My IdeoBlogy

Recipe: Mom’s Soft and Spongy Cocoa Cake

Cake! Ah, a dessert loved by thousands if not millions and billions of people around the globe. Life is too short to say no to cake! Did you know that Wikipedia has listed about 261 different types of cakes?

Well, in this post I will be sharing a recipe of my Mom’s Soft and Spongy Cocoa Cake. I hope you try it and like it!

INGREDIENTS:
– 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder,
– Three-fourth of a Cup Granulated Sugar,
– 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder,
– Half Teaspoon Baking Soda,
– 3 Eggs,
– 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract,
– 1 & Half Cups All-Purpose Flour,
– Half Cup Milk,
– Half Cup Vegetable Oil,
– Salt to Taste

METHOD:
– Grind the Sugar to a fine powder. Alternatively, you can also use
Powdered Sugar.
– In a bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar till the Sugar dissolves
completely.
– Add Oil, Milk & Vanilla Extract to it and beat it well for 3
minutes.
– Preheat the oven at 150 degrees Celsius.
– Sieve the dry ingredients and add them to the rest of the
beaten mixture.
– Beat again for up to 2 minutes.
– Line a baking tray with butter paper, pour the batter in it and
bake it at 180 degree Celsius for 25 minutes.

Note: Different Ovens can take different periods of time to bake a cake. You can check whether it’s done by inserting a toothpick into it. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

You can download the Recipe Card Image by clicking here. You can also download a pdf version of the Recipe Card by clicking here.

Too bad I could not take a better video of the cake. Apologies! It tasted amazing though!

Well, that’s all for this post. Live and Let Live – Make Cakes, Not War! Till my next post, Goodbye and Stay Safe!

Love,

Alia

Positive News from the week gone by.

Hi friends, how are you all doing? Well, I must say 2020 has been quite a trying year for a lot of people, hasn’t it? Well, in this post I will be sharing 5 Positive News Stories that were published in the week gone by. I hope these help uplift your mood!

Let us start by reading a news piece about 42-year old Douglas Smith. This English Dad grew a towering sunflower taller than his 2-Storey House only because his 4-year old son asked him to. Did this dad raise the bar for all the dads out there? Read more about this story here.

Our next story is about a 46-year old Indian teacher G Suresh Kumar, who pedaled on his bicycle through 300 villages in a span of 6 months to raise awareness about Covid-19. He has been raising awareness about other issues such as Pollution, Effects of Smoking, Addiction, Alcohol, etc since the past 17 years by campaigning on his bicycle. How wholesome is that? Read more about this inspiring story here.

The next story is a lovely story about generosity. It’s about Officer Dennis Rowe from Georgia who gave his new bike to a man whose bike was stolen and had to walk to and from work in the Georgia heat. Read more about this lovely story here.

In January 2018, 552,830 people were counted as homeless in the United States. Of those, 194,467 (35 percent) were unsheltered, and 358,363 (65 percent) were sheltered. The overall homeless population on a single night represents 0.2 percent of the U.S. population, or 17 people per 10,000 in the population. [Source]. It turns out Old Hotels make perfect Low-Income Housing and Los Angeles-based construction company Repvblik is turning 10 of these into affordable Housing units. Read more about this story here.

Our final story for today is about Neelakantha Bhanu who is known in India as the ‘world’s fastest human calculator’. Read about how he recovered from a life-threatening injury due to a fractured skull at the age of 5 to becoming what he is today. Read more about his journey – from being told he could be cognitively impaired for the rest of his life to becoming a mathematical genius. Click here to read his story.

Well, that’s all for this post, I hope you enjoyed reading it. Till my next post, Goodbye, and Stay safe!

With love,
Alia.

OLDER POSTS:

Recipe: Mom’s Soft and Spongy Cocoa Cake

by MyIdeoBlogy September 9, 2020September 10, 2020

Funny product reviews on Amazon that are likely to make you chuckle.

You know what happens when people get too creative with their product reviews? You get to read gems like the ones coming up in this post. Today, I will be sharing some of the Funniest Reviews posted on Amazon. Because there are multiple products with multiple funny product reviews, I will cover only two products…

by MyIdeoBlogy August 2, 2020

Free Online Courses by Google that almost anybody with an email id can take

Hi friends! I hope you all are well, safe and in good health. Today in this post I will be sharing a few Free Online Courses by Google that almost anybody with an email id can take! You can do individual modules or take the complete course as per your wish. So here we go:…

by MyIdeoBlogy June 27, 2020June 27, 2020

Funny product reviews on Amazon that are likely to make you chuckle.

