My Sweet 16 Birthday that Never happened

When I was in high school and about to turn 16, I have heard about the sweet 16’s birthday parties and the fun those people had, and planned their birthdays that it was perfect, the people who had gone to those parties, the decorations, the planning all kicked off perfectly.

Even though I did not have friends back in the day, and those who I thought were somehow, I decided to throw a sweet 16 birthday party for me. As I had invited 20 people from my school. So now when it came toward the last couple of days to my birthday, I assured people to ask if they are going to be attending my birthday and they said yes we will be there. I got so excited. I remember it was April 28, 2001, on a Saturday and Monday is my real birthday on the 30th, and decided to have it 2 days early because of School on the right day.

As I had begun decorating, and had ordered the cake and the food, as well has putting some games so people can play. As the time was nearing for people to come, I got so excited that I stood by the door to wait for them to come, my anticipation was growing deeper. As I looked at the time again and it was 2pm where the time said on the invitations, I look at the clock and it said 2:15. I said ok its ok, they are running late. Then one person came around 2:30, I welcome her into the house and she decided to wait with me. then it became almost 4pm, and it was just her and I was devastated, humiliated, embarrassed, and crying so much.

That one girl who came to my party wiped my tears away and said it will be ok. Don’t worry, I am here. lets enjoy together. Who cares about the rest that stood you up? I said yeah you are right. So we enjoyed the food, and desert and cake and watched a couple of movies until it was time for her to go home. She hugged me and said, Talin, do not worry about anybody else, they are cowards. God is watching them. Then she left as her mom came and picked her up. My heart shattered to pieces. It was a feeling that I never wish on anybody else.

After her leaving, I let out a huge cry. I said, I cannot believe this happened to me and my mom comforted me and told me, don’t worry God will punish them. So Monday came and I was still crying and devastated. I did not enjoy my real 16th birthday, but I did go out to dinner with my family, which made everything better. I actually skipped school for a couple of days and just stood home. I just didn’t feel like seeing anybody. Then I decided to go to school on the Wednesday, and none of them said I am sorry and did not bother to give me an explanation as to why they did that. All the planning, food and everything went to waste, however we kept the food and ate it throughout the week.

From then on, I didn’t care about interacting with anybody and I just went about and studied, did my homework, attended all my classes, and then once school was finished, I’d never waste another second and just go home. I was so disgusted. That one girl changed schools the year after because her family had moved somewhere further, and that really made me even cry more. She was the only one who really cared. It was so nice of her. I still have the give she gave me 14-15 years later.

As I reached another milestone this year. At the end of April on the 30th of 2015, I will be celebrating my champagne birthday turning 30 on 30 and it is coming up so quickly. As I almost say Goodbye to my 20’s, I am truly hoping that I can have a sweet 30th birthday that will make up for the sweet 16th birthday I never had. I know it is not good to expect it, but when you’ve never had a birthday party reaching a milestone, it makes you wonder how and what might have been. I just want to have a great time with my lovely and beautiful loved ones I have in my life which really matter to me more than anything else.

Have you experienced a disappointing turnout at a party or function you have had? I am sure you felt humiliated and distraught. Have you had a similar situation where people didn’t bother to show up and not telling you why and not having the common decency to call and explain? If you have, I am so sorry to hear that. I know exactly how you feel. It is not a good feeling at all.

Hopefully nobody has to go through what I went through. Best wishes to you and may your dreams come true, because everyday is our birthday and celebrate it by the gift of breathing and living through another day. We are blessed and that is what matters the most.

Sushi Lovers — This is For You

In the many years I have heard about sushi, the maki rolls and Japanese style cuisine, I told myself that I will never try sushi ever in my life and I will stay away from it because I am thinking about all the raw fish and everything and how I do not like things raw, but then this summer my great friend and sister said Hey Talin, let’s go to an all you can eat Sushi place, and so I decided, you know what? Why not, so I went and I had the Sushi and I fell in love with it. Now I am so addicted to all that, the Miso Soup, The California, Avocado Rolls, Dragon Rolls, Volcano, there are so many names for them. I tried the Salmon, Tempura, noodles, seaweed green salad, and so much more. I always said that I won’t try it, but now I can’t get enough of sushi. Its healthy and good for you and its so tasty and when you put it in the soya sauce, its extra tasty.  I have become a sushi expert now. Been to that restaurant like 5 or 6 times since summertime. Once you get hooked, you will want to go all the time.

