And like this when she sleeps in our arms.
Name: Cotton Pancake (Long story)
Gender: Girl
Age: 9 Weeks
Breed: Cashmere Lop-Ear
Over and out,
Ellen.
Temper Temper my dear chocolate.
Hi guys and yeah, I'm not talking about the temper of my guinea pig not that I know it has one but the food chocolate.
Today, I tried and attempted to temper chocolate and hell, it's harder than it looks. I tried two times, I didn't expect it to work but when it got it's lovely shine I was overjoyed. For those who don't know it, tempering is the act where you get your chocolate into the state where it is shiny, glossy and snaps when you break it. Store chocolate that you buy has already been tempered for you. (:
Anyways, first attempt, eh, not that bad actually. It was shiny and glossy with not white streaks, I was impressed, until it didn't snap but instead bent and broke. In other words it didn't retain its shape and flipped and flopped around. My heart shattered into ten million pieces. So much for getting it right on the first go.
Second trial, it came out shiny and retained its shape after left to cool but lost its gloss after a while. It also melted like butter over popcorn the moment I touched it and so went my excitement.
I guess, I'm still amateur at this choco business, though I won't give up, maybe just for now I won't try again till a while that is. But if you have tempered chocolate before, I will gladly take any tips.
Tempering away,
Ellen.
Hello...long time no see...
Hello fellow readers, (I bet mainly consisting of Natasha and Mary).
I would like to say that I'm back forever and up to my blogging ways but obviously life would not allow it so I won't say so. Since my last blog, not much has happened to me except two major things, sleep and a new camera.
Okay, so despite getting the photography award last year and some $30 Readings vouchers long with it, photography is not what I would call a possible career for me. To me, it's just like art, a hobby that I can take up or when I want to point and shoot but that's beside the point. Anyways, so I nagged my mum into getting my the Samsung Galaxy Camera and so far, it's doing job, apart from making my pictures look ten times cooler. Here are some photos, just for you.
Anyways, I've got to go catch up on some sleep before going to a 6 hour shift at work.
Toodles, my beautifuls.
Ellen.
I would like to say that I'm back forever and up to my blogging ways but obviously life would not allow it so I won't say so. Since my last blog, not much has happened to me except two major things, sleep and a new camera.
Okay, so despite getting the photography award last year and some $30 Readings vouchers long with it, photography is not what I would call a possible career for me. To me, it's just like art, a hobby that I can take up or when I want to point and shoot but that's beside the point. Anyways, so I nagged my mum into getting my the Samsung Galaxy Camera and so far, it's doing job, apart from making my pictures look ten times cooler. Here are some photos, just for you.
There's this awesome app that even changes my photos to artworks. Saves me work I must say.
Speaking of fish, my other passed away and we got a Ryukin goldfish, here it is. (Camera does pretty good close ups, even if it is moving)
And this is just my fat baby, Chocolate. I swear she doesn't stop eating.
Anyways, I've got to go catch up on some sleep before going to a 6 hour shift at work.
Toodles, my beautifuls.
Ellen.
New year, new pet/s
First post for this year and it's being done at 1am in the morning. Just for the sake of updating you guys about my not so exciting holiday and new year. One things that was big was getting pets again. I got 2 Oranda Red Cap Goldfish (they eat EVERYTHING. Even my fingers while I clean their tank and reposition the plants) and a guinea pig (which I have to say is adorable).
It started with chicken stock. I completely blame the chicken stock for making my living room a farm.
Anyways, I was with my mum getting Chicken stock but upon nearing the store I begged my mum to visit the pet store that was just around the corner. She grudgingly agreed and so we saw fish. Big ones, small ones, ugly one and pretty ones. They were all there, until the red oranda goldfish caught our, I mean my mum's, attention. She dragged her finger gently across the glass of the aquarium and the fish followed greedily thinking it was food. We fell in love love and bought two home.
That night we discovered one with a hole under it's fin. I was depressed, it was my favourite goldfish out of the two and so we returned it on the next day. At the pet store we swapped for another goldfish but my brother was interested in the aviary area and dragged me to look at them. On the way, guess what we saw and fell in love with?
Yes, a guinea pig with brown, black and white fur sitting very still and letting us pet it from the top of the open cage. We fell in love with it instantly. She's called Chocolate.
They currently all reside in our living room amongst a dozen or so flower.
PS. If there is a way to stop my goldfish from gobbling my live plants in put in their tank, please tell me. As half a plant in there has had half of it's leaves ripped off while the other half hidden behind the filter is untouched.
PPS. My brother and I still blame the weird weather for messing with our mum's brain waves. I mean, she promised to never buy pets again. In the last week she has bought 2 goldfish, 1 guinea pig and 2 large pots of flowers, after swearing that we are not ever touching anything live after our last encounter with Golden my terrier cross which has been given away.
Loving you all,
Ellen.
(Sorry, this is un-edited, far too late in the night for that.)
