White chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting

I found this recipes online and decided to give it a try since I have unused cooking white chocolate inside the fridge. Furthermore, it will be different from any of the cakes that I ever baked before. Since I want it to be my birthday cake therefore, it is absolutely necessary to make it extraordinary special. So, here goes;

Ingredients:
21/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
30gm of white chocolate, chopped to pieces
1/2 cup of hot water
1 cup of butter, room temp.
11/2 cup of caster sugar
3 eggs
1 buttermilk ( if you don't have buttermilk you can make yourself, 1cup of milk+3/4 of cream of tartar)

Methods:
1.Preheat the oven to 175C. Sifted the dry ingredient together into a large bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt).Put aside
2. Melt the white chocolate together with the hot water in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir until smooth and leave to cool.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in another bowl until light & fluffy. Add the egg one by one, beating well with each addition. Stir in the flour/dry mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Mix in melted white chocolate and 11/2 tsp of vanilla essence.
4. Pour the mixture into a cake pans and bake for 30-40min. You can divided the mixture into two if you are using a 9inch round pans.

Frosting ingredient:
30gm white chocolate,chopped
21/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Combine the flour, white chocolate & milk in a bowl. Cook in a medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick.
2. Cream butter, sugar & vanilla essence in another bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually adding the cool chocolate mixture, beat at a high speed until it is the consistency of a whipped cream. Spread the frosting in between the cake, on top & at the side.

So, there it goes. Then you decorate your cake as you wish. This is the end result of my cake, first the side view. All the decoration are edible sugar which you can get from any cake shop.

This is the view from top. The wording are made from chocolate.

Happy trying you guys!

Baking/Recipes

I love baking! Every single friend of mine will back me up in that statement because they know that I really into baking and also cooking. I love to entertain my friends at home and cooking or baking for them is a joy to me. Looking at their faces when digging into those foods and cakes/cookies, really is a satisfying moment and when all the foods is finish, that really explain the cooking.


I finally decided to post most of my favorite dishes here and share the recipes with all who interested to try it. I got most of the recipes either from cooking books or online but I made some modification to it so I can claims it as my own recipes. A friend of mine suggested that I created a special blog for all the baking but since I am not yet a professional baker, this small section will suffice for now.Heheheh...


Happy trying to all & I do hope that you find the joy in doing it as much as I do because I believe that you need to love it in order to successfully come out with an excellent dish/cakes/cookies.

My 32nd birthday

It is time of the year again when we celebrate and adding another year into age. Supposedly, it make us a year wiser every year with each celebration & personally, I do feel that I am getting wiser by the year.Hahhaha...


For the second time, I celebrated my birthday in China. No special celebration or anything grand about my birthday, just like all the previous birthday I had but this year I am happy that I get to spend it with my husband. Last year, I had to spend it alone so it should does make a different this year. Also, I decided that this year I will bake my very own birthday cake. This is because in China, their cake is definitely not nice, the cake is mostly made from sponge cake with whipped cream as the icing which make me gauge when i ate it. So, to solve that problem, I decided I'll bake my own cake & decorate it myself. The day before my birthday, I was busy baking & decorating it.Very much satisfying especially it does taste nice and when I posted it online, I received lots of good compliment. So, not bad for a non professional baker like me. This also make me fire up to try my hand at baking different type of cakes and using different type of decoration material in the future.


I received my birthday gift a month earlier from Kris because we were in Denmark at that time so he decided to get me an early gift because he know when in China, it is difficult for him to buy me a gift. He gave me an ipod!hehee..I like it very much though it is consuming most of my time now. Me & gadget is not always a good combination but I love to explore. Too bad that I need to pay for most of the downloading of application so at least I have my limitation there. I also received two surprise gift from Kris's friends which I really did not expect at all. One of it is an Hermes 's scarf! Gosh...I for sure will not buy it myself because its damn expensive! So, I am so happy that I got it as a gift and for sure I will treat it very damn well.Hahah...


We end up the day with a nice and cozy dinner at one of the Italian restaurant in town. Had a very nice meal with a quiet surrounding ( an environment that you will seldom found in any Chinese restaurant). I really have a lot to thank for in my life because I am blessed with so many wonderful friends who never forget to wish me happy birthday every year. Also I am grateful to my eccentric family who in a weird way always there for me. I also have so much of gratitude for having such a wonderful, supportive and a loving husband whom I love dearly. At the end of the day, it is not about the gift or cake or dinner but about what I have accomplished and received in those 32 years of my life. So many experiences and downfalls in those 32 years and each one of those experiences and downfalls has made me a stronger person. It teaches me that life is very unpredictable and unexpected most of the time and how you deal with it or come out from the bad situation, really show what you made of and I for sure know that I am made from steel!Hahhaha...


