Adjusting to a new lifestyle.......

A few of my closer chat buddies and forum members who are also my students might be aware by now that I have recently quit my full time job. Although I will still be conducting classes on part time basis, life without a full time job will be different. I will be able to spend more time with Jeriel, which seemed to be a luxury before this. I will also be able to spend all the time I wish in my small little kitchen to stir up more scrumptious meals for my family and also not forgeting all the wonderful baking sessions I could have. Perfect it may sound, if only these ideal cases will always apply......... How about being drawn crazy by my own kid, start mumbling too much to hubby and son, and begin to be picky on small little things and draw the maid mad? Let's see.

Too lazy to make something complicated (just my usual self), I made this simple Marble Butter Cake for our today's breakfast. Please make sure you will only use good quality 100% pure cocoa powder for the marbelised batter. It makes a huge difference.

Marble Butter Cake

Makes 1 loaf of approx. 12 x 22 cm

Ingredients:

175g butter
160g castor sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
100ml milk
25g cocoa powder, sifted
½ tsp chocolate emulco, optional


Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180 degC. Line a loaf cake tin with greaseproof paper
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine butter and castor sugar in a mixing bowl. Using paddle of your mixer, cream until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl periodically for well mixing.
4. Add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.
5. Pour in milk. Mix well. Fold in flour mixture in (2) and mix until batter is smooth.
6. Divide the mixture into 2. Add cocoa powder and chocolate emulco to one of the portions. (Note 4)
7. Drop large spoonfuls of each of the mixtures alternately into the prepared cake tin. Drag a skewer through the mixture to create a marbled efect.
8. Bake at 180 degC for 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean.


Notes:

1. Make sure butter and eggs are at room temperature.
2. Scrape bowl periodically to ensure all ingredients are well mixed.
3. To prevent curdling, mixer must be at low speed when eggs are added.

4. Add 2 tbsp of milk to batter with cocoa powder if batter is dry and difficult to incorporate cocoa powder.

Love,

Awards

Thank you LCOM for awarding these two awards to me. The above 'Kick Ass Blogger' award is really an interesting one. Like what the criteria of this award says, I hope I have been a great blogger and an inspiration to other blogger friends.

Cake Decorators Unite!

The first ever community of its kind in this country, the Malaysian Cake Decorators' Club, is finally brought into existance. It has been my dream ever since I became part of the Malaysia's cake decorating industry to bring all cake decorators, either the amateur or the professional, into one community where we could constantly share our knowledge and updates of the ever-evolving art of cake decorating. If you are neither a Malaysian nor a cake decorator, do not be dishearted. You are very much welcomed to join us. All we need from you is a heart to share.

The forum is still undergoing trial run so please bear with us for the time being. Anyhow, we'll see you there!

Counting down Jeriel's 3rd Birthday

This is going to be Jeriel's biggest birthday party ever, even that, it's not gonna be a real big one...

Jeriel will be having his 3rd birthday celebration in his day care centre. There will be 17 kids and 4 teachers if everybody turns up. The theme of the birthday party will be 'Barnyard & Tractor'. Well, a tractor cake was what requested by the little fella while 'Barnyard' was what I added in as barnyard party stuff, e.g. plates, stickers, door gifts for the kids, etc, are easier to find than tractor-related party supplies. This is my first time organising my own kid's party. As a matter of fact, I think I am more excited then Jeriel :P.

Here's how an excited mom plans for her kid's birthday party:

1. First party-related question thrown to the birthday boy: "What cake would you like for your birthday?' and the answer given by the kid was..... 'A Tractor Cake'.

2. Started searching on the internet the various ways and means of conducting a tractor theme party. The closest and easiest birthday theme was 'Barnyard' to tie to tractor. Hence, the 'Barnyard & Tractor' theme.

3. Informed teachers of the Centre about the intention of having a party.

4. Designing of birthday invitation: Looked for tractor and barnyard animal images to be given to my ever creative graphic designer, none other than my beloved SISTER, to come out with the draft of the card.

5. A trick question came back from sis - What color should the tractor be? Tractors of different colors were drawn and submitted to YRH to pick. Final color was GREEN.

6. Menu planning: No spicy food, no food with runny gravy, so it has to be dry and not so messy food. Shortlisted:

Food:

a) Egg mayo sandwiches
b) Sardine samosa
c) Chicken ham & cheese pinwheels
d) Probably macaroni cheese too

Drinks:
Orange drink with cocktail fruits

Desserts:
a) Cupcakes decorated with barnyard animal picks
b) Tractor Cake

7. Started shopping for party favour at Petaling Street. Managed to get some stationeries for the kids.

8. Shopped for party plates, napkins and cutleries. Managed to get animal party plates. Preliminary shopping for food and ingredients that are able to keep till the day like cocktail fruits in can, sardine, ham, puff pastry, popiah skin, macaroni, etc.

