Peaberry and Pretzel

Peaberry and Pretzel

cldn't resist letting u guys in on this fantabulous eatery tt i went to! Peaberry and Pretzel. set in the revived neighbourhood of sunset avenue, the opening of 9 new eateries along the once liveless estate is now the major cause of hustle and bustle in the region. Do go check it out! For now, pls enjoy the pictures. Reviews will come later!

didn't manage to get a photo of the entrees and the lovely display case with all their gorgeous desserts. But of course with a quick hand and some mighty thick skin, was able to take a quick shot of our own orders. Tiramisu and the almighty valrhona chocolate pudding. *ALL HAIL*... must i add tt the latte was incredibly smooth on the palate. *swoon*

the lovely tiramisu basking in the light... showcasing the warm glow of the surroundings. Very comfy...

the entrees were excellent! in fact the quality tt was shown played throughout all the 3 dishes tt we ordered. Weiquan had the Grilled sausages which in my impression tasted authentically german (not tt i'm reallie into german food), but i must admit tt they were very much near perfect. Mummy had a chicken dish as her main which i can't remember the name; however, the chicken was extremely tender and the fine coat of flour call for crisp texture complimented by a thick and fragrant mushroom sauce. tantalizing. Last of all, I had the Veal with mushrooms. This dish blew me away with its melt in the mouth bite-sized veal pieces and stocky mushroom chunks and shimmy dallop of sour cream on the top which not only enhanced the beauty of the dish but added a contrast of flavors to the outstanding dish. The rosti by the side was well done and reminded me very much of the numerous loads i had back then in Switzerland.


Valrhona warm chocolate pudding: WICKED!!! my first virgin try of the molten chocolate cake. The presentation of the desert was superb, with the pudding being served in a ramekin cup and creme anglaise in a shot glass at the side. Accompanying the dessert was a scoop of homemade vanilla icecream with fresh berries. Best thing was tt huge crumbles accompanied the vanilla ice-cream which added tt extra 'oomph' factor to the entired eating experience. The warm chocolate pudding was indeed a sin as every bite into this dessert involved a mouthful of luscious oozing chocolate and soft cake. Wonderful dessert... probably coming back here again just for desserts!

as of yet, the company's webby ain't setup yet. But pls do check out http://www.peaberryandpretzel.blogspot.com/, a blog of the owner which featured photoshoots of some of his entrees served up in the restaurant on his blog.


anyway, digressing away from the restaurant for awhile, went out to supper with the guys at geylang ytd night; namely Jiemin the freak kor, and jonathan. Had a fun time catching up with old stuff and updating my outdated information bank. Thanks guys for making my day interesting! *cheers*

Peaberry and Pretzel

106 Clementi Street

tel no: 67773477

i hate you then i love you

I love you then i hate you -- Celine Dion

I'd like to run away from you
But if I were to leave you I would die
I'd like to break the chains you put around me
And yet I'll never try

No matter what you do you drive me crazy
I'd rather be alone
But then I know my life would be so empty
As soon as you are gone

Impossible to live with you
But I could never live without you
For whatever you do / For whatever you do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

You make me sad
You make me strong
You make me mad
You make me long for you / You make me long for you

You make me live
You make me die
You make me laugh
You make me cry for you / You make me cry for you

I hate you
Then I love you
Then I love you
Then I hate you
Then I love you, I Love You more

For whatever you do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

You treat me wrong
You treat me right
You let me be
You make me fight with you / I could never live without you

You make me high
You bring me down
You set me free
You hold me bound to you

I hate you
Then I love you
Then I love you
Then I hate you
Then I love you more / I love you more

For whatever you do / For whatever you do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you

some of the things tt make me happie....

finally bunny has a companion. flowers... fresh, vivid and striking. Just like how i hope to be...

is it reallie lyke royal chocolate?

Treasures in a Bowl anyone?

And no... don't worry, the cake didn't cave in after it was baked... in fact, i cut the mini crater in the middle of the cake, sorta lyke a bowl full of chocolate coated treasures which are cut-outs from the cake as well. Hope the bdae girl lykes it!

