Lifestyle modification

TA is feeling better... (Thanks LP for your concern). Visited TA this morning, together with MFG. I didn't bake TA anything because I wasn't sure what is it that he can or cannot eat, and whether he has the appetite to eat... So I made a TTB and gave just the TTB to him without any cake. It's a TTB in bandage reading a get well soon card. TA looked good, he said he could be discharged later the evening, not too bad for angioplasty.

While I was waiting for MFG at the lobby of Gleneagles, I came across the directory stating "Diet Counselling Centre", that reminded me of the "lifestyle modification" package at PCMC (MC told me). I suppose that is also something to do with weight management. TA told me since the passed 10 years, he'd changed his eating habits a lot and ask any of us from my ex-company and we can tell you how much weight he'd lost.

Sometimes we just have to give up certain thing for our health. As for me, I'd given up (almost) evening gym regime for my baking and TeaRoom biz. I've been going to the gym in the morning - reach gym at about 7.25am (haha... so precise) and finished off at about 8.10am to shower and get ready to go to work. With this schedule, I can still have the same hours of sleep (no need to wake up extra early). I tried going to the morning 7am RPM class the other day, but I was late even though I woke up earlier. I was extremely sleepy later that day and don't feel that energetic. So decided to drop the morning class arrangement.

It's some what different going to the gym in the morning. It's more serene and kind of slower pace. There are many people in the gym already early in the morning but not as many and as crowded as the evening time. It also made me feel good after a good sweat out in the morning. Besides, it made me feel good by knowing that I don't have to give up my workout routine altogether.

There is a delivery tomorrow, so will be going over to Damansara area, I will try to workout at TC so that I don't just drive all the way there to deliver one cake, very not profitable doing that. After that journey, I would have to prepare for another delivery, my aunty's order so she will come pick up from my house. Then I will be baking the cake which is for Tuesday delivery. (Swee, I'm not coming to Monday pump again, need to decorate the cake for the Tuesday delivery.)

LGM, doesn't look like I've got time to look into the chicken pie yet.

Okay, I better get some sleep.

Sigh...

Sometimes I feel like I've got so much to say, but when I start composing, I don't know what to say.

My ex-boss, the one from previous company whom I normally refer to as TA, is in ICU after his angioplasty. Sigh... I drove from Taman Tun to Jalan Ampang just now because I didn't know he was still in ICU, and thinking of visiting him since I just got the news at almost 6pm. It was so congested. Got a call from his wife just before I reach Jalan Ampang that the visiting hour was over and they migh not let me in. So decided that I will go visit tomorrow instead. I hope he gets well soon. Sigh...

It has been extremely tiring going to office lately. The big boss is like very "angin", a bit short tempered lately. Many people got annoyed with him. Sadly also there is this B&M manager who is not agreeable with her creative team and many other people don't seem to like her attitude much. This is our third B&M manager, reminds me of the Defence Against Dark Art teacher in Harry potter, I think we might just get another manager in the next semester. Naturally, many people are planning to leave. Oh I so want to leave too, sigh...

On the happier note. I've been getting inquiries and orders every week. I just delivered a cake today and there will be another one for Sunday. MFG has introduced a lot of customers to TeaRoom actually. :)

And LGM inquired about chicken pies. I shall look into that k...

Meanwhile, MC is battling with her glucose level... oh yeah, "confirmed" it's a girl. :)

Honey Mustard Chicken

I've kicked start TeaRoom savoury "Test Kitchen"... and here's the first thing I tried. A honey mustard chicken. This is a slow cook chicken recipe, sweeten by the honey which I love, but the mustard seeds were a bit much for me. However, BIL, both cousins said it was nice.

Great, but lets move on to something else.

Mistakes increases with Experience

I wonder if I can call myself an experience baker and no longer a beginner. I started baking when I was in primary school, completed a hotel and catering course WITH training in the commercial kitchens, delivered over a 100 orders this year... I think at least I can say I've enough experience.

Now, if you are a beginner reading this, and have been or is going through some really annoying moments on failures - sunken cakes, burnt cookies, make a mess handling icing, don't know what is a fondant... I hope you feel better after knowing that I had actually had 2 failures in a row just last night, and the worst? I was baking an item I was so, SO good in baking.

How come? Sometimes I think the risk of mistakes is higher for experience people. When you are so experience in something, you tend to be less detail. For example, I wouldn't double check the list of ingredients again (and therefore leaving something out if I haven't been baking that item for a long time), I don't take notes anymore (because I might think that I will remember), I don't check my stuff in baking for 10 times (will just leave it to bake, and before I know it, the stuff might be burnt). There are many more things you tend to leave out when you get more experience.