Product 1: Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer

Reviews:

Funny Amazon Review titled My Life Needed a Change

Funny Amazon Review titled This will end all your trepidations concerning the slicing of all bananas

Funny Amazon Review titled No more winning for you Mr Banana

Funny Amazon Review titled Perfect hamster stretcher

Product 2: BIC Cristal For Her Ball Pen, 1.0mm, Black, 16ct (MSLP16-Blk)

Reviews:

Funny Amazon review titled My husband says I don't need them

Funny Amazon review titled Comes without Instructions

Funny Amazon review titled All of the ladies in my office are so thankful

Funny Amazon review titled These pens make me feel like a real woman

Well, that’s all for this post. I’ll post some more funny reviews of other products in my upcoming posts. Till my next post, goodbye and stay safe!

Free Online Courses by Google that almost anybody with an email id can take

Hi friends! I hope you all are well, safe and in good health. Today in this post I will be sharing a few Free Online Courses by Google that almost anybody with an email id can take! You can do individual modules or take the complete course as per your wish. So here we go:

Fundamentals of digital marketing.

According to ITU estimates, 53.6 per cent of the global population, or 4.1 billion people were using the Internet at the end of 2019 [Source]. So, looks like Digital Marketing is here to stay! Take this Free course that also includes a Free Certification. It consists of 26 Modules and takes about 40 Hours to finish. You can register for the course by clicking here.

Get a business online.

Sell products, crafts, services or even food online. Take this Free Course consisting of 7 Modules. It takes around 3 Hours to finish. You can register for the course by clicking here.

Land your next job.

Lost your job during this pandemic? Fear not, Google’s ‘Land your next job’ Online Course may help you prepare for and find a decent job. This Free Course consists of 1 Module only and takes One Hour or so to complete. You can register for the course by clicking here.

How to increase productivity at work.

This Free Course can help you improve your productivity irrespective of your job role. Register for this quick 1 Module course that takes approximately 1 Hour to complete by clicking here.

Intro to digital wellbeing.

Digital Wellbeing is a Google Initiative that helps users understand their tech usage and helps them reclaim control over their lives if that is something that they feel is required [Source]. It tries to help users understand how they can maintain a healthy relationship with technology, and you can register for this Free Course by clicking here. This course consists of 1 Module that takes an estimated 1 Hour to finish.

Build confidence with self-promotion.

There is boasting and then there is positive self-promotion. Learn how to move up in your career and life by building your confidence through the art of self-promotion. Register for this Free Course by clicking here. It has one 1 Module and takes roughly 1 Hour to wrap up.

So what are you waiting for? Check out these free courses, reap their benefits and upgrade yourself!

Anyways, that’s all for now. Till my next post, adieu!

A. A. Milne Quotes that you need to read + Freebies for Online posting

A. A. Milne or Alan Alexander Milne was born on January 1882 in London. He was the originator of the immensely popular stories of Christopher Robin and his toy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh. [Source]

Through this post I bring to you a few of his quotes. You can also download these artworks and post them online if you wish. #FREEBIE

Here we go...

1. I do remember, and then when I try to remember, I forget.

Slight amnesia, maybe? Or just distracted?

2. You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

Aha, sometimes you have to start, make a move.

3. It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

Said like a foodie.

4. The things that make me different are the things that make me ME.

Well, we all are different and unique.

5. On Tuesday, when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows
That hardly anybody knows
If those are these or these are those.

Well, he sounds utterly confused!

6. Always wear a smile, because your smile is a reason for many others to smile!

You don't have to be on on Candid Camera to smile.

7. A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.

Something we all should follow!

8. One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.

And also my organizing doesn't really last for long.

9. Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Maladaptive Day Dreaming?

10. People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing everyday.

So nothing is possible, then?

That's all for this post. I hope you liked it! Till my next post, good bye!

12 Picturesque Mosques from across the globe.

A masjid or mosque is a place which is prepared for the purpose of offering the five daily prayers on a permanent basis and is devoted for that purpose. [Source] Today’s post features 12 picturesque mosques from across the globe.