Got a last min order ytd from a fren of mine for another bdae. Once again it the good ole chocolate cake. Divine choice (according to my reviewers apparently, have been churning out this cake on quite a few occasions this month)... moist chocolate cake complimented by nothing but smooth chocolate frosting... this wld satisfy any chocolate cravings on the spot! Thank goodness i've got all the necessary stock in my inventory. But then again, it doesn't hurt to stock up. Moreover its been ages since i've done tt.

Yeh.. hence i made a quick trip down to jurong. Once again, i pranced into the baking supplies shop and waltzed away with a big hole in my pocket (not mine technically, but dun worrie hunz.. i'll pay u back!). yep. Have a few exciting projects coming along. So do watch out for more updates soon peep

happy birthday

Reflections
heyoh! just a quick post about a few short happenings...

here's a early birthday shoutout to Gaseng! thanks for all the help mate! finally had the honour of baking ur bdae cake. hehe. glad u lyke the stars yeh.. just for u... *winkz*. remember u keep my secrets and i'll keep yours. hehe.

the signature chocolate cake with velvety chocolate frosting, adorned with toasted walnuts round the sides and star cut-outs to match the star of the show!

Watched the movie ' i now pronounced u chuck and larry' with my babe late wednesday night as well. Gosh.. to be honest, i thought the movie was just for laughs... a bit non-sensical to me. and its humour was leaning a bit towards the intolerable side. However, there were certain lessons to be taken away from this movie. the most meaningful one for me being tt you'll never knoe how hurtful ur criticisms may be till you step into the shoes of the other party. Only when you're under such true circumstances then will u feel the repurcussions and impact of ur actions and words on other people's feelings. To cut short the chase, be sensitive... always...

On the whole, definitely not some movie i wld recommend others to watch. haha. unless u're looking for some quick road to laughter, then tt wld probably be a good suggestion. You're better off at home watching a french film lyke priceless, *ahem*. which i watched AGAIN! and lent it to my student as a reward (or not) to watch as well. hoped u enjoyed it girl...

Meanwhile, here's my second shoutout going to another student of mine. Cheer up gurl! hope everything is better alr... *=)*

oh well, time to call it a day soon. Once i've gotten the freshly baked cake wrapped up and stored in the fridge. a last min order for tmr as well. Gotta wake up bright and early for decorations! Can't wait.. got a brilliant idea awaiting!

having a bad day

day is coming off to a bad start...
a nagging cold, a runny nose. *groanz*.
wat's wrong with me?

groovy baby

Cupcake Hero Challenge --

GrOovY BAby
remember the cupcake event i mentioned a few weeks back? Cupcake Hero Challenge? finally got down to business in completing the task of baking these little beauties. The theme being set as lime made this no easy task since lime unlike its close cousin the lemon ain't widely used in baking except in key lime pie maybe? speaking of which, i definitely show preferential treatment for the latter, and am a self-confessed lemon lover!!! gosh.. after a few trial and error pairings, i finally decided upon the combo of almond and lime. Thinking tt the nutty taste of almond would help to soothe the sharp tastes as derived from the lime. Moreover, i yearned to put the swirling technique to test again, i last used it to make the nutella swirl cupcakes eons ago.



Why lime and almond then? erm.. as opposed to my other choices such as mango and lime, green tea and lime and others. I wanted something nutty, something a little more solid in flavor when it came to pairing. On the other hand, i was rather apprehensive as i were afraid tt the lovely tangy flavor of the limes wld be masked behind the stronger non-fruity flavor of the almond. But nonetheless i though tt it wld be a good combination despite i myself adopting not so high likes for the flavor itself. The mind is a strange thing ain't it?

Hence with little in mind, i set out to create a spectacular cupcake, with a flavor lyke non-other. With this i created GrOovY Baby. a cupcake made with lime-infused butter, swirled with almond cake batter. To finish off the beautiful job, i topped it off with lime-flavored cream cheese and almond nuts for that extra crunch. Recipe makes 10 regular cupcakes

Ingredients
Lime Cake Batter
½ Cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of Salt
40ml milk
juice of 3 small limes
2 tbl spoon butter
1 egg
½ cup Sugar
Green food colouring
A few drops of pandan essence
Milk to good consistency

Almond Cake Batter
½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
Salt
60g Butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp almond extract
Milk to good consistency

Method

1. Squeeze the limes and place the butter together with the lime juice, melt it and stir gently.
2. Place zest of the limes with the butter and leave to cool
3. Sift the dry ingredients together.
4. Beat the egg and sugar till thicken
5. Add the pandan essence.
6. Add in the lime infused butter and mix.
7. Fold in the Flour mixture.
8. Add milk till a suitable consistency (it shld resemble egg yolk consistency)
9. Spoon into the ready cupcake cups.
10. Prepare the Almond Cake Batter.
11. Beat the butter and sugar till creamy.
12. Add in the egg and mix
13. Add in the almond extract
14. Fold in the sifted flour mixture.
15. Add milk till right consistency.
16. Spoon into the middle of the cupcake cups
17. Using a tooth pick. Swirl the two batters together.
18. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius for 22mins.