Looking forward to another birthday next year!

I am here again

I am back! After being silence for quite a while now I am back to a country where blogging is legal. So, I will update you guys with what had happen for the past few weeks that I am not here. We arrived in Denmark on a late Friday night which is very early Saturday morning back there in Malaysia. After a very long hours of travelling and with all the flight delay, we finally arrived safe and sound. Apparently many flight was cancelled yesterday due to snow storm but luckily ours just have to go through the delay. Really thank God for it because I really do not want to stay at the airport especially in my current state of condition.

Took a shower as soon as we reach home and I went straight to bed. Aahhh...feel so nice to lay on a soft & clean bed after spending so many hours sleeping in the plane and airport's seat. It is very cold and windy when we arrived and the whole place is cover with snow.I just love winter because it's all white and white make it look so clean. But I hate walking on the snow especially the frost underneath it because it can get very slippery. The whole night the wind is blowing so hard which means more snow will come this way. Keep on waken by the sound of the wood making those clacking sound when the wind blow. I don't really mind the wind or coldness because inside, it is very warm and cozy.

OK.I need to get my sleep for now.I will update you guys with things that happening for the past few weeks that I have been gone. Got lots to tell and share. But for now...adios....I am sleepy.Zzzzzzzzzzz

Flying again...

Here it goes again. Will be flying back to China today. It will be a 12hrs flight from Germany to Shanghai but before we reach Germany we need to go to Copenhagen first via Aalborg Airport which is 45min drive from our place here. So, basically we need to change 3 flight before reaching our final destination. This time we didn't bring anything ...I mean Danish foods hahah...because we will be back here again in 1mth time for Christmas. 


We will fly using Lufthansa, one of my least favorite airline because the space is small and there is no personal tv screen on each chair. My absolute favorite will be KLM because it's spacey and have tv on each seat. But then again, most of the time I am on a long flight, I slept at least 8hrs of the total journey. Thanks to the travelling pill. That keep my headache and nausea away.


I have no idea whether I can open this site in China because apparently the Chinese government really like to ban so many internet site for no reason. So if they do, I will write again within 1mth time when I am back here again. If not, we will see in China then as I have lots of thing to share.heheh...


Adios amigos!

Morning

It is 845am now and no one is awake. I have woke up since 5am today but I just lay down in bed because nothing much to do if I got up anyway. I am a morning person so regardless what day it is, I always wake up at 7am even on a weekend. But here, it is even earlier, I woke at at 530am!!! If this is my own place then probably I be finish cleaning up the whole house before my husband even get up. Hahhah...And probably I can get down to the gym or do my floor exercise. It is difficult sometimes to stay at someone else's home even though they probably do not mind whatever you do at their home because your are family. But my parents always said...Do not treat other people house like your own.

So, here I am writing something here because I am stuck with nothing but my laptop now.Heheheh..But later today we will go downtown and do some real shopping and do some window shopping. Yes! Hmm..probably that why I woke up very early. Like a little kid getting to excited thinking about the trip their parents promise them the night before. Have to wait for at least another hour before I could go to shower to make sure the hot water is ready. I tried taking shower without hot water before during winter and it is not a very nice feeling.Hahah

Siem Riep, Cambodia

Waking up early to catch the 10am bus to Siem Riep. Our driver send us to the bus station. Luckily the bus was clean and its leave on time. Make a confirmation the day before with the place where we will stay to arrange a pick up. When they said they will arrange a pick up, I was thinking a car. But it was a tuk tuk! Hahah..But really thank God that we arrange for a pick up because the bus station is not what I imagine it will be. Very deserted and dusty and out of no where with many tuk tuk 's driver calling loudly for potential customer. Searching for my name card...ahhh...finally I saw my name. 

Typical village houses that we pass by along our way to Siem Reap. I really grateful that we took the bus because we are able to see the surrounding and see the other side of Cambodia. We had a stop after 3hrs of ride but both of us decide just to get a drink. I don't normally eat during a long distant ride because I prone to feel nausea. Yes..I do have travel sickness.

While waiting for the bus to move again, Deb & I was watching this beggar children asking for money from the tourist. One of the tourist gave him a Coke and he was overjoyed and ran with it so that he do not have to share with anyone. Any carbonated drink cost USD1 over there which is basically too expensive for local.

