And A Year Older

Leanne read the last post and felt very hurt that her recent her birthday party was not included. It totally slipped my mind.

With the lunch and dinner calendar so fully packed and the new school term looming we decided to have something very simple and small in the last minute. I gave her a limit in the number of guests to invite because the two kokos (her brothers) were not around to help with games and crowd control. I was so relieved when she decided she wanted the party to be an all-girls do.

It was a very nice relaxing party and I think the girls were glad there were no boys around.

I cooked an aubergine pasta which Leanne like but was apprehensive that the rest might not take to it (the only meat was some bacon crisps for flavor). Anyway, I needn't have worried as they loved it too. I will post the recipe the next time I cook it as I don't have any food pictures, if you noticed. The reason being I wasn't the one behind the camera.

I did the cake too as I just couldn't bring myself to get one of those colorful thingy that taste like chemical concoction in our neighborhood bakery stores. Leanne wasn't very happy as there was no deco but it was a hit taste-wise. A peach crumble cheesecake, very easy to do, will put up the recipe once I get a reasonable picture.

The closest of the food pics. He does take good portraits though...

Birthdays And Cupcakes

What in the world are these??? My birthday cake??? Yes, happy birthday, Keshia!!!

Can't make out what we are trying to spell???...HAPPY B DAY KESH and of course a heart-shape. It was supposed to spell 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY KESHIA' but the cupcake recipe yielded only 16 small cakes when I clearly needed 19, so I had to abbreviate. We got hungry half way thru the job and devoured the extras.

Kesh, we hope you like these cup cakes which we took one whole morning painstakingly created especially for you. We know they don't look professional at all,  but they are filled with lots and lots of love.

When I decided to make a cake for Keshia's birthday, I know it would be a near impossible task for me to make a cake and decorate it, convincingly that is.

So I took a baby step and go small, cupcake small. I figured that would be a piece of cake (not exactly!). 

Surfed through the internet and looked through the recipes of all those bloggers I admire (namely terri, nee, ganache..) who can so easily whip out such awesome work of art one after another. 

Hopefully by going into their blogs their magic might rub off on me :p. And of course, to look for tips. I needed all the help I could get. 

Nee's butter cream looked sooo beautiful and satin smooth but I wasn't confident enough to attempt the sugar syrup thing and I wasn't so sure of the freshness of the eggs I have in the fridge. 

I don't want coloring and plasticky whipped cream, so I ended up doing butter icing, plain and with melted dark chocolate for contrast.

Certainly not a piece of cake as I thought. The icing was not as obedient as I expected and the cheap plasticky whatcumicallit I bought specially for this task was not much help either. 

The icing landed not only on the cakes but also our hands, table and floor. I should have done this when our part-time helper was in. 

I know now why I never like working with icing...it is the cleaning up. I had to mop the floor with detergent, if only I could pour hot water over it like i did the oily dishes!

Thank goodness for this cupcake stand from Mee Fung and the smarties which Leanne insisted we needed. They certainly helped to make these little cakes more presentable.

By the time I got to this last cupcake, I was finally getting the hang of it and enjoying it...Leanne and myself had a really fun time decorating...

and eating these as we worked...

And the look on Keshia's face was priceless when she walked in and we surprised her with the cakes. Happy birthday, my girl.

Lolo's 80th Birthday @ Royal China

Celebrated my father-in-law's 80th birthday last week, twice. One on the actual day itself and another a few days later when we managed to gather most of the clan together. Royal China (Tai Tung) was chosen not so much for its food but for the amenities it provides like ample car park, private rooms and lift.

Started with a four seasons combo appetiser. Only managed to grab one nori roll as everyone was hungry. That's always the case with the first course.

Shark's fin soup with crab meat.

Stewed pork trotter served with some soft buns. Very nicely done.

Steamed Grouper with four treasures, I found two only - slivers of mushroom and Chinese sausage.

Baked prawns with spicy coconut floss.

Braised mixed vegetables (enoki, shiitaki and button mushroom and sea cucumber too) with fermented bean curd.

Long life noodle, a must for birthdays.

Don took this shoot using my camera and commented that the cam is no good because it showed all the gravy smudges on the side of the bowl. Perfect imperfection (or the other way round)?? I said, 'Clean up before a shot!'

Dried longan with pumpkin and snow fungus for dessert.

Eaten together with these pancakes and jelly.

And the birthday cake of course.

With a few of his grand-daughters,

and grandsons

but not quite the whole clan...

Budding photographer

Happy birthday, lolo!!!

As I mentioned we chose the restaurant not for its culinary fame so we really didn't expect anything spectacular but much to our delight the food was quite good especially the pork trotters.