Recipe a proud creation of Sihan

verdict: lime flavor was a bit too subtle for my liking. Cld have been stronger with lesser almond extract being added. Adored the lovely hue of neon green...reminded me of the hulk. The Cream cheese topping did the fluffy cake justice. *yumz*..

btw, i totally adore the new cupcake hero mascot.. its lovely.. reminds me of a bandit though. but tt all the more increasings its appeal. Simple yet naughty. hehe.

personality recipe

What's your Personality Recipe?

Enough of baking stuff. How about a recipe for me instead? *tee hee*

Sihan - a scoop of romance - a scoop of hotness - 1 1/2 cups of playfulness Season and serve.

'What is your personality recipe?' at QuizGalaxy.com

*yawnz*.. gonna hit the sheets soon! big plans to vacuum the room tmr. BUST the dust... perhaps it wld put a stop to my runny nose syndromes everytime i embark on my mini hunts for a certain lost item. *groanz*. orite... Peace out.

a sour affair

Citrusy in taste, lemons, the sour tangy feel at the back of your throat, the vibrant yellow colours tt literally jump at you, and the lovely smell that your hand inherits from squeezing the lemons; these are the reasons why i love baking lemon tart. The next best thing to eating fresh lemons in its raw form *gulp*..if u ever do that tt is... ( must be one hell of a strange habit)

Having to deal with the 5 lemons left lingering in my fridge from a previous baking assignment. I contended to either set about making a jar of the usual lemon curd and risk getting a sore throat from being unable to resist the temptation of sticking a spoon into the jar and savouring every dropful. Hence i settled for the lemon tart which my mum was eye-ing in a recipe book of mine. Trust me..this baby wasn't any easier on the throat. At first bite, the tartness of the lemon juice added stung like a bee. But gently, it gave way to a slurry of taste and flavors as it sloshed around the cavity. The crisp tart shell a perfect accompaniment to the flavorful filling. What i loved most was the tangy feel at the back of your throat after it is swallowed. A flavor tt reminded me of the season spring and the lightness of it. Strange...

Recipe for Lemon Tart
adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2

ingredients
sweet tart dough
2 cups a/p flour
150g Cold Butter( chopped into cubes)
3 tblspoon Sugar
2-3 tblspoon water

lemon filling
3/4 cup Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Sugar(granulated)
3/4 cup Pouring Cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

1. Prepare the tart dough. Place the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and process till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the water till the dough forms a lump.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30mins
4. Blind bake the Crust with weights for 10mins at 180 degrees celcius.
5. Remove the weights and bake for another 15mins till pastry turns golden brown
6. Lower the temperature of the oven to 140 degrees celsius
7. Over a pot of simmering water, place the sugar and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl and stir till the sugar is completely dissolved.
8. Add the eggs and cream.
9. Continue stirring for the next 5 mins.
10. Pour the lemon filling into the ready tart-shell through a sieve
11. Bake for 20-25 mins at 140 degrees celsuis till the filling is just set.
12. Remove from the oven and cool thoroughly.
13. TUCK IN! *ssss (sour)..AHHHh*

just some points to note, the lemon filling was tolerable in fact mighty good for me and my mum (coz we're such big fans of sourness) but if i wld advise tt a little more sugar be added into the tart for all those who wld lyke to try out the recipe. *=)* Bon Appetit!

argh..i reallie need to get a nice removable tart tray soon! rawr...