**Çamlıca Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey**

**Çamlıca Mosque**, located in Istanbul, is the largest mosque in Turkey with the capacity to accommodate 63,000 worshippers. Its construction began in 2013 and it was officially inaugurated in 2019. It has a combination of Ottoman and Seljuk architectural styles and has six minarets representing six key aspects of Islamic belief including, the belief in one God, the prophets, angels, revealed books, the day of judgment and divine decree. [*Source]*

**Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE**

**The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque** is one of the largest mosques in the world with a capacity of 40,000 worshippers and visitors. Architectural styles from different Muslim civilizations have been incorporated into this architectural marvel. [*Source*]

***Jama Masjid, Delhi, India***

**Jama Masjid** in Old Delhi was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and was built by over 5000 workers. It took 6 years to be completed and was inaugurated in 1656. It was originally called ‘Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa’ which means ‘Mosque commanding view of the world’. The name Jama Masjid is derived from the word ‘Jummah’. Jama Masjid is considered to be one of the largest mosques in India and stands as the reminder of Mughal architecture. [*Source*]

**Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque, Grozny, Chechnya**

**The Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque** located in Grozny, Chechnya, is officially known as the ‘The Heart of Chechnya’. It is named after Akhmad Kadyrov who commissioned its construction from the mayor of Konya, and was officially opened on October 16, 2008. It is one of the largest mosques in Russia and has the capacity of 10,000 worshippers. [*Source*]

**Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan**

The **Badshahi Mosque in Lahore**, Pakistan took two years to be made and was completed in 1673. It displays an excellent example of Mughal era architecture. It can accommodate 55,000 worshippers and may have been the largest building in the world during the seventeenth century. [*Source*]

**Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo, Egypt**

The **Ibn Tulun Mosque** was completed in 879 AD by the founder of Egypt’s Tulunid Dynasty Ahmad ibn Tulun. The mosque took over three years to be constructed and was made of mud brick. It was the third congregational mosque to be built in what is now greater Cairo. [*Source*]

**Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, Egypt**

The **Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan** is located in Cairo and is regarded as one of the best architectural pieces of early Mamluk era. It was built by Sultan Hassan between 1356 and 1363 (out of huge blocks of stone) who was murdered shortly before the mosque was completed. [*Source*]

**Zulfa Mosque, Al Seeb, Oman**

The **Zulfa Mosque** was opened in the year 1992. It is also known as the Royal Guards of Oman Mosque and is located in Al Seeb, Oman. It has more than 20 domes and extraordinary tinted glass work around the mihrab section of the prayer hall. [*Source*]

**El Mina Masjid, Hurghada, Egypt**

The **El Mina Masjid** is located in the heart of Hurghada, Egypt. It was opened in 2012 and is the largest mosque in Hurghada. It is also one of the most popular places to visit in the town.[*Source*]

**Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei**

**Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque** located in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, was built in 1992 and is the largest mosque in Brunei. This impressive building with its four terrazzo-tiled minarets is adorned with 29 golden domes. At night the mosque is lit up like a gold flame. [*Source*]

**King Abdullah I Mosque, Amman, Jordan**

**King Abdullah I Mosque** was completed in the year 1989 and was built by King Hussein of Jordan. It can accommodate up to 7000 worshippers, with an additional capacity of 3000 in the courtyard. It also has a small women’s section with a capacity to accommodate 500 women worshippers. [*Source*]

**Kul Sharif Mosque, Kazan, The Republic of Tatarstan**

The **Kul Sharif Mosque** was built in place of the legendary mosque of the Kazan Khanate which was destroyed in 1552. It took about 9 years to build and opened in 2005. The mosque can accommodate 1500 worshippers with space for many more in the square outside. [*Source*]

Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you are on Facebook, do ‘Like’ my Page [Click here]. Wish you all a lovely weekend. Till my next post – Goodbye!

A Journey to the Past (Part 2) – Olde Decor

Hello friends and well wishers. I hope you all are doing well. Today I bring to you Part 2 of the Blog series – ‘A Journey to the Past‘. Today’s post is about ‘Olde Decor’, so let’s get started:

The first modern clock was invented by Peter Henlein [Source]. With more and more people using mobile phones and digital watches to keep track of time, would it be really surprising if people stopped using clocks altogether?

Of course, these days, a lot people have substituted their alarm clocks with their mobiles phone alarms, but before the invention and popularity of mobile phones, these alarm clocks were the ones that woke people up in the mornings. As long as they were set, of course.

The sofas of the olden days…

Ah, the chandeliers and hanging lamps. Of course, they are still loved, but the chandeliers of the bygone era have their own charm.

