A Long Break and Fermented Cassava Balls

As you have probably noticed, I have not been updating this blog for about four months! I couldn't believe it has been that long. Many things had happened since I wrote my last post and life couldn't be busier. It doesn't seem to slow down anytime soon.

Well, as a start, I got engaged! We got engaged mid January after coming back from vacation. With M being in Korea for business trip most of the time, it is really hard to plan. We are planning to wed this July in Bali, mostly due to practical reason since my family is there and we are having a reunion too for my family at that time, but Bali is also very pretty! Other than my wedding, I am also planning my parents' 50th wedding anniversary just two weeks before my wedding. Crazy!

Read More >>

Lemon Frenzy: Cheese Cake Citronné (two ways) and Assorted Lemon Tarts

First off, Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year! Whatever you did, I hope that you had a great time with friends and family and for those of you who had a Christmas break, I hope you had a nice one.

I wrote this post just before I left for my vacation, hoping that I could post one last one to wish you a happy holiday, but I was missing a few pictures and so I had to postpone it. I had a really great vacation despite being sick for half of it. I had 2 week-long vacation and I was sick for a week. I noticed that I have been sick on Christmas holiday every year, at least 3 years in a row, this is a little odd. When visiting M's family, most of us were sick, and so we spent the holiday in bed with M's mom running around to take care of us. I feel bad.

Read More >>

Winter Cleaning Part III: Chocolate-Coffee-Rum Entremet

It feels like it has been a while that this blog doesn't get updated. A little update here, I was on a baking frenzy the week before Thanksgiving, mostly making tons of lemon tarts and multiple Ambroisie and some other baked goods for office fundraising benefiting Canned Food Drive. Then I was gone for a week visiting Mike's family for Thanksgiving and for his nephew's birthday. It felt a bit weird not running around trying to catch up with time, but I got used to it very easily and thus making the day so much longer than usual :). I was back last week and took a week of break from baking and I am back in the kitchen now, at least for the next two weeks before the next trip. In the meantime, trying to finish office work as much as I can before my Christmas break.

Read More >>

Apricot and Matcha Tiramisu

 Today is probably the first time I felt that Fall is here. It was a cool crisp morning with a little sunshine when I went to work today. Leaves are falling and the wind would blow them everywhere. Ah, this makes me crave for warm soups and the warm smell of cinnamon and winter spices. Nothing much is happening lately, my routine has been work, go home, cook, watch a few episode of Futurama, then fell asleep on the last episode. I did manage to make a couple different desserts last weekend though.

Read More >>

Nathaniel's Birthday Part II: Roasted Banana and Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cake

 I just got back from a weekend trip for a friend's wedding, and now I come back with a flu. I guess it is the season and I always refuse to get a flu-shot because I am afraid that I will get sick from the shot. The weather has not been friendly either, it is still cold and pretty gloomy here in norcal, with some sunshine in the late afternoon. Fall is definitely setting in.

Read More >>

Nathaniel's 10th Birthday Part I and Winter Cleaning Part II

Weather has not been normal lately. It is that time of the year when the transition happens from Summer to Fall. The temperature has been going up and down lately. It was beautiful sunny 80s last week and it was cold and rainy 55 today and will stay that way for a few days.

Read More >>

Toby's 3rd Birthday Part II, Thomas The Tank Engine Birthday Cake

As I mentioned before, my nephews' and nieces' birthdays are generally celebrated twice, and Toby's birthday this year was no exception. We combined his big birthday celebration with his older brother's birthday, Nathaniel (their birthdays are exactly one week apart). I had to make two different cakes though for each one of them.

Read More >>

Winter Cleaning and Toby's 3rd Birthday Part 1, Raspberry Pistachio Mousse Cake

I have been very busy with cakes ever since I got back from my Asia trip. I might not have posted enough to show that but I have tons of backlogs to post.
July to October will always be my busy month every year though. It is when most of my family here have their birthdays on. It was my little nephew's birthday a few weeks ago and the thing with my nieces' and nephews' birthdays, they always get celebrated twice, one with the Sunday School friends, and the other one with the family and adult friends, making my baking schedule twice as busier.

Read More >>

Lemon Tart with White Chocolate Cream and Strawberries

Life has not changed much lately. The only one thing that seems to change with me, is my weight. Yup, I gained weight without noticing it until when I stepped on a scale two weeks ago, it has been a nightmare ever since. I am considerably petite and it has always been hard to find any clothing my size. Lately, I feel like my pants become tighter around the waist (I have to unbutton some of my pants when sitting down) and my upper arm looks as big as a baseball bat in pictures. It is time to finally put a regularity into my diet.

Read More >>

Sicile

Hello. Despite my goal to update this blog more frequently, I just cant seem to do that. Like this week for example, I am buried in my kitchen space every single night of the week after work, and sometimes in the morning before work too. It has been hectic with cakes for my nieces, nephews, and many more. You will see what I am up to when the post is up. Everytime I got myself into one of these kinds of week, I always tell myself "no more. I need a break", but it doesn't seem to be working.

Read More >>