My first Sushi experience, my great friend showed me the ins and outs on what to order, the best things on the menu and choosing and selecting different types of sushi’s and rolls for me to try. The first time i went I went with the simple ones, then. They bring you tea when you get into the restaurant, they put soya sauce and this green very spicy hot dip where you mix it with your soya sauce to make it have a kick to it, they bring you a little bit of a salmon too. The second time when we went to sushi, I had the more advanced type of sushi and I loved it all. It was so yummy and it depends on how they are made. You can’t eat sushi everywhere.

I always like to try new things and I am very happy and excited that my great friend introduced me to it. I want to try to make sushi myself so that when I entertain at home, we can have a sushi night all prepared by me. I might take a course or learn to do it from online. Maybe I can become a sushi chef later on in future, but now I will just stick to the all you can eat Sushi place I go to. When we went to all you can eat, you could eat as much dessert you want like mango or mousse cake, green tea ice cream or different varieties of them, and as well as you have a selection of soft drinks to choose from as well. There was just a place mat style menu and anything on there you can eat as much as you want.

If you order too much and you leave sushi, maki rolls or something on the plate and do not eat them, depending on the place, they charge you if you leave them. They try not to waste any food.

Now, you can’t try sushi from anywhere. Do not buy the ones in the sushi boxes you see at the malls or whatever. When you go to a sushi restaurant, observe that there is no fish smells, and make sure they bring it fresh to you. Not in a box because you never know how long the ones in the box sits for. always be cautious and mindful of where you buy it.

Do you like sushi? How was your first experience? Let the sushi lovers unite. Bon Apetit!

Talin’s Famous Lemon with Lemon Zest Cake

Recently I decided to try something new for myself when I was preparing cake one time to take to a relatives house. So I decided to come up with a whole new different type of cake that involves Lemons. I am a huge fan of Lemons and It is such a good source of Vitamins and it helps the immune system. The Lemon cakes major flavour is definitely the Lemon and it has to have the Sweet/Sour Lemony taste to it. Now here is my famous recipe.

Ingredients Required:

2 Juicy big or Large fresh Lemons – If you like the extra Lemon taste add one more if you life.

Sugar

Flour

Baking Powder

6 Eggs

Milk

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract or Vanilla

Preparing the Lemon:

Now before squeezing the lemon I suggest you wash the lemons really well because were going to be using the Yellow skin to zest it.

Before squeezing the Lemons, take a zester and put the lemon skin that is ZESTED in a separate bowl. Zest until you see the white core of the Lemons, but make sure its not so so delicate to squeeze.

Now in a Lemon squeezer, make sure all the liquid juices are out of the Lemon. becareful for the seeds that they dont go into the juice.

Now put the Zest with the Lemon juice for about 5-10 minutes until soaked together until you start with the Cake batter preparations..

Preparing the Cake Batter:

Crack open 6 large eggs into the cake making bowl – for best results use the machine.

Start the machine and make sure the eggs are fully beaten and make sure it starts to turn into a light creamy yellowing colour.

Add the LEMONS/LEMON ZEST

Then put the teaspoon of Vanilla

After put 1 to 2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of Milk

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Baking powder

2 cups of Flour — check consistency. If its way too watery put about half a cup more of flour if it’s a little denser just leave it be.

Dont stop the machine until everything is mixed well together –

——————–

To prepare the Cake Baking Pan…

Make sure the Cake baking pan is deep.

Spray the pan with OLIVE OR CANOLA OIL with the cooking spray and make sure you have it all covered….

Add the Cake batter to the PAN Let the cake batter settle until your OVEN heats up

————————

Pre-heat your oven to 350

When your oven is pre-heated, put the Lemon Zest Cake in.

It should be done in an hour or so Depends on the strength of your oven. — Now to know its been done, just stick a tooth pick inside. If it comes out clear, its done, if it sticks to the toothpick it still needs to be done. Make sure its Gold Brown on top.

