Kick starting the Tea Time series with Meenakshi Kapoor, a Mumbai based interior designer, who is the creative force behind the inspirational blog, called “Behind that House”, who took Instagram by storm with her mind blowing reels, beautiful posts and styling videos. I have been following her work for a long time and I have seen her grow consistently and taking up new challenges when it comes to home décor styling. Her Insta blog is truly a visual décor therapy.

The most striking aspect about her work is her unique, beautiful and elegant styling tips which always have a pop of gorgeous seasonal blooms and plants. Her easy to do DIYs and her simple tips on décor are another striking feature of her work, which gives wings to your imagination when it comes to home décor. She always aims to provide a fresh perspective to her audience when it comes to styling and DIY projects.

So grab a cup of tea and let’s get to know more about Meenakshi

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I studied Chemistry and computer networking and worked at The Taj for few years before I realized my inclination and fascination for furnishing fabrics and interiors. So after a long hiatus in my career while I raised two beautiful children and designed 4 different homes.... I joined DA designs as an interior designer and started blogging about my passion for styling and decor simultaneously

Where do you get inspiration to do up your home?
I find inspiration in the everyday, when I take a walk or when i travel. It could be a leaf a flower a pretty window a medieval arch or even a tiny coconut fallen from a tree or just about anything.

What's your favorite décor style?
I don’t have a favorite style. There’s always something to learn and explore about every style that is defined in books and there’s so much to experiment with and evolve from. I feel it’s an ongoing process and mixing styles along with adding unique pieces of art to create something new each time is what keeps me ticking.

What's your favorite décor element or accent in your home?
I love my plants the most as they always add life to any corner or space.

Do you have a favorite corner or space in your home? And why is it your favorite?
Yes, my balcony. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and switch off.

Do you have any tips or advice for décor lovers out there?
Don’t go overboard when you go shopping for furniture or decor. You will definitely be tempted to buy furniture from one store as it’s the most convenient thing to do but allow yourself to explore and play with different styles. Also with decor accents have fewer but unique pieces of accessories that speak to you. Creating vignettes is a great way to start styling corners of your home.

 Thank you so much for sharing your journey and tips with me and my readers! We look forward to more design and home décor styling tips from you!

Please click here if you wish to get in touch with her and follow her amazing work.

Stay tuned to the Tea Time Series!!! Stay safe!

The above pictures are copyrighted. Please do not reuse.

Easy Basbousa Recipe (Semolina Cake)

The Covid situation and the choas around left me so uninspired lately... Trying to be sane and making sure that we all stay afloat , not getting sucked into it is not easy... I hope everyone reading this is safe and taking good care and precautions. Let's all continue to move forward in hope that there will be better days ahead, so please find strength in the wait...

In the midst of this chaos allow me to distract you with a simple recipe for today.

Basbousa Cake is a well known middle eastern dessert made with semolina, flour, coconut, yogurt and nuts, soaked in a flavorful simple syrup. The coarse semolina flour gives the cake its signature sandy texture, it is super moist and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s a one bowl recipe and a great one to bake with your kids or family. I love recipes with coconut flavor and texture and this is one of my current favorite and I hope you get to try it out.

Ingredients

Semolina Cake

·      2 cups semolina

·      1 cup plain yogurt

·      1 cup granulated sugar

·      1/2 cup ghee, melted

·      1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

·      2 teaspoons baking powder

·      2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      3 tblsp flour

·      3 eggs

 

Simple Syrup:

·         1 1/4 cup sugar

·         1 1/4 cup water

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Toppings:

·         1/3 cup chopped nuts (sliced almonds or chopped pistachios or hazelnuts) I used Pistachios

 

Instructions

1.      Preheat the oven to 200C.

2.      Line a 10" cake plate with a baking paper circle cut to size and brush all the edges with a little melted ghee. You can even bake this in a brownie tin or rectangular baking tin.

3.      In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar till combined. Then add yogurt and whisk a bit. Then add to it ghee and continue to whisk and then add semolina, coconut and flour, salt and baking powder to the batter and fold it well with a spatula

4.      Mix until just combined. Do not over mix or your cake will be tough.

5.      Tap the cake pan gently on the table to ensure there are no cake bubbles present and everything is even.

6.      Bake on the centre rack of the oven for 15 minutes.

7.      Move the pan to the top rack and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is set and it is starting to turn golden brown.

