Time doesn’t stop for anyone.

The sun rises every  morning and bids farewell in the evening. The weather changes (hot, hotter, hottest in Chennai), trees shed leaves, winter gets over and summer comes back. Children grow up to be adults and adults don’t stop growing with time.

Nothing stops.

Special days come in our lives making us extra happy that particular day. Birthdays come and leave us a year older.

My special day was spent in passport office and later in some grocery shopping. On our way back from all the shopping and stuff, the kid all of a sudden remembered and wished me. It was 4PM then. The man, who was behind the wheels, turned back and said,”hey, happy birthday” and continued driving.

Am I disappointed? A tiny bit, but not much. My man doesn’t remember my birthday or our wedding anniversary, but he has more love for me than I need. With him, everyday of my life is special. I am happy, and I am at peace with myself.

To add to all that, I am definitely going to make him pay for forgetting my birthday. So I am really at peace with myself.

Be happy, be loved, be peaceful and live a joyous life! Happy (belated) birthday to me :-).

Recipe Source: The Family Baking Book, by America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour (maida)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 100 gms butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup blueberries, mixed with 1-2 tbsp flour

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a cake pan or a muffin tin.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the yogurt, lemon zest and eggs together.
4. Fold the yogurt mix into the dry ingredients. Once done, add the melted butter and fold gently again.
5. Toss the blueberries in one or two tablespoons of flour separately. This prevents sinking of the berries to the bottom.
6. Fold the blueberries into the batter.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with very few moist crumbs attached.
8. Place the cake pan in a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. Flip over, take out the cake and let it cool completely in the wire rack before serving.

Notes:

• These are basic muffin recipes. The lemon-blueberry is added flavour. Omit these and add your own flavour combinations. The book suggested some great combinations like mocha-chocolate chips, diced banana and walnuts, cranberries and walnut. You can come up with your own or serve these simple and plain.
• If you are making muffins, then divide the batter evenly (1/3 cup) and bake in a muffin tray.