the screening room

The Screening Room

following a tiring week and onslaught of tests at school, i was prepared to call it quits. Moreover it was the weekends and on top of tt, the one week term break(which eminently meant tt hardcore mugging HAS to begin... *heh*), and for the former few reasons, it called for a celebration of some sorts..or at least a little chill out time. Hence, i was elated when the movie schedule at the screening room finally had the show 'Paris Je'taime' lined up for Friday night! it was presumably perfect timing... so after a most boring AEO career talk in school, I and Zhiheng rushed off to the little known hot spot staged in the up and coming hot spot at Ann Siang Road; home to many up-town eateries and patessieries or so I've heard but yet to explore...

upon reaching our destination, i was overwhelmed by the rustic charms of this quiet neighbourhood. its windy and narrow streets paid homage to its arty nature which attracted mostly the expatriate crowd. Even the air smelt of different in the region, though close to Chinatown, in terms of atmosphere it was worlds apart. The aura exuded comprised a wave of rich and feel of extravagence. It offered a somewhat 'cheap-thrill' from being in the place at the time. I would have been more than willing to sit along the pavement and enjoy the different prespective offered at that moment albeit for the rush since we were a little late for the movie.

Hence kicking up our heels, we rushed towards the screening room which is essentially a venue which serves as a bistro, bar and screening room. It shows mainly foreign language films and is on the forefront of the arts scene in singapore, often collaborating with arts festivals for example the Singapore Arts Festival. The deco of the place oozed class, and luxury. The screening room theatre especially so. with different styled plush cushioned seats and sofas put together to piece a picture of supple comfort and intimacy. A menu of drinks, cocktails, wine and mini snacks heightened the experience by miles. Overall, it is a great place for couples to catch films together whilst snuggling up amongst a flurry of bolsters and what not.

the film, Paris Je'taime was one tt i've been eye-ing the past few months upon fantastic reviews coming from Gaseng. Consisting of many different stories from the different districts in France. I expected to it to be disjointed and somewat hard to follow. However, on the contrary, the show left me with a very good impression. One tt was warm and fuzzy. Despite its disjointed nature, the stories were united. The one thing they had in common, they all spoke of love. Though manifested in different forms, shapes and sizes, ultimately, it was love tt brought pple together... ahhh.. Paris, City of love. i yearn to go there someday...

the screening room, definitely a place worth visiting...

The Screening Room

12 Ann Siang Road

Singapore 069692

http://www.screeningroom.com.sg/

(65) 6221-1694

internal struggling

internal struggle

another emo night...another random post

once again i have to beg all of u to excuse my non-sensical ramblings.. just need to get some of the unbearable load of my chest...

till now, my life seems like a undescrible puzzle still jumbled up and laying ard in miniscule pieces strewn across the floor. its undoing, or lack of effort to piece it together; the blame should all be pushed to me and me alone. I am the cost of my state now. and for sure, i'm a wreck... emotionally and physically.

daunted by a strangle illness, like a dark shadow cast over me the past week. I've been tormented by throbbing headaches tt come and go as they please. As i lay in bed, i feel my heart pounding through the sheets, every single beat revibrating thru my body. My head mimicking its thumping motion, shrieks and moans amplified to the max, till the point where it seems my brain is about to push through my skull. Every night is an experience of endless tossing and turning, restless nights...

emotionally, its just a void in this wreck of a body. I am irked by the thought tt i have reached the condition where nthing else matters. my heck care attitude and negligent point of view towards anything and everything, though suffering a slow and gradual developement over the months is now a bane. I am disgusted at myself... ashamed and disappointed. Taking a step back, i have realised tt i've nothing more than ___ now. in fact sometimes i feel as though i have nothing left to offer. I'm nothing more than just a useless bum strolling the streets. Empty in spirits and thoughts...

I need to get my life back on track. I know it'll be hard. At least i've got somebody to depend on. He's all tt i need. all it takes is just a baby step...

now i'm just telling myself its another hard night. Gotta suck it in.. slp it thru. Tomorrow will be a better day. crossing my fingers on this one.

I do hope i'll wake up tmr morning... morning seems so far away.

slow jams and not so slow jams...

one of the most romantic slow beats song ever...

Slow Jam by Usher and Monica. Enjoy everybody...