————-

Now before taking the cake out of the pan, let it cool off then put it onto a dessert plate. There you have it!

ENJOY!

Had A Great Birthday Yesterday – Thank You For The Wishes

for 28 years now on April 30th, I celebrate my birthday. I am so happy and glad for all my birthdays and I am ever so grateful to God for giving me this life and I thank my parents for bringing me into this world and to experience everything I have experienced in my life, with traveling to many places, for giving me everything, a roof over my head, a nice warm bed to sleep in, food to eat and so much more. I am so thankful for everything as I look around the world and people do not even have running water to drink and bathe from. I am so fortunate and I have learned not to take anything from granted in my life.

There were times where some of my birthdays did not go as well as I had hoped for. Once in high school when I turned 16 years old, I had invited about 30 people to come over to my house for my sweet 16 birthday party and it was one of the most embarrassing yet humiliating things in my life where only one person showed up out of all the others. I was thinking they were my friends and everything but they really weren’t. I was devastated that I could not have a sweet 16 party, and also I never knew what it felt like to have a surprise birthday party or even had a big party to celebrate me and my day. I never knew what that feeling was like. I didn’t even know the feeling of when I turned 20, 21 years old where I would have a great party, but I did go to Montreal for my birthdays quite a lot in my early 20’s and to get away from things and to enjoy a dance club here and there with my friends in Montreal. The only parties I have ever had was when I was a kid where a lot of my family came over to celebrate and that is about it. To me The gifts weren’t important, but being with my family and couple of friends is what I want.

I know parties should not matter and everything, but in my case it does. In my early adult life and as an adult now, I want to be able to know what it feels like to have a party. I know that I can create my own party and have people over and stuff and go out but I just get those bad memories again when I was 16 years old. I really never had a lot of friends to begin with and I invited all those people and never showed up except for one. I was crushed and cried for days. I just want to know what it feels like to have a party and its all about me and having people around me that has come to celebrate me. I am hoping that will happen soon. I sometimes feel so isolated and they are feelings that I never want to get back. Nowadays everything is great. My beautiful friends took me out for my birthday over the weekend and surprised me with a cake which was so sweet of them. I will never forget that.

What have you experienced in the past about your birthday? Did you have a birthday that was a blast or not such a blast?

Anyways, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and fans for all the birthday wishes, the phone calls, text messages, e-mails, facebook messages, the birthday cards, the birthday e-greetings, virtual cakes, flowers and everything. I really appreciate it so much from the bottom of my heart. I love you all!

Armenian Pizza — Laghmajoun – MesaShod – Armenian Style

Hello All, this is my last Delicious week recipe.

 

Armenian Pizza 🙂

 

Enjoy the recipe

 

Printed from THEGUTSYGOURMET.NET

INGREDIENTS: Makes 10-12

 

Dough:**See Note

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• ½ tsp sugar

• ½ cup lukewarm water

• 3 cups all purpose white flour

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

** NOTE: You can use medium sized fluffy flour tortillas and skip the dough making. Be sure when

you bake the lahmajoon/lahmacun, that you oil the baking sheet when you bake them.

 

Topping:

• olive oil for the brushing the dough before the topping

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 large onion, grated

• 1 tomato skinned and chopped – put tomato in a deep bowl and cover with boiling water for 2

minutes, remove and peel. Leave seeds and juice with the tomato, do not discard.

• salt to taste

• 1 – 2 teaspoons sugar

• 12-16 oz ground lamb – can use 85% fat ground beef.

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 large lemon, juice of

• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced

• 1 pickled Jalapeno pepper finely chopped

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1 cup fresh spearmint, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. paprika

 

MAKING THE DOUGH:

** NOTE: You can use medium sized fluffy flour tortillas and skip the doughmaking. Be sure when you bake the lahmajoon/lahmacun,

that you oil the baking sheet when you bake them.

 

In a small bowl mix yeast and the sugar. Add 1/2 cup of warm water, stir well, cover the bowl. Keep the mixture in a warm place

for about 15 minutes to full activate the yeast.

 

Add the yeast mixture to the remaining flour and water. Knead well until the dough is soft and smooth.

 

Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let sit in a warm area of your kitchen for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled

in size.

