Not happy jan

went to a cute cosy little cafe yesterday,
ordered an eggs benedict, egg & chorizo bake thing and a hot chocolate.

i was VERY excited because i have never had eggs benedict before.
was very much looking forward to my brunch.
heard the hype, seen the pics and it sounds yummy.

anyways... they mixed up our order.
our order went to another table,
we sat and waited for about 40 mins like idiots.

queried about our order - said it was coming
queried again when nothing came - they lost our ticket.

F$%#%!!!!

NOT HAPPY!!
AND NOT GOING BACK!!

very disappointed because it seemed like every body else got their orders and enjoyed their food very much.

SIGH....

we got our money back (partial)
but still very unhappy.

i love...

PAY DAY!!

Nothing like getting paid :D

now i can't wait to get my tax refund

but no handbags for me this time...the $$ is going towards mortgage and cc bills.

sooo boring

whinging...

i have to mark some english narratives

urgh...

it is one of the MOST painful things about teaching

i guess i have to be grateful that i'm not a highschool english teacher

1 down, 24 to go... one powerball!

my city - east perth

i live in perth, western australia.
my family moved here more then 25 years ago to start a new life.
even though it is a small city compared to sydney or melbourne,
i still love its small city, simple laidback style.
i love it here, it is home for me, i dont know if we'll ever move.

i've decided to showcase bits and pieces of perth that i love the most.
the following pics are mainly scenery, houses, art, architecture or anything that takes my fancy, that i have found around a particular area.

first suburb: east perth
primarily an industrial area in early twentieth century, it has now turned into a yuppy-ish suburb full of modern townhouses and apartments. Many of the townhouses are custom designed and built to accomodate for the small land lots. The creativity of these architects absolutely fascinate me.

i would love to live in east perth [if i could afford it], it has a great city feel with lots of amazing parks and facilities nearby. if you do get the chance to visit perth, and you have some spare time, come and check out east perth, especially the claisebrook area. take a short walk, have a coffee along the waterfront and check out the amazing terraced townhouses along the waterfront. they are just charming! my pics really did not do them any justice.

ps: i was in the east perth area because i had to go to the chinese consulate to pick up my passports! shanghai here i come!

Currently loving...

Can Can fashion magazine from Japan.
I am really truly loving the uber cute fashion styles coming out of Japan.
I bought this from Kinokuniya (best book shop EVER!) for about $20, which ain't cheap for a fashion mag that i can't read or understand. But hey?! there's lots of gorgeous pics of clothes and girls to stare at. Now i can't wait to travel again so i can get another mag... unless someone wants to send me one?.... :P All the clothes in that issue are summer based and it is far too cold in Perth, WA, right now to wear anything like that...would really love to get my mittens on a winter edition.


The models are just gorgeous [i think!] and it has influenced me heaps with regards to fashion style, hair and make-up. More easily relateable then CLEO or Cosmo - Ewww! My false eye lash obsession started all because of this mag..heheheSome of the super cute outfits they had displayed.
I use it as a point of inspiration.

Macaron batch 4 and 5

Currently reading...

I have been meaning to read this for a while,

and i'm glad i did. Even though i haven't finished reading it,

i'm really enjoying it.

It is similar to Jane Austen style of writing, but not as funny or witty.

The plot is very interesting and draws you in, the characters

are well developed, which you grow to love or detest.

There's lots of french phrases - which aren't translated, so it can be

tricky to read. My limited high school french is just not cutting the mustard.

Apparently there's good twists and turns in the later half of the book,

and i can't wait to watch the tv movie version of it.

Favourite blogs

This is a fashion blog i have found just recently, which i love to check out every day.

The blog is about Chiara and her fashionable journeys across Italy and Europe.

I love that her blog mixes high street fashion finds with designer brands. Her style is young and edgy and fresh. She only started the blog in Oct '09, and has a huge following.

