The fruits I reap...

from procrastination.
I'm off to Bali in about 1 1/2 hours. Here's a very brief post with a few belated birthday wishes before i go.

~Debbie's Birthday
Happy Belated birthday Friar!!! I really sorry I couldn't make it, bu i hope it was filled with fun and laughter. To another 16+ years of trying to get people *coughwasabicough* to 'BELIEVE YOU'!!!!! (For the record, I most certainly do. ;-D) These cupcakes were made in your honour, and devoured in your honour as well. :-) Love ya Debs!!!

They were all Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. The flowers are made out of Marshmallow fondant.
Recipe in my next blog post.

~ Auretta's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Darling Nieta!! The baby of the family FINALLY turned 16. To many more years of laughing, eating, dancing and singing together. I've known Autts since form 2, and have been making birthday cakes for her since way back then too. This year, she requested, of all things, A SHIP!! So, bravely I forged on, and came up with this:

Chocolate cake, filled with chocolate buttercream and ganache. Apparently, it was a big hit.
-^_^-

So, anyways, that's all I have so far. Next posts will be my Fondant cake class at cake connection, Jaya one. Sneak peak:

Toodles!!

Comfort the heart

Ah....the holidays. Well, for most of us anyways. And what do I do to celebrate? A mug of warm, soothing hot chocolate, topped off with whipped cream. Kick back with a good romantic comedy ( Might I suggest The Holiday? ) And EnJoy....

Hot Chocolate, serves 1

~1/2 cup milk.* (Don't be whimpy, use full cream here. You've deserved it.)
~1/4 cup whipping cream.*(No, you may NOT substitute this with milk. Again, you've DESERVED this)
~1 tsp vanilla
~1 tbsp mint leaves OR orange zest OR 1 cinnamon stick, optional
~1 tsp cocoa powder.
~sugar, to taste.
~1 tsp hot water
~1 tbsp chopped semisweet chocolate ( I'm lazy, so I buy chocolate buttons. :-P )
~whipped cream, for topping.
~chocolate buttons, to garnish.




*Measure with the vessel you'll be using.

Combine your milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan. If you're using any of the flavourings, throw those in as well then put the whole lot on the stove to heat up. Mix the cocoa powder, sugar and hot water in your mug of choice till smooth. throw in the chocolate. When your milk is boiling pour it into your mug. Count to 10, then start stirring like CRAZY. Top with your whipped cream and chocolate.

A note on the whipped cream:-
Ok, we all subconsciously KNOW that this recipe is gonna contribute to a very large holiday belly. So, to make ourselves feel better, before drinking this, why don't you whip the cream on your own, by hand? Just throw a bowl and whisk into the freezer for 15 minutes. Take it out, then pour 3 tbsp of your cold cream and a scant tsp of sugar into the bowl and whisk. Yes, your arm will feel like it'll fall off. Yes, you'll be red in the face by the time the exercise is over. Yes, you will start questioning if the pain is REALLY worth it. I assure you, IT IS. The labour that goes into this just makes the drink that little bit more satisfying.

As an initiative, I leave you with this:

Be good now boys and girls...
:-)

Isn't it amazing.....

....how some people can just waddle into our lives and leave marks that won't ever fade?

My God...... I am in WAAAAY too many of these pics.

Friday came around a little too fast for comfort, but as we all know, time's a pretty impatient cab driver. "Get in my taxi before it's too late".

So, finally got my 'love notes' written.

Finished these at 6a.m. in the morning.

And made a couple of other things too. I'd put up pictures, but these particular items have a slightly, more secretive purpose... BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!!!!

Yes, you're all gonna have to wait. -giggle-

Pictures of these 'elusive' items will be posted on CHRISTMAS DAY , to avoid ruining the surprise.
XD

Anyways, got to school, ran around a bit, and finally ended up in the Canteen with the form five lot. I know I have more pics, but dad only let me load a few choice ones for now. The rest will be in my com in 2 weeks, so anyone whose gonna come harass me *coughTgcough* will have to wait till then.

So, coming back. Isn't it wonderful how life sends in people who make a lasting impression, who mold you into the person you're going to be?

By sharing laughter, making every moment last. The little things, that make you smile. The silly things from which you learn your mistakes.

By being the shoulders we cry on, caring, loving, advising us should we ever seek advice. Letting us know we're not alone, and sticking by to make it a point.

And then, isn't it funny? How time moves to separate us, constantly shifting, bringing brand new challenges? Working in tandem with the winds of change, to ensure we never get too comfortable.

Yes, we all change, that can't be avoided. But the memories we make, the time that we spend together, those passing moments can never be changed. More often than not they stay with us, forever.