Yes, this is the bus stop. Heheheh...

This is our place for 3days. It was own by an American guy and his Thai's wife. Not so bad for USD20 per night, at least we have an a/c and our own bathroom. There is a pantry outside the room where you can hangout at the balcony and make your own drink. Downstairs there have some kind of restaurant where we can eat if we're too lazy to go anywhere. The area is not too quiet because there are a lot of other B&B within the area so you can see lots of traveler going in and out. On our first day we didn't go anyway cause we arrived there at 2pm and it was damn hot! Both of us suffer a bad headache due to the heat so we decide to stay in and let the weather cool off before deciding to walk around the area. That night we arrange with the place to arrange a tuk tuk for the whole time we're there. 

The first thing on the agenda is to pay a visit to the majestic Angkor Wat. The feeling is so surreal when you finally see the place in person. It is so amazing how people that time building it with no technology as what we have now. Some part of the Wat is so scary to walk in as you can see that it need a lot of restoring to do. It look like as if it could collapse on you anytime! Hahha...There are 9 ruining temples in the park if I can recalled but we decided to only go to 4 of the most popular temples. It was a very hot day and we were having sunburn every where. We didn't think that it will be that burning hot so we did not bring any suntanned lotion. Man...we wish we did use one.

Inside the Angkor Wat. It is actually cold when you went inside the temple. There is a lot of stairs made from sand stone so not all of it I feel safe enough to climb. Well, at least for me because I feel that is is so slippery and I really do not like looking down as it look so steep.

Finally we asked a Canadian tourist to take our photo together. This is the last temple we visited before we both decide that we had enough of temples for the day. We go down town to do some shopping & sight seeing and of course for some foods and drinks. We went home to M'sia feeling satisfied that it was a good trip and we plan for some trip together again one day. Probably to Yogjakarta???? 

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This is Cambodia. It remind me a lot of Vietnam actually but with less development. I have wanted to come to Cambodia for so many years. Before that, I read a lot of books and seen many documentaries about the country. The devastation that engulfed the nation because of the brutal regime of Polpot make me more interested in getting to know the place and the people better. The past history of Cambodia is so bizarre for me that I must go there and see for itself. Most people come here to witness the majestic of Angkor Wat but my main intention coming here to witness the gruesome past of the nation. Therefore, I begin my journey in Phnom Penh where it all started. After done with the booking, off we go!

We stayed in a motel run by NGO to help the street kid to survive by having a job. It was not bad actually. I was not expecting something as nice as that so we both was happy with the choices though it was a little bit out from town center. It was difficult to get a tuk tuk from that place but the kids working there are willing to help you getting one. We just stayed in the first day in Cambodia but we had make an early booking of a tuk tuk for our sight seeing the next day. It was not bad, USD15 for the whole day & we have a good guide. So we decide to pay him USD20.Hehehe...

Yes! This was our ride. Very fast and efficient and yet save enough. Actually I found out that the tuk tuk in Cambodia is bigger than the one in Thailand. So we have ample of place to ourselves. The time we went to Cambodia, it was raining season so it was damn hot!We get to know that raining season there mean, very hot! So, having an open air 'car' is just nice. We went to the popular Killing Field first thing in the morning after breakfast. Our driver told us that the place is a bit far off from the town center so we better go there first. Yeah man...I won't want to be caught dead in that place in the late evening.Heheheh...

The first thing that greet us as soon as we reach there. It is where they collected all the skull that they can find there. The lower part of the memorial tower is all the victims cloths. Apparently, they have to wash it several time to get rid of the stench smell. They believe that by doing so, I mean collecting all the skull and cloths, is the least they can do to give the dead a proper burial. I didn't even realized I was smiling here, it came automatically when a camera is about to snap.So insensitive of me actually. Sorry peeps! Come to think about it, the place was not as scare as I participate it would be. When we reached there, it was very quiet despite having lots of visitor and besides having all those sign, it look like a normal field.

Then off we go back to downtown and went to see the detention and torture center called S-21. For both of us, this is more disturbing than the killing field. We went to all the building which was allowed for visitor even though my friend was a bit skeptical about going all the way up. I guess we both have this imagination that we might bumped into 'something'.Heeheheh...I had a sad feeling when we went here because I have read a lot of books written about how the whole torture was done and some recollection of the memory of those who survive the regime. So basically I kindda dwell myself into the history too much which does effect me personally during this tour. After spending 2hrs at S-21 we decide to roam Phnom Penh and stop by at the Grand Palace and the National Museum.