I love that her boyfriend is her photographer [ i only wish mine was so creative and talented]

www.theblondesalad.com

ps: i love the blog name too!

picture: courtesy of theblondesalad.com

Ranting and Raving : The Backup Plan movie

We watched the Back Up Plan last night after Master Chef and Millionaire Matchmaker.

I wasn't expecting much from the story line or the acting [come on its Jennifer Lopez] but geez louise it sucked really bad.

It's meant to be a rom-com, but it didn't even make me laugh. All the funny bits were soooo cliched and done to death in other rom coms, you came to expect it and quickly became boring. It was pathetic and sad. The only bits my husband found, laugh out funny, were the bits i started making bitchy nasty remarks about the movie.

Anways here are all the bits i found extremely annoying about the movie, and i am not surprised if it was a dismal flop.

1. Meeting a random/stranger guy and him chasing a girl around the city until she gives him a chance for a date and to get to know him better. This is suppose to be New York, single guy, late thirties- AS IF?

2. J Lo was walking/running around, 1-9 months pregnant in Christian Louboutin heels. C'mon seriously, i'm not that stupid. Even though i haven't been pregnant i know women in their tri mester of pregnancies get CANKLES and cannot fit into such shoes.

3. J Lo was supposed to be pregnant with twins and wearing CL heels just before giving birth - complete and utter b*** s***.

4. character development and story line were lame, no imagination at all.

5. didn't like J Lo's hair

i think thats enough.

watch it only if you really want to, it wasn't my cup of tea at all.

i'd rather watch repeats of Millionaire Matchmaker or Khloe and Kourtney take on Miami.

It's trashy but far more entertaining and amusing then the Back Up Plan.

macaron batch no 3

Macaron batch no 3:

green tea macarons

was a total failure

i think i got too cocky and started to think i was all 'that' ...
oh wells.. i'm not going to stop trying and i cant wait to bite into a yummy green tea macaron.

lesson learnt: dont f*** with the zumba recipe.
it is the holy grail of recipes
[dont change sugar quantities etc like i did, stick to it]

Chocolate macaron recipe

Here is the Zumbo recipe as promised.
This recipe will hopefully give you perfect macaron shells, i cant say much about the ganaches because mine wasnt so good.

Ingredients
40 ml water
150 gr caster sugar
55 gr egg whites, and extra 55 gr egg whites
1gr of powdered egg whites [i didnt use this]
150 gr almond meal
150 gr icing sugar
50 gr chocolate powder

Steps
1. Make an italian meringue by combining water and caster sugar into pot and cook until 121C.
2. Beat 55 gr of egg whites and powdered egg white with a mixer.
3. Slowly add sugar syrup to egg whites while continuously beating them, pour the sugar syrup slowly down the side of the bowl.
4. Beat the sugar syrups and egg whites till stiff peaks form.
5. Sieve icing sugar and almond meal together.
6. Add the extra egg whites to the icing sugar and almond meal.
7. Mix in italian meringue to icing sugar and almond meal mix.
8. Mix it all in until all ingredients are combined. The batter should be quite thick.
9. Spoon mixture into piping bag with a largish round nozzle.
10. Pipe onto trays with baking paper, aim for about 3 cm in diameter, make sure you spread them out as the batter will spread as it settles.
11. Let them sit for 30 mins to 3 hours, this allows a thin skin to form over the macarons which is really important for the smooth dome tops. You know a skin has formed when you touch the macaron shell and no batter sticks to your finger.
12. Once the skin has formed, place the macarons in a preheated oven at 200C. Once inside the oven turn it off for 6 minutes.
13. Turn on the oven to 160C and bake for a further 10 minutes. [this part makes the macaron rise and form a skirt/feet].

Macarons should be cooked through with a crispy outer skin and a soft centre.

Ganache

Ingredients
50ml cream
85 gr of dark chocolate
25 gr of unsalted butter

Steps
1. Heat cream in a small saucepan [dont boil it or the cream will split]
2. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter
4. Stir it all together to a smooth consistency.
5. Pipe or spread ganache onto macarons.

