A very busy year end.

Wow, January is almost over. I have been super busy since the last post. Well, even before that, actually. Sampai demam2, it was crazy! Why people always assume being a housewife is easy, is beyond me. You have MORE social obligations you can't run away from.

My mother in law went for haj last October, so the Mr. and i played host before the send off. I was already running here and there for my December project. So, knowing that we don't have any help especially when it was a weekday and time is always an enemy, we catered for about 20 pax, but catered in the sense that we ordered food. So picking up, setting up, cleaning up and all was all basically DIY :"( (Thanks to Cik Lili who got herself busy as she arrived). The very next night was the time we welcomed  my lil nephew, baby Hazir into the world (wrote abt it in my last post). I went to sleep over at my brother's house to help look after my sad nephew whom the parents had to leave for the new arrival. Brought him to the hospital the next morning and helped my brother with his stuff the next day when the wife got discharged from the hospital. Penat being a host pun still tak hilang lagi...

Before sending off the mum-in-law, makan-makan at our place.
Not even a small picture can spare me the eyebags.... :'( 

 
Then i went for a hide-away (from life outdoors) to prepare cakes for 2 occasions. In which i received a phone call for order when i was asleep after the haj send off. MIL was called in about 1.30am. So by the time i reached home and done cleaning up, i slept about 3-4am. I remembered talking gibberish on the phone and finally offered a call back soon because i realised i was scaring my customer away. Hehehe.

I made a simpleThomas birthday cake as requested for the birthday boy to bring to school (but fyi to those who are not in the know, a simple cake does not mean simple to make. Just in case you are wondering WHY a simple cake can cost so much sometimes. Kalau tak percaya, i suggest you try make one. Yes, i sound annoyed don't i? Because that's the truth). And made another 50 cupcakes the day after for the party at home. Complicated lil cuppies that requires a head start on colouring, cutting, shaping and moulding. Days ahead. So you can imagine the lack of sleep and all. I never look good attending these birthday parties whenever i have to come with my own cake in my hands! lol (And i don't think i ever want to do this kind of cuppies ever again!! :'( Unless of course, someone would really want to pay for all the pain and hard work).

(But in between, i still manage to squeeze some time pegi Angel Spa ;) Wanted to write about it but haven't had the chance to. So this will have to wait).

After that came Raya Haji. Since the mum-in-law was away for haj, my hubbs being the eldest son suggested we had the makan2 pagi raya session at our place. It was our turn to spend raya with his family anyways. So we once again played host for the celebration but this time, yours truly did the cooking (of course). Thanks to mum and ayah for dropping by to offer help. You guys are the best!!! Oh yes, u too, Harris! :D I managed to get the kari ayam, kuah lodeh, sambal goreng, rendang daging, (ketupat plastic, no less :p, and lemang (beli) too) all ready on time! In fact, the cooking was all ready way ahead of schedule! An accomplishment for me. Tak pernah masak full course for a large pax on my own for pagi raya so far. This was a first for yours truly :) (Though i got some help but mainly things were done by myself la. Thanks again mum n ayah... i couldn't have done it without you!!! Well, can la tapi takla siap by 5pm! Hehehe ;) )

 Table all set in the morning of Aidiladha :D
Waiting for the guests....

Next came dad's birthday. I made him a cheese cake since i know how much he loves them. It was my first time attempting a cheese cake and i was quite surprised how simple it was to make! But the ingredients aren't cheap, though. Then, i was down with fever :( I can't remember for how long. But it was not very long before my next order that was long booked by the cousin. I had to forego the one before that, though-the quite last minute order for a friend. (Pix below). Because i still had to squeeze in time to go meet people for my December thing.. so ampun, babes. Tak larat. Hehehee.. Health comes first, considering our age now.. :P

Us sharing a tiramisu @ twentyone

Finally November was coming to an end. Made the 2-tiered Barney cake for the cousin's son 1st birthday for the 27th November party. She was getting nervous when she got to know that i was not well, worried that i might not get the baking done for her but all was well, alhamdulillah. Tee hee. Luckily she wanted an exact design of a Barney cake i've done in the past, so i was able to skip the head scratching part to think about designs to come up with. But just when i thought i have the remaining 3 days to breathe before December comes, the Mr. fell sick! Can you imagine that?!!

The Big Three-O

Speaking of the d@mn number, it was a pretty big deal for me that we go out to mark my big day -for some reasons i don't even know how to explain. Notice that i said 'go out'? To have a do at my own place would mean i have to clean up after my own party. Now, who's going to do that, right? I guess it's the same case with some of my friends. This year was just different for us. It's just kind of well, BIG.

Let's see some of our moments celebrating the merriment of turning Big Three-O, shall we? Let's go chronological.

First, mine. I wanted a good dinner with my family. I felt like having tapas so we went to Uno. I always have loved the pasta here (before they increase their prices. Since then, we only visit the restaurant once a while, whenever the moon turns blue. Hehe). My only disappointment that night was that they have a limited selection of tapas on weekends. Tsk.. Of all days! So annoying.

