Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday was a fairly interesting day, since the sec 3 kids had confirmation...church was packed! I still remembered the day I had confirmation, and at that time(unlike this year's), a bunch of us students (about 5) were followed by our confirmation godparent to the front of the church to be anointed with the Holy Chrism by the archbishop. I said "thanks" by mistake LOL! I was a lector for the 1st reading, and who would've known that I spoke a little too loudly into the microphone =S My cousin B was the 2nd reading's lector, and at that time he was made to stand on a stool =X I can still roughly remember what I read! It went along the lines of "He does not cry out or shout aloud, nor make his voice heard in the streets." and "...nor quench the wavering flame. Faithfully, he brings true justice." Isaiah something-or-other chapter =X
Most hilarious was when this person announced through the PA system to get the sec 3 ppl to stand next to the archbishop for phototaking! Best of all, some individuals' names were mentioned over the system. I wonder if they were embarrassed =X
Some unpleasant things happened along the way after I got out of church, to the point that I almost teared out of sadnesss when I went to JP =( My mood lifted a little during lunch(mainly because I was amused) by this guy who was singing softly to himself while waiting for his friends to get back from buying lunch...and he sounded pretty good O.o Bought some things in preparation for school!
Sidetracking, Christmas is nearing!!!! =DDD Bad news is....I hope that J doesn't, erm, bombard me with questions related to music...not now anyway. Can't wait for more baking! XD
Aww you're so cute!!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Oreo Cheesecake on a Thurs! XD I'm going to go though a few of the pics 1st before doing some serious writing...! Below's a pic of the instructions on caring for the springform pan, which I bought on a Tues at a PH speciality shop in clementi for a price of $24+! 
I was more than hesitant when I had to purchase gelatine since the only non-halal version came in sheets, not forgetting to mention that it had a short shelf life =(
Fish gelatine in a cheesecake~! Yummeh =S 
Cream cheese! XD
Pile of crushed oreo cookies, minus the creams. 4 1/3 packs' worth of plain oreos, just for the base!
Scarily shiny base, and I'd have the melted butter to thank that for...off to the chiller! 
Philly cheese! Unfortunately, I forgot to keep the recipe stored inside the box =( 
Random whipping cream which my mom bought from the nearby baking mart 
Full cream milk & gelatine for double boiling! Honestly, I was kind of disturbed by the slight smell of fish in milk =S
The 2nd layer which I used up the remaining pack's worth of sandwiched oreo cookies(with 1 w/o the cream), along with a whole other pack of 3s(minus the creams) 
What a stark contrast! I overdid on the no. of plain oreos for 2nd layer haha!After this was in the fridge, I went off to eat my late lunch =S Took a shower & had a nap, then went off to njd class to inform YY of my need to be absent from class for the next few weeks cos of my back XC Good luck to those going for grading!!! Took some pics and then went back for dinner, and then to remove my cake from the pan!! =D 
Millimeters (or centimeters, if u're impatient) of the cake slowly detached itself from the sides of the pan...! I was reminded of natural disasters for no apparent reason XS
The whole cake! The layers look awesome, apart from the base!
I cut a miniscule slice for myself and tried it. And laughed. With a fair amount of disappointment settling upon me. I thought, "Why does it feel like I'm eating a jelly with a biscuit base?! Did I do something wrong??!" I had the impression that I calculated the amount of gelatine wrongly, so I referred back to the book. And I now know that this is probably the texture of non-bake cheesecakes! Guess I haven't eaten enough to know how things should turn out, since I was half expecting the layers to be fluffy(like those in BAKED cheesecakes!) What was I thinking, really. My parents liked it O.o and the funny thing was that my mom said that I helped her to achieve her dream of making cheesecake?!
Here's the pic of the cheesecake recipe which I used(and modified), since I reasoned that mine would be cut into many small pieces and therefore look less aesthetically pleasing if I were to follow the original recipe =S But to begin with, there's so many kinds of oreo cheesecakes out there, so I got the idea of 2 layers from the net!
I cut the entire cake in preparation to give some away, since I'd already mentioned to some in advance that I was making it, lol. Brought 10 to the njd supper! Michael & Sir's reactions were kinda scary as they imitated those japanese on food shows ie. saying WAHHHH! Followed by exaggerated facial expressions. Surprisingly, most of them at the table liked it(at least I think so, since I never asked all) O.o But personally I think I'd rather stick to eating baked cheesecakes in the future as I prefer my cheesecakes to be fluffy & creamy. Can't wait to try out another recipe(not cheesecake)soon! Let's hope that I'd achieve what I want for that! XD
Fish gelatine in a cheesecake~! Yummeh =S 
Cream cheese! XD
Pile of crushed oreo cookies, minus the creams. 4 1/3 packs' worth of plain oreos, just for the base!
Scarily shiny base, and I'd have the melted butter to thank that for...off to the chiller! 