 

Take the dough out and punch down. Divide the dough into 10-12 balls just slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Roll and set aside

on a floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Set the oven at 450º F.

 

MAKING THE TOPPING:

Add the onion, garlic and butter to a skillet and sautè until translucent. Take off the stove and let cool.

 

Take all your prepared vegetables and place them all in a large bowl. If you have a food processor, this would be the time to

give all the vegetables a few pulses to get them all into a fine spreadable size. DO NOT PROCESS TO AN UNIDENTIFIABLE MUSH!

 

Add pepper flakes, salt, sugar, paprika, cumin and lemon juice into a large bowl with the other ingredients and mix well by hand

until you have well mixed, spreadable topping.

 

Take balls of dough and roll into a round, circle or an oval measuring up to 1/16 to 1/8 inches in thickness. Place on a baking

sheet that has been oiled with olive oil, canola oil or cooking spray. Brush each round with olive oil (Extra Virgin is best). Top

with 2-3 tablespoons of the topping and spread the topping very thinly. Make sure you have an even layer.

 

Each baking sheet will hold two lahmajoon/lahmacun. You should have 3 or 4 baking sheets to keep things moving. Keep your

eye on the sheets in the oven to make sure they bake evenly. You may have to move things around the oven.The oven should

remain at 450°F – not too high and not too low. Since you are going to be constantly opening the oven, the temperature ideally

will stay between 400º F and 350ºF. Cooked Lahmajoon/Lahmacuns are crispy at the edges and pliable in the center. You can

stack your finished lahmajoon/lahmacun topping side to topping side and bottom to bottom. Cover them with a damp towel to

keep them from getting too brittle.

 

You are now ready to fill them with fresh parsley, cucumber slices, sweet onion slices or other fresh veggies and a drizzle of

lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, roll them up and enjoy these Anatolian delights.

Armenian Cheese Boreg

Hi Everyone,Tomorrow will be the last of my Middle Eastern Armenian Recipes week, then I will resume to the regular blogging. Enjoy the last 2 recipes of today and tomorrow.

A phyllo dough turnover filled with cheese and parsley and baked to a golden brown. Similar to the Greek Spanakopita, but a bit more cheesy and lighter in texture. They can be served hot or at room temperature Like many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes, the phyllo dough co-stars with the feta cheese to make this a spectacular snack. The packaged phyllo dough available today makes recipes like this a cinch, compared to the exhausting and time consuming drudgery of rolling out sheets and sheets of tissue paper-thin phyllo dough.

RECIPE PRINTED FROM: THEGUTSYGOURMET.NET©

INGREDIENTS: Makes 2 dozen

●   ½ pound, or more,  butter melted,  or better yet Clarified Butter.

●   Purchase 1 box phyllo dough at your supermarket (Athens or Apollo brands are the best).  You will
     need the whole box.

FILLING: 
●  1½ lbs. Jack cheese,  or ricotta,  or Armenian or Greek (Feta) cheese. Mix or take your choice.  Feta is
    the most authentic.  I like to mix feta and jack cheese ½ and ½.
●  1 cup chopped Armenian or Italian parsley,  Flat leafed.
●  2 eggs [beaten well]
●  ½ teaspoon salt
●  ½ teaspoon white pepper
●  Mix the above ingredients for the filling

DIRECTIONS: 

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Cut your phyllo dough sheets into 4 inch wide strips and the length of the longest dimension of the
    sheet of phyllo.

3. Brush a strip with butter and place another strip on top of that strip.  Butter that strip and add
    another until you have stacked 4 buttered strips.  

4. Place a tablespoon(s) of filling on the end of the strip and fold over the end into a triangle.  Now as
    you would fold a flag,  fold the filling and strip into a successions of triangular folds until you reach
    the end.  Brush butter on both sides and place on a baking sheet.  Do this until all the phyllo or the
    filling is used up.  Should come out pretty close to even and approximately two dozen triangular
    turn-overs..**SEE COOK'S NOTES**

5. Bake the cheese boreg triangles in a 400°F oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until they are
    golden brown.