Me and my cake moment.
Not every year i get to have this, so cut me some slack, yeah? :)

I had such a good time Anyways, it would have been nicer if dad was there too.

Next up was my friend, Chey whom had insisted i made an exception to make her birthday cake in the fasting month. It was celebrated in the comfort of her inlaw's house. Can you imagine? Her inlaws threw her a birthday party! With tents and all. Lucky girl! The mum-in-law has a catering business, so food wasn't an issue. There was a big buffet spread and why, of course the food was good.. they had grilled lamb! :D

She said the theme of her party was Thirty, Flirty & Thriving.. I didn't even know there was a theme until she told me at the party. Whatever. Lol.

And the most recent was Chy's Glamorous birthday celeb. Held at Neo Luxe and Lounge, Jalan Sultan Ismail. Nice ambience, even nicer food! (Thanks, chy.. :)). I hope she had gotten over her blues after all that scrumptious food.. I know i would! (Yes. Hi, my name is Azra and i seek comfort in food.. -_-).


Lots of phototaking slash camwhoring took place, as usual :) Everyone looked nice. Well, i could have done better. I know it shouldn't involve too much effort but what can i say, glamour is not my cup of tea. It's mum's. Haha.. (Hehehe..sorry mum). The only testimony that I was indeed glamour that night was that i have cake glitters all over my body, underneath all that coverings. Haha..

Another one is coming up real soon... though she still hasn't decided if there is going to be a party. Whatever it is, have a ball! It's not like every year that you get to turn 30. And don't forget to be thankful to the Big Guy too! ;)

Recent bakes

For mum's birthday.
Rich Buttercake with pink and ivory buttercream rose swirls.
(This is not that recent, though. Done in January).

3D Lightning Mc Queen.
Chocolate chip cake with buttercream plus, a candy bar.

A girlish theme for a 16 year old.
Done in 3 flavours,
Buttercake, Buttercake with choc chip & Chocolate cake.
This was challenging and time consuming.... i was so relieved when it's all done! :D


A gift for a relative's engagement.
This girl is mad about these classic roses.
Done in chocolate cake with buttercream.

A separate box for her own consumption :)

Big Bro's Birthday

Happy Birthday, bro!
Another year older, another year wiser.
Hopefully.
:P


The cake and the maker :)
Visual edited and provided by the wife.
I absolutely adore the candle!
When i first saw it, i thought.. "That's just so cute, I have to have that!".
It's not just about the cake, yes?

And this is not an attempt to promote, but my adorable nephew couldn't stop saying YUMM YUMM... (SE)DAPP... MMM... NYUM NYUM NYUM.. through out eating his cake! And i, of course couldn't resist staying glued in front of him, in awe, feeling all touched and amused at the same time and took photos of that sweet moment.

Not sure if he was just trying to pull my leg, but you know what they say about kids,
THEY DON'T LIE ;)

Tak puas pakai tangan, pakai garpu!
Glad someone enjoyed it :)

[Yesterday, was my late Tok Bak's birthday. He would have been 83. Al-fatihah].

Mission accomplished!

The nephew's birthday celebration finally came. Elmo was the lucky (or not) character the mother had chosen for my task. These are what i came up with:

Initially the plan did not include the dialogue box. But when i saw the birthday candle the mum had bought, i knew i needed a change of plan. Either that, or we needed new candles. In the end, the mishap i had was what saved the day.

What's worse, I only realised that my oven was not working properly when i saw the outcome of the first Elmo. It was a DISASTER!! It was distorted, lopsided. I had to turn the next one the other way round after half baking time and prayed hard for the cake to rise nicely. Lucky for me, it turned out okay.

I would definitely hate to see the first one goes to waste (stuffing myself with it was obviously not a solution, and to serve it to any guests would be a disgrace!) so, the Mr. suggested that i do something with it. I needed a new plan anyways. That's when i thought of the dialogue bubble. And so i did damage control. Reconstructed the whole thing, improvised a bit here and there and voila! With not much expertise, i manage to salvage it! Hahh! Thanks to the beauty of frosting, it helps to conceal all the flaws :D But i admit that it wasn't my best effort. I was too drained to make it any nicer.. bolehla, kan? I hope the birthday boy liked it anyways..

Side profile of the (still edible) lopsided Elmo.
It was taken out of the mould by utter frustration, hence the bad complexion.
(I also had to warn the mother as to which part can be cut for the guests given the nature of its construction :p).

Happy 2nd Birthday, kid!
Aeeaeyyouuu!! (he knows what it means :))

A Token of Appreciation

A gift of 5 to 5 helpful friends.

Life goes on..

I lost my dearest grandfather 10 days ago. I told my uncle that day that i still can't believe the fact that he's gone (i still can't!). I've so many memories of growing up with him. Then the uncle replied,

"We all live with memories, just make the best of them. And live your life so that he would be proud of you if he were still around".

