An early, kind of lonely, but fresh from the light rain morning.
At the store's parking lot, while I was putting bunches of flowers into my car, a friendly, elderly gentleman smiled at me "You are buying Spring, eh?" 
Was I really trying to buy Spring? Was that a good thing? Or a bad thing? Could I buy Spring in a world where pretty much everything can be purchased? It made me ponder...
I didn't have an answer, but one thing for sure, I was and still am in desperate need for spring, for colors, for light, for happy birds, green trees and scented flowers.
But Spring heralds more than a change in nature. With the rebirth of the earth, I start to feel inspired and brave, alive and ready for a transformational change in my mind, in my life. There is always this tangible sense of anticipation. There is always new energy that envelops the body.
New Awakening.
Spring in my soul, in my spirit, in my self. Gladness in my heart. Vigor in my faith in the sanity of the world, in the morality of others, in the power of suffering and forgiveness. Going back to my self. Touching my true nature – being one with the Light, unafraid of pain and joy, being Here. Whole. 
  
"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." 
                                                                                                                                                                                                       ~Paulo Coelho 


To all of you who celebrate Easter, I wish you enlightenment. When He raises the crucified man and gives him eternal life, may He raise us all to the highest awakening of being humans – spiritual, vulnerable, humble, brave, honest, non-judgmental, compassionate, generous and forgiving. May He raise us to the understanding that the strongest, graceful soul "emerges out of suffering." Once we truly understand hardship, we understand happiness. Thank you all for making me believe in me, in you, in the goodness of humanity. 





Carrot Cake 

This is my first ever carrot cake, and I have to tell you, it is the best carrot cake I have ever made. Seriously, beneath this unpretentious look, lie multiple layers (not very even) of moist and chewy, back-to-the-basics flavorful cake rich on sweet carrots, walnuts and little bits of raisins, exotic spices and delicious cheese frosting. I combined several recipes to come up with this one. 


Ingredients:

2 cups finely grated carrots
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup oil
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla
finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 1/4 all- purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmegs
1/4 tsp/ allspice (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 pkg. (250gr. each) cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. pure vanilla
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp. honey


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour.


2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. 


3. In a large bowl, beat together sugars, oil, eggs (one at a time), vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk in the dry ingredients, until well combined. Using a spoon, stir in the carrots, walnuts, and raisins. 


4. Divide batter into the two prepared pans and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on a wire rack. 

  5. Make the icing by blending the cream cheese, butter, vanilla lemon juice, and honey. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. 

 6. Place one of the layers on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second cake and spread the remaining frosting over top and side. 




Enjoy and have a Happy Easter!