Monday 15 April 2013

♥하루 106 - Wonders of a banana muffin *ooohh*


Hi there! Here I present you with one of the simplest and most fool-proof banana muffin recipe! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ノ  Yes you're welcomed. Hehehehe. Hmm, so it all started when there was a period of time I had mega strong cravings for ANYTHING banana-related.  (*⊙‿⊙*)


Bananas are like.. in the top 10 of my most favourite fruit!  Cause it's so so so yummy and could go with apa-apa sahaja. Yogurt, milk shakes, toasts, pancakes.. you name it. Plus, it provides sufficient amount of nutrients like Potassium. This helps the body's circulatory system, maintain a regular heartbeat, regulating blood pressure and reduce strokes. Also, bananas promotes bowel health and has a chemical called tryptophan and is a mood regulating substance that contains a level of protein to help the mind relax and make your feel happier. Vitamin B6 in bananas aid in this aspect too! Can also boost brain power etc etc ಠ_ಠ  *waahh* ahem no, I googled it. LOL. Furthermore being a runner, bananas are always very convenient to bring around and plus they give alot lot lot lot of energy! Yay! 

And.. what's better than a warm batch of muffins, fresh out from the oven on a sunny week day afternoon?  (゚´▽`゚) 


So.. I decided to bake!  \☺/

Toppings and fillings will be further explained below.

Banana muffins (Recipe adapted from Cat can cook)
You will need: 
  • 3-4 large bananas *The more the moister
  • 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar *Original calls for 1 cup 
  • 1 1/2 cup (192g) flour 
  • 1 slightly beaten egg
  • 1/3 (76g) cup melted margarine / butter
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  1. Mash the bananas 
  2. Mix the mashed bananas, egg, sugar and margarine/butter together and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. (I would usually sift while mixing to get a more proportional and finer consistency but its up to you/time you have cause it does not make a big difference. I think.)
  4. Mix dry and wet ingredients together!
  5. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake in 350 degrees F (180 C) for 20 minutes.


P/s These are very flavourful and freezes nicely as well. Also, you can throw in walnuts or chocolate chips or anything to your preference for more texture, yum! ヾ(゚∀゚*)ノ彡

*sniffs air* These woke momoke up from her nap and she was like "what you baking, it smells good" HAHAHA

then I found a pack of amazing crushed oreos hidden in the refrigerator ♪♬

Left to right; Peanut butter filling banana muffin, Malibu (Rum filled chocolate) banana muffin. Can never resist putting one of these in my bater and see what would it create LOL. it's always tempting to see rum flowing out from a chocolatey centre of ANYTHING

Threw in a bunch of shredded coconut and by far this is my favourite! ╰( ̄▽ ̄)╭

Banana oatmeal muffin and yeap, that's a banana holder. So cute right! 

Pap and momoke loved these muffins (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ (They usually have loads of comments about my baking products cause it's always too sweet to their liking) but since I adjusted the sugar level by adding more bananas and less castor sugar, it's perfect! However this recipe produce muffins on the moister, spongier side. Currently on the look out for recipes which creates crumbier, explosive-dome top muffins. Do feel free to share with me if you have any recipes to recommend. Nom! (´・ω・`)


Watched Oblivion at paradigm with chi yan and eugene yesterday! It was an awesome movie (TOM CRUISE!!!!) and I realized that GSC has better caramel popcorn than TGV. But the portion is so small! Ok now I sound like such a greedy pig.. (but it's popcorn! Actually enough de la. I'm just greedy. okayface.jpg) Hahah then we had Chili's for dinner. Was kind of sad cause I'm banned from beef and spicy food for now. T^T Sobsssss. asdfghjkl oh wells tequila-lime fish steak has less calories so TAKE THAT!! no I don't prefer beef bacon I don't prefer beef bacon I don't





Signing off now, have a great week ahead guys! <3
goodbye.
xx



Wednesday 3 April 2013

♥하루 105 - At empire with Joyceet


HAAAAIIIII. I'm so sorry.. how long has it been since I last updated? ☹ Gah. Howeverrr I'm pretty sure that it will remain this way till december, the month when I'm finally (FINALLY) free from the locks and torture of SPM. ugh. I've hereby made a very solemn promise to myself that this holiday will mark the end of my extreme procrastination, slacking and laziness which has been counting since.. 17 years ago or so. "haha you joking ah?!" NO. Honestly! I even promised Jenny that I'll complete the notes in my physics 2 and.. buy a new book for physics 3. ( ̄^ ̄)  <-- serious face. I've also missed weeks of classes for mssd and msss so its time I put on some boost engine or something. Especially for add math. Freaking. Add. Math.  (╬゚д゚)

Anyway this was on sukkie choo's (aka siew yok) birthday! she was quarantined due to chicken pox and that's like one of the saddest thing to happen to a person (next to failing exams. or dropping your ice-cream.) So Joyceet and me decided to surprise her by delivering her a proper lunch and coconut supply after church. (゚´▽`゚) 