We wrapped up the day trip here and off we go back to our motel. After taking shower, we went for a walk to search for food. We end up eating pizza because we couldn't find a Cambodian restaurant that we like and it started to rain again along the way. So we just go inside any eating place.Hahah....We also so unfortunate to bumped into a suspicious man who claimed that his belonging as stolen and he needed money etc. Well, we didn't give him any money though and walk off. I guess he heard that we both speak English so he knew we are not local. God know what happen to him that day. Remember what your parents told you... do not speak to stranger. That is what both me and Deb was doing.Heheheh....Our parent will be very proud.

That night we both can't sleep because we still thinking about the places we went that day. Hehehe...I for sure having all these weird imagination about spirit and all so we both decide to watch tv until 5am! Then off to sleep before deciding to do some shopping in town.Hahaha...We spend 3days in Phnom Penh and on our third day we boarded a bus to go to Siem Reap for a 6 hrs ride.

Weddings

I love to attend wedding but unfortunately I always miss my friend's wedding because I am always abroad when they decide to tie the knot. It is a joy to see two people decided to take their vow to live with each other for the rest of their life and it is special for us to be invited to share their happy moment. It is also a good reunion among old friends, like what happen during my own wedding in Kuching where all my very close buddies in the boarding school came. Besides the foods, we also can enjoy doing some bird watching ...eheheh....Malay wedding is a huge affair but a very relax environment because it is so free and easy. There is no sitting arrangement, no schedule as in you can come anytime and you can wear anything especially when it was done at home. At least I don't have to crack my head to think which evening gown to wear and which heels that match the gown. But so far I only attended 4 Malay's wedding in my live and none of the Western wedding ( as I said, I am always not around when it happen)..:(

This one is in Muar, my ex housemate. Me & Rita drove all the way to Muar the day before to witness their akad nikah. 

As I said, it is a relaxing moment. Sitting on the floor while waiting for the groom to come.

This is during the day, the next day itself. Yeah..my face look so oily and wet because it was a hot day outside. So amaze how she can be so cool about the weather while wrapping up in all those garment. Salute! If me, I will need an ambulance to stand by in case I got heatstroke.Heheh...But overall, it was a great day!

This is another Malay wedding that I attended. Wedding of an old classmate. Me, my husband & Rita drove to Shah Alam for the wedding. Luckily we manage to find the place. Even though I work in Shah Alam for almost 5 years, I don't really know the road and junction there except the one going to my office.hehehe...

His first time going to a Malay wedding. It was drizzling when we arrived but the party has to go on. 

Again me & Rita. We have so much memory together for the past 8 years we have been living together as house mate and we went to a lot of places and occasion together especially when it involve our old school mate. It's nice!


Well that is all for now as far as Malay wedding is concern. I am looking forward for another one next year. A very close friend of mine will tie the knot...FINALLY...and I can't wait to be there. 

Back again to land of the smile

Went to Thailand again but this time with one of my very good friend and also my ex house mate.

Getting ready to order some foods and drinks on our way to Bangkok. This is actually our second trip together to Thailand. The first one was to Bangkok and this time, we went to Chiang Mai. One of the best vacation I ever been to. Stay at very nice and cozy hotel but with a very small lift.Hahahah...A little bit our of town center so we need to walk to the main road to get a tuk tuk.

We really enjoy being in Chiang Mai because it is much better than our Bangkok trip. Plus we have a superb driver, Mr.Pat. Thank you so much for being a nice driver and guide though we contacted you at the very last minute.Heeheh...

We went for the elephant ride, the bamboo ride, buffalo ride and seeing how they actually process the elephant dung into a decorative paper which I just realized I always buy!!!

Before resting to our room, we stop by at the botanical garden and have lunch. Order a very very spicy som tam.Nice even though I feel there is fire coming our from my ass!Hahahha...

We end the journey feeling happy and glad that we finally went there after planning and planning for few months. I would love to come again and this time, I'll probably stay longer than 4 days.

Land of the smile

This place leave a lot of good and not so good memory to me. Been living here previously but keep coming back here almost every year because I just enjoy being there I guess. But this time, I went there with my sister. Well, actually I join her for some conference but I didn't attend the conference, she did.hehehe...I just landed in Malaysia after a long flight from Denmark and only have less than 12hrs of rest when I took the first flight going to Bangkok the next day. That was one tiring trip but worth it because after that I slept at one of the best hotel in town..FOC! Yes!

