It has been a while. I have been putting off writing this post. So much is happening in my life right now but I don't know how to share, where to begin. These past few months have definitely surpassed my expectations. In terms of emotions, my silly little heart has been tossed and yanked here and there. It's been crushed, and more tears than I know existed squeezed out. But it's also being patched and filled. I never expected so much love to flow inwards from all these directions. So many warm hands extended forth. They have touched me, truly.
Life really is an adventure when you finally decided to fearlessly live it. I don't believe in regrets. Rather, I believe that every single thing that has happened, by choice or not, are like little knots making up this glorious knit of our lives. Each encounter in our lives make us who we are. It's rather coincidental in a wonderful way that several people that I talked to mentioned how incredible life is, how if it wasn't for one small incident, or one person, we would never have met. If we stop and think about the string of people in this network of our lives, and recall how we met each other, we would get so very amazed. If it wasn't because of that day when we spontaneously said yes to a spontaneous dinner invite, we would never have met. What if he'd never craved ramen? If it wasn't because that we decided to attend that club orientation, we would never have met. If we have never met, we would never have experienced so much richness in our lives, we would never have met so many other significant people in our lives. What would've happened if at that moment in time, he happened to be on the other side of the park, talking to some other people instead of us? What if it wasn't raining on that day and we never got to share that umbrella and started that conversation? What if we didn't end up sitting next to each other in that lecture? What if I was too chicken and didn't go for that audition?
Life is a series of choices. There is no right or wrong. It is ok to not know. It is ok to wait. Sometimes we really must take that leap of faith and jump even if we are scared. If we don't, we'll be stuck in the same spot forever. But we must also use sensical judgement and trust in our gut instincts. Right now, I don't know where I am going or what I am doing. I am merely following my gut, doing what feels right even though it seems like the wrong thing to do. It's healthy once in a while to just ignore our logic and listen to that voice in our hearts. And friends really are the chocolate chips in the cookie of life. From these past few months I have discovered who the people that truly care are. Without them, I'd feel lost and empty. Thus, I am eternally grateful. Grateful for those accidental and improvised encounters. Grateful for all these seemingly insignificant choices that we make every day. Grateful for a hello. Grateful for tearful laughter and ugly tears. Grateful for sleepless nights and exhausted days. Grateful for warm hugs and soulful stares. Grateful for fate and trust.
So, to celebrate these little wonders in life, let's have cake. Better still, let's have chocolate cake that errs on the guilt-free side!
Indulgent Chocolate Beetroot Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Serves 12
250g dark chocolate, broken up
3 large free range eggs
150g raw sugar, blended
100ml vegetable oil
1tsp vanilla essence
100g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
250g raw beetroot, finely grated
Cocoa powder
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cases.
2. In a bain-marie, melt chocolate gently, then allow to cool.
3. Whisk together eggs, sugar and oil using an electric mixer until thick and creamy. Stir in the vanilla essence.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gently fold into the egg mixture.
5. Fold the beetroot into the cooled chocolate and fold this mixture into the egg mixture. Stir until combined.
6. Transfer into pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Cool on wire rack then dust with cocoa powder.
8. Serve!
