Hooking my way through the Web

After my fascination with making Amigurumi last year, I was left with various quantities of yarn of various colors. I visited various sites on the internet and was inspired to make a couple of fashion and home items. Here are some samples of what I made and the original that inspired them.

Surprisingly warm necklace

White Flower Necklace-Creative Yarn

Hand Warmer -Creativeyarn.blogspot.com

Oatmeal, Tan and Gray Hand Warmers

1st logical yarn scrap project

Hexagon How to-Attic24.typepad.com

Here is Crochet Cake I made for my friend Charlotte's birthday last year. She complained that I never made her a birthday cake so "I did"! Hidden under the Crochet Cake was a delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake Kit from William Sonoma. So I made her a cake And no I did not- she had to make the cake herself. Clever right??

Potions, lotions, markers and crayons - for the Grown Up Girl

I was too excited to receive the Sephora catalog, me thinks.  What am I talking about? Have you seen the Tokidoki line of makeup? Sumptuous!! Markers for grownups. Those beautiful colors. They had me at first glance.

When I read that those waterproof eyeliners can be used to draw temporary tattoo on skin......  Simone Legno, Tokidoki's  creator is shown here PLAYING :) What fun!

I have been fascinated  with Tokidoki for awhile now. Last year I bought my daughter some Tokidoki rain boots! Now I just want the whole makeup range they have at Sephora. I am not sure if it is the makeup I want or the gorgeous packaging they come in... maybe both.

I love those oh so cute characters. Take a look and see if you dare disagree with me!

These past few years I seem to regain my interest in makeup... subconsciously regressing into the teenager I was. Ha, ha. Don't get me wrong I do not wear all that much makeup, actually almost none most days. I just love the colors and the packaging and the promise of how it can transform me into this Beauty. Just like jewelry that I make and love,  do I wear them? Rarely. So much so I think the holes in ears for earrings have become smaller.....I actually have to make a conscious effort to put on jewelry and...makeup. But I do love them.

At 50, I am more about skincare routine than makeup. (don't open my drawers or those pots of eye shadows will come tumbling out!). I am a Philosophy Girl! I cleanse with Real Purity at night and Micro Delivery Exfoliating Wash in the morning on a good day. Otherwise, Real Purity morning and night. Hope in a Jar has been my main moisturizer for 5 years. It just sinks into the skin like a tall drink of water, like the cliche but oh so true. Most important is I apply sunscreen each and every day- Dr. Denese SPF30 Defense Cream, a full spectrum tinted sunscreen moisturizer. I truly believe that sunscreen is the most important part of my skin care. Unfortunately, despite all the sunscreen I am getting freckles!! Relatively wrinkle free but sun kisses! I have to step it up and reapply sunscreen during the day somehow or maybe stop gardening when it is hottest!!

             Cleansers                                                                 Moisturiser and eye cream

           The only things I wear on my face most days - SUNSCREEN!

OMG !!!!

A little over a week ago I "celebrated" my 50th Birthday.OMG !!! Not because I turn 50 but all the comments and the reactions......People, I turned 50. I am not stepping over to the other side. Life is not over. Not by far. It reminds me of my 20s when I get comments like "but you are married!" It did not stop me from pursuing an challenging career, sometimes travel alone or admiring a good looking guy who was not my husband. Ha, ha, like I say to this day, I am married not dead!!( I am still married almost 25 years later). Now, I say I am 50 and enjoying life.

Updated Rendang - Tok Rembau

We like to try making and eating different types of Rendang.  Rendang is a Malaysian style curry spiced with ground spices and thicken with ground toasted grated coconut. Flipping through the cookbooks we could not identify the last Rendang enjoyed. So instead, we decided to make Rendang Rembau from Negeri Sembilan. However, inspiration struck! My dear husband had just bought a box of fresh young coconut. We decided to marry Rendang Rembau with Rendang Tok from Perak, which incorporates the flesh of young coconut in their Rendang in addition to the kerisik (toasted grated coconut).

We enjoyed the Rendang although it could have been spicier. I guess winter chilies are not as spicy as those in hotter months. I will use dried chilies the next time.

Pineapple Tarts

Chances are if you were to ask an overseas Chinese from Malaysia or Singapore, what cookie they miss most during Chinese New Year, Pineapple Tart will top the list. This year I made 2 batches of pineapple jam. One from fresh pineapple and another from canned pineapple rings in pineapple syrup. The jam made from fresh pineapple was a tad fresher in taste, though not significantly. I would certainly make the jam from fresh pineapple if they were in season and reasonably priced. Otherwise, I would not hesitate to make it out of canned pineapple.