Philly cheese! Unfortunately, I forgot to keep the recipe stored inside the box =( 
Random whipping cream which my mom bought from the nearby baking mart 
Full cream milk & gelatine for double boiling! Honestly, I was kind of disturbed by the slight smell of fish in milk =S
The 2nd layer which I used up the remaining pack's worth of sandwiched oreo cookies(with 1 w/o the cream), along with a whole other pack of 3s(minus the creams) 
What a stark contrast! I overdid on the no. of plain oreos for 2nd layer haha!After this was in the fridge, I went off to eat my late lunch =S Took a shower & had a nap, then went off to njd class to inform YY of my need to be absent from class for the next few weeks cos of my back XC Good luck to those going for grading!!! Took some pics and then went back for dinner, and then to remove my cake from the pan!! =D Millimeters (or centimeters, if u're impatient) of the cake slowly detached itself from the sides of the pan...! I was reminded of natural disasters for no apparent reason XS The whole cake! The layers look awesome, apart from the base! I cut a miniscule slice for myself and tried it. And laughed. With a fair amount of disappointment settling upon me. I thought, "Why does it feel like I'm eating a jelly with a biscuit base?! Did I do something wrong??!" I had the impression that I calculated the amount of gelatine wrongly, so I referred back to the book. And I now know that this is probably the texture of non-bake cheesecakes! Guess I haven't eaten enough to know how things should turn out, since I was half expecting the layers to be fluffy(like those in BAKED cheesecakes!) What was I thinking, really. My parents liked it O.o and the funny thing was that my mom said that I helped her to achieve her dream of making cheesecake?!
Here's the pic of the cheesecake recipe which I used(and modified), since I reasoned that mine would be cut into many small pieces and therefore look less aesthetically pleasing if I were to follow the original recipe =S But to begin with, there's so many kinds of oreo cheesecakes out there, so I got the idea of 2 layers from the net!
Millimeters (or centimeters, if u're impatient) of the cake slowly detached itself from the sides of the pan...! I was reminded of natural disasters for no apparent reason XS
The whole cake! The layers look awesome, apart from the base!
I cut a miniscule slice for myself and tried it. And laughed. With a fair amount of disappointment settling upon me. I thought, "Why does it feel like I'm eating a jelly with a biscuit base?! Did I do something wrong??!" I had the impression that I calculated the amount of gelatine wrongly, so I referred back to the book. And I now know that this is probably the texture of non-bake cheesecakes! Guess I haven't eaten enough to know how things should turn out, since I was half expecting the layers to be fluffy(like those in BAKED cheesecakes!) What was I thinking, really. My parents liked it O.o and the funny thing was that my mom said that I helped her to achieve her dream of making cheesecake?! Here's the pic of the cheesecake recipe which I used(and modified), since I reasoned that mine would be cut into many small pieces and therefore look less aesthetically pleasing if I were to follow the original recipe =S But to begin with, there's so many kinds of oreo cheesecakes out there, so I got the idea of 2 layers from the net! I cut the entire cake in preparation to give some away, since I'd already mentioned to some in advance that I was making it, lol. Brought 10 to the njd supper! Michael & Sir's reactions were kinda scary as they imitated those japanese on food shows ie. saying WAHHHH! Followed by exaggerated facial expressions. Surprisingly, most of them at the table liked it(at least I think so, since I never asked all) O.o But personally I think I'd rather stick to eating baked cheesecakes in the future as I prefer my cheesecakes to be fluffy & creamy. Can't wait to try out another recipe(not cheesecake)soon! Let's hope that I'd achieve what I want for that! XD
Aww you're so cute!!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday's sermon was very interesting! I can't remember the specifics, but to summarise, it's important to change for the better(meaning that we should not to hold grudges if we are having one now & stop whatever sinful activities if we are already involved in them)because we'd ultimately be right in hell if we do not acknowledge the fact that we have caused hurt upon others etc and steadfastly choose to remain as we are, being selfish, indulgent people(and so on!) Whew! What a paragraph!
Moving on! I had insomnia on Sunday as I was terribly worried about the growing pain in my lower back(at the lumbar area) & stayed up to do some research on it! Can't remember when my back started hurting, but I remembered that during the widest leg stretch in sunday class(Nov 14 2010) there was some pain but I chose to ignore it. I thought that it would go away in a few days, so I went for Thurs class, and still, that particular spot...! Haiz.
Went to see the Dr. on a Monday(this week) and got my back xray-ed...the bones are fine but the tissue isn't =\ Some inflammation at that area, and the Dr. called it a tender spot O.o, and tole me about the R.I.C.E thingy(if i'm not wrong, since I was kind of sleepy that day), but in my case it was just the R and I(rest & ice), so doing my best with the cold compresses! Heat would make it worse since it's an inflammation. At least I've learnt a few things today! Kind of unlucky here, since grading is on 2nd Dec and I'd have to miss it =( He mentioned that 6-8 weeks' worth of rest O.O and he wanted to give me a medical certificate from school, but too bad, cos I can't afford any of that.
The pain's quite easy to forget since that spot will only hurt if I bend my back =( forwards or backwards. Twisting does cause some pain, so have to minimise that as well. How strange to think that I'd be down with this kind of pain...or maybe not? I'm not much of an active person to begin with in the past! Guess I'd just deal with this for the moment!
Aww you're so cute!!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Things did not go well for me at all during mock grading.
I was quite jittery, along with the pain in my lower back when we had to bend...best of all, I had to go after ZR was done, and alone. Bleh! Sad to be the only green belt there.
Everything was terrible, especially my balancing...it was just too surreal, not to mention that it was scary having so many eyes on you. Defences wasn't timed properly, and I had no practice for that in weeks. Punches hmmm I should have gone to confirm with sir for the ninja push moves, because there are quite a few inconsistencies & it's definitely not helping! Kata...there's definitely inconsistencies which exist. Haiz.