Will update you guys again nearer to the day :)

Friendship Award

Thank you Little Corner of Mine for awarding me this meaningful award. Being a newbie in blogging, having received this award is sure an honour. Thank you very much, Ching.

Shameless Self-Promotion: Recent Works in Magazines

This cake was made last Oct or Nov (can't really recall) for a local bridal magazine, Females Brides. The magazine has been out in the market for quite some time but I couldn't convince myself to buy a magazine merely for a picture of a cake. I am no longer interested in wedding gowns, accessories, photography etc etc, you see :p. Finally decided to buy it anyway, after being asked a few times by a few of my students if this cake in the magazine was mine. Better make sure the cake was really mine before commenting :)

Bet you can't see the wordings by the side of the cake, so it says:


Contemporary Baby Blue

This simple yet stylish cake is unique with its brilliant blue hue and intricate details. Customise it to match your wedding theme.

The above are some other wedding cakes of mine on Wedding Trend, a new bridal magazine. The cute little cupcakes in silver foil and decorated with pink rose buds are a joint effort of my boss, Ms Rosalind Chan and I. The miniature wedding cakes decorated with golden daisies are the master pieces of Rosalind's too.

Award and Tag

First of all, thank you Ling for presenting me this Award. I accept with pleasure and thanks giving.


Secondly, thank you Ching for giving me a chance to describe how I feel about her:

A) LIST OUT THE TOP 5 PRESENTS YOU WISH FOR:
1. A new kitchen equipped with pastry kitchen equipment
2. Happiness and health of everybody around me
3. Going back to United Kingdom to recall sweet memories of Daddy's and mine, but this time with a new addition, Jeriel
4. Be a full time mommy and only work as and when I like
5. Treat mom and dad an overseas trip

B) THE PERSON WHO TAGGED ME IS: Ching

C) YOUR 5 IMPRESSIONS OF HIM/HER:
1. A super cook and baker
2. Mom who loves her kids very much.
3. An ex-Malaysian staying in US, but non-stop thinking of Malaysian great food!
4. A very hard working blogger who has been blogging since Year 2005
5. A pretty mommy

D) MOST MEMORABLE THINGS HE/SHE HAS GIVE/DONE FOR YOU
Her continuous unfailing support for my website, forum and now blog. How touched I am......

E) THE MOST MEMORABLE WORDS HE/SHE SAID TO YOU
No, as all has been transformed into action in her support

F) IF HE/SHE BECOMES YOUR LOVER, YOU WILL
Be flooded with good food

G) IF HE/SHE BECOMES YOUR ENEMY, THE REASON WILL BE
Can't think of reason why we have to be enemies

H) PASS THE QUIZ TO 5 PEOPLE THAT YOU WISH TO KNOW HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT YOU
Will pass to only 2 persons:

1. ilit Kitchen
2. Precious Moments

I have been Tagged!

I have been tagged by Ling's Passion and Precious Moments to list 5 facts about myself. As I am very new to the blogging world, I was not too sure how to go about this game when Ling tagged me. Was thinking of 'escaping' but I was later tagged by Edith of Precious Moment. Guess I couldn't escape this time.

5 facts about Jo:

1. I can live without talking to others but I can't live without my laptop and the internet to communicate with the world.
2. I hate washing toilet, ironing cloths and washing car.
3. I don't go to the cosmetic and fragrance departments and rarely go to the clothing and shoe departments. I visit the kitchenware and grocery departments without fail.
4. I dream of having my own school one day, teaching the very art of pastry making and cake decorating. I want to conquer the world of dim sum and Asian cooking too. Guess I am not too greedy, am I?
5. I used to dream of seeing my own face in magazines and now I dream of seeing myself as a celebrity chef talking like Nigella Lawson on air.

Since I am just a baby in the food blogosphere, I am not going to tagged anybody this time round. Fellow food bloggers, please excuse me for breaking the rule ya :p

A Cake for Charity

This was a cake for a group of less fortunate children. There are many out there who are suffering from physical or mentally illness, lost of their loved ones and insufficient food. We should thank God everyday for what we are given. Even the tiny little things in lives, we should never stop giving thanks for. Bless others because we are blessed.

This year's World Cancer Day was on 4th Feb 2008. The theme for this year's World Cancer Day is about giving a no-smoking environment to our children. To all parents and adults, love our children by avoiding smoking or allowing others to smoke in your home or car, even when your children are not there. Give our children a smoke-free world. Be a responsible person to not let the children suffer because of what you do.

Copyright of Recipe?

I received Newsletter every two months from this baking supply Centre. I am the member and a regular customer too. I picked up the Jan/Feb 2008 newsletter from my mailbox on my way back from work. Was studying the class schedule, the promotion and then here it came the Recipe section. Wasn't this recipe and one of the photographs very, absolutely, extremely familiar? Hey, it was my recipe and my photographs!