"I swear I fell in love the night you....danced into my heart"

oh and before i end the night... lets add a little spice to it...check this out ( warning: contents of the following may not be suitable for viewing at night due to the probability of excessive noise pollution. pls contain ur excitement under any circumstance)hehe... *laughing in glee*.. 3 tickets to the Linkin Park Concert on the 13th Nov. Standing tickets, Best in the house! *WOOOTS!!!*... can't believe i just blew 450 buckaroos outta the window.. BUT...*pausing*, its LINKIN PARK!!!! OMGOSH!!! (screaming).. haha. omgomgomgomgomgomgomg... heh

Cake for Min

Chocolate Cake for Min

or so as called by her friends... this little one, meant for 4 reallie small girls (i assume), with small appetites, is perfect in size for a truly high in chocolate cake. a little bite goes a long way whilst having more wld only mean in sharp drop in marginal utility... so do the math, size down if u have to... using my good ole' chocolate cake recipe, i up-ed the stakes by swopping some ingredients and added a good load of Bailey's irish cream to the batter. Resulting in a much richer cake, full of umph and flavor. whilst munching on the scraps... i swore i cld taste baileys in every nibble. i mean..its a whole cup worth of irish cream in there!!! *swoons*...
With this project, i played down the cutesy factor i usually incorporated; though i was told the bdae cake was reallie into pretty things. Oh well, didn't wanna go over the top with it and end up with a BIG mess on my hands. However, i did include some cute fondant cutouts and heart-shaped bite-size cakes dipped in chocolate and rolled in toasted nuts. hehe. Hope it did some form of miracle in resurrecting the rather ill-covered cake. didn't work too well with a square cake. haha.. probably not used to it. *bleah*

pray tt the 4-some enjoy the cake as much as i did working on it. *tee hee*... we await the verdict (oh btw, the last 2 cake order verdicts were good! *phew*..). For now..its back to more DC and AC crap... Ciao

perks to make my day

P-E-R-K-S to make my day advantages of having a brother who is currently doing his industrial attachment (IA) at a ice-cream factory? ICE-CREAM!!! DUH!!!

*woots*... got to try 2 flavors so far... mango yoghurt and the second one black sesame which is reallie GOOD! not to sweet neither to creamy... *drools*... (sihan settles gleefully at the corner of her room licking her spoon)

Thanks weiquany for bringing home the sinful treats...

not tt my expanding butt line is protesting coz tts beside the point .... hehe. *Yumz*

Zhongjie's bdae

Yet another chocolate cake order... just love how the blue sets itself nicely against the dark brown chocolate ganache.. pretty! *woops*. forgot the cake is for a guy.. *bleah*

made a delivery to east coast park for another cake on sunday. this time it was my all time fav caramel banana cake. it just gets easier everytime *sniggers*. haha. glad tt the bdae boi and girl loved the cake.

Now its a mad rush to complete everything heat transfer. trying to make it my best fren.. but its not budging much. oh well... just gotta get the test over and done with then its a mad rush for preparation for the next test! oh boi, was hoping to start on brainstorming and more try-outs for the cupcake recipe for another event which requires lime as a mandatory ingredient. hosted by Laurie from http://slush.wordpress.com/, i just adore her new cupcake event!

Cupcake Hero!

i was thinking of a rather simple looking cupcake sans the usual frosting and instead focus on creating some in depth flavors. Came up with a few ideas so far, lime and pear chutney flavored cupcake with a green-tea flavored cream cheese frosting. sounds rather exotic. Or perhaps a lime poppyseed cupcake with mango scented caramel sauce. Gosh.. so many ideas yet i can't seem to find the time to try them out. my hands are itching!!! RAWR!

meanwhile i can't wait for friday!!! hehe...

hooha cafe

HOO-ha!!!
Hooha Cafe -- Best steaks in the region

after packing up the poor unwanted cupcakes and all the other junk we had congregated at our booth throughout the 3 day bazaar. Zhiheng and I then headed to Hoo-ha Cafe upon my suggestion. alongst the way, we dropped off several cupcakes with his accquaintances and my auntie's place; where some misfortunate happening took place but i shall not talk about tt now. okie..concentrate! its the resturant here we're talking about!focus!

Hooha Cafe makes a big flashy bold statement its claim to having 'The Best Steaks In The Region', with tt in sight, naturally, expectations are raised a bar higher. Situated in the quiet Pasir Panjang Village. Its strategic position allowed for it high volume traffic flow, yet strangely few have stumbled upon this off the beaten track resturant. the crowd at the resturant which offered mainly al fresco dining were mainly expratriates and the working population looking for a place to chill out.