Luckily dinner was a light & funny affair, else I'd have just gone home earlier. I was tired!!! To think that I had to sacrifice my sleep while trying to trace the very unprofessional people working on the lines in the afternoon, since I had only received a notice via email on the same day itself that I was not required to attend the biology pre tutorial. Awesome work there, people. I got transferred twice, and even they don't know much. Simply fantastic.
I bet that I'd surprised a few people by turning up for class...haha.
Aww you're so cute!!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Drew this on a Tues, 16 Nov 2010! =D It's my first attempt at drawing Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji!! I know that it's slightly inaccurate, but I like the pic that I drew anyway =D Scanner's not working, so I had to resort to taking pics, which does look a little blurry here. I'm so stale when it comes to drawing =( My previous attempt at a character was Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist, which was sometime in 2006-7?? I'm not kidding! Not that I'm lazy to draw, but many other things have occupied my time(which I have mixed feelings about, but still cool with it). 
Cooked on Wed, 17 Nov 2010! Pumpkin Bisque again! However, I instructed my mom to buy MORE pumpkin since the previous attempt had too little...and I think this time's a bit too much haha =X Are you, the reader, able to read the scale?
Pumpkin overload!!
Boiling on the stove! The smell was sweeter since there's more pumpkin...the ratio of pumpkin to potato was about 3:1 O.o
Done after 35 mins' simmering. Had to manually mash the bits(again!). Used cream this time around, which made the soup taste even better =)
Wanted to try making a ganache with this, but I guess I can do so when I go shopping for more ingredients from the supermarket! That valrhona choc's still waiting for me in the fridge =(
Before addition of cream
After addition of cream!
Tiny globules of fat floating O.o I wonder if restaurants freeze their soups 1st and then scrape off the layer of fat before serving customers??
Been going on about cooking( if a few times lately) since I've still got a looooong way to go...time which has been lost cannot be gained back, not to mention that time is running out for me, sadly. I guess I'd just have to see how things go in the future!
Pumpkin overload!!Boiling on the stove! The smell was sweeter since there's more pumpkin...the ratio of pumpkin to potato was about 3:1 O.o
Done after 35 mins' simmering. Had to manually mash the bits(again!). Used cream this time around, which made the soup taste even better =)
Wanted to try making a ganache with this, but I guess I can do so when I go shopping for more ingredients from the supermarket! That valrhona choc's still waiting for me in the fridge =(
Before addition of cream
After addition of cream!
Tiny globules of fat floating O.o I wonder if restaurants freeze their soups 1st and then scrape off the layer of fat before serving customers??Been going on about cooking( if a few times lately) since I've still got a looooong way to go...time which has been lost cannot be gained back, not to mention that time is running out for me, sadly. I guess I'd just have to see how things go in the future!
Aww you're so cute!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Hi all! Had a visit to the orthodontist on a Sat, and I admit that the new fittings onto my teeth were extremely painful =( Took me a while to get used to them. There are now 4 metal rings around my molars!! Lunch was a little bit of a mistake, so I guess that from now onwards I'd just survive on soup when I'm done with the adjustment =) Church on the same day, and afterwards rushed off to Ambush at JP to celebrate MN's bdae! Surprisingly no birthday cake, but it didn't matter anyway cos I can't chew much.
Cod fish with pesto cream sauce or something like that? It was rather garlickly, but pretty nice...Was somewhat struggling to chew since all my teeth hurt. Ambush doesn't serve soup at all!
Christmas decorations are already up at JP, so we took a few pics...which were kinda blurry(unsteady hands), so will not be posting them! Above are falling "snowflakes", better known as foam from soap! Joel drove everyone back for the night.Wanted to take pics of the black belts in their current white gi before they make the switch to black gi, but was a little bit shy so didn't ask XC Training was...tiring!!! Outstanding squats multiplied by the no. of people...the guys formed a bigger group so they had more extra squats as compared to us girls(only 2! Yay!)Was kind of shocked with the wrong multiplication, so I corrected it! The guys were practically half dead by the time training was over. I couldn't execute my kicks properly since my legs were jelly-like. Lost my balance several times...some of the black belts were quite funny when it came to hitting the punching bag-like target XD
Christmas decorations are already up at JP, so we took a few pics...which were kinda blurry(unsteady hands), so will not be posting them! Above are falling "snowflakes", better known as foam from soap! Joel drove everyone back for the night.
Aww you're so cute!!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Led the class for warm ups for NJD! I couldn't help laughing during the 1st warm up since Steven looked like a mushroom =X Training was just stances...surprisingly. Unfortunately, I kicked horribly today =( Was totally unbalanced!
Drank as usual for supper, and am waiting to be paid back by MN(she owes me $5.20). The convo during supper was, ahem, "appetizing", as the people at the table on my left were discussing about...surgery in detail!!! Guess they are too desensitized from watching some of those videos =S Pity those who were eating there =X Ate again when I got home since some food was still kept for me though I ate earlier before class O.o
Went out with P on a Friday! Shopped a little for my things, such as notebooks from Urban Write =D P was tempted to buy some of the notebooks which caught her fancy, so she bought 2! I almost bought a notebook which resembled a classic storybook(it was really pretty & had a romantic vibe)but alas, it belonged in the hands of those who are in love/have a significant other(and I am not, most unfortunately =S )so I left it after much consideration =( We had dinner at Kazokutei, which is a handmade udon franchise at PS, part of Tokyo Walker! 