Do people still use wall showcases? If not, why?

Take a look at these lovely vintage tea sets and dining ware.

And this is how/what people usually adorned their tables/side tables with.

Just look at these cosy, comfy beds…

I’ll probably choose old fashioned drapes/curtains like these over blinds for my house.

Check out these vintage styles table styles.

Well, that’s all for Part 2 of the ‘A Journey to the Past‘ series. Till my next post, Goodbye!

10 people on Yahoo Answers who were probably too bored!

Yahoo Answers is a website where people can ask and answer questions. There are multiple categories – right from Business & Finance to Travel. Maybe they should have a category for bored people / trolls / idiots like these too?

**Does he think people in the US download ready-made Adults from the internet?**

**Currently, the Earth is our only option.**

**Somebody tell this person how aging works.**

**When will Vegans stop telling others that they’re vegans?**

This guy who needs to be told that it is not okay to be a fascist.

That’s all for this post. Till my next post, Good bye!

A Journey to the Past (Part 1) – Bygone Gadgets

“The many memories I will forever treasure”
K. Hooton

Hello friends, it’s been quite a while since my last post. I hope you all are doing well. Today I will be sharing Part 1 of a series of Blog Posts titled – ‘A Journey to the Past‘. Today’s post is about ‘Bygone Gadgets’, so let’s get started:

Olden day Telephones – The primitive ancestors of the current day mobile phones

And the old Payphones

The Televisions of the olden days

The Radio – a source of information and entertainment

Remember Audio Cassettes? Remember how people used pencils or pens to rewind/forward the Cassettes?

And the Audio Cassette Players/Recorders that came in different models and sizes.

In the 80s and 90s, if you wanted to listen to some audio outside, you had to take the Walkman and Audio Cassettes along.

And Video Cassettes. The only way people could watch videos apart from what played on the Television.

The VCRs or Video Cassette Players and Video Cassette Recorders that played the Video Cassettes.

The Cameras of the era gone by.
Clicking pictures, getting them developed and then seeing the prints. Can you imagine waiting that long to see pictures now?

The Camera Film that was developed to make Photo prints.

The humble Typewriter that was used to type documents and letters

The Predecessor of the Computers of today

Floppy Disks or Floppies that could store ONLY about 1.44 MB of Data

And last, but not the least, the video games of the 80s and 90s.

Ok folks, that’s all for this post. There’s more to come in the ‘A Journey to the Past‘ series. Till my next post, Goodbye!

A Recipe for Ginger Chai (Ginger Tea)

Find yourself a cup; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things. Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), ‘Tea’

In this world, there are ‘Coffee Persons’ and ‘Tea Persons’. Well, I belong to the ‘Tea Persons’ club, more specifically, the ‘Chai Persons’ club.

I don’t really care for green tea or jasmine tea or chamomile tea or those other fancy teas- I drink ‘Chai’, the Desi version of Tea. To be more specific, I like Ginger Chai or Adrak wali Chai, which is the Desi version of Ginger Tea.

If you think only the British love tea, you’re mistaken – we Desis love our Chai too. Different varieties of fancy teas are available in India today, but a multitude of the population still drinks ‘Chai’, which is why you’ll probably find roadside Tea sellers (Chaiwalas) or Tea stalls (Chai ki Tapri or Chai ka thela) in every neighbourhood in India.

Today, as the title of the post suggests, I’ll be sharing a recipe for Ginger Chai.

Ingredients

For making one serving of strong Ginger Chai, you will need:
2/3rd Cup Water
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tsp Sugar (Or as per your taste)
1 and a quarter tsp Tea Powder
Half tsp finely grated ginger (Reduce the amount if you don’t want it too gingery or spicy)

Method

1- Heat the water, ginger, sugar and tea powder in a kettle or a saucepan on a medium flame. Bring it to a nice boil. The tea should be dark red.

2- Add the milk and bring it to a boil again. It should be this colour.

This image has been shared to indicate the colour shade.

3- If it looks darker, add a little more milk to it and let it simmer for another 15 seconds.

4- Take it off the stove, strain it in a cup/tea glass and enjoy.

Note:
– If you don’t like strong tea, use equal amounts of water and milk. It may also look slightly lighter than the tea in the picture.
– If you use tea bags instead of tea powder, boil two tea bags in water (instead of the tea powder) for strong chai.

Well, that’s all for today. I hope you try this recipe out and I hope you like it! Till my next post, adieu.