First Try on Baking a Cake

I have always avoided baking a cake.

Dunno why really. I guess I always thought I didn't have proper baking utensils to bake a cake. All I have is one square baking tin.

Anyway, decided to try one day...with the easiest simplest recipe I could find. And of course, what is easier than a butter cake recipe...???

I can't even remember where I got the recipe online. I think there was only 5 ingredients. But honestly, baking a cake...even easier than making cookies and muffins.
Mix mix. Measure and pour into cake tin. Bake.

This is my end result.

My food tasters aka. kids and hubby love it.

So if you are baking novice like me...try baking a cake first. You would be really happy with the end result.

Cupcakes for Allyson

For Ally's 2nd birthday, I was planning to make some cupcakes for her. Trying to save money on getting a birthday cake and also wanted to make that little girl smile if she saw Elmo cupcakes on her birthday.

Got all the tools needed finally. But on the last week before her birthday, the recipe that I tried to make the cupcakes backfired. Totally dry and awful. Due to my error in not reading the recipe properly.

Anyway, abandoned the idea and settled on getting a cake from the bakery.

I was not satisfied...so on her birthday weekend, I just thought of making cupcakes for her, Ryan and hubby. Got this recipe for Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream frosting by Julie Goodwin. It actually turned out okay.

The icing in the picture does look like its sweating already.

Goma dressing

I never gave much thought about Japanese dressing until recently. To me, making a salad was using salad dressing either thousand, italian or just plain mayo.

But with the opening of Sushi and Pasta Zanmai, I was exposed to eating Japanese dressing. And I was a 100% believer in Japanese salads after that.

Here is my favorite. Goma dressing. Very simple salad using romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bonito flakes, crabsticks and quail eggs. You can add in avocado and prawns too. Basically its really up to you.

It is an easy salad to serve for any party too.

Lunch: Spaghetti with Pesto,Duck and Sundried Tomato

First time buying bottled pesto.

Was having craving for pesto. So decided to try the Marks & Spencer brand. Too lazy to make from scratch.

Once opened, could last last for 2 weeks refrigerated.

I had bok choy, sundried tomatos and some shitake mushrooms. So decided to cook this dish.

Verdict... Yummy!

Fast and simple. Makes a quickie lunch!

Tea time: Vanilla Cupcakes

Saw this post on this blogger's site and thought...looks darn good. The cupcakes that she made seemed easy and she raved quite a bit about it.

I hardly see cupcake recipes mixing plain flour with self raising flour.

Gave it a try.

First bite...dry and not very sweet. (I cut down on the sugar)
But after one day...somehow the taste has set in and seems to carry moisture well.

Failed terribly in the vanilla butter icing part. Don't know why it wasn't homogenized after mixing it.

Dinner: Yam rice

I have always loved yam rice since I was a little girl.

But somehow, those sold at the stalls...something was lacking. The rice was empty and most of the time, very little yam in them. I would be digging the rice just to find a few pathetic cubes of yam in them.

Klang yam rice is quite unique. Served with hard boiled eggs, chilli prawns and tofu soup. But the rice... rather mediocre.

So, since becoming a wife and mother...I have had a few attempts of cooking yam rice. The first time was a failure. Second and third...okay but not tasty enough. Yesterday.. was my most successful attempt. Tasty but only thing... too much yam! The yam this time had some pandan fragrance to it that made the rice more yummy.

Have to remember to put more dried prawns and lap cheong and less yam next time.

Simply love fried shallots with the rice!

Tea time: Chicken Potato Puffs

Had some leftover puff pastry from Christmas last year...( Not sure still can use....but should be okay I guess...in freezer).

Something that I always wanted to make but too lazy. Saw in someone's blog that she put egg in her puffs.

Why not?? I always liked egg in curry puffs.

So, chopped up potatoes with chicken fillet...stir fried with onions.

Cooled down the mixture and dunked it in with the rolled puff pastry. Added a slice of egg on top and into the oven. Smelled good. But taste...not saltish enough. What the heck? Anything with puff pastry tastes good most of the time.