I can't read jap, but here's a pic to certify that all udon served are handmade fresh on the premises =) 
You could actually see people making udon (behind a glass screen, of course) pretty close to the entrance, but I didn't stay to watch the action =(
The soup base which was chosen by the both of us! They had other bases which included the use of bonito flakes, and if I remember correctly, there was also curry udon O.o not to mention shabu shabu & cold udon XD
P's dish! I didn't sample the meat since it was a Friday =) This was $12.80
Closeup of the serving of soy sauce which I was supposed to dip my tempura veggies in...and those red marks are part of the bowl's design =)
This cost me $7.80(a bowl of udon is $4.80)! The veggie items included a piece of pumpkin, carrot, mushroom & brinjal...not to mention that there was a little bit of grated daikon and ginger on the side! The soup was clean tasting and light(which I liked), but it could be a little more flavourful. I prefer noodles to have a little more bite and I was expecting it to be chewy, so I guess that this isn't really it! It was barely al dente...maybe I'd have more luck with the cold option on another visit? I ate here at around 7-8+pm, and the place was packed with people...hope I'd have better luck with the noodles on the next round! It gets a little squeezy around a corner to the seats, so I hope that all those who visit this place will take care!
I can't read jap, but here's a pic to certify that all udon served are handmade fresh on the premises =) You could actually see people making udon (behind a glass screen, of course) pretty close to the entrance, but I didn't stay to watch the action =(The soup base which was chosen by the both of us! They had other bases which included the use of bonito flakes, and if I remember correctly, there was also curry udon O.o not to mention shabu shabu & cold udon XD
P's dish! I didn't sample the meat since it was a Friday =) This was $12.80
Closeup of the serving of soy sauce which I was supposed to dip my tempura veggies in...and those red marks are part of the bowl's design =)
This cost me $7.80(a bowl of udon is $4.80)! The veggie items included a piece of pumpkin, carrot, mushroom & brinjal...not to mention that there was a little bit of grated daikon and ginger on the side! The soup was clean tasting and light(which I liked), but it could be a little more flavourful. I prefer noodles to have a little more bite and I was expecting it to be chewy, so I guess that this isn't really it! It was barely al dente...maybe I'd have more luck with the cold option on another visit? I ate here at around 7-8+pm, and the place was packed with people...hope I'd have better luck with the noodles on the next round! It gets a little squeezy around a corner to the seats, so I hope that all those who visit this place will take care!
Aww you're so cute!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Was planning to do quick shopping just before playing tennis & badminton, but decided not to since it would be silly to lug my loot to CCK!
Spent some time concealing a flaw on me before heading out...to think that I was late! Almost took a bus 985 from the interchange...how could I forget 307 at the busstop behind Lot 1?!
GM fetched me while I was on the way to the stadium, and from there I learnt that Justus & YY were even later than I! Didn't know that the tennis court was out in the open...changed out & back, and saw that the 4 of them were already playing O.o
I'm extremely stale in tennis, so pardon my terrible playing! Furthermore the racket is kind of heavy =( I managed to hit one ball out of the court, as usual =S I think I used too much strength and my angle of projection is badddd, cos I tend not to notice the way I swing the racket =X Sidetracking, tennis reminded me of JC days O.o
Played til it started to drizzle again...went off to the hall with GM to start on badminton. Had doubles later on, and only when I took a break I had more energy, and was somewhat annoyed that everyone was exhausted lol! My reflexes are faster now, that's for sure. XD
The group parted at around 6+ to 7 ish for dinner! Took the same train as YY back to jurong...ate a little too much during dinner(cos my mom always cooks a LOT)but still went off to play bball with the 4 of them along with YY's friends & bro! Everyone looked more comfortable in their own outfits than I...should have changed out XC Was getting a little nauseous so daren't move too much...only at the end did I bother to be a little more active in the game.
Guess that's it for a Tues! Won't be having this kinda stuff in the afternoon to evening so often in the future, since school's starting soon for me!
Aww you're so cute!!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
I was pretty much half asleep on this day, but I managed to pay attention during the sermon! The story was like this
A woman married a man who had 6 other brothers. The man died and went to heaven, and the woman married the next brother. He also died(and to heaven), and the woman married the subsequent brothers, one after another and during this whole time, she had been in monogamous relationships. When all of them went to heaven, whose wife would she be now?
The answer is, none of the above. In the next life, there'd be no need for procreation, and therefore no need for marriage whatsoever. Thus, in my conclusion...make the most out of this life. Of course, this doesn't mean that as a person, you should be free and easy, for if you were, there'd be no next life anyway!
Honestly speaking, I don't remember much of Sunday, but Biology ROCKS! Read some of it before taking a fairly irritating nap because I was woken up several times, and was somewhat tired for class =(
Daresay that it was a little bit intimidating to attend the Sunday class w/o the other colours from the Thurs class, cos I'm closer to them XC Fortunately for me, I kinda got over it quickly. Squats this time around O.o but heyy it was cool! Just hope that I don't get too muscular lol. The guys stretched their legs, and I almost spat on John's face in surprise while on the floor(I was drinking before that).
Trained my kicks & kata...and almost hurt my leg =( Especially during the yoyatsus! Nevermind, at least managed to kick higher.