It started with chicken stock. I completely blame the chicken stock for making my living room a farm.
Anyways, I was with my mum getting Chicken stock but upon nearing the store I begged my mum to visit the pet store that was just around the corner. She grudgingly agreed and so we saw fish. Big ones, small ones, ugly one and pretty ones. They were all there, until the red oranda goldfish caught our, I mean my mum's, attention. She dragged her finger gently across the glass of the aquarium and the fish followed greedily thinking it was food. We fell in love love and bought two home.
That night we discovered one with a hole under it's fin. I was depressed, it was my favourite goldfish out of the two and so we returned it on the next day. At the pet store we swapped for another goldfish but my brother was interested in the aviary area and dragged me to look at them. On the way, guess what we saw and fell in love with?
Yes, a guinea pig with brown, black and white fur sitting very still and letting us pet it from the top of the open cage. We fell in love with it instantly. She's called Chocolate.
They currently all reside in our living room amongst a dozen or so flower.
PS. If there is a way to stop my goldfish from gobbling my live plants in put in their tank, please tell me. As half a plant in there has had half of it's leaves ripped off while the other half hidden behind the filter is untouched.
PPS. My brother and I still blame the weird weather for messing with our mum's brain waves. I mean, she promised to never buy pets again. In the last week she has bought 2 goldfish, 1 guinea pig and 2 large pots of flowers, after swearing that we are not ever touching anything live after our last encounter with Golden my terrier cross which has been given away.
Loving you all,
Ellen.
(Sorry, this is un-edited, far too late in the night for that.)
Passionfruit cheesy cake
So, I made cheesecake. Yes, cheesecake and judging by the title in which I am hoping you have read, it was passionfruit flavour. Obviously you probably are, maybe not but mostly likely are drooling. I know, I know, you can imagine it in your head right now, a small plate of deliciousness scented yellow cake fresh from the oven that you are dying to take a precious bite out of. So if you weren't leaking saliva down your chin, you should be now.
Now that was deliberately put up there for you to enjoy and salivate some more about. Obviously this is the recipe's photo and my cheesecake doesn't look as good as that at the moment but it still tastes spectacular.
Anyways, I shall put a recipe up, if you guys want it. Try it out and tell me how it goes. (:
Passionfruit cheesecake
120g biscuits, crushed
60g butter
1 cup sugar
1kg cream cheese
1/2 cup passionfruit pulp
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Fresh passionfruit
Enjoy baking!
Ellen.
Now that was deliberately put up there for you to enjoy and salivate some more about. Obviously this is the recipe's photo and my cheesecake doesn't look as good as that at the moment but it still tastes spectacular.
Anyways, I shall put a recipe up, if you guys want it. Try it out and tell me how it goes. (:
Passionfruit cheesecake
120g biscuits, crushed
60g butter
1 cup sugar
1kg cream cheese
1/2 cup passionfruit pulp
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Fresh passionfruit
- preheat oven at 165 degrees Celsius
- Combine biscuits butter and half the sugar together, place into the bottom of a springform tin and bake for 7 mins.
- Combine cream cheese, passionfruit pulp, vanilla together with an electric mixer. Then add eggs one at a time making sure all beaten in well.
- place cheese mixture onto the base and bake in the oven. Depending on the size of your pan, to check if a cheesecake is done, look for sides that are puffy and the middle should still be a little bit jelly like.
- When it is done, remove from oven, cool and refrigerate. Top with fresh passionfruit when eating.
Enjoy baking!
Ellen.
Santa is getting diabetes...
So, these last few days, I have been baking all night and into the early morning. That is, the time I go to sleep is where the silly birds don't stop their incessant chirping. I mean for God's sake, do they really have to chirp that loudly at 4 bloody AM?
Anyways, since Christmas is fast approaching, my lovely mother decided to pull out the "let's bake macarons for my friends instead of buying them presents". At first I was all for the idea but then I realised how much work it would be and cringed every night before I turned on the oven and the mixer at 1 in the morning. Yeah, I was baking at one in the morning, hoping that everything worked out fine. They were non-existant dreams. At least my mum offered to stay up with me, claiming that I would be lonely by myself. She actually fell asleep on the couch while I was slaving away.
By Thursday night*, I had finished my five batches of macarons- baking that is. The piping part didn't come until Friday afternoon because I slept in till 5 in the afternoon. I woke up, wondered around the house for bit, ate then collapsed and stayed on Wattpad for three hours. Then my lovely mother as always encouraged** me to start piping and wrapping everything up for her friends.
Friday night came and I was still wrapping at 3 in the morning, it was hard work, plus I was playing games on the Ipad while my mum slept. I just couldn't be bothered. By now you're wondering wow she must have wrapped a lot of macarons. In fact I wrapped a total of 18 little baglets. Then I went to bed and wondered on wattpad for a little longer before sleep caught up to me. The stupid birds didn't help either.