Also on her birthday eve, chi yan and me hid behind the seats in their car when we went to fetch her from home for dinner after cell group. When we were almost reaching the restaurant, both of us stretched out and poked our heads next to her then started belting out the happy birthday song!! HAHAHAHA. we thought our plan was quite a success cause she will never suspect us to celebrate her birthday on the strike of midnight but it turned out that she guessed there was people behind the car. This girl never everrr cooperates when she gets suspicious. (happened when we wanted to give her the cake on the following sunday!!) -.- do you even like surprises sukkie choo?! But surprises make me happy so okay. ( ̄^ ̄)  

Anyway the baking gang made a no-bake oreo cheesecake with strawberry toppings. IT TASTED AAAAAMAZING. but it's super thin. Big bro thinks that it should be called oreo cheesepizza. ಠ_ಠ

Left sukkie's place about evening after a very hilarious movie time of pitch perfect (and listening to daniel reciting all the scripts/songs LOL). Joyce and me went to empire after cause she wants to check out their cotton on for the dress she has been looking for and also, dinner. We decided on Bangkok Beat Bistro!

Hmm, this restaurant has caught my attention several times whenever I visit empire and it always reminds me of nicolette, who has a huge thing for tom yam. After 2 hour of satisfying shopping and a stroll in Jaya grocer, Joyce and me is literally starrrrvinggggg for food so it was a quick decision. The sweet and spicy flavour of thai cuisines sounds good enough anyway, so we gave it a try. ヾ(゚∀゚*)ノ彡

Raw brick walls painted white with splashes of colour added by hanging frames of hippy and retro images with relevant info about bangkok (obviously). Their deco and ambiance is not as extravagant as restaurants like ole-ole bali but it's a really comfortable place plus the lighting is good for photos. ╭(╯ε╰)╮

Been weeks I'm trying to take a potential profile photo for her HAHAHA but my photography skills are incomparable and lousy so yeah. T^T

Panels and stencils on the walls. Yess, elephants are the Thai's symbol of nation! Elephants have always played an integral role in Thai culture and history. All Thai kings had a stable of white elephants and the animals are once decorated with the national flag and currency. Elephants are also used as war weapons centuries ago. Yay, learned something new? HAHA


To this day there's plenty of elephant camps in Thailand which are part of a main tourist attraction (I myself went to one and witnessed an elephant pee. yeah the camp was coincidentally closed so we didn't see anything LOL) e.g Maesa Elephant Camp, Chiang mai which my dad and sisters recently visited last year and it was so cool! But I'm not exactly supportive of these elephant camps cause we can't be sure what they do to those poor animals.. Just guessing but yeah I'm VERY VERY VERY against animal abusing. Ugh. They've feelings just like us too!! -.-

I think this is like their signature interior deco or something.. (those ceiling lamps and clocks and wooden cubical shelves) cause I've seen it at their fahrenheit 88 branch too! 

Really packed sunday night! All the tables are occupied, we're lucky to have went earlier. 

more Joyceet! ㅎㅅㅎ HAHAHA

After a long while trying to decide what to order (also because the host was really busy considering how packed the restaurant has gotten but he was really nice to us) we were so hungry everything just look super delicious arrrghh. Tbh I'm like the king of food-deciding-dilemma and nomatter how patient is someone, they'd go berserk at my level of indecisiveness when it comes to choosing food..


I MEAN, WHAT'S IT FOR IF THE FOOD YOU'RE PAYING FOR IS NOT GOOD AND WORTHED THE PRICE?! MUST CONSIDER IS THOROUGHLY RIGHT??!! 

Joyceet ordered the Soft shell-crab in Mellow Yellow Curry. It does not come with rice so you've to order separately. It's rm 1 for a pretty good sized bowl of rice. I've always loved soft shell crabs (tempura anyone? ) but now I realized that eating these crabs in a slightly larger than japanese-serving portion is extremely menjelatkan (sickening). I'd recommend more mellow yellow curry gravy to start with, and also the spicy level of it is like.. 2 of out 10? Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on personal preferences. Crabs are fresh and fried to perfection! (Y)


p/s There isn't really a species of crab with soft shells (then what is the point of having shells -.-). Fresh soft-shell crabs are a wonderful delicacy but are only really available for about six weeks of the year, when they shed their old shells and hide under rocks until their new ones firm up. -Quoted from Jamie's America. (Reading his book and now I have serious cravings for cajun cuisines oh no)

I had Thai olive fried rice cause they've this "yummy" sticker next to it on the menu! Hahaha ok usually when I couldn't decide I would minimize the range of choices to the recommended/ best sellers. SEE. I'm trying! This dilemma problem is terribly annoying.  (́≖◞౪◟≖‵)