I experimented with two different pastry recipe. One more melt in the mouth feel and the other a little less so and also less sweet. The melt in the mouth pastry had cornflour and icing sugar. Choose the pastry recipe depending on your preference. Both are very good.

I got to use my brand new silicone rolling pin - the Silpin and Even bands. They worked beautifully. I barely had to use any additional flour, only lightly flouring the pastry cloth I rolled the pastry on. The Even Bands were ingenious! They are heavy duty rubber bands of various thickness you slip unto the rolling pin. Pastry rolled out perfectly to desired thickness. I am so glad I traded in my trusty 21 year old wooden rolling pin.

Kuih Bangkit

A restlessness has been upon me as Chinese New Year approaches. The urge to bake and cook is strong. I resisted it no more. Yesterday, I made some Kuih Bangkit- a traditional Nonya Arrowroot Flour cookie. Last year, I could not find the elusive arrowroot flour and had to fall back on recipes that used Tapioca and cornflour instead. The cookies were hard. A few months back I chanced upon Arrowroot Flour by Bob's Red Mill while shopping at Henry's. I grabbed two bags full and stashed them away.....for Chinese New Year.

I truly miss my Ah Mah, my paternal grandmother. She made the most amazing Kuih Bangkit. Beautiful, white and melt in your mouth.CNY baking is a family affair. I remember coming home from school and rushing to the kitchen table. Most of the time I was relegated to dotting the eyes duty. A small saucer of red food dye with sticks of toothpicks were my tools. I patiently wait as my grandmother, my aunt and my mom, press balls of dough into the designs of the floured wooden moulds. A swipe of the butter knife, removes excess dough. A deft swift flick of the wrist, knocks the mould against the table top and out pops the cookies. The cookies are placed on the cookie tray where I give life (eyes) to rabbits, frog, fishes, birds or flowers. Regretfully, as I grew up, I never went beyond making the cookies to actually making the dough with Ah Mah. By the time I was in my teenage years and young adult, Ah Mah was living with third uncle and his family. I made fancy modern and western cookies. I received my tin of Kuih Bangkit from Ah Mah but stop making them with her. The trend of buying CNY cookies was beginning to take its evil root...... (a practice I abhor I let you know). Then I moved to the US. By the time I was ready to once again learn the secrets of making CNY cookies, Ah Mah was rendered bedridden by a stroke......My beautiful, gutsy, strong and funny Ah Mah is gone now but always remembered. I see her vividly as I use her Kuih Bangkit moulds. Wished I have her whisk.... ha,ha I can see her beating the egg yolks with sugar to a thick golden froth with the round coiled whisk in an up down motion.


Determined to succeed this year, I had my husband crack a fresh coconut for me which I patiently grated with my coconut grater bought at an Indian grocery store ( yes, another toy). Ordinarily, I would have just popped open a can of coconut cream. I put the precious grated coconut in a muslin cloth and squeeze the daylight out of it. Managed to only get 100ml of first santan ( coconut milk). Alas, I made to make up the difference with a carton of coconut cream. So continues my adventure....

Molten Chocolate Cake 1

I have been wanting to make Molten Chocolate Cake or Lava cake for awhile now. Over a period of time, I have collected and lost numerous recipes. So what's new, right? Just before Thanksgiving my cousin in Malaysia kindly gave me the recipe she uses - I Spy the appreciative comments on Facebook by her friends and asked for it. Of course, in real life, on Thanksgiving Eve, I am hunting for a recipe and forgets the one she gives me! This is one adapted from Bona Appetite Magazine a few year back.

I plan to try all the recipes and rate them. A talented young baker, daughter of my good friend C gave me two of the recipe she uses. All I know, boys come running when she makes them.....must be good, me thinks!

For now, the Bona Appetite recipe. I like this ease of this recipe. It is just one batter. In many recipe the lava/center is made separately. In the tradition of not letting things alone, I tried baking the prepared cake from frozen in addition to the original instructions for baking them freshly prepared and refrigerated. I think I like the texture of the bake from frozen. The convenience of having them in the freezer is tempting....

Frozen batter in ramekin, ready for instant gratification!

Makes 8

14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

Method:

Generously butter eight 3/4 souffle dishes or ramekins. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups of powdered sugar, then the chocolate mixture, then the flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to the top and dividing equally. ( can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate)

Preheat oven to 425F. ( or 400F if using convection oven). Bake until batter has risen above the dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run a thin knive around the cake to loosen. Allow cake to rest 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding the dish firmly, place plate gently on atop the cake and invert unto plate. Dust with powder sugar. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

NB

For Frozen batter - preheat oven to 375F( 350F convection) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.