So,

To all my form 5 friends.
Whether you think you've studied enough,
too little,
too much,
or not at all,
I wish you all the best of luck.

As I've been saying quite a bit these past few days,
Regardless of what some crazy, compulsory governmental exam says,
However badly a paper ends.
Regardless of your abysmal essay word count,
or if you forget a crucible is called a crucible,
If you give it your best,
No one,
NO ONE,
Can,
and
Should think any less of you.

Here's a good luck kiss for the road duckies. I don't think you'll need it but no harm done, right?

Blame it on the Bosanova.

I'll be updating again later, but for now, duty calls by way of Aarti Arichandra.

Dear (the last person who left a comment on your blog or chat box).I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___.I think I realized it when ___2______3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___. I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll keep ___9___ as a memory. You should also know that I ___10___ ___11___.___12___.

With Love;
-Your name-

P/S: You are so lifeless, ___13___, -The name of the person that tagged you-.

1. What's the color of your shirt?

Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I'll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're a loser
Other - I'm in love with your sister

2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - When you put cuffs on me
July - When I threw up
August - When I saw the shrunken head
September - When we skinny dipped
October - When I quoted Santa
November - When your dog ran amok
December - When I changed tennis shoes

3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women's clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
None of the above - With George Bush and his wife

4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the toupee off
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive out

5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United's goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk

6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes - Frostbitten
Lost - Scarred
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
American Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
None of the above - Ashamed

7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I've felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we're cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this
Nervous-The middle east
Worried-That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I'm open
Other-That Extreme Home Makeover sucks

8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from LA
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your memories from the military service

9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of your blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David's tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college

10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Always will remember
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked

11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - Anew life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine
Cider- A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics

12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Fuck off now
France - In pain
Other - Greetings to your freaky family

13. What is your favorite activities when hanging out with mates?
Gathering for drinks - Ugly pig
Foosball - Silly duck
Shopping - French kisser
Dulging for food - Cranky banana
Movies - Smelly armpits
Snacks - Horny wolf
Snooker - Tiny nipples
Bowling - Sexy grandmother
Outdoor activities - Vain pot
Having a long talk - Nose plucker
Taking pictures - Dumb bitch
Other - Burn yourself

Dear Azrina.I don't really know how to tell you this, but Our horoscopes doesn't match.I think I realized it when When I saw the shrunken head With Paris Hilton and I saw you Sit on My father. I'm sure you're Masochistic enough to understand That there is no solution to this. I'm returning Your memories from the military service to you, but I'll keep Your suicide note as a memory. You should also know that I Told in my confession today about Eggplant-fetishism.Your everlasting enemy,

With Love;
Mallini Abuela Leonato Cupcake Kannan

P/S: You are so lifeless, Cranky banana Aarti.

How wonderfully whimsical life can be, don't you think?

Updates...

Ok, now that you've got your tongues back, wipe that drool off your keyboard. We have two lil' announcements. Ready?

~Sulu's Birthday

Happy (belated) Birthday to a wonderful friend, whom it seems I have known all my life. Hope you had a wonderful Birthday, and I'll try not to be so late next year. :-)

~ Deepavali
To talking Manglish with a mouthful of murukku. To stealing sweets at any given opportunity, and running away before you get caught. To listening to ol- elderly telling you stories about their Deepavalis. To dodging as many marriage proposals as possible. To loving every minute of it.

HAPPY BELATED DEEPAVALI.

Now, onto Pancakes. Nothing quite says 'I Love You' like a tray of these in the morning,drenched in syrup. However, why limit yourself? Throw in fruit, nuts. or even better, chocolate. :-) By way of my first and favourite cook book, 'How to Be a Domestic Goddess' by Nigella Lawson.

Pancakes
~225 g all purpose flour
~1 tbsp baking powder (yes, that actually reads 1 tablespoon)
~pinch of salt
~1 tsp sugar (the syrup will make up for it)
~2 eggs
~1 tbsp butter, melted
~3oo ml milk
~butter, for frying.



If you're not exactly a morning person, just measure everything out into a blender and let rip. If you like morning rituals, Mix dry ingredents in a bowl. Whisk melted butter, milk and eggs together, then add to dry stuff. Whisk well. Leave covered for 15-30 minutes. Heat up your flat pan. When ready to cook, melt a little butter and move around to coat. Dollop on batter. You'll know the pancake in ready to be flipped if the top surface starts looking like an unmaintained Malaysian road. Bumpy that is. Infact, now is a great time to add those fruits, nuts or chocolate. When top resembles toad skin, flip pancake and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Dish up. Indulge.

A fiery lil' devil...