As we entered the restaurant, we were quick to be seated. the relaxed settings and mood of the place was paved by soft lighting, breezy conditions (created by a pathetic rotating fan which i found to be very amazing considering its mere size and proximity), sexy latin grooves being aired and a grill counter staged at the side of the eating grounds. Burnt out from the 3 days of hectic duty, we were lazy to order out food and took our time gazing thru the extensive menu. In the end, he had a glass of red wine and their famous tenderloin steak, whilst i had the terriyaki chicken and a bottle of heinkein. food was quick to be served up, piping hot from the kitchen. my chicken was succulent, juicy and delicious... the sides were pretty good too, coleslaw and fries. on the other hand, his steak was gorgeous. Though he requested for it to be done medium, it tended to be a bit on the rare side towards the center. But otherwise it was a beautiful cut of meat, grilled to perfection.

so to all those looking for a good steak or a relaxed place to chill out with some good food and wine w/o burning too big a hole in ur pockets, do give Hoo-ha cafe a try

Bake Sale

Bake Sale

Enfin! the long awaited bake sale has drawn to a close. After some hardcore slping and weak attempt to catch up with work, i can finally sit myself down to complete the blog entry regarding this event. as usual, emotions ran on a straight line with a negative gradient. After much baking and slogging away at the oven, i was filthy, sticky and not to mention dusty from the clouds of flour and cocoa powder flying ard the kitchen. I had managed to bake roughly 200 cupcakes in 7 flavors, 16 crumbles (blueberry, apple), 45 jumbo-sized cookies and 2 large cakes. All these performed under a serious lack of sleep and hardly any rest in btw. But all the hard work paid off just by catching a simple smile or satisfaction on a customers face or the gushing compliemts of a returning buyer. one of those, and WHAM..i was one happie cupcake momma.

Damages done: a burn mark on my forearm when the hot tray in the oven slide onto my arm after coming out of the oven. *OUCH*

lovely chewy chocolate chunk cookies tt my mummy helped me to pack nicely into my cookie jar. hehe.

estatic from the 3 days of business, i must say tt i'm rather proud of Claire and I at managing to pull off the booth with little experience under our belt. as we pieced everything together, arranging the different bakes on the table top, it began to look rather wholesome, lyke a table top of wholesome goodies tt appealed to mostly girls and the rare occasion of a guy stopping by to purchase something for a girlfriend or perhaps to appease his sweet tooth. But then again,we learnt the hardway about logistics and tt lots more preparation and listing had to go into the project in order for everything to run smoothly. all was well throughout the 3 days albeit for the minor mishaps tt occured in the midst. we wldn't have made it if not for the help of a few precious ones. Thanks to Zhiheng for the immense effort invested on us, ferrying me from home to nus, helping with all the heavy stuff, logistics, sales and welfare.. hehe. Reallie sorrie about the wheel clamping incident too. definitely weighs heavy on my guilt conscience. and to my ah yi as well for helping me loads. for the markers, spare change, stationary and boxes, etc... cldn't have done it w/o u guys.. of coz to my darling Claire, my pillar as well as my baker in crime. WE DID IT! *woots*... hehe. rest well k dear..u deserve it after all tt hardwork... *=)*.

Claire my baking buddy a.k.a the waffle girl.

so after the 3 days of hardcore baking and sales, the gushes and shrieks of the girls as they walk past the table laden with goodies were nothing but ordinary. 'is it real?', 'oh..SO CUTE!'.. in fact, i was kind of getting sick of those... there were the exclusive few though tt struck me truly sincere. had a few request for catering and even a caucasian girl who came back everyday asking for my caramel banana cake. at the end of the 3 days, she asked if i cld have my recipe saying tt it was the best she had ever had. oh well, how cld i say no? haha... it was a tad hard though deciding wat to bake for the nus crowd though especially with the severe time contraints i had. Hence the menu for the 3 days were as follows, caramelised banana cake, blueberry cheesecake, Chewy Chunky Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes (a.k.a anything cupcakes), and Oreo Cupcakes all on the first day. 2nd day, Berry-in-love cupcakes(white chocolate strawberry cupcakes with white chocolate coated berries), Apple crumble and Blueberry Crumble and jumbo Peanut butter cookies. 3rd day was deemed cupcake day and i baked 3 premium flavored cupcakes, the malibu pineapple cupcake, cappuccino cupcake and last but not least the caramel banana cupcake.

