Almond and Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Made these last weekend, but was too excited with the figure one cake till I didn't post this first. Following my almond and raisins biscotti, I tried out a variation. I personally still prefer the one with raisins, so is MC. But my boss said anything with chocolate is nice. I was also relieved that Carebear didn't mind this less than perfect batch. Thanks!

Improvements to be made will be to even out the almonds and chocolate, especially the chocolates. Some had bigger chunks of chocolates...

... and some are lacking chocolates. Also, I will change from using dark chocolate chunks to dark chocolate chips, so that the chocolates are more uniform looking. These are a bit messy.

One thing to confirm is to have thin slices. Finally, using a serrated knife would really do a much better job. :)

Turning 1 Year Old

I've got an order from my best friend. It's for a little princess who's turning one year old today. That request, required skipping gym (hence I was not at Axis for BC last night). Hehe...

This is a very special order since it's my first number cake, and her first birthday cake.

Here's how:

The baked chocolate moist cake. This is by far my most perfect one as the cake has risen evenly. So I don't have to chop off the top to level out the cake - you do need it to be leveled.

Cut out the parts on a tracing paper first, this way you can plan where to cut and place it on the cake board to make sure all the parts fits nicely. Once cut (the cake I mean) there's no turning back!

You need 3 parts - a long bar and 2 shorter bars of equal length. Or whatever size so long as it looks like the number "1" when you assemble them.

First would be placing the longer bar of cake vertically on the cake board.

Then the base...

Cut a corner of the remaining bar. Make sure you cut the corner of the correct side. But... whoopss... of course I'd cut it wrong, that's how I'm able to warn you right? Haha...

Anyways, no worries if you do... just turn the cake around, I've the base of the cake facing up.



Glaze the cake and make sure the parts don't fall apart! Remedy any uneven surface. I think this cake will look really nice in coloured butter icing!

I think baby's cake should be colourful. So I piped some pink butter icing to trace the cake.

Daddy's request of course, how would baby manage to eat these? - chocolate coated strawberries.

Of course you can cover the whole cake with strawberries, but it's best not to overdo it. I've got other plans for the rest of the parts, so I've only covered the base of the cake with strawberries.

Happy birthday tag with some plastic balloons (supported by some butter icing because the chocolate cake is really soft). Doesn't this look more like a baby's cake now?

Since the cake is long but slim, there were loads of space on the cake board. So I'd arranged the cake offset from centre, so I can write the birthday greetings on the board, using butter icing. This way my cake won't be too crowded too. Like my writings? Heee...

I thought the board looked a bit bare, so added Garfield. It's a baby's cake after all right? What harm does it do with featuring some toys?

A different type of cake box, the normal ones will normally fit up to cake board of 12 or 13 inches only. Anyways, this cake box looks much nicer right?

And I found a really cool birthday card which I can't stop myself from buying. It's so customized. Sounds relaly like one from The Baker!



Happy birthday honey, may you be blessed with health, happiness and love forever!

Do you luv your job?

SSB has so far not failed to amuse me with her cupcake order specifications. She's planning to claim a cupcake nut case. If so, The Baker will be the happiest person in the world.

Here's the latest version of her order.


Hope you will be having loads of fun with these!

Commitment to Project FSS

From: TTB
4.30pm
22 January 2008

I'm coming tonight to pick up my basic step :). Teaching?

From: Nor
4.45pm
22 January 2008

Yes

... and I made it!!!

Today for whatever reason, was more congested than the last time I tried this route (from TTDI through Jalan Semantan, Parliament, Jalan Raja Laut, to KLCC) it was quite smooth. Today it took me at least another half hour. Oh... tomorrow is public holiday.

Sometimes it's a wonder how we can bump into each other just because I passed by the reception when the other person so happen to be there at the same time, despite one million other possible time and places.

I also bumped into MB in the locker room and managed to be an audience of the very happening contender challenge lead by none other than our dear Carebear. I thought the challenge today looked, well, more challenging because one thing, the kicking pad was held higher as compared to last night (purposely by Carebear or it just happened to be her height?) and the position held will only allow proper roundhouse kick and not any other kicks. Wonder how it went cuz I had to leave after one minute to join step. I "saw" that Carebear was (is now) nursing a pair of very sore arms and sore throat.

The first thing I said to my favourite FSS instructor was "ehhh... why so kurus??!!". She said she was even more kurus when she just cam back from her trip. Thought we put on weight when going on trip.

I was very happy upon completing the class, my sweat was at least double BC, triple BP, something like that. Great workout and very satisfying from a step fanatic point of view. At least I managed to do 99% of the choreo and not the other day's 0.001%. I also had a good revision on my 6 point turn, stomp, spin, swing, jump, turn... Had so much fun! I had to really put this on my schedule permanently. Which means I had to look into my Wednesday and Thursday plans again.