Class ended, and as usual I was off to change out...got a little confused when Daltone said that Justus & ZR were there, then they left with YY and I couldn't go back home?! Then I mistook GM and thought he wanted a lift. Almost gave everyone a funny look since my dad was already there!!!
I admit that I was a teensy weensy bit hurt that they left for supper at the last minute, but not so much since it was a rainy day, and I was wearing shoes which shouldn't get wet. Said a sarcastic "ha. ha." to ZR on the line lol when I asked about said supper. Bought dinner back & went to bed fairly early, I think!
Aww you're so cute!!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Most of my posts lack better vocab, so allow me to inject some life into this one! *crosses fingers* Presenting to you below is a pic of the Valrhona Choc! I have yet to sample it, however. Notice the price stated on the label? 
Yesterday was a sluggish Friday afternoon! I got ready my equipment, almond meal, etc, and was all set to start when I noticed a fatal flaw in the recipe that I was about to use. No castor sugar?! I went to one of my favourite websites and did some research. Castor sugar made the frothy egg whites more stable, and without it meant a higher chance of failing...so I guess I'd have to eschew that castor sugar-less recipe!
Great.
Ominous clouds loomed ahead, further dampening my spirit. For those who aren't aware, rainy days are not suitable for macaron making! Made a silent prayer for the skies to clear while making my way to the supermarket!
Managed to find the castor sugar, got home, and started at 4.30pm! Washed & dried equipment, yadda yadda.I sifted the icing sugar & almond meal for what seemed an interminable 50 minutes. This was how it went: Through the sieve. Too large ground almond bits, grind. Not high enough in the food processor, add sifted icing sugar. Repeat.
Fortunately, it wasn't as much as the previous Italian method(about 2 hours!). Mom helped me to make the meringue, since the amount was kind of small and the bowl needed tilting. Speaking of which...I should hunt for a copper bowl if I intend to make more macarons in the future! 
I was expecting the added gel food colouring to fade, but to my shock and horror...it remained a shade of hot pink, even after adding the almond meal etc! The mixture shrank during folding, leaving me a grand total of...3.33 trays' worth of macarons! Below are freshly piped raw macarons left to dry out(and ultimately, form a crust- that's French method for you)
I recalled having to smack/shake the trays to allow the air bubbles to emerge, but with such a thick consistency(even thicker than the italian method), it was impossible! Maybe I screwed up somewhere? A close up of a raw macaron whose shape I kind of like =D
French meringue method is good- if you like making oddly shaped macarons. I can attest to that! All the evidence is below XD 
I piped spirals, not knowing that the mixture would not form a nice dome upon baking(like the Italian method). My 1st tray was cooked at 150 deg C for 15 minutes, with 3 trays stacked. Ah, apparently it was too hot. The macarons rose quickly after 5 minutes, so I dropped the temperature to 125 deg C.
Yikes. They came out slightly burnt! The bottoms were a little undercooked, so I placed a foil to cover the macarons and popped the tray into the oven for another 10 mins, this time at 120 deg C and using only 1 tray.
For my second tray, I used 3 trays at 15 mins, and 125 deg C. The bottoms were very undercooked, so yet again, into the oven, 1 tray, 15 mins, foil over top. Silly me tried lifting them off the baking paper while they were still hot, as recommended by the recipe which I used. I did that since the notes advised to allow them cool upside down.( I daren't turn the whole lot upside down while they were stuck to the paper as the macs could crack!) The bottoms stuck to the paper, so I let them cool for a while before lifting cleanly.
2nd batch looks better than the 1st, that's for sure. The feet for all stuck out awkwardly, so I suppose I did a no. of things wrongly! I sampled one from the 1st batch, in an attempt to understand why the French is favoured over the Italian for its taste. Ah, to my delight & consternation! It is not overwhelmingly sweet. Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside! Unfortunately, this was how I looked when I discovered that... 
A HUGE air space appeared on the inside!! Didn't know that it was THIS bad. 
I made the silicon baking mat slanted in an attempt to combat its tendency to expand during the baking process. This helped, though I could have shifted the macs more to the right =S
125 deg C, 2 trays, 15 mins. I let the macs cool before lifting, but they were still stuck. The top wasn't crispy, of all things. I got the oven thermometer to check the exact temp, which I didn't do previously since I could only hang it, and it always fell out when I took trays in and out of the hot oven despite being meticulous. Foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now slightly past 120 deg C. Bottoms still sticky even when cooled!! Blehh
The 4th tray had the deepest shade, for 120 deg C, 2 trays and 15 mins. Bottoms slightly tacky, so foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now temp is about 125 deg C. 
Who would've known that I managed to make exactly 50 cookies! However, as they are all slightly bigger than a quarter, crazily shaped, unfilled with a huge air space, not forgetting that they are somewhat brown(not my intended colour)...I'll be keeping all for myself! Til next time, when I'm done making them properly and filled XD Have to hurry for upcoming events! Comments are welcomed for this post! Just leave a tag in my tagbox =D Thanks!
Presenting to you below is a pic of the Valrhona Choc! I have yet to sample it, however. Notice the price stated on the label?