Anyways, the little scrumptious pieces of hell I created are on the bottom. The flavours from the the bottom up are: Coffee, Pandan, Salted Caramel, Strawberry and lastly Chocolate. Except the middle one which has one more flavour of Mango Passion fruit.
And I still have so many left it is ridiculous, I had to clear all of the ice-cream into one container and pull of the frozen stuff out of the freezer and into for the fridge for these macarons. The sacrifices I make. ~ sigh ~
On the other hand, I guess Santa has something new to the menu this year instead of cookies and milk. Sugary homemade macarons are the way to go. He going to have a tad bit of trouble going up the chimneys this year...
To the rest of you, have a Merry Christmas and keep cool. Literally.
(Melbourne's reaching like 36 degrees tomorrow)
NOTE:
*When I say night it means 8pm-4am.
**When I say encouraged it was more of "I will confiscate your phone if you do not start wrapping this instant!"
***This was done all on my coffee table in the living room because the floor would be too unhygienic
Love you all,
Ellen.
Anyways, since Christmas is fast approaching, my lovely mother decided to pull out the "let's bake macarons for my friends instead of buying them presents". At first I was all for the idea but then I realised how much work it would be and cringed every night before I turned on the oven and the mixer at 1 in the morning. Yeah, I was baking at one in the morning, hoping that everything worked out fine. They were non-existant dreams. At least my mum offered to stay up with me, claiming that I would be lonely by myself. She actually fell asleep on the couch while I was slaving away.
By Thursday night*, I had finished my five batches of macarons- baking that is. The piping part didn't come until Friday afternoon because I slept in till 5 in the afternoon. I woke up, wondered around the house for bit, ate then collapsed and stayed on Wattpad for three hours. Then my lovely mother as always encouraged** me to start piping and wrapping everything up for her friends.
Friday night came and I was still wrapping at 3 in the morning, it was hard work, plus I was playing games on the Ipad while my mum slept. I just couldn't be bothered. By now you're wondering wow she must have wrapped a lot of macarons. In fact I wrapped a total of 18 little baglets. Then I went to bed and wondered on wattpad for a little longer before sleep caught up to me. The stupid birds didn't help either.
Anyways, the little scrumptious pieces of hell I created are on the bottom. The flavours from the the bottom up are: Coffee, Pandan, Salted Caramel, Strawberry and lastly Chocolate. Except the middle one which has one more flavour of Mango Passion fruit.
And I still have so many left it is ridiculous, I had to clear all of the ice-cream into one container and pull of the frozen stuff out of the freezer and into for the fridge for these macarons. The sacrifices I make. ~ sigh ~
On the other hand, I guess Santa has something new to the menu this year instead of cookies and milk. Sugary homemade macarons are the way to go. He going to have a tad bit of trouble going up the chimneys this year...
To the rest of you, have a Merry Christmas and keep cool. Literally.
(Melbourne's reaching like 36 degrees tomorrow)
NOTE:
*When I say night it means 8pm-4am.
**When I say encouraged it was more of "I will confiscate your phone if you do not start wrapping this instant!"
***This was done all on my coffee table in the living room because the floor would be too unhygienic
Love you all,
Ellen.
Macaron or Macaroon?
Okay, this may seem random and out of place but read on and it shall lead up to something spectacular. If you're in Melbourne that is.
So time to confuse you guys. Look at the title, there may seem like there is no difference but there is. Shocked? Well, within the culinary world, these little things matter. So let me explain, one is French and is made up of almond meal(macaron) and other one is made up of coconut and is American(macaroon). Although, either way, both of them are lovely.
Continuing on, a new store macaron store is opening up in Melbourne, Highpoint if you know exactly where that is. And it sells Mouth-watering Macarons, Cute Cupcakes and if you go to the original store in Sunshine, you can even order Custom Cakes. For what I find reasonable prices too!
And if you're dying to know the name, it's Decorative Sweets. The opening date for it's new store is below, come and check it out and share it your friends. Even go to the original store if you have to. (:
So time to confuse you guys. Look at the title, there may seem like there is no difference but there is. Shocked? Well, within the culinary world, these little things matter. So let me explain, one is French and is made up of almond meal(macaron) and other one is made up of coconut and is American(macaroon). Although, either way, both of them are lovely.
Continuing on, a new store macaron store is opening up in Melbourne, Highpoint if you know exactly where that is. And it sells Mouth-watering Macarons, Cute Cupcakes and if you go to the original store in Sunshine, you can even order Custom Cakes. For what I find reasonable prices too!
And if you're dying to know the name, it's Decorative Sweets. The opening date for it's new store is below, come and check it out and share it your friends. Even go to the original store if you have to. (:
Decorative Sweets
Highpoint, Maribrynong, 3032
(Eco Mall right next to Breadtop and in front of Pie Face)
This Saturday (15/12/2012)
9am-9pm
Website:www.decorativesweets.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/567280313288129/
So come check it out, see whether you like it or not. And maybe I'll even see you there!
Macaroning out,
Ellen.
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