Good luck!

side notes: the above recipe makes a very sweet macaron shell because of the icing sugar and caster sugar. if you dont like it so sweet [like me] play with the caster suagr quantities for the sugar syrup, i havent done this myself but i am experimenting this weekend.

Above is the macaron mix resting and forming skin. You can see my
piped uneven rounds. hehehe... this was my first tray, the third
tray was heaps better.

Above is the baked macaron shell with feet/skirt.


The finished product all happily eaten by my hubby.

macaron recipe by Adriano Zumba

I tried to attached the macaron recipe by Adriano Zumbo to my site but it won't work.
So i will link it instead.
It is a vanilla pannacotta and macaron recipe... you can make both parts if you wish, but i'm only interested in the macarons! This is the recipe i will try tomorrow. Will post results when i have finished.

Link

http://www.masterchef.com.au/MasterChef-search.htm?q=macaron&x=0&y=0

goodluck!

and dont forget to share your macaron making experiences!

macarons batch no 1

My first batch of macarons and they turned out bad!
a total fail...sigh ... oh wells...

after realising my attempt was fruitless i quickly went on the net to see what i did wrong.
boy oh boy... did i make MANY mistakes. [i also quickly felt better when i read that many people fail 5-10 times before they get their first successful batch - only 9 more attempts to go!]

i can tell you WHAT NOT TO DO to ensure your macarons are more successful then mine.

DO NOT
1. try to make them late in the afternoon or at night, especially in the middle of a very chilly winter. Part of the macaron process is to allow them to stand still after piping. The standing still phase can take 30 mins to 5 hours depending on weather conditions. The ideal condition is someplace dry and warm, so the macaron can form a thin skin that creates the perfect dome shape. Let's just say this impatient baker was in too much of hurry to wait for a skin to form.

2. When piping, go high not low and flat like a subway cookie.

3. Make sure you blend your almond meal and icing sugar together in a food processor. Otherwise you arms will be sore from sifting stuff for 45 minutes. [ouch]

4. Make sure your eggs are 3 days old AND at room temperature. [the whole time]
Something about eggs being more elastic when they are older [ mine were only 1 - impatient me]

Well thats my tips for now, I'm not going to share with you the recipe i used [fail] but i will attach a recipe from masterchef that works [on tv anyways]


The macaron recipe book i used


chocolate macaron shell recipe

My very "fail" macaron shells, very flat, uneven skin with cracked bits, no feet and no height.
My macarons came out very soft after the first bake, so ingenius me decided the next morning to bake them a little longer but then forgot she was rebaking them and they ended up like tough little cookies. sigh... i really cant win.

fresh from the oven.

macarons

its the school holidays and im soo excited!


the first thing i want to do is make macarons.
i have been drooling and dreaming about making these.
i've tried a few, but i have never ever tried making them before.
Sunday is the big day and i hope it all turns out perfect.

i have a girls morning tea on tuesday and i might it try out on them.

some pretty yummy pics to inspire...

cant wait!!

false eyelashes

Remember a couple of weeks ago i was obessessing over false eye lashes?
well... what do you do when you are desparate?

EBAY!!

i hit ebay hard, looking for nice natural looking lashes at a good price.
well i found them and i am pretty happy with them, unfortunately i havent had much occasion to use them lately. oh wells... at least i am pretty well stocked for at least 1 year.
box of 10 lashes for about aud $10 inc shipping.

hehe... this girl AINT paying $9-$12 per lash anymore!

ciao!

yay!! my parcel from strawberrynet arrived today... now i just have to pick it up from my mother's house. the other thing is ... it was my bro's bday yesterday.... do i give one of my perfume purchases to him for a bday pressie? i havent bought him anything yet... havent really thought about it. hrmmm decisions decisions...

on another note - 1 more day of school - YAY!!!