Observations made: whole cakes didn't go too well with customers and hence we stopped selling them after the first day. Best seller wld have to be the cookies as well as the chocolate, oreo and banana cupcakes. pple loved whimsical designs on theirs..bright colors appealed to everyone... i had mega fun decorating those as well!!!

a tribute to my cupcakes

another good point about having a bake sale in nus is the opportunity to meet old frens. i had the chance to meet up with jc frens vim, stef, greg and mel and kritikaa at their school. it was mega fun catching up with old times and toking crap lyke we used to...

overall, the bake sale had brought Claire and I much experience as well as enjoyment. Baking though pleasurable on its own, having pple appreciate ur baking is definitely a major plus point. seeing the smiles on people's faces and having pple actually purchasing and praising ur bakes was like a little taste of heaven... if only we cld conduct a bakesale in NTU, tt wld be the best!!!

Bake Sale

Bake Sale at Nustyle Bazaar

sorrie folks... am dead beat now from all the baking so i'll guess i'll leave the review to another time. Gosh.. gotta catch some slp now... *yawnz*

run and hide

Chunky Chocolate Cookies

Qn: What does Sihan do when she's feeling down and out?

Options:
1) She skips school.
2) She sobs and pouts.
3) She goes out clubbing and partying the night away.
4) She bakes... cookies the size of her moon-shaped face!

Ans: 4!!!! and perhaps a little of 1 as well. haha..but i do revise my work at home okie?!!!

Decided to do something drastically different today, whipped out of recipe book and weighed the chocolate out. Having a serious famine in supplies of chocolate chips back home, i settled for chocolate chunks which i figured wld better help to satisfy the chocolate cravings in me. soon, the smell of freshly baked chocolate cookies had fill the whole house. the cookies as anticipated had spread themselves out nicely on the baking sheets..and at tt moment, looked extremely appetising if not devilishly seductive. my heart was stolen once i rested my lips against the crusty cookie..one bite sent me into chocolate heaven as chunks of smooth dark chocolate swirled about in my mouth. Utter bliss...

heart condition improve by ten-fold with every bite... *smilez*..so kids, follow my advice, bake when u're feeling blue, its the best medicine yet. haha.

and of course no baking adventure is complete without a love story... so here goes nothing...



*smilez gleefully*

cherry blossoms

Delicate Lemon Rhapsody

Cherry blossoms, beautiful flowers that bloom with utmost beauty and poise. Devastatingly, they only have a week to live before they cascade lyke snow when the first strong winds or rain comes along. Yet in their short lifespan, the bring happiness and joy to the hearts of the many who have travelled far and wide to see them. For me, they remind me of peaceful moments and the beautiful mornings which were shortlived as well. While falling would only mean death to these gems, the sight of paper-like flowers cascading like snow in the lightest wind, is indeed be a captivating sight, though i've yet to see one. Beautiful disaster as they would call it.

In light of this beautiful scene fixated in my mind, I had the inspiration to bake a the bdae cake meant for order the next day. I thought about how this cake could capture the imagery of cherry blossoms falling from the trees. and I envionsed a fluffy white frosting, like a pile of delicate cherry blossoms. perhaps a light flavor that encompassed happy notions yet a melancholic nature. Slowly, the cake began to take shape and I knew what kind of cake i wanted to bake. A soft white cake with the sublime taste of lemon, filled with the slightly tangy yet delightful lemon curd and frosted with the most beautiful marshmellow frosting with a sprinkling of shreded coconut down the sides... Perfect for a joyous occasion.

Recipes derived seperately, soft white cake (from Martha's Stewert's baking handbook), lemon curd (taken from joyofbaking.com) and the marshmellow frosting (from betty crockers baking book).

Pray tt the guys will lyke it tmr. waiting for their verdict ( which i fear slightly due to my particular thresehold of tart lemons as compared to others... perhaps the taste test during the making wld be slightly biased?) Pictures will be showcased tmr as well...

bakesale

preview to the upcoming bakesale being held at nus! *jumping ard*..so exciting! pls do come down and support Claire and I.

run to you

I'm not tt strong after all...

a lovely song by the powerhse whitney houstan from her movie 'the bodyguard'. One of my most fav films of all time...


