Happy Lunar New Year - a year to monkey around!

Monkeying around - CNY 2016 e-card

This year my card came out very late, but my e-card was just in time! CNY celebration was the usual with some adventures in driving and work deadlines.

Happy Lunar New Year 2016! May the fire monkey year bring much laughter and blessings (as opposed to what I've been hearing it is supposed to bring).

First Car Break Down of the Year

Today was an unexpected day off at home. I had full intention of using the spare car so that my car could go into the workshop to fix the air conditioner problem. However, when I wanted to head out, the spare car couldn't start - the steering lock could not budge. So I took my car instead and it was not meant to be.

Have not seen this buddy in a long long time... I miss catching ladybirds in empty assam bottles

Baking Experiments: Cheese Tarts

Last weekend, I decided to stay home and make something useful of my time. I was looking around for what I could do and found a cheese tart recipe on the MFM superfine flour box. It looked simple, so I went out to buy some butter and started on it.

This was the outcome:

Home baked cheese tarts from scratch

My Hot Dog

I found this website where AI would determine if you're hot, from reading a HelloGiggles article and tried it out with various photos. While my own headshots yielded only "OK" ratings (hahaha... okla AI shows dependability), I was surprised with this!

My dog's photo generated using mirror image (used to be my blog profile pic once upon a time)

 And upon looking closer, even more surprised!

Starting with Many Firsts

It's the 5th day of the year and already there's been quite a few firsts for me. But first, let me share my first dessert plate for 2016.

Cakes, tarts and puffs in Grand Millennium Hotel, KL

Part 2: Kyoto and Osaka

Continuing from where I left off in my earlier post, with Fujisan checked off our list we headed into the second leg of our trip. Upon C's recommendation, we bought the Hikari shinkansen and hotel package from Japanican to Kyoto for 3 days 2 nights. Our plan was to take a day trip to Osaka using a local train.

As this post is really really late (and I can't remember the details from 2014 anymore), I'll just post my photos and comment on them as we go along.

M had read that there was a famous okonomiyaki place near the Nishiki Market in Kyoto. So when we arrived and found our way to our hotel (which was just outside one of the train stations a couple of stops away from Kyoto Station), we asked for directions from the hotel reception and headed out for dinner. It was well worth the visit - Nishiki Warai.

Okonomiyaki in Nishiki Warai, Kyoto

Happy New Year 2016!

Stock taking and resolution making. 2015 came and went so fast with many stumbles and letting go and moving forward. The past two years have breezed by without me really feeling it.

Happy New Year 2016 from Kuala Lumpur!

Looking back with no regrets

I have said this before. Sometimes certain things happen for a purpose. 

It is natural that we yearn to return to what we are used to, no matter if it is something pleasant or not. I had this feeling for these few months, thinking that maybe I could still go back. 

But something did happen. And I was reminded that although no bridges were burned intentionally, that was in the past. A different life altogether. 

It was quite a painful lesson. To hear of it and knowing that I was used in a bad manner unbeknownst to me. Shame on you. To attack me behind my back. Such unprofessionalism. 

But this just proves that I made the right move. And at least I am above resorting to such underhanded tactics of self-preservation.

I never judged you although I had heard stories but now that I have myself experienced the bad end of it, I have concluded that a bad loser is just not someone to look up to. I will not be turned into a pillar of salt.

Baking Experiments: Hokkaido Cake

After class, practice makes perfect. So since my first baking class, I have practiced baking Hokkaido cakes twice. The more I practice, the less panic I get and the squeaking is minimised. Mum taught me that mixing the batter into the meringue is best done with bare hands and it is true!

Fresh in the oven

Baking Experiments: Kiwi Muffins

This post is a little late. It was the first time I tried out using my then new Electrolux hand mixer. I bought a kiwi muffin mix from Bagus baking supplies shop and one afternoon, when the mood was right, I began experimenting.

All the ingredients needed for the kiwi muffins