Yesterday was a sluggish Friday afternoon! I got ready my equipment, almond meal, etc, and was all set to start when I noticed a fatal flaw in the recipe that I was about to use. No castor sugar?! I went to one of my favourite websites and did some research. Castor sugar made the frothy egg whites more stable, and without it meant a higher chance of failing...so I guess I'd have to eschew that castor sugar-less recipe!
Great.
Ominous clouds loomed ahead, further dampening my spirit. For those who aren't aware, rainy days are not suitable for macaron making! Made a silent prayer for the skies to clear while making my way to the supermarket!
Managed to find the castor sugar, got home, and started at 4.30pm! Washed & dried equipment, yadda yadda.
I sifted the icing sugar & almond meal for what seemed an interminable 50 minutes. This was how it went: Through the sieve. Too large ground almond bits, grind. Not high enough in the food processor, add sifted icing sugar. Repeat.
Fortunately, it wasn't as much as the previous Italian method(about 2 hours!). Mom helped me to make the meringue, since the amount was kind of small and the bowl needed tilting. Speaking of which...I should hunt for a copper bowl if I intend to make more macarons in the future! I was expecting the added gel food colouring to fade, but to my shock and horror...it remained a shade of hot pink, even after adding the almond meal etc! The mixture shrank during folding, leaving me a grand total of...3.33 trays' worth of macarons! Below are freshly piped raw macarons left to dry out(and ultimately, form a crust- that's French method for you)I recalled having to smack/shake the trays to allow the air bubbles to emerge, but with such a thick consistency(even thicker than the italian method), it was impossible! Maybe I screwed up somewhere? A close up of a raw macaron whose shape I kind of like =D French meringue method is good- if you like making oddly shaped macarons. I can attest to that! All the evidence is below XD I piped spirals, not knowing that the mixture would not form a nice dome upon baking(like the Italian method). My 1st tray was cooked at 150 deg C for 15 minutes, with 3 trays stacked. Ah, apparently it was too hot. The macarons rose quickly after 5 minutes, so I dropped the temperature to 125 deg C. Yikes. They came out slightly burnt! The bottoms were a little undercooked, so I placed a foil to cover the macarons and popped the tray into the oven for another 10 mins, this time at 120 deg C and using only 1 tray.For my second tray, I used 3 trays at 15 mins, and 125 deg C. The bottoms were very undercooked, so yet again, into the oven, 1 tray, 15 mins, foil over top. Silly me tried lifting them off the baking paper while they were still hot, as recommended by the recipe which I used. I did that since the notes advised to allow them cool upside down.( I daren't turn the whole lot upside down while they were stuck to the paper as the macs could crack!) The bottoms stuck to the paper, so I let them cool for a while before lifting cleanly.
2nd batch looks better than the 1st, that's for sure. The feet for all stuck out awkwardly, so I suppose I did a no. of things wrongly!
French meringue method is good- if you like making oddly shaped macarons. I can attest to that! All the evidence is below XD 
I piped spirals, not knowing that the mixture would not form a nice dome upon baking(like the Italian method). My 1st tray was cooked at 150 deg C for 15 minutes, with 3 trays stacked. Ah, apparently it was too hot. The macarons rose quickly after 5 minutes, so I dropped the temperature to 125 deg C. Yikes. They came out slightly burnt! The bottoms were a little undercooked, so I placed a foil to cover the macarons and popped the tray into the oven for another 10 mins, this time at 120 deg C and using only 1 tray.For my second tray, I used 3 trays at 15 mins, and 125 deg C. The bottoms were very undercooked, so yet again, into the oven, 1 tray, 15 mins, foil over top. Silly me tried lifting them off the baking paper while they were still hot, as recommended by the recipe which I used. I did that since the notes advised to allow them cool upside down.( I daren't turn the whole lot upside down while they were stuck to the paper as the macs could crack!) The bottoms stuck to the paper, so I let them cool for a while before lifting cleanly.
2nd batch looks better than the 1st, that's for sure. The feet for all stuck out awkwardly, so I suppose I did a no. of things wrongly! I sampled one from the 1st batch, in an attempt to understand why the French is favoured over the Italian for its taste. Ah, to my delight & consternation! It is not overwhelmingly sweet. Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside! Unfortunately, this was how I looked when I discovered that... A HUGE air space appeared on the inside!! Didn't know that it was THIS bad. I made the silicon baking mat slanted in an attempt to combat its tendency to expand during the baking process. This helped, though I could have shifted the macs more to the right =S125 deg C, 2 trays, 15 mins. I let the macs cool before lifting, but they were still stuck. The top wasn't crispy, of all things. I got the oven thermometer to check the exact temp, which I didn't do previously since I could only hang it, and it always fell out when I took trays in and out of the hot oven despite being meticulous. Foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now slightly past 120 deg C. Bottoms still sticky even when cooled!! BlehhThe 4th tray had the deepest shade, for 120 deg C, 2 trays and 15 mins. Bottoms slightly tacky, so foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now temp is about 125 deg C. Who would've known that I managed to make exactly 50 cookies! However, as they are all slightly bigger than a quarter, crazily shaped, unfilled with a huge air space, not forgetting that they are somewhat brown(not my intended colour)...I'll be keeping all for myself! Til next time, when I'm done making them properly and filled XD Have to hurry for upcoming events! Comments are welcomed for this post! Just leave a tag in my tagbox =D Thanks!
A HUGE air space appeared on the inside!! Didn't know that it was THIS bad. 