It is of course frustrating when you fail not an experiment, but an actual delivery. Especially when time is pressing, and it's like 3am in the morning... It doesn't take me any more faster either with my order preparations, I often work till 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning. But at the end of the day, when I get good feedback from customers, that's when I said to myself, all the effort and time, and sweat (literally) and tears (also literally) are all very worth it. And of course a little "jia you" message from MFG would be good lah at bad times. Hee... But of course with Carebear (Shall I still ust this blog name of yours?) saying she'll get me a Forever Friends for Christmas is also very motivating :). And LGM if she knows that I've got heavy baking schedule, she'll send me message to check if I was still "alive". Thanks dear, that helped! ;)

Back to the post topic, I think we should try to be careful and detail no matter how good we are in something. Also, sames goes to dealing with people, no matter how close we are with someone, I think we shouldn't be careless and must still try to give the attention to detail at all times. Don't you think?

;)

keeping me going...

Something I got from my instructor of my recent cake decorating diploma course after I've written to update her on my progress. :)

Hi,

Great to hear from you and my apologies for the delay in responding. I just got back into Toronto today from the ICES Convention in Chicago where Tan See Fong and I both did demos. Very successful demos we both had.

As for your projects, they look “TERRIFIC”. Well done! It is quite an honor to have a student do such astounding work of art. Keep up the good work and remember, without a good student, there is no Sifu. Thanks for the kind words anyway. Greatly appreciated. Drop by and say hi sometimes when I am in KL and tell me all about your great projects!!!!

Take care.

Rosalind Chan,
CEO & Founder,
International Centre of Cake Artistry Sdn. Bhd.,
1-1 to 1-3A, Jalan PJU 5/15, Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: 603-6140-8835
Fax: 603-6142-1501
Email: rosalindchan@rogers.com
Website: www.rosalindscakeartistry.com & www.2decoratecakes.com

Things that keep me going on...

I've got some very encouraging message recently...

This one after little bro's birthday cupcakes -

Hi I got your details from (little bro). I was leading the ngxm conference when (little bro)'s cupcakes were delivered. They were delicious but most of all I was impressed by the detailing on each cake.

I am writing to tell your how clearly your passion, pride and love of what you do show in your work. Hopefully I will have occasion to order from you soon (if ever in kl long enough!)

In the meantime if you see readers from strange places in Asia, it's just me ( in vietnam now) otherwise please introduce yourself if I am ever in a club where you are.

Regards
(my recently added FB friend)
Regional Group ...
FF Asia

(won't put full details here lah)


This one from the birthday gal of the Chanel handbag -

1st message

That was the most mazing birthday cake ever! Thank you thank you
One coll loves it so much she wanted her pic in front of it (the message was general enough anyway)

You really should make a name for yourself in the sweet pattiserie world...sure sell like hotcakes, pun intended :)

You could start a sweet shop and bloom into sweet chains....(TTB) BUNS hahaa

oh, it was very delicious too!
Thanks again dearie

mwah.

2nd message after my reply

oh goody i will call on you when i want personalised cakes!
mine was the best ever i have ever had in all my 33 years of existence :)

From one of the instructors at the cake decorating centre -

Whoa! didn’t know your orders have gone so far….can do branded stuff… nice Chanel bag…. Good work, Babe!

And I've got some great messages in the TeaRoom blog too :)

MFG sent me this - 甯屾湜浣犵殑澶㈡兂鑳芥棭鏃ュ鐝?) - Haha... which was later translated to this (no, I don't even know how to read those words) - “ hope your dream will come true very soon.”.

So now, must really look into my savory items!

Tired

Very tired lately and haven't been blogging much in here... There is only one order for the coming week, and I have a small project - present for MFG on the opening of his company. So, I guess I'll be going to gym as usual and perhaps get enough sleep. Have a bit of back ache problem since last week...

And I'm currently extremely upset for loosing my gold necklace with the purple crystal pendant. Well, I don't know how I loose it, the last time I saw it was when I took it off to put it into my handbag before I changed into my gym attire. That was last Saturday after a wedding party in the afternoon. There are 2 possibilities, I dropped it when I went down to my car to take my gym shoes (yeah... I left the shoes in the car and went down after I've changed into the gym outfit, with the chain inside the handbag), so maybe when I took out my car keys, the car keys had some how hooked onto the necklace and it dropped, without me realizing of course, otherwise I wouldn't have loose it. Second scenario would be someone stole it... Is it possible? I mean inside the gym? And this has again 2 scenarios, one is someone open the locker, which I don't think so right? No one else would have the keys right? Second would be someone took it from my handbag when the locker was opened briefly - left it opened for a while to blow dry my hair since there were one another 2 members there (non peak hour) and the locker was just beside me...

Arghhh... I don't know how I loose it, analysing would not help either. So... I guess I'll just sulk for a while and hopefully snap out of being upset soon. I wish the necklace will miraculously appear again!

Ohh... on the happier note. Celebrated MC and BIL's birthday today. Belated for MC and earlier for BIL. I hope they like the cake. I would have done something more elaborated but the celebration was quite brief. I will perhaps make the elaborated cake when we have a big party the next time k. Had TTBs on the cake and it was a coffee cake. Will blog this in the TeaRoom blog during the next few nights, since I've got internet access back. Oh yeah, modem malfunction - we've got a new modem now.

Now, today is Sunday. And Sunday nights are normally sleepless, insomnia nights due to pre-Mondayblues.

Wish me luck in falling asleep...