8.      During the last 10-15 minutes, prepare the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water and in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.

9.      When the cake is done, remove from oven and Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake.

10.  Cover the pan with foil and allow it to sit for at least half hour to soak in the syrup. Once it’s soaked sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve.

Tip: You can flavor the simple syrup using either 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons orange blossom water or 2 teaspoons rose water, or 1/2 of a cinnamon stick or crushed cardamom.

Above pictures are copyrighted Tickled by Inspirations

Hot Cross Buns Recipe and Happy Easter

There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh homemade Hot Cross Buns wafting through your kitchen. Warm bread + fragrant spices = heaven! The best part is that they are easier to make than you think and taste heavenly. I hope you get to try this out! Its so therapeutic to bake these gorgeous buns! You can even try out without piping the cross on these buns and skip that step all together.

I know nothing much has changed since last Easter... its around the same time when Covid started and its been a year... and we are still fighting this pandemic... and we all should be grateful that we have come this far.

Easter reminds us that hope must never be lost for as dark as the road may seem, there always lies light at the end of it. I hope this Easter will fill your home with peace, faith and joy! Wishing you all a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Here is the recipe to make these hot cross buns:

INGREDIENTS

Buns

·         2 packets dry, instant or rapid rise yeast, 1/2-oz. or 14 grams (just over 1 tablespoon)

·         1 1/2 cups warm milk (375 ml)

·         3/4 cup superfine sugar (130 grams)

·         4 1/2 cups bread flour or plain/all purpose, (645 grams) PLUS up to 1/4 cup extra if needed

·         2 teaspoons  mixed spice

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup raisins, (5.4-oz. or 155 grams)

·         zest of an orange 2 tablespoons

·         1 large egg 

·         1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly (2.1-oz. or 60 grams)

To draw the Cross

·         1/2 cup all purpose or plain flour, (2.6-oz. or 75 grams)

·         5 tablespoons warm water

·         1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze

·         1 tbsp jam, (orange marmalade or apricot jam – I used orange)

·         2 teaspoons boiling water

 

Method

1.       Mix yeast, milk and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a small bowl to activate. Set aside until frothy on top, about 3-5 minutes.

2.       In a large bowl and combine flour, remaining sugar, all spice and salt. Give those dry ingredients a light whisk to combine, then add in the raisins and orange zest.

3.       Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients; pour in the yeast, cooled melted butter and egg.

4.       If you are using a standmixer, Mix until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes on low speed (setting 2). Add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing, ONLY if needed, until the dough JUST pulls away from sides of bowl (not too sticky). Or if you are using your hand to mix, knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

FIRST RISE

Lightly oil the same mixing bowl you worked with. Place dough inside bowl, cover with plastic cling wrap and place a dry tea towel over the top. Leave in a warm place to prove for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Shape into Buns

1.       Line a deep 9 x 13-inch (31cm x 23cm) baking tray with baking paper. You want a piece long enough to create a slight over-hang for easier lifting once baked. Set aside.

2.       Remove cling wrap and punch down dough with fist to deflate and knock the air out. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface.

3.       Knead dough for an additional minute or two to get remaining air out. Shape dough into a log and divide into 12 equal pieces (each piece should weigh about 4-oz. or 116-119 grams). Briefly roll each piece into a ball, evenly spacing them out on the tray as you go into rows of 3 x 4.

SECOND RISE

1.       Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.       Cover tray with plastic wrap; place dry tea towel over the top and leave in a warm place for an additional 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Pipe the Crosses

1. Mix flour and water to a thick-ish paste (like a thick pancake batter)
2. Grab a sandwich-sized ziplock bag. Snip corner to measure a 3mm hole (0.1-inch). Spoon paste into bag; carefully press the air out and SEAL the top. (Test hole is big enough by squeezing out some paste into a bowl first. If you can create a small straight line, you're ready to make your crosses. At this point you can add a little extra water to the paste ONLY IF needed).
3. Remove cling wrap and slowly pipe crosses onto buns. You want some paste to fall into and hug each roll/crevice so while they bake and rise up, the crosses don't break).