I made the silicon baking mat slanted in an attempt to combat its tendency to expand during the baking process. This helped, though I could have shifted the macs more to the right =S125 deg C, 2 trays, 15 mins. I let the macs cool before lifting, but they were still stuck. The top wasn't crispy, of all things. I got the oven thermometer to check the exact temp, which I didn't do previously since I could only hang it, and it always fell out when I took trays in and out of the hot oven despite being meticulous. Foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now slightly past 120 deg C. Bottoms still sticky even when cooled!! BlehhThe 4th tray had the deepest shade, for 120 deg C, 2 trays and 15 mins. Bottoms slightly tacky, so foiled, 5 mins, 1 tray, now temp is about 125 deg C. 
Who would've known that I managed to make exactly 50 cookies! However, as they are all slightly bigger than a quarter, crazily shaped, unfilled with a huge air space, not forgetting that they are somewhat brown(not my intended colour)...I'll be keeping all for myself! Til next time, when I'm done making them properly and filled XD Have to hurry for upcoming events! Comments are welcomed for this post! Just leave a tag in my tagbox =D Thanks!
Aww you're so cute!!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
What a day!
Argued, so I was kind of glad to leave for Holland V! Tired of the agitation, shouting etc...seriously, give me a break.
Went to Cold Storage but couldn't find the chocolate & almond meal! Made my way to Phoon Huat instead, and bought the almond meal. Stepped into Shermay's cooking school, and remembered Valrhona choc! Bought a pack, yay! Quality stuff, oh well, so the price was kinda steep for a 250g pack. Will be discussing more about this choc on the next post! Pity that I didn't ask to sample before making my purchase because I made a grand entrance at the doorway while getting in =S
Took the wrong train back, of all things. Reached home at 6.30pm! Rushed dinner, then off to NJD. Bleh, nobody returned my greeting when I said hi on reaching the dojo XC Awkwardddd.
Did warm ups for the class today! Could barely shout as my throat was dry like sandpaper. Unsure of a few things during class(as a temp IC, and no, not the warm ups!), so I guess I still have a long way to go! Had a mini demo on the ninja push, and still didn't get it right, somehow =( Pushed somewhat wrongly argh.
Had 1st sparring today! Wore the safety vest w/GM's help, and of all things my opponent was YS! Plenty nervous, so I blanked out and didn't know what to do. Both of us froze for a while, then I started with a so-called turning kick. Pity that we weren't auditioning for a comedy series, since both of us did the knee kick at the same time! No idea why sir(i think) made a reference to muay thai when that happened. YY became my next opponent, and I didn't block some kicks on time =( Quite afraid of hurting my wrists since they are kind of thin. Maybe I should depend more on my legs! Then 2(YS & I) vs 1(YY), and I think I managed to get a hit. Next were the guys, and they actually kicked heads =S The rounds were stopped when they were getting too aggressive. I was reminded of the arcade game, King of Fighters!
Subsequent sparrings had their own funny moments, and I left the class with a small bruise on my left arm and a fairly huge one on my right leg! Not bad, I suppose, but I should be faster in the future! Wasn't paying attention when A asked me to help YS to untie the vest =S I should reflect after and not during class haha!
Dinner was okay, apart from the strange atmosphere at the table. Got home pretty late, like about 11.30pm!
Aww you're so cute!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The golden day...Saturday! Seriously, there were way too many activities/birthday celebrations on 30th Oct 2010.
Initially, I was supposed to head out and participate in this Passion Walk with my JC's 12F girls, which I didn't go in the end due to the extremely troublesome method of visiting a place(near town) to sign up(and during the time of njd chalet!). Next, I had a 4e1 class bbq...which I also didn't go since I had a sorethroat. Who would've known that my relatives were holding yet another birthday party in the same house...gah. Best of all, it's the actual birthday date of this guy who I admired from my JC!
I think I laughed too much on the line when I called to wish him! He sounded different on the phone O.o It was pleasant hearing his voice anyway! The call stretched for about 3 minutes, which isn't too bad. Was a little high for a while =X
Forgot to confirm for Sun's njd class, of all things!
Evening went to cousin's house, and I enjoyed dinner thoroughly. Pity that J wasn't there, cos I haven't seen him in a while. Didn't do much apart from reading and then hanging about the house! Smsed friends too while waiting. Cake was cut rather early! Below are the cakes...I think the left's from breadtalk while the right's from bakerzin.
The macarons were stale on the breadtalk cake =S Bakerzin choc cheesecake was the yummier cake, but I'd prefer pure cheesecake with strawberry or blueberry sauce any time!