6. As soon as they are cool enough to handle,  serve as an appetizer or a side dish

**COOK'S NOTES** 
1.  If you only need a dozen, you can now put a tray full in the freezer and freeze.  When frozen,  you
     can store them in your freezer in plastic zip-lock® bags and bake them,  without thawing,  at a later
     date.

Almond Baklava with Rosé Water

Almond Baklava With Rose Water..

Ingredients.

• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 2×1/2-inch strips orange peel
• 2 teaspoons rose water*

 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

 

• 15 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed

 

• Plain yogurt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124#ixzz2EtJPpX00

Stir 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, honey, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in rose water. Chill until cold.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with some of melted butter. Mix almonds, ground cinnamon, allspice, and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl.

Fold 1 sheet of phyllo in half to form 12×9-inch rectangle. Place folded sheet in prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each folded sheet with butter. Sprinkle half of nut mixture over. Top with 1 folded pastry sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over. Repeat with 5 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Using sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across phyllo, cutting through top layers only and spacing cuts evenly. Repeat in opposite direction to form diamond pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Strain rose syrup. Spoon 1 cup syrup over hot baklava; cover and chill remaining syrup. Recut baklava along lines all the way through layers. Let stand 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Serve baklava with yogurt and remaining syrup.

* Available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124#ixzz2EtJk10Dn

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Baklava-with-Rose-Water-106124?id=106124

Recipe Credits found from website above.

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Recipe Credits and Website go to

http://www.dishesfrommykitchen.com/2012/04/armenian-challenge-daring-bakers-april.html

Ingredients For The Armenian Nutmeg Cake:

Milk – 1 cup

Baking soda – 1 tsp

All-purpose – 2 cups

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Brown sugar, firmly packed – 2 cups

Butter – 3/4 cup (preferably unsalted, cubed)

Walnut pieces -1/2 cup you may need a little more

Ground nutmeg – 1 to 1 1/2 tsp (5 to 7 ½ ml) (5 to 8 gm) (try to grate it fresh yourself; the aroma is enchanting)

Egg – 1

 Method:

1. Preheat your oven to moderate 350°F/175°C/gas mark 4.

2. Mix the baking soda (not baking powder; that’s for the next step) into the milk. Set it aside.

3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a large bowl. One sift is fine

4. Add the brown sugar. Go ahead and mix the flour and brown sugar together.

5. Toss in the cubed butter.

6. Mash the butter with a fork into the dry ingredients (you can also use your fingers if you want). You’ll want to achieve a more-or-less uniform, tan-colored crumbly mixture.

7. Take HALF of this resulting crumbly mixture into your spring form (9”/23cm) pan. Press a crust out of it using your fingers and knuckles. It will be easy.

8. Crack an egg into a mixer or bowl.

9. Toss the nutmeg in with the egg.

10. Start mixing slowly with a whisk attachment and then increase to medium speed, or mix with a hand whisk if you’re doing it manually. Once it’s mixed well and frothy (about 1 minute using a standing mixer, or about 2-3 minutes of vigorous beating with a whisk), pour in the milk and baking soda mixture. Continue to mix until uniform.

11. Pour in the rest of the crumbly mixture. Mix that well, with either a paddle attachment, or a spatula. Or continue to use the whisk; it won’t make much of a difference, since the resulting batter is very liquidy.

12. Pour the batter over the base in the spring form pan.

13. Gently sprinkle the walnut pieces over the batter.

14. Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 30-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is a golden brown, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

15. Allow to cool in the pan, and then release. Enjoy!

Talin’s Specialty Cinnamon Cake

One of my favourite things is to bake and to cook. I LOVE Making cakes. I am here to tell you about a basic cake you can make and its so simple. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare everything. Here it is. for something so simple, easy and fast.

Ingredients

2 Table spoons of Cinnamon

1 table spoon of vanilla extract

1 to 2 table spoon of baking powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

half cup of canola oil

1 cup of Milk….

6 Eggs.

How to prepare:

First you beat the eggs in the stand mixer, then you put in all the liquid ingredients, and beat them very well, then put in the dry ingredients. beat them very well together…

then you grease the pan with the cooking spray and then preheat the oven to bake mode to 350 c, then you put the cake batter into the pan, then you put it into the oven once its preheated.

Baking time takes about an hour to an hour and 10-15 minutes…