This Time... Last Year

Almost the same time last year, my 11-month nephew had just left, leaving behind a lot of beautiful memories and dozens of baby food containers. Being my thrifty self, I had asked my SIL not to throw those cute Gerber plastic containers. We just washed and kept them aside. I simply wanted to retain the containers with absolutely no idea as to what to do with them. Nothing's new about it, I do this all the time!

A couple of days after my in-laws had left, I pulled out all the plastic containers that I had been collecting - yogurt containers, strawberry trays, cake boxes, baby food containers and a few more plastic boxes, all in varied shapes and sizes.

Here is what I pulled out from a dark deserted shelf in the kitchen.

The plastic containers that would have otherwise gone to the recycle bin, were re-used as planters.

I could not resist adding some designs to the shiny white ones. Grabbed the permanent marker and art-ified some yogurt and Gerber containers

Gerber before and after

Both complete

Yogurt??

While there was not much to do in the Gerber containers except to cover the manufacturing details with the design, the yogurt ones did need some patience. The print on it was scrapped off using a paper knife, to get the plain white surface. The knife however, does leave behind a not-so-smooth surface. Nail paint remover can be another option or just spray-paint the entire thing in desired color!

Another addition to Project: Trash to Life!! More can be found here, here, here and here.

P.S.- Please let me know if the new look is confusing and unfriendly for you as readers. Thanks!

Linked at Weekend Wrap Up Party, The Weekly Story, Make it Monday, More the Merrier Monday, Mad Skills Party, Wow me Wednesday and

Cake Debacle

Cakes and I have a Love-Hate relationship! I love cakes. Cakes hate me. Chocolate-vanilla-coffee-raindow-or-no flavor... With eggs-eggless.... Microwave-traditional oven... I have tried it all and failed!

What's funny is my enthusiasm and confidence with which I start baking each time. What's funnier is the end result... Chewy, hard, crisp, burnt, undercooked - I have had it all. The only times, they turn out to be edible are when somebody else is involved in the process. If I am on my own... *boooom*!

Years back, when I was not very well aware of this 'special bond' between cake and me, I invited a friend over to taste the cake that I was about to bake. Two excited teenagers we were- the host and the guest! The poor guy had to wait because THE cake was not quite ready when it first stepped out of the oven. Undercooked - that can be corrected, right! Just a matter of few more minutes. My friend, being my friend, shared my zeal and waited patiently for the second appearance of the cake and his share. The cake was finally set on the table, the knife was ready, 3 eager teens (including my sister) stood near the table, the cake looked good and it was finally the time to cut it. The knife touched the cake but... It never got through! The cake was not a cake but biscuit, only that it did not taste like the latter either!!

The same happened over this weekend. Some spoons of flour, sugar, oil, milk and blah-blah went down the drain. 

The only successful attempt till date remains the one that I baked on Sanket's birthday. Thanks to the Duncan Hines cake mix ;)

Isn't it a decent looking cake? So, for now I have decided to stick to the decorating part of it and leave baking to the experts. ( I am saying this but I know, the 'bake-a-cake' itch can never go away... LOL. Why Lord, why... why do I have to waste stuff in my pantry like this!). Talking about good looking cakes, there are so many on Pinterest that I could not resist dedicating a board for the creamy beauties. Sharing some. For more, please click here.

From Divacratus

From  1.bp.blogspot.com

From Click-Photography

From Cake Wrecks

From Lisa Hubbard

From My Sweet and Saucy

From Wedding Chicks

From No Ordinary Cake

From Cake Central

And before I leave, I'd like to share the link to the recipe I tried - Eggless Chocolate Cake in a Cup! Please don't go by my experience. Check it out for youself, here. 

Happy Baking to all you successful bakers out there. Got tips? Please do share. I am in need!