Manuela Cardiga's Blog, page 28
November 23, 2015
YUMMY SUCCULENT CINNAMON CAKEINGREDIENTSFor the Cake2 cup...
YUMMY SUCCULENT CINNAMON CAKE
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
For the Cinnamon Sauce 1/2 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup water1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to about 180 º C/ 350ªF.
Grease and lightly flour a 25 cm cake tin (with the hole in the middle!).
Sift together the flour, the baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and the salt.
In a large bowl beat 2/3 cup of butter, 1 1/3 cups white sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for at least 1 minute after each egg. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Pour mix into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
While it cools, make the Cinnamon Sauce:In a saucepan, place 1/2 cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons, the butter, water, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Heat and stir until butter melts, the sugar dissolves and startes to thicken. You might also like to add a dash of Port or Brandy to the sauce...
Turn the cake out of the tin while it is still warm and poke holes around the top of the cake with a fork. Pour the warm cinnamon sauce into the holes and onto the top and sides of the cake.
Serve warm, with coffee or tea!
November 22, 2015
Showing kindness to those we care for is a selfish act, i...
Showing kindness to those we care for is a selfish act,
it is no more than kindness to our better selves.
MC
it is no more than kindness to our better selves.
MC
November 20, 2015
With abject apologies to WIlliam Butler Yeats
WHAT ROUGH BEAST
Tell me, kind kindred,
If you can, or if you will
What rough Beast
Did we invite
To our Feast?
What shadow flight of delight,
What ritual of doubt
Did we drown
Before Heaven's Throne?
What fell apart?
Was it our hope,
Or just the courage
Of our sickly heart?
Did we dry our
Tears with a sweet,
Sweet needle
Or a vial of pills?
Tell me, kind kindred,
What have we loosed
Upon the world?
What lazy dreamer
Invented these
Vapid toys
For men of war
Or murdering boys:
Exploding drones
Nanotech soldiers
And vampire-clones?
Even now
A gauntlet hand
Reaches to summonin
The sibilant
Scimitar of feathers.
Descending to spy
Screams in fright
And takes
Wild flight.
So the Old Gods
And the New
Eschew our table:
Odin is gone,
Ceres unable,
And even that God
That taught Cain
To hate Abel
Turns away
In disdain.
Tell me, kind kindred,
I beg you explain
What rough Beast
Did we invite
To slouch
On our couch
Guzzling our pain,
Devouring our heart?
Oh light us a candle
Or maybe a star
Cause this year
We are further
Much further
Than far.
That Rough Beast
Is closer, it's drawing near
Its ultimate intent
As yet unclear;
So do we fall into
Darkest night,
Or will you light us
A candle tonight?
Manuela Cardiga
Tell me, kind kindred,
If you can, or if you will
What rough Beast
Did we invite
To our Feast?
What shadow flight of delight,
What ritual of doubt
Did we drown
Before Heaven's Throne?
What fell apart?
Was it our hope,
Or just the courage
Of our sickly heart?
Did we dry our
Tears with a sweet,
Sweet needle
Or a vial of pills?
Tell me, kind kindred,
What have we loosed
Upon the world?
What lazy dreamer
Invented these
Vapid toys
For men of war
Or murdering boys:
Exploding drones
Nanotech soldiers
And vampire-clones?
Even now
A gauntlet hand
Reaches to summonin
The sibilant
Scimitar of feathers.
Descending to spy
Screams in fright
And takes
Wild flight.
So the Old Gods
And the New
Eschew our table:
Odin is gone,
Ceres unable,
And even that God
That taught Cain
To hate Abel
Turns away
In disdain.
Tell me, kind kindred,
I beg you explain
What rough Beast
Did we invite
To slouch
On our couch
Guzzling our pain,
Devouring our heart?
Oh light us a candle
Or maybe a star
Cause this year
We are further
Much further
Than far.
That Rough Beast
Is closer, it's drawing near
Its ultimate intent
As yet unclear;
So do we fall into
Darkest night,
Or will you light us
A candle tonight?
Manuela Cardiga
The difference between justice and revenge is so defined:...
The difference between justice and revenge is so defined: justice is dispensed in a civilised manner; vengeance brings you down to the same level of barbarism.
November 16, 2015
Theocracies breed atrocities like rats breed fleas.Anywhe...
Theocracies breed atrocities like rats breed fleas.
Anywhere the Rule of Clergy is set over the Law of Man, the authorities believe they have a Mandate from Heaven that frees them from guilt; and an automatic clause of forgiveness from all and any sin.
This is true of all religions, with the possible exception of Buddhism. This maybe because Buddhism sees salvation, or enlightenment as something to be achieved by the individual through meditation and meritorious deeds, not attributed in trade for worship by a Divine Agency.