Bake

Place buns into preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until deep, golden brown on top.

Glaze

1.       Transfer buns to a wire cooling rack.

2.       Mix jam  and boiling water together in a small bowl. Brush buns over with glaze, then leave to cool. 

3.       Allow to cool to just warm to the touch before serving.

Image copyright Tickled by Inspirations

Biscoff Buttercream Frosting

If you are a true lover of Biscoff cookies then this is the frosting you should try for your cakes and cupcakes. This frosting is one of the easiest to whip up and it pipes beautifully and you only need 4 ingredients to make it. All you need to do is mix all the ingredients together until smooth, fluffy and creamy. Trust me you will want to put this frosting on everything….  Pancakes, toast and every baked treats. And do yourself a favour, get a large jar of Biscoff spread, in case you want to have it straight from the jar! It’s a jar of happiness. I can’t wait for you to try out this frosting. Enjoy!

This recipe yields 1 cup of frosting.

Ingredients

·         40g  unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

·         40g  icing sugar

·         125g Biscoff cookie spread

·         1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream

 

Method

 1.      In a bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and Biscoff spread together until fluffy and lightened in colour, about 1 minute.

2.      Add icing sugar into the butter and Biscoff mixture. Once the powdered sugar is mostly incorporated, mix with the mixer until smooth.

3.      Add the cream and mix until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Use immediately or store in the fridge (tightly covered with plastic wrap) until needed.

4.      Frosting will keep for about two weeks in the fridge, stored in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. Allow the chilled frosting to come to room temperature before you want to pipe and frost it on your cupcakes or cake.

Note:

You can double the measurement to get more than 1 cup frosting.

Images are copyrighted Tickled by Inspirations.

Recipe Time: Poached Pears Recipe

If you want to make a sophisticated dessert that looks amazing, has no calories, packed with tons of flavour and easy to make then you should try this out. Poached pears are one of my favourite where my kitchen and home smells of aromatic spices. A treat that every family loves. I hope you enjoy making this for your friends and family and enjoy the countdown to Christmas!

 More recipes coming up for you to try!

Ingredients:

Vanilla Bean 1 stick

Zest and juice from a lemon

125 gm granulated sugar or half cup honey

Dried Hibiscus Flowers 20gm (you can subsititue this with wine)

Cinnamon Stick 1

Bay leaf 1

Star Anise 1

Cloves 2

4 small pears, peeled with stalks left on

Method

Put the hibiscus flowers in a saucepan with 600ml of water, lemon zest and sugar or honey, along with all the spices and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup has a deep red colour. Strain the liquid through a sieve and add lemon juice.

Pour the hibiscus flavoured liquid into a large saucepan in which the pears can lie in a single layer. Bring the liquid to simmering point and cover with a lid. Cook the pears until they are tender. This could take between ten and twenty minutes depending on the ripeness of the pears. Check how well the pears are cooked by piercing the flesh with a sharp knife. Keep turning the pears while they are cooking to get an even colour.

Once the pears are cooked remove them from the pan with a spoon and lay them on a serving dish. Boil the cooking liquid until you have about 200ml left. Please check for sweetness and flavour adding a little more lemon juice or sugar if required. Leave to cool before serving the pears with the syrup.

Serve it on a bed of vanilla flavoured yogurt and crushed pistachio and serve.

Tip
If you have time leave the pears in the cooking syrup overnight for a deeper colour and flavour.

Aboves pictures are copyright Tickled by Inspirations 

Artist Of The Month - Raya Al Maskari

Raya Al Maskari, a quality management and auditor by profession is a prominent artist in Oman and I have been following her work for some time which is truly inspiring. Her drawings and sketches are so organic with absolutely no rules which makes it unique. Most of her portraits evoke emotions. She experiments a lot with deconstruction art and abstracts, mixing hand drawn and digital work. Her creative process is what attracted me the most. The other aspect of what drew me to her work is her fabulous humour sense and sarcasm through her doodles and cartoons. She subtly gives a beautiful message in each of her doodles through the different humorous scenarios.

Have a look at her fabulous work and let’s hear more from her about her inspiring art journey.