Not only the recipe is in the newsletter, it is also made available on their webpage here. Should I say I am honoured? My recipe was taken without any prior written consent. Here's the original recipe.

New Year Resolution

It's Sabbath day today, it also marks the first Sunday of the last month of 2007. Time flies, I have been abondoning my webpage for about a year since I decided to become a full time cake decorating instructor. At times, it could be heartbreaking seeing the webpage and forum which I have been running since 2003 being set aside, untaken care of. However, my greatest joy at this point is probably being able to do something I really enjoy doing. Well, that's life I guess; you have to sacrifice something in order to achieve another.
***
Went to bed pretty early last night. Was terribly tired after a long day work. (Yes, I do occasionally need to work on Sunday). Hubby talked to me in my dream, 'I thought you said one of your 2008 new year's resolutions was to sleep less everyday, get up earlier and get more things done?' We both burst into laughter. Yes, indeed, it is my resolution to make more things happen in 2008.

2008 New Year's Resolutions

• Sleep earlier and get up earlier (sounds easy but yet so difficult to achieve)
• Spend more time with hubby and Jeriel
• Have more luncheons with girl friends. No more work comes first.
• Spend at least one hour daily on reading technical information on baking and cake decorating (not recipes)
• Be consistent in planning the family's weekly menu so that I won't be clueless when doing marketing and grocery shopping
• Try out new recipes instead of keep repeating the same dishes
• Publish at least 3 recipes per week on website and/or blog
• Bake/cook breakfast. No more store bought stuff.
• Save enough money to treat mom and dad a good overseas trip
• Attend good baking courses from well-known chefs. Life is a never ending process of learning.

How about yours? Good luck in planning your new year's resolutions.

Just a little more.......

A Malaysian Chinese staying in the heart of the largest city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur with her husband, her little boy and housekeeper.

Jo was professionally trained as a Chemical & Process Engineer. After obtaining her Masters degree in the same discipline, she worked for the highly prospective oil and gas, and later the water and wastewater industries. She used to dedicate her off-work time in the kitchen experimenting recipes and sinfully stole time during her working hours to share her tried and tested recipes on her webpage and forum. She also took wedding cake orders, trying to recover at least a little of the ‘investment’ cost she put in to her experimenting and webpage hosting. Jo then realised nothing was more satisfying and rewarding than being able to share her cake baking and decorating knowledge with others. After years of searching guidance from God, she decided to pursue her dream as an instructor, making beautiful cakes and sharing her skill with others. Started as a self-taught baker with no qualification in pastry making and cake decorating art, Jo took up part time pastry courses from the Malaysian Institute of Baking, Taylor’s College/Academie de Toulouse France and was later trained by the Wilton training team and officially authorised as a Wilton Method Cake Decorating Instructor in 2006, not long after quiting her full time job as an engineer. In 2007, she received a small recognition from the Wilton Industries of Chicago for her achievement of having taught 200+ students within a year after becoming a Wilton Method Instructor.

As a part time instructor and a mother of a non-stop exploring toddler, Jo is not quite able to enjoy the luxurious time she used to have in the kitchen. She is trying very hard to steal time out to do the things she enjoys doing. When she is not babysitting Jeriel, not surfing the net for cake related topics, nor teaching, she can be found in her kitchen experimenting recipes or stirring woks and pots of scrumptious dishes for her family.

Jo had been missing her cyber community ever since she slowed down in her webpage updating. She also kiasu-ly (Malaysian slang of ‘afraid to lose’) thought that she would want to be part of the food blogosphere, and so the creation of this blog.

Jo likes sourcing for unusual sauces especially when she goes traveling. She also creates a variety of sauces from scratch as she belives sauce is the essence of a dish; it enhances, compliments and sometimes even alters the flavour of a dish. A sauce can be anything you want it to be. It may be something carefully prepared over hours or it can be as simple as things thrown in at the last minute.

Jo tries very hard to keep this blog going and hopes everybody who visits this blog will enjoy her sharing. God bless.

Jo can be contacted at joanneloo(at)time(dot)net(dot)my

Press Release:

Malaysian Women’s Weekly
Penita Page 1 & 2
Oriental Cuisine
Newicon Page 1 & 2
Graduates (still looking for the write-up)
Jelita Page 1 & 2
HerWorld Brides Page 1, 2 & 3
Female Brides June 2007
Female Brides Dec 2007
Bridal Trend Jan 2008 Page 1, 2 & 3
Bridal Trend August 2008
Flavours November 2008 Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
The Edge Financial Daily 26 Feb 2009
ICCA Instructor of the Year 2008
Awarded the Century Club Award & 250 Club Award by Wilton Inc., USA
Wedding Cake Gallery