 After a good rest and a nice meal, out I go for some shopping! Since I came to Bangkok so many time, I basically know where to go to get what I need. No sight seeing this time because there is nothing much in Bangkok that I haven't see previously. This time, it is basically for retail therapy. Life a bliss...ahhh...:))

Dog

I love dog but unfortunately I can't afford to have any for now. My dog will die or lack of tender loving care if I have one now because of me frequently going here and there. If I leave them at the 'dog hotel' it probably cost me more than my own hotel.hahahha....
I miss having them around but I guess I just have to wait until I move to the viking land before I can have one. I want them to have a huge compound to run around so that they can exercise and not being lazy. I would love to have two Siberian Husky so that they could pull my snow sledge when it snow.Hahahha....a dream of mine that might not come true as my beloved husband told me over and over again. We'll see.

My brother's puppies, they look so cute! But the brown one has been kidnapped though.This is the second time our dog has been the victim of kidnapping. I guess they are too cute to resist.

 This is my favorite one!! Very cute and chubby. But she will goes to my grandma's house soon. sigh...

This is the previous puppies. The one not eating is the mother. Yup, same mother who gave birth to the latest puppies. Notice the white & brown spot one...

This is he now! This is just over 6mths since the last time I saw him. Gosh..they do grow fast. He is even bigger than the mother. The other two brothers has been given away to my cousin. Cant afford to keep too many of them there.

My baby

Early this year, I have a new baby!! I finally bought a place of my own and I am so happy because I always wanted to live there. Been looking at the place since they first developed it and now it's mine! Well, at least one of the unit. This is how it look like in the beginning. Luckily they already have the basic necessity especially air-condition because nowadays it is very impossible for me to sleep at night without it. Yes..even when it is raining heavily outside. We bought it last year actually but not until Feb this year that we manage to move in after we finish with some renovation. It is nice to have a place to call your own even though it can get real lonely because I used to live with 2 other friends before. Nevertheless, we all still live in the same area so it is possible to visit each other. It is also easy for me to move my stuff because it is just a walking distant. Security is much better here than in the other place but it is very much quieter.

That is how it look now. The divider is still missing though because I only manage to find people to made it last month!hahaha...yeah, been so busy with my work that only manage to really search for it last month.

This was my latest project few months back. The wood carving was bought in Thailand. I purposely fly to Bangkok to find this piece and bring it home. Hang the frame myself so not bad for someone who always fail to hang anything properly. :)

Throw away the curtain and replace it with a blinder. If we have a barter system, we can actually exchange some sugar or salt with the neighbour because this window, open directly to the other unit's kitchen. :)

Very simple but organize kitchen. I am so obsess with the cleanliness of this place that my friends find it so irritating and disturbing when I tends to clean the place while they still doing the cooking.hehehe...sorry girls.

Entertain lots of guest here ever since it is ready to be use and planning to have more guest to sit here in the future as I love to entertain people at home. The glass vase however has been changed to a wooden horse we bought in China.

Finally, here is the office. Spend a lot of time here when I am back in Malaysia. Even better than my old office at my old work place. The rest of the room is private matter.:)

Virtue life

Sitting here at my workstation, I could see outside the window. Looking over the wide field with nothing but greenery. Yesterday, it was cover with snow so it was white. It is only 330pm here and I already started to yawn.heheh....probably because it is now nearly my bedtime in Asia. But then again, I been waking up at 5am every single day ever since I am here. Don't ask me why I woke up so damn early because I also don't even know why. Can't force myself to sleep because then I will have massive headache. So I just drag myself out from bed and here I am.ONLINE!hahaha...I can't seem to get away from the laptop so long. Luckily we are 7hrs behind so I have lots of friend waking up at the other side of the world. The only time my laptop is not in use is when I am asleep.I even bring it to the toilet!! Yuppp...it is that chronic! My husband told me once, if I can bring the laptop in a shower, I would!hahaha....probably I will, you never know. Like one of my friend said, we are the virtue baby. Our life revolve around the internet.ehhehe...I found that is quite true especially when we all live so far away from each other and phone call most of the time can kill us! To all the phone company...you guys should pay attention.heheh...

Am back..:)

It has been a while since I wrote a blog. Not that I have nothing to share but my time has been so consume of doing some other kind of writing. But with an encouragement from a dear friend, I decided to start doing it again. Been up & away for the past few years of my life since I left work to be a full time student and part time housewife. Landed myself in so many different places around the world, meeting new friends along the way and learning new thing everyday though not all of it I can consider useful but nevertheless, it is still a process of learning. Have so many thing to share but need to stop for now. Will be back soon....