Tell us a bit about yourself

Raya Saleh Al Maskari, a visual artist and a graphic designer.  CEO founder of Omanspire, works as a media specialist, quality management and lead auditor.

How did your journey as an artist begin? Did you have any formal training or is it self taught?

I started working on my art since early childhood with support of my parents, and it grew as I grew older with consistent practice and learning continuously, grabbing every opportunity to polish my artistic skills. I took lessons and classes with number of academics and artists: Basics of drawing with Mrs Laila Al Elaqi a Tunisian artist and an art academic, I also took painting lessons with Mr Abdulhameed Al Zubeidi an Iraqi artist, currently taking classes in methods of creative imagination  and anatomy with Dr Nasaser Palangi Irani/ Australian  artist.

Participations:
⁃ Annual youth exhibition by the society of fine arts - Muscat 2010
⁃ Annual calligraphy exhibition - Muscat 2010
⁃ Art 100*100 - Bait Al Zubair - Muscat 2014
⁃ “Voices from within” art Exhibition 2015 - Muscat
⁃ Oman’s cultural night by Dubai’s cultural center 2016
⁃ Oman - Philippines national day tribute 2016
⁃ Colorful Novels art exhibition 2018

- Methods of creative imagination workshop by the National        museum & Dr Nasser Palangi 2019/2020

How would you describe your art style?

My artwork is a combination of various styles and techniques, which includes bilingual cartoons that reflects aspects of social and cultural life in a sarcastic humorous way. As well as different medium that combines digital and traditional materials that is mainly about figures, faces and emotions along with inspiration from Oman’s rich culture, mostly the contemporary side of it.

What's your inspiration for your art work?

Everything around me can be an inspiration, the colors of nature, plants, textures, memories of things around me, food! People also inspire me; I see a story behind every face.

What is the most challenging aspect about your work?

Recognition, especially by our local galleries as I got a better recognized abroad. Lack of materials, that’s another challenge that most of us face here, and even if some are barely available they come in unreasonable prices.

We also face endless challenges with clients who expect you to sell your artwork for cheap comparing it to the ones they find in furnishing stores, our intellectual rights as people take some of the artworks and remove your signature or make copies and resell it on products without the permission of the artist. The lack of appreciation and support throughout the media in general.

 What is your creative process like? And what keeps you motivated?

Well, creative minds don’t necessarily go in one route towards a creative process, it depends on the idea and the type of art you strive to create, along with the message you’re trying to deliver.

The challenges keep me motivated, every time I face a mishap I bounce back to come up with more. Resilience and the urge to make a difference are the driving forces towards my motivation.

 

Do you commission different projects? And how can people purchase your paintings?

Yes I do, though I usually sell the paintings I make, I rarely commission a painting or a portrait, people can contact me though my accounts on Facebook, twitter and instagram.

 

 What is your favorite art piece that you have done till date?

Oh that’s a tough question, it’s like asking who’s your favourite child. Every artwork has an experience of its own it’s a record of the perceptual message that I try to deliver visually, they are accumulative timeline of my progress in this field, and a chain that tells a story of my journey throughout my life.

 

 Any tips or words of wisdom to aspiring artists who want to pursue a similar career.

Before seeking for support, be worthy of it and it will come naturally towards you.

Your challenges are not obstacles. Never allow negativity to disable your creativity. Keep practising, and experimenting, in order to come up with something that’s purely and originally yours, its okay to copy in order to learn but it’s not okay to copy and be a copy of someone else.

You are a unique individual and that should be reflected in your work, don’t ever restrict yourself in a titled box of “art schools/ styles”, experiment and come up with your own. Artists are NOT meant to vanish between the crowds they are meant to outstand.

 If the local galleries rejected your work you can always go to social media platforms to showcase, exhibit and introduce your creativity not only to the local audience but also to the world. Opportunities are gems of life; grab them with everything you have.

 We all go through ups and downs in life but one should always remember that resilience is the key to growth. And if you don’t stand up for yourself no one is going to do that for you.

Thank you so much Raya for the powerful message you gave to the upcoming artists and for giving us a glimpse of your beautiful and inspiring us with your journey. If you wish to follow her for updates, please follow her on Instagram @rayaarts .