Maria Manuela Cardiga
Anywhere the Rule of Clergy is set over the Law of Man, the authorities believe they have a Mandate from Heaven that frees them from guilt; and an automatic clause of forgiveness from all and any sin.
This is true of all religions, with the possible exception of Buddhism. This maybe because Buddhism sees salvation, or enlightenment as something to be achieved by the individual through meditation and meritorious deeds, not attributed in trade for worship by a Divine Agency.
Maria Manuela Cardiga
November 15, 2015
DARKEST NIGHT FALLS ON THE CITY OF LIGHTS
Everyone is commenting on Paris' dark night, offering comfort and I have no words.
Everyone of us who has lived through violence knows the numbing sense of unreality and violation; the destruction of confidence in ourselves, and in the safety we took for granted as our right.
There are no words, and no comfort to offer.
This is why there are moments of silence, to echo that frightening void that opens inside us at the loss of light.
A few years ago, the Basque Nation sent ETTA a clear message. They marched in the streets in their hundreds of thousands in absolute silence carrying placards that read "BASTA JA!"
ENOUGH!
We need to see the Islamic communities of Europe on the streets, marching in silence with the words they cannot speak held high: ENOUGH!
We need that so we can continue to believe that those other words the French gifted the world - liberté, égalité, fraternité - really do apply to every man, woman and child, of all nations, races and creeds.
We beg you, cry out ENOUGH! or we shall.
How sad.
It seems I did have words after all.
But none of them of comfort.
Manuela Cardiga
Everyone of us who has lived through violence knows the numbing sense of unreality and violation; the destruction of confidence in ourselves, and in the safety we took for granted as our right.
There are no words, and no comfort to offer.
This is why there are moments of silence, to echo that frightening void that opens inside us at the loss of light.
A few years ago, the Basque Nation sent ETTA a clear message. They marched in the streets in their hundreds of thousands in absolute silence carrying placards that read "BASTA JA!"
ENOUGH!
We need to see the Islamic communities of Europe on the streets, marching in silence with the words they cannot speak held high: ENOUGH!
We need that so we can continue to believe that those other words the French gifted the world - liberté, égalité, fraternité - really do apply to every man, woman and child, of all nations, races and creeds.
We beg you, cry out ENOUGH! or we shall.
How sad.
It seems I did have words after all.
But none of them of comfort.
Manuela Cardiga
November 12, 2015
BLIND SIGHT
I think the mythical oracles - and others depicted as afflicted with foresight - were blind not by accident or disease, but by their own hand in a desperate attempt to extinguish their visions.
From Conversations with Ivan Shapiro
From Conversations with Ivan Shapiro
SELF-AWARENESS AND PEPPER STEAK
IVAN: There is only one "us", one self
ME: That is not true at all. There are myriads spinning and blossoming, and the shine and the sparkles of others in the dark is what gives us hope
IVAN: So it appears, But its all the same "self"
ME: That would be sad, because then all the precious gift of love would be only selfish self-love after all.
IVAN: You right
ME: We are many. We long to be one only. That is what divides and unites. It is the tragedy and the comedy of life
IVAN: The whole thing is, we wanted to taste steak.
ME: Exactly! With pepper sauce.
IVAN: Yep! Even better.
ME: God wanted to be not-alone, you see.
IVAN: That's true, and so he made us lonely.
From Conversations with Ivan Shapiro
ME: That is not true at all. There are myriads spinning and blossoming, and the shine and the sparkles of others in the dark is what gives us hope
IVAN: So it appears, But its all the same "self"
ME: That would be sad, because then all the precious gift of love would be only selfish self-love after all.
IVAN: You right
ME: We are many. We long to be one only. That is what divides and unites. It is the tragedy and the comedy of life
IVAN: The whole thing is, we wanted to taste steak.
ME: Exactly! With pepper sauce.
IVAN: Yep! Even better.
ME: God wanted to be not-alone, you see.
IVAN: That's true, and so he made us lonely.
From Conversations with Ivan Shapiro
November 9, 2015
Today we start again, Free of past and stain:Nothing...
Today we start again, Free of past and stain:
Nothing, and no pain, Is foreordained.
Manuela Cardiga
Nothing, and no pain, Is foreordained.
Manuela Cardiga
November 4, 2015
And the difference between a "refugee" and an "illegal immigrant is...THE ENVELOPE PLEASE!
Everyday Southern European countries turns away boat-loads of starving, terrified people from war-torn North Africa, calling them "illegal immigrants". I'd like to know what is the difference between these people and the Syrians refugees?
Just asking.
MC
Just asking.
MC