Wave your hands in the air if you LOVE your grub Spicy!!! *Waves hands*


First saw the recipe in the News Straits Times, but lost it and had to improvise. This dish hit the hot spot, and was deliciously easy to make. In fact, all you have to know is how to chop, boil pasta, and stir-fry. Got those skills, and you're good to go!


Pasta el Diablo, serves one.
~A handful of pasta ( I used angel hair, simply cause I had it )
~ 1/4 of a red onion
~ 2 cloves garlic
~ 3 big prawns, cleaned, shelled and rinsed with a small bit of turmeric powder to remove the
fishy smell.
~ Olive oil
~ Chili flakes (BE GENEROUS)
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ a handful of chopped coriander ( Looking back, I should have just torn up the leaves and used
them alone )


Method:
1. Chop up your onion and finely dice the garlic. De-vein your prawns by running a knife along the back of the prawn and discarding the black vein you see inside. Set side.

2. Boil your pasta according to the back of the packet. A couple of tips to have:
a)The pasta water should taste like the SEA. Really salt it up.
b)Crush a clove of garlic and boil it with the pasta for additional flavour.

3. Meanwhile, heat up your pan. When it starts smoking, drizzle in the olive oil, about a tbsp full, and throw in the onions and garlic. Stir fry till fragrant. Gently lower in the prawns into the pan and and stir those up too. Put in 2 tbsp of water in some water, cover the pan and count till 40.

4. Don't forget your pasta, make sure you check at intervals to see if it's al-dente. When done, drain and set aside. Go back to your prawns. Shake in the chili flakes and make sure the prawns are well coated with all that spicy, garlic-ky, onion-ny stuff. Season with your salt and pepper, (If your slightly off your rocker like me, go generous on the pepper too.) When you're good to go, throw in the pasta and coat. Add in your chopped coriander, and dish up.

Done.

I've been tagged again.

Damn it. And I was hoping the next post would be food related too. ;-D Ah well, no matter. Anyways, I'm guessing this is gonna start a tag war, so I'm only gonna answer the questions where my answers MUST change. Anymore tags, will just be updated here.

The last person to tag you is?
1. Kiran
2. Mayuri

What relationship do you have with him/her?
1. We go WAAAAY back, or at least, it feels that way.
2. Someone I have feared from a distance, that is, until MAAN. :-D

Your 5 impressions towards him/her.
1.
a)Draws very well.
b)She's feisty, like a crab. :-D
c)Gets very frustrated when she can't solve a friend's problem.
d)Is sentimental.
e)Needs to eat more (I swear, the wind will blow you away one day...)

2.
a)Though she doesn't see it as a compliment, it has to be said. She TOWERS over you. :)
b) Her smile could (and most probably does) light up the sun.
c) Seems moody, but is actually a very happy person.
d)Very mischievous, almost impish.
e)Absolutely ADORES Christmas.

The most memorable thing that he/she had done for you.
1. Back in form 1, I went crying to Kiran while she was in the middle of a KH lesson. I had just lost a very valuable white gold necklace and was sobbing buckets. She made up some tale, came out of class, and after a proper comforting session, helped me hunt it down. And luckily enough, we found it. :) I am forever grateful. Thank you.

2. This year, I found out I had to complete 3 chapters of history notes, and 2 chapters worth of written work within a day. My teacher wanted it the next day so he could mark it and show it to my parents during report card day the day after. This was in the middle of jubilee practice, and I usually got home very late. On the verge of tears, I tell Mayu. She offered to write out notes for a couple of the chapters and e-mail them over that night. :-) I may not have taken up the offer, but it was the thought that counted. Thanks honey!

The most memorable thing that he/she has said to you.
1. Hmmm... that's a hard one. There's "Picasco" and "Mitotis"..... i really can't decide.
2." I could type out a few chapters and e-mail them over. Would that help?" (Or, something to that effect)

If he/she becomes your lover, you will…
Couldn't happen. I'm married to Josh Groban, remember?

If he/she becomes your enemy, you will
1. Have to find someone else to paint that mural on my wall. (Yes, need to talk to you bout that.)
2.Have to figure out how to make a proper pie on my own. >.<;

If he/she becomes your lover , he/she has to improve on..
It won't happen. I'm MARRIED.

If he/she becomes your enemy , the reason is...
1. I really wouldn't know.
2. That's easy, our choice in music. I'm ok with hers, she can't stand mine.

The most desirable thing you want to do to him/her
1.Put her on the podium at Parliament,with live, international media coverage, then settle into a cosy little corner and watch the show.
2.Get her to New York so she can watch the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

The overall impression of he/her is
1.Has a sharp wit, that will carry her a long way.
2.Is a very street smart character. Not someone you'd want to rob in a dark alley.

There we go! And here's a sneak peak of my next post:

Till then!