G's got a new haircut! A mohawk! Looks cool on him XD Punk hairstyle is awesome! Of course, I doubt this can be called a true mohawk...because the sides of his head aren't completely shaved.Left the house at 11.30pm, I think? Woke for church on sunday, was dragging my feet since I was really tired. Had insomnia again! Sermon was about being abstemious, I think. Took a very short nap when I got home from church & lunch, since it's impossible to sleep on a full stomach. Out to pray for the dead, and pity that J didn't go! Gah. My sensei...! Must be busy with his NS duties. First time never see him around for things like this! To St. Anthony's church, we prayed the rosary for my deceased grandfather. I was reminded of the past few mistakenly said phrases such as "all the angles in heaven" "soul of our late great grandfather & brother in Christ" and decade became "dedicate"! Was almost late for NJD, because my dad ate dinner 1st! Got a little sian when I smsed some of the njd peeps and 1 sounded unfriendly regarding the confirmation for turning up for sun class. Guess I won't be writing on fb walls in the future w/anything related to it! The language barrier is really irritating at times. Fortunately, class went well! Wanted to overtake JM during the running session but didn't. Had more energy to jump over the obstacles since class was fairly crowded today, and there was time to cool down during running. Practised kata, ninja push & kicks on my own! The black belts were busy learning their own stuff, to my relief. I noticed that I tend to pay more attention to my kicks when facing a shiny wall, so I don't know how am I going to do when grading comes again. =CSupper! Fetched YY's cousin, then 5 of us went to eat at west coast hawker centre. Not too bad, considering that I spent only $4 for food & a drink! Reached home at around 11.30pm! Pity that I couldn't stay out for, um, sightseeing?! with the rest. Would love to get a mat and place it on the grass while seated under the stars(preferably less light pollution and no clouds), gazing through a telescope to find the constellations! Canapés & drinks are most welcomed. XD Of course, this is an open blog, and I won't share why I like doing this sort of thing unless asked in person =D That's all folks!
Aww you're so cute!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Ninja-Do 39th Week!
Spent a pleasant day at home with my Yamaha guitar on Thurs, 28 Oct 2010, and surprisingly, was a little disappointed that I had to part with it to go for NJD class. Lovely to own & play an easily portable musical instrument!
Had to rush for NJD, as usual, because I had dinner! Dinner before class is going to stop once school starts, so oh well, might as well eat at home. Colour belt class was pretty small when class started, like about 4 of us?! Noticed some were smiling during the warm up XD MN came in about a minute later. Siti turned up late, I think? Leftover squats was multiplied by 3! MN & I kept moving further away from our original spot when we had to partner each other O.o Sad that I was the only green belt! TAT
Kicks, then defenses! Partnered MN for defense 1 & 2, which was quite funny, esp when it came to mine, as she punched the air and stood still(while as an attacker)! Siti partnered MN afterwards, and since there weren't enough people, John became my attacker. I'm perfectly fine with guys, because that meant that I needn't worry about exerting more force than usual(since that happens when I do the defenses faster)! Did kata, and looked forward until my eyesight blurred in an attempt not to feel awkward being the only green in class(and practically the only one swinging a weapon)! Kind of like going into my own world =X
Hand hurt from gripping the stick too tightly when I swung it to produce sound! Asked GM after class why he didn't bring his belt today O.o A no. went for dinner! Had the usual stuff, & told them about the incident in the chalet room...and why is everyone's 1st reaction to the story the same?? They completely forgot the beginning which I stated that everyone was asleep except me XC
Moving on to Friday!
Tired from not being able to sleep well. Dressed, met up, then learnt that only one actress was needed. Thanks XC SO LAST MINUTE! Students, I suppose. Wanted to head home and sleep, and was pretty annoyed since there was nothing much to do at the house(private property on the Mount Sophia slope, cool!). Long story short, I managed to cheer up and took some pics, as you can see below.
It was getting late, like around 8-9pm while waiting. We were supposed to meet Gene at Aston's at the Cathay, but the idea was canned. Offered food, so we ate. Had mini sushi! Tuna, tamago, cheese & ebi eggs combi, & cucumber! I think I ate the most XD Had a cup of meiji milk as well, since I noticed that it was lying around. The bunch of us waiting were a bit restless, so tried NJD there(for a short while). The balcony was huge, so I practiced yoyatsu! Tried chunyatsu on Ben(who's been really quiet for the past few times towards me, no idea what's going on but oh well),and didn't move fast enough, so ended up with a bit of ache in my leg.
Me and the ghost(played by Jamie)
Balcony...
More ghostly effect haha! 
I tried the wig(already quite messy at this point) for fun! Brushed the entire length forward, and it made me look even tinier =S But my shoulders look narrower, yayXD
Scary closeup of me in the wig...my iris has disappeared!
MN in the wig!
Some other parts of the house
My reflection
Closeup
Leo(one of the actors) in wig + lighting 
And a pic to show the length of my fringe! Must cut it before school starts.Left the house past 10.30pm! Was considering to meet up with one friend while waiting for the acting to be done, but didn't bother in the end. Didn't have an official dinner, so I guess that was it! Saved some of my $, since I was unlucky when I patronised both shops and 1 didn't serve it(machine spoilt) while the other was closed for the say =( Walked home with MN & Ben! Guess that's all for a Friday!
Me and the ghost(played by Jamie) Balcony... More ghostly effect haha! I tried the wig(already quite messy at this point) for fun! Brushed the entire length forward, and it made me look even tinier =S But my shoulders look narrower, yayXD Scary closeup of me in the wig...my iris has disappeared!
MN in the wig!
Some other parts of the house
My reflection
Closeup
Leo(one of the actors) in wig + lighting And a pic to show the length of my fringe! Must cut it before school starts.Left the house past 10.30pm! Was considering to meet up with one friend while waiting for the acting to be done, but didn't bother in the end. Didn't have an official dinner, so I guess that was it! Saved some of my $, since I was unlucky when I patronised both shops and 1 didn't serve it(machine spoilt) while the other was closed for the say =( Walked home with MN & Ben! Guess that's all for a Friday!
Aww you're so cute!!