 I couldn't say that the rice REALLY good cause I don't seem to remember tasting the slightest flavour of olives (I'm thinking about the taste of extra virgin olive oil I had to drink during liver detox program) but I would recommend it thou cause it's very aromatic. Paiseh, the memory of it is in a blur, it has been awhile already. T^T plus I love cashew nuts! and nothing would taste really bad for me. Hmm


Anyway I would  suggest you to order different main courses dishes/soup and everyone have their individual plate of rice. I feel like it's more economic and fun if you did that plus you can have a try of everything! You can always substitute plain white rice with their variety of fried rice or pad thai too. (but ofcourse, with an additional price) I find the portion of my fried rice is enough even for two people, if you are not that hungry OR too hungry until stomach shrink liao. ( ̄^ ̄) Fyi, their lunch deals are really worthed it! But it's only available on weekdays. ☹ However the prices are generally quite affordable, soup starts from Rm11.9 whilst price range of main courses are from Rm 16 - Rm42.

Now, how can we call it a perfect meal without the finishing touches of a plate-lickin' good dessert? I'm quite sure that alot of you have come across this small, queer cafe famous for their rows of delicious cakes that cover the counter and drooled over pictures of their majestic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. (◉◞౪◟◉) Welcome to Whisk! That's not only it, they have a handful of savoury items on the menu and also a variety of good coffee (Whisk uses beans from Oriole, a Singapore-based coffee company). I've also recently heard about Whisk's barista Suren, who made it into the final top 6 at the 4th Malaysia Barista Championship on 23rd of march. P/S The Last Polka ice-cream is sold here too, along with rows of colourful, irresistible macaroons.  (´・ω・`)  

I've fallen in love the first time I stepped into this cafe, which is very small (half a shop) but does not lessen the customer flow that visits them everyday for their lovely desserts. We can see people from all age levels, from old, retired couples to groups of  noisy youngsters and families, enjoying a delightful treat. ◠‿◠

They also have these long horizontal mirrors lined up on the walls with interesting, creative quotes and new best sellers written on them in artistic fonts.

Hah! here comes the important part we're all looking forward to hohoho ヾ(゚∀゚*)ノ彡Their mouth-watering variety of cakes on display! You only have to walk up to the counter and choose your preferred flavour (trust me, this is NOT easy). The workers there are really friendly and helpful too, always keeping a smile on their faces. ☺

The red velvet is good, but it's too sweet to my liking. Joyce thinks that their hummingbird cake is yummy so I gave it a try! In case you didn't know, a Hummingbird cake is moist and flavourful cake with mashed ripe bananas, crushed pineapples, chopped pecans and also spiced with cinnamon. It's frosted with cream cheese icing, the icing is slightly different in that it has a nice caramel flavour, thanks to the addition of finely chopped pecans. ♪♬

"CAN WE EAT NOOWWWW. -.-"

Rumor has it, this crowd-pleasing cake got its name because every bite makes you hum with delight. 
Tbh its my first time tasting a hummingbird cake, despite the number of times I've come across this recipe. I've always guessed that it's main ingredient would be honey since hummingbird and nectar.. you know. but I was wrong! ㅎㅅㅎ The cake is moist and rich without being heavy and though they'd cut us a fat slice, it disappeared effortlessly. Mhmm, satisfaction!  (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

 Whisk is actually shortlisted in the Best for Coffee category of the  Time Out KL Food Awards 2011 & 2012 (voted by public) and also, I learned that their signature, Granny's cake is extremely popular among customers. "A light, tiered apple cake sandwiched with layers of cream cheese icing and butterscotch and flecked with tiny chips of apple" I'd also recommend Hazelnut latte, even haven't being able to give it a try myself, the description was heavenly enough. Weeelllll, can't wait to the next time we visit empire!  (゚´▽`゚)


It was a great night (duh) and I must express my sincere appreciation to my sister who is probably the besttttt sibling in the whole, wide world! *spreads arm out* (Ok except certain times like when she terrorized the seal) but anyhooo, thank you joyshit!! I LOVE YOU! I cannot thank God enough for giving me such an awesome family, placing these amazing people in my life! Hohoho. p/s Javen has grown up to be a fine, long, handsome baby now! He's officially four months old! ╰( ̄▽ ̄)╭ Promise to show you picture next time! hee. Btw guys,

The long-awaited Easter Celebration Party by E-youth is finally here! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ノ  Needless to say, everyone (yes, you!) is invited and absolutely welcomed to attend! The special event game-- The Balloon Kingdom will be one unforgettable experience ok, you won't want to miss it. Trust me. Hahaha plus, this is the best part, everyone gets a free regular set of mcD's! ヾ(゚∀゚*)ノ彡Who can resist free food pls. HAHA. Please confirm and make your order by clicking here. (Register under group Amos!! Btw order form deadline's on 4/4/13 so hurry up!) It's very simple, really. If you need help or info, feel free to facebook/tweet/leave a comment to me! Hope to see you there! ♪♬






goodbye.
xx