sunflower cookies

Success:
They are simply so gorgeous!! I just had to put the flower next to the cookies to snap a shot :) It was quite hard work with the mixing, rolling, cutting, putting the choc chips in the centre gingerly and finally slashing the dough to enhance the petals look.

Failure:
Taste wise, was just so-so and the cookie being quite thick and big reminded me of a hard cake.

ngoh hiang

Success:
It looks like the real deal! Actually I made the fillings and LR did the wrapping, and what a good job! The fillings were still juicy while the outside was crispy. The prawn, pork and chestnuts were left chunky due to laziness after the hard work of cleaning it, but surprisingly it added more texture and flavour as you can taste each individual ingredient rather than a paste.

Failure:
The skin is really quite salty, and I would definitely not use any salt or soy for seasoning in the filling and the skin should be wiped off with a damp towel several times to get rid of the salt. Also it's not easy to wrap tightly these ngoh hiangs, and when frying the 'poofed' up like puffer fishes, though when cooled it went back to what it should look like, but I felt that perhaps not wrapping them tighter in could have compromised on the juiciness of the fillings. So my ngoh hiang could have been juicier!

lemon sponge cake

Success:
It was light and fluffy. Buttermilk in cakes is a MUST! The recipe yielded 2 cakes and I couldn't help but think about how huge Sara Lee's profits are! My ingredients costs are barely $5 for 2 cakes, but of course I am once again reminded by LR that my labour is not cheap (so sweet). But honestly, I wouldn't call it labour at all, more like a hobby or love for it :)

Failure:
I should reduce the sugar significantly and I would definitely whip in more lemon zest and juice. Perhaps I should even do a variety of citrus fruits ( orange, lemon.. can't think of any at this moment) I also wonder if I did put lemon slices at the bottom of the cake tin and bake would that be too wet? I'm always trying to improve on my presentation and progress from this home-made look where I can get away with anything ugly.

Reflections:
Interestingly enough, yesterday I was watching an episode of Jamie and there was this whole issue of simplicity and sometimes we complicate our cooking too much. Hopefully this principle of simplicity does not just translate into my cooking but with my life too that I can be simple and contented in Christ.

" I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound" Phillipians 4

honey wholemeal bread rolls

Success:
The first bread I baked, that is like bread! My previous attempts resulted in either too heavy, too yeasty tasting or didn't rise bread. I toasted the rolls for breakfast and smeared on cream chesse, and the honey from the bread and rustic texture of the oats and wholemeal made my breakfast this morning so special and gasp! Complete. I'm all ready to be geared up for work :)

Failure:
I didn't read the recipe clearly and I was actually suppose to let flour, yeast and honey to triple in size after proving before adding in all the other recipes. I will definitely attempt to bake this again and hope after this lesson there'll be more fluff in the rolls. Also, since the bread used very little oil, I should flour the baking sheet more as the rolls were quite reluctant to leave the sheet.

AM cake - banana chocolate cake

Success:
It was the day that I decided to take a step of faith - baking a birthday cake. Birthdays are funny, some people want to forget it others want to celebrate it. So baking a birthday cake for 2 friends and bringing the cake to a posh restaurant (in a plate and with a cake box that doesn't fit!), could be potentially setting myself up for a A LOT of trouble. But if you never step out of the boat, you would never know if you could walk on water. So what was the verdict from the 2 birthday babies? They loved it! They ate the left-overs 2 days later and SMSed me to tell me that it's as yummy. So sweet... think I scored! (one of them was watching soccer) My take? It was so moist and the freshness of the bananas(I decided against cooking them) with the chocolate was an absolute perfect match. I was totally clueless about how the cake would look, but I really just went 'bananas' with my sliced bananas.

Failure:
I was too eager to slap on the whip cream to sandwhich the cakes with bananas that I forgot to let the cake cool down significantly first. It was a rescue operation in the lab as the cream started to melt and pour down from the sides like rain. Panicking I began to soak up the cream with kitchen towels ( with LR's mom looking on with a very worried expression). Thank God I managed to stop the meltdown and it really was a blessing in disguised, as without the whip cream the cake was light and even after a hearty Italian dinner, everyone at the table finished their slice of the cake :) Hope it wasn't to be polite but that it was really worth putting on more calories.

watermelon salad

Success:
This is my 2nd time whipping up this yummy salad and again it turned out awesome. This is quick, easy and cheap (using my mint plant). This time round I decided to put in a bit of effort into the presentation as well and it looks gorgeous !

Failure:
Before I make this I should check if anyone doesn't eat feta, olives and even parsley! LR doesn't touch the feta and olives but it would compromise with the taste if I had ommited them out.

Here goes my bit of reflection -
For our plans to be fufilled or even turn out great, it doesn't mean that everything about the plans is according to our liking. Sometimes God has a funny way of fufilling His promises and making His plans great. It could that in the process of His will, we encounter some bumps and difficulties or even disgusting yucky moments(like feta or olives, for some) but if we trust in the end result and know it would be awesome (like yummy watermelon salad), why stumble over the little bit of moments? Another way of looking at it is, if we see feta and olives as inconviences and if these inconviences could make someone else happier (I have friends who are obessed with olives) that's love. I would want to be able to love above myself anyday.

peanut butter cupcakes

Success:
The use of yogurt in the cupcakes made them so fluffly and chomping them down while they were still warm was an absolute bliss.

Failure:
There was a nuclear explosion in my lab! The cupcakes flowed like larva crazily in the oven while baking. Each one turned out ugly and likened to a has-been volcano eruption. I really didn't want to take a picture, but thank God the middle ones in the tray had not much space to 'explode' except upwards, so I had 3 decently 'normal' ones to present them sheepishly here. Perhaps I was too generous and overly excited with the use of yogurt. So should I compromise with looks for fluff? I'll try again but this time using tall muffin cases to give the 'explosion' more direction. :)