That gave me the support i needed at that time as i was in no mood to do anything, let alone to bake. but i'm glad i did. These happy faces made my day :)

Happy Birthday to the sister and a Happy Anniversary to the couple! :)

Spring in December

What i'd like to say is that i am proud to be the first one to leave class this time.. heheh. I know, it's not a competition but it's a big achievement for me :D What motivated me? Well, i was running late to fetch the Mr! :P

Learner vs. Teacher
This is how the chrysanthemum should look like.
Mine, of course is the one looking like a tepee..

And here are some i've made for a friend.. (she was asking me why i didn't put them up on my blog. Honestly, i'm uber shy :)).
Here goes nothing..

For her mum in law's birthday.
Dadi translates mum in Pakistani.
Trying out mini hydrangeas.

For the sister.
Experimenting with bright hues.
Note to self: To use the bright colours for the lettering background next time.. i think it will look nicer.

And this is a simple one i made for the lil kid who "helped" me bake for my friend's order. Sorry you only got 3 pieces, Naufal. Next time, perhaps when Aunty Azra is able to work her hands faster!

Funny how it never occurred to me that i'd be doing this for a side income - especially given the fact that i don't bake. I actually went for the class because i received a request to make my nephew's birthday cake from the mother. I have another order this week, Alhamdulillah. It's true what they say, sometimes the best things happen when you least expected it ;)

Warning: High sugar content - Fondant fun 101

Went to another cake decorating class at Cake Connection last Thursday. This time, it's working with fondant. Like the Cupcake fun 101 class, we were provided with the recipe and given points on making the cake they prepared for us but the decorating part was hands on. Everything was breezy at the beginning. I was working pretty fast, kneading the plain white fondant by adding Kelly green mixed with Electric green, splitting the cake into 2 and filling it (i have to get one of those cake leveller. It's so easy to work with!) and icing the cake with a thin layer of buttercream but when it came to the decorating part, i got delayed.

First, because i had produced an oblong shape of fondant to cover the 6" round cake. So i had to start kneading and rolling all over again. It was quite a task i tell you! After several minutes had passed, i stopped rolling and asked Lynette, the instructor if my fondant was ready and she said, "it's still quite small for your cake". Sigh. Yeah, my patience was running thin at that point. "Please avoid re-kneading your fondant too many times, please", cried Lynette after checking one of the other girls. Obviously i wasn't the only one. Hehe. Fondant dries very quickly, so we had to work fast to prevent it from cracking due to dryness. You can't tell from the picture below, but my cake actually has some kind of (slight) "stretch marks" because it took me quite a while to work my hands on it. Huhuhu...

Lynette also demonstrated the crimping technique, which i didn't apply, not wanting to risk having ugly holes because i think it requires some practice and of course, time is of essence. In fact, none of us actually did any crimping on our cakes. She also showed us how to create borders from fondant cut outs, making sugar flowers from modelling paste and the quilling technique. We were given the chance to work with royal icing too. But the fact that we were instructed to make a stem and leaves for our sugar flowers using the white royal icing, i thought i'd continue when i get home. Reason being, i think it kind of spoils the look. (If this was a test i would obviously fail.. haha). Well, time was running out as i was just about done with my sugar flowers (Lynette told us to make 15 of 'em) when i decided to stop anyways.

When i got home, i realised that i had accidentally left the flowers behind. So i only had sebijik of the little pink sugar flower on my cake. Yep, one sad little pink sugar flower. My brother's maid sempat tanya, "bunga ni satu je kak?..". -__- However, the husband was kind enough to drive me to a place nearby to get the tools to make new ones from the leftover modelling paste i brought home. (Thanks, sweetness!). Here's the upshot(s) of my very first fondant cake (one, with a fan :P):

I thought the shade of green was rather too pale at first, but i kind of like it after it's all done :)

Have a sweet week ahead, everyone!

Making connection with (cup)cakes - Cupcake fun 101

I went for a cupcake decorating class at Cake Connection last week. It's located at Jaya One, PJ where you can find almost everything you need to make that cake of yours extraordinary all under one roof - sprinklers, toppers you name it! And i simply love the setting of the place. It's simple yet so chic!

We were taught and given tips on how to make basic vanilla cupcakes and buttercream frosting that will hold in our nice, hot weather. It was all exciting but i was pretty nervous as i have never attempted any kind of cake decorating (heck, i've only baked once in my lifetime!) and i know the underlying challenge for me particularly will be the TIME as time is (always) jealous of me and in this case, wars against my rosettes & my hydrangeas & swirls :)

Nancy, the instructor told us to treat the class therapeutic, but of course, i was all stressed out come end of the class! Struggling in between the messiness of putting in the icing into the piping bag, practicing the techniques on the board and working on the cupcakes to finish on time. But i guess it somehow did have that therapeutic effect after all as one of my colleague said my energy was different that day. "You look happier than usual!", he said. Haha! Here's a visual of some of my finished product:

I've always loved the classic swirl. I would have done more swirls but due to time constraints, i was short for a refill.
And as for the purple Hydrangeas, it went straight onto the cupcake! 
(no time for trials!)

Mussy. The kind of work i get when i do things fast!

(But mussy sometimes adds character, no?)