By the way, there is not more flat rate after 5.30pm at KLCC? I paid RM6 for parking 2 hours and 17 minutes. Humph... and some people complain about the parking fees at TC that has increased to RM2 from RM1? Oh well, looks like I would have to order mineral water instead of ice lemon tea for my lunch to make up to the parking fee expenses. OR, finger cross for a good salary increment! :)

From: TTB
2130

22 January 2008

Hi Hi... Tmr public holiday but still teaching normal timetable? 1245 pump maxis?

From: FI
2135
22 January 2008

Yes :(

Why so sad?

其实不简单

前几天很以意外的收到一则短讯，感觉一股莫名其妙的心酸涌上胸口，没有办法咽下。无法停止的长唉断叹。还以为自己一直把心情处理的很妥当，怎么因一些已经知道的事情而感觉不是味道呢？

我心想，可不可以放弃曾经说过要永远是好友的诺言？可不可以像辞职一样的离开做朋友的角色？

再想想，做好一个没有办法拒绝的次选角色真的其实很不简单。 不过，总不可以逃避现实吧。还是勇敢的面对， 努力抚平那胸口小小的心痛吧...

Spring Cleaning

I suppose it's a tradition to spring clean before Chinese New Year. Mine started today and I hope ended today as well - I think so, all the cleaning have been done, I'm left with perhaps clearing off some unwanted stuff and I'm done. New (clean ones) curtains are all up, "new" bed sheets will be changed the night before CNY.

I used to hear from the elder also, another important stuff to do before CNY would be to clear off all debts. I don't mean credit cards or loans, I wish those can be cleared annually. I'm referring to money that we borrowed. Did a mental search and nope, didn't owe anyone money, except for the new "loan" I got from MC, which is on instalment. I recently heard that there's this person in the gym who has been borrowing but giving all the lenders some hard time to recover the money. Not advisable, bad luck for the coming year.

Before the spring cleaning, I was at LM for my routine BP with Hobbes. Looks like I will have to re-plan my gym schedule next week - next Wednesday is a public holiday for Selangor, which means I can't go to BP at Uptown; and Hobbes won't be teaching next Saturday, which means I would most probably not be joining class.

Since we won't be getting any torture from Hobbes next Saturday, he'd made sure that we have enough "dosage" to last us till he's back. Thank you very much, but I've got Cerebear being my dosage provider when it comes to torture in class. I heard Hobbes mentioning "sis" and "TTB" (not literally) a few times - I couldn't really hear what you were saying, but I'm all agreeable with whatever you said, regardless.

I have no idea what sort of back track that was, thank god Hobbes is kind enough to warn us that it's a tough track, hence, I'd maintain my chest weights, at 6kg only instead of 7.5kg. I cannot even start to imagine what will become of me if I'd used 7.5kg. There was 3 sets of clean and press, normal, with the last set a 6 reps of c & p. How typical. On top of that, there were also 3 sets of 7 deadrows, for 2 rounds. Here and there was some sets of 3 deadrows... !!!! and yeah, Hobbes, I've done that biceps track before, one of FI's favourite tracks, a bad bad mood one...

My stomach was really unsettled just now and really had to try so hard to hold down my breakfast. I would really have to change my breakfast to something lighter the next time. That aside, the class was really satisfying, and yeah, I think that's a good dosage there bro, well done!

Project FSS

Free style step is one of my most favorite class - every class is different, it's the type of class where you advance and level up. It's highly addictive.

I've stopped going to FSS since I'd changed job. My used-to-be regular FSS classes were in MMX. But these few days I was just so tempted with the idea of jumping and spinning around the step board. Plus, Nic's classes really look extremely interesting, as always. So, there I was at Axis last night in intermediate step after BC. Not done FSS for so long and I chose that class? - I asked for it! (so "padan muka"... ahahaha...)

Suffice to say, after such long interval, last night was a major disaster! I think I'd only managed to follow 0.001% of the class. ARGHHHHH... I had constant mental fog, a very thick fog. I can't remember the "mechanism" of the movements, don't remember how to do a 6 point turn; forgot what is double switch and how to do the funky... leave alone being able to follow with the choreo lead by bullet speed instructions.

I remember Carebear telling me that she used to be a hardcore FSS fan and started with teaching FSS. Wahhh... Cool!

Oh, nearly forget. BC was a major surprise to me. It was so normal! Don't get me wrong, I'm writing "normal" in my best complimenting tone. No mixing up of left and right; no leaving members to do their own choreo; no restricting of drinking water. Clear instruction with accurate timing and cueing. No nonsense. Wah... What was the reason I wonder. Or perhaps who... must be someone very significant eh? Hehe...

OK, coming back to my project... I have to reschedule my gym routine again.

From: TTB
2130
January 18 2008
:( sob sob... went to intermediate step with nic jus now and i was in total blur. canot even complete 1 choreo. miss u and yr class so so much. wat a waste to stop. :( :(


From: Nor
2227
January 18 2008
Hey... nice to hear from u. How r u? Ha ha. were you spinning like gasing?


From: TTB
2230
January 18 2008
Yes spinning like a gasing but drop off and left aside one. :( :(