It's Christmas!

Christmas is just around the corner. :) Gave this box of cupcake to the organizer who had invited me to a Christmas party today.

Chocolate Fruit Cake

An early presentation of a Christmas cake, which was actually for a birthday. The choice of this birthday cake as requested by the birthday gal.

The ingredients: Since I don't like mix peel, I've chosen this recipe where you can pick and match the type of dried fruit to include. So I had plums, dates (though okay but the taste did not blend in that perfectly), cherries and raisins. In addition, chocolate chips had been added to intensify the chocolate aroma of this already chocolate based cake. Ground almond was also added hence giving a very solid texture.

The decoration: With brandy butter icing (though originally I planned to get the ready to roll icing, but didn't have time and more inclined to the butter icing taste than fondant icing) and a few Christmasy ornaments.

Christmas Presents... The Episode where I Receive

I believe...

Want to see what I got this Christmas?




















A bottle of those very sweet white wine from James and Rachel (MC's ex-boss and wife), not available in Malaysia. See the rating "9", the ultimate sweetness. No... I've not opened it yet. New year eve perhaps.















A first aid box??? Yeah... see what's inside...















Assorted chocolates - my favorite would be the chocolate coated coffee bean. Which I've shared by delivering them like so...




A book during Christmas day gethering from one of the gymfreaks.


















Some really pretty brooches all the way from US. Love them.



















Also from UK (want to share this Carebear???)...



















And my very final surprise of the night, a present from MC. Arranged specially to have them flew over from UK. Gals, this is really good, but too bad they are not on sale in Malaysia at present.




















My favorite Christmas present so far... A bear hug with big big kisses from SB specially delivered to TC on eve of Christmas night after gym before I left the place.


I believe... I'm one of the luckiest person in the world... May you be as blessed, if not more, as me.

Christmas Presents... Episode III on Sharing Joy

Went to an orphanage on Christmas day... The joy of sharing was definitely felt in all our hearts. We were all happy souls after the visit.

These were what I brought and the children were definitely fans of sugar icing, some of them only ate the sugar icing. Hurmphh... But it was fun and sweet hee... worth staying up till 1.30am to get these ready.

This was last design when I was about to fall asleep, all creativity gone to bed.

My aunty made these money packets for us to put in the money for the kids, and TLA wrapped all these presents.

Trust me, sharing is one great way to be joyous.

I better be good...

There I was, on leave but waking up at 8.00am on Christmas eve having slept only 6 hours. Why? Because I had to travel to PJ early, to beat the jam so that I can be home earlier to finish off with my baking - all the EXTRA hassle because I had to pay a saman!

One day, a week ago, I rushed out during lunch time to get some supplies at Section 23, PJ. I didn't get the parking coupon because I only plan to drop off for 10 minutes, and it was about to rain, and I didn't want to tear my tight skirt by crossing so many times the drain between the shop and where I parked my car... OKAY, big excuse. In short, instead of paying 60 cents for an hour of parking, I got a saman of 100 bucks! What? you think parking without coupon is only 10 bucks? That was like 3 years ago I think.

Frustrating? Extremely, but lesson learnt and a bit of my karma paid I'm sure. So I tried to be as willingly as possible when I head towards the Majlis to clear my saman. And, guess what? I got a "discount"!!! Thank you Guardian Angel. I left after paying only RM30.

Even so, I better be good and not do that again...

Earlier in the morning of Christmas eve, I fell in my wet kitchen, which was literally wet at that time. I fell right on my bum without the support of my hands because I was holding a mug of black coffee and I wanted to "save" my favorite Starbucks giant mug! So I was nursing a very painful bum which I can even feel during squat in BP later (which had to also mean I was really squeezing my butt muscle ya haha).

More karma paid on the eve of Christmas. Crazy, but I was glad I fell without serious injuries and luckily my coffee was not steaming hot.

Having vowed to be good and having paid some of my karmas, I was feeling very cheery and lucky throughout Christmas eve. Left the Majlis in within half hour (lucky I got a reduction on the saman and the queue was not long); Coming back on the anti-direction, opposite of an extremely bad traffic (lucky I left the house early and beat the jam); Managed to package all my Christmas presents on time which allowed me to arrived at the gym on time (lucky I used Penchala link, which was not congested at all); Best of all, met my favorite people that night and had a great time though I had to suffer the traffic leaving TC.

Christmas Presents... Episode II on Giving

The rich chocolate cake has always been SB's favorite. In fact, SB was the one I started baking this chocolate cake for. From the time when I'd passed the cake to him in tupperware and irregular sizes, till the "TeaRoom" version, all wrapped, lined and in proper cake boxes.


















A very chocolaty Christmas for SB. Merry Christmas honey.
















FINALLY, was the "ultimate" Christmas gift for Carebear, consisting:

1. 4 pieces of fruit cake, matured and moist. Baked 3 weeks before Christmas.
   
2. 4 tubs of sticky chocolate cheese, specially reserved. Baked 4 days before Christmas


3. 2 bags, 5 pieces of raisins scones, freshly baked the day before Christmas eve.


4. 6 pieces of colourfully decorated rich chocolate cake baked 3 days before Christmas.


5. Mini jams, 3 from St Dalfour specially bought for my Christmas pack. 2 tubs flew back from London with sis 3 months ago.

All packed in a gift box, with ribbons, and a teddy bear, no picture of the teddy here. Borrowed one from Carebear, with her beloved Ah Girl. They look so cute together!

Christmas Presents... The Episode on Giving

December 20... Was at LM for FI's class. Heard that he's going to be away for Christmas holiday, so his present has to be given earlier. Class was great, FI was using much heavier weights in pump, haha... I've not been doing FI's pump for so long, his, always my favorite.

Received my little Christmas gift in advance from my guardian angel. Certain people will just make my heart skip a beat, all the time.

"Merry Christmas!" from me to FI, present consist my little favorite jams, scones to go with and chocolate fruit cake.

"Yay!" from FI.


















December 22 AM... Same Christmas pack to Hobbes at LM with loads of hugs. Reminded him of last year, yeah... felt nostalgia. Or perhaps I should change the packaging haha...

"I can't stop hugging you, you smell so good". Yeah... that's because I just got out from the house, still smelling of Body Shop Moonflower.

I can't stop hugging too you dear, Merry Christmas. (Because you were clean and dry since you have not done any class yet :P)

December 22 PM... at TC to send the gift to little bro, yeah, I purposely went to send the gift, with loads of kisses but no hugs. (Because you were too "wet" from BA bro). We still owe each other a big big hug.


To be continue...

Christmas Theme Cupcakes

My auntie's cupcake order for her staff... for Christmas and new office warming on Monday.

30 Christmas theme cupcakes. Packed individually (didn't had the time to take a picture of the packed cupcakes)