Quote: Care for some fun?

Keep enjoying your weekend..!! And have some great fun!!

Cheers

Ritika

White Pants for Labor Day

Ah, Labor Day. The unofficial mark of the end of summer, though not for me, I being in Phoenix may enjoy summer for 2 more months {sad face}…

I know it's a little late, but let's talk something about not wearing white post Labor Day -

In many parts of the United States, a rule about not wearing white after Labor Day, which takes place on the first Monday in September, is heavily ingrained. The roots of the idea that people should not wear white after Labor Day appear to be shrouded in mystery, and the rule has been greatly relaxed since the 1950s and 1960s, when it was more heavily enforced. People who choose to wear white after Labor Day are no longer heavily criticized for the choice, and are sometimes embraced as fashion forward trendsetters.

There are several theories about the rule which governs people who wear white after Labor Day. A fashion design student shared the history of this unusual tradition which was told by one of the professors in the college.

Before heaters were invented, people shoveled coal to heat buildings. It was traditional for men to wear white or light colored suits. The soot from the coal would get all over them and stain their nice clothes. So they changed their wardrobe around Labor Day, when the weather typically starts to get cool. This practice turned into tradition, into rule, into the faux pas, into where it is now.

The rules are more relaxed today, but depending on where you live, you may get a gasp about your taboo outfit if you choose to wear white after Labor Day.

P.S. This is a tradition that's only followed in the US of A. In the rest of the world Labor Day falls at different times of the year.

Whatever the origins of the idea, restrictions on people who wear white after Labor Day appear to be outmoded except in very traditional society. Many fashion designers offer white as part of their fall and winter lines, often in stunning pieces. In warmer areas of the United States such as Hawaii and Florida, white is also a more acceptable color to wear year round, since unfavorable winter weather is not as much of an issue.

Like many other seemingly idiosyncratic fashion rules, the reasoning behind the ban on wearing white after Labor Day has probably faded from the public mind. For most people, it is safe to wear white after Labor Day, although they may want to consider wearing the color in moderation. In inclement weather, a more sensible color which does not show stains or water is advised.

Otherwise, wear white after Labor Day as often as you like!!

Cheers

Ritika

Tank: Target

Pants: Fame Forever

Denim Jacket: Mango

Shoes: Metro

Watch: Michael Kors

Eggless Chocolate Cake

After reading endless cake recipes, yesterday I finally decided to make one myself. I marched up to the grocery store immediately and bought myself all the baking items required. Needless to say, I was pretty nervous about baking as I never ever baked anything before today! And to my surprise, the cake turned out quite yummy and my hubbs darling loved it (not lying, seriously!!)

I also shared the cake pictures with my friends and was asked about the recipe, then it struck my mind, why not put the recipe as a post itself!

P.S. As I did not have any prior plans of putting the recipe on the blog, I do not have the cake making-in-progress pictures, however, next time for sure I would take more pictures for reference!

This easy chocolate cake has no eggs and also no butter and can be prepared in a few minutes as you do not have to beat the eggs or the butter.

So here goes, the super-duper simple recipe of my eggless chocolate cake -

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white flour (all-purpose)

1 Tsp baking soda

1 Tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

Wet Ingredients:

1 Tbsp white vinegar

5 Tbsps canola oil

1 Tsp vanilla

1 cup warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients (it is better to sift all the dry items in the bowl, to avoid any lumps later).

2. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients and stir.

3. Than make a well in the center of the dry ingredients bowl and pour in the all the wet items. Beat well for about three minutes. You may also use a blender here.

4. Coat cake tin with canola oil and then powder it with cocoa powder. Pour batter into tin. Put in oven for 20 mins.

Allow to cool completely before decorating...

Few Tips:

1. If you do not plan to put icing on the cake (like me), you may want to add 1/3 cup of sugar more, otherwise you may feel the cake is less sweet.

2. To test if your cake is done, insert a small toothpick into the center of the cake as far as you can. It should come out clean.

3. Another way to test if a cake is done is to lightly press the cake surface. The depression should spring back if the cake is cooked thoroughly.

4. Use shiny pans. If your pans are dark, the edges of your chocolate cakes will darken and harden as they bake.

5. Select a pan such that the batter is close to 3/4th of it or slightly above 1/2 of it. And the time for baking depends on the cake pan and oven too, mine got baked in exactly 20 mins.

Hot out of the oven

After flipping upside down! (Be careful here)..!

Try it out and let me know how it came up!

Happy Eating!!

Cheers

Ritika

Short Story: May be

A short story:

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "May be," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "May be," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "May be," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "May be," said the farmer.

Moral of the story - Never judge a situation - wait for the outcome. There is no 'good' or 'bad.' Everything that happens to us is a mixture of good and bad. We just have to accept things as they are.

My personal thought - This farmer sure was a man of few words! And oh yes, tell the neighbors to mind their own business!

Now, enjoy the OOTD pictures -

Cheers

Ritika

Silk Shirt: Zara

Skirt: Vibe

Wedge heels: Payless

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Hair Clip: New Delhi

Watch: Invicta