I know in my heart you'd find
A girl who's scared sometimes
Who isn't always strong
Can't you see the hurt in me?
I feel so all alone

i want to run to you...

end of the road

feeling my failings, each like a claw digging into my soul, deeply penetrating my hide, into my inner sadness. I feel the limits of my personality, of my fear, of my inability to know myself, to know what I already know.

Dior Shower

Dior Shower

mummy shower up today with a little surprise! guess wat peeps? its a Dior flight makeup palette! the limited edition! my gosh..its soo pretty! the pure white casing, lush and sexy beckon'd out to me. irresistible... thanks mummy dearest. love it to bits though i still can't bear to tear open the wrapping... haha

took some pics of the dior range of mini perfumes as well which i had recieved on a different occasion.. c'est tres beau! j'adore bien!

on the inside as featured on a photo i stole off the web, the kit includes 6 different shades of eyeshadow (totally adore the shade of colors carried), lipgloss and blush, brushes to apply them all with and a mirror - all packed into the leather-like, carry-sized case. handy dandy! i like!

my secret garden

Ssshhhh...
a visit to my secret garden

another restuarant swiped off the list of must-goes on my side bar. this time, i had the honor of going to my secret garden, a well hidden gem set amidst the hustle and bustle of middle road. Though strategically situated, i had never really took notice of the eatery before. But having heard of it, i was anxious to check the place out. and so i called out the big lady boss and her spoilt brat of a son to join me for dinner...

The ambience of the restaurant were chilled and laid-back. The lovely intimate settings of the courtyard beckoned to its patrons to perhaps order a glass of wine and enjoy it under the cosy lightings. The cobbled pavement, stark wooden benches and hanging willows added to the magical touch of the place. it was indeed wat u would describe as a secret garden amidst the chaos of the streets outside.

as we were ushered in quickly, i noticed that the inside of the resturant held a different feel to it. Packed, it made do with whatever space was available, often squeezing tables close together. Hence not too good for intimate dates as close-by table conversations could be overheard easily. the eceletic choice of art pieces on the wall created an arty feel and a wonderful atmosphere for light-hearted conversation which tend to get a bit loud with the addition of a bit of wine into the chemical formulae.

The appetisers were good, however, the smoked salmon was a bit disappointing as it wasn't served cold enough and held a bit of fishy aroma as a result. the portabello mushroom on the other hand were gorgeous and i savoured every bit of its earthy taste with lust. special mentions goes out to my bro's (a.k.a the spoilt son's) orders of thai chicken wings. a large appetising serving of chicken drumlets and wings fried to crisp perfection accompanied by a bowl of wonderfully tangy sweet thai chilli sauce. Great way to start off the meal.

The mains were served in just about the right timing with an interval to allow for a free flow of conversation and sharing. I had the cilantro chicken which was essentially chicken thigh served with a a sauce on top which i recognised to be a mixture of sour cream, cheese and a generous sprinkling of cilantro, all this served on a bed of mashed potatos and grilled vegetables. the tangy flavour of the sauce complimented the juicy chicken thigh really well and i enjoyed every bite as it lasted. the other courses as ordered by my dinner companions were delightful as well, served in generous portions, I must admit it was value for money.

from the top left hand (clockwise): smoked salmon, beef burger, mysg sandwich, cilantro chicken

then it was moving on to dessert time! i was quick to come to a decision tt i was going for the hot date ( hot sticky date pudding) but to my dismay, it was sold out. I frowned and the restaurant owner was quick to shoot back "i'm sorry but we don't have the hot date at the moment, perhaps he's sitting in front of you." i looked straight ahead of me and went 'BAH!' haha. But nonetheless, dessert is a MUST for me hence i went ahead and ordered the apple crumble instead which was DIVINE! *yumz*... warm apples served in a crisp tart shell topped with buttery crumbs. what more could i ask for...

Mum's berry-in-love which was a wonderful blend of mascarpone cream and fresh berry puree topped off with more lucious berries. definitely a teaser on the taste-buds...

my apple pie... yummy! served with a generous heap of chunky blueberry puree on the side. looked gorgeous..tasted even better...

All gone... *burp*

My Secret Garden

161 Middle Road, Singapore 188978

tel no: 6334-8334