Maybe this is much like life, where there is no expectation, lovely surprises sping up at most turns.

Jo

Bryan's 18th @ Little Italy, Kota Kinabalu

Bryan celebrated his 18th birthday few days ago. Completely slipped my mind partly because we gave him his birthday present last week when K was home and I was too preoccupied with the planned holiday that went off-rail a little. Busy surfing the net three nights straight searching for last minute accommodation.
Anyway, remembered it much later in the day, quickly dashed to a deli and got him this as it was too late to home-bake anything (not very competent, so need at least a day and a half to make a reasonably presentable cake :D).

He chose to go to Little Italy for his birthday dinner and I half expected it as this is his favourite restaurant. As we haven't been there for quite a while, it was a welcome treat for us too.

Knowing it can get quite crowded, we were there before 7 pm. By 7:30 the restaurant was packed.

Bruschetta, a must-have. RM8.90

And a super-thin crust pizza, large. RM26

Ravioli mushroom and chicken. RM23.90

Spinach fettuccine with Sicilian sauce. RM20

A jug of ice lemon tea. RM6.90

I found the dishes a tad too salty and somehow kind of lackluster in presentation and flavours as compared to our previous visits. I just hope that this is not a norm as this is such a favourite diner for my family, also for many locals and tourists alike.

It is situated in downtown Kota Kinabalu on the ground floor of Capital Hotel, which is right across Wisma Merdeka shopping mall.

Jo

Leanne's Birthday

Leanne celebrated her 9th birthday last Saturday. She wanted a birthday party with a few of her little friends. A few turned out to be more than 20 overly active and loud 9 years-old. So thankful to the helping hands of the sister, Keshia and brothers Don and Bryan. The boys did a good job in organising some hilarious games to keep them occupied and entertained.

Couldn't keep her fingers off the super-moist chocolate cake.

It was stress-free where food was concerned.
Don and Leanne made dozens of tuna sandwiches in the morning.
Fruits jelly was done the day before.
A big pot of bolognese sauce was kept bubbling over the stove.
All I did was churning out these grilled chicken wings, fried fish balls and pasta all through the party.
The most useful lesson I learnt long ago about doing kids' party food is to do quantity and not variety.
Have just a few of their favourites in sizable amount.
And don't bother serving any vegetables unless you can disguise them (like the pureed carrots and pumpkins I had in the bolognese sauce).

Jo

Happy Birthday, Don

Happy birthday!!

So sad we will not be with Don for his birthday so we are celebrating the day in a very small scale, cupcake size.

Basic Chocolate Cup Cake Recipe
Make 12 cupcakes

110g butter - softened
130g castor sugar
210g flour, sifted with 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + 2 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten

60 ml milk + 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoon chocolate chips (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).
2. Line a 12 cup cake pan, with cup cake papers.
3. Beat butter and suger with an electric mixer until light and creamy.

4. Add egg mixture slowly and continue beating. Add chocolate chips if use and milk.

5. Fold in flour lightly until well-mixed.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases about (1/2 to 2/3 full of batter).
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool fully before icing.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

150g butter - softened
250g icing sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa powder +2 tsp very hot water

1. Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric beater.
2. Once well combined, add the combined cocoa powder and water. Beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Use a pipping bag with a wide nozzle and let your creative juice run wild.

For the cupcakes above, I bought the chocolate cupcakes from Tong Hing Supermarket and I used the leftover cream cheese frosting from making Keshia's birthday cake. I know I cheated but was in no mood or condition to bake...regretted buying though because the cupcakes were soooo dry. Never mind, I promise to make them from scratch when Don comes home at the end of the year.

Cream cheese frosting
250g cream cheese, softened

45g icing sugar, sifted

90g butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese until fluffy and light, add the rest of the ingredients and continue beating until well mixed and smooth. Add one or two tablespoon of melted chocolate if want chocolate frosting.

This frosting is to-die-for with any carrot cakes or cupcakes.

Jo

Note: Leanne here--Hi koko HAPPY BIRTHDAY hope u enjoy looking! when u get back we will make for you.

I am 21

I made a wish on my birthday - secret : )

Thank you mummy for the cake

Heather, Don and Star called to wish me happy birthday. Presents on the way! : )

I had my birthday dinner at Nishiki with my family.

Love, Keshia

A Gift of Love

The best cake in the world is in the message.

The paellera was a decoy, this is the real McCoy!!

OMG!

Speechless. The Rebel...is here.

Didn't trust myself to assemble it.

Perfect fit. Now the pressure is on to get the best shot.

Thank you so much, my dear family!

Jo